October 2014

Only $3.95 www.tsfmag.com October 2014

TIDE PREDICTIONS & SOLUNAR FEED TIMES INSIDE!

about the Cover Our cover photo this month was made by TSFMag contributor, Scott Sommerlatte, redfish before the storm! The angler is Knox Kronenberg. Keep an eye on the sky; autumn fronts can hit the coast with amazing speed.

Contents

October 2014 VOL 24 NO 6

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 Change is Constant 16 Angler X 22 Surf Fishing How-To Series:...

30 It Just Keeps Blowing 34 On Becoming Well-rounded 38 Tricks for Fishing the Birds 44 Yesterday’s Bays

48 Let’s Ask The Pro Jay Watkins 50 Shallow Water Fishing Scott Null 54 TPWD Field Notes Maria Cooksey 58 Fly Fishing Scott Sommerlatte 60 Kayak Fishing Chronicles Cade Simpson 64 Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

Eric Ozolins 68 TSFMag Conservation News CCA Texas 70 Fishy Facts Stephanie Boyd 72 Inshore | Nearshore | Jetties | Passes Curtiss Cash 100 Science & the Sea UT Marine Science Institute 102 Boat Maintenance Tips Chris Mapp

Mike McBride Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard Joe Doggett

34

WHAT OUR GUIDES

HAVE TO SAy

78 80 82 84 86 88 90

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

88 6 | October 2014

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

68

REGULARS 08 76 92 96 98

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

98

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918 NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION – PRODUCT SALES Linda Curry Cir@tsfmag.com ADDRESS CHANGED? Email Store@tsfmag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Stephanie Boyd Stephanie@tsfmag.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly.

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HOW TO CONTACT TSFMAG: PHONE: 361-785-3420 FAX: 361-785-2844 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, TX 77983 WEB: www.TSFMAG.com PHOTO GALLERY: photos@tsfmag.com PRiNTED iN THE uSA. Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine.

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EDITORIAL It has always been my habit to delay penning this column until just before the final electronic upload of files to the printer. Part of this is my natural tendency to procrastinate; I jokingly tell my staff I’m better under pressure. And while is partly true, if there is any justification in waiting it would be the fact that if I wait to participate in final proofing, all the content is fresh in my mind as I write, and I can also include latebreaking news and events.

So we just finished proofing this issue and an email arrived from CCA regarding the re-opening of Cedar Bayou. See what I mean? The long-awaited reconnection of Mesquite Bay with the Gulf of Mexico has been narrowed down to two days in the middle of next week— God willing and barring dangerous weather. Had I written this earlier I would have missed being able to include this great news. Score one for being a procrastinator!

Seriously though, the years of hard work in project planning and efforts to seek funding by Aransas County Commissioners Court and CCA Texas and many dedicated volunteers will come to fruition as the gulf current sweeps through the freshly dredged channel. CCA Texas has contracted for a 60-passenger vessel that will carry members of their Executive Board and other invitees to the project worksite to witness the great event. I plan to be onboard and I’m certain there

8 | October 2014

IT’S ON NOW! will be much celebration and cheering as the rush of water carries away the final remnants of silt that have been blocking this historic pass for more than a decade.

Another benefit of procrastinating was the arrival of the first serious front of the fall season. I am writing this on Monday morning September 15 and this past Friday evening, Teal Season Eve, (if you will), we were blessed with a real game changer—weather-wise.

Nearly seven inches of rain fell at my place as the season’s first real norther came crashing to the coast.

By the time a long and hot Texas summer yields to October’s lovely changes, anglers and other outdoors-types are usually growing callouses on their prayer knees. Friday night’s front, though, that was a good one, and I believe it will hasten the traditionally drawn-out transition. The daytime highs have not been above 80⁰ for three days.

The weather guessers say more rain is likely this week but do not let that dampen your spirits. As soon as the north wind swings ‘round to the east-southeast and the skies clear, I will lay money we are going to find a very rejuvenated inshore fishery. If fish could talk I’d also lay money that they’re as tired of summer as we are.

As the saying goes… “It’s on now!”

STORY BY MIKE MCBRIDE

It’s hard to believe

fall is already here,

and you can just feel the energy of a new season blowing our way. There cannot be many better ways to help make sense of this old world than to escape into the water with the high hopes of winning, and possibly winning big. There certainly are worse things we could do, and unfortunately I’m being forced to do something else for a while. I’ve suspected this was coming, but denial is wonderful while it lasts.

