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ABOUT THE COVER Doug Hutzler is our cover angler, showing off his personal-best trout of 8.5 pounds.

Doug was fishing the Lower Laguna Madre with Capt. Ernest Cisneros. Doug’s trophy fell for a KWigglers Willow Tail. An epic day for Doug, he also landed a second trophy of nearly identical length and weight.

MAY 2020 VOL 30 NO 1

CONTENTS

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 16 22 26

32 36 40 42 46 48 50 55 78

Those Pesky Little Details The Gesture Diversions – Good and Bad Texas Jetties

Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard

22

Let’s Ask The Pro Shallow Water Fishing TPWD Field Notes Kayak Fishing Chronicles TSFMag Conservation News Fishy Facts Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

Science & the Sea Boat Repair & Maintenance

36 WHAT OUR GUIDES

HAVE TO SAY

58 60 62 64 66 68

Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene The View from Matagorda Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays Hooked up with Rowsey Wayne’s Port Mansfield Report South Padre Fishing Scene

Dickie Colburn Bink Grimes Shellie Gray David Rowsey Wayne Davis Ernest Cisneros

REGULARS 8 Editorial 56 New Tackle & Gear 70 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 72 Catch of the Month 74 Gulf Coast Kitchen

74

62 6 | May 2020

Jay Watkins Scott Null Chas Downey Dave Roberts CCA Texas Stephanie Boyd Eric Ozolins UT Marine Science Institute Chris Mapp

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918 NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION – PRODUCT SALES Vicky Morgenroth Store@tsfmag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Stephanie Boyd Artwork@tsfmag.com SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Jen Shive Jen@tsfmag.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly.

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983.

EDITORIAL

PRACTICE SAFE FISHING!

Oh, man! So much going on that it’s hard to get a read on where we’re going. I have pretty much given up trying to unravel the truth of the situation from watching and listening to mainstream media.

Their messages related to the Covid-19 pandemic run the full gamut of having flattened the curve with better days coming soon to the worst is yet to come. Who and what should we believe?

Luckily we can still find peace through fishing, so long as we do it carefully. Getting on the water with family members and trusted friends who have been practicing the same quarantining and social-distancing measures are safe company against the Covid-19 health threat in my view.

That’s what we have been doing. Not only has the fishing been very good, time on the water has been wonderful for the soul.

Trying to look into the future and predict where we will be in coming weeks and months could be likened to peering into a crystal ball wearing a blindfold. All the large springtime and early-summer fishing tournaments and associated festivities have been postponed due to government mandates. The CCA Texas fundraiser banquets are likewise being postponed. If you typically wait to renew your membership at a local banquet I would suggest you consider doing it online this year.

Great news amid the uncertainty – As of this writing the kickoff for the CCA Texas STAR is still on go for Memorial Weekend and

continuing through Labor Day, with more than $1,000, 000 in prizes and scholarships available to lucky anglers. Scholarship awards over the history of CCA Texas STAR topped $6.85 million during the award ceremony last October. Visit the CCA Texas STAR website for more details and confirmation of dates. During the visit you can also purchase STAR registrations for yourself and family members.

These are tough times for many players in the fishing industry, both locally and nationally, and I want to take a minute to applaud the loyalty of our advertisers who are determined to weather this storm. Without their support through this crisis we would not be able to produce this magazine that so many thousands of Texas anglers enjoy each month. As you thumb these pages, take note of the advertising messages and support those who support our pastime with your purchasing power. We’re all in this struggle together and together we can preserve our fishing heritage.

It is my sincere prayer that this pandemic will be conquered and hardworking Texans can all get back to work very soon. I pray for the health and safety of our medical professionals who risk their very lives to care for the afflicted. We need our factories churning out American-made products, our oilfields pumping energy into the economy. We need our farmers and ranchers who help feed the world to survive and thrive. We need our kids back in school. We need our lives back!

When this is over let’s all go fishing!

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Details STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

M

y crew and I got a very early start this morning in an effort to try to capitalize on a tide change that was supposed to take place around daybreak. We’d been enjoying a pretty strong late afternoon feed for a few days leading up to the full moon but that successful streak faded with each passing day on the back side of the full moon. This forced my hand to adjust the timing of my next outing.

I thought surely the trout must be feeding really early since they no longer appeared to be feeding mid-day or even at dusk. Two hours of wading before sunrise for only four trout pretty much blew that theory out of the water. What on earth was I doing wrong? When were these fish eating? I knew we were on fish because they were popping slicks all around us. In a last ditch effort I met my clients the next day at 2:00 PM with plans of fishing on into the darkness. We caught a grand total of two trout during the daylight hours. As the sun dropped below the horizon and darkness fell upon us mullet became more and more active. We could smell the unmistakable aroma of trout slicks in the air. Trout could be heard popping the surface in what seemed like every direction. A hot pink Rapala Skitter Walk seemed to be the bait that the trout hated the most that night. Despite the smorgasbord of food in the area the high-pitched rattle drew plenty of angry strikes. The feeding frenzy only lasted about thirty minutes then we were once again standing in dead water. Crazy!

Timing is always important but sometimes there are miniscule details that can make a huge difference when the fishing gets tough. I can offer a perfect example of this from one of my recent trips. I was doing quite well hooking up with trout and an occasional red about every fifth or sixth cast.

I had only one client with me that day and he happens to be a heck of a fisherman. He was throwing a different style of soft plastic than me and having zero luck. Our colors were very similar. His was a plum paddletail bait rigged on an eighth ounce leadhead and I was chunking a Purple Demon MirrOlure Lil John on an original Saltwater Assassin eighth ounce jig. He was determined to catch fish on his lure but he finally succumbed to the pressure and switched over to a Lil John. Unfortunately for him, it didn’t

help. Upon closer examination I noticed that his eighth ounce jig head was a different brand and appeared to weigh substantially less than mine. I ended up rigging him up exactly the same as me and he immediately started catching. I honestly can’t ever remember something so minor making such a major difference.

I’m convinced that the sink rate of the Lil John had a lot to do with our success especially after noticing dark green algae coming out of the specks and reds we were catching. For those who are not aware, the Lil John sinks more quickly than most paddletail style soft plastics due to its shape and density. We were drifting in about five feet of water over live oyster reef. This thick and gooey algae was growing on top of the shell. I’m not sure what, but the trout were obviously feeding on something down in that slimy muck. If we weren’t getting hung on shell occasionally then we weren’t getting bit. When I look back on that day it seemed like a lot of information to digest at once but when it’s unfolding before your eyes the clues provide you with the answers.

Determining where the fish are in the water column is a key ingredient to having success, especially when chunking lures. We are in the time of year on the Upper Coast where there are billions of juvenile shad and glass minnows throughout our estuaries. These tiny forage species tend to suspend in the water column. Trout and redfish are going to hang just beneath and then rise when it’s feeding time. We can always tell when this happens because shad tend to rise near the surface and “ball up.” They will get showered out of the water and we’ll see the silver flash of aggressive trout just below.

I have a few favorite baits that I like to use while this is happening. If the trout are suspended, I want a lure that will hover right there in that same level of the water column. Twitchbaits such as Borboleta Lele’s and Hot Rods are fantastic choices, as are Texas Custom Double Ds and Rapala X-Rap SubWalks.

One important element that is not often discussed is the mental aspect of fishing. This is especially true when we’re talking about trying to fool trout using something other than natural bait. How many times have we witnessed one guy in the group who just can’t seem to get bit when everyone around him is lighting them up?

It starts playing games with our minds. Once it gets in your head you start pressing, similar to a hitter who’s in a slump. We’ve all been there. The one glaring difference I’ve noticed in these situations is that the struggling angler tends to start working his lure too fast while trying to force a different outcome. When this happens one tends to lose their bearings, thus becoming blind to important details such as maybe a few flipping mullet, slicks, or nervous water that would greatly increase their odds of getting back into a groove. This is when it’s time to just slow down, take a deep breath and refocus. Also, maybe ask others in the group what they’re doing to get more bites. It’s like rebooting a computer.

We’re getting into the time of year where there will be 12 | May 2020

Creighton Larkin with a pretty speck he tricked while casting to slicks along a dirty streak.

Nathan Richards with a nice trout.

Take a closer look and notice the dark green algae coming out of this trout.

Clayton Schavrda caught this 6-pound trout (released) under a slick over a small reef.

Jimi Frausto took advantage of being in the right place during a very short feeding window.

WHEN SEEING RED IS A GOOD THING

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quite a few easy catching days as water temperatures climb and fish begin to form tighter schools. They will feed more frequently and provide more visible signs. However, we will continue to have those challenging days when fish just won’t seem to cooperate regardless of what time of year it is. These are the times when being there at the right time during those narrow feeding windows and making the little adjustments can bail us out. The right time could be just before daybreak, during a high tide switching to a low or at the beginning of a major feeding period. Or, it could be in the middle of the day during a minor on a bottomed out tide getting ready to switch to incoming.

The water may be off-color and dark colors may work better, or vice versa.

Are the fish close to the bottom or near the surface? Where are you noticing the bait in the water column? Remember that jighead sizes and weights make a difference. You want your lure to look as natural as possible. Always try to cast a little cross-current and crosswind. Little things can make a huge difference sometimes.

Best of luck on the water and God Bless!

Rex Richards with a stout CPR’d trout caught over shell where a few mullet were flipping.

14 | May 2020

CONTACT

STEVE HILLMAN Steve Hillman is a full-time fishing guide on his home waters of Galveston Bay. Steve fishes the entire Galveston Bay Complex, wading and drifting for trout, redfish, and flounder using artificial lures.

Phone 409-256-7937 Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com Web www.hillmanguideservice.com

TSFMAG.com | 15

The

Gesture STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

W

hile I dropped the boat in the water just after daybreak, a moist March wind whistled off the Gulf. Headed out to fish a little in anticipation of several upcoming charters, I idled around the sand bar fronting the hole behind the ramp, planed off and took a sharp right, heading into Nighthawk Bay. My old friend Jesse Arsola and I had been catching some pretty solid trout for a couple weeks on shallow flats in that part of the Upper Laguna Madre.

As I headed toward South Bird Island, I saw Jesse’s TranSport parked in one of his favorite spots, so I pulled up to the south and east of him, in a relatively deep part of the flat, adjacent to a set of the tall, white sand dunes which serve as symbols of North Padre Island. After jumping out, I tied on a green Paul Brown Fat Boy and began casting in wide circles around my path, as I moved away from the boat. Soon, in the clear water, the rising sun illuminated potholes and grassy edges on the ample flat.

Out in front of me, in the distance, I could also see my friend. Like most people, I prefer to fish with the sun and wind on my back, and the light behind me created the perfect perspective for keeping an eye on my buddy. Before long, I began getting bites along the transitions from sand to grass, not every other cast, or even at what might be described as a fast pace, but I had

already caught two or three trout weighing four pounds or more when I saw Jesse hook his first fish. A twinkling ball of foam erupted beside him, as if in celebration of his hook-set.

Both of us began catching at a slow, yet steady rate, for the next hour or so, while the sun climbed above the crests of the fluffy dunes.

After catching a trout which looked big even across the numerous yards lying between us, my amigo turned to look over his shoulder, so I knew he realized I had parked behind him. Eventually, the bite ground to a halt and neither of us caught a fish for a half-hour or more, and I watched Jesse wade back to his boat and climb aboard.

His next move initially puzzled me, as he began idling toward the sand bar extending out from the stretch of the east shoreline between us. When his hull bumped bottom, he put his Power Pole down and jumped over the gunwale, then began walking my way. I realized he intended to come over and say something, so I walked out of the depths onto the bar and started toward him.

We met there in the light of the late-winter sun, while the warming breeze caressed our cheeks and caused his long, dark locks to wave like a tattered flag. While our right hands clasped in a handshake, I noticed he held something clinched in his left fist. “What’s up?” he asked with a smile, in his familiar way. The question wasn’t a question, really. He could see exactly what I was doing. “I just let a big one go,” he claimed. “Didn’t catch anything until I put on the E.D. Then I caught two sixes and the big girl.

She was about 29, weighed eight and a quarter.”

While he told his story, he extended his left Mike Kelley about to handle and release a solid trout caught tight to the bank in March. hand toward me and opened it to reveal three lures, identical to the one he’d used to catch his fish. The gold, broken-backed, floating and diving crank baits all had teeth marks on them, and hooks showing signs of wear and tear. I viewed these as encouraging signs—any trained eye could tell these lures had proven themselves capable of earning strikes. “Take a few of these,” he proclaimed. “They save me all the time when I’m on charters; on lots of days, they catch fish when other lures won’t.”

I smiled and thanked him. Already aware of his love for the custom plugs, ones bought and altered by a famous angler from the Matagorda area, then resold to people like Jesse and his friends. I’d tried them before, without much luck. My spastic, twitch-heavy style doesn’t translate well to lipped lures with built-in action.

I did take what he offered, but couldn’t resist mentioning what I’d already caught.

I wanted him to know he had one thing wrong. The fish would bite other lures; I’d already caught five trout between 24 and 26 inches on my Fat Boy! So, grinning, I shared those details. His chest heaved as he laughed in his deep-throated way. “You never know, I guess. I couldn’t make ‘em bite my Fat Boy. I tied one on first thing,” he admitted. We parted ways then, heading to other places to fish a while Brett Taylor caught this hefty redfish on a windy day, while fishing with the captain. longer. Ironically, we both returned to the dock

18 | May 2020

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at Bird Island early, realizing we’d accomplished our goal for the day.

Remembering this story urges me to ruminate on two concepts.

One relates to the tendency we have to think something we discover holds a special kind of magic for the day. In other words, when we find a productive pattern, we’re tempted to think we’ve found the only one, or at least the most productive one. I suspect that usually isn’t the case.

Later, I recalled the day in Nighthawk while watching a televised bass tournament. The top ten competitors in the event all weighed over 100 pounds of fish in the four days! Cameras documented an important fact—three radically different patterns produced these impressive bags of bass. Some of the guys dropped whacky-worms straight under their boats, probing ledges at depths of over twenty feet, while others pulled medium-diving crank baits through the tops of submerged trees and caught their bass in depths of about twelve feet, and a third bunch threw spinner baits at exposed bushes and stumps to trick fish in three feet of water or less. When interviewed, some of the contestants revealed they clearly thought they’d found some kind of uniquely productive pattern, the only one which could possibly produce such gaudy results.

With the advantage of multiple perspectives provided by the camera lenses, viewers knew better. The event reinforced the concept for me, proved it beyond the shadow of a doubt. Many times, in many

places, and with many kinds of fish, multiple productive patterns exist simultaneously. In essence, the job of an angler involves discovering one of those patterns and tweaking the details related to it properly, to maximize results.

In most cases, testing this theory would prove frivolous indeed.

