November 2014

Only $3.95 www.tsfmag.com November 2014

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TIDE PREDICTIONS & SOLUNAR FEED TIMES INSIDE!

ABOUT THE COVER Eight-year-old Jacob Thomson is our cover angler, showing off a beautiful Sabine Lake flounder. Jacob and his family were fishing with Capt. Dickie Colburn. Dickie says it’s starting to look like Sabine anglers are in for one heck of a flounder run.

-Dickie Colburn photo

CONTENTS

NOVEMBER 2014 VOL 24 NO 7

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 Things the Fish Taught Me 14 Poignant Lessons Learned Last Winter 18 The Fall Migration 26 Prime Time Fishing 30 Believe it or not…

34 The Twilight Zone

40 Let’s Ask The Pro Jay Watkins 52 Shallow Water Fishing Scott Null 56 TPWD Field Notes Jason Ferguson 60 Fly Fishing Scott Sommerlatte 62 Kayak Fishing Chronicles Cade Simpson 66 TSFMag Conservation News CCA Texas 68 Fishy Facts Stephanie Boyd 70 Inshore | Nearshore | Jetties | Passes Curtiss Cash 72 Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

Eric Ozolins 100 Science & the Sea UT Marine Science Institute 102 Boat Maintenance Tips Chris Mapp

Everett Johnson Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard

34

WHAT OUR GUIDES

HAVE TO SAY

78 80 82 84 86 88 90

Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene The Buzz on Galveston Bay The View from Matagorda Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays Hooked up with Rowsey Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report South Padre Fishing Scene

90 6 | November 2014

Dickie Colburn Steve Hillman Bink Grimes Shellie Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros

68

REGULARS 08 76 92 96 98

Editorial New Tackle & Gear Fishing Reports and Forecasts Catch of the Month Gulf Coast Kitchen

98

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EDITORIAL The events of September 2014 related to the future of fishing on the Texas middle-coast could very well go down in history as significantly as the first Texas bag limits for inshore gamefish and the Redfish Wars.

Highly noteworthy in their own way and also together are the re-opening of Cedar Bayou and the expansion of the “five trout bag limit” to include all Texas inshore waters from Brazos Santiago Pass at SPI/Port Isabel northward to the FM-457 Bridge at Sargent. The original five trout limit was enacted back in 2007 and applied only to the Lower Laguna Madre.

The Cedar Bayou project has “been on the burner” to some degree since the pass silted-in back in the late-90s, but not until the Aransas County Commissioners Court led by Judge Bert Mills and CCA Texas got involved did it make any real headway.

A project as complex as the opening of Cedar Bayou requires many levels of engineering, filing of applications, preparation of environmental impact statements, and Lord only knows how many other hurdles, until a construction permit can be obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Having a permit in hand is one thing— laying $9M alongside it to accomplish the work is quite another. I want to personally thank Judge Mills, CCA Texas, and the throng of volunteers and generous donors who combined their efforts to make

8 | November 2014

giving thanks for

MILESTONES

the dream of re-opening Cedar Bayou become reality. I was honored to be among the invitees who gathered at the worksite on September 25 when Cedar Bayou rushed to meet the sea.

As for the new middle-coast speckled trout bag limit that was enacted September 1; this too has been a long time coming. Unless you began fishing from the lower end of the Land Cut northward through the Upper Laguna, Corpus Christi, Aransas, San Antonio and the Matagorda Bays, I am clueless to understand how any serious angler could truthfully say our speckled trout fishery has not declined sharply.

I will always credit Jay Watkins as the first to say, “Just Keep Five” in an article he wrote for Tom Nix’s Saltwater Angler in July 2002. Jay was referencing the decline that was even then registering in speckled trout abundance, saying, “Don’t wait on TPWD. If you think ten is too many…limit yourself.” In his article in this issue he very eloquently says it another way, “How can taking fewer not result in ultimately having more?”

In closing I want to say that I am personally gratified to see these two events, singly and in tandem, becoming reality through the diligent and persistent efforts of Texas recreational anglers. Our future is in good hands.

Happy Thanksgiving!

STORY BY EVERETT JOHNSON | PHOTOS BY PAM JOHNSON

My best guess

would be that good fisherman are not born—they have been educated. True enough, some are born with a penchant or maybe an affinity that translates somewhat to natural ability, but this can take us only so far. To achieve levels of skill that lend to becoming all-seasons pluggers, capable of finding fish and interpreting fish behavior, we must learn from the fish.

When conditions are favorable and they are feeding aggressively— signs everywhere—everybody comes home a hero. But what about the not-so-lucky days; do you pay attention in class? Here are a few lessons fish have taught me—

Sure as God made little green apples, we should resist the urge to brag or offer assurance of “lots of bites” to fishing companions—lest the fish make us look a fool or worse, a liar.

I had been on a mid-bay reef in San Antonio Bay for several days and the bite was almost automatic, right on cue with the solunar. Fat trout that ran three pounds average, in about four foot depth where the shell tapered to sand and mud out deeper. Quite a few topwater bites, soft plastics popped sharply to just below the surface had been deadly on the drop, any light-colored plastic had been getting hammered.

So we parked a good ways off and fished carefully into “the spot” taking care not to crunch too much shell. Doing everything right— or at least we thought. No bites for 20 minutes, still I encouraged everybody to stay put and not crowd the fish that I was sure were there. Several more minutes and the guys lost interest and began drifting away.

Finally one of the guys hooked up on the other side of the reef and the others joined him, catching a few small trout. Quite puzzled and stubbornly alone, I worked further along the side of the reef that had been so good to me, eventually armpit deep. Throwing to even deeper water I switched to a 1/4 ounce jig with an Assassin Die Dapper; I love the way you can wag that bait deep and slow. Finally, a light tap and I set the hook on a nice speck.

That fish was followed by several and I called the guys back, explaining they had evidently moved deeper and the bite was very soft. No way did I expect them to be behaving this way during what is typically a solid feeding period. They all lined up with me and landed at least ten apiece. Most of the bites were never felt—the line simply became strangely heavy as we crawled baits across bottom.

Lesson learned— Do not let the expectation of a sure bite dampen your spirits if it doesn’t happen immediately. If the water conditions and bait presence says they should still be there, experiment with lure type and presentation to learn their mood. Even though we were fishing the solunar minor, the wind-driven current of the days prior was nearly nil that morning. I believe the fish responded by dropping deeper and going into a near-neutral feeding behavior. They’d still TSFMAG.com | 11

bite but you had to drag it right under their nose. Those unexpectedly finicky fish nearly made me a liar!

I was guiding a group of fishermen and took them to a cove at the back of a Matagorda Island lake that fronts San Antonio Bay. It was late-February but not a cold morning—air and water were both near 60⁰F. Here again we were under a new moon and I was hoping the moonrise minor at daybreak would favor us, especially with the mild conditions. I explained the lay of the land and gave instructions to hold the line and fish slowly toward the shore. Light wind pushing toward the bank was icing on the cake—in my mind, anyway.

I had been visiting this spot for several days with decent results, not a bite-a-minute place but nice trout to four pounds, with an occasional five. The mouth of a marsh slough formed a small grassy delta on the day’s downwind side—what more could you ask for?

On this day, though, I was scratching my head after 30 minutes of soggy mud-wading with nary a strike. Nothing to do but get back in the boat and implement Plan B. The morning continued slowly, a fish here and another there, nothing special. We found a school of reds at Panther Point and made good sport of them. Winter schools have saved my bacon many a day.

Getting on toward 11:00 AM I suggested an early sandwich break, secretly considering another assault on our first spot despite the dismal showing at daybreak. As we rolled through the mouth of that lake and

approached the same cove, the guy beside me at the console remarked that surely we weren’t about to waste more time there. I did my best to assure him. “We’ll give it a quick try; if they’re not here we’ll pull out quick…OK?” We were taking advantage of slightly increased southeast and the approaching moon-over major. I couldn’t help but hope the plentiful finger mullet I’d noticed earlier were about to become protein for the trout that had not fed on the minor. I set two guys up with Spook Jrs and sent them toward the mouth of the slough. I’d also given them Fatboys and some tails in case the floaters did not produce. I took the third guy and headed two hundred yards down the way, planning to fish back toward his buddies. We set up a long cast from the bank to

avoid crowding the slightly-murky wind-stirred shoreline I always regard as the hot zone under such conditions.

Everybody was under instruction to work the dark spots where traces of shoal grass remained.

Long story short, we walked into a fine mess of fish. The guy that thought I’d lost my mind caught a career-best seven pounder. They ate on top, they ate Fatboys, and they ate tails.

The lesson that day was that, despite conditions and what the charts and tables say, they eat when they’re ready!

This past Labor Day Pam and I hit the Dewberry Island shoreline that separates the Lagoon from Espiritu Santo. I’d heard that numbers of reds were hanging in the passes between the two bodies of water. All of these 12 | November 2014

passes have soft mud on the Lagoon side and hard sand on the bayside that lies in bars and guts. We hit it early and as I killed the motor it was just light enough to see wakes of redfish meandering across the flat. Easy pickings!

The heavens opened with a brief downpour of raindrops the size of quarters as we exited the boat and the breeze fell to zero. The water slicked off as an intense lightshow began flashing menacingly and thunder rumbled out toward the gulf. Hmm—keep an eye on that.

We could see the fish but the weather had evidently overcome their appetite. We saw occasional flurries of bait exploding but guessed it might have been when a big red spooked a pod of mullet more than a sign of feeding. Several more brief downpours and the system in the gulf appeared to be making its way over Matagorda Island. Too much lightning!

We pulled the boat out and decided cleaning the garage was better than getting fried by a couple million volts. By 4:00 PM the garage was cleaned and the sky was clear. A nice SE breeze had kicked up. A check of the solunar said we might have a shot between 5:30 and 7:00.

When we arrived at the ramp I noticed the tide had fallen at least 10 inches lower than it had been at daylight.

Pam wanted to try a different spot but I had a hunch the falling tide might still be pulling bait from the Lagoon to the bay, right where we’d struck out earlier. Against her protests I headed that way and decided to set up on the east side of the opening (the direction of the current) where the still-falling tide would be creating the greatest effect across its grassy point.

The wind had the bay front chopped up pretty good and the water was murkier than I’d hoped; I tried it anyway. Pam would have no part of it and headed across the shallow bar toward the Lagoon and better clarity. The She Dog I was certain would be irresistible drew zero attention. Finally, I gave up on the bay front and headed her way. Same deal as earlier, she’d found fish but—too clear or too whatever—still a no-go.

Prior lessons though had taught me that those redfish were too doggone concentrated to get skunked twice in the same day.

We just needed to put the pieces together, so back out front we went.

We set up standing thigh deep in the third gut, angling our casts to run mostly in the shallower first and second guts. By now the SE wind had increased to make the water disappointingly sandier while waves smacked us in the small of our backs.

She was throwing a dark-colored Assassin and I decided on the flash of a gold spoon.

Long about six o’clock all hell broke loose as the reds began hitting our lures almost every cast. We stood there catching and releasing for a good hour. Kept two for the grill.

Those redfish taught me for the umpteenth time, find the fish and don’t let poor clarity rattle your confidence, they don’t mind nearly as much as we do!

I still have a lot to learn, and easy-catching days aside, my best days on the water are when I pay attention to what the fish are trying to teach me.

TSFMAG.com | 13

STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

Abnormally cold

weather regularly affected the fishing for trophy trout

in South Texas this past winter. In fact, the consistently frigid pattern started to manifest itself right around Thanksgiving, before the onset of Jack Frost’s season. While monitoring the readings at the Baffin Buoy throughout the period, I noted three separate occasions when the water temperature plummeted to 41° Fahrenheit. In some shallow areas, readings on our sonars dipped below 40°.

Water temperatures so low can prove deadly to the trout and redfish. Luckily, strong fronts passed regularly, gradually reducing temperatures over time, helping the fish become well acclimated before the onset of extremes, and in all cases, the super low temperatures didn’t last more than a couple days, so no trout and redfish turned belly up in the chilled brine.

In fact, not only did the cold weather not kill the fish, it made for some fantastic catching at times! I managed to catch big trout consistently throughout the winter, sometimes in water temperatures I’d previously considered too low for productive outings. I and my clients braved some nasty conditions to make some lasting memories, wrapping ourselves in layered clothing and gloves, pulling up the

hoods on our jackets and turning our backs to the bitter breezes. I recall jumping up and down in place many times to keep the blood flowing through my extremities.

On the 44 charters I ran from the first day of winter to the last, I recorded some impressive numbers of big trout caught, despite the harsh conditions. We managed to land 76 specimens meeting or exceeding 25 inches, with 43 of those measuring 27 inches or longer, and 36 of them weighing at least seven pounds. Maintaining a one to one ratio of 27-inch fish per day of effort proves difficult for one month, let alone an entire quarter of the calendar year.

During this exceptional run, I personally landed a 31-inch ten pounder, one other 30-inch specimen and several impressive 29s. I had clients catch a bunch of big ones too, including Caleb McCumber’s rare 32 incher. Beau Blackard landed an incredibly fat, photogenic nine pounder. Jeremy Rhodes caught a 30 incher, followed by a 29, on his first bite ever on a Paul Brown Lure, and his best three trout that day weighed 22.5 pounds. Matt McCollum did even better, managing a four-fish stringer weight of 31 pounds. He set a new personal best on length with each of the four, starting with a 28 1/2, moving up to a 29, then 29 1/2, and culminating with a 30! All these fish bit in the

same spot, during a short, brilliant flurry, within a span of maybe 20 casts.

Brief but amazing flurries became the norm while Old Man Winter wrapped his icy fingers around the Lone Star State. Trout feed on an exaggerated cycle when temperatures dip so low. Seems to me the fish alternate between riding out the cold snaps dormant on the bottom in an open basin or deep hole, then coming up around the edges of some kind of structural element to feed.

When feeding actively, the ravenous fish become ridiculously easy to catch; often, when we catch them during periods of intense activity, they bite our plugs before swallowing the mullet or small trout they’ve already ingested. Sometimes, the tails of their meals protrude beyond their jagged, yellow lips. One fact becomes clear when trout are gorging themselves so vigorously; eventually, they will become tight-lipped and nearly impossible to entice into striking.

Weather conditions most profoundly affect this rapidly

Beau Blackard’s monster attacked in the predawn darkness at the end of a frigid night.

changing feeding mood. While “stimulators” like the change of light at dawn and dusk and the moon setting or rising still accentuate the potential for catching in cold weather, the weather pattern itself proves most significant. Once a feeding flurry dies down, the prevailing conditions will affect the amount of hours that pass until the onset of the next one. Such a thing can prove exceedingly difficult to monitor and/or predict.

Jeremy Rhodes’ first bite ever on a Paul Brown Fat Boy produced a 29-inch trout. Some people might say he should be issued a fine for that!

My results reinforced one thing I already knew; trout bite well early in the morning (even before daylight) when water temperatures drop way down low. In a couple of cases, I and my clients caught quality trout easily during the break of day, in bitter cold, only to see the bite wane soon after daybreak. As the day warmed up, catching became almost impossible, despite a pleasant “upturn” in the conditions, probably because the fish had bellies full of food.

I’ve written it before and will do so here again...some people place far too much emphasis on water temperature when formulating fishing plans in winter—those who always wait for warm afternoons to fish miss out on some of the best catching. Trout bite regularly in the early morning hours, regardless of water temperatures. I do pay attention to the temperatures, mostly because doing so helps me better plan where and how to attempt to catch fish.

Some of the things I knew about locating and catching big trout in cold water proved useful this past winter. I used soft plastics rigged on light jigheads more than ever, convinced they could best entice strikes from sluggish fish huddled close to the bottom. As a rule, I’d start the day fishing with the worms, then “switch up” to sinking twitch baits if and when the bites started coming regularly and easily. In fact, on the day I caught my ten pounder and Jeremy Rhodes caught his 30 incher, such a plan played out perfectly.

We’d already managed ten or twelve strikes in the first couple hours, despite water temperatures hovering around the 45° mark.

Some of the strikes created resonate vibrations in our rods, indicating a favorable feeding mood in the fish. I got one last violent strike on a plum Bass Assassin, and could tell I’d hooked a heavy fish, but it pulled off. Before casting back to the location, I switched to a chartreuse/ gold Catch 5.

Prior to this year, I would not likely have attempted to catch trout on twitch baits in such cold water. I now believe the “benchmarks” need resetting during prolonged stretches of frigid weather. In 16 | November 2014

essence, 45° water feels better to the fish if it warmed up from 40°, especially when it has been colder several times recently. Wellacclimated trout sometimes move around and feed fairly aggressively in dangerously chilled water.

On this day, my double-digit monster chased down and snatched my Catch 5 on the first cast. That’s when I told Jeremy to try his Corky.

Within maybe seven or eight casts, he caught his 29 incher.

The spot where these fish bit provided consistently good results throughout the season, particularly when water temperatures bottomed out in the 40s. Most of the big trout in the area bit along a transition from the shallow water atop a large structural element into a deep basin. The general description of the place provides no surprise.

I’ve made many good catches in the cold when fishing around major structures along drop-offs into deep, open basins, particularly ones which lie in the lee of land masses which “protect” against the effects of strong north winds.

But the bottom features in the area do prove interesting and unexpected. For the most part, hard sand covers the bottom in the spot which produced best in the extreme cold weather, though areas with similar depth and muddy bottoms lie close by, and have proved better in other winters, with more moderate weather patterns and extremes. Many trophy trout experts make the same claim: “you gotta fish the mud in cold weather.” I have caught lots of trout over soft bottoms in winter, but I now know they sometimes prefer areas with hard, sandy bottoms in super cold conditions.

