Tide Predictions & Solunar Feed Times Inside!
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CONTENTS M AY 2008 Volume 18 No. 1
FEATURES
28
12 The Kneelers
Mike McBride
18 Why ask Why?
Kevin Cochran
24 It’s Up to Us
Martin Strarup
28 Common Sense and Bits of Information
Billy Sandifer
32 Sight-casting lessons learned…
Chuck Uzzle
DEPARTMENTS 44
72
29 Coastal Birding
Billy Sandifer
36 Let’s Ask The Pro
Jay Watkins
40 Fly Fishing
Casey Smartt
44 Tournament Trails
Brandon Jenewein
48 Offshore
Bobby Byrd/John Cochrane
56 Conservation
CCA Texas
58 Science and the Sea
UT-Marine Science Institute
60 TPWD Field Notes
Larry McKinney
64 Kayak Fishing
Scott Null
68 According To Scott
Scott Sommerlatte
72 Youth Fishing
Aaron Cisneros
78 Fishing products that pass the test
Everett and Pam Johnson
WHAT OUR GUIDES HAVE TO SAY… 80 Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene
90
Dickie Colburn
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
REGULARS 98
6
Editorial
10 Letters to the Editor 76 New Tackle & Gear 94 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 96 Photo Gallery–Catch of the Month 98 Gulf Coast Kitchen
103 Index of Advertisers
ABOUT THE COVER Our cover angler this month is Chas Drost showing off a Corky-caught redfish from Lake Calcasieu, Louisiana taken on a memorable spring afternoon wade. Will Drost captured the image. www.TSFMAG.com
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THE LONGER I’M INVOLVED WITH THE TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING COMMUNITY the more proud I become to be part of it. No industry I’ve ever worked in made me feel this way. Fishermen are special, and the way they band together for a cause is just incredible. No better example could be cited than what took place on March 30 2008 at Blanco’s Bar and Grill on West Alabama in Houston. Our dear friend, Capt. Chris Phillips, was the reason we all went. Chris-a-Palooza, as it was billed, was organized by friends, family, tackle dealers, fishing guides, radio personalities, outdoor writers, and local fishing industry leaders. The names of the attendees would make a reasonable Who’s Who list, especially within the realm of Texas fly-fishing. Capt. Chris was diagnosed with a brain tumor a few months ago and the early prognosis was very disheartening. The first report said that even if surgery could be performed, Chris would likely suffer great motor skill impairment and probably never speak again. Further testing and scans revealed a narrow window of opportunity and the specialists at UTMB in Galveston upped Chris’ chances, but not by much. Surgical removal, they said, was the only chance. Chris was given a decent chance to survive; whether he’d walk, talk, or enjoy any real quality of life after the operation would be seen later. Chris had his surgery as soon as it could be arranged and the outcome was nearly miraculous. All but a tiny bit of the tumor was successfully removed and the remainder is believed treatable. Even if the treatments work only half as well as the surgery, due the very slow development of this type of tumor, Chris’ doctors think it could take nearly a lifetime to re-grow large enough to duplicate the symptoms he’d already lived through. That Chris was awake and coherent following surgery was an answer to the prayers of thousands. When Chris recognized Ruben Garza and spoke to him as his gurney was being wheeled down the hallway was nothing short of a miracle for all who know and love him. Seeing Chris stride across Blanco’s parking lot; speaking, hugging and handshaking as the crowd poured in produced great emotion. The food, live music and general merriment inside and outside Blanco’s made the event more special. Capt. Chris has been around a while and made lots of friends. Chris was a pioneer in saltwater fly-fishing, remarkably spending most of his time in the unlikely venue of Galveston Bay, waters not often considered fly-worthy, but that’s where he did it. Through his guide work, tackle sales career, seminars and other public appearances, Chris touched untold thousands and we were there to repay his good spirit, kindly demeanor, and impeccable character. Lots of folks dug deep to support the auction and raffles. Scott Sommerlatte sold his hair. Seated on the stage, Scott taunted the audience to ante up if they wanted to see his flowing locks shaved to the scalp. When the bidding stalled he threw his signature facial hair into the deal, they could have his beard too but it wouldn’t come cheap. It made me think of the haircut Delilah gave Sampson and we’re still not sure whether Scott will ever be the same. The photo session that followed with Capt. Chris hugging his hairless friend was a sight to behold. Capt. Chris is still not out of the woods, but I’m certain that his friends in the fishing community will continue their generous support. Here’s to you Captain, you are an outstanding example of why I am proud to be a Texas fisherman. 6
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Monday, April 14, 2008
front blew up with 50 mph winds, several of
Everett,
you offered me assistance. After swallowing my pride, I took you up on it. I mean, I’m very strong from years of yakking,
Things at the Mozisek house couldn’t be better. I wanted to give
but I could not make headway in those winds. You pulled your boat in close
you and the readers an update on
to the shell near Little Mary Cut, helped me put the yak onto the bow of your
how the proposal went down and
skiff, and dropped me off at the Fishing Center. All I know is that your name
what’s been happening since.
is Pat. I’m the humbled yakker who said, “I owe you my life.” Well, I don’t think it would have killed me to sit in the weeds and wait it out of an hour but you
As you know this marriage proposal idea with Stacy’s picture
know what I mean.
in the magazine started back in
I mean, “Thanks brother, with a capital T. What goes around comes around.”
October, shortly after which Stacy
You can rest assured I won’t forget the kindness and, yes, I will pass it on.
and I planned a spring vacation to
Pete Violand
Panama. The wheels in my head began turning. Prior to our vacation
Dear Pete,
plans we had mutually agreed
I enjoyed your tale and decided to publish it here so others could read and
that a wedding with just the two
enjoy it. It is always encouraging to see fishermen extending courtesies such
of us would be ideal, so once we
as you have related. We’re not all perfect and even though we might err
confirmed Panama, I knew this would be a perfect place to tie the knot.
occasionally we’re all fishermen and that’s reason enough to go out of one’s
Well, she accepted and we did it. We exchanged vows on a deserted Caribbean beach, just us and a photographer to capture the moment. We’re
way to be considerate and respectful. Good fishing to you, and kudos to the crew that hauled you in during the gale.
– Editor
back in College Station, Stacy is starting her fourth and last year of vet school; I’ll finish work on my PhD next year and then return to vet school to
Captain Chris Behrens / Gone Catching Guide Service
complete the last two years of my veterinary training.
Dear Editor:
Once again I want to say thanks to you and your staff for enabling me to
My name is Captain Chris Behrens. I am a life-long resident of the
make the ultimate unforgettable proposal!
Mississippi Gulf Coast. I have had the privilege of fishing from Key West
Sincerely,
along the Northern Gulf of Mexico, including your great state of Texas,
Blayne Mozisek
primarily, the Matagorda/Port O’Connor area. I mainly fish in the Mississippi Sound and south east Louisiana area.
March 11, 2008
I must admit, our local waters are equal to just about anywhere, especially,
Dear Mr. Johnson,
Louisiana’s abundant and liberal limits (25 fish – 20+” limits are
Regarding: The Kindness of Strangers
not uncommon).
As an avid kayak fisherman, mostly out of Port O’Connor, I can tell you that my feelings regarding most boaters are, shall we say, ambivalent. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been nearly toppled into the drink by speeding
I have enjoyed learning your unique waters and fisheries and look forward to expanding my knowledge of your well-maintained conservation efforts. I would like to thank the people I have met while visiting Texas for their
boaters who rip through the cuts to get on station one minute sooner than
hospitality, kindness and courtesy. Even though I am not a native Texan, I
the next guy. I’m not sure if this is due to ignorance, inattentiveness, macho
hope my love for wading for monster trout will excuse me from being from
– or just plain dislike of kayakers in general. Perhaps it’s a combination of
somewhere else.
these things. To these folks I would say, “Hey guys, we all have the same
My visits to Texas have led me to your magazine. I read just about
objective: to get there. I realize I must seem to be a big nuisance to you by
everything that has to do with inshore saltwater fishing. I must admit, TSFM
making you slow down for one minute. But really, one minute ain’t gonna
is the most thought out, comprehensive and informative publication available.
ruin your day. And besides, probably someone got up one minute earlier
Please accept my subscription request. I look forward to your monthly
than you and is already at your favorite honey hole.”
publications and the next chance I have to enjoy fishing in the great state
And yet, there are those (majority, really) who are considerate, politely slow
of Texas.
down, wave and give me a wide berth as they pass through the cuts. To
Sincerely,
these kind folks I say, “May God bless you and put fish on your lines.”
Capt. Chris Behrens, Gone Catching Guide Service
And then there are a few boaters who are in another category altogether, as I have learned lately while attempting to traverse Barroom Bay when the latest fronts suddenly roared in (is the weatherman ever correct when it comes to Port O’Connor?) You guys know who you are. You are the ones who passed me by in a very choppy bay, thought about it, then circled back around and offered to give me a lift. And just yesterday, when a very wicked
Dear Capt. Behrens, Glad to hear you are learning and enjoying the Texas coast and our fisheries, we have it good here! I also want to thank you for your kind words regarding our magazine. Please call or email if we can be of assistance in your quest to learn more.
– E. Johnson - Editor
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It’s nice to see somebody fishing specifically for their dreams.
fumbled for the phone tucked deep in my waders and in the process poked the point of a forgotten jighead into my left thumb. It would be pure
good, or just down on your knees praying for it?” The reply was short, and after some thought,
featureless, punctuated only by an abandoned crab trap and a few PVC stakes. A sprinkling of
actually became intriguing enough to try and wrap
newly-sprouted sea grasses was beginning to lend
a little story around it.
it character, though. Nature was quickly reclaiming
It’s remembering older lessons, reinforcing
the wasteland left by a horde of grass-ravenous
chance that the guys fishing in front of me had
some others, but also about learning new ones in
redhead ducks. There was, however, one small
their cell phones too but the suspense was killing
the face of an ever shrinking world. Lessons about
zone which could likely be found only by total
me; I needed to know now.
fish and fishing of course, but also about those
accident or fully on purpose.
Thankfully, with head cocked defensively against what the weather guessers had promised
peculiar humans who conspire to do it as well. The area in question was a skinny, wind-driven
A small deviation lay there, a mere few inches deeper, but enough of a change to invite
was going to be a Laguna breeze, I was able to
flat. It was ankle to shin deep for the moment, but
big mid-day trout to lay up, be fat, happy, and
detect a faint, “Hello,” crackling across about two
fully engaged with life both above and below the
unmolested. We had it basically to ourselves for
hundred yards.
surface. Nervous mullet flashed beneath the clear
about five weeks, save for the occasional tin boat
chop while great blue herons and snowy egrets
winter Texan. As General Patton once said upon
pranced about the peripheral shallows.
surveying a Roman field, “It was here; here is
“So…,” I replied, baiting with feigned enthusiasm and sucking my still spurting thumb, “How ya’ll doing over there? You seeing something
To the casual eye it might have appeared
where the epic battle took place.” Indeed, we had recently battled several trout exceeding eight pounds from this area, some
“We can hope things happen, or we can get out there and make things happen.”
even larger, and to our single-track minds, every bit as historically significant. It was perhaps only a good seven iron long and a sand wedge wide. Now, horror of horrors, it was being infiltrated by weeklong seekers of the Holy Grail, wearing Houstonian clothing, hell-bent on sticking trout that might reach the coveted thirty-inch mark. I already suspected nothing was going to oust
A nice thirty going back after an epic battle. 12
May 2008
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The only things they took were memories and fuzzy cell phone pictures.
these squatter enthusiasts until their allotted time
They had found this slightly changed pattern both
ran out, and now, after the short phone call, the
by accident, but again, seriously on purpose.
hostile occupation was confirmed.
So there I was, suffering from pre-dawn
even tolerating a bunch of unnatural commotion. They can be caught with repeated agitation. One simple lure can be good for the duration.
“Oh, that…,” the voice replied through the
disinformation, beset with sharing highly protected
The kneelers used Super Spook Juniors, again
wind shattered phone. “The kneeling deal. That’s
turf with well-intended, well-versed, and tenacious
showing that bigger fish can be finessed and the
just something we do. Some of our friends call us
opponents. Hence the phone call.
“big bait-big fish” theory isn’t an absolute.
the kneelers. Whenever we get a blowup or big
In another world I might have started speaking
Regarding the people part of this equation, to
swirl, we just kneel down and keep working it
in tongues, but the world I live in today is different.
their credit, they never moved their boat all day….
until we catch that fish. It forces us to be focused,
Here’s a few highly-condensed observations about
for several days. No reliance on go-fast boats
and yeah, we’ve already stuck and released two
what was learned or relearned, several of which
rooster-tailing to the Promised Land, no burning
big fish.”
could fuel entire articles by themselves.
around or second guessing themselves; they
Come to find out one of those fish measured
As far as big fish go, where you find one
thirty and the other thirty-one. Both caught shin
monster trout this time of year you will likely
Concentrating fully, never bored, they set out to
deep on topwater… lifetime experiences for the
find others.
achieve a specific goal. In every tournament I have
simply chose an area they believed in and fished.
world as we know it. That wasn’t all they would
Some areas are very small, and big fish
catch either, and all the while with me being a
will consistently use them for reasons we may
sideline spectator due to squatters rights. Here’s
never know. It often doesn’t take much of a
the rest of the story.
change to attract them, and many of us miss
still for so long. For them it worked. With several
those small details.
fish between 28 and 31-inches over the period,
I had fished part of this group before, and last
won, this is exactly what we did also… minimized run time and maximized fishing time. However, I have never seen anybody stand so
year one of them and a co-conspirator pulled
Leaving large fish to find large fish probably
what normally takes years was accomplished in
two nine pound trout, back to back, from very
deserves more careful thought. If they’re not biting
a week. Mind you, they did this fully on purpose;
near this little sanctum. It is a guide’s dilemma.
here… they’re probably aren’t biting over there
and I’d like to add that it is nice to see somebody
You introduce a coveted pattern to those able to
either, so staying and grinding for your goal can
fishing specifically for their dreams. Grinding may
dissect it, and it will be duplicated… with or without
make sense.
not be everyone’s goal, but we all have to have
you, and whether you are currently using the area or not. It is the nature of the trophy quest beast.
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When big fish want to be skinny, they will pull in at every chance and stay there until driven out,
Texas Saltwater Fishing
goals in order to be successful, otherwise we just stumble through the experience.
May 2008
13
The bottom line is that we can hope things happen, or we can get out there and make things happen.
They used Super Spook Juniors; so much for the “big bait-big fish” theory.
Another interesting piece of people watching; despite several lifetime fish, the only things they took were memories and fuzzy cell phone pictures. No fanfare, no internet show and tell, no brokering of information for party favors. Some people need those forms of gratification and some don’t. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of great fishermen out there who we will never hear about… and curiously, they are often the most accomplished. to share. Sure, I could have gone in there. However, think about why I didn’t, and remember the rule that says, “What goes around comes around.” The bottom line is that we can hope things happen, or we can get out there and make things happen. Whatever our goals may be, let’s chase them on purpose. We may not have
CONTACT
Another big lesson for me was learning
MIKE MCBRIDE
to kneel in the water, but let’s remember to graciously kneel to accept the simple blessing of what we are being allowed to do. Many of us forget that, and many of us miss what we came to do by misunderstanding the fish we are after. Those guys are welcome in my boat anytime, but thank the Lord, they are gone.
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Why would Texas City angler Ari Schwartz stay awake for hours on end fishing through the night? Perhaps the satisfied look in his weary eyes and the nine pound trout he's holding provide some clues!
qualified experts on every subject related to the water, though some pros apparently claim to
There currently are no studied experts on
be just that. It’s not surprising that a few
brown algae, another subject my customers
successful anglers develop this kind of hubris.
are fond of asking me to explain. I’m frequently
People doing anything well over time naturally
asked about the water quality by other fishermen.
experience increased confidence in their
“How’s the water look in Baffin?” they want
abilities, especially if prizes are involved.
to know.
When left unchecked, such confidence can easily mutate into bloated pride, leading to overestimation of knowledge and expertise.
“It’s been brown tide for months,” I’ll answer, then the follow up questions usually come. “It’s brown tide again? It was beautiful when
market myself as a teacher among fishing guides. Consequently, many of my
cause proficient anglers to present themselves
caused it to come back?” and “When will it
as experts on weather and water quality issues,
go away?”
customers ask questions when we are on
as well as making them overstate their ability
the water, and I encourage them to do so.
to assess the abundance of fish in an area or
Regularly fishing waters affected by the algae
I’m happy to explain the thought processes and
region. I don’t want to fall into that trap, so I
won’t transform me into an expert on the
decisions I make as we go through the day. But
consciously attempt to remain humble when
organism. If it did, the unfortunate African citizens
I’m not able to answer some of the questions that
responding to questions related to subjects about
living in villages ravaged by A.I.D.S. might be
are posed.
which I know little.
magically made into doctors.
Celebrity anglers with their names sewn into their shirts are not
In the fishing world, this hubris seems to
“What’s this weather going to do?” I’m often asked, sometimes days or weeks before a scheduled charter. Generally, I point out
I must confess that I just don’t know.
At present, there has been no extensive study done on brown algae, so there are no experts on the subject. Those saying they know why it blooms, how long it will persist in an area or what
in meteorology at the university,
will make it go away are simply making things up
weather forecasts. Heck, as often as I check the weather on the internet and see how rapidly the forecasts change and how regularly they are
and presenting opinions as facts. Fishing experts are notorious for doing just that. They cook up ideas in their heads, sometimes simmering them thoroughly enough to confuse theories with solid, scientifically verified facts. Most prominently, experts have this
wrong, I’m not sure the
tendency as it relates to fish behavior, especially
degreed meteorologists
preference of lures and colors.
with all their modern tools
May 2008
I was there in March,” they say. Then, “What
that in spite of the one class I took I am truly not qualified to give
18
are qualified either!
Texas Saltwater Fishing
I can’t count how many times I’ve heard
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someone assert that a particular color was
simply that it’s hard to prove when color matters
the key to the catching on a particular day;
most. Personally, I’m convinced that movement
are based on a
I’ve surely made the claim myself. But really,
patterns in lures are more important than
common tendency
unless the same angler tosses the same lure in
color most of the time. Certainly, the choices
to “mammalize” fish, or
different colors at the same fish, it’s impossible
of type and size of lure seem to be of greater
worse, to endow them with
to say that color is the factor most affecting the
significance than color. There are, of course,
human attributes.
number of bites.
those occasions when we get the feeling we’ve
People making the color claim sometimes say they tested the same lure in a different color
Scientists have shown that fish have
found the magic tool or method for the day, the
tiny brains when compared with mammals
one that will catch more fish than all others.
of all sorts. Certainly, fish are not capable
while fishing shoulder to shoulder with the “other
I’ve been on that side of the fence. But I’ve
guy”. They “watched him real close” and are sure
also been on the side where a friend walks up
rational thought, as are human beings and other
they worked their lure the same way, but unless
and offers the “only thing they are biting”, so that
animals. Fish are more like redhead ducks than
they were using identical tackle, their lures might
I can get in on the action too, mere moments
whitetail bucks. People who describe smart,
have been moving through the water differently.
after I’ve caught several big fish on something
old fish that have learned and remembered
A subtle variation in presentation could easily
entirely different!
things over time are, I believe, mistaking
override the difference in color. This isn’t to say that color never matters,
Finding out that a pet lure isn’t the only tool for catching fish on a given day can pry open one’s eyes to new possibilities and preserve humility. Measuring a
of processing complex information through
acute multi-sensory perceptive faculties and instinctive behaviors for acquired and accumulated intelligence. Rather than go into a discussion of
day’s catch against the efforts of
numerous theories which in my estimation are
others is a proven way to grow as
misrepresented as facts about speckled trout, let
an angler; it helps one avoid the
me here plainly state that I don’t know any more
mistake of making too much out of
about the ideas than do those who present them
a limited experience. It is just plain easy to jump to false conclusions when fishing. Often, the fallacious facts fishing experts allege MirrOlure's Catch 5 works well in waters stained by brown tide. The plug's high pitched rattle and radiant sides help attract the attention of fish in the murky slop. I love it when big trout like this lend support to a theory.
