November 2019
Only $3.95
TSFMAG.COM
TIDE PREDICTIONS & SOLUNAR FEED TIMES INSIDE!
®
21 SPORT
Natural Tan / Black
BUILD YOUR 21 SPORT GET DEALERʼS DISCOUNTS
Sport
20 YEARS OF BUILDING TRUST. Power-Pole, the original shallow water anchor, is the brand more Pro and leisure anglers trust for swift, silent and secure grip in fresh or salt water on all bottom surfaces. Our C-Monster wireless network lets you connect, control and customize the entire family of Power-Pole products to fit your fishing style. With the best customer service in the industry, we’re the brand you can trust to stand behind each and every Power-Pole anchor. Go to power-pole.com for more details and to find a dealer near you.
WHEN ONLY THE BEST WILL DO.
WE BREATHE BLUE WATER P rote c t UV ® Meg a So lar ® 50+
800.606.4003 · denaliperformance.com
®
Now available at
ABOUT THE COVER Port O’Connor resident, Terri McGuire, is our November cover angler and a sure-enough flounder magnet. Her ability, or perhaps it’s a gift, makes you wonder whether she could catch one from a bucket of water. We’ve seen it firsthand!
NOVEMBER 2019 VOL 29 NO 7
CONTENTS
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
10 14 20 24
29 38 42 44 48 50 52 56 60 84 87
Possible November Scenarios for Galveston Johnny’s Embers End of Louisiana Loophole? Big Barracuda
Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard
24
Holiday Gift Guide Let’s Ask The Pro Shallow Water Fishing TPWD Field Notes Kayak Fishing Chronicles TSFMag Conservation News Fishy Facts Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks... Plastic & Water Don’t Mix Boat Repair & Maintenance Science & the Sea
42
WHAT OUR GUIDES
HAVE TO SAY
64 66 68 70 72 74
Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene The View from Matagorda Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays Hooked up with Rowsey Wayne’s Port Mansfield Report South Padre Fishing Scene
68
Dickie Colburn Bink Grimes Shellie Gray David Rowsey Wayne Davis Ernest Cisneros
REGULARS 8 Editorial 62 New Tackle & Gear 76 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 78 Catch of the Month 80 Gulf Coast Kitchen
80
6 | November 2019
Jay Watkins Scott Null Dr. Carey Gelpi Dave Roberts CCA Texas Stephanie Boyd Eric Ozolins Everett Johnson Chris Mapp UT Marine Science Institute
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918 NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION – PRODUCT SALES Vicky Morgenroth Store@tsfmag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Stephanie Boyd Artwork@tsfmag.com SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Jen Shive Jen@tsfmag.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly. Subscription Rates: One Year (Free Emag with Hard Copy) Subscription $25.00 E-MAG (electronic version) is available for $12.00 per year. Order on-line: WWW.TSFMAG.COM
K C I K R U O Y
S A G
O T IN
R A GE
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 * Subscribers are responsible for submitting all address changes and renewals by the 10th of the prior month’s issue. Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded. HOW TO CONTACT TSFMAG: PHONE: 361-785-3420 FAX: 361 792-4530 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, TX 77983 WEB: www.TSFMAG.com PHOTO GALLERY: photos@tsfmag.com PRINTED IN THE USA. Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine. Periodical class permit (USPS# 024353) paid at Victoria, TX 77901 and additional offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983.
WWW.STARTRON.COM PROTECTION
+ PERFORMANCE
EDITORIAL
FINALLY FALL!
Our first bona fide cold front arrived yesterday. The north wind was howling this morning and the thermometer on my back porch said 53°. I say every summer is the longest and hottest in memory, but memory can be selective. If you want the real facts you should consult the National Weather Service, not a guy drenched with sweat. One thing I can say with certainty though, when the water temperature in the shallows hits the low-90s it’s damn hot! Luckily, summer is finally gone. The first really good norther usually signals the arrival of fall to the Texas coast. November is upon us and not a day too soon. Fishing goes off the charts as cooler weather and water trigger phenomenal bites and, with spawning completed, seatrout grow heavier by the day. While they won’t be winter-fat for several months, the change becomes quite noticeable toward the end of the month. There will be tough decisions for a great many anglers; whether to head to the woods and hills for whitetails, wetlands for waterfowl, or the bays and flats for the kind of fishing we have been waiting months to experience. You’d think by now I’d have this all sorted out but the older I get the more I struggle with it. Just to prove a point here; a very good fisherman I’ve been acquainted with for years used to say that any outdoorsman who would so much as think about wasting precious fishing days to go duck hunting in November should have his head examined. Well, it turns out his grandson
8 | November 2019
has the waterfowl bug really bad and talked him into “wasting” several days last fall. He called a few days ago to inquire whether I knew of any waterfowl leases with openings for the coming season. What’s that old saying…Never say never? My last two editor columns have included news of several industrial developments currently in the permitting stages within the Aransas and Corpus Christi bay systems – seawater desalination, channel deepening, and a pipeline through Redfish Bay. Texas residents benefit greatly from our state’s leading position within the nation’s energy industries and I would never want to want to see that diminish. However, with that said, I believe I speak for all Texas recreational anglers when I say we need to play watchdog and see that it gets done in the most eco-friendly manner possible. The best way to insure our concerns are given full consideration is to funnel them into a collective voice and I can think of none better than CCA Texas. The CCA website has all the news you need regarding each of these proposed projects, along with their position statements and actions being taken to represent the interests of their 70-plus thousand members. If you are not already a member I would like to encourage that you join today. Wrapping this up, I want to wish all our readers and their families a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Take the kids hunting and fishing. Be safe and God bless!
Possible November Scenarios for
Working birds before water temperatures really drop can result in lots of little trout like this one Jackson Duckett is fighting.
STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN
I
always strive to have a plan each day as I roll away from the dock. In years past that plan would usually work out pretty well and would result in something like this: Pull up to our first stop – Fish show us where they are holding within the targeted area – Catch fish. It obviously wasn’t always that easy, but it happened according to the plan quite frequently. Having said that, I have seen trout move from one place to another more this year than ever before, and now with cold fronts entering the equation, fish patterns will ping-pong back and forth even more.
This should be a common sight throughout the month.
A stiff southeast wind forced us to drift protected shorelines but Mark Martin made the most of it while casting to slicks over scattered clumps of oysters. Wading and drifting such areas is a solid strategy for this time of year.
Brett Ballard enjoyed some back lake topwater redfish action on this breezy day. Prefront high tides this month will allow us to get into places we otherwise wouldn’t.
12 | November 2019
Somedays, I feel like a quarterback standing in the pocket going through his progression reads. With progression reads, a quarterback’s mind is not necessarily set on getting the ball to one particular receiver but instead assessing the coverage and then going through a series of reads until he finds the open receiver. Of course, the quarterback has to always know where the receivers are to begin with, just like we have to know where the fish are. Let’s chat a little about how to not only find the open receivers but make all the right throws to score as many touchdowns as possible. There are many possible scenarios this time of year and it’s imperative to understand how to address each one that presents itself. The best way I can do this is to recount some of my own experiences. Notice I said “some.” I’m only allowed so many words here so I’ll attempt to cover the most likely scenarios. I recall an early November trip last year with Larry Drake and his daughter, Tamera. It was two days after the first strong cold front. A lot of our trout had previously been on the shorelines and shallow reefs but a sudden drop in water levels and water temperatures, along with an increase in barometric pressure, would cause some big changes overnight. This forced me to make a drastic move to an entirely different part of the bay. The targeted area was a flat laden with thick clumps of oysters along a soft, silty bottom that tapered off into a series of deep troughs. Trout that had previously been hanging out on adjacent flats were now in and near the deep troughs parallel to the flats. As a bonus, this spot also offered protection from the stiff northeast wind we were experiencing. We only witnessed a few flipping mullet here and there and there were no visible slicks. By trolling down the ledge while casting into the guts and up on the adjacent flat we managed to trick dozens of trout to 24-inches and several mid-slot redfish. It was important to fan our casts to cover all depths as our fish were scattered along the ledges. MirrOlure Provokers and Saltwater Assassin 4” Sea Shads in dark colors rigged on 1/8-ounce heads got the job done. A few years back I had a group of guys from out of town in mid-November. We were in the midst of a warm-up period in between fronts. The wind had switched to east-southeast and it was pumping at about 18 mph ahead of another front that was due to hit the next day. The tide was crazy high because of the stiff easterly wind and pre-front low pressure. The guys had booked well in advance and were only in town for one day so this was a one shot deal. I tried to talk them out of it but they weren’t having it. Our original plan was to drift but the conditions wouldn’t allow for that. Sifting through my old duck hunting gear I was able to round up enough waders and boots to outfit the three of them. I’m sure it wasn’t very pleasant wading around in neoprene waders in 80-degree weather but we made it work. We caught good numbers of very nice trout to almost 7-pounds while basically standing in the marsh grass casting out to small slicks that emerged over scattered clumps of oysters near a wide bayou drain. The fish were suspended so Red Shad Assassins on 1/16 ounce heads did a fine job. I also remember tricking a few on a chartreuse/pearl (83MR CHPR)
Don Ballard got a workout with this 43inch red that was unexpectedly close to the bank during an extremely high tide.
Brent Ballard got in on the redfish action on a day when I had three generations of Ballards on board. Good times!
MirrOlure She Dog. It was not what I originally had in mind but a few adjustments later, with the help of easy-to-spot trout slicks, everyone went home happy…including me! Understanding bait migrations for the bay system you choose to fish can also provide a major advantage. Last November we had an abundance of white shrimp in back lakes and along shorelines. Early in the month small trout (mainly undersized) were feeding on them. While targeting small trout is not our standard modus operandi, it at least gives the savvy anglers a heads up for what should be coming next. The smaller trout under the birds are typically replaced by larger (keeper-sized) ones as water temperatures cool with each passing cold front. This usually occurs around Thanksgiving here on Galveston Bay. There are obvious exceptions, such as delayed arrivals of stronger fronts. In this scenario larger trout under birds may occur in early December. I distinctly remember a stretch of days last year that occurred a few days after Thanksgiving where we caught a lot of very solid trout and reds while fishing under gulls and terns. There were very few throwbacks in the mix. With cold fronts come eccentric tide swings. While we can always look at the tide chart we have to understand how wind and barometric pressure can affect tides. A strong north and/or westerly wind, which is typically accompanied by high barometric pressure, will push water out of the bay. The onset of such an event is a good time to be standing at the mouth of a bayou where a back lake empties into the bay. Conversely, a stiff easterly wind can cause bull tides (extremely high tides). The higher tides coupled with low pressure tends to push fish up tight to the shorelines (See out-of-town guys in
“
neoprene waders two paragraphs above). In summary, the weather is really the ultimate determining factor this time of year. A different scenario is created with each cold front. Learning which approach to take before and after each front will give you a major advantage. The stronger the front – the more drastically the pattern will change, and vice-versa. November usually provides visual clues; slicks, bait concentrations and/or actively feeding birds. There will certainly be days (especially immediately following a strong front) where the water appears lifeless everywhere. These are the times we would want to most likely focus on deeper channels and structure. If you’re in an area where you know you have fish but maybe the tide just isn’t moving yet, you might want to stay put like the quarterback standing in the pocket and allow the play to develop. Best of luck and Happy Thanksgiving!
With cold fronts come eccentric tide swings.
”
CONTACT
STEVE HILLMAN Steve Hillman is a full-time fishing guide on his home waters of Galveston Bay. Steve fishes the entire Galveston Bay Complex, wading and drifting for trout, redfish, and flounder using artificial lures. Phone 409-256-7937 Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com Web www.hillmanguideservice.com
TSFMAG.com | 13
Johnny’s Embers STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN
W
hen Johnny entered the establishment on Park Road 22 late on a cold November eve, he saw just a few other patrons in the place. Most sat outside on a patio, smoking, swilling beer, chatting among themselves. A couple sat inside, on the opposite side of the circular bar. Johnny plopped down on a rickety vinyl stool close to the door. Missy, the barmaid, knew the young guide well; without asking what he wanted, she brought him a Blue Moon, garnished with a sliced orange. The two nodded to greet each other. “Holler when you need another. I’m goin’ outside to smoke,” the slender, tattooed tender announced, holding up a cigarette. A moment after she walked away, the front door of the dive creaked open, and a whoosh of chilly air brushed Johnny’s cheek. He turned to see a man stepping through the portal, recognizing him instantly as one of the local fishing legends. A shock of weathered blond hair stuck out around the rim of a dark, tattered cap, making the old salt’s head look like a withered sunflower. His blue irises blazed with light, framed by his tanned, creased face. The newcomer walked right over and sat down on the stool next to Johnny, who turned to him and said, “Missy went out on the patio for a smoke. She’ll be right back.” “No worries. I ain’t in a hurry,” the man softly answered. “You’re Sandy, right?” Johnny asked. “I think we’ve talked about fishing a few times.” “Yessir. I remember,” Sandy confirmed. “Hey, come to think of it, maybe you’d know something about what I saw the other night, while I was out wading,” Johnny surmised. “I doubt it,” Sandy mused. “You’re probably gonna think I’m crazy when I tell you,” Johnny admitted, shaking his head gently back and forth.
After Thanksgiving, strong cold fronts create ripe opportunity for locating big trout like the one Rudy Keilman holds here.
“Crazy ain’t all bad,” Sandy speculated. Johnny laughed, looking hard into his elder’s azure eyes. The man’s striking countenance suggested he knew more than he would ever reveal about most anything the two might discuss. “Well, get this. I’m out in Alazan a couple nights ago. Right when the wind laid after that last front. You familiar with the back of Alazan?” Sandy shrugged. “I might know a thing or two.” Johnny continued, “I was behind the last big sand bar, you know, where the pile of gravel or whatever covers the bottom.” Sandy smiled, his lips curling upward under a bushy white mustache. “Small world. I was out that night too, just down the shoreline, at the mouth of Comitas Lake.” “Naw, really? Did you see anything strange happening on that point? Where the little stand of brush grows on the end of the bar?” Johnny asked. “Strange? What do you mean by strange?” Sandy countered. Johnny plucked the orange from the neck of the bottle in his hand and took a swig of beer, before responding. “So, I’m standing on the north side of the bar, making long casts toward the brush on the point, working a bone Spook over the top of that pile of rubble. I was getting these huge blowups, had caught one trout about 29, another 27. I don’t know what they weighed, but they were fat. I’ve always had good luck back there in the fall after a light front blows itself out.” “Don’t sound strange to me,” Sandy offered, shrugging again. Johnny chuckled, “Oh no. That wasn’t the weird part. I’d been there about an hour, and had caught just the two fish, had maybe five or six other blowups, when I see this orange light emerge on the ground beside the brush on the point. At first, it’s really faint, like a jack-olantern, but as I watched it and eased in a little closer to the bar, it got brighter. Eventually, I could see flames. It was a campfire.” Sandy tossed his head back slightly, raising his shaggy white eyebrows. “As the flames built up, I could see a man sitting on the ground on the right side of the fire, stoking it with a stick. Then a second man walked out of the darkness, into the circle of light, on the opposite side of the flames. Dude was barefoot, tall, with really long, black hair. He was wearing some kinda deer-skin britches. This tiny dog hopped Fishing in the dark often produces good catches of big trout during the cold half of the year, especially in places holding water of exceptional clarity. Such around his feet. Looked like a chihuahua, not very hairy. Weirdest part was the case where Randy Slocum caught this handsome specimen. was this--the second guy had a giant spider in his hand. Reached across the fire and handed it to the one on the ground. He impaled it on the stick and started roasting it in the flames, while the other sat down.” “Dog Lovers eat tarantulas when they get hungry enough.” “Dog Lovers?” Johnny wondered. “Karankawas,” Sandy explained. A nervous chuckle moved Johnny’s chest. “The whole thing freaked me out. I tried easing closer to get a better look. Soon as I stepped on the gravelly bottom, at the edge of the pile, the flames began to dim. I took maybe two more steps toward the point, and the fire just disappeared. Everything in front of me went pitch black again,” Johnny whispered, looking around, as if to make sure others hadn’t heard him. “The hair on the back of my neck is standing on end.” November ranks Johnny drank most of the beer from the bottle. Sandy stared at pretty high on the him and asked, “That’s it?” list of best months The young man shook his head, “Well, no. Not all of it. I backed to catch a monster off the pile and started trying to concentrate on what I was trout in Texas on a lure, especially on doing again. Got this massive blowup. Sounded like somebody the upper coast. dropped a cinder block in the water. I remember cussing and
16 | November 2019
Reputation is a heartless motivator.
Corrosion
CONTROL
GM Gunmetal with Slim SiC CC and BC with ALCONITE® CC & BC with FazLite™ LKW
Fuji’s new “LKW” frame is the perfect example of how reputation drives innovation. For Fuji®, The bar only gets higher. So, when designers combined the lightweight perfection of the legendary “LN” frame with the popular, tangle-free performance of the K-Series “KW” guide - it called for some creative thinking. The result is the strongest, lightweight, tangle-free guide in the Fuji arsenal. And, if that wasn’t enough, Fuji engineers re-defined the traditional guide-foot with an all new, stepped-wing foot that spreads wider across the radius of the blank and offers gains in torsional stability unheard of in mid to light-framed guides of the past. Whether you build your own or you’re looking for all the quality you can jam into a brand name rod, look for the Fuji tag and LKW guides.