When a captain reveals a productive way to catch fish, searching for others makes little or no sense. Unless the day’s goal involves preparation for an upcoming, competitive event, one has no legitimate need to identify several different productive patterns which work in widely different types of locations and depths.

For most of us, such a need does not exist. Jesse and I ventured out that morning with the goal of proving the big trout we’d been catching in Nighthawk Bay still swam around there in great enough numbers to justify taking our clients to the place on coming days. Clearly, we achieved our aims, though we did so in subtly different ways.

All this matters to a fishing guide. But what matters more to me now is the other concept the story causes me to consider. I’ll never forget the way Jesse lived his life. His conscious decision to turn away from some big trout, park his boat and trudge through the water just to help me out clearly reveals the spirit of the man I knew. I’d give most anything for a chance to relive the moment when we connected in the shallows, on a gleaming stage of hard, white sand.

My response to his offer lacked grace. I failed to seize upon the ripe opportunity to repay his willful act of kindness with an appropriate dose of gratitude. I should simply have nodded and thanked him, paid his gesture back in kind, instead of trying to make some subtle point about the art of catching fish. My ego got in the way.

Alone, each of us navigates through shadows in the same valley, knowing every fork in the road inevitably leads to a box canyon. While we go, some of us take more meaningful steps than others. People who carry family and friends on their shoulders have more reasons to keep pushing themselves down the pathway.

It’s hard to believe, but half a decade has elapsed since my old buddy passed away. He still influences me to this day. Sometimes, when I pass one of his favorite spots, I hear his throaty laugh echoing in my mind. A man of boundless good cheer, he exuded positive energy, which people seemed to squeeze from him with handshakes and hugs.

In retelling this story, I wish to honor Jesse one more time. I’ll do so by encouraging everyone to share what they know, be a loyal friend, shake the helpful hand of unity. We should all do our best to pay it forward, while we can. In doing so, we pay tribute to my dear, departed friend.

Mike Kelley measures a trout caught while fishing with the captain.

20 | May 2020

CONTACT

KEVIN COCHRAN

Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has created several books and dvds on the subject.

Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut.

TROUT TRACKER GUIDE SERVICE Phone 361-688-3714 Email kevxlr8@mygrande.net Web www.FishBaffinBay.com www.captainkevblogs.com

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DIVERSIONS

GOOD & BAD STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

D

iversion, as defined by the good folks at Webster’s, is an activity that diverts the mind from tedious or serious concerns; a recreation or pastime. If there was ever a time where a diversion was needed more than it has been over the past few weeks I can’t think of it nor do I want to.

Each and every day we are faced with all sorts of diversions; some good, some bad, and some are both. Take for instance the beautiful girl walking down the sidewalk, a classic diversion. The guy in traffic sees her just long enough to crash into the car in front of him. The man walking with his wife glances at a beautiful girl just about the time his wife scolds him for not paying attention to her while she is talking to him. The beautiful girl is nice to look at but in the end was the glance worth the repercussion? Like I said, some diversions can bring both good and bad.

Seldom before have I ever seen folks more anxious to get outside or get out on the water than they have been lately. In a typical year we see a lot of people afflicted with cabin fever as the spring season overtakes winter and pushes it aside. Pretty weather and warmer temperatures accelerate the desire to be outdoors and nobody can be blamed for answering that call, especially after being cooped up indoors for whatever reason.

Like a bear waking from winter hibernation, many fishermen stumbled out of the dark and felt that unmistakable urge to head for the water as the mercury began to climb and the trees started to bud. Many anglers realized it wouldn’t be quite as simple as they

had to pay for the past sins and spend some time and money taking care of necessary boat maintenance that probably should have been done when they put their boat up for the winter. I’m sure some sort of diversion such as hunting or the holidays got in the way and kept them from taking care of those items at the time. Winter neglect just adds a little to the spring tune-up and doing some preventative maintenance before that first trip of the spring is always a smart play.

Nothing in the world compares to the family disaster that comes with boat or motor problems at the launch on the first trip of the year. It’s a bad place to be.

With all of the maintenance issues behind us it’s time get down to actually chasing a fish. For many anglers the spring means different things and they all are worthy of our attention. Obviously for many folks the spring means chasing big speckled trout. From Baffin to Calcasieu there will be many long hours spent searching for that lifetime fish by some of the most dedicated fishermen to ever wade a flat. Fishermen who fall into this group basically have one thing on the brain and that’s big speckled trout and what it takes to find them – no matter what. Some of these fishermen just absolutely blow me away with their single-minded approach and determination, they are truly a breed apart. For these dedicated souls there is no drive too far, no mud too soft or deep, or no boat ride too long if it means a big trout.

Rarely, if ever, do anglers in this category get diverted from their task but occasionally it happens to even the best of them.

Another faction of the fishing population that will be just as determined to pursue their favorite fish this month will be those in search of flounder as they return from the spawning grounds in the

TSFMAG.com | 23

It’s always nice knowing these guys will be waiting when whatever diversion has been holding me captive passes.

24 | May 2020

Stanley Ribbit, or Marker 54 Jerk Shrimp at my disposal during spring.

With this compliment of baits I feel like I have the entire spectrum covered and can make adjustments at a moment’s notice. Some of the most vicious strikes of the year will happen this month and I plan to see as many as I possibly can.

It’s hard for me not to think about one more diversion that I enjoy as much as anything during the spring and that’s doing off-season work with my duck dog, Joli. In fact she actually has her own set of diversions she must navigate in hunt tests or field trials as we continue to chase a few more titles for her pedigree. Many of us hunt just as hard as we fish or vice-versa, so it’s understandable when we have to choose from time to time how we spend our days. Neither of the options is bad in my opinion and quite frankly I think they complement each other very well. Each sport, fishing and hunting, offers up a compliment to the other and comes with its own set of trials, tribulations, and pleasure. So by all means enjoy them both and let each be a welcome diversion during this time Covid-19 craziness when we so desperately need one.

CHUCK UZZLE

CONTACT

Gulf of Mexico to inhabit the shallower marshes and bays along the coast. Although this run of fish is not nearly as fast and furious as it may be during fall it is still one not to be overlooked. As I mentioned the group of big trout fishermen earlier, I can say from experience that active flounder pushed up in the grassy shorelines will tempt even the most seasoned big trout angler. The thought of a stringer full of flat fish and how well they taste when prepared just right is more often than not too hard to pass up. The combination of catching big trout as well as stringing a few flounder in the process is a virtual sensory overload that few will ever turn their noses up at if given the opportunity. Higher than normal tides will escort the flounder back into the bays and deposit them along the shorelines. Look for them chasing the big clouds of shad along the bank and cash in on a great program and even better table fare.

My own personal diversion from all things hectic comes in the form of thick-shouldered aggressive redfish that will begin to group up and prowl the marsh ponds and back lakes of just about all the venues on the Gulf Coast this month. The water temps will be perfect to incite these heavy feeders into a frenzy as they roam the shallow water and dine on a diet made up of crab, small brown shrimp, and the occasional mullet from time to time. Usually, I end up spending a lot of time riding and looking at water until I nail down a good pattern.

Unpredictable winds and the absence of grass in many places really do a number on the water clarity so sight-fishing can be a tough proposition right now. “Search baits” like topwater plugs, spinnerbaits, and small crankbaits are tailor made for exploring the murkier water when that’s your only option. If you can find some clear water, grass, or food like small crabs, you can go back to a more normal sight-fishing pattern. I will seldom be anywhere without a MirrOlure She Pup,

Miss Joli diverts my attention away from fishing from time to time.

Chuck fishes Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes from his home in Orange, TX. His specialties are light tackle and fly fishing for trout, reds, and flounder.

Phone 409-697-6111 Email wakesndrakes@yahoo.com Website wakesndrakes.com

TSFMAG.com | 25

Texas Jetties STORY BY JOE RICHARD

South Padre jetty on a calm morning. Green water is prevalent here, also north at Mansfield and Aransas jetties.

C

oastal Texas has the finest collection of rock jetties in the nation, built for pedestrian traffic. With one exception: the Sabine “west jetty,” offering a sketchy hike and murky water. Two hundred yards away in Louisiana is the “east jetty,” reachable only by boat. That Texas side provided our first-ever experience with hiking jetty rocks a quarter mile offshore. That trip was in January and we only went because the local fish report claimed a boat had caught 50 redfish out there. (No limits back then.) My brothers and I struggled out there a good ways, caught no fish but at least got the lay of the land at an early age, before straggling back. That experience delayed any future plans, but within four years we were jetty regulars—using small boats to reach prime water before climbing onto the rocks for, typically, six hours of plugging.

In the decades after we plugged the rocks from Sabine to South Padre, starting out from shore, or anchoring a small boat way out there and then hiking the rocks, fishing both sides. That foot mobility was great and highly recommended, if you can judge rock angles and surfaces without a miscue. All it takes is one good slip to spoil the day.

These granite rocks are huge artificial reefs, with Galveston’s the longest. Coated with barnacles, algae and oysters, jetties give cover to everything underwater from shrimp to trout, redfish, sharks and tarpon. Above water, one will see many birds and even occasional rats that live below; hard-bitten survivors that scavenge anything edible. And for years, at the end of the Matagorda jetty, there were sightings of a raccoon, bleached orange by the sun, ugly as a chupacabra, grabbing napping pelicans and dragging them below…I wouldn’t want to camp on those rocks without a .380 automatic. Twice we camped on the Sabine jetties, and were kept awake by a full moon and passing crewboats. But at dawn, two Igloos full of trout.

Rock walkers have an advantage over boaters, in that quality fish are mostly within 50 feet of the rocks. On most days, our casts were made at 10 to 45 degree angles, instead of straight out, unless mackerel were present in more open water. Walkers must be patient, one step at a time, lugging their equipment and watching for fishable

Port Aransas north jetty, late 1980s. Summer squall with lightning right behind us, as we hustled back without falling.

Beaumont jetty veterans with another sow trout, this time on the Texas side of the Sabine jetty.

water. If they can reach green water, that’s gravy, but often they have to settle for murky water close to the beach—at least on the upper coast. An incoming tide helps, of course, pulling in clean water from the Gulf. However an outgoing tide on the channel side of the rocks has provided lots of action.

Texas jetties are built differently depending on where you are: Port Aransas rocks are smooth enough to pull a wagon mounted with rod holders, taking a load off the shoulders, and jumbled boulders offer pools for stringered fish. South Padre is rounded and capped with poured concrete, where anglers might slide into the water. Galveston and Matagorda jetties are boulders laid carefully together, with cracks and gaps running every which way. Some stretches at Sabine are noticeably more awash these days.

I always considered the last 100 yards of a jetty as prime turf; it’s first to receive clear water from the Gulf with much more tidal action.

It’s true they have the roughest water, but they hosted the most fish traffic. It’s a great ambush point on the outgoing tide, with trout and redfish waiting for outgoing bait schools.

Another time-honored spot is the “safety cut” in the Sabine and Galveston jetties, built for small boat traffic. Water flow through these cuts attracts gamefish, though close-quarter boat traffic is relentless on weekends. The remaining Texas jetties can all be hiked from the beach out to the very end.

It should be noted here that walking the jetty is not for the ungainly.

It’s a high- energy environment with unforgiving rocks, compared to a public bay pier. You need a good sense of balance, and the ability to swim could even come in handy. If you have medical issues, stick to piers and levees where help is nearby. Way out there on the rocks in a medical emergency, hitching a ride back to your car may not be an option if a friendly boater isn’t nearby.

Years ago in summer we fished countless afternoons. Action might be slow, followed by frantic evenings with trout herding showering baitfish against the rocks. We’d make little 20-foot casts with MirrOlures, rear back and drag about 60 trout onto the concrete wall. (Never used a landing net.) Several times, crew boats raced by, heedless of their wakes that soon washed dozens of loose trout back in the Gulf. Our Spanish mackerel sank instantly but the trout floated, and we dogpaddled after them in 30 feet of water, rounding up the biggest first.

One evening at sunset we had two-dozen trout on the stringer, and sharks showed up, four- and five-footers that were soon tugging on our fish. (Not a good place for fish stringers). It was getting dark and time to go, and somebody had to swim out to our empty anchored boat, 50 feet from the rocks. Since it was my boat, I jumped in and cleaved the water in record time, vaulting into Old Yellow in one smooth motion. It was a 15-foot bow rider Thunderbird ski-boat bought used at Toledo Bend, that would see countless jetty trips.

We also used aluminum jonboats around the jetties, since scraping a rock was no problem; just ease in close, unload gear (including anchor and ourselves) right on the jetty, and shove the empty boat back into deeper water. And keep an eye on it, if the wind shifted.

Tips for Jetty Walkers

High energy at Port O’Connor’s Matagorda jetty.

Small tarpon hang around here during summer.

28 | May 2020

Green water is the ticket; if the water resembles chocolate milk, fish elsewhere or switch to live bait. A small castnet might save the day; there are plenty of baitfish around the jetties in summer, often on the surface.

And live shrimp on the sand bottom, though 20-30 feet further out. At

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the short rock groins along Galveston’s 5-gallon Bucket. This is a mainstay seawall, the sand bottom is close to dry for fishing trips, used for carrying rocks and big, fine live shrimp are easy needed items including a castnet (even to catch there in summer. (Park in front live bait, with a Mr. Bubbles attached of Gaido’s Restaurant.) on top). And to carry keeper fish, for Tackle. We still like to sling artificials that hike back to the truck. Some all day with baitcasting tackle, spooled jetties, like the north Aransas jetty, offer up with tough, 20-pound Ande line. protective saltwater pools between Our personal preference, after making the rocks, handy for stringers. Others, countless rock-bound casts, are gold like South Padre, don’t and a bucket spoons. Snags are inevitable, but as is much needed. Catch a few baitfish, one learns the underwater terrain, and keep ‘em alive in the bucket. It can it gets easier. Lighter spin gear with make a difference. If the fishing is slow, 12-pound line is fragile around rocks it can be used as a seat. If a jetty has a and the sharp marine growth. Hook a smooth surface, some folks today use decent redfish, and it will dive deep; wagons rigged with rod holders. good luck stopping one with light spin Landing net. We never used a gear. Even a good trout can brush a landing net out there, just slid fish rock at close quarters, cutting the line. onto the rocks with an incoming If the water is too murky for wave. Some fish were lost, of course. artificials, sometimes we’ll rig up a pop The rather steep South Padre jetty cork with live bait, and walk it down would be difficult to land good fish the channel side of the rocks during an without a net. Timing is everything, outgoing tide. No need to toss it out and you don’t want to slip in the Sabine jetty on the Louisiana side, where we misspent our youth. more than a dozen feet; gamefish feed excitement. When a fish is tired, time close to rocks. Our only live bait for many years was caught out there that next wave to hoist him ashore. with a castnet. If you can buy live shrimp, it’s easy to toss them out Dress for a harsh environment. There is zero shade when fishing from the rocks weighed with only a tiny split shot weight. the jetties; you have to make your own. Protect yourself from cruel rocks Heavier tackle baited with say, a mullet head can be tossed far and sun with long sleeves, long trousers and a broad-brimmed sun hat. from the rocks, or fished under a cork or balloon. Bull redfish and Vest for carrying tackle. If away from your bucket, wear a vest and large, black drum lurk on the bottom. On the surface, it’s mostly travel light and fast with an assortment of spoons, jigs, plugs and fish sharks and big, 20-pound jacks that hit artificials. Just don’t chase stringer. Treble hooks in shirt pockets will get prickly. a hooked jack on the rocks—that’s a heartache waiting to happen.

