October 2007 by Texas Salwater Fishing Magazine

October 2007

Tide Predictions & Solunar Feed Times Inside!

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2007

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

OCTOBER 2007 Volume 17 No.6

Editor and Publisher EVERETT JOHNSON everett@tsfmag.com Business Manager PAM JOHNSON pam@tsfmag.com

10 10 “You Ain’t Fishin’ for ‘em!”

Mike McBride

16 Using a GPS

Kevin Cochran

22 Always Bet on Black

Martin Strarup

26 “Salt Water Realities”

Billy Sandifer

28 Structure is what you make it

Chuck Uzzle

30 What’s the biggest school of reds…

Everett Johnson

27 Coastal Birding

Billy Sandifer

34 Let’s Ask The Pro

Jay Watkins

38 Fly Fishing

Casey Smartt

42 Tournament Trails

Brandon Jenewein

46 Offshore

Bobby Byrd/John Cochrane

50 Conservation

Everett Johnson

54 Science and the Sea

UT-Marine Science Institute

56 TPWD Field Notes

Norman Boyd

60 Kayak Fishing

Scott Null

66 According To Scott

Scott Sommerlatte

72 Youth Fishing

Aaron Cisneros

80 Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene

Dickie Colburn

82 Mickey on Galveston

Mickey Eastman

84 Capt. Bill’s Fish Talk

Bill Pustejovsky

86 Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays

Gary Gray

88 Catching up with Cliff

Cliff Webb

90 Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report

Capt. Tricia

92 South Padre Fishing Scene

Ernest Cisneros

Editorial

Letters to the Editor

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94 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 96 Photo Gallery–Catch of the Month

Printed in the USA.

98 Gulf Coast Kitchen

103 Index of Advertisers

Lee Cacioppo admires a nice bull red as he prepares for it’s release. The beaches and passes across the state and into Louisiana continue to be productive for redfish. This bruiser fell to a live mullet at Calcasieu Pass. Photo by Will Drost. Texas Saltwater Fishing

Regional Sales Representative SCOTT NULL Ph: 361-785-3420 Fx: 361-785-2844 scott@tsfmag.com

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78 New Tackle & Gear

Advertising Coordinator TRACEY JOHNSON Ph: 361-785-3420 Fx: 361-785-2844 tracey@tsfmag.com

October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine. Periodical class permit (USPS# 024353) paid at Victoria, TX 77901. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983.

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AS LONGTIME READERS ARE AWARE, CONSERVATION OF coastal resources is a significant theme here at GCC-Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine. Actually, it is probably better described as a pastime that pervades much of what we do. As such, I am always on the lookout for news and events. This has led to the discovery of some outstanding associations and organizations. One such outfit is the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation. If you have never heard of them; I would like to make the introduction. CBBF is a non-profit, Corpus Christi-based, public interest organization dedicated to the conservation of freshwater and coastal natural resources. Their approach is apolitical and the agenda is purely resource driven; and I like that. Their accomplishments are numerous and notable. Highly commendable is the creation of a forum that brings together diverse community interests to identify problems and seek solutions; their primary tools are outreach, communication and advocacy. I especially admire the effort they have invested into the Coastal Bend Land Trust to preserve and protect natural resources in perpetuity through land acquisition and conservation easements. One of CBBF’s highly commendable outreach efforts is their Conservation and Environmental Stewardship Award Program. David Sikes, outdoor columnist for the Corpus Christi-Caller Times newspaper and member of the nominating committee of the Conservation and Environmental Stewardship Award Program, described it in print recently, “Most anglers know or are aware of someone who deserves praise for directly or indirectly promoting and protecting the coastal resources all anglers enjoy. These good stewards might include a teacher or other professional who has dedicated a career to conservancy, an outspoken angler/advocate, a behindthe-scenes volunteer, an organization or business with a strong position on conservation.” David describes candidates worthy of nomination as, “conservation heroes.” He goes further to state, “These folks don’t do what they do to win awards. But to overlook them would be to dismiss an opportunity to harness their collective character and leadership. The point of recognition is not necessarily to further motivate the recipients with our praise. Thanking practitioners of good works goes beyond bestowing gratitude. Recognition helps to establish or bolster a positive social stigma that would inspire potential or future resource protectors to do similar good works. Conservationists should not be a secret society of responsible stewards. Publicly applauding praiseworthy advocates should nurture this culture that compels conservationists to do what they do. And as anglers we should not leave this to chance.” I would like to encourage readers to learn more about CBBF. You can visit their internet site at www.baysfoundation.org for a quick and informative look at who they are and what they do. While you are there you can also learn how to nominate your conservation hero for recognition in the Conservation and Environmental Stewardship Award Program. There is an extensive range of categories that focus on individuals as well as community and business. The nomination deadline is midnight October 11, 2007 so please do not delay, go to the site, have a good read, and then get busy. Don’t let your conservation hero go unnoticed.

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October 2007

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Dear Everett, I read your editorial piece in the September issue and can really relate to what you are saying. Maybe I can be of some small help to you in this quest to change the mindsets of your fellow guides. From the mid 1970’s through the 80’s and into the start of the 90’s, I was a full-time guide on Toledo Bend Lake in East Texas. During this time period I saw bass fishing change from the old days in the 70’s and early 80’s when we gauged our daily success on the length of our stringers (15 bass, per person, per day) at the cleaning tables, to a time when a “good day” meant not getting skunked and coming in empty-handed. I clearly remember myself and every other guide saying, “my people want to keep fish, if I can’t get them a limit then they aren’t going to keep coming and fishing with me.” Boy, were we ever wrong. In the late 1980’s, I think around 1986, the fishing began to really slow down on Toledo Bend, we were going from the 15 fish per person per day limit that we had enjoyed for years down to maybe 10 to 12 fish per day per boat. Several of my fellow guides and friends left the lake and went off to find “real work” in construction and the oil field. Times were getting harder and harder for us guides. After two or three seasons of this diminished level of success we finally began to realize the people that we are taking fishing are still coming and still seeming to have just as much fun catching fish, even though they are catching less. About that time the catch & release program at B.A.S.S. began to catch on across the bass fishing world and our customers began to request that we not keep any fish, boy, was this ever a shock to our cleaning tables. I can even remember being mad at C&R customers because I wouldn’t have any fish to hang up and take photos of. How would I survive if I had no “braggin’ photos” to show around the marina? Today, almost NO ONE ever keeps a bass to eat, how’s that for a complete turn around? Bass fishing is more popular than ever, tournaments pay more money than ever and guides charge more money than ever. NO fish are killed or eaten, what a deal. As the Shimano rep for the past 15 years I have talked to many, many guides along the coast about this very issue and found most of them to feel the same way we did years ago on Toledo Bend, take my generous limit away and I’m out of business. Just ain’t so, though. You are correct, the coastal guides need to band together and take up the fight to kill less fish, especially speckled trout and redfish, these two species are so popular that the coastal economy can’t afford for these fish to be depleted down to where anglers start to look for other options. We all need the business these fighters provide. One thing I started doing a year or so ago is to work harder to develop ways to consistently catch black drum, they are the most plentiful species on the coast and they taste better than either trout or reds. I have found a way to catch them and now I rarely ever kill either a trout or red. Find drum in shallow, less than a foot, of water. Wade and sight cast them with either fresh dead shrimp of pieces of Gulp and you gottem’. Now I enjoy catching and releasing trout and reds while keeping a limit (5 fish) of black drum whenever we need fish for the freezer. Good Fishin’ Mike Mills Dear Mike, Thanks for your letter. It is very encouraging when somebody with your experience in guiding and tackle sales steps up to deliver this type

of message. We sincerely hope that leading by example, just as you have demonstrated here, will lead to greater emphasis being placed on the sport of sport ﬁshing and less upon harvest. We are blessed with wonderful ﬁsheries here on the Texas coast, and with more anglers getting onboard we can make them even better for many generations yet to come. –E. Johnson

August 16, 2007 Dear Editor, The Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is exactly what I’m looking for; the stories, the fishing trips and the very large and colorful pages are all great. I like the way you have all the fishing guide service name-info and pictures. It’ll be easy to choose one when vacation time comes around. Speaking for myself and my father, we are sure going to enjoy your Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine. This is coming as a surprise to him, he doesn’t know I bought a subscription for him as well as for myself. Can’t wait for September, I saw drum season is coming. Glad to be aboard, Dennis L. Handy Dear Dennis, Glad to hear you have found and are enjoying the magazine. Our guides put a lot of effort into their stories and reports and they are going to enjoy receiving this letter. Good fishing to you and thanks for hooking your dad up with the subscription. -EJ

Dear Mr. Johnson, My name is Jacob Huerta and am 9 years old. I caught my very first keeper redfish while fishing with my dad (Michael Huerta) and grandfather (Don Gehring). We were wadefishing in Aransas Pass. I landed him on a Berkley GulpNew Penny. We had him for dinner the same day. I will never forget my first fish. I am lucky to live in Corpus Christi. Hope to send you more pictures as I grow up. Jacob Huerta Dear Jacob, Congrats on the fine catch! It is very nice to see youngsters getting into this sport. Tell your father and grandfather I said… “Attaboy” for taking you fishing! – E. Johnson

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“M

AN, I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S WRONG. I’VE BEEN FISHING THE COAST FOR THIRTY YEARS AND NEVER

Some tools to keep your hand waving longer during a seminar.

caught a trout over twenty-four inches. Do you think it’s bad karma or do I just really suck?” If you talk to enough fishermen you will soon understand that this is actually a rather common predicament. I say this because back when I used to do fishing seminars, I’d ask my groups, “How many have caught a trout over twenty inches… let’s see some hands.” Naturally, everybody’s hand shot up and so I’d repeat the question several times increasing the length of the fish. You might be surprised to learn how few hands would still be wagging when the length exceeded two feet. When I got to twenty-eight or twenty-nine there would be only one or two left and these guys were so proud they wouldn’t bring their hand down until a buddy put an elbow in their ribs. So, if you haven’t gotten a big one yet, do not despair; you have a lot of company. And there is something you can do about it. October is upon us and it’s time to get serious, especially if you want to be able to raise that hand a little higher the next time the question comes up. However, before we get underway, I’d like for you to consider a couple of proverbs. The first is ancient and Chinese… “Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait very long time.” The second is more modern and from closer to home. Actually, it came from an old crust that ran a bait camp I used it frequent… “You ain’t catchin’ bigger fish ‘cause you ain’t fishin’ for ‘em.” It goes without saying that many fishermen have caught many outstanding trout, some came as the result of focus and planning and some didn’t. Some wore designer fishing duds and some sported mullet haircuts and stained wife-beater shirts. Regardless of style or method, everybody’s

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2007

stories, theories and philosophies are different. For every one that seems to work there is another that discredits and prevents it becoming an absolute rule. There is no question that big trout are caught where you find them, whenever you find them, and on whatever you happen to be throwing. However, if you are looking for better odds, here are a few personal stories that might help. 31-1/2” - May 1st 1988: It was during one of the old Marburger tournaments in the back of a high-percentage West Galveston cove. I waded from sundown ‘til sunrise under the full moon. Conditions were perfect; light southeast wind and strong incoming tide, yet I had zero to show for it. As the tide went slack, it occurred that whatever hadn’t happened wasn’t going to. I cut the night-long topwater off and tied on a Kelly Wiggler shrimptail, hoping to catch a last minute redfish for dinner. My first cast to the drain I’d been pounding was met with a slight tap. That trout was an eel, weighing only 8.25 pounds, but it built a fire in me. Reflecting on that experience taught me several lessons. Among them; some fish seem to exit marshes at the end of an incoming tide rather than the beginning. Others will stage at the mouths of drains waiting for the first ebbing current. And, bright moons aren’t always what storytellers crack them up to be. 31-1/4” - May 14, 2004: Spoil bank along the ICW, Hades hot doldrums at high noon, moon set occurring near the end of a two-foot incoming tide. The water was stupidly clear, devoid of bait, but a strong current created a sliver of muddy water over a slightly deeper trough on the bay side of the spoil. Overall, fishing was dead, but it was a known big fish area. The muddy streak was running in water about a foot and a half deep over soul-sucking muck. I had never walked this particular stretch but it looked right. A cast to the shallow bank found a single “lay-down” fish willing to suck a gently rocked She Dog. Where do bigger fish go when they’re not eating? To nasty, out of the way, unmolested places where they won’t get eaten. But you’ll need confidence, be willing to pass up smaller www.TSFMAG.com

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action, and get in there and fish for them. 31-1/2” - March 2005: Walking a shelf on the ICW during an eerie sun-up. Hazy, zero wind, no current, no surface activity. The silence was shattered by an occasional big whoosh far behind us, apparently coming from the bank. Finally going to investigate, I stepped across a shallow ridge into a trough paralleling the bank and right into a pod of five big trout (that I could see) in ten inches of clear water. Two peeled left, one laid on her side and nearly went across my booties, two others eased right. I followed to the right, but all I had was one big topwater, which wasn’t going to work. Then, like Barney Fife with his one bullet, I remembered a beat up paddletail in my pocket I was saving for the jighead. Following slowly, I had enough time to bite and re-tie. The bigger of the two evaporated, after fifty yards and many casts, the one I trailed finally slurped. Many things learned here. It was a small school, if you would; again discrediting the theory that large trout are always loners. They were shallower than most would imagine, probably avoiding predators. The lure was literally a piece of junk, but keep casting! Multiples - January 28th 2006: Day before new moon, dreaded post-norther bluebird, zero bite. Light south wind mid-afternoon began streaking an otherwise clear strip of hard shoreline. Baitfish began happy jumping and moving to the streaks. No evidence of feeding, but on a gut feeling… we waited, even though I’d never fished here. The wind laid and the bait seemed to vanish. Looking closer we noticed baitfish flashing nervously near the murky twofoot bottom. Forty-five minutes, and exactly while the moon was dropping, among other worthy fish we caught two twenty-eights and three twentynines, mostly on Corkies. Topwaters were totally ignored. Many lessons; be patient, read your water, don’t be afraid to fish where you haven’t, bigger fish do bunch up, the bait doesn’t always have to be on top, there are structures other than mud for winter fishing. Lastly, there just might be something to that moon stuff.

sun early, excellent redfish action early on grass-mud flat near deep water. Twenty-eight inch trout from school of reds at noon. Late in the day the wind shifted south and the barometer started dropping. As the moon started to rise the bait began balling up and feathering the surface along a narrow, shallow shelf adjacent to a deep

drop. The window was short, maybe 45 minutes; I caught two fish back-to-back under “horse” mullet on a pearl-chartreuse Corky. No Boga Grip, both released, no idea what they weighed, dubbed them Beast and Beastier, probably my two heaviest. Lesson? As in an article I wrote several years ago, “A Little Change Will Do You

Sometimes it helps to know what size bait they are eating.

When we do catch a big fish we should treat them with respect as Brandon Williams shows with this release.

Beast & Beastier - February 12th 2006: Day before full moon, day after norther, sunrise air temp 38F rising to 69F mid-afternoon. Full www.TSFMAG.com

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Good.” There were several feeding triggers and throwing a mullet-type bait at the right time didn’t hurt. Go with your gut. 32-1/2” - July 9th 2006: Day before full moon, spoil bank, classic mid-day major feed period. There had been a flurry of smaller fish at sun-up then all went dead. As if on queue, the wind picked up right as the major started pushing water and creating a muddy rip through a small funnel. A Skitter Walk worked hard in the increasing chop was met with violence from a long fish. It was a single fish in a small hole, and again, in a place I’d never probed before. Big fish live near deeper water. Believe they are there, and just do it. If you’re not catching big trout, it might be because you’re not fishing for them. Capt. Terry Neal released this beauty.

Throwing a mullet imitating bait in the right place doesn’t hurt.

Multiples Again – Feb 26th 2007: Post norther, water temp up to 70F from 60F two days previous. A sun drenched shallow shelf near an east-facing spoil bank, knee-deep grassy potholes and mud, quarter moon with major feed at sun-up. Good bait, light SE wind, air 50F heading to 85F. Working a color change near the bank where mottled grass sloped from shin to thigh depth. We weighed two at nine pounds and measured another at thirty inches. One Corky Fat Boy, one topwater, one on a tail. It didn’t last long, about an hour, and if you were “off the line” you missed them. Several others missed; an ice cream condition school pattern.

near pods of mullet were met with occasional swirls or massive detonations. Adrenaline ran high. Although the blow-up to hook-up ratio was frustrating, I landed one right at nine and another a little over eight and three-quarters. Lessons? Don’t be afraid of muddy water. Loud topwaters work well in whitecaps, let the bait show you where, and again, that solunar table just might suggest when to put in your best efforts. We could chronicle many other catches, both by myself and enthusiastic clients, but the moral of the story is that if you want a big fish, learn a few rules, then learn to break some. As Kevin Cochran wrote last month, there are school patterns and then there is grinding for a single big fish. Chances are we can catch a big fish anytime we go, better if we fish for them.

30-1/8” - April 17th 2007: Day of new moon, my birthday! Sustained twenty mph SE increasing to over thirty by noon. Zero bite all morning. Slight wind switch from SE to S began to drain a shallow flat towards a knee-deep gut. Baitfish began exiting the flat. Just before noon, at the supposedly mystical lunar major, large mullet began to ball up in what had become muddy whitecaps with twoinch visibility. For an hour, She Dogs worked 12

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to the Land Cut. Before that, I fished nearly all the named bays, lakes and coves in Texas while pre-fishing and competing in Troutmasters tournaments. For the duration of my tournament career and even for some years after I started guiding, I navigated without the aid of GPS. Today, I wouldn’t think of doing so, though my skills as a captain are perhaps sharper because I went so many places in the past without the technology in place on my console. Old-school captains who traveled all over the waterways without GPS developed a special set of skills to help them get around safely. Like them, I am adept at triangulation and have an acute memory for details related to visual references. I can accurately recall the significance of hundreds of pipes, canes, reefs, sand bars, and other “on the water signposts”. Sight-significant reference points don’t matter in pitch dark or dense fog, of course. Using a GPS allows one to safely access areas in virtually all navigating conditions, provided the operator understands how to utilize the techno-tool properly. I’ve discovered several helpful keys to optimizing the efficacy of my color-enhanced Garmin GPS. First and foremost, the map on the screen must be oriented with “track up”. When set this way, the boat icon will be heading toward the top of the screen at all times. That means the bow of the boat will also be headed toward what’s showing on top of the screen. This is the only setting that makes any sense to me when navigating inland waterways, where straight-line travel is rarely the best way to get from place to place.

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How would you navigate through this?