Personal issues are screaming and I’m being forced to virtually shut down all things fishing for a while. And that means writing as well. I have been saying that sharing stories is impossible for me when I’m not out there making them, and this is not a choice, it’s a mandate. I have been doing this passionately since 1999 and rather than offer what I feel would be mediocre content I’m going to bow out honorably—for a while anyway.

I will leave you with some observations that were gathered during thousands of man-hours, each of them time well spent. What I’m going to give you is not actual science per se, but certain patterns seem to keep emerging, often enough to suggest they may be more than coincidence. Hopefully some of it might make a little sense, if not now perhaps in the future.

Before I start I want to say that I have never believed myself to be a “fishing expert” neither have I ever claimed to be. I also want to say that I do not believe I ever met any who legitimately deserve the title. Actually, claiming to be such would be extreme arrogance, and I’m not even sure the cosmos would allow it.

Having said that; what I have been is extremely fortunate. Not having lasted in the ring as long as some, there are however different levels of “guide service” to be considered. I have been mostly privileged with either excellent fishermen or those starving to be, mainly because that’s the group I asked for.

The observations I will leave you with are not only from me, but a compilation of many discussions with “strong” of fishermen from every walk of life and age group. It’s interesting that despite the diversity, it seems we all mostly agree about who consistently catches fish, who consistently stinks, and what may lie ahead for all of us. I will focus on sport fishing with artificial lures, not “harvesting” with a beer in one hand. (Insert humor.)

One conspicuous constant seems to be that nothing remains constant. Everything on earth is under continual change and goes through natural cycles. Even mountains get reduced to sand, which causes pressure and heat, which in turn builds more mountains. In our case, bottoms change, grasses grow and die, rain falls and I cannot imagine a better way to make sense of this old world than escaping to the water.

TSFMAG.com | 11

then droughts occur. Reefs, bars and guts come and go, so what happened yesterday may or may not happen tomorrow—much less next year. A fishing spot, a pattern, or even a whole bay system that’s been on fire for a decade may be virtually dead the next. We have seen all of these. The smart fisherman stays on top of it and always looks for new opportunities. Guts may change, but ruts don’t unless we dig our way out of them.

Another continuing constant is that despite who we think we are and how well we think we’re doing it, the fish just flat out don’t always eat. Crystal-clear water is an excellent teacher, and even when clearly seeing schools of them, sometimes they will just not respond, I am honored to have wallowed in the trenches all these years with Pam and Everett, helping make this magazine what it is.

full of intoxicating lures, we simply cannot buy skill from a shelf.

There are no magic bullets, so all lure selections need to be practical.

Practical means, “What do I have that’s the right size for the moment, something I can get to the depth it needs to be, and at the right speed?” Presentation is everything so don’t waste time looking for magic, make your own.

Back to skill, we cannot buy it but we can buy good tools. Many a marginal fisherman suddenly becomes much better than he or she thought possible when they can suddenly cast farther, more accurately, with less fatigue, and actually feel the softest of bites. If you’re really serious, stay out of the pawn shops and bargain bins.

Seriously!

Another blatantly obvious conclusion is that the lowly tortoise will usually out-fish a hare’s fluffy tail. In fishing, this means being thorough, not flying all around the bay like Johnny Speed Racer. If you get hit—STOP! Plant your feet or stick the Power Pole and flesh it out. Fish are like roaches, if you see one there’s probably a hundred

I might even write a book… if I ever become an expert.

even with live bait. It’s that old aggressive-neutral-negative behavior theory I like to believe, and when they go truly negative things get tough. We basically have three choices when this happens—go home, wait them out, or figure it out. They can be caught but it takes a strong presentation and even stronger constitution. But hey, that’s fishing, right?

This all goes hand in hand with the little saying I refer to often— Knowing when to be where. Most advanced fishermen will agree that reading the water and chasing the conditions will take us farther than chasing other boats.

Something else consistently apparent is that despite warehouses 12 | October 2014

Quit looking for magic; get out there and make some!

behind the wall. It’s too easy to drift or walk right through fish, so here’s your sign. It says “Stop!”

To exist is one thing— to live is another.

overhead, or underfoot—and also monthly when headed into a big (full) or little (new) moon. The subject is too complex to address fully here but it’s easy to read about and readily verifiable in the field. Just be at your highest percentage place when The Man winks at you.

There will be days when it will be the only strong bite you’ll get.