The reason often offered for fishing over muddy bottoms in cold weather reads something like this: “shallow water over mud heats Big trout will strike slow-sinking plugs like the Catch 5 in water temperatures under 50 degrees, particularly if they have become well-acclimated to the cold water.

winter outings. Smart ones will focus on areas around the fringes of major structural elements lying near deep basins. They’ll attempt to take advantage of all known stimulators, including the break of day, coming of night, the rising and setting of the moon, and the turn of the tide. Mostly, they’ll throw soft plastics rigged on light jigheads, dragging them slowly along the bottom and short-hopping them up occasionally, but they won’t hesitate to switch “up” to twitch baits and even floating plugs when the bites start coming easily and other signs indicate an active feeding mood in the fish.

Catching big trout in winter involves fishing precise locations thoroughly, in an attempt to place the proper lure close in front of the fish. Doing so consistently requires thoughtful planning, patience and a persistent mindset.

KEVIN COCHRAN CONTACT

up faster than shallow water over sand.” First off, I can not verify the truth of such a statement, having idled over silty areas while watching the temperature readings sent to the Garmin’s screen by the sonar attached to the stern of my Haynie. I can find no evidence to support the claim.

Shallow water does heat up quicker than deep water, certainly.

Sometimes, cold-stunned trout seem to move shallow to take advantage of the warming water. Mostly, though, they move shallow to feed. When they do so, trout will show up repeatedly in the “feeding station” closest to where they’ve hunkered down to ride out the cold, regardless of what lies on the bottom.

I suspect the fish preferred the sandy area on the fringe of their deep basin specifically because the cold temperatures made them reluctant to venture further away from the safety and relative comfort of the hole. I can not prove the previous statement, but I do know giant trout can be caught over a hard sandy bottom in winter.

The need to feed, it seems to me, becomes the dominant factor determining the behavior and movement patterns of big trout during winter, especially a colder than normal one.

I did learn some new things this past winter, ones I will catalogue in my memory, to use when planning future trips. Big trout can be caught in water nearly cold enough to kill them, provided the angler makes appropriate choices related to timing, location, lure choice and presentation when targeting them. Those of us who fish regularly have an advantage when making these decisions, since we develop a sense of what’s happening with the fish on a daily basis.

Weekend warriors need to stick to the basics when planning

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

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

TROUT TRACKER GUIDE SERVICE Phone Email Web

361-688-3714 kevxlr8@mygrande.net www.FishBaffinBay.com www.captainkevblogs.com

TSFMAG.com | 17

STORY BY BILLY SANDIFER

Troy Adler (L) and Mark Ray (R) accompanied me on a recent beach trip when the reds were very angler-friendly.

The finest fishing

of the year in the PINS surf runs generally from mid-August through mid-December. It is a very complicated scenario that depends on the migrations of finger mullet from the bay systems and the arrival of huge shoals of anchovies migrating south as our coastal waters begin to cool. The finger mullet migration usually coincides with the first cold front of the season. High tides accompany this frontal passage and when the water falls out of the bays the finger mullet go with it. So do a great number of our redfish.

Here in 2014, Tropical Storm Dolly raised our water levels in early September and started this movement earlier than normal. Over the years I have observed that the finger mullet will not all migrate at the same time. They’ll migrate for a few days but, as temperatures warm, they will stop migrating until we get another cold front and corresponding drop in water temperature. This will create gaps in the surf where there are no mullet for 10 or perhaps even 20 miles while areas to the north and south will have high numbers of them.

So obviously, the serious angler will target the stretches of beach holding the greatest numbers of mullet. The perfect scenario is to find a nearshore gut that is holding a lot of mullet that are not just passing through the area but holding up in that area for some time. These areas are also prone to be holding good numbers of redfish.

Even with all the high-dollar lures on the market, and including the option of using live or cut bait, day in and day out it’s hard to find anything more productive than a 3/4 ounce gold or silver Johnson Sprite spoon. If the current is excessive, step up to a 1-1/8 ounce Tony Accetta spoon in gold or silver. If I could have only one lure it would be a 3/4 ounce silver Johnson Sprite.

We all know how quickly spoons will corrode, turn green, or get all the “shine” rubbed off them shuffling around in tackle trays. Well, there are actually some things you can do to avoid that or at least postpone

it for some time. One trick is to install pieces of sticky-backed foam in you your tackle trays so your lures aren’t directly rubbing against the plastic boxes. Another is to apply Blakemore Real Magic or

This piece of gill net found on the PINS beach is presumed lost or possibly scuttled by Mexican fishermen working illegally in Texas waters.

something similar after using them. There is also a very handy product called The Works Disinfectant Toilet Bowl Cleaner that makes old spoons shine like new. It works on reel chrome and all kinds of metal but it is very caustic and I recommend using chemical resistant gloves when applying it and always rinse whatever you are cleaning very well to stop the chemical action.

When my spoons finally reach the over the hill category I keep them for jetty and skipjack fishing.

At the same time the finger mullet begin their massive annual migration and redfish are in high numbers, the 10-30 pound jack crevalle begin to come into the surf every morning to fuel up for their own migrations on the abundant finger mullet. Early in the season they are only there for a couple of hours every morning. Then they’ll start making a morning invasion of the beach, pull out in the middle of the day, and make a return about 4:00 PM and feed until dark. But these afternoon jacks can be scattered and unreliable.

Then late in the fall they will be present most of the day and one day the surf is solid jack crevalle from daylight until dark. The next morning they are gone for the season.

Dusky and bay anchovies move up the Texas coast 20 | November 2014

around Memorial Day and spend the summer in the area of the mouth of the Mississippi River. They are usually offshore of Port O’Connor

by July and are back in our area by early August. The movement of tarpon schools along our coast tends to coincide closely with the anchovies, which is one of their favorite food sources.

Numbers of tarpon and anchovies tend to peak in our area around the end of September.

The anchovies often become numerous enough to form huge black and wine-colored bait balls. At the same time, various species of fish-eating birds are moving through our area from their northern nesting grounds to southern winter ranges.

There will be days when nearly three-quarters of a million birds will be feeding along the PINS beaches. Ladyfish (skipjacks) follow, also feeding on the anchovies, and are joined by Spanish mackerel and Atlantic

Hard east and northeast wind can push tides very high—photo made two days following a recent front — sargassum strewn to the base of the dunes!

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Redhead Duck -Aythya AmericanaLength: 19-inches Wingspan: 33-inches Weight: 2-2.5-pounds The name is derived from the male’s striking head plumage. In flight, shows gray stripe on trailing edge of wings. Tri-colored bill. Present in Texas October through March. Notorious for parasitic nesting habit, laying their eggs in other bird’s nests, especially canvasbacks. Half the world’s populations spends the winter months on the middle- to lower Texas coast.

bluefish. Large areas of water will be boiling-white with predators feeding on the anchovies.

Sharks are attracted to this activity and at times schools of them are observed feeding very shallow with their tails and dorsal fins exposed. As temperatures rise this activity slacks off and then right behind the next norther it will resume. This pattern is repeated over and over through the fall until winter moves in and all of the fish and birds have moved on. As each cold front moves through it will make conditions unfishable for a day or two. It is the lull in between the cold fronts that allow for the best fishing of the year. Obviously, as the windows between cold fronts become shorter, so do the days of great fishing potential. It’s all about timing your trip during the most userfriendly periods. If you are determined to do an overnight fishing trip when a norther comes through you are dooming your fishing chances and are in for lots of misery to boot.

Making a trip this time of year requires careful planning. An almost overwhelming aspect of late-fall surf fishing is that there are so many options available and you simply cannot do all of them. Although conditions are great for camping and this naturally leads to fishing within a specific area, running and gunning will increase your chances of success for tarpon, jacks and reds. You are at least going to have to scout the entire beach once or you’ll never know what may have been available just a couple of miles away.

My game plan rarely changes. We head south, stopping when we like, but planning to make careful observations all the way to the Port Mansfield jetties. We then turn around and fish all the prime spots noted on the way back north. That’s the best plan I have been able to come up with that makes the most of a single-day trip. There are days when we find so much activity that we never get anywhere near the jetties. But when the fishing is that good, who cares?

At any rate, you are going to have to prioritize your list of species to be targeted on any given trip. And you need to have appropriate tackle prepared in advance to make the most of the opportunities.

Just imagine driving up on forty tarpon free-jumping and busting bait balls at the edge of the sand and not having a single outfit rigged to throw at them.

Each species tends to have its own small timeframe of greatest availability. Stay updated on what’s happening on the beach and you’ll pretty much know when to go for which species. Beach updates are available at www.FriendsofPadre.com. Fall is a real hoot, get you some of it.

If we don’t leave any there won’t be any! -Billy Sandifer

Photos by Jimmy Jackson.

22 | November 2014

CONTACT

BILLY SANDIFER Retired after 20+ years of guiding anglers in the Padre surf, Billy Sandifer (“Padre of Padre Island” to friends & admirers) is devoted to conserving the natural wonders of N. Padre Island & teaching all who will heed his lessons to enjoy the beauty of the Padre Island National Seashore responsibly.

Website www.FriendsofPadre.com

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STORY BY MARTIN STRARUP

My Dad used to say

that if the cattle were up and feeding it was time to go fishing. A local doctor kept a fish tank in his office and when they were active he said we should go fishing.

Me, I never put much stock in either of those pieces of advice as I would usually start early and fish until I stopped, but I learned long ago that fishing Prime Time or the solunar feeding times yields more fish caught, more times than it doesn’t.

Case in point was a couple of weeks ago we were in Port Mansfield and after having worked all day on Thursday then driving 252 miles to Port I really wasn’t looking forward to getting up before daylight to start my day of fishing. So I checked the feeding time and on that particular Friday the time to be on the water would begin at 8:12 AM, or so the Prime Time table showed.

So at 7:45 the next morning, at an un-crowded boat ramp,

we unloaded and my son finally found a spot for my truck in a very crowded parking lot. After the long idle to the mouth of the harbor we headed for the spot that we had decided to fish during discussions the night before.

Upon arrival I wasn’t happy with our choice of spots. While the water was fishy, there was no bait movement that I could see. No mullet jumping no schools of bait moving around but we stuck to our plan. If fishing turned on around 8:12 AM then Prime Time would be right-on again.

Prime Time was off a bit. Our first trout came to hand at 8:15 and then we just watched in awe as the bait started moving, the pelicans started dive-bombing and the trout went into a feeding frenzy.

It’s really hard to describe unless you’ve experienced it and I know some of you have. But in plain terms, the fish just “turn on” and go nuts feeding on anything and everything in sight. We caught fish literally

The water conditions we found on our most recent trip to Port Mansfield were gorgeous!

on every cast from the start, well not me but more on that later; not keepers mind you but a trout on every cast for well over an hour. We had our 5-fish limits in the box in about 30 minutes, crimped the barbs on our jigs and caught fish until they quit. We lost one good trout that could have been as long as 28 or so, but the box of fish we kept ran 1622 inches which is just perfect for what we had in mind for the fillets.

There were no nibbles, light taps or barely detectable bumps during the time that the fish were feeding. Oh no, they slammed those red and white soft plastics we threw to them. Mostly we found our hooks imbedded in the solid part of the jaw or deep inside of the mouth. Point is they were hungry and active at the time that the solunar chart said they were supposed to be.

This magazine has a GREAT solunar table but if I have no copy handy I simply use an online version and there are many to choose from. Just Google “Texas prime time fishing” from your phone or

computer and find one you like. One of the really good ones wants latitude and longitude for precise times and your UTC which for Central Time is -6.

The next morning the solunar prediction said the major was from 9:10 to 11:10 AM so again we found an empty boat ramp as we unloaded the boat around 8:20. (Yes, the parking lot was full). We ran to the same spot where we had success the day before and found the exact same scene that greeted us the previous morning. No bait moving, no mullet jumping just more or less dead but pretty water.

The solunar table was off again as the first fish nailed my bait right at 9:00 and buddy it was on.

It was a repeat of the morning before but the undersize to keeper ratio was running around 5 or 6:1 for every decent fryer we landed.

But oh what fun it was to sit there and catch fish after fish until you just said okay that’s enough, it’s getting hot and my arm is tired. About

Having said all of that I believe in the solunar tables Breathe Like a Fish nailed it with We expect Spanish mackerel in the Matagorda as they have proven to be their BLAF Gillz Element Mask.

Bay region, this was our first in the Lower Laguna. right on the money as far as the best time for catching fish.

Much more so than seeing a bunch of cows up and grazing in a pasture but even that has a ring of truth to it, since the moon has a huge affect on all living things.

I have to let you guys and girls in on a little tip. On the first morning Sterling was kicking my butt catching fish while I struggled a bit.

We were both throwing red and white soft plastics with 1/16 ounce Hogie screw-lock heads but I was getting maybe one fish to his three. What I found out was that he was using the the time I sort of hinted that I was ready for a cheeseburger at the Mirrolure scented 4” Soft-Eel. Now I don’t know if the “scented” part Pelican Pub, Sterling set the hook on what we originally thought was had anything to do with it or if it was the incredible action that these a really nice trout but turned out to be a Spanish mackerel which baits have due to the split where the hook comes out, but they work. I took us both by surprise. Another surprise was that the reds that switched over to this bait and on the first cast I was hooked up. were all over the place on previous trips were absent this time…we We both caught all of our keeper trout on this bait both mornings never caught a single red. and the bait is still in good shape. I can’t say that there are many soft plastics with good action that can stand up to the many fish that we caught over the two mornings.

We have been testing a product that won us both over. We have been wearing fishing balaclavas for a while now but we’ve found one that we won’t ever be on the bay without. It’s made by Gillz, LTD the makers of Breath Like A Fish Apparel. Their balaclava which they call a BLAF Gillz Element Mask has a UPF rating of 50+. It is moisture wicking, anti-microbial, stain resistant and has gill plates on the sides that tunnel air down to your neck and down your shirt and a meshpanel breathing port that reduces sunglass fog. I highly recommend this product and you can get them at http://www.breathelikeafish. com/Element_Masks_s/1817.htm.

We ordered ours on a Monday and had them on Wednesday so their shipping is fast…go getcha one.

Be safe, MirrOlure got it right with their new Soft-Eel. Martin

28 | November 2014

MARTIN STRARUP

CONTACT

Solar and lunar activities affect fish and game in different ways. The sun they say has the most influence in fish and game and the prime solar periods are dawn, midday, dusk and midnight. But in my mind the moon is the biggest factor in the feeding times of fish.

The moon is the primary influence on tides and tides move game fish and bait around. Storms affect tides as well, but the moon is the king of the rising and falling tides. For me the best time to fish the moon is an hour before to an hour after when the moon is directly overhead. Experts speak of the period when the moon is “underfoot” meaning that it is on the opposite side of planet earth and according to them that period is just as major as when it is directly overhead.

Martin Strarup is a lifelong saltwater enthusiast and outdoorsman.

Martin is also a collector and dealer of vintage fishing tackle and lures, especially those made in Texas.

Email

Trouthunter@swbell.net

STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

Try as i might,

events that have occurred on my boat over the years make better tales than any I could invent and it is comic how they can reveal my age when I share them with friends and fishing customers. Maybe it is the fact that so many of my tales begin with… “Hey, do you remember…?”

Swapping tales during a day of fishing is always enjoyable with people from so many backgrounds and walks of life and it’s just as enjoyable to hear theirs. Many times when sharing these stories I am reminded of the section in the newspaper I read religiously as a kid, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, a compilation of amazing facts that always entertained the imagination. On a recent trip I was persuaded by some clients to put together a few to share that are both funny and make you wonder. Here are some of my favorites.

MY A$$, My A$$!

Years ago I had two guys fishing with me over on Lake Calcasieu; one was in his mid-40s while the other was late-50s or so. The youngest of the pair was a large barrel chested fellow who for some reason had the odd habit of speaking in a very loud voice, nearly shouting, and joked around constantly playing tricks and telling jokes in that strangely loud voice. I got his buddy to the side and discreetly asked what the story was on his speech and behavior. He told me that he was a good friend and a very gentle fellow. He went on to say that he had been struck by lightning. The injury had greatly affected his hearing and some of his memory. It also caused him to behave very childlike in the company of strangers. The explanation made sense so I gave it no further thought.

After a long drift down the shoreline we decided to make the same pass again so I told them both to stay where they were while I idled back to the starting point. Idling along about halfway back, the younger guy jumped up and started screaming, “MY A$$, MY A$$... something stuck me in my ass!”

Jackson Knight with a healthy Sabine Lake slot red.

If you don’t think catching a nice red will put a smile on your face, just ask McKenne Knight!

I had no idea what to do because this guy had been playing practical jokes all day but, this seemed like the real deal, the way he was jumping around and all. I stopped the boat and just sat there as he shouted; “Did you see that? That fish jumped up and stuck me in my ass!”

I was totally shocked watching this guy dance around in the boat.

At that moment his buddy grabs a pair of long-nose pliers and playfully said, “Lemme have look, I’ll get whatever it is out of your hide if you’ll just hold still.”

What happened next just floored me. The guy stopped screaming, dropped his trousers and pointed at his left butt cheek. Sure enough there was a red dot on his white jockey briefs, dead-center of his left butt cheek. Trust me, I had no clue what was going on and it was getting weirder by the minute.

The guy with the pliers grabbed the elastic waistband of his undies, jerked them partway down, and promptly pulled what looked like a dorsal fin spine from his buddy’s rather fleshy bottom. I absolutely couldn’t believe what I was seeing!

With a great sigh of relief Mr. Barrel Chest sat back down on the gunnel showing me the spine and it was better than an inch long.

Evidently while we were underway and the guy was sitting in that position with his rear end hanging over, a mullet jumped up and that fin stuck him like a needle. I just shook my head and told him, “You need to buy a lottery ticket on the way home pal. Surviving a lightning strike and now stuck in butt by a mullet…what are the odds…one in ten million?”

