May 2023

Guts and Brains

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BECAUSE THE ONLY THING I LIKE FRIED IS MY FOOD

Ash is wearing the Solstrale PRO Hoodie with UPF 50+, Sidereal pant, and Bootlegger Rolltop Backpack 30L

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ABOUT THE COVER

Good friend and client, Jimmy Schroeder, landed this beautiful post-spawn 31.25 inch trout on a Mansfield Knocker topwater. We were working along a color change when she hammered the lure. Another tag and release fish for our friends over at the Harte Research Institute. -Capt. Wayne Davis

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TEXAS ANGLERS ARE BLESSED

I have written in this column many times, my long-held opinion that Texas anglers are blessed. I’ve arrived at this conclusion, not from any single management event, fisheries regulation, fisheries enhancement program, or angling opportunity; but from a collection of many such things. The bottom line and foundation of the sport we love, is that without sustainable fish populations we cannot continue to enjoy the sport of fishing the way we always have.

I have been lucky to travel to many places and participate in many fisheries. During these travels I have witnessed incredible bounty and, unfortunately, “should have been here yesterday,” more than a few times. The reference to yesterday being one of years or decades, not just the day before.

In my experiences of great bounty, my success was fueled mostly by a relatively untapped resource – places with low human population, and/or people too poor and busy scraping out a meager existence to have time for fishing. Of the disappointments, it has been my observation that the fishery in question had been either mismanaged or over-utilized for a significant period – perhaps both.

So, what about this blessing? How does it happen, and where does it come from?

For starters, If you’re reading this magazine and have a keen interest in recreational angling, you have obviously been blessed to be able to afford both.

During my outdoor career I have witnessed the collapse of both wildlife and fisheries resources that once thrived. We can speculate on the causes but the reality is that they’re gone. How then can it be, that our Texas fisheries continue to remain sustainable in the face of ever-increasing angling pressure from a well-heeled populace that’s constantly growing?

The answer is sound management. A great number of my fishing cohorts can recall days of no limit on trout and redfish here in Texas. But times change. Habitats have diminished and fishing pressure has grown beyond anything fishermen in the 50s and 60s could have ever dreamed. Luckily, fisheries management has kept up with the times, and herein lies the blessing.

There are many facets to sound fisheries management; population surveys, creel surveys to obtain harvest data and angler satisfaction, fish hatcheries and stocking programs, assessment of water quality and habitat restoration; it’s actually a long list. One that TPWD manages very well.

While we’re counting our blessings, let’s not forget all the anglers and fishing guides that are talking the talk and walking the walk; helping deliver the conservation message of Catch-Photo-Release to all who will listen.

Unlike some areas in other places, the future of recreational fishing in Texas is bright. Now, get out there and enjoy it. And take a kid fishing!

May Issue

Highlights

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Jackson Duckett was grinding it out during a pre-frontal 25 mph south wind. He was rewarded with this 39-inch red along with some really nice trout!

Knowledge & Instincts VS Hot Spots

STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

As I type this (late March) we’re coming off of a two week rollercoaster of wind from every possible direction, winter-like low tides, spring-like high tides, and 20 degree fluctuations in water temperature. March and April here on the Upper Texas Coast have never been known for consistency but, Good Lord, this has been ridiculous!

If I were one of those folks who read what dozens of “experts” on targeting speckled trout have written, I would’ve likely wasted lots of gas fishing their March and April Hot Spots because our fish were seldom where they were supposed to be. I understand that we all like to use guidelines for targeting certain species certain times of the year, but real-life anecdotal information will trump a calendar every time.

Please don’t misunderstand, there are many websites, DVDs and downloadable tools out there that offer some valuable pointers. However, at the end of the day, they should be viewed through a discerning eye. For instance, most fishing articles, calendars, videos, etc., will tell us to focus on grass-lined sandy shorelines, potholes, and shallow, hard shell reefs here in Galveston Bay from about the second week in March through early May. These are reliable areas to target as long as weather follows historical averages. But what about when it doesn’t?

From March 6 through March 17, our water temperature continuously crept upward until it reached almost 78°, which is about 10° above average for that time of year. We spent the week catching trout and redfish on various topwater plugs in thigh to waist deep water over sand and hard shell. Trout which had gorged upon tiny shad were regurgitating, forming beautiful well-defined slicks on the surface right where every how-to article said they should be.

A strong cold front pushed through the area on March 18. Within a few days the surface water temperatures plummeted to 53°. This is the part where the knowledge of how trout react to such changes gives us the upper hand over those who are strictly looking at an information source which tells us what’s supposed to happen this time of year versus what is actually occurring because of weather changes.

Trout tend to stay near deeper water, hanging out primarily over soft mud and shell throughout the winter. As water temperatures warm during late winter and early spring they gradually take up residence over some of the habitat and bottom landscapes I mentioned earlier (sand, grass, etc.). But, when strong cold fronts arrive later than normal and bring unseasonably colder temperatures and stiff northerly winds which drop tide levels, we have to sometimes revisit our winter strategies.

So, within two days after this mid-March front hit, I was booked with three of my long-time clients. We all discussed whether it would even be worth venturing out there as the forecast called for 20 mph northeast winds with overcast skies and 40-degree air temperatures

to start the morning. Taking into account the sudden weather changes and how I believed (and hoped) the trout would react, I told my clients that we would have a couple of areas where our fish would most likely “stack-up” as I assumed they would temporarily revert back to a winter pattern. Both of the areas also happened to be somewhat protected from high winds from the forecasted direction. So, the next morning I met them at the marina.

The guys wore their wading gear to stay warm as the forecast was actually accurate for a change. I had my best thermals on along with multiple layers beneath my Simms insulated bib and coat. It’s not like we were fishing in winter blizzard conditions but when you’ve gotten used to 80-plus weather it feels colder than it really is.

Nolen Baker tricked this 26-incher while casting to nervous mullet near a small bayou drain.

Clusters of live oysters near shorelines are great areas to target during early May, especially when tides are higher than normal.

This solid trout came out of a fresh slick over hard shell. Textbook scenario for May.

This thick mid-May trout fell prey to a Borboleta Lele floating twitchbait worked along the edge of rafting mullet.

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BUILT TO RESPOND

After a long run to our first stop I set up a drift along the edge of a deep gut (about 8 feet). With the boat positioned in the deep area, we fanned our casts up onto the adjacent mud flat which ranged anywhere from 2 ½- to 4-feet deep. As with most areas this one has its sweet spots. These are characterized by clusters of oysters growing randomly across this flat. The surface water temperature was 52.8° and there were mullet and shad of all sizes flipping and buzzing across the flat. Armed with Saltwater Assassins and MirrOlure Lil’ Johns rigged on 1/16 and 1/8 ounce lead heads, the four of us were able to cover a lot of water until we found one particular zone where the trout were holding.

The first dozen or so specks we caught were very small ranging, from 12- to 15-inches. Despite the size, our best bite was around the end of the solunar minor feeding period, which was around 8:00AM. I was beginning to wonder whether I had made the right decision by even bringing these guys out in these conditions.

As anglers, we sometimes question ourselves as to whether the larger trout are actually there, but simply not feeding yet, or are they even there at all? When this question pops into my head I typically take a step back mentally and think of where those larger fish were before the sudden weather change and what other factors may be influencing their feeding pattern.

While major and minor solunar feeding periods are always worth a look, there is one variable that often overrides both. This is especially true here in Galveston Bay. Even though our minor feed was officially over we still had one thing left to look forward to. The tide was due to peak around 9:00AM before beginning its outward flow for

Lance Vinson caught and released this solid speck while drifting a “summertime spot” in late February.

the remainder of the day. I decided to remain in the area until this happened. After all, our options were limited anyway because of the brisk winds.

It turned out that our decision to stay was the right one. Those little trout eventually turned into 16- to 20-inchers. As it turned out, they were there the entire time but just weren’t quite ready to feed. We ended up catching more trout along with some nice flounder and a few reds in another similar “wintertime” spot that day before heading in happy with our 50-plus day in very adverse conditions. We never saw another boat that morning. I’m sure part of it had to do with the weather but I’m guessing the other reason is because we caught our fish where we weren’t supposed to catch them in late March. The month of May will bring us more consistency as water temperatures begin to stabilize. Consistently warmer water will increase the metabolism of our fish. Forage species such as shad and shrimp will grow and trout will begin to form actual schools as opposed to being spread out like they were in March and April. We will be able to have success wading sandbars, bayou drains, and grass flats, as well as drifting open bay oyster reefs. While trout

patterns will become more predictable we will still be thrown the occasional curve ball. Which could be a late cool front or even a large fishing tournament where heavy boat traffic pushes fish into areas they otherwise may not have gone. We always need to be ready to use that wild card in our pocket when something forces a temporary pattern change.

We can and should use every resource and tool that’s at our disposal when it comes to targeting fish, but let’s never be afraid to go off the grid and follow our instincts, along with what we’ve learned through years of experience.

May Patterns & Lure Selections

Phone 4 09-256-7937

Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com

Web w ww.hillmanguideservice.com

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View The Video Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.

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.

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STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

Under a cloudless sky studded with countless stars, inside a floating cabin anchored in Baffin Bay, a venerable angler falls into a deep sleep, exhausted from wading all day. Old Walter Williams finds solitude on the solo trips he regularly makes into the wide waters south of Corpus Christi. In the wee hours of this particular crisp, clear night, the man’s mind generates a puzzling dreamscape.

In the vision, Mr. Williams finds himself seated at the picnic table just inside the front door of the floater, where he and his friends, family members and partners break bread, tell lies, drink beer and occasionally play card games. He feels as though he’s looking into a mirror; on the opposite side of the table he sees himself. But when he moves, the other version does not move with him. The dreamer then realizes he’s looking at his alter ego.

To his left sits a third figure, dressed in drab garb, with a hoodie pulled up to shroud his face, his hands folded in his lap. Wally wonders how he knows the gender of the third one, since he can’t see any of his features, but he’s certain the figure is male.

In a whoosh, a mesmerizing female emerges from the rear of the cabin, wearing a gossamer gown adorned with the petals of dandelions and daffodils. Her long, unkempt blond hair flows as she moves, as if whipped by a robust wind, seemingly to spite the still air inside the cabin.

The lady sits down at the table’s fourth seat, to Wally’s right. She turns and smiles at him, her ivy-green eyes gleaming, her plump, rosy lips and cheeks infused with light and life. Though aspects of her appearance suggest youth and vigor, her countenance carries a trace of something ancient and elegant, like wisdom etched by the eons. “Are you ready?” she asks.

The dreamscape alters then, as dreamscapes do, and the old angler sees five cards on the table in front of him, another five in front of both the woman and his other self. Strangely, just one card lies in front of the man to his left. Before Wally, five objects have also appeared: his favorite Fat Boy, the key to his boat, his wedding ring, his GPS, and a neat stack of new one hundred dollar bills wrapped in a paper band.

“Ready for what?” the dreamer asks the lady with the dancing hair and verdant eyes.

“To play the game,” she answers.

“I guess,” he shrugs.

“Then ante up,” she instructs him.

Wally looks at the objects before him and pushes his favorite Fat Boy to the center of the table. When he realizes none of the others has anything to risk, he questions the old girl who’s running the game.

To answer without answering, she replies, “Yours is not to question. Yours is to play the hand you’ve been dealt.”

When Wally picks up the five cards lying on the table in front of him, to assess his hand, he suddenly realizes he has no idea what kind of game they’re playing. The woman and his alter ego pick up their cards and peruse their hands. The dull figure in the shroud remains still as a hunting heron, leaving the one card in front of him lying face down.

The cards have no numbers and suits, like regular playing cards. The player has never seen cards like these, but they vaguely remind him of Tarot cards. He decides to play the card with the word “Fun” scrawled over a picture of a child plucking a perch from a pond with a cane pole. The radiant lady nods, smiles and reveals a card which displays a dramatic sunrise. With a grandiose gesture, Alter plays a card with the words “Trophy Trout” scrolled across its top, over a picture intimately familiar to Williams. In the image, a young Wally holds a thirty-three inch, eleven-pound trout, the largest he ever landed. The stiff, shrouded figure does not move, and after an appropriately long moment, he has clearly passed.

The matron to Wally’s right cheerfully announces, “It’s time to ante up again.” Confused, he opens his mouth to inquire about the rules of the game. The master of the moment shooshes him by placing her index finger vertically over her lips.

Wally pushes the boat key to the center of the table and plays the card with the word “Friendship” scrolled on it, above a picture of him driving his boat across a bay, one of his childhood buddies beside him behind the console. The damsel with wild hair plays a card which shows a flock of gulls hovering over the water, waiting for a school of trout to send them shrimp. Alter plays another “Trophy Trout” card, this one with a picture of a middle-aged Williams holding a ten-pound trout. The dark figure stares, to pass.

Still baffled by the way the game is played, but not knowing any way out, the angler antes up again, this time pushing his wedding

Damian Hopf caught this pretty trout on a soft plastic on a May morning wade.

Some of the biggest trout caught in May bite in water less than knee-deep. Rob Ramsey poses here with an eight-pounder he caught on a Super Spook.

Jeff Kirk poses with a colorful trout caught early in the morning on a topwater lure, in a typical May scenario.

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ring to the center of the table. He plays the “Family” card, which shows a picture of him teaching his son to tie a Palomar knot. The fresh-faced female produces a card showing a bird’s nest full of eggs. Alter chuckles and slaps down a “Trophy Trout” card which depicts an older Wally posing with a nine-pounder. Mister Stiff passes again.

Mostly, at this point, the dream’s central figure just wants to get to the end of the game, so he pushes the GPS unit to the middle of the table and plays his “Fame” card, which shows him grinning in front of a S.T.A.R. leader board on which his name appears, scrolled on the top line in the column designated for speckled trout. The vixen with the flushed face plays a card bearing the universal symbol for a hurricane. Alter slams down a “Trophy Trout” card with the number 8 on it, and of course, the dark dude does nothing.