Better to break it off and re-rig.

Jetty shoes: Having the right shoes is imperative—shoes you’re Joe Richard has fished the Gulf since 1967, starting out of Port Arused to, since the day is spent calculating where to put that next step. thur, but his adventures have taken him up and down the entire coast.

The angle of that next rock, slippery or not (wet algae or dry), stepping He was the editor of Tide magazine over cracks that are five feet deep. The only time I was ever hurt, I was for eight years, and later Florida Sportsman’s book and assistant wearing borrowed shoes on a last-minute trip. Over the years I favored magazine editor. He began guiding old-fashioned high-top Keds, made of canvas. out of Port O’Connor in 1994. His Fishing Gloves. Wish we’d had those gloves 40 years ago; it would specialty is big kingfish, and his latest book is The Kingfish Bible, have saved trips to the ER. Stumble on jetty rocks, pitch forward, and New Revelations. Available at the worst injury is to the hands. Today I don’t fish without gloves, Seafavorites.com anywhere. Avoid thin nylon gloves and use sturdier versions with leather sewn to the palm.

CONTACT

JOE RICHARD

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30 | May 2020

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TSFMAG.com | 31

Fellow guide and friend, Hunter Odom, with solid springtime trout – CPR!

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

THIRTY-YEAR-OLD LESSON

SAVES THE DAY

One would think that after forty years I would have this fishing gig down to a perfect science. I wish it worked that way but it doesn’t. I have access to literally thousands of entries in my fishing journals that can certainly provide clues for deciphering patterns and formulating game plans for every season, whether they be weather, tide, or water conditions. What I cannot foresee are the evolutionary changes that are occurring within the fishery itself and these unknowns are what continues to make fishing the challenging sport that it is.

I have literally fished so much over the years that if I’m not careful I sometimes fail to enter such changes into my thought process and just go fishing. It’s fun to just go fishing sometimes and sort of fly by the seat of your pants but it seldom pays dividends in my profession.

Last month I talked about becoming a teaching guide and how it requires more planning and the ability to show and explain the why, when, where, and how of each day’s success. This article will be dedicated to a 32 | May 2020

day last week when I was reminded of a couple patterns that I had somehow overlooked and it showed in the consistency of my catching.

I first want everyone to know that I still set the bar high.

Years ago one of my clients said he never started counting until we had caught at least twenty slot-sized trout.

Seems like a tall order but it’s really not when client skill sets are above average. I still keep count every day and I never count undersize fish. Today, even though numbers still matter we release 80% of our catches, thanks to so many clients becoming aware of the necessity to become better stewards of our resources.

Let me take through the day I mentioned above from start to final wade and talk about my thoughts and what they eventually led me to rediscover.

March and April can be great months along our Middle and Lower Coasts and I get booked heavily due to anglers wanting one last shot at a heavy pre-spawn trout. But pre-spawn fish can be unpredictable, especially when

Another fellow guide and friend, Chase Odom, posing before CPR on a fine springtime speck.

Chase throws floating Corkys year round.

baitfish migrations and/or weather patterns do not align favorably with one’s fishing days. The days leading up to the trip I’m discussing here had us seeing very little bait, no pelicans or gulls diving, and very little evidence of dolphin activity. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, dolphins know where to find food and one would be foolish to not pay attention.

I am a huge believer and promoter of searching for the right signs over the right bottom structure before getting out of the boat. It is also important to note that the water was air-clear, the tide was low, water temperature was 67 degrees. The wind was ESE at less than 15 mph – fairly unusual for the final week of March. I was at about Plan-E before I saw the first signs. We had a solunar major predicted to peak at around 9:15 am. We got out and almost immediately stuck a couple of solid 20-inch fish along an area of scattered submerged grass. After another 30 minutes without a bite I returned to the boat and headed down to pick up my guys. When I was within about 50 yards one of them stuck another good fish. I quickly set the Power Pole and eased over the side. Notice I said eased. It can be hard enough to catch them at times without any unnecessary noise from us.

Before I reached the group another guy had also stuck a good fish.

Then came 30 minutes of nothing as we inched slowly forward. Let me mention that the only bait we saw the entire time in this area was when we pulled up and when I was approaching my guys wading. Just keep this in the back of your mind as our day continues. Also keep in your mind that I had not yet received a bite which is going to be a very important aspect to the day.

The solunar major was coming to an end and we were still not seeing any bait. I think I might have been through the playbook to Plan-H by this time, which got me to thinking that if something good didn’t happen pretty quick we’d have to begin using our legs to find them.

A couple of 30 to 40 minutes wades went by with only a fish here

Yours truly with a real fatty. CPR’ed on a tough day with wind gusting to 30 mph.

and there. I had personally only caught a couple of fish, too few to get a grip on a pattern. Bites were not really strikes but light takes or just heaviness on the end of the line. Boy is this a case for owning a hightonnage graphite stick. Henri, Waterloo, G-Loomis and Sarge get my vote but this is just my opinion. Bottom line in fishing rods is that you can’t catch what you can’t feel.

The way a fish wants the lure and the ability of the angler to recognize this and put it into play is super important. During a difficult bite I need to see and feel what the fish want and once I do I can make it happen. Trouble was that I was not able to put anything specific together. Bites were so random for the whole group that no pattern was jumping out at me and it was costing my guys.

I have always been quick to take the blame for days like this, not because I want people to feel bad for me, but because in the fishing world the guide is usually the reason. Ok, maybe some aren’t, but that’s the way I take it.

So, at about 2:00 pm, we had a solunar minor looming as I pulled up to an area that I know to be good for the season and the day’s conditions. Zero bait activity on arrival but on my first cast I had a really good 23-inch fish take my bait. I stuck it and noticed that it came from the edge of a grassbed. My guy standing next to me stuck one almost immediately a few yards away on the same grass. Baitfish that were inactive beforehand suddenly flashed and darted when those two fish were hooked.

Another angler eased alongside and I instructed him to cast to the grass out in front. Five or so minutes went by without a strike. I decided to tickle the 5” MirrOlure Provoker along the sand bottom up to the edge of the grassbed, and then lightly twitch through the grass rather than hopping the lure across it. This is possible with a 1/16-ounce Texas Customs’ jighead as the lead wrapping the eyelet TSFMAG.com | 33

34 | May 2020

been scarce for days. With the mild winter and higher than normal winter tides, we lost little bottom grass on much of our shoreline. I would think that milder winter temperatures probably also allowed some of the smaller baitfish (perch) to remain in the shallows.

Nonetheless, a pattern learned 30 years ago can still come into play today if the conditions allow and if we are smart enough to allow ourselves to think a little.

I hope you enjoyed the wade with me and my guys and I hope you gained some knowledge for what I believe can be going on at times. I also hope that reading allowed you a little time away from the issues Americans are facing right now.

On a serious note, I want us all to be safe. The Coronavirus and economic downturn are stressing everyone. We are all in this thing together and we must stay positive and keep pushing forward.

America and her people always rise up no matter how dire the situation. Have faith that God takes care of us and if you’re feeling stressed about things, have a talk with him. He loves hearing from us.

May your fishing always be catching! -Guide Jay Watkins

C O N TA C T

has less tendency to snag grass than conventional heads.

By sliding the lure through the grass on subtle twitches, I believe it made a very good imitation of a pin perch feeding with its head down.

Sunlight glinting from the bait’s red and gold glitter added additional realism and sealed the deal. By the way, I am huge supporter of gold and silver glitter, and also reddish holograms. Not much on the really bold-flashy baits, just enough to imitate sunlight being reflected from a baitfish’s scales.

On the 45 minute wade that followed we caught 20-plus fish – all solid and ranging from 19 to 23-inches. On my second to last fish I noticed it regurgitating a large pinfish as she came to hand. That’s when it all came flooding back. I recalled many years ago, Gary Clouse, a terrific old-time guide in Rockport, telling me one day that the trout he was catching were eating pinfish. In those days we would drift across the flats and could literally see the golden glinting of pinfish as they fed in the grassbeds. Oftentimes we noticed trout and reds following a lure that had a half-dozen pinfish trailing behind. Upon the approach of the trout or redfish the perch would dive into the grass, leaving only the lure for them to eat.

I used the original Kelly Wigglers shrimptails as one of my first soft plastic baits. The plastic was tough enough to withstand the perch bites without losing their tails. Those baits are still available today, owned and produced by Port Mansfield guide, Wayne Davis. We still see this “perch pattern” today if we look attentively and pay attention to the details, and Wayne’s baits are still tough as ever.

The reason the fish are currently eating perch is probably the present lack of smaller mullet. Remember I told you earlier bait had

Jay Watkins has been a full-time fishing guide at Rockport, TX, for more than 20 years. Jay specializes in wading yearround for trout and redfish with artificial lures. Jay covers the Texas coast from San Antonio Bay to Corpus Christi Bay. Telephone Email Website

361-729-9596 Jay@jaywatkins.com www.jaywatkins.com

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TSFMAG.com | 35

C A P T. S COT T N U L L

S H A L L O W W AT E R F I S H I N G

SOUTH TEXAS FISHING INDUSTRY GATHERING Preparing to write this month’s article it is hard not to dwell on the current state of things. Virtually all of Texas is in lockdown with orders to stay at home or shelter in place. Hopefully by the time you read this we’ll have come out the other side of this dark tunnel and straight into some serious spring fishing.

I was fortunate to get in one last fishing road trip before all hell broke loose. Following the Houston Fishing Show I was invited to join a group of folks for several days of fishing and camaraderie on the far south end of the state where spring was already in full swing. Mark Nichols and Ed Zyak with D.O.A. Lures have been putting on these get-togethers for many years in Florida and I’ve been privileged to be a part of several outside of Texas.

The official title is a “media event” and that likely better described the events of years past. Writers from across the country would assemble at the designated location and spend a couple days fishing with local guides while using D.O.A. products. My first trip was an eye opener to the wide variety of lures produced by the company. I’d known Mark for a good while, but I had honestly only

“

used his famous shrimp. In those two days I was able to test the entire line-up and enjoyed success with most. I now incorporate many of their offerings into my everyday fishing for everything from trout and reds to tarpon and snook. Mark truly has developed a lure for most any situation.

Three years ago Mark and Ed hired Captain Brian Barrera to handle D.O.A.’s business along the Texas coast. Part of that responsibility is organizing an annual gathering on the Lower Laguna Madre. I prefer to call it a gathering rather than media event because it truly has become a gathering of like-minded folks from across the fishing industry. Great food, adult beverages and good people with lots of fishing stories makes for a fun time even without the fishing.

In addition to writers and photographers, Mark includes others from companies with which he works closely. It’s a great opportunity to get some hands-on with new products from companies like Hummingbird, Danco, ForEverlast, Shimano and Laguna Madre Clothing. Believe it or not, the new product that piqued my attention was a pair of protective wading

You know what would be really good right now? A sandwich!

”

Lower Laguna trout on a DOA CAL Paddle Tail.

36 | May 2020

Capt Ruby Delgado with a nice LLM red on the DOA CAL Paddle Tail.

Kelly Groce admires a beautiful trout taken on a DOA CAL Paddle Tail.

Gotta love snook; Rex DeGuzman’s first-ever.

socks. Billy Gerke, owner of ForEverlast, brought a pair of Ray Guard socks made of Kevlar. I’ve worn all manner of stingray protection over the years and this is by far the most comfortable and easiest to use. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for the release announcement which should come sometime in the next month or so.

Enough of all that, let’s go fishing.

I was assigned to Captain Ruby Delgado’s boat the first morning and she is an absolute pleasure to fish with.

She knows those waters, runs a tight boat, and can spot a redfish as well as anybody I’ve been around. Mike Holliday with HUK clothing and fellow writer/photographer Kelly Groce were also onboard. I’ve fished with these ladies on past trips so we quickly fell into the good-natured ribbing that comes easy with a good crew.

Ruby and Kelly were steadily hooking trout and reds throwing D.O.A.’s Paddle Tail Grub in Copper Crush under the D.O.A. Clacker Corks. I was being stubborn and sticking with the PT-7 just because I like topwaters.

Blow-ups were steady from trout but I just couldn’t get any of them to fully commit. A few were impressive enough to turn every head on the boat. I feel sure I could’ve cleaned up had I given in and switched to a soft plastic. And Mike? Well Mike turned into the pin perch champion.

His ability to hook those perch on a soft plastic and jighead was quite impressive and we let him know with a round of cheers each and every time. In the end we all caught fish and had plenty of laughs. What more can you ask for?

The next morning I was assigned to Captain Larry Hensley, along with Mitch Dreisbach, president of Danco, and Taylor Winzeler, owner of Laguna Madre Clothing. Our day started with Mitch carefully putting together sandwiches for each of us. Very thoughtful of him. As we skimmed across the ultra-clear shallows headed towards the Arroyo, Taylor and I were enjoying the smooth ride on the front seat. That was interrupted when Mitch leaned over the windshield to ask Taylor if he had brought the TSFMAG.com | 37

as close to the bank as possible and then make a steady, fairly-fast retrieve maintaining bottom contact. He said you’ll likely get some tap bites that’ll be ladyfish, but when a snook hits it’ll feel like the lure just stopped.

Brian was dead on. Tap-tap and a ladyfish would vault into the air, but with the leverage of the heavy jig we could get them to throw it fairly easily. I had quite a few of those pesky ladies and then it happened. The lure stopped dead and I set the hook on a really nice snook. They turned on a that point and we had more snook than ladyfish over the next hour or so. Rex got his first-ever snook and there were high fives all around.

Man I love catching Texas snook. And doing it in this unorthodox manner with a lure I’d never have thrown made it even sweeter. As we were wrapping up I asked Brian how he had settled on using a one ounce head and he replied, “Because we don’t make a two ounce.” Fair enough.

And you know what would be good right about now? A sandwich!

C O N TA C T

sandwiches. Taylor’s immediate head drop provided the answer. I’m not sure how many times it was said during the day but, “You know what would be really good right now? A sandwich!” will never not be funny amongst our group.

The fishing was a bit slow throughout the day, but Capt. Hensley never gave up and through making several moves we scratched out a few fish. As a fellow guide I felt for him. Some days are harder than others, but you still want every one of them to be stellar. He put far more pressure on himself than the crew did. It was a very enjoyable day just with all the conversation about the fishing industry, kids, mutual friends, etc. Catching was a bonus.

