May 2007 by Texas Salwater Fishing Magazine

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

GAZIN MA E

XAS SALTW TE

ER FISHIN AT

Gu s lf C on cti oast C o n ne

10 Fifty Yards Off

Mike McBride

16 Encouraging Efforts 22 CCA at Texas State

Kevin Cochran

Kyle Tomek

26 Justin Hurst – Texas Game Warden

Martin Strarup

30 The People of the Beach

Billy Sandifer

32 Kayaking for Trophy Stripers

31 Coastal Birding

Cory Routh

34 Let’s Ask The Pro 38 Fly Fishing

Billy Sandifer

Jay Watkins

Casey Smartt

42 State Record Redfish 44 Tournament Trails

Casey Smartt

Brandon Jenewein

46 Offshore

Bobby Byrd/John Cochrane

50 Conservation

CCA-Texas

54 Science and the Sea

UT-Marine Science Institute

58 TPWD Field Notes

Art Morris

62 Kayak Fishing

Scott Null

66 According To Scott

Scott Sommerlatte

70 Youth Fishing

Aaron Cisneros

72 The Lore and Legend

Jim Dailey/Everett Johnson

80 Chuck’s Sabine Scene

Chuck Uzzle

82 Mickey on Galveston

Mickey Eastman

84 Capt. Bill’s Fish Talk

Bill Pustejovsky

86 Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays

Shellie Gray

88 Catching up with Cliff

Cliff Webb

90 Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report

Capt. Tricia

92 South Padre Fishing Scene

Ernest Cisneros

Editorial

Letters to the Editor Printed in the USA.

78 New Tackle & Gear 94 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 96 Photo Gallery–Catch of the Month 98 Gulf Coast Kitchen

104 Index of Advertisers

Pam Johnson landed this huge jack crevalle while wade fishing San Antonio Bay. Landing a jackfish without aid of a boat is an awesome feat; her expression says it was fun too. The jack was released, maybe he’ll hit your lure some day.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 19359586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending at Victoria, TX 77901. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983.

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May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

My mother and father began taking me fishing shortly after I learned to walk. My hunting career began well before I could shoot. My dad coming in from a hunt with me asleep on his shoulder and a played-out beagle pup in his game bag is one of my mother’s favorite stories. Getting started in the 50’s and remaining avid all these years means you’ve been around enough to see lots of changes. Part of what changes is us; our interests change and we look at things differently as we mature. Other changes are brought by the number of people looking to participate in these grand pastimes, resources and habitats shrink, and of course there are regulatory changes that shape and define how we as recreational fishermen and hunters can be accommodated. Lately, we have been receiving lots of news and comment regarding the proposals made by saltwater fisheries managers, mostly their effort to write new seatrout regulations for the Lower Laguna Madre. The Lower Laguna, fragile ecosystem that it is, would appear to be reeling from the effect of too much reeling… literally and figuratively. Gill net surveys down there point to a marked decline in relative abundance of spotted seatrout that are longer than the 15” minimum keep size. The decline can be traced back nearly two decades. You could say that despite no freezes in seventeen years, the Lower Laguna has never recovered from the devastation wreaked by the last big one in ’89. Elsewhere along the coast, numbers have rebounded, even with the considerable rise in angling pressure. With no commercial harvest allowed, it shouldn’t be too hard to conclude that the problem in the Lower Laguna is recreational overharvest. Last week, the TPWD commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the first set of region-specific regulations for seatrout in the Lower Laguna. The new bag limit will be half the old one… 5 fish per day. The possession limit is also revised to one day’s bag limit; the old regs allowed two daily limits in possession. The new regs will take effect with our new license on September 01 this year. Barring any natural disaster, it is expected that signs of recovery will be measurable in three years. The boundaries will be from Marker 21 in the Land Cut to Boca Chica. The current 10 fish limit will remain unchanged in all other Texas waters. Now it doesn’t take a nuclear physicist to figure out that this change is not pleasing all the people, not yet anyway. While public comment submitted to the commissioners favored the change better than 2 to 1, there are still some users in a tizzy. In the feedback and comment I’ve been witness to, pretty near everybody on the pro side of the ledger cited concern for the future of the resource. Recurring themes included leaving the resource in better shape than we found it, and how even though we like to eat some of what we catch, nobody actually needed to fish for food these days. Those opposed cited distrust of the data and disappointment that TPWD would bow to elitist anglers in the creation of a trophy fishery. Many said TPWD should restore the pass at East Cut before cutting the limit. Almost all of them thought a reduced bag limit was a violation of their right to fish. I think they are confused. I don’t believe the data is junk, this is not about creating a trophy fishery, and the decline began a long time ago, back when the East Cut was running full tilt. When I think of rights I think of the fundamental freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. The Declaration of Independence says we are, “endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Webster defines a right as “given by nature or law.” I say being allowed to keep fish for dinner is a privilege we earn through stewardship; changing the bag limit for trout violates none of my rights. It’s just another of the many changes we see during our career and I think it will prove beneficial for users and the resource itself in the long run.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Send letters to: TSFMag, P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 gazine, as Saltwater Fishing Ma Mrs. Shirley Elliott at Tex o you sent those Cassell, I’m the one wh My name is Michael J. on my project. Your to know I made a 100 you nt wa I to. es zin ga ma loved them. Thanks for benefit, and everyone at gre a re we es zin maga them. time you took to send all of your help, and the Dear Shirley, m you again. Here is It was nice to hear fro de. I I got your letter today. am in advanced 4th gra n. I am 10 years old. I some more informatio mentary. I enjoy go to Timber Ridge Ele puters, boy reading, swimming, com tball. I decided scouts and playing foo tted sea trout to do my paper on spo ething unique. I because I wanted som twater, but have have never fished in sal possible may I fished in freshwater. If gazine when it have a copy of the ma gets published? Sincerely, Michael J. Cassell Dear Michael, u, including getting all we can to help yo do y inl rta ce l wil We If you will put ytime you need one. an es zin ga ma the of ate you copies would like to investig school’s librarian we nts de us in touch with your stu nth so more to the librar y each mo mailing free copies ltwater fishing. sa s to read about Texa ce an ch the ve ha n ca itor Everett Johnson - Ed

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Dear Shirley Elliott at Tex

as Saltwater Fishing, My name is Larry Exum, I am Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Area Supervisor for the Tikrit area in Iraq. I am writing to thank you r magazine for suppor ting the troops with monthly deliveries of 25 copies of Texas Saltwater Fishing Ma gaz ine. They are being mailed to Cody Waits, one of the Managers for this area. Co dy brings the box of magaz to MWR for distribution at ines various locations on the camp. Camp Speicher has more than 10,000 men and wom en in uniform doing their for our country. These ma duty gazines, and your adverti sers get many eyes on the the month. Most of these m dur ing magazines are worn by the time the next issue arrives Shirley please know that . this gesture by you and you r magazine goes a long way and is greatly appreciate , d by all viewers on this end . It rea lly does make a difference Thank you so much, . Larry W. Exum CHA / MW R Area Supervisor / KBR Government & Infrastruc C-1 COB Speicher / APO, ture AE. 09393 Dear Larry, We are always ver y ple ased to receive word fro m the brave men and women ser ving this cou ntr y in the war against ter ror . We are mailing magazines all over that region and are most ple ase d when we hear they are bringing some joy. We want you to know how mu ch we appreciate your help get ting them distribute d. Please let us know how else we might be able to help… especially with oth er contact names and add resses of those holding positions like yours, we ’d love to help more uni ts. We wish all ser ving ove r there a safe and speedy return home, may God bless you each and eve ry one. Everet t Johnson - Editor

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

wanna see you write something

about being fifty yards off.” I was fishing with a one-liner king who we affectionately dubbed Captain Kirk. Besides being right on the money with reality-based punch lines all day, he continually beamed us up with his keen grasp of the obvious. Back to Captain Kirk’s fifty yard comment… there are games where close just don’t count. If we are “off” even by just a little, the results will be marginal at best. In the fishing world, missing by a mere fifty yards can spell the difference between the day of a lifetime and a day of agony. Since it doesn’t take much to make a near miss, and if we really want to get better at this whole deal, let’s look at a few examples where a little can mean a lot. That is unless, we are content to come to the dock as just another who “also ran.” 10

Texas Saltwater Fishing

The day in question wasn’t exceptional, but by noon we had probably landed fifty or so good reds between the five of us. We also had a fair number of decent trout including a sevenpounder. We were in a knee-deep backwater, and as the wind began to move things around, some predatory fish started to respond and feed into the conditions. You know how it is with fish, they are either sitting down or moving, and for this moment they were moving. There was a small ovoid bowl about six inches deeper than the surroundings. By small, it was perhaps fifty yards wide and one hundred yards long. The wind was slowly increasing at a slight angle to it, and as the water began to streak, everybody’s drag began to streak a bit too. These fish were mean and I don’t know what they were eating, but they started eating the May 2007

plastic worm as well. The interesting part is that several good wade fishermen working nearby basically blanked. How many times have we seen this? The guys right next to you kick ‘em while you’d swear the universe was sterile or vise-versa. Once again, it’s about being where we are supposed to be — and knowing it when you see it. Every water body can humble us and each offers special challenges; personally I find the Laguna Madre the toughest place on the Texas coast for consistent catching. Speaking from many years of upper coast experience, if we can learn to fish well down here, we should be able to fish well almost anywhere. Why, you ask? Well, basically because most of the normal tools we’ve been taught to use in other bays are effectively removed when you come to the Lower Laguna Madre.

There are no astronomically predicted tide movements, no mid-bay reefs, no significantly protected coves, no distinctive points or rocks, and with a few exceptions there is not much definitive structure. In other words, there’s very little opportunity for “spot” fishing down here. Fish have tails and they use them; knowing where they were will not tell you where they’ve gone. It’s all about reading the water; reading it well will get us closer to that fifty yard line, read it poorly and we might as well have gone bird watching. As in all of nature, little of it seems to be evenly distributed. Look at flocks of birds, flyways used by ducks, herds of deer, or even how cattle congregate in a pasture. It’s the old adage of

ninety percent of the fish holding in ten percent of the water. We have to hunt for those small but fertile pockets of life, and these can and do change often per conditions. In fishing we might call them stack-ups. While it seems a stack of anything would be easy to find, in reality it’s almost like looking for coveys of quail in a field, but here it’s with a single shot rod and no dog. Trivial bits of information key us in to places worthy of effort. We can either spend hours pecking out a single stray fish here and there, or spend hours looking for the lodestone. The more hardened angler looks for the highest opportunity and works it. So where is that 50 yd line? Here are a few highly opinionated examples.

May 2007

One example which we can often apply in any current affected area would be the lessons learned at San Luis Pass. What an excellent fishing spot… but be off by a few yards and it’s one of the biggest skunk holes in Texas. Depending which way the current is running and how strong, what the forage is, wind direction and velocity, and a few other influences; fish can either stack in the lee of the bars, in front, on top, suspend in the guts between them, or hug the bottom. By looking at what might make sense to a fish at the moment, and then getting in there with a probe on the end of a line, we can discover the pattern and stay with it until conditions

Texas Saltwater Fishing

change. That’s being a high percentage angler. The same can apply to reefs and many other current dependant locations. Here, if you miss it by fifty yards you’d swear there’s not a fish within fifty miles. Another example might be along almost any shoreline. Fish, the good ones anyway, seem to relate to shorelines with some mysterious ratio between distance and depth… depending on conditions of course. Sometimes it’s hard and fast to the bank, other times its one hundred yards off in waist deep water, sometimes out too deep to wade on them or any level in between. However, once we find the most productive level and depth for the moment, we got ‘em and it’s often along a very narrow strip. We see it quite often where four or five men are lined up, and the two in the middle are consistently bowed up much to the dismay of the other three. If you’re off you’re off and nobody gets hurt. Back to the Laguna Madre, especially when flats fishing, being on exactly the right line can be (and usually is) everything. There may be a narrow strip of potholes at a certain depth that ninety percent of the catchable fish in the area are using. Productive areas may be on a distinct color change, a small break, or an almost imperceptible wind shear line. Even a lone bird or two sitting on the water, a hovering osprey, a curious pelican or just a few pieces of flipping bait can offer the first clue. 12

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Spending a good amount of time looking before committing to a wade is shooting smart pool. With this new massive boat I have, doing a “check drift” before bailing out of the boat makes sense. That’s what we and Captain Kirk did on the day which started this discussion. We watched, we saw, and stayed in a particular zone which offered the most trivial bits of information. Unfortunately, the guys on either side of us went home as ‘also rans’. They were a mere fifty yards off. To be sure, vast expanses of water (such as sixty miles of shallow Laguna flats that all look the same) can seem barren and intimidating to the unpracticed eye. Learning to tighten it up comes from a combination of common sense, experience, and spending passionate energy trying to pull it all together. I’ll admit this again; this Laguna is the most humbling place I’ve ever fished. Learn to fish here by reading the water and you can probably go back home and be somebody. I’ll never go back home so I’ll never be anybody, but you can. Fishing is truly a wonderful game where you can pit all your abilities against the workings of nature. One of fishing’s most rewarding aspects is finally figuring out how some of it works. Can’t wait to see you out there… hopefully I’ll be sitting on the fifty yard line.

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

exas is home to one of the largest

Lead for the project. “We hope that by monitoring the presence of the grass

hypersaline estuaries in the world, the Laguna Madre.

over time, we can refine our understanding of how to select the proper

From Mexiquita Flats to the Boat Hole, the striking

disposal methods and sites for dredge material.”

beauty of the mother lagoon is largely defined by the

The Corps currently works with Texas Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and

grass beds which carpet a significant percentage of its

Wildlife, Texas Department of Transportation, National Marine Fisheries

mud and sand bottom. Those of us who love to fish this

Service, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and other groups

vast, majestic body of water use the features in these grass beds to find

to select sites. “We are working to minimize impact on water quality and

and catch fish.

subsequently sea grass beds not only through proper selection of disposal

Redheads, pintails, herons, egrets, sea turtles, blue crabs, shrimp and

other aquatic species use the grass beds for food, shelter, breeding and

sites but also improved methods for disposal.” Mr. Roberts mentions an island recently constructed for dredge disposal

even as sites for simply loafing. The vital role these sea grass beds play in

near the intersection of the GIWW and the Port Mansfield channel. “The

the continued health of the Laguna Madre cannot be overstated.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tell us that brown pelicans have already

Five types of sea grass may be found in the lagoon: turtle grass, shoal grass, manatee grass, widgeon grass and halophila. With the exception of the relatively rare halophila, whose value to wildlife is basically unknown,

started using the island. The good news is that we now have to take care not to disturb the pelicans while they are nesting.” After consulting with Ken Dunton of The University of Texas Marine

each type of grass provides some benefit to various marine organisms.

Science Institute, the Corps determined that dredging in the Laguna Madre

Also, the grass acts as a kind of insulation against turbidity, allowing the

should only occur during the normal period of dormancy for sea grass,

waters of the flats in the lagoon to maintain exceptional clarity even in

roughly between November 1st and the end of February. “Since we are

relatively high winds.

dredging during that time, our impact on sea grass and on nesting birds is

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District is conducting a multi-year monitoring program intended to determine whether a newly

minimal,” Roberts says. I was able to take part in the ground truthing portion of the study over a

developed management plan for dredging in the Gulf Intracoastal

five day period around the turn of the new year. Working with Casey Hardin

Waterway (GIWW) is reducing disposal impacts on these critically

and Jeremy Marshall, employees of PBS&J, the company contracted by

important sea grass beds in the Laguna Madre. Through the study of aerial

the Corps to do the bottom surveys, I was impressed with the depth of

images taken annually and with the support of survey efforts called “ground truthing”, the Corps hopes to verify whether the plans

knowledge these men showed regarding sea grass and their commitment to documenting exactly what they found. Part skin-diver, part scientist and part

are reducing or eliminating damage to the grass. “The Corps is interested in working in more environmentally sensitive ways than we have in the past,” says Terry Roberts, Environmental

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

enthusiastic eco-tourist, the surveyors provide needed data to the scientists ultimately charged with determining the effects of the dredging on the grass beds. The ground truthing is used to provide a quality control for those scrutinizing the aerial images, so that they can be more confident in their interpretation and analysis of the images. The surveying is scheduled to continue until the scientists are certain they can properly utilize the annually renewed pictures. Ground truthing starts with computer selection of 276 random points for surveying, then a list of GPS coordinates for those points is generated. Each point is labeled according to the amount of sea grass expected at the site and placed in four categories: “non-sea grass, light, moderate or heavy.” A spot that is perceived to have over fifty percent coverage in sea grass is designated “continuous”; if less than fifty per cent coverage, as “patchy”. Each point must then be visited by a team of trained personnel to determine the type or types of grass present and the actual density of coverage. May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

At each location, surveyors record the depth of the water, and if sea grass is present, drop one meter square quadrates to the bottom, three in a line for continuous spots, nine for patchy spots, spanning a total of ten or thirty meters. Then they must visually or tactually verify the presence of sea grass within the quadrates and record the percentage of coverage and relative abundance of type or types of grass present. The depth of survey sites varies from zero (some are on dry land) to about two meters. The deepest spots are most difficult to survey, as they require the surveyors to dive to the bottom and verify the presence of grass with their hands. Working those sites requires wet suits, snorkels, masks and other gear, sometimes diving weights to combat swift currents. The shallowest of the points are also difficult to survey, as they are often remotely located on flats navigable only by airboat, which the company doing the survey does not possess. After positioning bay boats as near to those sites as possible, the surveyors must then row kayaks and/or walk the rest of the way to record their data. In the worst-case scenarios, they traverse miles of shallow, muddy bottom on foot. The folks from PBS&J are paid to go those miles, but more importantly, I got the impression that they are generally willing to go the extra mile to make the data accurate and complete. Likewise, the Corps seems genuinely intent on continuing to fund this project in the future, with the purpose of ensuring that damage to sea grass from dredging in the Laguna Madre is minimized or eliminated altogether. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hope that Project Manager Karl Brown and the Corps continue to get enough money from Congress to maintain this well-intentioned project. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe to say that the days of cutting ditches through the Laguna Madre are not over, but maybe future efforts will have far less negative environmental impact than those of the past. As a bonus, a few lucky birds should find new nesting places suitable for continuing their kind. 18

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

ere inches of water blanketed oyster reefs and

bottomless mud. Navigating the narrow maze of twists and turns added to the intricacy of reaching the back lake on a low tide. Morning light provided just enough illumination to maneuver my shallow scooter through the minefield of abandoned crab traps and exposed patches of oyster shell. A strong ebbing tide flushed bait from narrow bayous surrounding the pond. Conditions were ideal for showing new college friends some of my favorite spots for locating redfish. A sudden turn into the deeper waters of the back lake allowed us to descend off plane. The break of silence alerted nearby gangs of redfish to stir and shuffle further across the lake. Complementary winds blew at our backs allowing us to drift within casting distance of the tailing reds hanging just on the outer rim of the school. Tails danced above the surface of the nearly brackish water. Bronze backs shimmered as miniature baitfish jumped across 22

Texas Saltwater Fishing

the top of the water like leapfrogs on lily pads. My scooterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s front and rear fishing platforms were occupied by anglers eagerly waiting for the signal to cast. The slightest nudge of a tackle box or the vibration of a footstep would surely kill our chances of hooking into one of the bruisers. Weedless spoons and paddle tail soft plastics were aimed for the backside of the congregation and sent midair. Two of the bronze backs, perfect for the grill, curled rod tips and uplifted morning moods. An airshow of seagulls caught my eye with high speed nose-dives and low flying swoops at the mouth of a nearby slough. My fourstroke motor, idling at a whisper, allowed us a closer look. Once more, scurrying baitfish and waving tails freed the butterflies in my stomach. The boat met the salt grass and the four of us escaped the gunnels armed with fishing rods in a covert style that James Bond would have envied. We trampled knee high vegetation and sloshed through ankle deep water to reach May 2007

the brink of the slough full of predators. Redfish were stacked edge to edge across the backwater channel. Four shots were pitched from the bordering salt grass into the shin deep stream. Tails angrily bashed the surface and the water boiled with escape attempts of muscular reds; the rodeo began. Standing amidst the schooling reds, stripping line, and infinite miles of salt grass, I pondered if catching a trophy trout gives me more goose bumps. Each redfish surrendered against the shore of broken shell and soft, black mud; all were easily oversized. We gradually picked off more of these pigs while trailing close behind. Gliding across the firm mud was easy at first until placing a foot in the deepest muck I have ever come in contact with. Knee high goo pulled at my legs and feet. I quickly felt like a statue; chasing the school any further was impossible. A last cast with a black and chartreuse paddle tail into the school paid off. Water instantly exploded displacing foam in all directions. Mud churned and all that I could do was hold on. The monster weaved

between me and my fishing partner and spewed a wake as it burned down the lake’s distant shore. The shallow water didn’t allow much room for escape. A salty bear hug seemed the only option to hoist it from the water. A lower jaw caked with mud, a sunburned back, and a belly boasting scrapes from oyster shell proved this redfish was a backwater warrior. I estimated it to easily clear 37 inches before releasing. On the boat ride down the ICW back to the launch site I realized that this trip was special. We stumbled on undiscovered redfish, two of my three friends caught their first limit of reds, and I topped a personal best; however the occasion meant more to me. I introduced my love of fishing to new college friends as well as the future of the newly founded Texas State University chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association. It was obvious when I started at Texas State; a CCA Chapter was needed there. Using some internet investigation and a