North American Agent, Fuji Rod Components
LN
LKW
KW
Foley, AL 36535 • anglersresource.net • 251.943.4491
TSFMAG.com | 17
looking down when I realized the fish didn’t stick. When I looked up, I could see the embers glowing again.” “Ahh,” Sandy sighed. “I felt nervous. But I was more curious than scared, so I started inching toward the point, and like before, flames emerged from the glowing pile. This time, I could see two cowboys, one on either side of the fire. I could barely make out their horses a little ways to the left, at the edge of the light. They had built this frame over the fire, and had a pot of something cooking on it. One on the right reached in with a big spoon to stir the food from time to time,” Johnny explained. Sandy nodded, “Ranch hands out overnight.” “That’s what I thought too. I actually whistled at ‘em. But they never turned their heads. Same thing happened when I walked closer to the point. Soon as I could feel the rocks under my feet, the flames dimmed, and before I could get to land, the light disappeared again.” “How long you been afraid of ghosts?” Sandy abruptly asked. “Ghosts?” Johnny laughed. “I don’t believe in ghosts. Still not sure how to explain what I saw, though.” Sandy shook his head slowly, in a deliberate manner, neither smiling nor frowning. “You need to stay off the beach at night. You wouldn’t last two hours down at the Devil’s Elbow under a full moon.” Johnny shuddered, squeezing his shoulders together and raising them. “What the hell, man? Still creeps me out,” he muttered, before walking into the bathroom, to relieve himself. When he came back out, Sandy no longer sat on the stool beside his. Looking out the back door of the place, Johnny expected to see the venerable angler joining the others for a smoke on the patio. He did not. Missy returned to her station behind the bar. “You ready for another?” she asked Johnny. The boyish captain nodded his head affirmatively, “Yep. Beer me. Hey, did you see where Sandy went?” As the bartender handed her customer another Blue Moon, her face revealed confusion about his question. “You mean the fisherman with the long white hair who used to sit on that stool when he came in?” She pointed at the empty cushion next to Johnny. “Yeah. I was talking to him before I went into the bathroom.” “That’s a morbid thing to say,” Missy frowned. Bewildered, Johnny asked, “What?” “Oh, I thought you knew. Ol’ Sandy passed away several months ago. Some of the regulars went to his memorial.” The glow in Johnny’s cheeks turned instantly to ash; he emptied all the brew from the bottle in one long gulp.
CONTACT
KEVIN COCHRAN
18 | November 2019
Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has created several books and dvds on the subject. Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut.
TROUT TRACKER GUIDE SERVICE Phone 361-688-3714 Email kevxlr8@mygrande.net Web www.FishBaffinBay.com www.captainkevblogs.com
TSFMAG.com | 19
Redfish and largemouth bass have been the go-to species for many Sabine anglers this year.
∞
End of Louisiana
L
PHOLE?
STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE
U
nique, confusing, and fantastic are all adjectives one might use if asked to describe Sabine Lake fishing with a single word. I fully agree with these, along with a slew of others. While we are still reeling from the effects of successive tropical downpours, it is more than painfully evident from a fisheries viewpoint that Sabine Lake is as threatened and fragile right now as it has ever been. 2019 has been an historically poor year for catching speckled trout on Sabine. Just as it seemed we were turning the corner to recovery, Tropical Storm Imelda dumped forty inches of rain on our heads, setting us back to square one, and then some. For months now we have lamented the state of the Sabine trout fishery and folks like Dickie Colburn have been encouraging anglers to release all that they catch in hope of providing a spawning boost to the beleaguered stocks. Many have adopted this proactive stance while others, unfortunately, continue to take advantage of the “Louisiana Loophole” to retain even greater numbers of fish. It’s no secret that there are at least two sides to every situation and this has been going on for quite some time. This, however, may be coming to an end sooner than some would like. I can remember as a kid the first time I ever really caught a boatload of speckled trout. The Louisiana daily bag limit was 50 fish in those days. While 50 may seem a staggering number by today’s standards, it was actually the first bag limit Louisiana enacted for the species. Prior to that there was no limit. Here in Texas, the first speckled trout bag limit was enacted in 1978 and provided anglers the opportunity to keep 20 per day at a minimum length of 12 inches. Then came the infamous 1983 freeze and the limit was reduced to 10 fish with a 14 inch minimum length. Back to that boatload of fish, my friend and I stood ankle deep in trout as the floor of the 18foot center console we were fishing from was being flooded with dozens of speckled trout from a huge school under working gulls. Every cast was a keeper and we were hellbent on catching TSFMAG.com | 21
a “limit.” Let me tell you, 100 trout is a bunch of fish any way you look at it. Eventually, the limits on both sides of the border were reduced – first 25 and then 15 at 12 inches minimum for southwest Louisiana, and 10 at 15 inches minimum in Texas. Why is this such a big issue? It’s because Sabine is a border lake with two sets of regulations, with the primary deciding factor being where you fish and where you launch. I can’t count how many times I’ve been asked to explain the regs to visiting anglers. No matter how hard I try it’s always complicated. The way things stand at present, the simplest and safest approach is to possess a valid fishing license and abide by the laws of the state from which you launch your boat. This simple solution works for most folks but there’s always somebody trying to pull a “Louisiana Shuffle” – meaning they launch from Texas and try to sneak back with a Louisiana limit. Another version is Texas fishermen trailering across the bridge to launch, solely for the purpose of taking advantage of the more generous daily bag. I am completely against this practice, and for my own personal reasons. In fact, when I fish Calcasieu I require everyone on my boat to abide by Texas limits, even though we could legally keep Louisiana limits. To rub salt in the wound, I see folks advertising like carnival barkers, catering to the greedy about how many more fish they can keep if they play the loophole game to the fullest. But that may soon become a thing of the past. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries recently released data suggesting their speckled trout population, statewide (not just Sabine and Calcasieu), is in great decline and measures to correct the situation may soon be forthcoming. In other words a limit reduction is likely pending and that will do nothing but help the Sabine Lake fishery at a time when it needs it most. On September 1 this year, TPWD rolled the five trout limit that had prevailed on the Lower and Middle Coasts all the way to the Louisiana border. Since 2014 the Upper Coast had been spared and still operated under the old 10 fish rule. Many of us on Sabine sat back and 22 | November 2019
Gateway to the Louisiana Loophole.
A view from the Texas boat launch, directly across from the Louisiana launch ramp.
worried what would happen when the 5 fish limit went statewide. The fear that Houston anglers would make the drive east to descend upon Sabine like a plague and take advantage of the “Louisiana Loophole” was rampant. That it might happen when Sabine’s trout population was seemingly at an all-time low made it even scarier. If by chance you don’t think that’s a real possibility, just cruise the boat launches on the Louisiana side during November when the Texas flounder limit is restricted to two fish. Ninetypercent of the trucks and trailers will be sporting Texas plates. If and when the speckled trout population rebounds, you can bet there will be a huge increase in the number of Texas anglers trailering across the border unless the Louisiana limit is reduced. According to the LDWF reports, the Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) and Spawning Potential Ratio (SPR) – data that was allegedly leaked to media before being fully vetted by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. SSB and SPR are considered critically important in the evaluation and formulation of fisheries management plans. If the data in these graphs is indeed accurate, LDWF may be forced to enact changes to reverse the trends.
Louisiana has the most liberal creel limits on speckled trout of any Gulf state, but that may be about to change. (Reprinted with permission from Louisiana Sportsman Magazine – Chris Berzas photo)
CHUCK UZZLE
CONTACT
speckled trout population has taken a substantial downturn across the board and the committee is considering action in the very near future. The limit reduction by Louisiana will curb some of the pressure on the fishery and promote the population rebound regardless of what some might think. The numbers published in the report are eye-opening to say the least. The specifics of the report are readily accessible on the internet. Though it appears necessary, a ton of folks will be impacted by the decision to reduce the Louisiana limit and it will surely become a red hot topic all across the Sportsman’s Paradise. The power struggle that will ensue could be more entertaining to watch than a heavyweight championship boxing match. In the meantime anglers here on Sabine will sit and wait for things to get better and hope for a much-improved fall season, compared to the last two years, anyway. The speckled trout were showing signs of coming back to life in late summer, before Imelda came on the scene. The redfish population will stay strong and largemouth bass fishing has become borderline phenomenal, but the trout are relatively non-existent compared to years past. They say that everything comes and goes and then comes back again. I hope that’s the case for our fishery. It’s been a difficult stretch here on Sabine but with a little help from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries we could be on our way to a rebound. I hope to see those days again when we lose track of how many fish we caught and leave them biting as we head back to the dock.
Chuck fishes Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes from his home in Orange, TX. His specialties are light tackle and fly fishing for trout, reds, and flounder. Phone 409-697-6111 Email wakesndrakes@yahoo.com Website wakesndrakes.com
TSFMAG.com | 23
big
Barra STORY BY JOE RICHARD
Master of the grass flats in the Florida Keys, Caribbean and Bahamas, a big ‘cuda will attack almost anything crippled or flashy.
acuda L
ast summer, after a close encounter with an epic barracuda off Port O’Connor, I was reminded of my various run-ins over the years with this cruel predator. (If it’s fair to label one species meaner than the next…since even trout are pretty hard on live shrimp). Off the Texas coast, ‘cudas lurk around virtually all offshore platforms and sunken wrecks sitting in blue water. I’ve never heard of a ‘cuda reaching the jetties in Texas, though it could happen if blue water stacked up there for a few days. But platforms out there in our state waters? No problem.
Barracuda in deep blue water.
Author in a small dory off the Bahamas, trolling for grouper but catching ‘cuda. This one jumped on photographer Pete Churton’s bare legs, and a big treble hook had to be pried loose.
Marilyn Giessel off Port O’Connor with a cuda that ate a live bait meant for kingfish.
26 | November 2019
Back to my gorilla ‘cuda story. We were drifting next to a platform within sight of the beach, fighting big Spanish and also some 25-pound kingfish, all on 12-pound spin tackle. Our supply of spoons was dwindling – we had no wire, just 40-pound fluorocarbon leaders. Amy and I both landed 25-pound kings, which took us around the boat a few times. Several four- and five-pound Spanish mackerel were also brought in and kept. Finally, on that borrowed boat, I found a short wire leader and circle hook, and soon attached it to a bigger Ambassador 7000 reel filled with heavier line. A live pinfish was attached and tossed out there, and within a minute that rod took a deep bend. It felt like a bigger kingfish, so I put on the fighting belt. The fish stayed deep but I worked it closer, and we assumed it was another kingfish of the same size. Suddenly there was a big thump on the line, which then began to tremble. The fish now came up easier. Sure enough it was an identical four-foot kingfish, but bitten almost in half, the tail end hanging by a thread. We peered down in the murky blue depths, and spotted something bigger, maybe seven feet long, it had to be a shark. It was cautious, wouldn’t grab the kingfish again, so I lowered the near-lifeless king deeper. Sure enough, the big shape eased up for another bite. I cranked the kingfish to the surface, and this massive ‘cuda followed, chomping down and churning the water. It’s length was shocking; I’ve scuba dived for many years and never seen anything like it. On top of the water it was easily 6.5 feet, and likely weighed 80 pounds or more. And he was hungry, tearing the kingfish to pieces. Magnified underwater through a mask, that ‘cuda would have looked over nine feet long, which is not something I ever care to see. We were shocked, but Amy somehow managed to take pictures with her cell phone. This ‘cuda was cagey, and each time had to be lured back to the surface for another bite. He seemed to think that our kingfish belonged to him. We could only surmise the huge ‘cuda had seen a number of boats and hooks during its long life. Finally, I picked up the remainder of the kingfish, posed for a picture, and tossed it overboard. What I should have done, is chop off a couple pounds of kingfish meat and lower it back down with a hook attached. Down deep in the dim lighting, perhaps that cagey giant would have grabbed on. Without even trying, I’d missed a new state record by as much as 30 pounds, since the present state record is 52.8 pounds and five feet, three inches long. Also caught the first week in September. Maybe it was all for the best. Somewhere on our boat there was maybe a two-foot hand gaff, or perhaps none at all, and landing that beast might have cost us a hand or an arm. ‘Cudas have been known to jump into boats and maim people for no reason, and this was one fish we didn’t want to provoke. I like to think he’s still lurking out there now, waiting for our next trip. His presence offshore reminds me of a line from the movie Platoon: “Somewhere out there is the beast, and he hungry.” Bigger ‘cudas are out there. Years ago, Clear Lake’s Tom Gibson, now retired from NASA, who has held a dozen
Marine Audio and Performance
LOA 24’10” beam 8’6” FUEL 80 Gal A 27-inch transom setback for flat and shallow hole shot
350HP Mercury Verado Pro All-aluminum custom trailer
www.TurnerBoatworks.com *INCLUDES MEDIA MASTER 100 WITH BOAT PURCHASE!
Stereo Lighting Service
OFFICIAL TEXAS DEALER
Rigging Aluminum Fabrication Upholstery and Detailing
LIQUID RIDES • 2602 FM 521 Rd • Brazoria, TX 77422 • 979-798-0123 *LIMITED TIME ONLY - RESTRICTIONS APPLY
TSFMAG.com | 27
This record-sized ‘cuda off Port O’Connor hit last September, chowing down on our kingfish estimated at 25 pounds. This cuda appeared to be 6.5 feet long, surpassing the current state record by 18 inches or so.
Author in July with cuda at the beach in Stuart, Florida.
28 | November 2019
platform, catch a couple of ‘cudas, and secure fresh cut bait for the trip. Except for heavy fishing pressure in Southeast Florida, ‘cudas are doing quite well. They’re an extremely versatile fish: In the Caribbean I’ve seen them parked in three feet of water under piers, or a mat of sargassum weed against the shore. They stack up inside offshore Gulf platforms, or shallower navigation towers off Florida. And they lurk on the vast, sandy flats of The Bahamas, hoping for a bonefish meal. They also wander in deep, blue water. And ‘cudas are so mean, they don’t even like each other. When I was 16, I was invited to fish three days and nights off Key West in my uncle’s 18-foot boat. We stayed fairly shallow but caught lots of fish – they were plentiful back then. However, it was the local cudas that impressed me most. We hooked a few that were three feet long, and these were often cut in half by five-foot ‘cudas weighing at least 40 pounds, and right beside the boat. It was savage action in clear water, for someone used to fishing Sabine Lake. I was so impressed by the area’s action and beauty, that we trailered small boats from Port Arthur to Key West nearly every summer for the next decade. We had lots of adventures out there, and the ‘cudas we saw would scare the bejeebers out of most people.
JOE RICHARD
Joe Richard has fished the Gulf since 1967, starting out of Port Arthur, but his adventures have taken him up and down the entire coast. He was the editor of Tide magazine for eight years, and later Florida Sportsman’s book and assistant magazine editor. He began guiding out of Port O’Connor in 1994. His specialty is big kingfish, and his latest book is The Kingfish Bible, New Revelations. Available at Seafavorites.com
CONTACT
world and state record fish (mostly tarpon), saw a ponderous ‘cuda while fishing in Gabon, West Africa where the big fish bite. “It grabbed a trolled Magnum Rapala. In that murky water, we first thought it was a crocodile, it looked eight feet long. Near the boat, it bit through my 200-pound mono leader.” Years later in 2013, Tom was back in Africa, again in Gabon, trolling Rapalas for record tarpon. That’s when a 102-pound, new all-tackle world record ‘cuda hit and was landed. And with the very same tackle, though this time the leader wasn’t cut. It was a Guinean barracuda, slightly different with chevrons (side stripes) rather than the black spots found on ‘cudas on our side of the Atlantic. Gibson told me that ‘cudas in the Gulf of Mexico are thicker than Guinean ‘cudas, and if my fish was over 6.5 feet long, it may have exceeded 100 pounds. We’ll never know, unless somebody finally catches that big devil next summer. Or even this winter further offshore, where ‘cudas migrate in colder weather. ‘Cudas are passed over as a food fish in some regions, and welcomed in others areas. Why? They often carry ciguatera poisoning, after eating many small algae-eating fish that live among coral reefs. The bigger the ‘cuda and proximity to coral, the more likely it is to carry this toxin, which when consumed can poison people with a list of unpleasant symptoms. There is an ongoing advisory against eating ‘cudas from around the Flower Gardens reefs about 90 miles offshore of Galveston, however coral also grows on Gulf platforms. In addition, ‘cudas are bluewater wanderers spanning the globe. Perhaps 20 years ago, several Texas anglers were stricken by this toxin after catching and eating a ‘cuda from state water rigs off Port Mansfield. Cooking doesn’t neutralize the toxin and there is no cure, but death at least is rare. The barracuda is more welcomed by deep-drop anglers, who require fresh, tough cut bait when bottom fishing 500 to 1,000 feet down. That’s a long ways, and they want bait that will really stay on the hook. The trick to targeting ‘cudas out there is to fast-troll past a bluewater
TSFMAG.com | 29
30 | November 2019
GG_TexasSaltwaterFishingFullPage_Product_Ad2_8_1875x10_75_2019_OL_Final.indd 1
10/1/19 2:35 PM
TSFMAG.com | 31
THERE’S A NEW
SHERIFF IN TOWN I T ’ S A FROGG!
That’s right, frogg toggs! We’ve made our presence known in the fly-fishing world with gear like our award-winning Sierran Transition™ wader that is equipped with an oversized zip/flip tray that serves as a workstation and general catchall, making it a must for the butterfingered angler. Our Sierran Transition Z™ wader was created for the guy who carries every fly he owns. It has more pockets than you can shake a rod at, including felt-lined hand warmer pockets. Plus, you can access your shirt pockets through the waterproof zippered front. To see all of our waterproof gear, visit froggtoggs.com/TSF.
Designed for you, created for the outdoors.
USE PROMO CODE 25TEXAS FOR 25% OFF OUR SIERRAN TRANSITION WADERS! Promo code valid through January 15, 2020.
