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October 2009

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com

Just Keep Five

CONTENTS

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com

OCTOBER 2 0 0 9 Volume 19 No. 6

GENERAL MANAGER Pam Johnson

FEATURES

18

10 14 18 22 24

Pam@tsfmag.com

Above the Low-Hanging Fruit Advanced Trophy Trout Tactics “Do you remember when...”

Bodie and the Netters Why Do You Do It?

Mike McBride Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle

DEPARTMENTS

22 30

19 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44

Coastal Birding Science and the Sea Let’s Ask The Pro Fly Fishing Offshore Conservation TPWD Field Notes Kayak Fishing Angler’s Hints and Tips Youth Fishing Every Man’s Offshore

56

Billy Sandifer UT-Marine Science Institute Jay Watkins Casey Smartt Bobby Byrd/John Cochrane CCA Texas Tonya Wiley Scott Null Everett Johnson Aaron Cisneros Ruben Villarreal

68

ADVERTISING MANAGER Pam Johnson Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918

Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene Mickey on Galveston Capt. Bill’s Fish Talk Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays Hooked up with Rowsey Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report South Padre Fishing Scene

NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net CIRCULATION Debbie Dugan Cir@tsfmag.com DESIGN, LAYOUT & WEB MAINTENANCE GRAPHICS BY DESIGN Stephanie Boyd Office: 361-785-4282 stephanie@graphicsbydesign.biz production@graphicsbydesign.biz SUBSCRIPTION – PRODUCT SALES Debbie Dugan ADDRESS CHANGED? Email Store@tsfmag.com

Dickie Colburn Mickey Eastman Bill Pustejovsky Gary Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros

REGULARS 06 46 48 64 66 68 72

Shirley Elliott Shirley@tsfmag.com

Ads@tsfmag.com

WHAT OUR GUIDES HAVE TO SAY 50 52 54 56 58 60 62

BUSINESS / ACCOUNTING MANAGER

Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly.

Subscription Rates: One Year (15 months for 12 months; Get Three Free. Offer valid until 12.31.09)

$25.00, Two Year $45.00

E-MAG (electronic version) is available for $12.00 per year.

Order on-line: WWW.TSFMAG.COM 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 .

Editorial TSFMag Spotlight New Tackle & Gear Fishing Reports and Forecasts Catch of the Month Photo Gallery Gulf Coast Kitchen Index of Advertisers

HOW TO CONTACT TSFMAG: PHONE: 361-785-3420 FAX: 361-785-2844 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.

ABOUT THE COVER Biologists rate tripletail the least understood fish in Texas saltwater. Barbara Skalak caught this 20-pounder recently in Matagorda Bay. Summertime visitors to Texas bays easily targeted near structure and surface debris, concerned tripletailers are calling for greater conservation.

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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.

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October 2009

5

Silver Bullets?

The magazine is finished except my editorial and I’m struggling. At reader request I want to address the unfortunate reality of Cedar Bayou, but this is no easy task.

Mid-coast trout and flounder fisheries have declined and fishermen are gung-ho to see the pass restored. However, after many conversations with TPWD biologists and studying all I can on the formation of Texas barrier islands, I am still scratching my head.

Many things are stacked against Cedar Bayou. To begin, the barrier islands are a work in progress that began during the Later Pleistocene.

Geologists say river silts transported by littoral currents caused shoals to form along the gulf beach. Over time, the shoals became islands. As they grew, the spaces between them (passes) disappeared. Remnants of ancient washover fans are proof that many passes once existed and Cedar Bayou is one of the last to close. In time, geologists say, all the natural passes will close.

Man is also involved. The ICW directs tidal pulses away from Cedar Bayou and the Guadalupe River now contributes little to the hydrology equation. In the current drought, with many water rights being exercised, the Guadalupe nearly ceases to flow. At Victoria, the city can no longer take what they need without replacing an equal amount from ground wells.

A curious plan for obtaining 12,000,000 gallons per day, but economically advantageous compared with treating well water, we are told.

Taking a narrow view, much of current mid-coast fisheries problems can be blamed on the drought. San Antonio and Aransas Bays need freshwater badly. We should also willingly recognize that our tradition of aggressive harvest deserves blame too.

Looking beyond drought, many fishermen believe all that is needed is another mid-coast corridor to “flush the bay” and provide a spawning path. But not all species spawn in the gulf and not all that do are in decline.

Without Cedar Bayou, redfish are still finding their way to the gulf, and presumably the crabs and shrimp are capable of the same. However, being more freshwater-dependent, crabs and shrimp are taking a worse beating here lately.

While coastal passes are essential in the maintenance of delicate estuarine balance, the decline of the mid-coast trout and flounder fisheries, and also that of the blue crab, shrimp, and oysters, cannot be undone simply by re-establishing a connection to the Gulf of Mexico at Cedar Bayou. Coastal Fisheries Division’s thirty year’s of data indicates no correlation between Cedar Bayou being open and greater relative abundance. The Division is not opposed to the pass being opened; they simply have no data or funds to support it.

Based on science, I do not believe opening the pass is the silver bullet fishermen have been hoping for. Consider West Matagorda Bay; if an open pass is all that is missing, the fisheries that are declining further south would be thriving here. But alas, this is not true. The population surveys from this bay, especially trout and flounder, are as disappointing as those from San Antonio and Aransas.

If any silver bullets exist, they would be freshwater inflow and greater conservation of the resources we can manage. Without freshwater, our bays cannot function as estuaries and their historic bounty will fade into history. The San Marcos River Foundation is fighting to preserve Guadalupe River inflow to sustain San Antonio and Aransas Bays. It is a novel concept and one that perplexes river authorities and water managers.

SMRF deserves our support and our fisheries need help too. Ask your legislators to support freshwater inflow and practice catch and release.

6

October 2009

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

9

Above the Low-Hanging Fruit

The sky faded from bright blue to crimson yellow; you could just tell something historic was about to happen.

“Man, personally I would never leave

consistently met with pig-headed redfish

nobody in their right minds would have

Ken and I were standing about a

were high as every so often a good trout

cliché’ about a bird in hand, but man ‘o

this, but hey, it’s your call.”

buck and a half’s worth of line apart,

which really isn’t very far these days.

We had been the only humans on earth on a beautiful bluebird day, just on the backside of a bone-cutting February

norther. Besides the historic potential laid out for us, that big ‘ol full moon added

even more magic to the seduction. We had both been busy since about mid-

determined to kill something, and hopes managed to beat them to our battered

lures. In short, we were wading through good fish trying to find great fish, and

being that we had already caught one

clogged with laid-over grass that it was

hard to walk through. Yet, almost every

remaining pocket of water held a couple of sunbathers eager to thump whatever moved. Accurate presentations were 10

October 2009

We spooled up and trudged back to

but felt Ken’s “what’s a matter with you”

ever stop turning.

However, as compelling as it was,

too easy, too predictable, and if these fish

water surrounding the potholes was so

“OK, my call...we’re out of here.”

world, as we knew it for the moment, to

there seemed to be no reason for the

deep enough to float a skinny water

of mud just trying to get there, and the

too much to not risk a risk.

the boat, blobs of matted grass pulling on

irrational visions of low fruit became more

boat. In fact, we had burned up a bunch

man, the call of forbidden fruit was just

twenty-eight inch trout over eight pounds,

morning, working over some good fish

basking in sun-drenched potholes barely

ever questioned it. It was the ultimate

vivid with each release. It all just seemed

were ready to play perhaps some of even better quality were as well. Why do some

every boot step. I didn’t actually see it,

look of forfeit cutting a hole through my

back, and most likely it was getting closer to my throat. However, good fishermen

are usually easily enthused, and it really didn’t take too much for Ken to set his eyes on yonder branch.

“We got the mid-day bite here, so

of us fish with lures in the first place

lets go try to get on some real fish

I don’t think so. Rewards usually come

an excited fisherman away from fish to

anyway? For the easy “harvest” of it all? from taking risks, and hopefully that is what this story is about.

We could have easily just stayed and Texas Saltwater Fishing

when the moon comes up.” Still, taking find fish could be a fool’s game. You just have to believe.

A twenty minute run put us on a flat www.TSFMAG.com

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bordering a big winter dumping ground,

appeared above Padre Island. I felt a real

when Jack Frost makes it this far south.

first thought was another brutus class

a classic place where big fish bail to All looked dead for the moment, but

scattered birds sitting across the entire

area looked like they had either just left a

red, but if it was a trout it was a good one, and one of those worth taking risks for.

“Hey man this may be her!” The

party or were waiting for one to happen.

phone snapped shut and the camera

and that big moon fixing to rise just might

video “Beasty” because the fish was

The signs were right, the place was right, make the timing right as well.

We anchored fairly deep. In winter

Laguna lingo that’s just about covers your waist, and we started wading towards the shoreline to eliminate water from deep

to shallow. When there’s nothing to see

but hope that’s a smart thing to do. Sure enough, on the outer drop, familiar taps

started signaling what appeared to be an

abundance of smaller fish. It was another

It’s great when a plan actually works… agree?

thump followed by a real headshake. The

opened. We ended up naming the short indeed a beast. We still don’t know how big she was as we had no measuring device, but after a few pictures and a

good release it was Ken’s turn. As the sky faded from bright blue to crimson yellow, the bait become more active and you could just tell something

historic was ready to happen. It was.

Ring a ding. “Hello this is Ken.”

Smack! A phone in one hand rarely

good sign, and hopefully they were the

equals a rod in another, and within just

as much about the discovery part of it

pulling rank in the warmer shallows.

down. The phone was safely tucked

is never easy, but we can often get so

As the clock ticked closer to the big

moon, those taps started getting a little

“tappier” and soon some more pig redfish began pulling our rod tips down. Ugh

oh…, this could be déjà vu all over again, but it wasn’t long before an impressive trout exploded behind a slow twitched

topwater. It was a

“Ken…your turn!”

miss, but hey, “if that class of fish is here, you can bet that the class of fish we’re

looking for is here too.

Let’s ease on in a bit more…you ready?”

Ken was ready all

right, but it seemed

that the big moonrise was energizing more

than just wildlife. The distinctively irritating

sound of a cell phone started to pierce

the moment entirely

too often, and just as Ken answered it

again, the first crescent of lunar orange Just Keep Five

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a few minutes I had another epic take

away now, and we named the next video “Beastier” because this fish was even

bigger than the last. We still don’t know, but current thought is that after many years of plugging it was probably my personal best. “Ken…your turn!”

It was his turn.

as anything else. Leaving easy pickins worried about “production” that we miss

reaching for those higher branches. Going out on a limb doesn’t always work, but

when it does…it does! The rest is all by

accident. Winter opportunities are soon to be upon us. Your call. See you there.

Within minutes

his rod also bent back on a heavy

fish. He too ended up sticking his

personal best, and

another impressive

mike mcbride

Contact

bait for whatever bigger fish might be

fish was cut loose to become an

incredible fish. On

the way back to the boat the quietness of the aftermath

was as inspiring as anything. It’s great

when a plan actually works…agree?

It would have been

a spectacular day regardless, but fishing, the way some of us approach it, is often Texas Saltwater Fishing

Mike McBride is a full time fishing guide based in Port Mansfield, Tx., specializing in wadefishing with artificial lures.

Contact Skinny Water Adventures Telephone 956-746-6041 Email McTrout@Granderiver.net Website www.SkinnyWaterAdventures. com/Three_MudSkateers.wmv October 2009

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

13

Advanced Trophy Trout Tactics: a DVD

I recently completed production of a

DVD intended for people who love to fish for trophy speckled trout with artificial

lures. Advanced Trophy Trout Tactics is largely instructional, though a few

segments are included primarily for entertainment purposes.

Some clips were shot inside my

home on North Padre Island, some on the water and others are slide shows compiled of photos. I was able to

complete the project with the help of my friend Marina Mosqueda and fellow bigtrout guide Jesse Arsola.

When attempting to capture images on

video, it’s important to have a production plan, but it’s also vital to seize upon

opportunities that present themselves unexpectedly, then use the acquired

footage to make relevant instructional

points. Both Jesse and Marina helped

Jesse and I spent in production on the

four charts to help clarify some of

(twitchbait) and topwater techniques.

choose lures. One chart illustrates how

water; it features segments on Corky These how-to segments begin at the

end, with images of the lures moving in

the water, then work backwards through

detailed analyses of how to impart action

the concepts and theories I use to

environmental conditions affect lure

choice; another relates the choice to the biting mood of the fish.

A third graphically depicts the way my

to the lures, eventually to close-ups of

preference for plugs generally changes

Similarly, there’s a section on using

specific plan to use throughout a fishing

the hands manipulating the rod and reel. soft plastics to catch big trout. Also,

I’ve invented a chapter which analyzes As mentioned in the DVD, the crack of dawn is one of the best times to catch big trout, like the long one Jason King fooled on his Spook Jr. in August.

through the year and the last provides a day in each of the four seasons.

In another segment, I list and describe some of the types of places where trophy trout can be

found in each of the seasons.

All of these segments, with the exception of the background

chapter, are intended to help the viewer become more

consistently productive in

enticing big trout into biting.

me in that endeavor.

The oral instruction I give is

In the end, we came up with some

enhanced through the inclusion

entertaining and (I hope) enlightening

of pictorial evidence, charts

scenes for the viewer. The DVD includes

and graphs and also by the text

ten chapters. One gives background

scrolling across the screen.

on my fishing career. Another lists the

Some of the concepts are

four attributes common to trophy trout

more complex than others,

the importance of using available signs

the genuine hope that it will

experts. A third makes a point related to

and the DVD is offered with

while fishing.

benefit the beginner who’s just

The longest is devoted to the day

14

October 2009

been bitten by the big trout Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com

Just Keep Five

bug, as well as clarify concepts for those more accomplished at the sport and

provide food for thought to anglers who

fast and doesn’t thoroughly cover what’s within reach.

At about the third place we get out

might have ideas for a DVD of their own.

to fish, I see signs and know fish are

The Phantom is a character I created

some rocks. While we ease over there,

I resurrect an old “friend” in the DVD.

for an article in this magazine years

ago, and he also “appeared” in my first

book, Tricking Texas Trout, a piece which shares significant structural similarities with the DVD. In the end, I believe the DVD is more focused on advanced techniques specifically related to catching trophy fish.

As a part of my alter ego, The

Phantom makes three

contributions, all of which are stylized to look like old movies. Since the

character basically serves as an archetypal old

salt, he’s there mostly to

entertain and pay respects

holding in a small set of potholes near

catch a trout bigger than that in my sleep,

if I slept.’ Then he chuckles, tells me he’s kidding, that he’s making fun of some guy in a commercial who used to star in a space ship movie or something.

Anyway, it ain’t long before he’s

I make a few comments trying to get

wandered way off, in search of a pot of

that time, I’m convinced that if I don’t do

Within an hour, he’s just a spot sliding

him to slow down and be patient. By

something to stop it, he’ll stomp around in the fish before we can catch ’em.

Not long after we start throwing into the

sweet spot, he gets this big blowup on his topwater. We hear a loud cupping sound and the foam flies. He hollers a cuss

gold at the end of his imaginary rainbow. along the horizon.

While he’s shuffling around in search of

Katmandu or whatever, I catch a second

trout about thirty one inches out of those potholes.

Heh, heh, heh! Never even moved from where we got the other two bites. She

wasn’t all that fat, weighed just over nine

Michael Strong’s personal best trout wanted to snack on a Spook Jr. during the breakfast hour.

pounds, but I admit I cracked a pretty big smile when I let her go.

I never mentioned that trout to the kid

after he made a long circle back to the

boat and picked me up. Some things a man has to learn for himself.”

to those who laid the

Other things, I believe, can be taught. To

foundation for the game

watch a preview of Advanced Trophy Trout

imbedded lessons for

copy, visit www.fishbaffinbay.com.

we play. In his words are

Tactics, and/or place an order for your own

viewers who listen keenly.

In one segment, the old

boy says:

Kevin Cochran

Contact

“So, not long ago, I go

fishing with this kid who’s

the son of an old buddy of

mine. I say kid; he’s maybe twenty five or so. My friend tells me he’s had success

in a few of the tournaments and has a real passion for the big trout game.

I wasn’t leery of him really, but I will

admit I wasn’t thrilled to go. Couldn’t say

word and throws his arms up, doesn’t

even make a real effort to get the fish to come back.

A couple minutes later, I catch a trout

no though; the kid had heard of me and

about twenty five inches on my Fat Boy.

his offer so his dad wouldn‘t be offended.

and say, ‘Ain’t no trophy, but it’s a nice

wanted us to fish together. I took him up on Of course, we go in his boat and fish

his spots, wadin’ ‘em all. I’m either

somewhat familiar or very familiar with

While I have it in my hand, I turn to him

fish.’ Mostly, I’m hoping that catching the fish will slow him down at least a little.