Facebook.com group called Texas Coast Anglers, I began searching. One guy in particular, contacted me with his thoughts about starting a CCA chapter. Excited and surprised, we immediately got to planning; that is, after we made several fishing trips to the coast of course. He showed me quality fishing in the rivers and waters near his folks’ bay house in Port Alto and I was fortunate to introduce him to his first 30 inch trout. Several fishing trips were spent discussing how a Texas State CCA Chapter would be an excellent way to bond saltwater fishermen together and we assumed it would allow for the distribution of thoughts, ideas, and topics relating to fishing and life. He made the call to Robert Taylor after reading the CCA Texas article, in the October issue of Gulf Coast Connections, describing how to construct a college chapter of our own. We were soon informed that two others at Texas State had already begun building a chapter. Weeks later, we began attending our own weekly meetings, organizing a banquet, fishing May 2007

together, and hanging out. Call it coincidence or whatever you wish, but the chances of four fishermen in the same semester to attempt to start the first Coastal Conservation Association chapter at Texas State is likely rare. The chapter has gained more memberships and continues to schedule trips across the coast to areas ranging from Matagorda to Port Mansfield. CCA Texas Executive Director, Robby Byers stated in a CCA article that “College campuses hold the leaders of tomorrow, these college students are active because they believe in the efforts of the organization and understand the need to continually fight for the conservation of our coastal fisheries.” I feel the involvement of a university CCA Chapter promotes not only the betterment of our coastal fishing but also lasting friendships.

www.KyleTomek.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

n the night of March 16,

nightmare, depending which side of the law you

During the chase of a suspected road hunter

are on. You can obey the laws set forth by Texas

that lasted an hour and reached speeds of 100

Parks & Wildlife and the warden is your friend. If

miles per hour involving numerous other law

2007 Justin Hurst,

you break those laws you’ll probably feel a rush

enforcement officers, the suspect decided he

Texas game

of panic when you see the truck or boat with the

wasn’t going to be arrested without a fight.

warden, headed

TP&W emblem heading your way. I have had

to assist another

wardens board my boat while fishing countless

warden’s call for

times and have never had a bad experience. I’ve

control of his vehicle, the officers in pursuit

also had to call them a few times for help… never

caught up. Suspect James Freeman got out of

had a bad experience that way either.

his vehicle and started blasting at the officers

backup. Somewhere in between the time he left his wife and son to go to work, and the

with a handgun.

time he would have returned home, something horrible happened.

After running over a nail strip and losing

If you hunt and fish long enough you will sooner or later be introduced to a game warden.

Justin had a huge Labrador retriever named

A Texas game warden

They’re personable for the most part, yet some

Jake and I can tell you from personal experience

can be your best friend

aspects of law enforcement require them to be

that Jake loves to play, but Jake doesn’t play fair.

businesslike and aloof; they have to be as their

You see Justin Hurst lived next door to my buddy

work can sometimes be dangerous. If they’re

Glenn’s mother and we keep our boat there.

checking hunters too make sure that they are in

On countless occasions while I was working on

compliance with Texas law, they have to believe

the boat, Jake would come from next door and

that the person they’re pulling over or the people

visit. Jake always had a toy with him. If I was

in the camp they’re pulling into are armed.

in the boat, Jake would stand on his hind legs

Remember that the next time a warden stops

with his forefeet on the gunnels and look at me.

or your worst

you or comes into your deer camp… and when the warden has finished checking you and thanks you for your time… take a moment to thank him or her for doing their job. It will

I’d reach for the toy and Jake would move just before I could grab it. I’d lose interest and go back to whatever it was I was doing and Jake would come back. We’d repeat the game until Jake was satisfied that he’d irritated me enough and he’d

be appreciated I

prance back to his house. If I was working under

assure you.

the boat or anywhere on the ground, Jake would come up and bump me, offering his toy. The same thing would happen and Jake would eventually give up and head home. Justin always came over and apologized for Jake, but I’d just laugh and then we’d talk about fishing or hunting or about Jake.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

When James handgun was emptied

Freeman’s

birthday, Justin Hurst, our friend and protector,

you and me, the warden has a job to do; and he’s

he pulled out

died at the hands of someone not fit to polish

going to do it whether you like it or not.

an AK-47 and started blasting again. He had a

his boots.

warden and a sheriff’s deputy pinned down. Hell he had everyone pinned down, shooting up their

And remember when you leave for work, just I’ll miss Justin’s smile and his advice and his

like Justin, you might not be coming back. Kiss

cars, blowing out windows, and had every officer

answers to questions I always seemed to have

your wife or husband and hug your kids, tell them

on the defensive. Justin wasn’t a defensive type

about game laws. I’ll miss talking to him and I’ll

you love them and go do your job. Do it like Justin

person; he took the offensive.

always look for him when I’m out there doing

did his; to the best of your ability and with all

something with the boat.

of your heart. Then when you get home,

I didn’t know Justin until he moved to El Campo and became our local game warden. I

hug and kiss them all again and I was angry the morning after Justin’s death;

had a good relationship with his predecessor

I’m still angry, but I don’t question the way God

and looked forward to meeting the new guy

works. A Catholic priest once told me that God

and hoped that he would be every bit as good

knows when, where and how we’ll die and that it’s

a warden. He was. Justin was a nice guy,

all part of his plan. There’s nothing that we can

absolutely, but he was a tough lawman and he

do about it, there is nothing we can do to change

played no favorites when it came to enforcing the

it, it’s going to happen and all we can do is to be

law. Neither was he the kind to ask favors. He

ready for it.

thank God. Be Safe.

knew the laws to the letter but he also possessed common sense and had compassion for those who deserved it. He was an officer for the people.

So remember Justin the next time a game warden hails you on the water or stops you on your

With the other officers pinned down by rifle

way home from deer

fire, Justin left the protection of his pickup and

camp. Remember

maneuvered to flank the shooter. Freeman saw

that just like

what Justin was doing and opened on him, hitting him twice. Though mortally wounded, Justin still managed to fire under Freeman’s truck and hit him in the ankle, which allowed the other officers to take down the shooter. Just past midnight on March 17th, 2007 on his 34th

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

urtle patrollers began searching for nesting Kemp’s ridley sea turtles along the beaches of the Padre Island Nat’l Seashore on April 01, 2007. The patrollers utilize ATVs to cover every foot of beach many times daily throughout the nesting season which runs April through mid-July. The Kemp’s ridley is the only sea turtle that nests during daylight and it is this patrolling effort that enables biologists to obtain the much needed data to boost the recovery of this seriously endangered species. The driving conditions the patrollers must negotiate are often horrible with mounds of sargassum stacked along the water line and deep ruts and soft sand elsewhere. It is a very physically and mentally demanding job and requires unusually high levels of both concentration and dedication. At 3:15pm on April 03 2007, patroller Marina Giggleman was killed while working 21 miles south of the pavement on PINS. Apparently her ATV flipped in deep ruts and landed on her. Marina was in her second year as a member of the patrol team and leaves a husband and a 14 year old son behind, she was 46 years old. She was also a director of the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation. Marina will be remembered as always quick with a smile and absolutely committed to the well-being of the natural world. Everyone at PINS and especially her co-workers in the Kemp’s Ridley Recovery Program are devastated by this tragic loss. Our deepest sympathies go out to Marina’s family, co-workers and associates. At some point in my life PINS ceased to be simply the place I went to fish, work, and get away from urban life. It became my home

Texas Saltwater Fishing

spiritually and mentally. It became the place I choose to be whenever possible and all the inhabitants there became my family, all of its creatures as well as the other beach fishers. The long term beach fishers constitute a culture unlike any other group of anglers I’ve ever met and I have always felt the greatest sense of pride in being a part of this “extended family” group. They take twice as long to travel the beach as is actually necessary because they lose so much time stopping and visiting with other campers and fishers along their route. It is the habit of long-term beach fishers to freely and willing exchange accurate and helpful information, thereby showing consideration and concern for their peers. While there is also a tremendous number of occasional fishers and always a stream of newcomers, the core of this “extended family group” remain and the newcomers will become assimilated if they fish the area long enough and make an effort to join the family. Chief Ranger, Randy Larson, has mentioned several times that in his long career with the Nat’l Park Service he has never experienced the unbridled and unparalleled love and concern for the well-being of any park that he sees exhibited by the users of PINS. At the same time as I am aware of this positive “family” thing, I have also been aware of a lesser but undeniable ongoing negative situation. I call it the “us” and “them” division between parts of the user group and the National Park Service. Some of it can likely be traced to the fact that there are beach users who were going there before it was ever declared a National Seashore and they resent the rules and changes that came with National Park status, kind of like the “big brother is watching”

May 2007

syndrome. These folks fear the loss of historic privileges under federal regulation. I have done my utmost to destroy this division and to pave the way for more positive relations for the past 18 years. I continue to hold hope that each group will eventually see all others as comrades in arms. And I do not see it as farfetched either, for when you get right down to the bottom line here, as the main goal of these longer term beach users and the Park Service is actually one and the same… the well-being of the resource and all of its inhabitants. The division is most unfortunate and counterproductive. I have always maintained that the future usage of PINS depends more upon all user groups being allied with and assisting the National Park Service than anything else. The Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Recovery program began in 1978. Contrary to some reports, this is a natural and traditional nesting area for these turtles and I personally saw them nesting on numerous occasions before the program ever existed. The program has 15 people on staff during nesting season and 140 volunteers aiding in the effort. Most of the volunteer’s efforts are focused north of the 4wheel drive area. They need our help and the turtles need our help if they are to survive. We MUST accept the responsibility of slowing our travel speeds during nesting season. These nesting female turtles are the same color as the wet sand and thusly can be extremely difficult to see and are impossible to see at excessive speeds. Be observant, watch for and report turtle sightings or tracks immediately; if possible, mark and guard nest sites until a Turtle Patroller can reach the location. Call 361-949-8173 ext. 226 or 1-866-TURTLE-5 to report sightings. Please

invest every effort to avoid disturbing tracks or nesting turtles, and if possible photograph the turtle and look for and record any visible tag numbers on the shell or flippers. Our support is needed more this year than ever before as the loss of Marina Giggleman will obviously impact the program. As a note of caution, I would like to advise readers that the Turtle Patrollers do not have rear view mirrors on their ATVs and the nature of their work can often occupy 100% of their attention. There is also the ever-present wind on PINS that can muffle nearly any sound. Very often beach drivers will get dangerously close to patrolling ATVs without the patrollers being aware of their presence. As such, the responsibility for their safety is in our hands and we should remain constantly aware and give them plenty room. An ATV is not as stable as a 4-wheel drive truck or SUV and they can change course suddenly into the path of a rapidly approaching vehicle. It’s a simple fact of life that the wonders of the Texas beaches can attract inconsiderate, uncaring and even lawless individuals as well as the multitudes of good ones. Enforcement personnel on PINS are very low in number and they need us to report violators if they are to keep our beaches safe. Report unsafe speed, dangerous driving, driving in the dunes, or any unsafe or unlawful acts immediately to 361-949-8173 ext. 237 or 0. Neighborhood watches are extremely successful across the nation; let’s adopt a neighborhood watch attitude towards the well-being of our beaches and their continued use. If you can’t get through to report violators flag me down and I’ll call them in. As E.J. mentioned in his editor’s column last month we are beginning a column on birds. The goal is to introduce common bird species encountered regularly by our readers and all Texas saltwater fishers. This is offered from the perspective of anglers, in layman’s terms, so that our readers can gain a better appreciation for the role of these species within the eco-systems of our bays and beaches. Your interest and acceptance of the column will determine its future in this publication. We are kind of “shootin’ from the hip” on this one so bear with us and feel free to comment. Sargassum has clobbered CAPT. BILLY SANDIFER surf fishing, nearly bringing it to a standstill for the past month and I have taken a part-time position as an Audubon Warden in the Upper Laguna Madre. The original intention of the column will be to concentrate on a particular species or family of birds but working in the field this past week with Audubon Billy operates Padre Island Safaris. has made me acutely aware His specialties are fishing for of a subject that requires and sharks to specks in the Padre deserves this first month’s Island surf and bayfishing for trout column much more. Hope you and redfish from a poled skiff. find it useful and enjoyable and by all means let us know what Contact Billy Sandifer you think! Telephone 361-937-8446 Be Careful, Be Courteous, Website Be Kind. www.billysandifer.com May 2007

Reddish egrets forage in shallow water. They are known for their dancing and other antics while pursuing prey.

The spoil islands located in Texas bay systems are the nesting areas (also known as rookeries) of wading birds and several species of terns including black skimmers and laughing gulls. The wading birds that nest in our area include the herons, egrets, ibises, roseate spoonbills, American avocets, American oystercatchers and black-necked stilts. Suitable nesting habitat is limited and in many areas raccoons and coyotes make successful nesting impossible. Nesting birds are extremely sensitive to disturbance by man and simply intruding too close to a nesting area could possibly result in a nest being abandoned and the birds may or may not attempt to nest a second time. Seventy percent of the entire global population of reddish egrets nests within these coastal areas of Texas and there are only approximately 2,000 pairs on this continent. Reddish egrets almost went extinct due to plume hunting and it takes 3-4 years for them to reach sexual maturity. These are the comical appearing fishers that dance around in shallow water with their wings spread wide as if herding fish.

A spoil island rookery in the Upper Laguna Madre. Three nesting species are present in this photo. Photo courtesy of David Newstead Audubon TX.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Once cargo ships, these concrete “Liberty Ships” now act as a breakwater and an artificial reef.

This lucky angler managed to land the biggest fish of the season from a touring kayak.

In a recent issue of Texas Saltwater Fishing, I really enjoyed the article about Striper fishing in Lake Sabine. Yes, I get it all the way up here in Virginia. I had the pleasure of meeting Everett Johnson during the Port O’Connor EEF kayak fishing tournament. I was introduced to him by Scott Null, and got to talking to EJ about striper fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. I remember him asking do you read The Chesapeake-Angler, I promptly answered, I write for them. Automatically he made the connection, and we started to talk about Virginia striper fishing. If you put the two magazines together you would swear that they were sister magazines. Actually they both are simply run by great editorial staff. So in the spirit of brotherhood, or sisterhood, I offer you a little sample of Virginia greatest fishery, Enjoy! It is no secret that the eel has become the go-to bait for catching BIG stripers. My fellow Chesapeake Angler author Capt. Max King, has demonstrated this with numerous national tournament victories. So when I found out that fellow members of the TKAA (Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association) were having success with eels on the eastern shore of Virginia, I had to investigate it for myself. I loaded up my kayak and tackle took the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The CBBT is one of the reasons that fishing is excellent in eastern Virginia. That another story, maybe I tell you guys about that in another article. The air temperature was 65-degrees and the winds were blowing SW at about 10-15 mph. As I crossed the high rise I noticed the boats below rocking and rolling. At this point I had second thoughts about paddling out 2-miles from the shore. I arrived at Kiptopeake State Park just in time to see TKAA member Bigmax paddling out towards the concrete ships. Theses “Liberty” ships are partially sunken and used to serve as break waters for the ferry that used to carry vehicles from the Eastern Shore to the Southside. That was before the CBBT. Now they protect the boat landing and the fishing pier. The water was rough 32

Texas Saltwater Fishing

The author shows off a nice 43 inch striper. in the lee of the ships, but even rougher outside. I hailed Max and he said that he was going to try fishing inside the ships. Just as I was ready

barrel swivel, and 2 foot of 50-pound mono snelled to a 7/0 circle

to launch I hear him on the radio and look to see him hold up a respectable striper. I finally got my yak set up and headed out to meet Max. The swells were big but manageable, the sea state improved as I got closer to the ships. Pretty soon three other anglers came in from outside the ships; it was pretty rough out there. The three anglers were David Haynie, Kayak Kevin Whitley, and Aaron Johnson (who paddles a sit inside touring kayak). I told Kevin that Max had caught a fish just inside the ships, so Kevin paddled up to the ship, dropped an eel and immediately hooked up. If you have not seen Kevin in action, then you are missing the most enthusiastic angler that I have ever met. He looked like a champion rodeo cowboy, only on a kayak. After a short Chesapeake sleigh ride, he quickly landed a 44inch sow of a striper. He offered me an eel but being a hard headed artificial angler, I continued to futilely try everything that I had. After watching everyone around me catch 40+ inch stripers I finally gave way to the eel. All three of them managed to catch and release at least one 40-inch striper on eels. Kevin rigged me up with a simple but effective rig that consisted of a, 1 oz egg sinker, red bead,

hook. I threaded my 50-pound powerpro through the sinker and the bead, and then tied a Palomar knot to the barrel swivel that was attached to the hook. Kevin hooked the eel through the bottom lip and up through the eye socket, then immediately threw the eel into the water. “This keeps them from getting all knotted up” he said. So I paddled up to the end of the most northerly ship and cast my eel into the water. I set the reel in free spool and set the clicker. No sooner that I did this, I start hearing it go off. “Stick em” said Kevin. So stopped the free spool, turned off the clicker and began a sleigh ride of my own. After about 5-minutes of fight I had the fish close enough to see. “Whoa”, I said, this thing was a beast. So I got the lip gripper on it and pulled the hog onto my kayak. There was almost no room for me and this fish in my kayak. Kevin paddled

May 2007

over to measure my fish, 43-inches he said, not quite a citation. It beats my biggest kayak fish by 1-inch, you can have the paper, all I need is a picture, so I handed him my camera. After a few hero shots I gingerly returned the girl to her home. Want another eel? Kevin asked. I declined and said that I needed to put down the rods and pick up my camera. So I spent the rest of the day filming, good thing I did. The wind finally subsided and the water became smooth as glass, the fishing also slowed down. Aaron was sitting there with us talking shop, when his clicker went off he set the hook and took off like a rocket. “Now that’s a Chesapeake sleigh ride” I said as I paddled madly to document this fight on video. I followed Aaron for about 6-minutes, it reminded me of the Old Man and the Sea. But Aaron was in total control and managed to tire this monster of a striper. Kevin came over and assisted him with the measurement, “48-inches that the biggest striper that I have ever seen caught on a kayak” he said.