32 | November 2014

Redfish like snack cakes too!

One summer on the south end of Sabine Lake near the Dredge Hole, my party and I were easing down the bank picking off redfish as they fed intently on whatever they could find. The wakes were easy to spot and the fish were plenty aggressive, so the fishing was good.

Ahead of my boat on the shoreline walked a white heron that was shadowing the fish and looking for an easy meal.

As our boat finally got too close for the heron’s comfort it flew down the bank to wait for another opportunity. When it took off from the bank the heron evidently knocked a small green grasshopper into the water that was promptly destroyed by one of the nearby redfish. Immediately one of my customers cast into the swirl, hooked up, and landed the fish. We all saw the remains of the grasshopper in its mouth as it went into the cooler.

Later that afternoon at the cleaning table we examined the stomach contents of that same redfish and found something very unique. Now we have all cleaned fish that had old lures or other tackle in their bellies; that’s no big shocker right there. But this redfish had what appeared to be a small plastic ball about the diameter of a quarter in its stomach. When I removed it and washed it off it began to unravel, so out of curiosity I continued to open it up until it revealed the ball was a crumpled plastic snack cake tray, the kind that pecan rolls or cupcakes are packaged in. The tray unfolded perfectly and to this day I have no clue as to how or why that redfish decided he needed to eat it.

came to the surface, shook her head, and peeled drag as the rookie angler continued his upside-down backwards winding.

All I could do was shake my head as we lifted a beautiful nine pound trout into the boat. The rookie had no idea what he had just done while his three accomplished angling buddies held back the urge to drown him. A career fish taken by such unconventional means in front of three guys who would eagerly trip their grandmothers to land it. It never fails.

Having the opportunity to be a part of and also share these stories is one of the coolest things about this profession. Looking back and remembering the good and the bad, as well as all the people you get to meet, keeps me coming back for more and looking forward to more to come.Â

CHUCK UZZLE

CONTACT

It Never Fails Over the years I have had all sorts of people fish with me and their angling skills have ranged from world-class to never having fished before in their lives. For some reason it always seems like the rookie or beginner is the one who invariably catches the most or biggest fish of the trip and the subsequent rodeo in the boat is beyond comical; the other members of the party trying to coach and stay out of his way.

During one of those November afternoons you would die for, overcast and slick with no crowds, I took a group of four anglers from Houston to chase big trout on Sabine. Three of the four were very accomplished fishermen and had spent plenty of time along the Texas coast looking for that career-best trout to put on the wall. The other angler was far from accomplished, as a matter of fact he didn’t even know the correct way to hold a rod and reel. Try as he might he was just terribly uncoordinated with the thing.

Finally after some time he settled on using a spinning rig but with his own personal flair, which was with the reel on top and cranking the handle backwards. It was the only way he could make it work and I could not convince him otherwise, so I just let him do his own thing.

The afternoon was a success as we stayed on a large shallow flat and were rewarded with some fantastic topwater action while listening to college football on the radio. In the middle of one our drifts, you guessed it, the guy using the upside-down spinning rig gets absolutely hammered drifting a large soft plastic under a cork.

The other anglers had that blank stare of disbelief as the huge fish

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 Email

409-697-6111 cuzzle@gt.rr.com

TSFMAG.com | 33

Pam Gerrans with tilefish on husband Jeff ‘s charterboat, out of Matagorda on the Colorado River.

STORY BY JOE RICHARD

There is a dimension

offshore beyond that which is known to man.

It is a dimension of shadows and darkness, between science and superstition, between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. It is an area we call the Twilight Zone. Thank you, Rod Serling.

We have this huge area off the Texas coast, seldom glimpsed by man except small patches by high-tech submersible. Lots of fish species down there, strange ones living in twilight or darkness, almost all of them tasty, lightly impacted and regulated, completely without seasons, in fact. There are grouper, snapper, tilefish and other critters out there that most anglers have never heard of, much less seen.

It’s true that catching them requires more work, reeling up fish that average a fifth of a mile down. There’s no catch-and-release, since the water pressure difference is immense, the fish disabled after coming up several hundred feet and way before the surface.

For some reason, almost of these deepwater species are tasty.

Hard work, but more rewarding with today’s technology, where you can actually see fish on the bottom recorder, before dropping baits. One no longer has to drop baits in a general area and hope for the best.

“I keep a depth finder going all the time out there,” says Capt. Jeff Gerrans, who often fishes deep water with his 32-foot World Cat charterboat out of Matagorda, on the Colorado River. “I also have a good bathymetric chart. I can see fish in 2,000 feet, if you dial it in just right. It really opens up a new world, when you can see what you’re targeting in deep water. The old days are over, not knowing the fish are there before you drop (baits). The current can be a factor but we calculate that, before dropping. And which way an underwater ridge runs. It isn’t difficult.”

“Generally, I fish two directions out of Matagorda,” says Jeff. “The

Tired angler landing a double-header of snowy grouper, from 900 feet down – with a plain Shimano-50 outfit.

The smaller fish at right somehow didn’t inflate on the way up, and shows true markings without distortion.

TSFMAG.com | 35

Breaks (off Port O’Connor) has Warsaw and yellowedge grouper, and smaller tilefish. Better action is towards the Hilltops further east. Deep-drop guys used to fish in 700 to 900 feet, but the bigger fish are in deeper water. Find a new spot, and the fish are all over it. Barrelfish are on the newer spots, mixed with tiles. They look like a big shiner and really ugly, but they’re good to eat, the meat more firm than tile. The tasty yellowedge grouper are more shallow, 600-900 feet and snowy grouper in 700-900 feet.”

Drop baits that deep, and you want the right leader, hooks and bait, because it takes time to retrieve it. You may come up with three kinds of big fish on one leader.

“I have a weight on each end of the leader, 6 pounds on bottom and 2 pounds on top,” says Jeff. “And a light at each end. I make my own leaders, 12 feet long. With short drops, so they don’t get tangled. A stick of lead on the bottom, with wire through the lead instead of tied.

If I get snagged, the wire cuts through the lead and I get my leader back. I use 500-pound mono for the main leader, with 200-pound drops that will break first, if they snag a rock.

Closeup of tilefish shows they have big eyes, suitable for living in dark waters far below the surface.

Capt. Jeff Gerrans with hefty tilefish.

36 | November 2014

Zooming in on bottom is the most important feature on a depth finder, when tilefish are so far below.

“My favorite bait is blackfin tuna or bonito. When it hits bottom, they’re all over it. A lot of times we tuna fish at night, and there are plenty of blackfins for fresh bait. I save them in the freezer too, the tilefish don’t care. A lot of bait shops sell bonito, too. “Sometimes we send down a smorgrasbord with tuna and squid. I like a fist-size bait because a big tile has a big mouth. A lot of anglers don’t fish deep enough with big enough bait. Three months ago we made a tuna trip and while out there I told my son, ‘You want to catch a state record tilefish on manual [non-electric] tackle? I know where we can get one.

He said, ‘That deep? No way.’ So we made two drops with electric gear, big baits, and brought up four rod-and-reel, state record tiles if he’d just cranked them up manually. All 30-plus pounders.”

Last time I checked, fish caught on electric reels counted in the state’s unrestricted records, which include spearguns and trotlines.

On the other end of the sporting scale, they’ve been catching deepwater fish in Florida on seven-foot jigging rods. Pack 30-pound braid on a small reel, lower down a six or nine-ounce metal jig, and get busy jigging. Since braid won’t stretch, getting a strike feels the same at 80 feet as 800. It’s a long pull back to the boat, but way more sporty than electrics. The fish are slowly crippled by the bends, which is internal gas doubling in volume every 33 feet, and after rising for 200 feet or so, they’re usually quite buoyant. During the last few dozen feet, a grouper will surface abruptly in any direction like a buoy, sometimes 30 feet on the wrong side of the boat. If the hook drops out, you can always drive over and lip-gaff it. If you’re using heavy leader as recommended on the bigger rods, there isn’t much need to gaff the fish at all, just drag it onboard. It’s a waste of good meat gaffing these fish in the side; they aren’t going anywhere.

“With all the restrictions on inshore bottom fish, you have to improvise today,” says Jeff. “If we want to bring fish home, there is a big variety out there.”

It’s definitely worth a try: deepwater tackle and techniques have modernized a great deal in the past 20 years, and anglers are looking beyond the overly-managed and bitterly-contested bottom fish found closer inshore (re: red snapper and once more numerous Warsaw grouper).

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Deepwater Species Equals More Records Thirty years ago, the only Texas boats reaching water deep enough for tilefish and deepwater grouper were billfish boats. They were hunting bluewater pelagic fish and couldn’t be bothered. Our ventures off Sabine Pass in those days, wandering around up to 150 miles offshore—well, we had the place to ourselves, never sighting another fishing boat. I wrote about some of our early trips, and the many new species we found, and interest by the public began to rise. A guy name Adolph Shultz, who owned a bait camp in Galveston, went after new records with a vengeance, and the list of Texas saltwater records grew fast. He bagged all sorts of Gulf critters, even flyingfish.

The really deepwater records began to fall when the big, center console go-fast boats arrived off the coast, often targeting tuna, boats that could sprint way offshore very quickly on calm days, and even days not so calm. They were interested in a bigger variety of fish than the bigger, slower billfish boats of old, and they employed all sorts of modern-day equipment. Big tilefish began to hit the docks, along with other species that prowl the darkness in 1,000 feet.

Author’s state record tilefish in 1983. Caught manually but with the aid of a bicycle rig, at 1,100 feet.

Early Deepwater Fishing Off Texas I once owned the Texas record tilefish for many years, while getting exposed to many new deepwater bottom species starting back in 1982.

Capt. Pete Hebert owned a slow, single diesel Lafitte skiff called the Hannibal in Port Arthur, and late each summer we’d make a five-day trip way offshore. A trip like that, sleeping on Igloos or on deck under the stars, felt like a month out there. We carried no electric tackle, just regular snapper and trolling gear and also a bicycle “bandit” rig that could be attached to the gunnel. It carried 300-pound mono, a few big circle hooks and a sash weight. One glassy afternoon after trolling for billfish, we stopped in 1,100 feet of water south of the Flower Gardens and I dropped five baits deep on circle hooks. Baited with chunks of blackfin tuna. With our graphite bottom recorder we knew the bottom was sloping, and also the depth, but that was all. After a short wait, I cranked for a long time. In the blue meridian below, we spotted color and bubbles. It was four tilefish, soon dragged aboard in triumph. Another drop produced nothing, which was tiresome, and so we cruised off. The biggest tile weighed 21 pounds, soon documented with T&PW and then cooked back in Beaumont. The meat was white and lumpy like lobster, very good.

One trip we had eight or nine species not listed with TPW, such as red hind, yellowfin grouper, marbled grouper, horseye and black jack, sand and golden tilefish, also a graysby grouper. All but the golden tile were in about 180-200 feet of water—deeper coral residents that, today, pose a risk of ciguatera poisoning, especially around the Flower Gardens. We also caught an entire basket of choice scamp grouper of around eight pounds—I’d only seen one of those on the deck of a partyboat in a dozen years. Only the yellowfin grouper and golden tile were claimed as state records; our crew couldn’t be bothered with more paperwork. The red hind caught at night at the Flower Gardens was quite rare in Texas waters and might have stood the test of time as a state record.

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JOE RICHARD Joe Richard has fished the Gulf since 1967, starting out of Port Arthur, but his adventures have taken him up and down the entire coast. He was the editor of Tide magazine for eight years, and later Florida Sportsman’s book and assistant magazine editor. He began guiding out of Port O’Connor in 1994.

His specialty is big kingfish, and his latest book is The Kingfish Bible, New Revelations, due for publication in 2013.

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THE EVOLUTION OF FISHING For more information visit us at:

www.castawayrods.com TSFMAG.com | 39

Dustin Brownlow with rod tip held high, learning to work a bait through shallow clump shell.

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

NEW TROUT LIMIT & CEDAR BAYOU September through early October brought slightly cooler temperatures and higher tides which has improved fishing conditions as well as our catches. This is great news given a very tough trout year here in the Rockport area.

There were days I thought I had forgotten how to find them, and then this past week we experienced several days that would have been considered great no matter where you were on the Gulf coast.

My point in this is to demonstrate that conditions play a vital role in success. Those great days last week also had solunar feeding times falling mid-morning. This allowed the sun to rise high enough for my anglers to actually see the grass beds and potholes, thus enabling more accurate casting.

Placing your bait precisely on the structure, and at the right angle of presentation, is big-time important. I have learned over my years of fishing that Lady Luck plays a small role in our success much of the time. Sure we get lucky and stumble into areas holding fish, but the act of catching them without pushing or spooking them, along with the ability to define the perimeters of the area the

fish reside in, requires pure skill. I work on my skills daily and bark constantly at my clients to do the same.

There is no substitute for hard work. Many that are experiencing tough fishing are quick to blame everyone and everything around them. My best advice to overcome tough fishing is to simply work harder. Dad used to tell me when I had a problem that if I looked in the mirror, all or at least some of the problem would be looking back at me.

I square off to fishing competition every day and do not care whether they are fishing with croaker, sea lice, cracked crab, chunks of skipjack or a fly rod; they are my competition and at day’s end I want to have done better than they did. They could not have caught what they caught without being where the fish were! I am continually humbled by many of them but it never halts my effort to try and better them the next day. I continually search for knowledge that could, at days end, give me the upper hand.

I do not think I am guilty of making excuses as to why we did not catch fish even though there are times when conditions just did not allow us to do what we needed Continued on page 51...

40 | November 2014

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Dickie Mickey Bink Colburn Eastmann Grimes Also Find

Shellie Gray

Martin Strarup

Chuck Uzzle

Cade Simpson

UT Marine Science Institute

Gary Gray

Joe Joe Jay Doggett Richards Watkins

Eric Ozolins

Stephanie Boyd

Chris Mapp

David Tricia Rowsey Buchan

Ernest Cisneros

Pam Johnson

Tips & Tricks, Tide & Solunar Guide, Forum, and Other Useful Information.

...continued from page 40.

C O N TA C T

to do. So if you’re having tough trips, work harder and smarter and I promise it’ll pay off.

At this time there are many user groups enjoying the fishery here along the Texas coast and, naturally, there are some user conflicts.

I think education to resolve these conflicts starts on the personal level and, in order to truly educate, the teacher must first have the respect of the student. There is no quick fix to the user issues, and some will never be satisfied, but this does not mean we should not be willing to try.

Most asked question this month—“When will we see the results of the five trout limit and the opening of Cedar Bayou?”

The reduced trout limit will not create an instant boom in the population. What it will do instantly, though, is reduce the number of slot fish being taken. This should provide a general increase and, eventually, a larger population overall. Simply put, and I have been saying this for thirteen years, “How can keeping fewer possibly equate to having fewer?” I look forward to the daily task of trying to catch trout, redfish and flounder in the greatest possible number to satisfy my clients seeking numbers and also look forward to the possibility (in two to three years) of satisfying the larger percentage of my clientele seeking trophy trout, which they plan to release.

As for the opening of Cedar Bayou, I think we will see some immediate changes in water flow and water quality in Mesquite, southern San Antonio and the Spaulding and Carlos regions. It is going to take a few months for the bayou to seek and find its own path; this will keep the fish guessing is my guess. Distinct guts beginning to develop to the south, right up next to the beach on my latest photos, certainly look like great places for trout and redfish to stage in their quest for nourishment. Gamefish, I believe, will quickly find the water movement advantageous and seek areas where more predictable water movement will benefit the hunting process. The obvious and maybe most immediate positive result will be seen at the

mouth of Cedar Bayou where it meets the gulf. Gulf-run gamefish will find the outlet and its flows favorable and begin Excellent water conditions recently provided showing there shortly. good numbers of solid trout during midday Another of the many positive moonset minor feeding period. aspects of the opening of this bayou will be its attraction to anglers. More anglers in the bayou can mean less pressure along shorelines and area reefs—all good in my opinion.

On a totally different note, I have found that by allowing my mind to reset everyday just as I like to let the areas I fish reload, I am able to look at the conditions each day and enter into my hunting mode with a clearer field of vision.

There can be a distinct disadvantage at times, believing we know all there is to know. I often find myself placing undue confidence in areas where I have caught fish previously. Too often this becomes a stumbling block in the process of allowing an area the time it needs to develop. By this I mean that too often I don’t stay in an area that looks good and feels good nearly as long as I probably should. I preach adamantly about this but somehow still find myself thinking of other productive areas that might yield quicker results. The only way we discover new out-of-the-way areas is to get into them and put in the time required to observe patterns developing. I honestly believe that there are still secrets out there. They may not be specific fishing locations per se, but secrets none-the-less, relative to when to be there and how to fish them.

All in all I have seen a little increase in the numbers and sizes of the trout we have been catching this month. This is due to the tides of the fall equinox, rainfall over the bays, and slightly cooler water temperatures. Look for better results this fall around the sloughs that drain the backwaters in proximity of Cedar Bayou. Good luck and keep a few if you need some and release the rest for another day.

May your fishing always be catching! -Guide Jay Watkins

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

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

TSFMAG.com | 51

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

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

NEW PRODUCTS AT ICAST Every year when I attend the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades show, better known as ICAST, I find myself getting all amped up about some of the new products. Then there’s the big letdown when it becomes clear that most everything new won’t be showing up in the stores for a few months.

This past July I wandered the aisles of the show in Orlando like a kid in a toy store looking for things that I thought might be of interest to my fellow shallow water sight-casters. I found more than I could write about in the space I’m allowed, but picked a few things y’all might enjoy. It was hard not to do this write-up sooner, but I decided I’d spare you guys the angst of waiting for them to hit the shelves. As far as I know, most of these should be available by the time you read this.