32 | November 2019
Adrian Gray Photo
SEE YOUR COMPETITION
THE MACK PELAGIC POLARIZED™ represents the highest evolution in marine-grade polarized optics. Designed to give anglers an acute edge to SEE THE COMPETITION, our multi-layer polarization system delivers the most-optically correct and visually accurate lens on the market today. Purposely built for “life on the water” where harsh, salty, and ever-changing conditions can often persist for days on end, Pelagic Polarized Sunglasses combine the latest optical technologies to create the ultimate visual advantage both on and off the water. Period. Pelagic Polarized Mineral Glass Technology was specifically developed for fishing to deliver an unsurpassed level of clarity, contrast, & visual accuracy when it counts the most. PELAGICGEAR.COM
TSFMAG.com | 33
34 | November 2019
THE
BONETSHETWGAETEAR R FACE GUARDS SUN PROTECTION
STYLE FM40 MSRP: $22.95
BLACK PMS 802C COOL GREY 8C
• Quick dry fabric for all day comfort. • Feather weight breathable material. • Superior construction and fit. • Vented mouth reduces fogging • UPF 50+ sun protection.
HALF FINGER GUIDE GLOVE
STYLE FM11 SIZES:M-2XL MSRP: $29.95
• Extended cuff for UV protection. • Quick dry breathable fabric for all day comfort. • Synthetic leather palm non-slip grip adds comfort and support. • Exposed fingertips for ultimate fish, boat and tackle management.
Find a dealer near you at:
www.fishmonkeygloves.com
TSFMAG.com | 35
36 | November 2019
832-837-4818 www.safe-floor.com safefloor
TSFMAG.com | 37
Lowell Odom poses for a quick photo before releasing a solid six-pounder.
J AY WAT K I N S
ASK THE PRO
TRANSITION PERIOD
STRATEGIES
Last month I spoke about angler focus, and focus is never more important than during a transition period such as we have right now on our mid-coast bays. Mike McBride hates the word transition. He says it is a crutch for anglers who are unwilling to put forth sufficient effort to discover patterns and catch fish in tough conditions. Truth is, though, transition periods are real and can be defined simply as times during which fish move from one area to another. These can occur seasonally, daily, and even hourly. Confusing, I know, but I think I have developed some strategies that will help us pattern fish during these changes. I recently had a fun night speaking to a packed house at the Aransas Bay CCA chapter meeting. Angler focus was my primary topic. Toward the end of the evening an attendee spoke up and said, “But, Jay, the fish always seem to be in front of you.” While I can neither confirm nor deny whether that is true, I can tell you that my focus certainly becomes more intense on tough days. Seldom are my anglers too far left or right for the fish to only be in front of me. I want my anglers in a wade line with me, not one here, one back there, and one who
38 | November 2019
knows where. A more compact line allows me to coach in tighter ranks, which allows the whole group to benefit from the lesson. It can also be said that it is an excellent way to establish the “feed line” in which the majority of the actively feeding fish might be holding. It’s easy to understand how focusing on every cast and retrieve can increase the odds of getting bites but it is not just the obvious aspects that deserve our focus. I teach my anglers to focus on the small things that can show us where fish are holding and how they might be feeding during transitional periods. Selecting the proper location is always a key and the presence of bait is a given. During transitional periods I feel that fish stage, waiting in something of a limbo state for conditions to become stable. I believe stability creates comfort and comfort creates more instinctive reactions from fish. No science here, just my observations. Fish in my so-called limbo state must be in an area that allows for quick feeding when feeding opportunities arise. I would certainly prefer the area to have a windward position but leeward drop-offs adjacent to suitable shallow grass flats also work well. Right now I am
finding that the majority of my better fish are holding along edges of submerged grass that lie parallel to shallow sandbars and guts. The area of larger submerged grassbeds affords a greater area in which they can ambush bait versus smaller grassbeds. I noticed recently all the trout we were catching had extremely dark backs and their spots were very pronounced. It was obvious they had adjusted their coloration to blend with the grassy habitat – geckos do this all the time. When we released those fish they blended into the grass in an incredible way. Actually, they just disappeared. I also noticed that I had to allow my lure to brush the top of the grass to get a bite. I could sometimes feel the lure swimming through the grass on the take. Notice I used the word take. To me, a take is a slight heaviness on the line that is nearly undetectable without a very high-quality rod. Not trying to sell you a rod but this is a fact; I see it day after day on my boat. A highly-sensitive rod also allows for quicker detection of the take, leading to quicker reeling to load the rod, followed by setting the hook. These limbo fish can spit the hook in a heartbeat so you have to be ready. Light takes or bites should be met with the same aggressive hookset as a solid strike. I suggest a tighter than normal drag if you’re missing fish or if fish are surfacing and shaking loose. Many times under the guise of checking an angler’s knot I have reached over and tightened their drag without them knowing, hoping to assist them hooking the soft takes the fish are giving us. It is natural for finicky fish to come immediately to the surface when they feel the pressure of the line. They instinctively try to dislodge whatever is stuck in their mouth and a violent headshake is their way of getting rid of it. I want my rod tip down with the tip close or even below the surface whenever this scenario starts to play out. It goes completely against what many believe but it works beautifully. The water becomes something of a shock absorber that dampens the fish’s effort to get
Robert Gootee releases his career-best redfish.
rid of the hook. I also believe they tire more quickly with the added pressure of the water against the rod and the full length of the line. It seems to work for me. I land far more big fish than I lose. Now that we have covered some areas where fish might hold during changing conditions, it is also important to note that fish move in and out of these areas constantly, so you could say they are literally in transition most of the time. (Sorry Mike for using that word again, but it fits here.) This is where having your wading partners spaced in a fairly tight line running perpendicular to the shoreline is critical. I also like to keep the ranks fairly tight when wading larger areas of grass and sand flats. One bite along the line stops the whole group! Nothing irritates me more than the guy who believes the way to catch more fish is to cover more water. The only way this might possibly be true is if the angler cannot interpret signs of fish in front of him. For those that possess greater fish savvy, the slow and deliberative method of working an area seems to pay larger dividends. When in wading formation as described above we can see the movement of fish by way of bites occurring along the line. Early might be the shallow guy’s time and then after the sun starts to rise our mid-line guys start sticking a few. Later, it’s the outside guy’s time to do some damage. This is natural as fish pull off a shoreline and move deeper as the sun rises. If we are paying close attention to the details – time of day, conditions during these times, and solunar feeding periods, patterns are more readily interpreted and success rates rise. As the line of anglers pushes slowly forward, bait as well as gamefish may be bumped forward. Notice I said bumped and not spooked. Spooked is fleeing from danger or something obviously out of the norm. Bumped is a sense that something might not be quite right. Bumped fish will still eat, I have seen them do it. Had a flounder yesterday bump from her bed and stop a few yards away. I yelled to
That’s Mike Kuhn behind the mask, preparing to release a good red that ate a MirrOlure Soft Dine.
TSFMAG.com | 39
40 | November 2019
good fishing skills and consistent catching is more likely to be achieved. With so many changes occurring, it has become more important for today’s anglers to be aware of all that is happening around them and to understand what is natural and what is manmade, which is probably an article in itself. You need to be aware of everything that is taking place around you and then be able to adjust your fishing techniques to fit the conditions of the season, the day, and the hour. The ability to adjust, coupled with angler focus and skill, will definitely lead to more success on the water. I have found over the past five years that my adjustments during a day of fishing, my focus and my patience, are being tested more than ever before. Boat traffic, weather, and people on the water don’t really bother me because I know I cannot control these aspects. What I can control are my ability to focus and adjust. I am very much enjoying the fourth quarter of my fishing career. The bar is continually being raised in the Fish Smart category and I love the challenge. May your fishing always be catching! -Guide Jay Watkins
C O N TA C T
one of my guys; “Watch this. I just bumped a flounder and she stopped right here in front of me.” My lure hit the water and she ate. But like the guy said; “The fish are always in front of me.” Had I spooked her she would have left a vapor trail. A trolling motor or push pole might bump a school of reds but they will settle quickly and resume feeding. A 350 horsepower outboard spooks them and it takes longer for them to settle down. With this said, I try to approach at idle speeds and stop well short of the location I plan to wade. We can learn from what we see if we truly want to learn. I see a school of mullet jumping out in water about four feet deep in front of my boat and I’m thinking boat noise bumped a school of trout or reds and they are spooking bait as they move away. The late Howard Brown put me onto this many years ago on a calm morning in California Hole. Had the gamefish spooked we’d have seen telltale wakes as they streaked across the shallows toward the deeper water. But that didn’t happen. Given the distance from the boat noise they merely bumped, and their slow movement toward deeper water is what spooked the mullet. When wading, if I see a mullet jump 50 yards in front of one of my guys I make sure he saw it or knows that I saw it. A gamefish that we bumped may have spooked the mullet. I want my waders to be constantly aware when positive signs are being observed. If I can see bottom structure in the area where the mullet jumped I bring this to everyone’s attention. Keeping the guys advised of such observations helps create a positive vibe and I’m a big believer that a positive attitude leads to positive things happening. Blend this with
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
EL PESCADOR
RECOGNIZED AS TEXAS’ PREMIER CUSTOMIZED BOAT
24CAT New 21CAT Now Available THE SMALLER VERSION OF OUR 24CAT
Experience the Ultimate
Fast, Dry, and Smooth Ride with El Pescador Boats - 24 or 21CAT
SPECIFICATIONS • Overall length 24’4” • Beam - 101’
• Draft - 7.5” • Will run in 4”
• Will get up in 10” • Hull weight 1620 lbs.
• Maximum 300HP • Fuel capacity - 60 gallons
For more information or a demo ride, call
979-292-5144
ElPescadorBoats.com TSFMAG.com | 41
Nothing wrong with doing a little bird watching.
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
A FISHERMAN’S JOURNEY “I have never cared about setting world records, or filling my boat with fish, or, for that matter, even catching fish. I go for the experience of spending six hours in the arms of the ocean, never thinking of a single thing except chasing fish.” -Jimmy Buffet
Enjoy every sunrise!
42 | November 2019
Couldn’t have said it any better myself. What I love about the shallow-water sight-casting game is the hunt. It’s about patrolling the marsh from high atop my poling platform and trying to figure out what the redfish are doing on this particular day at this moment. It’s about putting the pieces of the puzzle together; the season, the wind, the tide, the time of day and their food source. It’s about soaking it all in, processing the thoughts and coming up with answers. It isn’t about catching as many fish as possible by whatever means necessary. It isn’t about trying to catch that perfect twenty-seven and three-quarter-inch, nine pound tournament red. It isn’t about trying to fill my freezer with enough fish to last all year. It is about taking a moment to size up
the fish’s attitude. It is about deciding whether he’s aggressively attacking anything that moves, looking for a quick snack or just chilling. It is about planning the approach and setting up for the shot without alerting the target. It is about executing the perfect cast and watching as the red is fooled into eating the fake. Sometimes it is about landing the fish, sometimes that doesn’t even matter. Sometimes it is about watching the fish swim safely away to fight another day and sometimes it is about satisfying the hunter instinct by making a meal of my prey. Some days I find myself poling around just observing with zero intentions of even making a cast. The day’s reward might be simply observing how a redfish goes about searching a shoreline for his meal. It might be following a school of feeding fish through the marsh watching as their prey flies out of the water in a vain attempt to escape. Often times it isn’t even about the fish. I can sit and watch some deer over on Matagorda Island. Or I might stop everything to watch an osprey on the hunt. In the next few weeks the endangered whooping cranes will arrive and I get a front row seat to their antics. I fully understand that my way isn’t the only way to enjoy time on the water, but it is where I have arrived after many years of fishing. I was once the kid trying to catch every fish in the bay. Later I was the young man trying to string the biggest to feed my growing ego and prove I belonged among the salts I admired. Then along came the tournament phase where I had to judge my skills against the rest of the crowd. I wouldn’t change anything about the course of that journey. I’ve had fun with every step and I certainly don’t begrudge anyone else following their own path, so long as they do so ethically and within the legal boundaries. Now as I look towards checking off another year on this spinning rock I no longer have the desire to compare myself to others. I no longer feel the need to catch the most or the biggest. More and more often I’m finding that just capturing a good photo of a feeding redfish is reward enough. I only want to fully enjoy what I do every day and make sure my grandkids have the opportunity to experience the cool places and sights I’ve seen. I want them to see a shower of baby shrimp shooting out of the water as a herd of reds plows down a shoreline. I want them to watch as a solitary redfish roots a crab out of the mud. I want them to grin as a reddish egret dances like a fool
through the shallows with its wings spread while chasing tiny baitfish in circles. Most of all I want them to realize that getting out there and seeing these things for themselves instead of looking it up on the internet is possible...and pretty dang cool.
Capturing an image like this can be as much fun as fishing sometimes.
This guy was so intent on capturing a meal that he never noticed I was watching.
C O N TA C T
Sometimes it’s still all about the fish!
Capt. Scott Null is a devout shallow water fisherman offering guided adventues via kayak, poled skiff, and wading. Telephone Email Website
281-450-2206 captscottnull@gmail.com www.captainscottnull.com
TSFMAG.com | 43
B y D r. C a r e y G e l p i | E c o s y s t e m Le a d e r o f S a b i n e Lake Marine Lab, TPWD Coastal Fisheries
FIELD NOTES
THE HISTORY AND ECOLOGICAL VALUE OF THE SABINE LAKE OYSTER REEF Many people probably don’t realize it, but Sabine Lake supports one of the largest unharvested oyster reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. The reef covers approximately four-square miles with sections of vertical relief that approach ten feet off the bottom. Sabine Lake is the freshest estuary on the Texas coast receiving freshwater inflow from both the Sabine and Neches Rivers. This can cause the water of Sabine Lake to remain quite fresh for extended periods of time, which is not optimal for oyster survival. Oysters however are resilient animals that will find the appropriate conditions to settle, grow, and can eventually consolidate to produce a reef if left unharvested. One of the interesting things about the present-day Sabine Lake Oyster Reef is that it is relatively new. An 1840
Image 1. Map of Sabine Lake produced in 1840 from surveys done by the U.S. Corps of Topographical Engineers.
44 | November 2019
map (Image 1) of Sabine Lake and the eastern boundary of the newly-formed Republic of Texas illustrates the existence of a reef that, at the time, was located in the Sabine Pass Channel, and not in its present-day location several miles to the north. Another striking feature of this map is the bathymetry measurements, or the depth of the water, that show the mouth of the pass as shallow as three feet! This shallow mouth bar was not conducive to shipping traffic. In the late 1800s, dredging operations began creating a shipping channel to service the growing industry around Sabine Lake. This also coincided with a sudden and short-lived oyster harvest on par with other major oyster producing areas at the time such as Galveston Bay and Matagorda Bay. The original Sabine Lake Oyster Reef, located in the channel, was completely harvested by 1904. However, that was not the end of oyster reefs in Sabine Lake, it was actually the beginning of the present-day Sabine Lake Oyster Reef. After dredging of the main channel had begun, saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico was able to make its way further up into the lake, which shifted the optimal area for oyster growth from the Sabine Pass channel to the southern end of the lake where the reef now grows, just north of the causeway bridge, straddling the Texas/ Louisiana border. This relocated reef has grown essentially unharvested for the last 100-plus years. Fast-forward to modern times‌.. Though previously off limits, Louisiana began to consider harvesting their side of the Sabine Lake Oyster Reef in the early
TSFMAG.com | 45
in higher abundances at the near reef stations, small animals that may not be captured in a trawl can reside in the nooks and crannies of a reef, and newly-settled oyster spat and other such organisms can attach to the oyster structure; all of which provide a solid foundation for an intricate food web. Crabs and shrimp, which were sampled in much greater numbers at near reef stations, also take advantage of refuge and food availability provided by oyster reefs. Ultimately, reef habitat supports many of the fish species that anglers target, and though often unseen, it is such an important component for increased fishing benefits and the overall health of an estuary. In 2018, Louisiana signed a bill into law that makes it illegal to harvest oysters on Louisiana’s side of Sabine Lake, while during this time, TPWD has continued efforts to expand oyster reef habitat in the Lake. In 2015, over 1,200 river rock mounds were placed directly adjacent to the existing reef. This has provided excellent substrate for oyster spat settlement and the consolidation of a new reef has been ongoing ever since. This work will be expanded in the near future through additional cultch placement with the help of Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and Hurricane Harvey Relief funds that will further ensure a productive future for the historic Sabine Lake Oyster Reef.
Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or tpwd.texas.gov for more info. Image 2. Sampling grids used during Sabine Lake Oyster Reef study.
2000s because several unfortunate environmental and manmade disturbances, including hurricanes and overharvest, had severely depleted the state’s other oyster grounds. As a result of this push by the state of Louisiana to harvest, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department conducted a year-long study in 2007 to document the ecological value of the reef in terms of habitat the reef provided to fish and invertebrate communities. Samples were collected using an 18 foot-8 inch shrimp trawl that was pulled directly next to the reef (near reef ) and at varying distances from the reef (off reef, Image 2). Bay anchovy, Atlantic croaker, star drum, sand seatrout, and white and brown shrimp, were the most abundant species sampled overall. Near reef sampling yielded 70% of all collected organisms including fish, crustaceans, mollusks, cnidarians, and bryozoans. Of all the fish collected, alligator gar was the only species taken exclusively from the off-reef area, while 15 fish species were taken exclusively from the near reef area. The results of this study illustrate the ecological value of the Sabine Lake Oyster Reef and its importance to fish and invertebrate communities in the Lake, making a strong case for its preservation. Many savvy anglers likely know the value of structure, such as oyster reefs, in terms of fish production. The results of TPWD’s year-long study comparing open lake versus reef associated habitats provide insight as to why fishing can be particularly good around an oyster reef. In addition to finding more species 46 | November 2019
Image 3. Catch rates of species sampled during Sabine Lake Oyster Reef study.
beat the high cost of bait
Super Spreader Cast Net BY TSFMAG STAFF EDITORS
Super Spreader Cast Net with four-foot radius is a great tool for gathering your own bait. All it takes is a little practice.