May 2007

So after some much deserved hoopla and back slapping Aaron released his trophy striper. Did I mention he did this in a kayak made for touring? That makes it that much more awesome. As the sun began to set we started back toward the landing, big smiles and rough thumbs were had by all. Everyone got their big fish and their pass into the forty plus club. This quite possibly could be the best fishing trip I have ever had. And I only caught one fish. Worth it, you ask? Definitely! Cory “Ruthless” Routh is the founder and past-president of the Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association (TKAA). He is the owner operator of Ruthless Fishing Inc. and guides kayak fishing trips in coastal Virginia and North Carolina. Cory’s guide services are endorsed by Legacy Paddlesports, Rip Tide Lures, and St. Croix rods. His website is www.ruthlessfishing.com. For more info on TKAA check out www.tkaa.org

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Story & photos by Jay Watkins

In May we see tons of slicks. In fact,

slicks become a vital part of locating fish along our southern shorelines as well as around some of the mid-bay reefs in the Aransas Bay complex. I am often asked the question, “are trout the only fish that create slicks and how do you fish an area with slicks.” I think many Texas anglers believe that anytime they see a slick it was produced by a school of speckled trout. This is the farthest thing from the truth, although I must say it is a truly positive way to look at your day. Reds, flounder, drum, hardheads, and many other species can also create slicks. Learning more about WHERE slicks are found and WHAT PATTERN they are found in can often tell us what type of fish are likely to be found under them. By learning to read the messages the slicks are sending we can become more productive anglers. First, let us see if you know what a slick looks like. Simply put, a slick is a slick or shiny spot on the surface of the water. Ever drop a potato chip or Frito corn chip in the water and seen the shiny spot it produces? Locating slicks is easy whenever there is any amount of wind-created wave action. On slickcalm days, no pun intended, we have to depend on our sense of smell to help locate slicks. Slicks have a telltale smell. Most believe them to smell of watermelon or fresh-cut grass. If you have ever had this scent cross your nose you know what I’m talking about; it is a sweet smell to the avid saltwater angler. On the other hand, if you have ever been downwind of a crabber while they are baiting their crab pots you know this to be a very different smell. I admire these men and women for their

Offshore slick along shoreline drop-off. 34

Texas Saltwater Fishing

work ethic and the ability to put up with the stink all day. Smells sort of like money I guess to the really enterprising people in that industry. Crab traps can make slicks at various times throughout the day so do not be confused when you are running down a shoreline and see numerous slicks drifting downwind of the crab traps. On the upper coast, especially Trinity Bay, it is easy to get lost in the maze of slicks each morning from the crab traps. I guess you want to know how to decide what is what and which is which. I will try to walk your through a typical day of reading slicks in Aransas Bay. I have people that get on the boat this time of year and say, “Well Jay, where are we headed today?” I think they are often shocked when I say, “Well, I am not sure.” After all, the guide is supposed to know that already, right? Wrong! This time of year we know the general area but the bait and the fish move and we have to be willing to do the same if we intend on keeping ourselves on fish. In May, I am looking for grass and sand structure along shorelines. I prefer areas with shallow sandbars, deeper parallel guts, and both of these need some submerged grass beds. Add bait and moving tides and we are ready to start the hunt. This time of year, you are fairly safe in assuming that the majority of the slicks you see over your preferred structure are made by trout. Slicks that form shallow are typically from larger trout. Since large trout typically do not school shallow, the more scattered or infrequent you might find them along the shoreline is more evidence that a few large trout might be feeding there, (my opinion.) Other facts that can help you; the smaller the slick the fresher, a long tail on a slick means it is older. If it smells sweet, it is probably made by feeding fish. If it smells bitter or fishy it most likely came from something dead or from a crab trap. Let’s take a ride down a shoreline. Even though I am now running a new Majek Illusion, I still prefer to run offshore of the deepest structure and look. The line along the shoreline where I start seeing slicks is the line I want my anglers to be standing inshore or offshore of and casting toward. Remember, the smaller the slicks are, the fresher they are. After we have located an area with slicking May 2007

Classic platter sized slick in shoreline cove.

activity, slow down and ease along looking for bait activity. Found it? What line is the bait on in relation to the bottom structure? If the slicks and the bait are on the same line that is terrific but it is not totally necessary. Most of the time, the bigger trout are laying in wait for the bait to come to them. Lets say a new slick just popped inshore of where you are looking. The first thing you should do is look upwind or up-current and locate the closest piece of bottom structure in the area. This is where your trout is holding. So many times I have had a slick pop on our wade line and everyone will immediately cast right into it and then proceed to follow the slick. If you have fished with me this time of year and done this you can recall what my instructions where. The slick is just the sign of where a fish that recently ate too much is laying. She is not moving with the slick. Once a pattern has been discovered on a shoreline, it will most likely be carried out throughout that specific bay system. When the slicks pop on a different line; repeat the process. Find the structure and cast to it. Are slicks guarantees that we will catch fish? There is nothing farther from the truth. Slicks are merely a chance at what lies beneath. It is important to take into consideration that fish cannot slick effectively on an empty stomach. This leads us to the old scenario of, “I think I’m too full to eat again right now,” nonetheless you know where the fish are. I love this time of year because by watching slicks I can literally follow the migration of trout along the shoreline. It is understandable that the areas along the shorelines with the most favorable bottom structure and best tidal movements will be the most productive. I have however on many occasions found fish slicking in areas of no structure or bait to speak of and simply hammered them. Trout will quite often stage in deeper water adjacent to abundant bait sources and structure during the slack periods of the day when they are not feeding. It is numbers of fish that create the bite; competition for food instinct makes

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Results from locating slicks and coming back later and catching fish that did not feed on the day we found them.

them feed even when they do not need to. I was an only child so I never had to fight for the last cookie. Jay Ray and Ryan did. Some of the worst fights started over the last snack. What about the days in May when you are on your spot, bait everywhere, there are slicks popping like crazy and you cannot buy a bite. I know a lot of us want to believe that since we are not being bit, it has to be some non-gamefish species making them. “Hey Jay, these slicks must be from something other than trout since we are not getting any action.” I actually believe after seeing what I have seen up shallow all my life and now with the shallow water capabilities of my new Majek that these slicks are actually from much bigger trout than you may want to know. Just two days ago, I waded an area in St. Charles Bay that had slicks popping for an hour but only produced two or three solid fish. Upon my return to the boat and a quick burn of the area, (there were no other anglers fishing the cove so I only screwed it up for myself) I saw probably a dozen very large trout; I’m talking fish over 6 pounds. What’s up with that... you ask? My guess is that they had already fed for the day or maybe for the next two or three days. But guess what? Two

Texas Saltwater Fishing

days later, we eased back into this area and we caught three or four of these six-plus pound fish. The slicks showed us where they were, the boat confirmed it, and two days later we closed the deal. Reading slicks is a critical part of your trout fishing experience, especially during spring. Many times I’m asked, “How long should you stand in an area with slicking activity before moving on?” Remember that trout prefer to snuggle up next to bottom structure, maybe even bury down in the grass if water clarity and sunlight penetrations are high. Trout, being predators, like to mill or rotate around structure when feeding. On a submerged grass bed, say 5 feet by 5 feet, it might take 15 to 30 minutes before you ever make a cast that places the lure in front of the fish in a manner that is appealing to her. I am all for getting on slicks and slow grinding around the perimeter of where I have the fish located. If they don’t bite and you do not disturb the area, you can always come back later in the day. Patience is an absolute necessity when working slicks along the shorelines this time of year. It is true that not all slicks are formed from feeding trout. Redfish as well as flounder are notorious for slicking as well. I typically see redfish slicking in the summer and fall months but flounder can at times fool us this time of year. The differences in size and smell are relatively the same; it is the pattern in which redfish slick that makes theirs so much more obvious to me. Trout pop singles on shallow shorelines because the fish are typically not schooled there; flounder are the same. Redfish on the other hand tend to be bunched when they are popping slicks. The slicks from redfish are often formed along a distinct line in the flat or along the shoreline and most often appear into the wind. The only major redfish tournament I ever won was an IFA Redfish Tour event with Jim Franklin a few years back. The fish we were on were slicking big time and had been for a week prior to the event. Boat after boat ran past the slicks the week before,

May 2007

blowing them off for trout. Sixteen-plus pounds later we all became bigger believers in the art of reading slicks. I used to watch redfish pop slicks; we called them “spook slicks” in California Hole and Hog Island hole during the redfish rodeo days. After coming into the flats after trout fishing, we would shut down and drift in behind the crowd and look for the slicks outside the circled wagons. The fish would escape the roundup and then spook as other boats pulled in to join in on the rodeo. Many were the days when multiple hookups were achieved as the anglers in the rodeo stood with their backs to us. There were tons of fish back then so it made me look better than I really was, but one would have had a hard time convincing me of that at the time. Yeah, slicks are easy to see this time of year but understanding what you are seeing and then know what to do with that information is what will set you apart for the rest of the field. Clear your nasal passages, cleanup those sunglasses and start searching for those shiny spots on the surface. It’s slickin’ time.

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

The consummate gear-toting fly angler calls it a “strike indicator.” He’ll wince if you call it a “bobber.” Strike indicators are small floats that can be pegged, stuck, or looped on the fly leader at a predetermined distance above the fly. The purpose of a strike indicator is to control the depth of a drifting fly and provide a visual signal to the angler when a fish grabs the fly. Kind of sounds like a bobber, doesn’t it? The biggest difference between a strike indicator and a bobber is how/where they are fished. Bobbers just sort of sit there waiting for a fish to pass by and grab the bait—it’s a waiting game. Indicators however, drift on the shoulders of moving water and deliver a fly pattern to a waiting predator. Strike indicators move, bobbers are static. Although indicator fishing has traditionally been associated with streams and rivers, it has a place in saltwater fly fishing. After all, tidal creeks, channels, and surf guts are loaded with currents. Predators position themselves along those currents and ambush drifting prey, so why not tie on a strike indicator and deliver it to them? Let’s take a closer look at how to select, rig, and fish an indicator in salt water. Indicator Basics At the very least, a strike indicator should accomplish 3 things. First, it must be large enough to buoy your fly. Second, its profile and color should remain visible through a wide range of water and weather conditions. Third, the shape and weight of an indicator should not impair your cast or foul your leader. So… what type of indicator works best? Forget about the scant puffs of floating fiber and mini pinch-on indicators the freshwater guys use. Except for the very lightest saltwater flies in the very calmest conditions,

these rigs aren’t going to get you very far. You need an indicator that will buoy a heavy fly (like a Clouser) and remain visible in a stiff chop or piercing glare. Remember that tiny bobber you started perch fishing with years ago? That’s close to what you’re looking for. Most of the indicators I prefer are the peg type. They’re basically small foam balls or cylinders with a single hole drilled through the center. The fly leader is threaded through the hole and secured with a small plastic peg or rubber band. A bright orange round indicator with a diameter of approx. ¾” is a versatile choice. It’s small enough to cast in the wind and large enough to carry a large fly. Small cigar-shaped indicators also work well. Cigar shaped indicators are easier to cast than the round ones, but are slightly more difficult to see in choppy water. Sierra Pacific Products (www.sierrapac.com) manufactures several styles of strike indicators that will work for saltwater fishing. Look either at their micro-ball indicators, which secure with an internal rubber band, or the toothpick peg-type indicators. If you are into making your own stuff, get some very small clip-on foam bobbers from a company like Comal Tackle or from the bins in a tackle store, snip off the plastic/wire clips and replace them with small plastic or rubber pegs. They are simple and cost pennies apiece. Rigging Up The first thing you should remember when rigging up an indicator is that a fly will trail below and behind it during a drift. How far behind depends on the current speed, drag on the fly, and drag on the leader. So, if you are fishing a tidal creek 3 feet deep, you will need to set the indicator 4 or more feet above the fly. Through trial and error you can deduce how far above the fly you should pin the indicator to achieve the correct depth.

Strike indicators come in all shapes and sizes. These are made from modified foam bobbers.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

This 1 inch diameter indicator is oversized for the fly, but it stays visible in a hard chop.

You’ll also quickly learn what size/shape of indicator is adequate for your tackle, casting ability, and the water conditions. Small indicators (1/2 inch or smaller) are good choices for light flies and relatively calm water. They are also reasonably easy to cast. Medium indicators (3/4 inch) offer a good mix of floatation, visibility, and castability. Large indicators (1 inch) can buoy huge flies and you can see them in the worst conditions, but they can be tough to cast in the wind. The shape of the indicator is also important. A cigar shaped indicator, although generally harder to see, slides through wind and waves better than a round one. It’s a good choice for the surf, where wind and crashing waves present a problem. Your selection of flies for indicator fishing need not be complex. There is no “perfect” pattern to couple with a strike indicator. Like any other style of angling, it is a matter of finding a size, color, and action that will trigger a strike. In a tidal creek, a small shrimp pattern may be the ticket. When you move out to the edge of a secondary channel, baitfish might be on the menu so a craft fur minnow is a better selection. In the surf, where currents are strong, heavily weighted patterns like Clousers work well. Strategy Remember—indicators are meant for moving water. A good place to start is at the mouth of a secondary channel. Secondary channels drain water from flats or tidal lakes into larger deeper channels and cuts. Begin by positioning yourself at the throat of the secondary channel as the tide begins to fall. Cast across the secondary channel in the upstream direction. As the indicator begins to drift back toward you along the opposite side of the channel, mend your line to remove slack. Do your best to keep the slack out of the line but let the indicator drift freely and try not to drag it across the channel. Points swept by wind and currents are prime locations to drift flies.

Guts in the surf are like small rivers—ideal places to drift flies under strike indicators.

As the indicator swings by, feed out line by wiggling or lightly flicking your lowered rod tip. Eventually, the indicator will pass out the mouth of the secondary channel where the bottom drops and many of the predators hang. When your rig exits the mouth, you can continue the drift by feeding out more line or you can retrieve the indicator slightly and cover that prime section of water again. It is imperative you watch the indicator closely throughout the drift for signs of a strike. Sometimes the indicator will disappear like a popping cork, other times the take may be subtle and the indicator will appear to momentarily drag or stall. If you are slow on the hookset you will miss the fish, or worse, allow him to deeply inhale the fly. Staying focused on the indicator is critical no matter what type of water you are fishing. The principles of drifting flies under strike indicators can apply to any spot with current. Perhaps it is a windblown point, a tidal creek, or a gut in the surf. All these areas hold promise. Study the way the currents move and practice the techniques that can put your indicator (and your fly) in the strike zone. It will add versatility to your game and help you become better angler.

If you haven’t yet read any of Ed Mitchell’s fly fishing books, you should. The best way I can describe them is, “Cool.” One of his early works, Fly Rodding the Coast (1995), is on my list of all-time favorite fishing books. His latest book, Fly Rodding Estuaries, is destined to become a favorite as well. Fly Rodding Estuaries focuses on fly fishing the shorelines, backwaters, and tidal creeks of the East Coast. These waters are home to species like stripers, bluefish, little tunny, and Atlantic bonito. You may wonder what a book about fly fishing the East Coast has to do with Texas, but the tackle and techniques used along the Atlantic shorelines are in many ways identical to those practiced on the Gulf Coast. In some respects (kayaks not included) our flychunking buddies on the Atlantic coast are several steps ahead. The common thread throughout all of Mitchell’s work is his ability to clearly present an idea—he’s a good teacher. His writing style is clear and descriptive and the photographs he chooses to illustrate his text are compelling. These skills, coupled with his extensive knowledge of angling, enable Mitchell to put together books that are educational whether you are reading them for the first time or the fifth. Just a few of the topics covered in Fly Rodding Estuaries include water/ weather conditions, tackle and tools, strategies for calm or moving water, and “muscle-powered” boats. I really enjoyed Ed Mitchell’s Fly Rodding Estuaries and I think you will too. Fly Rodding Estuaries 148 pp. Stackpole Books $19.95

By Ed Mitchell ISBN: 0-8117-2807-2 May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

The Stinger is a pattern that really isn’t an exact imitation of anything. But, it looks like a lot of things. In freshwater, the pattern imitates a hellgrammite, crawfish, muddler, or mayfly larvae depending on its size and color. In saltwater the Stinger can be crafted to look like a shrimp or crab but is a really good imitation of a benthic worm or small eel- just the ticket for a redfish grubbing through the mud. The tail of the Stinger is constructed from craft fur and has a good wiggling action in the water. The dubbed body contains a mixture of craft fur and bucktail, taking on a fleshy appearance when wet. Banding on the both the tail and the body can be created using permanent markers. The belly fibers of the Stinger are trimmed flush with the hook shank so the fly will flip over and ride with the hook in the upright (weedless) position. The head can be built from cones (as shown), metallic beads, dumbbell eyes, or bead chain eyes. It’s really a matter of how much weight you want to add and/or what materials are on hand. I have tied many of these flies using either metallic bead heads or bead chain eyes, but Captain Billy Trimble sold me on using cones because their tapered design performs so well in the weeds. My favorite colors in this pattern are black/ chartreuse, or orange/with black banding.

9 1. Thread a small cone over hook shank and attach thread. 2. Attach a thin but long clump of craft fur at bend of hook. 3. Overlay 4-6 strands of Crystal Flash. Flash should extend slightly past tips of craft fur. 4. Form a 4 inch long dubbing loop at the bend of the hook, then wind bobbin thread forward. 5. Place a mixture

Finished!

of craft fur and 15-20 trimmed bucktail fibers Hook: Tiemco 800S or equivalent #4 to #8

between the two legs of the dubbing loop.

Thread: Clear nylon mono

6. Spin the loop using a weighted hook until

Tail: Craft fur

loop begins to kink and shorten slightly. The

Flash: Crystal flash

fibers should splay evenly. 7. Apply a small

Body: (Dubbed) Craft fur mixed with a few

amount of gel superglue over hook shank

trimmed bucktail fibers Head: Cones, metallic beads, lead barbells, or bead chain Cement: Gel superglue 40

Texas Saltwater Fishing

and then palmer (wind) the dubbing loop forward. Secure behind bullet head and tie

hook shank. Trimming will help invert the fly in the

off thread. 8. Brush out fibers with Velcro

water. 9. After trimming, fly should look like this,

hooks, then trim the top fibers flush with the

but remember—the fly rides inverted, so roll it over.

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

George Paauw and his State Record Redfish, caught February 27, 2007.

On February 27, 2007, Houston angler George Paauw stepped aboard fishing partner Fred Lynch’s boat for a sightcasting trip to the flats. Paauw and Lynch had been fishing together for years and they were no strangers to catching redfish. But on that February morning, neither angler could have predicted Paauw would successfully sightcast and land a new State Record. A native of the Rockies, Paauw learned to fly fish on narrow trout streams and placid mountain lakes. In 1994, Paauw moved to Houston and it wasn’t long before he took a trip to the flats of the Texas coast to sightcast his first redfish. The adrenaline rush of spotting, stalking, and catching a tailing

Texas Saltwater Fishing

monster. And they knew if the opportunity presented itself, they’d need to be prepared. So the two anglers vowed to tune up their gear and continue learning everything they could about hooking and landing big redfish on fly tackle. Paauw’s setup for the flats consisted of a Sage RPLX 8 wt. rod outfitted with a Tibor reel and Wulff floating fly line. George said, “I have several of the old Sage RPLX models in different weights. They’re great rods. The Tibor reel is bulletproof. Top of the line equipment pays off in the long run. I have been using the same outfit for over 10 years.” And so on the afternoon of February 27, Paauw and Lynch drifted quietly across a deep flat, doing what they loved — looking for reds. On the final drift they noticed a commotion in the distance. It appeared to be several redfish tailing and stirring the bottom. As the two anglers approached, they realized what redfish hooked him on the shallow water game. they had seen was not several tailing reds, but As George put it, “There’s nothing else as rather a single redfish — and it was huge. thrilling as casting to a tailing fish and watching it Paauw held his breath and made several all happen.” heart-pounding casts at the fish. On the third Paauw’s passion for sightfishing eventually cast, Paauw landed his custom crab pattern led him to angler Fred Lynch. The two became slightly ahead of the red. As the crab fluttered friends and the search for big redfish was on. down, the fish saw it and pounced. George While fishing with Lynch in the summer of 2004, recalls, “We both saw the fish attack that crab Paauw (who enthusiastically supports catchfly and Fred asked me if I had a good hook-up. I and-release) caught and released a 43 ½ inch told him I did, but wasn’t sure if my tackle could redfish, realizing later the fish would likely have handle it. Although the redfish was super strong, been a new State Record. And in the summer it never took more than 70 yards of backing… of 2006, George’s young friend Josh Reynolds maybe because the cold water slowed it down a hooked and landed a 36 ½ inch redfish while bit.” After a 20 minute battle, the mighty redfish fishing with Lynch. Reynold’s redfish is the was netted and pulled onboard. Paauw and current State Fly Fishing Record in the Junior Lynch found themselves gawking at a real flats Angler Division. giant… exactly what they had been searching Because of their previous success for. All of their hard work and preparation had at finding and catching large paid off. reds, Paauw and Lynch Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has hoped they would one certified George Paauw’s catch as the new day have a shot at a official State Saltwater Record redfish in the Fly Rod Division. The redfish measured 46 ½ inches long and weighed 35 lbs 13 oz. Josh Reynolds and his State Record Redfish, Junior Congratulations George! Division, caught with a fly rod July 21, 2006.

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

“Invest a little, Win a Lot!” is the title header of the Inshore Fishing Association (IFA) Redfish Tour’s website (www.redfishtour. com). The IFA Redfish Tour is just one of many opportunities to take a shot at winning a big prize this summer. In the IFA’s case, a $400 dollar entry fee can win you a brand Date

new Ranger Banshee boat and fishing 3 IFA tournaments qualifies your team for the no entry fee championship. As the weather heats up, so does the tournament trail, from top shelf professional competition to local charity event tournaments, there is a place for everyone. Many of this year’s tournaments are targeted at our younger generation and

tournament

location

for more information

May 1

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

May 5

Texas Redfish Series

Port Aransas

www.redfishseries.com

May 6

Kids Series Tournament

Port Aransas

www.saltwaterseries.com

May 8

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

May 10

FLW Redfish Tour

Port Aransas

www.flwoutdoors.com

May 15

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

May 22

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

May 29

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

June 1

Redfish Cup

Kemah

www.redfishcup.com

June 1

CCA Take a Kid Fishing

Port Aransas

361-749-5252

June 5

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

June 8

Casting for Kids Tournament

Port Aransas

210-341-8861

June 9

Specktacular Elite Series

Galveston

www.specktourney.com

June 9

Spectacular Kayak Series

Galveston

www.specktourney.com

June 12

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

June 16

Texas Redfish Series Port O

Connor

www.redfishseries.com

June 16

Gulf Coast Troutmasters

Galveston

www.gulfcoasttroutmasters.com

what a great way to pass on the tradition of fishing by helping your or someone else’s kids participate in a tournament. If you plan on heading to the coast this summer, many of the scheduled tournaments will provide some friendly competition, a great learning opportunity and a chance to Win a Lot.