The event was officially over and everyone was headed home on the third morning. Everyone except Rex DeGuzman and myself.

Brian had teased us with photos of snook for weeks prior to the event and it was time for the payoff. We only had a few hours in our schedules to get it done. Brian hustled from spot to spot trying every trick in the book. We saw dozens of snook and got in some good casts, but alas, they just weren’t in the mood. At one spot I tossed a weightless C.A.L. Jerk Bait right in front of a very large snook who couldn’t have acted less interested.

So with time running out we made one last stop. Brian said since sight-casting wasn’t working it was time to dredge. He tied on one ounce jig heads, yes I said one ounce, and threaded on 3” C.A.L. Shad Tail in Texas Croaker. It’s a purple over clear gold flake that I’ve been using quite a bit over the last year. The Humminbird showed we were sitting in about 15’ of water and spot locked with the Minn Kota a very long cast from the bank. Brian instructed us to throw

Capt. Scott Null is a devout shallow water fisherman offering guided adventues via kayak, poled skiff, and wading.

Telephone Email Website

281-450-2206 captscottnull@gmail.com www.captainscottnull.com

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By Chas Downey | Fish and Wildlife Te c h n i c i a n U p p e r L a g u n a M a d r e E c o s y s t e m

FIELD NOTES

TROUT TRENDS IN THE UPPER LAGUNA MADRE ECOSYSTEM: THE PAST 10 YEARS One of the most sought-after sportfish in Texas is spotted seatrout. They commonly live nine to ten years and have been aged up to 12 years in Texas. Trout can grow seven to nine inches during their first year depending on their sex, temperature and salinity, and food availability; most are sexually mature by two years old, which is generally around 14- to 17-inches long. Spawning typically occurs in deeper water sections of bays adjacent to shallow flats and seagrass beds. The spawning season lasts from late spring to early fall with peaks in June and September.

After hatching, newly settled juveniles are found in seagrass beds, salt marshes, and along marsh edges.

A great place to catch spotted seatrout is the Upper Laguna Madre (or “ULM�). The ULM ecosystem stretches just over 60 miles from the southern extent of Corpus Christi Bay, south to the southern end of the Land Cut, including Baffin Bay. The ULM is a popular fishing

destination because of the habitat it provides trout and other sport fish. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) fisheries independent sampling in the ULM ecosystem has been conducted for almost 45 years, and the data obtained from these sampling efforts can be used to examine trends to better understand the status of coastal aquatic populations such as trout.

The Upper Laguna Madre ecosystem team examined the catch rates of trout from three sampling gears which target different life stages (juvenile, sub-adult, and adult) in the ULM between 2009 and 2018, to identify patterns or fluctuations in catch. Catch rates are a measure of the number of fish caught for the amount of time or area sampled. Juvenile catch rates are measured by area, in hectares, while sub-adult and adult catch rates are measured by time, in hours. Over the most recent 10 years, five had juvenile catch rates that were higher

Figure 1. Annual average catch rate of juvenile and sub-adult spotted seatrout for each year from 2009 to 2018; Juvenile catch rate is shown by catch per hectare. Sub-adult catch rate is shown by catch per hour. Long-term average for all years is displayed as the green line, and the 10-year trend (catch per hour change from 2009 to 2018) is displayed as the dotted red line; Average catch rate of juveniles was significantly higher in 2015 and lower in 2014, while average catch rate of sub-adults was significantly higher only in 2015 when compared to that of the other years.

40 | May 2020

Figure 2. Adult annual average total length (inches from snout to tip of caudal fin; solid blue line, right vertical y-axis) and annual average catch rate (catch per hour, solid black line, left vertical y-axis) by year from 2009 to 2018 (horizontal x-axis); Average catch rate for all years combined (Long-term Catch Average) is displayed as the green line, the 10-year catch rate trend (change in catch rate from 2009 to 2018) is displayed as the dotted black line, and the 10-year trend in total length is displayed as the dashed blue line. Fish sampled in 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2018 were significantly larger, and fish in 2010, 2014, 2015, and 2016 were significantly smaller than that of the other years.

than the long-term average, of which 2011, 2015, and 2016 were significantly higher than that of the other years. There also appears to be cycles of high and low numbers of juveniles entering the population every two to three years (Figure 1). The years with the lowest juvenile catch rates, 2012 through 2014, coincide with a severe drought when salinity was higher than average (37.6 ppt) in the ULM. The drought ended during spring of 2015, and increased rainfall lowered bay salinity to more optimal conditions with salinities closer to average, which may have contributed to increased survival and higher catches of newly recruited trout (Figure 1). However, the number of juveniles caught decreased after 2015, which coincides with a period of decreased rainfall and increased salinity.

Sub-adults follow a similar pattern of decreasing catch rate during the same time-frame of the drought. In addition, sub-adult catch rates in 2015 were higher than that of other years. For adults, the 10-year catch rate trend shows a general decrease, which may be influenced by the large decline in 2017 and 2018. This large decline may have been a result of decreased recruitment due to higher than average salinities during the prolonged drought. Despite this decreasing trend, there were six continuous years with record high catch rates during the same time frame, which is encouraging. Of those six years, the catch rates of adult trout in 2011 and 2016 were significantly higher than the other

four record years. Similar to juveniles and sub-adults, adult catch rates appear to fluctuate every two to three years (Figure 2).

During years with relatively high catch rates, the average total fish length (tip of snout to the end of the caudal fin) is relatively low; however, during years with relatively low catch rate, the average total length is relatively high. Years with large numbers of smaller fish are a result of a strong recruitment year with high survival of juveniles and can make a group or cohort that can be tracked in the data as the fish age. Adult trout caught in 2017 and 2018 were significantly longer than that of other years, but there were fewer individuals caught overall (Figure 2). So, for the last couple of years it appears that there were fewer but larger trout.

Due to our ongoing collection efforts, Texas Parks and Wildlife is able to monitor population trends at varying time scales for fish, such as the spotted seatrout, throughout the Texas coast. Over the past 10 years, the trout population has shown years of higher and lower recruitment of juveniles, years with high numbers of adult fish, and years with low numbers but larger individuals. While there is still more to be learned about what other factors affect trout populations, with this knowledge in hand, Texas Parks and Wildlife can continue to effectively manage our natural resources for the continued enjoyment of future generations.

Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or tpwd.texas.gov for more info.

TSFMAG.com | 41

DAV E R O B E R T S

K AYA K F I S H I N G C H R O N I C L E S

KAYAKING POINTE AUX CHENES One of my favorite things to do when planning a fishing trip is targeting locations off the beaten path. There is nothing more exciting about packing up and heading to a destination that is only known for one thing, and that’s fishing. Fortunately for us, our neighbor to the east provides an endless amount of fishing opportunity.

Once you pull off the main highway you will weave through small towns with names that you can barely pronounce; that’s how you know you are getting close.

Then you make a turn down a dead end road that runs along a bayou that is filled with crab traps and shrimp boats and at the end, a boat ramp. If you navigate the backroads successfully you can find a place that has become more popular for kayakers in the recent years and one of these is Pointe Aux Chenes.

Here recently, a member of the Jackson Kayak team reached out and extended an invitation to meet up with some of his friends down in PAC. I had a few days off and I figured I was due for a short road trip to catch some fish and renew some friendships. I loaded up my kayak, a handful of rods, and was headed southeast in short order. Of course my journey included the 42 | May 2020

mandatory stop along the way for a shrimp pistolette and some boudain. It’s nearly impossible to drive through Cajun country without these.

There is something really special about PAC that sets it apart from everywhere else. There is a bait shop, kayak rental and kayak launch facility that was designed and built strictly to serve the kayaking community.

Eddie and Lisa Mullen are the owners and have done a fantastic job in creating a destination for paddling anglers. In addition to the launch they also have a houseboat and a cabin that can be rented for those who might entertain staying a few days. Eddie also offers boat services for mothershipping kayak anglers deep into the surrounding marshes. Putting it all together, with the store, the kayak launch, mothership transport, and overnight accommodations available, Eddie and Lisa offer a truly unique staycation destination.

As soon as I arrived I was greeted warmly by Eddie and given directions to some nearby places if I wanted to make a quick dash into prime redfish country. I wasted no time sliding the kayak into the water and took off across the Louisiana marsh. Some clouds had

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moved in blocking the afternoon sun, which pretty much cancelled sight-casting but… no worries…I still had faith there would be plenty of fish available. I began throwing a gold spoon on the edge of a grass line and it was not long until I hooked into a nice mid-slot fish. I continued on and picked up a handful of others before deciding to paddle back to the house boat.

Another team mate, Chris Funk, was there and he too had made an afternoon foray. We compared notes from our evening efforts and fortunately we’d both found a few fish. He told me that he had spoken with others of our party and they weren’t going to be arriving until a little later that night. So we decided to fire up the BBQ pit and turn on the flood lights hoping to attract a few trout under the glow. It didn’t take long before the trout moved in thick under the lights. Always looking to have fun with a fly rod, I rigged my 4-weight with a small offering that those trout just loved.

Long about 10:00 pm, Jameson and the other guys showed up. Having driven all the way from South Carolina they were eager to get out the truck and join in on the fishing.

We had a great time catching trout and catching up all the news, gossip, and fishing stories since our last get-together.

Morning came early with everybody eager to gather tackle and gear and hit the water. The group pretty much split up and headed in different directions while Jameson and I stayed together and headed toward another stretch of marsh. Luck was with us right from the beginning and we added a few to our stringers for dinner that evening. Good thing because the wind picked up around midday and we ended up calling the day early. Our whole group reported good fishing until the wind came up and that evening we dined heartily on blackened redfish fillets and dirty rice – a true bayou country classic.

Once again we stayed up trying to catch some trout under the lights while Chris was busy catching smaller crabs for bait on his heavy rod. Rounding up a good supply he finally decided it was time to get in on the fun and chunked out a crab and settled in to wait for a bite. It was not long until all of our attention was directed towards him as his rod was bent over and the reel was screeching. He reeled in a giant black drum and was happy as can be. He ended up catching a few that night and made his bait 44 | May 2020

C O N TA C T

gathering efforts worthwhile.

The next morning we awoke to vastly different weather conditions. The wind was coming out of the north at 25-30 mph and the temperature had dropped into the 50s. No surprise, the tide had dropped as dramatically as the temperature. Some of the guys braved it and found refuge in the lee of a marsh shoreline but the fish simply wouldn’t cooperate. The next day would be the same.

However, when you’re stuck at an end of the road place with fishing on temporary hold, there are still a few benefits to be realized from being in an area with such bountiful resources. Mr. Eddie informed us that many of the local oyster and crab boats fuel up at his shop and he had ordered a sack of oysters and several dozen crabs. That evening he and Lisa a few of their friends joined us as we shucked oysters and boiled crabs well into the night. True southern hospitality.

The next morning I reluctantly loaded up and headed back home; I had to be at work that evening. The rest of the group was planning to stay the rest of the week and, fortunately for them, the weather became much friendlier and the fishing really turned on. I want to give Eddie and Lisa a big thank you for the hospitality they showed us. I have been there several times and they have always treated us very kindly.

If you are ever wanting to make a roadtrip to a great kayak fishing destination, pull off the highway and follow the road until it dead ends at Pointe Aux Chenes.

As always, if you would like more information on fishing Pointe Au Chenes, just drop me an email and I will be happy to point you toward some great fishing in a great place with good people.

Dave Roberts is an avid kayak-fishing enthusiast fishing primarily the inshore Upper Coast region with occasional adventures to surf and nearshore Gulf of Mexico.

Email: TexasKayakChronicles@yahoo.com Website: www.TexasKayakChronicles.com

TSFMAG.com | 45

Story by Shane Bonnot

T S F M A G C O N S E R VAT I O N N E W S

A BETTER BIVALVE This time last year we informed CCA Texas members of an industry coming to coastal waters - Cultivated oyster mariculture, more commonly referred to as oyster farming, is the process of growing oysters in containment systems off-bottom, in mid-water column, or floating at the water surface. The captive production of oysters is well known to coastal communities in other states but will be a new experience for anglers and other users of our bays. Oyster mariculture allows individuals the opportunity to influence the shape, size, look, texture and physical characteristics of the oyster depending on choices made before the oyster reaches market. Where the oyster is grown can help influence the taste of the oysters. How the oyster is grown can influence the shape.

Inputs and decisions made by the grower create a product with unique brand recognition and the end result is a better bivalve for the half-shell consumer.

The bill that allows for cultivated oyster mariculture (House Bill 1300) was carried by Representative Todd Hunter (R-District 32) and signed into law by Governor Abbott in May 2019. It requires that Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) adopt rules for the new program so that

by September 1, 2020 potential oyster farmers can begin the application process for necessary permits. To that end, TPW will conduct public hearings in April/May to gather public input on the proposed program rules, with a vote taken in late May at the TPW Commission Meeting.

The entire process of growing oysters will occur in three phases: 1) Hatchery, 2) Nursery, and 3) Grow-out. The first two phases are land-based or shoreline-based operations, with little to no conflicts with current activities along the

Photo Courtesy: Element Seafood

46 | May 2020

coast. It is the final phase of oyster mariculture that will be the most visible in our bay systems, as there are numerous ways that a grower can achieve their desired goals for a half-shell oyster product. Grow-out containment systems or cages can be located just off-bottom, in mid-water column, and/or floating at the water’s surface. Each location within the water column has its own advantages and disadvantages, but most will be visible from the water surface.

Currently, TPW is considering allowing potential participants or permit applicants to self-nominate a location in the bay that is void of what they consider Tier 1 considerations: presence of sensitive or critical habitats, areas already under lease, dredge placement areas, oil/ gas activities, mitigation sites, restoration sites, Health Department “Restricted” and “Prohibited Areas”, etc. Any area with a Tier 1 consideration is a non-starter and a potential participant will have to find another location.

Most of the ideal locations along shorelines that don’t fall under a Tier 1 consideration will likely be subject to Tier 2 considerations; such as unfavorable environmental conditions, favorable recreational and commercial fishing locations, and neighboring entities (state parks, National Wildlife Refuges, etc.). The Tier 2 considerations are not a deal killer, but the applicant needs to be aware of the unique conditions of the proposed location. All locations will require a lease from the General Land Office (GLO) and will be subject to public comment.

Here is an outline of how the proposed application process will proceed: Pre-application – Nominated site form → preapplication consultation → verification of Tier 1 clearances → natural resource survey → public notification (adjacent property owners and public meeting) → written authorization to proceed with application process.

Application – Operation plan → GLO submerged lands lease → Texas Commission on Environmental Quality discharge permit → Texas Agriculture Department aquaculture permit (for land-based facilities) → Department of Health and Human Services Sanitation Training → Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide 48 permit.