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
May 2008
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as facts. But that’s just the point. I will not pretend Cody Maddox caught this chunky trout with the sun just breaching the horizon. One of the best times to catch trout is early morning; that fact needs no explanation.
I have real and sound knowledge on some subject unless I do. Take the mortality rate of caught and released trout. For years, many guys driving wrapped boats said that most trout could not survive release. These guys had basically no way of knowing much about this. Then Dr. Gregory Stunz, a marine biologist, actually did a study on the subject, complete with a control group, a hypothesis, observation of fish over time and analysis. His scientific efforts showed that trout can indeed survive release, and at a high rate, regardless of the method used to catch them or the
impressionism and abstract splashes. A
season in which they are caught.
boatload of chuckling buddies are content chasing birds and boxing quick limits of school trout, while
cling to statements made by fishermen who believe
a separate solitary wader grinds a shoreline all day
what they want to believe regardless of evidence
for a few bites and releases the big trout he catches.
brought to the contrary. I will also refrain from
The appreciation of art falls into the subjective
presenting my theories as facts when there is no
realm; what one likes is right for that person.
real evidence to back them up. All fishing experts have ideas about the fish
The production of art is an attempt to create beauty; science, on the other hand, involves a
and how best to catch them. For instance, I and
search for basic, objective truths. An artist might
many others like to fish wind-blown shorelines and
take a pencil in his hand and draw a perfect circle
structural elements rather than leeward ones. “Why
on the first attempt, but he cannot redesign the
do fish prefer the windy side of the bar?” Though
universe and make a round world flat. Believing
I could go into an ego-driven dissertation about
something is true and wanting it to be true do not
oxygen levels and plankton and other such factors, I
make it true. The truth is straight as a laser and
really don’t know. More importantly, I wonder, “Why
stronger than steel; bending it with the mind is as
ask why?”
easy as weaving a rope of sand.
If a strategy, method, pattern or presentation
So I will leave the science to the scientists while
produces desired results, I use it. When expert
I continue to polish my skills and practice my craft.
anglers find something that works one time and
When the winds calm, I will slow my presentations
can verify that it’s not a fluke by proving it will repeat
because I’ve learned that doing so will usually result
itself, they simply add it to their repertoire. It really
in more bites. When baitfish stop jumping and the
doesn’t matter why something works, simply that
blowups on my topwaters become less frequent, I
it does.
will switch over to other lures. I will do these things
In essence, fishing is more art than science. An artist attempts to create an aesthetic or significant result within a genre by using the tools of the trade.
with confidence, without demanding explanations as to why they work. Like a maestro waving his wand to guide a
Fishing is our artistic genre; rods, reels and other
band of musicians, I am expected to produce a
tackle are the tools of our trade.
desired result when I’m the captain on a chartered
Actually, within the genre there are sub-genres.
trip. My reputation is based on my ability to
Teams of anglers trolling for billfish use different
consistently produce that result, not on my depth of
tools than a single angler aboard a kayak in a
understanding of all the underlying variables that
backwater lake. The desired outcomes of those two
come into play.
endeavors are much different, though they both
When fishing, we are not gathering scientific
fall under the umbrella of the art of angling. One
data. Our methods do not allow for that. I encourage
outcome isn’t necessarily better than the other; beauty in fishing is, as with other arts, in the eye of the beholder.
my clients to ask me questions about the fishing, but I hope they realize I don’t have the answers to everything related to what we‘re doing. What
Some find classical music to their
I do have is a sincere commitment to make
liking, while others favor hip-hop and
something beautiful happen just the way we
rap. Some like realistic landscape
want it to!
paintings, while others prefer 20
May 2008
Texas Saltwater Fishing
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I will choose to believe in his results rather than
KEVIN COCHRAN
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was reading the other day about someone hitting
would not record, mark and report an obstruction
end pointing right at us. We had nothing to buoy
out in our bays. Have we really gotten to the
the piling with but we had rope and we tied on to it
a pipe in one of the bays that I fish. Some
point in our fishing-boating society that we don’t
and dragged it to a platform that was nearby and
major damage was done to a lower unit,
care about some pipe or post or other junk in
secured it there for the crew boats to deal with.
nothing major to the boat, but what I found odd
the water? To ignore something dangerous in
I’ve seen everything from oxygen and acetylene
was that the people who hit it didn’t mark the
the water is akin to saying that you don’t care if
bottles, telephone poles, boats with no anchor or
obstruction or get exact GPS numbers to use to
someone wrecks his or her boat or if someone in a
running lights and large propane tanks floating in
tell others about the pipe.
boat gets hurt or killed while hitting something that
our bays and I have to wonder what people are
YOU knew was there.
thinking when they run across a bay in the dark
There are plenty of obstructions out there in our bays and many of them are unmarked, even
If you’re reading this magazine there is a really
using only their GPS or compass for navigation.
though they have been hit before. Sometimes,
good chance that you have a boat or that a friend
people who have hit them once, forget and wind
or someone in your immediate family has one.
really nice boat when he hit a submerged pipe
up hitting them again. Why? It doesn’t take that
Would you want one of them to hit something in
while the boat was coming off of plane. It wrecked
much effort to buoy a post or pipe. If you know
the water that you knew was there but were too
the lower unit and the insurance company totaled
where something is that can
lazy to mark? Of course not, right?
the boat. What made this bad deal even worse
cause damage to vessels
I have a friend who tore the transom out of a
I was running across West Matagorda Bay
was that when he started telling people about it,
and possibly harm someone,
very early one morning. Using my Q-Beam along
some of them knew exactly where the pipe was,
it doesn’t take much effort
with the GPS I had no problems navigating and
what it was made of and how long it had been
to take some PVC pipe with
had it not been for the bright 3-million candle
there. They just didn’t take the time to mark it so
you the next trip out and
power light that I was sweeping the water ahead
others would know it was there as well.
stick the PVC next to it to
with, I wouldn’t have seen a floating piling that had
warn approaching boaters.
come loose from a production platform. It was just
crab trap floats and some rope into the boat; stow
floating in the water with its big, broken and jagged
it away to mark something that is some place that
It’s a shame that anyone
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it shouldn’t be. Likewise if you know of a pipe or piling that needs to be marked, especially those high tide, take a trip to the lumber yard and pick up some white, 2” PVC pipe. Get it in a length long enough to stick up above the surface of the water about 3 feet during high tide after you have driven it down into the bay bottom far enough for it to stay put. If you’re really feeling creative, get some reflective tape and wrap around the top of the pipe.
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that are just under the surface of the water during
MARTIN STRARUP
There isn’t much we can do about the crowds at the boat ramps or people who cut off our drift or encroach upon our immediate wading area; the bays aren’t getting smaller there are just more of us out there. But we can sure mark obstructions that are out there, at least the ones we know about. It’s up to us. If we don’t do it, who will?
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ECENTLY I’VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE OFFSHORE IN SIX FOOT SWELLS while listening to the marine weather radio forecasting two to three foot seas and
the Eastern seaboard. There is a substantial fishery for them as seafood and their great
quoting reports of three foot seas from two
decrease in
offshore buoys. Easter weekend I had the
numbers is a very real economic
experience of motoring within 300 yards of a
threat in some areas. The reason
water temperature monitoring device and finding
for their decline is the tremendous
that my transducer was registering 6 degrees
increase in the number of cow-nosed rays which
cooler than the temperature being given by the
feed on them and the reason for their great
device. Today the winds lightened up for the
increase in numbers is the over-fishing of the
first time in several days and we’ve had large
shark species which are the ray’s only predator.
Easter Sunday in the PINS surf. Kip Kaaialii - 6’ 3” blacktipped shark - released.
up and line was quickly evaporating off his reel. The reel was filled with braid and there was
swells. At 5:00 a.m. the forecast called for four
Once again and as always; “what goes around
plenty of line remaining. All at once the angler
to five foot swells but then stated the seas were
come around.”
reached out and grabbed the spool with his hand
currently running six feet. It is now 5:00 p.m. and
Another item of interest is that almost any
and broke the fish off. I was stunned and asked him why.
they are still six feet although the forecast is still
saltwater fishing show on TV will at one time or
calling for fours to fives.
another talk about what great bait Spanish and
He said, “I was just doing you and your
Now where I’m going with this is as simple
king mackerel are for various larger gamefish. I
equipment a favor, son. That was just a big
as it gets. Weather forecasts and other available
want to insure that everyone realizes that while
ol’ jack crevalle and I didn’t want to lose all of
information is important and the wise mariner
this is apparently legal in Florida and some other
your line.”
will monitor them regularly BUT they aren’t and
states, it is absolutely illegal in Texas waters. I
never have been intended to take the place of
checked with TPWD concerning this and that’s
been a big ol’ jack, but it might also have been
common sense.
straight from them.
a 30 pound red, or a 20 pound speckled trout,
If it looks too rough it is too rough and if the
I’ve had a couple of incidents occur on
I thought and replied, “Yes sir, might have
maybe a king mackerel, something you’d really
water feels cold it is cold. Lengthy time on the
charters that have been on my mind for some
like to catch.” I went to tell him that here we never
water in a wide variety of climatic conditions
time and I’d like to share them with you. I had
intentionally break a fish off as there is no way to
gives the experienced seaman an insight into
two wonderful senior citizens last December
know for sure what it is. It might be the fish of a
short term weather forecasting that is invaluable.
who were fishing before I was born. There
life time. I have spare spools filled with line so if
Use it. It was saving lives a very long time before
were a wide variety of medium-sized gamefish
they strip your
computers arrived on the scene. Always figure it
present feeding on shoals of
will be a bit windier and rougher than the forecast
migrating finger mullet. Included
and plan your trip accordingly and you will be
were large jack crevalle and
well served for it.
oversized redfish. One of the
A TPWD biologist pal of mine recently shared
gentlemen hooked
an interesting bit of information. Scallops (shellfish) are dramatically declining along
Eric Ozolins 6’ 0” and 4’ 7” blacktipped sharks - released.
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reel we’ll put on a new one but never intentionally break one off. It’s always amused me that folks will leave their line untied to the spool so it can’t damage the reel or break a rod if they get stripped. That’s part of the game. You wouldn’t believe how many big fish I’ve had strip reels over the years but then they were too tired to break the knot at the spool and we’d end up catching them. Photo credit Jimmy Jackson.
Cool stuff. The other incident really drove home a point. My customers were boat owners and lifelong bay fishermen. There was an old wreck in the shallow surf I wanted to try but my ol’ longtime pal, Ace Leal, and his brother, Pete, were fishing 300 yards south of it. I didn’t want to crowd Ace so I stopped and asked if he minded if we fished the wreck. We visited a minute, he didn’t mind and we drove on to the wreck. One of my customers said, “Wow, we just learned something different about the beach compared to bay fishing.” I asked what he meant and he said, “Did you stop and ask him just because he’s a friend or would you have done that with anyone?” I replied that it was simple common courtesy I extend to everyone. People on the beach are very considerate and therefore respect other angler’s space. They were stunned and replied, “Boy, it is sure not that way in the bays.” I sadly replied, “Yeah I know, but it could be and it should be. It’s just a lack of common courtesy, and that’s sad; isn’t it?” We can all change that you know.
Length 39” Wing Span 51” Weight 1.9 pounds
Easter Saturday the water temperature went to 69 degrees down in the southern half of the PINS surf and good numbers of large jack crevalle and several species
Tall, extremely slender bird with a long
of sharks showed up. Kip Kaili and Eric (Oz) Ozolins caught and released some
neck, black legs and feet and a thin yellow
solid blacktipped sharks and one bull shark. Kip had an Avet 50W reel filled with
bill. Carries its neck deeply bowed in flight.
braid stripped in less than 10 minutes. The bait was a 17 pound piece of fresh
Present in our area all year, the great egret lives
jack crevalle set out 500 yards from the beach so the fish took approximately 600
on primary and secondary bays and nests on spoil
additional yards of line off the reel. It’s been a long winter and a harsh spring so
islands April through August as do many species of
that’s a great way to kick the season off. I’ve got a reel with 450 more yards of line on it than Kip’s and it’s a good thing for that fish I was chasing incorrect water temperature in P.O.C. that day. Turtle nesting and visitor’s use will be in full swing in May so keep your eyes
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Courteous, Be Kind.
Feeds mostly on small fish, but reptiles, small mammals, insects and small birds may also be taken. Numbers of these birds along a shoreline are a good indicator of good numbers of
open, your speed down and use Common Sense. Be Careful, Be
wading and other birds.
CAPT. BILLY SANDIFER
small mullet, silversides, killifish or shrimp in the immediate area. Nesting season is in full swing at this time and it is unfortunate that peak nesting activity coincides with so many tournaments and trophy trout seekers working very near their nesting areas. Pease realize these birds have no other place to nest and be considerate. If they are constantly flying off their nests it’s indicitive that you are too close and are interfering with nesting. This could sadly result in nests being abandoned. I’m not concerned about actual distance a fisherman is from
Billy Sandifer operates Padre Island Safaris offering surf fishing for sharks to specks and nature tours of the Padre Island National Seashore. Billy also offers bay and near-shore fishing adventures in his 25 foot Panga for many big game and gamefish species. Telephone 361-937-8446 Website www.billysandifer.com www.TSFMAG.com
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the nesting birds as the actions of the birds make it clear when one is too close. Watch the awe on the faces of small children when they see big, beautiful birds when you take them fishing and do your part to insure they are there for your children to show their kids.
May 2008
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The famous line from The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy tells Toto, “we’re not in Kansas anymore,” came to mind as my small skiff settled out over a bright white endless Caribbean flat covered with air clear water.
wondering, “how did we miss that one?” Scenes like this play out over and over every day as anglers who enjoy seeing their fish before they cast to them make mistakes that just leave you wondering why am I doing this and not soaking dead shrimp someplace else. The frustration factor for the sight
The whole sight was far and away different
fisherman is high and more often than not outweighs
from my normal upper Texas coast water
the success ratio, but on the day it all happens just
where clarity is measured in inches rather
right there is no better feeling. If I had to put it all in perspective I get as much or
than feet. From the poling platform I could see
more enjoyment out of coaching an angler to a fish as
a school of bonefish milling about in the
I do catching one myself. I never thought in a million
shallow water in search of small crabs and
years I could be in a boat all day long, never pick up a
shrimp, it was classic as they showed their tails and easily gave away their location. It was a no brainer, a gimme, as easy as you could ever expect from one of the most wary fish that swims. All of the good vibes that came from the initial sighting were
rod, and call the trip a success. I routinely never cast on sight-fishing trips because I get such a kick out of watching clients, especially those who have never tried this style of fishing. Hunters suffer from buck fever. At the moment of truth an uncontrollable shaking comes over the hunter, often resulting in a miss. Well, I have seen redfish fever and it has the same effect upon fishermen. You
soon dashed as one
can take an accomplished caster and make them look
awkward move led
like they have never held a rod before when they see
to another awkward
a big redfish well within range. Fly casters will wrap
cast which led to
line around themselves, the boat, and anything else in
two anglers shaking
the immediate vicinity thanks to the excitement of the
their heads
moment. It gets crazy sometimes; I guess that’s why we like it. Over the years I have learned from some of the best fly-casters in Texas, guys like Chuck Scates, Dave Hayward, and
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TSFM’s own Scott Sommerlatte. All of the guys
can see the fish they can see you. Fly-fishermen
stand on one foot pretending to be a tailing fish,
mentioned have one major thing in common and
need to keep false casts to a minimum while
my neighbors thought I was out of my mind but it
that’s the clear water venues they call home,
conventional anglers need to stay away from
worked wonders as Hunter understood from that
places like Rockport, Port O, and others along
sudden moves as their outline is silhouetted
point on how to properly cast to these fish. To this
the south Texas coast. Areas like these are truly
against the sky. Techniques that we borrow from
day I would rather have him on the bow of my boat
places where you can see the fish first; a little
freshwater anglers are flipping and pitching,
than anybody, forgive me but I’m partial like that.
different from the upper coast bays where actually
the rod stays low and the movement needed to
seeing the fish is much tougher due to clarity. Now
accomplish the cast is minimal. Spinning gear
debated when it comes to sight-fishing but there
all of the techniques that have made these guides
is a great option for this technique. I recently
are a few that are undeniable; one of these is,
and anglers so good can be used on the upper
started using the US Reel 230SX for my spinning
“smaller is better,” when it comes to lure selection.
coast; they may need to be modified a little, but
applications and I have been very impressed
they will certainly work.
so far. The ease of casting light lures makes
of flies and run frantically from an obnoxious
spinning gear ideal in spite what crusty old
topwater. Small plugs like Top Pups, the Spook
Texas veterans say.
Jr, Spittin Images, or Skitterwalk Jr are best for
Perhaps the most important piece of this sightfishing puzzle is the ability to see well and that can be enhanced with quality glasses. Without a
Keeping with lessons learned, it’s a good idea
Now there are plenty of nuances that can be
I have seen 20 pound redfish inhale the tiniest
surface scratching while soft plastics and spoons
good pair of polarized glasses you are basically
to talk with your partner about how you will read
will be just as deadly. Another of my favorites is
fishing blind. There are a ton of good glasses out
the water, make sure your version is the same as
a hollow tube jig rigged on a weedless Owner
there and they range in all types, styles, and price
theirs. One thing I normally try to do is to get a feel
Phantom Tube hook. Redfish kill this combination,
ranges. I had a pair of $50.00 Orvis glasses that
for how well the anglers in my boat judge distance,
even when spooked.
worked wonders for me for a long time. I currently
let’s just say it varies greatly from person to
wear a pair of Maui Jim’s and I can honestly say
person. I will often pick out an object in the water
outs of sight-fishing from someone who made
they are worth every penny. The key to good
and ask the client, “how far is that?” This helps me
plenty of mistakes and your learning curve will not
glasses is to pay as much as you can afford
get a feel for their ability.
be a steep or long as mine. Understanding how
because the quality of the lens improves with the
It is also a good idea to pick a common point
Hopefully you can pick up some of the ins and
fish react to different factors, reading their body
price. Never pinch pennies on polarized glasses, I
everyone will use as 12 o’clock. When my son,
language, and putting yourself into position to
promise you there is a difference and you can tell
Hunter, was small I would use chalk to write the
catch them are all pieces of the puzzle we strive to
it at the end of the day.
numbers on the bow of the boat. I would call out,
put together. Sight-fishing is not for everyone but,
Another valuable lesson learned the hard way
“redfish at 2 o’clock, going right to left,” and Hunter
for those who have been through the good and the
is to keep your movement in the
would look down, adjust himself accordingly,
bad sides, you know how addicting it can be. I for
boat to a minimum.
and make his cast. We would also practice this
one can’t get enough and will keep trying as long
at home as I would walk around the yard
as the Big Fisherman upstairs continues to bless
Remember if you
pretending to be a fish while Hunter would cast at me. It was really
me with the opportunity. Good luck on the water and enjoy every minute.
funny when I would stop and
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J AY WA T K I N S
MAY IS ALREADY UPON US AND IT SEEMS ONLY YESTERDAY I was donning my winter
under the veil of darkness. I know this is starting
undergarments and pulling my Simms wading
many of us have other responsibilities, so we
jacket overtop for the first cold day last fall.
fish when we can.