I’ve seen several attempts to imitate a small crab over the years. Most were soft plastics of some sort, 52 | November 2014

but they’ve always fallen short. Looking good in the hand never seemed to translate into looking good in the water. Part of the problem has been that there was no thought given to rigging the baits. You get a bag of plastics and then stick them on a regular jig head.

Some work out okay, most don’t.

Given that, I’ll admit when I first glanced at the PVC Crab by Savage Gear I was dismissive. Then I saw it in the test tank and stopped in my tracks. It not only looked like a crab, it actually looked alive. In talking to the guys at the booth I learned that they had used a 3D scan to exactly replicate a crab. The lifelike movement comes from the claws having air chambers so they float up and move with the slightest twitch or water current.

Just sitting on the bottom it looks like a ticked-off crab waving its claws in a defensive manner. To top it off they pre-rig them on what they call a gliding stand-up jig. On

the drop it doesn’t just sink straight to the bottom, it sort of slides in at an angle. I think the reds are going to crush this thing. They’ll be available in 2” and 4” models and five colors.

Next up is a nice simple idea from Owner hooks that’s been a long time coming. Swapping OEM treble hooks to singles on topwaters and other plugs has become quite popular the past few years. Some folks do it to help keep grass off the hooks while others just like the safety factor of fewer hooks when landing a fish. In order to get those J hooks to run straight it takes two rings of some type. Some use two split rings, but more popular has been the “live bait” hooks with a welded ring on the eye. I’ve never really

tried to set a hook into a tarpon’s rock hard mouth will attest that it isn’t a high percentage game. Their new Triple Threat Tarpon Hook should help. These hooks have a series of three barbs. The idea is that hopefully you can at least get the first one to grab hold until you can get a second hook set to drive it home. As many tarpon as I’ve missed over the years I’m willing to give it a shot.

liked having the two rings looped together as they’d sometimes get locked up, but there wasn’t any other option. Owner simply took a J hook and turned the eye 90-degrees. When I saw these it was a “why didn’t I think of that” moment. They’ll be offering two styles.

One in a black chrome finish in sizes 6 through 2/0 for smaller inshore plugs and a 3X strong with a tinned finish in larger sizes intended for offshore lures. Both come with Owner’s Super Needle Point that won’t roll over or dull easily.

Another interesting hook I ran across in the Umpqua booth should appeal to those of us who like throwing flies at tarpon. Anyone who has ever Costa has added to their awesome 580 lens line-up with new mirrored polycarbonates. The popular green, blue and silver mirrors were previously only available in glass lenses. The outer layers have oil and water repellant properties to help keep them clean throughout the day. The mirror layer is protected under this outer layer making them highly scratch resistant. If you have found the glass models too heavy for all-day wear you will appreciate the much lighter 580P. The initial release now available in stores offers the 580P in fourteen of their most popular styles. They will be available in the rest of the frame styles after the first of the year.

TSFMAG.com | 53

C O N TA C T

“As a long time Pro, I choose Custom Made rods because I want PERFORMANCE that I can count on.”

Small “point of view” waterproof cameras have become all the rage for recording fishing adventures. It seems like everybody has a GoPro or something similar these days. While I’m not sure this will be all that useful in the shallow water sight-casting world, it could be really cool for trolling offshore. The Water Wolf is a small streamlined camera waterproof to 100 meters.

It is designed to attach on your line ahead of a lure to record the fish striking. They were playing some really cool footage of some savage pike and musky hits. I’d love to see some of our offshore bruisers in action. The camera comes with three different sized weights to get the lure down to different depths as well as a float when using bait.

Somebody please go buy one of these and film a pack of jacks or a streaking kingfish crushing a plug. I want to see that.

It’s only been in the last three or four years that kayak companies have started showing their wares at ICAST. This year there were quite a few companies with new kayak models along with several new stand-up paddle boards. While most of the new models were just variations on existing kayaks, the Hobie 17T Pro Angler was enough of a departure to warrant attention. This thing is more of a small boat than a kayak I suppose. It’s a 17 foot tandem version of their popular Pro Angler.

It can be set up for two anglers facing forward or with the person in the bow facing backwards as well as an option for placing a single seat close to the midpoint when fishing alone. This boat would be a great option for taking a kiddo fishing. At 17’ there’s enough room for safe casting and it is super stable in case your little one is a wiggler. There are all sorts of options for mounting accessories such as fish finders, trolling motors, rod holders, camera mounts, etc. The first boats are due to hit the kayak shops any day now.

I had to laugh when I picked by luggage off the carousel upon arriving in Houston. There was the familiar TSA tag indicating my bags had been searched again. It happens every time I come back from ICAST. I suppose all those samples of hooks, lures and various other odd things look kind of weird on the x-ray machine. Maybe next year I’ll take my truck so I can really load up on goodies.

54 | November 2014

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

Telephone Email Website

281-450-2206 scott@tsfmag.com www.captainscottnull.com

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Figure 1. Photograph of a striped bass scale with annuli numbered. Age of this scale is estimated to be 5+ years old.

By Jason Ferguson | Fisheries Biologist Lower Laguna Madre Ecosystem Field Station | Brownsville

FIELD NOTES

HOW OLD IS THAT FISH? I typically receive several questions each month from much faster in the warmer months than they do in the anglers who want to know the age of a fish they have cooler ones, distinct rings are formed from the uneven caught. When I tell them the fish’s approximate age, seasonal growth (Figure 1). However, this method often they usually seem quite surprised. Therefore, I thought it leads to underestimating the age of older fish due to would be good to share some basic information on how difficulties in clearly seeing annuli, which become more and why fish are aged, as well as provide you with the compact as growth slows down after reaching maturity. knowledge for estimating the age of the fish you catch. Hopefully, this will aid you in answering this age old question, pun intended.

Fish are composed of a variety of hard bony structures that contain natural growth rings (think rings on a tree trunk) which can be used for aging, such as scales, vertebrae, fin spines, and gill plates. For many years scales were the standard hard structure used for determining a fish’s age because they were easy to collect and you did not need to sacrifice the fish to get them. Aging fish this way is done by counting the Figure 2. Otolith section of a spotted seatrout showing the distinct bands called annuli. opaque and translucent zones. The opaque zones, annuli, are counted when aging. This fish is estimated to be 8 years old.

Because fish typically grow 56 | November 2014

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Another problem with using scales is that fish regenerate lost scales, and if a regenerated scale is used to age the fish it will only reflect the age from when the scale started growing.

More recently, otoliths (hard calcium carbonate structures located behind the brain of bony fishes and commonly referred to as ear bones) have become the standard for aging fish. Otoliths also contain annuli, but are generally much easier to see even in older fish, making this method more accurate and precise for aging fish (Figure 2). However, for rare or endangered species scales are still preferred for aging since removing otoliths requires sacrificing the fish.

Identifying a fish’s age is important for effective fisheries management strategies. Knowing how old a fish is allows Figure 3. (LEFT) Length at Age (Year) of redfish collected along the Texas coast. Curve shows that a 30-inch fish is approximately 5 years old. After age 5, growth rates slow down to the point where length is no longer a good indicator of age.

Figure 4. (ABOVE) Length at Age (Year) of spotted seatrout females and males collected along the Texas coast. Growth is much more linear compared to redfish and notice how much faster and larger females grow.

fisheries biologists to determine growth rates, age at maturity, and maximum age. These parameters are used to construct age-based stock assessment models that estimate the age and structure of fish populations. Stocks are geographic subgroups of

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a fish population that can be managed as a discrete unit (e.g., Lower Laguna Madre spotted seatrout).

Stock assessments are used to estimate the general health of stocks, which in turn greatly influence fishing bag and size limits. For example, if a stock is composed primarily of small younger fish then a new minimum size limit may be needed to allow those fish to reach larger sizes in order to give them a chance to spawn and replace themselves before being harvested.

I have included two graphs constructed from TPWD data plotting total Length at Age for redfish and spotted seatrout to give you an idea of the age of a particular fish at a given length. Taking a look at the redfish’s length at age plot (Figure 3), you can see a period of rapid growth during the first five years of the fish’s life before slowing down and leveling off. Based on this graph, a 12-inch redfish is around age 1, an 18-inch fish is around age 2, a 24-inch fish is around 3 years old, and so on. Once a redfish reaches lengths greater than 35 inches, it becomes difficult to estimate its age based solely on length.

Spotted seatrout data reveals a much straighter line (more linear growth) than that of redfish (Figure 4). After reaching age 1, trout undergo a fairly steady growth rate throughout their relatively short lifespan of 10 years. Also notice the significant differences in growth rates between sexes, with males growing considerably slower than females.

This graph shows that a female trout 15-16 inches is around age 2, while it takes a male 3 years to reach that size range. You can also see that it is fairly rare to find a male trout over 20 inches in length in Texas coastal waters.

I do want to point out that there is quite a bit of variability in length at age for both species due to differences in factors such as genetics, diet, and habitat. Therefore these graphs are simply age estimates at a given length, but will give you a good approximation of the age of redfish and spotted seatrout.

Now you can impress your fishing buddies by telling them the age of the redfish or spotted seatrout you catch the next time you are out on the water. A word of caution, doing this may result in a fish nerd classification as many of my friends refer to me.

Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or www.tpwd.state.tx.us for more information.

TSFMAG.com | 59

S C O T T S O M M E R L AT T E

F LY F I S H I N G

EXCITING TIMES IN

FLY TYING

Back in the fall of 2007, I was the least interesting of five presenters hired by the Uptown Angler in New Orleans to speak at an event they were putting on down in the delta at the Woodland Plantation. It was a gathering of people from all over the country, there to celebrate the thing they loved most- saltwater fly-fishing. It was there that I first had the chance to meet Enrico Puglisi, who is not only one of the finest fly-tiers in the world, but also an innovator in tying technique, tying tools and materials. In a million years, I never would have imagined where that encounter would lead.

Following that meeting Puglisi and I exchanged phone calls but you could hardly say we stayed in touch. Then one day early last year he called asking about some of my fly patterns he had seen in various magazines. He then inquired about other ways I was using his materials and finally, which materials I liked best and why. The discussion lasted quite a while and at the end he asked me if I would be interested in helping him develop some new products. My answer was a very definitive- hell yeah.

Are you kidding me?

As timed progressed we exchanged ideas frequently.

Then, last December, we had the opportunity to share a skiff for a day. Joining us was one of the fly fishing gurus 60 | November 2014

from Fishing Tackle Unlimited, Andy Packmore. It was a beautiful, yet frigid, morning with water temps in the 40s; not a day you would pick for making an impression. We spent the day experimenting with flies I had tied using some of his newer materials like the Foxy Brush, Tarantula Brush and the Wooly Critter Brush. It was ridiculously tough. There was an abundance of fish, most acted too cold to eat although we did manage to catch a few. All in and all done the day was somewhat of a success because we had the chance to look at some of my ideas and I had the opportunity to learn a little along the way.

Upon his departure, we agreed that we needed to get together and spend some time tying and to finalize some ideas. So, this spring, Mr. P boarded a plane and flew south to join me at the Guide Shack (the house I rent in Florida) and we sat down for an intense three day session of tying and brainstorming. We would get through with several versions of a fly and then we would go out to the test tank (swimming pool) and play with various retrieves and such and then go in and tweak the flies for more testing. It was fun and it was educational.

Throughout his stay we took notes and he left with a plan and informed me that it would be a couple of months before he would have some samples for my

good reason because, that is exactly what they do. One of the biggest hassles tying some flies is gluing on the eyes. To see Puglisi do it, it seems to be no big deal. He has it down to an art. No mess, no fuss.

Well, many have problems with it and these eyes are the solution.

Especially when they are used with a dubbing brush.

There are of course some other new products like the new Minnow Head Brush. Or, the Senyo’s Chromatic Brushes that tier Greg Senyo, who is known for his incredible steelhead flies and articulated flies, helped develop. I have not had the chance to tie with any of these yet, but I see great promise and cannot wait to get my hands on some to experiment. In addition, there are some great new “shrimpy” colors in the Tarantula and Critter brushes coming out that will make for some awesome redfish flies.

All in and all done, this is an exciting time to be a fly-tier. And, if you are like me and like to support your local fly shop, Fishing Tackle Unlimited in Houston and Sportsman’s Finest in Austin will be carrying these new products by the time this issue goes to print. If you can’t find it there, you can browse and purchase these new products on Puglisi’s website at www.epflies.com.

Also, for those of you who might be interested- I will be conducting fly tying classes in both Houston and Austin this November and December. I you are interested in attending, please feel free to contact me at vssommerlatte@hotmail.com for more information.

Until next month…be good and stuff like that.

C O N TA C T

approval. As the months wore on, he would give me calls to ask me a question here and there and give me updates.

Then the moment of truth came in the form of a box. When I opened it up I found a couple of surprises. The first of which was I could not believe how incredible the dubbing brushes we collaborated on turned out. I was floored! The next surprise was that he was kind enough to include my name on the packaging. “Holy crap, this just keeps get better,” I said out loud to my dog.

I quickly picked up the phone to give him a call to say thank you and how much I liked everything. He then asked if I had gone through everything. I assured him that I had, but he informed me that it did not sound like I had. “Call me when you have seen everything,” he told me.

I went through the stuff over and over for a couple of days and then eureka! He had managed to figure out a way to do something else that I had suggested that we were having a hard time figuring out how to do. The idea was to create some dumbbell eyes out of the plastic eyes he already uses to make tying flies even easier.

So enough about how all of this new stuff came about- let’s talk about all of the new materials Enrico Puglisi is introducing for 2015.

The two products that bear my name are the Grizzly Foxy Brush and The U/V Foxy Brush. We created the Grizzly Brush, which is mostly artic fox with the exception of a very small amount of flash and a minimal amount of EP Fibers. These were created to make it easier to blend colors. Before, I would have to either wind two brushes together or insert small amounts of other colors as I wound forward. Both methods came with their own set of problems so we found a way to make it much simpler. As for the U/V Brush, well there is a reason why some crazy colors like chartreuse catch fish when others do not. It is because some colors reflect U/V light, making them more visible to fish in offcolored water. This particular brush is a blend of artic fox and EP Fibers.

Now for the eyes- they are called Game Changer Eyes. And, for

Scott Sommerlatte is a full time fly fishing and light tackle guide, freelance writer and photographer.

Telephone Email Website

979-415-4379 vssommerlatte@hotmail.com www.scottsommerlatte.com TSFMAG.com | 61

CADE SIMPSON

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

FALL TIDES AND FRENZY-FEEDING REDS Ahh, the fresh smell of fall air. Don’t you just love waking up in the morning and feeling the crisp air outside? Me too!

As the fall rolls in, there is also a special phenomenon happening in the marshes along the coast. Shrimp have been growing in the marshes all summer and when the north wind blows, the mighty redfish go into a feeding frenzy. From my experience it is this time of the year when the reds group up and cruise grassy shorelines most reliably. Pods of redfish can be found moving along in shallow water devouring every hapless shrimp 62 | November 2014

within their feeding zone. If you have not witnessed such an event, you are really missing out on an exciting outdoor experience.

At this season of the year, the tides are still manageable and sometimes the water is even fairly deep when runoff pairs with a high tide. I have seen this play exceptionally well in the favor of fishing conditions in many places.

The higher water level allows the redfish opportunity to invade flooded cord grass regions where shrimp and mullet take cover, sometimes I find a pod of half a dozen rooting in there the same as they will cruise the

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shorelines. All of this plays right into the hand of paddling anglers as we do not have to worry much about super skinny areas where you can’t paddle through. What’s not to love about frenzyfeeding reds crushing shrimp in water that is so easy to paddle?

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It seems you almost cannot go wrong with lure choice. Recently I have been throwing some of the new Voodoo Mullets by Egret. They have an awesome action and work well when the tides are a little higher than normal. Whatever it is you throw at the redfish, try to lead them. Put the lure in front of them a few yards and let them work to it. Casting directly into a feeding or cruising pod should be avoided as even though they are intent on feeding, a direct hit in their midst will almost always spook them. When the fish approach the lure it is time to lift the rod tip and give it some twitching action. More than likely this will yield a quick strike. What follows is an immediate dispersal of the pod, wakes zooming away in all directions.

Then there is the fish that attacked your lure; if the water is shallow enough, the fish you hooked will be rooster tailing it across the flat. Regardless, you will be taking a sleigh ride of sorts as the red attempts to fight its way loose.

If you are fortunate enough, this can be repeated multiple times through a fishing trip as you come 64 | November 2014

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across more and more pods of fish. Sometimes the reds will regroup after being spooked and continue on their journey of feeding on shrimp.

A sight to behold for sure. If you want to pick a season of the year to chase redfish in the marshes, do it now.

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C O N TA C T

READER INQUIRY: I was recently contacted by a new resident to Texas and new reader of the magazine, a Mr. R. Starr. In summary, Mr. Starr is looking to get into kayak fishing as a means of introducing his family to a healthy outdoor activity. He asked if there is a guide I would recommend in the Corpus/Portland, TX area.

Mr. Starr, my answer is YES! The southern coastal area has fabulous fishing opportunities. I would need every page of this magazine to discuss them all. I believe you are on the right track in wanting to learn from a guide. I recommend you contact Dean Thomas out of Aransas Pass, he owns and operates Slow Ride Guide Service. He is a kayak fishing guru and provides guided trips as well as various kayaking lessons. Dean will definitely be able to help you and outfit you to your needs.

Thank you for submitting your questions. Don’t forget to send me photos as you progress in your kayak fishing endeavors.

Until next time, Cade Telephone Email

936-776-7028 Cademan11@sbcglobal.net

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361-785-3420 Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

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TSFMAG.com | 65

Story by John Blaha | Photos by Lisa Laskowski

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

CEDAR BAYOU AND VINSON SLOUGH FLOW FREELY TO THE GULF OF MEXICO September 25, 2014 marked the day that fishermen across the state of Texas have been waiting for, for a long time.