Currently, TPW projects that the entire application process could take up to 12 months to complete before a cultivated oyster mariculture permit is awarded to the potential participant. At this time, it is important to note that the application process may change after TPW staff consults with the TPW Commission and continues coordination with other state agencies.

As CCA Texas members are aware, public oyster reefs receive enormous pressure from commercial oyster

fishing but also face other threats ranging from sedimentation, erosion, disease, predation, and freshwater events. Having healthy oysters in our bay systems is important for estuarine ecosystems as they provide numerous ecosystem services and better fishing.

CCA Texas supports cultivated oyster mariculture and will continue to work with the Texas Legislature and Texas Parks and Wildlife to develop a cultivated oyster mariculture program that addresses concerns of the angling community, redefines the Texas half-shell market, and puts more oysters in our waters to benefit the coastal ecosystem. Please reach out to sbonnot@ccatexas.org if you have any questions regarding oyster mariculture and the TPW rule making process for this new industry coming to Texas bays.

Oyster Mariculture • Cultivated oyster mariculture produces excellent product for the half-shell market.

• Containment systems (cages) can be placed off-bottom, in midwater column, or floating at the water surface.

Benefits: • While in the water these oysters will be providing valuable ecosystem services.

• The oysters and containment systems will provide incredible habitat for numerous aquatic species.

• Cultivated oyster mariculture will provide the half-shell market with a superior product and unique brand recognition.

Challenges: • There may be some user conflicts including the “NIMBY” (not in my backyard) viewpoint, access concerns and navigation concerns.

• Containments systems will be susceptible to biofouling and will require consistent maintenance by growers.

CCA Texas Adjusts to COVID-19 Like the rest of the world, CCA Texas has had to make adjustments to the current COVID-19 pandemic and the effects it is having across the world. The spring fundraising season has been totally cancelled, and 27 events have been rescheduled to late summer and the fall.

Volunteers and staff continue to work at safe distance while still working to put fundraising events into place for the 3rd and 4th quarters of the year.

CCA Texas wishes the best for the entire membership and communities across the state in this challenging time. We encourage our members to patronize your local businesses, and especially those that support the organization. By being pro-active and following all necessary guidelines, our communities will come out strong and with a renewed sense and what is truly important in our lives.

CCA Texas looks forward to seeing our local volunteer board members and supporters in the near future, and that by the time this issue has hit the newsstands our great nation is on the downhill side of these trying times. Stay safe and we hope to see you on the water soon.

For a full schedule of rescheduled events, please visit www.ccatexas.org.

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F I S H Y FA C T S

THE THREE KINGS - PT 2 Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Common in the American tropics, the ringed kingfisher was considered rare north of Mexico until the 1960s.

They are now commonly found in southern Texas, and continue to expand their distribution and breeding range northward in Texas. This king frequents large, slow rivers and varied types of waters such as lakes, marshes, estuaries, coastal lagoons, rice fields, canals, mangroves, and open beaches. They are often found in heavily wooded areas, but also forage on reefs up to half a mile offshore. However, they are most common in open areas, such as open shorelines and pools near larger bodies of water. Ringed kings are the largest kingfisher in the Americas, with an exceptionally enormous bill. They are bluish-gray above with a bushy crest, a white collar, and a recognizable red belly. Females have an additional bluegray band on their breast, above the red belly. The large bill is blackish-grey with paler base. Eyes are dark brown.

Legs and feet are grey.

Larger than the more familiar belted kingfisher, the ringed usually hunts from higher perches and takes slightly bigger fish, though like the belted, they’re opportunistic and will take frogs, insects, snakes, small mammals, berries, and even, occasionally, hummingbirds.

48 | May 2020

They can be impressively patient when hunting, sometimes remaining perched for up to two hours while waiting for the right moment to strike. Unlike the belted, they seldom hover for more than a few seconds. When underwater they use their wings as both rudders and oars.

After catching something, the ringed returns immediately to its perch and beats the prey vigorously against a hard surface before swallowing it head first.

Solitary except while breeding, both male and female ringed kings vigorously defend their territories throughout the year. They do this with loud, low-pitched calls and sometimes aerial chasing. Their voice is a penetrating rattle.

Like other kingfishers, they nest in burrows excavated in banks, generally along watercourses. The ringed kingfisher is usually solitary nester, but some observations mention small colonies of 4 to 5 nests, and one of 150 nests. (Fun Fact: a group of kingfishers is called a concentration.) Both sexes help dig burrow, which may be up to 8 feet long, with an enlarged nest chamber at the end. Little or no nest material is added, but debris may accumulate in chamber throughout the season. The female usually lays two to six smooth, glossy, white eggs, which are incubated by both parents on a layer of fish bones and scales. Young leave the nest 33 to 38 days after hatching and are fed by the parents for some time thereafter.

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As with belted kingfishers, the availability of suitable nesting sites is critical for the distribution and local abundance of this species. Changes in water levels, caused by dams and water withdrawal, can impact habitat availability and suitability. Due to low population density and the species’ general wariness, focused studies of environmental contamination are yet to be done.

Photo by Charles J Sharp. Licensed under the CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0.

Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana A widespread resident of the Neotropics, the green kingfisher can be found from South Texas and Southeastern Arizona down to northern Chile and Argentina. They are always found near water, be it ponds and larger rivers, very small streams with only intermittent pools, flooded forests, or coastal mangroves. Unlike the ringed kingfisher who prefers an open view, the green favors areas where there is dense low growth on the banks, providing low perches close to the water. As their name suggests, these birds are predominantly green with white on the collar, throat, and belly, and white spotting on the wings and tail. Males have a bright red breast. Females have a white breast with a green spotted collar. At 8 inches tall, green kingfishers are about two-thirds the size of belted kings and only half the sized of ringed kings. They’re rather oddly proportioned, like a sparrow with the bill of a heron, and have a quiet but sharp ticking call.

The green kingfisher’s diet consists of minnows and other small fish, crustaceans, amphibians, and insects. They can eat their own body weight in food everyday. Like other kings, they hunt from a perch – watching for likely prey to swim near the surface, plunge diving to catch it, and returning to the perch to bash the prey before swallowing it whole. Greens seldom hover before diving, maybe because their preferred perches are so close to the water.

In Texas, greens breed from late February through late June. Like other kings, the green parents excavate a burrow in a vertical dirt bank, though theirs is on the small side, reaching about 3 feet in length with a diameter of about 2 inches. The entrance to the burrow is usually hidden by overhanging vegetation or roots, unlike other kingfisher nests where the entrance is usually exposed. At the end of the burrow is a slightly enlarged nest chamber with no added nest material. The female lays three to six smooth, glossy, white eggs on bare ground. Parents take turns incubating – female at night; male during the day. During this time, the floor of the egg chamber becomes paved with compacted fish bones, scales, and insect parts.

Chicks hatch after 19 to 21 days and take their first flights 26 to 27 days after that. They will remain in their parents’ territory for about another month. Some burrows are reused the following year.

Though green kingfishers are year-long residents of Texas, they have never been abundant here, and their numbers have mostly declined since WWII because of urban development (loss and muddiment of waterways through damming and irrigation). However, recent conservation efforts have yielded small increases.

A fourth species of kingfisher, the medium-sized Amazon, has 50 | May 2020

been seen few times in Texas, but they’re mostly considered a visiting dignitary, and not a reigning king of the land.

Where I learned about kingfishers, and you can too!

Audubon www.audubon.org/news/-mighty-ringed-kingfisher-has-invaded-texas www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/ringed-kingfisher www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/belted-kingfisher www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/green-kingfisher The Cornell Lab of Ornithology neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/rinkin1/overview birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/rinkin1/introduction www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Belted_Kingfisher/overview birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/belkin1/introduction neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/grnkin/overview birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/grnkin/introduction The Texas Breeding Bird Atlas txtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/ringed-kingfisher/ txtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/belted-kingfisher/ txtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/green-kingfisher/ eBird ebird.org/species/rinkin1 ebird.org/species/belkin1 ebird.org/species/grnkin WhatBird identify.whatbird.com/obj/937/overview/Ringed_Kingfisher.aspx identify.whatbird.com/obj/61/_/belted_kingfisher.aspx identify.whatbird.com/obj/936/_/green_kingfisher.aspx Bird Note www.birdnote.org/show/three-kingfishers Oiseaux Birds www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-ringed-kingfisher.html Beauty of Birds www.beautyofbirds.com/ringedkingfishers.html

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A fine female bull shark of 8’ and 7” landed by the author and released successfully with a PSAT tag.

ERIC OZOLINS

E X T R E M E K AYA K F I S H I N G & S H A R K S F R O M T H E S A N D

CREATIVE ISOLATION The lifestyle of a popular fishing guide presents plenty of perks. Perhaps the most enjoyable bonus is crossing paths with so many interesting people. Driving two or three hours to and from our destination every trip allows me to learn many things about my clients, some of whom look like “average Joes”, but are far from boring and typical. While I drive and we talk, I hear their stories, and mostly, we bond over time, often becoming good friends, repeatedly doing trips, year after year. Over the course of the past few years, I’ve met many intriguing individuals, some with stories which seem perfectly suited for classic movie scripts. A select few now seem less like friends, more like family.

In a typical year, my regulars and some new clients show up in big numbers in spring, one of my busy seasons. Of course, the spring of 2020 was anything but typical. The emergence of Covid-19 in our lives presented an invisibly destructive force which crippled countries and crushed small businesses. Fishing guides like me took a direct hit as people’s travel plans were canceled. However, while practicing strict precautionary measures, I was still doing some limited guiding. Social distancing is effective and necessary in our war against the virus, and I feel it is important to practice it. Fortunately, many of my charters are with people who follow me down the beach in their 52 | May 2020

own 4WD vehicles. Out on the beachfront, I have little fear of infection. The onshore winds and open spaces surely reduce the likelihood of people passing germs and viruses to each other.

In the days immediately prior to the emergence of the virus and the chaos it brought, one of my regular clients contacted me saying he and his wife had arrived in Texas for their annual two-month vacation. They’d set up a couple charters far in advance, but we’d left the dates pending and they were wanting me to contact them when we had a good window of opportunity, if I wasn’t already booked. These long-married great-grandparents from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Ron and Wanda Ulseth, have been on trips with me every spring for several years.

They’re among the most delightful people I ever met and have taken my wife Alexis and me under their wings, treating us like family. Our fishing adventures are always a blast, and I look forward to each one!

In mid-March, we decided to venture to a new location on the Upper Coast to give them a new experience. With some driving time to our destination, they entertained me with several of their stories, as usual. Many revolved around their family, some around their friends, others involving their interesting takes on current events. After some Yankee nostalgia, we reached our destination and

battle and bringing it in. To our surprise, she had an early-season bull shark. We were targeting the more common sandbar sharks, but were happy with the bull, since I had a tag I needed to deploy in a member of the species. The PSAT (pop-up satellite archival tag) was one of four recently issued to me by the Harte Research Institute to enhance their studies of bull sharks. While Ron and I inserted the tag, Wanda was stoked to watch the process.

We caught plenty of other species that day, but the shark action fell quiet until late that night, when Ron landed a decent sandbar shark, just the one we were looking for.

We fished for a bit that next morning, until a strong north wind blew us off the beach.

Just over a week later, another weather window presented itself. I called Ron and told him the warm conditions meant we should fish our normal stomping grounds on Padre Island. Wanda stayed at the condo to relax, and Ron and I shared the adventure without her.

We made the drive a good ways down south to find some clear water. Waves in the surf were stacked, but it wasn’t terribly rough. Once again, we wasted no time getting baits out. It didn’t take long for things to happen. Soon Ron, the iron man, jumped up on the rack to begin battle with a strong shark.

At the time , I was taking baits out past the third bar to the color change. This shark hit and swam the bars, like some of the larger sharks are known to do. Like a gladiator, Ron prevailed in due time and beached the shark. How fitting it was for Ron to land a perfect bull to carry a tag.

This shark was a healthy male, likely just reaching maturity.

At seven feet , five inches, it was on par with his bulls from the previous year and possibly his heaviest shark to date.

We deployed another PSAT tag and released the shark alive and well. The action continued strong, and we didn’t do much resting for the remainder of the day. Almost instantly, Ron hooked a mature, pregnant blacktip. We got some photos and sent her back on her way.

In the next hour, some interesting events unfolded. We put baits back out, and in no time Ron hooked another nice shark. The massive fish stripped line off the reel at will.

While Ron did what he could to recover some, another rod went off. Ron stayed with his fish, while I jumped on the other rod to prevent us making a tangled mess of the lines.

For a while, things seemed to go well. Ron had most of his Wanda Ulseth of Minnesota with prized bull shark about line back in when he suddenly felt a jolt. He thought he to be released with PSAT tag. had lost the fish, so I told him to continue reeling and bring everything in. When Ron retrieved all the line, we noticed something odd—a shark had eaten the large whiting we used for bait, and another much larger shark then ate the first one. All we had left was a shark’s head! This likely indicated deadly bull shark warfare.

A few minutes later, near the first sandbar, my fish realized it was hooked and put up a stubborn fight, like a UFO-sized stingray. We had just about convinced ourselves we had a ray, until we got the fish onto the bar. When I realized it was a big bull, I hopped down and grabbed the leader. The girthy female measured eight feet, seven inches—another great candidate for a PSAT tag. We

drove the debris-ridden beach until we found a good spot to set up camp for the night, then wasted no time before starting to fish.

Early on, action was random—from sharks picking up baits to an abundance of sheepshead, we were in the fish.

Early that afternoon, Wanda hooked a shark, quickly winning her

Water level view of bull shark swimming away with newly installed PSAT tracking device.

Iron man, Ron Ulseth, preparing to release a PSAT tagged bull shark.

TSFMAG.com | 53

Shark eats shark! Mother Ocean’s children play rough sometimes.

C O N TA C T

conducted the tagging, which seemed routine by then. I got her back in the water, swimming up-current, and she cruised back into the deeper waters off Padre Island. Without wasting time, we put baits back out and continued fishing, landing no more bulls, but eleven other sharks, averaging about five and a half feet each. For a guy in his mid-seventies, Ron is the ultimate outdoorsman; he lives for this type of adventure. This may be one of the main reasons we bond so well.

We concluded the trip early the next day, after landing a couple more sharks. Ron added another epic trip to his resume. On the drive back to civilization, we had our regular chats about life, fishing, and adventure. We talked about many of the things he and his wife had endured in their long lives and how this virus was simply another obstacle for them to overcome. The reality set back in as we drove off the beach and listened to the news; we felt blessed and fortunate to have made our trips.

I’m very thankful for great folks like the Ulseths, and for the stories they and many of my other clients share with me. The joy in life is partly built around sharing your own stories; it also comes from listening to the awe-inspiring tales of the experiences of others.

54 | May 2020

For the past decade Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been promoting shark catch and release and assisting various shark research programs. Eric offers guided shark fishing on Padre Island National Seashore. Also renowned for extreme kayak big game fishing, Eric is the owner of Catch Sharks Tackle Company.