Water temperatures are running in the low to
at night and this may be a good plan. However,
Knowing where the trout go to spawn is a
mid-70s and most of the northers have passed,
big factor in setting up your daytime shallow
it is time to start thinking about fishing shallow.
water assault. The water temperature will be
I fish shallow whenever conditions warrant,
right and the bait will be abundant. The bottom
but especially this time of year. Yes, I am still
structure will be suitable for ambush as well.
talking about trout fishing; redfish are not the
These are three factors that any angler should
only inhabitants of the shin deep brine. I have
be searching for at all times. Remember, trout
anglers ask how we catch so many nice trout
are predators and predators need cover to hunt.
in such clear, shallow water. Well, it is probably
OK — we have the area and feel confident
easier than you think, but it does require some
the fish are somewhere close. But is there
shallow water education.
anything else that makes the shallow water so
I am going to talk this month about fishing for trophy springtime trout. We’ll discuss
attractive to larger trout? The way I see it, the shallow water over
locating them, approaching them, and the
the structure that holds preferred forage
actual techniques I employ when trying to trick
affords the easiest hunting. Trout can snake
one of the wisest of shallow water species.
their way through thick seagrass, popping in
It would be impossible to list everything but
and out of small potholes or depressions in their
hopefully we can cover the basics and get you
quest for food. Never think that a trout does not
off to a good start.
know where the baitfish like to hide, and where
First you need to understand that May is spawning time. When water temperatures rise to the magical 77-degree mark, mature
their best eating opportunities are going to present themselves. For many years I have watched large trout
speckled trout will hold tight to shorelines
cruise from one grassbed to the next searching
and the preferred structure is hard sand with
for bait. Most of the time, she never makes even
submerged grass. A good supply of mullet and
the slightest ripple in the water. Even when
menhaden are also required. Female trout,
pushing toward a school of baitfish
I’m told, need plenty of oil in their diet for egg
the wake is minimal. I am always
production and spawning success is increased
amazed at the illusiveness of these
when the eggs are buoyant when released
great fish. The older I get the more
and disperse widely in the current. If they sink,
in awe of them I become.
biologists say the fertilization and hatch rate
leads them to feed in shallow water
that occurs close to the bottom. Mother Nature
is the simple fact that it is easier to
takes care of all this, directing them to feed on
find and catch prey in one or two feet
oily baitfish.
versus greater depths. As I work on we caught today in calf-deep water.
sundown the female trout head to shallow
I saw several very large fish that
water to dump their eggs and the males follow.
did not bite, but the ones that did
Studies show that a normally non-active fishing
were impressive.
May 2008
Windy day shallow flat; ter. clear/chartreuse topwa
this article I am reminded of the fish
somewhere around the full moon. Shortly after
area can literally spring to life this time of year
Nice trout caught on Bass Assassin over shallow flats.
I think the main attraction that
will be reduced due to the amount of predation
The peaks of spawning activity fall
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to sound like we need to be fishing these areas
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Sufix 20# Titianium mono
spent the majority of my time in water less than
slow the feeding process so you now have to
knee deep. I think a lot of anglers fall victim
really put your movements into slow mode. I
to the mindset that their time is better spent
always allow 20 to 30 minutes for the action to
making waist-deep wades adjacent to deeper
pick back up or before giving up and moving to
water that harbors good structure. Granted
another spot.
there are times and places for this pattern, but not in my area at this time of year. Now that I have you fishing shallow and we
Turn 7 times. Cinch them tight.
produce higher quality fish and not big numbers can make the slower pace more bearable. If you’re a track star when wading, you’ll have to
to get these fish to eat. First, I like baits that
train yourself to slow down or you’ll not only be
are mostly clear. If using topwaters, I prefer
frustrated but you’ll be missing out on some of
smaller versions that click, not the loud ones
the year’s best big trout possibilities.
Pull the lines against each other then cut the tag end off.
Now let’s talk rigging. I always attach a clear and then to the “off” position when it stops.
without disturbing the surface. The 5-inch Bass
monofilament leader of 17 to 20 pound strength
Assassin in bone diamond, opening night, and
to my main line. I do not use fluorocarbon; it
Fishing smart has always be my motto,
Cajun croaker are excellent choices for my
seems too stiff for my liking. I prefer Sufix 20
but to be honest, for about 10 years or more I
area. The MirrOlure Top Dog Jr in clear gold or
pound Titanium mono and use the double uni-
was not smart enough to truly understand and
clear silver is also a killer choice. Baby Spooks
knot for connection to my 6x20 Power Pro braid.
predict this shallow water pattern. Once I finally
in clear chartreuse and baby bass pattern are
When casting plastic in shallow water
got it down, though, I have used it day in and day out to improve my fishing.
also top choices for the clear, skinny stuff. If the
I never use anything heavier than a 1/16th
winds crank, and they have a tendency to do so
ounce leadhead on the 2/0 Mustad hook. I like
this time of year, you can get away with larger
the accuracy of the leadhead when casting
you manage to catch large fish on the exact day
baits and a little more clack.
and I like to be able to pop the leadhead off
you need to catch them?”
I locate my casting targets as I enter an
the bottom. The hop off the bottom leaves
A question that I get asked often is, “how do
The answer is simple, “I fish for them.” I
area I intend to fish. These should include
a mud puff and that tiny puff often sells the
fish where they live, with techniques that are
every grassbed and every depression on the
presentation. Real bait makes a mud puff as
proven to work. Now I know that sounds pretty
flat. Depressions that have submerged grass
it flees for safety. I believe the vibration the jig
cocky, but in truth, I say this out of confidence
along their edges or out in the middle of them
creates is also critical at times in the selling of
built over many years of fishing, not cockiness.
should never be overlooked. The submerged
the presentation.
I have learned what it takes to catch these
grassbeds act as islands. Trust me; every trout
When the winds are light and the water
familiar with your flat has them plotted in the
calm, I will opt for the weedless/weightless
onboard navigation system.
setup. The Mustad Ultra-Lock worm hook in
Watch the body language of the baitfish.
rigged with a 5-inch Bass Assassin this setup
approach individual grassbeds are indicating
casts like a dream and can be worked just like a
predation in the area. Trout do not have to be
small topwater. I have shown this setup in more
feeding aggressively for baitfish to be wary of
than one article in this magazine. Never is it more important to pay attention to
piece of structure should be made to increase
your tides and solunar tables than when fishing
your odds of receiving strikes.
shallow feeding trout. I ALWAYS know when the
I have stood with Jay Ray during trout
solunar major and minor feeds are occurring
tournaments working depressions on the flats
and when my high and low tides will occur. Tidal
for the entire day to get only four or five bites.
movement is everything to shallow springtime
Most of these bites came from fish in the 4 to
trout. I have excellent records that back up the
8 pound range. It is also important to note that
importance of being in the right place when the
when you hook a fish the commotion will most
right time approaches. It’s like a light switch has
likely alert the other fish in the area. This can
been flipped to the “on” position when it starts
May 2008
shallow water fish, and guess what? Now you do too! May Your Fishing Always Be Catching.
size 3/0 or 4/0 is ideal for this application. When
Mullet that continue to jump or flip as they
them. Multiple casts at multiple angles to each
38
Turn 5 times.
Understanding that this game is designed to
are on some fish, let’s talk about what it takes
that clack. I like lures that enter the water
6x20 Power Pro
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C A SE Y SM A RT T
Short fly rods, like TFO’s 7 ½ foot TiCrX 6wt, can make tight accurate casts in close quarters.
IN AN EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF ANGLERS CASTING BIG FLIES to bass into
crisp, adequately forgiving, and altogether
flooded timber or redfish and snook in the
a delight. It had the power to lift and carry
I cast it, the more I liked it. It was accurate,
saltwater backcountry, Temple Fork Outfitters
plenty of line, but lacked the abrupt unforgiving
(TFO), Sage, and several other tackle
feel I expected. It felt like an extension of my
manufacturers are producing rugged fly rods
arm, and where I pointed the line went. I was
that are under 8-feet long. But these rods are
spellbound and just kept punching casts around
far more than just sawed off 9-footers. Modern
the parking lot with that nimble little rod until
materials and rod-building technology are
someone finally stepped in and informed me my
hands the 6wt. is a cleaner smoother feeling fly
infusing them with power and accuracy. The
turn was up. I relinquished the rod, but couldn’t
rod, but that is purely a subjective observation. I
net result is an impressive selection of very
quit thinking about all the sneaky fish I could
like the 8wt., but I love the 6wt.
short sticks that can be easily maneuvered
peg with it.
around timber, beneath mangroves, and in cramped spaces. Although they have been available for
I picked up a 6wt. and an 8wt. model soon
Immediately evident was how easy the rods were to handle in a boat or kayak. Knocking
after the show and have been fishing with them
18 inches off the customary 9-foot rod makes
in a wide variety of conditions in both fresh and
a huge difference in handling. When paddling
several years, I first had a chance to cast TFO’s
saltwater. Time will tell how the short design of
through the marsh the 7 ½ foot rod is a dream.
short rods last fall at a fly tying show in Houston.
these rods plays out, but I can share with you
Sticking out of a rod holder, it is less prone
TFO offers 7 ½ foot 6wt. and 8wt. models
my observations to this point.
built on their popular TiCrX blanks. These are
From the casting perspective, the accuracy
to snag on cordgrass or mangroves than a 9-footer. Placed down the center of the kayak in
4-piece rods, identical in fit and finish to the fast
and power of both the 6 wt. and the 8 wt. rods
the “ready” position, it fits cleanly with nothing
action 9-foot TiCrX models. They are equipped
has impressed me. They are capable. I have
poking over the bow. The shorter length also
with double up-locking real seats, good quality
fished sinking lines and floating lines on each
makes that awkward side-saddle fish handling
cork, large fighting butts, and oversized guides.
rod, and cast a wide variety of flies in windy and
a bit easier too.
They are good-looking fly rods sporting the
calm conditions. Floating lines felt like the best
familiar deep blue finish synonymous with
marriage for both rods, although each could
On the downside, if you struggle to cast a 9-foot rod from the seated position in a
the TiCrX line and they carry TFO’s standard
handle heavier sinking lines with no problem.
kayak, don’t expect it to get any better with
lifetime no-fault warranty.
Both rods exhibited plenty of deep power to
a shorter rod. It won’t. One aspect of shorter
At first I was skeptical about their potential.
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short 6wt. was a real pleasure. In fact, the more
The 7 ½ foot TiCrX rods are equipped with solid up-locking reel seats and large fighting butts.
fight fish and neither had a wimpy feel when
rods I already knew, but was reminded of on
Why shorten by 18 inches an already very
the heat was on. Each rod balanced well with
several occasions is that a collapsing loop
fast-action rod? How could the result be at all
comparatively light reels. In fact, the 6wt was
spells trouble, as does whacking water on your
pleasing to cast? When it was my turn to cast
rigged with a slick little machined TFO 310 and
backcast. Short rods lack the stroke length to
I grabbed the 6wt.. Much to my surprise, the
it felt like a nearly perfect match. Overall, in my
quickly recover flailing line. And yes… we all
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These rods have plenty of low end power to tackle fish in cover and subdue muscle-bound surprises like this striper.
6wt. a bit more than the 8wt. Each rod excelled at what it was designed to do — punch flies into cover and maneuver casts in tight spaces. Neither rod was flail from time to time. Likewise, when casting
a good choice for wide open windswept casting.
in the wind or when trying to achieve distance,
But they weren’t designed for that. Both rods had
double hauling is mandatory. Maintaining tight
plenty of backbone to pull stubborn fish out of
loops and consistent line speed is critical to
cover and neither lacked power under pressure.
making accurate casts with these rods and this is
The short design of these rods makes them easy
something to consider before purchasing one. If
to store and handle in a kayak, but it also limits
you have a good core casting stroke, it is much
the ability of the rod to recover uncontrolled line
less of an issue.
and it requires casters to double haul and have a
Perhaps a more important aspect to consider
solid confident casting stroke. Bottom line though
is practicality. In other words, “Is this rod the best
is practicality. If you fish primarily tidal creeks and
fit for the type of fishing I do.” If you cast primarily
backcountry lakes, or you regularly maneuver and
over open water from the bow of a flats boat, or
cast under or around cover, then I highly suggest
fish mostly in the surf or on the jetties, forget it.
you try one of these rods out. They could be a
Stick with the 9-footer. But, if your fishing consists
perfect fit.
of paddling or poling backcountry creeks and cordgrass and mangroves, these rods are ideal. And, if you pepper your saltwater fishing with occasional bass or river fishing trips, or maybe some carp fishing (it’s OK to admit it), where your sticking flies under trees and around cover, you’re in business. These rods do that very well, and trust me… plucking a fish out of cover with one is pretty cool.
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lakes where you punch tight casts in and around
Overall I am impressed with both the 6wt. and 8wt. 7 ½ foot TiCrX fly rods. I liked the feel of the
A narrow tidal creek is where a 7.5 foot rod excels.
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41
F L Y
F I S H I N G
OVER THE YEARS I HAVE SLOWLY ACCUMULATED a modest library of outdoor books. Within this collection there are books that teach fly tying, casting, fishing, and tackle making. There are books with taxonomic charts and diagrams to help identify strange plants and animals. There are adventure books, essay collections, survival books, and even a few history books. Some of these books have been featured in the Book of the Month column because their educational value was especially worthy. Others were featured for more subjective reasons – I thought they were “good books.” These are a few of my favorites.
THE LONGEST SILENCE: A LIFE IN FISHING, by Thomas McGuane Thomas McGuane’s acclaimed body of work includes the books Some Horses, Nothing But Blue Skies, and Ninety-Two in the Shade. His 1999 book, The Longest Silence: A Life in Fishing, is a collection of essays that together illustrate how culture, geography, and our own obsessions affect the way we view angling and the natural world. By any standard of measure it is beautifully written and thoughtprovoking. Read it. You’ll love it.
ON THE RUN, by David DiBenedetto David DiBenedetto’s book, On the Run is a story about the striped bass and the striped bass angler. In On the Run, DiBenedetto chronicles the fall striped bass run down on the East Coast and describes his encounters with quirky and spellbound anglers who have abandoned their normal lives to catch them. On the Run reminds us that as anglers, we are all very much alike. Don’t be surprised if in one of DiBenedetto’s characters you see yourself.
A PERFECT FISH: ILLUSIONS IN FLY TYING, By Ken Abrames A Perfect Fish: Illusions in Fly Tying is the most unusual fly tying book I have ever read. It is poetry, art, and craft woven together to form a unique piece of angling literature. Abrame’s spiritual approach to fishing
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May 2008
and his core-essence philosophy of creating the illusion of life at the vise are refreshing alternatives to the saturated and redundant world of fly tying how-to books. A Perfect Fish isn’t for everyone, but many of you will be captivated by Abrame’s style and philosophy.
THE BOOK OF TEXAS BAYS, by Jim Blackburn Jim Blackburn’s, The Book of Texas Bays, chronicles the people, politics, and polices shaping the culture and landscape of the Texas Coast over the past century. Blackburn takes a headon look at the history of water laws, political agendas, and legislative battles that have often protected and sometimes prostituted our coastal resources. The Book of Texas Bays challenges us to take a deeper look at our own connections to the Texas Coast and our responsibilities as its stewards.
BIRDS OF TEXAS, By Roger Tory Peterson This humble little guidebook has been opened more times than any other book on my shelves. It rides on the dashboard of my truck and in the dry storage of my boat. Although I am no “pro-birder,” Birds of Texas has helped me identify and learn more about many of our avian residents. Whether they are perched on your window sill, or pecking at worms in the marsh, watching birds is fascinating and having a good book to identify them is fun. It’s also a great way to draw youngsters into the outdoor world.
FLY FISHING IN SALT WATER, by Lefty Kreh If I was forced to choose just one book to serve as a reference for saltwater fly fishing it would be Fly Fishing in Salt Water, by Lefty Kreh. From casting, to tackle, to angling strategies, Lefty covers it all. I have found no other book that has the broadness of scale or soundness of content offered in Fly Fishing in Salt Water. Lefty’s no-nonsense approach to writing and his unmatched level of experience in the field combine to make this book the stand-alone bible of saltwater fly fishing.
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POP FLEYES, by Ed Jaworowski and Bob Popovics This collaborative work between Ed Jaworowski and Bob Popovics showcases the materials, techniques, and steps required to tie all of Bob Popovics’ innovative collection of fly patterns, including the Surf Candy. Popovics’ outward thinking and his unique use of modern materials like epoxies, silicones, and synthetic fibers solved many of the challenges that had plagued salt water fly tyers for years. Popovic’s durable fish-catching patterns embody the spirit of resourcefulness and have significantly changed the course saltwater tying and saltwater fly fishing.
CLOUSER’S FLIES, by Bob Clouser No other fly pattern has caught as many fish in as many places as the Clouser Deep Minnow. It is a classic fly and many argue it is one of the most versatile and universally effective flies ever invented. Bob Clouser’s book, Clouser’s Flies shows how to tie many versions of the Clouser Deep Minnow along with a dozen other Clouser originals, each a perfect marriage of form and function. Clouser’s Flies reminds us that in the world of fly tying, keen observations and simplicity of design seldom disappoint. These attributes have made Bob Clouser’s fly patterns standard issue in nearly every fly box on the planet.
SALTWATER FLY-CASTING TECHNIQUES, by Lefty Kreh Nearly every time we step into saltwater with a fly rod, we face new casting challenges. Wind, current, line snags, and heavy flies conspire to ruin our accuracy and limit our casting distance. But before we can correct our casting problems, we first must understand them. Unlike so many other books on casting, Lefty Kreh’s Saltwater Fly-Casting Techniques provides simple solutions to common saltwater casting problems. True to Lefty’s style, Saltwater Fly-Casting Techniques is written in a “to-the-point,” almost intuitive manner. It is easy to read, easy to understand, and it will help you improve your cast. That is what sets it apart from the rest of the crowd.
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BRANDON JENEWEIN
Temple design can help block sunlight from entering your eyes.
MACULAR DEGENERATION, PTERYGIUM, PHOTOKERATITIS AND CATARACTS. Maybe these
higher energy. Most of the UV-B is absorbed by
don’t sound familiar, unless you or someone
lower energy, but penetrates further into the
you know suffers from one, but all are damage
eye and can cause problems there. Sunlight
or diseases of the eye that can be caused by
contains more UV-A than UV-B and neither has
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
been shown to be beneficial. Fishing glasses
I am not a doctor, but I know and value
the cornea and lens and therefore can cause damage to these tissues. UV-A radiation is
should filter out both UV-A and B.
what my eyes provide me each and every day.