To start the last round of the game, Wally pushes the pile of fifty neatlywrapped one hundred dollar bills to the center of the table with his other possessions and plays his last card―”Fortune.” The card shows a brimming pot of golden trout under the end of a curving rainbow. The princess of the tides plays a blue card with icicles dangling from its upper edge. “Brrr,” she purrs. “It’s so cold.” As if he doesn’t hear her, and clearly because he does not care about anything else, Alter plays his last “Trophy Trout” card; it shows a recent picture of Captain Williams holding the seven-pound trout he brought to the scales to win a local tournament.

Wally turns to look at the shadowy figure to his left. This time, the man’s right arm rises out of his lap. The sleeve of his gray garment falls back, revealing a skeleton-hand. The brittle digits reach out and pick up the card before him. He tosses it face-up, into the center of the table; on it, the dreamer and the others see an old, ebony raven perched on a leafless limb, under a single spade. A chill runs up Old Man Williams’ spine as the ashen arms claim all the relics wagered by the only player with anything at stake.

Enraged, the accomplished angler who owns the cabin, but who now feels like a weary cowboy who’s been cheated in a poker game in some saloon way out west turns to complain to the playful wench who started the game. “This ain’t right,” he growls.

“Aww,” she feigns concern. “Why the mule lip?”

Flustered, Wally asks, “Who are you, anyway?”

“I have many names,” the matriarch of the moon reveals, her hair

waving around her face like the mane of a galloping mare. “Most of your brothers and sisters call me Mother Nature.”

“I guess I shouldn’t have expected a straight answer from someone runnin’ a game like this,” Williams quips.

“Are you disgusted with the outcome?” the ageless dame inquires, though she knows the answer.

“Of course,” he confirms.

“Oh. I figured you knew he always wins,” the goddess of all things pure and simple says, pointing across the table at the shady figure, who turns to look at the game’s loser. The angler can barely see the faint gray light of the gloaming in his empty eye sockets, also an impossible smile, formed on a face without flesh. “Father Time is the consummate game manager,” the Earth Mother notes. “His stock move is calling himself out of the bullpen. And as a closer, his record is impeccable.”

“What’s the point of playing a game you can’t win?” Wally whines.

The sound of Mother Nature’s laughter fills the room like spring raindrops pattering tender leaves in a fresh forest canopy. “I’m not reliable when giving answers. I provide context and clues. Your best bet is to respect the drab man without fearing him, and to show me some love whenever you can.” She blows him a kiss, and her breath feels cool, like moist morning air wafting off a mountain meadow; he smells magnolia blossoms.

Then Walter Williams suddenly sits up in the bed, wide awake. He hears waves gently lapping at the sides of the cabin, pushed by a whispering wind. When he looks out the open window, he sees the moon making its inexorable rise, reflecting silver light onto the surface of the Badlands. While he tries to go back to sleep, the solitary angler takes a moment to remind himself to hug his wife when he gets home and to call his son and invite him to come down and do some fishing. He also vows to go back to his favorite spot in the morning and try to coax one of the old trout over there to take a bite.

KEVIN COCHRAN

Her Own Wild Weaving

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Kevin Cochran is a long-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has created several books and dvds on the subject. Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut.

Slow-sinking twitch baits work best on calmer days in spring.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and take for granted that at one time or another we have all been scrolling through the channels on the TV and come across one of the more popular sci-fi movies where the plot involves a main character who figures out a way to see his surroundings for what they really are instead of how the villains want them to be seen. Movies like the ones in “The Matrix” series come to mind where our hero discovers there is another way or another world that he hasn’t been told about. Well, consider this your “saltwater plot twist” and come into the light with me as we discover that there actually is another way.

It’s no secret that Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is the premier publication for coastal fishing in Texas and there really isn’t even a close second. I realize my opinion is obviously biased on this subject but it truly is hard to argue against. Now to be fair and completely honest I do have to point out something about our magazine that is also hard to argue against and that is the fact that the overwhelming majority of the articles are catered to wade fishermen and shallow water. I realize that there are plenty of lower and middle coast venues that have miles and miles of two-foot deep or less so that’s how they have to fish, but believe it or not there are other options.

If you took the Texas coast and divided it around Matagorda Bay you would have a fairly good idea where the “shallow water line” starts. From the Matagorda complex headed up the coast towards Sabine and Calcasieu is where Texas anglers enter a different world from those of their lower coast brothers and sisters. Average water depth in the bay systems gets deeper and the need to learn to fish a different method than wading is a must unless you want to just completely exclude an astronomical amount of prime water. Contrary to the scores of articles dedicated to probing the shallow flats, there is another world out there to conquer and you can’t reach it on foot.

For as long as I can remember the bread and butter pattern on Sabine Lake has been long drifts along variations in bottom structure such as scattered shell, streaks or water color changes, and near concentrations of active bait as often as possible. Other options have always been defined depth changes near the mouths of small bayous or other marsh drains along with natural points that ran out into deeper water such as the Sabine or Neches rivers. These variations take time and effort to find and pinpoint which is why so many anglers choose to fish differently and pursue an easier

Forgotten Water

STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

A shallow water anchor such as the Power-Pole is a great tool for pausing a drift. Notice the tell-tale streaks on the surface.

method. Those that are willing to explore and take time to really scour the deeper water are often rewarded with some hidden gems that can be great producers.

For many years I had a lengthy list of small areas on both Sabine and Calcasieu that were proven fish magnets. I knew fish held to these different structures and all I had to do was figure out how they were relating to them. The biggest variable was water movement such as tide or wind-generated currents and positioning your boat is

the single greatest key to success, similar to the way offshore anglers fish a wreck or other structure. On more than a few occasions I have seen other anglers pull up to one of these spots because they either had seen someone there earlier or had the GPS numbers, only to set up on the location incorrectly for the conditions at the time. It was always funny to watch them motor off for another spot while you moved in to the same area from a little different angle and immediately begin catching fish.

The months of April and May are tailor made for probing structure in these deeper bodies of water as long as you have a few simple tools of the trade. A basic drift sock or sea anchor is a necessity that helps control speed and direction of your drifts. We all know that the wind will be our biggest challenge for at least another month or so and being able to slow your drift will be a huge help. Another useful tool is a small anchor that you can keep handy and drop over the side quickly once you get that first bite. Many folks have either a Power Pole, Talon or similar shallow anchoring device on their boats nowadays and these work well under certain conditions. They are however limited in their ability to contact and hold bottom in depths greater than about six feet, especially when it gets choppy. This is where the small anchor becomes an indispensable tool.

I was first schooled on using the anchor while drifting on Calcasieu one fantastic April day years ago. I had several clients on the boat and we were drifting in water that averaged seven feet and catching some incredible trout on topwaters. Every person in the boat, including myself, caught a personal best fish that day so it’s a very vivid memory for me. We were making really long drifts over the same piece of structure over and over when another boat finally pulled up near us and set out their anchor. On the second or third pass by the other boat I heard one of the old Cajuns say, “Man, that’s a nice boat. You must have spent all your money on it because it looks like you can’t afford an anchor.” All I could do was laugh.

Fishing deeper water takes a little more effort and may not be as glamorous as some in the fishing community would have you believe, but it works. Fishing deeper water also affords a few things that the shallow water guys don’t get, and that’s peace and quiet on high-traffic days. The crowds that will ruin a pristine flat along the shoreline just to see what you are doing will rarely pay any attention when you are drifting in the middle of the bay. Once you get a

Getting off the shoreline and finding deeper structure helps avoid crowds and can provide great fishing on un-pressured fish.

As pretty as a shallow water flat can be, there are other options not to be forgotten.

Proper boat position is critical to success when targeting deeper structure. Knowing which way the current or tide is flowing determines how the fish relate.

few hundred yards off the shoreline you will have a whole new world almost completely to yourself and void of pressure. It’s amazing. Throw in a few pieces of structure and the right water conditions and you have a combination that’s tough to beat.

Turning your back on the deep stuff simply because of all the attention that’s paid to shallow water patterns would be a huge mistake. Take advantage of the forgotten water!

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Forgotten Water – Busy Day Strategy

CHUCK UZZLE

CONTACT

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

Phone 409-697-6111

Email wakesndrakes@yahoo.com

Website wakesndrakes.com

Discovering the right pattern made this record day possible.

R edfish f lies (Don’t Overthink It!)

STORY BY JAKE HADDOCK

Most fly fisherman by nature tend to be critical overthinkers. We simply can’t help ourselves more times than not. This is ever so evident when watching one of us trying to pick which fly will be fastened to the end of our bite tippet; busy eyes working a fly box left to right top to bottom, as if reading a novel, all the while trying to decipher which flavor of chicken will best match the hatch. Luckily for Texas saltwater fly anglers, our main targeted species is redfish, and they tend to be rather gluttonous most of the time, like little pigs at an all you can eat buffet. Sometimes however, redfish seem to be closer related to a Key West permit on day three of the March Merkin. Because of this you may want more than a Redfish Crack in your fly box! Yes, I said it. While that fly is probably responsible for the majority of fly-caught Texas reds in the last decade, it doesn’t always fit the bill. Just don’t tell Packmore I said that.

I keep several fly boxes at home loaded and at the ready, and try to organize them for vastly different zones that I often fish. You see, I may fish one area for a few days where the bottom consists of black mud, mixed with scattered shell, covered by extremely turbid water, and the next week fish crystal-clear grass flats with scattered potholes. To complicate things further, on calm summer days when a small skiff can travel long distances across a given bay system, I may encounter these two vastly different types of zones in the same outing. So, the best way I’ve been able to combat this the last couple of years is to keep two fly boxes on my boat, one for clean water, the other for dirty. The dirty water box tends to have lots of color such as purple, black, white, and even hot pink. The clear water box mostly consists of tan, different shades of green, and again white. The types of patterns in the two boxes almost mirror each other, with a small difference being a few more weedless patterns in the clean water box.

How I choose a pattern is mostly dictated by how the fish are swimming at that particular moment. For example, one way a redfish will be presented to an angler is often called a floater. This can usually be related to a balmy summer day when your glasses

are constantly fogging up. These fish may be in one foot of water, or even four feet, but what’s common between them is they are floating relatively close to the surface. They might be floating still, like a koi fish in a backyard pond, or strung together like tarpon, steadily swimming. The theme here is the fly needs to be super sexy in the water and have tons of movement, and since we’re not worrying about bottom contact, the hook can ride point down. Also, this type of fly needs to suspend in the water as much as possible. To do so I tend to stick with flies consisting of natural fibers as much as possible – marabou, hackle feathers, rabbit strip, and even ostrich hurl. The most important thing in choosing a fly for floating fish is to stay away from those that have lead eyes. Remember you need something that suspends high in the water column and has erratic motion at the slightest twitch of fly line. A prime example of a pattern well-suited for this situation is the tarpon toad.

Another common way redfish will present themselves is tailing. This could be a single fish or one hundred, possibly even more. Either way it’s one of the most beautiful sights you’ll see on the flats here in Texas. Fly choice under these circumstances typically doesn’t require much critical thinking and that trusty Redfish Crack or your favorite variation of said pattern will often do the job. Other times the fish seem to be so distracted in their search for forage that they seem to simply ignore the fly. Multiple presentations to various sides of the school will sometimes gain their attention but other times lead to spooking them. This is when changing the fly might be the best choice. The most exciting option here is to go with a topwater of sorts, such as a gurgler pattern. I’ve had some unforgettable days on the water watching redfish break from a tailing pod to inhale one of these flies. Another pattern for this situation would be a spoon fly. This “fly” if you dare call it that among Texas fly fishing purists, can produce astounding results with tailing fish, especially when seagrass seems to foul everything else in your box.

On a low tide morning you can often find redfish crawling down shorelines, exposing the top half of their bodies to the sky above. This is often referred to as a belly crawler or backer. Fly choice here can be

critical. Choose wrong and that willing fish will be spooked and smoke off to the nearest drop-off looking like a glowing amber torpedo. The hook shape of the fly here is of highest importance. I prefer a jig hook, but an older tried and true method is to find a hook you can bend from the eye and roll it slightly toward the point. Either way, the important thing is this fly needs to ride “hook up” so it doesn’t foul the bottom. Also, the weight of this fly needs to be kept to a minimum and I will often use a bead chain eye for this application. It seems to be just

enough weight to keep the fly riding hook up, but not so much that it will make a large splash in the water. Exact pattern here isn’t extremely important. I tend to stick with something shrimpy and often fall back to the Crack pattern but tied on a small jig hook with a bead chain eye.

The last form of redfish behavior we will cover today is often the type that frustrates the hell out of most fly anglers, leaving their mind drifting toward thoughts of selling all their ridiculously expensive gear and taking up a different hobby such as golf. These fish are usually found on the bottom in a couple feet of water and often referred to as negative fish. What puts them in this mood now and again is somewhat of a mystery. Whether it’s the backside of a full moon or a higher-than-normal barometer, the world may never know for sure. With these fish being near the bottom you need to deploy a fly that will quickly get down to their line of sight. The answer here is a fly with lead eyes. Yet again you can absolutely use a Crack pattern here, especially if its smaller, and sometimes going to dark colors in this instance can help as well. When that doesn’t work, falling back to your favorite permit crab can often yield good results.

I hope this article gave you some insight on fly selection for various forms of redfishing scenarios. If you still need some help deciding what to put in your box, I urge you to visit one of many fly shops we have here on the Texas coast nowadays, and preferably the one closet to the area you plan to fish. Chances are the staff will have some insider knowledge to what flies you need for that particular zone.

Until next time - Choose your fly wisely, but don’t overthink it!

JAKE HADDOCK

Phone 713-261-4084

Email frigatebirdfishing@gmail.com

Website w ww.frigatebirdfishing.com

Jake Haddock grew up in the back bays of Port O’ Connor where he developed a great passion for saltwater fishing. In his younger years he was a youth writer for this publication. In present day he enjoys guiding light tackle and fly clients in Galveston and occasionally Port O’ Connor.