Email Websites

oz@oceanepics.com oceanepics.com | catchsharks.com

In light of Covid-19 hardship to Texas fishermen:

TSFMag Premium Digital Content Now

FREE TO ALL!

Science and the

Sea

TM

Earth Day 50th Anniversary By the late 1960s, many Americans were getting fed up with bad news about the environment. A book early in the decade warned about the dangers of pesticides. An oil spill on the coast of California killed thousands of birds and other creatures. A river in Ohio caught fire. And pictures snapped by an Apollo astronaut showed Earth as a fragile blue ball.

Dear Fellow Fishing Enthusiasts, Please pass this along to all your fellow anglers and feel welcome to share on social media.

During these difficult days of social-distancing to help reduce the spread of Covid-19, we here at Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine are announcing a new option for all anglers to read our publication.

Sure, we’d all love the freedom to swing by the local grocery, convenience store, or nearest outdoor retailer and grab a copy of TSF from the newsstand as we normally do. But for some of you that may not be so easy right now.

The current issue of TSF has always been available to regular magazine and digital subscribers as an EMag and on our website at TSFMag.com. When each monthly issue is replaced by the next new one, the month-old issue was “unlocked” to the general public and became available in the archive section of the website.

Well, we are making some changes so every fishing enthusiast can access the current copy of TSF digitally.

Even if you’re not a subscriber, you can log into www.

TSFMag.com and access the current issue.

Your password to gain access will be your email address. Don’t worry, we’re not going to pass it along to unscrupulous e-marketers, but we may send a few messages and announcements from time to time pertaining strictly to Texas coastal fishing and TSFMag. We know you love fishing as much as we do, so here’s another way to keep enjoying Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine during the current Coronavirus situation!

Join us in praying for the best possible outcomes for our Nation, it’s leaders, and the economy.

Everett Johnson Editor and Publisher Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine

Earth Day has been celebrated every April 22nd since 1970.

Credit: NASA To inform Americans about the problems, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin organized an “environmental sit-in.” It was held on April 22nd, 1970 — the first Earth Day. And an estimated 20 million people took part.

The project began as a way to raise awareness about the environment on school and college campuses. Organizers quickly expanded it, though.

They convinced the mayor of New York to shut down part of Fifth Avenue, and to turn Central Park over to their efforts. Tens of thousands turned out. Philadelphia held a big event as well. And smaller events were staged in cities and towns around the country.

The turnout helped galvanize some political changes. The Environmental Protection Agency was created in late 1970, for example. And Congress quickly enacted new laws protecting the air, the water, and endangered species.

Earth Day has been celebrated in the United States every year since then. In 1990, it expanded to other countries. In 2020 — the 50th anniversary of Earth Day — events are scheduled for almost every country on the globe — addressing not just America’s environment, but the environment of the entire planet.

www.ScienceAndTheSea.org © The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

TSFMAG.com | 55

NEW Gamakatsu Superline Weighted Spring Lock Hook The Gamakatsu Weighted Superline Spring Lock hooks are perfect for hollow and paddle-tail style swimbaits and soft plastic jerkbaits, but will work with many different types of plastics. The hook itself is super sharp and extra strong to pull the big ones out of heavy cover. The screw lock and wide gap hook allow for weedless rigging, while still allowing the bait to compress upon the strike, revealing the hook point. The keel-shaped weight not only gets the bait down, but also stabilizes it to prevent excessive body roll. www.Gamakatsu.com

Okuma Alijos The Alijos 2-speed lever drag is a lightweight, compact-bodied, big fish stopping machine. Built with 6051-T5 machined aluminum frame and side plates for ultimate strength, the Alijos will be available in 5, 12, and 16 size variations. It also features 17-4 grade stainless steel main and pinion gears for ultimate smoothness and utilizes Okuma’s DFD: Dual Force Drag system, outputting a maximum of 48 lbs. on the 12 and 16 size reels.

The all-new Alijos is a great additional to any fisherman’s saltwater arsenal. www.OkumaFishingUSA.com/products/alijos-2-speed-lever-drag-reels

Bass Assassin Hot New Lure Colors Bass Assassin has earned the distinction of being one of the fishing industry’s greatest leaders and innovators of soft plastic lures. Proof of this is the array of nine new fishcatching colors they are introducing this year in their popular Lit’l Boss, Sea Shad, and Salt Water Shad lines.

Don’t wait for the imitators; visit your local tackle dealer or shop online and grab some of the originals! www.BassAssassin.com

56 | May 2020

P R O D U C T S

Daiwa Introduces Hardcore Spinning Reels New Luvias LT brings high-end, long-lived performance Renowned for premium spinning reels, Daiwa is proud to announce yet another significant breakthrough in spinningreel technology with the Luvias LT. Whether you chase trout, redfish, or bass, the Luvias LT family is designed to offer the utmost in performance, longevity and versatility.

The Luvias LT features a lightweight one-piece body made from Zaion®, a high-density carbon with anti-corrosion properties that is both lighter and as strong as most metals. Features also include Magsealed body line and roller, tough Digigear, and Advanced Tournament Drag (ATD).

• Monocoque Body (Zaion®) • Zaion® Air Rotor and Air Bail system • Magsealed body and line roller • Tough Digigear • Advanced Tournament Drag (ATD) • Made in Japan • Available in five sizes • Available Gear Ratio (5.1:1 or 5.2:1) • MSRP $349 - $389 www.Daiwa.com

SPRO Debuts Quality Tools Of The Trade Made of stainless steel to ward off corrosion and rust, SPRO's heavy-duty pliers will become the tool you reach for whether you're an avid salt or freshwater angler.

The SPRO Stainless Steel Pliers have precise crimping jaws to fit various sizes of sleeves. The precision split ring feature on the needle nose tool makes changing or replacing split rings easy. The multi-tasking jaws on the pliers are able to cut braid, mono or fluorocarbon.

CNC milled to fine tolerances, the handles have a PTE coating that ensures a non-slip grip. The SPRO pliers are available with bright green colored handles and in 6and 7.5-inch lengths. www.Spro.com

SPRO Pliers Features: • Crimping Tool • Split Ring Pliers • PTFE Coating • Braid Cutter • Non-Slip Grip

Waterloo Rods Introduces New Salinity Models The Waterloo Salinity series is a light-weight, very sensitive and versatile rod.

Ideal for various applications such as small swimbaits, topwaters, and live bait.

The new 6’6” MXF features a brand new action for greater versatility in lure presentations. The new 7’6” models have more power than ever in the Salinity line, perfect for popping corks and live bait.

Salinity series features Kigan 316 stainless guides, FUJI reel seat, and Grade A cork stealth (split) grip handle. www.WaterlooRods.com

TSFMAG.com | 57

DICKIE COLBURN

DICKIE COLBURN’S Sabine Scene

S ab i n e

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

PE-TEXAS SALTWATER

58 | May 2020

While it has taken the better part of the past two years to finally be able to tout local fishing, I now feel somewhat conflicted in doing so. Anything that encourages sharing the same space with others right now is detrimental and the only thing that I can think of worse than dying from the virus would be giving it to someone else!

No one has summed up the pandemic’s effects any better than Everett did in his editorial last month and his message hit home. Prior to reading his assessment, I had been a little lukewarm to the idea of social distancing to the extent suggested, but his wellchosen words prompted me to buy in and do my part.

So, for that reason alone, I have not fished with another person…not even my grandson. Having said that, I believe that the fish are not going to give you the virus and families that have practiced social separation from the outset can do no better than going fishing.

Gassing up the boat may well be the biggest risk, but that can be avoided with the aid of rubber gloves or sanitized wipes while the kids remain in the truck.

Last week, I watched three visiting anglers pile out of a FISHING-HALF PG-7_5 x 4_875.pdf 1 3/31/20 8:39 PM very expensive truck towing an even more expensive

boat only to dig through the trash cans hunting for a plastic bag to wrap around the nozzle.

My grandson is locked down with his sister and parents as my daughter is concerned that one hug could give my wife or myself the virus. As far as my own health is concerned, however, I have chosen to go down fishing. I am 74 and in the past few years I have survived melanoma, prostate cancer, AFib, diabetes, and stage 3 kidney failure.

I avoid inventorying health issues and could not feel any better. I lift weights every morning, jog with my wife’s golden doodle in the evening and continue to fish when the wind isn’t howling. When you aren’t guiding, you can choose your days. I have no idea how long this virus or I will last, but I will fish until I can no longer launch my boat.

To my way of thinking, there are three significant benefits derived from spending a day fishing with the kids. Catching is as much fun as it has ever been, bringing home fresh fish eliminates a trip to the grocery store and you are doing your part to adhere to the rules of social separation.

There has been a really good bite on 15- to 18inch trout for bank fishermen choosing to walk the

Luke Murphy caught this impressive leopard PE-TEXAS SALTWATER x 4_875.pdf red on his first FISHING-QUARTER fishing tripPG-3_675 with his dad, 1 Patrick. Now that's a catch to remember!

The redfish bite has not slowed down.

revetment walls. The only drawback is that it can get uncomfortably crowded during the morning hours. You can effectively work those same fish from a boat, but you need to respect the folks casting from the bank.

If numbers are more important than the possibility of sticking a really good fish, you can do no better than a Vudu shrimp under a cork.

An Assassin Sea Shad or Lil’ John are also deadly fished the same way.

We have had just enough runoff and wind to diminish water clarity in parts of the lake, but the bite has remained strong. I have seen more waders this month, five or six in one day is a bunch, and they are doing well with topwaters and five-inch tails.

One of the most productive topwaters of late has been a pearl white Top Dog Jr that Bret Crawford tabbed the Lab Rat. Both the rattail Bass Assassin and Down South plastics rigged on 1/8 ounce heads have also worked well. Texas chicken, plum-chartreuse, and chicken on a chain have been getting it done for me.

The trout running the east shoreline have been equally cooperative.

One day they are hustling schools of small bait fish tight to the grass and the next day they are holding a hundred yards off the shoreline.

The same lures the waders are using, along with the cork and plastic combinations will find the fish for you.

The bayous and back lakes are giving up far more redfish and bass than trout. Swimbaits like the three-inch H&H Usual Suspect, shallow running crankbaits and gold spoons are all good choices, but don’t forget about a Wacky Worm when the tide weakens.

Stay safer than you ever thought necessary and hug your kids a bunch. They are our tomorrow!

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

TSFMAG.com | 59

3/31/2

BINK GRIMES

THE VIEW FROM Matagorda Some say the magic number is 70° – some say 72°.

Opinions differ. One thing I do know – catches consistently improve when water temperatures finally reach the 70s.

With the warmer than normal late winter and early

M ata go r d a

Bink Grimes is a full-time fishing and hunting guide, freelance writer and photographer, and owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay.

Telephone 979-241-1705 Email binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net Website matagordasunriselodge.com

60 | May 2020

spring we have experienced, it seems we are about a month ahead. My Garmin electronics showed 76 degrees in West Matagorda Bay on March 28.

Why is the 70-something mark so magical? Warmer tides elevate activity among all species, baitfish included. When mullet, shad, shrimp and glass minnows are on the move, they are more readily available to predator species we target like trout and redfish. Think about it: you have become a lot more active since temperatures have risen and the sun has shown daily. The same applies to the specks and reds.

In West Matagorda Bay, glass minnows began to show in the afternoon in March around grassbeds.

That’s about three weeks ahead of schedule.

There should still be a few

of the bay anchovies left in May, but the return of shad and mullet to the shorelines is what we are looking for to afford a consistent topwater bite.

I can’t wait to make my first wade on a hallowed flat stationed between the Port O’Connor jetty and Pass Cavallo. With an emerald incoming tide, few wading sessions rival it.

Of course, when waters are green in East Bay we will opt for heavier trout there. You have heard it like a broken record, but deep shell in East Bay holds quality fish; and, if my clients choose to stay in the boat for the day, and if the weather allows, I will be working the reefs.

Specks there like MirrOlure Lil’ Johns and DOA Shrimp under corks as well as live shrimp rigged with a three-foot leader.

The months of March and April were a boon for trout over five pounds while drifting. We take great pride in our “big trout” fishery in East Matagorda Bay and work hard to protect it. Some say release everything 25 inches or better; however, why not all specks 20 inches or better? If those fish have made it to three pounds or better, why not give them a fighting chance at six, seven or even eight or nine pounds?

We start eyeing the rocks in May. Texas’ jetty systems are one of the main lifelines of its estuaries. Like an artery pumping blood to the heart, a jetty is a thoroughfare pumping new recruits of fresh brine to the upper reaches of bays and backwaters. It is a haven for shad, shrimp, anchovies, pogies, mullet, ballyhoo and crabs filtering in and out, and the jetty coughs up a new crop of fish with every summer tide.

On a normal day in May, big reds, jacks, sharks and even tarpon hang out around the rocks; and, the largest speckled trout of the summer are routinely caught there as well.

It has already been one of the better fish-catching-springs I can remember in a long time despite the country being on lockdown for the past six weeks.

Let’s get our lives and homes back to normal. May in Matagorda is a good place to start.

Follow Grimes’ reports on Instagram and Facebook (@matagordasunriselodge, @binkgrimes).

TSFMAG.com | 61

CAPT. SHELLIE GRAY

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

Port O'Connor Seadrift

Captain Shellie Gray was born in Port Lavaca and has been guiding in the Seadrift/Port O’Connor area full time for the past 18 years. Shellie specializes in wading for trout and redfish year round with artificial lures.

Telephone 361-785-6708 Email bayrats@tisd.net Website www.bayrat.com Facebook @captsgaryandshelliegray

62 | May 2020

The Covid-19 “stay-at-home” restrictions have presented Gary and I with lots of time on our hands.

We’re still fishing but not with clients, unfortunately.

Somedays we fish together from the same boat and other days we split up and take our own boats.

We feel it is important that we keep up with the

patterns for days ahead when our clients can join us again, hopefully soon. This has been a good time to reconnect with the bays in a new and different way and we are enjoying it.

I had forgotten what it’s like to be alone on the water. Through eighteen years of guiding I can honestly say at least 90% of the time was with clients. I’m Mark and Sheri Schmitt had not complaining, I love all my lots of fun with the redfish on a recent late-afternoon trip. clients, but fishing alone is just so easy…Does everybody have their wading gear? Who needs jigheads and plastics?

Everybody got their net? Do you need me to tie a knot? Is your drag set properly? May I help you adjust your reel to cast farther? Yes, I love my job and my clients, but fishing alone is a joy in its own way.

One of my jobs is keeping our wade line shaped up. Seems there’s always one or two I have to hold back or urge to

THE

SOURCE ULTIMATE FOR THE

Hannah Gilliland shows off a beautiful redfish she helped younger sister Emma reel in for photos and a quick release.

catch up, in the interest of the whole group getting in on the action. Haven’t had to offer those instructions in a while.