I can understand how a “course up” setting might be useful when navigating offshore on open water where taking a direct path to a distant object or site is possible; such a setting would help keep the captain on track. On most units, the “go to” feature will accomplish the same thing. I can not imagine any situation where “north up” would be the best choice for orientation of the map. I also don’t get why so many people leave their track history feature turned on at all times. Doing so clutters the map with a bundle of lines in areas frequently traveled and causes the machine to begin deleting old data once the memory is full. I don’t want such a mess on my screen, and I don’t want useful tracks randomly erased. Consequently, I turn the track history feature off unless I am using it to actively place a “route” on the screen. I only save these lines when I can see clearly where I’m running, so I can lay them exactly where I want them. I have lines in place for major paths I routinely use to access various parts of the Laguna Madre/Baffin Bay system. Some of these tracks pass dangerously close to major obstructions. If a track line passes through a narrow gap between hazards, such as a cut in a reef, sand bar or rock bed, it pays to use extreme caution and slow down when navigating that stretch. It can be difficult, even impossible to stay exactly on a track line, especially when looking back and forth from the screen to the water ahead. It’s tough to make it to the intended fishing hole if the boat is hard aground or the lower unit is sheared off! In a narrow, weaving bayou intersected by shallow sand bars, a track history is basically worthless. The best way to pass through areas like those is to proceed slowly and verify the location of visual references. When I find a new fishing spot, I will idle to it in broad daylight from an existing track with track www.TSFMAG.com

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history off if I think there may be hazards like rocks, pipes or shallow sand bars in the area. When I’ve visually established a safe line, I’ll turn the track history on and retrace my path at idle, with the motor fully down, laying a line connecting the spot to the main line of travel. In this way, I know I can retrace the line safely while on plane. In essence, my main line becomes like the trunk of a tree and the other like a short limb leading to the fishing spot. If a spot is accessible from a line without passing close to navigation hazards, I don’t place a secondary line coming off the main one. I know there are other ways to place routes on the screen, but I haven’t found any that work as well as laying a track line after verifying the path as a safe route. Enhancing my long tree trunk routes with little limbs has worked wonders for me. Usually, at the end of a secondary track line, I place at least one anchor icon after careful observation of the depth of the location and its Use an proximity to the sweet spot to anchor to be fished. Sometimes, I place precisely save the best two anchors in an area, one location to for the predominant southeast stop the boat wind and another for a winter and start wading. wind of the opposite direction, so that I can easily work downwind toward the sweet spot. These icons serve two purposes, allowing me to stop in exactly the same place each time October 2007

while avoiding hazards and also giving me a clear idea of where the best fish-holding areas are relative to the position of the boat. They help me pull up to any of my spots in fog or darkness knowing where to head and approximately how far various guts, potholes, rocks and other structures are from the boat. At the location of the actual sweet spots, I sometimes place fish icons, especially on Use a fish small, isolated features to identify a “honey hole” in open water. That way, or sweet spot, I can look at the screen especially if it’s and remember where the in an open area. honey hole is in relation to the anchor site and can also point it out to my clients. We then have a basic idea of the layout of the site, even if we can’t see its features clearly. The practice of using anchor and fish icons makes it easier to return to exact parts of the bays over and over again. Stumbling around on a flat in low light just after daybreak looking for a subtle drop off or set of potholes makes no sense in the twenty-first century, when proper use of GPS technology will allow for direct access to those features repeatedly. Texas Saltwater Fishing

Use a skull to indicate a dangerous obstruction.

Making safe tracks involves the use of one other type of icon, the skull. I place skulls on all navigation hazards I ﬁnd that do not appear on my GPS already, especially those that are near my regular paths of travel. The Blue Chart chip in my Garmin shows lots of rocks in the Bafﬁn Bay area, but not nearly all of them. Furthermore, some of the icons on the screen give the exact locations of rocks, while others show general locations of large formations. For instance, there is a line of rocks on the screen just east of the intracoastal in The

Meadows straight across from Twin Palms at the front of Baffin. These icons indicate the presence of the line of rocks, but the icons are not located exactly where the individual rocks are. Consequently, I’ve added my own skulls to make my unit more accurate and complete. This brings up a significant point regarding the use of GPS technology to navigate in Baffin Bay and the Laguna Madre. No chip or chart shows all the rocks and other navigation hazards, so people unfamiliar with these waterways should exercise extreme caution when exiting well-marked channels. Rest assured that if the GPS shows several rocks in an area, it is not showing all of the rocks in that area. If it shows one or two icons, there may be a quarter-mile long line of rocks. Others have said and written that Baffin isn’t as dangerous as the locals make it out to be, but I strongly disagree. I’ve spent considerable time on every named bay in the state and have learned that Baffin is by far the most dangerous to navigate. Even with a good GPS, it pays to be extra careful at all times and to add icons to the screen as part of the ongoing task of making the navigating less risky and the fishing more productive. It’s also worth paying for software and a patch cord (if necessary), so that information may be transferred from the GPS to the computer at home and saved in the hard drive and on a disc. That way, if and when the unit is lost or broken, the hard-earned data won’t go with it. In this day and age, operating without the security blanket that a

GPS provides can be a scary proposition. I regularly leave the dock earlier than most everyone else, running in darkness or fog, sometimes both. I still use my trusty Q-beam even if the fog is really thick; it helps get the birds up and out of the way before I whack ’em with my bow or windshield! It also allows me to see other boats or ﬂoating hazards that might be lying in my established lines of travel. Part of safely and effectively using a GPS involves remembering that it’s still important to watch the waters ahead when running. Staring at the screen and hoping nothing is in the way is irresponsible and can be lifethreatening. Some people who are relatively new to operating boats have likely become too dependent on the beneﬁcial technology of GPS. Take it from an old-school captain who’s had quite a few mishaps in thousands of trips over the wide waters of the Lone Star State; it’s wise to remain alert and vigilant at all times when driving a boat. It also helps to maintain a basic skepticism about the accuracy of what appears on the colorful screens of these marvelous, nearly magical tools we have working for us today.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2007

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2007

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

VERY YEAR FOR THE PAST THREE OR SO MY SON STERLING AND I HAVE GONE SOUTH TO DO A NIGHT WADE with Captain Aubrey Black. This year, though, my good friend Aubrey forgot. Ever happen to you? The good Captain redeemed himself however by calling and telling me that he had set aside the weekend of August 25th for some fishing without customers and that his brother-in-law Bruce Miller and nephew Travis would be joining us for some fishing fun in Baffin Bay. I hadn’t been down to Aubrey’s in over a year and was really surprised at all the work he has done. He’s turned the garage into a dandy living area for his customers and friends to sleep, play cards, watch television and yes, even eat. Karen, Aubrey’s wife, has finally figured a way to get us

out of her kitchen. So after much oh and ah about the modifications to his dome-shaped abode; we unpacked the truck and watched a few videos Aubrey had taken recently of Baffin trout. We had a few cold drinks while rigging our tackle for the next morning, and since we had to get up early, we all said goodnight and turned in; but not before I turned the A/C unit down to 65-degrees. Yes, you could have hung meat in the room, but I sleep better when it’s cold and excitement never lets me fall right asleep the night before a fishing trip. The lights were turned on early the next morning and we were up and getting dressed as fast as possible; Captain Black doesn’t not suffer sleepy heads gladly. I did hear him say something about it being too dang cold in our room, though. After a quick breakfast of egg and sausage tacos we loaded up our gear and headed to the boat ramp. Aubrey knows Baffin and he knows it from spending many man-hours exploring it. He’s got the bent props and ruined lower units to prove that there are many uncharted rocks located all through the bay system. One of my favorite times to be on the water is that period just between dark and dawn when you can barely make out shapes against the horizon. That part of the morning would have to wait though because there’s no way you could see anything when we left the ramp. I’m talking DARK here

folks. The only light on the entire bay was coming from the GPS mounted on the center console of the Haynie 23’ Bigfoot and its running lights. While we were cruising in the dark, Aubrey told me that if I wrote about our trip I couldn’t tell anyone where we fished. He mentioned something about loose lips sinking ships and maybe keelhauling me at the Badlands should I reveal the spot. Ooops! Nah, we didn’t go there, but it can be a great place to fish. The southeast wind was up a little but the boat handled the bay well and no one got wet during the ride; which is a good thing, because at dark-thirty the last thing I want to do is get wet before I climb out of a perfectly good boat to do some wading. I know, I have issues, but I’m dealing with them. Aubrey set the game plan for us as he slowly brought the boat to a windy shoreline. Using lights on the horizon as our landmarks, we all headed in the direction he sent us. We made a large arc that would take us out deep and then turn us so we could cast back to the shoreline about 200 yards from where the boat was anchored. We found fish immediately. We were using the Brown Lure Company’s new Devil Eye in their amber color. I’ll admit it felt a little awkward on the end of my line at first since I normally use a smaller bait, but my confidence in the lure was about to go through the roof. The

Bruce gave it a good effort, but this 24-incher just never recovered.

Aubrey’s nephew, Travis Miller, hoists a nice one for the camera.

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October 2007

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Bruce with a very solid Baffin trout.

lure casts very well with a 1/8-ounce screw lock lead head and I was muttering to myself that I really didn’t like the way it felt on my Texas Wader rod when I felt that familiar thump. I set the hook on a fat 15” trout that I released and I heard the sounds of other fishermen down our skirmish line setting hooks. The wind covered a lot of it but I did pick up a mildly obscene oath when a fish was missed, and shortly, “Oh man, this is a good fish,” from someone else. The fish were deep and they wanted the bait moved slowly across the bottom. It took a while for this to sink in for yours truly, but when it did I was happy to oblige them. When it got light enough to see I noticed that all the guys had their stringers out except me. Hoping to save face, I mentioned that I don’t keep trout under 16 inches, and that’s why I didn’t have any fish on my stringer. They all let me know very quickly that they weren’t keeping any fish under 16 inches either. I changed over to the Devil Eye in dark strawberry and renewed my www.TSFMAG.com

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attack. It was a smart move on my part. I wish I knew how many trout were holding in the area we fished that morning. It took us almost four hours to move 200 yards and we caught fish the entire time. We never left it. Sterling caught a 21” trout that recently had part of its removed by Flipper, and indeed we had seen a very large pod of the friendly pests come by us earlier; feeding as they went along their way. Injured though it was, it still had an appetite and put up a good fight for Sterling. For about an hour we literally caught trout on every cast. Aubrey and I were heading back to the boat for some water and to rest our backs when I saw some shrimp come to the top of the water and I tossed the dark strawberry bait in amongst them. The results were immediate and I knew right away that I had a very good trout at the other end of my line. Aubrey double-timed it to the boat to get his camera while I fought the fish. Bruce began heading my way to see if any other Baffin biggies were in the area. I wanted to keep the fish in the water and hooked up for a video but as I led her around me in circles she managed to shake loose. I should have put the Boga Grip on her, but I was going to let her go anyway, so what the heck. At least we got to see her and I’m not going to tell you she was thirty inches, but I will say she was close. There’s something magical about fishing Baffin. There is always a chance that the next cast you make will result in that fish of a lifetime, one of those fish that could in all possibility move your name to the right side of the big trout ledger. It didn’t happen to us that day, but it could have. October 2007

That’s the allure of Bafﬁn Bay… it could happen! We kept some ﬁsh for frying and released all our bigger trout except for one 22 and a 24 that didn’t appear to be doing well after removing deeply lodged hooks. I’ve included some pictures of what was a very good day on the water. But you know what? It occurs just as I am writing this; every day is good when you’re on the water. The time is just made more special when you spend it with good friends, new friends, and your number one son. Be Safe.

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October 2007

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

HEN I WAS GETTING THE 25’ PANGA READY FOR CHARTER SERVICE

I knew that retaining the Yamaha outboard the Mexican drug-runners had powered it with was a gamble. Being a responsible and rather prudent individual who takes the title “Captain” seriously means that the safety of my customers is always foremost in my mind. Therefore I have kept trips rather close inshore until the outboard proved itself. Well, on Saturday September 1st on our way out the Port Mansﬁeld Channel the bet was called; the engine sealed its fate by blowing a hole in the block. Still 1-mile inside the jetties, I called Capt. Mike McBride for assistance and settled back to enjoy the spectacle of a steady stream of boats passing us, heading offshore. We were in no danger unless someone ran over us and there was no great reason for concern with help on the way. I took the opportunity to observe the behavior of passing boaters. Some whizzed by waking us without a turn of the head, and others pulled to the far side of the channel and ignored us at top speed. A good number of boats, including several large cruisers, slowed politely and idled past. Some stopped and offered to use precious time from their holiday weekend to tow us back to port. I’m not judging any of these individuals. We were in no danger and none of them owe me anything. I found it interesting that their reaction to our situation covered the full spectrum of human behavior from impeccable courtesy to “I couldn’t possibly care less.” With the large and growing number of boats on Texas coastal waters there is plenty of opportunity to encounter lots of folks who exhibit each of these

Captains Curtis Cash and Eric Knipling with a 44” red from the Panga at Port O’Connor Aug. 18, 07 26

Texas Saltwater Fishing

attitudes. The courteous and kind bring a smile to our faces and are acknowledged with a friendly wave. The couldn’t-care-less crowd continues to ruin our drifts and wades and carelessly “burn” miles of shoreline others are trying to fish. Regular users of our waterways are all too familiar with this and I think it’s high time we take on-the-water ethics up a notch. Long term surf fishers tutored me in the accepted rules for both traveling and fishing on the beach. When they pointed out a group acting inappropriately they told me what they were doing wrong and why it was wrong. When I inquired what could be done about it, they replied that often they would stop and, in a friendly manner, advise folks that others were not going to appreciate certain of their behaviors and explained why. Then they’d usually throw in a tip as to what tactics/ baits had recently been most productive to keep things positive and to help establish a rapport with the newcomers. If it became obvious that the individuals in question fell into the “couldn’t care less” category, they were wished a nice day and left with the stern statement, “What you are doing here is wrong.” When I asked if that was the end of it the ol’ timers replied, “No, we just ignore them after that. No one teaches them anything. Thusly, with nobody to teach them how to fish they don’t catch many. If they get in a jam they will only receive a bare minimum of aid. Being generally unsuccessful, they don’t last long.” This concept of self regulation within the user group worked extremely well until internet and fishing message boards appeared. All at once mountains of information became October 2007

The Mike White party with some nice dinner fish on a recent beach charter.

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available to any and all, which certainly includes the couldn’tcare-less crowd as well as the courteous and responsible users. Anyone who feels a need to have strangers consider him a saltwater fishing guru can simply monitor several message boards for a few months, take notes, and then begin giving advice to others just arriving on the scene. What’s crazy about all of this is that the advice giver may live in Ohio and never set foot on a Texas beach or fished in a Texas bay. Thusly, the creditability of information goes straight down the tubes and it becomes the First shark from the Panga. 5’ 3” Bull tagged and misinformation age. released by Capt. Eric Knipling at POC Aug. 18, 07. Now let’s talk about fishing guides and their role in this internet scenario. There are a large number of saltwater fishing guides in Texas and competition for clients is keen. Newcomers to the guide business are especially hard-pressed to get their name out there and begin attracting a clientele. After decades of doing television outdoor shows and being featured in countless newspaper and magazine articles, not to mention writing and doing lectures, the majority of my customers continue to be repeats and referrals from past customers. Although internet is by far the fastest and cheapest way to advertise your services to the largest number of people, it actually comes at a dear price. The more self-promotion a guide does on internet, the more pressure he brings on a particular area or fishery and, often, it is an area or fishery already overburdened by the number of current users. The reality of it is that the more guides promote certain locations, the tougher the fishing becomes there. Several non-productive charters as the result of crowds that read your stuff on the internet will quickly outdo any good the internet promotion may have originally done. And what about the fishermen who learned of the spot and were enjoying it long before the internet guide who is basically fishing for customers told the entire world how many he caught there yesterday? More than likely he is going to arrive at his sweet spot to find it looking like a boat dealer’s parking lot. It is for this very reason that you will most likely find the fishing report on my website CAPT. BILLY SANDIFER outdated. I made my mind up many years ago that I would not put my personal gain over the well-being of the resource. I call it turning the wolves loose. I’ve observed for years that one good fishing report on internet can dramatically increase the number of users the following weekend and that traffic can ruin the fishing. The crowds are their own worst enemy; their very presence brings an end to that which they seek. So, the fishing is good but the catching varies Billy operates Padre Island Safaris. from day to day. So do the conditions. But we’re His specialties are fishing for still having lots of fun most days and there’s not sharks to specks in the Padre Island surf and bayfishing for trout a whole lot of people down there. and redfish from a poled skiff. Customers John Caldwell and Rex Reitz found a Green Sea Turtle nest containing 105 eggs on Contact 29 Aug. Probably the last one of the year. Billy Sandifer Telephone Life’s a Hoot. Get out there and enjoy it 361-937-8446 responsibility. Be Careful, Be Courteous, Website Be Kind. www.billysandifer.com www.TSFMAG.com

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October 2007

Small compact terns that are present in our area from May through September. Body length 8 1/2” to 9 1/2” with a wing span of 26”. Black terns breed in Canada and in northern U.S. states on inland marshes and prairie sloughs and spend winter along the coasts from Panama to Chile with flocks numbering into the thousands congregating offshore. Exhibits a playful and erratic flight pattern with frequent dips towards the water’s surface. The black individuals are adult males still in summer breeding plumage while the others include females, juveniles and males that have already gone into winter plumage. Large numbers are present on Gulf beaches during September; when the first cold front comes through they are gone. A long time favorite of mine, black terns follow shoals of dusky anchovies, feeding on them and allowing human fishers to know the anchovies are present in good number. What makes this a big deal is that the same dusky anchovy appears to be a preferred food source for tarpon. So, for the big game angler seeking tarpon, the black tern is his #1 ally.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

The edge of flooded grass is good structure to put a lure alongside. Jetty systems offer classic structure.

N MANY WAYS OUR FRESHWATER COUNTERPARTS HAVE IT MADE; NO TIDES TO WORRY

Any small depression that can offer ﬁsh an

plenty of attention from both ﬁsh and ﬁshermen.

opportunity to escape a strong current or aid

Each bay has its own big-name reefs where

them in ambushing baitﬁsh is classiﬁable as

ﬁshermen congregate regardless of whether the

structure. More noticeable structure could be

ﬁsh are biting or not, it doesn’t matter because

about, no ﬁsh stealing sharks, and you couldn’t

grass lines or other vegetation growing in or near

everyone knows the area so consequently it must

step on a sting ray if you tried. The saltwater

the water. Sometimes the presence of grass can

be good. The real hidden gems in any bay are

folks on the other hand enjoy plenty of positives

actually help you ﬁnd certain types of structure,

the small reefs that not many folks know about

as well, like how many hard pulling species of

like underwater points. Along the banks of the

because they receive little pressure and often

ﬁsh one can encounter on a single trip, or the

Sabine River we have a certain spartina-like

produce big ﬁsh. I know guys who guard these

simple fact that you have the potential to hook

grass that grows along the shore, each place

areas like they were gold; they will often abandon

a creature that may indeed be bigger than your

where this grass grows usually indicates a

the area if a boat gets near only to return when

boat. Both sides have great arguments that back

shallow point that runs out into the river. Points

the area is vacant. GPS numbers to small

up their claims to being the best bite going. One

like these are ﬁsh magnets; we have had some

hotspots like these are closely guarded and rarely

thing the freshwater folks have that we don’t is an

incredible days ﬁshing the down current sides

shared with someone outside “the circle” of close

overabundance of ﬁshable structure, or do they?

of these areas and we continue to use them any

ﬁshing partners. If you are fortunate enough to

time we ﬁsh the area.

ﬁnd a place like this you would be wise to keep it

Saltwater structure varies in many ways and can be as simple or complex as you want to

Now a more classic version of structure for

to yourself.

make it. For instance, let’s talk shallow structure;

saltwater ﬁshermen would be reefs made from

very minor depressions in a ﬂat can be called

various types of shell such as oyster, clam or

gems, one of those “go to” spots that seem to

structure because they ﬁt the mold. Structure is

mussel. These areas are perhaps the most

always attract and hold ﬁsh. There are all kinds

something different in an area that ﬁsh relate to

targeted structure in all the bay systems along the

of methods for locating a reef or pile of shell

or use for certain purposes like food or shelter.

gulf coast. A productive reef can and will attract

and they all have one thing in common, they

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2007

Now what about ﬁnding one of these hidden

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Navionics rep Art Wright unhooks a nice trout taken from the Sabine Jetties on a She Dog.

take time and effort.

technique is a little more

Many anglers will use

difﬁcult to pull off. It is my

the winter months to

understanding that you

locate shell because the

just can’t go out and start dumping shell or rocks

ﬁshing is slower during that time of the year. I have

in a bay and make an artiﬁcial reef, if this was

seen people drag chain, conduit, or some other

legal you can bet there would be some folks out

contraption that will make noise when it hits shell.

there who would just go crazy with the practice.