The gurgler pattern can sometimes be the ticket for gaining the attention of tailing reds.

The tarpon toad is a good choice when addressing “floater” redfish.

Switching flies proved lucky for me on this day when the fish were pickier than normal.

A variation on Andy Packmore’s popular redfish crack pattern. This one is tied on a jig hook.

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Blacktips Baiting

STORY BY JOE RICHARD

Summer action behind shrimpboats off Sabine Pass.

May is when blacktip sharks arrive on the Texas coast, suddenly occupying our bays and fish passes. Back when Pass Cavallo was deep, this month would bring a surge of 40-pounders that could really bust up our tackle, jumping and spinning and chewing up our leaders. (Their teeth are made for chopping, and that’s just what they’ll do). Back when we were rookies with tarpon, a screaming reel and quick glimpse of something five feet long jumping and thrashing out there in the whitecaps was momentary cause for celebration. But no, it was another blacktip shark, hungry for any kind of bait bigger than shrimp. Energetic, too; other sharks on the hook behaved more like big catfish. The population of these smaller, coastal sharks may actually be increasing. They’ve always seemed numerous, but today the daily bag limit is one per angler. Not many people keep them, even though they’re far more tasty than bigger sharks. Ammonia leaking from shark skin means that an Igloo with sharks inside will put out a very strong odor.

One hot, windy June day in Port O’Connor we needed fillets for a fish fry, with 20 out-of-towners expected. What to do? The bays were choppy, muddy and hot, so we headed offshore with our neighbor Capt. Jimmy Crouch, POC’s unofficial mayor. At the rigs eight miles out the water was still muddy. We tied up in 3-4 foot seas and set out popping corks with mullet underneath and soon landed eight blacktips in the threefoot range. How many more did we need? Sam Caldwell raised the big Igloo’s lid, peaked inside and reeled backwards, turning pale and sitting down abruptly. A gust of ammonia had swept over him and it was suddenly time to go. Back at the dock the sharks were cleaned and the 28-inch fillets, minus their skins, now smelled the same as redfish and trout. Sliced into fingers, coated with a mix of Tony’s and cornmeal, then fried in peanut

oil. Greatly appreciated, too. Yes sir, those were mighty big trout fillets.

Today, if someone wants a blacktip shark for a fish fry, with a bag limit of one, it’s best to aim high; go for a 40- or 50-pounder. During summer, these bigger fish are caught in green water around the color change offshore, behind shrimpboats, or drifting near pogy schools off the beach where they concentrate from High Island to Sabine Pass. I suspect there are more blacktips on the upper half of the Texas coast, where the water isn’t so often green to the beach.

Mike Spencer, an avid angler from Port Arthur, targets them for younger relatives seeking a little more…excitement while fishing. They wear rod belts and hook up with drag-burning sharks that provide plenty of action.

“You need green water with six or so feet of visibility, not just trout green water,” advises Spencer.

Wife Amy with a blacktip in Pass Cavallo that almost bit her elbow. A pole spear through the gills scuttled this shark.

Mike Spencer’s crew getting a workout from blacktips. Photo by Mike Spencer.

Green water around summer’s shrimp boats, that’s the ticket to blacktip action. Photo by Mike Spencer.

“Pull up behind a working shrimpboat and drag menhaden behind it. If the shrimpboat is anchored, pull up close to their stern and make a drift with several baits. Use 4/0 reels with 40-pound line, 125-pound Ande mono leader with 7/0 circle hooks. I personally use Shimano TLD-15 reels because of their smooth drags.”

After wearing out a shark, it’s best not to risk injury and keep those sharks in the water. Mike cuts the leader a foot from the hook, when possible. But be advises those sharks are quick as a snake. One day he reached out with the fillet knife and the shark waited, then reared up and bit his knife blade twice in the blink of an eye. Clink-clink! He said it was freaky, that close to his hand.

If you’re going to box one of these sharks of 25 pounds or bigger, it’s best to shoot it first. And not in the head; aim for the heart. Years ago I noticed a drawing of shark anatomy and noticed the heart is behind the middle of five gills on each side. We’d tried to tail-rope a big blacktip without success at night, figured we would drag it backwards with the boat until the shark drowned. Quick as a snake, it whipped around snapped close to wife Amy’s elbow. We dropped that idea real quick. Instead, I grabbed a 7-foot pole spear, aimed at the middle gill, and let fly. Thump! To our amazement, the powerful shark quivered and lay still. Spencer confirms the same thing; they’ve shot these same sharks in the head without much affect, but a gill-and-heart shot will do the trick. And also bleed it some, which improves the flavor.

Care should be taken around blacktips; the late Capt. Howard Horton of Galveston gaffed a little three-footer at the jetties and brought it aboard, trying to save a 30-cent hook. By then the shark had an attitude and it waited for the right moment before grabbing Howard’s hand. The instinct to pull back is strong and Howard yanked back hard, greatly compounding the damage. Three fingers hung by threads and he spent a week in hospital, the first few days on morphine. A doctor rebuilt his mangled hand, but the finished product looked pretty rough. There’s no telling what the hospital bill for that would be, these days. Howard was a tough salt; he always fished barefoot and once had a marlin hook rammed through his foot, but that’s another story.

Blacktips carry a mean set of teeth built for cutting meat. By comparison, sand sharks have needle teeth that don’t cause real damage, leaving needle holes instead. That’s if you can remain calm

and pry it’s mouth open in a timely fashion without overreacting. (Been there, done that. When a shark clamps down, it won’t let go. My sand shark on the jetty wouldn’t, anyway, until Amy pried it’s mouth open with an oyster knife. My gold spoon was saved, and I went back to casting with mere needle holes in one finger.)

It’s nice to remove a hook from these sharks, but not worth the risk.

In our Pass Cavallo heyday it’s a wonder someone wasn’t injured by those sharks or various other big critters we caught. We used 16/0 circle hooks and tried to save them, too. One day when anchored and the tide running, I unhooked a dozen 30- to 40-pound blacktips. When alongside the boat they actually calmed down, waiting while I jiggled the hook loose, all the while talking to them. Something like: You’re all right, mate. They couldn’t hear me, but maybe the vibes were right. None of them snapped at me.

Spencer won’t unhook his sharks, not after one chomped his knife blade. He and his family are still big fans of this one shark species, targeting the bigger, more energetic tackle-busters. He says some will run 100 yards of 40-pound line off the reels, jumping all the while. He says starting in May, find that green, six-foot visibility water and chum with frozen pogy (menhaden) left over from the previous summer. Better yet, fresh pogy.

And watch those fingers and hands.

JOE RICHARD

Joe Richard has fished the Gulf since 1967, starting out of Port Arthur, but his adventures have taken him up and down the entire coast. He was the editor of Tide magazine for eight years, and later Florida Sportsman’s book and assistant magazine editor. He began guiding out of Port O’Connor in 1994. His specialty is big kingfish, and his latest book is The Kingfish Bible, New Revelations. Available at Seafavorites.com

Smaller, “ankle snapper” blacktip sharks will sneak up and tug on the stringers of wade fishermen.

To Use or Not to Use: A Guide to Venting & Descending Reef Fish

STORY BY NICHOLAS HADDAD

Required Gear: Don’t Let the Law Ruin Your Day

If you are an avid offshore angler, you’ve likely been hearing a lot about venting and descending requirements lately. Last year, the DESCEND Act became effective for all anglers who fish for reef fish in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The law requires anglers to possess either a venting tool or a descending device to be rigged and ready when fishing for reef fish species.

More recently, state agencies in Texas and Florida approved new regulations in state waters (up to 9 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico) to mimic the federal regulations (beyond 9 miles). Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) approved a rule that will require the possession of venting tools or descending devices that are rigged and ready to use when fishing for reef fish in state waters. In addition to requiring possession, the new regulation will require use when a fish is displaying signs of barotrauma. This law will become effective September 1, 2023.

The new regulations are great - they bring awareness to barotrauma, venting and descending and improve the survival of reef fish in state waters. The consistency between state and federal regulations should make the rules easier to understand for anglers too. With that said, anglers can do more harm than good if they vent or descend fish that are not experiencing barotrauma, or they are doing so incorrectly. The key to making the most of these new regulations is understanding when and where we should be using these devices to help fish survive. After all, the purpose of these regulations is to save more fish.

Venting tools or descending devices will be required in state waters (purple grid) of Texas starting September 1, 2023. Anglers should expect fish to start to experience barotrauma between the 10 and 20-meter contour line and injuries become worse with increased depth.

Follow the guidelines below to make the most of your release gear and reduce the number of floaters on your next trip offshore.

Pack the Right Supplies Before Leaving the Dock

A common question I often hear is, “Do I need a venting tool or a descending device?” Either tool will cover your legal requirements, but I suggest every angler carry and know how to use both venting tools and descending devices for two main reasons: 1) There are different situations where each device may be preferred. Under most conditions, the descending device is the preferred method of release because it is the easiest to use and safest for the fish. However, if you find yourself in a situation where multiple fish come to the deck at the same time that you must release, it is better to vent the fish and release them quickly instead of waiting for the descending device to be retrieved from depth. Venting requires precision using a sharp, hollow tool on a rocking boat and will do more harm than good if done incorrectly. 2) Having a backup device will keep you compliant while allowing you to continue to successfully release fish if you happen to lose one while fishing. It never hurts to bring extra devices and extra weights to descend your fish too.

Be Prepared Before the Fish Hit the Deck

The onset and severity of barotrauma can vary by conditions and species, so there is not a single depth that requires anglers to use their devices. Anglers fishing off jetties in south Texas often see redfish float off in depths of 30-40 feet, meanwhile other anglers fishing for red snapper might not experience this until depths over 60 feet. Most reef fish start to experience barotrauma at depths of 50-65 feet or greater. This means you should rig your release gear before dropping a bait down if you are bottom fishing at or beyond this depth. Once you surpass 80-100 feet of depth, you will most likely need to use your venting tool or descending device to get your catch back down. With that said, understanding the signs of barotrauma is the last step to helping more fish survive.

Know the Signs of Barotrauma

The most recognized symptom of barotrauma is the fish’s stomach protruding from its mouth. Many anglers think this is the swim bladder, but the fish’s swim bladder inflates internally and pushes the stomach out of the mouth. You never want to vent or pop the stomach coming out of the mouth. Other symptoms include eyes bulging, intestinal protrusion, a bloated stomach and even bubbling or distorted scales. Air can expand so much inside a fish that it forces its way through the skin and out under the scales causing them to bubble.

The deeper you fish, typically the more severe the signs of barotrauma will be. It is important to remember, even if you don’t see any of these external symptoms in your catch, the fish may still need help getting back down. Gently squeezing the stomach of a fish and feeling if it is

Red snapper on a SeaQualizer descending device.

Rigging a descending device prior to fishing.

firm is a helpful way to tell if there is excess air in the body cavity. If the body cavity feels firm, or if you release a fish and it’s kicking, but struggling to overcome the buoyancy, use a descending device and send them back down!

Return ‘Em Right to Earn Another Fight

There is not a single best release practice that fits every scenario. As an angler, it’s your responsibility to understand when and where you might experience barotrauma and know how to properly release your catch offshore. Having the knowledge and tools to successfully release reef fish will help you earn another fight in the future. A great way to gain this knowledge and free release gear is to visit ReturnEmRight.org. Spend 15-minutes learning about barotrauma and best release practices and earn $100 in FREE release gear to use out on the water. Not every fish will survive release, but it’s our job to give each one their best shot.

Symptoms of barotrauma: (top left) stomach protruding from mouth, (top right) bubbling scales (bottom left) intestinal protrusion, (middle) bulging eyes, (bottom right) bloated belly.

DON’T LET THE WIND FRUSTRATE YOU… TOO MUCH!

As winter yields to spring I start prepping for high winds out of the SE, all the while knowing that I will have to deal with some NE winds and cooler temperatures as late season frontal systems push far enough south to interrupt my springtime game plans. This was certainly the case on the weekend of March 17 through 19 when a front brought some much-needed rain and temperatures dropped into the mid-40s. Water temperatures had been running mid- to upper-60s prior to the front but by Monday it had dropped to 57 °. Tides remained slightly higher than normal for post-front conditions, which I like. Will fronts like this delay the bait migrations and trout spawn? Probably not would be my answer and that is only based on experience. Let something like that happen in late April to early May and I would say it would likely postpone some spawning activity.

This time of year, I focus on areas close to gulf passes where migrating mullet, menhaden, and glass minnows will arrive first. What all these areas have in common is water movement. I continue to focus just about every day on trout. Rockport is not famous for

trout that exceed the 8-to-9-pound range, but we catch a few each year here and there. We do, however, have decent numbers of 3-to-5-pound fish that provide plenty of satisfaction for most anglers.

The spring of 2021 was better for me than the spring of 2022. Reasoning? Maybe the trout that survived the February 2021 freeze stayed bunched up; kind of like a safety in numbers thing going on. Or maybe it was just my lack of being able to stay on them in 2022. Whatever the reason, there were fewer numbers for me in fewer areas. We had small windows of good trout fishing, and most were during the days leading to the full moon.

What we call our north country, areas north of Marker 25, were very inconsistent for both me and Jay Ray last year. Our reefs are in recovery mode and the work to reopen Cedar Bayou hadn’t been completed, so these things must also be factored in. I do believe the oyster harvest closures this year (due mostly to overharvest in prior years) in San Antonio, Mesquite and Aransas bays will help these systems return to greatness. Add the flow from Cedar Bayou since the reopening and one just has to believe that we are on the mend. Jay Ray and I both plan on spending way more time working the shell reefs this spring. The back lakes that are fed by the flow from the Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough should also be much improved. Years ago, when the bayou was flowing, our trout fishing in those lakes was off the charts, so I am hoping for a return to this level of trout fishing in our backwaters.