1 1) Jake studies a school of mullet approaching the shoreline grass. 2) Practice until your net flies like a frisbee! 3) A couple good casts can fill a bucket with fresh, lively finger mullet. 4) Horse mullet make great cut bait - 12” is the max legal length during October through January.
2
Bait prices vary along the Texas coast but, no matter where you buy it, it will never be as cheap as catching your own. And you can put that in your book! The majority of our readers are pretty serious lure enthusiasts, some are purists and some go both ways. Even if you are that serious lure chunker and never use live bait, what do you do when you have a couple kiddos or first-timers on your boat and the goal is a tug on their line? They might get lucky with a scented soft plastic dangling under a cork. Their best chances of feeling that tug, though, are more likely with a lively baitfish. Back to the price of bait – a dozen live croaker will set you back $10, ditto live finger mullet. Provided they haven’t already sold out for the day. Frozen mullet for cut bait goes for $5 a pound. Live shrimp are $20 a quart. Frozen bait shrimp costs $4.50 per box (about a half pound); fresh dead averages $5 per pound. Bait for a family fishing trip can gobble up a $50 bill as quickly as you can pluck it from your billfold. The net we used in this article is a 4’ radius Super Spreader RS-750 by Fitec. It retails most places for under $25. With a bit of care it can last several years and catch a veritable ton of bait. Compare that with a $50 bait bill for a single outing. Trying to catch live croaker or shrimp with a cast net probably won’t work too well but mullet, pinfish, mud minnows, and others can be gathered quite handily – and they make dynamite bait for all Texas inshore gamefish species. All you need is a little practice throwing the net and you can do that in your backyard. Capt. Jake Huddleston has been throwing a cast net since he learned to walk. His granddad made his first little two-footer with pieces of water hose instead of lead weights so he could practice in the living room. Grandpa added sections of mesh and eventually lead weights when Jake was big enough to swing a real net. Jake was happy to help when asked to help with this article. Advantages of catching your own bait, besides the obvious savings, are being able to catch it just about anywhere you decide to fish, and the simplicity of keeping it alive. A dozen mullet or mud minnows will live for hours in a pail of water or flow-through floating bait bucket – no fancy livewell required. No worries if you run out; grab the net and catch more. If the fish aren’t biting, you can dump leftover bait back in the water. Sure beats watching a $50 bill swim away! Probably the biggest problem beginning cast netters have to overcome is starting with too big a net. Everybody wants their first casts to fly like frisbees but that ain’t going to happen with a big net. Your first throws will probably land more like a pumpkin than a flying saucer. Start small, just like Grandpa did with Jake. Practice makes perfect. The first thing is getting your net to open fully during flight. Then comes accuracy. It will do zero good to throw a perfectly flat net that lands ten feet from a school of juicy mullet. Lots of how-to videos on YouTube and other internet sources. One or two evenings of practice should have you throwing a net and ready to catch bait like a champ. Good fishing to you…and don’t forget to take the kiddos. They’ll love you for it!
3
4 TSFMAG.com | 47
I don’t believe I have seen anybody as excited as Nikki with her first snook.
DAV E R O B E R T S
K AYA K F I S H I N G C H R O N I C L E S
SNOOKTOPIA 2019 –
THE WRAP UP!
Continuing from last month --- I have already been in South Florida fishing for snook several days. The fishing has been incredible thus far with some very nice fish landed, including a few that hit the forty-inch mark. We had a smaller group the first couple of days but more people began rolling into camp on Thursday evening. Friday morning came early and it was tough to get out of bed. However, knowing what might be in store, I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed down to the river. I was greeted by another wonderfully calm morning and some others of our crew were already busy catching bait. As soon as we were satisfied that we had enough bait it was time to put a game plan together – who would fish with who and which direction everybody wanted to explore. Bart and I were set on heading to the same corner where the mangroves met a bulkhead. Bart had an absolute giant break his line there the day before, and we were anxious to see if it was still hanging around. We made our way across the channel accompanied by James and Jonas. Bart and I headed directly to the corner, as we were paddling up we noticed a commotion deep in the mangroves. I staked out at the edge of casting distance from the mangroves and stood up to wait for a fish to swim out. Fifteen painstaking minutes passed and I spotted one easing out. I pitched my mullet in front of the fish and it just swam right past. I sat there another hour and the same scene played over and over; never could get any of them to bite. I moved on and figured I would come back in a few hours and try it again. 48 | November 2019
As I was making my way out Jonas landed a nice lower-30s snook casting at a dock. At least they were eating over there! We continued on and the rest of the day passed slowly. The sun started getting lower and we reconvened on the same flat to replenish our bait supply for the coming night. A plan was hatched to spread out along the area that had produced for us the evening before. The tide was going out as we got settled into our places and we knew the bite wouldn’t likely turn on until it switched. We landed a handful of decent snook and lost a few while waiting for the tide. The downtime was passed with lively conversation of prior Snooktopia trips and other fishing stories. It was very enjoyable just being out there with a friendly group of likeminded people. Gary, who was sitting in the middle, brought up how badly he wanted to beat his personal best snook, which at the time was a thirty-four. “Just wait for the tide to change and it should be easy to beat that one!” Bart yelled out. Right around 10:00 PM the tide finally started to change direction and our attention shifted from conversation to the fishing at hand. Like clockwork, rods started to bend and everybody became busy reeling in mid- to upper-30s snook. At one point the action got so heavy that we could hear and see snook blowing up our free-lined mullet and someone would call out, “Whose is it?” Everyone would reel in anxiously until someone would yell, “Mine!” By around midnight our group had landed a dozen
learned, are things I will carry the rest of my life. Until next year I will be daydreaming about sitting on a flat, cutting up with my friends, and waiting for the tide to turn. Nikki was very proud…in case you didn’t notice.
Gary’s new personalbest forty-incher!
Shawn and Aaron’s double – a thirty-six and a forty-two!
C O N TA C T
snook with the largest measuring a bit over forty inches. Everybody except Gary. We all began to quiz him about his setup and he mentioned he was running straight braid right down to the hook. Bart and James went immediately into guide mode and rigged him with a 60-pound fluorocarbon leader. Gary’s dry spell ended on his second cast with a solid snook. We landed her and he was elated to break his old record with a beautiful forty-incher. We made photos and let her swim away with several rounds of highfives and many jabs about his failure to use a leader the rest of the night. We ran out of mullet at 2:00 AM and decided to call it a night with the snook still biting. Everybody agreed that sleeping late would be a good idea, given the excellent night we’d just put in and the number of great snook that had been landed. We planned a group lunch and it was a good time meeting some of new people. As the conversations went on, it seemed that everyone would be happy to skip the afternoon and prepare for what we all hoped would be another excellent evening. We met on the same flat as the sun was going down to gather bait and one final hoorah. As dark came on we moved into position with a pair of Snooktopia first-timers joining us. Shawn and his sister-in-law, Nikki, had finally managed to mesh their busy schedules and were very excited. Shawn was looking to catch “any larger snook” while Nikki had never caught one. Knowing how things had been, both of these tasks seemed very doable. Donald and I hung back to conserve mullet until the tide changed but insisted Nikki and Shawn should be front and center, soaking a bait. An hour passed with plenty of conversation. It was slow until Nikki’s line began ripping through the water. We coached her to keep the line tight and reel when she could gather line. She brought her close and when we got her in the net, Nikki was literally screaming and jumping up and down in the water. I honestly do not believe I have ever seen anyone as excited to land a fish, and her celebrating made it all the better. Not only had she landed her very first snook, it measured forty inches, and that is an amazing feat in itself. We got plenty of pictures and got the fish revived and released – which more than put the icing on the cake. The tide finally changed and the bite came alive. Nikki continued reeling them in; landing a total of six, I believe. The bite was not as fast-paced as the night before but it was steady. Around 1:00 AM Aaron hung into a big fish and we all knew it was a good one. Shawn hung into one at the same time making it double. Aaron’s fish measured a whopping forty-two inches and the largest of Snooktopia 2019. Shawn’s measured a solid thirty-six. The bite played out around 4:00 AM and everybody agreed it was time to call it a night. I gave them all my goodbyes and best wishes, promising I would return in 2020. Once it was all said and done, the group had landed eight forty-class snook with a couple longer. Even though this was our best year by far, those fish didn’t come easily. I spent forty-five hours on the water during three days of fishing. It was a long three days but it was worth every minute. I was staring straight into a fifteen hour drive but, again, it was worth every minute and I wouldn’t change any of it it for anything. The opportunity to catch giant snook is always worth the effort but, as I have always said, catching fish is simply a bonus. Between the people I have met, the places I have seen and the skills I have
Dave Roberts is an avid kayak-fishing enthusiast fishing primarily the inshore Upper Coast region with occasional adventures to surf and nearshore Gulf of Mexico. Email: TexasKayakChronicles@yahoo.com Website: www.TexasKayakChronicles.com
TSFMAG.com | 49
Photo by Lisa Laskowski Photography
Story by John Blaha
T S F M A G C O N S E R VAT I O N N E W S
CCA TEXAS COMMITMENT TO NEARSHORE REEFING SURPASSES $2.3 MILLION CCA Texas’s Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT) and Building Conservation Trust (BCT) recently approved another $250,000 for nearshore reefing. With this new commitment, CCA Texas and BCT have now directed $2.361 million to nearshore reefing along the Texas coast. This commitment is further cemented by continued active fundraising to provide the necessary dollars for the deployment of more materials into current and future permitted sites along the Texas coast. CCA Texas and BCT are and have been active partners in nine nearshore projects along the Texas coast in the past eight years. These projects include Sabine HI20 Reef; Galveston Big Man Reef; Galveston Kate’s Reef; Freeport Vancouver; Matagorda; Port O’Connor Keeping It Wild; Corpus Christi / Packery Channel; Port Mansfield; and Rio Grande Valley Reef. Freeport’s Vancouver nearshore site was the first site CCA Texas was involved in. CCA Texas contributed $50,000 to the project and secured over 100 concrete culverts and catch basins of different sizes through donations from Old Castle Precast in Houston. In addition, 24 granite and limestone blocks ranging in weights from 2 to 16 tons were deployed as well. Since those material deployments by CCA Texas in August of 2010, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has deployed an additional 800 pyramids into the site. CCA Texas and
BCT funded an additional $10,000 in 2018 that was used to deploy an additional 50 reefing pyramids that were donated by Atlantis Marine Habitats. As CCA Texas’s Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT) habitat initiative began to grow, one of the HTFT committee’s goals was to see a permitted nearshore reefing site out of every Texas port. Some sites were already permitted by TPWD, and others were to still come. CCA Texas approached TPWD about permitting an area out of Port O’Connor and committed the funds to pay for the permitting process. As the permit process was progressing, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s Keeping it Wild Campaign for Texas picked the Port O’Connor nearshore site as one of its project areas. Through the efforts of the TPWD Foundation, CCA, and BCT, $1.0 million were raised to deploy 500 reefing pyramids into the site in early 2017. In addition, Shell Oil contributed the funds to deploy an additional 100 reefing pyramids within the site. CCA Texas and BCT have contributed $700,000 to the Port O’Connor Reefing Site The Corpus Christi/Packery Channel nearshore site began receiving materials in the spring of 2013 with more than 100 culverts and catch basins, and 470 reefing pyramids being deployed. In October 2015, the 155 foot freighter Kinta was sunk within the site, providing more diverse marine life habitat and recreational diving and Photo by Lisa Laskowski Photography
50 | November 2019
fishing opportunities. This project exhibits the power of community support and partnerships through the efforts of TPWD, Saltwater Enhancement Association and CCA Texas. The Lower Texas coast nearshore waters have benefited from the efforts of TPWD, CCA Texas, BCT, Friends of RGV Reef (FRGVR) and others with multiple deployments in the Port Mansfield and Rio Grande Valley Reef out of South Padre Island. CCA Texas and TPWD teamed to deploy more than 4,000 culverts into the Port Mansfield site. These culverts were donated by Alamo Concrete. These culverts provided immediate and close-to-shore fishing opportunities for recreational anglers out of Port Mansfield and continue to provide angling opportunities. The Rio Grande Valley site grew from a dream of local RGV recreational anglers Gary Glick, Bob Glick, Daniel Bryant and others in the community to a 1,600 acre permitted reefing site. This site is the largest ever permitted in the state of Texas and FRGVR is setting the bar high in effort and the amount of materials that have been deployed into the site. To date, the material deployments have been numerous and include more than 50 reefing pyramids, over 87,000 cinder blocks, low relief concrete rubble, and a shrimp boat and tugboat have also been deployed into this reefing site. Concrete railroad ties have been used to create a 500’ long ridge that stands 10- to 15-feet above the seafloor in a location appropriately dubbed “CCA Corner.” Additionally, a 32-foot tall “Mountain” consisting of concrete railroad ties was created within the reefing site. CCA Texas and BCT have committed an additional $150,000 to the RGV Reef, bring the total commitment to this site to $611,000. These funds along with other funds raised by FRGVR will help grow the “Mountain” to a height of 45-feet. An additional ten 200-ton patch reefs, also of concrete railroad ties, will be deployed to “armor” the new CCA nursery reef. This new nursery reef will be constructed from cinder blocks, which have shown to be very effective habitat for a variety of juvenile fish species. FRGVR has laid the foundation of future nearshore reef habitat for the entire Texas coast by implementing varied forms of small, medium and high relief materials that ultimately create life-cycle reefing for all age classes of finfish. The Upper Texas coast nearshore waters began seeing the benefits of the TPWD Nearshore Reefing Program in the fall of 2018. CCA Texas and BCT contributed $211,000 to the Sabine HI20 nearshore site and these funds were used to deploy 200 granite and limestone blocks, and a steel-hulled barge into the Sabine HI20 site. In July 2019, CCA Texas and BCT approved another $100,000 in funding to be used as matching funds with Cheniere Energy. CCA Texas and BCT are currently working with Cheniere to deploy another load of materials in the near future. This new commitment further cements CCA Texas and BCT’s commitment to reefing permitted sites along the entire Texas coast, working with various partners and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Reefing in Big Man’s Reef began in 2018 with the deployment of 180 reefing pyramids and the site received an additional 180 low-relief reefing modules funded by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in September 2019. This combination of low and mid-relief reefing has proven to be effective in the RGV site and CCA Texas and BCT look forward to seeing this trend continue up and down the Texas coast. CCA Texas, BCT and Shell Oil Company have committed $329,000 to the Big Man Reef site, and are currently working with contractors to deploy reefing pyramids. Plans are to have these materials deployed in the winter of 2019/2020.