A constant concern is whether clients can handle wading over soft bottom. Even though they’re catching fish, I hate seeing them struggle. I pray every minute they don’t lose their balance and fall.

Some days though, love it or hate it, that’s where the fish are. If I find a good bite I like to back off and wave clients over to get in on the fun. That’s what they came to do.

I love teaching little tips and tricks to improve their catching – even though some refuse the advice. I could go on but I guess what I’m saying is I had forgotten how enjoyable it can be to fish alone. Suffice to say this forced time off has been good for my inner-person.

Moving on to fishing: Strong winds are still a big part of the springtime fishing picture. The grass on our sandy shorelines is making a good comeback creating many sandy pockets for targeting fish in West Matagorda, Espiritu Santo and San Antonio bays. This is the time of year when main bay shorelines really shine due to the abundance of glass minnows and small shrimp inhabiting the emerging grassbeds and guts that lie between them. I like to cast just beyond the sand pockets, twitching my lure slowly through the opening, because I know this is where predators will lie in ambush – especially some of the bigger ones.

You want to be sure to have several smaller topwaters in your wade box this time of year. Active schools of small baitfish in relatively shallow water are all you need to see to tie one on. By active I mean glass minnows spraying out of the water because they are getting chased by hungry trout and redfish. Mullet that are frantically jumping two, three, and four times aren’t doing it for exercise; they’re trying to escape becoming somebody’s lunch. These are the most obvious signs but you would be surprised how some anglers never seem to notice.

The grass in our back lakes is extremely healthy and thriving, almost frustratingly thick already in some places. We are seeing an abundance of small baitfish in the lakes and shrimp have been plentiful as well. Weedless rigs are my first choice if I am fishing in these “hairy” back lakes.

Topwaters are a good choice too, as long as the floating grass isn’t too bad.

I sympathize with all our angling friends being stuck at home and unable to visit the coast these past several weeks. I know it has to be tough on the mental attitude but just think about how many more fish will be there waiting for you when the stay-at-home orders are lifted. All things heal with time.

I want to give a big shout out to the woman who sacrificed so much in her life for her family.

Mom, it was your love of fishing that has helped me get to where I am today. You are the strongest woman I know, even at the darkest of times. I have always been grateful for your encouragement and unwavering love.

So, to you Mom, Happy Mother’s Day!

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TSFMAG.com | 63

DAVID ROWSEY

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey

Upper Laguna/ Ba f f i n

David Rowsey has over 25 years in Baffin and Upper Laguna Madre; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty.

David has a great passion for conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish.

Telephone 361-960-0340 Website www.DavidRowsey.com Email david.rowsey@yahoo.com @captdavidrowsey

64 | May 2020

It feels unreal sitting here writing a fishing article with the state our nation and world are in right now. Like the majority of Americans, this Corona pandemic has been a major game changer in our normal lives. The loss of charters during big trout season is pretty rough on the checkbook but we will survive it. The good news is that Sally and I are making the best of the time with each other in the yard, pets, pool, and kitchen.

Things are bad for all, but life is what we make of it.

We are siding with optimism and as much fun as we can have at home.

I’m not sure if I or any other guide will have a charter left to run in May but, I will say, it is a glorious month to be on the water with clients. As a wade fishing guide, May brings in the time of the year when I get out of the Simms waders, and into their Flats Boot.

Look for water temperatures to hover in the high-70° range and all game fish to be very spunky and active.

May is a month where you still have some pre-spawn trout cruising the flats, with a huge boost of new trout arriving from down south. A mix of quality and quantity is what makes this month so special to myself and others in the know.

The full moon on May 7 will be significant for water movement in the Baffin area. Look for some the largest rising tides of the year in days surrounding that date. These spring tides will push in a new crop of trout from down south, and a ton of new bait. As I am writing this article in April, we are already seeing the tides come in a good bit, and bait is already showing more and more every day. The full moon on the seventh should just flood us with forage for the predatory trout in the form of finger mullet, shad, and shrimp. Rafts of baitfish on ideal structure will be the focus. Large flats with deep drop-offs, rocky shorelines, and spoil islands clearly fall into the category of “ideal structure” this month.

With water temps being on the rise, lure chunkers will be in heaven this month, as any of your favorite lures will come into play. Historically, the topwater bite is at its best during May, and I know that gets me and most other diehards very excited. Of course I will always have a pocketful of Bass Assassins for grinding out the finicky fish. With all of the new shad arriving into the bay system, the MirrOdine XL and the Double D by Texas Custom Fishing Lures will see a lot of

Last day in waders!

Ms. Katie Felts showing off a stud red she caught after a full morning of trout catching with mom and dad.

playtime on the end of my Seaguar braided line.

At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, I have to tip my hat to the good people at Waterloo Rods. I have been using their 6’-6’’ Carbon Mag all season. The rod has just been amazing and my favorite they have ever made for me. Super light, and strong; I have literally tried to break them just to see how much pressure they can handle on big reds. They have been flawless! Great product if you are looking for the “best of the best” rod on the market, in my opinion.

For the first time I can ever remember, the yellow croaker flags started flying in late-March down in this area. Of course, social media has loaded up with photos and bragging rights by some guides. What I don’t understand is how a guy making a living from a public natural resource doesn’t understand the basics of the spawn and goes to killing these 20-25” breeders that have yet to complete their seasonal spawning cycle.

Fellow guides…use some common sense! Get a damn photo for your bragging board and release these big breeders. Killing the very fish that keeps you employed is beyond moronic, especially at this stage of season. Florida gets it, and have tightened up their regs to prevent the same in their waters. Texas needs to follow suit.

Everyone is moaning about the flounder laws becoming more conservative in Texas, but that’s what has to be done to have a guaranteed healthy spawn and fishery. Man up and police yourselves, before the government does it for you. Common sense, folks.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey TSFMAG.com | 65

WAYNE DAVIS

WAYNE’S Mansfield Report

Port Mansfield

Captain Wayne Davis has been fishing the Lower Laguna-Port Mansfield for over 20 years. He specializes in wade fishing with lures.

Telephone 210-287-3877 Email captwayne@kwigglers.com

Greetings from Port Mansfield. As you can be assured the hottest topics right now are the issues we are experiencing with COVID-19. From the economic impact to thousands of people hospitalized, to the daily mad rush on grocery stores nationwide, this pandemic has potential to change our world for many months to come.

With regards to the fishing community, we have seen fishing retailers and suppliers closed, boat ramps shut down, and fishing tournaments canceled or postponed. Additionally, authorities are enforcing travel restrictions (temporary check stations at the entry to Port Mansfield) and the only anglers who can fish here are the ones who have boat slips, and only then with immediate household members. I pray we can bounce back and reposition ourselves soon.

As far as fishing – I would say it is good – very good at times.

Trout are steady and most females have begun to spawn. Male trout are in abundance ranging from undersized to 17 inches.

Our redfish bite remains strong and we are even picking up a few flounder. Water levels are on the rise and shrimp are starting to make an appearance, popping up out of the water as we wade through grass patches and potholes.

With the current water levels I can cruise the back lakes looking for reds and trout. This is the time of year when these areas can be very productive. You can spend half a day working shorelines and Tim Rosenburg’s 8-pounder had a small points in knee-deep water with very little boat traffic on week worn and tired appearance – a Lower days. I’ll be tossing small to midsize topwaters if the floating grass Laguna trophy nonetheless – CPR! isn’t too bad, and soft plastics such as the KWigglers Willow Tails

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66 | May 2020

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and Ball Tails on light jigheads. at it you can still have a shot at a good one. As luck would have it both When not working back lakes I’ll be focusing on shallow flats with Tim and Blake were able to land trophy fish. off-colored or stained water. I prefer off-colored water conditions as I What I found most interesting about their catch was how different believe the gamefish are less spooky and I have a better shot at getting these fish looked. They weighed within a quarter-pound of each a big trout to accept a lure. However, if I’m cruising a pristine, clear flat other and less than one half inch in length. Blakes fish appeared clean and start to see fish darting from grassbeds you can bet I’ll back off and healthy as a show horse while Tim’s looked worn, beaten up, the throttle and give it a go. This was just the case on a recent trip with and tired. I wondered at the vastly different appearances. I have no some friends. I had been so focused on dirty, shallow water that I was definitive answer other than one had a harder life than the other, (see just passing by the clear stuff. A colleague, Captain Josh Garza, was for yourself in the photos). Nonetheless, both were great fish and were sitting co-pilot and mentioned he saw a big trout dart from a grassbed. released to hopefully pass on their fine genes.

We shut down and within a few minutes the We continue to fish shallow, less than thighgroup had a couple five pounders, some deep in most cases, and will continue at this keepers, and some bigger ones coming depth until water temps rise and force another unbuttoned at the net. Never pass up an strategy. When the water temperature reaches opportunity when it presents itself.

85° I will slip out a little deeper and work my Just before it warmed enough to ditch our lure a little slower, near bottom where it’s waders I was fortunate to fish good friend cooler. This pattern should produce good and client Tim Rosenburg and one of his catches and remain steady until fall. customers. They came down hoping for a Since we are officially wet-wading, I would shot at a trophy trout. The conditions were recommend giving your Simms waders a horrible, wind gusting to 30-plus created wash and an application of ReviveX before extremely dirty water. Which, if you have storing in a climate-controlled environment. read previous articles, you know I do not If you cannot get out on the water, this might mind these conditions at all. However, these be a good time to reorganize your tackle bag tough conditions do weigh heavily on the and replace rusty hooks.

Here’s Blake Green with healthyconfidence of paying clients. I do my best to Here’s wishing everyone remains healthy looking 7.75-pounder – CPR! build confidence in the fact that if you keep and safe during this time of uncertainty.

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TSFMAG.com | 67

CAPT. ERNEST CISNEROS

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene Arr o y o C ol o ra d o t o Po rt I sa bel

A Brownsville-area native, Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from Port Mansfield to Port Isabel.

Ernest specializes in wading and poled skiff adventures for snook, trout, and redfish.

Cell 956-266-6454 Website www.tightlinescharters.com

68 | May 2020

Tides have risen to normal springtime levels and with that came the generally good numbers of fish we are accustomed to seeing this time of the year.

While catching was decent through the winter season I would say that fishing in general did not live up to expectations with the generally mild temperatures we experienced. Past experience gave me a hunch that when true spring weather finally arrived our fishing would improve dramatically in a very short time and that would definitely describe what we have experienced the last several weeks.

With the influx of water from the Gulf we are currently seeing great abundance of bait; hordes of mullet, piggy perch, ballyhoo, and juvenile shrimp. Main bay shorelines and back bay areas are teeming with life.

Signs of spring are everywhere with yucca and cactus plants blooming. What a great time to be on the water.

Our bays have been virtually empty with everybody heeding Corona virus warnings. It’s kind of eerie and brings back memories of how empty our bays were twenty-plus years ago. In my outings the past several weeks I have noticed very little boat traffic and almost no fishing pressure. The fish have reacted predictably, remaining in the same locales for days and even weeks

at a time. I have also noticed a distinct improvement in their feeding attitudes.

Big trout began showing in good numbers around mid-March and we are currently seeing at least one and sometimes several of five pounds and heavier per trip.

Most of these solid trout are hanging on potholes in shallow, sometimes crystal-clear water. Since the water is way up, shallow grass flats in early morning and late evening hours have produced quality trout as well.

We have been keying on schools of active mullet as these and pinfish seem to be their primary forage. As we wade, I’m looking for nervous baitfish, potholes, ambush points, and depth changes. Since these fish are less spooky than normal I’m moving at a much slower pace and often receiving multiple hookups along rather small structural features.

As could be expected, topwater action has improved the past two weeks with greater water level on the flats and water temps ranging from 75 to 85°.

Look for the surface bite to get even better as the water temps continue to rise.

May is known for quantity as well as quality trout and practically every type of lure can be a producer. If trophyclass trout are your primary goal I would suggest the

periods leading into the new and full moon phases for the stronger tidal flows and more aggressive feeding that often accompanies them.

Judging by our daily success with redfish I would say this fishery is healthy and thriving in the Lower Laguna at this time. We are catching them in deep water, on wide open flats, and shallow back bays. Redfish are using higher tide periods during the day to travel from area to area.

From my past experience, just knowing the water level at a given area provides a good clue as to where they can be located. There are other

Ricky experienced a great day on the Lower Laguna.

Eight-year-old Adiel with his first-ever fish while wading.

factors involved, such as forage availability, atmospheric conditions, wind direction, and wind speed, but that’s what makes the game of predicting where we can find them so much fun.

Small blue crabs and shrimp are always a big part of the redfish diet and it is no surprise that areas with semi-soft bottoms with plentiful grass are holding the best numbers of reds at present. I will add that strong afternoon winds seem to intensify their feeding activity, even though the water color can be murky at these times.

The Spook Jr and smaller Skitter Walks are working well under these conditions and I do not believe lure color is nearly as important as the sound and surface commotion they create.

With small schools being the norm we are able to catch several once they are located. Their feeding attitude has been so aggressive that we're actually sight-casting them with small topwaters when the conditions are favorable.

In closing I want to encourage everybody to look hard for the bright spots amid the Corona virus chaos. The current absence of pressure on our bays is going to give our fisheries a much-needed rest and hopefully healthier and stronger in the future. With great sincerity my heart and prayers go out to all, especially to those in the fishing industry. I pray that we all survive these trying times and become stronger in the end. Stay safe and healthy.

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FISHING REPORTS

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 April and May are great months for wadefishing and for catching some of the biggest trout of the year, James says. “We've seen most of our trout move up into the shallows over recent weeks. Catching is best lately for waders, especially those working areas with a mix of sand and grass on the bottom. We're finding good numbers of fish, with plenty weighing more than five pounds. Catching has been best on slow-sinking twitch baits like MirrOlure SoftDine XLs, Paul Brown Lures and similar ones, also on small topwaters like ShePups in pink colors.

We're also throwing the old school Bass Assassin rat-tailed soft plastics in strawberry with white tail rigged on light jigheads quite a bit. Areas around any of the local passes usually produce a good many of the bigger trout during the height of spring, places like Sand and Pelican Islands, the Bolivar Flats, also areas behind San Luis Pass. On the windier days, it pays to work the shallows tight to a protected shoreline, but on other days, fishing the opposite side of the bay or in shallow places well away from a shoreline sometimes works better.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 As is the case most of the time in the Galveston Bay system, the fishing in May will vary in quality depending on the weather. Best places to be will also be dependent on weather factors, according to Jim. “May is a great time to wade the shorelines, especially when winds muck up the water in the middle. We've usually got plenty of fish along stretches of East Bay closer to the ship channel, and they hold up well under onshore winds with some easterly heading. If the wind has no east in it, the Bolivar Pocket, on the beach side of the North Jetty, can really be the best place of all to catch trout, including some really big ones. More west in the wind helps the water in there hold up after it gets blown out in most of the area. The shorelines in the back, along the refuge, also produce good catches this time of year, usually when winds are fairly calm. Light winds also allow us to get at the fish out in the middle better. All the famous reefs from Bull Shoals to the east can and will produce plenty of trout in May.” West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall reported excellent fishing on the trips he was running prior to giving this report. “Most of the fish I'm catching lately are biting Paul Brown Fat Boys in light colors like high cotton, bone or bay mistress.