For most of my career I have fished the months of March through May on the southern end of Aransas Bay and farther south into Corpus Christi Bay. Reasoning here is simple – baitfish migrations through the Port Aransas jetties. With the opening of the Cedar Bayou, I expect to spend some time in Mesquite Bay as well, working the same bait migration pattern.

I pay very close attention to pelicans, osprey, and royal terns this time of year. All these birds assist me in locating bait from day to day. Slicking is also a key to locating the proper size trout for me and slicking usually ramps up in mid-April and continues throughout summer. You might have had a double take when I said, “proper size” and wondered how does that work? That is an entirely different article;

Andrew proved that grinding pays.

one I will write someday.

This is just me, but I focus on shallow grass beds when trying to put my guys on the best trout I can for the season that we are fishing. Due to fishing pressure and dolphin predation, which by the way is terrible in our local bays, I personally believe that the larger trout are undergoing changes in their patterns and remain shallow as much as possible. Every day we see shallow draft boats running along shorelines and other shallow areas, which I believe adds to these fish changing their patterns.

More about dolphin predation, look just offshore at any shoreline or spoil and see if you notice dolphins patrolling the area along the drop-off. You no doubt will, and I believe their presence also creates the need for trout to stay shallow. Trout want to feed shallow, if possible, as do most predators. It’s just easier to locate and obtain a meal in a smaller water column. I am forced “genetically” to fish shallower than many others, so it only stands to reason that the fish I catch will be shallower on average.

I prefer to fish windward shorelines, points, and spoils when possible. I like the “sanding effect” that wind creates in our normally clear waters. I have this pattern that I love and use often after long periods of high winds that “sand” the water along shallow shorelines and spoils. Make no mistake, large trout have zero

problem feeding in very dirty water. Truth might be that they actually prefer these situations. If I can get on a shoreline that has been pounded by strong overnight wind on the morning when the wind calms and waters begin to clear, I find that I normally catch fish of better quality, and many times the quantity is also better. I find that this weather-created pattern works well all up and down the middle and lower coast.

High winds stack bait in murky shoreline guts and flooded grass that is normally very clear, and predators are quick to take advantage. We catch them when it’s dirty for sure, but not always in numbers. Let the winds lie down, and as the waters begin to settle to a point where submerged grass and gut edges can be identified, the scale begins to tip in the angler’s favor. I have had some tremendous days on the spoils and riprap in San Antonio Bay under the conditions just described.

Rockport affords me lots of options in high SE wind and higher tides that spring brings. Numerous launch facilities from the Lamar Peninsula all the way south to Aransas Pass provide short and safe rides to much of the springtime water that I enjoy fishing. It’s good for me and good for my clients and has probably added years to my guiding career. My hat is off to the guides and anglers that are forced to navigate large areas of deep, rough water just to get to water they can fish.

In many of the areas I fish, I depend on wind-generated current to push bait around points or across areas of submerged grass or scattered shell to create feeding opportunities. When fishing close to a gulf pass, I rely heavily on the tidal movement to put us in the proper area at the proper times. Solunar feeding predictions can also play a large role in our successes. I am a big believer in the tables, but I do not totally base my day on them. Sooner or later, we need to become confident enough in our abilities to seek areas that we know are holding fish and KNOW that we can make them eat. I promise this; if you can locate fish in great enough numbers, you can make them eat something!

I find that this is often true in areas with shallow reefs. The

Clump shell with vegetation like this makes great structure.

Craig enjoying a good day.

outer area around many of our major reefs have gradual drop-offs with bottoms that contain scattered clump shell. Many of these clumps will have vegetation attached to them. This is twice as good as bare shell. These are the areas where individual fish will choose a small area of structure to sit out the downtime between major and minor feeding periods. There can be surprising numbers of fish scattered throughout such areas. By slowing down and methodically probing each small area of clump shell, we often find that we can create a bite. I did this on Monday last week in an area of about 60 yards off the main body of a reef in Aransas Bay during a downtime period according to the solunar table. We caught twelve nice trout during an hour wade.

I think spring patterns tax us mentally and physically more than any other season. Since the 2021 freeze, taxing is a nice way of putting it, I guess. There are so many days with sustained SE winds over 20 mph that many anglers become frustrated. I maintain my sanity by searching each morning on my way out as to what we must work with, and then focus on trying to establish small areas that will allow for the highest odds of my anglers putting a lure in

front of a fish. I think the process sometimes disappoints clients, as they are in hopes that I know exactly where the fish are that day and that is where we are headed. Honestly, I have a good idea of where they are most of the time, but I like confirmation that what I think I know can actually be found. Starting fresh each morning allows me to depend on my instincts, and the process works for me. Dedication to the areas we choose is huge and the ability to stay in the area and allow it to develop is an even larger factor in our success. Good luck out there and try not to let the wind frustrate you too much.

May your fishing always be catching! -Guide Jay Watkins

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Which color? The One You Believe In!

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 361-729-9596

Email Jay@jaywatkins.com

Website www.jaywatkins.com

By Vivienette Perez FIELD NOTES

THE TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS OF TROUT MANAGEMENT

Have you ever come back from a fishing trip and been approached by a group of people in khaki uniforms holding a clipboard, basket, and measuring board? A common assumption is that game wardens are approaching, but that is not always the case. Usually, these individuals are staff from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Coastal Fisheries Division (TPWDCF). Local anglers on the Texas coast are used to these encounters, but they may not be familiar with how staff use the information collected and the importance of their work.

Coastal Fisheries staff conduct “creel” surveys (or angler surveys) at boat ramps along the Texas coast. Staff ask anglers a variety of questions such as what county you reside in, how long you spent fishing, how many and what kind of fish you kept, and what species you were targeting. TPWD-CF’s goal with these questions is not to expose anglers’ secret fishing spots, but to gather information to generate an estimate of what is being harvested from Texas waters. In addition to creel surveys, TPWD-CF also collects data on fish populations using bag seines, trawls, oyster dredges, and gill nets. Anglers occasionally express concern over the use of these gears, but staff go to great lengths to minimize any impacts to the resource. While some mortality does occur, these

“tools of the trade” are an essential part of research and fisheries management. Field crews strive to expedite the process and release fish alive, minimizing mortality. One type of sampling gear that most anglers are familiar with are gill nets. Gill nets target adult fish and are used for 10 weeks in the spring and 10 weeks in the fall. Random selection of locations is used to eliminate bias when setting gill nets. The data collected from gill net surveys give TPWD-CF biologists information regarding population abundance, lengths of fish sampled, and species composition. Comparing current data to previous years’ data can help biologists to understand the dynamics of a population over time. Additionally, TPWD-CF can utilize both gill net sample data and creel survey estimates to better understand what is happening in Texas bays, which informs management decisions and helps form regulations that ensure sustainable levels of harvest.

TPWD-CF utilizes gill net catch data and other sampling data to better understand how major Texas freezes impact Spotted Seatrout populations, a popular species that many anglers ask about at creel surveys. For example, the February 2021 freeze caused significant seatrout mortality on the middle and lower coast as seen in reduced catch rates in Spring 2021 gill nets.

Figure 1. Gill net catch rates for Spotted Seatrout from 1983-2022 for Matagorda Bay through Lower Laguna Madre (excluding data from Spring 2020 because of COVID precautions).

Although it takes time, TPWD-CF is starting to see signs of recovery in spotted seatrout populations, as evidenced by data collected from subsequent gill net surveys (Figure 1).

Figure 1 shows the gill net catch rates, which is the number of trout caught per hour that the net is in the water.

In 1983, 1989, and 2021 there were significant freezes that impacted the catch rates in gill nets the following spring. In spring 2020 there is a data gap because sampling was suspended due to the pandemic, but in spring 2021, the catch rate for Spotted Seatrout was much lower than in previous years as a result of freeze impacts.

Figure 2 shows the effects of the freezes of 1983, 1989, and 2021 on Spotted Seatrout harvest. The reduction in trout harvest could be caused by several different factors. Anglers may not be catching or

targeting trout, or they might not be keeping as many trout due to concern over trout populations or emergency regulation changes. Tournaments could also be impacting data if they are not targeting trout, or the tournament is catch and release.

The data collected through monitoring efforts allow biologists to see that Spotted Seatrout populations recovered within two to three years after the 1983 and 1989 freezes, underscoring the value of collecting this data. After the 2021 freeze, TPWD decided to implement an emergency regulation that reduced the bag limit of Spotted Seatrout to three fish per angler, with a minimum size of 17”, a maximum size of 23”, and no “oversize” fish allowed. This regulation is in effect from FM 457 near Sargent, Texas south to the Texas/Mexico border, the area in which trout were most impacted by the freeze. This regulation is set to expire and revert back to the previous bag and size limits on September 1, 2023. The previous regulation was a bag limit of five fish per angler with a minimum size of 15”, a maximum size of 25”, with one fish allowed over 25” per day. Some anglers have had questions and concerns regarding TPWD’s decision to implement these emergency regulations, but the data gathered from gill net surveys and creel surveys informed the decision to implement the emergency regulations and helps to answer anglers’ questions. The rationale behind these regulations was to allow at least two spawning seasons that limited the harvesting of smaller trout, giving them the chance to grow and reproduce, bolstering population recovery. Through continuous monitoring, TPWD hopes to see the benefits of responsive management through a fully recovered Spotted Seatrout population. Furthermore, TPWD hopes to see anglers benefit from these efforts through continued high quality fishing experiences along the coast.

Figure 2. Combined angler catch data from Matagorda Bay, San Antonio Bay, Aransas Bay, Corpus Christi Bay, Upper Laguna Madre and Lower Laguna Madre. Black circles indicate the year after a major freeze event.

Figure 3. Juvenile Spotted Seatrout caught in bag seines.

TIDEWATER Does it Again!

Tidewater Boats, the sales leader in the highly-competitive 25-foot-and-up Texas saltwater center console market, has introduced another winner!

The TPC (Tidewater Performance Cat) Raptor 25 is a low-profile high-performance cat that offers high quality with exceptional value. One of the largest boat builders in the U.S., Tidewater’s massive purchasing power allows them to offer a superior product at a more competitive price than smaller, Texas cat builders. The result? Boat-motor-trailer packages as low as $99,000.00!

The Deck – A one piece fiberglass inner-liner, almost never seen in this type of boat, creates a more functional, durable interior with a truly polished look. It also allows for more storage and more “true dry storage” than all the competition. Best of all it provides a more solid ride while eliminating vibration and noise apparent in competitive brands.

Fishing – The TPC Raptor, already in use by many serious recreational and tournament anglers, has three large fully insulated and aerated live wells that can double as drink coolers or release wells. There’s plenty of vertical rod holders along with under-gunnel rod storage, and enough dash space to mount two 12” screens. The transom has a standard boarding ladder with plenty space for dual Power Poles. Port or starboard trolling motor mounting capability is available. They have an optional folding or removable Burn Bar with a removable Sun Top. Raw water washdown is standard with fresh water available.

Comfort – Custom wrap-around bucket seats with flip-up bolsters mounted on Shock Wave S-5 Suspension bases, and due to the wide beam, the console is wide enough to tuck behind when running in inclement weather conditions. There is forward seating and an optional two-person removable rear seat is available. The extended bow covers a large area forward of the hulls providing a much dryer ride.

Performance – Yamaha 250 SHO pushes the boat above 50 mph and the TPC Raptor can take up to 400 hp. Engines are mounted on 10” hydraulic jack plate. The hull is a Dual Step Design that increases economy and speed while creating an almost instant holeshot. Custom trim tabs are standard, and while the boat drafts less than a foot, it can also tackle rough conditions of larger bays and open water much more comfortably than most.

Conclusion – If you are looking for a low-profile shallow water performance cat, the Tidewater TPC Raptor should fit all your needs and then some. Most of all, as of now, they are available!

Texas Sportfishing Yacht Sales in League City, Texas is Tidewater’s exclusive dealer for all Tidewaters 25ft and up and we have a few TPC Raptors in stock. Tidewater has committed to at least one boat a week to Texas through this spring and summer. That is not many, but no two-year wait to get one. Better Hurry!

Texas Sportfishing Yacht Sales

281-535-BOAT (2628)  | www.tsfyachts.com

DAVE ROBERTS

SHALLOW WATER FISHING POP ‘EM OUT!

I believe it possible that Texas might hold as great or greater diversity of shoreline habitat than any state that borders the Gulf of Mexico. Not only the landscape, the weather seems to be just as inconsistent as the bayous and bays that shape our coast. The only constant in this equation is that there are plenty of fish to be caught and it can be done from one end to the other. There are myriad methods and strategies an angler can employ to go about catching a few of these fish and I myself have tried most. However, when you lump them all together, one setup that I have the utmost confidence in is the popping cork. I will never leave the launch ramp without at least one rigged and ready because it can be thrown in any type of water, under just about any conditions, and will consistently produce fish.

The popping cork has a weird stigma within the fishing community and rightly so. Its looks are quite unappealing, if for no other reason than it conjures images of staring at a bobber, and nothing could be more boring. However, a similar argument could be made with crankbaits or spoons, that all you need do is toss it out and reel it back in with a slow, effortless retrieve. It took me a while to warm up to the popping cork, but

after watching my buddy catch more fish than me, I began to change my opinion.

The first time I saw one up close and in action was maybe twelve years ago. There was a kayak fishing tournament coming on Sabine Lake and two guys on the old Texas Kayak Fishing Forum posted that they were looking for a third member to join their team. I quickly replied that I was interested and we began discussing where we might plan to fish. I told them that I knew of an area holding some quality fish. We put a plan together and decided to go there. The morning of the tournament was the first time I had ever met these two individuals in person. We were acquainted on the forum but up to that day it was our only contact. One of them was the owner and creator of TKF and the other is now one of my best friends, Chad. Funny how you meet some of you best friends at a boat ramp. Anyways, I was looking over Chad’s setup and he had a bigger spinning rod in one of his rod holders with a neon green popping cork waving in the breeze. My initial thought was that this was about to be a long day.