With approximately 100 local residents, dignitaries and CCA Texas volunteers on hand, Aransas County Judge, Burt Mills, took the controls of the track hoe excavator and dug the final scoop of sand that allowed Cedar Bayou to once again flow into the Gulf of Mexico.

“The middle Texas coast, and more specifically the Mesquite Bay complex, just underwent a successful ‘double bypass’ following the historic reopening of Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough,” commented CCA Texas Chairman Mark Ray. Mark commented further, “with dedication and closely coordinated effort between CCA Texas, Aransas County, state agencies and the Texas legislature, the essential arteries for water exchange and the highway for larval and adult fish migration are again flowing. This iconic natural resource of Texas coastal waters has been re-gifted to the fishing and naturalist public of Texas.”

“CCA Texas was a great partner in our quest for getting Cedar Bayou opened,” said Aransas County Judge Burt Mills. “All of our partners have done an outstanding job in working together to ensure the restoration of this pass.”

66 | November 2014

Due to the Ixtoc Oil spill in the Bay of Campeche in 1979, state agencies made the decision to bulldoze the pass shut to prevent any oil from entering the ecosystems fed by Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough. Prior to its closure in 1979, Cedar Bayou was open approximately 87% of the time.

There were temporary and short term closures dating back to the early 1900s and dredging events in 1939 and 1959 but in general, Mother Nature kept the bayou open. After the 1979 closure, Cedar Bayou was never the same. With the exception of dredging events in 1987 and 1995, the bayou remained open for short periods of time. In 2003, Hurricane Claudette opened the bayou one last time, but only for a brief period.

The effort to open Cedar Bayou has been a long and dedicated effort by many since it was closed in 1979. Save Cedar Bayou, Inc. (SCBI) was formed in 1985 and struggled to make headway. In 2003, the Aransas County Cedar Bayou Advisory Committee was formed to take a look at the challenges and obstacles in restoring Cedar Bayou.

The committee’s report energized the community once again and SCBI renewed its efforts to see that the bayou was opened. Between 2006 and 2008, SCBI and the Texas General Land Office (TX GLO) spent $400,000 in efforts to study and create a plan for opening and maintaining Cedar Bayou. After continuous efforts to secure the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permit and to raise necessary funds the efforts began to stall and SCBI approached Aransas County to take over the permit process. In December of 2009, Aransas County accepted the request and the effort began to move forward once again under the leadership of County Judge Burt Mills. Aransas County worked hard to satisfy the permitting process of the USACE and moved through the process efficiently. On August 3, 2011, Judge Mills received and signed the USACE permit to

What a sight as the excavators worked in tandem to widen the breach. The strength of the current was amazing!

with the exception of a few weeks of high winds. The construction equipment took a beating, but RLB and their support crews stayed on top of things to ensure the timeline remained intact. By mid-August the connection between Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough was made and the final dredging and excavation in Vinson continued. At this point, move forward with the restoration of Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough.

CCA Texas leadership maintained an interest in the restoration of Cedar excavation for the final stretch of Cedar Bayou began. The end was Bayou as the permitting process proceeded and offered written support near and the anticipation of completion began to grow for not only the residents of Aransas County and CCA Texas members but for the entire when needed. Once the USACE permit was secured by Aransas County, Texas fishing community.

CCA Texas met with Aransas County leadership shortly afterward and “The opening of Cedar Bayou is a project that I have been working on offered to help in the effort to raise the necessary funds to make the for the past eight years. It has historically been an ephemeral channel, project a reality. In February 2012, the CCA Texas State Board approved which means it has been intermittently open and closed depending on an initial commitment of $500,000 to jumpstart the fundraising the weather conditions. Since sand was placed in Vinson Slough, the process and the partnership began to accelerate its efforts. CCA Texas channel was unable to re-open during optimal weather conditions. This eventually committed $1,600,000 to the project through dollars raised also caused a continual accumulation of windblown sand within the by local chapters, secured from private donations and CCA National’s inlet’s natural path,” commented Coast & Harbor Project Engineer Matt Building Conservation Trust. Texas Parks and Wildlife committed Campbell. Campbell continued, “We realized early-on in our analysis $3,000,000, TX GLO approximately $1,400,000 and the balance of the how important it was to re-establish the connection with Vinson Slough, $9,400,000 project was secured and guaranteed by Aransas County. because it would help provide sufficient flushing within the inlet that With the money in hand and a window of opportunity for construction is needed to maintain the hydraulic connection between the Gulf of nearing in 2014, the Notice to Bid was issued by Aransas County and in Mexico and Mesquite Bay.” December 2013, RLB Contracting of Port Lavaca, TX was awarded the In the final month and a half of the project, the Cedar Bayou and bid to restore Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough. With a tight schedule Vinson Slough area began to come alive once again with baitfish, and little room for error, RLB began its planning process and preparing shorebirds and predator fish. Each trip to the job site was met with for April 15, 2014 to start one of the most significant restoration efforts stories of increased fish and game activity ever on the Texas coast in the eyes of many. in the area and the feeling that the goal was The surveying process started and with near. September 25, 2014 is a day that will be confirmation that the whooping cranes had etched in the memory of many as the day that migrated north for the summer, RLB began Mesquite, Aransas and surrounding bays and moving equipment in on April 15th. There the area marshes came to life once again. were many challenges ahead for the workers “Cedar Bayou is one of those great projects and by mid-May, actual dredging and that have benefits on so many levels. excavation had begun.

Not only will it help the ecosystem in the The first task was the removal of old dredge surrounding bays, but will strengthen our spoil sitting in Vinson Slough. As this was fisheries, waterfowl and whooping cranes, being completed, dredging in Cedar Bayou while providing a world-class fishing was underway and the excavators began the destination for all Texas anglers to enjoy,” process of excavating materials within the CCA Texas Executive Director Robby Byers template of Vinson Slough. On May 21, 2014, commented. Byers continued “This is truly a CCA Texas leadership and members of Aransas fantastic project for the Texas coast and CCA County Commissioners Court made a site visit Texas looks forward to seeing the benefits it and the project was moving full steam ahead. presents to the area ecosystem as well as the Construction continued through the summer Fittingly, Aransas County Judge Bert Mills, with local communities and fishermen.” and the weather seemed to cooperate assistance from general contractor Randy Boyd, took the Mark Ray of CCA Texas (center) flanked by dedicated volunteers and Aransas County officials discusses the benefits of opening Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough minutes before the final scoops of sand were removed to reunite the middle coast bays with the Gulf of Mexico.

controls of the big track hoe to make the initial break in the silt dam that has blocked Cedar Bayou for decades.

TSFMAG.com | 67

The scientific name of the species, “Epinephelus itajara,” translated from a native Brazilian Indian language means “Lord of the Rocks.”

Photo by Karen Fischbein-Christopher

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

GOLIATH GROUPER Grouper – from the Portuguese garupa, meaning rump or backside. I’m not sure the goliath grouper (big rump) would be impressed with this more recent name, so dubbed in 2001 by the American Fisheries Society.

Previously, the common name for the Atlantic goliath grouper was jewfish. No one today knows for sure how the goliath grouper came by its former name, though several theories exist. One theory stems from the flesh of the goliath, how very clean it is, like kosher food. Some believe, due to the goliath’s immense size, that it was the great fish that swallowed Jonah, the Jewish prophet of the Old Testament. Yet another theory is that it was called “jawfish” for its huge mouth, and that later became “jewfish” through Southern accents and colloquialisms.

A less pleasant theory is that in the 1800s, jewfish were considered trash fish, leading some people to declare it fit only for Jews. However, this notion is normally discredited as reports from 17th century onwards praise the goliath as excellent eating. Webster’s New World College Dictionary says the phrase may have been borrowed from the Italian giupesce, which means “bottom fish.” But, the most plausible explanation, in my opinion, is from the Oxford English Dictionary, which quotes from a book published in 1697, entitled A New Voyage Round the World, by famed 68 | November 2014

explorer, William Dampier, an interesting character, known for his clear writing and keen observation: “The Jew-fish is a very good Fish, and I judge so called by the English, because it hath Scales and Fins, therefore a clean Fish, according to the Levitical Law, and the Jews at Jamaica buy them and eat them very freely.”

So it wasn’t necessarily named by Jews, but they obviously liked the fish. In any account, it’s clear the jewfish was not so-named because it’s thrifty and has lots of money. The goliath was originally described by German ichthyologist, M.H.C. Lichtenstein, as Serranus itajara in an 1822 publication regarding the natural history of Brazil.

However, in an 1884 work, “The fishes of the Florida Keys,” David Starr Jordan proposed the inclusion of the goliath in Epinephelus; this classification remains in use today.

The Atlantic goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara, belongs to the sub-class of bony fishes called Actinopterygii, rayfinned fishes; the order Perciformes, perch-like fishes; the family Serranidae, sea basses (groupers and fairy basslets); and the genus Epinephelus, from the Greek, epinephelos, meaning cloudy.

Of course, the goliath grouper is not the only grouper

found off the Texas Gulf Coast, but it is the only one that will be covered in this article. For a more comprehensive grouper review, check out Joe Richard’s article “Grouper ID Time” from last summer.

Goliath grouper are a typically solitary species, occurring in offshore waters and some shallow, inshore waters up to about 170 feet. Adults appear to occupy limited home ranges and prefer areas of rock, coral, or mud bottoms. This species is notable as one of the few larger groupers found in brackish waters, often setting up house in seagrass and estuarine habitats. Its range extends in the Western Atlantic from Florida to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea; in the Eastern Atlantic from Senegal to Congo, though goliaths are rare in the Canary Islands; and in the Eastern Pacific from the Gulf of California to Peru. It is also occasionally caught in New England off Maine and Massachusetts, though it generally prefers warmer waters. Young goliaths, which are strikingly patterned, inhabit shallow bays, especially near oyster beds, undercut ledges, and mangrove swamps. Juveniles tend to stick with one estuarine area for the first five or six years, then emigrate to offshore reefs when they reach about three feet in length.

Goliath grouper are the largest members of the sea bass family in the Atlantic Ocean. Growing to lengths of ten feet, this grouper can weigh as much as 800 pounds. The world record for hook and line is 681 pounds, caught off Fernandina Beach, Florida, in 1961. The body is robust, its widest point more than half its total length. The head is broad with small eyes. Goliaths have three to five rows of teeth in the lower jaw, with a number of short, weakly developed canines. Their dentition is geared more for swallowing prey whole than biting pieces off. They are generally brownish yellow, gray, or olive with small dark spots on the head, body, and fins. Large adults are somber-colored.

Smaller individuals of less than three feet long are more decorative, with three or four faint vertical bars on their sides. Although not as colorful as some grouper juveniles, goliath juvies are attractively patterned, exhibiting dark, irregular, vertical bands and blotches over a tawny coloration. The oldest confirmed goliath grouper on record reached 37 years. However, this fish was from a population strained by fishing pressure, and it is projected that goliath grouper may live much longer, perhaps up to 50 years.

Predators of goliath grouper include large fish, such as sandbar and great hammerhead sharks, barracuda, king mackerel, moray eels, and other grouper. Large adults have very few natural predators, and they, in turn, will prey on the same large fish that once hunted them, including sharks and barracuda. However, these sedentary lords of the deep feed primarily on crustaceans, stingrays, and a variety of slow-moving, poisonous, or envenomed fish (cowfish, burrfish and pufferfish, catfish, toadfish, and filefish). They also take octopuses and young sea turtles. The goliath is a rather sluggish fish, rarely inclined to actively hunt and capture faster moving animals. Prey is ambushed; most catches are simply engulfed and swallowed whole.

Lobsters are vacuumed from rock crevices by the strong suction of the goliath’s large mouth. They are an opportunistic feeder, sometimes indulging in a hooked gag or snapper, happily oblivious to the woebegone cries of foiled anglers. Goliaths are the dominant, apex predatory fish on many reefs, helping maintain balance and increasing biodiversity in their ecosystems.

Though these giants are often lumbering and peaceful, they can be territorial near their particular areas of refuge, such as caves, wrecks, or ledges. If approached, an individual may show a threat display: open

mouth and quivering body. Additional warning may come in the form of audible rumbling generated by the muscular contraction of the swim bladder. Some very large goliaths also show an extraordinary degree of curiosity and will leave their caves to swim up to a diver, especially if that diver has fish, say, on a spear. But remember kids, large individuals of this species should be treated with caution as some have been observed stalking divers and even conducting unsuccessful ambushes of the seemingly unwary.

Typically solitary, goliath groupers do make an exception to their introversion once a year. Spawning goliaths, in the past, formed impressive offshore aggregations of up to 100 individuals, sometimes more. This social event lasts only a few weeks each year, between early July and late September, and represents most of the total annual reproductive effort. The species is one of the few groupers that aggregate in relatively shallow water (32-164 feet). Ship wrecks, rock ledges, and isolated patch reefs are preferred spawning habitat.

Females release eggs while males release sperm into the open offshore waters. The fertilized eggs are scattered in the water column, dispersed by the currents. Upon hatching, the larvae are kite-shaped, with long dorsal fin spines and pelvic fin spines. A month or so after hatching, the pelagic larvae mature into juveniles, only 2.5 centimeters long, and settle into estuarine habitat.

Goliath groupers are believed to be protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning as they grow, individuals first mature as females and later become males. What’s the advantage of this life cycle? The energyconsuming task of cultivating eggs is left to the younger fish that are healthy and strong, while the larger, older fish that have proven their ability to survive can fertilize the eggs. Most grouper follow this pattern, but it has not yet been verified for the goliath. Although goliaths are assumed to employ this reproductive mode, a 1992 study of the age, growth, and reproduction of the species found no transitional individuals, which is normally the evidence of sex reversal.

However, the significance of this finding is less meaningful than it seems since transitional individuals are rare even amongst confirmed species of protogynous hermaphrodites.

Growth rates for this species are slow, averaging only about four inches per year for the first six years, declining every year after that to about three centimeters per year at age fifteen, and less than one centimeter per year after age twenty-five. Large size, slow growth, low reproductive rate, and spawning behavior brought the goliath grouper to the edge of extinction not long ago. Considered a fine food, Atlantic goliath grouper were highly sought after by fishermen, and due to its inquisitive and generally fearless nature, the goliath is relatively easy prey for spear fishermen. On some of the more heavily visited wrecks, just the sound of a spear gun being cocked will attract the opportunistic giants. Plus, their habit of spawning in large aggregations, returning like clockwork to the same locations, make them particularly vulnerable to mass harvesting. In the 1980s, spawning aggregations reached a low of less than ten individuals per site. Until a harvest ban was placed on the species, its population was in rapid decline. The fish is now entirely protected from harvest and is recognized as a critically endangered species by the IUCN, which concluded that the species numbers had been reduced at least 80% over the last ten years. The US began protection in 1990, the Caribbean in 1993, and Brazil in 2002. Despite promising signs of recovery in the US, especially from increased sightings of smaller fish Continued on page 100...

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The ocean is a tough neighborhood! Dr. Steve Wood hoists what’s left after a shark nailed his 40inch plus bull red.

CURTIS CASH

I N S H O R E | N E A R S H O R E | J E T T I E S | PA S S E S

FLOUNDER, REDFISH, & SHEEPSHEAD GALORE November marks a true change of time, temperature and weather patterns on the coast. The summertime heat and humidity are almost forgotten due to the brisk air and lack of perspiration. The fish feel A dandy flatfish for the effects of the cooling wind and Erick Burke of Fish water just the same.

Slick Stringers.

Nearshore Most of our warm-weather nearshore fish have followed the warmth south or further offshore. With increased frontal passages the opportunities to skip out to the state water’s edge become increasingly fewer. The larger red snapper have moved inshore on various hard structure to join schools of mature redfish to compete for the food source.

The stray cobia may still be in the area so always be prepared for a brown log to appear when you least expect it.

Jetties and passes The schools of slot reds and mature bulls continue to linger to complete their annual 70 | November 2014

spawn. Gone are the schools of Spanish and king mackerel, bonito, jack crevalle and tarpon that kept us entertained all summer.

Returning once again are the somewhat coveted sheepshead… that’s right, I said coveted. Over the past few years I’ve noticed an increase in anglers targeting these tasty hard-fighting fish here on the middle coast. We see a push of larger mature fish of 17-22 inches show up at the gulf jetties. For the first couple of weeks they suspend in the middle water depths of 25-40 feet. Live free-lined shrimp seem to work exceptionally well when attached to light line without cumbersome heavy leader material. When cleaning these November-caught sheepshead I’ve noticed a large amount of green goop and minced hard shell in their stomach cavities. I believe these fish show for any easy meal, even to cleaning the granite of algae and barnacles that flourished in the warm summer water.

Flounder really start moving

The Chasco ladies with tripleheader reds.

slowly before setting the hook parallel to the water or set immediately if a second tap is felt indicating the bait has been swallowed. If the line remains slack without movement it is a good idea to hesitate for few seconds longer then start to pull the line lightly into the current, if a fish has the bait this will normally make them swallow it (wait for a tap) or if the rig has become snagged you may be able to roll it out of the crevice if pulled slowly.

Soft plastic lures on lead-head jigs are very popular for catching flounder. Many anglers swear by one style or color of lure over another, but curl-tailed baits in either white or yellow seem to be the most commonly used here in Texas. Many swear by “sweetening” their jigs with bits of shrimp or slivers of baitfish. Better still, some old salts swear that a thin triangular strip of flounder belly will out-catch them all.

In September we had great success catching trout and redfish on clown colored 3.5” Yum Money Minnows rigged on 1/8 ounce chartreuse Bomber jig heads. While fishing shorelines with rafts of migrating finger mullet the best presentation was to pitch the lure into the bait and slowly swim it just off the bottom. Each trip we incidentally caught flounder, I’m looking forward to targeting them specifically with this same lure this month.