Photo by Friends of RGV Reef (Curtis Hayungs)
Image by Dr. Richard Kline – University Texas Rio Grande Valley
Photo by Lisa Laskowski Photography
Photo by Lisa Laskowski Photography
For more information about CCA Texas’s and BCT habitat efforts along the Texas coast, please contact John Blaha, CCA Texas Director of Habitat, at jdblaha@ccatexas.org or Patrick Murray, Building Conservation Trust Executive Director, at pdmurray@joincca.org. Both may also be reached at CCA Texas offices at (713) 626-4222. TSFMAG.com | 51
STEPHANIE BOYD
F I S H Y FA C T S
OSPREY Ospreys are large, distinctively shaped hawks whose diet and affinity for coastlines have earned them the nicknames “sea hawk” and “fish hawk.” Their slender bodies and long legs mean that, even with a wingspan reaching nearly six feet, these birds only weigh up to 4.5 pounds. The wings have a characteristic bend at the wrist joints in flight, making an M shape. Their plumage is dark brown on top and bright white underneath, with dark brown patches at the wrist joints, a mottled dark brown necklace, a dark stripe through each eye, and a distinctive white crest on the head. While there is much variation, females often have darker plumage and a more defined necklace than their male counterparts. The feet of this species are pale blue-gray, the beak is black, and the eyes are yellow. Females are also about 20 percent heavier than males, and have a 5 to 10 percent greater wingspan. Because of their plumage coloring and flight shape, ospreys are most often confused with gulls when seen from below. Look for ospreys around nearly any body of fish-filled water. They have a worldwide distribution, wintering or breeding on every continent except Antarctica. That’s because they can eke out a living almost anywhere there are safe nest sites and shallow water with abundant fish. They occupy a broad range of habitats, ranging from mangrove islets of the Florida Keys to Alaskan lakes, 52 | November 2019
from New England salt marshes to the saline lagoons of Baja California. Rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, lagoons, swamps, marshes, and even coral reefs are all fair game. There is only one species of osprey, but there are four subspecies: • Pandion haliaetus carolinensis breeds in North America and the Caribbean, and winters in South America; • Pandion haliaetus haliaetus breeds in Europe/North Africa/Asia and winters in South Africa/India/East Indies; • Pandion haliaetus ridgwayi is non-migratory and resides in the Caribbean, from the Bahamas and Cuba to southeast Mexico and Belize; • Pandion haliaetus leucocephalus is also non-migratory; its range includes Australia and the southwest Pacific. There is some morphological variation between the subspecies, mainly by region. Tropical and subtropical individuals tend to be smaller than individuals that breed at higher latitudes. Cuba and Hispaniola are key migration hubs for our local ospreys hanging out on the east coasts. In fall, these migrants funnel down the Florida peninsula, hop to Cuba, then move east across Haiti and the Dominican Republic. From there they cross the rest of the Caribbean to wind up in South America. Ospreys on the west coast don’t migrate as far, and spend less time crossing ocean. They typically winter in Central America. Ospreys migrate through Texas from March through May
and again from September through November. Some overwinter in Texas, but only a few breed here. An osprey may log more than 160,000 migration miles during its lifetime. Scientists track ospreys by strapping lightweight satellite transmitters to the birds’ backs. The devices pinpoint the bird’s location to within a few hundred yards and last for two to three years. During thirteen days in 2008, one osprey flew 2,700 miles—from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, to French Guiana, South America. The osprey is the only hawk on the continent that eats almost exclusively live fish, and they have several morphological adaptations for this unique lifestyle. These adaptations include relatively long legs (for a raptor); barbed footpads called spicules; long, sharp, curved claws, and a reversible outer toe to aid in gripping slippery fish. That special reversibility means their toes can be held with three forward and one back, or with two forward and two back, an arrangement seen in owls but not in other diurnal raptors. In addition, ospreys have dense oily plumage and efficient nasal valves that prevent water from entering the nostrils when the bird dives to catch a fish. Since they can only dive up to about three feet, they tend to stick to shallower fishing grounds, though they’ll venture out over deeper water if fish are schooling near the surface. Ospreys hunt on the wing (as opposed to from a perch), gliding up to 130 feet above the water. They often hover briefly before diving towards the water surface. Just before hitting the water, the osprey swings its legs forward and sends its wingtips towards the sky, plunging feet-first into the water. It then has to power itself and its prey from the water. Once airborne, the osprey rearranges the fish so that the head is facing forward. Presumably, this makes the fish more aerodynamic and easier to carry. In North America, fish account for 99 percent of the osprey’s diet. The type of fish varies by region; they eat a lot of mullet along the Texas coast. However, they have been observed eating other non-fish prey on occasion, including birds, snakes, voles, squirrels, muskrats, salamanders, conchs, and even a small alligator. Reports of ospreys feeding on carrion are rare, but also not unheard of. They do not generally need to drink water as fish flesh supplies sufficient amounts, although there are reports of adults drinking on hot days. Ospreys are excellent anglers. In medieval times, fish were thought to be so mesmerized by the osprey that they turned belly-up in
surrender. In slightly more recent studies, ospreys caught fish on at least 25 percent of their dives, with success rates sometimes as high as 70 percent. The average time they spent hunting before making a catch was about 12 minutes — something to think about next time you throw your line in the water. Though ospreys don’t have many predators as adults, bald eagles will sometimes chase them and steal their catch. In Africa, Nile crocodiles sometimes kill ospreys bathing or roosting near water. Raccoons, snakes, and other climbers are suspected thieves of eggs and nestlings. Osprey parents try to discourage these nest predators by choosing elevated nest sites with open surroundings. They’re not too picky about the base, as long as it’s close to fish – snags, treetops, utility poles, channel markers, duck blinds, cliffs, humanbuilt platforms, etc. are all acceptable. In fact, artificial platforms have become an important tool in reestablishing ospreys in areas where they had disappeared. Osprey courtships center on nest sites, aerial flight displays, and food. One notable display is the “sky dance,” in which a male carrying a fish or nest material alternates periods of hovering with slow, shallow swoops as high as 600 feet or more above the nest site. Sustaining this display for ten minutes or more, he utters repeated screaming calls while gradually descending in an undulating fashion to the nest. A variation involves the pair circling high together between sky dances. In migratory populations, males and females arrive at the nest site separately, the male often arriving several days earlier. Both sexes collect materials for the nest, but the female arranges most of the materials. Nests are typically constructed of sticks and lined with softer materials such as seaweed, kelp, grasses, or cardboard. A wide variety of flotsam and jetsam may also be incorporated, including fishing line, plastic bags, and nearly anything else that an osprey might find and can lift. Nests on artificial platforms, especially in a pair’s first season, are relatively small, less than 2.5 feet in diameter and three to six inches deep. However, pairs use the same nest year after year, and spend some time each year repairing it and adding materials before eggs are laid. After generations of repeatedly adding materials, ospreys can end up with nests ten to thirteen feet deep and three to six feet in diameter, easily big enough for a human to sit in. Once a pair has established (or re-established) a nest, the male
TSFMAG.com | 53
takes over grocery shopping, and continues until the young fledge. Generally, females that receive more food are more receptive to mating attempts by the male, and are less likely to copulate with other males. Females beg for food from their mates, but will implore neighboring males if they are not well fed by their mate. Nesting ospreys defend only the immediate area around their nest rather than a larger territory. Though generally monogamous, polygyny can occur in rare instances where nest sites are close enough together that a male can defend both. When this occurs, the first nest usually experiences higher reproductive success than the second because the male devotes more resources to that nest. Two to four eggs, creamy white with brown splotches, are laid over a period of several days, each one to two days apart. Both parents incubate the eggs, which hatch in about forty days. Because incubation starts when the first egg is laid, the eggs hatch in the order in which they were laid, each one or two days apart. Chicks that hatch first are larger and have a significant competitive advantage over their younger siblings. If food is abundant, chicks share meals in relative harmony; in times of scarcity, younger ones may starve to death. This happenstance, common in raptors, is called brood reduction. Once the chicks hatch, the female remains with them most of the time. The male typically provides three to ten fish per day, which the female tears up into tiny bites and feeds to the chicks. A male who is also providing food for a mate and offspring during the breeding season will typically consume at least part of the fish before delivering the remainder to the female and chicks. Ospreys do not cache their prey. If a fish is larger than the family can consume, it is discarded. Newly hatched chicks are covered in white down with brown streaks on the face, back, and wings. Charcoal down replaces the white in about ten days. Feathers begin to come in after about two weeks. By one month after hatching, chicks are three quarters the size of their parents. They fledge between 2.5 and 3.5 months old. After fledging, young ospreys begin to hunt on their own. However, they often continue to return to the nest to receive food from their parents for two to eight weeks after fledging. Generally, chicks in migratory populations fledge sooner than those in non-migratory populations since juveniles must be fully independent of their parents by the time the southward migration begins. Juveniles resemble adults, but have a somewhat speckled appearance due to buff-colored feather tips and a less well-defined necklace. Juveniles also have an orange-red eye, rather than the yellow that is typical of adults. Juvenile plumage is replaced by adult plumage by eighteen months of age. Ospreys are sexually mature at approximately three years old, but may not breed until five in areas where nest sites are scarce. Yearling ospreys of migratory populations in both Europe and the U.S. almost always remain on the wintering grounds throughout the year, skipping the breeding migration altogether. This strategy allows young ospreys that are too physically immature to breed to avoid an unnecessary migration. The oldest known osprey in North America was a 25-year-old male in Virginia. He was banded in 1973, and found in 1998. The oldest known female lived to 23 years. However, very few live to this age. Chances of survival from one year to the next varies between populations, but are estimated to be approximately 60 percent for ospreys less than 2 years old and 80 to 90 percent for adult ospreys. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and are a conservation success story. Osprey numbers crashed in the early 54 | November 2019
1950s to 1970s, when pesticides poisoned the birds and thinned their eggshells, but after the U.S. banned DDT in 1972, populations rebounded. As natural nest sites have succumbed to tree removal and shoreline development, specially constructed nest platforms have become vital to their continued recovery. Sadly, a growing cause of death for young ospreys is entanglement at the nest. The adults incorporate baling twine and other discarded lines into their nests, which sometimes end up wrapped around a chick’s feet, injuring it or preventing it from ever leaving the nest. Ospreys are also still shot during migration and on their wintering grounds by fish farmers, even though studies have demonstrated that ospreys take a very small portion of all fish harvested and are not serious competition for commercial and recreational fishing. Indeed, they can be economically beneficial for local economies by boosting ecotourism. Additionally, they are a valuable indicator species for monitoring the long-term health of large rivers, bays, and estuaries. Their piscivorous lifestyle and known sensitivity to contaminants make them well-suited to this role. They are also relatively easy to study because they have conspicuous nests and are tolerant of short-term disturbances by researchers. Really, there’s no downside to these fishy birds! Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches, or its romance. ~ Theodore Roosevelt
Where I learned about ospreys, and you can too! Cornell Lab of Ornithology: All About Birds www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/overview www.allaboutbirds.org/backpacking-ospreys-following-their-migration/ Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Birds of North America birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/osprey/introduction Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Neotropical Birds neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/osprey/overview Audubon: Guide to North American Birds www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/osprey Texas Breeding Bird Atlas txtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/osprey/ American Bird Conservancy abcbirds.org/bird/osprey/ Bird Web www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/osprey Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pandion_haliaetus/ IUCN Red List www.iucnredlist.org/species/22694938/93478747 National Geographic www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/o/osprey/
BLOCKS RUST 5X LONGER
Trusted
Stored in StowAway with Rustrictor
Rusted
Stored in competitor’s tackle box
Relax, we’ll take care of the details!
INTRODUCING THE #1 ANTI-RUST TECHNOLOGY IN FISHING. Rustrictor technology delivers 360º of protection by infusing the entire StowAway with the #1 rust preventative. PLANOMOLDING.COM
TSFMAG.com | 55
Alexis got in the action, too. The jacks were thick this day.
ERIC OZOLINS
E X T R E M E K AYA K F I S H I N G & S H A R K S F R O M T H E S A N D
JACKED UP It all begins with the mullet run. As days grow shorter and water temperatures begin to decline, sexually mature specimens of many game and non-game species migrate to the Gulf of Mexico surf zone for their annual spawning rituals. The lowly striped mullet is one of these and November is one of the peak months – especially in the wake of the first strong cold fronts. You can see them strung out all along the beaches, train upon train, numbering into the millions. In tow will be countless predators – redfish, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, jack crevalle, and even tarpon. Of all these it is the jack crevalle that peaks my excitement meter. Commonly called jackfish, or simply jacks, jack crevalle have earned a reputation as some of the most voracious predators that prowl the surf zone. Pound for pound, these tuna-like speedsters are regarded as one of the strongest fighters in the sea. They run in squads of varying size and slice through schools of mullet pressured into shallow water with military precision. They swim with such speed and attack so vigorously that they can often be seen beaching themselves during pursuit of their food. I am first and foremost a shark fisherman but jack crevalle have always commanded a special place in my heart – both for the incredible fight and the prized shark bait they provide. I absolutely love cruising the beach 56 | November 2019
as the sun is breaking the horizon. The light penetrates the clear water of breaking waves and this is when you can see the jacks on the warpath. Sometimes you may see only one, other times a whole herd of jacks will be storming the waves chasing mullet. There are many methods for catching jacks, my favorite is sight-casting with large lures. Incredibly fast swimmers, jacks feed mostly by sight, zeroing in on a particular target and engulfing it at top speed. Strikes are vicious, to say the least. I have three favorite lure types in my jackfish arsenal. First would be spoons – the larger the better. The beauty of throwing large spoons is the casting distance you can achieve. While the jacks may be slamming bait right at the edge of the surf they might just as likely to be seen working the break along the second bar and beyond. Hence the emphasis on casting distance. Next on the list are large swimbaits. A swimbait of four- to six inches mimics a swimming mullet almost perfectly. The rhythmic thumping and vibration of the bait along with the visual match for the jack’s favorite forage make them a sure bet. Rounding out my jack arsenal is any large topwater or tuna popper. The more aggressive and erratic the surface action, the more aggressive the bite. Seeing a
30-pound jack blowing up on a surface plug can almost be likened to an atomic blast, sans the mushroom cloud. Jacks are also suckers for live bait. While I certainly prefer the lure method for sport, the efficiency of live bait can never be denied. Ideally, you want larger mullet in the 6- to 10-inch class. Menhaden, whiting, and small skipjack are also effective. I prefer double-drop rigs (such as the Catch Sharks Jack Slammers). Using two baits at once means you’re still in the game should a toothy Spanish mackerel or redfish swipe one as soon as the rig is deployed. Probably the best method for placing live bait on the hook is through the upper part of the eye socket. And while live bait is preferred, fresh dead will also work for jacks. Setting multiple rods in the morning and waiting for the jacks to come through is a good way to go, but be advised it can also lead to havoc if a herd swims through your lines and all the rods get hit at the same time. However, if you are trying to stock up on shark bait in the most efficient manner possible this is probably still the best way to go. Sharkers love using jacks for bait for all the same reasons we find them quite unappealing on the dinner plate. Their flesh is tough, oily, and very bloody. Sharks, however, don’t seem to mind. In fact, some of the largest sharks ever landed from Texas beaches were taken on jackfish baits during November – great hammerheads and tigers. Also of note is that the only landings of mako sharks from Texas beaches were accomplished during periods of jackfish abundance in the surf. Preparing a jackfish for shark bait traditionally included the use of rigging needles to thread leader drops bearing large J-hooks through the edges of the jack’s flesh. However, this method is no longer legal under the new regulations that allow only non-offset, non-stainless circle hooks. This is a major change in Texas shark fishing. And while many anglers are unhappy there is nothing we can do about it. So, to solve the problem, we must learn new rigging methods. As reported in last month’s article I have been experimenting with rigging jacks for shark bait with circle hooks the past couple of years. While it is not efficient to “thread” the drops with circle hooks due to position of the hook gap, there are other ways. I have primarily been fishing big single circle hooks on my shark leaders but the learning curve wasn’t always easy. The rule of thumb, on big baits especially, is to place the circle hook in the very end of the bait, making sure to leave plenty of gap exposed. Whether stingray chunks or mid-sized baits, I
One of Oz’s favorite jackfish lures is a large, noisy surface plug. The more erratic and aggressive the presentation, the more likely a jack will smash it.
The birds are feasting, in the foreground a jack is hustling mullet right to the edge of the water.
Talk about shallow; this jack is swimming on his side and those mullet are in grave danger of being eaten.
TSFMAG.com | 57
always rig at the end. However, a 30-pound jackfish is not a mid-sized bait. While I know an individual who ran whole jacks with a single circle hook in the back of the jack and had success on large giant sharks, that typically won’t work for your average Texas shark. For big jacks, I like quartering them or cutting into thirds and placing the circle in the end. I have caught hammers, big bulls, tigers, and large duskys all with this method. Just remember that the sharks are cruising the surf to eat jackfish, so we must learn new techniques in rigging to be able to use the bait the shark is mostly likely to eat. While late fall is not the only time of year to get into jackfish action in the surf, there are days when it surpasses all other seasons. Jack can be so thick in November that I have witnessed dozens from a large school beaching themselves when they pushed bait to the water’s edge. While I’ve caught jacks from piers, jetties, offshore, and from a kayak, there is perhaps no more enjoyable way to catch these awesome fish than surf angling. Jackfish are a wonderful blessing to Texas anglers, and even if they are not classified as gamefish they still deserve our respect and appreciation as one the gulf’s greatest predators.
C O N TA C T
BUILD YOUR DREAM ROD
BatsonEnterprises.com | RainShadowRodBlanks.com | ALPSForeCast.com | Build2Fish.com
58 | November 2019
For the past decade Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been promoting shark catch and release and assisting various shark research programs. Eric offers guided shark fishing on Padre Island National Seashore. Also renowned for extreme kayak big game fishing, Eric is the owner of Catch Sharks Tackle Company. Email Websites
oz@oceanepics.com oceanepics.com | catchsharks.com
TSFMAG.com | 59
EVERETT JOHNSON
P L A S T I C & W AT E R D O N ' T M I X
SALTWATER SOUL SHORE PATROL SaltWater Soul is a popular lifestyle apparel brand founded in Texas in 2006 by Billy Ray Wagner. If you live in Texas I’m sure you’ve seen it. As the name implies, SaltWater Soul is actually much more than a brand of fishing and beachwear, and certainly more than just a catchy name to let everybody who sees it emblazoned across a shirt know you are an ardent saltwater angler or surfer. Billy Ray says SaltWater Soul is part of your very being. It’s primordial; like DNA, you either have it you don’t. You don’t just wear the shirt to be recognized. You wear it because it drives you and you want to influence others. From that premise it seems a natural follow-on that Billy Ray has also created SaltWater Soul Shore Patrol. A group organized through the brand’s social media posts who care about our wonderful coastal resources and are
60 | November 2019
willing to step up and walk the walk. Billy Ray posted to Facebook recently that he was appalled at the amount of litter that had accumulated along the shoreline adjacent to the Moses Lake Flood Gate, a popular bank fishing spot near Texas City. How it got there was no mystery, it was left behind by uncaring fishermen. Plastic drink containers, food wrappers, an incredible amount of discarded fishing line, even dirty diapers and a pop-up shade. During one of his visits to the site Billy Ray rescued a juvenile brown pelican entangled in fishing line. He worked thirty minutes to free it and remove a plastic bottle lodged in its throat pouch. The SaltWater Soul Shore Patrol cleanup at the Moses Lake Flood Gate took place on September 22, 2019; netting more than three hundred pounds of trash that
www.FreedomBoatsUSA.com THE PATRIOT
• All Composite Construction • Length 18’ Beam 8’ 6” • Hull Weight Approximately 1000 lbs. • Draft approximately 8”, Running 3”
THE WARRIOR
included eight five-gallon buckets of discarded fishing line. Hats off and hearty TSFMag conservation kudos to the volunteer crew: Cody Dunn, Jacob Champion, John Quintanilla, Fallon Dunn, Tina McRae, Brian McRae, Pat Grace, and Billy Ray Wagner. Follow SaltWater Soul on Facebook to learn of future cleanups and other activities the brand will be sponsoring.