June 17

Texas Kayak Series Port O

Connor

www.saltwaterseries.com

June 19

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

June 23

LOTB tournament

Matagorda

www.matagordabay.com

June 23

Calhoun Cty Saltwater Roundup Port Lavaca

June 26

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

June 29

Annual Fishing Break Tourn.

Port Aransas

512-750-0700

June 30

Pescado Grande Tournament

Port O Connor

361-552-1982

July 3

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

July 5

72nd Annual Deep Sea Roundup Port Aransas

July 10

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

July 14

IFA Redfish Tour

Corpus Christi

www.redfishtour.com

July 14

Jimmy Guest Memorial Kids Fish Matagorda

July 17

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

July 21

Texas Redfish Series

Galveston

www.redfishseries.com

July 21

MSGT. J. Gonzales Mem.

Inshore

Matagorda www.matagordabay.com

July 22

Texas Spot Series

Galveston

www.saltwaterseries.com

July 24

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

July 28

Galveston Redfish Series

Galveston

www.specktourney.com

July 29

Texas Spot Series

Galveston

www.saltwaterseries.com

July 31

Galveston Bay Trout Series

Baytown

www.galvestonbaytroutseries.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

361-652-0152

800-45-COAST

www.matagordabay.com

May 2007

Inshore Fishing Association Tournament at Galveston & Matagorda

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Well, it’s been a year now since we

started this column and we hope you have enjoyed what we’ve had to say. Throughout the year we try to give you an inside look at what’s happening in the world of big game fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. We are dedicated bluewater fishermen and are excited to be part of this great magazine. This time of year we get a lot of questions about tournament dates and locations. Many anglers start planning their summer schedule right now, so we thought we would highlight some of our favorite big game tournaments coming up.

May 26–Sept. 3 Texas Big Blue

Tournament – Texas Coast This is a tournament we put on each year that runs the entire summer. Anytime you go fishing, you are fishing the tournament. No pressure, no dock times, just go fishing and have fun. The largest blue marlin of the season wins the tournament. If you catch a fish in another Texas tournament it counts in this one. Contestants can call in to find out what size blue marlin is on the leader board, so non-qualifying fish are not taken. There are also divisions for wahoo, tuna, dolphin and swordfish. You can win $50,000 for breaking the blue marlin state record state record or $15,000 for breaking the yellowfin tuna state record. For more information contact Byrd & Cochrane 281-291-0656.

May 29-June 2 Cajun Canyons

Billfish Classic – Venice, LA This tournament is held out of Venice Marina in Venice, Louisiana. It’s a relatively new, big money tournament. The rules are similar to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Tournament 46

Texas Saltwater Fishing

with many divisions and jackpots to enter with big payouts. It is held just before the Biloxi tournament, so boats traveling over can fish both tournaments back to back if the choose. For more information go to www.comefishla.com

June 6–10 Mississippi Gulf Coast

Billfish Classic – Biloxi, MS This is a very large event held each year out of the Isle of Capri Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. This big money event usually draws around 100 boats and is one of the richest tournaments in the Gulf. There are divisions for many species and the payouts can phenomenal. The total money awarded at this tournament has exceeded $1,000,000 in years past. How about $90,000 for 1st place wahoo or $40,000 for 1st place dolphin? It can happen at this tournament, but you have to pay to play. For more information go to www.marlininternational. com/isle.htm

June 21-23 Houston Invitational

Billfish Tournament – Galveston, TX This is a billfish release tournament organized by the Houston Big Game Fishing Club and held out of the Galveston Yacht Basin. Awards are based on video release points, no billfish are brought to the dock. Top woman angler and top junior angler receive trophies. For more information go to www.hbgfc.com

June 20-23 Port Aransas Masters/

Fred Rhodes Memorial Tournament – Port Aransas, TX. The Port Aransas Masters has been around for many years and is now combined with the Fred Rhodes Memorial Tournament. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Fred Rhodes Memorial Fund. This is the kick-off tournament for the summer fishing season in Port Aransas. The tournament has a video release format for billfish and includes pots for tuna, wahoo and dolphin. For more information contact Riley Rhodes at 361-850-7804. May 2007

July 4th

World Cup Invitational – Worldwide The 23rd Annual World Cup Blue Marlin Championship is held July 4th worldwide. We included this tournament because it is very unique. Founded in 1985, by former Dallas Cowboy’s President and General Manager Tex Schramm and Miami Herald sportswriter Jim Hardie, their concept was to fish anywhere in the world on the 4th of July from 8:30 to 4:30 local time. The tournament slogan is “One Tournament, One World, One Champion”. The minimum size for qualifying blue marlin is now 500 lbs. Entry fee is $3000 per boat and the heaviest blue marlin wins it all. IGFA rules must be followed. Although you are fishing against boats in places like Bermuda, Madeira and Hawaii, there is still a chance of winning here in the Gulf. In 1989, it was won off Texas with a 544 lb. blue. For more information go to www.bluemarlinworldcup.com

July 18-21 Poco Bueno Invitational

– Port O’Connor, TX One of the premier tournaments on the Gulf Coast, “Poco” is an invitation only, giant party/ tournament held each year in Port O’Connor. The fishing and non-fishing episodes of this prestigious event are legendary. You better rest up for this one because it’s five day long and takes at least five days to recover from. This is not just a tournament; it’s the social event of the summer for most sportfishermen. Boats are entered in the tournament and then ½ of their potential prize winnings are bid on in a calcuttastyle auction. Rival boat owners and anglers bid on each other’s boats and the end result can be a payout of immense proportions to whoever wins. There is an offshore and inshore division, so you can take your pick—blue water or brown water. For information on this tournament contact Kim Brown or John Blaha at 713-626-4222.

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

July 26-28 Rockport Offshore

Challenge – Rockport, TX Another big tournament on the coast is the Rockport Offshore Challenge (ROC) held out of Key Allegro Marina in Rockport, Texas. Last year’s tournament had 79 boats entered and the winning blue marlin was 533 lbs. caught by Donnie Seay on the “Seay Goddess”. In addition to the other prize money, Riviera Yachts, the major sponsor, puts up a grand prize of $25,000 for the largest blue marlin. The tournament also has divisions for wahoo, dolphin, kingfish, tuna, ling and red snapper called the “Super Six”. Last year’s “Super Six” overall champion was Ed Bass on the “Akela”. Located near Port Aransas, this tournament takes advantage of the great fishing just offshore. For more information go to www.rockportoffshore.com

August 1-5 Texas International

Fishing Tournament - Port Isabel, TX The Texas International Fishing Tournament (TIFT) is one of the oldest tournaments on the Gulf Coast. This year marks the 69th annual TIFT, held each year out of Port Isabel /South Padre Island. It is also one of the largest tournaments in Texas with inshore and offshore divisions and this past summer a record 520 boats fished. Also, 56 billfish were caught or released. This southernmost port in Texas is the closest to the 100-fathom curve and many anglers take advantage of this feature. The dropoff is known as “The Canyons” and is where the continental shelf drops steeply away only 45 miles offshore, a short run for Texas bluewater fishermen. Other deeper structures like “Colt 45” and “Camels Head” are farther out and attract many big game fish as well as big game fishermen. For more info go to www.tift.org

August 9–12

Texas Legends Billfish Tournament – Port Aransas, TX The Texas Legends Billfish Tournament is held each year to honor all of the fishermen who have passed on in our sport. The top boat of the tournament will receive the prestigious Bob Byrd Memorial Capt. Bill Hart a Port Aransas legend passed away recently. Trophy to keep 48

Texas Saltwater Fishing

for one year. A Texas Big Game Fisherman’s Roll Call was created to include the names of all those who have passed on. This year we have added the Capt. Bill Hart Memorial Trophy to be awarded to the top captain. Capt. Bill passed away this year and his presence will be sorely missed by all. We have also established a “Hall of Fame” to include not only Texans who have contributed greatly to the sport of big game fishing, but to all segments of saltwater fishing. Each year several inductees will be voted into the Texas Saltwater Fishing Hall of Fame and they will be recognized at this tournament annually. Other inductees will be honored in different ways. This recognition is long overdue for Texas fishermen and we consider it a privilege to celebrate the lives of those who have made a difference in our sport. This tournament is unique in that once you are registered you may leave from any Texas port. We have pioneered the concept of a big money—video release format with points awarded for blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish. Last year’s top boat was Robin Parsley’s “Rock-N-Robin” with two blue marlin and one white marlin released. For more information on the Texas Legends Billfish Tournament and the Texas Saltwater Fishing Hall of Fame, contact Byrd & Cochrane at 281-291-0656

Cochrane is an authorized broker for Fox Yacht Sales who will also be in the show representing Cabo and Riviera Yachts. Come by the Fox Yacht Sales booth and see our new Cabo 32 and Cabo 40 as well as several new Riviera sportfishing boats, made in Australia. Fox has an extensive inventory of brokerage boats as well and will be displaying pre-owned Cabo express models and a like new 2006 60ft. Riviera enclosed bridge sportfisherman. We specialize in sportfishing boats and motor yachts. Come by and get a great deal on your next boat. For more information call our Houston sales office at 281-291-0656 or the Port Aransas office at 361-749-4870 or check out our website at www.foxyachtsales.com or www.byrd-cochrane.com

August 24-25 Texas Women Anglers Tournament – Port Aransas, TX The 10th Annual Texas Women Anglers Tournament (TWAT) is a one-day ladies event located in Port Aransas. With 53 boats fishing last year, it is the largest Lady’s billfish tournament on the coast and is a favorite among the girls and guys. The tournament also includes pots for tuna, wahoo and dorado. It’s a lot of fun and the whole tournament is designed to cater to the ladies. All proceeds go to the women’s shelter in Corpus Christi, Texas. For more information go to www.gofishtx.com

The first ever Texas International Boat Show will be held at the brand new Corpus Christi Downtown Marina, April 26-29th. It’s the first big Florida style “in the water” boat show to hit the Texas coast. Exhibitors from all over the nation will be there. At the show you will see lots of new boats, motors, accessories, trips, guides, tackle and electronics. Come see us at the Tops-N-Towers booth and talk about fishing or rigging your boat. This time of year many boat owners decide to sell their boat and move up to a bigger boat while there is still time before the fishing season starts. Byrd & May 2007

Upcoming Events 1st Annual Texas International Boat Show – Corpus Christi Downtown Marina April 26 – 29 Texas Big Blue Tournament – Entire Texas Coast May 26th – Sept. 3rd Contact – Byrd & Cochrane @ 281-291-0656

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) is pleased to

He is a member of the Washington State

enacted Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation

Bar Association.

announce that Matthew Paxton, most recently

and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006.

senior counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee

He also oversaw several subcommittees that

national team coupled with our lobbyist team in

on Commerce, Science and Transportation, has

dealt with fisheries issues and policy, and worked

Austin, CCA Texas will be well represented in our

joined the CCA advocacy team to provide key

almost exclusively on the Magnuson-Stevens Act

state and national capitols,” said Robby Byers,

lobbying support and counsel.

for the chairman of the committee at that time,

CCA Texas Executive Director.

“Matt gives our advocacy efforts yet another dimension. With expert fisheries consultants

Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK). “With his experience on Capitol Hill and with

“With the added strength of Matt to our

“CCA is an impressive organization of volunteer anglers dedicated to conserving

monitoring the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, and Bob

the Magnuson Act in particular, Matt has a unique

fishery resources,” said Paxton. “It is an honor

Hayes representing our interests in Washington,

set of skills that will make him an extremely

to be part of the CCA team and working on such

D.C., the CCA advocacy team is second to

effective advocate for CCA and its mission to

great initiatives.”

none,” said Fred Miller, chairman of the National

conserve and restore marine resources,” said Bob

Government Relations Committee. “Matt is an

Hayes, CCA general counsel.

invaluable addition to our conservation efforts and

Before joining the Commerce Committee,

CCA is the largest marine resource conservation group of its kind in the nation. With more than 90,000 members in 15 state chapters

Paxton was the Legislative Director for Sen.

and 50,000 in 50 local chapters in Texas, CCA

Stevens where he worked on numerous legislative

has been active in state, national and international

U.S. Senate working on legislative and policy

and policy issues involving fisheries in the North

fisheries management issues since 1977.

issues focused primarily on natural resources,

Pacific. He earned his degree in Political Science

environment and fisheries matters. As senior

from the University of Washington and his Juris

counsel on the Commerce Committee, he worked

Doctor from Willamette University College of Law.

we are very fortunate to have him with us.” Paxton spent more than five years in the

AUSTIN, Texas — The world-famous spotted

Visit www.ccatexas.org or www.JoinCCA.org for more information.

the 1983-1984 freeze, which resulted in a major

can take a small step now, or somewhere down

seatrout fishery in the Lower Laguna Madre will

kill of spotted seatrout and other species along

the road we take a much more severe step. We

get an extra measure of protection beginning in

the lower coast.

do not want to get in the situation where we

September after the Texas Parks and Wildlife

A greater number of reproducing fish

have to close seasons, as Florida has done.

Commission voted April 5 to lower the bag and

can help stocks recover faster after such a

We’re in a fortunate position in Texas in that we

possession limit for the species there from 10

catastrophic event.

can try to address things before they become

to five. The change, which was approved along

“As we moved into this year, for the first time our spotted seatrout catch rate for the LLM has

crisis situations.” The new regulation applies to the entire Lower

with other suggested changes to the 2007-08

fallen below the statewide average,” TPWD

Laguna Madre, from Marker 21 in the Landcut,

Statewide Hunting and Fishing Proclamation,

Coastal Fisheries Director Larry McKinney, Ph.D.,

to South Bay and including the Brownsville Ship

would mark the first time the department has

told commissioners. “Spawning stock biomass

Channel and Arroyo Colorado. In a change from

attempted a regional approach to managing a

continues to go down and we don’t see that trend

the proposal presented to commissioners in

saltwater fishery.

turning around unless we do something.”

January, the area affected by the new regulation

The reduction in the daily bag limit addresses

McKinney acknowledged that the proposal

does not extend to the tips of the jetties at Gulf

a downward trend in the spawning stock biomass

engendered considerable debate in scoping

passes (the East Cut near Port Mansfield and

of spotted seatrout in the Lower Laguna Madre

meetings and public hearings up and down the

Brazos Santiago Pass at South Padre Island), but

— a trend that runs counter to steadily increasing

coast. Public comments ran 2,256 for the lower

stops at the base of the jetties.

populations elsewhere on the coast.

regional bag limits, and 1,137 against.

Of particular concern to TPWD biologists is

on the development and drafting of the recently

“There were a number of concerns about

The Gulf beaches are not included in the area, but any boats fishing in Gulf waters and landing

that spotted seatrout spawning stock biomass

regionalization,” he told commissioners. “What

their catches within the boundaries would be

currently is about half what it was at the time of

we’re proposing is a considerable change. We

subject to the lower bag limits.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Field Notes

I would never have guessed that the fish that took my topwater while fishing the rocks off the Kenedy Ranch shoreline of the upper Laguna Madre was a pompano until it made about five jumps and ran me around the boat in a matter of seconds. What possessed that proverbial bottom feeder to strike a topwater lure is beyond me, or the 6-foot tarpon that took my ½ oz Rat-L-Trap and literally ran to Cuba with it? One might speculate that, “it seemed like a good idea at the time.” It appears to go against common sense to attempt to eat something a fraction of its size or twice the size of its mouth. It is widely accepted by the scientific community that having opportunist feeding strategies gives fish advantages over those that specialize on one particular food source. However, we may never know why a fish strikes uncommon or unnatural baits, or for that matter, what makes one bait more effective than another, but we can identify what works most of the time. Each year, lure manufacturers—obviously with lots of time on their hands—spend thousands of dollars and untold hours developing the “lure of all times” or baits that make fish bite when they did not know they should. Currently, lures come in more styles and colors than

ten interior decorators can identify. If that weren’t enough, you can get many combinations. I guess that’s for folks who have difficulties deciding which one to use. And to top it off, literally tons of natural baits are landed and sold to meet angler demand. With that many choices and the many claims to their effectiveness, it is a wonder why we do not catch every fish out there. Fortunately there is some research on bait use in Texas that relies on more than marketing and we can use to help us catch more fish. The research can tell which baits are most successful and those that are least successful. Notice I said “least successful” versus “not successful” for there are always exceptions to the rule, as indicated by the above examples. Research conducted in Texas over the past 30+ years all say the same thing. Live shrimp is the bait of choice for targeting all marine sportfish in Texas. Spotted seatrout, red drum, black drum, southern flounder and many others find it extremely difficult to pass on a live shrimp. Most recent numbers from 2006 indicate that 1 in 4 fish landed from Texas inshore waters by private boat anglers were caught on live shrimp. Readily available almost year round, inexpensive and easy to use, live shrimp are the bait most anglers choose and are effective. It should be no surprise that shrimp are so effective—because most sportfish grow up eating shrimp and never lose their appetite. If you will notice, the top bait is natural— seems difficult to improve on Mother Nature. But for those that do not like to get their hands dirty, soft plastics are the top artificial lure and second most effective bait type overall. Shrimp tails, shad tails, paddle tails, whip tails, no tails—it does not matter. They work. Some

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

even impersonate natural baits so well, that it takes a marine biologist to tell the difference. Then again others resemble something Steven Spielberg invented rather than some critter found in the wild. Some come impregnated with a super top secret fish attractant recipe guarded from the world tighter than the gold at Fort Knox. While there are more varieties than there is food on a Chinese lunch buffet, there appears to be one universal belief among anglers—no one can own enough different styles, colors and sizes to meet every conceivable situation that one might encounter. The bottom line is that 23% of the fish landed by Texas private inshore boat anglers are on soft plastics. Soft plastics are simple to use, can be presented in a variety of ways and are historically successful. The fastest growing bait of choice among Texas anglers is live baitfish. In the mid 1980’s the bait ranked 10th in use coastwide. Atlantic croaker, pigfish, and mullet have rapidly become popular baits, especially for spotted seatrout. Spotted seatrout become piscivorous (fish-eating) when they reach 20” or so. Thus it is no mistake that live

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

The bottom line is that 23% of the fish landed by Texas private inshore boat anglers are on soft plastics. baitfish are highly effective for these popular gamefish. Additionally, even though they tend to eat just about everything, few self-respecting red drum will turn down a live finger mullet. Many a flounder are caught on a killifish (mud minnows) which many anglers believe is the bait of choice. The take home message today—22% of all fish landed by Texas inshore sport anglers are caught on live bait fish. While the sportfish species sought might determine which bait fish to use, one advantage anglers have with baitfish is that they do not have to worry about how it smells or what retrieving action to learn. However, I would not doubt that there are products on the market that make your baitfish smell more like a baitfish. I do know a guide that dips his dead shrimp in Big Red soda to attract bubble gum hungry predators! While most anglers can catch almost everything on any of the top three baits mentioned previously, dead fish enters the list as fourth choice. Combined, these four baits 60

Texas Saltwater Fishing

account for about 82% of all fish landed by private boat anglers in Texas bays. Available year round, fresh or frozen, whole or cut up, dead fish will entice about anything that swims, particularly when used to target bottom feeders such as red drum, pompano, etc. Finally there are the rest of the baits: dead shrimp, sea lice, fish-like lures, spoons, jigs, flies, crank baits, floating baits, suspending baits, sinking baits, chuggers, sprayers, cut baits, shallow divers, spinner baits, buzz baits, crabs, squid and more combinations than Stephen King can imagine. All together these account for about 18% of all inshore species landed by private boat anglers. And if that were not enough, you can get dips and sprays to make your realistic bait more “realistic”. The end result: anything can and will work for any species at any given time. Some bait is almost universally accepted as “go to” bait for specific species; such as using gold spoons for red drum or dead shrimp for May 2007

black drum. Tell that to the red drum that takes a red and white topwater or a lure—caught black drum. What is it about pink and chartreuse lures? Many anglers do not leave home without them. I know I have not seen everything that swims in the ocean, but I can say with some confidence that there are no chartreuse mullet swimming around Baffin Bay. Yet, these colors and a rainbow of otherworldly colors produce—and produce well. So if you are into “lure collecting” like me and need a bigger boat to haul all of your lures, then there will be a time and a place when some lure in the collection will trigger a strike from an unsuspecting predator who thinks that that horizon colored, top secret garlic impregnated, waggin’ tailed super-lure-of-all-time is breakfast. However, if you are into substance on a routine basis—natural baits are unbeatable overall. It is tough for us to create something that will beat what nature has provided for fish to eat since time immemorial.