But no! He’s still moving when he turns

every place he stops, but I don‘t mention

to me and blurts out, ‘Yeah right. That

that he’s what I call a greyhound. By that

cocky look on his face, he points at my

it. The bite’s slow, and I notice right off I mean he races through the water too Just Keep Five

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fish I missed was a monster!’ With a

Trout Tracker Guide Service Telephone 361-668-3714 Email KCochran@stx.rr.com Website www.FishBaffinBay.com

fish and says in this weird voice, ‘I could Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

17

“Do you remember when we were boys and girls?”

The words of that country song have

been running over and over in my head lately. “Do you remember

Everybody has to be somewhere.

Inland lakes are at all-time low levels and

going to bring the very crowds you seek to escape. They will follow you into the

areas you treasure and it will

when we were boys and

change them forever.”

girls? It wasn’t a different

Those words have haunted

time; it was a different world.”

me for many years and all us

but, in the world in which I

am being drawn farther and

I don’t know about y’all

ol’ timers feel the crunch. I

live, I can think of no words

farther offshore and Rocky

that could possibly be more

at Roy’s Bait & Tackle busted

true. I am in utter awe of

out laughing when I stopped

the crowds at boat ramps. I

King mackerel caught recently on nearshore panga charter: 57-inches, 47.11 pounds.

fished in the Upper Laguna Madre recently with an

elderly couple. We passed a drifting boat on the east side of a natural channel

there to purchase marlin lures this week. I’ll still be focusing on tarpon, nearshore and

on the beach, in the coming months as they remain my

species of choice but; I look

over 150 yards away and the guy broke

apparently quality catching has been

to be doing more and more deep water

circled us as we drifted to scream more

summer has seen a large number of the

it; I’m a natural-born explorer destined

out screaming and cursing and later obscenities. My crew was shocked by this behavior and I simply said,

“Welcome to the weekend. These guys

think buying a boat includes clear title to the entire bay.”

It’s sad, it’s depressing, and it is why

I have no love for the bays on summer weekends. I was running the western edge of the channel and would have

been tearing up grass had I veered any further. Had I passed him on the other side I would have cut the drift of three other boats.

Two weeks ago I fished offshore out of

Port Mansfield on a Wednesday, twenty miles out and twenty-one miles north of the jetties. There were sport fishermen

tough north of Corpus Christi Bay. This Aransas guides working the northern Laguna Madre and, in general, I am

amazed by the overwhelming increase in the number of people utilizing Texas saltwater. All of this emphasizes the

October 2009

or South American, who might use an old Twenty pound PINS surf topwater king; BG15 Daiwa spinning reel and MirrOlure She Dog.

treasures that they are or we are going

to devastate them. It highlights that the

days we all fondly remember when there

wasn’t another boat in sight are probably gone forever. Fishin’ is supposed to

be fun and we must learn to be more

courteous and respectful of each other on the water.

Longtime friend and renowned Texas

to sea. But just like the original mountain

18

folks operating lodges in Mexico, Central

coastal resources and treat them as the

spots. I laughed and wondered if any locations.

frontier. If any of you are acquainted with

be concerned for the future of all of our

humorist, Cactus Prior, told me years

were my pals who first gave me the

to always search for that last unspoiled

pressure on the fisheries. We should all

on every single structure I know of in

the area and I know quite a few “secret”

trips at other times of the year. Can’t help

ago, “Billy, you are a mountain man gone men, you are going to find that your

exploring and seeking of new frontiers is Texas Saltwater Fishing

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really helps keep them in good

shape and you’ll get more use before having to perform serious regular maintenance.

I’d like to thank everyone for all

the kind e-mails and phone calls I got from readers who enjoyed the Megan Reese hooked up on big jack crevalle.

“Indian Flute” article. I received more have ever written.

The icing on the cake was when

Mr. John Botter of San Antonio stopped

Last winter and spring liked to kill us

Indian flute that Mr. Danny Dyson of

financially and I sure would love to find a cure for that; especially if I could explore new country at the same time. Being a

naturalist keenly interested in birds and

all aspects of the great outdoors, I might even prove a worthy asset.

I am not fond of the full moon. I started

keeping track long ago and I can assure

you that the full moon will kill surf fishing dead at least ten months of the year.

Now I am experiencing the same thing

nearshore. Occasionally I find exceptions but when planning trips one needs to take this into serious consideration.

During August it killed fishing out to at least 20 fathoms.

I recently bought a lightly used Daiwa

by and gave me a handmade red cherry Louisiana had made for me due to the article. Mr. Dyson is a very talented

fella who regularly makes Indian flutes

in addition to other instruments. It even

came with an instruction book. All my life I’ve wanted to learn to speak Spanish

and learn to play an Indian flute. Now I’ve got instruction books on both but don’t know when or how I will ever have the

time to do either. I don’t have to tell any

could tell something was wrong. Upon

field stripping the reel I discovered the

oscillating slider was upside down and

the reel had been given a huge dose of

Locally abundant in coastal salt marshes, swamps and mangrove thickets.

White plumage with black tips on primaries which are visible only in flight.

Facial skin, bill and legs turn scarlet in breeding plumage while pink other times of the year.

Present along Texas coast March through October.

Breeds on coastal islands here.

stay afloat in these troubled times. I had thought about practicing on the Panga

far offshore while trolling for marlin but

my customers would probably jump ship.

What a hoot! It’s time. Go get em’.

length: 25” wingspan: 38” weight: 2 lbs

Capt. Billy Sandifer

Contact

didn’t like it and as I turned the handle I

White Ibis Eudocimus Albus

of you how busy we all are just trying to

BG 13 Spinning Reel from Roy’s to have as a spare. Rocky said the owner just

Coastal Birding

response to that one article than any I

salt on their payroll, I sure would jump at the chance to work winters down south.

BILLY SANDIFER’S

what appeared to be axle grease. Axle grease! What’s up with that?

Modern reels are far too advanced in

design to be stuffed full of grease and too much is as bad as not enough. To use

axle grease on reels makes no sense at all. There are plenty of good products

out there that do the job correctly. If in doubt, buy some blue Penn Precision

Reel Grease. For drag washers, I have

relied on Shimano’s Star Drag grease for decades. Spraying reels with Blakemore Real Magic before and after each use Just Keep Five

www.TSFMAG.com

Billy Sandifer operates Padre Island Safaris offering surf fishing for sharks to specks and nature tours of the Padre Island National Seashore. Billy also offers bay and near-shore fishing adventures in his 25 foot Panga for many big game and gamefish species.

Telephone

361-937-8446 Website www.billysandifer.com Texas Saltwater Fishing

Photo by Jimmy Jackson

October 2009

19

Live it. Fish it. Love it.

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STCHAR

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RNIA DEPART se materials shal ed lots at The *WA . C. NoVisi MENT OF REA fede ral t ww Boardwalk at agen l not L ESTATE HAS cyCha w.St has rlesB judged St. Charles Bay, the mer ay.c NOT INSPEC itsdeta for obtain or valu TED, EXAMIN om ils.e, if any, of thes ED, OR QUA e properties.

LIFIED THI S OFFERING.

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October 2009

9/11/09 9:21 AM

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

21

E I D BO Bodie dialed Warden Wigginton on his

cell-phone to let him know where they were and what he thought was going on. The

warden advised that he was on a stakeout

A ND THE N ET T ER S

shore for clues. He noticed where a boat

Like Bodie said, they looked strange, not

odd impression, like none he had ever seen.

was much lighter than a common skiff.

had been pulled onto the sand but it left an Tommy cringed when he saw that the

very wide and not very deep, as if the boat “I know what made this impression,”

twenty miles away but he would hurry.

net had already begun its deadly work.

Tommy blurted out. “It was a kayak!”

anything like that, Bodie. Just stay put and

killing net in the short time that it had

other then at the hull marks. In unison they

Pulling the fish from the net, Warden

Farther down where the other end of the

“Do not try to apprehend anyone or

keep watch. I’ll be there as quickly as I can,” the warden said switching off his phone.

“What did he say Bodie? He didn’t say

we had to do anything did he? I mean

he surely doesn’t want us to try to arrest anyone, we’re not lawmen so we should probably just not do anything, right?”

A school of redfish had swum into the been set and were already drowned.

net had been tied, they found three more

He’d see to it that some needy folks got

way, but the same depth and width.

the large cooler in the front of his boat. them come morning.

Bodie helped load the net into the

warden’s boat and then asked Warden

wait for the warden,” Bodie assured, still

and Tommy

peering through his field glasses.

Almost an hour later Bodie and Tommy

could hear the outboard and see the

spotlight as Warden Wigginton closed the distance. As the boat settled the warden apologized, “I guess it was further than I

Wigginton

the tracks in the sand.

“Nothing to

like they

“Let’s ease over and see if we can find

anything,” the warden replied.

Bodie fired his boat up and backed off

the sandbar following the lawman to the general location they had last seen the

light. Tommy worked the spotlight to see if

he could pick up anything in the darkness.

Bodie and Tommy both knew the area probably better than anyone and they

knew a gut ran parallel to the shoreline

about where Bodie had last seen the light.

tracks, looks were wearing ordinary wading

booties like most of

us do, but what kind

of boat do

you suppose made these marks?”

Bodie asked.

Warden

Idling along, Tommy’s light picked up

Wigginton

and the boys had found their gill net.

knelt and

something in the water. It was a cork line While Tommy and Warden Wigginton

pulled the net, Bodie studied the sandy 22

October 2009

“It would seem so,” answered Bodie.

“Makes sense, though. No noise, no

had found

a good 30 minutes. I think they may have heard a motor,” Bodie answered.

“Four kayaks total?” asked the Warden.

where he

tell from the

made a set and took off but I’ll be danged if I

sets of the strange marks; different in a

to walk over

thought. Seen anything lately?”

“Every now and then a flicker but it’s been

said to Tommy, “You’re right!”

Wigginton told Tommy to place them in

Tommy whined hopefully.

“Calm down, Tommy, we’re going to

Bodie and the warden looked at each

and Tommy examined the impressions.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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lights, no wake or prop wash. All they

“Bodie,” the Sheriff said, “I could use

have to do is follow the shoreline and stay

another reserve officer but I think what

piece of work, no doubt about it.”

non-paid position. The department would

shallow so as not to be seen. It’s a handy Warden Wigginton told Bodie and

Tommy they could head in and home to bed. He said he was going to hang out

a while and look for signs in the morning

where the kayaks had been pulled out of the water. Bodie and Tommy said good

would suit you better would be a fulltime

carry your commission and insurance but

you wouldn’t be tied to any set of required hours. I think you could do a lot of good down there in a covert way; consider yourself deputized.”

Bodie and the sheriff talked a while

night and headed back to the boat slip.

and the Sheriff gave Bodie a deputy’s

those nets. I think they used one of the

When all was done they shook hands.

“Bodie, I think it was two fellas that set

kayaks to haul the nets and one to put the fish in while they paddled the other two.

You know they could pull the net out of the kayak while wading along side of it and

badge and had him sign some papers.

The sheriff wished him well as Bodie

climbed into the cab of his truck to head back out to the ranch.

Rolling down the two lane blacktop,

it could be set a lot faster than trying to

Bodie phoned Warden Wigginton to tell

“Tommy you sure have your head

the warden was happy to hear the news.

on straight tonight. It sure could have

been done like that and right now I can’t think of a better explanation. I’ll run it by

Warden Wigginton when I speak with him tomorrow.” Bodie told his friend.

The next morning Bodie paid a visit to

the county sheriff, an old friend and who carried Bodie as a reserve deputy years earlier. Bodie resigned that commission

when he realized that between his fishing and the time that he spent working on

the Lazy C he simply had too little time to fulfill the obligation. The Sheriff was

glad to see him and over coffee he asked Bodie what he could do for him.

“Sheriff,” Bodie began, “We have a

problem with netters down on my home

waters and the wardens are spread pretty thin right now. I was thinking that if you

would reinstate my commission it would

him what had transpired and naturally Bodie also related Tommy’s theory of

how the kayaks were being used to hauls nets and fish. The warden agreed with

Tommy’s theory and told Bodie he had

been unable to find any sign where the

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kayaks had been unloaded and hauled out but would continue looking. In the

meantime he told Bodie that he would

appreciate all the help that he could get and cautioned him to be careful.

Join us again next month for the

conclusion...

martin Strarup

Contact

string it out any other way.” Tommy said.

60 Stores 5 States 1 Brand

allow me to act in an official capacity, maybe even make an arrest should a situation arise.”

The Sheriff folded his hands and gave

Bodie a long look. Bodie tried not to stare at the man across the desk and instead looked behind him at the huge map of

Texas on the wall. After a few seconds

the Sheriff cleared his throat and leaned

Email Trouthunter@swbell.net

forward on his desk.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

23

Why Do You Do It? The methods change but the thrill is always the same.

If you’re like me you do some of your

best thinking while the outboard motor

hums in the background. Many of life’s

problems have been solved while cruising

at 3000 rpm. I often reflect on things while I’m on the water, not just fishing related

but life in general. For many of us fishing

is life; it’s what we do and who we are, we love it that much. It’s difficult to put into words how your time on the water affects you and even

more difficult to fully explain it to the average person

because time spent on the

with the excitement of a new challenge

the first time you caught a certain

my extremities. Chris and I were both

encounters with bonefish and snook are

helped to get the blood flowing back into armed with half-ounce Rat-l-traps. I was certainly familiar with the lure from my

days on Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn so the comfort factor was bumped a

notch. It didn’t take long to see what the fuss was all about, I can close my eyes

driving factor it once was. Being able to

throw down a cooler full of fish so I could strut along the dock and beat my chest

angler starts with you.

was once standard operating procedure,

On an uncomfortably cold

but now seems like a distant memory.

January morning many years

I acquire as much or more satisfaction

to my love affair with saltwater fishing.

today and see the monofilament cutting a

and I already had a deep appreciation

from my Abu Garcia. I had never

direct arc through the water as it peeled

Events that are that significant in

revisited often to bring back the

boat with the structural integrity of a

spaghetti noodle we reached the chosen destination. It felt great to stop because

the instant sensation of warmth coupled 24

October 2009

greater feeling to coach someone to catch

hooked and didn’t know it.

got really cold. I figured it was a shot so down the Sabine River in an aluminum

sport as I do by doing it myself. It’s a far

thunderous jolt of the strike. I also was

one’s life are not easily dismissed

I tagged along. After a bone-chilling ride

from helping others learn and excel at the

experienced the power much less the

convinced me that I needed to catch a

redfish and we could catch them when it

quality of the outing by the amount of

once in a while but that’s no longer the

older, the evolution of the

neighbor and good friend Chris Gunn had

point where I now no longer judge the

still like to go out and “beat ‘em up” every

different things as you grow

living so close to Sabine Lake. My

I, like many of our readers, have

progressed along the angling path to a

accomplishment. Don’t get me wrong, I

on the water also means

to saltwater was only natural, especially

just get better with age.

with others far outweighs the individual

to different people. Time

for the sport in general so the transition

leave lasting marks and, like good wine,

Now the opportunity to share knowledge

water means different things

I had been a freshwater guy all my life

a couple of my favorites. These episodes

fish in the cooler or the game in the bag.

You don’t have to box ‘em to have a great trip.

ago I started down the road

species often come to mind. My original

nor should they be; they should be smile and glimpse of the past. These experiences shape us as fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts whether or

not we realized it at the time. Events such as the first time you caught a

fish with a particular lure or possibly Texas Saltwater Fishing

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a fish than it is to catch one myself. Please

others are always part of the equation.

as coming off high and mighty, I honestly

all I have had the pleasure of sharing time

don’t read anything into that statement get a bigger thrill out of helping someone

catch a fish because I know I have helped

The common denominator among almost

Quality time with others who love the sport makes the memories even better.

make a memory that

water is a true fondness for

the sport and that genuine

will last a long time.

feeling that

The success of the

fishermen

angler should never

share with one

be measured in the

another. I hope

amount of filets they

you take a little

freeze or fish they kill.

time to reflect

Some of my absolute

on how good

best days on the

the sport has

water had nothing to

been to you

do with the amount

and consider

of fish we brought

what your life

to the dock. One in

may have been

particular that comes

like without it. If

to mind was an early fall trip to scout an

with on the

you are like me that’s hard to

area to fish with clients the next day with

do because it’s all you ever knew from the

a great friend to me and has shared an

honest, I would rather think about how

Capt. Dickie Colburn. Dickie has been incredible amount of knowledge that I

likely may have never gained on my own.