Others will carry a push pole or some conduit and

I will say however I have found wooden pallets,

randomly probe the bottom as they drift an area. I

box springs, bathtubs, and even commodes make

have spent hours watching oyster boats work and

great artiﬁcial reefs when you ﬁnd them sunk in a

recording GPS numbers on places where I never

particular area. How these items got to where they

knew there were oysters. You can use all kinds of

are I don’t know, all I can say that they hold ﬁsh

methods as long as you are willing to put in some

and can certainly be classed as ﬁshable structure.

time because that is the key.

I can just see it now the next time I catch a bunch

Now back to our freshwater friends and one

of ﬁsh telling everyone “yeah that commode and

advantage they have over us in the salt, they

bathtub pattern is really holding strong.” Only an

can build their own structure. I am sure most

upper coaster or Cajun could appreciate a report

folks have heard about anglers up on the lakes

like that.

sinking Christmas trees or other forms of structure to attract crappie and other ﬁsh, the technique is simple and it works. Saltwater folks have to contend with a few more rules so this

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

HAD AN OLD-TIMER RELATE THAT BACK WHEN HE WAS A KID SCHOOLS OF REDFISH WOULD TURN THE SURF

along Matagorda Island coppery-red, and their drumming could be heard all along the beach. Several times I have encountered schools that appeared to number in the hundreds. Most everybody that spends more than a little time plying Texas bays has bumped into a nice group of thirty or forty reds foraging a shoreline. But, “turn the water red?” I have yet to see that but I did see an incredible school a couple of weeks ago. This whole thing started with a telephone call from Norman Boyd, TPWD’s Eco-System Leader for San Antonio Bay. Norman invited us to accompany his staff on a redfish stocking mission, one of many such stockings that are made every year as part of the TPWD Stock Enhancement Program. “Be here at 6:30 next Tuesday morning,” was all we needed to hear. We were waiting in the parking area as the truck rolled in from the Perry R. Bass Marine Fisheries Research Station. The big tank was brimming with oxygenated seawater and 278,000 frisky redfish fingerlings bound for a new home. The first order of business was to acclimatize the baby reds; biologists call it, “tempering.” The fingerlings began life in the hatchery at TPWD’s CCA/CPL Marine Development Center at Corpus Christi and were reared in the 22-acre grow-out pond system at the Perry R. Bass facility in Palacios. The water in the transport tank contained 17 parts-per-thousand salinity, the water at the TPW dock in Port O’Connor checked 12 ppt. The tempering exercise involved gradually releasing water from the tank and replacing it with water from the

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October 2007

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Theresa Krenek and Nick Raby making sure everything is right for the release.

harbor. While redfish can survive in a wide salinity range, tempering eliminates shock associated with sudden changes. Theresa Krenek, Mark Kelly and Nick Raby, technicians at the Port O’Connor field Station, were readying their boat with transport tanks and scientific equipment. Pam and I got our boat in the water and tied up alongside to grab some photos; the transfer of the fingerlings began as soon as the fish and the boat tank were ready. Boat stocking is a highly beneficial practice that allows fingerlings to be released into optimal habitat. Grass beds and oyster reefs offer tons of places to hide from birds and other predators and are naturally rich in the food sources fingerlings utilize. Barroom Bay at the northeast corner of Espiritu Santo was our first stop but the 7 ppt salinity showing on Nick’s instrument put the nix on it. The shoreline of Bayucos Island near Mitchell’s Cut tested better, 12 ppt, right on the money. The incoming tide was flowing across a solid carpet of shoalgrass into www.TSFMAG.com

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a large stand of spartina... perfect for baby redfish. The tank was opened and the gush of water carried redfish fingerlings that formed a cloud along the shoreline. We were delighted to see them settling into the seagrass, safely out of harm’s way, and hopefully where they could thrive and someday blend with the wild stocks of the region. I couldn’t help but envision happy anglers wrestling some of these guys on light tackle in a few years. TPW began mass stockings of red drum in 1983 with the release of 2.3 million fingerlings at Port O’Connor in the wake of commercial overharvest by net fishermen. The program has been continuously expanded and refined, standing today as the premier example of wild fisheries stock enhancement in the world. Today TPW operates two marine hatchery facilities, one at CCA/CPL Marine Development Center in Corpus, and the world’s largest redfish hatchery at Sea Center Texas that was built in large part with generous donation from CCA-Texas and Dow Chemical USA. Both of these hatcheries include rearing and grow-out ponds and also provide additional fingerlings for grow-out at the Perry R. Bass facility at Palacios. October 2007

From the days when the primary focus was emergency restocking of redfish, the Stock Enhancement Program has not only provided a much needed boost to depleted natural stocks, it also provides critical support and management flexibility in other areas. The culture and stocking of spotted seatrout was begun in 1993 and today there are efforts underway to hopefully develop mass stocking capabilities of southern flounder, tarpon and snook. Much of the research and protocol development is undertaken cooperatively between TPW, University of Texas Marine Science Institute and Texas A&M University. Currently within the hatchery system TPW has three tanks of southern flounder brood stock from Sabine Lake, Galveston Bay and Matagorda Bay and larvae obtained from UTMSI are being grown in three ponds at MDC. Robert Vega, head of the Stock Enhancement Program for Coastal Fisheries Division, says that the greatest annual production ever achieved was an incredible 36 million red drum and more than 7 million spotted sea trout. Goals for 2007 are 24 million red drum and between 1 and 3 million spotted seatrout. This year’s red drum crop will be stocked all along the coast and the seatrout will Texas Saltwater Fishing

go mainly to the Lower Laguna Madre and Sabine Lake. Robert added that in the effort to enhance post-release survivability, emphasis is now being placed on increasing the size of the fingerlings they stock. While this will require more days of grow-out and necessarily fewer batches in the ponds, the trade-off is thought to be better in the final outcome. Robert also explained how genetic diversity of brood stock is a cornerstone of the program. All brood fish are captured from the wild and brood tanks typically contain three females and two males. Male fish are swapped between tanks after each spawn and 25% of the brooder population are cycled out of the program and replaced with new specimens from the wild each year. Additionally, when working with trout and flounder, the hatcheries invest great effort to segregate brooders and their fingerlings according to their “home” bay system. Trout are known to be mostly non-migratory and any genetic adaptation they might have developed within a given environment could be sacrificed by indiscriminate stocking. Whether this might also apply to southern flounder is not yet fully understood, but no chances are being taken. Given that redfish are known to migrate within the Gulf of Mexico and that their offspring might enter the bays through any pass or channel, no such effort is made to return redfish fingerlings to “home waters.” How much benefit has the Stock Enhancement Program contributed to our fisheries? Good question… in fact, measuring the success of the program has always been at the top of TPWD’s list. Robert Vega says there was a time when quantifying the program’s success was nearly impossible but with recent advances in mitochondrial DNA research, that puzzle is being solved. Robert gives credit to Texas A&M University’s Dr. John Gold and Dr. Debra Overath

for providing much needed answers. Dr. Gold has earned world renown for his work in fish genetics and performs a great service to the program. Fin clips and other tissue samples are collected from brood fish to establish baseline genetic fingerprints. Later, when fish are collected from the bays in TPWD’s routine population sampling, tissue samples from the fish captured can be analyzed for a match. During an exercise in 2005 on Galveston Bay, it was concluded that 8.5% of 200 redfish collected in gill nets could be traced to hatchery origin. Baseline testing remains an ongoing project and is also being applied to seatrout and flounder. Being able to determine conclusively how the stocking program enhances the wild stocks will direct future direction of the program and also contribute in great measure to the overall fisheries management plans. To sum up the present status and future direction of the Stock Enhancement Program, I

Theresa introduces the redfish fingerlings to their new home.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2007

turned to Dr. Larry McKinney. In his words, “The Enhancement Program under Dr. Vega’s leadership has continued to evolve and make valuable contributions to fisheries management here in Texas. We are the envy of our counterparts across the country, none of whom have a resource like this. Knowing that you have the capacity to stock 34+ million red drum and 5+ million spotted seatrout, if needed, gives you a certain comfort level as a fisheries manager and knowing that your program has already stocked more than a half billion fish gives you a lot of confidence that you can depend on them in the future.” Dr. McKinney went further to say, “The Enhancement Program has been so successful that I often have to caution our constituents that while they can be effective, hatcheries are not the answer to every fisheries problem. However, we do have the capacity to respond to the next freeze, harmful algal bloom, or even a pollution event much more quickly than would otherwise be possible. This is a significant and expanding role of our Enhancement program. This is an option that, for now, only Texas enjoys and as the director of Coastal Fisheries I sleep better at night because of it. So the next time you are traveling along the coast and chance to meet a green TPWD dually pickup pulling a trailer with a fish tank on it, give them a honk and a friendly wave. That load of fish just might put some hard pulls at the end of a fishing line for you or maybe some bright-eyed kid. Now how cool is that? www.TSFMAG.com

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

NOW HERE IS A SUBJECT YOU GET TO READ ABOUT OFTEN

actually swims. I have never seen a purple and

but most of the articles only tell the HOW

is the action the angler is able to put on the lure

and not much about the WHERE. This one is

that draws the ﬁsh’s attention.

different, it is a HOW and WHERE article; the

chartreuse shrimp or a bone-colored mullet. It

I have found that lures with little to no noise

catching will be solely dependant on your ability

work better on skinny water trout, especially

to put in the time needed to master what I’m

when the water is clear and calm. Add wind and

going to give you. I love to ﬁsh like this but get

suspended sand particles and noise comes back

fewer chances than one might think. Guiding

into play. My favorite lure for clear, calm, skinny

is still an action-oriented business and sight-

water is a 5-inch Bass Assassin. I like to rig the

casting to skinny water trout is not about tons

bait with a Mustad 4/0 or 5/0 Ultra Point worm

of bites.

hook. This allows for weedless presentations

In October, the presence of frontal systems

that can be combined with a stealthy approach.

triggers the need-to-feed mode in all our

Big trout get gear-shy in the shallows, yet we

gameﬁsh. Days begin to shorten and nighttime

take more than a few ﬁve to six-pound ﬁsh with

temperatures are cool. The ﬁsh feed longer

this setup. As water temperatures cool and our

and more often, so your chances increase

days become shorter, trout in the 8-pound class

tremendously. The cooler temperatures allow

will start showing. In the dead of winter, during

trout to stay shallow longer. Before I say another

warming trends, you can expect to see the

word; yes the trout feed shallow in August, but

year’s largest trout frequenting shallow water to

by late September and on into fall their presence

feed and to gain body heat.

up shallow is prolonged and the possibilities increase accordingly. Areas such as Allyn’s Bight, Traylor Island, Mud Island, the Ship Channel spoils and the southeast shoreline from East Flats to Dead Man’s Hole have always yielded consistent fall action. The larger trout however have always sought out the shallow grass ﬂats and bars that have quick access to deep water. Locate the shallow (knee deep to me) grass

Here’s a nice shallow-water trout that fell for a weedless Assassin.

bars, ﬂats and points that consistently attract

shallow water havens is important. You want

bait. In my opinion, the best areas are those

to drift or troll motor into the general vicinity

that hold bait long enough for the trout to move

and then wade from there. If you are spooking

in and target them as their primary food source.

mullet, you’re whipped before you start. You

When the bait becomes predictable the trout

need to ease into the area of bait concentration

will too, until something changes. Trout become

and slowly become one with the activity. I

easier to trick when an abundance of bait

know it sounds like Chevy Chase putting with

forearm and wrist. My ultra-light Waterloo rod

is present.

a blindfold, but believe me; you can ease in

and Daiwa Zillion reel allow me to cast with

Trick, now that is a term that honestly ﬁts

The manner in which we approach these

without spooking bait if you pay attention to

ease all day. Spooking bait when casting is the

the description of what ﬁshing with lures is

your movements. Jerky moves are taboo; this

same as wading too fast or motoring in on them,

really all about. Most of the lures we use have

includes the cast and the hookset. I hold my

spooked is spooked, and when the bait spooks

few characteristics common to anything that

rod low and keep my casts low, use your

the trout spook.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2007

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varies. I like to walk the dog for a few feet, then let the bait sink.

species can be tough but there is little doubt

deep water when using braid.

in my mind that large speckled trout are the

Power Pro is buoyant so we have

toughest of all. I hope I have explained in good

to allow more time. Braid is also

enough detail the approach and tactics needed

zero stretch, so the rod tip action

to have a shot at this relatively small percentage

needs to be less aggressive than

of ﬁsh that do their work up skinny. Here are a

with mono-ﬁlament line. I most

couple of areas you might want to try around

deﬁnitely advise the use of a leader

Rockport. The southern tip of Mud Island (up on

in clear water.

I strike my ﬁsh with the rod off to my right Daiwa Zillion reel.

the ﬁsh ﬁght the tension of your rod and drag

Island in South Bay. Look for massive schools

when you are

of bait, if they are there, so are the trout. October promises to be the start of what

around bottom

I think might be our best fall ﬁshing in many

structure that the

years. The abundance of rainfall and run-off,

ﬁsh can foul your

along with extremely high tides during August

line on. Rocks and

and September, has allowed the bays to ﬂush

pilings would

better than in years past. The bait seems to

require heavier

be everywhere and this will draw ﬁsh to our

one of these grass bars you

shorelines and mid-bay reefs. Years with an abundance of rainfall have always been good for our ﬁsheries. The rain cost us some days in

chances of getting free increase dramatically. I

need to spend more time watching and listening

July and August but we are going to get them

kneel when I have the ﬁsh reeled close. I hate to

than moving. Watch how the bait reacts around

back this fall and winter.

spook them on a short leash; it stacks the cards

the potholes. Frantic movement from baitﬁsh

in their favor. I like to hunker down, at 49 it is

is usually an indication of predators nearby.

hard on the lower back but that is what health

Look for small slicks appearing in the middle of

clubs are for.

baitﬁsh schools.

Big black-backed trout blend with the bottom

grass is pointing; it will tell you the direction

their black tail and then try to focus on the whole

of the current. Current, whether generated by

ﬁsh. If you have never had a 30-inch ﬁsh easing

wind or tidal movement is critical and you need

along in front of you, you have an enormous

to keep track of it. Zigzag your way across the

thrill ahead. Have one eat right at your feet

ﬂat. Kevin Cochran gave a good illustration in a

and well; words would only cheapen the thrill.

previous issue that nailed it. Fish into the wind

I released a 29-½ inch ﬁsh two weeks ago that

or at angles that cross the wind rather than

I watched eat the bait and then dump 25 yards

directly downwind. I ﬁnd this produces more

of braid off the spool in the blink of an eye. I

bites and bigger ﬁsh. From time to time you

released the ﬁsh after grabbing her with my

might want to look back at your wading line.

Boga. It said she went about 7-¾ pounds.

Many times I have seen large trout following

Texas Saltwater Fishing

May Your Fishing Always Be Catching!

Pay attention to the direction the bottom

and slip away undetected. I can usually see

The action I place on my Bass Assassin 36

out front) and shallow grass ﬂat east of Grass

When you are up on

water. If she gets her head up and airborne, her

bar), The East Flats (on top of the shallow bar

is sufﬁcient

terminal gear.

and learn to use the resistance of the line in the

top of the grass ﬂat), Traylor Island (behind the

Twenty pound

not ﬁshing

Another great fish; same day, same shallow water pattern, but from a different locale.

keep her head down as long as possible. Let

Working shallow water gameﬁsh of any

Allow about 5 seconds in knee

when ﬁshing braided lines

side on a horizontal plane. I want that ﬁsh to

are notorious for this and trout do it too.

and hunting in the dirty water I created. Redﬁsh October 2007

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SEVERAL YEARS AGO OVER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, Billy Sandifer and I rode down the beach in his old sky blue Suburban searching for fly targets. About 60 miles down, Billy spotted a familiar 4-wheel drive pickup parked on the sand and we stopped to visit. The truck belonged to local angler Charlie Golla. Charlie’s two boys, Chris and Justin, stood near the tailgate wearing neoprene waders and big smiles, ready to take on the surf. Chris was 16 at the time and Justin was 9. Chris had his fly gear out so he and I immediately struck up a conversation, trading ideas on different ways to approach the beach with fly tackle. Chris reported that the jacks had shown up the day before near the 55 mile mark and had been hammering migrating mullet there. His report stoked my enthusiasm. After visiting for a few minutes, Billy and I loaded up and headed out. As I watched the Golla’s shrink away in the rear view mirror I was impressed by how polite and focused Charlie’s boys were. Despite camping on the beach for nearly 5 days they were chipper, bright-eyed, and ready to chase fish… way better off than I would have been after that much time in the sand. I munched on some of Charlie’s fantastic smoked redfish as Billy and I rattled up the shoreline. “Maybe it’s Dad’s cooking that keeps those boys smiling,” I thought. Since that

morning, Charlie Golla has Justin fighting kept me posted on the boy’s a jackfish from fly fishing adventures, and he the beach. regularly sends me photos and stories of their fly-caught fish. The fish seem to get bigger and bigger Justin and his jackfish. each month. Justin says he enjoys fly fishing from a kayak Last year, 10-year old Justin sight-cast and because, “I like to work for fish.” To date, Justin landed a 32” jack crevalle from the beach on his has caught flounder, trout, reds, skipjacks, jack 10 wt. fly rod. Just think about that for a minute… crevalle, and a host of other species on fly tackle. a 10-year old wielding a 10 wt. fly rod on the Chris picked up his first fly rod 4 years ago. beach and landing a 32” jack with it. Hooking a When asked how he got started Chris says, “I big jack on fly tackle and landing it on the sand used to see Billy Sandifer’s Suburban cruising is physically demanding even for seasoned down the beach with all these fly rods strapped fishermen. No doubt it’s much tougher for an on it. I knew I wanted to try it.” Chris eventually angler who barely outweighs the fish. In fact, I procured a fly rod and began teaching himself to am tempted to carry a photo of Justin fighting cast. Sandifer supplied him with a few flies and that jackfish so I can flash it the next time I hear books, and members of the Rockport Fly Fishers a grown man whine about casting in the wind. provided Chris with some casting instruction. It But Justin likes a challenge. He’s been wasn’t long before he was off and running. camping and fishing since he was old enough Like a lot of anglers, Chris has gone through to walk, beginning with bay fishing and then some fly tackle over the past few years. One graduating to the surf. When asked how he got of his first outfits vanished during a drive up started fly fishing Justin says, “My brother Chris the beach. Chris replaced it, but that rig along got a fly rod for trout and reds. I started learning with several others was stolen. Chris eventually to cast and liked it, so I got one. It’s hard but replaced his arsenal of fly tackle, which now that’s what I like about it.” consists of fly rods and reels capable of landing When Justin and Chris aren’t chasing fish in everything from ladyfish to tarpon. the surf, the two enjoy kayaking and camping Chris is also an avid fly tyer. He again credits near Aransas Pass with their dad, Charlie.

The Golla fly rod arsenal. Chris with a nice PINS jack.

Chris and Justin working the surf.

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Chris and his State Record Spanish mackerel.