Cataracts are another source of visual
I think that one thing everyone can agree on is
impairment. The lens of the eye becomes
how valuable one’s eyesight is. As fishermen,
cloudy and impairs vision. Cataracts normally
we know how a well calibrated eyeball can
occur over a period of many years. UV
help spot and size fish out on the tournament
radiation, especially UV-B, has been implicated
trail. Whether picking out the 27.99-inch pig in
as a contributor to cataracts.
a cruising pod of reds or seeing that once in a
Tissue growth on the white of the eye that
lifetime snaggletoothfrecklefish laying low, one
can extend onto the clear cornea and block
of the keys to catching those fish is seeing them.
vision is called pterygium. It is commonly
UV-A reaches deep and can affect the macula portion of the retina. UV-B mostly affects the front part of the eye at the cornea and lens.
Like anything else, the more experience
found in people who work outdoors in the sun
dose. The best UV protection is a good pair of
one has, the further away a fish can be spotted.
and wind, and is related to the amount of UV
sunglasses and a wide brim hat. A good hat can
Several years ago a fellow angler told me he
exposure one receives. In addition, excessive
block approximately 50% of UV radiation.
could tell the size of reds down to the inch. At
UV exposure is well known to contribute to skin
the time I did not believe him. I do now.
cancer, including the eyelids.
My partner and I have gotten pretty
A good pair of sunglasses will block 100% of both UV-A and UV-B radiation. In addition,
Photokeratitis is something some of us may
the frame design can help provide additional
good at sizing reds by sight. We may not be
have experienced, but have not known the
protection. A pair of sunglasses with a straight
accurate down to the inch, but we can pick out
name. It is basically sunburn of the cornea from
lens frame and straight temples is a 6-base
lower, middle, and upper slot reds. The most
excessive UV-B exposure and occurs from long
design (most regular glasses are this style)
critical piece of equipment in spotting fish and
hours in the sun without eye protection. It is
and does not provide good blockage of light at
providing valuable protection for your eyes is a
extremely painful and can last 1 to 2 days and a
the edge of the eyes. A wrap-around design
good pair of sunglasses.
severe case can result in temporary loss
provides better protection. Sunglasses in an
of vision.
8 or 9-base design wrap around the head and
Being on the water all day long for hundreds of days can cause damage to the human body.
Anglers get more exposure to UV radiation
limit entry of light into the eyes.
Over the last decade, our knowledge of the
than others in the outdoors due to not only
damaging effects of the sun has become better
receiving direct UV from the sun, but since UV
prescription spectacles, contact lenses and
understood. Protection for your eyes is just as
is reflected off the water, anglers get a double
intraocular lens implants should absorb the
Ideally, all types of eyewear including
important as protection for your skin. The sun’s high-energy rays that lie just beyond the visible spectrum are comprised of UV radiation. The UV radiation in sunlight is not useful for vision and one should be concerned with UV absorption by the eyes as it can
6-base
8-base
9-base
contribute to age related changes in your eyes and eye diseases. UV radiation is mainly comprised of UV-A and UV-B which affect the eye in different ways.
44
UV-B is thought to be more damaging due to its
The 8 and 9-base wraparound frames offer better blocking characteristics.
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TOURNAMENT TR AILS
Mirror. These lenses have several great features. First is the copper color, it makes redfish appear bright orange. The polarchromatic feature is unique with Smith Optics in that this lens is polarized to cut Photos showing a copper base lens tint and a yellow/amber based lens tint.
glare, but also is photochromatic to allow it to adjust to different light conditions. Photochromatic lenses actually change their
entire UV spectrum (UV-A and UV-B).
shade to allow more light to enter the eye
UV absorption can be incorporated into
in low light conditions and less light when
nearly all optical materials currently in
the light is bright. Other good lens tints for
use, is inexpensive, and does not interfere
fishing are green mirror and blue mirror for
with vision. The degree of UV protection
bright conditions and also yellow for lower
is not related to price. Polarization or
light conditions. I also have a pair of Smith
photosensitive darkening (photochromatic)
Optics Polarized Yellow for heavily overcast
are additional sunglass features that are
days and early morning tournament blast off.
useful for certain situations, but do not, by
One last thing to consider is lens
themselves, provide UV protection. For
construction. Get a lens made of glass,
outdoor use in the bright sun, sunglasses
they will not only provide better scratch
that absorb 99-100 per cent of the full UV
resistance but they will provide greater
spectrum are recommended.
clarity without distortion. Glass is heavier
Beyond protection, there are many other sunglass features that can help enhance vision on the water. Personally, when
than plastic or carbonic lenses, but the advantage is well worth it in my experience. There is no question that when you head
tournament fishing, I always look for any
out on the water, a good pair of shades
type of advantage, no matter how small
should be covering your eyeballs. Not
in the equipment I use. Sunglasses are
only will they provide vital protection from
no exception.
damaging UV rays, but if selected correctly
Most anglers know that their sunglasses
can help you see fish and other underwater
should be polarized. Polarization on the
objects. A good pair can cost up to $300
sunglass lens will reduce glare on the water
dollars, but when considering the cost of
and allow better vision below the surface…
fishing equipment and the value of eye
“The better to see the fish my dear.” When
protection, the money for a good pair of
light is reflected off water it is reflected in a
sunglasses is well spent.
predominantly horizontal plane. A polarizing filter is oriented to allow vertical light in and are going to use your sunglasses for fishing, they should be polarized. Another key feature is lens tint. If you ask 100 anglers the best color for eyewear, you will get many different answers. I have used Smith Optics (www.smithoptics.com) sunglasses for the last 10 years. The lens tint that I prefer is Polarchromatic Copper 46
May 2008
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B O B B Y B Y R D & C A P T. J O H N C O C H R A N E 48
WITH THE WEATHER AND WATER WARMING UP, many of us start thinking about getting ready for the summer fishing season. 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 24 – SEPT. 1 TEXAS BLUEWATER CHAMPIONSHIP – 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 bluewater gamefish of the season wins in each category. There is a small entry fee and then you can enter any category you desire. 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 marlin are not taken. Last year’s blue marlin winner was Bobby Ricks on the El Cazador with a 427 pounder. Other winners included: Yellowfin Tuna 51.25 lbs “Hot Rod”/John Murry Wahoo 48 lbs. “Mattiduke”/George Martin Dorado 29.5 lbs. “Booby Hatch”/Brett Holden Swordfish 98.3 lbs. “Booby Hatch”/ Brett Holden For more information contact Byrd & Cochrane 281-291-0656 or go to www.texasbluewater.com. MAY 27 - JUNE 1 4TH ANNUAL CAJUN CANYONS BILLFISH CLASSIC – VENICE, LA This tournament is held out of Venice Marina in Venice, Louisiana. The rules are similar to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Tournament with many divisions and jackpots to enter with big payouts. It is held just before the Biloxi tournament, so boats traveling over May 2008
can fish both tournaments back to back if they choose. Last year’s winner was Daryl Elias aboard the Bushwacker with a 401.8 blue marlin. Thirty-nine boats participated with prize money totaling $471,723. For more information go to www.comefishla.com. JUNE 4 – 8 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 tournament attracted 98 boats last year and is one of the richest tournaments in the Gulf. There are divisions for many species and the payouts can be 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. Last year’s winner was Jeff Ashbrook aboard the Sunset with a 531.5 blue marlin. For more information go to www.marlininternational.com/ isle.htm JUNE 26-29 PORT ARANSAS MASTERS/ FRED RHODES MEMORIAL TOURNAMENTPORT 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. JULY 4TH WORLD CUP INVITATIONAL – WORLDWIDE The 24th Annual World Cup Blue Marlin Championship will be held July 4th worldwide. We included this tournament because it is very Texas Saltwater Fishing
unique. Founded in 1985, by former Dallas Cowboy’s President and General Manager, the late Tex Schramm and Miami Herald sportswriter, the late Jim Hardie, their concept was to fish anywhere in the world on the 4th of July from 8:30 to 4:30 local time. Now directed by former IGFA president, Mike Leech, the tournament slogan is “One Tournament, One World, One Champion.” The minimum size for qualifying blue marlin is 500 lbs. Entry fee is $3000 per boat and the heaviest blue marlin wins it all. There is an optional $5000 category called the Big Blue Challenge, also winner take all. IGFA rules must be followed. Last year, 143 teams fished blue marlin hotspots all over the world. The winning fish came from Bermuda aboard the Queen of Hearts and weighed 728 lbs. Although you are fishing against boats in places like Bermuda, Madeira and Hawaii, there is still a chance of winning here in the Gulf of Mexico. In 1989, it was won off Texas with a 544 lb. blue. For more information go to www. bluemarlinworldcup.com JULY 16 - 19 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 days 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 half of their potential prize winnings are bid on in a Calcutta-style 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 – www.TSFMAG.com
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May 2008
Texas Saltwater Fishing
to www.gofishtx.com. The 2nd Annual Texas International Boat Show will be held at the Corpus Christi Downtown Marina, April 24-27th. It’s a big Florida style “in the water” boat show and 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-NTowers 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 & 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 what we have to offer. Fox has an extensive inventory of brokerage boats as well and will be displaying several pre-owned models. 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.
CONTACT
JOU R NA L BLU E WAT E R 50
blue water or brown water. For information on this tournament contact Kim Brown or John Blaha at 713-626-4222. JULY 23-27 ROCKPORT OFFSHORE CHALLENGE – ROCKPORT, TX Another big tournament on the coast is the 6th Annual Rockport Offshore Challenge (ROC) held out of Key Allegro Marina in Rockport, Texas. Last year’s tournament had 84 boats entered and the winning blue marlin was 553 lbs. caught aboard Brad Aery’s Smooth Finish. 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 Ken Hill on the Wet and Ready. Located near Port Aransas, this tournament takes advantage of the great fishing just offshore. For more information go to www. rockportoffshore.com JULY 30 –AUG. 3. 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 70th 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 526 boats fished. Also, 54 billfish were caught with all but three being released. Ben Heilker’s Mechanical Man had the largest blue marlin weighing 381 lbs. This southernmost port in Texas is the closest to the 100-fathom curve and many anglers take advantage of this feature. The drop-off 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 7 – 10 TEXAS LEGENDS BILLFISH TOURNAMENT – PORT ARANSAS, TX 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 Trophy to keep for one year. A Texas Big Game Fisherman’s Roll Call was
created to include the names of all those who have passed on. The Capt. Bill Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded to the top captain. Last year, the Legends was a great success with 47 boats fishing for over $482,000 in total prize money. A total of 31 blue marlin were released along with 10 white marlin, 12 sailfish and 4 swordfish in the two-day event. The top four boats were: Place Boat/Owner Fish Released 1st Top Brass/John McMurray 1 Blue Marlin, 3 White Marlin 2nd Pass It On/Mike Hopkins 2 Blue Marlin 3rd Mattiduke/George Martin 2 Blue Marlin 4th El Cazador/Bobby Ricks 2 Blue Marlin The largest yellowfin tuna went to Edgar Artecona on Awesome, top dolphin to Ward Scholl’s Madera, the largest wahoo to George Martin’s Mattiduke and swordfish to Darren Casey’s Double Trouble. 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. The point system is designed to promote releasing all blue marlin under 400 lbs. and all white marlin and sailfish. The Port Aransas weigh-in and awards allows fishermen easier access to the nearby rocks and rigs that this area is famous for. For more information on the Texas Legends Billfish Tournament and the Texas Saltwater Fishing Hall of Fame, contact Byrd & Cochrane at 281-291-0656 or www.txlegends.com and www. txsaltwaterfishinghall.com. AUGUST 22-24 TEXAS WOMEN ANGLERS TOURNAMENT – PORT ARANSAS, TX The 11th Annual Texas Women Anglers Tournament (TWAT) is a one-day ladies event located in Port Aransas. With 63 boats fishing last year and 22 billfish released, 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
Born in Galveston, graduate of Texas A&M, Capt. John grew up fishing and diving the Gulf of Mexico. A professional captain for over 25 years, he runs a 46’ sportfishing boat out of Freeport, Texas. Capt. John is also partners with Bobby in Byrd & Cochrane, specializing in yacht brokerage and sportfishing consulting. For more information go to www.byrd-cochrane.com or contact John at captjohn@ foxyachtsales.com. A native Texan, Bobby Byrd began fishing at the young age of eight, when he was a deck hand on his Dad’s boat. He fished with his father in the Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas and Mexico for many years of his life. In 1995, Bobby combined his love of the water and boating into a business when he opened Tops-N-Towers, a custom aluminum fabrication business in Seabrook, Texas. For more information you can contact Bobby at www.topsntowers.com.
Contact Byrd & Cochrane 281-291-0656 Tops-N-Towers 281-474-4000 Websites www.byrd-cochrane.com www.topsntowers.com www.foxyachtsales.com www.stingercustomlures.com www.TSFMAG.com
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TEXAS OFFERS MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO ENJOY THE NATURAL WONDERS AND BEAUTY OF OUR GREAT STATE. As saltwater enthusiasts, we enjoy
occur annually up and down the Texas coast and are sponsored by many
some of the richest resources to be found anywhere in the world. As our
on a family fishing trip to pick up some trash along a bay shoreline will
population continues to grow and ever-increasing numbers travel to the
instill the importance of conservation in a young family’s daily routine.
How about a beach cleanup project? Several beach cleanup projects different groups and agencies. Just the simple act of stopping while out
Conservation is so much more than not keeping all the fish you
coast, we must put our best foot forward in the effort to educate all users
can catch in a day. It is teaching our families to care for a resource that
in the importance of the conserving our coastal resources. The “best foot” is often the one each and every one of us stands upon within our immediate families and circles of friends. Our families are the
has been given to us and why we have to take care of it now for future generations to enjoy. Many of us fall into the routine of fishing with hardcore angling
most important people we can educate encourage to take part in this conservation effort. Many opportunities exist for all of us to be a family
buddies, dedicating every trip to the pursuit of trophy fish, or fueling that
of conservationists.
internal competitive fire by fishing every tournament we can. Take some
First, get the family involved. What better way than to spend a day on
time every so often to schedule a trip with your kids and others and
the water with your family and loved ones. Teach them what the different
instead of being in a hurry, just let the beauty of the coastal resources
parts of the coastal ecosystem are and why each part has its own
soak in. You never know what you might see or learn. The CCA Texas, State of Texas Anglers Rodeo (S.T.A.R.), offers a
individual importance to the survival of the system as a whole. Take them to Sea Center Texas and give them an even closer look at
great opportunity to get the family involved. The tournament runs from
the Texas coastal ecosystem. Sea Center offers a variety of activities and
Memorial Day weekend (May 24th) all the way to Labor Day weekend
tours within the facility. This is a great opportunity to see a close-up view
(September 1st) and offers over $1,000,000 in prizes. S.T.A.R. prizes include boats, trucks, and most importantly,
of the coastal ecosystem from the brackish estuaries to the deep blue
scholarship opportunities in seven different divisions for youths aged
waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Other facilities you can visit include the Texas State Aquarium in
six to seventeen. Within these seven divisions, there are nine
Corpus Christi and the Aquarium in Rockport. How about taking part
scholarships totaling $270,000 and an additional $20,000 scholarship
in a marsh replenishment project such as Marsh Mania put on by
opportunity for every youth entered into the tournament through a single
the Galveston Bay Foundation? This project will have multiple marsh
random drawing. The youth division of S.T.A.R. has awarded $3,185,000 in
restoration grass planting projects on May 31 2008 so be sure to check out www.galvbay.org for more information about contacts, locations
scholarships in the last twelve years. For more information on the STAR
and times.
tournament, its sponsors and donors, rules and entries, be sure to visit www.ccatexas.org and click on the S.T.A.R. tab.
It is teaching our families to care for a resource that has been given to us and why we have to take care of it now for future generations to enjoy. 56
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Conserving today is the only guarantee of a plentiful resource for future generations to enjoy. We must continue to educate our families and friends so that our grandchildren and their grandchildren will able to enjoy the fisheries and other wonders of our as we have. For more information about CCA Texas, be sure to visit www.ccatexas.org.
Texas Saltwater Fishing
THE TEXAS SALTWATER SERIES kicked off the 2008 seasons of the Texas Redfish Series sponsored by Cabela’s, presented by Blue Wave and the Malibu Texas Kayak Series at Bluff’s Landing on April 5-6 2008. Record numbers of anglers showed up for each series and record weights were brought to the scales. The chemistry of father and son teams was apparent as three of the top four teams were father/son duos. Jay and Jay Ray Watkins beat out the team of Dwayne and Joshua Clark by less than an ounce to take home the $12,000.00 first place prize. Ron Henne Sr. and Ron Henne Jr, another father/son duo, brought home fourth place honors. The family bond was also strong in the Texas Kayak Series. While teaming up with his brother Cameron, Clint Bargi took home first place along with a brand new Malibu kayak, prize money and the honors of the first win of the season. In all, 26 teams of family members fished together including husband/ wife, father/daughter, brothers, and father/son teams, proving that the Texas Saltwater Series tournament trail is fun and affordable for anyone who likes friendly competition. Twenty-one bags of fish came to the scale weighing more than 15 pounds over the two days making the Bluff’s Landing stop the most productive in Texas Redfish Series history. The lures that were making the teams so successful were weedless gold spoons such as TTF Texas Weedless Flats Spoon and topwaters like the Taistick from Strike Pro. The larger fish were caught in two to three feet of water and many of the top teams were wading. The next stop for the Texas Redfish Series and Texas Kayak Series is in Matagorda on May 3-4 2008. For more information, visit www.saltwaterseries.com.
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Field Notes
TEXAS SALTWATER FISHERIES ROLLER COASTER: three years ago we shoveled snow and our upper coast was
Hurricane Rita. Availability of live
pounded by hurricane Rita. Two years ago we
bait has been
had a statewide drought; last year was one of
unpredictable,
the wettest on record. It is difficult to predict what
so check before
this year will bring but the relatively mild and dry
heading to this area.
conditions make angling prospects good for the remainder of the year. The fishing forecast for the upcoming year
Red drum anglers
should expect successful trips
was derived from reviewing the coastwide data
since last year’s fall
with additional input from each of the ecosystem
gill net catch rate
biologists along the coast.
was the highest
COASTWIDE Fishing effort declined 11% from the previous
year, most likely due to high fuel costs and a
since the 2002 season. Spotted seatrout
rainy summer. Fuel prices are expected to rise
abundance is at a
again which may result in fewer fishing trips.
near-record high,
Total landings decreased 13%, but landings
and 2007 gill net
per angler-hour declined only 2%. Less fishing
catch rates were
effort will result in fewer landings, but catch
near record levels,
per angler-hour should remain steady, if
well above this
not increase.
system’s 22-year
Spotted seatrout landings decreased 5% but
angler catch rates increased 8% - not as many anglers but better success rates. Red drum landings decreased 24% and angler
average. GALVESTON Spring gill nets
produced the
catch rates declined 13% compared to the
highest spotted
previous year’s 10-year high catch rate.
seatrout catches in
Last years higher than normal tides were
23 years. Anglers should experience average
average catches of “bull” drum. The bull drum
a challenge for the shallow water angler to
or better trout and red drum catches for the
are usually too large to keep but the action can
remainder of 2008.
get fast and furious.
find reds. Gill net surveys show red drum populations
Angler landings and TPWD survey nets
MATAGORDA Spotted seatrout catches in spring 2007 gill
remaining at near-record numbers, with fall
indicated increase availability of gray snapper.
2007 catches the second-highest on record.