We were fishing some deep water in the

time you were a kid, and to be completely much more fun I have left and how many

more great memories I have yet to make.

Sabine River and I was getting a lesson

we caught fish or not the day was a huge

success. We managed to pin down a herd of redfish that had taken up residence

along an extended point, it was absolutely ridiculous how many fish we caught and

Chuck Uzzle

Contact

from best guy out there so regardless if

we never kept the first one. The fellowship during the trip along with the knowledge acquired easily made that day one I will never forget.

The fishing trips have changed through

the years, the techniques come and go,

but much remains the same. The sound of the trailer winch as I launch, the first bark of the outboard in pre-dawn darkness,

idling from the dock toward a chosen spot where in my mind the fish will be plentiful

Telephone 409-697-6111 Email cuzzle@gt.rr.com Website www.chucksguideservice.net

and cooperative; these never change.

Good friends, new acquaintances and Just Keep Five

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

25

Science and the Sea

TM

The Many Talents of Seaweed Most people probably think their encounters with seaweed are limited - being brushed by its slimy blades while swimming in the ocean, or trying a seaweed salad with sushi. But people come in contact with one component of seaweed in their everyday lives. It’s a compound known as algin.

Algin helps form the cell walls of brown seaweeds.

It is thought to help protect seaweed blades from desiccation (drying out) when they are exposed to the air at low tide. Algin also plays a part in making the seaweed flexible, and seaweeds that grow in places with stronger current have greater proportions of algin to let them bend with moving water.

Seaweed is commercially harvested and processed to extract the salts of algin, called alginates, which have some unique and valuable properties. One of these properties is the ability to form a gel. Alginate gels are used to make fruit substitutes, instant jelly desserts, and even to bind together the meat used in chicken nuggets!

Alginates also act as thickeners in everything from pie fillings to yogurt, syrup and whipped cream. In the textile industry, alginates are used to thicken dye pastes to ensure sharp lines on printed fabric.

Finally, alginates can act as stabilizers, keeping ice cream smooth and creating a long-lasting foam on beer.

Producers around the world turn out around 30,000 tons of alginate per year - that means about 750,000 metric tons of wet seaweed are used!

The University of Texas

Marine Science Institute www.ScienceAndTheSea.org Š The University of Texas Marine Science Institute 26

October 2009

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© 2009 EBSCO Ind.

October 2009

27

Ask the Pro I received an

interesting question

after a long wade in the Upper Laguna Madre

a few days back. It was

J AY wAT K I n S

interesting because just a few weeks prior, on a trip with sons Ryan and Jay Ray, we had discussed the very same topic.

Picking the group up after our first

wade of the morning one of the guys asked, “Where the heck are all the potholes?”

If you have not fished the Upper

Laguna in the past two years you are

temperatures the past two years have

water depth and quite often all the

resulting in more grass. In 2009 the

coarse in texture. Quite often we find a

also provided longer growing seasons, area from the Boat Hole all the way to the mouth of Baffin is proving to

have more areas totally covered with bottom grasses than in years past. I

am sure this is not the first time this has occurred; it’s just my first observation.

Potholes have long been targeted as

fish holding structure. So what happens

when there seems to be no such distinct structure available?

First let’s take a look at the types

in for a surprise. The area boasts some

of grass on the flat. I am no expert

and redfish and October is prime time

predominant types are shoal grass

of Texas’ finest fishing for both trout

to be down that way. One of the things I have noticed is the LACK of potholes

compared to past seasons. A few years ago we keyed on areas on the flats and along the shorelines where we could find pockets of bare sand (potholes)

here, but having said that, I believe the and widgeon grass with perhaps a

bit of manatee grass here and there.

Shoal grass is the shorter of the three,

with straight blades of about four to six inches long that are greenish-black

in color and commonly seen forming Author’s wife, Renee’, with a gorgeous grass flat red fish; CPR.

way to the surface. All of these are

crunchy bottom under the short grass that contains small shells and shell

fragments. These pointy little objects

can be a problem in your wading boots

in you are not wearing neoprene socks.

In areas where both short and long

seagrasses are present I have found that the redfish use the taller, lighter colored grass as camouflage. The

“grass in the grass” has become the

structure I target. It possesses all the

contour and elevation changes that any other type of bottom structure might consist of that many of us are more

familiar with. I have observed on many

occasions several large redfish slowing patrolling the edges of the taller grass in search of small perch and shrimp.

This seems to be the year of the perch, just about every redfish I catch spits up a perch or two if placed in the live well.

While fishing tournaments years past

we observed more crabs in these fish.

I guess the drought has taken its toll on the blue crab populations down south as well. In my home waters the blue

crab crop is pretty slim due to higher

salinity levels and the closure of Cedar Bayou. Gosh, I am glad I am not a whooping crane.

During peak feeding times the redfish

are suspended over the top of the

grass, simply cruising the edges of the taller grass looking to push perch out of the cover and into the more open scattered across an otherwise fairly solid carpet of seagrass.

During the years of the brown tide,

sunlight could not penetrate to depths

that always supported seagrass growth.

This left large areas along shorelines and on the flats void of grass. When

the waters cleared, the grass started

to spread. Unseasonably warm winter 28

October 2009

a thick carpet. I haven’t taken time to

actually measure it but I have stood in it for countless hours and it just about

reaches the tops of my Simms wading boots. The other two are much taller and lighter, usually light green and

even yellowish. Both of these have

branched stems that can grow between one and three feet tall depending Texas Saltwater Fishing

water over the shorter, darker grass. If you look closely as you wade or drift

across the grass you can see the gold and silver flashes of the perch. When

anything alerts the redfish or the perch, they quickly disappear into the grass. I have had very large redfish swimming towards me and something evidently feels wrong and they retreat into the

cover of the grass. I’ve also drifted right www.TSFMAG.com

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area of short dark grass and sight-casted to four very nice fish as they worked the

edges of the taller grass. They ate the bait as soon as it was pulled in front of them.

Wonderful sight, watching a charging red inhale your lure in air clear water.

The next time you see a grass flat

that looks as if it has little fish-attracting

A S K T H E PRO

Author with Upper Laguna elephant on 7” Bass Assassin.

over the top of them as they lay perfectly

have just tweaked the way they feed.

backs visible. In the lulls between peak

large and small groups. The schooling

still in the grass with only the top of their

feeding times I have found that the redfish prefer the short, dark grass. I think they feel more comfortable lying in a darker surrounding.

The flats, even though nearly void

of potholes in many areas are still very productive. The fish have not left; they

Seems to be more fish schooling, in both allows them to push bait out of the grass to the surface or into the shorter grass

COnTACT

structure, take a closer look.

where both vision and the sense of feel

via vibration can be used to overtake their

prey. Spinner baits, spoons and swimming shad type baits have been the most

productive for me. Today I stood in one

Telephone 361-729-9596 Email Jay@jaywatkins.com Website www.jaywatkins.com

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

29

F lY F I S H I n g DE PA R T m E n T

Good Moments The summer of

’09 will no doubt go

a nice channel cat. A few minutes

changing smoker. My

wave and he set the hook into a solid

down as a landscapefence in New Braunfels

nearly fell over from the cracks in

CA SEY Sm A RTT

Foster was the first to hook up with

the ground, and down in Floresville

there were inland sand dunes forming around the fences. It was ugly. I was born and raised in S. Central Texas and have spent my entire life here

mostly working outdoors. For the first time the unbearable temperatures made me wish I lived somewhere

else, or at least some place it rained every now and then. But in spite of the heat, I have managed to get in

some very special fishing trips with my boys Foster and Rhodes.

On one of our trips, Foster and I

snuck out to Canyon Lake to try our

luck with the catfish. He and I rigged up our rods and headed to an island where the blue cats congregate. It

was hot and windy, so we pulled the boat around to the protected side of the island and beached it on a long

gravel bar. I broke out the ice chest

of Dr. B and Cool Ranch Doritos and

later his cork vanished beneath a

blue cat with a muscled back, fat belly, and beautiful metallic skin. After his fourth fish, Foster

flats. There was

zero activity on the flats and no tide

movement, so we headed back into

case when I fish

the marsh for a

with either of my

little exploring. I

boys, I was getting

let Rhodes lead

spanked. Why does

and told him just

it work that way?

to imagine he

Why do our kids (or

was either Lewis

our spouses) school

or Clark and we

us when we take

were searching

them fishing? It

for some sort of

must be some sort of divine right of

passage we are powerless to control.

I used to do it to my Dad too.

Foster landed a half-dozen more,

I caught none, and then finally the

cats showed some mercy on me and

passageway to

the land of many

redfish. At first he kept looking over

his shoulder but eventually he paddled out ahead and maintained a good confident pace.

After an hour or so of paddling

quit biting. So, we loaded up and

it had become clear we were not

broke out a 5-gallon bucket and a dip

Promised Land. It also looked like

fun it was. There is nothing quite like the anticipation of turning over a big flat rock in shallow water. It was a great end to the day.

Several weeks after the Canyon

our rods. We were set for some first

Lake expedition, I had an opportunity

crashing waves on the windswept side

fishing in Aransas Pass. Rhodes is

October 2009

large expanse of

As is usually the

in years and had forgotten how much

30

the channel to a

you catching any?”

else we could find. I haven’t done that

fish for blue catfish that way.

after daylight and paddled across

Dad. Why aren’t

catching crawfish, darters, or anything

popping corks in the froth. I love to

We launched along the Aransas

Channel on a sultry morning shortly

catching them all

the shoreline turning over rocks and

of the island and started working our

had been looking forward to his first trip.

a bit. “Man… I’m

net, and we worked our way down

class fishin’. We waded out into the

saltwater was something new and he

started to rub it in

headed over to another island. Foster

Foster grabbed a bag of cut shad and

combining a fly rod and a kayak in

to take my older son Rhodes kayak fly 12 years old and a strong paddler. He also can cast a fly rod well enough to

hold is own on the front of a boat. But, Texas Saltwater Fishing

going to find the passageway to the the water was starting to drop so we

headed out of the marsh and back to

the edge of South Bay. As we moved into open water I spotted a large

wrinkled spot on what was otherwise a smooth bay. The wrinkle slowly

grew and started moving toward us. It definitely looked like feeding fish, and

by their trajectory, they appeared to be coming right by us.

The water was only a foot deep so I told Rhodes to slip over his anchor, grab his fly rod and come with me.

“You see that blade of grass sticking up there buddy?” I asked him.

“Yeah…” he said. “Strip out some line www.TSFMAG.com

Just Keep Five

swimming everywhere. It was cool.

feeling it was for both of us.

they come by.” Rhodes stripped out

to the handle and he quickly realized

of 2009, I have a lot to be thankful for.

to the grass. He looked ready.

largemouth bass he had caught on a fly

family, and fishing with my boys reminds

some line and dropped the fly right next As the large

wrinkled area

approached I could make out dozens of grayish black

bodies below it. It

was a giant school of black drum. Rhodes made a cast ahead of the school and

let the fly sink for a

Rhodes’ 6wt. rod was bent all the way

this fish was more powerful than any

rod. After a

few minutes of grunting and groaning he managed to

with a little

coaching he

got his hands

under its belly

as he lifted the rod. The fish he hooked

were shaking so bad he could barely

school erupted all around

O VIDE

us. There were drum

me that regardless of how tough the times get, there are always special

moments in our lives that lift us up and make us remember how lucky we are.

up close and

and lifted it out of the water. It was a

turned and bolted and the rest of the

Spending time with my friends and

get the drum

second. He gave it three short strips and the line yanked tight. “Got him!” he said

And so in spite of the brutal drought

nice-sized drum and Rhodes’ hands

hold on to it. He eased the fish back

into the water and watched it swim away.

“Let’s catch another one!” What a great

COnTACT

hit the grass you can hit these fish when

Casey Smartt has been fly fishing and tying flies for 30 years. When he cannot make it to the coast he is happy chasing fish on Texas inland lakes and rivers.

F lY F I S H I ng DE PA R T m E n T

and make a few casts at it. If you can

Telephone 830-237-6886 Email caseysmartt@att.net

Check out Casey’s Fly Fishing Video Library at www.TSFMag.com

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

31

OF F S HOR E

BLU E WAT ER JOU R N A L

PIRATES RA ID PORT ARA NSAS! BOBB Y B Y R D & C A P T. J PH n CO C H R A n E

With skull and crossbones flying,

pirate vessels raided Port Aransas

recently. Dubious characters included scantily clad females as well as a few Captain Jack Sparrow wannabes.

However, it turns out the scallywags

were participants in the 12th Annual Texas Women Anglers Tournament (TWAT) and these radicals were

more interested in catching fish and

drinking rum than raping and pillaging.

Nonetheless, there were reports of missing booty.

Rescue placed first in the Blue

the tournament was the dock party

Category, first went to Tom Shumate’s

The party began at the weigh-in

Marlin category. In the White Marlin Hook N Bull with Jim Douglas’ Reel

Attitude second. First place Sailfish

Category went to the Wildcatter and second to Artemis. For complete

results, photo gallery, tournament history and more information, go

and finished up with the awards

ceremony. The Hooter’s girl’s provided

a colorful addition to the festivities. For

information go to www.tunamania.com.

After last month’s article on

to http://www.gofishtx.com/wiki/

TWA/Home. All proceeds go to the Women’s Shelter of South Texas.

The Texas Legends Billfish

Tournament also had fifty-nine

boats with total payout of $563,000.

Top honors went to Seay Goddess releasing four blue marlin. These

guys are on fire this summer, also

winning the Poco Bueno and grand

champion at the Texas International

navigation basics we found a

three blue marlin releases, Clean

discussed… Last night three

winners included Blue Eagle with

and Pipe Dream releasing a blue and

white marlin. The largest fish weighed in the tournament was a 144.5 lb.

Pirates in Port A! The weather cooperated nicely for

fifty-nine boatloads of buccaneers fishing for treasure of $355,000.

Tournament director Sharon Miller

Tuna Mania winners

Fishing Tournament. Other Legends

Sweep with two blue marlin releases

swordfish caught aboard No Sabe. A total of twenty-two blue marlin, four white marlin, six sailfish and four

swordfish were caught. Complete results at www.txlegends.com.

The First Annual Texas Tuna Mania

few more items that need to be fishermen were found seven days after their boat capsized well offshore. The Coast Guard had given up searching for them. The Affordable Fantasy

a 58’ Riviera sportfisher owned by

Eddie Yaklin of Kingsville found them

floating on their overturned boat near Gunnison Rig, over 70 miles from

were they first capsized. It’s amazing they made it that long and several

reported two blue marlin, two white

drew a nominal but enthusiastic group

This one day event is the premiere

over $68,000. Largest tuna, 101 lbs.

with the boat. It provided freshwater for

Pelagic Slam was won by Six Chicks

water, even if only two people at a time.

marlin and twelve sailfish caught. ladies billfish tournament on the

Texas Coast and has a video release format. The Overall Trophy went to

Gary Edward’s Let it Ride with Pete Fox and Capt. Tony Casias guiding Janie Priestmeyer to her first blue

marlin. Charles Rodman’s Emotional 32

sponsored by Hooter’s Restaurants.

October 2009

of sixteen boats and a total payout of was caught aboard Minno Soda, the

and the Billfish Release Division was won by Reel Attitude with two blue marlin releases. Surfside Marina provided excellent service to all

participants. One of the highlights of Texas Saltwater Fishing

factors contributed to this outcome.

One thing they did right was to stay

them and a means of getting out of the It’s also a larger target to spot, though searchers didn’t see them. Perhaps

the greatest factor was weather; seas

were minimal during their ordeal which helped them last so long.

www.TSFMAG.com

Just Keep Five

their stay at sea. They did not have an EPIRB, life raft, handheld VHF Radio or satellite phone. OK, sat phones

and we are the exclusive Texas dealer

offshore, you should really have one.

sportfishing boats and motor yachts.

you are going to run one hundred miles These guys were lucky the boat didn’t sink and it became their life raft.

We understand they did have flares

are expensive and while we highly

and used them to no avail. Be sure you

to justify for the average bluewater

to date. When you need them, you’re

recommend them, their cost is tough fisherman. However, an EPIRB

(Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) is a must. You can even buy

personal EPIRBS to carry on you. This would have shortened their exposure time by allowing searchers to pick up

their emergency signal. There is also

a GPIRB that contains a GPS and will send out your position. An EPIRB or

GPIRB should be standard equipment

going to need them real bad…so make sure you are ready for an emergency.