Get ready for what may well go into the books as the “best flounder run of all time” on the Texas coast. Box your two allowed keepers and carefully return the rest to continue their migration.

Proof that letting them get to the gulf to spawn in great numbers is now showing on the ends of our fishing lines. Thank you, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

C O N TA C T

with the first few cold fronts that push through and drop the water temps quickly.

Alex Jackson walked Jetties are great feeding areas for the the rocks for this migrating flounder; my best catches are nice jetty flounder. when the water is moving. On the ebbing tide, shallow sand flats on the bayside of the jetty and sand humps or patches near the edge of the rocks are where they’re found. In light or slack tide situations flounder tend to lay up on top of flat rocks near the water’s edge or settle on the deeper sand bottom where the edge of the rocks settle into the channel.

Bouncing or dragging soft plastic lures on the bottom gets strikes, as well as live finger mullet, mud minnows or live shrimp.

Best method I’ve found when fishing bait is to use a short 5-8” length of 30lb mono, rigged Carolina style in a heavy current, or without weight when not so strong. I like to use a short shank hook with the bend to be slightly larger than the width of the bait. Such as a 3/O Mustad 9174 in 3” baitfish or shrimp, hooks of this style sized accordingly will decrease snags and increase the liveliness of the bait. In heavy current, hook the bait in the head, shrimp under the horn, and baitfish sideways through the nostrils to keep from drowning. In light or no current place the hook toward the tail for increased action to trigger a bite. With a shrimp I pinch the point off the top between the tail fins and insert the hook there and out through the first ring of shell.

Ideally you want the bait in the strike zone within 12 inches of the bottom and skip along while riding the current. To lessen the possibility of fouling rocks use a split shot sinker or a bass style worm weight heavy enough to get down. When using little or no weight keeping slack in your line allowing a bow to form will help it move along through the current and over structure. To achieve this you need to cast up current and pay out line from a free spool slowly while holding the rod tip upward close to a 180 degree angle. All the while watching for a hesitation or light tap indicating a bite. When this happens slowly lower the rod tip to waist level, if the line continues to drift with the current you most likely avoided a snag. If the line begins to move off into the current then it is a fish. I either count to three

Capt. Curtiss Cash offers charters in the Port O’Connor area; specializing in fishing the bays, passes, jetties, surf and nearshore waters. Species targeted include speckled trout, redfish, flounder, tripletail, black drum, bull reds, sharks, snapper, kingfish, ling and tarpon, when seasonally available.

Phone Website

361-564-7032 www.captlowtide.com TSFMAG.com | 71

Friend John Hebison captured this image from the cab of his truck as he struggled off the beach during Sharkathon.

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

ERIC OZOLINS

A STORY OF DANGER & REDEMPTION The 11th Annual Sharkathon Surf Fishing tournament was held September 26-28 on Padre Island National Seashore. I have participated in every Sharkathon since the beginning and watched it grow incredibly popular with coastal fishermen. The organizers have done a stellar job. Through their Catch-Photo-Release format they have

collaborated with universities and other organizations encouraging tagging of released sharks in support of science and the positive response from the angling community has been overwhelming. I enjoy fishing Sharkathon for a variety of reasons; not only have I placed in multiple divisions several times over the years, I deeply

What a difference a couple of days can make; perfect conditions for my Redemption trip!

72 | November 2014

One of five “Redemption” blacktips.

admire the way they have put “kill” tournaments out of business.

During the week preceding this year’s Sharkathon Mother Nature began to show her dark side. Relentless north wind pushed abundant sargassum seaweed back into inshore waters and piled the mess on our beaches. Typically, PINS beaches are clear of sargassum by late summer due to predominantly southerly winds but this has been a different year. The record amount of the pesky weed still remaining further offshore provided plenty to wreak havoc during the tournament. In addition, abnormally high tides produced flooding that reached the barrier islands. The three days leading up to Sharkathon were filled with coastal flood advisories, and the worst was yet to come. The National Park Service was on the fence whether to close the beach but decided to leave it open for the event.

Sharkathon’s motto is “Hell or High Water” and high water it was.

The first day brought monsoon rain. With tides already being exceptionally high, the beach was now turning treacherous for both camping and driving. With bird and bait activity scattered but present at the southern end of the beach, I opted to stay north for the sake of not flooding my truck with corrosive saltwater like so many others suffered over the weekend. While I may have saved thousands of dollars in possible damage, my decision relegated me to fishing less than optimal waters. Even with some Park staff expressing regret in not closing the beach, the worst wouldn’t be seen until Saturday evening.

I was fortunate to have camped at slightly higher elevation, free of Sure wish I could have had this danger from the creeping tide. Late bull during the tournament. that night, a convoy of more than 100 trucks (many towing trailers) would struggle off the beach for fear of how much worse things might get. Virtually all drove through some amount of the rising water. I watched the devastating sight, vehicles plowing through water so deep that waves would sometimes crash

over the hood. No doubt the hapless competitors collectively lost hundreds of thousands of dollars as the cancerous saltwater nearly engulfed their trucks. No amount of undercoating or washing will cancel the long term effect of such a dousing.

Even greater irony would come into play as the forecast started looking exceptional for Monday following the event. Needless to say I did not triumph in Sharkathon and I was still thirsty for action.

I had a few more days off until my next charter and decided to take advantage of the appealing conditions. I could not help but think that with the beach abandoned and perfect conditions ahead the fishing was about to explode, so I packed the truck back up and on Tuesday morning took off on a solo voyage. With much of my Sharkathon bait still fresh my I was hoping to hammer out some sharks for the yearlong Texas Shark Rodeo event.

I rolled down late Tuesday morning on a gratefully low tide with stress-free driving on what can only be described as a coastal bluebird day. I traveled the full 60 miles to the Port Mansfield jetties, surveying conditions, and then back north a ways to a spot with clear water and bait close to the beach. I made camp quickly and then set

TSFMAG.com | 73

74 | November 2014

There is something to be said about shark fishermen. Such a relentless, crusty breed. Hundreds duked it out in apocalyptic conditions over the weekend and while there were only a handful of fish caught, the ones that were fortunate enough to hook up certainly earned their fish. Sean Curless, friend, good guy, and winner of the 2014 Sharkathon, certainly earned his fish along with all other individuals who placed in the event.

For me, I made the decision to play it safe and while I did not win or place in the tournament, I got my revenge with Mother Ocean shortly thereafter. It is simply amazing how conditions can change for better or for worse along the coast. It is important to know about the dangers of poor conditions and be aware of warnings issued. Weather and marine advisories are issued for a reason and we are all fortunate that lost or damaged gear were the only things lost. Congrats once again to all the winners for their hard work. Another year of Sharkathon is in the books and like hundreds of other anglers, I am looking forward to the next great event!

C O N TA C T

about rigging and deploying baits. It did not take long to tag and release a solid blacktip, and then another. Baits were getting pounded hard and often ripped off the hooks. I rigged larger baits and deployed them right before sundown. Around 10:30 I hooked a heavy fish and after a fairly impressive fight landed a girthy 7’8” bull shark—a fish that would have destroyed the 1st place shark from the tournament.

Throughout the remainder of the night baits would get hit but no hookups. I would resume in the morning.

As the sun came up the water looked even better than it had the day before. I organized gear and deployed baits as soon as possible.

The morning bite gave me a feisty 6 foot blacktip and a couple of runs later I hooked a solid 6-1/2 foot bull as Billy Sandifer and Jeff Wolda stopped by to partake in the release. Things quieted down midday, in early afternoon I landed and released another hefty blacktip. A couple hours later a 6’-8” bull picked up a big jack crevalle bait and within minutes I had it on the beach. This year’s stock of healthy and decentsized bull sharks has been a joy and comfort to me. Come dark I put out all fresh baits but had no action until around 11:00 when I landed and tagged two more 6-foot-class bulls.

The next morning brought south wind of 25mph making kayaking the baits difficult. With an already phenomenal trip, and being scheduled to pack up and leave early in the morning, I fought but could not resist running a couple more baits. Both were nailed shortly, I landed another blacktip, the tenth shark for my “redemption” trip. Energy drained and out of tags, I packed and headed home, desperately in need of rest from a roller-coaster week.

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 runs Kayak Wars; one of the largest kayak fishing tournaments in the world.

Email Websites

oz@oceanepics.com extremecoast.com | oceanepics.com | kayakwars.com

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DICKIE COLBURN

DICKIE COLBURN’S Sabine Scene

Sabine

Dickie Colburn is a full time guide out of Orange, Texas. Dickie has 37 years experience guiding on Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes.

Telephone 409-883-0723 Website www.sabineconnection.com

78 | November 2014

Life just cannot get much better than it is right now.

Football all weekend long, cooler weather and a bite that continues to improve with the arrival of each new front. While joining in with the rest of the crowd in singing the National Anthem at my grandson’s football game last Friday night, my wife nudged me and whispered, “You’re probably the only one in this stadium that even noticed that the wind just swung around to the north and the flag is now hanging limp.”

Not unlike all of 2014, every traditional pattern here on Sabine continues to develop later than usual, but “late” is of no consequence when so many options are The redfish bite available due to the cooler is on in the river! weather. The wind, a factor that we seemingly now have to deal with on a daily

basis, continues to be a bit of a problem, but high water has been the bigger issue. One or two major fronts will purge the marshes in the very near future, however, and it will be “game on” into the colder months of January and February.

The bite that both draws and deserves the most attention this month is the much anticipated flounder run. Anglers in this area are actually divided on whether to make the short ride east to fish the ship channel at Cameron or stay here and fish Sabine. In all honesty I cannot say that one is any better than the other or draws any less pressure, but the Cameron option enables anglers to keep more generous limits.

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GULP Swimming Mullet gets a lot of playing time!

While we catch our fair share and some great ones at that, I much prefer working the shoreline and drains in the main lake and not specifically targeting them. A four inch GULP Swimming Mullet rigged on a 1/8 ounce jig will be a part of the arsenal every day as will spinner baits, swim baits and four inch paddle tail grubs. We touch up all of our plastics with one of the Pro Cure scented gels as it undeniably attracts fish.

The tallest stands of Roseau cane dotting the Louisiana shoreline from Coffee Ground Cove to Blue Buck Point are prime areas for scoring on the redfish and flounder that ambush finger mullet and shrimp hiding in the flooded roots. Prevailing east-northeast makes most of this real estate accessible every day.

After failing miserably on my predictions over the past ten months, I will only speculate that the gulls should be working over schools of trout and reds all over the lake by the time you read this. Once the north wind purges the marshes the bait has no other place to go but the deeper water of the bayous, rivers and open lake. For that reason, even when fishing the open lake, I would look for the best action under the gulls to take place near deeper water!

If my clients are willing and interested in size more than numbers, we will spend considerable time in the ICW and the Sabine or Neches River.

The larger trout are already starting to show up on the deep breaks and we have picked up a few in the 27- to 28 class. Your Die Dapper, Split Tail Mullet, Corky and Maniac Mullets jigged vertically will all work when picking apart the deeper structure.

You definitely have to be more committed to a smaller area, but you are already passing up a good month to score on big trout if you are waiting on the colder months of January and February to climb out of the boat.

Talons and Power Poles have benefitted the boat angler to some degree in reaping the benefits of this skinny water bite, but there is no substitute for stalking them in waders. The major flats bordering the ICW are easier to walk and will yield lots of good trout, but the points bordering the drains and bayous on the Louisiana shore will outperform them this month.

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area will get lots of attention.

Virtually any GULP product, as well as live finger mullet and mud minnows, get the nod as the bait of choice. The numbers and the size are good as we have already caught one fish in the eight pound class.

Pink, white and chartreuse are all good colors and because quality is important with the two fish limit, the longer 6-inch

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Cheri Boullion caught this big flounder in the river on a GULP bait.

TSFMAG.com | 79

CAPT. STEVE HILLMAN

THE BUZZ on Galveston Bay

Man, oh man! How can anyone just not fall in love with this time of year? September and October were very good to us with lots of fish caught all across the bay. The topwater bite has been exceptional with the Heddon One Knocker Spook taking center stage on most days. Salt Water Assassins and Tidal Surge Split Tail Mullets rigged on 1/8 ounce and 1/4 ounce jigs have been as reliable as ever while casting to Galveston slicks and wells. It’s hard to believe it could get any better, but it will!

After holding in a summer-like pattern through the first week of October, we’ve seen the Steve Hillman is a full-time trout begin to shift into more of a fall pattern. fishing guide on his home Generous amounts of rainfall have helped lower waters of Galveston Bay. Steve water temperatures and flush bait out of the fishes the entire Galveston Bay marsh. The deeper water-hard shell pattern Complex, wading and drifting is giving way to shallower haunts and softer for trout, redfish, and flounder bottoms. It’s a fantastic time to wade, but it using artificial lures. doesn’t necessarily mean that catching trout in 6 Telephone to 9 feet depths has come to a halt. However, the 409-256-7937 productive deeper water locations are changing.

Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com The channel bite is waning, but five to eight feet depths toward the backs of the bays and Upper Website www.hillmanguideservice.com Galveston Bay are beginning to cough up some

nice catches. Slicks will make the trout easier to pin down until the colder weather is here to stay. Heavy concentrations of bait and/or bird activity is a great back-up plan when no slicks are present.

With abundant food sources throughout the Galveston Bay Complex trout and redfish will gorge themselves on white shrimp, shad and mullet leading up to winter. Wading around marsh drains will be a safe bet all month. Drifting slicks and active bait in Trinity, East, West and the upper reaches of the bay can

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pay-off in a big way. Birds have been working and will continue to do so in the above-mentioned bays. It’s not hard to find high percentage areas this month. The best advice I can give is to spend time in the northern and eastern stretches of each segment of the bay. From that point forward use your eyes to find fish.

November isn’t just a good month for numbers, but it’s also one of the better ones for big trout. I like to fish areas between high-traffic areas for larger trout. There are community areas in every bay along the coast. Every bay has them and scores of anglers frequent them. There’s always a chance to catch a 28-plus inch trout on a well-known stretch of shoreline or a well-known reef, but with some scouting you can stay away from the crowds and have just as good, if not better, of a chance at catching your personal best.

Older female trout tend to seek out areas away from predation and away from pressure. My recommendation to most folks is to spend some time looking at Google Earth. Find secluded guts and unmarked reefs (even if they’re small). Spend some time on the water idling down a shoreline lined with shell humps and bayou drains. Too many folks run wide open from point A to point B while missing some pretty good stuff in between. Once you’ve found an area that gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling, devote some time observing

surface activity. Make mental notes of the depth changes and small patches of shell. You may not catch ‘em the day you’re there, but that wild card will pay off sooner or later.

Employ a stealth mode when entering and leaving an area. One of my biggest pet peeves is to see some Dale Earnhardt wannabe blaze into an area at 90 mph. Trout, particularly the larger ones, probably don’t react too well to having a 250 HP outboard running over them especially in shallow water. My suggestion is to shut down the big motor then troll quietly into your fishing area before starting your wade or drift. This sounds like common sense, but I see hotshot speed demons every week running over fish.

Common sense isn’t so common these days.

November is a great month to spread out and experience different things. Trout and redfishing is great in just about every corner of the bay. Catching flounder also comes into play. Bull reds are ganged up around the jetties. Birds are working. Moving around and fishing different areas of this huge complex keeps things interesting and is fun for the guide too! Besides, I’ve never been a proponent of wearing out one area. There’s a lot to experience this month. Like I said earlier, “How can you not fall in love with it?”

Happy Fall Fishing!

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TSFMAG.com | 81

BINK GRIMES

THE VIEW FROM Matagorda

Matagorda

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

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

Is there a better month than November for all things outdoors?

Speckled trout, redfish, flounder, pintails, teal, gadwalls, wigeons, snow geese, specklebellies, whitetails— daylight to dark.

Daytime highs and nighttime lows are perfect, sunrises and sunsets are brilliant, and rods and guns are tested.

With nippy air blowing from the north, water temperatures plunge, tides recede and marshes dump shrimp, shad and crabs. Fish sense this and readily wait for the buffet to be set.

It’s a tough choice for me—East or West Matagorda Bay—it all depends if you want to concentrate on trout, redfish or both.

Obviously, the mouths of bayous and marshes on a falling tide are fall hotspots. Places like Oyster Lake and Crab Lake are good choices, while

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back lakes like Lake Austin and Boggy are also players. Live shrimp under a popping cork, plum Bass Assassins, Gulps or small topwaters worked across points are choice offerings.

Don’t be surprised if birds work in the back lakes, especially on a strong falling tide. Stay back from the pack and gingerly work the covey so not to spook the fish. I can recount past autumns where one flock of birds filled a limit of both trout and reds; and, if mild weather persists, expect November patterns to continue well into December.

Waders should work the same terrains, but more methodically. In East Matagorda Bay, Boiler Bayou, Kain Cove, Hog Island, Catch-All Basin and Brown Cedar Flats hold solid trout since all of these spots have varying degrees of mud bottom. Super Spooks, She Pups, Skitter Walks, Catch 5s and your favorite soft plastic gets the job done.

If you prefer staying in the boat and anchoring with live bait, the fall offers excellent redfish and black drum action. Shell Island, Twin Island and any other piece of shell holds fish with live shrimp under a popping cork.

Watch for oyster boats dredging shell and remember that spot for another day. Harvested reefs are especially good the next day when things have settled out after being overturned by the dredging.

There is always the bull redfish run if you prefer to tangle with a brute. Large reds are caught at the jetty and beachfront on cracked crabs and mullet. The beauty of the Matagorda jetty and beach is you can drive right up to the water and fish—no boat required.

Sight-casting to redfish along a muddy grass-line is always fun, too.