We made our way back into the marsh, spaced out evenly across a small lake and begin to cover everything

we could reach with topwaters. We caught a few fish right at daylight and considered ourselves off to a decent start. The morning grew quiet and still and we all heard a redfish blowing up near the far shoreline. I would have considered this fish to be well out of casting range with hopes to catch up to it within a few minutes. Looking over at Chad, he was reeling in his topwater as quickly as he could, skipping it frantically across the surface. Quick as a flash he reached back for the big rod rigged with the neon cork. Rearing back, he aired a cast across the pond impressively near the spot where the redfish had been blowing up. I watched as he gave the rod a series of hefty jerks…pop, pop, pop…and the cork disappeared. His drag started to scream and he began fighting that fish while I watched in absolute amazement. I couldn’t believe that it actually worked. He proceeded to replay that exact scenario a few more times that morning. Since that day I knew that there was a lot more to throwing a popping cork than staring at a bobber.

One of the key factors about having a popping cork setup at the ready is that it can be used in virtually any situation. It is just as effective in a foot of water in backwater marsh ponds as it is in the open water of Sabine Lake. It can be used in the surf for chasing trout and also excels when casting parallel to the rocks along the jetties. The

other great thing about this setup is that no matter what the weather might be, there’s still a place for the popping cork. I think it safe to say, the worse the weather is the better it works. A windblown shoreline and a popping cork can make for one of the better ways to catch fish in undesirable conditions.

Popping cork rigging doesn’t have to be complicated, in fact my set up is pretty straight forward. I like to use a 1/16 ounce jighead with 20 lb. fluorocarbon leader. A majority of the time I tend to keep my leader length pretty short, usually only about 8- to 12-inches under the cork. If I know I will mostly be fishing the jetties or main lake where the water is deeper, I will increase the length; but still less than two feet. My favorite lure is a white Gulp shrimp although any soft plastic will work just fine.

The popping cork is without a doubt one of the most versatile setups a saltwater angler can have in their arsenal. They are easy to throw, easy to fish, and perfect for kids or first-time anglers of any age. You can catch every kind of fish on it and do it just about anywhere you would like. As I have said, I will always have one rigged up in my kayak or boat. If you are ever out on the water and your plan falls through, or fishing is tough, just remember; “When in doubt, pop ‘em out.”

NOCO Jump Starter—Keep One In Your Boat

CONTACT

Email: TexasKayakChronicles@yahoo.com

Website: www.TexasKayakChronicles.com

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.

View The Video Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.

WHY STAR?

Many moons ago, the CCA Texas Board—already addicted to saltwater fishing – realized how powerful the magnet is that pulls us to savor what Texas coastal waters have to offer. Farsighted men and women could only conclude that the allure of the “salt” would increase over time; after all, you can put a 7 year-old on a 20” redfish, then move on to the next kid. Or a full-grown adult

throwing a topwater that suddenly blows up, yanking, from a violent headshake by a chunky silver lady. Both anglers are hooked, for life.

The pressure is on, and continues. More and more folks, not counting newly-transplanted Texans, are experiencing the thrills of our sport. CCA Texas saw long ago that we must harness this enthusiasm and channel the passion into caring for and managing our beloved resources. We knew we’d need the help of others who benefit off the backs of our volunteer efforts to make this work. We knew the coast, the fishing, the catching gets in your blood, but the number one reason why people fish is to be with family and friends. We also knew that all charities need to attract attention to recruit believers, like a membership drive, to stay meaningful and grow our mission in marine conservation. What started in Texas some 40+ years ago has attracted a groundswell of support with CCA chapters emerging across all US coastal states. It is rare indeed to witness a non-profit organization operate where virtually any member can have an idea that travels directly to the top. If worthy to pursue, it is made to happen, all for the benefit of the resource. Unlike many radical enviro groups that utilize the politics of hysteria, our founding chairman once said, “If the Sierra

Drew Adams, CCA TX Assistant Director, and son Ketch, trying their luck. Getting young anglers involved insures the future of our organization.

Ryleigh Hendrix of Angleton, winner, STAR Teens Gaftop Division $30,000 Scholarship & with her parents William and Shannon Hendrix

Club puts up a sign that says, ‘Don’t walk on the grass’, this board will say…what’s the grass for?” Marine conservation and human progress can peacefully coexist.

There is a reason why the Texas fisheries are regarded among the best in the country. Working with industry leaders and managers such as Dow and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, CCA Texas has built the two largest, warmwater, saltwater fish hatcheries in the world and released almost one billion fingerlings into Texas coastal waters. That’s with a B, and they both belong to Texas. Even with the devastating 2021 freeze, such immediate proactive measures on the part of ALL vested parties—industry, fishery managers, and particularly conservation-minded anglers—helped and now it would appear trout numbers are starting to recover. Of course, dumping almost 14 million baby trout back into the bays in the trailing 12 months will do a heck of a job to supplement the wild stocks. We applaud the ethic of CCA members to mobilize these efforts. It does take a village. All working together. For the fish.

Fish first. This is the rallying cry behind everything we do. More fish require more habitat. CCA has funded almost $10 million through 2022 in habitat creation and restoration projects that include nearshore reefing, shoreline stabilization and protection, marsh and oyster reef restoration, bay debris removal, and even weed eradication to improve water flow. None of this happens without volunteers, the lifeblood of conservation.

CCA Texas is extremely proud of the many, many selfless outdoors men, women, and kids who contribute to this work for our precious shorelines and estuaries. Being a member and rolling up our sleeves for chapter duty or various projects is highly infectious and shows what teamwork can create.

We are always looking for ways to get families together to share in the fruits of our labors. You can bet that if we don’t get these kids hooked today, we’ll all be fishing dead water 20 years from now. More members, young and old, add more clout to our impact in all our advocacy issues; hence, we needed a recruitment tool.

So the CCA State of Texas Anglers

Rodeo(STAR) was born in 1990. Like the spirit that drove this outdoor brotherhood together, plans were ambitious and Texas-sized. Build a fun, wholesome event for the entire family and offer magnum prizes to build awareness and attract folks to join us into what we really do. To this day STAR operates on a zero-budget, meaning whatever is raised is spent on prizes and scholarships and media pointing to what CCA is all about. We did not realize it would become “the largest, richest, longest running saltwater tournament anywhere”, so some say. Those who want a shot at many driveway-sized prizes must first become a CCA member, that’s the hook. Pun intended.

You can’t offer prizes of this magnitude(well over $1,000,000, including $325,000 in scholarships) without damn fine partners. We cannot overstate our appreciation, and the need for corporate sponsors who care about the future vitality of Texas’ 600 miles of shoreline. There are many who invest to see our work succeed, both those who have a direct vested interest and those who benefit indirectly from this estimated $3 billion dollar industry in saltwater fishing alone. More fish = more fishing = more sales of more rods, reels, boats, trucks, condos, etc. The healing power of the coastal environment testifies to why some estimates say over half of the Texas population lives within 50 miles of the water.

Yes, this is big business for so many Texans, and those who contribute to making it happen should be rewarded for their altruism; otherwise, we ALL lose and the caretaking needed to ensure our bays and estuaries are vibrant with life will be for naught. CCA will not let that happen, with your help.

Fishing is still the #1 recreational sport in the country. It will remain so, if the fish are there. And they are. Join CCA Texas. Enter the STAR Tournament. If you have a vacation window, book a condo for the fam on the coast. Grab some rods, and even Uncle Ned if he wants to go. Get out there and get in it. See why we feel the mystique of what our spectacular God-given coastlines can offer. Catch just one bull red, then you’ll know why we need an AA all right… Anglers Anonymous, that is. Good Luck!

Bill Kinney – STAR Tournament Director

$25,000 Scholarship Drawing Winner, Lucas Perez of Humble, TX. The award was given by Joe Gleason of abc13 with Bill K looking on. Lucas told Joe he wanted to be a Nasa controller!

Kasey Arnst, of Spring, TX, 3rd Red Tagged Redfish Winner of Ford Truck, Haynie Boat Package

Julian Toboada - $30,000 Scholarship Winner –CCA Texas STAR STARTEENS Sheepshead Division.

BLACKMOON BACKPACKS

STEPHANIE BOYD FISHY FACTS

PURPLE STORM SNAIL

Janthinidae are a family of holoplanktonic sea snails (they live in the water column for their entire life cycle and cannot swim against a current). The family is comprised of two genera: Janthina, the violet snails, and Recluzia, the rare brown snails. The common names for Janthina janthina include violet sea-snail, common violet snail, large violet snail, and purple storm snail. These snails are protected from day one by a camouflage strategy known as countershading. The

ventral side of their shell – which points towards the sky when they’re floating – is much darker in color than the top. The snail’s dependence on a raft of bubbles affects its posture on the water. They float upside down, so the darker purple ventral side faces up, helping them blend into the darker water below. When seen from beneath, their paler purple/gray coloration on top blends in with the light coming from above. Because of their upside-down position in the water column, they’re technically reverse countershaded. They have thin, smooth, fragile shells that are wider than they are tall and have a slightly depressedglobose shape (short, fat spiral). They reach about 1.5 inches in height. The snail has a large head on a very flexible neck with small eyes situated at the base of its tentacles. Purple snails are safe to pick up and get a closer look at, but they do

Janthina janthina with its bubble raft.

Photo courtesy of Gerald McCormack and Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust.

Janthina janthina with its bubble raft. Photo courtesy of Gerald McCormack and Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust.

secrete a purple ink that stains.

The storm snail is found floating at the surface of the water in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. The species is a member of the open-water, surface-dwelling community known as the neuston. While only about 1.5 inches long, it’s one of the largest organisms living in this thin but incredibly expansive habitat. These snails float on the ocean surface by attaching themselves to rafts of bubbles about 5 inches long. Some species have veliger, or free-swimming larvae, but adult snails are actually unable to swim and are completely dependent on their air bubble boats, which they can only create at the surface. If they lose hold of their “raft, the snail will sink to the bottom and die. As perpetual castaways, their fate is tied to the whims of the ocean’s current. They are often found in large groups and sometimes become stranded on beaches when they are blown ashore by strong winds. North of Bob Hall Pier is one pocket they sometimes wash up in.

Janthinids are grouped within the large benthic snail family Epitoniidae, in the superfamily Janthinoidea. Through DNA sequencing and molecular phylogenetics, it has been determined that janthinids are evolutionarily derived from epitoniids, which are specialized predators and ectoparasites of benthic cnidarians. There are a couple of hypotheses on how a benthic epitoniid came to live life on a floating bubble raft. The first is a modified juvenile drogue thread. The drogue is a mucus thread that many benthic snail species use for pelagic dispersal as juveniles; it helps them drift from place to place like a kite on a string. Janthina species juveniles build floats consistent with the drogue thread hypothesis, but to our knowledge, Recluzia species juveniles do not. The second hypothesis is that the float began as a modified egg mass, which typically has cells in various stages of development, from embryos to empty husks. The empty husks trap air and provide buoyancy; some species of both Recluzia and Janthina use this strategy. Both strategies initially

produce temporary periods of passive rafting, but adding air-filled mucus bubbles to the drogue thread or the egg mass allows them to live a fully neustonic existence.

The physical characteristics of Recluzia and Janthina were compared with those of the ancestral epitoniids to determine if one might be a transitional form. Recluzia shares six characteristics with epitoniids; Janthina has none. This points to Recluzia as the transitional form, which lends support to the egg mass hypothesis. With this strategy, males would have to stick with females to have a raft. The evolution of autonomous float building by juvenile Janthina species removed the necessity of meeting a female before metamorphosis. They use their foot to agitate the water’s surface, creating bubbles, which they bind together with mucus. This mucous-bubble mixture hardens to form a floating raft, which the snail attaches itself to. If it becomes partially detached from its raft, the storm snail quickly creates new bubbles with its foot by extending it towards the surface, rapidly folding it to encase an air bubble, and coating the air bubble in mucus secreted from the propodium (anterior part of the foot). Creating a mucous-bubble takes roughly 10 seconds and the snail can make about 10 in a row before pausing.

Storm snails feed off a variety of floating creatures such as bythe-wind-sailors, blue buttons, and Portuguese man o’ wars. They are preyed upon by fish, birds, sea turtles, and other mollusks, including nudibranchs. The snails sometimes have pelagic barnacles attached to their shell as hitchhikers. Storm snails are protandric hermaphrodites, meaning that they begin life as a male and later change into female. In oviparous species, females collect eggs within the bubble raft until they are fertilized and eventually develop into larvae. In ovoviviparous species, such as Janthina janthina, fertilization is internal, but there is no direct mating. Instead, the males release their sperm into the water, hopefully in the general

Washed up on the beach. Photos by Mustang Island State Park Interpreter Eric Ehrlich.

STAY SHALLOW OR GO DEEP?

They’re out there, just under the surface. I know it.

I can hear the redfish calling from the flats. Further out, there’s a Marlin with my name on it. Tarpon await by the jetties. And here I am, a rod in hand and perfect weather overhead.

It’s going to be a good weekend indeed.

“We contracted the construction of the TSFMag office building with Farrell Jackson. Jackson also built my son’s bay house here in Seadrift. We were completely satisfied with both projects…a professional and trustworthy contractor.” ~ Everett Johnson | Editor/Publisher, TSF Mag

direction of a female, where the sperm fertilizes the eggs. The eggs develop internally and the young are born live, with the tiny purple snails immediately able to build their own rafts.

The purple dye produced by storm snails when they are irritated has been theorized by some to be a possible source of tekhelet , a dye used in Jewish tradition, such as in the clothing of the High Priest, the tapestries in the Tabernacle, and the tzitzit (ritual fringes) affixed to the corners of one’s four-cornered garments. A different marine snail, Hexaplex trunculus (historically known as Murex trunculus ), is generally accepted as the producer of this dye, but there is still some ongoing debate due, in part, to the accounts of Israeli Chief Rabbi Herzog in the late 1800s. Rabbi Herzog wrote a dissertation on the identity of the hillazon , the biblical creature responsible for tekhelet . While in his dissertation, he does seem to champion Murex as the genera to which the hillazon could belong, a letter he later wrote suggests that Rabbi Herzog believed Janthina to be the true candidate.