Every offshore boat should have an

emergency ditch kit on board for just

this reason. Other important items are

water, food and protection from the sun.

However unlikely that you will ever need this equipment; it is foolish to leave the dock without it.

Whether selling or looking to

upgrade your boat for next season, or

so the handheld VHF is essential.

off Texas, call us or come by Tops-N-

They don’t cost much and could have really made a difference when other

vessels were spotted. A life raft is very

Just Keep Five

www.TSFMAG.com

Come by and get a great deal on your

next boat. For more information check out www.foxyachtsales.com.

have plenty of flares and keep them up

on any bluewater boat. An overturned boat is difficult for other boats to see,

for CABO Yachts. We specialize in

for information on Big Game Fishing

Towers in Seabrook, Texas. Our Fox Yacht Sales-Seabrook office has an

extensive inventory of brokerage boats

Texas Saltwater Fishing

COnTACT

of an ordeal and most likely shorten

expensive item that is also bulky, but if

OF F S HOR E

What they didn’t have onboard could

have made their situation much less

Born in Galveston, Capt. John Cochrane has been a professional captain for over 25 years. He concentrates his fishing efforts in the Gulf of Mexico, promoting big game fishing and billfish research.

A native Texan, Bobby Byrd has fished the Gulf of Mexico since he was eight. In 1995, Bobby combined his love of fishing and boating into a business when he opened Tops-N-Towers in Seabrook, Texas.

Contact Fox Yacht Sales / Seabrook 281291-0656 Tops-N-Towers 281-474-4000 Capt. John Cochrane 409-739-4817 Websites www.byrd-cochrane.com www.topsntowers.com www.foxyachtsales.com

October 2009

33

CONSERVAT ION PAG E

CCA Texas Funds Artificial Reef Project $50,000 TO HELP ESTABLISH NEARSHORE REEF OFF PORT MANSFIELD The CCA Texas Executive

“These funds will assist TPWD in

Board recently approved $50,000

developing a spectacular nearshore

artificial reef in state waters. The

PS-1047 (South Padre Island 1047)

for the development of another

Port Mansfield nearshore reefing

project, spearheaded by the Texas

Parks Wildlife Department (TPWD)

fishing reef at the Port Mansfield

reefing site,” said Dale Shively, TPWD Artificial Reef Program Coordinator.

the reef makes an excellent destination for the average weekend angler.

“In July of this year, the program

Tomorrow (HTFT) program, which is

reefed a 100-foot tugboat and 800

habitat for the coastal fisheries of

from 24 inches to 72 inches, and has

dedicated to creating and restoring

Texas. This latest contribution brings the total contributions and dollars secured by HTFT to $135,000 for

nearshore artificial reefing up and down the Texas coast.

marine resources.”

CCA Texas’ contribution to the Port

Vancouver reefing site off Freeport

smaller boats. With its close proximity,

the CCA Texas Habitat Today for Fish

larger role in the stewardship of our

intended to accommodate fishermen with

out of Port Mansfield in about 65 feet This contribution is the latest by

with the State of Texas to play an even

Mansfield reefing project along with

out of Port Mansfield jetties and was

of water.

a non-profit organization can team up

The reef is located a short boat ride

Artificial Reef Program, is located

approximately seven nautical miles

This is another great example of how

concrete culverts ranging in size

several hundred more to deploy within this 160 acre site,” said Shively. “The funds from CCA Texas are greatly

appreciated by both TPWD and the local community at Port Mansfield.

the April 2009 commitment to the

is helping to bring the vision of the TPWD nearshore reefing program

closer to reality for anglers and the

state’s marine resources. The effort

to bring valuable habitat to the Texas nearshore waters has been hugely successful in other states such as Alabama. CCA Texas is proud to be a part of the program and will continue to find opportunities to

create productive reefing sites up and down the entire Texas coast for all recreational anglers to enjoy.

“Habitat Today for Fish

Tomorrow is an initiative and commitment that CCA Texas

takes very seriously,” said Mark Ray, chairman of CCA Texas.

“These offshore reefing projects will impact the Gulf of Mexico

fishery for generations. We remain committed to finding partners

like the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Offshore Reefing

initiative that maximize the impact of the dollars raised by our volunteers.”

34

October 2009

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

35

F I E l D n O T E S

Know your sharks

By Tonya Wiley, TPWD Fisheries Outreach Specialist, Dickinson, TX.

When you reel in your next shark, make sure you’ve got a keeper. new regulations took effect in September, so here’s a handy reference for knowing which species are legal, which aren’t, and how to tell the difference.

lEgAl SHARK SPECIES anglers in Texas are allowed one shark per person per day with a two-shark possession limit.

The minimum size limit for Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip and bonnethead sharks is 24 INCHES total length.

The minimum size limit for all other allowable shark species is 64 INCHES total length. These species include:

Atlantic sharpnose – body usually has several prominent white spots; second dorsal fin originates over midpoint of anal fin.

Bull – stocky body; no interdorsal ridge; large triangular sloping dorsal fin; bluntly rounded snout.

Finetooth – fins unmarked; slender smooth teeth; color bluish-grey above and white below.

Spinner – similar to blacktip but first dorsal fin originates behind the pectoral fins and anal fin has black tip.

Hammerheads – head hammer-shaped; includes scalloped, great, smooth and smalleye hammerheads.

Blacktip – similar to spinner but first dorsal fin originates over the pectoral fins and anal fin lacks black tip.

Lemon – first and second triangular dorsal fins about equal in size.

Blacktip

Thresher – upper lobe of caudal fin extremely long and about half of total body length; similar to bigeye thresher but has no grooves on top of head and white abdominal coloring extends above pectoral fins.

Blacknose – grey to black blotch on tip of snout.

Tiger – distinctive vertical blotches or stripes.

Spinner

Blue – slender body of metallic blue color.

Shortfin mako – similar to longfin mako but underside of snout and mouth are white; similar to blue shark but has caudal keel.

Bonnethead – rounded, shovel shaped head with no indentation at midline of snout; maximum size about 5 feet.

Nurse – brown color; first dorsal fin over pelvic fins; very small eyes; barbels on each side of mouth; no distinct lower lobe of caudal fin.

Oceanic whitetip – broadly rounded white tipped first dorsal fin.

Interdorsal ridge is a distinctive, raised strip found along the midline of the back between the dorsal fins.

36

October 2009

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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The following species may not be retained (zero bag limit) and must be released immediately without removing them from the water. If you catch a shark and are unsure of the species identification, release it.

Atlantic angel – flat skate-like body; large spiracles behind eyes; two small dorsal fins located near the tail.

Caribbean sharpnose – similar to Atlantic sharpnose but is rare in Texas waters.

Basking – has enormous gill slits nearly encircling head; maximum size about 32 feet; no similar species; rare in Texas waters.

Dusky – similar to bull, blacktip and spinner but has interdorsal ridge; similar to sandbar but has sloping first dorsal fin originating over or slightly before free tips of pectoral fins; similar to silky but length of second dorsal fin free tip rarely more than twice the fin height.

Bigeye sand tiger – similar to sand tiger; similar to lemon shark but has first dorsal fin far back on body closer to pelvic fins than pectoral fins; similar to nurse shark but has a distinct lower lobe of caudal fin; rare in Texas waters.

Sand tiger Sevengill – has seven gill slits; no similar species.

Bigeye sixgill – has six gill slits; similar only to sixgill; rare in Texas waters.

Bigeye thresher – upper lobe of caudal fin extremely long and about half of total body length; similar to thresher but has large eyes directed upward, deep grooves on top of the head, and white abdominal coloring that does not extend above pectoral fins; rare in Texas waters.

Bignose – similar to silky and dusky but has first dorsal fin originating over pectoral fin insertion; similar to sandbar but has longer snout; similar to blacktip and bull but has interdorsal ridge; rare in Texas waters.

Bignose

Caribbean reef – similar to blacktip but has interdorsal ridge; similar to sandbar but has first dorsal fin originating behind the pectoral fins; similar to dusky, silky and Galapagos but has a much shorter free rear tip of the second dorsal fin.

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Sand tiger – similar to bigeye sand tiger; similar to lemon shark but has first dorsal fin far back on body closer to pelvic fins than pectoral fins; similar to nurse shark but has a distinct lower lobe of caudal fin.

F ie l d notes

PROHIBITED SHARK SPECIES

Dusky

Galapagos – similar to grey reef and dusky but is rare in Texas waters.

Longfin mako – similar to shortfin mako but has dusky or bluish-black mouth area and long broad tipped pectoral fins; similar to blue shark but has caudal keel; rare in Texas waters.

Narrowtooth – similar to blacktip and spinner but has distinctive narrow triangular upper teeth and a slight arch to the back above the gill slits.

Night – similar to silky and dusky but has large green eyes; similar to spinner and blacktip but has small dorsal fin and interdorsal ridge; rare in Texas waters.

Sandbar – similar to dusky but has large first dorsal fin originating over or slightly before pectoral insertion; similar to bull, blacktip and spinner but has interdorsal ridge.

Sandbar

Silky – similar to bull, blacktip and spinner but has interdorsal ridge; similar to sandbar but has dorsal fin originating behind pectoral fins; similar to dusky but length of second dorsal fin free tip usually more than twice the fin height.

Silky

Sixgill – has six gill slits; similar only to bigeye sixgill.

Smalltail – has deeply notched anal fin and short gill openings; no similar species.

Whale – unique pattern of light spots and stripes; maximum size about 40 feet; no similar species.

White – similar to mako sharks but has large triangular serrated teeth.

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

Photos courtesy of Guide to Sharks, Tunas & Billfishes of the U.S. Atlantic & Gulf of Mexico published by NOAA & Rhode Island Sea Grant. For shark identification books and placards available for purchase and download visit: http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/bookstore Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

37

K A Y A K F I S H I n g

Scouting For Paths The older I get the

more clearly I see that

C A P T. S CO T T n U l l

whole generation gap thing we always hear about. I guess it’s only natural when you start getting grey around

the edges to look at the youngsters

and wonder what the heck is going to

happen when these kids are in charge.

Man, the music they listen to, their

clothes, haircuts, weird piercings, etc, etc. Then again I’m sure my parents

felt the same way, as did generations

before them. I didn’t set out to get this way; it just creeps up on you.

Then every so often I run across

someone who gives me hope and it seems that most of these kids have

one thing in common, they were raised to some extent in the outdoors. I

don’t know for sure, but it seems that

son of good friend, Dean “Slowride”

to make it difficult to see over them

who have a greater appreciation for

that will serve him well throughout his

the same. Several years ago Dr. Bill

hunting and fishing tend to create kids the world around them. I’ve had the

great pleasure of watching one such

youngster grow from an irritating little kid into a fine young man. D. J. Thomas,

Thomas, has just completed a journey life. D. J. made Eagle Scout and, in the process, helped those of us who enjoy paddling the Lighthouse Lakes Trails near Aransas Pass.

The trails

are a special

place perfectly

suited to kayak fishermen.

The area is a

winding maze

of tidal creeks and lakes

ended up on an unplanned camping trip with only mosquitoes to keep

him company. Thus the idea for a paddling trail was born. Markers

and corresponding GPS coordinate

maps were set up and navigating the lakes became much easier. I have

personally been quite happy to run

across these signposts after exploring off-trail for reds.

Over the years the markers

It can be

safely and confidently was again

those venturing out for the

first time. The

mangroves are

just tall enough Texas Saltwater Fishing

for TPWD, got turned around and

became illegible and many simply

daunting to

October 2009

Harvey, then working as a biologist

surrounded by mangroves.

38

and after a while everything looks

disappeared. Navigating the trails becoming something only those

with great local knowledge could accomplish. With TPWD funding

running thin, replacing the much-

appreciated markers was not high on the list. Kayaking has become www.TSFMAG.com

Just Keep Five

assisting at the Animal Rehabilitation

would likely shy from the maze and

years. The ARK is a place where

without those markers many visitors miss out on one of the true treasures of our coast. While paddling the

trails, D. J. took note of the situation

and decided to take it upon himself to replace them.

On the surface this might not seem

like such a big deal but it became

quite an undertaking. In fact, when

D. J. proposed to make this his Eagle Scout project the coordinator felt it

was too much. He had to work his way through the government red

tape, obtain materials, get the signs constructed and then install the

Keep in Port Aransas for several

injured seabirds and turtles are nursed

back to health and then returned to the wild. While working at the ARK, Ryan

learned that the facility could only care for a limited number of turtles due to

space limitations within the manmade wetland where the animals are kept

while healing. For his Eagle project he proposed to construct pens within the

wetlands to keep the turtles separated

and thus allow for a higher population.

Ryan then constructed and installed the pens.

Mathew learned that a boat was need

nearly sixty markers in their proper

to traverse the wetlands and transport

getting the approvals in December of

turtles and birds. Funding at the ARK

places. Undeterred, he set about

’07. The final marker was placed this past February. During that time he

not only worked with TPWD, he had the signs constructed via the prison

system that makes street signs. The original markers were plastic with

vinyl numbers. The new signs are

aluminum and painted with the same reflective material used on street

signs and should last much longer. It says a lot about his character, for a

teenage boy to maintain focus on an

the necessary equipment to care for the is limited and obtaining a boat simply

wasn’t in the budget. Mathew set out to fill the need by building a wooden

clamshell dingy as his Eagle project.

He acquired the materials and enlisted the assistance of his troop to build the

dingy that was donated to Tony Amos,

director of the ARK. This boat is a true work of art and has become a valuable

asset to those lending Mother Nature a helping hand.

So the next time you start to think

extended project and overcome the

the world is in peril if left to the next

impressive.

men and rest easy knowing there are

many hurdles thrown in front of him is Equally impressive is Scout Troop

25 of Aransas Pass. Though the

K AYA K F I S H I ng

important to the local economy and

generation; remember these fine young many more out there just like them.

figures are unclear, it is generally

of boys entering scouting achieve

Eagle Scout. This small troop has

produced four in the past two years.

Prior to D. J., Ryan Wyatt and Mathew Jones both made Eagle and their

projects also benefited those of us who treasure the outdoors.

COnTACT

accepted that only around four percent

Telephone 281-450-2206 Website www.letsgofishing.net

Their troop has been visiting and

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

39

Angler’s Hints and Tips Hello Everett,

-Study the line-

First, let me say that I thoroughly enjoy getting your

magazine each month in the mail. It literally makes my

day, especially being over 300 miles away from the coast in

A ng l er’ s hi n ts a n d tips

the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I do try to make it down to the

Rockport area at least every other month to get my saltwater fishing ‘fix’ and see my family in Refugio and Victoria.

I have been doing pretty well now with topwater fishing

using 12-pound mono and want to rig up my other rod/reel

shown on the package literature and become

proficient before going fishing if you are not already handy with

them. Always test your joining knots.

-I like to attach a six

with braid for plastics. Given my success with 12-pound

foot section of leader

yet to break the mono line on fish I have caught to date.

30lb) to my braid. This

mono, what would you suggest, size-wise for braid? I have Given that braid line is smaller in diameter than mono, I

realize I can get higher pound-test but how much higher

would you advise? I use 6’6” rods and bait casting reels.

Keep up the good work on the magazine.

material (usually 20 or allows a good amount of lure tying before

the leader becomes too short.

-Begin fishing

with about half your

Kind regards,

normal drag setting

Robert Woods, Jr.

until you get the hang

Alvarado, TX

of setting the hook

with braid. Braid does

Dear Robert,

not stretch, much less

Braided super-lines are a different animal than mono and

effort is required.

-Braid is bad about

you will need to complete a bit of a learning curve to become

wrapping around your

and all of today’s offerings are highly refined compared with

slack carefully; using

proficient. There are many excellent products on the market the stuff many anglers learned to hate back when braid first hit the market about 15 years ago. Many anglers who take the time to become proficient with braid never go back to

mono. The most popular seem to be 20lb and 30lb test for

the class of tackle you describe. Most brands of 20lb braid

are the diameter equivalent of 6lb mono and 30lb is the same

as 8lb. For your first go round I would recommend the 30lb as it is more forgiving if you should ever encounter one of those

troublesome tangles that can occur when your thumb slips off the spool during a cast.

EJ

a short swoop more than a jerk when

working a lure helps prevent this.

-Don’t give up! It might take a few outings but, the

sensitivity of braid has earned it a place on all my reelsbaitcast and spinners.

Dear Mr. Johnson, One of your authors mentioned in a previous article a

author said you could only obtain them online and that they

-Place a few wraps of mono on your spool before filling

with braid, or, leave the spool half-full of mono and then fill with braid.

-Have a helper hold tension on the filler spool while filling

your reel and pack it on tight.