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Here we go. The last of the serious cold fronts have passed and by the time you read this we’ll be well into my favorite time of year for kayak fishing. I’ve had a good winter, but standing chest deep in cold water dredging the depths with a slow retrieve has lost its charm. I know the big trout guys are going strong and they’ll probably laugh at me for this, but I’m ready to go mud wrestling with some big ol’ marsh reds! The opening of baseball season seems to coincide with the time that marsh fishing bursts wide open. And just like spring training, I’ve been warming up and pushing for the season to start. Year in and year out we get those early teasing warm days that call me into the marsh searching for the reds that I just know will be there. And I’ll usually find a few, but not in the numbers we’ll see during late April, May

higher than normal, and we had a major moon-

Port O’Connor area with Dad and my buddy

under period approaching. All we needed now

Why is it that March in the marsh isn’t

Jason. We arrived late in the afternoon and

was a bunch of hungry redfish to cooperate. We

better? The water is plenty warm enough and

decided to make a quick trip out to the grass

launched into a stiff wind and paddled towards a

the reds are there, but the catching doesn’t

flats of Shoalwater Bay. The wind was up a bit,

shallow flat that narrowed into a winding marsh

come so easy. It has to do with the natural cycle

but tolerable. As we paddled along a protected

entrance. The plan was to spread out and march

of the marsh and estuaries. The bait is just

shoreline there were signs of reds in the flooded

towards the entrance hoping to intercept a

hatching out and the fish tend to get a single-

cord grass and once in a while you could hear

school or two. I dismounted the kayak and fired

minded purpose in searching out and eating

the crash of a feeding red. Every so often a red

my first cast of the day. The topwater no sooner

those midget shrimp and baitfish. Throughout

or two would scoot out from under the kayak. It

landed than it was slapped back into the air. The

most of the year reds are the shop vacs of the

didn’t take much of this to get the blood pumping

second landing was again met with a splash, but

marsh ponds. They’ll eat most anything they

and escalate the expectations. Ten empty casts

this time the lure found a lip. Cool. One cast, two

run across and lure selection becomes a matter

turned into a hundred and anticipation turned into

strikes, and a solid pull. I landed the red and held

of throwing your favorite confidence lure. A

doubt. We saw a good many fish, had decent

it up for my partners. I should know better.

stomach check will often reveal a seafood buffet

conditions, and nothing to show for it. We ended

Three hundred yards later we made it

of crab parts, shrimp, and various baitfish. But

the session with a handful of half-hearted strikes

to the mouth of the bayou leading into the

the early spring can be frustrating. You either

and two or three reds. Not exactly setting the

marsh without another strike. I’m not really

match the hatch by throwing tiny flies or you get

world afire.

superstitious, but I know better than to catch a

and June.

Throughout the night the winds picked up

fish on the first cast. From there we worked our

cleaned March reds and found them absolutely

and by morning we had decided to duck off into

way deeper into the sprawling marsh complex.

full of hundreds of what I call “micro” shrimp. I’m

the deep marsh to avoid the rough conditions on

Every few minutes a red would boil up on the

talking about shrimp that are nothing more than

the open flats. The barometer was falling ahead

shoreline leaving behind a few bubbles to show

eyeballs and whiskers.

of an approaching front, the tides were pushing

where he had just eaten. A dozen casts into the

to watch the action from a front row seat. I’ve

Such was the case on a recent trip to the

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

strike zone would go unanswered. It didn’t make

I’d chosen drains hundreds of acres of prime

the feeding begins. At some point all of that bait

sense… until we checked a little closer. Stabbing

marsh through a twenty foot wide pass. It is one

is depleted. The remaining bait flees further into

a paddle into the mud up against the grass sent

of those places where predator meets prey and

the marsh and the feeding fish follow it. Quite

a shower of quarter inch-long shrimp popping

the cycle of life goes ‘round. And it’s the perfect

often you’ll find reds in the farthest reaches

above the surface. This was familiar. I remember

place for the stealth of a kayak. Too deep to

of the marsh at the lowest of tides. It seems

it from the same time last year… didn’t catch

wade effectively and a power boat would be too

illogical, but tends to happen more often than

much then either. And so it went. Deeper into the

intrusive. Walking the banks might work, but

not. I’ve heard it many times from anglers that

marsh we found more finicky feeding reds. But

you’d better bring plenty of DEET.

they start in the back of the marsh on the highest

as frustrating as it was, it was still great to hear

point of the tide and then work their way out as it

and it was on. Schools of small baitfish were

falls. Try doing the opposite sometime and I think

time is coming when the shrimp will grow up and

being swept out of the marsh and the gamefish

you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

the catching will be easy again.

were there waiting for them just the way it’s

The next trip was a week later. A solo paddle

So there I sat. The right place, the right time,

the splashing and crashing because I know the

On this day I was out of time and couldn’t

supposed to be. The next hour was what we look

follow the bite, but just knowing that the time is

in my home waters of Galveston. As I headed

forward to in every trip. Cast after cast met with

here for marsh fishing is good enough for now.

out from the launch across a fairly large marsh

sharp thumps. No trophies were caught, but it

lake I watched a scattering of terns picking at the

sure was fun.

surface. Closer inspection revealed a swirling,

An hour into it the current had picked up

popping school of feeding activity. The baitfish

and the bite turned off. Some of you marsh rats

were so small they were almost invisible. Nothing

probably already know this, but I’m going to

in my box could match the hatch and the school

share my theory as to why that happens with

moved on. I went into the marsh.

those who want to better understand marsh

The tide was standing high, but due to start

fishing. While I can’t prove it with any certainty, I

falling hard. I’ve been in this place many times

know it happens. As the tide starts flowing there

under similar circumstances and knew just

is always a bite at the tightest funnel where the

where to settle in. Sure enough the water started

flow is greatest. The bait in the immediate vicinity

moving and the marsh came alive. The funnel

of the marsh being drained gets sucked out and

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

ACCORDING TO SCOTT

Every now and then I get a

choices available are of course unlimited, but if

to deliver a fly in the calmest and skinniest of

request from the readers to get back to my roots

I had to narrow the playing field down to three

waters (where the 6wt excels) and it is not quite

and write something about fly fishing. Well, after

setups I would have to say that anglers wanting

tuff enough to tackle the big boys such as a 50

thinking about that for a while, I thought of a

to sample all of the opportunities that Texas has

lbs plus tarpon (where the 11wt is necessary). It

topic that might be of some interest to the angler

to offer should carry three outfits—6wt, 8wt, and

is also a good choice for fishing the jetties when

new to the world of fly fishing—the fly rod.

11wt. The 6wt and 8wt would be for most of the

an angler is limited to carrying only one rod and

inshore species; redfish, trout, drum, flounder,

does not know what he/she might encounter.

There are several facts of life that every one must grasp—one being that nobody can

and sheepshead. The 11wt is for fishing the

escape death and taxes and another one being

bigger inshore species such as tarpon, sharks,

shopping. For the experienced angler that fishes

that a fly fisherman cannot cast a fly line much

and jacks, as well as several of the species that

a great deal and travels a considerable amount,

less catch a fish without a rod. And, because

might be encountered offshore. These three rigs

this might not mean more that opening up the

Texas has so many species of fish to pursue,

should cover most situations on the Texas coast

tackle closet or going out to the garage. But, for

it is difficult to get by with only one rod. The

however, there is one other rod that has its place

the angler new to fly fishing or has been fishing

and that is the 9wt. While it is the one rod/line weight that I

Texas Saltwater Fishing

With these things in mind it is time to go

trout streams all of his or her life, this probably means a trip to the fly shop. I have several rules that I live by as a fishing

do not personally own,

guide and two of those rules, as they apply to

it is probably the most

tackle are—I will not buy a fly rod that I have not

versatile. It is not so big

cast first and I will not own, promote, endorse, or

that playing a redfish

fish with a product that I do not believe in. With

is not fun and it is, in a

this being said, I will always try new products

skilled angler’s hands,

and be looking for something that is better than

able to land jacks, small

what I am currently using. I personally own rods

tarpon, and even decent

in sizes ranging from a 4wt up to 12wt and are

sized cobia in offshore

made by several different manufactures such

waters. The 9wt does

as Sage, Scott, Loomis, Orvis, and St. Croix.

have its downfalls of

They are all quality products and I have chosen

course. The heavier line

specific rods that fit my style of casting and feel

weight makes it difficult

good to me. Also, because they are made by

May 2007

…Continued on page 68

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

…Continued from page 66 1. 123 Fourmaster

companies that are reputable and established they all have exceptional

Waterfront at Hide-Away, 2/2 w/ 2 boat slips, 1 w/lift, Hardi Plank siding, WBF, screend & open deck, tropical lanscaping. List Price: $249,900

warranties—something that I feel is important.

2. 344 Anchor

When choosing a fly rod, the most important thing to consider is— will the rod be able to land the species pursued and then will it be ale to deliver the size fly necessary to dupe the fish? While I have already mentioned the rods that I choose to fish with,

One-of-A-Kind, 4/4.5, Treasure Island, elevator, boat lift, guest qtrs, custom design & features thru out, could be a B&B, views of Bay & Gulf.

I realize that there is a matter of personal preference as to what rod to

List Price: $679,000

will pursue.

3. 601 Swordfish Corner lot new construction, this home has good dockage & view of canal., 3/2 with custom features. List Price: $250,000

4. 605 Swordfish New waterfront w/quick access to ICW & out to the Jetties for offshore fishing, 3/2 cov. Front & rear deck. List Price: $250,000

use, so I have posted a chart below to cover all of the bases and to help anglers determine what rod is right for the conditions and the fish they

6wt- Use for most inshore species up to about 10 lbs when the breeze is light or when a delicate presentation is needed. I do not recommend a 6wt for summertime fishing because the extended fight on the lighter rod will often stress fish in the hot water to the point that they will not survive after being released.

7wt- A good all around rod for redfish, trout, sheepshead and smaller drum on the flats and is a good choice in place of a 6wt or 8wt.

8wt- The perfect rod for fishing all inshore species except tarpon, 5. 609 Swordfish

jack crevalle and sharks. It handles the breezy days well and is still light

New waterfront construction, 3/2 vinyl bulkhead, Hardi Board siding, ceramic tile & carpet, granite counters, open front deck.

enough to make a somewhat delicate presentation.

List Price: $225,000

9wt- Good for fishing for bull reds in the bays but still not too heavy to take to the flats. Also good for fishing sinking lines at the jetties and in the surf for bull reds, small jacks, and small tarpon. It is also good for

6. 55 Marlin

some light offshore action.

Beautiful home at Bridge Harbor, 3/2 100’ water frontage, 50AMP shore power, 3 car garage, mature landscaping, deep water access.

10wt- Great for fishing for larger species at the jetties and for casting

List Price $495,000

7. 3805 FM 523 Park-like setting on Oyster Ck, Geodesic dome, 3/3 + study, w/2 boat stalls & open deck.

List Price $295,000

8. 828 Dolphin $ Million Dollar View, Key Largo 3/2 at pointe of canal to Christmas Bay, outstanding views, 2 lots, deck, boat lift, new bulkhead. $415,000.

9. 146 Sky Sail Waterfront home in Hide Away on the Gulf. 3BR, 2BA with fireplace and custom window treatments. Located near boat ramp and pool.

$152,000

large fly patterns for 25 lbs plus jacks and large redfish in the bay. Also a great choice for kingfish and cobia when fishing offshore.

11wt or 12wt- The rod of choice for fishing tarpon, large jacks and sharks. Once the angler has chosen a rod size, it is time to start casting rods to find one that suits the angler’s style of casting. I personally like rods that have a slower action for fishing under most conditions, however I will move to a rod with a faster action when it gets breezy. As for what other anglers like, well that is totally up to them, although I do recommend a slower rod action for the beginning fly caster. Before I go, I do want to mention one last thing. If you are new to the sport of fly fishing, I highly recommend seeking the guidance and help of a qualified casting instructor or tackle rep before making a purchase of an expensive fly rod. These individuals will be able to assess your abilities and recommend a product that is appropriate. Anyway, hope I was able to help.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Two young guns at work on the Lower Laguna Madre.

Summer is right around the corner;

thousands of young folks like me will be let out of school soon. Many will head to the local waters for some unforgettable angling adventures, from the youngest that can barely walk to the teenager who can pretty much handle the angling part on his own. I can hardly wait for that last class bell to officially mark the beginning of summer, which for me translates to lots of time on the water. I know that many young anglers like myself fish in many different ways, but in this article I want to perhaps spark an interest in young folks on how and why wade fishing can be really enjoyable and enlightening. No two wades are ever the same. While I wade, I am able to see and experience things I could never see from the boat. Such as the time I was walking back from a long wade, I ran into something that I could not identify. After showing it to my dad, he said it as a petrified tree trunk. That was a pretty unique find. If I had stayed in the boat I would have never run into that treasure. My dad taught me how to wade at the age of six. I still remember my first pair of wading boots, belt and stringer. It was the greatest feeling to have my own equipment. I remember being very anxious to put them to use. The day finally came for my first wading experience; my dad allowed me to prepare my own tackle box. I slipped on my belt and stringer and off the boat I went. All the things I learned from watching my dad and his friends ran through my mind. Words like “keep shuffling your feet,” “don’t

At a young age Daniel and Marcos Garza show no fear of wading the flats. 70

Texas Saltwater Fishing

be so afraid of stingrays that you forget to fish” kept ringing in my ears. On that first wade my dad and I were about thirty yards apart, but it seemed more like miles. I still remember feeling nervous about stepping on a stingray or messing up in some other way. My nervousness soon turned into excitement as I was working my gold spoon across a grass flat. A keeper redfish decided it was my time to experience what wade fishing was all about. The fish pulled hard, I set the hook, and I remember thinking, “now what?” What if the fish runs in between my legs? I hope I can handle the fish properly without getting hooked. All this time my dad never moved and he never said a word although I knew he was watching me and ready to help if needed. I had caught fish before, but this was a different feeling. I strung the redfish and continued to catch other fish; as a matter of fact I out-fished my dad that day. This was a start of the love to jump in the water and explore the elements of our bays. After that first successful trip things didn’t go all easy. I remember on another occasion being last to get off the boat. My dad and a friend got way ahead. As I tried to catch up, I suddenly ran into what I dreaded most; a scary looking stingray. The ray caused me to freeze and run chills up my spine. I yelled for my dad, but he was too far to hear me. I must have stood in that one spot for more than thirty minutes before my father figured it out. By then I was crying and panic had set in. My dad had instructed me to always stay in the clearer water as you walk away from any ray, but I was to terrified to do anything. My dad had to literally grab a hold of me and move me away from the spot I last saw the stingray. In a past article I wrote about being hit by a stingray, but not even that stops me from jumping off the boat. I now wear my ForEverlast Ray Guards everywhere I go. I have come to realize there is more than just having a fish bite at the end of your line; there’s more to it than that. I have been on wades where at not too far distance there are deer or nilgai roaming the shorelines, coyotes singing their morning songs, birds protecting their young, seagulls working over pods of redfish, and osprey’s dive bombing for their next meal. Being in the water just makes it all more fun for me. Getting back to my point, how young is too young? I guess that all depends on how much time someone wants to spend with you. I felt very comfortable by the age of seven and have seen May 2007

many kids wading by the age of ten to twelve. But, before you begin, you must be equipped with the right gear. Having a bright colored shirt is very important when wading. Kids don’t stand out as much as adults, so a bright shirt will allow people to notice you on the water. Protection on your feet is a must; a belt and stringer that fits makes it all more comfortable. Also, a cap and polarized sunglasses are needed, and a good rod (Laguna) and reel combo certainly helps your chances at catching a few. Listening and being quick to learn will build up your confidence level; however, don’t get discouraged when everyone catches but you. I can’t tell you how many times that happened to me; I just kept plugging away and enjoying every moment of the experience. Today, my dad pretty much lets me explore and fish on my own as long as he has sight of me. I have even had the pleasure of passing my knowledge on to some adults. One day while wading with my dad’s friend, I saw a group of tailing reds. I pointed them out to him and said I could get him close enough to drop a spoon in their mouth. He had never experienced tailing reds in shallow water. As we quietly stalked the tailing redfish he commented, “Son, if you put me on one of those redfish, I will give you a big bear hug and you will know you can do the impossible.” I got him close enough to literally drop his spoon in the fish’s mouth. The redfish went all over his spoon and peeled drag off his reel. I could see the sheer excitement in his expression; I knew he was as hooked. After landing that big redfish, he held good to his promise. He gave me a big bear hug and thanked me for the opportunity to catch a fish in the way that he did. That moment made me feel good in knowing I had helped make his day. This summer if the opportunity arises to wade with someone that is experienced in wading, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity. You will have a blast. Take some time to read up on wade fishing techniques or checkout a video that might help. Perhaps you may experience it the best way; having your dad or another family member show you the proper techniques of wading. Be careful though you may not want to start school again when the first bell rings to mark the beginning of the new school year. I’m hooked on wading. Are you?

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

jim dailey

“A look back at the way it was,” in the words of the fishermen who were there! Jim Dailey was born at St. Joseph’s Hospital – Houston, Texas in 1938. Jim’s father was a thoracic surgeon and served in the US Armed Forces during WWII. His father moved them to California during the war and they returned to Houston in 1946. Being devout Catholics, Jim was educated in parochial schools and then began his college education at Notre Dame. Jim says, “As a youngster all I cared about was hunting and fishing, that’s what led me to my career in fisheries biology.” Leaving Notre Dame, Jim also attended University of Texas and the University of Houston before serving in the United States Navy. After the Navy, Jim attended Texas A&M and graduated with a degree in wildlife science and fisheries in 1968. “I had a job before I got out of school,” Jim told me. “When I left A&M I moved to Palacios and worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife as a biologist for 30 years. I retired in 1998 and I guess I’m right back where I started, all I do now is hunt and fish.” Jim Dailey’s contribution to Texas coastal fishing is considerable. Jim joined the TPW team when modern fisheries management was in its infancy and helped forge many of the strategies and procedures that are the backbone of today’s management programs. Thanks to Jim Dailey and others like him, we enjoy some of the best fishing to be found anywhere on the gulf coast. Come along and let’s listen to some of his tales of the way it was.