The dye from Janthina janthina is an astaxanthin-protein complex derived from one of the storm snail’s main sources of food: by-the-wind-sailors (Velella velella). Astaxanthin by itself is a carotenoid with a deep red hue, the same pigment that gives wild salmon their color. In by-the-wind sailors, it becomes a blue/ purple carotenoprotein, depending on temperature and salinity. The processing of this blue carotenoprotein by the storm snail results in a dye that is practically identical to the pigment produced by Hexaplex trunculus. Interestingly, astaxanthin is sold commercially as a medical supplement rather than a pigment, specifically as a powerful antioxidant that can pass through the blood-brain barrier. The astaxanthin for this industry is harvested from microalgae grown in large outdoor bioreactors. In 2002, a researcher documented that he extracted the dye from living storm snails by irritating the snails to produce dye from their hypobranchial gland. Supposedly, a single snail can secrete a whole ounce – but perhaps algae are easier to farm than angry snails.

Nova Southeastern University nsufl.libguides.com/shellidentification/mp

Florida Museum

floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/five-facts-portuguese-man-of-war/

Australian Geographic www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/creatura-blog/2014/03/ violet-snail-janthina-janthina/

Australian Museum

australian.museum/learn/animals/molluscs/violet-snail/

National Shell Museum

shellmuseum.org/post/shell-of-the-week-the-common-violet-snail

Animalia animalia.bio/janthina-janthina

Zooplankton Guide

sio-legacy.ucsd.edu/zooplanktonguide/species/janthina-janthina

Project Noah

www.projectnoah.org/spottings/37005076

Atlantis Diving www.atlantisgozo.com/purple-snail-janthina-janthina/

Yeshiva Academic Institutional Repository repository.yu.edu/handle/20.500.12202/5686

My Modern Met

mymodernmet.com/violet-snail-janthina-janthina/

Smithsonian Magazine

Where I learned about purple storm snails, and you can too!

World Register of Marine Species

www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=140155

Texas Marine Species

txmarspecies.tamug.edu/invertfamilydetails. cfm?famnameID=Janthinidae

Current Biology

www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(11)008864?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier. com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982211008864%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

Science Direct

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982211008864

Science Daily

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011112925.htm

www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jerusalemmuseum-untangles-history-color-blue-biblical-hue-ancientroyalty-180970356/

Caller Times

www.caller.com/story/news/local/texas/2022/04/07/watch-outthese-three-sea-creatures-next-time-youre-beach/9483675002/ Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janthina_janthina en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexaplex_trunculus

View The Video

Purple Sea Snail Facts

Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.

ERIC OZOLINS EXTREME KAYAK FISHING & SHARKS FROM THE SAND

JACKED-UP SURF

In the white-capped waves fronting a majestic South Texas beach, squadrons of brown pelicans repeatedly dive into the shallows. After entry into the frothy, aqua-green water, the brawny birds resurface with their basket-like bills full of fish. As some swallow a beak-full, others splash down alongside, while long, silver, predatory fish slash and weave adeptly through the action. A wailing north wind peels sparkling spray off the crests of incoming breakers—a passing cold front has provided the engine for this naturally dramatic scene.

In one of the surf’s ultimate feeding frenzies, monster jack crevalle take advantage of the bounty the ocean repeatedly provides. I recently witnessed such a scene in the northern reaches of Padre Island National Seashore. We were heading in from a successful three-day charter, making our way south to north, hoping to avoid being trapped by extreme high tides pushed to the dunes by the howling front. When we encountered the school of jacks raiding bait along the beach, we couldn’t resist stopping and teasing some of the Gulf’s strongest fish into fights.

The pelicans were dive-bombing on acres of schooling menhaden measuring from six to about eight inches in length. The filter-feeding menhaden travel in great

numbers, their schools casting conspicuously dark shadows in the water. On this fateful day the massive school stretched for nearly three miles along the beachfront, attracting hordes of hungry jacks. Hundreds, if not thousands of the sleek, shiny hunters darted through the churning waves like torpedoes, attacking their hapless prey.

After stopping, I scrambled into the back of the truck to get some tackle and find some useful lures.I quickly discovered two giant spoons and rigged one on a heavy surf rod. I predicted the lure would be snatched by one of the bruisers as soon as it hit the water. Jackfish are the bulldogs of the sea. My client Ron was looking forward to fighting one. Many anglers don’t like to hook them, because they aren’t edible and they fight with such stubborn strength. Others (like Ron) consider them true sport fish, respecting their ability to test the limits of the tackle and the individual’s endurance and patience. When Ron quickly succeeded in hooking a jack after a purposeful cast, I could see the joy on his face.

Ron and his wife Wanda fish with me annually; they’ve become almost like part of my family. In their mid-70s, both these folks have experienced many things in life,

While jack crevalle are certainly not prized as table fare, they make outstanding shark bait. These are headed to the freezer.

but neither had ever seen anything quite like the jacked-up surf we found that day. Both lead active lifestyles and seek big adventures, despite their ages. On this charter, they’d battled and released a total of 14 sharks, the largest being a bull which weighed about 250 pounds. Even after all that shark action over a span of three days, Ron jumped right into the foray we’d found, picking and winning fights with what seemed endless energy.

After a solid 15-minute tug-of-war, Ron finally landed the first jack, a hefty specimen weighing about 30 pounds. I cast another lure into the frenzy and hooked another fish, passing the rod to Ron. With the cold front slapping our backs with a brisk wind, Ron settled into his second fight while I rushed to rig another rod. Wanda watched from the truck, seeking shelter from the cold breeze, but hanging her head out the window like a curious puppy, watching as the second jack pulled Ron down the beach. After the man won the fight with the fish, we could see why the battle had lingered so long; the hook had pulled out of the fish’s mouth and lodged in its side. Despite the energy spent battling backto-back jacks, Ron still wanted more.

We hopped in the truck and back-tracked a few hundred yards to relocate the fish. After a short

CATCH IN COMFORT

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Ron Ulseth was elated to finally subdue this sight-casted jack.

Even after three days of shark fishing, Wanda wasn’t about to be left out of the action.

wait, a ball of menhaden passed, with jacks in tow. Within seconds of sighting them, both Ron and I hooked and fought two studly jacks, both nearing the maximum size for the species. After long battles, our fish escaped, as astonishing numbers of frenzied jacks swam by us with breathtaking speed and cut our lines as they passed.

When Ron’s line snapped and his rod lost its bend, I could see he had quenched his thirst for these kinds of fights and was done. I went to the truck intending to put the rods away, but another squadron of bullies came blasting down the beach, so I rigged up a new lure and quickly

hooked and landed one more “banger” jack, ending our exciting interaction with the beach-blasting brutes.

Along the Texas coast, jack crevalle can be absent for long periods of time and then show up suddenly, like blitzing linebackers or raiding soldiers. Though they frequent the large jetties and passes in the spring and fall, their numbers in the surf have been lackluster over the past few years. Part of the beauty of our recent encounter was that it happened while we were on a stretch of beach devoid of other people.

For Ron and Wanda, the encounter added color to another incredible trip, one they’ll likely describe at length to friends and family back in Minnesota. For me, it was a welcome sight, stirring nostalgia, as I haven’t witnessed so many jacks raiding the beach in several years. This kind of drama only unfolds when several variables align simultaneously. When they do, anyone bearing witness to such a jackedup surf will never forget what they see.

CONTACT

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

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Ron and Wanda Ulseth from Minnesota doubled up on these beautiful blacktips.

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Polyamorous Cardinalfish

Many marine creatures are monogamous, from butterflyfish and French angelfish to mantis shrimp and seahorses. But even monogamous species may have a wandering eye at times. That seems to be true for the pajama cardinalfish, a small coral reef fish found throughout the western Pacific Ocean. It’s best known for the males storing fertilized eggs in their mouth until the offspring are ready to leave. These fish are typically thought to mate in pairs for life, but researchers discovered after two years of study in Papua New Guinea that both male and female pajama cardinalfish periodically take opportunities to mate outside their pair.

The scientists analyzed 105 broods from 64 males and found that nearly a third of the broods had been mothered by a female fish different from his partner. Even more interestingly, 11% of the broods had eggs from two different females, and more than 7% of them had eggs fertilized by two different males.

What makes these findings so surprising is the energy these fish devote to ensuring their offspring’s survival. Most monogamous fish that invest energy in parenting activities after mating—such as protecting the brood in the male’s mouth—would want the fish they watch over to be their own offspring, ensuring the continuation of their genetic line. This seems particularly sensible given the sacrifice these males make—they cannot eat and their swimming is impaired while they store their brood. Apparently, though, freeing up the female to produce more eggs leaves her extra eggs to offer to other males. The males, on the other hand, may eat some of the eggs if they need sustenance, thereby freeing up some room to accept more eggs from other females.

Pajama cardinalfish were thought to be monogamous, but have recently been found to mate with other individuals when the opportunity arises. Credit: Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0.

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Fin-Nor Dropfly Eye

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Sea Tow Texas Middle Coast: Serving Sargent to Ayers Bay

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Matagorda

THE VIEW FROM Matagorda

The joy that sunshine and warm temperatures bring to our local fishery puts a smile on everybody’s face. May begins the shift from spring to summer; and, we love the opportunity summer brings to Matagorda fishing.

sand trout of the eating variety. So, we have chosen to harvest more sandies to take pressure off the trout with spots.

Consequently, the influx of sand trout has been a boon for large speckled trout. Those five-plus-pound trout eat those 10- to 15-inch sand trout. I have seen it multiple times while reeling in a small sandy.

Telephone 979-241-1705

Email binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net

Website matagordasunriselodge.com

Spring has been a breath of fresh air for our trout fishery. There were days we released as many as twenty and thirty trout in the 2- to 5-pound range, all on artificials, while drifting shell and mud bottom. That’s a tribute to the conservation efforts of all anglers. Attitudes have changed for the good of the fishery and the results are better quality and more quantity of speckled trout.

Now, what will we do in the future?

If we see data from population surveys that indicate we have more fish, will we revert back to the days of killing everything we catch? Or, will we learn from our mistakes and keep practicing sound principles of releasing more than we take? What did the most recent freeze teach us?

We know what works; however, if you look at the state of America today, sound doctrine and rationale is often not the most popular choice. We have adopted the “keep a few if you must” on our boats. We preach the betterment of the bays and almost all of our guests are happy to get on board. If they want to keep a few trout, we try to only keep male fish.

How do you know if a trout is a male? The males will emit a deep croaking or grunting noise, a sound used in the spawning process to put male and females together to fertilize the eggs.

If you are a duck hunter, look at it this way. We try not to shoot the hens – let the pintail hens and mallard hens fly.

In the last decade, East Matagorda Bay has developed into a solid sand trout fishery. The big tides of early summer have ushered in solid

If you are in large schools of sand trout in East Matagorda Bay, there is a very good chance the larger specks in our bays are shadowing those schools of sandies. I have seen it way too many mornings over the last 10 years. I’ll pose the question again: If you have a pond in your backyard that is chock-full of bass, do you keep everything you catch? Certainly not. Treat our bays as your backyard and most of the time good people will make the right choices.

Times are changing and our human populations are booming. We must be proactive with regulating our natural resources or there will be too few to enjoy the way we always have.

The good news is our bays are rebounding from the freeze of 2021. Let’s keep the momentum going.

Be kind to your neighbor at home and on the water. Go out of your way to smile and say hello and help someone on the water or at the boat ramp. We are all Texans. We are all Americans. We are all on the same team.

Sunrise Lodge is a full service facility on the water offering fishing, hunting and vacation rentals. Sunrise Properties is a real estate company specializing in coastal properties and farm and ranch.

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

to open in YouTube.

Telephone 361-785-6708

Email bayrats@tisd.net

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

May is always a great month in our bays. The weather becomes more consistent and so does the catching. Lately I have noticed the water coming alive with rafts of finger mullet, menhaden, and glass minnows. We have also been seeing large batches of shrimp migrating through open bay waters. Witnessing all that our bays have to offer, I cannot help but reminisce about my younger years.

I am often asked how I got into fishing and many are surprised to hear that it was my mother who started this addiction of mine. You see, she has it too. My mother started fishing when she was a young girl and was instantly hooked. Becoming an adult and mother she considered fishing to be therapy.

If we weren’t fishing we were crabbing and exploring. After every outing my mother would clean our catch. Many nights she would spend hours cleaning everything we caught. Feeding five children, I assure you nothing went to waste.

I can also lovingly credit my mother for my love of horses. In her free time, if we weren’t fishing we were riding horses. Horses taught me all sorts of discipline and my mother knew that. I used to think that it was me who was schooling and training the horses but, in reality, it was more the horses teaching me. I am still the owner of two horses. And while I don’t ride as often as I used to, there is something about a horse that is pure therapy for me.

My mother also taught me to be a good cook. I remember a shrimper friend caught a six-foot gar in his net. Not wanting it to go to waste, he called to see if she might want it and, with five kids, she didn’t hesitate. She skinned the monster and removed the backstraps.

I was totally fascinated. You have to remember, in the 70s, there was no Google to show you how to clean an alligator gar. Always one to accept a challenge though, mom rolled up her sleeves and went to work. The crouquets she fried up were absolutely yummy.

Website www.bayrat.com

Facebook @captsgaryandshelliegray

After having and raising five children, mostly alone, my mother took all of us on every fishing excursion she went on. Many days and nights were spent along Calhoun County shorelines. As patient and loving as she was, she was adamant that I learned to fish without much assistance from her. Instructing me on all the important facets of fishing, I was expected to fend for myself, and I was fine with that. Bait was not always easy to come by, so we often fished with lures. My favorite, and what I remember using most often, was a Speck Rig. It was not uncommon to reel in two trout at a time. I was also known to throw quite the tantrum when I lost a big fish. Come to think of it, I still do.