October 2009

rod tip. Manage your

comment about the best weedless jig he had found. The

Here’s a few tips to help you along:

40

to-line joining knots

Texas Saltwater Fishing

were pricy. I have reviewed several previous magazine

editions and cannot find the name of the jig or the website the author provided. Can you send me this information?

Regards,

Weems Turner www.TSFMAG.com

Just Keep Five

and 4/0 hook size in 1/16 and 1/8-oz weight with good result when rigging with “slotted” soft plastics. If your favorite bait

Not sure which weedless jig you may be referring to but

does not have a belly slot, no worries, use a razor blade to

I can offer a few suggestion for rigging soft plastic baits in

make one. I have not used the Eagle Claw version but in

weedless fashion. Please remember that even though we

viewing it on their website I would call it a winner as well.

toss the term “weedless” around rather loosely, anything

The Gamakatsu system includes a spring-style bait keeper

you throw will catch a little bit of grass under severe floating

while the Eagle Claw and Mustad bait keepers are spear-type

grass conditions. Lucky for us, rigging soft plastics on

with chevron ridges. Both systems work very well.

quality worm hooks (also called swimbait hooks) helps us get bites when standard leadhead jigs will clog until they

Regards and Good Fishing,

resemble cheap wigs.

EJ

Gamakatsu, Eagle Claw, and Mustad offer excellent

weedless worm hooks in a range of hook sizes, weights and

A ng l E R’ S H I n TS A n D T I P S

Dear Weems Turner,

also weightless designs with bait keepers for holding the

soft plastic bait in place. Personally, I much prefer the hooks with bait keepers over the standard old offset worm hook. A quick search on the internet will take you to each of these

manufacturer’s websites where you can view the products.

There are many online tackle sources that carry them and

given their popularity I believe you will find them in most any well-stocked tackle store.

I have used the Gamakatsu and Mustad versions in 3/0

JUST A MICRON OFF

“

IN THE FINISH...

AND YOU END UP WITH SOMEONE ELSE’S BEST HOOK.” – JERRY, Plating, 20 years

Jerry knows hook making is like horse racing – just a fraction can separate the best from the also-ran.

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TM

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

41

YOU T H F I S H I n g

TEX AS SALTWATER

The Science of Fishing I am back in school listening to lectures,

writing notes, watching educational videos,

A A ROn C I S n E RO S

and completing assignments. In my science class yesterday I was listening to a lesson on gravitational pull of the earth,

the sun, and the moon. As the teacher lectured, some of the information was not new to me. Now, let me set the record

straight. Science has not been my strongest subject, but as the teacher spoke about moon phases and their effect on

tides, I could relate to it because of my fishing experience.

fish. I know that certain areas will hold fish depending upon the height of the tide. Some areas will act as fish magnets as the tide begins to fall, and other areas act as gateways

to the flats as the tide begins to rise. I know where I can fish or shouldn’t even attempt to go according to the level of the tide. Looking at online sites and reading the tide chart in

TSFMag has helped me tremendously. I haven’t gotten it all down, but the key here is to keep learning.

I know through my science class and fishing experiences

All of a sudden science became easy; I participated in the

that the sun, the moon, and the earth all have an effect

teacher’s face.

planet. Take a look at your local tide chart and begin to

class discussion and that brought a strange look to the

How does science relate to fishing? As I shared in class

how the tides and moon phases have a big part in the

feeding patterns of fish and animals, I could sense that

on one another which in turn affects the creatures on this study it. Keeping a log of this information can only increase Author researching tides online.

some of my classmates didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. I don’t claim to know much, but I have been around people that are very knowledgeable when it comes to the science of fishing.

Now that I am fishing on my own I am quickly learning

that it’s not just hopping on the boat and expecting the fish

to jump in the ice chest. If you want to be successful in your catching, you must do your homework. Instead of being

the passenger, I now find myself being the driver, and with that comes responsibility. The fishing trip begins the night

before by making sure you look at the weather and what the conditions will be for that given day. I have learned that the

direction and strength of the wind will direct me as to where I can fish and where I can’t.

your chances of being a more successful fisherman. Study

me at a younger age, “You think you know it all; wait till you

during that particular month of the year. Talk to someone

I remember a seasoned fisherman and good friend telling

get out on your own, and you will see what it’s all about.”

How right he was.

Have you ever been asked while you’re cleaning fish

at the dock, “Man, where did you find them? We went

everywhere and couldn’t even find a hard head. What did you use to catch them?”

I mean no disrespect to any of these fishermen, but if

you really sat down with them and asked, “Hey, what are

the tides like today,” you would probably see the same face

that is knowledgeable on this subject, attend seminars, read

the articles here in TSFMag, or perhaps look at their archive issues on www.TSFMAG.COM.

As you dig in deeper into the how and why, you will learn

there is a lot of science in fishing. No one will have all of the answers to all of the questions, but with a little bit of

homework you will be the one cleaning fish at the dock, not the guy asking questions.

Another thing to remember is that the catching side

my teacher had when I got involved in the class discussion.

of fishing doesn’t start or stop with tidal movement. This

estimated tidal correction for the area they were fishing.

better fishermen. You also have the seasons of the year

They probably wouldn’t have a clue much less have an

From my experience, my dad, and others, I have begun

to learn about tides and how they affect the areas that we 42

the moon phases and how they relate to your catches

October 2009

Texas Saltwater Fishing

is only a part of the lesson we need to learn to become and how they affect fish migrations. There are also the

air and water temperatures for the area you plan to fish. www.TSFMAG.com

Just Keep Five

If you like challenges in your studies, then take a look at the

is how are we doing in our fishing class? Are we passing or

barometric pressure and how it affects your catching. If you don’t have a log, get one and start taking some notes. The first year it might not

failing? We probably all have some studying to do.

A little research will bring you great results.

YOU T H F I S H I ng

THROUGH YOUTHFUL E Y E S make any sense, but as your data grows, you will begin to see what I am talking about. Like I mentioned before, I have

been lucky enough to be around people

that are knowledgeable on this stuff and

have learned the importance of keeping a log of information and experiences. If you

start logging now, the science of fishing will become much easier in the future.

Remember to take notes and learn when

you’re out there. A slow day of fishing is not always a bad day of fishing when you take

the information and learn the how, the why, and the why not. I have a lot of studying to do to pass my science class; the question

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

43

E V E R Y m A n ’ S OF F S HOR E

Mangrove - The Other Snapper!

Now that red

snapper season has

snapper is often

controlled waters it’s

juvenile cubera

closed in federally

confused with

time to turn our attention to other reef

RU BE n V I l l A R R E A l

Note absence of blue line and white spot under eye common to dog snapper. (photo credit: TPWD Art Morris)

The mangrove

snapper, however

fish that most people can find and

the two species can

catch; mangrove snapper!

be distinguished

The Latin name given to the

from each other by

mangrove snapper is Lutjanus

the shape of the

griseus which means gray snapper.

tooth patch at the

The mangrove designation comes

top of the palate.

from the habit of this species to feed

The mangrove has

on crustaceans along mangrove

an anchor-shaped

thickets in Florida and the West

tooth patch while

Indies. Mangrove snapper are

the cubera has a

tolerant of a wide range of salinities

triangular-shaped

and here in Texas mangrove snapper are commonly found inshore around

patch. Another fish people get

Platforms and pipe stands are great

dog snapper. Though often similar

ability and structure reaching from

mixed up with the mangrove is the

jetties, pilings, bulkheads and rip-rap.

Their offshore habitat is reefs, wrecks

in color, the dog snapper has an

and platforms.

obvious white triangular mark under

Mangrove Snapper Coloration and

the eye extending toward the upper

Characteristics:

lip and a light-blue horizontal line also found under the

eye. The teeth of the dog snapper are far more

prominent and

two large canines

can be seen even

The mangrove snapper can be

options on days when the seas will

green back, rosy sides, white belly and silvery fins. Another phase is darker with olive back, coppery sides, and

dusky or coppery fins. Scale coloration is usually dark in the center with gray or silver at the margins. Adults of the species tend to be darker.

Mistakes in Identification:

44

October 2009

usually get less fishing pressure

which affords the small boat angler

better opportunity. Rocks such as the Claypile and Heald Bank areas along with the Matagorda Liberty Ships are always great areas to try.

Mangrove Snapper Tackle and Baits:

Mangrove snapper can be found

Their coloration varies with habitat.

the mangrove snapper can have light

catch these fish. Wrecks and rocks

Mangrove Snapper Habitat:

on jetty rocks and inshore platforms;

Depending where they are caught

gives anglers many depths to try to

closed.

Mangrove snapper have two prominent fangs near the front of the upper jaw.

the ocean bottom to the surface

when the mouth is

photo credit: TPWD Art Morris identified by several characteristics.

areas to try due to their bait attracting

targeting them there can provide not allow small boats to venture offshore. The areas where you

normally find red snapper can also

hold mangrove snapper and preferred depths are 60-120 feet. Given that mangrove snapper willing inhabit

structure of this depth, they make

a good target for smaller boats on

calm fall days, however, circle hook

Mangrove snapper have keen

eyesight and because of this they can be challenging to catch at times.

...continued on pg 61

regulations apply in these areas.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

45

T S F m a g a z i n e spot l i g ht

tsf m ag a z i n e spot l ig ht

Busha Boatworks

46

A trip to Busha Boatworks is like taking a step back in time. Don Busha is an oldfashioned businessman and takes great pride in making friendly deals in a nopressure atmosphere. Everything at Busha Boatworks reflects this. “Loyalty is a twoway street,” says Don Busha, “You have to first be loyal to your customers if you want them to be loyal to you.”

Don says he learned to be a mechanic growing up on the farm. “You learned to fix things yourself, nobody had money to hire a mechanic and rarely had money for parts.

You either learned to fix the equipment or do without. Lots of times that meant figuring out what caused a part to break before you fixed the broken part. Now days, you meet a lot of parts-changers and that’s not good mechanic work to me; too often that new part fails for the same reason the old one did and you’re back where you started.”

Busha Boatworks began as an outboard motor repair shop in Don’s backyard. “You know, neighbors get tired of hearing outboard motors running all the time,” he says. “Pretty soon I moved out here on Nichols Road to a smaller building down the road but we outgrew it, I had no idea we’d get so big.”

Busha’s present location includes a 3000 sq. ft. office and showroom along with a 5000 sq. ft. shop on four acres at 3113 Nichols Road in Bay City. They are

October 2009

Texas Saltwater Fishing

dealers for Dargel, Gulf Coast, Explorer, Marshall, and Ultra Cat boat brands and a full-service dealership for Suzuki, Yamaha and Evinrude outboards.

Busha became a Suzuki dealer in 1999 and soon grew to become one of the largest in the nation. “We sold 37 motors the first year and ranked sixth in the nation in our third year.

Suzuki builds a great motor and folks seemed to like doing business with us, it just grew by leaps and bounds. I think we ranked tenth in the nation last year but that stuff is not really very important to me. We just do our best to take good care of our customers and they keep coming back, that’s what it’s all about,” Don explained.

Don’s personal goal is that no customer should leave unhappy and invests great effort to make it happen. He chuckled as he said, “One day a man complained about the price on his repair bill and was leaving in a huff. I said to him, ‘well then just pay me what you think it’s worth’ and that made him a loyal customer.”

Drop by Busha Boatworks on Nichols Road in Bay City next time you need service or shopping for a boat. Don and his team will be waiting for you.

Busha Boatworks – 979 245 1599 www.bushaboatworks.com

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

47

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October 2009

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

49

DICKIE COLBURN’S DICKIE COLBURN Dickie Colburn is a full time guide out of Orange, Texas.

Dickie has 37 years experience guiding on Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes.

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

It is easily the single most

We have enjoyed the company of some solid trout up to

important, yet unheralded

26-inches only a few times over the past month. We have

mile for the fishermen that

but they were not to blame for my inability to locate the better

example of going the extra eagerly await their copy of

this magazine each month.

In an effort to provide their

dodged our share of thunderstorms and the accompanying wind, fish. When we did find them, the bite never lasted long and was only a pleasant memory a day or two later.

Unlike many anglers on the middle and lower coast, most folks in

readers with the most useful

the Sabine area are not as dedicated in their desire to pursue and

possible, Everett and Pam

very good year as long as the redfish and flounder continue to bite

and current information

willingly sweat out the arrival

of our monthly guide reports right up to the midnight hour.

Aside from newspaper columns and CCA’s edition of Currents,

any other deadline I ever worked under carried a minimum of

ninety days in advance. While I always remind folks that even

a day old report is already old news, any predictions as to what will happen three months from now has to be based on what happened last year!

Sabine Scene

catch only big trout. For that reason, we think we are still having a everyday and they have done that all summer long.

We have ridden the backs of slot redfish right on into football

season and that incredible bite shows no signs of declining. As

the water temperature drops following the passage of each front, more and more reds vacate the shallow marshes and prowl the open lake.

Fishing live mullet or shad on a Carolina rig or under a

popping cork is very popular for resident anglers, but there is no

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50

October 2009

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Just Keep Five

S A BI n E It has been rare indeed when

Grandkids and redfish make a wonderful combination.

we cannot limit with a quarter

ounce Red Daddy spinner bait or gold weedless spoon. When the reds are

holding on the outside of the grass, we do well

with She Dogs and Assassins or Gulp shrimp fished under a Kwik Cork on a 24-inch leader.

Because I have more than I can say grace over on the north

end of the lake, I seldom run south, but this is the month both

the larger trout and redfish start fattening up on ribbonfish and mullet all the way from Garrison’s ridge to the south revetment wall. You do not need the gulls to point the way as you can

sometimes hear the fish blowing holes in the water well before need to nurse live bait all day. If you cannot find them pounding

you spot them.

The smaller trout will chase shrimp all day long, but the key to

away at baitfish and shrimp under the gulls this month, head for

catching larger specks is to locate those fish chasing the baitfish.

diving crankbait.

scene early enough, but you can do equally well after the fact with

the nearest shoreline and tie on a spinnerbait, spoon, or shallow The most consistent action will take place in close proximity to

the bayous or small cuts exiting the Game Reserve on the east

Virtually every lure you own will work provided you arrive on the a MirrOdine XL, Catch V, or 3-inch Spoiler Shad.

I suspect that we will pursue flounder a little less fervently

side of the lake. The transplanted marsh grass between Madam

this fall, but they are already showing up in the river and along

trout and flounder as well.

flounder thus far, but the size has just been excellent.

Johnson and Green’s continues to attract not only redfish, but

the drains in the bayous. We have not caught a large number of If you elect to concentrate your efforts in the Sabine or

Neches River, especially on bad weather days, fish deep. Look for both the trout and redfish to stack up at depths of 12 to 22

feet. You will do better by fishing vertically with soft plastics and pinpointing deep structure changes. The use of braided line

also provides a distinct advantage in detecting subtle strikes in deeper water.

It is still early for stripers, but we have already caught and

released one 19-pound fish last month that hit a Hoginar.

Hopefully, we will do better on them this year with most of the pipeline traffic now out of the area.

Just Keep Five

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

51

mICKEY

On Galveston

My report and forecast in

last month’s magazine was not very encouraging, dog

As far as trout fishing goes, soft plastics are the best bet right

now for lure chunkers. Topwaters are drawing a lot of slapping and

a serious dive I was being

are still getting fish but that action seems to have slowed. My guess

as honest and accurate as I could. Now that summer is winding down, fishing

is picking up and we are

getting a few teases of what

is to come. I would give it an overall rating of fair, better

than it was, but still not good.

The hours of daylight are

diminishing and the water temps are falling. This is the old one-two punch that triggers baitfish and shrimp migrations and changes

the feeding patterns of gamefish. The patterns are not consistent

yet, and one or two days of decent catching aren’t enough to hang

October 2009

around the bend.

day fishing never is. When

I said lure fishing had taken

52

your hat on, but these little teases assure us that great fishing is just

blowups, not too many hookups. Fishermen throwing live croaker is that with the fall pattern emerging the fish are leaving the deep

structure and there is less competition for forage. One aspect of the summer pattern that is still going pretty strong is occurring around

the gas wells in the middle of Trinity and East Bays. Fishermen using live bait under popping corks in 6-8 feet of water seem to be pulling the biggest catches. Wading the flats is definitely producing better

fish than they are getting at the wells but there are just fewer of them.

The bites are fewer, put it that way. We have been seeing a few

pretty decent trout coming on topwaters while wading, even a couple that weighed up to seven pounds but you really have to be a trooper.