IN ENGLAND AROUND 1945, Mrs. Winnie Morawski was

members of the Rockport Fly Fishers for helping him with the basics. Some of Chris’ favorite patterns are Clouser minnows, spoonflies, and a large mylar tubing fly called a Christmas Minnow. With all these fly rods slinging around him, it seemed inevitable that Charlie would eventually follow his boy’s lead and give fly fishing a try. When asked whether his dad fly fishes Chris says, “Yeah… he finally gave in. We were out-fishing him regularly with our fly rods. There was one day when we were catching trout one after the other and he wasn’t catching a thing. He couldn’t take it anymore, so now he’s started fly fishing too.” To date, Chris has landed reds, trout, flounder, snook, and jacks with his fly rod along with nearly every other Texas inshore species. But perhaps his most notable catch was a Spanish mackerel he landed on July 29, 2007 while fly fishing on PINS. Chris says, “We were coming up the beach around the 55 mile mark when we noticed pelicans diving over what looked like black sand. It looked like a place where you might see some fossils so we stopped. Then Dad started hollering for me to grab my fly rod. We could see all these fish so we start casting at them. Dad hooked up and then I cast right out in front of these cruising Spanish mackerel and a big one appeared from behind and just slammed the fly. The fight was on. I eventually landed him on the beach and he looked like he might be a record. We found Billy (Sandifer) farther up the beach and he said he thought it would be the new State Record Spanish mackerel.” Sure enough, Chris’ fish was certified as the new State Record Spanish mackerel, fly fishing division, at 6.6 lbs and 30.88 inches — quite an achievement. Congratulations to both Chris and Justin Golla for their accomplishments in the outdoors. Through hard work and hands-on experience they have proven themselves as talented anglers. No doubt more fish and more adventures lie ahead of these two fine young men. www.TSFMAG.com

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cleaning off her fly tying desk at the firm of Charles Playfair & Co. Scattered among the feathers and threads on Mrs. Morawski’s desk were some bare turkey quills. An idea came to her and she scraped the pith from the quills, strung them with treble hooks, and dressed them with feathers suited for trout and salmon fishing. The tube fly was born. Over the next decade it transformed the face of European salmon fishing. Mrs. Morawski’s story and many others are told in Tube Flies: A Tying, Fishing, & Historical Guide, a collaborative work written by Mark Mandell and Les Johnson. Although Mandell and Johnson recount the origins of various tube fly patterns, Tube Flies is as much a how-to book as it is a historical perspective. Mandell and Johnson cover the tools, materials, and techniques required to tie tube flies and provide stepwise tying instructions for all sorts of tube fly patterns. If you want to learn how to tie tube flies, this book certainly can teach you. Additionally, you can learn more about how tube flies are fished and why they are at times far more effective than conventionally-tied patterns. According to Mandell and Johnson, one characteristic in particular has accounted for much of their success — they slide up the leader and out of harms way when a fish is hooked. This was an important feature to tweedcloaked gentlemen casting their delicate patterns to salmon, and it has made tube flies uniquely suited to fly fishing for ruthless adrenaline species like bluefish, roosterfish, kingfish, and tuna. No doubt, Texas anglers who toss flies at heavyweight fly-destroying fish can appreciate the tube fly’s ability to steer clear of sharp teeth. When thumbing through the pages of Tube Flies, it is easy to be compelled to tie at least a few. Nearly any conventional fly can be tied on a tube instead of a hook, and in fact many patterns will perform better because of it. The creative spark that Tube Flies strikes is the type of thing that keeps fly tying so interesting. There is so much history, so many facets, and always something new to learn. Tube Flies: A Tying, Fishing, and Historical Guide By Mark Mandell & Les Johnson 95 pp. Frank Amato Publications, Inc. $29.95 ISBN: 1-57188-036-4 Texas Saltwater Fishing

MY FRIEND BARRY EVANS from Granbury, TX ties a fly he calls the DAP Shrimp. Barry’s fly is somewhat similar to the wildly effective Popovic’s Ultra Shrimp, but there is one key difference. Barry uses DAP Kwik Seal Plus adhesive rather than epoxy to form the carapace of his pattern. Why? Primarily because DAP is a water-based. It lacks the noxious solvents and catalysts found in 2-part epoxy. Another reason is that DAP is viscous and stable. It will not run, sag, or drip. Flies coated with DAP do not have short working times and do not require a rotisserie turner to hold their shape while they cure. To correctly tie a Popovic’s Ultra Shrimp, two coats of epoxy are used. The first coat penetrates the fibers on the carapace and allows the tyer to form them into the desired shape as the epoxy thickens and cures. Once the forming coat has cured, a second coat is applied. The second coat fills gaps and voids and leaves a slick clean finish on the fly. The carapace on the DAP Shrimp is formed differently. The DAP adhesive is applied under and over the synthetic fibers and then squeezed and coaxed into the fibers with a toothpick or bodkin. One tip that simplifies this process is to fill a small plastic applicator bottle with DAP and use the bottle’s slender spout for precise control as the DAP is applied. Occasionally a second coat of DAP is required to adequately build up the body. Once applied, the DAP adhesive can be shaped and smoothed with a damp brush or small wedge of paper. Flies should be allowed to completely cure (24-48 hours) before they are dunked. Most tyers are surprised at the durability of DAP once it dries. Cured DAP is crystal clear and remains slightly flexible but super tough. It is unaffected by water, mold, and mildew. Flies coated with DAP will not crack when they get slammed on the rocks or discolor if they are left in the sun. DAP can be used as an adhesive, clear coat, or a body building gel. It’s good stuff. Barry ties his DAP Shrimp in a variety of colors, and often uses silver and gold beads to create the pupils, and gold mylar to accent the belly of the fly. The pattern shown here uses black nail polish as pupils and orange saddle hackles as legs. It’s a bit different from Barry’s version, but I don’t think he’ll mind. This is a great pattern for shallow water redfish and a good pattern for poking around the jetties. A mono or wire weed guard can be added if needed and it will not affect the action of the fly. Good color combos include pink/gold, pink/white, orange/brown, and chartreuse.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Hook: Mustad 34007 #2 to #8 Thread: Clear nylon mono Eyes: Burned 20 to 60 lb mono Pupils: Metallic beads or colored nail polish (black nail polish shown) Body/Legs: Gold mylar tubing or saddle hackle (saddle hackle shown) Carapace: Synthetic ﬁbers (Supreme Hair, Kinky Fibers, Super Hair, etc…) Antennae: 2 strands Krystal Flash Sealant: DAP Kwik Seal Plus clear water-based adhesive

1. Tie in burned mono eyes on top of hook shank slightly ahead of hook bend. 2. Apply a small drop of black Sally Hansens nail polish to each pupil. 3. Attach a webby hackle feather at the base of the eyes. Wind thread forward to eye. October 2007

4. Palmer hackle forward and tie off behind eye of hook. 5. Trim the hackle fibers on top of the fly flush with the hook shank. 6. Attach a small clump of synthetic hair and two strands of Krystal flash behind eye of hook as shown. 7. Apply a small bead of DAP Kwik Seal Plus to top of hook shank. 8. Press synthetic fibers into the bead, then apply a second bead of DAP over the top of the fibers. 9. Smooth the DAP using a sliver of paper or a small damp paint brush. 10. Trim the synthetic fibers at an angle to form the illusion of a shrimp horn. Leave Krystal Flash strands extending as antennae. Done. www.TSFMAG.com

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FISHING TO WIN OR FISHING TO CATCH FISH, when participating in tournaments, what category do you fall into? After fishing tournaments for several years, it seems that most anglers fall into distinct categories. If your team has been prefishing for a tournament several days and the best area found has consistently been producing 4 lb. redfish with an occasional 5 lb. fish, what will be the tournament day strategy. Go for the sure thing and catch 8 lbs. with an outside shot at 10, or drop the areas pre-fished and go somewhere new to have a shot at winning? As tournament fishermen progress in their careers, approaches to fishing tournaments will also change. When starting out, many team’s main goal is to catch two fish and make sure there is a trip across the stage at weigh in. After a couple of years and feeling more confident that two fish can always be put in the livewell, the goal may change to always get 12 lbs of fish to the scale each day. I believe the last stage to progress to is do whatever takes to win. I know this year, our team goal is to win tournaments and if that means losing real bad, so be it. Yes, it is nice to be near the top of the leaderboard, but to win tournaments should ultimately be everyone’s goal. Some will argue that consistency is most important, that if a team is consistent, that team will be in a

position to win more often and I agree with that. The idea I want to get across is that many times you have to take risks to win a tournament and if you are not Top 5 in Galveston ready to accept the Texas Redfish consequence (i.e. Nation Series. catching no fish), it can hold teams back. Look at the tournament results for any tournament series over the past few years. There will be a select few teams or individuals that will consistently be at the top of the pack. There is not doubt that teams that are consistent have a great understanding of the species they pursue. Normally, the depth of understanding has come with time on the water and knowledge of how fish react in all weather conditions and in the areas being fished. But look at who actually wins tournaments, in general it is rare for a team or individual to win more that one tournament in a row or a more than one in a year. There are a few exceptions when a team gets on a hot streak and will win more than one or win several tournaments in a year, but in general, tournament wins are not something that someone can count on. The odds are against

Top 5 in Redfish Cup, tv crews, wrapped boats. 42

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Final day to fish in Redfish Cup for G.T. Cantrell and Randy Boenigk. October 2007

TV cameraman.

winning a tournament and that is precisely why it is so satisfying to achieve a one. Beyond the personal satisfaction, think about what a win is worth in publicity for your sponsors and what it is worth if you are actively searching for sponsors. Everyone has heard the old saying that no one remembers second place. A team of the year award does show that a team has done well and been very consistent. Team of the Year is difﬁcult to achieve, but look at the

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Rockport win.

payouts for Team of the Year versus payouts for a tournament win. There are so many variables in fishing, that when you have a shot to win, you have to take it. I truly believe that numerous teams are so worried about not catching fish that it holds them back and keeps them from performing better. This year, we have adopted the motto of, “Hero or Zero”. Any redfish tournament on the Texas coast will pretty much take at least 14 or 15 lbs a day to win and a goodly number will require 16 lbs. So the bottom line is if you are settling for 10 lbs. before the tournament starts, you have basically given in to not winning. Fishing while hoping to stumble on to 2 good fish can work, but the odds are against you finding the two perfect fish. It takes time and fishing numerous tournaments to get over the, “just get 2 fish” strategy, but the quicker a team can move to the Hero or Zero mentality, the better they will

Texas Saltwater Fishing

be. Going to a new area and scouting for bigger fish is not easy to do, especially on tournament day, but I truly believe that teams will have a better chance at finding bigger fish by going to new spots versus hoping to pull two pigs out of a school of runts. Earlier this year, we fished an area that was producing big fish. Prefishing we had caught several 8-9 lb slot redfish. The area was very inconsistent and one day we would catch several fish, then next day, we could not buy a fish. There were several other areas we had fished that we felt could give us a good shot at 12 to 13 lbs. of fish, but we made the choice to go try and catch the bigger ones. That tournament, the IFA in Port Aransas, we ended up with just over 11 lbs. and somewhere near 30th place. Several weeks later we kept fishing in the general area and knew the big fish were there, but again the fish were inconsistent to catch. We were able to reach the same area our next tournament and we were able to pull out 2 big fish and win the Texas Redfish Series in Rockport, Texas. Now, I am a realist and I know that there was some amount of luck in our win, but we also knew that the area we were fishing had potential for a win. We spent our prefishing time learning more about the area and trying to pattern the fish. It paid off for us that day. If we were focused on catching fish and making sure we had 2 fish for the weigh in, we could have fished somewhere else with more fish, but with our Hero or Zero motto, there was never any choice. So what is the one thing that holds someone back from getting to the Hero or Zero stage? I has to be one’s ego. As soon as one can live October 2007

with pulling a zero and not feeling bad about it and counting it towards the learning curve, one can move to the ﬁshing to win strategy. There is no doubt that in any sport, the people that win take chances and are always willing to take chances. Think about other sports. How many times has someone been leading a golf tournament into the ﬁnal day and round. The person has a few stroke lead and decides to play conservative and loses the lead due to changing the way they are playing. The same goes in football or other sports where teams decide to play conservative and does not take the chances or risk to win. Teams are so worried about losing the lead or the ball, the team ends up losing the game. Whatever it takes, get over the worries of losing or zeroing, work on it. Zeroing and the “Isle of Shame” is not a fun feeling, I can tell you from experience, but it happens. The bottom line is that only one team will win a tournament, everyone else will not win. So take the chance to win.

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ONE OF THE THINGS WE’VE NOTICED ABOUT BIG GAME FISHING IS THAT just about the time you think you’ve got it figured out, things change and you realize you haven’t got it figured out at all. In fact, you have a long way to go and may never figure it out. It’s a big ocean out there and a lot of variables to deal with. Many of these we know about like loop currents, sea surface altimetry, sea surface temperature, wind, moon phase, weather patterns, chlorophyll data, bait concentration, spawning areas, underwater structure, water depth, time of year, time of day, historical records, logbooks, fishing tackle, fishing techniques… it’s a lot to think about. Obviously, there is also a lot we don’t know. Some things may make a big difference and some may not even matter. What we do know is that when you go offshore in search of bluewater gamefish, you should be prepared for just about anything and bring just about everything. Now, we’re not saying you need to have the entire tackle shop on board, but to be successful you should be prepared to do whatever it takes to catch fish. This means being ready and able to fish multiple techniques. If you go running offshore and have decided to only fish one way, lets just say… trolling lures only, you may have a great trip. On the other hand, you may catch nothing, because for some reason the fish want natural bait that day. You have spent a lot of time and money with not much reward. Our suggestion is to be ready to use whatever tackle and techniques are necessary to catch fish that day. You should be ready to fish lures, live bait, dead bait, pitch baits, kites, poppers, teasers, planers, small baits, big baits, different colored baits, weedlines, buoys, bait schools, rigs, rocks, rips… whatever it takes. Always bring some bait with you. If you only 46

Texas Saltwater Fishing

have room for a little bait then bring ballyhoo. Everything eats a ballyhoo. It’s like the universal bait of all time for big game fishing. You can put a skirt over it or lure in front of it or just pull it naked, something is going to eat it. If you are lure fishing, have a ballyhoo ready to pitch back to a fish that is in on a teaser or in your lure spread and not eating. If you have room or want to fish all naturals, include some mackerel and swimming mullet. These are standard baits that have proven themselves over the years. Forgot to bring bait? Bonito or other small tunas like skipjacks can be trolled whole or made into strip baits. It’s always a good idea to have some of these in the ice chest, they can come in pretty handy at times. Another way to increase your success is to catch your own live bait. If you have a live well onboard, you are set. The most common live bait for bluewater fishing in the Gulf is the blue runner, also known by our Cajun brethren as a hardtail. If you let them slap you with their tail you will understand instantly. Much like the ballyhoo, lots of things like to eat them, from big kingfish and dolphin to big blue marlin. They are also tough and live a long time in a live well. Drop one on the deck, no big deal, just kick him in the live well, he’ll be alright! You can’t do that with many other baits. Also, don’t wait until you are off the 100 fathom curve to catch your bait. It might be scarce in deep water. Hit a few rigs in 30 to 50 fathoms on the way out and fill the live well. If you don’t have a live well on board you are still in luck. Bonito and skipjack tuna make great baits and they won’t live in a live well anyway. They will live in a tuna tube, if your boat is equipped with one, but either way you can catch them and put them right back out to catch a marlin. Several baits can be fished behind the boat or in the outriggers or you can get real October 2007

serious and put one on a downrigger and/or one in a kite. So, be sure to have some live bait gear on board, it gives you another option and can be very productive. Lures are a very popular and productive way to ﬁsh. You can cover a lot more area at lure trolling speed than any other method. It’s sort of like deer hunting. You can wait by the feeder (oil rig) for something to show up or you can go look for it. Both ways are productive and it’s a good

Live well built into cockpit deck.

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AUGUST 13, 2007 TOP BRASS WINS THE 2ND ANNUAL TEXAS LEGENDS BILLFISH TOURNAMENT The Texas Legends Billfish Tournament, held August 9-12th in Port Aransas was a great success with 47 boats fishing for over $482,000 in total prize money. A total of 31 blue marlin were released along with 10 white marlin, 12 sailfish and 4 swordfish in the two-day event. The top four boats were: PLACE BOAT

OWNER

FISH CAUGHT

1st

John McMurray

1 Blue &

Top Brass

3 White Marlin 2nd

Pass It On Mike Hopkins

2 Blue Marlin

3rd

Mattiduke

2 Blue Marlin

4th

El Cazador Bobby Ricks

George Martin

2 Blue Marlin

OTHER BILLFISH POOL WINNERS Horrizontal

Relief 2 Blue Marlin

Diversify

2 Blue Marlin

Double Trouble

1 Blue – 1 White Marlin

Sea Goddess

1 Blue – 1 White Marlin

Akela

1 Blue Marlin

AWARDS/PRIZES Top Captain – Top Brass Capt. Bill Hart Memorial Trophy Top Mate – Top Brass Largest Blue Marlin – Incommunicado 405 LBS 1st Blue Caught - Capt/Mate - El Cazador 7:29 AM Largest Blue Runner - Mate - Real Attitude

The largest yellowfin tuna went to Edgar Artecona on the “Awesome” with 66.5 lbs., top Dolphin was 44.5 lbs caught on Ward Scholl’s “Madera”, the largest Wahoo was 48 lbs. on George Martin’s “Mattiduke” and Darren Casey’s “Double Trouble” caught the largest swordfish - 45 lbs. The top boat of the tournament receives the prestigious Bob Byrd Memorial Trophy to keep for one year. The Texas Big Game Fishing “Roll Call” also honors those who have passed on in our sport. This tournament is unique in that contestants can depart from any Texas port. A unique feature of the Legends is the concept of a video release format with points awarded for blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish. The point system is designed to promote releasing all blue marlin under 400 lbs. and all white marlin and sailfish. 48

Texas Saltwater Fishing

idea (and a lot more enjoyable) to try something different if you’re not catching fish. Use different lure sizes and colors until you find what works, but don’t get carried away changing them too much. Use the Catching fish keeps ones you have the the crew happy! most confidence in and stick with them. Keep track of what works and doesn’t work in a fishing log. Some days, fish will want a particular color, so you need to recognize that and act accordingly. If lures aren’t working, switch to live or dead bait. The right tackle can make a big difference in catching more fish. Try to keep your boat neat and well organized. It will make fishing a lot easier, more enjoyable and much safer. If you bring so many rods your boat looks like a porcupine, then you might want to rethink your mission. We know we’re telling you to be ready for anything and everything, but try to bring rod and reel combos that will serve dual purpose, such as catching bait and jigging for tuna. Maybe a spinning rod or two for casting to dolphin. The heavier tackle is pretty much just that, heavy and hard to hide. You don’t need a lot of big stuff, especially on a smaller boat. It takes up a lot of room. For most situations, four big rods are plenty and more than adequate for catching fish. Once you have confidence in your lures, baits and techniques, you will find you don’t need a lot of extra tackle taking up space. We think your offshore experience will be much more enjoyable if you follow these bluewater tactics. Be ready to do whatever is necessary to get the bite. Mix it up and keep it fun. You will catch more fish and everyone on board will have a better time. For more information about big game fishing at the rigs or rigging your boat, give us a call at Byrd & Cochrane, an authorized broker for Fox Yacht Sales. Come by our Fox Yacht Sales office at Tops-N-Towers and check out the line up of Cabo Yachts as well as Riviera Yachts, made in Australia. Fox also has an extensive inventory of brokerage boats and we will be glad to help you find a boat or sell yours. We specialize in sportfishing boats and motor October 2007

Blue Marlin on lure - Texas Style!

yachts. Come by and get a great deal on your next boat. For more information call our ofﬁce at 281-291-0656 or check out our website at www.byrd-cochrane.com or www.foxyachtsales.com

Born in Galveston, graduate of Texas A&M, Capt. John grew up fishing and diving the Gulf of Mexico. A professional captain for over 25 years, he runs a 46’ sportfishing boat out of Freeport, Texas. Capt. John is also partners with Bobby in Byrd & Cochrane, specializing in yacht brokerage and sportfishing consulting. For more information go to www.byrd-cochrane.com or contact John at captjohn@ foxyachtsales.com. A native Texan, Bobby Byrd began fishing at the young age of eight, when he was a deck hand on his Dad’s boat. He fished with his father in the Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas and Mexico for many years of his life. In 1995, Bobby combined his love of the water and boating into a business when he opened Tops-N-Towers, a custom aluminum fabrication business in Seabrook, Texas. For more information you can contact Bobby at www.topsntowers.com.