I know that I’ve made my mother sound like one big tomboy, and she can be. But she is also a beautifully feminine woman. When the occasion would call for it she would get all gussied-up and was almost always known as the most beautiful woman in the room. She also has a mean green thumb, is an amazing artist, and quite the painter.

By now you’re likely wondering why I dedicated this article to my mother. Well, her birthday is May 10 and we also celebrate Mother’s Day this month. As I get older I am in complete awe of my mother and all that she has accomplished in her life, with little or no help from anyone but herself. I never realized growing up how much of herself she gave up to become the most loving and responsible parent she was and still is. Watching her fight breast cancer that has now turned metastatic has reminded me what a true warrior she still is.

Mom, when you read this, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for loving me, even when I made it difficult. Thank you for believing in me, even when I doubted myself. Thank you for being the best role model a girl could ask for. Most of all, thank you for being my everything. I treasure every moment that I have had with you in the past, love the present, and look forward to our future. If it wasn’t for your love, determination and strength, I wouldn’t be half the woman I am today. Happy Mother’s Day!

Captain Shellie Gray was born in Port Lavaca and has been guiding in the Seadrift/Port O’Connor area full time for the past 19 years. Shellie specializes in wading for trout and redfish year round with artificial lures.

Port O'Connor Seadrift

Upper Laguna/ Baffin

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey

David Rowsey has 30 years in Baffin and Upper Laguna Madre; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty. David has a great passion for conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish.

Telephone 361-960-0340

Website

www.DavidRowsey.com

Email david.rowsey@yahoo.com

The winds in South Texas have continued to crank as they always do this time of year. Seeking protected shorelines holding concentrations of baitfish and fishing windward edges of potholes has been our primary focus most days on the water. When the winds grace us with a little slack we’ve had some great action in areas that are typically blown-out. I look forward to these times as there is not much like walking into hungry trout that you know haven’t already been sore-lipped. Late spring is special that way, you put up with a lot of bad for just a chance at that window of opportunity when all the good things come together. Look for May to offer many more opportunities like this than March and April.

May has long been a favorite month of mine. Wet wading has begun, the fish are extremely active, bait is abundant, and the weather tends to be mostly cooperative. If you have someone you are trying to break into wade fishing now is about as good as it gets. Lots of bites, bent rods, and any lure you want to throw will produce lots of action. Add it all up and May makes for especially fun days on the water.

May is also when we start seeing lots of slicks in Baffin. Gorging trout that have been making a mess out of menhaden will be burping them up throughout the day, basically leaving a breadcrumb trail as to their location. Important thing about slicks is the smaller the better. Slicks drift fast and get larger as they go. It is imperative that you look upwind of the slick to find what structure the trout are staging on. For example; a slick as large as your boat probably originated 100 yards upwind and that’s where you want to be.

I couldn’t help but notice my first sighting of a yellow flag bumping in the wind at a marina the other day. For now, the three fish trout limit is still in effect. Last year this seemed to keep the “kill crowd” more focused on drum and reds versus trout. I’m hopeful this “croaker season” will be likewise slower than normal. The spring and summer of 2024 will have trout limits reverting back to five daily between 15and 25-inches and the filet tables will probably look like fruit stands again. I just shake my head sometimes at how we take three steps back to go one step forward.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey

@captdavidrowsey

We started seeing water pushing through the Landcut during April. This push of “clean” ocean water brings lots of gifts with it, not the least of which are oxygen-rich currents flowing into Baffin Bay delivering mullet, shad, shrimp, menhaden and, most importantly, tide runner trout. Science is somewhat on the fence whether or not trout actually travel from the surf at Port Mansfield up the Landcut and into Baffin. But I beg to differ. I am no scientist, but I and anyone who has fished down here long enough knows without a doubt that this does indeed take place. The rate at which trout come through varies year to year but the migration will happen on some scale.

The difference between our local fish and the tide runners is about as obvious as comparing a poodle to a wolf. If you have caught enough of both, you certainly know what I’m speaking of. Tide runners are a very silvery fish with larger spots, on average. They are a shorter and broader fish than most of what we see in Baffin. Their mouths are a whitewashed orange versus the tangerine-colored mouths of our resident trout and, my favorite aspect is that they seem to have considerably more fight in them. Seriously, a 20 inch surf trout seems to be at least 25- to 50-percent stronger than the same length Baffin resident. If you are lucky enough to step off into these surf trout that are in excess of 25 inches you will think you are fighting a redfish every time. Their aggressiveness and willingness to eat is legendary and will offer some of the most action-packed topwater bites you could ever imagine. Being on and catching these fish from May through June has made for many sleepless nights in anticipation of getting back on the water day after day. Contact me if you would like to a part of it over the next couple months. My summertime books are officially open now for both new and old clients.

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Port Mansfield

WAYNE’S Mansfield Report

Telephone 210-287-3877

Email captwayne@kwigglers.com

Greetings from Port Mansfield! With “big trout season” winding down I cannot help but reflect on some of the great days I have experienced throughout my fishing career. One was in the 1990s when my cousin and I easily caught more than a hundred trout up to six pounds. Another was in 2009 when Jimmy Schroeder, who by coincidence happens to be on this month’s cover, and I caught forty trout between five and eight pounds on topwaters on an unusually cold spring day. In 2018, Glenn Ellis, Patrick Martino and I caught multiple huge pre-spawn trout with Glenn’s best heavier than ten pounds.

Another came this year when conditions for big fish aligned perfectly. We had slowly rising water from an early-spring south wind, an abundance of bait, and a school of big trout setting up to spawn. Another positive was rising water temperature following a significant cold front. The final kicker was almost solid cloud cover. Somewhat rare as post-front days are typically bright with a high barometer. We did not leave especially early and set up as I’ve done many times before. I explained that our approach would be slow and methodical; cast multiple times into every pothole and toward every flicker of bait. It didn’t take long and we had nice trout slurping topwaters, some would connect, and some would not. They were not angry. If you didn’t connect the first time it was likely you wouldn’t connect at all. We stayed the course and as the day progressed the big trout activity increased steadily. The group I had the day before had done the same thing, ending our first wade at 1:00 pm. We didn’t move more than a couple hundred yards. Targeting big trout, I move very slowly, walking more left and right than forward.

We made only one reset that day, with the second wade equally productive as the first. Collin landed his personal best trout – four years in the making. Scotty, his dad, expressed to me how special it would be if I could make this happen. Lady Luck smiled and we got it done. Activate the QR Code for details. We called it a day and I told Scotty I’d phone later that evening with the next day’s plan.

Based on a variable in what I call my Fishing Equation, (early morning solunar major), we left the dock well before daylight. I tweaked the approach to our first spot to accommodate a slight wind shift. We couldn’t have written a better script; Collin’s first cast with a Mansfield Knocker produced a fat 27-inch trout. Not much else

changed except the sun peeking out toward the end of our first wade. I personally had a group of big trout dialed in along a small secondary flat, but it faded as the sun brightened.

We broke for lunch and sat nearly an hour, chatting casually. All the while my mind was calculating our next strategy coupled with me trying to figure out where “my” trout had gone from the flat. Finally, Collin asked – “Do you want to reset?” I pondered that a while and answered, “No, those fish either moved into the grass or are staging on this drop-off.” I sent Collin and Scotty to the grass, and I headed to the drop that included several large potholes. Within fifteen minutes I landed a 5-pounder and then another a little heavier. I had also switched to a KWigglers Wig-A-Lo and was slow-rolling it with the occasional hop in the deeper water. Collin and Scotty, seeing the action, quickly joined me. The action remained steady for the three of us with very few of our trout less than five pounds. As luck would have it, yours truly landed a really good one, but you will have to wait until a later date to see her.

We tagged three good trout for my friends at Harte Research Institute that day and could have tagged more but I was low on tags. I wanted to tell this story, not only because we caught some great fish, but more because we as anglers truly have the future in our hands. I feel proud to have been doing Empty Stringers more than five years and believe Karma has rewarded me. If more anglers will practice catch and release days like this can become common again, just like it was years ago. How do you want your fishing to be? Think about it! Remember, fresh is better than frozen.

View The Video Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube. Collin’s Personal Best Trout

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

Collin Nava established a new personal best, four years in the making, CPR!

David Harris with a very nice one – CPR!

Cell 956-266-6454

Website www.tightlinescharters.com

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene

Heading into May, I am thoroughly tired of all this wind. Hopefully, it will soon calm down to where we can at least talk to one another without yelling. Another thought that comes to mind is that May is when we can begin to expect multiple fishing tournaments every weekend. We can’t change this, but there are some things we can do to make it less frustrating.

First would be arriving early to the launch ramp. If you have to wait in line, get all your tackle and gear organized and onboard before backing down the ramp. When it’s your turn, be quick about it; and switch your headlights off. Don’t tie up dock space. Get your crew loaded and move away so another boat can tie up. Now that you’re underway, exercise extra caution as you navigate to your first fishing spot. An early start helps insure you will be the first boat to arrive there.

Our daily catches are solid proof that there is no lack of redfish in our bays. With tides rising higher than they’ve been in several months, the reds are staging in the back bays, shallow coves, and tight against shallow shorelines. We are seeing reds of all sizes, from less than slot length, all the way to upper-slot bruisers. Interestingly, there have been few oversize redfish so far this spring. I do, however, expect that will change as the tides continue to rise. Hopefully, with winds diminishing in coming weeks, we will soon be able to fish many areas that have been too dirty since late winter. If you like to wade fish, the back bays where little or no boat traffic occurs can be golden as the fish are less likely to spook easily and stalking them while they cruise the shorelines with their backs or tails out of the water is always a possibility and a lot of fun.

While on the topic of redfish, I would like to introduce you to Z-Man’s Kicker CrabZ. Like all Z-Man plastics, Kicker CrabZ are made of ElaZtech and are highly durable and resist tearing, even after catching numerous fish. Redfish love small crabs and this bait is most effective at the bottom of the water column, where crabs spend most of their time, and redfish like to feed. Another effective redfish lure for us has been the Paddlerz in Sexy Penny, rigged on a weedless Texas Eye jighead.

If you classify trophy trout by weight alone, May is our last decent chance to land a true heavyweight specimen. There will be a few out there this month that are still full of eggs, but spawning definitely takes a toll on their girth.

As of right now, our trout fishery continues to rebound, and I would

say it is in better shape than I would have predicted only two years after the February 2021 freeze. Water temperatures and clarity will be suitable for catching trout in the shallows and also deeper water throughout the month. Look for color changes and potholes to be good areas to find plenty of trout, and keep in mind they may begin to move toward deeper water around midday and early afternoon if the temperatures become unseasonably warm. If and when this might occur, focus on deeper guts and channel edges just off the flats. A strategy that can improve your catching ratio when boat traffic is on the rise would be to fish in the evening hours after the bay has quieted. The fish will not be as wary and more willing to feed.

What baits will we be throwing as we target trout in May? Topwaters, for sure, any time that wind, water clarity, and bait activity at the surface all come together. Fish will be highly active this month and a surface lure will surely attract their attention under favorable conditions. We will also be throwing lots of Z-Man baits; the five-inch DieZel MinnowZ, the five-inch StreakZ, and the PaddlerZ have been good producers all through spring and will continue to produce this month.

In closing, I see more and more anglers practicing catch and release, especially with trout. We hope to see this movement and attitude continuing to grow and becoming more acceptable to the larger audience. Those of you that are already practicing CPR, keep up the excellent work. It may take some time for others to accept it, but remember that we were all where they are at some point in our own careers.

Let’s hope the wind lays down for us this month!

View The Video

Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.

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.

Arroyo Colorado to Port Isabel CAPT. ERNEST

Steve Ellis displaying one of his many redfish.

There are still some solid trout out there.

FISHING REPORTS AND FORECASTS from

Big Lake to Boca Chica

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag

Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242

James was driving home from a productive outing when we talked. “We caught ‘em real good today. It felt a lot like old times. Big numbers of trout, eight or nine reds and a couple flounder, too. I only had one guy with me, so it was pretty steady action. We had our best luck today throwing a clear Assassin Sea Shad with some glitter in it. The color really made a difference, but that’s not always the case. We’ve also been having some good luck on one of my favorite little lures, the pink She Pup. We’ve been wading all the time lately, catching best in water less than waist-deep. We’re targeting our fish by picking specific little spots which have proven track records and plenty of bait around. The fish aren’t really throwing slicks right now. That should change as the weather warms up some more. Once it does, we can look for fish around the slicks. We should also have some birds working on a daily basis once we get to May. Overall, the fishing usually becomes steadier and more consistent once the water temperatures get above 80° and stay there, which usually happens sometime this month.”

Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054

Jim had experienced some excellent catching in the weeks prior to giving this report. “We’ve had a good bite right at dusk on several recent trips. We’re catching some pretty solid trout on twitchbaits, up to about seven pounds, with some others between five and seven. Topwaters get their attention too at times, but the fish don’t stick as good, so we’ve mostly been sticking with sinkers. As we get into May, the south shoreline of East Bay, places like Fat Rat Pass, Yates Bayou and other stretches are usually productive. We’ve got tons of fish in those areas already, and the bite is steady. Mostly, we’re throwing soft plastics around there, because we’ve got lots of undersized trout with a decent percentage of keepers mixed in. The best days, of course, have four tide movements. We have predictably struggled on the two-tide days, especially when the tide is really low in the mornings. Makes it hard to get enough bites to find the fish. In cases like that, most people are better off changing the priority and fishing for reds instead of trout, either targeting them around the bayous and drains, or working mud stirs out in the middle.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays

Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service

979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323

Randall expects the patterns to change with the warming weather in May, making the fishing more consistent and productive on a daily basis. “We’re right in the middle of our annual shrimp migration. The bays are filling up with all kinds of other life lately as well. With all the shrimp on the move, it’s been possible to find plenty of schools of trout and reds under working birds. We’re eagerly anticipating the arrival of our ribbonfish. They should be coming in out of the Gulf sometime soon. Once they hit the beachfront, we’ll have great action catching trout on long, slender lures which resemble them. Pearl Skitter Walks and Super Spooks work great when the fish are feeding on top. Long soft plastics like Norton Sand Eels in light colors work well too, when the fish aren’t as willing to blow up. When we’re throwing topwaters in the back-lakes, gold ones seem to work better.” Randall would also like to shout out thanks to all the people at Sport Marine who just worked with him to rig out a new boat. He is impressed with the quality of the work they did and the equipment they provided.