The bites are few and far between. Redfish action is fair to decent lately. The best action is being found in knee deep water on gold spoons, spinner jigs and Baby Spooks.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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g A lV E S TOn Looking at October prospects, all three major bays – East, West

The fall pattern should be coming

and Trinity are holding lots of fish and the water quality is looking

together by the first of month and

put everything into play. I think right now most of the water temps

along the shorelines and they are just

real good. The only thing missing is the right set of conditions to

around the Galveston Bays are running around 81-83 degrees and

that beats the heck out of 92 degrees. I look for some big changes to occur when the water gets down around mid-70s.

Good days are ahead of us, lots of good days. Look for bird action

to kick off real good long about the 20th of September. The beginning of the bird thing almost always means a lot of small trout mixed with

one sure sign will be big balls of shad

now starting to come out of the marsh. There will

be schools of trout and redfish with these shad and

naturally spoons, topwaters and soft plastics are always good in

early fall. We are getting close, still in limbo, but our time of year is only a couple of weeks away.

The bull reds are starting to run the beachfront and lots of folks

gafftop and skipjacks, and that is where we are right now. If you go

enjoy fishing for these brutes. Reports indicate that all the passes

a few decent trout but it can get frustrating dealing with dinks and

Freeport jetties; the annual bull red run is in full swing. Right behind

out and find some bird activity and stick with it you can scratch up

ladyfish. Give it a few more days, as we get around toward the next full moon it should really light up.

and channels are holding big reds, San Luis, Roll Over, Sabine Pass, that we will have the flounder run. It is a good time of year and good things are starting to happen.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

53

CAPT. BILL’S October, one of my favorite

fishing months, historically

yields numerous opportunities for memorable fishing. It seems like everything

begins to fall in place this

time of year. As our water Telephone 979-863-7353 Email CaptBill@ GoldTipGuideService.com Website www.goldtipguideservice.com

temperature declines, we

will see shrimp populations

bunching up for the migration to the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, our bays are

sustaining plenty of mullet.

This scenario provides our

trout and redfish in East and West Matagorda Bays excellent feeding opportunity and they always gorge themselves in

preparation for the cold winter months ahead. This is a yearly

pattern beginning late September-early October and extending

54

October 2009

Fish Talk through

the end of

November.

Capt. Bill shows off an East Matty 29 incher; CPR!

Depending

on our cold

fronts and how cold the water temperature

becomes, bird activity has

been known to extend well into December. So for all you bird chasers, this may very well be a good year for you.

My personal preference will be wade fishing shorelines, reefs,

and mud flats at the same time looking for prime spots with

mullet and jumping shrimp. At times, birds may be working in

waist to thigh deep water and what a blast for wade fishermen.

Don’t overlook the lakes off the Intracoastal Canal and in East Matagorda Bay check out Austin Lake at Chinquapin. West

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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m ATAg OR DA Matagorda Bay affords Oyster Lake as another possible option.

Both these lakes pack a lot of fish in October and you will more than likely find some bird activity as well.

Perhaps the Colorado River may play into our list of favorites

this year. In the past, the river

One last thing I want to touch

on briefly is the Texas Parks and

Wildlife Department’s gill net surveys here in our local bays. These reports

are holding a rather

has saved many fishing trips from

grim outlook for Rockport, Port

Gloomsville. Executive decisions

O’ Connor, and West Matagorda

to retreat to the river have occurred

Bays as current fish populations

when nasty cold fronts came in and

are becoming similar to what we

messed up bay fishing. As long as

had following the 1989 freeze.

the river is not fresh from run-off, and

Guys, this is fact not fiction. East

along with the Diversion Channel,

Matagorda Bay results indicate a

these areas can provide some darn

disappointing downward trend as

good fishing for trout and reds.

well. The remaining bay systems

Typical top water baits to throw

this time of year can include

favorites such as Super Spooks,

Rapala Skitterwalks, Corkies, and

like Baffin Bay, Port Mansfield, and Tony Kawczynski, David Trevino and Jerry Howell; fun in East Bay.

Galveston have remained stable

compared to those mentioned. I

personally don’t have a clue as to

the Eddie Douglas special. Of course, you would have to pry

what TPWD is going to do but I will encourage that you keep an

time. Whatever you fish with expect to get some good activity

on these surveys and until then it’s all up in the air. Be safe on

my fingers from Bass Assassins as they are top picks all the because these fish will be hungry preparing for the coming winter months.

eye on the situation at hand. This fall season will tell the story the water and good fishing. God Bless… Capt. Bill

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

55

mID­COAST BAYS

With the Grays

CAPT. GARY GRAY On a scale of one to ten,

I would have to rate the

September fishing in the Port O’Connor/Seadrift area as

an eight. The majority of my

fast until we get a blow up and then slow the retrieve to get the reds

to take it. Usually it didn’t take much enticing as there was too much competition for them to hold back.

Another lure that has served us well is the good old Johnson

fishing has been taking place

weedless spoon in the 3/4 ounce size. I choose the 3/4 ounce

and the decision to head for

the weight makes it easy to cast into the wind. You don’t have to

in the Matagorda Island surf Telephone 361-785-6708 Email Gary@BayRat.com Website www.bayratguideservice.com

CRBL and CHPR have been doing well. We work these lures very

the wild blue yonder every time the weather allows has been easy for me.

The thing I will remember

most about the surf in 2009 is how plentiful the redfish

have been. Yes, we are still catching surf trout, but it doesn’t seem

to matter where you stop along the Matagorda Island beach, reds of twenty-six to twenty-eight inches have been waiting and willing

weedless version for the surf because of the strong single hook and worry about hanging grass in the surf so you can work it at whatever speed is needed, even dragging on the bottom sometimes. I have changed the way I rig the spoons, though. Eighteen inches of 30#

leader material tied to a #10 Berkley swivel works better in the surf. In

the bay I prefer a swivel and split ring attached to the spoon itself and do not usually include a leader.

The lure we have been throwing more than any other in the surf is

the Saltwater Assassin rigged on 1/4 ounce Bass Assassin jigheads.

in the first gut along with a few oversized fish to test our tackle.

I have always made a practice of checking stomach

Jason Anzualda fights a nice surf redfish whie buddy, Eugene Gamez, is ready with the net.

contents of the fish I clean. What has amazed me lately is that in every redfish I cleaned from the surf this summer I have

found pieces of sand dollars. I have no clue what they see in sand dollars but, then again, I am reminded that redfish will certainly eat some unusual lures.

Sharks were another interesting aspect of surf fishing this

summer. We expect to see sharks while fishing the surf, but they seem more numerous and have been hanging with us

a lot longer, sometimes chasing each redfish as we reel it in.

Using a landing net has been mandatory. You do not want to be reaching for a fish at the same time a shark is.

Lure selection has been varying from topwaters and soft

plastics to spoons with angler preference ruling as they would

hit any and all most of the time. Mirrolure He Dogs in GCRBO,

56

October 2009

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P OR T O’COn nOR / S E A DR I F T

The larger jighead makes it easier to throw into the wind and like the

There are wrecks located in the water and some

fishing shallow water over shell and grass. The best colors have

located in the dunes. A word of caution to anyone thinking of going

spoon you do not have to worry about hanging up as happens when been the same as in the bay; Baby Bass, Cajun Croaker and Bone

Diamond. These have been my “go to” colors all summer and looks like they will continue

fitting the bill going into the fall.

What I enjoy most

are washed up on the beach. There are even some

beachcombing or climbing the dunes; keep a sharp eye as there

are many rattlesnakes and other hazards there. Not to mention that

The famous Darlington wreck on

beachcombing cuts into your fishing time.

Looking towards the fall months, I will

the Matagorda Island beach.

be spending a lot of time along the deeper edges of the reefs in San Antonio Bay. My

when taking first time

primary lures will be Saltwater Assassins, in

surf fishermen is how

the colors I mentioned earlier, rigged on 1/16

much they appreciate

ounce Assassin jigheads. Always remember

the adventure. We

to wade slowly and as quietly as possible

often see huge rays,

anytime you have shell underfoot. One

sharks and sea turtles.

strike will be your signal to stand your ground

On the beach and in

and fish the area thoroughly with long casts

the dunes you will see

before moving forward. Fish hard, fish smart!

deer, coyotes and jack rabbits. Shipwrecks intrigue everybody.

Just Keep Five

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Texas Saltwater Fishing Untitled-2 1

October 2009

57

8/14/09 10:33:19 AM

HOOKED UP WITH DAVID ROWSEY David Rowsey has 20 years experience in the Laguna/Baffin region; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty. David has a great passion for conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish.

Rowsey

Sitting here on Sunday

October... Time to bring it all back together.

morning to write this article, I cannot help but notice the

activity taking place outside my window. The clouds are grey and heavy, the

doves are “coo-cooing” in

the oaks and squirrels are

frantically burying pecans for 361-960-0340 www.DavidRowsey.com

winter. Although afternoon

temperatures are still in the nineties, I think it is safe to

say that fall is approaching.

October is a favorite month

for many up and down the coast. Cool, calm mornings, birds

slapping at scattering baitfish and shrimp, fall equinox tides, and sporadic north winds dropping water temperatures to put the large trout into full winter mode all contribute to the season.

For me, October is not only a great time to be on the water, it

is also prep time. It kind of reminds me of back to school, the mad rush to get ready for that first day of class. This is when

I make sure I have crossed every T and dotted every I. Being

prepared is essential for success when fishing anywhere and it

has become a ritual of mine to go through everything with a finetoothed comb. This includes having Mac at Chris’s Marine do a complete run through on the big Mercury, switching trebles on

topwaters and Corkys, organizing loose and half bags of Bass

Assassins, setting up wade boxes for different scenarios we may

The upper lagoon itself has a natural and deep contour line that

runs from Pita Island to the Bottleneck (near ICW 157.) Many of

the baitfish will be traveling along this line. Generally too deep to wade fish, this drop-off is custom made for drift fishermen and

the troll motor crowd. Note: I am not big on fishing birds in the

Laguna and Baffin, as they just do not produce the quality of fish that the upper coast fishermen get to experience, but October and November are the exception for me. If you see gulls

slamming the water, you would be well advised to check it out.

My preferred method has always been wade fishing.

encounter, cleaning and re-spooling the Daiwas, airing my trusty

Considering the bait migrations, I will set up along the many

rods. To heck with the school analogy, I think the feeling may be

will be the ones that have significantly deeper depressions or

Simms waders, and seating reels on a half-dozen new Waterloo more similar to a kid’s anticipation of Christmas.

In the midst of all of this preparation, we still have to get

some fishing done and just about anything can happen during October. Baitfish will be hedging toward winter patterns and

seeking traditional migration routes to deeper water. It will not

be in full swing unless we are slammed with a couple of serious frontal passages but, like us, they too are making preparations

spoil islands from Bird Island to the Land Cut. The ideal islands channels that lead to the ICW. These are great areas for bait to pass through and predators to setup for easy kills. If the

floating grass is not too bad, topwaters should dominate as the lure choice for larger trout. If you are more into the numbers

game, go with a 1/16 oz. jig and a 5” Bass Assassin (which will undoubtedly also produce hookups with big sows.)

There will be schools of mud apes, AKA redfish, around all

for winter. Unlike the upper coast, we do not have a lot of marsh

the aforementioned areas gathering up to make their annual

a lot of natural contour to the bay floor, as well as the ICW.

however, some of the largest schools will be in 4 to 6 foot

drains and creeks for the bait to dump out of, but we do have

Intersecting the ICW are hundreds of manmade and natural cuts that will channel baitfish right into a predator’s mouth. This is

some of the easiest fishing someone will ever have a chance at.

58

October 2009

migration. Many of these schools will frequent the islands;

depths. Unless you have eyes like Capt. John Mendleski, do not expect to see these fish at 200 yards in five feet of water. You

can get close enough to possibly see them if you pay attention

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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U PPE R l Ag U n A / B A F F I n Clint Dorrell, son of Dr. Tom & Patty Dorrell, getting it done with the fly. Released!

position in increments of

twenty to thirty yards to dip

hapless bait. Approach slowly

and quietly and look for the school to

wake the surface. In many cases a passing boat will

be all it takes to lift the whole school making them as obvious as Megan Fox waving a flag of surrender at you. Now who wouldn’t notice that?

In closing, my regular clients are already booking

dates from November through late spring (Thanks!) but there are many great dates yet available. I look forward to the beginning of the new trophy season,

ribbing old friends, and making new ones. If we have not fished together, and you are thinking you will do

it this season, I encourage you to contact me early to

reserve your dates. I look forward to hearing from and fishing with you all.

“Governing a great nation is like cooking a small

fish – too much handling will spoil it.” Lao Tzu

to what is happening above the surface. Look for areas that

have high concentrations of large mullet clearing the surface or

“Set ‘em Loose.” Capt. David Rowsey

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

59

P OR T m A n S F I E l D

TRICIA’S

Mansfield Report

It is a pleasure to report

that for yet another month, “All remains well in the Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water Adventures operates out of Port Mansfield, specializing in wadefishing with artificial lures.

Telephone 956-642-7298 Email shell@granderiver.net Website www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com

Lower Laguna.” Despite

Stingray protection is gaining popularity.

summertime crowds beyond

chances?”

The crowds will soon

be gone and the water

level is predicted to rise

what most imagined, plus

to its autumn peak by the

a persistent drought and

end of the month. Look for

pesky wind, overall, fishing

the redfish to form larger

has been about as good

schools and trout to feed

as expected. October, if

more aggressively in the

anything like last year, will be

cooler waters. October will

when everything kicks into

be a good “get bit” month

a higher gear. Let’s all hope,

hang on and get ready, as all

“Why take

for numbers of fish and I’m betting there will also be

indications are that we are in for a repeat.

plenty of opportunity for some big trout surprises as well.

predictable and feeding aggressively high in the sand. Water

increasing numbers of trout as the month wears on. Drifters

advantage of it. So were we, and aside from the exciting

boaters running back to repeat shallow drifts can turn them shy.

As of this writing, mid to upper-slot redfish have been

levels have started to rise and redfish were quick to take

sightcasting opportunities, a strong topwater bite usually exploded just as the daily winds started to increase. Some of the sessions

were as explosive as they come. Smaller plugs were often totally inhaled, and besides working through irritating floating grass,

single hooks once again proved their worth by not killing as many

fish once you started on the release mode. That usually didn’t take very long. I have been using a green/chrome She Pup quite often with exceptional results. Trout-pattern Skitterwalks also worked well, but there just seemed to be something about that green.

Most reds have been cruising in smaller “wolf packs”, four

or five fish rather than in large schools, but they were often

generously scattered along long stretches. It wasn’t uncommon to see them fighting over your lure, and a paddle-tail on 1/8 oz. jighead was as productive as anything in the early hours.

Trout, although numerous, have predictably run toward the

We can expect the flooded, heavily grassed shallows to hold

will do OK, but in many of these sensitive places, too many

As always, we prefer to wade slowly and quietly, working these

areas thoroughly while keeping the boat following closely on the

remote control Power-Pole. If the baitfish have moved up shallow, you can bet there will be scattered groups of big fish staged

nearby. It’s often better to resist the temptation of casting to the

largest bait concentrations, remaining instead on the less “busy”

fringes. Remember that mullet are not always the primary forage, especially for reds.

Being diligent with large topwaters this month can pay

dividends, but as always, knowing when to drop down with a

softer presentation can fool some of the better ones when surface baits are ignored. As exciting as a blow-up can be, sometimes the best part about them is that they tell us the fish are there. It’s then up to us to decide if we want blow-ups or hook-ups.

Few question the incredible fall and winter seasons we enjoyed

smaller side. With the reds as plentiful and cooperative as they

last year for both excellent reds and upper-class trout, but one

such a fun experience in the beautiful shallows of the Laguna to

Spring Break hasn’t altered

have been I’m curious why some people would ever want to leave catch mostly smaller trout. This is not to say that a few large trout have not been laying up in the shallows with the reds. Lately we

have seen more of these heavy specimens than we’ve been lucky to catch, but that will soon change.

Worthy of mention is that along with every other marine life form

seeming to be in uncommon abundance, so too are stingrays.