The mild winter may continue to produce
nets were the highest ever recorded over the
larger fish.
past 24-years of sampling. This suggests
Spotted seatrout populations are at near-
record numbers, with the spring 2007 catches the highest in six years. Flounder landings and abundance are at a
record low. SABINE LAKE Some popular boat ramps are still in 60
disrepair from
May 2008
Catches of striped bass have been reported,
some near 24” long. The frequency and numbers of striped bass reportedly caught this year is rather unusual. The spring black drum run along the
Galveston jetties was reported to have Texas Saltwater Fishing
trout are doing well and could translate into exceptional fishing for spring and summer. Summer 2007 was one of the wettest years
on record, but the nutrients, sediments and other “goodies” transported into the bay enhanced the overall bay productivity, www.TSFMAG.com
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Spring gill net catch
rates for seatrout were down in 2007 continuing
highest since 2000 and third highest recorded
of this trend is unclear, but
for the bay. The fish are abundant, and if the
biologists are watching
weather cooperates, fishing for red drum
it closely. The climbing
should be outstanding! was the highest it has been in three years but
angling opportunities.
overall the population of flounder remains low.
NOT ES
the record high of 2006.
Angler catches of flounder will likely remain low. The gill net catches of sheepshead are
typically much higher than the coastwide
Despite this, the trend
average and are expected to remain so.
is still upward. Angler
The trend of larger angler catches of gray
success rates for red drum
snapper should continue.
have been increasing in
UPPER LAGUNA MADRE
recent years and remain at
F I E L D T P W D
The 2007 red drum
gill net catch rate fell off
near record highs.
San Antonio Bay
netting and angler surveys indicate an upward trend in southern flounder
Spotted seatrout landings generally increased
between 1990 and 2006. Fish over 24” made up about 18% of seatrout caught in last spring’s gill nets, about the same percent as last year. Fall gill net catch rates for red drum was the
populations, opposite of
second highest recorded since 1984. Reds are
the coastwide trends.
as abundant as spotted seatrout but are not
Don’t overlook
the great catching and good table fare of other common fishes caught in San Antonio Bay:
harvested or targeted at the same rate as trout. Black drum are extremely abundant with gill
net catch rates 4 or 5 times those observed for spotted seatrout or red drum. Large snook, spotted seatrout, red drum,
produced excellent catches of black drum,
black drum, sheepshead, gafftopsail catfish,
Atlantic croaker, spot croaker, spotted seatrout
gray snapper, and, finally, the blue catfish,
Spanish mackerel, some tarpon, and
and a variety of sharks. Anglers should target
a freshwater resident that ventures into the
occasional king mackerel were landed
reef areas for these common, fun fishing and
upper bay areas.
from the Packery Channel jetties last spring
good eating fishes. Fishing pressure and success for tripletail continues as well. The mild winter should help gray snapper,
usually found in ports and near bulkheads.
ARANSAS This fishing season marks the third year of
and summer. Sporadic brown tide has not adversely
the seagrass protection regulation within the
affected fish populations. Large noisy lures,
Redfish Bay State Scientific Area (RBSSA).
rattling bobbers, and natural baits are very
Anglers are reminded that access is allowed
effective at producing fish in brown-tide
Sargent. Angler surveys and gill net samples
throughout the RBSSA; uprooting of seagrass
stained water.
suggest good numbers of large Atlantic
is against the law. Hint for boaters: Lift, Drift,
croaker and spot croaker.
Pole or Troll in seagrass meadows.
Look for another fall “croaker run” near
LOWER LAGUNA MADRE While harvest of red drum by anglers was
Spotted seatrout abundance exhibited a sharp
down slightly in 2007, TPWD gill net catch
increase in last spring’s gill net surveys from
rates were at near record highs. Therefore,
seatrout set an all time record high and was
the low seen in 2006 and anglers should see
anglers targeting red drum should expect
mirrored by some of the highest recreational
increased catches this spring and summer.
excellent catches in 2008.
EAST MATAGORDA Spring 2007 gill net catches of spotted
trout catches over the past 6 years.
Red drum abundance remains above the
Recreational landings for spotted seatrout last
coastwide average and increased during last
year were at their lowest since 1990. Anglers
increasing since the devastating 1989-90
fall’s gill net surveys. Anglers should benefit
can expect catches to improve and good
freezes. Gill nets continue to produce some
from this increase availability.
numbers of smaller spotted seatrout (15 – 17
Recreational landings of red drum have been
of the highest red drum catches along the
The mild winter allowed many forage species
Texas coast.
to remain abundant throughout Aransas Bay.
SAN ANTONIO
White shrimp were caught throughout the
inches) can still be caught, despite the new bag limit. Reports indicate that snook, tarpon, and gray
winter providing an excellent forage base for
snapper catches were excellent in 2007, and
entire bay to be much fresher than normal
game fish.
this year’s mild winter should improve the
during the summer. This condition has abated
CORPUS CHRISTI
fishing for these species.
The extensive rainfall in 2007 caused the
and salinities have climbed to slightly above long-term averages in early 2008. 62
The catch rate of southern flounder in gill nets
present improved trout
including bait species.
anglers should expect good catches. The gill net catch rate for red drum was the
a recent trend. The cause
salinities this year should
A study evaluating four mid-bay reefs
Overall, the population of seatrout is up and
May 2008
The catch rate for spotted seatrout in spring
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C A P T. S C O T T N U L L
K A Y A K
F I S H I N G
I’M AMAZED THAT THIS KAYAK FISHING THING IS SHOWING NO
from about twenty-eight to thirty inches wide.
water then you’ll want one of the longer, more
Some models offer greater stability, but none
efficient boats. Something along the lines of
would qualify as tippy.
a Wilderness Tarpon 160, Ocean Prowler 15,
signs of slowing down. I recall
speed and width equals stability. A longer
while standing and sight-casting I’d look at the
a conversation several years
kayak tracks straighter while a shorter boat will
Wilderness Ride, Native Ultimate, or maybe the
back; an industry insider
be more maneuverable. Many fishermen end
Malibu X-Factor. The guys who prowl the surf
flatly stated that kayak fishing was a passing
up with more than one kayak to cover different
often lean toward the Cobra and Malibu brands.
trend. He figured sales would peak in a couple
conditions. Kayaks are relatively inexpensive
years and then decline. It only seems logical
when compared with powerboats so owning
and the 12 to 14 foot kayaks from the
that eventually everyone who wanted to get in
more than one isn’t cost prohibitive. You may
major manufacturers are great all-around
would have done so by now, yet every day I see
borrow that line when you talk to the boss, but
fishing machines. Each model has different
at least one newbie on the texaskayakfishing.
I cannot promise you’ll obtain an authorization
characteristics that appeal to different buyers.
com forum asking what boat to buy. So from
to purchase.
Nobody can honestly tell you which model will
A good general rule is that length equals
or Perception Search 15. For super stability
Most boats fall somewhere in the middle
where I stand the sport looks to be healthy and
When people ask what kayak is best, I
growing steadily. I did an article on this subject
usually respond with a question. “What kind of
of the dealers will have some sort of on-the-
a couple years back, but based on the number
fishing do you like to do?”
water demo day where you can try several.
of questions about what boat to buy, what
You really need to be honest here. Most
be perfect for you. The good news is that most
Short of that you can beg, borrow, or rent
paddle to use, and what accessories to add; I
folks have grand ideas about what they “might”
different kayaks to get a feel for what you like.
figured it was time to revisit the subject.
do, but in reality they are going to be fishing
And don’t sweat it if you simply cannot try one
the same general areas using methods they’re
out. I know this will go against popular opinion,
newbies is stability. People who have never
most comfortable with. I suggest your first
but you really can’t go wrong if you buy
been on a fishing kayak like them to what
kayak should be right for what you intend to do
one of the top-selling models from a quality
they’ve seen on television. That is, guys in
most often, not what you might do occasionally.
manufacturer at a reputable dealer. Honestly,
skinny touring boats or whitewater yaks doing
Are you going to use the kayak to access some
these kayaks hold their value fairly well and
Eskimo rolls. The truth is; your typical sit-on-
far-off shoreline and then get out and wade? If
if you later find that a different model suits
top fishing kayak is a very stable craft. I’ve
so, you might want to get a long, narrow kayak
your fancy you won’t be taking a huge hickey
spent hundreds of hours on various kayaks and
that tracks straight and covers water efficiently.
when trading.
It seems that the number one concern for
I’ve yet to fall out of one. Okay, I’ve fallen off
Are you headed into the back marshes
Another subject that comes up often is
a couple times while standing and poling, but
through narrow, winding bayous? If so, you
tandem kayaks. Couples are usually the ones
that doesn’t count. Suffice to say if you have a
might want a shorter, more maneuverable kayak.
most interested here. These can be great boats
decent sense of balance, stay out of seriously
Are you drifting the crystal-clear flats looking
for recreational paddling and sightseeing,
choppy water, and don’t do anything crazy,
for cruising reds? You might want to consider a
but for fishing I caution against this route. A
you’ll most likely stay right side up. Running
wider and more stable kayak that allows you to
fourteen foot kayak just isn’t long enough for
through the surf is a whole different subject, but
stand up and sight-cast while poling.
me to feel comfortable with two people fishing.
still not an impossible task with practice and good instruction. There is no perfect kayak. If there was we’d
Will you be transporting your kayak in a
I can see a parent paddling while a child fishes
powerboat? Then go with a shorter boat that is
from the front, but the math involved in two
easier to load and unload.
adults swinging seven foot rods with treble-
all have it and there would be no need for this
If you’re like me, you’ll be trying all of
discussion. The typical kayak most commonly
the above and you’ll likely end up with more
used for fishing is a plastic sit-on-top. There
than one kayak or perhaps settling for the
are dozens of models with the majority falling
best compromise. For example, if you fall
or not? I know there are folks who will disagree,
between twelve and sixteen feet and anywhere
into the category of wanting to cover a lot of
but the only reason I see for not getting a
hooked lures doesn’t add up. Do yourself and your marriage a favor, get two kayaks. Now on to the next big decision…to rudder
Longer kayaks such as the Tarpon 160 are often preferred for covering lots of water.
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rudder is the cost. Is a rudder absolutely necessary? No. Is a rudder a handy tool to have? Yes. All of my fishing boats have rudders. While they do come in handy for maintaining a straight track during crosswinds, that isn’t the main one for me. I use it for drift fishing the flats. Picture your favorite flat with sandy
F I SH I NG
potholes scattered about. I want to hit as Cobra kayaks are popular with the surf fishing crowd.
many as possible. Without a rudder I have two choices. I can make a straight downwind drift hitting those within reach, or I can reposition constantly with the paddle. When the paddle is
in my hands the rod isn’t. With a rudder and I’m steering from pothole to pothole with my feet and casting. This gives me two or three times more casts than switching between paddle and rod and more casting equates to more fish. Same thing when fishing a shoreline. Given the right wind direction I can easily maneuver the boat without the paddle. Speaking of paddles, after selecting a boat, the next big decision is your paddle. Paddles
K AYA K
come in many shapes, sizes, and materials. If you want to start an argument just bring up the subject of paddles. There are many technical aspects to blade design, but I’ll just talk in generalities here. To get specifics you really need to see and feel while talking with a knowledgeable salesman or veteran paddler. The average paddle used by kayak fishermen is a two-piece model between 220 and 235 cm length. It will also likely have the option of feathering, or off-setting the blades from 0 to 45 degrees. In general the lighter the paddle the more expensive. Entry level paddles can be had for as little as $40, while a high-end, light-as-a-feather touring model easily reaches $300. So what the heck is the difference? Materials and weight drive performance and price. Paddle shafts come in wood, aluminum, fiberglass, and carbon fiber. Some shafts have Kevlar for added strength. The majority are straight-shafted while a few companies offer ergonomic grips. The blades can be constructed of wood, plastic, fiberglass (not truly fiberglass, but close), and carbon fiber. Solid wood paddles are beautiful and have their fans, but they aren’t used widely among kayak fisherman on the Texas coast. Entry level paddles have aluminum shafts and plastic blades. Their greatest attribute is price. They are heavy and inefficient when compared to better paddles. A plastic blade can flex when swept through the water and power is lost as water slips off the tip. Think of it as spinning the tires on your truck. Some plastic blades are better than others based on shape and design. The highest priced paddles use carbon fiber materials. These paddles are extremely light with very stiff blades. They are the best of the best and you pay the price. Some guys want to get by cheaply while others insist on the best. The majority settle somewhere in the middle. Again, you need to know what you plan to do. If you don’t think you’ll ever get out of sight of your truck then you can get by with most any paddle. Then again, if you think you’ll be heading across the bay to the far shoreline you might want to rethink that $40 paddle. What I’ve seen over the past few years is that guys tend towards the lower end when getting started and then upgrade after a year or two. If you can squeeze it into the budget, pick a better quality paddle. and paddle you can begin playing with the rest of your rig. Padded seats, rod holders, anchors, etc, etc. Some guys go the minimalist route while others have every gadget screwed to their boat. The real beauty of this sport is that everybody can do his own thing and not break the bank doing it.
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C A P T. SCOT T SOM M E R L AT T E
A C C O R D I N G
S C O T T
OKAY EVERYBODY, I WAS SITTING AROUND TRYING TO THINK OF SOMETHING NEW and
at something like this.
different to do for this month because, lets face,
as I mentioned before — it was mostly cloudy
the same thing over and over gets a little boring.
on that day. The mask is to hide the whole lot
So, what I came up with was this… I would
of ugly that is underneath what was once my
protection… I will remain masked until the
attempt to go out fishing all on my lonesome
beard. You see I was silly enough to agree to
natural one comes back.
and chronicle my day by utilizing a tripod, timers
auctioning off my hair and beard for the Chris
and remotes. Now I am going to have to say that the light
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T O
As for the mask, I would like to say it is all about sun protection, but
Many thanks to all of you who attended or
Phillips fund-raiser that we had at the end of
donated to the event… It was a home run and
March thinking that nobody would spend money
I promise… he is worth every bit of it and
kinduv sucked all day, heck it even started
on something like that. Well, either the people
then some…
raining at one point and I probably could have
really wanted to humiliate me or — they really
been a little less grip and grin, all and all, it
love the good Captain as much as me. I bet
didn’t turn out half-bad for my first attempt ever
it was a whole lot of both. Anyway, for your
May 2008
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Best of tides…
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CONTACT
ACCOR DI NG TO SCOT T 70
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A A RO N C I S N E RO S AS THE SCHOOL YEAR COMES TO AN END AND THE HOT WEATHER SETTLES IN, MANY
Zebco push button combo then on to a spinning
teenage kids like me will be ready to hit the
used baitcasting reels exclusively got me into
after another. I learned the hard way because
water for some fun days of fishing. In this article
thinking I could do it too. I still remember the
I had to untangle every bird’s nest on my reel
I want to target young readers and share the
first time I used a baitcaster; the fish were very
while redfish were tailing all around me.
excitement of what it’s like to jump off the boat
cooperative that day. We entered a back bay
and get your feet wet. Ever catch yourself
and saw birds working over redfish. My dad
minutes, I finally got to where I was casting
asking why some people have such nice boats,
encouraged me to use my new reel he bought
about twenty yards or so and that was good
yet they anchor their boat in some area and
for me.
enough to catch fish on that day. From that day
jump in the water with all the creatures that live
learning how to
reel. I got to where I could throw my spinning reel pretty well, but being around adults that
Since the fish were easy to locate, it was a
cast, and my dad was hooking up one
After messing around for about forty-five
forward my preference was a baitcaster.
there? Well, let me tell you; wading can be a
perfect opportunity to learn how to cast with the
I prefer a baitcast reel, but it does not
blast if you have the right equipment.
new reel. Let me tell you at first it was a disaster
matter what reel you use as long as you feel
and somewhat frustrating because here I was
comfortable throwing it. I have one suggestion
Let’s start with the reel. I started off with a
to improve your casting abilities; go out in the back yard and practice. Place a hula hoop at a certain distance, and try to land your cast as close as possible to the hoop. As you get better, keep increasing the distance. A few sessions like this and you will be ready to go. Your clothes are important; wear something that is highly visible, comfortable, dries quickly
Spin or baitcast?
and protects you from the sun. A good cap or hat that will protect your ears and face is a must. Along with head protection is of course eye protection; make sure your eyewear is of polarized quality. Sunscreen is always a must. Your wading shoes should fit you comfortably even when in the water. There are many styles that come with different prices, but a simple pair of neoprene boots is sufficient. I would highly recommend wearing a pair of stingray 72
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Y
O
U
T
H
Wearing bright colors makes you visible to boat traffic.
protection boots like the Ray-Guard wading boots. Your gear should include a wading belt with
have younger feet. I love to explore and find my
necessary had I been prepared.
own fish. For me, wading is relaxing, learning,
When you’re ready to jump in the water, wade with an adult that knows the area. You
and being with nature. For some of you wading is not an option
all the necessities like a stringer, rod holder,
don’t want to venture in water you don’t know.
right now because of certain circumstances,
and a pair of pliers. My dad has also made it a
Even if you’re wearing Ray-Guards, do the
your fishing tends to be off a pier, in the surf,
requirement that I carry a whistle when I wade
“sting ray shuffle.” Slide your feet on the bottom.
or drifting off a boat, and that’s okay as long
for emergency purposes. As far as tackle; it’s
This way if you happen to tap a ray, you have a
as you can get out to enjoy the sport of fishing.
always a good idea to seek guidance from
chance it will scoot away.
If the opportunity comes, try wading. I know
someone that has expertise in this department.
Why do I prefer to wade? Simply because it
you will really like it. Remember the fishing
Some of your tackle should include spoons,
puts you in the elements, and it becomes more
doesn’t stop when it’s time to go home. Taking
topwaters of different sizes, and plastic lures in
personal as you learn to read the water. You
care and washing the equipment is important
different shapes and colors.
will be amazed at how close you can get to the
in order for things to last. The weather’s hot
fish. May I add that when you hook a fish while
and so will the fishing, so get on out there and
equally important. Just recently I was in a hurry
wading, it tends to give a better fight. I have
maybe we'll see you there jumping off the boat
in the morning and grabbed the wrong gear
been wading for quite a while now and prefer
of course.
bag. When we got to the dock, I realized I didn’t
it over fishing in a boat. When I wade, I like to
bring my wading shoes. We had to run to the
take off as my father says, but that’s because I
Preparing your gear for the next morning is
74
local bait shop and buy a pair when it wasn’t
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New Tackle & Gear Bimini Bay – Tsunami
www.biminibayoutfitters.com
TSUNAMI PORTED POPPERS Bimini Bay Outfitters introduces exciting new series of Tsunami Ported Poppers. Available in 3”, 4” and 6” models, there is a Ported Popper for speckled trout and redfish and many offshore species (dolphin, wahoo, etc.) The cupped face of the Tsunami Ported popper includes openings or “ports” to
allow water and bubbles to pass all the way through to the gill area on the lure body. While still allowing plenty of splash and commotion, the ports also leave a bubble trail behind for more attraction and to help draw more strikes. These poppers are available in six super holographic patterns to imitate most bait species. All models are rigged with
Brown Lures – Root Beer Devil Eye The new Root Beer Devil Eye is a special blend of dark color and highly reflective glitter. Shines in clear water and casts a dark silhouette in murky
FishGillz
38108BLN
38109BLN
May 2008
877-460-4619
for big trout in Baffin Bay in almost any condition. That dark color has a lot of shine to it, so it really stands out. It works great bouncing over the rocks and also over shallow grass beds.” — Capt. Aubrey Black
713-855-5885
orange tips for fishing in murky waters. Also available this year is The Santa Cruz featuring the same black frame as the Monterey but with amber lens color for shallow water enthusiasts. The Newport style is available in black frame/smoke lens, also featuring the high visibility orange tips.