Contact Byrd & Cochrane 281-291-0656 Tops-N-Towers 281-474-4000 Website www.byrd-cochrane.com www.topsntowers.com www.foxyachtsales.com www.stingercustomlures.com www.TSFMAG.com

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“The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, located in Port Aransas, is the home of the most advanced marine ﬁsheries research in the world. It is currently pursuing spawning and rearing research on a number of critically important recreational species. CCA Texas could fund the construction of a free-standing, permanent 2,200 square foot research lab that would be the center for furthering and expanding UTMSI’s efforts in hatchery science.” – Pat Murray, Executive Director, CCA Texas – September 2005

ON AUGUST 17, 2007,

ceremonies were held at UTMSI in Port Aransas to celebrate the grand opening of the CCA Texas Laboratory for Marine Larviculture, the latest page in a rich history of accomplishment in fisheries research. The pioneering research that has enabled TPWD to build and operate hatcheries that support the largest and finest marine fisheries stock enhancement programs the world has ever known was conducted at UTMSI back in the late 1970s. Since then, UTMSI has remained the leader in this field, assisting not only TPWD, but many other state’s agencies and organizations to establish similar programs. The Laboratory for Marine Larviculture will be the springboard for taking the studies even further. Currently, UTMSI is working with southern flounder, snook, ling, and hopefully some day soon, tripletail. It is hoped that just like trout and redfish, these species too will enjoy the boost that hatcheries can provide, and that sport fishermen can continue to enjoy catching them for many generations to come. Stock enhancement is a powerful tool and its impact can be seen along every inch of the Texas coast. Perhaps the best part of this story is the funding aspect. Speaking on this, Mark Ray, chairman of the CCA/UTMSI Building Committee and CCA Texas chairman, told the audience, “Every chapter president, volunteer and member can take personal pride in putting this scientific jewel in place. Virtually every single dollar was raised by the hard work of CCA Texas volunteers throughout the state. There were no foundations involved. No corporate funding. This incredible lab was funded purely by the hard work of recreational anglers.”

Dr. Joan Holt and Jeff Kaiser of UTMSI look on as we admire fingerling snook. 50

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Dr. Lee Fuiman, director, and Dr. Joan Holt, associate director, hosted our tour of the new lab facility.

Ever since its earliest days when founders of the original Gulf Coast Conservation Association gathered in Rudy Grigar’s tackle store in Houston, GCCA, now CCA Texas, has remained a leading force and contributor in the area of fisheries research. Today, with membership approaching 55,000 in Texas alone, credit for all that has been accomplished truly belongs to the fishermen themselves. Robby Byers, CCA Texas executive director, puts it this way, “When we can fund a research facility like the Marine Larviculture Lab, it is a true testament to the strength and success of our organization. Our growth in membership and fundraising capabilities over the last 10 years has really made a difference. None of this would be possible without the thousands of dedicated volunteers that care so much about our coastal resources.” Dr. Lee Fuiman, director of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, stressed the importance of continuing research during his address to those attending the grand opening. “The key to success for natural populations of fishes often lies in the survival of their larvae. Even in hatcheries and mariculture facilities, survival of these early life stages is usually the critical step. A new laboratory for researching the requirements of larval fishes is crucial to advancing our understanding and developing new technologies that will improve the health of fish populations in Texas and beyond. The wisdom and generosity of CCA has made that facility possible.” As a Life Member of CCA Texas, words will never be enough to describe the sense of pride I felt when Mark Ray came to the podium and described how the project had been conceived, funded and managed. Looking around, I noticed lots of heads nodding approval. The best part for me came during introductions that followed when some of those nodding were credited with having attended that meeting at Rudy’s store. I felt great honor to be able to shake those hands, and I likewise was very proud to have been a contributor. -Everett Johnson October 2007

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Field Notes

It’s been discussed in previous issues of TSFmagazine that freshwater inflows are necessary to maintain the health of the ecosystems we call our bays. They bring nutrients, sediments, and mix with the seawater to create the moderate salinities needed by many species. These are the general impacts to the ecosystem, but how do inflows directly and immediately impact fish and shellfish? Specifically, how do floods and droughts impact fish and shellfish in ways we can readily see? While the sediment load and nutrients will have critically important albeit indirect and delayed impacts on the marine life, the changes imparted by changing salinity are more immediate and recognizable. Every angler has learned that it can be more difficult to catch fish, particularly trout, when flood waters move down the bay. And the TPWD sampling program indicates that some species may move to avoid the freshwater. This evidence demonstrates a concept associated with variable inflows: As the salinity gradient shifts in response to increased or decreased inflows, so will mobile marine life. In other words, some animals are temporarily displaced by the encroaching freshwater or saltwater plumes. This displacement can have a significant impact on populations of both fish and shellfish. As salinity gradients change across the bay, so does the availability of suitable habitat for each species. If a species requires a particular salinity range that is decreased due to changing inflows, then that population will have less suitable habitat in which to feed, grow, and survive. In short, growth, survival, and population size may decrease due to limited habitat as a result of changing salinities. Of course this situation only applies to mobile species. Species of limited mobility do not have the option of moving with the shifting salinity 56

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Blue catfish (top) and channel cat (bottom) are common visitors to Texas bays during floods.

gradient. These organisms, including rooted vegetation, oysters, and benthic species (those creatures living in or on the bottom sediments), have only two options: tolerate the change, or perish. Being an oyster is no box of chocolates. Mobile creatures, on the other hand, will “go with the flow”. In the case of floods, species which require very low salinity will migrate down the bay with the freshwater plume. During this trek they spread out, reduce competition with other individuals, and increase survival. Most of these “freshwater species” go unnoticed by the average angler in search of trout or reds. Some of these are excellent table fare, some are not usually caught on rod and reel, and others are just members of a community not usually found in the marine habitat. Some of the fish you might encounter down the bay during a flood include blue catfish, common carp,

photos). It should be noted that the occurrence of these freshwater visitors varies from bay to bay across the Texas coast. Blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, is the largest catfish species in Texas. The state record of 121.5 pounds was caught in Lake Texoma in 2004 (http://tinyurl.com/2vt2c2). Commonly found in reservoirs and rivers this hardhead catfish look-alike is a frequent visitor to the low salinity areas of upper bays where it can be very numerous. It can be taken with shrimp or cut-bait and is excellent table fare. Carp, Cyprinus carpio, is not native to Texas, but is well established in most reservoirs and rivers. A member of the minnow family, it commonly reaches a weight of over 10 pounds. It is seldom numerous in the upper bay where it can be found when inflows drop the salinities to near 0. An omnivorous feeder, the carp is seldom

smallmouth buffalo, gizzard shad, white bass, alligator gar, and various sunfish species (see

sought after in fresh or saltwater, however it is one of the few fish that can be seen “tailing” in

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Texas freshwater lakes. Despite having edible flesh, its numerous bones usually render this fish persona non grata in the ice chest. It’s just as well that it is seldom caught on hook and line in Texas bays. Smallmouth buffalo, Ictiobus bubalus, a member of the sucker family, like the blue catfish, is a routine visitor in the extreme upper bay area. Not considered table fare, this fish is another bottom feeder seldom caught on hook and line. White bass, Morone chrysops, a close relative of striped bass, can sometimes be found in the very low salinity areas of the upper bay during high inflow events. They are most commonly less than 2 pounds in weight. This is a highly sought after game fish in freshwater lakes and streams, and makes good table fare. They feed on other fish. Gizzard shad, Dorosoma cepedianum, are more tolerant of saltwater than the previously mentioned bay visitors. A member of the same family as Gulf menhaden, this fish can often be found miles from the river where salinities may reach 20 ppt. Being a filter feeder it is almost never caught on hook and line. The authors have never known anyone to attempt ingestion of this fish. However, gizzard shad make excellent trotline bait for flathead catfish in freshwater and for snapper offshore. One of the more common freshwater fish found in Texas bays is the alligator gar, Lepisosteus spatula. This is the largest of four gar species found in Texas reaching a state record size of 320 pounds caught on a trotline in the Nueces River in 1953. The white flesh has good consistency and taste. Gars are difficult to catch on hook and line because of their hard mouths, many teeth, and their preference for stalking prey rather than chasing them. They are a favorite of bow hunters in reservoirs and rivers. One unusual visitor from the river refuge is the giant river prawn, Macrobrachium sp. Seldom seen, these unusual creatures are members of the same group as crayfish and shrimp and are cultured for food around the world. They can reach a maximum body size of about 10 inches and their claws make them appear much longer. The pictured individual was captured by a wade angler in Matagorda Bay near Port O’Connor. These are just a few of the many freshwater species which use our bays when the conditions are suitable. Conversely, there are several 58

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Smallmouth buffalo after a close encounter with an alligator in upper San Antonio Bay.

European carp often make their way into Texas bays.

White bass (top) and black bass (bottom) found in Espiritu Santo Bay during the floods from Tropical Storm Frances in 1998.

Gizzard shad are sometimes found miles from their normal riverine environments. Alligator gar is another freshwater visitor to Texas bays.

species of marine fish and shellfish which frequently use the riverine habitat. With this information it’s easy to see that the line between fresh and marine habitat is gray and difficult to pinpoint. Not only does the salinity gradient fluctuate continuously, but the animals do also. Few ecosystems are more biologically and chemically complex than estuaries and none are more dynamic. October 2007

River prawn discovered by wade fisherman in Matagorda Bay near Port O’Connor, September 2007. www.TSFMAG.com

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AFTER READING EJ’S EDITORIAL LAST MONTH on doing more releasing and less filleting, I got to thinking about how much my attitude has changed over the years. When I was in my teens and early twenties I was as hard-charging as anybody on the water. I wasn’t really happy with a trip unless I had a limit. Sure, I had fun fishing with my buddies, but the goal was a full ice chest. In the beginning it could’ve been a limit of twenty barely legal keepers. As time went on the bar was set higher. The ideal trip ended with a limit of bigger fish. And when the limit was cut to ten trout I concentrated even harder on a full stringer of solid fish. My old drawer of hero photos shows I was pretty successful, but I’m not all that thrilled with those faded pictures. They really don’t tell the story of the adventure, the places we fished, or the memories made on the water with good friends. Several of those friends are wading greener flats now and I truly wish I had taken the time to fully record those special people. Over time I have come to enjoy the moment. I no longer have the urge to bring home a heavy sack of fillets. A large sow trout blowing up on a topwater; a giant red cruising with his back showing; a good friend getting his personal best fish; dropping a fly into the perfect position to intercept a tailing red; these have become my new goals. I guess I have grown up as a sportsman. These days it’s all about the memories being made. And capturing those memories is what this month’s article is all about. Today I get nearly as much enjoyment out of taking photographs as I do catching fish. So much the better if those photographs are of friends and family catching fish. Many of the photos are of the interesting places I get to spend my time. On some trips I find myself expending a good deal of effort trying to get in just the right position to capture a shot of a tailing red or a cool-looking bird feeding on baitfish. I can now look back on these photos and vividly recall every moment of the excursion. The photos really are worth a thousand words. While getting ready for this article I went searching through a few hundred images stored on my computer. The realization suddenly hit me 60

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that I have very few pictures of strung fish over the past five or so years. No, it hasn’t been a conscious effort to avoid taking those types of photos. And yes, I still string a few fish for dinner. But now I’d rather get the shot “in the moment.” “There’s no better time to take the shot than The biggest smiles when the angler first grasps his prize. are those that happen naturally when an cameras built for divers. I figure if they can angler is busy having withstand the depths of diving they can surely fun. I like those so much better than the posed handle getting dunked by a careless kayak photos of the conqueror and his captured bounty. fisherman. All three models are wrapped in There have always been a few cameras rubber armor and are designed to withstand capable of withstanding the rigors of the some serious abuse. In their display booth there saltwater fishing environment. I carried an old was an SUV parked with one wheel atop the Minolta 35mm dive camera for many years. camera. They each take photos in the 6 megaThat camera served me well for the better part pixel range, have built-in flash, and 4X zoom of twenty years before it bit the dust. But the capability. There are also multiple automated vast majority of affordable cameras just weren’t modes for taking photos in different situations suited for wet conditions. There were times that including several for underwater and more for I would take my old 35mm SLR out on a trip, above the waterline. The company even offers but I was always too worried about ruining the a wide-angle lens that can be attached to the camera to enjoy shooting. cameras allowing for close-up photography to Today we have a variety of easy to use within one foot. The DC600 model is rated down waterproof digital cameras that don’t require a to 200 feet and retails around $500. The next bank loan to purchase. These point and shoot model is the Reefmaster Mini rated for 130 feet models take high quality images and they fit in and comes in around $300. I figure we don’t the pocket of your fishing shirt with room left really need that sort of depth capabilities on our over for a pack or two of soft plastics. There fishing cameras... if that need ever arises I’ve really isn’t much of an excuse not to carry one. got far bigger issues than a ruined camera. Their I’m constantly amazed at the photographs most affordable model is the Eco Shot at $250. acquired with these tiny pieces of electronics. It’s still rated for 75 feet which is at least seventy And the amount of technology packed into them more than I’ll probably ever need. You can find is simply incredible. The manufactures have more information on these cameras at gone out of their way to allow even the most www.sealife-cameras.com. techno-challenged among us to take decent and The Pentax Optio W20 has been around for sometimes even great photos. a while and I know quite a few people who have Pentax and Olympus have been the two been using this camera with great success. It is major players in the waterproof point and shoot a 7 mega-pixel camera with a waterproof rating digital market. However, at the recent Outdoor to five feet. Their newer model is the Optio W30 Retailer Show I ran across a new player (at with 7.1 mega-pixels and rated waterproof to 10 least they’re new to me) with an impressive feet. In scanning the specs for the two models line of products. Sealife has three great looking October 2007

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A perfect example of why you take more than one shot. The lighting was perfect, the clouds were cool, and the shot was there. It just took more than one try to get it right. The photo at the right was stiff and uninspiring. The photo on the left was good enough to make the cover of this magazine a couple years ago.

www.olympusamerica.com for detailed comparisons between the models. All of these cameras have several things in common beyond being tough and waterproof. They all have numerous automatic shooting modes to allow anyone to shoot good photos in any situation. And most will allow for some manual tinkering with the settings in order to achieve some level of creativity. A couple of cool features I found in all of the models were the self-timers and movie modes. A self-timer will allow you to set up and shoot photos of yourself with your catch without having to call your buddy over and interrupt his fishing. Having the movie mode opens up the opportunity to capture and share the excitement of the fight or maybe the thrill of watching a school of tailing reds working a flat. With these slick little modern marvels you’re only limited by your imagination. So now you know about the equipment and you don’t have to worry about ruining a camera in the saltwater environment. What’s next? I’ve found that the best way to get good images is to keep the camera handy. You are much more likely to reach into your shirt pocket when the moment arises than if you have to dig through a dry bag stored inside your kayak. The second most important advice I can give is to take a bunch of photos. Take as many as you think you need and then snap a few more. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve taken four or five shots of the same scene You just never know what you might happen upon out on the and found that one was water. This shot is being framed to hang in the author’s office. great while the others were I haven’t found too many differences beyond the depth rating. Both have 3X zoom capability, digital shake reduction, and a price tag around $300. The specifications and details can be found at www.pentaximaging.com. The Olympus Stylus series has three waterproof models all designated with an “SW” which stands for shockproof and waterproof. Their original offering, the 720SW, is rated for a drop of five feet onto a hard surface and is waterproof to 10 feet. It retails at approximately $380. I’m not certain, but I believe this model is being phased out and replaced by two new cameras. The 790SW has the same drop and depth ratings as the original 720SW, but costs only $300. The 770SW is rated for a five foot drop and is waterproof to 33 feet for around $380. All three models are under an inch thick and about the size of a deck of cards with a weight of approximately five ounces. They also take 7.1 mega-pixel images, have digital image stabilization, and a 3X zoom. Check out

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October 2007

just average. Sometimes it’s the person’s expression, other times there is a shadow or rod in just the wrong place. While these cameras are great tools, they do have the shortcoming of a slow shutter response so you don’t necessarily get exactly what you are looking at when you push the button. The cool thing about digital vs. film is that it doesn’t cost you anything to shoot a few extra photos, so fire away. I’m not an expert photographer by any measure, but I can give you a few tips for making more pleasing images based on much trial and error. The number one problem I see in fishing photos is the dreaded silhouette of the unknown fisherman. Taking outdoor photos in bright light is tough. The water, sand, and bright reflective boats conspire to fool the camera’s sensors into under-exposing the fisherman and the fish. Try to put the sun over your shoulder and onto the subject. If that isn’t possible try setting the camera to flash. This will fill in the shadows under the brim of a cap and will often light up the wet fish making it look great. The second biggest mistake is standing too far away from your subject. Get close or use your zoom to fill up the frame. Another technique that helps in this regard is to turn the camera to take vertical photos. Since people are more vertically oriented it helps to cut down on those open spaces to either side of your subject. That rule can be bent when there is something of interest nearby. If someone is wading I’ll usually try to include at least a portion of their kayak in the background. It helps to tell that story I was talking about in the beginning of the article. And speaking of telling the story, don’t forget to shoot some landscape shots. Sunrises, sunsets, and cool clouds reflecting on slick water draw a lot of oohs and aahs when sharing your trip photos. Lastly, nobody ever captured a great outdoor photo by sitting on the couch. Get out there with your camera and start shooting. In a few years you’ll look back and be glad you did.

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I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU BUT, I am very picky about the equipment I use. Whether it is guns, cameras, tackle or boats, plain and simple, I want high-quality products that not only perform, but feel comfortable to me. In short, it was quite a stretch for me to go out on limb and buy a new skiff when I was very pleased with the performance and familiarity of the old one. The whole process was unbelievably stressful for me but it is done and I am beyond pleased. The funny thing about the new skiff is- the thought of getting a new one hadn’t crossed my mind in years. I was quite happy with my Hell’s Bay Waterman and personally did not want to do business with Hell’s Bay after the founding owners sold the company and since no other company was building skiffs up to the standards that the original crew at Hell’s Bay set, I decided to just run my boat until I was ready to retire and re-power when necessary. That is until I got a call from Tom Gordon a couple of years back. I had been dealing with Tom, the old shop manager from the original Hell’s Bay crew, for years with my two previous boats and was surprised to learn he was leaving Hell’s Bay. He, like so many of us using Hell’s Bay boats had seen the writing on the wall- the new owner of the company was driving it into the ground

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and he was getting out. He also dropped a big bomb on me when he said that he was leaving with (purchased) the Waterman molds and was going to start his own company. Knowing what an incredible craftsman Tom is, I knew that good things were on the horizon. We did not discuss me getting a new skiff at the time but he did mention that when I got ready for a skiff he would like me to run one of his. I of course was now considering up-grading but still did not think I was quite ready. Now fast forward a year or so to February ’06 while sitting in Tom’s ofﬁce in Florida while my buddy Shane is ordering his boat and Tom looks at me and asks, “So when am I going to get you into a new boat?” Well I did not cave on that visit but, while visiting his shop a month later and looking at all of the new boats and innovations he was putting into them, well I guess I do not have to tell you that all of the fumes from the resins and gelcoats got to me but. . . moments later I was talking hull and deck colors and here I am 18 months later with a brand spankin’ new Gordon Waterman. The hull of this skiff is identical to my old Hell’s Bay Waterman but the cockpit is ﬁnished out much nicer with a cockpit liner and livewell. Heck, I just thought my old skiff was built well.