In fact, if you are not seeing them you probably aren’t where you need to be. Although we might not prefer it, most waders are

wearing protection just to be on the safe side. Discretion says, 60

October 2009

just hopes that the extreme traffic we have experienced since our great fortune. So far so good, but even a five fish

limit may not have quite the dynamic impact with three

times the participation. Let’s remember to take special care of the ones to be

released so we can all get out there and do it again.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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...continued from pg 44

varieties (offshore.) An egg sinker of sufficient weight to take

the bait down in the current completes the rig. Free-lining live baits (no weight) also works for mangrove snapper whenever they can be found higher in the water column and especially inshore. I always stress the need for strong hooks as you never know when a ling or king or

be either bait casting or spinning from 6 ½ to 7 feet rated for

15-30# line. Suitable reels would include the Daiwa Luna 300

or Shimano Calcutta 400, and in spinners, the Shimano 8000 Stradic or Daiwa Saltist 4500H. Final Thoughts:

Strong fighters, mangrove snapper offer a great challenge

on medium-light tackle and make excellent table fare. The really neat thing about mangrove

even a bull red will take the bait. As

snapper is their tendency to school

for my main line, mono of at least

by size and their loyalty to structure;

30lbs strength is adequate and I

getting on a bunch of 10-pound class

would not recommend going heavier

mangroves is a hoot. I cannot stress

than 50lbs.

enough the importance of stealthy

Last but not least, we need to

fluorocarbon leaders and small, strong

talk about baits. Live finger-mullet,

hooks. Bait variety can be critical, I

and live croakers the size you

like to include several species in the

would use in the bay for trout are

livewell as mangroves can be picky.

excellent for mangrove snapper; live

Anglers seeking red snapper often get

piggy perch also work very well. Dead baits that make good

the impression there are but few mangroves on the structure

Spanish sardines and whole white squid. As for lures, try

prove otherwise. An accidental fish or two is signal enough

offerings for mangroves when live baits aren’t available are small bucktail jigs and spoons. Your rod and reel need not

be very sophisticated for these fish but a few things need to be considered such as what if you do hook a large ling or

sizeable kingfish when targeting mangrove. The rods could

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E V E R Y m A n ’ S OF F S HOR E

I prefer stealthy rigging, fluorocarbon leaders, black swivels,

and small, strong hooks of either live bait (inshore) or circle

they are fishing but a switch to stealthier rigging will often

that they are there in greater abundance and just not willing to hit baits on 80-100lb mono leaders. My personal favorite way to catch mangrove snapper is free-lining small live baits and whole white squid.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

61

Fishing Scene

SOUTH PADRE It’s hard to believe that

fall is already here. After

all the dry and hot summer weather we experienced

we certainly welcome the

cooler temperatures October Cell 956-266-6454 Website www.tightlinescharters.com

deep water. This time of the year we are no longer struggling

through soft mud as we did for most of the summer, which has

brought plenty of smiles to angler’s faces. We have been keying

on grass flats with a hard sandy bottom, and potholes have been an added bonus.

Keeping an eye on the tides is a smart thing. On a recent

will bring. Here in the Lower

outing I made the mistake of starting off deeper than we should

change may not be great

expected for the perfect conditions that existed that morning.

Laguna the temperature

enough to move fish from summer haunts but it will

certainly change their feeding

have. As we waded, we had a few bumps but nothing as

Looking over a few hundred yards in front of us, I noticed flocks Vacationing in Costa Rica, Ernest goes fishing. But of course!

habits. Already, the slight cool down we are experiencing in the first weeks of September has brought us some exceptional catches.

As of recently the fishing has been as good if not better than

years past. The winds have finally died down with calm mornings being the norm. As calm as it has been, running up on bait filled grass flat and seeing scores of redfish wakes has been a very common occurrence. An added bonus is that we are finding quality trout mixed in the reds.

Currently, topwaters have been our go to bait, and the fish

have been crushing them with an attitude even when retrieved

real fast. The key depth for us has been right around knee to calf

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October 2009

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A R ROYO COl OR A DO TO P OR T I S A BE l A member of Texas Lady Anglers displays her first Texas snook.

of birds feeding

to come this winter. I have said it

working their way

regulations that we currently have in

heavily. They kept shallower and shallower and

way too fast for

before and will say it again; the trout

place on the LLM without a doubt have

done nothing but good for our trout fishery.

Not only is the fishing good this time of the year, but also in my

us to catch up. In

personal opinion October offers some of the prettiest sunsets. If

there was lots

surprise me to run into birds working over pods of tailing redfish in

the same vicinity of active mullet

on the surface, it definitely looked very fishy, so I

picked up my waders and motored near the feeding birds and active mullet. We saw redfish wakes all around us as we shut

down near the transition of the sand and grass on the east side.

Let me tell you the fish were ready to bite anything we threw at them as the tide was on a full incoming

the redfish bite continues to be as good as it has been, it will not

the west side back lakes during late evening sessions. A beautiful South Texas sunset just adds to the enjoyment.

The only drawback of fall is that it gets dark quick, but look on

the bright side; it gets us off the water earlier to rest and get back out there to enjoy the sunrise. The fishing has been outstanding

and should continue to stay that way this month. Our bay waters are in great shape as are our local fisheries. Get out there soon because the best is yet to come.

swing. These fish were moving up into the

shallower flats most positively following the movement of the bait, and the birds were

there to take full advantage of the situation.

Taking note of the conditions for the area

you plan to fish is essential when trying to

locate a concentration of fish and get on a

good bite. It is days like the one we recently

experienced that mark the coming of the long anticipated fall season.

As mentioned before, this month is sure to

stir up the appetites of game fish looking to

beef up for the winter. Our redfish and trout

have been very active and will continue to be active as water temperatures slowly fall from their summer highs. Already we are seeing

and catching quality size trout which makes us look forward to the prospects of what is

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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63

Fishing Reports and Forecasts From Big lake to Boca Chica BROU GH T TO YOU BY. . .

Lake Calcasieu - Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service • 337-598-3268

October is a great month to fish. Birds should be working from one end of the estuary to the other. When fishing birds, be sure to be as sneaky as possible. Shut down your big motor around two hundred yards from the school. Watch the birds, get an idea on which direction they are headed, and begin your approach from upwind with your trolling motor. Keep in mind which direction they were headed, because usually they don’t change course. If the birds happen to leave, continue on in the direction they were already headed and you should pick up a few more fish. When fishing under birds throw shrimp imitations. Glow H&H Beetles, glow Sand Eel Jrs., and opening night MirrOlure Jerk Shads are all good choices. If the water is a little stained, try avocado or purple. The weirs are always a sure bet for redfish on an outgoing tide.

If you don’t want to fight the crowd, try the banks adjacent to the weirs.

Try your normal plastics first. Usually they will work, but if the fishing is a little slow, try a Berkley Gulp.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay James Plaag - www.silverkingadventures.com - 409 935 7242

James was in the middle of a tarpon hunt when we talked. “We just released one about sixty pounds. The fish have really shown up now and we should be able to hook a bunch up and down this beach for a solid month or so, until about the end of the first week in October. There are plenty of other big fish in here with the silver kings. We’re catching kingfish, jackfish and tons of bull reds. The reds are particularly easy; you can catch them pretty much however you want to. Bait is really not even necessary; jigs and Coast Hawks work fine. As far as the trout fishing goes, it’s been good too and should be better in October.

The water’s clean and green all over, so Trinity and East Bays both have good potential. There will be birds working in both bays I’m sure.

Numbers of trout can be caught that way. The guys who are willing to wade some will probably catch the bigger fish. Overall, it’s really shaping up to be a great fall of fishing. Especially if we get some more of this stable weather like we’ve been having lately.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409 996 3054

Jim looks forward to the fall fishing pattern kicking in really strong this month. “We’ll be doing a lot of wading this time of year. The fishing has already picked up on the shorelines and it should only get better as the weather cools. We are getting a mixed bag on most outings. The redfish have been numerous, running in all sizes, from rats to bulls!

The trout are mostly just fish, with some solid ones around twenty five inches biting regularly. Both the reds and the trout really hit topwaters aggressively in this cooling water. Soft plastics are a close second overall, and on some days, they’ll bring more bites, of course. Birds will be working most days out in the middle as we get into October, and it’s still productive to work the slicks out there too, so that makes it fun. You can wade some and fish out of the boat some; both methods work well.

I’ll also be doing quite a bit of dove hunting this fall, in both the south and central zones. I have leases in both. October is typically a great month for the doves, and this year sets up well.”

64

October 2009

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service - 979 849 7019 - 979 864 9323 A variety of productive options presented themselves in late summer; some will run out in October while others are likely to carry over, Randall says. “We got offshore and caught some kingfish on topwaters a couple of times lately, even had a few snapper from state waters. We’ve been doing pretty good on the trout, still using live bait. The catching has been over mud and shell on some days, hard sand close to the beach on others. The water is in great shape, looking better all the time, and there is more grass in our bays than I can remember. We are set up for great fall fishing. I’m seeing the small shrimp just starting to leave the bayous. When we get the first low tides, the redfish action will go crazy, as the fish feed up on the migrating shrimp. We should have plenty of working birds over trout too. I can’t wait to get back to my topwaters when all that plays out. As the water cools even more, the tried and true pattern of fishing scattered shell over a mud bottom with Sand Eels will return to form.”

Matagorda Tommy Countz - Bay Guide Service - 713 725 2401

“October is a month to be in East Bay primarily,” Tommy reports. “We like to wade the mid-bay reefs when winds are kind to us. We’ll start off throwing topwaters early, then switch over to Corkies and soft plastics later in the day. Bird activity typically kicks in during this month, and the fishing for both trout and reds can be great under the flocks. It really doesn’t matter much what color soft plastic you throw under birds, so it’s a good time to use all those old worms you can’t find other uses for. Of course, throwing topwaters under birds can be a way to cull bigger trout out of the schools. Sometimes, catching a few twenty five and twenty six inch trout is possible in East Bay under birds. When the crowds get crazy in East Bay, I like to go west. Fishing around small reefs and grass beds tight to the shorelines over there, it’s possible to string a mixed bag of trout, reds and flounder this month. I usually work the topwater/twitch bait/soft plastic drill over there. In West Bay, I favor a dark worm, whereas in East Bay, light and bright seems better.”

Palacios Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979 240 8204 The passage of early season fronts brought light north winds accompanied by high tides and really turned on the fishing in the middle coast. The shrimp population in the bay is as big as I have seen in many years, and the fish are gorging themselves on the crustaceans. Fishing for reds has been as good as I can remember, with lots of schools of twenty to maybe forty fish roaming area back lakes chasing and feeding on shrimp. The best lure for them by far has been the Gulp shrimp in pearl, which matches what the reds are eating. If you get it anywhere close to them, they will find it. Trout have started to move to shorelines away from the deep rigs and are also schooled up chasing shrimp

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in the shallows. If you can find the right school of fish, it doesn’t take long to catch some solid keepers. October should be a good month to concentrate on finding fish under working birds; look for flocks of gulls hovering low in one place and occasionally diving, and the fish should be right under the action.

Port O’Connor Lynn Smith - Back Bay Guide Service - 361 983 4434 Redfish will be the main target species in October, Lynn predicts.

“We’ve got good numbers of reds roaming around lately. The action has been consistent for them. We’re focusing on grass and sand shorelines pretty close to the passes and casting at potholes in the grass if it’s primarily a grassy area, and throwing at the edges of the grass beds if it’s more of a sandy area. The bonus lately has been the flounder.

There are decent numbers of them around the grass edges in the same places where we’re catching the reds. Best lure lately has been a soft plastic. Mostly, I’m throwing a chicken on a chain colored Bass Assassin. I’ll also go to the Gulps if the bite is slower. Today we had good luck on the chartreuse/pepper firetail. As we get into October, I’ll throw my Super Spook Jrs. a little more often, particularly the chrome/ blue one on the brighter days. If possible, we’ll try to get into the surf a few more times, especially in the first half of the month. The Spooks work really well out there on the trout when it’s calm.”

Rockport Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361 790 5203 - 361 441 3894 Fishing for redfish in the Rockport area bays has been steady, though the trout fishing is a little slow when compared with past years. “We’re wading with live croakers mostly. Still catching plenty of reds. On the best days, we have been able to catch them on soft plastics, where on the tougher days the bait saves us. Mostly, we’re focusing on shell reefs and softer bottom with scattered shell as our target areas.

The trout fishing has been slower, though we’re picking up scattered fish on most every wade. As we get into October, we’ll see dropping water temperatures and the marsh lakes will begin to flush. When that happens, all the stocks of bait that have spent the summer in the backwater areas will shoot through the drains into the bays. That should bring on an improvement in the trout fishing, and we should be able to catch trout, reds and flounder on artificial lures better. We’ll throw topwaters, Corkies and soft plastics in the current rips as the water moves out of the lakes and sweeps into the main bays.”

Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361 937 8446 October offers some of the best all around fishing of the year in the surf of PINS. The finger mullet migration will be in full swing and large numbers of predators from both the bays and offshore will converge in the surf zone to feed on them. Slot and oversized reds, tarpon, large numbers of large jack crevalle and hordes of ladyfish will be available along with large Spanish mackerel, occasional Atlantic bluefish and numerous shark species. Anglers should target areas of visible food chain activity and “road hunt” the beach front driving slowly to find best action. Diving birds should never be ignored. These fish will all hit artificials of numerous types but most anglers will cast-net and live-line finger mullet at this time of year. Pompano fishing becomes much more productive in October with fresh, peeled, dead shrimp and Fishbites.

Whiting will be plentiful. The first week of the month is typically high tides so check tide forecasts when planning trips and best conditions will be the second day after cold front passage. Good fishin’!

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 563 1160 A few changes have occurred in the Laguna Madre. The water level had been very low, but it has risen five or six inches over the last few weeks.

Just Keep Five

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That might not seem like much, but it has made a big difference for the fish that like the shallow water. With the water temperatures still in the mid-eighties, the speckled trout, redfish and black drum have moved into the newly flooded areas along the eastern side of the Laguna Madre.

Light winds are helping to keep the water clear and this is making it possible to set up slow drifts on the shallow flats for sight casting at trout, reds and black drum. Spotting a fish, casting a lure close to it and then watching the fish swallow the lure is unbelievably fun! This can be done while drifting or wading and I’m expecting this to continue for the next several months. I’ll be using four inch good penny and pearl Blurp Sea Shads, or three inch pearl white and molting Berkley Gulp shrimp rigged on sixteenth ounce Assassin Spring Lock jigheads.

Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361 937 5961

Joe indicates that he’s been having good success on both trout and reds while drifting and throwing at potholes with soft plastics. “I’ve been using the plum/chartreuse Texas Trout Killers mostly. Today, my client had a twenty eight inch trout and a couple of others around twenty five or twenty six. He was able to catch his limit of both trout and reds, and he had an oversized red too. The key was to keep the lure hopping around in the bright potholes dotting the grass beds. That pattern has been working for me most of the summer.” He mentions several areas to key on in the coming month. “I’ve been fishing Nine Mile Hole some, and Rocky Slough. Also, closer to the boat ramp, I’ve been working the King Ranch Shoreline. All of these areas are holding pretty water and all are great places to catch fish this time of year, particularly if we get a strong bull tide. High water is good for The Hole and the King Ranch especially. With the water being so clear, it always gives us a chance for sight casting opportunities, particularly on the bright days.”

Port Mansfield Terry Neal – www.terrynealcharters.com – (956) 944 2559 Fall! After what has seemed an endless string of days with recordsetting heat, the cooler days of October and November will certainly be a welcome relief. As the water temperatures drop, we will begin to see bait moving to shallower water. This is the time of year that you can do some real good following mullet that are cruising the flats.

Shorter daylight hours and less boat traffic are the key to fishing for the next couple of months. There have been large schools of big redfish showing south of The Pipeline all the way down to the south end of The Saucer. Many of these are oversized and will need to be released unless you decide to use your tag. The Mansfield Jetties are still producing some nice kingfish along with the occasional tarpon.

We have had a great influx of good looking gulf water for the last two months and this continues to super charge the bay with huge amounts of bait and gulf trout. Remember to keep only what you will eat and release the rest.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty www.fishingwithpettys.com – (956) 943 2747 Fishing has been killer this summer; so we’re looking forward to more of the same and better this coming fall. With more wind and fewer boats, the upcoming season will make it even easier to jump on the redfish, and trout and flounder love the cooler weather. On a recent outing with two fishermen, drifting straight down wind, 50 reds were boated on three long drifts using Precision Tackle half ounce gold weedless spoons in about two feet of water. The first north winds of the year brought us some much needed overcast conditions with a little rain and excellent visibility for sight fishing. We’re still catching limits of reds using the spoons or Cajun Thunder cigar corks with three inch Berkley Gulp shrimp on a quarter ounce. jighead. Freddy says, “If you throw the cork rig, you can catch reds and trout, but really shallow, the spoons will work best, especially with the floating grass. After the first norther of the year, the giant summer herds are going to disappear, so your best bet is making long drifts once you get into the fish.”