As a youth all I cared about was hunting and fishing, that’s what led me to my career in fisheries biology. 72

Texas Saltwater Fishing

I’d have to say I got started fishing as soon as I was old enough. Being a medical doctor, my dad was very dedicated to his work and very busy most of the time. I learned to strike out on my own and I’d fish anywhere there was water and I thought there might be a fish or two. That may be one of the reasons I enjoy fishing the way I do today. I have always enjoyed chasing them and finding them, that has always been the biggest challenge for me. Buffalo Bayou right there in Houston does not look like much today, but that was one of the places where I learned to fish. We had a place down at Freeport and my dad kept a big boat there. We did a lot of offshore fishing every chance he could get away. Of course we always fished the beaches and any other place we thought we could catch a fish. We fished a lot around Freeport and Surfside Beach. We used to love to drive the beach. You could drive almost the whole Galveston beach and we loved it and caught lots of fish. San Luis Pass was really an awesome place to fish back then and it still is. Trout were the big thing with us, we’d catch reds too but trout was what we were after. It really was kind of crazy, our fascination with trout; back then we had just incredible numbers of tarpon and we hardly ever fooled with them. We’d try to break them off if we accidentally hooked one. Speaking of tarpon, it is hard to describe how many tarpon we had. People who never saw them look at you like you’re crazy, but it’s true. You could expect to bump into a school anytime you got around a pass or the mouth of the Brazos in the summertime. I remember the few times when we did actually fish for them, we ran down Quintana Beach to where the Brazos hits the gulf. We used those great big wooden Lucky-13’s, May 2007

the kind with three big hooks on them. We’d see the tarpon rolling out there and just tearing the water up, then when they got close enough we’d cast to them with those big old wooden plugs. I’ve busted lines and hooks and even rods, those were some really big tarpon and they would just go wild when you hooked them. Those schools had been coming there for a very long time and when they quit coming it was a shock to everybody; we couldn’t understand it. A good friend of mine, Bill Provine a biologist who is still with Parks and Wildlife, came down to study it as the river was one of his areas. Bill made his study and said the river was dead; there weren’t even any bacteria in the water. Releases from Dow Chemical moved the tarpon out and they never came back. They’ve cleaned it up but you don’t see the tarpon like they were then. They get some small tarpon that come into the canals there at Dow but nothing like the old days. We’d go in there to get specimens when they needed them but they were all juveniles, no big ones. There is just so much that has changed and so many things about these estuaries that man and development have changed over the years. A good example is right where the headwaters of Coloma Creek come up to TX Highway 185 between Seadrift and Port O’Connor. One of our guys that worked at the Port O’Connor Field Station was cast netting for bait in that ditch one day. He pulled out a net full of baby tarpon. Steve Morowitz was the biologist there at the time and that fellow worked for Steve, he called us to come and look at them. There were a slew of them in there and they moved some of them down to the hatchery at Corpus Christi for a study project but I think they ended up dying. Overall, the tarpon is little understood even to this day. Getting back to the early days… let me tell you how I got here… I was graduating Texas A&M in May 1968 with a wildlife degree that included fisheries and I needed a job. I went to

Austin and I interviewed with three division chiefs. There was a position open at Palacios and I had a job lined up before I got out of school. I had one technician named Lex Sutton working for me in the beginning and he was really good and a great help to us. Lex had been a commercial fisherman and knew more about the bays than perhaps anybody I’ve ever met. There was one biologist ahead of me at Palacios and that was Bob Calura. After several years Bob transferred over to the new Marine Fisheries Research Station that was being built. Later on they named that facility for Perry R. Bass. Bob stayed up there and I stayed on the bays as the bay biologist and ran that field station until I retired. Bob Calura stayed at the Research Station the rest of his career and was one of the best biologists that ever worked in the department. Their work formed the basis for the management methods and procedures that are in use today. I’ll tell you how different things were; back when I arrived there were three houses on Matagorda Peninsula between the Colorado River and Green’s Bayou… now look at what you have out there. Then going the other way, apart from a couple old military shacks, there was the Matagorda Club and one other house and that’s all you had from Green’s all the way down to Decros Point. If you knew what it looked like before all the building took place it would really tear your heart out to see it now. I would say that the way the Matagorda Island was taken from the Hawes family was a bad deal, but when you compare Matagorda Island to Matagorda Peninsula today, I’d say the Feds taking the island was probably the best thing that could have happened to it. It saved Matagorda Island.

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Text and photos by William Bahr

One of my favorite fishing photos

market for over 6 years and builds about 100 boats

a hard-over turn beautifully. Already mentioned but

shows our two teenage sons and me standing proudly

a year. They used to import bare hulls from Mexico

worth noting again is the Aventura’s dry ride on every

by a beautiful striped marlin, one of three caught

but its owner, Rob McDaniel, soon realized U.S.

point of sea, a very welcome addition on a center

from a 32’ sport fishing boat out of Cabo San Lucas.

boaters wanted something those Mexican hulls

console of this size and capability.

Sadly, our budget was limited so the next day’s fishing

weren’t delivering — high tech materials, quality

required a less expensive ride. What we came up with

manufacturing processes and innovative design and

was a Panga—a local fishing boat you see everywhere

engineering. Rob now designs and builds each boat

south of the border. The Panga’s primitive look and

from scratch at his facility and offers five different

fishing boat or not, worthy to be included on a Texas

tiny outboard motor didn’t exactly instill confidence

models of Pangas, including two 18’and two 22’ bay

fisherman’s short list of offshore fishing machines? So

in us as we headed into the Pacific’s rough waters.

boats and a 28’ offshore model.

far we have a boat that’s built like a tank with a smooth

However, to our joy, by day’s end we had a great catch and wondered why we’d spent so much money on the sport fisher earlier. When we arrived home, I did some

Design and Construction All Panga Marine’s hulls share the same high tech

Fishing Now we get to the good part—is this a serious

dry ride in short chop and great fuel economy and range. It just gets better from here because most of the fishing features come standard and many can be

hard thinking. If these Pangas were so popular with

high quality materials and construction, and as far as

customized to suite individual preferences. The leaning

pleasure and commercial fishermen throughout Latin

I’m concerned, they’re built stronger than necessary.

post incorporates fully insulated and lighted 35 and 50-

America, maybe this was a boat for me.

Let’s look at the 28’ Aventura, the largest model in

gallon live wells that can be operated independently

the line. The Aventura is totally different from every

from each other. There are eight rocket-launchers,

experience with Pangas, yet we see very few of

other Panga. She has a 22-degree deadrise and a

four on the T-top and four on the leaning post as well

these boats along our Texas Gulf Coast. How come?

steep forefoot that cuts through our gulf chop and

as four gunnel-mounted rod holders. Both fresh and

Actually, it’s pretty simple. Most Pangas we’ve fished

provides a soft landing when launched off a wave.

raw water wash-downs provide easy clean up and the

from in Mexico or Central America don’t have the

She has a safe and comfortable feel both on drift

huge self-bailing scuppers let you flush everything

construction, performance, and amenities we demand

and underway because of her 28”gunnel height plus

right out the back. The center console is very large

from our boats. That’s not true anymore.

a full transom that is 36”above the waterline. Spray

and will easily accommodate today’s wide screen

is prevented from coming on board by a combination

plotters and other instruments you’ll need. Quad

of reverse chines and 10” walk-around washboards.

batteries will fit under the console plus there is plenty

The hull’s stiffness and soundproofing come from

of dry storage and a Porta Potty as well. You can fish

a cored design with ½” H80 Divinycell composite

anywhere on this boat, front or back, and feel totally

material sandwiched between 5 layers of double-bias

secure leaning against the 28” coaming bolsters. As

1708 knitted fiberglass from chine to shear line. The

stated earlier this boat does not rock on drift nearly as

hull bottom is a solid ¾” of double-bias 3610 knitted

much as traditional deep-v hulls, so the combination

fiberglass bonded to an integrated all-composite

of less rocking and thigh-high bolsters make this a first

stringer system. The transom is made of 2½” Penske

class comfortable “stand-up” fishing machine.

Many Texas anglers have had similar fishing

Panga Marine Corporation, of Sarasota, Florida, has been providing quality Panga boats to the U.S.

high-density composite covered in 6 layers of 3610

big enough for an adult to climb into. These can

foam floatation glassed-in under the deck between

be gravity drained out of the hull or fitted with

the stringers so it can’t absorb any water. There is no

macerators. There is also room in front of the console

wood in this boat. About the only things this Panga

designed specifically with tie-downs for a 168-quart

has in common with its predecessors is a flared bow

ice chest. The anchor locker plus additional dry

and a concave planning surface in the keel area that

storage locker round out the standard features found

allows for shallow running, improved ride stability, and

in the bow area. Behind the leaning post is plenty

less power to stay on plane than traditional deep-v

of uncluttered room for several fishermen to deal

hull designs.

with multiple hook-ups and there is a folding bench seat on the transom that can be removed when not

Performance

needed. Idle speed with the Suzuki 175 twins is

The Aventura was built to be safe, comfortable

Texas Saltwater Fishing

around 5 mph and their bracket mount produces a

and dry running but she is no slouch in the

clean wake and low, out of the way profile. And last

performance department. Twin Suzuki 175 hp four-

but not least is the Aventura’s shallow draft – 12”

stroke outboards get her quickly up on plane at 20

with the motors up. No, we’re not suggesting that

mph, cruising easily at 32 mph and at top speed of

the Aventura is an ideal bay boat, but we are saying

around 48 mph. She averages around 2 mpg at cruise

she can get you offshore, in and out those sanded-

speed, and her 240 gallon fuel capacity can easily

up Texas passes and cuts, with a lot less worry and

take you to the floaters and back for an overnight

headache than traditional deep-v designs.

tuna trip. If you want more power, her motor bracket

Up front there are two huge fish boxes, each

fiberglass. For safety the boat uses positive-density

I highly recommend you test ride the Panga

can easily handle twin 250 hp four-strokes. Lenco

Marine Pangas before you consider buying another

trim tabs and hydraulic steering allow smooth and

boat. Hopefully, we’ll meet offshore. I’ll be the one in

infinite control in various sea states and she leans into

the Aventura.

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Sufix Sufix InvisiLine Fluorocarbon With a refractive index nearly identical to that of water, InvisiLine virtually vanishes when submerged. It is ultra-dense and waterproof, has exceptional abrasion resistance, and incredible knot and tensile strengths. InvisiLine is crystal clear and will maintain its superior clarity. It’s available in 33 yd. spool and coil sizes from 2 – 425 lb. tests and in 110 yd. spool sizes from 20 – 80 lb. tests.

Sufix Elite Thanks to its exclusive J7 Micro Resin Technology, Sufix Elite offers the perfect balance of exceptional knot and tensile strengths, handling, durability, abrasion resistance, and low stretch. The Sufix G2 Winding Process minimizes line memory for better casting and manageability. Elite is available from 4 – 100 lb. tests in 100 yd. and 330 yd. spools in Clear, Lo-Vis Green, Clear/Blue, and Hi-Vis Yellow. www.sufix.com 1-800-554-1423

Sampo Ball Bearing Swivels Barneveld, NY - Sampo ball bearing swivels are the highest quality in the world and provide anglers with maximum protection against twisted and tangled lines. A Sampo ball bearing swivel is a must for trolling, big game fishing and spinnerbaits. They are available in either nickel or black finish.

FISH-FLO2 Oxygenation Systems All living creatures, including fish, need oxygen to live. Stressed fish in a warm livewell consume more oxygen than they would in a natural setting making Oxygen depletion a common cause of demise for both bait fish and catchand-release tournament fish. Super saturation of oxygen in the livewell water creates an environment for active supercharged bait and healthy tournament fish. The FISH-FLO2 oxygenation system increases the level of available oxygen by releasing micro-oxygen bubbles into the water. These bubbles dissolve into the water as they rise to the surface. Small bubbles have a much greater amount of surface area in relation to their volume than do larger bubbles. The pure oxygen and the high ratio of surface area to volume helps keep bait and tournament fish alive much better than any other aeration system. www.fishflo2.com

Snowbee XS Breathable Waders The Snowbee XS Breathable Waders feature the company’s exclusive VAPOUR-TEC ® technology that results in a wader that is very light, totally waterproof and windproof, offer superior breathability, and is quick drying and extremely durable. The XS Breathable Waders are available in both stockingfoot and bootfoot models. www.fishbites.com 1-877-840-2248

ww.sampoinc.com 78

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

D.O.A. Chug Head The new D.O.A. Chug Head offers anglers creative methods of fishing soft plastics. The hollow, soft plastic popping head with 3D eyes slides over your favorite D.O.A., C.A.L., or any other soft plastic lure. Rigged with the new D.O.A. Long Neck worm hook, it forms a weedless popper which can be fished in heavy cover. Available in chartreuse with red glitter, white, black, glow and red. www.doalures.com

BigFishWish Company WavePack™ Wade Fishing System

The BigFishWish Company introduces the WavePack™ fishing system with a one-of-a-kind design for serious wade fisherman. Specifications include dual rear rod holders; shoulder height rod holders keep reels dry and out of the way. Front shoulder straps are equipped with left /right pliers and rod holder for hands-free handling of fish or tackle. Also includes rear open tackle pouch to hold lure boxes. Fully adjustable strap system with 5” wide padded mesh belt for lumbar support makes for all day comfort. Ideal for surf or bay. STAKE-OUT STIK - Shallow water anchor system used on boats up to 26’ in length. We also offer Stake-Out Stiks that float. Kayak Stiks are easy to handle and clip to the kayak for easy storage and access. Stake-out Stiks are made of lightweight composites and offer quick and quiet deployment. The Stake-Out Stik is the most affordable shallow water anchor on the market. www.bigfishwish.com 1-281-996-0007 May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

It is always the intent of any fisherman to do battle with a mighty fish; a giant of epic proportions that will live forever in

outrun you but you just can’t stop them either when they decide to pull. Big black drum can be caught on a variety of baits,

memories for years to come. For most folks who do

shad, mullet, or shrimp are good options but the best bet

not regularly inhabit offshore waters your choices of

for these huge fish is crab. Big black drum are suckers

really big fish to catch are rather small. The occasional

for a piece of crab fished on or near the bottom. Popular

redfish of 35 to 40 inches are often the biggest boys

rigging for this method consists of hooking a 1/4 of a

in the neighborhood next to alligator gar or maybe a

whole crab onto a 3/0 or 4/0 live bait hook that is tied to

big catfish. You can add another name to the list of

a 1/2 ounce weighted Carolina rig with 18 to 24 inches

heavyweights that are making a name for themselves

of leader. Some fishermen really beef up their tackle by

this year, black drum.

using 20 to 25 pound test monofilament and big heavy rods, use your own discretion and just remember what

Under normal everyday conditions black drum

they say about chasing a bear with a switch.

inhabit our surrounding waters in respectable numbers most of the year. Generally the drum that are found

Some of the more humorous battles I have

on the north end of Sabine Lake and in

witnessed where black drum were involved happened

the Sabine River are usually anywhere

down on the Causeway reef in the middle of a fleet of

from 12 to 20 inches long. During the past

boats chasing trout. It never fails when you start fishing

several seasons while fishing the Sabine

a little deeper water somebody on the boat will hook up

river and Intracoastal canal I have had at

with one of these brutes and the rodeo begins. Trying

least a dozen of these big black drum over

to coax a big fish in and around other boats without

40 pounds caught by clients while fishing

hanging up on other lines or breaking off on oyster is a

live shad. Let me say this, “A drum that

challenge to say the least. The only way this scene gets

size is a real deal workout any way you

any crazier is when you hook up with a jack crevalle in

look at it.”

the same area, the jacks pull just as hard only they run a little farther away which means you involve more boats

These huge fish are normally found

and more people. As long as you are a spectator it’s

closer to the jetties and out in the gulf,

awful funny, when you are the poor guy trying to make

but at times when we have no freshwater

sense out of the whole thing when one of these big fish

coming down the rivers and the saltwater

bites it gets somewhat stressful in a good way.

backs up daily, it is not surprising to see these giant fish all over the place.

Black drum caught by Capt. Ron Begnaud of Redchaser Guide Service on Lake Calcasieu, the fish weighed 38 pounds and was caught in about 12 inches of water, on fly.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Hooking up and landing a fish in the 40 to 50 pound

On a run out to the jetties I stopped to

class is a real treat for any fisherman, especially those

watch a fisherman do battle with one of

of the inshore ranks. Big fish like these don’t come

these huge fish. Slow powerful runs kept

around often and the spring is one of the best times all

the rod bent nearly in two as the great

year to tangle with a really big fish. As the water warms

fish worked the drag system over for

up in the coming months the big fish will become a little

more than 20 minutes. My clients and I

more scarce and the “slot sized” fish will take their place.

were amused by the fight and gave out

The smaller drum are excellent table fare and should not

encouraging words and congratulations

be discounted as just another fish, they hold their own

as the fish finally was brought to the

alongside French fries with the best of them. Overall the

boat. Perhaps the best description of

black drum provides many opportunities and should not

what happens when you hook one of

be discounted as a lesser fish because they really give

these giants is to compare them to

you plenty of bang for your buck.

hooking a runaway golf cart, they won’t

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Late March and early April were just flat awesome; when the wind stayed down. Wade fishing was the ticket in Trinity Bay. There was a stretch of about five or six days when we caught over one hundred trout. I am not bashful to say a couple of days we caught over 200 trout! We used top waters, tails and Corky’s, the fish liked them all. The weather that hit us Easter weekend broke the pattern, though. The wind, cold temperatures and rain trashed everything. I’m thinking the rest of April will be a little spotty. Fishing success will come from stable weather; we need another pattern to emerge.

Right now passing fronts and strong wind are controlling things. We’re really not all that far away though; Trinity Bay is still in good shape, even with the freshwater in the back. Both shore lines are holding a lot of fish and there are fish in the middle, just hard to get on them in this wind. East Bay is the most consistent bay right now given these winds, but you still have to get lucky and walk into them. The signs are like always, bait and slicks. The wind keeps them stirred up, they are very fickle right now. One day you can work your tail off and catch 15 and the next you can go out and catch over 50. May will look real good once the winds lay; you can wade in the mornings and work the slicks and go out and work the deep structures in the afternoons. May is usually the first of our really consistent months. Big trout are a bonus right now, even if we cannot find numbers of fish. Don Farmer, good friend and former partner in Troutmasters, went out and walked into a real good school in East Bay the other day and had his career best stringer. Every fish was too big, he had to release them. They were all over 25-inches. He caught about 14 fish with his biggest one being 29.5” There are some good fish out there to be had. Soft plastics are the best right now; we are using 1/8 and 1/4 ounce lead heads. Work the drop offs down the shorelines and the primary points. Top waters are working but by far the greatest number of bites are coming on plastic. Anything red, purple or black; the darker baits are working real well with the bigger fish. West Bay has been a little spotty. It has been hit or miss in the coves and out in the middle working the shell and the streaks. It will bounce back; we have a spring transition every year over there and sometimes it just turns on a little behind Trinity and East Bay. From what I understand some of my buddies down in Rockport they are going through the same thing. We have a lot of fish out there and the water is looking pretty good considering all the rain we have had. Outlooks are very positive. Upper and Lower Galveston Bay, around Texas City Dike and Dollar Flats, there are some good fish there, you just have to catch the right wind so you can work those areas over. Our upstream fishing towards the San Jacinto River and all those little back bays like, Burnett and Scott’s are still holding a lot of small fish. Drift fishermen are getting out of the winds up there and are catching a lot of pencils, trying to see if they can make a day on it. Water is in good shape up there too. That pretty much sums it up for the Galveston Bays, all we need right now is the right weather and we’ll have lots of bites. It is springtime though and that can mean a rollercoaster so just hang on. If today was tough tomorrow might be your career best day!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Looking back at past year’s records, the month of May is usually kinder and more gentle for fishing enthusiasts and we’re looking forward to it. We have had enough of early spring weather. Strong winds in March and the first half of April’s storms put a kink in our fishing lines. We lose a lot of days to the spring weather and end up fishing in places that would not be our first pick many times because of it as well. This scenario forced us to use Bass Assassin’s Rattling Corks with the Slurp and in some cases the Gulp while drifting and wading muddy water in the hope of rattling them up. Some days when the wind laid we were able to catch some quality fish. Let’s turn the page and check into what May could look like for fishing in the Matagorda Bays. Action will pick up for May with tidal flows quite similar to what we saw in April if not better. I’m looking to spend some time in West Matagorda Bay fishing the grass flats and sand bars. You’ll see me chunking topwaters, She Dogs 83MR CRBN and the Pup 74MR BN. As for jerk baits, three colors will do the trick, Bass Assassins in Bone Diamond, Pumpkinseed, and Roach either in the 4 or 5 inch Sea Shad. If I use the Assassin Slurp it will be in the 5 inch Shad Drunk Monkey. Remember to make plans to fish an incoming tide if you can. Our water temperature should be in the middle 70’s so the trout and reds will likely be very aggressive. Look for your redfish action to be good on mainly a low tide. An ideal scenario is to have a low tide early morning to catch your reds and an incoming tide mid-morning to catch your trout. Focus your fishing efforts where you find glass minnows and pods of mullet. Usually an incoming tide will bring in more bait and the gamefish will follow because they will be aggressive. Don’t overlook the minor tidbit of wearing those stingray 84

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Capt. Bill with 28” trout.

boots and be on the lookout for pesky sharks. Most of my time will be spent in East Matagorda Bay. Some of the Mid-Bay Reefs should be good with the right winds. Other choice areas to check out are the north shoreline off Intracoastal Canal in front of Chinquapin and Brown Cedar Flats. Most of our fish will have moved off the deep mud and we should have some bird activity in the vicinity of HalfMoon and Bird Island towards the north shoreline to Brown Cedar Flats. Every year the shrimp seem to show up in these areas first and normally during the month of May. If drifting is your choice, try using a rattling cork with the Assassin Slurp in the 5 inch shad colors Moulton, Good Penny, or the Drunk Monkey especially if the water is a little off-color. Fishermen over the years have caught some quality trout drifting East Matagorda Bay while throwing the rattling cork. Wading or drifting, topwater choices will be bone flavored. Bass Assassin picks to look at are 10W40, Roach, Bone Diamond, and Pumpkinseed in 5 inch shad. These baits have always worked for me in East Matagorda Bay. I’m always looking at new products and I came across one at the George R. Brown Show by way of Tommy LaMonte and Jimmy West. It’s a line and reel conditioner actually called Line & Lure Conditioner and it works great. Just spraying your reel and line with it helps protect them from the salt and serves as an overall conditioner to prolong the life of your products. I promise you will be able to cast about 20 yards further than normal. You can find this item on the web at www.lineandlure.com and folks this stuff really does the job for you. Have a great time hopefully catching, not just fishing, and until next time God Bless.