October 2007

Tom has gone in and refined several minor flaws that the old boat had and his rigging crew are so attentive to every little detail that it will blow your mind. The wiring, fuel system and steering are rigged so flawlessly that I am scared to ever let anyone work on the boat for fear of it not going back together the same way. As I mentioned above, the hull of this skiff is the same as my old one, but I made some major changes in the rigging. One example is that, since the Mercury two-stroke 60 hp (220 lbs) motors are no longer being made I had to go with either an Evinrude E-Tec 60 hp (240 lbs) or go with a Yamaha 70 hp two-stroke (240 lbs). When you look at the two choices the Yamaha is a no-brainer when it comes to the weight to horsepower ratio however, I discovered another option- the Yamaha 50 hp two-stroke. The Yamaha 50 only weighed in at 174 lbs and after running several skiffs with different motors I decided this was my best option considering that I am more concerned about what my boat will do once I stop than how I get there. I knew my choice in the 50 Yamaha would not be without hassle. The engine is at the bottom of the range of power for the 17’-18’ skiffs but I knew it could be done with a little help from a prop expert so I enlisted the help of my favorite prop guy, Louie Baumann.

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THE TROUTMASTERS TOURNAMENT SERIES held the final event for the 2007 season in beautiful Corpus Christi, TX. Local fishing guide, David Rowsey, took home the first place prize of $10,000 with a total weight of 11.85 lbs. Coming into the final event of the year, Rowsey was in 7th place and 19 points behind Angler of the Year leader, Michael Vacek. Winning the final tournament of the year gave Rowsey the points he needed to secure his Angler of the Year win. Not only did Rowsey take home the first place prize of $10,000, he also won a 22’ Triton LTS powered by Mercury valued at nearly $30,000 for his Angler of the Year title. After his exciting wins, Rowsey still had one promise that he made to himself left to fulfill. While still on the Troutmasters stage in front of all his friends and fellow anglers Rowsey proposed to his longtime girlfriend Sally Cavazos. Congratulations David Rowsey and Sally Cavazos from the entire Troutmasters Team. Although the Corpus Christi tournament was the last event of the season it was by far not the least. With anglers Eddie Brown winning Big Trout with the biggest trout of the season at 7.09 lbs and Benjamin Butcher winning Heaviest Live Stringer with an even 9 lbs, the lower Texas coast did not disappoint. It has been a great year for the Troutmasters Tournament Series with a lot of positive feedback from anglers and fans. We are looking forward to an even bigger and better season for next year and would like to thank all of our sponsors and everyone else that helped make it possible.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

As usual, Louie was almost perfect in his recommendation for the right diameter and pitch on the prop. We now are in the process of fine tuning to make full use of every one of those 50 horses. Again, somewhat of a hassle, but this skiff floats almost a full inch shallower than its predecessor. That may not seem like a lot to most of you but I can think of plenty of days that if I could have floated just a half-inch shallower, my sports would have caught a few more fish. Anyway, I was fortunate enough to have the chance to visit the shop several times during the process and because Tom is custom boat builder, I was able to make several changes along the way. Most of the changes had to do with my lighting options but I was able to also change the style of my poling platform as well as add a second attachment point for my bow platform. The second position for my bow platform will allow me to move it forward for the more skilled and agile anglers and then move it back to be used as a seat for those who cannot stay on their feet all day. That is the difference in buying a custom boat versus a production boat… the builder makes sure it is perfect before it leaves the shop instead of some dealer drilling holes in your new boat to add this or that. Another advantage is that it is a matter of pride for the custom boat builder. He wants his boats perfect where a production facility is all about volume. And, while quality and pride are major advantages in purchasing a custom skiff, there is one major disadvantage and that is the wait. As I mentioned I started this process 18 months ago but do not fret (if you are interested in a Gordon Waterman), the wait is not actually that long. I just waited a little while before I gave Tom the green light. I needed to make sure I had my old skiff sold. Incidentally, there were several hiccups in the production line that slowed the delivery of my skiff which, in turn caused me a great deal of aggravation but, as my buddy kept saying, “It will be worth the wait.” He was of course right. Now that it is all said and done, I am ecstatic about the new boat. In fact I am so jacked about it that I finally broke down and went to visit friend and fellow fly-fisherman, Chuck Nash who owns a Chevy dealership in San Marcos, Texas to buy a brand new truck that matches the skiff. For someone who was not planning on buying a new boat and swore he would never drive a new truck, I would have to say I have pretty much lost my mind. It is kind of like my good friend Todd Prestidge said when he visited the past weekend, “Who are you and what did you do with my buddy Scott?” For more info on Gordon Boats visit www.gordonboats.com For more into on Baumann Propellers visit www. baumannprops.com Interested in a new truck visit www. chucknash.com

October 2007

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No place like home — Lower Laguna Madre.

Author hunting near the foothills of the Sierra Madre.

RECENTLY, I HAD THE AWESOME PRIVILEGE TO attend a whitewing hunt and fishing excursion to Mexico’s famous Lake Guerrero. My dad and I were invited to visit and partake in the first class hunting and fishing accommodations that “Hacienda Don Quixote” had to offer. Our trip started by taking a short drive from Brownsville to McAllen. In McAllen we met up with a group of hunters from all over the state. The comfort of a coachliner was provided by the lodge to transport us to the small community of Jimenez, Mexico which is about a three hour drive south of the border.

A lucky find during our hunt in Mexico. 72

Texas Saltwater Fishing

I noticed the further south we traveled the more the terrain began to change from the flat lands of South Texas to the foothills of the Sierra Madre. As we made our way through small towns and villages, I could clearly see the culture change compared to where I reside. All along the way I was trying not to show my anticipation, but clearly, I had every reason to get excited because I was the youngest on board. I heard many good story’s from hunters that have hunted extensively in Mexico. Their comments were nothing but positive and added that we would have nothing but fun and relaxation. All the more reason to be excited about my first hunt into Mexico and hopefully score my first bass ever. As we arrived at our destination we were greeted with friendly smiles, prepared beverages and snacks right before lunch. Let me add that from the second we set foot on the lodge we never suffered from hunger or thirst. Their service was first class and the entire crew was very friendly. After our big meal, we checked into our rooms which were very clean and comfortable with a Spanish style I may add. We received a tour of the place and got to see the pool, game room, the gun room, and they even had a spa. October 2007

After our tour we dressed into our camouflage clothes and waited for our assigned van. We were each assigned a specific shotgun with a number engraved on it and given a set of tokens that we would later exchange for boxes of shells. When the vans were ready to depart, everyone jumped in, and that’s where the stories began to shoot out. The fish got bigger by the minute, and the flocks of whitewing were larger than the sky. I knew then it was going to be a blast with the group we were with. The first hunt was nothing short of disappointment, well I take that back. My dad, who has never professed of being a hunter, shot two birds using up ten boxes of shells. Birds flew everywhere and anywhere from the south, north, east, and west. It was unbelievable! I had never experienced a hunt like that where the birds flew as fast as you could load. Everyone was assigned two bird boys that would retrieve your birds. They all looked pretty busy except for the ones assigned to my dad. His looked pretty bored standing next to my birdless dad. After the evening hunt, we were greeted with a large dinner and all you can eat nachos and guacamole. Then it was off to the game room for some pool and a virtual game of skeet shooting. www.TSFMAG.com

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Redfish were up skinny — here is the release.

For the next couple of days the hunt got better and better. The thought of missing home became an obscurity. On one of the hunting days my dad scheduled in a fishing trip instead. Our guide drove us to nearby Lake Guerrero for my first bass fishing trip. I had never caught a bass in my life and have always wanted to. This was the element that my father was most comfortable in. On the way to the lake,

Texas Saltwater Fishing

he started smack talking and telling me how he was going Saltwater techniques work in freshwater too. to lay it on me. I told him that I welcomed the challenge. As we approached the lake, you could see the Sierra Turner, owner of the lodge, and the people of Madre in the distance. The lake was nothing Hacienda Don Quixote. They certainly made our like I imagined — no cleaning tables, boat stay very welcome and fun. ramps, or channel markers. Our guide, who Without a day’s rest after our arrival from was very knowledgeable Mexico, we set foot on our own backyard, the and friendly, brought us Laguna Madre. Our goal was to sightcast to to our first stop along redfish in extremely shallow water and finish off a timber line drop off. I our last snook wading trip for the year. As was quickly learned that this our success in Mexico, it continued on this side was no saltwater trip; of the border. We had a blast casting to redfish bass fishing is more of with their backs out of the water and even a structure thing. By the managed a good fight with a trophy snook. time I got the hang of it, On the opening day of the special whitewing my dad was smoking me. season here in South Texas, I was again He would yell out, “Who’s donning my camouflage attire. To be honest your daddy,” every time with you, after my hunting experience in Mexico, he landed one. I made a I was thinking very gloomy about seeing the come back somewhere amount of birds I saw across the border. With in between, but in the it raining everyday, the fields were going to be end my dad laid it on very muddy. Our first day hunt was tough, and me as he said he would. the day after was rained out. The washout was Experiencing a new body okay with me because I still vividly remember of water was awesome, my best hunt ever. If I was to compare the and the fishing was hunting, Mexico would certainly have an certainly different from edge, but in fishing no other place in the world back home. compares to our own backyard, the pristine Our trip was quickly waters of the Laguna Madre. If you care to see coming to a close, and some of the things the hunting and fishing lodge the reality of leaving “Hacienda Don Quixote” has to offer, you can my best hunt of my life browse on line at www.viphunts.com. was now here. Upon Enjoy the great outdoors! leaving, I had nothing but appreciation for Don October 2007

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New Tackle & Gear Costa Del Mar

www.costadelmar.com

Costa Del Mar has introduced its latest line of light weight, rimless, metal frames. These latest additions include Lightfoot, Flycatcher and Ghost, and all feature world-class fit and durability in the form of stylish stainless steel frames. Each of the new frame styles offer fullyadjustable silicone nose pads to prevent slippage and the co-injected template tips give the wearer a light weight, “forget-they’re-on” fit. The stainless steel hinge allows for easy optical adjustments so

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every pair feels like it was built for the individual. Each pair features an anti-reflective coating that effectively reduces bounce back glare by 99.6 percent. Available in retail outlets now, the Lightfoot, Flycatcher and Ghost range in price from $199 to $229. For more information, contact 1-800-447-3700 or visit the company’s Web site at www.costadelmar.com.

Foreverlast

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361-798-1530

New for 2007 ForEverlast, Inc. has introduced a new and improved version of the ever popular RayGuard Reef Boots. By adding more in-step room and more width across the insole these protective boots will now give a more comfortable fit and

Penn

International® Torque™ 100

An addition to the series voted “Best Saltwater Reel of 2006” by the Fishing Industry. The International® Torque™ star drag 200 and 300 not only raised the bar on what to expect in star drag reels in 2006, it redefined the performance standards completely. A year later, the PENN International® Torque™ has stood up to every challenge.

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For 2008 PENN has taken power, function, design, and performance to a smaller scale with the introduction of the new TRQ100. •Full metal body •Oversized stainless gear and power handle •Incredible cranking power •Castable free spool •Magnetic casting control and brakes

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•One way clutch with single dog anti-reverse back up •450yds/12lb mono capacity •550yds/30lb braid capacity •5+1 ball bearings •25lbs max drag •5.3:1 gear ratio •35 inches of line per handle turn •23 oz •Made in the USA

Sea Vee Boats

www.seaveeboats.com

Sea Vee Boats, the renowned South Florida builder of semi-custom offshore center console fishing boats, announces that its new sales office in Seabrook, Texas is now open for business. Located at the beautiful Endeavour Marina complex on Clear Lake, this sales office has finished models on display and boats available for sea trials to give customers a chance to enjoy their awesome offshore performance first hand. A variety of models are available for 78

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will now be more accommodating to both neoprene and breathable waders. These boots can be worn barefoot or with waders but it is recommended that for waders that you get at least two sizes above normal boot size.

October 2007

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immediate delivery or customers can order boats custom built to their specifications. “Texas is an important market for us and having a factory direct sales office is the best way to service our customer base here.” For more information contact: Stanley Nunez, 3101 NASA Pkwy. Suite I Seabrook, TX. 77586 Office: 281-220-2400 Fax: 281-220-2430 stan@seaveeboats.com www.TSFMAG.com

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Shimano

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Construction •Heavy-duty 1680 denier nylon material.

•Industrial grade back support •Includes mesh pouch with 360-size tackle box •Includes rod and pliers holster (rod and pliers not included)

Features •Sliding zipper clip for easy access to your tackle.

Confluence Watersports

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Finally, a lightweight Tarpon. We’ve redesigned the Tarpon so that it can be molded using a thermoforming method that allows us to reduce the weight of the Tarpon by 10lbs. We’ve gone over the boat with a

Xtreme Lubricants

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Xtreme Reel + is the ultimate modern micro-cleaning dry lubricant for all fishing equipment. It is a cleaner, lubricant and protectant all in one. Your treated bearings will run free and smooth allowing you to cast farther than ever without extra effort. Save

time and money in unnecessary maintenance and repairs! Allow your reels to run smoother and faster while resisting salt, moisture and corrosion with Xtreme Reel + To learn more about Xtreme products visit us on-line:

Finally, a good chocking system! Your cooler is not going anywhere. Yeti Coolers, manufacturer of the finest marine ice-chest available, has designed a heavy-duty chocking system to secure your loose coolers. The Yeti Rubber Corner Chocks fit the Sherpa Just Keep Five

October 2007

dry storage well that will allow the paddler to keep a few items in an easily accessible dry location. Specs: Length: 12’/ 366cm Width: 28”/ 71cm Weight: 45 lbs/ 20.4kg Seating Well: 20”x 52”/ 50.8cm x 132cm Tank Well: 18” x 40”/ 45.7cm x 101cm Max Capacity: 350 lbs/ 67kg

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Yeti Coolers Rubber Corner Chocks

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and Roughneck series as well as most other sizes and makes of coolers. The rubber provides excellent nonabrasive support and can withstand years of wear and tear. Whether you’re mounting your cooler to your boat as a combination ice-chest, seat, or casting platform, these hardwearing chocks are the perfect fix! Yeti Corner Chock Set (Sherpa and Roughneck) $50

Texas Saltwater Fishing

SABINE

DICKIE COLBURN

Dickie Colburn is a full time guide out of Orange, Texas. Dickie has 35 years experience guiding on Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes.

WHILE THE OH BOY OBERTO REDFISH CUP

held in early August provided a breath of fresh air for Sabine Lake anglers, the summer fishing was very much a case of feast or famine. A late flurry on the jetties and the reefs north of the Causeway salvaged a Contact Colburn’s Sabine soggy summer for area anglers. Connection Most of the lake is still brackish Telephone at best leaving only two options 409-883-0723 for trout fishermen looking for a Website consistent bite. Locating suspended www.sabineconnection.com fish holding in sufficiently salty water anywhere from 17 to 22 feet deep in the river channel is the most challenging of the two. The easier option has been heading south to the jetties and taking advantage of incoming tides pumping in both saltier water and hordes of baitfish. Even with that knowledge in hand, recent trips have included at least one trip back to the landing to wait out a daily storm. We did in fact have a handful of days to crow about, but I would give the entire summer no better grade than a C+. While on the subject of grades, I salute every parent or adult that took the time to take a child fishing this summer before it was back to homework and TAKS tests. I have never fished as many youngsters as I did this summer and it made my year. Father-son, father-daughter, grandpa-grandkids, and even entire family units were the rule rather than the exception in July and August. I fished an aunt that opted for a fishing trip with her two nieces rather than a day of shopping in Houston. That decision ultimately earned her “Favorite Aunt” status. They enjoyed the gators as much as the fishing! I know that it is more convenient and much more cost effective to split the expense of a trip with a fishing buddy, but the opportunities to share a day on the water with your children are both limited and priceless. They will eventually be the caretakers of this great resource and each outing is another investment in the future of the sport. I look forward to the day when these youngsters are calling to take me fishing. Fishing and catching are not necessarily synonymous, but fishing and sharing quality time guarantees memories that will last a lifetime. 8 yr. old Andrew Hoyland ranks Even as I write this column, we homework right behind have a newly formed hurricane headed catching redfish. for the gulf and it has rained everyday

Texas Saltwater Fishing

for a week. If we can avoid it and any others throughout the month of September, we should have a fantastic fall on Sabine. In spite of the daily rains, all of the bayous and the Sabine River are still very fresh but surprisingly clear. The shrimp have already started exiting most of the bayous on the east side of the lake and that is all it takes to ignite a good bite under the gulls. If you have a trip planned for Sabine over the next month or so, do not make the mistake of writing off the north end of the lake due to freshwater runoff. The trout will abandon the deeper haunts of both the Intracoastal and the river overnight once the shrimp migrate into the lake. As the salinity level improves, they will spend more time each day in the main lake, which translates to easier ﬁshing under the gulls.

David Spain enjoyed every minute of son Tom’s redfish catch.

While I anticipate us enjoying the best flounder bite we have experienced in years, most folks still want to chase trout and redfish throughout September and October. If you fall into that group, I would recommend the following approach. Inevitably, the best bite very early and late in the day will take place over shallow shell. You will have to decide whether you will fish north or south, but the tactics are the same. The waders and drift fishermen will rule the roost with topwaters like the She Dog, Spook, and Skitterwalk. We tend to do much better fishing them with a slower retrieve rather than “walking the

October 2007

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dog.” A bone pattern or black-chartreuse are good colors for me. On the north end, I will begin most mornings working the flats south of the islands and those bordering points off the main passes. When fishing the south end, I especially like the shallow flats all the way from Madam Johnson’s to Garrison’s Ridge. A wild card for capitalizing on those low-light hours is the north revetment wall or the rocks just north of Willow Bayou. They always hold bait and the fish are never far behind. If the bait is prevalent in any of these areas, do not leave them until you have tried a longer soft plastic like the Saltwater Assassin rigged on a light jig head. As soon as the gulls start working, there is no need to switch lures as these same choices usually account for the larger fish in a school. If you prefer numbers, switch to a smaller tail like the Assassin Sea Shad or fish a tail on a 24-inch leader under a popping cork. Any redfish mixed with the trout are more apt to jump a chrome Trap, a Hoginar, or a tail fished slower and deeper on a three-eighths ounce head. The worst mistake you can make when fishing the birds, outside of plowing right through them, is to leave the area as soon as the birds break up. Stay put longer than you think you should, watch the other boats race away, and enjoy the benefits long after they are gone. If you want Sabine to yourself… fish the afternoons. The guides will be off the water and most of the recreational fishermen as well. The fishing can really be spectacular the last hours of the day in the fall months on this lake!

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

THIS PAST MONTH HAS CERTAINLY BEEN

fat slot reds with a few being oversized. We have found some of them

a wild one. In last month’s ﬁshing report

have even caught some in knee-deep water. That tells you that they

I did not have many positive things

are just everywhere, from ten and twelve feet of water to knee deep.

to say and painted a pretty gloomy

Trout ﬁshing in Trinity is a little bit spotty. The gas wells down the

picture. Over the past month much has

middle are starting to pay off and probably the best bet for trout in this

changed, and I am very happy to be

area at present. For the most part any type of bird action we have

bringing better news this month.

investigated is small juvenile ﬁsh. The trout are just not over here yet

by working the birds and others by working slicks and mud boils. We

but with the bay looking better every day and plenty of bait around

TRINITY BAY

they should be on their way. October has historically been a great month for trout in Trinity so keep an eye on it.