Matagorda Bays | Capt. Glenn Ging

Glenn’s Guide Service - 979.479.1460

www.glennsguideservice.com

May is a top month for fishing in Matagorda. The water temps are warm enough to wade wet, and the weather is generally mild. Shad, glass minnows and shrimp are showing up in big numbers. It is often important this time of year to size lures to match the recent hatch, as the fish can really get picky when feeding on smaller baitfish. Drifting should remain productive in East Bay for anglers throwing live shrimp and soft plastics under Coastal Corks. As long as the wind allows, drifting deep scattered shell is the best bet for trout and reds. The reefs near Chinquapin and Bird Island will produce good catches too, for those wading and drifting. Wading is heating up on the grass beds on the south shoreline of West Bay, where an assortment of soft plastics like four-inch Assassin Seas Shads and Spook Juniors will draw fire from hungry trout and reds. Schools of black drum are plentiful around the bigger reefs. May often gives a calm window which allows us to catch some quality trout at the surf and jetties. And last but not least, the back-lakes are full of reds, flounder and drum this month.

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam

www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204

Warming temperatures have made the fishing more consistent in our local bays here in the Palacios area. We’ve experienced a steady trout bite both wading with lures and fishing with live shrimp under corks at the rigs. Early in the mornings, wading grass beds with topwaters has been really good lately, with solid slot-fish coming to hand on bone Spook Juniors and pink/chrome She Pups. The rigs out in West Matagorda have been holding lots of keeper trout around the deeper shell pads, so we’ve been dangling shrimp about four or five feet under popping corks for best results. The trout are averaging slightly larger this year than last year, and there are lots more of them, which provides hope for the upcoming months. Reddish continue to be found chasing shad and grass shrimp along area shorelines. Norton Bull Minnows in colors like pumpkinseed/ chartreuse and quarter-ounce gold spoons have been the best lures for the reds. May is a great month to fish a lot of different areas―the surf usually heats up this month, the glass minnow run on the south shoreline in the afternoons, mid-bay rigs become more productive, and redfish begin schooling in large numbers in the marshes.

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith

Back Bay Guide Service - 361.935.6833

Lynn had been concentrating mostly on catching reds on trips made prior to giving this May outlook. “We’ve had good numbers of reds in the back-lakes. The bite in there has been steady most days. Only thing that messes it up is a long and strong outgoing tide. The fish will feed really good right as it starts out, but then they’ll be tough to catch for a while. Once the tide really dumps out of the lakes, the fishing on shorelines adjacent to the drains is better. We’ve been wading some sandy, grassy shorelines in those situations and catching both trout and reds. In May, I expect the fishing around the pass and in the surf to pick up considerably. We like incoming morning tides in those areas. We’ll fish shorelines with a sandy bottom dotted with grass beds most of the time, and throw topwaters as much as possible. If that pattern doesn’t develop, I’ll likely be heading south. Cedar Bayou is still open, and

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with the water flowing through it, we get good fishing in the guts in Carlos, Ayers and Mesquite Bays. In good years, we catch some of the biggest trout of the year down that way.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead

Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894

Blake expects to be fishing several different productive patterns in the peak of spring, during the month of May. “I usually do quite a bit of wading on some of the main reefs this month. And, of course, we fish some of the shorelines in all the bays close to Rockport too, mostly targeting trout over sandy, grassy bottoms. I also like to keep a really close eye on the surf this month. Lots of years, I have some of my best trips catching bigger than average trout along the beachfront the first few times the green water moves in and it gets good. As far as lures and bait go, we throw soft plastics like dark Norton Sand Eels with chartreuse tails rigged on eighth-ounce jigheads more than anything else. We do normally have some really outstanding topwater action too, when conditions are right, usually on relatively calm mornings when the tide’s moving. This is especially true out in the surf. As the month moves toward its end, I usually experience something of a change in my fishing, as I turn to throwing live bait often and fishing out of the boat rather than wading.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata | rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160

With the warming weather in May and the generally light winds compared to March and April, fishing in the Upper Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay should heat up nicely. Early in the mornings, I like to start off fishing for trout in water about three feet deep or less, usually along grassy edges on a sandy bottom, also around rock formations. The bite on topwaters like She Dogs is usually good this month in the mornings, especially if winds calm down late at night. As the sun rises and water temperatures rise, we usually do better by moving into a little deeper water and switching to soft plastics like Assassin Die Dappers, using natural colors if the water’s clear and the sun is bright – darker colors with bright tails if the water’s off-color and the skies cloudy. If we’re not wading for trout, we will look for schools of redfish, either on the flats or close to the edges of the flats in deeper water. Sometimes, we find the schools when they move as a group out of the way of boat traffic. We work hard to keep the boat out of the schools by making long casts with the wind.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez - www.sightcast1.com -

361.877.1230

The generally mild and pleasant weather of May creates ripe opportunity for catching trout and redfish in Baffin Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre. In Baffin and areas south of there, some of the biggest trout like to hang close to large rocks, sometimes lurking right on top of them. So, fishing for them is usually good for people willing to cast right at the rocks with both soft plastics and topwaters. If the water’s clear enough, casting a soft plastic right next to a rock and letting it flutter down the face of the boulder is effective. If the water’s not as clear, dangling soft plastics under corks allows for bringing the lures over the rocks without snagging on them. Throwing topwaters eliminates the risk of getting hung on the rocks, and sometimes the trout snatch them right as they pass over the tops of the boulders. The reds begin schooling well, and can be located on calm mornings by watching for the wakes they push as boats pass by them in the shallows. Catching reds after spotting the school means working well upwind of the school and moving toward them slowly, either by drifting or trolling.

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins

361.877.3583 - Oceanepics.com

May is one of the most interesting months along the Texas beachfront. Many species of bait are running with jack crevalle and skipjacks feeding on them. Jacks can be caught on live mullet and artificial lures like topwaters and spoons. Red drum will also be running the beach, perhaps in large schools, mostly slot-fish. All this activity attracts sharks. Many large sharks, like bulls and lemons, will patrol the shallows in the first gut. Some scalloped hammerheads should still be around, and the great hammerheads should start moving in. All of these sharks will bite baits deployed close to shore, especially during the late-afternoon and evening hours. Water clarity should be fairly clean, and the main issue will likely be sargassum weed. If the water is semiclear, expect to catch Spanish mackerel. May is also a prime month for large trout in the surf. Topwaters work well, especially early and late, around beach structures. Tides will probably be high, especially at the beginning of the month. All anglers headed to the beach should be careful when driving, as decomposing sargassum covered by sand can create a quicksand effect with potential to sink a truck.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza

Snookdudecharters.com - 832.385.1431

Getaway Adventures Lodge - 956.944.4000

This time of year, the Saucer Area produces plenty of solid redfish and trout. Golden croaker or zombie colored Mansfield Knockers are great choices to start with. If they don’t work, KWiggler Ball Tail Juniors in plum perfect likely will. Both the middle sections and areas about 30 yards off the ICW work well. If traffic is heavy, spots north of the East Cut work better. In this area, I would start shallow and follow the mullet from the shallows to deeper water, starting with a gold, weedless spoon. If boat traffic is heavy, areas around Butchers and Dubb’s islands generally produce better. In those places, it’s best to start shallow and follow the bait to the deeper water throughout the day. If the wind allows, the west shoreline will bust wide open. The Century Point shoreline is often productive. Drifters do best by staying about three hundreds yard from the bank and fishing the deepest grass beds. Topwaters will work at those depths, occasionally producing really big trout. Another good spot on that side are the potholes around the first pier north of town. These can produce plenty of trout with occasional flounder.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel

Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com - 956.639.1941

Spring fishing on the Lower Laguna Madre has been very good so far. Main-bay shorelines and back-bays alike have been full of fish and other creatures as the weather continues to warm and tides rise. Trout fishing has been steady on flats adjacent to the ICW. Our most useful lure has been the Z-Man StreakZ rigged on eighth-ounce Eye Strike jigheads, and the creole croaker color has been especially effective. Working the lures in fast over potholes and sandy areas dotted with small grass beds has produced the most consistent action. The good old bone Spook Junior is almost a sure bet when bait is active on the surface during the early-morning hours. Redfish numbers are holding high in the back-lakes. They’re preferring depths of two feet or less over soft, muddy bottoms this time of the year. The reds are taking small topwaters well much of the time, especially early in the mornings. Once the wind picks up later in the day, we switch to Z-Man PogyZ in the redbone color rigged on eighth-ounce Eye Strike jigheads and work them through areas with a good mix of sand and grass. Best action occurs when we keep the lures moving pretty fast.

JD Martin with father, Darryl Matagorda Bay - 34” redfish

Nick Marsh Matagorda Bay - redfish

Michael Minchich Caney Creek - 46 lb black drum

Mark Smith Matagorda Bay - flounder

Mike Gartner Galveston - personal best black drum! CPR

Joseph Zamora Boca Chica Beach - 22” redfish

Mario Rios Wealders Flats - 32” redfish

Photo Gallery Guidelines

First come – first published! Photos are judged on artistic merit and sporting ethic displayed. No stringer, cleaning table, or hanging board images allowed. Digital images only. Adjust camera to high or best quality. All images become property of TSFMag. Email to: Photos@TSFMag.com Include short description of your catch with name, date, bay system, etc.

Lorenza Zamora South Bay - first keeper red!

Cole Smith Galveston - flounder

Maryjane Zamora Gayman Bridge - first keeper drum!

Jimmy Kuzniarek Matagorda Bay - redfish

Joseph Thuet Port Lavaca Lighthouse Pier - 60” blacktip shark

James Dueser Wealders Flats - 27” redfish

Willy Macha POC - 24” trout CPR

Mike Swoboda Big Hellhole Lake - 24 lb redfish CPR

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

Lemon Flounder Romano

INGREDIENTS

1 flounder

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp water

¾ cup Italian-style panko breadcrumbs

¼ cup olive oil

¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

cup grated Romano cheese

2 1/2 tsp chopped fresh parsley (reserve ½ tsp for garnishing)

2 tsp lemon zest

4 large lemon wedges

Lemon-Caper TarTar SauCe

1/2 cup Hellmann mayonnaise

1 small dill pickle, chopped very small (about 3 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

1 Tbsp capers, chopped, (optional)

1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill

1/2 to 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat flounder dry with paper towels.

Place flounder on large section of paper towel on the counter. Season both sides with salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. Coat both sides lightly with flour. Whisk eggs and water together and spread evenly on a large cooking sheet. Dip floured flounder in egg wash, both sides.

Combine panko and breadcrumbs. Dredge flounder in mixture to coat evenly, both sides.

Place flounder on an oiled cooking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. While flounder is baking, combine mozzarella cheese, Romano cheese, parsley, and lemon zest.

After baking for 20 minutes, remove flounder from oven and cover evenly with cheese mixture. Place back in oven on broil for about 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown.

Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Serve with a Lemon Caper Tartar Sauce

Lemon-Caper TarTar SauCe

Combine the mayonnaise, pickles, lemon juice, capers, dill, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl and stir until well blended and creamy. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste, then adjust with additional lemon juice, salt, and pepper. For the best combination of flavors, cover and store in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

INS AND OUTS OF BOAT INSURANCE – ADVOCATING FOR OWNERS

What do you do when your engine is still under the manufacturer’s warranty, and after experiencing a covered failure, your insurance company only offers to use a remanufactured gearcase or requires your repair shop to rebuild yours, rather than replacing with a factory-new unit?

“What can we do for you?”

There are great insurance companies and there are others.

There are companies who offer special policies for lower units as their way to help the consumer get the claim paid, as mechanical failures are not covered, though sometimes it is not easy to tell which came first – the chicken or the egg. This is why we are here, to advocate for the customer and to help guide the direction of the settlement via real facts and evidence – not opinion!

Once the decision is made to pay the claim, it is important for the owner to understand that there are several types of policies.

Actual Cash Value: This is a depreciating policy based on how long the unit has been in service.

Another type is Replacement Cost: Usually applicable only on new units and costs a little more, yet you get a whole lot more.

Agreed Value: This one is more for the boat-engine-trailer package, not just then engine. The most important thing to remember is the boat, engine and trailer are covered separately.

Some insurance companies prefer to go the least expensive route and this is where things can get interesting.

Let’s say you have more than a year’s warranty remaining on the

engine (maybe five or six years when purchased) and the lower unit is rebuilt using factory parts with a one-year warranty on parts and labor. Who covers the remaining portion of the warranty – the insurance company, the engine manufacturer, or you?

The answer is the consumer. The insurance company is not going to honor the manufacturer’s warranty.

The myth here of “having the dealer do it with the manufacturer’s parts” does not make this a new unit. Rebuilding it still makes this a rebuilt unit and this will only carry the replacement parts warranty. The manufacturer offers the base warranty and extended warranty on a sealed unit, built by the factory.

No one thinks about insurance – until the time comes to use it. Ask your agent about your policy and about any type of exclusion. Meaning, if you are past the line of demarcation, are you covered? Inland lakes, rivers and streams, are you covered?

Buying insurance on line can be quicker and cheaper, though sitting across from your agent who can explain everything can be far more informative and satisfying.

Have a great spring fishing and boating season, and thank you for your business!

Chris Mapp

Coastal Bend Marine – Port O’Connor, TX coastalbendmarine.com – 361-983-4841

Chris Mapp, owner of Coastal Bend Marine and Flats Cat Boat Company. Great Service, Parts & Sales.