• • • • •
All Composite Construction Length 22’ 5” Beam 8’ 6” Approximate Hull Weight 1,600 LB. Draft at Rest 7” to 8” Running at Draft 3”
THE CHIQUITA
• All Composite Construction • Length 14’ 6” Beam 7’ • Tunnel Length 5’ Tunnel Height 7” • Hull Weight Approximately 450 lbs. • Draft Approximately 5” • Running 3”
Freedom Boats USA LLC • (361)552-4975 3534A US Hwy 87 • Port Lavaca, TX 77979
TSFMAG.com | 61
NEW NewWater Compression Plate E-glass/Kevlar or carbon fiber construction. New Water Compression Plate can be factory installed or you can do it yourself. Please call for more information. (210) 648-2206 www.NewWaterBoatworks.com
Fuji® LKW Guides Fuji® Rod Components has introduced a mid-weight addition to its popular tangle-free K-Series line of premium components. The LKW is a lighter-framed, double-foot guide similar to the KW guide used for casting rod layouts. LKW features lighter frame legs, a shorter overall length and a newly designed "winged" foot that better handles the torque created when casting rods "load up" on fish. LKW is designed after the company’s LN series guides that have been the number one choice for bass rod layouts for decades. Available in three new Corrosion Control finishes; Gunmetal Slim SiC (GM), Matte Silver ALCONITE® (CC) and Dark Grey ALCONITE® (BC). For complete details visit
FujiTackleUSA.com.
Power Pole 20th Anniversary Platinum Blade To celebrate 20 years of building the original Shallow Water Anchor, Power-Pole is offering a limited-time-only edition of their 20th Anniversary Platinum Blade for 2019. Like its namesake precious metal, the Platinum Blades are rare and coveted. These special edition poles, available in 8-foot and 10-foot models, were produced in limited quantities and will only be made available through select dealers for a limited time. Along with all of the features you’ve come to expect from the flagship Blade Series, including the virtually unbreakable Everflex® Spike and C-Monster 2.0 Control System, the Platinum Series comes with a custom platinum-colored powder coat finish and special commemorative graphics. Contact your Power-Pole dealer to purchase this special edition Platinum Blade today. www.Power-Pole.com 62 | November 2019
P R O D U C T S
CastAway Rods Inshore Smoker Designed specifically for inshore fishing applications, the Inshore Smoker is perfect for throwing soft plastics and topwaters and can easily throw live bait and popping corks too! Anglers will find the high-performance rod they’re looking for in the Inshore Smoker Series at a price that is well below other rods in this category. The CastAway proprietary 24-Ton Carbon Blend blank gives you a durable, lightweight, and ultra-sensitive rod that features a premium grade full cork fore-grip and handle with SS304 Stainless Steel Guides and Black Stainless inserts. www.CastawayRods.com
Yeti Hopper Our carry-the-day, tough-as-nails Hopper soft cooler has one big update. We’ve re-engineered the opening to offer a wide mouth for easy loading and unloading. It closes almost on its own with our HydroShield™ Technology – a strip of ultra-strong magnets – then is secured with two Quick-Release Buckles to ensure it can withstand being tossed around. www.Yeti.com
Bart’s Bay Armor Wading Boot Bart’s Bay Armor is a new, state of the art and patent pending, protective wading boot that will revolutionize your wade fishing experience. The cut and puncture resistant material is light and flexible with no buckles and clasps and with a neoprene inner layer that feels like walking on a cloud. Thanks to modern technology protection while wading doesn't have to make you miserable. They look good, protect you from hazards and let you focus on the fishing experience. “Finally, stingray protection we will enjoy wearing. Real protection with unreal comfort..." Mike McBride. Available at www.Barts-Bay-Armor.com and soon at retail outlets near you.
TSFMAG.com | 63
DICKIE COLBURN
DICKIE COLBURN’S Sabine Scene
S ab i n e
Dickie Colburn is a full time guide out of Orange, Texas. Dickie has 37 years experience guiding on Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes.
Telephone 409-883-0723 Website www.sabineconnection.com
64 | November 2019
Not unlike everyone else residing between Winnie and Orange that took a hit for the second time in two years, I watched the water slowly rise in my daughter’s yard under a light, but persistent rain and thought aloud, “This cannot be happening again.” Twenty four inches over the next four to six hours, however, sealed the deal and the unexpected deluge left lots of folks with only enough time to grab pets and wade to higher ground. While it failed to match Harvey levels, forty-three inches is still a significant amount of water. Aside from any other cumulative precipitation over the past two years, the two storms alone combined to dump a total of 103.61-inches on this area! From a fishing standpoint, we were finally seeing modest, but positive signs that the smaller trout were at least trying to return to the lake. So much for that. Before the first soggy chunk of sheet rock was pulled off the wall, my grandson and his cousin waded out of his inundated home with a fishbowl containing a single fish. “This might be the only fish between here and the Gulf that knows what is going on,” he offered without the slightest hint of a smile. Because of the tight path the storm took when it finally decided to move, far fewer homes were lost
this time, but that glut of fresh water still had to pass through Sabine Lake. Fortunately, the SRA was working on the dam at Toledo Bend and the Sabine River was exceptionally low. One more hit like this in the next year or two and it may be time to replace the Causeway with either a dam or a weir. There was no tidal surge with this storm and every drop of unwanted water is fresh, thus the lake cleared up seemingly overnight which has at the very least helped with angler confidence. I have spent far more time lately with a nail gun in hand than a rod, but we have still been able to catch a few reds in most of the same old haunts when we find time to chase them. It has been a matter of pounding shorelines and the mouths of bayous which is a little discouraging only because we were easily finding schools of slot fish herding shad in the open lake prior to the flood. When you can see fish prior to making your cast, virtually anything in the box will work, but we are currently not seeing most of the reds we are catching. The best choices for blind-casting and hunting fish have been Gulp or a four-inch Sea Shad under a cork, a four-inch Usual Suspect Swim Bait, or a small topwater.
I have no doubt that a gold weedless spoon will work as well, but we just haven’t thrown it much. We were also catching and releasing huge numbers of undersized flounder prior to the storm, but that bite has just dried up. They were starting to stack up on the shorelines and the rocks on the revetment wall and I am hoping that they simply made a temporary move to deeper water. We were catching some of our larger flounder in the ship channel south of the Causeway before Imelda did her thing, but I haven’t had time to get back down there. If that bite is still going on, the bite in the main lake could quickly improve following a cold front or two as they don’t have far to travel. There is no doubt that the south end of the lake will be far more user-friendly than the north end as we move into the cooler months of fall. Aside from the fact that fish obviously need to be present, the key to a quicker recovery depends on the amount of bait holding up in the marshes. Thus far, we have seen very few shrimp, but that does not mean they aren’t there. Finger mullet and small crabs are currently at the top of the menu for both the reds and the flounder. I have always been committed to getting youngsters on the water with a rod in their hands, convinced that even the smallest successes nurture their passion for the sport. The past two years, however, have been a challenge. The silver lining may well prove to be that these youngsters will feel obligated to protect the resource and never take catching for granted!
Redfish and shorelines are a good ticket for the fall season on Sabine Lake.
FOR SALE
Villa Pesca 242 Byers St | Port O’Conner, TX • 4 Barndominiums • 3 Bathrooms
• Buy Early & Pick your intErior FinishEs! • 1567 a/c sq.Ft. • 3 BEdrooms
Barndominiums • Metal Buildings • Boat and Mini Storage • Metal Frame Homes • Commercial Buildings Call us for custom buildings and homes on your own property!
• uPPEr storagE • comPlEx FEncEd w/ ElEctric gatE • 1 Boat stall
361-576-3825 Office | 361-576-3828 Fax 36 Hunters Circle, Victoria, TX 77905
www.RafterJConstruction.com TSFMAG.com | 65
BINK GRIMES
THE VIEW FROM Matagorda
M ata go r d a
Bink Grimes is a full-time fishing and hunting guide, freelance writer and photographer, and owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay.
Telephone 979-241-1705 Email binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net Website matagordasunriselodge.com
There are not many places in Texas you can shoot a limit of ducks in the morning and catch of limit of speckled trout and redfish before sunset. You can in Matagorda – often. I don’t get much sleep this time of year, but it’s hard for me to sit down when ducks are decoying and hearty Matagorda trout are gobbling topwaters. Waders find good fish in West Matagorda Bay while wading the south shoreline and casting to points of shell. Topwaters and soft plastics are the ticket. As always, this time of year encourages slotsized redfish to school in bunches of two dozen or more along the guts and grassy edges. Sight-casting to redfish along a muddy grass shoreline is always fun. 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.
Find out for yourself...
How one family can continue providing Ford cars and trucks for 80 years!
SHOP IN CUERO –– OR ––
ONLINE 66 | November 2019
1402 East Broadway Cuero, TX
1-800-288-7033
www.webermotorcompany.com
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 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. Birds may work in November. Our bays have plenty of shrimp and
the first trickle of bird action actually occurred in late August and early September. We like to toss topwaters under the birds as well as Bass Assassins and Down South Lures on heavy jig heads. Don’t be surprised to find 1-2 pound Gulf trout in the mix as well. They are great bonus fish for ceviche or fish tacos. 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 a mud bottom. Super Spooks, She Pups, Skitter Walks, Corkys and your favorite soft plastic get the job done. The Colorado River is clearing and greening up which normally spells good catches of trout under lights at night from the piers. Good numbers of fish will be in the Diversion Channel this month. It’s a lot like bass fishing – pitching baits to timber and fallen logs deposited from previous river rises. Don’t be afraid to toss a topwater along the meandering banks of this channel. Solid trout hang on the edge in 5-8 feet of water and will bang a Super Spook, Skitter Walk or She Pups. It’s a great place to get out of the wind as November cold fronts blow through the region. Don’t wait for Thanksgiving Day to sit down and give thanks for our blessed outdoor lifestyle. Continue to be good stewards of the land and water and take it personal when you see others abusing our natural resources. Follow our reports on Instagram and Facebook.
TSFMAG.com | 67
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 16 years. Shellie specializes in wading for trout and redfish year round with artificial lures.
Telephone 361-785-6708 Email bayrats@tisd.net Website www.bayrat.com Facebook @captsgaryandshelliegray
I wish I had a dollar for every time someone asked when is the best time to go fishing. I jokingly reply by asking whether there really is a bad time. In all seriousness I view fishing from a seasonal viewpoint and right now the weather and water conditions are favorable for lots of catching. November will bring some cold fronts but I promise not to complain. I welcome the cooler weather even though the fronts will require bouncing between known productive structure types and seeking shelter along protected shorelines and back-lake areas. Let’s discuss a few scenarios and how I plan my fishing strategies. Let’s say the weather has been stable three to four days with light southerly breezes and temperatures running in the 70s. The water will be warm and bait will be concentrated in guts along sandy shorelines. The presence of bait attracts hungry predators and unless the south wind gets to cranking we will be able to find fish on both leeward and windward shorelines. Now let’s imagine that run of pleasant weather being interrupted by a strong cold front that drops the air temperature into the lower-50s with 20-plus
I have seen many redfish with wounds from boat propellers but this one is the first I’ve seen on the nose.
A must for Redfish, Speckled Trout, & Snook Ultra Heavy Gauge Titanium Large Acrylic Beads for Maximum Sound Molded Sound Chamber & Base Perfectly Balanced Polished Brass Weight Hi-Vis Colors High Quality Swivels
AVAILABLE IN TITANIUM AND MONOFILAMENT
BOOTH #4606 68 | November 2019
A beautiful post-front, back-lake redfish.
3D MACK STICK
WARNING Using this product results in heart pounding adrenaline, explosive strikes, sore arms, epic pictures, and envious friends.
Ready to get serious? north wind. This will be a game changer. That sandy south shoreline you fished the day before will now be a rough off-colored mess and the bait will likely have moved on. My focus will switch to back-lakes, but locating a steady bite will probably require some exploration. Something else to keep in mind, anytime we have a strong cold front passing through we will definitely see a drop in water levels due to the north wind pushing the water out into the gulf. It might take a day or so before you will notice a significant drop but I assure you it will drop and, depending on the strength of the front and the high atmospheric pressure that accompanies it, it could drop a foot or more. Caution will be the byword for navigating shallow areas. The flats you crossed easily a day or two earlier might now hold only a few inches of water. With lower water levels you will want to target “deeper” backcountry areas. I use the term deeper to describe places such as Pringle, Contee, and Pat’s Bay, just to name a few. Knowing that the water level is still dropping, I like to target points and mouths of sloughs where water drains from the marsh and smaller lakes into the bay and larger back-lakes. A variety of bait species will be coming on those falling currents and gamefish will be quick to take advantage. Every front brings a ridge of high pressure and the bite is typically sluggish at first. Usually by the second day the pressure will have moderated and the fish will be ready to resume feeding normally. Now let’s talk about lure selection for just a bit. You will often notice increased surface bait activity during the day or two before a front arrives and this is always a signal to tie on a topwater. My go-to for a long time has been the Super Spook Jr. in either bone or redfish color scheme. While I’m not a big stickler for topwater colors in general, I am a big believer in matching the tone of their rattles to water depth and feeding attitude. My experience says that the Super Spook Jr. is a great compromise for many situations – not too big and not too small. It has great action and emits the perfect sound to attract strikes from reds and trout in shallow water. In other words it’s loud enough to get the job done without being too obnoxious. After the front goes through baitfish will be noticeably less active due to the sudden change in atmospheric pressure. Soft plastics and suspending baits are a better choice in this situation. Bass Assassins 4-inch Sea Shad will typically be my go-to lure although if the temperatures have dropped significantly I might opt for a member of the Corky family. To be honest, though, I normally don’t get too serious about Corkys and similar suspending baits until later in the season – January and February. The key to successful fishing any time of year is preparation and it is particularly important in fall. I highly recommend a close eye on the weather forecast in the days leading up to a November fishing trip, and continuing to track weather developments while you are fishing. Always pack raingear and a change of dry clothes. Dress in layers. You can always shed a layer but you can’t wear what you don’t have with you. Keep in mind that sudden drops in water levels can complicate navigation. Happy Fall Y’all!
• Ultra-Realistic Finish • ABS Reinforced Body/Thru-Wire Construction • Extra-Strong Split Rings and Hooks
/savagegearUSAofficial
TSFMAG.com | 69
DAVID ROWSEY
HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey
Upper Laguna/ Ba f f i n
David Rowsey has over 25 years in Baffin and Upper Laguna Madre; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty. David has a great passion for conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish.
Telephone 361-960-0340 Website www.DavidRowsey.com Email david.rowsey@yahoo.com @captdavidrowsey
70 | November 2019
The mornings have been growing a bit cooler with each passing day and I could not be more excited. In the very near future I’ll be “bow’d” up on a good buck instead of a big trout, but only for a short time. My Benelli shotguns will be drawn down on wild quail from South Texas to the mountains out near Marathon. I fish really hard for about ten months of the year but right now it’s all about other seasonal passions. Fishing and planning for it never leaves me completely as it truly is my first love. I have officially opened my charter books for the 2020 winter and spring seasons. There are plenty of opportunities to get on the books if you want to experience trophy trout fishing in Baffin with someone who has been doing it thirty years versus thirty months. Whether you charter me or any other guide, do your research to make sure you are getting what you pay for – www.DAVIDROWSEY.com If you know anything about me, you know I am extremely conservative when it comes to killing trout. I’m often asked when and why I started guiding. My response always includes, “I started guiding in 2006 out of spite.” You’re probably thinking, what the hell kind of answer is that? The person who asked the
question probably thought the same. The first I recall croaker being used in Baffin was 1995 and the efficiency of the new bait was a mindblower. I was mid-twenties and working as a real estate appraiser. Many afternoons I would be launching my boat to fish until dark as the guide boats were returning to the dock. The trout limit was ten, the guide could keep his limit, and the 15- to 25-inch slot regulation was still years in the future. Unfortunately, I got to see a bunch of huge dead trout on an almost daily basis. It was common for them to fill two ice chests with a total weight of 200 pounds, and more! Word of phenomenal fishing spread rapidly and we went from about 30 fulltime guides in the Coastal Bend to 300 full and part-timers by 2005. At that time I was heavy into trout tournaments and a prime candidate for the most paranoid fisherman on the Texas coast. The thought of sharing my knowledge of when and where to be on a daily basis for a big bite was as foreign a concept as anyone could ever imagine. Launching my boat one afternoon, a good friend was getting off a guide’s boat with one of those huge boxes. We exchanged pleasantries and he told me
he felt sick about the fish they’d killed…but were going again the next day. I told him to just release some and he said that particular guide wouldn’t have it. I asked, “Is it really that easy with croaker?” With a sheepish grin he replied, “Yes, and I don’t agree with it, but I know nothing about lures and no one will teach me.” His statement stuck a nerve and by the time I got home that evening I was already researching how I might become a licensed fishing guide. So, selfishly, I became a guide to spite the croaker guides and convert as many bait fishermen to artificial lures as possible. Sound terrible? It’s really not. My mission was (and continues to be) to become a mentor to those wanting to learn the sport on a higher level, and walk away at the end of the day with confidence they could catch trout on their own. If that wasn’t good enough, it also provided me a great platform to preach conservation and catch and release. Nothing makes me prouder than the anglers I converted from croaker fishing to board my boat and say, “We don’t want to keep any today, Captain. Let’s just catch them good.” Amen! Promoting conservation and being a steward of the resource brought me into guiding and I am encouraged to see the younger generation doing the same. I recently had the pleasure to have a young man on the boat named Christopher “Chris” Bush, USAF. Chris is the founder of Speckled Truth that can be found on Facebook and Instagram. Speckled Truth is a community that shares the passion for targeting trophy trout while promoting their conservation from Texas to Virginia. Chris and I had a great talk that day about all things trout. His passion for doing the right thing for the fishery and educating others is truly awesome. It truly warms my heart to see the younger generation promoting catch and release and responsible management of the resource. Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey
Need a little relief from the hot Texas sun?