32833BLN
Mustad® expands Ultra Point® Jig Hook Offerings Mustad® has introduced three premium Ultra Point® jig hooks; developed to answer the needs of growing specialized applications. 76
Mustad® Durasteel™ 3X trebles, heavy duty stainless steel split rings and sparkle flash dressing on tail hooks.
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water. We listened to our experts on this one, and here is what the Root Beer cocreator has to say: “I rely on the Root Beer Devil Eye
www.fishgillztexas.com
FishGillz has developed and introduced some new styles. New additions to their attractive line of floating fishing eyewear are the Montego and Santa Cruz. The popular Avalon style is still available too. The Montego features the same tortoise shell frame as the Avalon, but with darker smoke lens and high visibility
800-688-3481
Mustad
www.mustad.no
45º Wide Gap Jig-standard wire ideal for big fish in heavy cover. Designed specifically for use with braid, forged, extra wide gap with a flat eye for maximum power hook sets. Black nickel sizes 6/0 to 3/0. 45º Wide Gap Jig-extra fine wire created for finesse and football jigs, penetrates quickly for use deep, clear water with light line. Flat eye, black nickel, sizes 5/0 to 2/0. Texas Saltwater Fishing
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90º Round Bend Jig-stout and sturdy, excellent with small jigs and swim baits for larger fish. Forged, black nickel, in sizes 2/0 to 10. Ultra Point® hooks feature Opti-Angle™ sharpening technology. Nor-Tempering hardening process increases strength up to 30%.
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Sampo
www.sampoinc.com
American-made Sampo ball bearing swivel’s exclusive funnel design virtually eliminates spindle-to-wall friction and, unlike ordinary swivels that have flat raceways, Sampo ball bearing swivels feature tapered raceways that further reduce friction and any possibility of jamming. The unique tapered holes of Sampo ball
315-896-2606 bearing swivels allow the rings and snaps to swing freely and pull from the center for perfect alignment. Sampo ball bearing swivels are available in seven sizes and over 20 snap/ring options in either highly polished nickel or less-
Skeeter ZX22 Bay
Skeeter Introduces Redesigned ZX22Bay — Tunnel Option Gives Inshore Anglers
Looking for a premium stringer that meets the needs of today’s fishermen? Stinky StringersTM are made with thick, coated wire; rated at 250 pound work load. Stinky Stringers will not kink, tangle, or fray. Stringing a fish is easy with the well attached, nickel plated, brass spike that will
www.skeeterboats.com
Plenty of Advantages. Innovation and engineering have proved a huge success for the Skeeter brand leading up to the 60th Anniversary of Skeeter Products, Inc., and that innovation holds true as the company launches its redesigned Saltwater ZX22Bay, with the option of a tunnel hull for extraordinary shallow water performance for serious inshore anglers.
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not tarnish or rust. Each 12’ stringer comes with a premium float that attaches directly to the stinger. Removing fish is quick and simple due to our innovative, removable float that detaches easily with no pieces to lose or drop. This is the toughest stringer on the market!
www.berkley-fishing.com
Trilene® XT Tough Red Strongest And Toughest Red Line Available Berkley® announces Trilene® XT Tough Red, available in 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 20, 25, 30 pound test in 330-yard filler spools and 3,000-yard bulk spools. Berkley Trilene XT Tough Red is the strongest red line, over 25% stronger than the competition, with the same ultra abrasion resistance of regular XT to handle the toughest fishing conditions. Just Keep Five
800-SKEETER (800-753-3837)
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Trilene® XT Tough Red
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visible black. Don’t trust your fishing success to cheap imports... use American-made Sampo ball bearing swivels!
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What the experts say... “Sure, I was skeptical of red fishing line, until I tried Trilene XT Tough Red. I’m not scaring fish, in fact, my catch rate is better. I rely on the high visibility of the red color to detect more bites. The XT toughness let’s me go after bass no matter where they try to hide, no matter how thick the cover.” Skeet Reese – Professional Angler
May 2008
77
U.S. Reel Super Caster 230SX Ask any salt who has given spinning reels a fair
friction stops the cast; reaching distant targets
maintenance has been rinsing and a shot of Reel
requires less effort.
Magic on the bail hinge, nothing yet inside. The
The 230SX also gets the nod for line capacity
bearings used in the 230SX are made of 316SS so
trial why they went back to baitcast reels and you
holding 240 yards of 20 pound braid without the
they cannot rust, a great contributor to durability in
might get an earful. Line twist is sure to come up.
accessory arbor bushing. While we will probably
saltwater service.
Line capacity can be a sore spot too. Some will
never need 240 yards to land a red or trout on the
complain that the drag systems didn’t pass muster.
flats; jetty, surf, and offshore anglers encounter
their tackle to make a living have to say about their
Wade fishermen say one good dunking is all many
other species and get into this predicament often.
experience with Super Caster 230SX?
reels can tolerate. And then there’s the problem of
Another advantage of the oversize spool
What do professional guides who depend on
Capt. Ernest Cisneros - Tight Lines Charters:
is greatly reduced line memory. Less memory
“The durability of these reels is better than I’ve
means the spool can be filled to the lip without
seen in any other spin cast. I’ve had customers dip
chief hang up. As a guide, I tired years ago of
tendency for line to unfurl on its own. That floppy
them in saltwater while fishing and they continue
untangling nasty knots in client’s lines. I tried
loop you are accustomed to seeing at the nose
to be as smooth as in the beginning.”
swivels, even double swivels, and gained only
of your spool does not happen often with the
modest improvement. Line twist, I learned, does
Super Caster.
sticky bail operation. Personally, line twist has always been my
not always come from a poorly rigged or twirling
Capt. Mike McBride - Skinny Water Adventures: “U.S. Reels solved our problems
Now let’s talk drag system. The Super Caster
with spinning reel clients. Spooled with Sufix
lure. It is a natural product of wrapping line around
SX230’s spool housing provides space for large
braid, they are casting farther with less hassle,
a stationary spool and repeated casting with badly
diameter drag clutch discs that are made from
so now they’re landing more fish. Helps make
twisted line sets the stage for trouble.
a unique heat-dispersing material. The age-old
us look better!
A snappy cast can send line through the rod
problem of heat build up and “tightening” when
Capt. Tricia - Skinny Water Adventures:
guides faster than it can flow. The bit of slack
fighting a fish is eliminated. The SDS drag is
“The nightmare of having our loaner spinning
that builds in front of the guide will snarl into a
sealed to prevent moisture from entering, so
equipment dunked seems over. Takes a dunkin’
spaghetti ball. When the lure pulls that ball into the
once it’s set it stays there. The absence of snatch
and keeps on chunkin’!”
guide it cinches into a headache. Quite often we
at start-up and stutter during the fight make it a
find cutting the line the best solution.
natural for use with braided lines.
The first thing you notice about the Super
Now for reliability. Exactly how well does this
Capt. Lynn Smith - Back Bay Guide Service: “When people set foot on my new Pathfinder they expect to have good tackle to go with it.
Caster 230SX is the diameter of the spool, it’s
reel hold up in saltwater? I have waded with mine
They really like the size, smooth drag, and easy
huge. At 2.30-inches diameter it is nearly 40%
23 days and fished it from the boat a dozen more.
operation of the U.S. Reels on the 7 foot PL2
larger than other reels I’ve tried of similar frame
I know it has been dunked several times. The only
Fishing Tackle Unlimited spinning rod. This has proven to be a great combination.”
size. This equates to 40% fewer wraps
In summation I say that tackle
required to reel in each cast and greatly reduced chance to twist line in the
selection can be a highly personal
process. Imagine wrapping line around a
thing. An angler learns to use one
pencil, and then a Coke can.
style of reel, length of rod or rod action, and changing his mind
Casting distance is improved too. Fewer coils coming off the spool means
can be tough. Truth is, some guys
your lure can fly farther before payout
would rather fight than switch. And while our purpose is hardly to start fights, we do want to pass along positive experiences and assist our readers in selecting gear that can improve their fishing. We think the U.S. Reel Super Caster 230SX can provide solutions to problems long associated with spinning tackle in saltwater. We also want to applaud the innovative engineering effort manufacturers contribute toward making us all better anglers. –Everett Johnson
78
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DICKIE COLBURN
Dickie Colburn is a full time guide out of Orange, Texas. Dickie has 37 years experience guiding on Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes. Telephone 409-883-0723 Website www.sabineconnection.com
ASIDE FROM NEVER HAVING YOUR PHONE
even stronger bite is often just cranking up.
ring, I can think of few things
down the rock wall. You are going to lose a few jig heads, but the reward is
more frustrating for a fishing
worth the risk. We also do well with suspended lures like the Catch 2000
guide than being unable to
and Mirrodine in pearl-chartreuse and chrome patterns.
You cannot go wrong bumping an Assassin eel or five inch Sea Shad
pattern fish on your own water.
Depending on wind and water clarity, the Louisiana shoreline will be
The month of March and too
tough to beat for both flounder and redfish this month. While most of
much of April were literally blown
the local fishermen tend to pile up around the mouth of one of the bayous
away by daily winds in excess of
or cuts, the bite can be equally good on points and along stretches of
25 miles per hour and I struggled!
Roseau cane.
Ironically enough, the spring fishing on Sabine Lake is most
These fish will see a lot of GULP and live bait, but I am more partial to the mobility afforded by fishing the spinner bait and a curly tail grub
often slowed by excessive runoff from Toledo Bend and Rayburn as well
or Sea Shad. Glow-chartreuse and pumpkin-chartreuse are easily our
as local rains. This year however, the lake has been so muddy due to the
most productive colors when working the root systems and indentations.
pipeline work and a howling wind not from runoff and low salinity issues.
A little Bang garlic scent or tipping with a small piece of shrimp helps with
Because I am still unsure of the impact of sixteen miles of dredge
both species.
material in the open lake, even 37-years of guiding may be of little value in predicting what to expect this month. My hope is that as the winds
Because that scent factor is important for both redfish and flounder, we replace the body on a quarter ounce Redfish Magic spinnerbait with a
diminish, the loose material will settle out closer to the immediate site. If that happens, we could experience our best fishing in years, as there has been very little fishing pressure thus far. The wild card this month will be the Causeway reefs. The fishing is always unpredictable for anglers choosing to exploit the largest patch of shell in the entire lake, but ignoring the potential is a big mistake. Tide
Check out the marsh drains for solid flounder.
changes are the prime times to drift these massive ridges of oyster shell. A GPS takes the guesswork out of repeating productive drifts, but keeping your plastic at the right depth is the name of the game. There are days when we have to utilize a half-ounce jig head and a drift sock just to compensate for the strength of tide. As a rule, the length of the plastic is not that critical. I fish both the Assassin eels and the Sea Shads just in case, but color is another story all together. For that reason, I carry a duffle bag full of choices out of selfdefense when drifting the reefs. We have our basic “go to” colors, but you can get embarrassed should they decide to dine only on colors like drunk monkey or candy corn and that does happen. It is also important to remember that joining the crowd and drifting the deeper breaks is but one option in this area. Always keep an eye out for gulls working over schools of trout and redfish between the south revetment wall and Blue Buck Point. We also do well fishing the west pocket with plastics under an Assassin Kwik Cork or Paradise X-treme Popper. I prefer both of those corks because of the resilient titanium wire. There are also days when a Catch V or She Dog are even better choices for both larger trout and redfish in this shallower water. The action at the jetties will be improving and could well provide the most consistent bite of all. The wind will dictate which side of the granite riprap you fish, but both sides can be very productive throughout the early summer months. Start your day at first light working a Top Dog Jr or Super Spook right up against the rocks and hang on. When that action slows, an 80
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BLURP Sea Shad. The tail provides added vibration and the built-in scent can make a big difference on tough days. Look for the larger trout, as well as redfish, in these same areas in 3 to 5 feet of water. This bite often holds up even through the hottest part of the day. Swimming an Assassin on a sixteenth- ounce head or fishing a Catch V just beneath the surface can be deadly. Because most of our strikes occur at the end of extremely long casts when fishing these shallow flats, I rely on 30pound Power Pro braid to eliminate the stretch factor. The most overlooked areas this time of the year are the north and south revetment walls. Fish them much the same way you would the jetties, but make repeated casts to the same spot when you catch a fish. It is not unusual to find several big trout working a tight school of finger mullet along the rocks. Do yourself a favor and make it a point to take the kids fishing more often this summer. The rising cost of gas cannot be ignored, but the investment will pay huge dividends. Sharing a day on the water will forever be a better option than the risk of leaving a youngster with free time and nothing to do!
Sabine Lake redfish will come calling this month.
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RIGHT NOW, FISHING IS WHAT I’D CALL A
been working the best due to the water clarity.
little slow in the Galveston
HL&P. Flounder have started to show up in front of the spillway. We have
Complex as a whole. This is
had a few waders and kayakers go in behind McAllen Park right after the
the normal springtime transition
last few northers and they are finding fish in the clear water that comes from
that we go through every year.
the cooling pond. This time of year you can get back there and pop some
It always turns around in May,
really big trout. This area has gained a reputation for speckled trout in the
though, and that is what we are
thirty-plus category at this time of year. You just have to pick your days and
looking forward to at this time.
play the wind to enjoy favorable conditions. Most of the up-stream fishing
As a rule we always have better
in the back bays and along the San Jacinto inflow has been rather dismal
fishing during winter and early
of late; you can scrape up a handful of fish but it is nothing to write home
spring than we see in this mid-
about. Redfish holding over deep structure have been the bonus. Best
spring period. Right now the high
areas for them are along the dropoffs and ledges and also over shell and
winds and freshwater runoff have
rocks. We have found them in everything from three to ten feet of water so
put a damper on the fishing in
the pattern is sketchy if you could even call it one. Spinner jigs, gold spoons
many areas. A lot of fish are holding deep and with continuously strong wind they are hard to target. Lately, any calm day has been quite productive for
and soft plastics have been your better baits for the reds. Upper Galveston Bay has been taking a real spanking from the wind
boat anglers but they have been too few. The majority of the fish seemed to
and there’s not really much to talk about here. We will need to see some
be staged in about six feet of water. At times the shorelines are paying off
calmer weather before that area will turn on. The south winds just pound it
pretty good, especially in East Bay.
too hard.
East Bay has probably been our most consistent producer. Back behind
West Bay has been good when you fish the right cove and catch the
Rollover Pass, when the tides and other conditions are right, we have seen
right conditions. The problem here is that the fish are only hanging in these
some good stringers coming in. This area can be real good when we pull
coves for short periods. You can go to the same spot every day for a week
hard pumping south winds like we have had. There is a lot of protected
and only hit it good one time. These fish are in some kind of transition mode
shoreline to work with in East Bay and most everybody I’ve talked to have
or they are staying with the bait. Some guys who aren’t afraid to explore
been keying on bait concentrations and a few slicks. The shoreline fish
are finding them, though. Mirrolures, Spinning Rogues and Rattling Rogues
are finally starting to slick over here and showing signs of where they are
are producing the best. Lures with dark backs and orange or gold on them
hiding. These are mostly trout with just a few reds and flounder in the mix.
seem to do the trick. Topwaters have not been producing consistently,
We have been hearing of some unusually heavy trout, a few weighing-in at
however they have been useful in locating fish. You can wade quickly and
seven pounds have measured as little as twenty-two inches. We have been
cover a lot of water for scattered blow-ups. That’s when you switch up and
using Corky’s, the Norton Bull Minnow and also the Norton Sand Eel. Color
slow it down with a Corky or soft plastic and start catching.
has not been that critical. Darker baits like your blacks, blues and reds have
As a rule we always have better fishing during winter and early spring than we see in this midspring period. 82
Trinity Bay anglers are doing fairly well in the upper regions near the
May 2008
The Galveston Jetties are holding a lot of reds right now, especially the north jetty. Look for some good sized trout to be caught here in late-April and May also. Of course you’ll need to wait for the wind to get right to fish the channel side of that north jetty. For the most part the fishing is inconsistent and will remain so until the season develops more fully. The Galveston Bay System has a million fish; we’re just having a tough time catching them right now. We go through this every year. I expect a big change to occur in May. On a side note: the pier fisherman over near Oak Island and Double Bayou have been fishing under the lights and just tearing them up. They have brought in some nice twenty-two and twenty-three inch trout and a couple up to twenty-eight. They have even reported some stripers mixed in there. I would guess these fish are feeding heavily on glass minnows.
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LOOKING FOR A FUN TIME ON THE WATER? Well, look no further, May fishing means we’ll be hanging up the waders, lighter winds, plenty of bait in our bays, and plenty of fishing opportunity. We have waited patiently for some warmer, milder weather and look out, here she comes.
EAST BAY Let’s start this month’s Fish Talk over in East Matagorda Bay. By the time you read this, water temperatures should be rising toward the 80-degree mark and the trout should have vacated the mostly muddy environs of winter and early spring. We should also see a healthy population of shrimp and other bait in the bays. The structure types I find myself working most often during the month of May in East Bay are shell reefs and hard bottoms with drop-offs. When I mention drop-offs I’m including some rather subtle depth changes, 6 to 12-inches difference in the form of a shallow gut, drain, grass bed, or even a reef can be enough to attract and hold large numbers of various bait species and also the predators that follow them. Another element of structure is dirty water. Sometimes water that looks too dirty as you look down from your boat can end up being good enough to fish. I always say you need to check it a little closer before moving on. Remember this, if you can leave a mud trail while wading you can catch fish. My clients and I have caught limits of trout in off-colored to dirty water more times than I can ever recall. Off-colored water is actually preferred hunting grounds for trout and reds and also offers protection from larger predators such as shark and dolphin. While wading or seeking a desirable area, it’s always a good idea to locate bait before committing a serious fishing effort. During May I look for jumping mullet and shrimp along shorelines and reefs. Drifting is another option. Be on the alert for off-colored to streaky water, sea gulls, and of course slicks. While I’m drifting deeper water I’ll be looking for slicks out in the middle of the bay and I keep two rods at the ready. I normally rig one with a Bass Assassin and the other with a She Dog. When the water is clear with lots of sunshine I choose clear Bass Assassins with glitter like bone Richard Kuentsler with a chunky 25” trout that came from East Matagorda on a roach diamond, 10W40, or opening night. For colored Assassin – released after photos. off-colored water I lean toward roach, 84
May 2008
morning glory, or even June bug Bass Assassins. Good top water choices will include 83MR-GCRCH, 83MR-CRBC, 83MR-CRBN, or 83MR-CHPR She Dogs. Quality trout have been taken Mike Grigar of Johnny’s Sort Shop in Eagle Lake while drifting decided to take this 29”-8lb trout to the taxidermist. Mike was fishing East Matagorda with Capt. Bill and over slicks and used an “opening night” Assassin. chunking top waters in the middle of the bay.