After an incredible year of heavy rain and ﬂooding, Trinity Bay is ﬁnally shaping up. The water is greening up and the salinity

EAST BAY East Bay has been producing some pretty good trout action.

is not fully

At present you can ﬁnd them all the way from Smith Point to the

recovered but it

Refuge. Birds have been working their way down the shoreline and

is improving with

the reefs are still holding ﬁsh so you have options. Working the birds

each incoming

with topwaters has been the ticket to catching the bigger ﬁsh and this

tide from the gulf.

is a good way to go after them but you’ll need a good crew on your

The hottest thing

boat that know how to cast and also dodge a topwater full of hooks

in this bay system

whenever somebody makes a mistake. Soft plastics are working also;

right now is the

it is just whatever you prefer right now.

redﬁsh action and we are catching some very good

GALVESTON BAY The Houston Ship Channel is still holding a lot of ﬁsh from Marker

numbers. On a

68 – 72. When the wind lays and the bay is calm enough everyone

slow day we are

is just lighting them up out there. It is not as good as it was but still

catching eight

decent. A lot of the lower and middle channel has started to slow

or ten but on a

down because all of the ﬁsh are moving into upper bays. They are

good day we are

just getting ready for the fall run. October will look promising if we can

catching ﬁfty.

start getting in our cool fronts and water temperatures down. We will

They are all nice

have a heck of a run over here, especially with all the fresh water. It hurts us now but helps us in the long run.

WRAP UP The hot ticket for now is Trinity for reds and East Bay for trout. There has been some scattered action in West Bay. If you had to fish there every day you may be able to get a pattern on the fish and do well. Campbell Bay has been reported to be giving some decent trout action. With all the fresh water there has been a pretty good stack of fish there this summer. Area surf fishing should be good for bull reds throughout the month of October. Overall fishing has improved all across the Galveston system which is much better picture than I painted for you last month.

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OCTOBER IS ONE OF THE BEST MONTHS of the year for fishing and catching. We have had a very wet year thus far with rainfall way above normal. With this in our fall picture, fishing the Colorado River is up in the air. East Matagorda Bay does not receive much water from the river, so it will likely remain in good shape as will certain parts of West Matagorda Bay. The only thing to do at this point is sit back and see what’s in store. Normally you can fish the Colorado River in October and East Bay is always a good pick. Oyster Lake can pack a lot of reds and small keeper trout as well. For all you duck hunters out there, numerous teal were spotted August 29th flying the north shoreline of East Matagorda Bay. Conditions are looking good for fall fishing and hunting excursions. As everyone knows East Matagorda Bay is a favorite of mine and that is where you will find me most of the time

Tim Armatta - 24” redfish Mirrolure She Dog, drifting East Matagorda Bay with Capt. Bill.

in the months coming up. If a strong hard north wind threatens us I’ll retreat to the river if it’s fishable. I’m looking for this abundance of rain to slack off so that the fish will move to the river. Late September and into October should see bird activity in both East and West Matagorda Bays. Every year after the passage of a strong cold front our water level drops considerably below the range of normal tides. When this happens the shrimp and other bait fish leave our marshes by way of the various sloughs and drains. The birds should be in full throttle when this occurs.

Areas such as Catchall Basin, Oyster Farm, Kain Cove, and Hog Island will offer lots of action. Drift ﬁshing can also be good out in the middle of the bay on scattered shell. Whatever you do, do not overlook working birds while you are crossing the bay or out there drifting the reefs. East Matagorda Bay offers some of the best bird action on the Texas coast.

Reed Tackaberry 25 1/4” redfish from East Matagorda with Capt. Bill.

Matt Barlow - 25 1/2” trout – hooked too deep to release. Capt. Bill released a 26” trout on the same wade, good day for big trout. Chris Barlow - 23” trout – fishing East Matagorda Bay. Chris was throwing the 10W40 5” Bass Assassin. 84

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Choice baits will include Bass Assassins 10W40 color 5” Sea Shad and 4” Paddle Tail Shad. This color always works well when the trout are feeding on shrimp. Other good colors at this time are the Pumpkinseed and Bone Diamond. The Roach pattern is a good one to try if the water is a bit murky. Top water selections will be Mirrolures 83MR She Dog in CRBN, 84 MR FT, NSCH, GRCCH, and a relatively new color 83 MR CRBC. This Mirrolure 83 MR CRBC really does make an impression. Trout and reds love this lure. They will hit this bait so hard that the red eyes pop out. Take a look at the before and after pictures of this lure to see for yourself the results of one morning’s ﬁshing trip. Whatever you do be safe on the water, wear your kill switch, just keep 5-7, and by all means enjoy your day and May God Bless You along the way.

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

SEPTEMBER FISHING WAS GREAT FOR THE Rat Pack. All the cloud cover and rain we received during August and September made for cooler water than normal in our bay system. We also were able to make many trips to the surf and every trip out there more than fulﬁlled my customer’s expectations. The shark problems we had in spring and early summer seems to have subsided for now for whatever reasons. Who knows, maybe they had their ﬁll of trout attached to stringers! Larry and Bill holding twin 27.5” fall redfish.

About 95% of the ﬁsh that were caught by the Rat Pack in September were caught on Top Waters. We would start and end

the day working the first and second guts throwing She Dogs in chrome/ blue back, chartreuse/pearl/chartreuse and 808 a.k.a Halloween. The trout were not disappointing, hitting with their typical aggressive nature, almost taking the rods out of our hands with their vicious strikes. For the times we were throwing plastics we were usually throwing the Assassin Swimming Shiners in clown or baby trout colors. This particular lure has really worked well for me these past two seasons and if you have not tried them you are only hurting yourself. I rig all my Assassins on a 1/16 ounce Assassin jighead. In October our cold fronts will pack a little more punch and last a little longer than the ones we witnessed in September and this should only help improve the fishing. I will be spending a lot more time in San Antonio Bay in October working large flocks of birds over hungry trout and reds and also working the many shell reefs to find my speckled friends. The back lakes of Matagorda Island will also be seeing a lot more of my new Shoalwater Cat as we try to trick our spot tail friends with our She Dogs and She Pups in our favorite colors. We will also be spending time getting ready for the first split of duck season which will open November 3rd and run till November 25th and then will open again December 8th running through January 27 of 2008. Bay Rat Guide Service will now be offering dove/fish combos, dove, alligator, and wild hog hunts as part of our outdoor lineups that still include duck hunts and duck/fish combos. I am anxious and excited about the upcoming duck season because I have a new buddy hunting with me and his name is Sam. Sam is a one year old Lab/Golden Retriever cross that absolutely loves the water more than any dog I have ever seen. We adopted Sam from the Pasadena

Larry Williams releasing a nice oversized redfish.

Animal Shelter with the help of Belinda Veazey of the Houston Labrador Retriever Rescue. We saw a picture that Belinda had posted of Sam on the internet along with the information of where he could be found. If you

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are not familiar with Belinda Veazey you should know what great lengths she goes through to try and save many dogs from certain death. Anyways, after several phone calls and completing an adoption application, Shellie drove to Pasadena to pick up my new friend. He spent a month with us before we took him to Lora Neans at Coastal Bend Retrievers. We are looking forward to Sam returning home this month to rejoin us and our other two rescued labs. In closing I would like to give you guys a heads up on a new reel that just got better. Since March â&#x20AC;&#x2122;07 I have been using a Revo SX HS reel made by Abu Garcia. I was curious to see how well it would hold up to my rigorous fishing methods. Well I have to admit it surpassed my expectations even after dropping the reel into the water while wading in April and forgetting to clean it until two days later. When I opened it up to inspect the damage I found that there was no sight of saltwater penetration or corrosion. I was still using that reel until I got the new Revo Inshore series reel in August. They have made some changes to the braking system, made the handle a little longer and I am sure they have changed some of the guts in the reel to better handle Inshore fishing. When you can buy a reel for $149, use it like I use them, and have no problems, what more could you ask for. Kind of reminds me of another great reel we used in the good old days known as the Abu Garcia 5000 the Red Reel. Fish hard, fish smart!

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

WE’VE HAD SOME TROPICAL STORMS IN the Gulf that created some high surf and high tides. The storms didn’t cause very much bad weather here locally though. There has been good current flow in the Intracoastal Waterway and in the Laguna Madre. This water movement along with the rain and cloudy conditions has helped the fishing. We’ve had more than normal rainfall and cooler than normal conditions. I was wondering how all this rain was going to affect our bay system so I called my biologist friend Art Morris with Texas Parks and Wildlife. He said that our bay system is in good shape. In the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay there are no major rivers and only a few creeks that bring runoff. So, even though we have higher than average rainfall adding freshwater it has come at the right time. With the fresher water the baby trout survival rate will be better than average. The trout population will benefit from the rain and cooler conditions. The normal salinity level for this time of year is fifty parts per thousand. Right now, in the middle of Baffin Bay it is running about twenty-five parts per thousand. In the back at Alazan Bay it is fresher at seventeen parts per thousand. All of this freshwater may be making it tough for fishing in some areas but it will bring us excellent fishing in the future. One day in between thunderstorms I was scouting around and found water of very good color along the Intra Coastal Waterway. I stopped and ran the trolling motor just off the edge. The current was moving in pretty well. I used the Salt Water Assassin five-inch shad in Morning Glory on a quarter ounce leadhead. My standard jigheads are lighter but with the strong current I needed some weight. I dropped the lure off the edge and ended up catching several trout, two redfish and a flounder. It was nice to see the variety of fish and the action was good but another thunderstorm was looming so it didn’t last long. We have had a few good days of fishing in Baffin Bay when the weather allowed. One of the best was with Jimmy Burns of Waterloo Rods and his wife Whitney. The weather was very calm and extremely hot, the little breeze we had felt like dog breath, hot and damp. We headed south to Baffin and as I shut the boat down we could see large schools of baitfish on the surface. The water was so calm you could see everything that moved. It was one of those mornings when you can hear big trout sucking mullet off the top, perfect for easing along quietly with the trolling motor and watching for trout to blow up. Getting close enough to cast to them is not always easy though. Jimmy and Whitney both can handle a rod and reel and they were making those long casts that it takes to reach the fish 88

Texas Saltwater Fishing

from the boat. Sometimes I will do better out of the boat in these conditions because we are able to cover more ground. We had several trout blow the lure out of the water but they didn’t eat it. Of course, those we missed seemed like monsters. We managed to catch several that were in the five to six Whitney and Jimmy Burns pound range. with a nice Baffin trout. As I was moving around I would occasionally turn the trolling motor wide open for a few seconds just to see if it would spook anything and create a wake we might target. Sure enough it worked and I immediately cut the troll motor to a very low speed, that’s when we saw the first big trout. She was just laying there right under the surface. We continued to ease along and in the next two hundred and fifty yards we saw at least a half-dozen big trout with this same tactic. It was very exciting. We were throwing Skitter Walk lures in pink and silver and Jimmy’s Waterloo 6’6” HP Slam is the best rod for working topwater lures. It was a real pleasure to experience this day with such fine anglers. Baffin Bay has long been known for its trophy trout. Being a full time guide for twenty-five years I have seen some significant changes in this fishery. It was only ten years ago that it was common to catch two double-digit trout on the same wade. I’m still seeing plenty of five and six-pound trout, but the top-end trout at thirty to thirty-two inches are no longer available as they once were. If the twenty-six and twenty-seven-inch trout were released it wouldn’t take long for them to grow to become thirty inches. There are more anglers today than ever, not only here in Baffin, but all up and down the coast. Texas Parks and Wildlife has made changes in the limits and size of trout that can be kept but I think we need to do more. We the anglers of Texas can control the number of fish being taken. We can no longer afford to fish the way we used to; fishing today should not be about big stringers or filling up the box. If this keeps up there won’t be very many trophies left. I think of trophy trout the same as trophy deer. If there are two hunters on a five thousand-acre lease in south Texas and they harvest one mature buck each, there will be plenty of big deer for the next year. Now take the same lease and add fifty hunters and they all take a buck; pretty soon there won’t be any left. Baffin Bay is one of the last places on the Texas Coast anglers can go to catch big trout and I would like to encourage that we keep it that way. We all need to do our part and practice catch and release. October is one of the best fishing months of the year. Before the cold fronts start coming and hopefully with no tropical storms reaching our coast, the weather will be beautiful with cool mornings and calm water. The crowds thin out during the week and the bays are very peaceful. I’m looking forward to a great month.

October 2007

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

FISHING DURING THE FINAL WEEKS OF summer is never a gimme, even here in paradise. We enjoyed some high-five times but it often took dedicated grinds to gain the results the Laguna is famous for. October’s cooler weather brings with it the promise of more consistent catching, especially for larger trout, and we are certainly ready. Most of our fishing days of the past month began with shallow wades and awe-inspiring sunrises. Leaving the Harbor early was the most critical element. If you slept too late, boat traffic and scorching sun pushed the fish down to quieter and more comfortable water. Seeing the wakes and swirls of redfish and trout as they cruise and feed on the shallow flats is another sunrise bonus. Whether you can catch them is another matter.

Adam Moss with an early morning red that came from a chest deep hole just off a Port Mansfield flat.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Seeing them is never a guarantee that catching will be easy. Sometimes the conditions are too calm and the fish too shallow. No matter how far back we park the boat or how stealthily we approach, some schools just won’t hold; and some that do might not eat. Sometimes the grass is too thick and we can’t get a lure to them. Making the most of sunrise wades means knowing which school to set up on. Despite the reputation of being easy, shallow-water redfish can be some of the most challenging gamefish in the world, so get there early and learn to pick your school carefully. Small spoons and swimming plastics have always been my shallowwater go-to lures; but when you can’t see your target and have to work blind, a small surface plug can also be a great tool. Lately, some of the feeding activity has been so aggressive that even full-sized plugs worked up skinny. It took a slow twitch and they didn’t always eat what they chased, but let me tell you, a “hump” of water running toward your lure can make your heart pound. Tails and backs out of the water are exciting, but in the last several weeks these have not been our biggest fish. To find the heavy-weights we have been pulling plastics through waist to chest deep depressions, even during early morning hours some days. The decision to start deep or shallow isn’t easy, and apart from being good with a rod and reel, the real test always comes down to understanding patterns. Even more challenging is identifying new ones as they emerge. Our trout have been coming on the smaller side of late, and unless you walk into an unusual situation a one in four keeper ratio has been common. This can be disappointing, but if nothing else we should be happy to see such strong recruitment in this fishery and great care should be given when handling these small fish. The standard summertime techniques are still effective as of this writing and most of the better trout have been found on deeper grass beds with soft plastics. However, topwaters fished along structure breaks have been bringing some nice fish to the surface and we expect this will continue and improve in October. October promises to be interesting. Greater than average rainfall means a boost for important forage species such as shrimp and crabs and this is always great news for fishermen. As these guys make their move from the area’s backwaters and sloughs, the trout and redfish will be there to take advantage of the bounty and we will be there too. Anxious anglers should be aware of this pattern, but crashing into them is not the best answer. I would like to urge good boating etiquette and courtesy for others. The world will be a better place if we give each other plenty of room to drift and wade. As for fall trout tactics, we are eager to trade summer’s shirt-pocket wades for action in shallower water. If predictions are accurate, our overall water levels should continue to rise and reach a peak around the first week of November. This will put more focus on back areas and shorelines we have not used in months. Larger trout will move shallower where we can get a lure to them more consistently. October will mark the end of the trout spawning period and they will add weight quickly. Naturally, we expect big things to happen. October 2007

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Brett Dunn gets splashed by an angry Mansfield redâ&#x20AC;Ś Autumn is awesome!

If your goal is trophy trout you have to fish specifically for them. This means becoming an intuitive reader of the water and understanding what nature is telling us for the day. The effects of wind-induced water levels, water clarity, and the presence of the right baitfish are factors that play key roles and help us decide when and where to go to work. Notice my reference to work. Consistent success in the pursuit of bigger fish with lures will always include lots of it. Anglers come to Port Mansfield with the hope of catching their personal best fish and last year we were fortunate to guide many who did. However, until the fall season develops fully and we can find reliable patterns, we will have to work hard and pay close attention to daily changes, especially bait movements and the depth of water the fish are using. Some of these changes will be subtle and will change day by day. A simple but effective method can be drifting into productive-looking areas to find the bite and then wading when you hit pay dirt. October will bring a wide range of opportunity and good anglers always go prepared. We will be dusting off our Corkies and other mullet imitators as the water cools down. A good shrimp crop and lots of surface feeding should be a signal to keep sharp hooks on your topwaters. My personal assortment includes a range of sizes and rattle types as fish preference can vary by the hour and you never know if it will be a She Dog or small Spook that turns them on. Just like in other seasons, there will be many great catches made on well-presented plastic tails and I always carry a weedless spoon for hungry reds. Autumn is awesome! We will be here doing what we do, and if you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done it in Port Mansfield yet, there is some paradise waiting for you.

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

John Hill waited sixty-two years for this one.