$22.00
www.TSFMag.com Order Online at www.TSFMag.com
(plus tax & shipping)
TSFMAG.com | 71
WAYNE DAVIS
WAYNE’S Mansfield Report
Port Mansfield
Captain Wayne Davis has been fishing the Lower Laguna-Port Mansfield for over 20 years. He specializes in wade fishing with lures.
Telephone 210-287-3877 Email captwayne@kwigglers.com
72 | November 2019
Greetings from Port Mansfield. All is alive and well here in South Texas and, based on what I have seen while on the water the last several weeks, I would say summer never ended. There are tons of anglers hitting the water every weekend and a surprising number on weekdays as well. I’ve said for years you can tell how well the economy is doing by observing the number of boats on the water. Evidently it is doing very well. Since my last report our flats have come alive with baitfish and gamefish alike. Tide levels have been extremely high and many backwater areas are now readily accessible. Fish are somewhat scattered due to tide levels but usually eager to eat when we find them. Good numbers of trout, reds and flounder are being found daily. I’ve been relying on the KWigglers Willow Tail Shad, specifically in Bone Diamond and Padre Punch, rigged on the 2/0 – 1/8oz short shank jigs. The trick has been tickling the top of the seagrass and letting it flutter down into potholes. This has been a banner year for snook. As of this writing my clients have logged more than fifty landings and many more jumped but not landed and a few broken lines. Snook have a special talent
Jimmy Shroeder’s first snook was a trophy!
Erica Rae Hirsch with a fine Lower Laguna redfish on a calm morning.
for coming unbuttoned. I have been fortunate this year to have “somewhat patterned” the linesiders and many clients landed what I would call lifetime specimens. We encountered few small fish, mostly 28- to 32-inchers, the largest taped 35 and almost 13 pounds. We had a few days with zero snook bites but only a few. As I book trips for this type of fishing I always remind clients that even though we’ve been catching them regularly I cannot guarantee a snook. We still get trout, reds, and quite often flounder when trying to focus on snook but they can be very stubborn…even when you’re on them. I truly hope the trend continues and this past summer’s success was not a flash in the pan. Cool fronts are due any day now and the opportunity for better catching will certainly improve. There is no finer fishing weather than November. Morning temperatures usually run in the low and mid-70s and by afternoon it’ll likely be somewhere in the 80s. Greatly reduced humidity is one of the month’s greatest blessings. With wader season soon upon us I urge anglers to give their waders and jackets a careful inspection. Check for leaks, especially in obvious wear points. It might not be a bad idea to slip over to your local Simms and AFTCO dealer such as Fishing Tackle Unlimited and see what is new this season. You can bet there will be some lighter, thinner, and warmer apparel coming out. The most important thing in winter fishing is comfort. If you have ever been miserable on a cold, wet winter day you can relate. Last month I was invited to attend Slack Tide 2019 at Jensen Beach, Florida. This event is basically a coalition of fishing guides from around the world who gather to share and compare experiences and offer guidance as it relates to our occupation. The main focus of the event is to develop relationships and gain further education into conservation of habitat and fisheriesrelated natural resources. Without these key ingredients we will soon be unemployed, along with many others from the various support industries. The concern for keeping our bays clean, habitats healthy, and fisheries viable is crucial to not only our future but also that of all who will follow us. Parts of Florida are struggling in the habitat category. They are working hard to bring the habitat back (mainly seagrass) so their fishery can recover. I want to stress to all who enjoy fishing, how critical it is to protect and conserve resources. Anglers can sometimes be guilty of abusing resources. Additionally, we must be mindful of natural and environmental events out of our control that can also contribute greatly to decline of habitats and the fisheries they support. We need to all do our part daily by keeping only the fish we will eat while they are fresh and release those genetically gifted females (trophies) so others can enjoy the sport for years to come. I would also like to announce that on Saturday, December 14, 2019, Fishing Tackle Unlimited will be hosting a seminar where Captain Ernest Cisneros and I will be guest speakers. We will be focusing on Trophy Fishing Tactics with a Conservation-Minded Approach. Stay tuned for more details coming soon via social media outlets. TSFMAG.com | 73
CAPT. ERNEST CISNEROS
SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene Arr o y o C ol o ra d o t o Po rt I sa bel
A Brownsville-area native, Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. Ernest specializes in wading and poled skiff adventures for snook, trout, and redfish.
Cell 956-266-6454 Website www.tightlinescharters.com
It’s been several weeks since I took delivery and I am enjoying the comfortable ride and shallow water performance of my new Majek Illusion. I want to say thank you to everyone that helped provide a smooth transition into the new boat. From the impressive demo rides with Russell O’Riley and Gerardo Santana to the three visits to the Majek shop with Jimmy and Johnny Majek, I received first class treatment all the way. Big thanks also to Dustin Hoover at Ron Hoover RV and Marine in Donna, TX. Everybody went the extra mile and I appreciate it very much. The first weeks of fall have traditionally been tough for me but we are experiencing a considerable uptick in our catches this year. During the summer months we lacked the usual heavy concentrations of baitfish but as the water is beginning to cool we are once again noticing large schools of mullet in many areas. No doubt, this will contribute favorably to fishing success in coming weeks and months. November is known for excellent redfish action and from what we’re seeing so far we should be in great shape. The good news for anglers is they will
Dan Clark scored his first snook ever…34-1/2 inches!
LET US SHOW YOU HOW TO
BUILD YOUR OWN RODS
WWW.MUDHOLE.COM/SALT-KIT FREE SHIPPING | NO MINIMUMS! U.S. ONLY - ENDS DEC. 31st 2019
74 | November 2019
Rusty Ransom is a magnet for big snook.
THE
SOURCE ULTIMATE FOR THE
CUSTOM ROD
be eager to crush whatever gets in their way. With elevated tides I expected the reds to move high on the sand flats but the best areas of late continue to be back-lakes, spoil humps, and pothole-riddled grass flats. I look for improved topwater redfish action during the traditionally longer feed periods in November. However, if they’re unwilling to commit to the floaters we’ll have our trusty KWiggler Ball Tails and Willow Tails with us on every wade. Top color choices will likely be Plum-Chartreuse, Turtle Grass, and Mansfield Margarita. If you are working grassy areas I recommend the Willow Tails rigged on the weedless Willow Maker jigs. There is currently no shortage of undersized trout, which is a good sign for the future of the species. Please handle and release them with care as they all have potential to become a trophy. A moderate number of bigger trout are beginning to show but I do not have confidence to predict any trophies just yet. That will come later as the water temps continue to cool. Best trout catches of late have been over mixed sand-shell bottoms and grassy pothole areas with lots of finger-sized mullet and pinfish present. Fresh slicks have been the most reliable sign of feeding activity. While the smaller trout seem willing to grab your lure just about any time, the better keepers have been coming when the tide is moving and also during solunar feeding periods. Limits of decent keepers have been common in thigh to waist-deep water when we have a solunar feed during morning hours. I expect that like the redfish, the trout will move shallower and feed for longer periods when the water cools later in the month. Hopefully we will begin to see better topwater action when that occurs. For now, though, it has been more of a KWigglers soft plastic bite with limited topwater interest from the better trout. This has been a great year for snook ever since late-spring and continuing into early fall. Numbers have been almost unbelievable with many personal-best fish for my anglers. November’s cool down will kick off the winter snook season in deeper water and if it’s anything like last year many anglers are going to be smiling. The tactics will change as a slower soft plastic presentation will be required. Slow-sinkers and diving crankbaits will also work well in deep water. Flounder have made a great recovery and November promises to produce lots of flatfish along the edges of major channels as the spawning run hits its peak. It will soon be time to don your waders, usually a week or so before Thanksgiving. If you already own a pair, it’s time to test for leaks or tears. If you think it might be time to upgrade with a new pair, I suggest asking for an early Christmas present. The Simms G3 and G4 are the best waders available, bar none. If you are a duck hunter or hard on your equipment, the G4s are the way to go. Fishing Tackle Unlimited has three fully-stocked locations in the Houston area for all your Simms needs. Capt. Wayne Davis and I will be presenting a seminar on Saturday, December 14, at FTU’s Katy store. Our topic will be Trophy Fishing Tactics with a Conservation Minded Approach. Mark your calendar and plan to join us. I expect it will be entertaining and enlightening for all.
1000’S OF BLANKS, COMPONENTS AND TOOLS TO CHOOSE FROM!
FEATURING
OFFSHORE TO INSHORE, BASS TO REDFISH, EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR THE ULTIMATE CUSTOM ROD! SEE US AT OUR NEW LOCATION: 13831 Southwest Freeway Sugar Land, TX 77478 281-201-2141
12800 Gulf Freeway 10303 Katy Freeway Houston, TX 77034 Houston, TX 77024 713-827-7762 281-481-6838
TSFMAG.com | 75
FISHING REPORTS
Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 Without question, November ranks as the best month for fishing Calcasieu. Weather conditions open up plenty of opportunities for targeting the main three species, trout, reds and flounder. Speckled trout will be abundant throughout the northern end of the lake. Most of our fishing will be done from Turner's Bay north to Lake Charles. The fish will be schooling, and birds will show us where, normally along channel edges, over reefs and on shallow flats. If numbers of keepers is the goal, shrimp imitations work best. For bigger fish, larger, slow-sinking lures work better. Redfish will mix with the trout under birds. They'll also gang up around the mouths of cuts and bayous. The weirs are always a great place to target reds. The banks adjacent to them have less traffic, and can be most productive. Flounder will start staging up to move down the channel. We'll intercept them on their way throwing Gulp! swimming mullet on quarter-ounce heads, rigged on a tandem rig, not so much because we're trying to catch two at a time, but because the extra weight helps us keep them down in strong currents. Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 The summer-like patterns were still producing best when James gave this report. “We've got so much freshwater in some of the bays, it makes things tough. If it's calm, and you can get to the fish out in the middle, it's okay. But that kind of water just won't hold up with much wind. We've been doing best fishing areas closer to the channel and to the west, where the water has more salt in it, and we can get out of the wind easier. The trout bite has been decent at times, so we're catching good numbers of fish, sometimes around structures and on shorelines, at other times in the bayous and drains. Average size has been running kind of small, which is typical for late-September. Once we get a few stronger fronts through, the water temperature and tide level will drop, and we'll see the action perk up for bigger trout. Wading will still be a good bet, and we'll start to see the patterns set up where we can catch more fish in open areas of West Bay, concentrating on muddy streaks in the water. We should also have birds working on a daily basis by then.” Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Jim likes to split time between the fields, marshes and bays in November, hunting ducks and targeting trout and redfish. “We'll be duck hunting a bunch this month. There's been so much rain, it's hard to say whether this will make the hunting better or not. Normally, lots of water on the inland fields makes hunting better there than in the marshes close to the bays. We'll do both until we get it nailed down right. As for fishing, it's been okay, on days when we don't have too much wind. Normally, in November, we get fronts strong enough to move some water out of the marshes and drop the overall tide level in the bay. That helps the shoreline bite for bigger trout pick up. So, waders who are willing to stay out late in the afternoons and into the early part of the night will start to see improved action for the bigger trout in places like the Refuge Shoreline and other parts of the bay close to the Pass. Topwaters, tails and twitch-baits all work well at times, depending on the water temperature and clarity.” West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall mentioned that the shrimp migration was already cranked up in 76 | November 2019
ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica
AND
earnest when he gave this report. “They are already moving out of the marshes into the back-lakes and sloughs. All the waterways leading into and out of the coves and lakes have been producing well. With the warm weather, topwaters are working well, especially the white One Knocker with the red head. On some days, during lulls in the topwater action, soft plastics are working much better. When throwing them, you just can't beat a Norton Sand Eel Junior, when there are so many small shrimp in the water. For me, the glow/chartreuse one works best lately, rigged on a three-eighths ounce Norton Screw-Lock jighead. I also like to use a Norton Quick-twist, number 14, which eliminates the need to tie knots when changing lures. As we get into November, the fishing will most likely continue to be about the shrimp migration. The main action will likely move out into the main bay, closer to the Pass, as the days go by. With stronger fronts and cooler weather, we'll still have some excellent topwater action at times, but the soft plastics will steal the show more often.” Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski Bay Guide Service - 713.725.2401 “The month of November is one of the best for fishing in the Matagorda area,” Charlie says. “We've got tons of fish in both bays right now, and action is steady. You can catch some fish pretty much any way you want to do it. People who want to stay in the boat will have plenty of opportunity for catching numbers of trout with a few reds and bigger trout mixed in. We'll have birds working the shrimp migration in November. Waders will also be able to do well on the shorelines of both bays. We still have plenty of reds holding tight to the banks, and of course the biggest trout are usually caught by waders throwing topwaters and twitch-baits in the same places. Various patterns work for waders this time of year, including targeting grassy patches on the south shorelines, and working the edges of reefs and areas with scattered shell and mud on the bottom closer to the ICW. Reading the wind and tide and staying on the better side of the bay is a key to consistent catching. Overall, it just doesn't get much better than a crisp month like November for fast catching in Matagorda.” Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 We're still waiting on fall patterns to kick in fully, and are still having luck fishing summer-like patterns. We've been catching trout over deep shell and around well pads in West Matagorda Bay. Mainly, we've been throwing live shrimp rigged about four or five feet under popping corks for best results. On average, our trout have been running about seventeen inches, with a good many pushing the twenty-inch mark. Our redfish bite continues to sizzle. Tide levels have been high almost all the time, and the reds are far back in the marshes. Crawfish-type lures like the Matrix Craw and PowerBait craws have worked best when thrown in the grass. We're catching great numbers of fish in the lower end of the slot. Flounder have been on the move, and we're catching a few most every time out, using live mud-minnows rigged about a foot under a cork. Average size of the flatfish is about seventeen inches too. By October, we should see cooler weather and the onset of true fall patterns working on a daily basis. Redfish should be schooling and chasing shrimp, birds should be working over trout, and flounder should be set up around drains. Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn expects to be dodging fronts on a regular basis and hitting
back-lakes and shorelines for both trout and redfish in November. “When the stronger north winds start to blow through, the fishing becomes steadier in a couple of ways. The bigger trout like to move into the backlakes where there's a good mix of grass and mud on the bottom. They don't bite quite as good in the cool mornings like they have all summer, but once the sun heats up the grass beds, they usually bite pretty good in the middle of the day. We throw a lot of topwaters this time of year, trying to get the big trout to take a bite. And, we do catch a lot of redfish in these same areas when we're working this drill. If tides are lower, the shorelines adjacent to the drains leading into the shallower areas generally produce better, especially when the water is actually moving out of the shallow coves and lakes and into the main bays. November has great potential for producing big trout in Port O'Connor, so it's a fun month to be out on the water.” Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake will be working the first part of the regular duck season, making mostly cast and blast outings, during November. “I saw a few ducks starting to straggle in over the last few weeks, and there are a couple stronger fronts in the forecast, so I expect they will show up right on time for some steady shooting. When we finish our hunts, we like to start off looking for both trout and reds in the airboat, mostly in the backlakes and drains leading into them. The bite is better for reds on average in those areas, but we do catch some nice trout in there too, mixed in with the herds of reds. Mostly, I like throwing topwaters this month. It's usually still pretty warm, and with the changing seasons, the fish seem aggressive and ready to attack them on most days. We don't use bait at all this time of year, so when the topwaters aren't working, I rely heavily on my old favorite soft plastics, Bass Assassins and Norton Sand Eels, usually in dark colors like pumpkinseed and purple, always with a chartreuse tail. I do throw the pearl/chartreuse one at times too. ” Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 Decent amounts of rain have fallen recently on the Upper Laguna Madre, but I'd say we could use even more. Some of the storms in the Gulf have pushed water into the bays and contributed to very high tide levels on a consistent basis. Between the run-off and the bull tides, we have plenty of places with ample water to run around in. We do have some brown tide in both the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay, but fishing continues excellent for both trout and reds in both systems. I've been doing best with live shrimp rigged about fifteen inches under Bass Assassin Kwik Korks. Using the live bait, we're catching a good mix of trout up to twenty-five inches, reds up to thirty-three and some black drum within their slot. In the clear parts of the Lagoon closer to the bridge, I've been throwing Bass Assassin Elite Shiners in colors like Mama's 14K, meat hook and salt and pepper/silver phantom, rigged on sixteenth-ounce Assassin Spring Lock jigheads. These lures have been producing more trout than reds, but both are biting them well. Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.877.1230 High tides and hot water temperatures have the patterns stalled in the Upper Laguna Madre and around Corpus Christi, Joe says. “With so much water in the Lagoon, it pays to have a shallow-running boat. We've seen lots of trout and reds over sand, in places which are normally hard to access without a boat which runs in inches of water. On most days, catching the fish has been pretty easy once we find them; the searching is often harder than the catching. Things will likely change pretty dramatically in the next month or so, when fronts start arriving more often and bring air and water temps down some. Strong fronts with quite a bit of west in the wind can also push water back out of the bay. When these things happen, patterns along the ICW and in channels connected to it tend to pick up. With water cooling off and falling off the flats, trout
and redfish tend to stage on the edges of the channels. When fishing channel edges, one of the main keys is to pay attention to the amount of wind and current and adjust the size of the jighead to match the situation.” P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins 361-877-3583 | Oceanepics.com November is regarded as one of the greatest months for surf fishing, with highlights that include feeding frenzies of slot and over-sized red drum, jackfish, Spanish mackerel, and a few late tarpon. The mullet migration is in full swing. For anglers gathering bait, the 12-inch max length rule applies October through January. Cold fronts will be reaching the coast soon. Anglers will typically do well to wait two days after a front passes for best driving conditions and fishing opportunity. Large spoons tossed into feeding frenzies will draw strikes from all the gamefish species mentioned above. Black-tip and bull sharks will be plentiful and can often be seen cruising knee-deep waters early in the mornings. Caution when wading is advised, even though these sharks have very little interest in attacking or eating people. Large tiger sharks are also a possibility as they make their final visit to the surf to feed on the plentiful jacks. November is usually clear of tropical weather and red-tide events. Keep an eye on the weather. Storms associated with frontal passages can push tides to the dunes and lightning can be particularly dangerous. Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 Now's the time to pull out the waders and test them for leaks. Last thing anyone wants on a chilly morning is to discover a hole in the waders. November hotspots include The Saucer and the flat stretching toward the cabins along the ICW. West Bay and the spoil humps just north of Bennie's can also be very good this time of year. A run to the north is a good plan when conditions allow. The west shoreline can be ideal too, from the oak mottes to Glady's Hole. East-side flats also produce well, if the wind has the west side mucked up. Other great areas in the fall are The Game Warden's Shack, Dubb's Island, Butcher's Island and Wagner's Bar. Best plan is to key on bait activity, slicks and working birds. Every pothole on a flat is likely to hold a fish or two. I like to start off my days with a Spook Junior or One Knocker; preferred colors are pink/silver, bone/silver and woodpecker. My favorite soft plastics are Kwiggler Ball Tails and Willow Tails. Trusted colors in those include bone diamond, Lagunaflauge and plum/chartreuse. Keeping an eye out for arriving fronts is wise this time of year. Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com – 956-639-1941 Tides have been running very high in the Lower Laguna Madre, with all the storms and their association with the fall equinox. Even though daily air temperatures have been climbing into the 90s pretty much every day, trout have been showing up on shallow flats with the higher tide levels. Trout fishing has been steady, and we've been catching good numbers of fish ranging from eighteen to about twenty-two inches, with an occasional whopper thrown into the mix, mostly working waist-deep water over grassy bottoms dotted with large, sandy potholes. Soft plastics like the Kwigglers Ball Tails in Mansfield Margarita rigged on eighth-ounce heads have been most effective. Best presentation has been a quick one, with some slow fluttering action in the potholes. As usually happens with extremely high tides, redfish have moved to back bay areas, where they're feeding on shrimp and small crabs. Small topwaters like Spook Juniors have been producing fairly steady responses from them, but soft plastics are working better on average. We're expecting an uptick in the consistency of the bite once temperatures decline a bit more; this happens most every year about this time. TSFMAG.com | 77
Asa Buckley Rockport - 27” first redfish!