WEST BAY West Matagorda Bay is a different ball of wax. Here again, you need to fish structure like sand bars, guts, and grass beds. My first choice would be grass beds such as the big areas from the Cullen Houses all the way down to Airport Flats. Normally, if you are able to locate bait you will catch a few keepers. Redfish should be abundant close in to the shorelines and like I mention continually, try to fish an incoming tide. On a high tide, Oyster Lake and Crab Lake will produce redfish and maybe a few flounder. My baits for West Matagorda Bay are the same as I mentioned for East Bay. However, in West Bay the trout and reds have always shown a liking for paddle-tailed baits. My favorites are the 4-inch Assassins in strawberry and white, chicken on a chain, and roach. One final topic I want to address in this month’s article, and one that I know many readers are probably tired of hearing about it so I will be very brief, is the use of live croaker as bait. I choose to mention this simply because the season for it is once again upon us. Dad, mom, and the kids or grandparents and even the everyday fisherman with a bucket of croaker on any given day out fishing are not what concern me as regards the conservation of our fishery. What I view as the greatest threat here is the so-called “professional” fishing guide that runs multiple trips per day pulling in limits of trout each trip. This happens day in and day out over a period of about three months and can really take its toll on our resources. I have listened to all the pros and cons and my final stance is that this particular method can and does impact the trout population. I firmly believe that if something is not done in the next 3-5 years, our bays will end up like Port Mansfield and guess what… we will have a 5 fish limit here too. This is OK for me, although I feel it will be our own fault for having abused our resources. Yes, as most everybody reading already knows, I have caught my share of big trout over the years and at the same time, like you, have witnessed the enormous explosion of fishermen now using our bays. As an experienced professional concerned with the conservation of our fish stocks, I have made a stand in this area that few are willing to take publicly. I urge all who share my concerns in this matter to do the same. That’s it, I’m off my soapbox. Until next time… God Bless!
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85
WE HAD SOME GREAT FISHING IN APRIL
springtime, but my usual trips to the open reefs in this bay system are put on hold and I am forced to fish in the back lakes and/or on the despite fighting some incredibly protected shorelines. high winds some days. As every While I don’t like having the weather dictate where I can fish I know here season changes most fishermen in the Seadrift/Port O’Connor area we are very fortunate to have many back expect to deal with some sort of lakes where we can seek refuge from the high winds. Fishing in these back drawbacks when it comes to the lakes can be very good depending on what methods you choose to use. weather and in the springtime we Wade fishing is the most productive way to fish our back lakes because all know to expect plenty of high it allows anglers to thoroughly work the area at a slower pace which can be winds and rain. To continue to be impossible to do while drifting in a boat that is being shoved forward by high successful at catching one must winds. While I think wade fishing is the best option for success it is not for learn to accept these hardships everyone and may be somewhat difficult due to the soft mud bottoms that and learn how to adapt to these most lakes have. circumstances depending A drift anchor is a good tool to have for on your preference of those anglers who prefer to stay in the boat fishing methods. and drift while fishing. I even know a few Blustery winds have fishermen who have been known to tie two played a major role in all drift anchors to their boats on windy days in of my trips for the past few an attempt to slow down their boats while weeks. Forecast after forecast calls for 20 to 25 mph winds and it drifting. A good tip is to make sure you have seems as if you can always count on the winds blowing every bit of some type of float attached to the main line that and then some here on the coast. High winds won’t keep me in case the line ever happens to come untied. from fishing, but it definitely puts a kink in my plans. San Antonio My lure selections on gusty days will be Bay is what we consider our “bread and butter” when it comes a 1/2 oz gold spoon when I am in search of to fishing for trout and is also one of our favorite haunts in the 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. I prefer large noisy top waters on windy days because of the rougher water. 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 Sally Dolan showing one of topwater in the rough waves so I will tie on the trout she caught on a a bright color to help me with the visibility of very windy day. the lure. If the topwater doesn’t yield any results from either redfish or trout I will then tie on This 21” trout was fooled a Saltwater Assassin attached to a 1/16oz by Kevin Dees using his jighead. My go-to colors this time of year are Super Spook Jr. 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 alternatives to choose. Live shrimp has been productive when fishing it under the Original 4” Alameda rattling cork. If bait is hard to come by try using Berkley Gulp baits under a cork. The color of the water will dictate which color 86
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Sarah Clark proud to display her biggest catch of the day.
of Gulps I will use. If the water is muddy go for a brighter color like the nuclear chicken. If the water is a little more transparent, opt for more natural colors like molting. When it is windy on weekends your odds of success can diminish due to more 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. You may even consider anchoring up, holding steady and letting the boats push fish towards you as they run past on those high traffic days. Mother’s Day falls on Sunday May 11 so I want to send big hugs and kisses out to my mom, Sandy Zimmer, who is the most patient, kind-hearted and understanding person I have ever known. Thanks, Mom, for all the unconditional love and support you have always given 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 Jim Dolan caught this speckless trout using a Bass Assassin pumpkinseed/chartreuse. only inshore saltwater rod on the market that is designed to match ladies hand sizes and is extremely light weight. 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!
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
May 2008
87
CLIFF WEBB
THIS PAST MONTH STARTED OUT SLOW
the south. Small topwater plugs have been working well in this area and
with low tides, dirty water and high
chartreuse back. We have found that the She Dog with black back and
winds. Lucky for us, it finished
chrome belly works better on cloudy days. The key in shallow, dirty water
much better than it started.
is to wait ten or fifteen seconds after the cast, just let the plug sit there,
In the upper Laguna Madre from the JFK Causeway to Bird
on clear sunny days I have been using the She Dog with a gold belly and
and then begin working it nice and slow with lots of pauses. The bigger fish are usually caught on the pause. The best news is the push of water coming through the Land Cut this
Island the water has been very clear with the visibility more than
past week. This is what we wait for this time of year. We never know how
two feet deep. There have been a lot of fish on the King Ranch shoreline. The west shore including the Pure Oil Channel and Emmords Hole area have been holding good numbers of keeper size trout and reds. It looks like the trout are coming in from Corpus Christi Bay to spawn in the grass beds of the Laguna. The water begins to get brown with low visibility from Bird Island going south and has been dingy all the way to Penascal Point. This has made the fishing in Baffin Bay more challenging. The good fishing that I have found in Baffin has been on the south shore at Los Corrallos in knee deep water and sometimes less. This shoreline offers some protection when the wind blows from
Joel Nichols with a solid 28 on a win dy day.
many fish we are going to get in from the south. Last year it wasn’t very good but we have high hopes this spring will be different. There has been good action in the Cut for about a week now and we’re hoping to see more. We’re getting clear water from the south driven by the southeast winds. The current is strong at this time which has the shrimp and baitfish on the move. We’ve had a very productive ntly. leased rece ught and re ca e h er 29 -inch beautiful ig with the tw en N y k Ric 88
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Most of the strikes will come right over the edge where the grass meets the sand. When the surface bite slows down, I go to Bass Assassins on 1/4 ounce leadheads. boat and wade when the wind makes it tough to control the boat. When we fish from the boat I use the trolling motor to hold just off the edge. I usually start with topwater lures early in the morning and cast onto the grass edge. I find that pausing the lure right on the dropoff will draw a lot of strikes. Most of the strikes will come right over the edge where the grass meets the sand. When the surface bite slows down, I go to Bass Assassins on 1/4 ounce leadheads. Again, I make a cast up on the grass and raise the rod tip just enough so it doesn’t grass up. Then, at the edge I let it fall down slowly, making sure that I have contact with the bottom along the dropoff. Sometimes the fish are down deeper than you might think, especially the flounder. The past two days were very windy. I had four wade fishermen for both days and we waded the north end of the Cut. The strong southeast wind created a good current that swept the baitfish up in the grass beds in the south end of Rocky Slough. The five of us stood in one area for several hours catching redfish and trout. The reds were twenty-five to twenty-eight inches long and a lot of fun. All four of these guys were good fishermen; they were patient and didn’t mind staying in one spot, grinding it out in tough conditions. A good thing, because it really paid off. It was about eleven o’clock when all of the sudden, Joel Nichols stuck a big trout. His rod bent double and after a few minutes of hard fighting he landed a fat trout that was twenty-eight inches long. It was his personal best. I told Ricky Nentwig, who was standing next to him, to keep casting in the same spot; there could be another big trout with her. Sure enough, Ricky’s rod loaded up after only a few casts and this one measured twentynine inches and was very fat. The photos were snapped and both fish were released. I found it noteworthy that both of these fish came off the same small grassbed and were likely there to ambush the bait being driven on the current. Both of these fish were caught on the five inch Bass Assassin shad. The Texas avocado and solid white have been very effective lately. The fish that day were feeding on shrimp and sand eels. I’m excited about our May prospects in the Land Cut and the south end of Rocky Slough and we are off to a great start, much better than last year. The water conditions in the Land Cut are much better than last year, too. I’ve seen shrimp popping out of the water and flocks of birds are beginning to work over schools of fish. All these are positive signs and hopefully mean better fishing to come. May is usually one of the best months down here. As soon as the wind slows down we should have good fishing in the entire bay system.
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
May 2008
89
IF ONE WORD COULD DESCRIBE THE FISHING
of exploding mullet.
during March and April here in the
trout were right behind
Lower Laguna Madre, outstanding
them. It is so nice to
would come close. Our fish did
see the water boiling
what they were supposed to do,
with life again and trout
and many times we were fortunate
going enthusiastically
enough to be there when they did.
airborne on surface
Above average water temperatures
baits, especially
and wind worked together to help
the numbers of fish
spring thrive at its fullest. We have
between three and five
been fishing spring patterns since
pounds. SkitterWalks
mid-February, meaning mostly
and She Dogs worked
shallow water with smaller baits,
well during choppier
and the only thing that has really
conditions, but the
changed recently is the shear
little Super Spook
Schools of hard-bodied
aggressiveness of our fish. With some continued luck, May should offer
Jr. out-performed
even more opportunity.
most everything else
If you can sense my excitement, the past several weeks have been
during clear, calmer
everything you could hope it would be here in the Lower Laguna. Extreme
conditions. It’s spring
southerly winds have blown in some exceptionally clean water from the
so remember about
gulf, and the flats are filling with new grasses shimmering in Bahama-
smaller forage. Color
clear water. Whatever brown tide we may
didn’t seem as important as presentation, and an aggressive retrieve with
have had seems gone, and it appears that
a lot of teasy pauses was often the most explosive.
at least for the near future, the Laguna is
May offers great opportunity for a personal best.
Other areas turned on
back to her finest form.
as well, and in most
Fish moved onto traditional
conditions, it seemed to
springtime structure early in March.
be all about the grass.
Almost overnight, and seemingly out
Most of the deeper,
of nowhere, the spoil banks both north
darker grass beds held
and south of town came alive with balls
trout, and hopping dark tails just fast enough to avoid hanging up would usually get you bit. The system is still full of
Redfish are look ing real goo d right n ow.
undersized trout, which is a great sign for the future, but you often have to work through numbers of them to find the better fish. Remember to take care in handling these little guys. The reds showed up in force as well, with upper slot brutes determined to tear up lures and unravel nerves and poorly tied knots. Consistent areas for bigger redfish
Just about any lure will work when the redfish are rooting like this.
were muddier, shallow flats, along the sand to grassline edges, tight to shorelines and on top of submerged spoils. Finding mud boils stirred by actively grubbing reds was a sure thing. When you found good working mud, just about any lure you wanted to use worked well.
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In looking towards May, we
What could be more fun?
should only see more the same. For numbers of trout, submerged points along shorelines, deeper potholes on the flats, and the spoil banks will all become increasingly consistent. There will be a lot of water to choose from with higher spring tides, so let those color streaks, curious birds and flipping bait be the first clues about where to start. However,
for those heavier trout the Laguna is famous for, smaller, distinctive structure in lower traffic areas will offer the greatest opportunity for the determined wader. Examples are nasty little holes on the west side, current swept cuts on spoil banks, against shallow windswept sand bars, and in off-colored areas holding active bait in small depressions. Using soft plastics on Hogie 1/8th oz, short-shank screw lock jigheads will be routine, but so will topwaters and Corkies both early and late. If catching your personal best trout is one of your goals, May offers some of the best and most exciting opportunity of the year. As far as our redfish are concerned, all looks good, and we should see some of those epic schools working by the middle of the month. Expect to see more tailing fish, mud boils, and large areas of ‘pushing’ water on the flats as the month wears on. Increasing grass will call for weedless spoons on many occasions, but again, topwaters rigged with single hooks will also help tremendously. Don’t be afraid of the traditional high winds of spring, as many of our best catches will occur with you had pulled down low. Just go and still enjoy the clear water here. On a tackle note, we have been using Sufix Performance Braid for several months now. Our favorite is the 20-pound strength which measures the same diameter as 6-pound monofilament. It works very well with a rod length of twenty-pound fluorocarbon leader spliced with a double uniknot. Fishing is even more fun now, as every aspect of fishing with lures seems magnified several times over given the no-stretch and sensitivity characteristics of this line. Even soft bites now seem ridiculously obvious. One thing you’ll learn quickly learn when using a no stretch line is the importance of a good drag system and a lighter than normal drag setting. Expect to straighten hooks and lose fish during your learning curve, but also expect to hook more as there will be very few bites escaping detection. I don’t think there is any doubt that I am catching fish I would otherwise miss, and when you do catch them, a two pounder feels like a ten. Here’s to you and your ‘ten’ this spring. As for me, there is no finer place on earth to chase it than the shallow waters of this pristine Laguna. Fish like no one is looking and enjoy the results. www.TSFMAG.com
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May 2008
91
RECENTLY, ON A BUSIER THAN
also have some effect upon their feeding behavior. You need to consider
normal weekend, there were
the amount of traffic an area will receive throughout the day. Other
boats running everywhere. I
considerations are the presence of bait, tide movement and the effect it
heard from a friend that he waited
can have on your area and, as always, how long should you remain in the
forty-five minutes to launch at the
area before moving on?
Increased boat traffic will certainly change fish migration patterns and
Adolph Thomas County Park in
Let me give you an example. Recently, we approached an area that
Arroyo City. I don’t know where
looked pretty promising with a strong current sweeping the flat and lots
you launch, but that just doesn’t
of nervous bait. The area had two sandbars that protected us from all the
happen very often in Arroyo City.
noisy boat traffic in the nearby channel. Jumping off the boat at seven-
I happened to be wading that
thirty in the morning, the three of us spread out and soon got into some
day with a client in a far-fetched
redfish action on topwaters. With the amount of bait activity present, we
pocket away from all the boat
were encouraged and worked meticulously. The morning action was
traffic. As we waded in the midst
constant as fish positioned themselves in muddy potholes. As noon
of tailing reds, we could see boats
approached, they continued to hold there and the bite got even better. We
motoring up and down the ICW
could tell the reds were schooled up because at one point every cast was
and adjacent flats. It was then that
either a hook up or a blow up.
this article came to mind. As popular as fishing is these days I’m reminded of a NASCAR event
As good as the redfish action was, the trout action was phenomenal with many trout topping five pounds and a couple near eight. By looking at
on television. In racing, teams plan their pit stop strategy prior to the start of every race to optimize their chances to win. In fishing it should be no different. For a successful race, a team must take into account how
the trout bellies we could tell that they were full of eggs. Considering the muddy, grassy bottom and
Jim Hellek son fooled this nice trout on a Corky.
current from the nearby channel, it appeared that these trout were there to
many stops to make and when to make
spawn. It turned out that
them. With the start of summer the traffic
the incredible bite turned
on the water will only become busier. So
off completely by 2:00pm.
making the right stops and when to make
That’s when we realized that
them will become critical as more boats
we never took time to eat or
enter the arena.
do anything else but catch fish for a solid six and a half hours. Early in the morning surface lures worked really well, but as the sun drew high
Ofe Mendez and her first topwater redfish. You think reds like pink?
A day on LLM brought Eric Sifuentes a personal best trout of 28 inches.
The Shamino Core working overtime on a 140 lb tarpon.
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Capt. Eddie Arenas hooked this linesider on a recent spring outing.
overhead we found that Corky Fat Boys dragged just above the turtle grass was something they couldn’t resist. My usual fishing strategy for a busy day on the water is to start the morning in isolated places and then move to more open areas as the traffic diminishes. Avoiding the peak traffic of early morning is quite often the key to success. Of course there are other factors such as weather, wind, and water clarity that must be kept in mind. Presently our better catches are coming from mud and grass bottoms with a good tidal current. Our trout numbers have been better than our redfish numbers lately. Finding bait on the surface has been the key early on. As fish move lower in the water column you will tend to see more swirls and flashes instead of scurrying bait on the surface. This could be a signal to tie on a Brown Lure Devil Eye in a dark color pattern. Lately, the darker color tails have been giving us better results. It is the time of year that birds begin to work around the redfish gorging on shrimp. A good time to get into some of this action is late afternoon to evening. If the wind is blowing, don’t let that stop you. Wind actually makes things come alive as the birds locate feeding redfish and use the wind to keep aloft as redfish wave their tails above the water’s surface. A weedless spoon is an excellent redfish bait in May. Also, May’s warmer water temperatures bring lots of crustaceans and pin fish to the turtle grass flats. These small creatures use the turtle grass to hide and you can bet the trout and reds will be there too waiting for an easy meal. Learn to read the water. Be observant of bait activity, check various depths at different times of the day, try different bottom structures, and be sure to check when the tidal currents will be flowing at the greatest speed. Put together a strategy that optimizes fishing opportunity; your pit stops back at the boat should be planned to be take place when the fish are taking a break too. Don’t be afraid to explore; exploring will lead you to new honey holes. On another note I recently got back from Costa Rica and had a blast. A feature story on that trip will be published in a later issue of TSF Magazine. On my trip I was able to field test a Shimano 100Mg Core to the max and was totally impressed with the reel’s performance. The low profile and scant 6.1 oz made it easy to cast and it fit perfectly in my hand. I really liked the click drag adjustment that let you know how much tension was being applied. The tapered levelwind insert made it easy to thread line from the inside out. The gear system out performed any other reel I own. It’s a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. Enjoy your fishing in May and remember that unlike the NASCAR guys, with a little planning, a fisherman can always reach the checkered flag. www.TSFMAG.com
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The month of May is known to produce big trout. Since this is spawning time, the fish will be at their heaviest. Shallow reefs and flats will be the best places to catch sow trout. South end of the lake around the Old Jetties, Washout, Nine Mile, and Long Point will all be good spots. Big baits catch big fish. Try magnum topwaters like Super Spooks, Top Dogs, and He Dogs. Good topwater colors to throw would be bone, black and chartreuse, or red and white. These three colors will be your best bets for big trout. Large Norton Sand Eels are also worth a try; a good all around color for soft plastics is glow. If the water is a little stained, try black with chartreuse tail. If you aren’t into the big fish and just want to catch supper, a good place to look will be under birds all around the banks of the lake. Big bull reds will start to show up in the middle of the lake; look for them under slicks. They will be super hungry and are always fun to catch on light tackle. I would throw glow soft plastics, but if you want a thrill, throw topwaters into the middle of these hungry fish.