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Boy, this year seems to be moving along quicker

than normal. Here we are already rocketing into May and even though we have had some incredibly high winds and lots of rain in the past month, the fishing has been good. As every season changes most fishermen expect to deal with some drawbacks weatherwise, and in the spring time we all know to expect plenty of high wind and rain. To continue to be successful at catching one must learn to accept these hardships and learn how to adapt to these circumstances, depending on your preference of fishing methods. San Antonio Bay is what we consider our bread and butter when it comes to fishing for trout and is also one of our favorite haunts in the springtime… weather permitting. Unlike most other bays, San Antonio has a good balance of healthy water provided by two major sources. The Guadalupe River runs into this bay providing a constant inflow of freshwater desperately needed for estuaries where many juvenile crabs, fish and shrimp reside. These little creatures can not survive in freshwater alone that is why our other major source is just as important. The saltwater that flows through the passes to the Gulf in nearby Port O’Connor supplies San Antonio Bay with the much needed saltwater to help keep the bay’s salinity at a healthy level. However, this level can easily be offset temporarily by the amount of rainfall that we can receive this time of year. High levels of local rainfall are usually not a problem for San Antonio Bay, but when areas north of us like Austin and San Antonio receive large amounts of rain, we start to get a little worried. All of the rain from these areas drains into the Guadalupe River and eventually make its way into San Antonio Bay. With all of this additional freshwater inflow the salinity level drops severely causing the fish to go in search of water with a bit more salt in it which often makes catching trout spotty at best. While we are not always thrilled with this scenario, we recognize that this “flushing” is critical to

San Antonio Bay and is usually short-lived in the spring time due to high seasonal winds. These high winds help “mix up” the salt and the fresh allowing the water to return to its normal salinity levels quicker. Blustery winds have played a major role in all of my trips for the past few weeks. Forecast after forecast calls for 20 to 25 mph winds and it seems as if you can always count on the winds blowing every bit of that and then some. High winds won’t keep me from fishing but it definitely puts a kink in my plans. My usual trips to the open reefs in San Antonio Bay are put on hold and I am forced to fish in the back lakes and/or on the protected shorelines. While I don’t like having the weather dictate where I can fish I know here in the Seadrift/Port O’Connor area we are very fortunate to have many back lakes where we can seek refuge from the wind. Fishing in these back lakes can be very good depending on what methods you choose to use. Wade fishing is the most productive way to fish our back lakes because it allows anglers to thoroughly work the area at a slower pace which can be impossible to do while drifting in a boat that is being shoved forward by strong wind. While I might think wade fishing is the best option for success, it is not for everyone and may be somewhat difficult due to the soft mud bottoms that most lakes have. A drift anchor is a good tool to have for those anglers who prefer to stay in the boat. I know a few fishermen who have been known to tie two drift anchors to their boats on windy days in an attempt to slow down their boats to a more appropriate fishing speed. My lure selections on gusty days will be a ½ oz gold spoon when I am in search of redfish. If I find they aren’t very responsive to the good ol’ spoon then I will opt for a large topwater lure such as the Super Spook and/or He Dog. The color pattern I choose will be more for my eyesight then for the fish bite. On windy days you will find it harder to see your topwater in the rough waves so I will tie on a bright color to help me keep track of my lure. If the topwater doesn’t yield results from either redfish or trout I will then tie on a Saltwater Assassin rigged on a 1/16-oz jighead. My go to colors this time of year are the Salt and Pepper Silver Phantom and Plum/Chartreuse. For anglers who prefer to anchor up and hold steady during the windy days, live shrimp or mullet can be good baits to choose. Mullet is best if fished on the bottom using a slip weight and an Ultra Point Mustad single 4/0 hook attached to a leader. Live shrimp has been productive when fishing it under the Original 4” Alameda Rattler cork.

Wind exceeding 25 mph made for challenging conditions.

The Dickerson family from Austin proudly display their first ever redfish! 86

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May 2007

A great gift idea for Mother’s Day!

When it is windy on weekends your odds of success can diminish due to more waterway traffic. Since every angler on the water will be in search of protected areas to fish, good spots may be hard to come by; so keep your patience in check and stick to your game plan. Mother’s Day falls on Sunday May 13th so I want to send big hugs and kisses out to my mom, Sandy Zimmer, who I believe is the best mom you could ever ask for. Thanks mom, for all the unconditional love and support you have always given to me. If you are lucky enough to have a lady angler in your life and you are out of Mother’s Day gift ideas, consider getting her one of my new Signature Series rods made by American Rodsmiths. This is the only inshore saltwater rod on the market that is designed to match lady’s hand sizes and is extremely lightweight. They can handle anything you can give them, from the biggest trout to the tougher redfish; and if the great action of the rod doesn’t sell itself, the eye catching color will!

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Rob Mersinger, big trout landing skills.

We’ve had thunderstorms and strong winds from every direction. We’ve had warm temperatures and even record low temperatures. This is keeping things stirred up. I end up fishing where the weather will let me fish. The unique thing about the Laguna Madre is that there is so much sea grass that the water still stays clear even with all the high winds. The water has been clear everywhere, the winds stirring it up will actually improve the fishing. Another good thing about the wind is that it helps you to get in a long cast. It is very important to get a long cast in when you are drift fishing from the boat in shallow or clear water. The fish can see your boat and move out before you can get a lure to them. However, with the long cast you don’t have a very good feel and there is a bow in the line from the wind. I use the Power Pro braided line in the twenty-pound test with the six-pound diameter. I can cast it a long distance and there is no stretch so I can get a firm hook set at the end of a long cast. It’s been working well in these windy conditions. The numbers of fish have increased. We’re catching a lot more small fish with the big ones mixed in. This time of year you can catch several trout that are fifteen inches long and in the next cast get one that is thirty inches long. There are a lot of fish coming in from Corpus Christi Bay headed for the grass beds of the Laguna Madre to spawn. The shrimp

Willie Norton, fishing with C.R. Webb. 88

Texas Saltwater Fishing

and bait fish are showing up in the Intracoastal Waterway. We’re getting a good push of Gulf water in from Packery Channel. We had a heck of a foul weather day with some fishermen from Austin. They had been in the office all week and they were game. The wind was blowing thirty-five with gusts up to fifty miles per hour from the northwest, not my favorite direction but, the bite was still on. It was also raining off and on, but there was no lighting so we stayed out and fished. We were drift fishing in three feet of water, we had the large drift anchor out along with a lot of rope and we were still drifting fast. We landed half a dozen big trout and redfish and the largest trout was twenty-seven inches long; it weighed about seven pounds. The waves were so rough that we were limited on the lures that we could use. The best choice was the Bass Assassin Sea Shad with the paddletail; the color was pumpkinseed/ chartreuse, with the one eighth ounce lead head. All four of us were just throwing it out and cranking it in fast, trying to keep up with the drift. It reminded me of bass fishing with a crankbait. We were quickly covering a lot of water. Even though the weather conditions were not favorable, we had a good day of fishing. My son, Capt. Cliff, Jr., has had an excellent month of fishing. He’s bringing in these great pictures of fish and I’m hearing good reports from his customers. Also, he and Jay Ray Watkins are fishing in the Texas Trout Series tournaments. They are an awesome fishing team. These are two guys that were born to fish. They have consistently caught trout and are in position to make a first place showing in the finals. I have really enjoyed watching them, naturally, and of course it’s easier when they are doing so well. Every year there’s a push of big fish from the south moving in from the

Jason Miller, 8 lb. 28 1/2 “, fishing with C.R. Webb. May 2007

This is John Snyder, fished with Cliff on bad weather day, 7 lbs.

Chandler McCarthy age 11, fishing with Land Cut. Last C.R. Webb. year at this time it had already happened. So far this year it has been spotty down south but, we’re just now getting the strong southeast winds and high tides to make it happen. So actually, things are right on time. The bay systems are full of fish in May and June. Eventually the weather will settle down and I expect the fishing to get even better. For those interested, please check out my web site www.cliffwebb.com I have just recently opened a new department on the site and it is called “Cliff’s Notes.” It is a yearly membership subscription that is full of good fishing information. It’s designed to help you catch more fish. My guide’s guide, Jay Watkins, gave me the idea and was very helpful in making it possible.

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

The lower Laguna Madre continues to show herself as one of those rare and special places on our fishing earth. Life remains abundant across this seemingly endless horizon, and to the appreciative eye, the scenery can be as breathtaking as any sub-tropical postcard. However, miles and miles of clear grass flats can keep even the most skilled angler guessing about where good concentrations of fish might be; each trip brings us new and exciting challenges. However, even as rewarding as this system can be, the reality for all of us is that for every world-class day we may have, there are also many days where nature will ultimately win. But that is exactly why we keep going back and what keeps lure fishing from becoming simple recreation. Here are a few things we have been doing lately to try and win more often, Jack Cowan’s “Moving School” depicts accurately our approach to staying on the bite.

and some of what we might hope to expect during May. As high spring water began to spill into the Laguna during March and April, it brought with it all sorts of small baitfish, skipjacks, rays, and even some larger life forms to make it all more interesting. By the first week of April we had already seen mature sharks patrolling near the East Cut

Last week we were fishing a backwater area, and as the wind began

in very shallow water. The high levels meant you could go just about

to increase, a large school of redfish began moving into the knee to shin

anywhere you wanted to go if you had the right boat. The fish, however,

deep flat. We stumbled on them by watching some pelicans and a seagull

could also do the same. With so many options of where to go and with so

or two sitting on the water. Soon after getting out of the boat, a few large

much food available for them to eat, the expanses of the Laguna seemed

swirls, scattering baitfish, and a quick double hook-up told us we had

overwhelming at times. Artist John Cowan captured this beautifully in his

some opportunity. Typical of spring, small baits such as Brown Lure’s Sea

painting titled Moving School. If it is true that a picture is worth a thousand

Devils and Mullet and Super Spook Jr.’s were effective. Five of us spread

words, then this illustration by Cowan is absolutely priceless.

out and all began to work away on them.

The good folks at Fishing Tackle Unlimited, courtesy of Matt Bell,

The action stopped quickly, however, until we realized that they were

recently gifted all of their Pro Staff with a giclee reproduction of this

making their way up a small trough and heading into the wind farther into

inspiring piece. A giclee (zhee-CLAY) is an individually produced, high

the flat. You could tell their direction by watching the baitfish’s reactions

tech reproduction of an original. I was fortunate enough to get number 11

and bird positions, although the signs were very subtle. We gently idled

of only 15 copies made, and it speaks to anyone who appreciates shallow

the boat out in a wide circle getting back upwind. This group of redfish was

water lure fishing. Even though it appears to be of a fall setting, it also

our Moving School. During the next few months, simple strategies like this

illustrates much of what can happen during spring, especially when it

one will remain important. Had we stayed where we were, the day would

comes to its title — Moving School.

have turned out much different. As depicted in Cowan’s piece, it pays to

Moving School depicts three men wading in shin-deep water, near their boat, appearing as though they have just discovered some opportunity

quickly take advantage of what we find, but especially to remember the ‘moving’ part of fish behavior.

and are quickly working hard to take advantage of it. It is not a painting of

May will continue to give us high water, most likely high winds, for

here, but yet it could be. The comparison is that when we do find signs of

sure more crowds, and of course more moving schools of fish. The ones

opportunity, we need to work hard and be quick to take, as it might not last.

we may find today can be gone tomorrow or even in the next hour, so it’s

Moving School is also right! Not only do we have to initially find fish, we

important to watch the surface for the slightest hint. Flats areas can be

also have to remember that they are usually moving so we need to make 90

predictions as to where and how fast to be able to stay on top of them.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

one of the more difficult areas to fish consistently, but the typical pattern May 2007

Small baits make sense in May and the paddletailed soft plastic is one of the best, the Super Spook Jr. visible over the authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right shoulder is another.

The new Corky Jr. has been proving itself here in Lower Laguna; when the fish want a small bait this is an excellent choice.

can be as simple as shallow early and then deeper throughout the day. The paths they take can be influenced by wind, changing water clarity, boat traffic, and a host of other factors both known and unknown. Finding them and moving with them is part of the challenge we mentioned earlier. As far as lure selections go, although large topwaters will certainly be on the menu, smaller offerings can often be more consistent. The little quarter ounce gold spoon is still a time-honored redfish fooler. Just remember to keep those hooks sharp. A newer bait that we are enjoying great results with this spring is the little Corky Jr. It makes a lot of sense with all of the smaller forage available. Fish tend to eat more often this time of year and little snacks can be consistent line stretchers. Besides catching good redfish on it, we have already caught several quality trout with this downsized plug. Another advantage is that even though it is smaller, it casts like a bullet, which helps in both high winds and in early calm conditions where distance is needed. This little lure has a big future. The immediate future for the Laguna looks good. Plenty of forage, the water is almost too clear, the grass is growing fast, and some great catches have been made. Long term may even be better with a five trout limit coming next September. What it should mean is that eventually everybody can go out and have a chance at catching some good fish. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a rare and special place, and in May you can bet on me being somewhere on the Laguna chasing a Moving School. May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Have you ever witnessed

up close, I mean real close, a redfish or trout zoom in on your topwater? Were you so close you could see all their predator behavior, that strong flip of the tail, gills flaring as the gamefish is about to inhale your plastic imitation, its eyes so focused on the prey that it doesn’t even notice you? Just for a moment, nothing else matters to that fish. This is what I call the bite of aggression. May is a good time to experience the adrenaline rush that being this close to a fish can bring. Why does May bring such opportunity? One, the winds of March and April begin to dissipate in May. The winds for the most part will remain calm throughout the night leaving most of our bay waters crystal clear. Clear water is a must for stalking fish. Also, our back bays will have plenty of water along with flourishing schools of bait. We will be working shorelines that were nearly dry a few weeks ago. Spring shrimp movement usually peaks during late April and May, drawing fish from other locales to the shallow back bays. The banks of spoil islands are also good places to find fish with their backs exposed or perhaps catch a glimpse of fish sticking their tails high above the surface. If you want to experience getting up close to a fish, remember wading gently without pushing a wake is very important. As you draw closer to the fish, crouching down may be required. Being aware of the direction it is moving is also important, as well as moving closer only if the fish is looking away. Placement of your lure is critical so that the fish does not spook. When I know the fish are real spooky, I tend to throw about ten to fifteen feet in front and in the same direction the fish is heading. Always make sure your line does not come anywhere near the fish, if you touch them they will spook. Work the bait back toward him very carefully. The speed of retrieve depends on how they appear to be feeding. If they are pouncing and really feeding actively on natural bait, I can get away with working 92

Texas Saltwater Fishing

my lure a little faster. However, if they are real hard to approach, a slow retrieve works better. Remember, on sunny days the fish will tend to be spookier than a cloudy day. So your retrieve and how you work your bait can change from morning, afternoon to evening. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Experimenting is what invented the wheel. It’s alright if you spook a few before you find the right action. If chasing fish in this manner draws you and wading is on your agenda this summer, I highly recommend the comforts and durability the Simms Flats Sneakers bring. They are comfortable to wear and work great on any kind of bottom. Our shallow pristine flats have given me many opportunities to wade and stalk fish up close. Two experiences will remain in my mind forever. The first one was many years ago; I was fishing a tournament and an upper-slot redfish was my target. I was wading along a small island that was infested with redfish; I spotted a rather large red that never suspected my presence. I approached in a crouched position. I made my cast, never taking my eyes off this fish. As I twitched my topwater a few times, another redfish came out of nowhere. He was so close I saw his yellow and black eyes almost in a trance. The fish was so focused that even if he was alarmed to my presence, there was no way he was going to stop. He grabbed my lure and took off in all twelve inches of water. All this commotion spooked the fish I was after. The fish at the end of my line was only about twenty two inches, so I horsed him in and this is where I made my mistake. He still had a lot of fight in him, and when he decided to run right between my legs he stuck me with the treble hooks on my right calf. You have never heard someone yell out in the open water as loud as I did. May 2007

The comfort Simms Flats Sneakers bring can make a big difference.

Here is 10 year old Kraig with his best redfish ever — 28 inches.

Trey Crocker is no stranger to these linesiders — 33 inches.

Kevin Jr recently scored his biggest snook — 28 1/2 inches.

Kevin Clark recently caught his personal best snook—30 3/4 inches.

Kraig was on a hot streak— catching his PB trout 6 1/4 lbs.

He was shaking his head profusely and with every tug the hook imbedded deeper. After many moments and painfully taking out the hook, I had some time to reflect on this experience. To this day I will never forget that fish. It’s was the way his eyes went on a trance as he focused on my topwater. That was pretty cool; the hook embedded in my calf wasn’t. The second experience occurred more recently. The morning was slick calm; the conditions made it perfect to chase tailing reds. I decided that I wanted to try something different, something that I had never done before. My desire was to target a specific redfish, photograph it, and then attempt to catch it. Doing this meant I had to get in real close. The conditions were perfect, and the reds were plentiful. On my first cast I threw my topwater in the direction of a single tailing redfish and then made an attempt to get my camera ready. As I was turning on the camera with the lens facing down, this redfish made it a point to not wait on me. He slammed my motionless Super Spook Jr so hard that he startled me causing me to lose my balance and accidentally take a picture of the summer blue sky. Needless to say, I captured an after photo of that aggressive redfish and continued

May 2007

to have a blast photographing redfish before catching them. This spring has certainly brought some great experiences and awesome catches, but none better than a four day outing with Kevin Clark and his two kids. Kevin was asked to transfer to Arizona, but before he was to leave, his desire was to put his two sons on some snook action. His wishes came true; all three of the Clark’s experienced personal best days. Kevin and Kevin Jr were at the end of an aggressive snook bite and caught some world class linesiders. Kraig did not stay behind for long, landing his biggest trout ever at 6-¼ lbs and twenty-sixplus inches. What a way to leave the Lone Star State! The month of May will offer many opportunities. With the water level being high, be sure to checkout your accessible back bay shorelines, look for signs of baitfish. Try fishing in areas that you have never fished before. Who knows you too might experience the bite of aggression and actually see a fish’s behavior right before it crushes your bait. If you have never been a part of stalking fish on shallow flats, this type angling adventure should go on your list of things to do. Are you up for it? I know from past experiences the month of May can bring you plenty of opportunities. But beware—this type of fishing is not for everyone, especially the weak hearted.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Get ready for the “BIG” girls and some heart pumping action. May is the number one month for catching trophy trout in Calcasieu Lake. This is largely because the large female trout (laden with eggs) will be at their heaviest. May is the month where our weather just seems to pull itself together to bring an abundance of bait into our area. Brown shrimp will be migrating, black clouds of young menhaden (pogies) and mullet will be schooling all over the lake, and the trout, reds and flounder will be gorging themselves. The most productive areas will be over the reefs in both the lake and in the West cove area. The lures of choice will be topwaters! She and He Dogs, Top Dogs, Ghosts, Super Spooks, Skitterwalks and any other dogwalking or jerk bait will be effective. If you are after quantity rather than quality, check out the action under the screaming gulls. Yes, the birds will also be working with schooling trout and reds underneath them. May is action-packed on Calcasieu, so don’t miss out!

Daily winds of 15 to 20 miles per hour kept us pinned down on the Louisiana shoreline for the entire month of March. Had it not been for an improving flounder bite in the bayous and drains on the east side of the lake, it would have been an even greater struggle. We are just now starting to reap the benefits of bull tides that have both improved the salinity levels and cleared up a little more of the lake. If April winds are more forgiving, we can look forward to the gulls working over schooling trout in the mid-lake area. While school trout will provide the most consistent bite from the northern tip of Pleasure Island to the piers on the south revetment wall, we should also start crossing paths with schooling reds in the open lake north of Blue Buck. Because the school trout are starting to hustle shrimp rather than mullet, shorter soft plastics will be more productive. If the lake continues to clear, Coffee Ground Cove and the flats south of the Islands will give up some large trout to patient waders armed with topwaters, Catch V’s, Corkies, and Crazy Croakers.