Mike Eliasen Shoalwater Bay - 27” redfish
Tiffany Thelen trout
Katie Spurgin Laguna Madre - 30” red 78 | November 2019
Koy Macik Keith Lake - 39” black drum
Colton Jones Hog Island - trout
Cameron Bilderback West Galveston Beach - trout
Branson Baird Aransas Bay - first trout!
Kingston Faldyn Seadrift - first redfish! CPR
Wes Wedelich trout
Karen Hariss Texas City Dike - 24.5” trout CPR
Kennedy Coleman POC - first redfish!
James Lightsey Mitchell’s Cut - 39” bull red CPR
Roger E. Lightsey Mitchell’s Cut - 44” bull red CPR
Andrew McRea POC - 40” personal best red!
Wesley Mobley Port Mansfield - snook
Juan Di Bello 3.5” 25 lb black drum
Daniel Medina 19lb 6oz first jack crevalle!
Jaxon Reeves 45” first black drum! CPR
Isabelle Means Matagorda - 27” redfish
Ronny Hatfield 29.25” 7 lb 15 oz - best trout!
John Trahan 48” personal best red!
Dustin Holland & Kinsey Faltysek POC - 37” & 41” bull reds CPR
Michael Ziverk Port Aransas - 18 lb snapper
Michael Palmer Ziverk Port Aransas - 16 lb first snapper!
Photo Gallery Guidelines
Ryder Henry Port O’Connor - redfish
Slade Buell Port O’Connor - flounder
Reid Wood Port O’Connor - trout
First come – first published! Photos are judged on artistic merit and sporting ethic displayed. No stringer, cleaning table, or hanging board images allowed. Digital images only. Adjust camera to high or best quality. All images become property of TSFMag. Email to: Photos@TSFMag.com Include short description of your catch with name, date, bay system, etc.
TSFMAG.com | 79
PAM JOHNSON
Gulf Coast
Got ideas, hints or recipes you’d like to share? Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361 792-4530
Easy Dove Parmesan Texans love dove hunting and Texas leads the nation in dove hunting participation. The U.S. Fishing and Wildlife Service says 278,700 Texas hunters harvested more than 5.1 million birds during the 2016-17 season. That’s a lot of doves, even by Texas standards. But what’s that got to do with Texas saltwater fishing and seafood? Well, actually, the two are closely related. Many diehard anglers are also nuts about dove hunting. So, since my mission here is to encourage fishermen to create wonderful meals of their catches, I thought I would shift gears this month and pass along an easy and delicious way to enjoy the doves they harvest. I have prepared this recipe several times and my dinner guests all rave about it. This recipe is great for an appetizer course; it can easily be doubled to serve as an entrée with pasta and salad for four or five hungry dove hunters. Turn the page to see the recipe!
80 | November 2019
TSFMAG.com | 81
INGREDIENTS 20 dove breast fillets (each breast yields two filets)
1 large egg
Salt and pepper
1/8 cup water
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Olive oil for frying
1 cup-plus grated parmesan cheese, set two tablespoons aside.
1 cup Bertolli marinara sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese (find it at HEB-Plus)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil
1/2 cup flour
PREPARATION Season dove fillets with salt and pepper and set aside.
olive oil, and heat until shimmering. Place fillets in oil in a single layer.
Combine panko, grated parmesan, oregano, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Mix well to avoid cheese clumping.
Cook until golden brown (2 to 3 minutes), flip and cook second side until golden brown and cooked through. Continue cooking remaining dove fillets in same manner, add oil if necessary.
Place flour in a second bowl. Beat egg with water in a third bowl. Set up a breading station in this order: flour – egg - panko.
Place cooked dove fillets on baking sheet or oven-safe platter. Sprinkle with fontina and remaining parmesan over the center of the dove breast, leaving the sides bare to remain crispy.
Dredge each dove fillet in flour to coat evenly – next dip in egg wash allowing excess to drip off – then place in the panko mixture and flip to coat both sides. Press coated fillet with palm of your hand to flatten into the panko mixture. Repeat several times, flipping each time. Place the breaded dove fillets on a lined baking sheet. (Breaded fillets can be covered and refrigerated up to eight hours ahead of time. They can also be frozen up to three months.) In a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat, pour 1/8 inch of 82 | November 2019
Place under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbling; 1 to 2 minutes. Warm the marinara sauce and taste for level of seasoning. I like to add a generous pinch of sugar and some fresh-chopped basil. Transfer dove fillets to a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon warmed marinara sauce over the cheese, again leaving the sides bare so that they stay crispy. Sprinkle with more fresh basil and serve.
From Field to Kitchen
Processing Doves to Become Table Fare BROUGHT TO YOU BY TSFMAG FIELD EDITORS So, you’ve had a successful dove hunt. Congrats! The same as with fish, unless you were taught by somebody with experience, turning the day’s harvest into tasty food isn’t exactly obvious. In addition to a very delightful recipe for Dove Parmesan in Pam’s Gulf Coast Kitchen this month, we thought we might pass along a few pointers on getting your doves ready to become dinner. You’ll need some tools; we like our Gerber Vital Take-A-Part Shears to make quick work of clipping wings, and our Dexter 3.5” Parer for separating the breast fillets from the bone. If you have a couple of helpers you can set up a processing line to make the work go faster – one clips wings – the next helper peels back the skin and removes the whole breast from the carcass – the final station slices the meat from the breastbone. The photos will walk you through it. Simple as one, two three!
1) Our happy crew after a success dove shoot…ready to get to work! 2) Having the right tools helps. We recommend the Gerber Vital TakeA-Part Shear and Dexter 3.5” Parer. 3) Clip the wings at the joint closest to the breast. 4) Grasp the loose skin at the base of the neck and tear to expose the breast. 5) Slide your thumb under the breastbone at the bottom and pry it loose of the carcass. 6) Make a slice along both sides of the breastbone. 7) Angler knife blade to follow breastbone and separate fillet, both sides.
1 3
8) You will end up with two boneless fillets.
4
2
5
6
7
8
TSFMAG.com | 83
S P O N S O R E D B Y C O A S TA L B E N D M A R I N E
C H R I S M A P P ’ S R E PA I R & M A I N T E N A N C E
TIMES HAVE CERTAINLY CHANGED; BUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO COMMON SENSE? So, when does 400 horsepower belong on the back of an inshore center console fishing boat less than 27-feet length? Chris Mapp, owner of When did it become OK to legislate Coastal Bend Marine. morality, or for the government to Evinrude, Suzuki, Yamaha, mandate the wearing of a kill-switch Mercury, Honda, BlueWave, lanyard? When did specific hull designs SilverWave, Shallow Stalker that have been proven over and over start Boats, Coastline Trailers, to disappear because the government Minnkota & Motor Guide deemed them dangerous? Trolling Motors. I am veering off course this month Great Service, Parts & Sales from my normal maintenance and “What can we do for you?” technical tips because I believe it is time to start asking a few questions. I grew up on the waters of Galveston Bay and fished both inshore and offshore. I was taught well by my dad who was in charge of the flotilla in Galveston. As a member of the Coast Guard Auxillary my dad felt it was his duty to promote water safety and for each mariner to understand the rules of the road. At the age of eight, it was not uncommon for me to take my dad’s friends out fishing to the Buccaneer rigs in the Gulf of Mexico by myself from before sunup until dark, and handle all aspects of navigation and safety just as I had been taught. At the same time, my brother and I, with a friend, would spend most of our summer days in a fourteen-foot boat with a fifteen horsepower motor exploring every island in Galveston Bay and making every day a new adventure.
84 | November 2019
In today’s world this would likely be seen as some form of child neglect or child abuse, while in the 60s and 70s it was considered normal. My point is we have taken common sense and thrown it out the window. We have to have government telling us what is safe, and then mandate to us what behavior is acceptable. Did you ever think because of a few folks who may have had a lapse in judgment when on the water, that more legislation would solve the problems? We as fishermen and naturalists enjoy the outdoors, and we have a responsibility to protect the environment and each other by practicing acts of safety and common sense while in the boat. To answer the first three questions: 400 hp is a lot of power for an inshore fishing boat, and common sense tells us whether or not to wear the kill-switch lanyard – the choice and consequences are or should be ours. As far as hull designs go, each hull design has specific strengths and weaknesses, and it is up to us as owners to know what can and can’t be done safely. There are laws of physics that will never change. In conclusion, our company works on all styles of boats, yet unless the boating public wants more regulation, I would suggest we think before throttling up to sixty or seventy miles per hour in crowded zones on the waterways. Have a safe and enjoyable fall fishing season. Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine | Port O’Connor, TX 361-983-4841 | chrismapp@coastalbendmarine.com
US and International Patent# 10,349,643
Patent pending Patent pending Patented CERECOIL guides are made of a Nickel Titanium “Shape Memory” alloy frame that flexes pendingthe blank. This NiTI frame cannot corrode perfectlyPatent with in any environment and is virtually indestructible.
Available in Single and Double foot, in sizes 5-40. Finish options include Titanium and Black Pearl (Fly Rods, Spinning & Casting Rods)
The
ultimate ultimate ultimate The
CERECOIL features an extremely strong, wear resistant, and Guide exceptionally rings feature The smooth ceramic ring insert. TheseRod a precise groove allowing them to be securely held in place by Rod Guide their surrounding NiTi frame, thus preventing ring loss.
Rod Guide
• • • • • • • •
• Ceramic ring features a precise groove allowing it to be • securely Ceramic held ring features a precise by the NiTi frame. groove allowing it to be • Ceramic ring features a precise groove allowing it to beTitanium (NiTi) frame. securely held by the Nickel • securely Ceramic held ring features a precise by the NiTi frame. groove allowing it to be • Patented nickel frame. titanium shape-memory alloy frame securely held by theallowing Nickel Titanium Ceramic ring features a precise groove it to be (NiTi) • surrounds Patented Nickel Titanium alloy itframe the ceramic ringshape-memory and securely locks in place. Ceramic ring features a precise groove allowing it to be nickel titanium shape-memory framering and securely locks it in place. securely held by •thePatented NiTi frame. surrounds thealloy ceramic A REPUTATION YOU CAN BUILD ON Patented Nickel Titanium shape-memory alloy frame securely held by •thesurrounds Nickel Titanium (NiTi) frame. the ceramic ring and securely locks it in place. • Nickel Titanium frame not corrode in any environment. surrounds the ceramic ring and securely locks it inwill place. Patented nickel titanium shape-memory alloy • frame Nickel Titanium frame will not corrode in any environment. Patented Nickel Titanium alloy SINCE www.REC.com • Nickel Titanium frame will1968 not any environment. | 1.860.749.3476 x202 surrounds the ceramic ringshape-memory and securely locks itframe incorrode place. in • not and wear resistant ceramic rings. • Nickel framelocks will in any environment. surrounds the ceramic ringTitanium and securely itExtremely incorrode place. smooth • Extremely, strong, smooth, and wear resistant ceramic rings. • Extremely smooth in and resistant ceramic rings. Nickel Titanium frame will not corrode anywear environment. Available single and double foot sizes 5-40. • Extremely, strong,insmooth, and wear in resistant ceramic rings. Nickel Titanium frame will not corrode any•environment. • Available in single and double foot sizes 5-40 for: TSFMAG.com | 85 • and Available in singleceramic and double foot sizes 5-40. Extremely smooth wear resistant rings. • smooth, Available in wear singleresistant and double foot sizes Extremely, strong, and ceramic rings.5-40 for: Spinning Rods . Casting Rods . Fly Rods
TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING HOLES GUIDE SERVICES M ATA G O R D A B AY Speckled Trout / Redfish
USCG Licensed Captain Stan Sloan
832.693.4292 www.fishfcc.com
• Bay Fishing, Offshore, Floundering, Waterfowl, Dove • Night Fishing off Lighted Pier • Right On The Water • Lodging with/without Meals www.matagordasunriselodge.com 979-241-1705
Kyle Nethery
ON THE WATER
TROUT REDFISH FLOUNDER
Capt. Lynn Smith’s Back Bay Guide Service Port O’Connor Area
Wade & Drifting the Back Bays & Surf
Call 361.983.4434 (cell 361.935.6833) Email lynn@tisd.net (tswf.com/lynnsmith)
Designer & Manufacturer of Specialized High Performance Fishing Rods Office: 361.573.0300
805 B. South Bridge Victoria, TX 77901
86 | November 2019
Fax: 361.573.0304
Saltwater Fishing Clinics WITH
Capt. Robert Zapata
If you are having difficulty catching fish on a consistent basis, the clinic is designed for you. Learn Capt.Robert Zapata’s secrets to finding and catching more fish from his 25 years of experience as a professional fishing guide.
For Information Call 361-563-1160
Science and the
Sea
TM
Every Penguin Chick Is Special It’s the question every parent fears: Who is your favorite child? In the case of Magellanic penguins—if their chicks could ask—the answer is the most egalitarian: both of them! Many animals with multiple offspring make tough choices about distributing resources to their brood. Many runts don’t survive because they can’t compete or because their parent must favor those offspring that are most likely to survive and thrive.
A group of Magellanic penguin chicks in South America. Credit: P. Dee Boersma, Center for Ecosystem Sentinels www.ecosystemsentinels.org But when researchers studied Magellanic penguins in South America 20 days after their chicks hatched, they found no such discrimination. These penguins typically lay two eggs four days apart, so hatching is staggered. The first chick to hatch—therefore the first to get fed—tends to be about 20 percent heavier than its sibling by three weeks after hatching. Scientists observed that when the penguin parents returned to their nest to regurgitate food for their chicks’ sustenance, they gave equal amounts to both chicks as quickly as possible, regardless of which chick was larger—or louder. Chicks in single-chick nests, where the other chick didn’t hatch or had died, received about 1.2 pounds of food per feeding, while those in twochick nests got about 0.8 pounds each. During the average 20 minutes it took for parents to feed their offspring, they used their flippers to keep the chicks on either side of them and turned their heads back and forth to feed them. The chicks begged about the same amount, didn’t fight one another and received the same amount of food. Researchers believe the equal feeding likely occurs because food is scarce for Magellanic penguins. It’s in their best interest to help both chicks grow as quickly as possible to avoid starvation.
www.ScienceAndTheSea.org © The University of Texas Marine Science Institute
TSFMAG.com | 87
FISH WITH A CLASSIC The All Star Classic Series Saltwater Casting Rod is built for your best days on the water, and it’s only available at Academy Sports + Outdoors
100% Graphite Construction
Lightweight Graphite Reel Seat Cork Grips
8 Fuji Guides Plus a Tip
academy.com
10
YEAR
HULL WARRANTY
Tiger Shark Blue / Black
A DIV ISION OF ®
956-233-9489
w w w.sc b boat s.co m
EXPERIENCE A
MAJEK CARPET RIDE SPECIALIZING IN
BOAT LOANS • LOW DOWN PAYMENTS TOP DOLLAR FOR YOUR TRADE-IN
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
w w w. t e 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 . c o m
100% composite 7 year hull warranty Our boats are designed and built to maximize horsepower efficiency, shallow water capability, quality of ride, and fish ability . Come design the JH model that’s right for you!
3925 FM 359, Richmond, Texas 77406 • Ph: 281-238-0060
WWW.JHPERFORMANCEBOATS.COM