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

65

CATCH OF THE m Chad Stevens East Matagorda - red

Ronnie Linscombe Mitchell’s Cut - snook

Brian Cantrell High Island - “white” black tip

Brad Berry Port O’Connor - 30” trout

Rey Reyna Lower Laguna Madre - 32” red

Gabriel Sanchez, Joe Martinez, Jay Martinez Lower Laguna Madre - reds

Deanna Reyes Rockport - 24 1/2” red Debbie Fougerat Port Mansfield - 27.5” red

Clint Sheppard Baffin Bay - 29” trout

Bailey Murray East Matagorda - 23” trout

Rick Sheppard Port Mansfield - 29” trout

Frank Lenna 30” red

David Boatright Port O’Connor 46” bull red

Joe Holguin Pita Island - 26” red 66

October 2009

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Markey Prado Port Mansfield - red www.TSFMAG.com

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BROUg H T TO YOU B Y. . .

mOnTH! Joey Guajardo Lower Laguna Madre - 29” red

Rion Leavell Galveston - 24” trout

Paul Weaver Arroyo City - red

Andres Borrego Arroyo City - 28” red

Rey Delafuente Mexiquita Falls - 27 1/2” trout

Jorge Delgado South Padre Island - 33” red

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Julia Terrell Sargent - 20” red C&R

Justin Weinman 28.5” trout

Thurston Smith trout

Kevin Somers 28” trout

Clay White Port Aransass - 34” red

Vic Schaefer Bolivar - 36” red

Shawn & Cassie Keyes Nueces Bay - reds

Josh Russel Port Aransass - 40” red

Please do not write on the back of photos.

Email photos with a description of your Catch of the Month to: Photos@tsfmag.com Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

67

gULF COAST PAM JOHNSON

Alfredo-RoTel Sautéed Fillets

Alfredo sauce is credited to Italian chef Alfredo di Lelio. The story goes that Chef di Lelio first offered his namesake sauce at his restaurant Alfredo alla Scrofa in 1914 and its popularity continues to grow. While chicken has long been a popular compliment to dishes featuring Alfredo sauce, it is every bit as delightful with seafood, especially sautéed fillets. The addition of RoTel diced tomatoes with chilies melds well with the parmesan cheese and cream of the Alfredo and adds plenty of zip.

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

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

2-3 pounds fresh fillets (black drum and redfish are our favorites) 15 ounces prepared Alfredo sauce (Bertolli brand is really good) 1 can RoTel diced tomatoes with chilies 2 Tbs butter or margarine 2 Tbs olive oil Tony Chacere’s Creole Seasoning Lemon pepper

October 2009

Method Check fillets for small bones, rinse and pat dry with paper towels, sprinkle both sides lightly with Cajun seasoning and lemon pepper.

Heat cast iron or non-stick skillet, add butter and olive oil. Place fillets in hot skillet, sear several minutes per side until light brown and easily flaked in thickest parts.

Drain the tomatoes and mix with Alfredo sauce, pour evenly over fillets.

Reduce heat and continue cooking several minutes until sauce mixture begins to brown at edges. Remove from heat and cover. Let rest for five minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Ingredients

68

Kitchen

Serving suggestion: Great with rice pilaf, steamed asparagus, salad and garlic bread. The extra sauce is to-die-for drizzled over garlic bread. Plenty for four hearty adults.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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TE X AS SALT WATER F I S H I N G H O LES GALVES TO N

PO C / S E AD RI F T

Hammertime Guide Service Captain SledGe Parker

Port O’Connor, TX 713.371.7479 Specks, reds, Flounder & drum don’t be Skeered, Come Catch you some!

Boat Towing Avilable / Coast Guard Licensed

BAFF I N / L AGU NA MAD RE

Bluewater Offshore Fishing King / Ling / Snapper / Amberjack / Dolphin

Freeport / Surfside Capt. Don Miller 713.899.7598

Capt. Joe Gilleland 713.852.7317

www.bluewateroffshorefishing.com Federal Permits & Licensed

MATAGO RDA M ata G o r d a B ay Speckled Trout / Redfish

USCG Licensed Captain Stan Sloan Just Keep Five

B A F F I n/ l Ag U n A m A DR E

832.693.4292 fintasticcoastalcharters.com

www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2009

69

T E X A S S A lT wAT E R F I S H I ng HOl E S F I S H I ng R ET R E ATS

RO C K P OR T TO P OR T m A n S F I E l D Rockport RedRunner Captain Chad Verburgt

Specializing in shallow water flats fishing for redfish, trout & flounder.

* Full day/Half Day * Baffin Trips * Cedar Bayou Trips * Kayaks Shuttle Drop off / pick up * Kayak Rentals

Call (361) 463-6545

www.rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com

F l OR I DA Capt.Mike Wilbur’s

Chaser Key West Fishing

Tarpon + Bonefish +Permit Fly-fishing and light tackle www.chaserkeywest.com / 305-296-7201

Cl A SSIFI EDS

g UAT E m A l A

YOUR AD COULD BE HERE

for rates call 361.785.3420 or email ads@tsfmag.com

YOUR AD COULD BE HERE for rates call 361.785.3420 or email ads@tsfmag.com 70

October 2009

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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T E X A S S A lT wAT E R F I S H I ng HOl E S

Fair Chase Hunting llc.

“Real Hunting for Real Hunters” Trophy Hunts & Management Hunts

To order subscriptions simply fill this form out below and mail it to the address below, fax, email or go online.

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

SUB1009

FREE E-MAG WITH HARDCOPY PURCHASE E-mail required

AM EX

Subscribing for more than yourself? Please write additional information on a separate sheet of paper. Offer valid until 12.31.09.

15 months for 12 months! @ $25.00 ea

Statement of ownership, management and circulation: 1) texas saltwater fishing magazine 2)issn 1935-9586 3) filing date 10/1/09. 4) Issue frequency: monthly. 5) No. Of issues published annually: 12. 6) Annual subscription price $25.00 7) Complete mailing address of office of publication, 58 fisherman’s ln, seadrift, tx 77983. Contact person: shirley elliott. Telephone 361-785-3420. 8) Complete mailing address of headquarters: po box 429, seadrift, tx 77983-0429. 9) Publisher, editor, and managing editor: texas saltwater fishing magazine, po box 429, seadrift, tx 77983-0429. 10) Owners: pam and everett johnson, po box 429, seadrift, tx 77983-0429. 11) Known bondholders, mortgagee, none. 12) Tax status has not changed during preceding 12 months. 13) Publication title: texas saltwater fishing magazine 14) issue date for circulation data below: sept. 09. 15) Extent and nature of circulation: a) average no copies preceding 12 months: 24,500; no. Copies of single issue published nearest to filing date 23,000. B1) mailed outside-county paid subscriptions: avg. Preceding 12 mo., 5,428; Single issue nearest filing: 5,750. B3) paid distribution outside the mail including sales dealers and carriers avg. Preceding 12 mo’s 11,574, single issue nearest filing: 12,894. B4) paid distribution by other classes of mail avg. Preceding 12 mo’s: 55, single issue nearest filing: 55. C) total paid distribution-avg. Preceding 12 mo’s: 17,057, single issue nearest filing: 18,699. D1) free or nominal rate outside county avg. Preceding 12 mo’s: 1,183, single issue nearest filing: 1,293 d4) free or nominal rate distribution outside of the mail avg. Preceding 12 mo’s: 183, single issue nearest filing: 188. E) total free or nominal rate distribution avg. Preceding 12 mo’s :1,366, single issue nearest filing: 1,481. F) total distribution avg. Preceding 12 mo’s: 18,423, single issue nearest filing: 20,180. G) copies not distributed: avg. Preceding 12 mo’s: 6,077, single issue nearest filing: 2,820. H) total avg. Preceding 12 mo’s: 24,500, single issue nearest filing: 23,000. I) percent paid avg. Preceding 12 mo’s: 92.58%, Single issue nearest filing: 92.66% . 16) Publication of statement of ownership: if the publication is a general publication, publication of this statement is required. Will be printed in the october 2009 issue of this publication. Signature and title of editor, publisher, business manager or owner pamela k. Johnson - date 09/10/09

lar price of tion for the regu ip cr bs su th on same rate! receive a 15-m or friends at the d/ an rs be Order today and em m d sign up family $25.00. Hurry an

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EE R F S H T n O m g ET 3 ! g A m ­ E E E R P lU S F

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October 2009

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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15,000 acres low fence Refugio Co. www.fairchasehunting.com 281-989-8155 All you have to do is catch a really good speck and release it alive… and send us some photos! Photos will be judged on photographic quality, artistic merit, demonstration of conservation ethic and, of course, you must include a shot of the release. The winner will be featured on the cover of TSFMag and receive a highquality rod and reel combo. Four runner-up prizes will also be awarded. Fish must be caught in Texas waters and TPWD regs apply. Photos become property of TSFMag, employees and writers are not eligible. Submit entries via electronic mail to: Everett@TSFMag.com. For more info please email Everett or call 361.550.3637.

TSFMag SPECKLED TROUT CATCH & RELEASE PHOTO CONTEST

I n DE X OF A DV E R T I S E R S For more information about these advertisers visit: http://www.texassaltwaterfishingmagazine.com/contact_advertisers_product.html

aDVentUres Allure Guatemala

713-275-4159 www.allureguatemala.com

70

Boats, KaYaKs, oUtBoarDs

361-573-7809 www.berniesboats.com

16

Building Products Plus 39 832-628-0987 www.buildingproductsplus.com Busha Boat Works 979-245-3369 www.bushaboatworks.com

17

Dargel Boat Works 800-749-2628 www.dargel.com

61

Coastal Backwater Marine 53 409-927-1462 www.coastalbackwatermarine.com

El Pescador Boats 361-983-4832 www.elpescadorboats.com Flatstalker Boat

361-813-8040 www.flatstalker.com

Tops-N-Towers

281-474-4000 www.topsntowers.com

The Sportsman

956-399-5123 www.sportsmanboats.com

Fishing ProDUcts (rods, reels, tackle, etc.)

American Rodsmiths 713-466-7849 www.americanrodsmiths.com Bomber

27

Brown Lures-JB Outdoors 281-961-4399 www.brownlures.com

23

479-782-8971 www.bombersaltwatergrade.com

67

Eagle Claw

41

52

Espandre

35

EZ Drainer

53

Fish Slick LLC.

62

Boat accessories Blackhawk Specialty Fabrication 57 512-392-1767 www.blackhawkspecialtyworks.com

877-362-5873 www.doalures.com 303-321-1481 www.eagleclaw.com 281-723-4154 www.espandre.com 281-224-9766 www.EZdrainer.com 281-481-2929 www.fishslick.com

Fishing Tackle Unlimited Rods 4 281-481-6838 www.FishingTackleUnlimited.com

Laguna Graphite Rods 979-921-9910 www.lagunarods.com

53

Livingston Lures

25

Livingston Lures

64

Luresafety Wrap

55

Marine Taxidermy

50

Mud Hole Tackle Supply Company 407-447-7637 www.mudhole.com

63

LanKat Outdoor Products - Cast-NetBuckets 41 512-299-5903 www.LanKatOutdoorProducts.com

210-316-1792 www.livingstonlures.com 210-316-1792 www.livingstonlures.com 713-203-2829 www.luresafetywrap.com 281-736-4982 www.marinetaxidermy.net

Okuma Fishing

20

REC Components

59

Rods by Pepper

56

909-923-2828 www.okumafishing.com 860-749-3476 www.rec.com 409-737-1136 No Website

54

Sebile

Gulf Coast Trolling Motor 51 281-481-6838 www.FishingTackleUnlimited.com

Simms

LB Outfi tters- Stake Out Stick 409-718-7694 www.stakeoutstick.com

51

50

South Texas Trolling Motors 55 361-939-8970 www.southtexastrollingmotors.com

72

October 2009

35

GuideLine Eyewear 510-848-4700 www.zoomeyeworks.com

Russelures

House of Fiberglass 361-853-2541 www.houseoffiberglass.com

26

ForEverlast Hunting & Fishing Products 361-798-1530 www.ForEverlast.com

63

361-991-5956 www.stiffypushpoles.com

33

52

9 713-477-7119 www.gulfcoastboats.net Gulf Coast Marine Cover, 1, 6 361-937-7800 www.gcmboats.com Huff Marine 27 361-991-0369 www.huffmarine1955.com Kroll’s Marine 55 281-342-4461 www.krollmarine.com LMC Marine Center 2 281-209-boat www.lmcboats.com Majek Boats 4 361-991-3102 www.majekboats.com Mt. Houston Marine 45 281-447-7689 www.mthoustonmarine.com Rockport Marine, Inc 8 361-729-7820 www.rockportmarineinc.com Ron Hoover RV & Marine Centers Solunar 409-935-7101 www.RONHOOVER.com Sail & Ski Center 21 512-219-2705 www.sailandski.com Shallow Sport Boats Cover 956-233-9489 www.shallowsportboats.com Shoalwater Boats 12 361-983-4134 www.shoalwaterboats.com Texas Marine-E Sullivan 54 409-832-2027 www.texasmarine.com

Fibertex & Supply

Cover, 1

D.O.A.

Gulf Coast Boats

Boat Lift Distributors 800-657-9998 www.liftboat.com

Cover, 1

BUilDer anD BUilDer ProDUcts

Anchor Marine of Texas Cover, 1 210-599-1415 www.anchormarineoftexas.com Bernie’s Boats

16

Specialty Aluminum Works 361-575-1477 www.specialtyalworks.com

281-723-0721 russelure@yahoo.com (none)

Solunar

www.sebile.com

866-585-3570 www.simmsfishing.com

Strike Pro America 409-938-7400 www.strikeproamerica.com

Texas Tackle Factory 361-575-4751 www.texastacklefactory.com Third Stone Software 888-361-2221 www.thirdstonesoft.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

57 3 17 21 29

62

Wade Aid Enterprises 888-923-3243 www.wadeaid.com Waterloo Rods

45

Woodee Rods

35

Yeti Coolers:Yeti Coolers - Half Page 512-394-9384 www.yeticoolers.com

13

361-573-0300 www.WaterlooRods.com 281-723-4154 www.woodeerods.com

13

Yo-Zuri America, Inc 772-336-2280 www.yo-zuri.com

Fishing retail locations Academy Sports + Outdoors 281-646-5000 www.academy.com

Back Cover

Fishing Tackle Unlimited Cover 281-481-6838 www.FishingTackleUnlimited.com Fish-N-Hunt

7

Roy’s Bait & Tackle 361-992-2960 www.roysbait-tackle.com

9

713-856-8003 www.fishandhunt.com

Speedy Stop Solunar 361-582-5100 www.speedystop.com

Solunar

Tackle Box

361-575-8700 (none)

62

MiscellaneoUs Aventura - Jewelry 713-932-0002 www.coastaljeweler.com

16

Crab Master - Pearl Products 850-994-4168 www.Crabmaster.net

68

Trident Funding Corporation 800-514-6946 www.tridentfunding.com

59

D & P Coastal Marine Contruction 979-332-0090 www.piersdecks.com

56

TSFMag Subscription Form 361-785-3420 www.tsfmag.com

71

Places to staY Baffi n on the Rocks 361-592-3474 www.baffinontherocks.com

70

Falcon Point Ranch - Kemp Properties 361-785-2191 www.falconpointranch.com

31

Capt. Carl Bauer / Liar Lagoon 719-395-3444 (none)

70

Floating Cabin Rentals 361-937-0868 www.captaincarl.com

69

The Inn At Clarks

361-983-2300 www.theinnatclarks.com

70

real estate / rental Century 21 Paramount 713-857-2715 (none)

53

The Reserve at St. Charles Bay 512-804-1455 www.stcharlesbay.com/

20

The Oaks at Bentwater 361-790-0001 www.oaksatbentwater.com

TideWater Properties LLC 512-659-4754 www.tidewatertexas.com

12

62

toUrnaMent John Eagle Honda - Big 3 Big Fish 281-955-6666 www.big3fishing.com

www.TSFMAG.com

Just Keep Five

43

LOOKING FOR THE LATEST REELS FROM SHIMANO? Stradic CI4 2500F

(also available in 1000F)

CORE 50MG7

(also available in a left-handed - 51MG7)

YOU’LL FIND THESE NEW REELS AND MUCH MORE IN OUR REEL CASES!

Talica 12II

(also available in 16II) all models will be in stock by October 2009.

Baitrunner 6000D

(also available in 4000D, 8000D and 12000D) all models will be in stock by October 2009.

12800 Gulf Freeway @ Fuqua Houston, Texas 77034 281-481-6838

Shop with us online at

WWW.FISHINGTACKLEUNLIMITED.COM Lay-A-Way and Gift Certificates Available

8933 Katy Freeway Houston, Texas 77024 713-827-7762