“Fishing has been tough in Galveston lately with all this weird weather,” James says. “My guys have been stuck at the dock a lot, and when they have been able to get out, the fish haven’t been biting too good. Trinity’s kind of washed out with all the rain, and the wind keeps East Bay messed up most of the time. West Bay has got some fish, there are slicks popping and all, but the bite has been tough. It will turn around later in the month of April, if it’s anything like in past years. Birds start working the shrimp migration usually some time during the third week of April. Once we get that going, and the weather settles a little, it should bust wide open.” Wading will be the ticket for big trout in the month to come, he says. “We should see some pretty nice trout caught. In wet years like this, the San Luis Pass area and the flats near the mouth of the channel and Rollover are often the places to be. Waders working those areas thoroughly and patiently will probably find some big trout. All we really need is some nice weather and we’ll be back in the catching business.”

Jim says the fishing in East Bay has been good, especially before the cold front. “We’ve been able to get away from our winter holes. The water temperature got up into the seventies and spread the fish out. When the tide is really high, the fish will be right up on the bank, in less than knee deep water. If it gets a little lower, the mouths of the bayous will pay off better, especially if the tide is going out. The fish 94

Texas Saltwater Fishing

aren’t really stacked up on the reefs yet; the shorelines are more productive, but as we get into May, that can change. We’ve had a great topwater bite. I like a loud old She Dog the best. I’ve also been throwing a lot of Catch 2000s and some Corkies. When I go to soft plastics, I’m using a very light, 1/16th ounce head because I’m throwing them into such shallow water. Mostly, I’m sticking with Bass Assassins and Stanley Wedge tails. But really, this time of year is about the blow ups, so the old She Dogs will get more of a work out this next month. May should be really good over here if we get some steady calm weather.”

Randall sees things in his area that predict a good run of fishing in May. “We’ve already got jackfish and Spanish mackeral, and it’s early for them. When we see those fish this early, the trout run is usually ahead of schedule too. Right now, the water is prettiest near the surf. It’s warmer and cleaner out there, with the runoff in the bays after all the recent rains. One thing the runoff does is kick in a good redfish bite. Lots of times, the lakes near the bayous will fill up with reds after they get that stained look from the runoff. Then we’ll start catching them on topwaters and the old roach Bull Minnow. The Bull Minnow is a great bait; anyone can work it!” He believes the beachfront will give up some good catches in May. “The trout should be biting in the surf next month. There are already tons of glass minnows and those tiny shad in the pass area. Usually, soon after we see so much bait come in out of the gulf, the trout show up and start snapping at whatever we throw. I’ll be throwing pink Skitterwalks, chrome She Dogs, and of course my Sand Eels too.”

Weather has kept East Bay unsettled much of the time lately, reports Don Wood. “We get to fish a day or two, then we get run off the water again. With all this rain, there’s a lot of fresh water and the wind’s been cranking too. Best luck we’ve had in East Bay has been on stinky worms and other soft plastics hung under rattling corks. We’ve been using the Cajun Thunder and the Gulp shrimp and jerk shads, and also some new products from Betts bait company. They have a scented shrimp that’s really life like and some good popping corks. As long as the water’s muddy in East Bay, throwing these types of baits works best. We were whacking the reds on topwaters in West Bay before the recent bad weather. Looking ahead into May, we should be able to go back over there and get on those fish again. With all the glass minnows and small baitfish up and down the shoreline, it’s usually not too hard to find and catch the reds over there in spring time. There will be some decent trout to be caught off deep reefs on the worms in West Bay too.”

Fishing has been outstanding when the March winds have allowed us to fish. Wads of mullet, grass shrimp, glass minnows and crabs have been all over the shorelines and the fish have been right along with them. Redfish have been plentiful over sand/grass flats in water depths of less than three feet. Hot lures of late have been Shedogs in black/chrome, Skitterwalks in black/gold/orange, and Super Spook Jrs. in bone. Berkley Gulp Shrimp and Jerkshad in rootbeer gold and new penny have also been solid producers when the topwater bite falls off. Lots and lots of small trout are in the bays at this time. Norton Bull Minnows in pumpkin/chartreuse and pearl/chartreuse have been the best baits for the specks. The upcoming month should be one of the best for finding fish. Locating glass minnows by following flocks of brown pelicans is a good indicator for fish in the area, as are slicks popping off from fish feeding on the minnows. The mouth of the Tres Palacios River and flats off of it should be a good area to locate both trout and reds. May 2007

fish all over the Laguna Madre. The MirroLure Catch V, Bass Assassin Slurp and Exude RT Slugs have been responsible for catching many of the speckled trout and Lynn says the fishing for redfish has been spectacular in the Port O Connor area redfish lately. The speckled trout’s diet recently has consisted of finger mullet, pin perch and shrimp, so in May, I’ll continue to fish with MirroLure Catch V in colors like as of late. “We’ve been hammering them on topwaters and also Corkies. Catching CHBL , #18 and MG when fishing in 2-3 feet of water. I’m also going to be using the them really shallow. Trout fishing has been a little more of a challenge. When you Bass Assassin Slurp 5” Saltwater Shad and the 4” Shrimp in colors like good penny, get these extra high tides like we’ve had lately, it will spread the trout out some. drunk monkey and pearl. And of course, I’m always carrying in my pockets the Exude There are a lot of back lakes and marshy areas behind those lakes, and when the RT Slugs. I rig them on 1/16th ounce heads when fishing shallow water. shrimp are thick in there the trout can become tricky to locate on a daily basis.” In May, he expects to be fishing bays in the southern half of his area. “We’ll Joe likes the options that present themselves lately with all the clear water in the be fishing in San Antonio Bay and its satellites if we can. Right now, there is a lot Upper Laguna/Baffin system. “Now is a good time to explore new areas and learn of freshwater runoff in there, but if the Guadalupe drops back to a normal level, some new spots, as well as mark some navigation hazards. Most of this water is as we’ll see some good fishing over there, as we have in the past. I’ll be throwing lots clear as it can get. Fishing is good of course, in various places, all the way from the of topwaters and Corkies. Usually, May is one of the best months for a consistent bridge to Nine Mile Hole. I’ve been drifting shallow potholes and catching trout and topwater bite. The main key will be to find the concentrations of bait. Ideally, you redfish mixed. There are schools of small minnows and pinfish in abundance, and want to be throwing at rafts of mullet, not just a few jumpers.” they can be a bit of a nuisance in terms of biting the tails off your soft plastics, but finding concentrations of bait is definitely the key to locating the trout and redfish in the spring.” He says he will be going back to some of his favorite springtime areas Blake says the fishing has been good lately, even after the freakish front that in May. “Rocky Slough and Yarbrough Flats are always productive this time of year. hit on Easter weekend. “They were blasting off on topwaters while that north wind was cranking. Most of the time lately, we’ve been getting a good topwater bite for a Focusing on twelve to fourteen inches of water will allow for some sightcasting while, then having to switch to other lures to keep the bites coming. There are a lot opportunities when the sun is out. There are lots of redfish up shallow in those areas, of small baitfish like glass minnows and shad in the water and the trout and reds will and where there are redfish there are likely to be a few big trout.” sometimes shy away from the topwaters and prefer a Catch 2000 or Sand Eel.” He says he expects to be doing much the same things in May as he has in April. “I’ll still be working shallow sandy, grassy shorelines for both trout and redfish. We catch most of our fish up there in knee to thigh-deep water. I’ll also fish some reefs in May. It’s a good month for reefs. I fish shell banks all over the area, from Corpus Bay to San Antonio Bay. Lots of times, you can catch your fish on topwaters around the shell too. Lately, I’ve been sticking with my Super Spook, especially the black/ gold/orange one.”

The abundance of Sargassum weed will be the factor to watch for those planning to head to PINS during May. Heavy concentrations of the weed have made fishing nearly impossible during March and early April. Many fish species arrived early this year and most species found at any time of year are usually present in good numbers by mid May. Topwaters, silver spoons and soft plastics will work for speckled trout and occasional redfish, jack crevalle and ladyfish. Small spoons and jigs will work well for Spanish mackeral, while fresh dead shrimp and Fishbites will be favorites for abundant whiting and lesser numbers of pompano, black drum and sheepshead. A variety of shark species will be available on both cast and kayaked baits. Beware of driving near the water line, especially if dark colored sand is visible, as rotting Sargassum buried beneath fresh sand will make for tremendously soft conditions. Be alert and keep speed minimal as it is sea turtle nesting season.

What a great month April has turned out to be for 2007. The water in the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay is in great shape. The water is clear almost everywhere, and I’m sure that everyone is hoping that it will stay that way for the rest of the year. April has produced many speckled trout in the six to eight pound class and a fair number of nine to ten pound trout. I’ve also been catching numerous slot sized red May 2007

“We’ll be seeing some spawning trout into the month of May, so we’ll continue to work a pattern where we look for big trout in the vicinity of the East Cut and on the west shore, in areas where there is some current in the gravelly sand pockets. More and more, we’ll move into our night wading mode. I like the full moon in particular. It helps us stay away from all the boat traffic. There are lots of boats burning these shorelines in the spring. As the water warms into the eighties, well see the boat traffic and the temperature move the trout to the main grass drop off, into depths of three to four feet. The redfish will stay on the flats all day. Well start off early targeting the reds up shallow and then move off the grass edge for our trout.” He says indications are that it should be an excellent offshore season. “We are seeing several species move in a little early. Usually, when that happens, it is a sign of a good year. We should see a strong run on king mackeral, tarpon and other pelagic species in the months to come.”

The airboat nuisance is not as bad as it has been the last three months, however, the LLM still resembles a jungle of bamboo poles and white floats marring what used to be pristine waterways and posing a hazard to boaters heading out early. Let’s hope the company responsible for the seismic testing will clean up. Heavy spring traffic is making it tough to match winter totals, but we’re limiting daily on redfish in shallow water and “going deep” for trout as soon as that last red is landed. Freddy says, “If you want bragging rights, a fish gripper with digital scale is best for weighing and safely handling big sow trout full of eggs; Berkley’s 14” Lip Grip Scale is the tool for the job.” This is the time of year to fish the deep, east side pot holes between the Convention Center and Gas Well flats for specks using Maulers trailing a Gulp bait or plastic shrimp tail. Spring winds churn oxygen into the salty bay energizing marine life and allowing us to make long, productive drifts. Texas Saltwater Fishing

Travis Fowler tricked his first trout while out fishing with his Aunt Nancy.

Capt Darrell Adell tricked this 28” trout on a red/white Seashad Assassin.

Claudia and Rick Wendland of Sugarland, each show off a pair of snapper caught while fishing in Port Mansfield.

Ashley Bates landed her first red while fishing King Ranch shoreline.

Manuel Laredo snagged this nice red while fishing Power Lake. Becky Gary, Texas Lady Anglers member, tricked this 23” 5# trout while out fishing West Bay in Galveston.

Fabian Billings of Round Rock, boated this bull red while fishing in Port O’Connor. 96

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Mitin Ozaly, Ryan Veurink and Volkan Guzelle landed this trio of reds while out fishing with their fishing buddy, Stephen Plant.

Guy Cox caught and released this 40” bull red while surf fishing in Matagorda. May 2007

Brian Gaudin (angler), Devin Donnahoe and Brett Donnahoe show off Brian’s kingfish, which was the winning kingfish for CCA Texas 2006.

Sissy Dunn caught and released this red while fishing the fish pond in POC. (Left) David Huff and Jo Ellison boated her first red while fishing the mouth of the Brazos River.

Emily Besser lands this 21” trout while out fishing with friends in POC.

Jason Mushinski caught this 27” trout on a Fire Tiger Seashad Assassin.

Colby Bosch landed his first flounder on an artificial. Way to go!

Gavin Henkhaus shows off his 26.5” 6# trout he landed while fishing in Copano Bay.

(Left) Jonelle Wilson landed her first keeper red while fishing St. Charles Bay.

Dillon Catlett landed this pair of 27” reds while fishing the land cut.

May 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

1. Roast four poblano peppers via open flame method: l Hold peppers with BBQ tongs directly over gas flame or hot charcoal grill, turn slowly and steadily until blistered evenly and slightly blackened on all sides. l Place roasted chilies in large bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let stand 5-10 minutes. Peel or rub off the charred skin. Next, cut tops off and remove cores, discard the seeds. Cut pepper from tops around stem, dice and set aside for sauce. Note – The chilies may be roasted, peeled, and refrigerated a couple of days ahead. 2. Prepare one package of Saffron yellow rice as directed on label. 3. Sauté: 4 Tbs. butter ¼ c. chopped green onions 2 ears of corn (cut from cob) 2 carrots diced 2 cloves garlic minced 1 lb. shrimp (19-20 count) cut into ½ inch pieces 1 lb. fish fillets (Seatrout and redfish are both excellent choices!) 4. White Sauce: Diced poblano pepper (from tops of roasted peppers) 1 Tbs. fresh chopped cilantro 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup half and half cream ½ cup chicken broth ¼ lb. white American cheese

6. Melt 1 Tbs. butter in sauté pan, add shrimp, sauté until fully cooked, add to bowl. 7. Melt 1 Tbs. butter add fish sauté until fully cooked. With spatula, flake fish into small pieces, add to bowl. 8. Mix all ingredients well in bowl. Stuff into each pepper and place in large baking dish. 9. Melt 1 Tbs. butter add diced peppers, cilantro sauté for 1 minute. Add heavy cream, half and half, chicken broth and cheese. Stir constantly until cheese is complete melted. 10. Pour white sauce over peppers and bake for 20 minutes @ 350 degrees. 11. Place one pepper per serving on plate and spoon sauce over pepper. Serve with corn bread and grilled mixed vegetables.

5. Cook rice and place in large bowl. Melt 1 Tbs. butter add green onion, corn, carrots, garlic and sauté for 10 minutes, add to bowl.

Send your favorite recipes to: pam@tsfmag.com 98

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Boats, Kayaks, Outboards

For more information about these advertisers visit: http://www.texassaltwaterfishingmagazine.com/contact_advertisers_product.html Boats, Kayaks, Outboards Anchor Marine............................................................. 93

Del Mar Trailers...................................................... Cover 800-499-7079

210-599-1415

El Jefe Cantina y Marina...............................................81

800-416-9003

Espandre..................................................................... 67

281-391-2628

Fish Flo2......................................................................89

956-943-1551

Gulf Coast Trolling Motors............................................ 82

Anderson Marine......................................................... 55 Adventure Yamaha & Marine........................................ 28 Bayside Marine ........................................................... 75 Bernie’s Boats............................................................... 8

956-944-2876 281-543-1230

866-882-4775 281-481-6832

361-573-7809

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979-245-3369

JL Marine - Power Pole................................................ 71

713-660-7000

Navionics.....................................................................75

409-927-1462

Safe Floor Company.................................................... 47

888-440-0099

Salt-A-Way...................................................................47

800-749-2628

South Texas Trolling Motors......................................... 65

800-843-2201

Specialty Aluminum Works...........................................57

800-413-0020

Tops-N-Towers............................................................ 28

Busha Boat Works....................................................... 45 Canoesports................................................................65 Coastal Backwater Marine...........................................65 Coastal Bend Marine....................................................74 Dargel Boat Works....................................................... 21 El Campo Boating Center............................................. 71 Fisher Beavertail Manufacturing................................... 54 Gulf Coast Boats............................................................1 713-477-7119

Gulf Coast Marine..........................................................6

361-972-2122

888-442-4900

800-848-5896 281-435-5904 714-550-0987 361-939-8970 361-575-1477

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Fishing Products (rods, reels, tackle, etc.)

361-967-7800

Adventure Products..................................................... 73

979-233-1852

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800-882-4461

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J & H Performance Boats........................................Cover Kroll’s Marine...............................................................89 LMC Marine Center....................................................... 2 Lone Star Yacht Sales.................................................. 19 281-334-3500

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713-466-7849

386-294-1049

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361-991-3102

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Bimini Bay-Tsunami.................................................Cover

360-366-4003

Brown Lures.................................................................73

941-358-6800

Cajun Line................................................................... 35

409-212-1005

Cocoons Eyewear........................................................ 41

361-729-7820

Costa Del Mar................................................................5

Mosca Boats................................................................14 Ocean Kayak............................................................... 81 Panga Marine...............................................................77 Pete Jorgensen Marine................................................ 43 Rockport Marine...........................................................15 Ron Hoover RV & Marine Center.....................................1

281-850-3980

800-688-3481 877-460-4619 800-347-3759

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Wade Aid Enterprises...................................................87 888-923-3243

Waterloo Rods............................................................. 85 361-573-0300

Fishing retail locations Academy......................................................................99 888-922-2336

Bass Pro Outdoor World...............................................13 800-BassPro (800-227-7776)

Blue Water Ships Stores.............................................. 59 281-334-7583

Boater’s World............................................................. 25 800-826-2628

David’s Tackle Box.......................................................89 281-342-9669

Fishing Tackle Unlimited....................................Cover, 49 281-481-6838

Gander Mountain......................................................... 63 800-282-5993

Paddlecast...................................................................73 713-674-0461

Port A Outfitters...........................................................65 361-749-3474

Roy’s Bait & Tackle........................................................ 9 361-992-2960

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Victoria All Sports...................................................... 43 361-575-0655

Real Estate Brannan Realty............................................................ 68 979-233-7873 x 101

Delany Cove.................................................................24 713-436-6951

Ed Velicka Real Estate................................................... 57 361-737-9234

Fisherman’s Paradise...................................................55 386-566-4798

Full Stringer Realty.......................................................85 979-479-5455

The Sanctuary............................................................. 52 888-552-0785

Tournaments Aggie Saltwater Classic................................................87 713-416-9000

800-545-8818

D.O.A. Lures................................................................ 67

800-748-0866

Fish Bites.....................................................................74

956-233-9489

Fish Slick.....................................................................83

Redfish Tournament...................................................61

361-983-4134

Foreverlast.................................................................. 39

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361-972-3322

Gamma Technologies.................................................. 74

281-238-0060

H&H Fishing Rods........................................................15

713-213-4530

Laguna Rods............................................................... 51

800-843-2201

Mustad........................................................................ 29

Sea Eagle....................................................................49 Shallow Sport Boats.................................................... 28 Shoalwater Boats.......................................................104 Southshore Boats........................................................ 59 Sport Marine............................................................... 67 Stone and Sons Marine................................................79 Sundance.................................................................... 83 Suzuki........................................................................... 3

877-362-5873

877-840-2248

361-798-1530

800-437-2971 713-875-7827 281-931-1601

315-253-2793

CCA Star Tournament.................................................... 14 800-626-4222

Port Mansfield Lady & Her Tramp Most Spotted 956-944-2354 956-233-9489

Third Coast Fishing Tournament...................................59 361-992-5152

Troutmasters................................................................56 713-466-7849

Miscellaneous 98.7 Texas Mix.............................................................84 361-573-7223

800-247-4704

Norton Lures............................................................... 43

Aventura Jewelry..........................................................47

409-898-7632

Okuma........................................................................ 87

Fishermen’s Network....................................................83

512-353-3946

Penn.......................................................... Solunar Chart

417-873-4555

Quantum......................................................................91

361-972-6629

Rapala.........................................................................77

Texas Marine............................................................... 85 TG Canoes and Kayaks............................................... 89 Tracker Marine.............................................................37 Trans Fiberglass Boat.................................................. 57 Tropical Marine............................................................ 53

800-466-5862 215-229-9415

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Rip Tide Lures............................................................. 47

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Wilderness Systems - Confluence.......................... 20, 69

Boat Accessories Angler Products........................................................... 47

888-252-7421 409-737-1136

Sampo........................................................................ 29 315-896-2606

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Sebile USA.................................................................. 79

800-829-1772

Spivey Enterprises....................................................... 85

800-657-9998

St. Croix Fishing Rods................................................. 45

661-266-9791

Texas Tackle Factory.............................................. Cover

Birdsall Marine Design................................................. 67 Boat Lift Distributors.....................................................89 Braid Products...............................................................41 Cove Harbor Marina and Drystack................................29 361-790-5483

866-766-9055 281-997-3364 715-762-3226

361-575-4751

May 2007

713-932-0002 512-363-9032

FTU Traveling Angler.................................. Solunar Chart 281-481-6838

Hillman’s Seafood........................................................ 98 281-339-2897

National Children’s Leukemia Foundation................. 36 800-448-3467

Saltwater Fishing Clinics.............................................. 83 361-563-1160

Sea Academy.............................................................. 87 361-758-6184

Shrimpfest 2007.............................................................71 361-785-2251

Specialty Shutter Systems........................................... 57 866-579-6433

Speedy Stop...............................................Solunar Chart 361-582-5100

The Galveston Fishing Pier...........................................82 409-744-2273

Window Works.............................................................49 361-655-0628

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