BETWEEN THE MONTHS OF JULY AND SEPTEMBER the rain came almost non-stop. I believe it safe to say that it has been one of the wettest of years I can recall here in south Texas. All that freshwater in our bay system during these wet months made it a bit tough on us down here. I heard similar stories from up and down the coast about how fishing was a hit and miss game during this rain saturated period. Even the wind acted strangely by howling all summer long. Currently, our early fall patterns seem more like late summer conditions. The winds have come to a halt and slick conditions have been the norm early in the mornings. Because of the prevailing calm conditions finding fish has been fairly easy, but getting them to bite has been a chore in itself. We continue to throw small topwaters at their submarine wakes. During these conditions the fish are reacting best to the Super Spook Jr worked David Walters with a slow retrieve. Sometimes twitching is prized all day for th s inches . lu -p and then stopping the bait has enticed a catch, 31 commitment from brawny reds. When we know the fish are absolutely refusing our

hard plastics, we switch to soft plastic tails like the smaller Brown Lure Co. sea devils in plum/chartreuse or amber/chartreuse. Those two colors have been really hot for us in the beginning of this fall season. Our water levels are averaging well above normal due to the influence of tropical depressions and hurricanes out in the Gulf of Mexico. All this water has allowed gamefish to venture off into flooded grass flats that have come alive with well-balanced and readily available meals of shrimp, crabs, finger mullet, and pinfish. The shallow grass flats are a place where redfish seem to enjoy sticking their tails out at us, almost like they are waving us to draw closer. If you want to make your “tailing” experience more successful; stealth is the key. The wake you push as you wade should be minimal and all eyes should focus on anything that looks like a small ripple on the water’s surface. Learn to

Nicholas proudly shows off his 27-plus trout on his ninth birthday.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

distinguish between a redfish tail and that of a sheepshead or mullet. I think if you can get a close look at the tails of these three species out of the water you will be better able to differentiate one from the other when they are swimming. October is certain to bring a few mild cold fronts that will make our water temperatures drop and this will be a welcome change for anglers as well as the fish. During the heat of the summer we were finding ourselves wading deep even early in the morning. Now, we are finding good concentrations of fish up shallow. Currently, between the grass and sand transition has been a good place to start early in the morning. October 2007

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Here’s Jason releasing his personal best snook, 29-3/4 inches. Redfish along with numbers of sheepshead are starting their fall feeding frenzy. It has become commonplace to see small shrimp skipping across the surface only to be devoured by a hungry predator. With all the freshwater that has entered our bay, the shrimp and crab populations should be plentiful. We are really looking forward to seeing all this freshwater work its positive impact on these important crustaceans. October’s generally mild weather patterns will cause fish to remain on shallow flats throughout the day, unlike the summer where once the water temperature heated up your best bet was to look deep. October will bring opportunities to find large groups of redfish roaming grass flats and trout up shallow where potholes are present. Shallow, muddy, grassy flats will be great areas to witness shrimp being chased by starve stricken redfish. If you look closely at your catch you will start to notice a slight weight gain around the belly, just like we tend to do during the holidays. This weight gain will be more noticeable in the coming months. This month also marks the fall flounder migration, but unfortunately up until this write we have seen very few flounder caught this year. Sadly to say our flounder numbers on the Lower Laguna Madre are way down this year. Where did all the flatties go? The disappearance of our flat fish is a study in itself. Recently, I got back into the gym and let me tell you after a few days of lifting I had muscle aches in places where I didn’t even know I had muscles; the age factor showed up. In sports like tennis, football, basketball or many other sports, age and practice plays a big role whether you’re successful or not. But, in fishing the fish at the end of your line do not care whether you have been fishing for a lifetime or it’s your first day out. Your lucky day can come at any moment you are out on the water or when you or anyone least expects it. Not to long ago I fished two different anglers on two different days; one was in the beginning stages of learning how to use artificials, and the other was on the road of many successful fishing trips throughout his lifetime. The young angler was nine years old, and the veteran angler was in his sixties. Neither woke up thinking that day on the water would bring memories that would last a lifetime. Neither knew they would catch a fish that so few even come close to landing. Their fish didn’t care how old they were or how many fish they had previously caught. It was a lucky day for both anglers. Young Nicholas caught and landed a respectable twenty-seven inch trout that weighed in at six and a quarter pounds. Just seeing the kid smile from ear to ear after landing the trout was well worth their trip all the way from Houston. The child was now hooked, and what a way to experience his ninth birthday. Way to go Nicholas! John an experienced angler had never latched on to a snook and didn’t know what to www.TSFMAG.com

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October 2007

October’s tails promise to be alot of fun.

expect. His catch came after a driving rainstorm that kicked us out of the water once only to return an hour later. Upon returning he worked his topwater in about two feet of water when a snook decided it was his time to find out what a linesider was all about. He handled the snook and its acrobatics perfectly, and soon after a thirty-one inch snook was in his grips. It goes to show that you are never too young or never to old for the wonderful sport of fishing. Whatever your age may be now is the time to get out there and experience what fishing has to offer. If it’s tailing reds or surface popping trout that you desire, October promises to bring many tales of on the water experiences. Who knows your next time out could be your lucky day. Texas Saltwater Fishing

“Fishing is outstanding on Big Lake and in the surf near the Cameron Jetties right now,” Jeff says. “We have been limiting out on trout by mid-morning on most trips lately. As we get farther into fall, the toughest part might be finding a way to stay on the water longer! Usually, October is the beginning of the hot bird working action. We don’t usually see too many trout over about four pounds while working the birds, but limits of two and three pounders will be easy. Redfish usually join in the fray a little more consistently this month too.” Best action in recent days has been on soft plastics, but Jeff predicts a switch to bigger plugs will be in order once the weather cools down. “We haven’t really had much topwater action lately. On some days, you have to drag the worm right near the bottom to get the bites,” he says. “But after we get two or three decent fronts, we’ll see our topwater bite perk up. We’ll also throw a lot of Catch 2000s, Catch Vs and Storm jointed Thundersticks. Anything that runs just below the surface and looks like a baitfish will work.”

James was on the big pond chasing silver kings when I took his report. In fact, he had a hookup while we were talking, but it was a spinner shark, not the sought after tarpon. “Tarpon fishing’s been outstanding. Yesterday, the fleet hooked about twenty. There’s been plenty of fish and it’s not too hard to catch ‘em. We’re using artificials most of the time. Average size of the fish is good too; yesterday we had one about 100 and one about 160 pounds.” He expects the action on the tarpon to last into October, but he will start trout fishing again too. “Did some trout fishing about a week or so ago when the beachfront got dirty and the tarpon fishing was off. Had easy limits on most trips. We were working slicks and birds in East Bay with small Top Dogs. There are also still fish holding on abandoned well pads in Lower Galveston Bay. Jigs work better on those fish, since they are staging in eight to ten feet of water. The water looks good everywhere except Trinity,

Randall says the fishing has improved with better water conditions in the San Luis Pass area. “Water was beautiful this morning, as clear as I’ve seen it in a long time. Fishing wasn’t great today, but it has been considerably better most days lately. We caught some trout this morning rattling topwaters over shell in about five feet of water. Best bite is still real early. By ten o’clock, the action slows to a crawl in the heat. We did scratch out some reds by tickling soft plastics off the shell later in the day. This is a typical pattern that will last through October, topwaters early over the shell, tickling the shell with the Sand Eels later. I’ve still been catching them on Red Magic. Salty chicken is a killer too. Birds will be the biggest thing to key on in October. Usually, by the middle of the month, we will have had a couple of good fronts and the water temperature and level will begin to drop. This will bring all kinds of activity to the Pass area.” He mentions catching schooling trout that were herding ribbonfish one day recently. To quote Billy Sandifer, “What a hoot!”

“October is usually the start of our bird working action,” Tommy says. “With all the shrimp we are seeing in the bays right now, it should be a good year for that. Of course, East Bay is typically where people head for quality fish under birds in the fall, but West Bay can have good trout under the birds too. Last year in particular, we did better in West Bay because of the crowds in East Bay.” When not fishing birds in both bays, Tommy expects to drift and wade mid-bay reefs in East Bay for trout. “I’ll throw topwaters when wading early, then switch to Corkies and soft plastics as the sun gets up.” When drifting, he prefers soft plastics, especially limetreuse, margarita and other bright colors. “Expect to find a few redfish under the birds too. But in order to target the reds, we like to look for them in some really shallow areas along the shorelines. We’ll run along until we find a big group, then try to get ahead of them and throw topwaters in front of them. It’s some of the most fun fishing of the year

which is still pretty fresh from the heavy rains.”

when it’s right.”

“Fishing is wide open in East Bay lately as long as the weather’s decent. You can

What a difference a month makes. Strong tides from Hurricane Dean brought in beautiful water to the Palacios area and fishing has been on fire. Schools of redfish have been located in several area bays roaming shorelines and feeding heavily on the white shrimp. Pearl/chartreuse Bull Minnows and pearl Berkeley Gulp shrimp have been the most productive lures for those working the herds. Trout have been schooling under birds around Oliver’s Point and have been easy pickings on pumpkinseed/chartreuse Bull Minnows and plum/chartreuse Assassins. Flounder have also shown up as of late with some up to four pounds being gigged on area shorelines. The influx of clean water has also brought about good fishing at night on the local piers. First St. pier has been holding keeper trout as have the rock groins on South Bay. Texas Trout Killer spec rigs in glow/pink and glow/chartreuse have been best under the bulbs. For hot fishing throughout the fall, look for working birds and there you should find action on both trout and redfish.

pretty much locate fish however you want to and catch them however you want to if the winds are light. Birds are working most every day, and the trout under them are typical, mostly small keepers to about three pounds. Again, you can catch them on basically any kind of topwater you want, and the color of the worm doesn’t matter much either. Keying on slicks popping over open water reefs has led us to some bigger trout, up to about six pounds. The tide’s been high, and the reds are pretty thick in the marsh. Nobody’s chasing them either. In fact, since school started, the crowds have been very light. Even on Labor Day, there wasn’t much of a crowd on the pond.” He predicts that action will only get hotter as the weather cools. “We’ll see a shift to more quality trout on the shorelines soon. This bay is so full of fish right now that we should be set up for an impressive run on trout as the fronts cool things down. The redfish action will stay steady in the backwater areas too.” 94

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October 2007

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It seemed like we were done with the rainfall, but mother nature decided that we had not had enough, so we received more rain. I think that eventually the Laguna Madre will see the benefits from all the rain we’ve had during the last couple of months. In the mean time, the salinity levels are very low, the Brown Tide is in full bloom, and the water clarity is poor in most of Baffin Bay and much of the Laguna Madre. Where the brown tide persists, the fishing is tough! On days when I’ve fished the southern end of the Upper Laguna, I’ve had to fish with live bait, due to the poor water clarity, and while the numbers of trout are low, some of the trout have reached twenty eight inches, with a few redfish mixed in. The water clarity in the northern part of the Laguna Madre is in a little better shape. Drifting in two to three feet of water over scattered potholes with half ounce weedless spoons has been working well for redfish and trout. Natural colored Exude RT Slugs and Bass Assassin Blurps rigged on eighth ounce jig heads have also produced fish. “Port O’Connor area anglers have seen some hot fishing in recent weeks,” reports “Redfish have been pretty easy to find and catch lately, compared with the trout. I had a guy today that hadn’t been fishing in twenty years, and we caught a bunch of reds.” locate. There is action in the surf on trout on calm days, birds working in the bays Main strategy is to locate the herds by watching for them to create a disturbance on and other trout coming off the flats near Pass Cavallo, over shell reefs and along shorelines in the back bays.” He expects to focus mostly on redfish in October. “We’ll the surface when the boat gets near enough to spook them. Then approach quietly with a trolling motor to avoid breaking up the fish or causing them to sound. “We are be trying to stay with the herds that are roaming the flats. Topwater action on these catching them easily once we find them, throwing a lot of spoons and soft plastics. fish is some of the most exciting of the year. I stick with small plugs like the Spook Spoons work good because you can bring them over the schools and catch one Jrs., mostly in bone and blue/chrome. The reds have an easier time getting them in without disrupting the entire school. Sometimes, it seems that topwaters will work, their mouths, so you don’t miss as many after they blow up. The trout will be a little but they cause a bigger disturbance in the school and it will take more time for them trickier to locate and catch. We don’t do much in the surf in OCtober. A better bet to get back into a biting mood. October will be a good month to continue looking for is to work shoreline guts with a little softer bottom and some scattered grass. Soft the roaming herds. The water is in decent shape from the King Ranch all the way to plastics will catch more of the trout. I like a red flash Bass Assassin, and of course Shamrock and East Flats, and all those areas are great for concentrating big schools the plum/chartreuse too.” of reds as they migrate toward the Gulf.” Lynn. “Redfish are already schooled up on the flats and they aren’t too hard to

“I’ve been focusing on the bays in the southern portion of my area lately,” Blake

on my Super Spooks and checking it.”

Bruce has been offshore as much as possible in recent months and says that the fishing for king mackerel, red snapper, tarpon and dorado is as good as he can remember. “This has been an incredible year offshore around here. We are catching a bunch of our fish on lures too. We’ll continue to venture onto the big pond as much as we can in October. The run of pelagic fish can last well into the fall down here if it doesn’t get too cold too early.” Inshore, brown tide and floating grass are making fishing tough. “With the exception of the area around the East Pass, the water is dingy. We are having our best luck on incoming tides fishing the influx of clear water. As we get into October, we will look to continue hunting the herds of redfish that are already bunched up along the shorelines near the pass. We like to throw small topwaters at ‘em, mostly Spook Jrs.. In fact, for all kinds of fish, October is a great topwater month down here. It will be topwaters, topwaters and more topwaters. I like bone and white/chartreuse ones best.”

High tides can be a real issue during October on Padre Island National Seashore, so

That nasty brown tide has cooled the action on the west side, inundating everything,

it is essential to check tide levels when planning trips. The inﬂuence of sargassum

from the shrimp farm at Holly Beach north to Stover’s or south all the way to Laguna

will be sporadic, but usually will allow for ﬁshing in most locations. Trips should also

Vista depending on the wind and tides. We’re walking the boats into tailing reds

be planned to avoid incoming cold fronts. Typically, the best conditions on the beach

running 18” to 27” when there’s no wind, making it easy to limit out, throwing either

happen the second day behind a frontal passage. Exceptional ﬁshing for a wide

TTF half ounce gold weedless spoons or small topwaters like Spook Jrs. or Top

variety of species is possible this month, with some tarpon, lots of jumbo jack crevalle,

Pups in chartreuse or red/white. We’re also hitting small herds that are holding

Spanish mackerel, occasional king mackerel, ladyﬁsh and both slot and oversized

oversize and tournament winning keepers. Specks and reds both are eating the glow

redﬁsh being available. The annual fall ﬁnger mullet migration will be in full swing

Gulp three inch shrimp under a Mansﬁeld Mauler in deeper holes mid-morning on

and they will be the most effective baits, either live or fresh dead. Sharks are readily

Gas Well Flats and south of the drum boats. A recent excursion offshore produced

available and can be found very close to shore, often in the second and third guts

loads of tasty chicken dolphin that were schooling under rafts of grass being swept

out from the sand. To ﬁnd beach-cruising sharks, watch for the areas which have the

south by the current at the Whistling Buoy. Freddy says, “October is a time of year

highest levels of bird activity and the largest shoals of migrating ﬁnger mullet.

when expectations increase to a new level we catch more ﬁsh in higher water with

says. “The water over in Aransas and Corpus Bays is saltier and cleaner, and the fish are easier to catch. There are some fish in the brackish water, but they are harder to catch. Best bite lately has been on soft plastics, mostly the old standby purple/chartreuse Sand Eel. I haven’t been throwing my topwaters much, but when I have, the bite has been pretty slow. I’m still fishing primarily sand and grass, a little bit of shell. One of the areas I’d like to fish in Mesquite is home to a pesky bull alligator who’s been acting too aggressive for my taste. Anyone wading over there needs to keep an eye out for him. He’s hard to miss, since he’s well over ten feet long!” In October, Blake plans to keep fishing sand and grass, probably in the same bays, with a little more focus on shell and mud later in the month. “Topwater action should heat up a little once we get some fronts to cool the water down. I’ll keep tying

less boat trafﬁc and, oh yeah, Halloween means ﬂounder.” www.TSFMAG.com

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Stella Howard has her reading priorities in line. Howard Ostmann out of Missouri caught and released this 31” trout out of Estees Flats.

Torrey Hawkins snagged this permit while fishing in Belize….I think his visor brought him good luck!

Travis Gardner of College Station, snagged this red while wading West Matagorda Bay. This is his largest red to date!

Maureen O’Grady landed a nice red and trout while out fishing in Estess Flats.

Capt. Brett Caron of Corpus Christi, landed this 12# 32” trout on a Texas Trout Killer.

Deric Bryant and Eric Bryant proudly display their catch of the month.

Rick Dixon landed this red while fishing in Louisianna.

Joannie Hunt caught and released this 28” trout while fishing in Baffin.

Darryl & Judy Phelps of Port Aransas landed this double hook up while out enjoying an afternoon of fishing. 96

Texas Saltwater Fishing

October 2007

Matthew Casey landed his first red at 28” and 9 1/2# while fishing the Matagorda Peninsula. www.TSFMAG.com

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Tori Gehret displays her first keeper red caught while in West Galveston Bay. Clint Rickabaugh hooked this 26 1/2” red on a Super Spook.

Kayla Sassin of San Antonio tackled her first keeper red that lead to her limit of reds while fishing in Port Aransas.

Right: Jacob and Caitlin Rodgers are having fun catching fish like this nice red while out in Port O’Connor.

Allison Scherer lands her largest trout on her first wading trip to Rockport, this one came in at 28” and 6.5lb.

Left: Jacob Gehret tricked this 24” trout while out fishing in East Bay.

Spencer Pellegrin landed this 10# red while fishing out of Arroyo Colorado.

Darrin Toney caught and released this 29.5” 8.5# trout on a Norton Sand Eel while fishing the King Ranch Shoreline.

Jean Rodgers proudly displays her nice red landed while fishng in POC.

Shelly Fivecoat landed this dolphin while fishing with father and guide Capt. John Fivecoat.

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October 2007

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Gulf Coast Kitchen

PAM JOHNSON

Fried Fish With Vodka and Beer Batter 1 1/2 pounds of your favorite fillets Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 1/4 cups white rice flour; more for dusting 2 to 3 quarts vegetable oil for deep-frying 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Got ideas, hints or recipes you’d like to share? Email me: Pam@TSFMag.com or send by Fax: 361-785-2844

DIBBEN’S KINDA OF FISH FRY! 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups vodka 1 1/4 cups lager beer

Rinse fish fillets, and dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper, and dust with rice flour, shaking off any extra. Set aside. Place a wide, deep pan over medium heat. Add oil to a depth of at least 1 1/2 inches, and bring to 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. In a medium bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 cups rice flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly stir in the vodka and beer to make a batter. (Don’t make batter ahead of time, or the bubbles from the lager will be lost.) Dip one fillet into batter to coat it completely, and lower into hot oil. Repeat with other fillets. When undersides of fillets are golden brown, after 1 or 2 minutes, turn, and brown other side, a minute or two. Lift from oil, drain and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

CREAMY SHRIMP KABOBS You will need: ad & Dip (from HEB Plus stores) 1 cup Lime & Serrano Pepper Spre d 2 small yellow squash thickly slice 4 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro 1 large red onion quartered se 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack chee pieces) 1 large green bell pepper (large 12 wooden skewers deveined, tail off 2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled & Butter-ﬂavored cooking spray d 2 small zucchini squash thickly slice Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. cilantro and Serrano spread, 3 tablespoons Combine in mixing bowl, Lime e. and Monterey Jack cheese, set asid , and mp and alternating onions, peppers shri with ting star , Assemble kabobs per skewer. squash slices. Aim to use 5 shrimp nge king spray to prevent sticking. Arra Spray 2 cooking sheets with coo sides. salt and pepper liberally on both kabobs on the cookie sheets and n for ove in ss the top of skewers. Bake Generously spoon the mixture acro bles and the for 3-5 minutes until the sauce bub about 15 minutes and then broil shrimp are done. y! garnish with left over cilantro. Enjo Serve over a bed of rice pilaf and

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October 2007

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Statement of Ownership and Management: 1) Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine 2) ISSN 1935-9586 3) Filing Date April 07 4) Issue Frequency Monthly 5) No of Issues published Annually 250,000+ 6) Annual Subscription price $34.00 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.

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Boats, Kayaks, Outboards

For more information about these advertisers visit: http://www.texassaltwaterfishingmagazine.com/contact_advertisers_product.html Boats, Kayaks, Outboards Anderson Marine.......................................................... 19 800-416-9003

Bernie’s Boats............................................................14 361-573-7809

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Coastal Bend Marine...................................................74 888-440-0099

El Campo Boating Center............................................ 69 800-843-2201

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Gulf Coast Marine.........................................................6 361-967-7800

Honda Marine.............................................................13 800-426-7701

JH Performance Boats.................................................87 979-233-1852

Kroll’s Marine............................................................. 89 800-882-4461

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Majek Boats................................................................ 9 361-991-3102

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Yeti Coolers............................................................... 85 512-394-9384

Fishing Products (rods, reels, tackle, etc.) American Rodsmiths.....................................................7 713-466-7849

Baird’s Custom Flies................................................... 89 325-365-2088

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D.O.A. Lures.............................................................. 59 877-362-5873

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Rockport Marine.........................................................15 361-729-7820

Ron Hoover RV & Marine Center....................................1 800-545-8818

Shallow Sport Boats....................................................24 956-233-9489

Shoalwater Boats......................................................104 361-983-4134

Skeeter Boats............................................................ 37 800-753-3837

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Texas Marine..............................................................81 409-898-7632

Foreverlast................................................................ 41 361-798-1530

H&H Fishing Rods...................................................... 15 713-875-7827

Laguna Rods............................................................. 35 281-931-1601

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Fishing retail locations

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Bass Pro Outdoor World..............................................49

Safe Floor Company................................................... 73

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David’s Tackle Box.......................................................89 281-342-9669

Fishing Tackle Unlimited....................................Cover, 45 281-481-6838

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Tournaments Big 3 Big Fish Tournament.......................................... 83 888-883-8523

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Texas Parks & Wildlife................................................ 24 361-939-8745

Troutmasters..............................................................47 713-466-7849

Miscellaneous 98.7 Texas Mix...........................................................102 361-573-7223

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Window Works........................................................... 45 361-655-0628

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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October 2007

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