We've had great numbers lately, as the weather has warmed up. The bays are full of glass minnows and shrimp, and the predators are chasing them daily, so there are slicks to work, also some bird activity to key on.

In May, we usually get a shot at some of our pelagic species, so we're looking forward to that. We'll also start throwing the old standby 51M MirrOlures in natural colors, either green or black on the back, silver on the side, white on the bottom. These lures work great in the surf and in nearshore waters. Of course, so do the Norton Sand Eels. We use those when we're fishing out of the boat too. I have long been a fan of two colors more than all the others—bone diamond and red magic.

Of course, if using lures to catch fish seems like too much work, we can always move to live shrimp under popping corks. That plan has been pleasantly productive lately.”

70 | May 2020

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

Matagorda | Bay Guide Service Charlie Paradoski – 713.725.2401 Charlie says the fishing in both the Matagorda bays has been productive over the weeks prior to him submitting this report. “In West Bay, the wading has been better. On the windier days, when we need to hide from the effects of the strong breezes, we usually head over there and hunker down in some of the protected coves and pockets on the south shoreline.

All the hard, sandy bottoms and grass in that bay help the water stay reasonably clear, even when the wind gets up. Topwaters thrown tight to the bank work well on those days. In East Bay, both wading and drifting have been good at times. People drifting areas out in the middle over a muddy bottom with some shell scattered around are catching good numbers of both trout and redfish. Calmer winds make this pattern more productive, of course. Calm conditions also open up the fishing around the jetties and in the surf. Some of the biggest surf trout of the year are caught in the month of May, so we already have our eyes on it, waiting for the right conditions to produce the first good run out there.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Our spring patterns have kicked in fully here in the Palacios area. We've been catching plenty of trout drifting shell in three to five feet of water, throwing DSL in chicken of the sea and dirty tequila, rigged on quarterounce jigheads. Our topwater bite has become steady for trout along the shorelines, with pink/chrome and bone Spook Juniors working best. Fishing for reds has remained excellent, with schools roaming area shorelines around drains, chasing shrimp. The best lures for catching them have been soft plastics like Norton Bull Minnows in pearl/ chartreuse and the old reliable quarter-ounce weedless gold spoons.

Flounder have been plentiful too, with lots of smaller ones in the fifteen to sixteen-inch range being gigged at night by locals in boats rigged with lights. As more bait moves back into the bays, May should be another outstanding month, with the surf coming into play as an option more of the time. Grassy shorelines in West Matagorda will also produce well this month, as will some of the deeper reefs in our area bays. For best results, look for migrating herds of glass minnows and shrimp schooling under working gulls to locate fish this month.

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 May is the month when the patterns shift more toward the warm weather ones, and Lynn finds the catching to be about as good as it gets. “May is a favorite month of mine. Lots of days, the trout take topwaters all day, and that kind of action is hard to beat. We spend most of our time away from the really muddy bottoms in May, focusing more on grassy guts running along sandy shorelines. One of the most important keys to catching this time of year is locating schools of glass minnows and rafts of mullet. If possible, it's best to keep lures in thick concentrations of the bait fish. If your lure is spooking lots of baitfish around it, the trout are sure to notice. We do normally catch some of our biggest trout of the year in May. One of the best patterns is when the tide comes in strong around daybreak or soon after. Fishing in areas close to the pass where deep water lies not too far away is a great bet in such a situation. People wanting to keep fish will be wise to carry some

©JASON ARNOLD

IF WE SAVE THE SEAGRASS,

WE SAVE THE FISH. Seagrass is critical to good fishing. Marine organisms depend on it for survival—for food, shelter, and oxygen. But boat propellers are destroying Texas seagrass, which is seriously impacting saltwater fishing in the coastal shallows. When boaters do not lift their propeller in shallow water, the prop cuts and uproots the seagrass beds—leaving long barren trenches or “scars” that may take years to heal ... if ever.

Stop Prop Scarring – Lift, Drift, Pole, Troll

PROP SCARS

It is ILLEGAL in Texas to uproot seagrass with a propeller.

Avoid damaging seagrass – lift your prop!

When in shallow waters, lift your motor and drift, pole, or troll through it. After all, there’s nothing like a redfish on light tackle in shallow water. Let’s keep it that way!

For more information visit:

www.tpwd.texas.gov/seagrass

TSFMAG.com | 71

kind of device to keep sharks away, especially when they're fishing West Matagorda Bay.” Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 During the months of April and May, Blake has excellent results catching both trout and redfish along area shorelines, in places where plenty of grass beds cover a generally grassy bottom. “We've got so many good shorelines protected from winds of all different directions, with hard sandy bottoms and lots of grass. We usually catch plenty of slot reds and some of the year's biggest trout throwing lures right next to the bank in places like these throughout the months of spring. Lately, we've had a good topwater bite on most days. We're catching plenty of fish on the black and silver and chartreuse and silver Baby Skitterwalks. The key is to work areas where the bottom has some sandy parts and some grassy parts. If there's a lot of sandy areas away from the bank, a few small grass beds tight to shore might hold several quality fish, and if it's really grassy away from the bank, a few bare sandy spots tight to the shore might be the ticket to several good bites. This time of year, incorporating lots of erratic movements into the presentations seems to work better than a simple, bland retrieve, at least some of the time.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 With the trout feeding so aggressively this time of year, it pays to make sure the braided main line and fluorocarbon leader line are in good shape. Spawning trout get hungry and aggressive and strike with reckless abandon during periods of peak activity in May. When searching for them this month, I'll be looking for concentrations of mullet in two feet of water or less, in areas with a grassy bottom with scattered sandy potholes, or along edges of the grass. I start most of my days with a large topwater like a natural looking MirrOlure TopDog, and if I'm getting lots of blow ups without hooking many of the fish, I'll switch to a smaller topwater like a TopDog Junior. If that doesn't help the hook up rate, I usually move on to a Catch 5. All these lures work well, as long as the floating grass isn't too bad. But, my most consistent producers are the Bass Assassin Die Sappers in chicken on a chain, chartreuse dog, salt&pepper/chartreuse and plum/chartreuse. I also catch plenty on the smaller Assassin Sea Shads in Calcareous brew, pumpkin seed/ chartreuse, Houdini and reuse goose.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.877.1230 May is a great month for fishing Baffin Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre, for both trout and redfish, Joe says. “The reds often show up in schools of fairly ample size this month. We often see them on calmer mornings well up into the shallow areas, on flats. They push wide wakes as they stay out of the way of boats going by. Once we spot them, we can usually catch plenty on paddletails thrown well out in front of the herd and brought in at a steady pace right in their path. As the sun rises higher overhead and winds pick up, the fish usually move off the flats into deeper water. Catching them then is easiest in the clear water, which allows us to see them at depths of four to five feet. Lately, the clear water is well north, closer to the JFK Causeway. For trout, fishing around rocks is a great option this time of year, in places like Rocky Slough, areas along the Kenedy Shoreline, Penascal Point, Cathead, the Badlands, Marker 9 Rocks and other spots where large boulders stick well up off the bottom surrounded by water ranging from three to about seven feet deep.”

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins 361-877-3583 | Oceanepics.com May has the reputation for being one of the most chaotic months in 72 | May 2020

the Texas surf, with a wide diversity of fish caught, almost as good as the bounty of September and October. Typically, we have plenty of jack crevalle storming the beaches, with Spanish mackerel and skipjacks mixed in. The jacks will take just about anything thrown near them; large spoons and topwaters work especially well. Behind the jacks will come the sharks—everything from small Atlantic sharpnoses to large tigers.

Right now, the best rule to follow when fishing for sharks in the surf is big bait equals big shark.

May is also a good month for targeting large speckled trout in the surf.

The action usually kicks off near the passes then spreads out along the beaches. My favorite lure for trout in the surf is a SheDog. Redfish, black drum and sheepshead are also abundant this month, and they take a variety of dead and cut baits. King mackerel and cobia are possibilities in May, as are a few of the early migrating tarpon. The options look like a smorgasbord. Some of the state's beaches are closed, so check all local sources before heading out.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 Fishing in the Lower Laguna Madre has been outstanding for all who can make it out there. The areas around Green Island and north to the cabins along the ICW have been very productive, as have the flats surround the Saucer area. Topwater action has improved steadily lately, and should continue to get better throughout the month of May. Bone, pink and gold Heddon One Knockers have been earning the most strikes. Peyton's Bay has also been giving up some nice fish.

Often, early in the morning hours, we're seeing birds working around spoils along the ICW to the south and sometimes right in Peyton Bay itself. The water between the Pipeline and the islands lying along the southern edge of the East Cut can be good, if winds are light. We're starting most days off in knee-deep water, throwing topwaters, then working progressively deeper and switching to KWigglers as the day wears on. In an average year, we start seeing first signs of the tarpon migration right around Mother's Day weekend, at the mouth of the East Cut jetties. The action on king mackerel and jack crevalle is usually outstanding out there this time of year too.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com – 956-639-1941 When water temperatures rose into the mid to upper-70s, the bite really turned on. Shorelines have been producing great trout fishing, as the trout gather to prey on plentiful shrimp and finger mullet. Trout have been attacking topwaters aggressively most days; bone Spook Juniors have been by far the most attractive to them. We've caught lots of solid keeper trout around the ICW spoil islands, with a sprinkling of bigger fish mixed in, up to around twenty-five inches. In these areas, the topwaters have been producing mixed results. KWigglers Ball Tail Shad in Mansfield Margarita color rigged on eighth-ounce screw-lock jigheads are more effective around the mushy, grassy drop offs on the spoils. Reds are available in steady numbers along bay shorelines, with small schools roaming the back bays. Since shrimp are so plentiful in spring, we target reds with soft plastics in natural colors most often.

The reds will take small topwaters much better on the cloudy days and during the first hours of morning and late in the evenings. Bird activity is on the increase, which is a reliable sign of improving action, as various forages species move in and predators chase them.

WITH G A M E E E R G ET F H A SE! C R U P Y P O C HARD onth subscripreceive a 12-m Order today and ry and sign up family memur tion for $25.00. H iends at the same rate! bers and/or fr

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The Carroll Family with a nice snapper

Addison Richards Baffin Bay - 34” personal best red! CPR

Andrew Pita Island - 20” trout 74 | May 2020

Chad Maywald Baffin Bay - 31.5” 10 lb trout CPR

Kathy Bates Galveston West Bay - first red!

Latrenda Smith OSO Bay - 21” sheepshead

Eric Castillo Oso Bay - 28” trout

Gage Fowlkes Galveston - 29” trout

TSFMag

Catch of the Month

PHOTO CONTEST

Jerry Jones Chocolate Bayou - 27” redfish

Ledger Bard Galveston - red

This concludes the TSFMag monthly photo contest.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

MAY WINNER

CYNTHIA MICHELLE

Miles Walthall Galveston - 34” 14 lb redfish

Kole Bendele Lighthouse Lakes - 26.4” redfish

SPI mile 19 47" blacktip, tagged & released

Kade Karlen Baffin Bay - 22" first red!

TSFMAG.com | 75

PAM JOHNSON

Gulf Coast

Got ideas, hints or recipes you’d like to share?

Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361 792-4530

Creamy Shrimp Salad This is a great seafood appetizer that is sure to be a hit at any gathering. I have made it several times and never had leftovers. It goes well with any of your favorite crackers or chips.

SHRIMP INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

3 Tbp Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

Bring 8 cups of water with Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning and lemon quarters to a boil. Add shrimp to boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes. Remove shrimp and place in a bowl of ice water to stop cooking.

1 lemon cut into quarters 2 pounds shrimp (16 to 20 count) peeled & deveined

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp fresh dill weed chopped

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 medium red onion minced

1 tsp white wine vinegar

2 stalks celery chopped

76 | May 2020

1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

In a large bowl, add mayonnaise, mustard, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, dill, red onion and celery. Drain shrimp and add to mixture. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Serve with your favorite chips or crackers!

TSFMAG.com | 77

S P O N S O R E D B Y C O A S TA L B E N D M A R I N E

C H R I S M A P P ’ S R E PA I R & M A I N T E N A N C E

PROTECTING AGAINST UNSEEN OXIDATION & CORROSION Salt can have detrimental effects on a boat’s exterior as well as internal engine components. Annual service is therefore the most important Chris Mapp, owner of preventative maintenance procedure Coastal Bend Marine. because it allows factory-trained Evinrude, Suzuki, Yamaha, technicians to inspect the outboard Mercury, Honda, BlueWave, SilverWave, Shallow Stalker every 100 hours.

Boats, Coastline Trailers, The internal combustion engine Minnkota & Motor Guide is self-defeating due to normal Trolling Motors. wear and tear, carbon buildup, and Great Service, Parts & Sales corrosive effects of ethanol. Saltwater “What can we do for you?” can also damage the engine’s cooling water passages and the newer four-stroke engines have sacrificial anodes that can be inspected and replaced during annual service to reduce damage to the cylinder block and heads. Steel corrodes whereas aluminum oxidizes, and thinwalled sections within the exhaust system are especially vulnerable.

Leaks in the exhaust system can cause expensive repairs and even powerhead replacement.

We have historically inspected engine anodes every 300 hours and found little oxidation. However, we recently serviced an outboard the

78 | May 2020

owner uses farther Here we see a collection of sacrificial anodes that south on the Texas have been seriously depleted as they did their coast. The engine had job protecting other vital engine components. logged 500 hours and the owner requested anode inspection, which we found to be seriously degraded, even though he flushes the engine regularly.

Speaking with the engine manufacturer I learned that higher salinity levels of the Lower Texas Coast causes accelerated degradation of the sacrificial anodes. We now recommend replacement of the anodes anytime significant signs of degradation are discovered. These anodes are there to protect the engine, and with this revision to our service protocol we can ensure that no matter where the angler fishes, the engine will not suffer from internal corrosion and oxidation damage caused by saltwater.

To protect external surfaces of the powerhead we recommend applications of Corrosion-X Red. Chris Mapp chrismapp@coastalbendmarine.com | Coastal Bend Marine Port O’Connor, TX | 361-983-4841

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Wade & Drifting the Back Bays & Surf

Call 361.983.4434 (cell 361.935.6833) Email lynn@tisd.net (tswf.com/lynnsmith)

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near Kaufer-Hubert Boat Ramp DAN WARD 832-860-4600

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TSFMAG.com | 79

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