James says he’s had decent to great days of fishing recently in Galveston, everywhere from West Bay to the upper reaches of Galveston Bay. “It’s all wading lately. The fish have been pretty shallow, and the topwater bite is picking up. For a while there, Bass Assassins were outfishing the other lures, but lately the Top Dogs and Catch 5s are getting their share. We had one real good trip the other day in Trinity, with limits of trout, several around five pounds, two over seven. Also lost a monster while trying to handle it. She was over thirty inches. I ain’t going to say she was definitely ten, but she might have been You know how fat the fish are over there in the spring. Best pattern in any bay has been to find some shell in open water. When fish are located, it’s important not to stomp around on the reef. The fish will be spooky and can be pushed off pretty easily. One of my guides caught some nice fish out of the boat in East Bay today. That pattern should kick in on calm days in May. Working slicks on deep reefs with topwaters is good this month.” “Wind has hurt us a little this week and throughout the spring really, but the quality of fish we are catching is outstanding. Had one customer catch a seven pound trout the other day on a Catch 2000. Didn’t get many that day in the wind, but his was a nice one. Most days, we are catching few or no undersized trout, just solid fish from a pound and a half to maybe five and a half. On the calmer days, fishing is easier of course, and topwaters are working well. When it gets windier, I switch over to soft plastics, like Bass Assassins and Stanley Wedge Tails. I also like the Stanley shrimp too.” The fish have spread out to various locales in East Bay. “All of your typical spring shoreline spots are holding fish. The middle should bust out any day now. We’ll be on a great numbers pattern sometime soon. Once the water gets into the mid-seventies and above, it’s just a matter of time before we start getting easy limits on the reefs and on the shorelines. Redfish have scattered some with the higher tides, but once they return to normal, they’ll be easy to find in the marsh.” 94
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“Today was one of those dream trips,” Randall says. “I saw this giant raft of mullet and the trout were in there under ‘em. They were blowing those mullet four feet in the air. We caught easy limits and big fish too. Had two over seven pounds and some others in the twenty five inch class. Cayenne gold Sand Eels did the trick. This is a pattern that is familiar in my area in the spring. Rafts of new baitfish migrate in out of the surf and the trout find them fast. Wading is really the ticket to catching the big fish. I’m glad this pattern is kicking in; I’m sick of fishing out of the boat. More and more, I try to get my customers to put the effort into wading. The quality of fish is better, sometimes number too.” He mentions that he’s also recently discovered a new line of wading accessories set to hit the market soon. “The company is called Grind. They make one of the best stringers I’ve ever seen. It’s a tough plastic, slick cord. We had two limits of trout, a redfish and a flounder on one today and the fish came off instantly, still alive. It’s a killer product.”
“The glass minnows haven’t really shown up too thick yet, but West Bay is still producing a bunch of fish,” Don says. “ The coves have plenty of trout and redfish. I’ve been catching mine on topwaters, larger ones like Skitterwalks when it’s windy and small ones like the Mirrolure Top Pup when it’s calm. Today we had twenty nine trout and nine reds. It was an easy bite. West Bay should stay consistent like that throughout May too, and the glass minnows should make locating the fish easier once they show up. They probably will after this recent front blows itself out.” East Bay is less consistent, but it’s coughing up some big trout. “Waders have taken some big trout lately in East Bay. They’re catching them on topwaters over there too. It’s been pretty tore up with all the wind, but the coves offer a little protection. The mid-bay reefs will kick in once the winds settle. Drifting scattered shell with live bait and soft plastics is the best bet. Things are just on the verge of really good around here. I was wading wet today and that’s a sign of good fishing to come.”
Fishing has been great in the Palacios area lately. We have loads of bait in the bays and back lakes and fishing has been hot. Birds are working everywhere from the Tres Palacios River all the way down to Carancahua Bay. The wells and barges in front of town in West Matagorda have lots of bait, so it is good just about everywhere. Topwater fishing for redfish in the back lakes is about as good as I have seen in several years. The color that seems to be working best right now is the black/chrome She Dog and the black/ white Skitterwalk. Trout fishing has been on fire at the wells and barges free-shrimping live shrimp and on pearl Gulp shrimp rigged on splitshot. The trout have been ranging in size from fifteen to nineteen inches. Nightfishing has been good also; split tail beetles in glow and lime rigged tandem on sixteenth ounce heads have been the best producers under the lights. I predict May will be another awesome month. Plenty of birds and rafts of bait should lead observant anglers to some quality fish.
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“I’ll be fishing grassy, sandy shorelines most of the time in May. I like to stay really shallow early in the morning, focusing on knee-deep to maybe two feet of water. In my area, there are lots of pretty shorelines with beautiful sand and grass in those depths. We throw a lot of topwaters, primarily the Super Spook Jrs. and also She Dogs. As long as light levels are low, I’m pretty stubborn in sticking with those. Once the day warms up and the sun gets higher, I generally move out a little deeper, working guts within the grass flats, and shifting over to soft plastics. The goal will almost always be to catch trout, but of course the redfish are generally right in there among them. Some of our biggest trout of the year usually come in May, and lots of times they pop up in and around schools of redfish.” He mentions another option that can present itself some years in May. “We’ll have our eye on the surf. If the winds allow, we’ll get out there as quick as we can. Often, the first few times we are able to work the beachfront, the trout are bigger than average.”
“The fishing for trout has been good lately, and the fishing for reds has been even better. Usually, on high spring tides, the reds kind of disappear from main bay shorelines and into the lakes. There are fish in the lakes right now, but most shorelines are loaded up too. Shallow sand and grass is producing easy limits of both kinds of fish. Topwaters are working most of the time, but I switch to Norton Sand Eels when they don’t and keep catching. I also like to throw Catch 2000s some this time of year. I’ll be running the same basic drill throughout May, moving around in the area bays, targeting sandy, grassy shorelines in Aransas, Corpus and Mesquite Bays a lot. I also like to get out and wade some of the mid-bay reefs in bays like Copano, Mesquite and San Antonio. It’s a good idea to stay in touch with large rafts of bait on either pattern. There are millions of little forage fish of all kinds for the trout and reds to eat. Focusing on the schools of menhaden seems to be a key to locating some of the larger trout. It’s an awesome time around here.”
May marks the beginning of prime fishing on PINS. Various shark species are present including scalloped and greater hammerheads, bulls, tigers and several smaller species. Whiting will be the bait of choice until ladyfish arrive. Large jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel, Atlantic bluefish, slot redfish, speckled trout and tarpon are all possible in May. Watch for diving birds and food chain activity. Wire leaders are necessary for the Spanish mackerel and bluefish, small jigs and silver spoons will work well on them and trout. In May, specks seem to be more inclined to hit spoons, Rattletraps and MirrOlure Glad Shad than topwaters and plastic. Sargassum has not been as heavy as the past five years but some is to be expected, try replacing treble hooks with singles, it helps. Whiting, scattered Florida pompano and black drum will be available to bottom fishers on fresh, peeled shrimp and Fishbites. Beware of driving at the water’s edge if the sargassum is stacked there. Watch for nesting sea turtles and children and drive at safe speeds. www.TSFMAG.com
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Both the fishing and the catching have been good in recent weeks! We have not had much of a break from the wind, but we have still been able to be out enough to keep track of the fish. The water clarity in Baffin Bay has not improved, but there are still plenty of areas in and around Baffin where the water is clear enough to see structure. Plus the fish are in shallow water, three feet or less, along grass lines, potholes and near rocks. During the month of May, I will start the mornings by working MirroLure MirrOminnows and MirrOmullet in water that is 18 inches deep or less with colors #11, BNSBO and CFPR. As the morning progresses, the fish will move to slightly deeper water, and I will probably switch to MirrOLure She Dogs and She Pups in colors like CRCH, CRBN, CRRW, NSCH & GCRCH. I will always have my MirrOlure Catch 5 in colors like CHBL, CFPR, BNSBO & BCH. My standby Bass Assassins, bone diamond and plum/chartreuse, will always be with me. Wadefish if you can, and don’t forget to wear your RayGuards. Joe reports that fishing in Corpus Christi Bay in areas like Shamrock Cove and East Flats has been good lately, despite high winds on many days. “Shallow areas like those have clear water as long as the wind isn’t due south or north. There are plenty of fish in there right now. Key is to focus on sets of small potholes when fishing the shallower areas in the back and do the opposite on the outside grass beds; throw at the tips of the grass out there. Soft plastics will take the most fish and are definitely the best ticket to bites when sightcasting.” He plans to stay in those areas and also spend some time closer to the Causeway in May, while keeping open the possibility of running far down south. “Of course, the Land Cut and Nine Mile Hole are potentially great in spring. Sometimes, clear water comes in from the Lower Laguna and replaces some of the brown tide there. If that happens, I’ll be heading that way more of the time. If not, I’ll stay closer to home around the bridge in Corpus where the Packery Channel tends to help the water stay clear.”
Bruce says that the trout spawn is in full swing in the Port Mansfield area. “The trout are up in the grass on the east shore. We are keying on potholes and taking some pretty fish. You have to get up there shallow where they are. Topwaters are the tools of choice, of course, and they work most of the time. We are also having good luck hanging Gulp shrimp under Cajun Thunder corks when the conditions get tougher. For people with less experience, it’s a great way to get them on some quality fish. Another pattern that is paying off is fishing windy points, and I’ll stress again, windy. You find points of land jutting out with chocolate waves rolling into them and lots of mullet and the reds will be there. It’s a matter of standing and casting on the upwind side. The challenge is to keep the wind from making you move through the fish.” He’s also hoping to make regular forays outside the jetties soon. “We snuck out last week and had some beautiful snapper in the ten to twelve pound class. Calm days in May can spell some excellent nearshore action.”
Higher spring tides and strong southeast winds are keeping fishing up to the level we always expect to see this time of year. When traffic permits, we’re limited and tagged out on reds by 9 a.m., fishing the east or west sides of the Intracoastal. The middle of April saw some really exceptional trout action south of Gas Well Flats on incoming tides but now they are showing up along the drop off from west of South Padre in the holes in front of the Convention Center all the way north to Gas Well. The reds are biting equally well on gold weedless spoons and Maulers with Gulp shrimp in glow or new penny; trout and flounder are hitting Gulps under Maulers or Cajun Thunder corks rigged with quarter ounce jig heads; smaller topwaters work best early, but when the wind comes up, try switching to the larger, louder versions. Freddy says, “Some days traffic makes it tougher to stay in fish, so you have to work hard and burn some gas to keep your box up to par, but high winds let you cast a mile and make long, successful drifts.”
Texas Saltwater Fishing
May 2008
95
Missy Gonzales lands her first king fish while out fishing the Packery Channel. Donovan Howard tricked this 28" trout while fishing Galveston Bay. Ryan Pliler of Houston hooked this 36" black drum fishing in Matagorda.
Paul Prescott of La Porte tackled this 39" black drum.
Tim Schindler lands his first red on a fly rod fishing in Indianola.
Ashley Cisneros fought with all her might to land this 25.5" red.
Adrian Rodriguez lands a nice red fishing in Seadrift.
Daniel Cavazos proudly shows off his 26 7/8" red.
Blake Roberts snagged this 26" trout while out in Aransas Bay.
Whitaker Touchstone boated this nice 27" trout while out fishing the land cut.
Jean Rodgers snagged this red while out fishing in POC. Kristen Meek caught and released this 22� trout on her first kayak trip to Port Aransas.
Amanda Hunt lands her first keeper trout while out fishing in POC. 96
May 2008
Tyler Garza caught and released this 38" red. Texas Saltwater Fishing
Caitlin Rodgers proudly displays her red fish for the day.
Larry Garza tricked this 28.5" trout while out fishing Copano Bay. www.TSFMAG.com
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Mike Buti snagged this 27" triple tail fishing P.I.N.S.
Harry Chang caught and released his first sail fish while out fishing in Mexico. Emma Holroyd lands a 18" trout on artificial while vacationing in Florida.
David Couch snagged this 27" red kayaking in Seadrift.
Weston Watson of Austin tricked this 26.5" trout into taking his Killer Flats Minnow from Texas Tackle Factory.
Left: John Taylor showing off one of many from a family fishing day.
Brad Johnson smiles big as he shows off his 39" king fish.
Below: Jordan Stephenson & Brandi Hanselka show off their catch from the Lower Laguna Madre.
Tony Maseda hooked this 8.6# trout while out in Matagorda.
April Cates tagged her this nice red while fishing the POC Jetties.
Jeremy Janda of La Grange caught and released this nice 32" red while out fishing in Seadrift.
David Mendoza hooked a 6# flounder while out fishing in Matagorda.
May 2008
97
MY GRANDPARENTS
harvest. We chose redfi sh, but the same can be applied to trout, flounder,
(WILLIE AND LUCY
drum, and others. With these methods you can turn an additional 25% or so of
STAVINOHA) raised
carcass weight of every fi sh into highly delectable flesh that can be used in a
seven girls and one
variety of ways.
boy through the Great
Many recipes for gumbo, chowder, court bouillon, etc. will specify so
Depression and taught
many fi llets or pounds of fresh fi sh. To be honest though, the parts we throw
them to work hard and
away can be just as good.
save. My grandfather
After fi lleting your catch, try removing the throat section. If you haven’t
rented 300 acres in El
already tried this you might be surprised at how much you’ve been wasting.
Campo and saved to buy
The flesh from this part of the fi sh is just as good as boneless fi llet.
a farm in Louise where they raised cotton, milo and peanuts. They also raised cattle, hogs, chickens and kept a large garden.
Begin by removing the throat portion as shown below. All of the tough membrane and skin should be removed. Don’t worry about the fi ns, they make neat little “handles” if you enjoy fi nger food.
My grandma always had jars of water sitting on the counter. When she fi lled
Most everybody cuts away the entire rib section from their fi llets, simply
her sink to wash dishes she would save the cold water until the hot came out.
because it contains bones. Likewise, the backbones get thrown away, but the
Grandma wasted nothing!
meat in this part of the fi sh is often the most flavorful.
Looking back, I’d say we have life pretty easy and it shows. We don’t
Throats can be fried, grilled or pan sautéed and served as hors d’oeuvres
pinch pennies like our folks did and lots of other things are easier to come
or entrées. Backbones can be fried, but we boil them to produce a hearty fi sh
by too. Using what we are blessed to receive more wisely should be
stock and then separate the meat for inclusion in soupier concoctions.
everybody’s goal.
This month we will show you how to fi llet and use backbones and ribs.
We want to demonstrate how to “get all the good” from the fi sh you
Next month we will offer some ideas for cooking throats.
1. Place the knife just behind the gill and make a lateral cut across the body, down to, but not through the spine. (Note: Redfi sh are tough, their scales and rib bones can wreck the edge of a good
6
7
8
9
knife in short order. I prefer the electric knife with serrated blades to honing a fi llet knife.) 2. Split the belly from the cut just made all the way down to the vent. This helps you stay lined up during the next step. 3. Place the knife back in the fi rst cut, turn the sharp edge toward the tail, and begin slicing. Stay in contact with the spine, but do not cut through. Run the knife down to the tail, do not sever the skin, this helps keep a handle on the fi llet during skinning. 4. Flop the fi llet over, start at the tail and slice the meat away from the skin while canting the blade slightly toward the skin. As I mentioned, redfi sh are tough, it’s almost impossible to slice through
4 10
the skin, not so on trout and other soft-skinned species. 5. and 6. Lift the fi llet off the skin and place it flat on your working surface. Align the blade with the rib bones that are protruding from the flesh. With an angular slicing motion, cut the
5
ribs and attached belly flesh away from the fi llet. Do not slice in a perpendicular direction, follow the ribs remove the rids, clean and save for next months recipe. leave ‘em in and pick around them with our fork… they almost fall out.
7. Repeat Step 1 through 3 for the other side. Rinse and deliver
THROAT OF THE REDFISH.
to the cook.
9. and 10. While we’re at it, let’s not waste any. Some call the throat of the
REDFISH ON THE HALF SHELL. 8. Now for the other side: Repeat Steps 1 through 3, except this time we’re
redfi sh a ‘saltwater quail.’ Cut down the inside of the jaw on both sides, all the
making grilling slabs. When you come to the tail, slice right on through. We
way through to the chin. The throat section falls right out. This meat is as tasty
grill these skinside down. Removing the ribs now wastes a lot of meat. We
as the rest of the fi sh and puts another 1/4 pound of redfi sh to good use.
98
May 2008
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Ingredients include: 4 redfish fillets
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary - chopped
1 medium onion - chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic - chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 “Baby Bello” mushrooms
1/4 cup Marsala wine
Olive oil cooking spray
Slice the “Baby Bello” mushrooms and sauté in wine and one tablespoon of butter for five minutes, set aside. In blender; puree rosemary, onion, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, butter or margarine, salt and pepper. Arrange fi llets in aluminum foil boats coated with cooking spray. Spread or brush pureed mixture evenly on fi llets. Arrange sautéed mushroom slices evenly on each piece. Cook in medium-hot grill until fi sh flakes easily.
This is a hearty dish that some prefer in cooler
Boil fi sh 10 minutes in salted water with 1
weather. As with many tomato-based recipes, court
tablespoon of Zatarain’s liquid crab boil. Retain
bouillon usually tastes better the next day. The
liquid for fi sh stock. Separate meat from bones and
spices come together better and
set aside.
the flavor is better if you can wait.
Using flour, oil and butter, make a roux. Add onions, celery and shallots and sauté for 10 to 12
Ingredients:
minutes, adding garlic and bell pepper for the last
3 redfish backbones, rib meat & 2 filets
3 minutes.
(equivalent to 6 medium redfish filets)
Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and catsup and
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
a small amount of fi sh broth. Cook on medium heat
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chopped onions
for about an hour, stirring often and adding broth as
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped shallots
necessary so mixture does not get too thick. Skim oil
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper 4 cloves minced garlic
8 oz. tomato sauce
3 oz. tomato paste
8 oz. catsup
as it separates. Add mushrooms, shallot tops, parsley, sugar, fi sh broth (at least 12 oz.) and seasonings (salt, pepper,
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Worchestershire.) Simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 to 2
2 tablespoons parsley
hours adding stock as necessary. Should be on the
1/4 cup shallot tops, chopped
thick side and not too runny.
6 oz. can sliced mushroom
Add seasonings to taste; fi sh will absorb some
12 to 16 oz. fish broth
seasonings. Add boiled fi sh and fi llets cut into
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1-inch chunks and wine. Squeeze in lemon juice
1/2 cup red wine (Cabernet) Salt, pepper, Tony Chachere’s seasoning to taste
from wedges and drop wedges into mixture. Cook on low heat for 1/2 hour. Serve over rice with toasted French
Several dashes of Lee & Perrin Worcestershire sauce
garlic bread. Serves 8-10
1 tablespoon Zatarain’s liquid crab boil Texas Saltwater Fishing
May 2008
99
t e x a s s a lt wat e r f i s h i n g h o l e s
MATAGORDA
100
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LOUISIANA
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Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine has part-time employment opportunities for Circulation Route Sales. USCG / REC HOUSTON - LICENSING E-NEWS # 45 - DEADLINE FOR MERCHANT MARINERS TO BE ISSUED A TWIC All: Under current law, all holders of merchant mariner credentials will be required to apply for and be issued a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). A licensed mariner is required to have a TWIC by September 25, 2008, unless changes to the implementation schedule are made. After that date, individuals may not operate under the authority of a mariner credential without a valid TWIC, and failure to obtain or hold a TWIC may serve as the basis for suspension or revocation of the mariner credential. In addition to the regulatory prohibition on the mariner against serving under the authority of the credential without a TWIC, an employer cannot employ an individual in a position requiring the authority of the mariner credential if the mariner doesn’t have a TWIC. Information pertaining to the TWIC may be found on the Internet at www.tsa.gov/twic. Please disseminate this information as widely as possible. Thanks for your attention, and please do not hesitate to call me ( (713) 948-3350 ) if you have any questions. Larry W. Griffin / United States Coast Guard Semper Paratus / Chief, Regional Exam Center Houston 102
May 2008
Houston, Austin & San Antonio Areas. For more information contact Everett Johnson at Everett@tsfmag.com 361.550.3637
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