Watch for ripples, wakes and jumping shrimp near the grass and wait for the freight train to pass. Then toss a spoon, shrimp or soft plastic in front of the school and loosen your drag. Listen for crunching jaws when a large school of reds work through the grass. Small crabs do not have a chance.

It’s one of the coolest things in the wild to see 25- to 50 garnet backs and turquoise tails waving on the surface. Throw the bait ahead of the pile and wait for the mob to find it. It’s a rodeo with three bent rods and drags crying for mercy.

This is why I love November.

TSFMAG.com | 83

CAPT. SHELLIE GRAY

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

Port O'Connor Seadrift

Captain Shellie Gray was born in Port Lavaca and has been guiding in the Seadrift/Port O’Connor area full time for the past 12 years. Shellie specializes in wading for trout and redfish year round with artificial lures.

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

84 | November 2014

Hello autumn! I welcome the cool crisp mornings. The grass is dewy and you can smell fall in the air. Trees change color almost magically and the bays change during fall as well. Fog will become common as cool night air stretches over the warm waters of the bays.

The hours of daylight are growing noticeably shorter than even a few weeks ago.

Weather is the single-most significant factor that affects fish activity. Every one that has spent time fishing knows that rapidly changing atmospheric pressure during frontal passages can bring fishing activity to a halt even in peak activity times. Weather and fishing charts are based on steady fair weather.

Changing weather may result in activity levels less than what is shown in the chart. It is also true that knowing when weather will stabilize is equally important to predicting heightened feeding activity.

With the changing of weather from summer to fall, San Antonio Bay undergoes a phenomenon every year at this time and while I know I’ve discussed this before it warrants mentioning again for those who are new to the area.

In the larval stage, white shrimp follow southerly winds and incoming tides in spring to arrive in the Guadalupe Delta estuary. Here they grow rapidly

in the nutrient-rich rich water and abundant cover afforded by various sea grasses. During fall, when north winds drain the marshes, these now much bigger shrimp migrate into the open waters of San Antonio Bay, headed to the gulf where they will mature and spend their adult days. Following this centuries old migration will be numerous saltwater fish species. Sand trout, redfish, sheepshead, black drum, flounder, and of course, speckled trout.

Birds hovering over schools of feeding fish will be one of the first indications that this migration has started to take place. My experience in years past, Stacey Gillman getting in on an early morning redfish bite.

probably due to lighter winds, is that this tends to happen more in the morning hours than afternoon.

Once you have spotted the birds and located a school of feeding fish, taking a silent approach from upwind of the school is important.

Blasting your way right up into the middle of the birds may allow you to snag a few fish on the initial casts but a better approach is to motor up close to where the birds are working and then use your trolling motor to get you within casting distance. The fish are much less likely to spook away from you giving you the opportunity to make many more casts before they become aware of your presence and dissipate.

Baits of choice for me will be soft plastics rigged under a rattling cork. Whether you decide on an artificial shrimp or one of Bass Bassett family enjoying some fall redfish action.

Assassin’s more natural-colored soft plastics, the use of a cork allows you to keep that lure in the strike zone longer than without. I also like to use a cork that is weighted, allowing for more distance when casting. A rig with about 18 inches of leader is a good length when fishing open water under birds. “Popping” your cork every five seconds or brings your soft plastic to life, enticing those feeding fish.

Flatfish, AKA flounder, is another species that gets a lot of attention during the month of November. During the fall, mature flounder will be making their way to the gulf to spawn. This becomes a no-brainer when searching for them. Searching out cuts and inlets that are in the area closest to passes to the gulf will greatly improve your success. An outgoing tide improves your odds even more.

Anything from fresh-dead shrimp to a 4” GULP Swimming Mullet in pumpkinseed will catch flounder. I usually opt to rig my GULP baits on 1/8 ounce jigs. Keeping the offering moving slowly across or near the bottom of these inlets is the best ticket for lots of flounder bites.

Flounder are notorious for only mouthing the bait for a few seconds following a strike so an immediate hook-set is not always the best idea. This can take a few practice “misses” before one gets the hang of it. Rod and reel will be the only method allowed this month to catch flounder. In an attempt to improve our flounder fishery anglers are limited to keeping only two per day during November.

Speaking of limits, back in September TPWD officially lowered our trout limits here on the mid-coast from ten per day to a more conservative number of five. I am excited to say the least. I believe these lower trout limits and the reopening of Cedar Bayou will bring some long-overdue relieve to our over-pressured bays systems here on the middle coast.

TSFMAG.com | 85

DAVID ROWSEY

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey My books are officially open for 2015 trophy trout charters in Baffin and the Upper Laguna Madre. I would encourage you to book sooner than trying later if you are serious about getting some good dates. Many thanks to all my client friends that have Upper already taken the time to do so. I am humbled by Laguna/ your confidence in me to produce big fish and great Baffin memories on the water, year after year.

September and October found us in the field more than the bay. After a long stretch from December through August, it was a blessing to get a few days to sleep in, shoot some birds, and plant David Rowsey has 20 years experience in the Laguna/Baffin the fall garden. Now the fronts are blowing in, region; trophy trout with artificial the water temperature is steadily declining, the lures is his specialty. David has a phone is buzzing with calls from clients, and great passion for conservation we are all getting pumped again to get into a and encourages catch and winter fishing pattern. November is finally here. I release of trophy fish. couldn’t be more excited.

Without a doubt, the trout know what it is Telephone 361-960-0340 coming in the form of weather. Each little cold Website front that passes through makes them feed a bit www.DavidRowsey.com more aggressively in anticipation of harder days Email to come for coldblooded creatures. As the largest david.rowsey@yahoo.com supply of bait is in a full migration swing to the

86 | November 2014

gulf, the trout will be doing their part to kill them for much needed winter fat.

The tricky part to fishing November is that it, usually, is not quite cold enough to put them on a true winter pattern (although it does occasionally happen). They will be feeding like winter trout, but running more in loner mode versus larger schools jockeying for a limited bait supply—their standard MO beginning in December and continuing through much of April.

Considering that, the big Mercury outboard will be The Quantum EXO has proven to be a trusty workhorse over the past two years.

pushing the Haynie to many points throughout the Upper Laguna and Baffin. We are seeking the largest groups of mullet on the most ideal structure we can find. Preferred structure for me this time of year is sand and grass mixes, travel corridors along the Intra-Coastal Waterway in the Upper Laguna, and shallow flats dropping off into deeper water in Baffin and adjoining satellite bays.

Many of the fish that have been hanging out in cooler, deeper waters during the summer will be moving up shallow and staying shallow throughout the day now, (well that’s what you would traditionally expect, but who knows with all the burn boats slicing across the flats and up and down every shoreline—but that’s a whole

Watching fall roll in.

Frontal passages make for some aggressive action if you are standing in the right place at the right time.

other subject for discussion). Regardless, this is where they will want to be to feed, and where my clients and I will be standing in the water to intercept them.

All shorelines in the Upper Laguna that have close access to deeper summer haunts are going to have the first nod on where to start each morning. I have the good fortune to be on the water almost daily, so there is a lot of recon from the deck of my Haynie from day to day to decipher which of these areas holds the most structure and bait. As the sun gets up and the bite slows down, use some of your time to explore and look for these areas. In many cases, we utilize the MotorGuide like bass fisherman and go from single potholes to large expanses of open sand and grass until we hit an area that gives up good action. When that happens we bail out and cover the area meticulously. Slowing down and making accurate casts to individual structure features will most certainly produce the bites you are looking for.

With so many lures on the market, it can be downright stressful making a decision of what to pull off the rack. Trust me, my garage is a testament to my days of “buying everything on the shelf.” That being said; keep it simple. November will provide some great topwater action. I prefer the MirrOlure Top Dog or She Dog line over any other.

Soft plastics are a no-brainer for me. The 5” Bass Assassin is in a class of its own when compared to similar type lures. The softness of the lure gives it a much superior action over its stiffer copycats. Rigging it on a 1/16 oz. jighead is the norm for me when wading, and 1/8 oz. if casting from the boat. As Old Man Winter sets in, the Fatboy (Corky)

by MirrOlure is another big favorite. Keep it simple.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt. David Rowsey

TSFMAG.com | 87

CAPT. TRICIA

TRICIA’S Mansfield Report No matter where you live or where you have been fishing, you really have to love what the Lower Laguna Madre has to offer as summer fades into fall. November is when Port Mansfield returns to its original laid-back Port coastal atmosphere and Mansfield great fishing can found just minutes beyond the harbor. We will have lots of water to ourselves Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water and like every year come Adventures operates out of fall, the fishing here has Port Mansfield, specializing in been great. Our water wadefishing with artificial lures. is in pristine condition and redfish and trout are plentiful. It appears that we Telephone 956-642-7298 have a great late-fall and Email winter season ahead of us. shell@granderiver.net As soon as the cooler Website www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com temperatures arrived with the first fronts and the tides rose on the equinox, we began seeing

88 | November 2014

a huge turnaround in the fishery. Good groups of solid reds and trout in the early morning shallows and predictably dropping down to the grass lines and potholes as the day progresses.

It is already going on, and should get even better as the frequency and strength of the fronts increases.

Along many other parts of the coast strong fronts can shut down fishing for several days.

But here on the Lower Laguna things are very different. We have vast expanses of heavilygrassed bottom that provide surprising water clarity even with 25 mph winds. Our seagrass beds are coming along nicely since the Great Flood of 2010 and they are the key to water clarity and foundation of this unique ecosystem.

Schools of bulldozing reds and trout are beginning to

favor the shallow, grassy flats, taking advantage of abundant shrimp, finger-sized mullet and small blue crabs. Traditionally, sight-casting is at the top of the November things-to-enjoy list and quite often the terns and gulls point the way to our best fishing opportunities on the miles of shallow flats. Casting skill and long, accurate shots are the keys to success and I would like to address this in more detail.

You simply cannot get it done in good fashion unless your reels are cleaned and lubed to perfection, and equally important is having them spooled to full capacity with high-quality line. Also, practicing at home with a lightweight lure, casting at varying angles to the wind toward specific targets can make a world of difference in your sight-

fishing game. I highly recommend this for those who want this kind of adventure. Of course, we can also get lucky blind-casting, but I feel most of us would be gratified with the more sporting aspect of seeing and throwing to a specific fish and having it take a lure.

With the progression of the fall season we can also expect a much better trout bite, and larger surface plugs will come into play, more so on the windier days. We are already having some success with She Dogs and Super Spooks. The better fish will soon be adding some good weight as they feed more often and for longer periods anticipating the winter months ahead when their diet becomes mostly mullet. Patterns will also become much more predictable both before and after fronts and, down here, major temperature fluctuations should not occur until much later in the month.

In short, November should be quite a month for making memories.

Much of the outdoor crowd will be moving inland to pursue feathered and antlered game, which always leaves more choices for those born with fins and scales on the brain. With any luck at all, some of us will land one of the monster trout the Mother Lagoon has long been famous for providing, and some awesome reds to boot.

Now is the time for getting your winter gear together. Yes, conditions can get uncomfortable, but they are also easy to fix. The right stuff for me are my Simms G4 Waders and jacket, and layering with their WaderWick Fleece products is more good insurance for elevating your fishing memories into the awesome category. So let us all enjoy what fall has to offer, and remember to practice casting to help you enjoy it even more.

“Down here in Port Mansfield; we ain’t scared of no stinking wind!”

TSFMAG.com | 89

CAPT. ERNEST CISNEROS

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene

A rr oyo C olorado t o Port I sabel

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

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

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

90 | November 2014

Clients often ask, “What made you stop in the middle numbers most of the time. Fish concentrations were of this body of water?” My usual response is, “Because much larger, we found them more frequently, and they I know what’s under the water.” After a surprised stare remained in locales for longer periods of time.

I explain the bottom contour and why I believe we It is quite different nowadays. To consistently catch will find fish there. This is knowledge gained from fish we have to work a lot harder and the patterns having wade fished the area are more difficult to interpret. many times. Important bottom Fishing pressure and boat traffic structure features; where a have created most of the change region of potholes begins and in my opinion. No longer can we ends, where muddy bottom count on fish we caught today changes to sand, or perhaps being there tomorrow, and it is where a line of grass beds very rare for them to hold for a grow on an otherwise barren couple days or perhaps a week bottom. All of this is valuable as they once did. when trying to locate fish and Back in September and the main reason I prefer to October we received our usual wade rather than fishing from abundant fall rains which, along the boat. with the seasonal tides, pushed Even though our fishing has water levels way above normal. been respectable lately, it is Surprisingly, the water level nowhere near as good it was, remained much higher than say 10- to 15 years ago. Back I ever expected, considering David’s recent catch reminds then you could fish most any that we had no real threat of a me of what is to come. spot you knew and find decent hurricane or tropical disturbance

out in the Gulf. All the excess water scattered most of our fish causing us to do a lot of running around and truly hunting for a bite on most of our trips. Nevertheless, it made it all the more interesting and challenging to find them and figure out their patterns. My first premonition was to hunt the recently inundated shorelines, and this worked, but not reliably. Another surprise, on more than a few occasions we found better and more reliable action in much deeper water right off the ICW. I mention all this to drive home the point that yesterday’s results and yesteryear’s fishing logs could send you to the local fish market if you were hoping for a fish dinner.

Our redfish scattered more than our trout when the tides rose.

Capt. Eddie and I had a blast with this group.

There have been a few schools spotted in open water near the East Cut and Queen Isabella Causeway, but for the most part our catches have been spotty. Our best bites have been in west-side back lakes on a falling tide and, with freshwater still draining, most of the sloughs have been productive. Topwaters have been hit and miss and this has led to adopting a technique my son, Aaron, showed me. A Super Spook Jr with no hooks trailing a fly on a short leader. Quite often when all they’ll give us are blowups, Aaron’s trick seals the deal. The K-Wiggler Flo-Mingo Ball Tail Shad continues to be our best soft plastic. Hopefully, as the weather cools down and the tides drop, the redfish bite will heat up.

Our trout bite has been generally more reliable through this high water period although the bigger fish we were catching last month have been relatively scarce lately. Here again I expect a sharp improvement as temperatures fall and tides drop in November. By Thanksgiving it should be cold enough to dust off our Simms waders and it is usually around that time that bigger trout begin to show in good numbers. Tactics will change as we shift toward softer bottoms during northers and on the recovery days that follow. Corky Devils and Fat Boys will become go-to numbers as we work protected shorelines and spoils. A few subsurface bait flickers will be important signs during November’s cold spells.

I have been saying since last spring’s warmup that I could hardly wait for Old Man Winter to return. Well, he’s not here yet but he’s on his way. As the days grow cooler and shorter, the bite always gets better. I am totally convinced that those who will tolerate the cold will not be disappointed this winter. Layer up and come join the fun!

TSFMAG.com | 91

FISHING REPORTS

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 Here we sit in the first week of October, and we just got our first real cold front of the year. Fishing has been nothing short of fantastic for the last few weeks and continues to improve with every falling tide.

Several things generally occur in the weeks following October. In my opinion, November is very underrated. It has become THE month for loading the boat with both trout and reds. The best redfish trips of the year come in November, because they aren’t quite in cold water mode, so catching them schooling in marsh ponds is still commonplace.

Trout fishing is great. The fish are under the birds, around reefs and on shallow flats. It’s probably your best month for catching a limit of trout and redfish. As long as an unfriendly wind is not blowing thirty knots out of the north, you’re likely to catch both trout and redfish without having to put in too much effort.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 James was out fishing when he gave this report. “We’re doing okay today. It’s kind of windy, but we’ve got a good variety of fish, some reds, trout, flounder and a couple big croakers. We have been limiting a lot lately. Some birds are working already, but we need cooler water temperatures to kick that off better. We’ve been catching lots of small fish lately, with the best action on four-inch Die Dappers in slammin’

92 | November 2014

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

chicken and the Houdini Bass Assassin Sea Shads. Also catching a few on chrome/chartreuse SheDogs. Fishing out of the boat has been better than the wading, but by November, that will likely change. The colder it gets in November, the better the fishing will be. We’ll have more birds working, and the fish on the shorelines will get bigger, the trout, I mean. We’ll do a lot of wading then, and we’ll throw topwaters while they work, and switch over to the sinking twitch baits when they don’t. It’s set up to blow up once the weather cools off a little bit more.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Jim splits his time between the duck blind and the boat this time of year, hunting ducks and doves and fishing for trout and redfish. “Fishing has been steady lately. There have been plenty of fish being caught in both Trinity and East Bays. Guys are catching ‘em wading more and more of the time. Haven’t seen too many really big trout, but there are good numbers of just solid trout biting. Fishing out of the boat is good too. Birds are working here and there, and the people who know how to locate the mudding reds out in the middle have been whackin’ ‘em. These things will only get better as we get a few more decent cold fronts. Wading will pick up, and we’ll see some big trout caught on topwaters and slow-sinking twitch baits in shallow water, from about upper-shin deep to mid-thigh deep. The main duck season will also crank up this month, so I’ll continue to go back and forth from the marshes to the big pond. I’ll be running both guided hunts and drop-

off hunts once the season opens.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 “We’ve got a lot of small brown shrimp moving through the bay right now, after all this rain and cooler weather. Birds are working over the migrating herds. Most of the trout we’re finding under the flocks are small trout. We’ve been targeting the reds mostly. They are generally underneath the trout, rooting the shrimp up off the bottom. Action has been steady on Halloween Norton Sand Eels, and the new MirrOlure topwaters. On some days, we’ve been able to cull bigger trout out of the schools under the birds by throwing topwaters. Today, one of my guys caught a 40-inch red on one. This pattern will begin to die out as stronger fronts push the tide and shrimp out of the bays. Then, we’ll key on areas with four to six feet of water over mud and scattered shell.” He also mentions he’s excited to see and try his new JH Performance boat.

“My new JH 240 will be on display at this year’s boat show. Can’t wait to start using it. We got blown off the water by storms today and the boat just ate up the heavy chop while getting us in.”

Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski Bay Guide Service - 713.725.2401 Charlie says he will be spending most of his time in East Matagorda Bay during November, and the options are plentiful and productive.

“November is one of the very best months for fishing in the Matagorda area. We’ll drift off to West Bay on occasion, but mostly we target fish in East Bay this time of year. Normally, birds will be working, and you can catch plenty of trout and reds out of the boat by finding and following the flocks. The fishing is good over scattered shell and around the reefs out in the middle in East Bay too. Wading the reefs

can be really good when winds are light. Of course, we have some of the best wadefishing anywhere along both shorelines during fall, too.

We’ll target big trout and schooling reds by focusing on areas with good amounts of baitfish. About the only thing that hampers fishing during November are strong cold fronts. They’ll shut things down temporarily, but once the winds subside, the action will pick right back up. The Thanksgiving month is one of the main reasons this place is famous.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Epic is a word that best describes the fishing in the Palacios area right now. Hordes of redfish are prowling along area shorelines, chasing migrating schools of shrimp and mullet. The action is unlike anything I have seen in many moons. Schools of 25-50 upper-slot fish look like jacks coming down the shorelines, destroying baitfish. Vudu Shrimp, Bayou Chubs and Norton Bull Minnows in white/chartreuse or pumpkinseed/chartreuse have been producing well. Trout have been plentiful over local shell pads on live-shrimp rigged about three feet under popping corks. Sand trout approaching 15 inches have also been a blessing over the shell pads, mixed in with the specks. Night fishing continues to be good at the East and South Bay Piers, where small glow shad spec rigs and small shrimp spec rigs have accounted for a majority of the bites. November should produce some heavy fish with all the bait in the bays, and I am looking forward to chasing some big ole trout and reds over our mud/shell flats during the colder months to follow.

TSFMAG.com | 93

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn continues to fish the sandy pockets in the grass beds along shorelines at the time of this report, but he expects to switch patterns as stronger fronts cool the water down some more. “We’ve got redfish schooled up and chasing bait along the shorelines in the area right now. That action should persist a bit longer, but once we get some more strong cold fronts, the tide will usually get blown out, and the fishing over the sandy, shallow areas won’t be as good any more. We generally like to target our fish over a muddier bottom starting in November, especially in areas where the mud is covered by scattered shell. Find such spots in the vicinity of marsh drains and in shallow areas close to deep basins, and the fish should be there. The other big key during this part of the year is to locate the herds of baitfish. They get really schooled up as they migrate toward the Gulf. Fishing areas where lots of baitfish are moving through is important. Best bite is generally on topwaters and slow-sinking twitch baits.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 In November, Blake intends to be wading shorelines in both San Antonio and Aransas Bays, focusing on areas with grassy bottom, mixed with sand. He says he’ll probably be throwing topwaters a bunch, as well as the limetreuse Gulp! Swimming Shads and his old standbys, the pumpkinseed/chartreuse and plum/chartreuse Norton Sand Eels. He also plans to fish the back lakes for redfish, focusing on the deeper holes around the drains leading in from the main bays.

He says the fishing has been really good recently, and he expects the hot action to continue. Of course, November is duck hunting time too, so he’ll be splitting his time between the blind and the boat. “I love this time of year. We do a lot of cast and blast trips. It’s fun to

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94 | November 2014

get out there early and get some shooting in, then fish our way out of the lakes and into the bays. The variety of experiences we get during November is about as good as it gets. It’s a great month to spend time outdoors in the Coastal Bend.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 We have received a few inches of much needed rainfall in the Upper Laguna Madre, which should benefit our fishery. It’s also time to bring out the breathable waders and check them for leaks, as the water will be cooling down enough to make wet wading uncomfortable. And because I will be wading in about three feet of water, I will also be wearing my ForEver Last wading boots. Boat traffic should be on the decrease. The water clarity has not been very good lately, so, I’ll be fishing with noisy and/or smelly baits. Bass Assassin Blurps, Berkley Gulp! or live shrimp under a Bass Assassin Kwik Kork should prove productive. Another lure I will be using if the water clears up will be natural-colored Bass Assassin Die Dappers rigged on eighth ounce SpringLok jigheads. Many of my clients will enjoy sight-casting for reds and black drum in less than twelve inches of water with chartreuse or pink colored, shrimp flavored Fish Bites, double hooked on jig heads. Bright sunny days work best for the sight-casting game.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 Water quality continues to vary throughout different parts of the Upper Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay, Joe says, and he expects no big changes in that area as we head into November. “We did get some fairly heavy rains recently, and the tide has been really high. High tides and hot water make for some tough fishing. Once we get some stronger fronts with more west in them, the tide will go back out to a normal level, and fishing will get easier. I plan on fishing areas around the Causeway for the most part during this month. In the fall, we get

good tide movement in the Boat Hole and around the Crash Channels.

Moving water makes for a good bite during any season, but especially during the fall. We should also see migrating herds of baitfish and shrimp moving up the Lagoon toward the bridge. By the end of November, we often have lots of small keeper trout working over birds in and around the ICW just south of the Causeway. Catching them then becomes easy on soft plastics for those with boats rigged with trolling motors.”

Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 Fishing is generally very good in November, but it’s all about being in the right place at the right time. Cold fronts arriving to the coast will bring heavy seas and high tides. Fishing trips must be planned to occur during spells of moderate weather in between the fronts. Avoid hard east and northeast winds as these are often capable of pushing water all the way up to the dunes. Slot and oversized redfish, whiting and Florida pompano will be in good supply for anglers fishing on bottom with fresh, peeled, dead shrimp and also Fishbites. Jack crevalle will be abundant and several shark species will be available.

Extra care in planning and packing are greatly advised and a detailed list of emergency supplies and appropriate tools should be carried on each beach outing. The summer crowds are all gone, and quite often we find very few people on the beach to lend assistance should difficulties be encountered.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 Through the past month we have received a good amount of rain and still going to get more. With all the rain and normal equinox bulge in tides the water level is up by almost two feet. This increase in depth

has the fish scattered out. You will at times find good concentrations of trout in deeper water, mixed with a fair number of sand trout. Kelley Wiggler Ball Tail Shads on 1/8 ounce jigs has been the go-to lure for me and my clients. With the unusually high water level the reds have been further east than normal. So now we are fishing areas that we normally can’t even think of fishing. Reds are suckers for 1/4 ounce weedless spoons, gold or silver. There have been several good-sized schools of reds on the sand both north and south of the East Cut. The area east of Green Island has also been holding redfish on the line where the sand and grass meet. You will have to make long drifts but you will pick up hefty reds. Tight lines and calm seas!

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 Now that the fall tides are dialed in, we’re only concerned with what the weather is going to throw at us next. This has been a rainy season, and we can see the difference it makes in the bay. When you encounter dark water that is not cloudy, but at two feet you can’t see the bottom, that is the result of fresh water layered on top of the saltwater column. When driving by the mouth of the Arroyo, we often see a plume of this darker water spreading out from the sides of the ICW. Freddy says, “Brackish water will push deeper, but reds aren’t bothered by salinity differences; they’ll feed anywhere. To stay in the trout, fish on the east side where there is less drain off from flooding. Also, fall is a good time to fish the jetties for oversized, spawning reds.” We’ve been limiting on reds easily, with an occasional flounder in shallow, but working a little deeper for trout, throwing Cajun Thunder round, and cigar corks, in red and chartreuse, trailing Berkley Gulp! Live three inch shrimp in light colors and new penny. Stop open bay dredge disposal!

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Courtney Saucier black drum

Kaleb Schimcek POC - first redfish! CPR

Abbey Montalvo Sabine Pass - 22” flounder

Cody Grace Magnolia Beach - first red!

96 | November 2014

Steven Clayton Trinity Bay - first trout!

Albert Rodriguez, Jr. Port Aransas - 28” redfish CPR

Jaxon Boone Wilkening 26.5” personal best trout!

Jeff Atchley King Ranch Shoreline - 32” red

April Barnett Magnolia Beach - 46” redfish

Samuel Ploch San Antonio Bay - 24” black drum

Justin Stille High Island - 42” redfish

Cougar Moats Wading in POC - big drum

Sammy Guerrero Clear Lake - personal best trout!

Mark Smith 7lb trout

Abigail Surovik 20” first drum!

Manny Duarte Trinity River - 26” red

Shelly Baker Matagorda - 44” bull red CPR

Ethan Goff Brazos - 21” first speck

Jack Berry Port Aransas - 15” first redfish!

Andrew Palmer Lake Jackson - first fish!

Brandon Elliott 24.5” 8lb flounder

Hannah Nunez Seabrook - first kayak flounder! CPR

Daniel Sanchez, Jr. Laguna Madre - 42.5” black drum, CPR Mike Rodriguez Nueces Bay - flounder

Ally Harper first redfish!

Scott Turner Ingleside - 50lb black drum

Please do not write on the back of photos.

Email photos with a description of your Catch of the Month to: Photos@tsfmag.com

Jim West & Jordan Twin Corpus Christi - 32” redfish CPR

Jack Colvin & Jake Watts ICW Sargent - black drum

Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 TSFMAG.com | 97

PAM JOHNSON

GULF COAST Kitchen

Shrimp Po-Boy Sliders with Remoulade Slaw

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

Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361-785-2844

A special thanks to Capt. Ron Elkins for recommending the Yum Yum sauce‌delish!

Remoulade Slaw

Fried Shrimp

Mini Rolls

1 small package precut coleslaw 3/4 cup Yum Yum Sauce (can be found at Wal-Mart in the Oriental section) 1/8 tsp cayenne 1 Tbsp. stone ground mustard 1/4 cup minced celery 1 Tbsp. minced parsley 1 Tbsp. minced white onion 2 tsp. prepared horseradish 1/4 tsp paprika

Peanut or vegetable oil for frying 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal Salt 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp white pepper Pinch of cayenne

Remove rolls from package and leave

Place all ingredients in bowl and mix well. Place in refrigerator to chill.

98 | November 2014

Preheat oil in deep skillet to 350 degrees.

Pour buttermilk into bowl. Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, garlic power, white pepper and cayenne in another bowl. Drip shrimp in buttermilk and then dredge in flour/ cornmeal mixture. Add breaded shrimp to the hot oil and fry for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.

joined together. Use a long bread knife to slice all at one time. Place crust side down on baking sheet and butter the sliced surfaces lightly. Place under broiler until golden brown.

Assemble rolls with a tablespoon of remoulade slaw on bottom, add fried shrimp, and another tablespoon of slaw on top. Ready to serve!

TSFMAG.com | 99

...continued from page 69. and increased spawning aggregations (20 to 40 individuals per site), the population is not such that it could sustain a fishery; numbers could diminish very quickly, back to near extinction, if the ban was released. Additionally, it’s likely that low-level harvest of this species continues by illegal poaching and mortality upon release following accidental capture. Dedicated surveys and stock assessments are conducted regularly, and the species is periodically reassessed for reintroduction into recreational fisheries. (Right now, it’s all catch and carefully release.)

Despite poor fighting ability, its great size and weight, plus its habit of swimming into a hole or between rocks when hooked, make the goliath a challenge to land. The most enticing baits seem to be small jacks, large mullets, and stingrays. The linchpin to success is often the skill of the captain in navigating the boat. Keep in mind that you can’t haul a goliath on board once it surfaces. It must be released unharmed. Some anglers jump in the water and have their photographs taken alongside the fish to document and validate their catch. Because who doesn’t want to jump into the water with a 500-pound lobster connoisseur?

Science and the Sea

TM

Cooperation is Survival Fields of dandelions are a familiar sight each spring, but another kind of dandelion is so rare that scientists are just beginning to learn more about it – the ocean dandelion.

Where I learned about goliath groupers, and you can too!

Online Etymology Dictionary www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=grouper Fish Base www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=16&AT=goliath+grouper Encyclopedia of Life eol.org/pages/212570/overview Florida Museum of Natural History www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/ichthyology/gallery/Descript/GoliathGrouper/ GoliathGrouper.html ARKive www.arkive.org/atlantic-goliath-grouper/epinephelus-itajara/ Ocean Research & Conservation Association www.teamorca.org/cfiles/goliath_myths.cfm IUCN Red List www.iucnredlist.org/details/195409/0 International Game Fish Association www.igfa.org/species/138-grouper-goliath.aspx?CommonName=138-groupergoliath.aspx Florida Fishing Charters & Guides www.lagooner.com/fish-species/index.php?species_id=20 New England Aquarium galleries.neaq.org/2012/10/goliath-grouper-fun-facts.html Florida Fishing Reports www.fatcatfishingcharters.net/florida-saltwater-fishing-blog/goliath-grouperfacts 10 News www.wtsp.com/story/news/2014/06/04/goliath-grouper-are-making-acomeback/9947807/# 100 | November 2014

An ocean dandelion is made of of many individual animals cooperating.

Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Living in the deepest parts of the sea, the ocean dandelion is not a plant, yet it’s not exactly a single animal either. Rather, the ocean dandelion is a siphonophore, a unique type of organism composed of many smaller animals that together form a colony. The individual animals, known as zooids, are the “petals” of the ocean dandelion.

Many animals live in colonies, such as bees and ants, but the individual organisms of those colonies can leave and return to the community.

Not so for the individual animals that make up siphonophores: each animal thrives only as part of the whole and usually cannot survive long on its own.

Just as individual cells become specialized within a single animal’s body, each zooid in a siphonophore becomes specialized to perform a particular function for the colony. Collectively, the animals that form an ocean dandelion act like a single organism, sharing tissues and even sharing a single stomach that digests food and provides nutrients for all the zooids.

Corals and Portuguese man o’ war are more familiar types of siophonophores, but the ocean dandelion is still a bit of a mystery.

Scientists do not know much about its diet, reproductive habits or other life functions, but one thing is clear: the beauty of this sea “flower” arises from the cooperation of hundreds of different creatures.

The University of Texas

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

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102 | November 2014

We have seen a variety of salt and mineral corrosion issues over this past season and one that stands out is the engine oil cooler on the Suzuki 140 Four-Stroke outboard.

This oil cooler was designed to allow engine cooling water to circulate beneath the oil filter and carry away the heat of combustion and internal friction that is transferred to the crankcase lubricant.

The intent of the design obviously is to provide a more even engine oil temperature.

The issue becomes apparent when either water is noticed in the oil via a milky color and/or the low oil light flashes and the crankcase checks low or empty.

The mineral build up inside the oil cooler oxidizes the aluminum and when the material becomes porous, the oil escapes through the cooling system and leaves with the exhaust; no leak ever being apparent.

Flushing the engine with fresh water after every usage is a great way to slow or stop this problem.

Checking the oil regularly is another good practice.

During oil change maintenance is the best time to have this cooler removed, inspected and cleaned.

The process will usually add approximately one half hour of shop time, maybe an hour if corrosion is present, but it is well worth the time to avoid a problem that could get costly.

Suzuki builds a great product and this area just needs a little more attention. Every outboard has an Achilles Heel and you just have to know where to look and when. We will address each manufacturer over the next few months and point out each one, then you will know more about what to ask for during routine service or during your own inspections.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine | Port O’Connor, TX CoastalbendMarine.com | 361.983.4841

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Kevin Janak New Vehicle Director

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4506 N. Navarro • Victoria, Texas • 1-800-763-9024

The BEST Choice… Any Place, Anytime!

Introducing Shimano’s latest in comfortable and light weight footwear - the Shimano Evair Marine/Fishing shoes. The Evair are an ‘open’ style shoe, meaning they’re quick drying and allow your feet to breathe even in the hottest day time conditions. A non slip sole gives the wearer added confidence when navigating slippery decks.

361-992-2960

Shimano gives you more with the new Curado I series reels.

Now featuring the latest in Shimano fishing reel technology and offered in multiple gear ratios, Curado builds on its legacy as the ‘go to’ baitcasting reel for both fresh and saltwater action.

7613 SPID Corpus Christi, TX 78412 www.roysbait-tackle.com

Strength to withstand any situation, toughness to endure intense fight, durability to withstand the harshest conditions. Models for inshore use up to big-game size for Bluefin tuna.

The professional’s choice!

HEG Gearing developing incredible power and torque.

Available in multiple gear ratios to cover entire applications.

New modern compact design and appearance that ties in perfectly with new Cumara rods.

ROY’S Bait and Tackle Outfitters

To find a location near you, please visit us at www.speedystop.com

TIDAL CORRECTIONS Location Calcasieu Pass, La. Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass (jetty) Sabine Pass Mesquite Point Galveston Bay (S. jetty) Port Bolivar Texas City, Turning Basin Eagle Point Clear Lake Morgans Point Round Point, Trinity Bay Point Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, Trinity Bay Christmas Point Galveston Pleasure Pier San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor

High -2:14 -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14 +0:33 +3:54 +6:05 +10:21 +10:39 +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -0:09 -0:44

Low -1:24 -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06 +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15 +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:38 +2:33 +2:31 -0:09

For other locations, i.e. Port O’Connor, Port Aransas, Corpus Christi and Port Isabel please refer to the charts displayed below.

Please note that the tides listed in this table are for the Galveston Channel. The Tidal Corrections can be applied to the areas affected by the Galveston tide.

Minor Feeding Periods coincide with the moon on the horizon, and the last from 1.0 to 1.5 hrs after the moon rise or before moon set.

Major Feeding Periods are about 1.0 to 1.5 hrs either side of the moon directly overhead or underfoot.

Many variables encourage active feeding current flow (whether wind or tidal driven), changes in water temp & weather, moon phases, etc. Combine as many as possible for a better chance at an exceptional day. Find concentrations of bait set up during a good time frame, and enjoy the results.

Te x a s S a l t w a t e r F i s h i n g M a g a z i n e l

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