Another perception is the fallacy or illusion of being in possession of great knowledge. It’s amazing how many folks show up with their “Geek needle” way over in the red. These guys believe everything they read and their speech is replete with buzz phrases, tired old stuff that somehow continues to sell for truth. For as little that some of it is worth, I am convinced that more than a few “sportswriters” either have great imaginations or perhaps play with rubber duckies in the bathtub for inspiration. They may not necessarily be completely wrong all the time but their “facts” are often fuzzy at best.

It also seems constant that those who consistently catch fish share a few consistent traits. As in any task there are basically three types of people. Those who watch things happen, those who wonder what happened, and finally those who make things happen. Those who have chosen to do well usually do so on purpose. They won’t settle for what “should” work; they’ll try until they find something that does.

Confidence and commitment is basically what puts fish on the line.

Yet another glaring conclusion comes from the Man in the Moon.

Who knows why, (and definitely run away from whoever says they do) but it’s definitely one of nature’s cycles. Barring other factors, namely tides and weather, timing the arc of the moon across the sky has proved over and over to be a critical path. There are two basic time frames in the equation—daily with the moon on the horizon,

Quite often we find those that do well do so on purpose!

I’m bowing out but Capt.

Tricia can certainly show you the best the Laguna Madre can offer.

Speaking of which, the “magic 70⁰ water temperature” comes to mind. As does the one about “trout eating croaker because croaker eat trout eggs.” And then there’s the claim that fish “feed all night” under a full moon. Really—ever tried it? You have no doubt heard that “fish will only take a topwater early and late, when it is calm, and don’t even think of tying one on in winter.” Hogwash!

And my all-time favorite—”They’re in a transition period.” Hell, every hour is a transition period. I too was there, once upon a time.

But, when I put it to the test, I don’t know whether I was more disappointed or excited to discover otherwise.

My mission became one of proving theories—right or wrong; searching for the science of it all. A big bonus came with it and is TSFMAG.com | 13

14 | October 2014

Measuring fishing enjoyment aside, my personal future is also changing and a leave of absence is certain. My days on the water and writing for this magazine has been my life for so long that I’m sure the change is going to be a challenge. Who knows, maybe when I grow up I will become a fishing expert, maybe even publish a big book about all this stuff.

To all my great friends and loyal fishing clients, please stay in touch.

If you need a fishing trip or maybe looking to enjoy the Port Mansfield experience at its finest, call Capt. Tricia. She’ll help you figure it all out.

See y’all out there…just less often for a while.

Mike McBride

Contact

called serendipity. I continually found things I was not looking for, probably because what I was looking for was too damn difficult to find. Think of it this way—If we only study what’s been studied; where is progress?

With these constants, some things have indeed changed, and a conspicuous one is the measure of a good fishing trip. The generation before me measured their day by the number of ice chests they filled. Today we measure in how many keepers we pulled up. Some fishermen boast of being in by 9. ”We got it done,” they say. Really?

To that I say, instant gratification just seems out of place in fishing.

It disappoints me that a resource as wonderful as speckled trout are routinely regarded as a commodity, simply to make money from, and many coastal businesses have become so economically dependent on them. I’m certainly not a “greenie type” but I do have a History Channel. So the question that looms is, “Where are we now, where are we going, how are we going to get there?”

Hopefully the answer is not in increased regulation. It’s not only about the angler as many other issues also have a hand on the wheel.

Yes, increasing angling pressure seems a given but, viable passes, rights of water capture, flood diversions, toxic effluents, algal blooms, droughts, loss of marsh habitat, etc., are more things to consider.

Where we DON’T want to go is where others already have. Some fisheries have closed seasons, no live grasshoppers, no barbs, and the list goes on. If we can accept that change is constant, the test will be how we will change with it. Will the 9 o’clock limit and a fish fry for twenty survive as measures of future fishing enjoyment?

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

Skinny Water Adventures Phone Email Web

956-746-6041 McTrout@Granderiver.net Skinnywateradventures.com/ Three_MudSkateers.wmv

STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

In a modern world molded,

fueled and driven by technology, complete with the internet, social media and radio talk shows, some anglers become well-known, acquiring fans and followers. I could easily throw out a list of names almost everyone reading this magazine would recognize. The most studious might even know where the salty stars fish, what kinds of boats they run, what lures they like to throw and the species of fish they prefer to target.

These fishing celebrities act as leaders, spreading their mantras on a daily basis to clients and friends, even to strangers listening to the radio and reading the websites and magazines. For the most part, fishing pros and experts share the same kind of basic personality, displaying the following traits: confidence, independence and faith in their beliefs. Some come across notoriously as “know it alls”. I might be accused of such a thing myself!

But this piece isn’t about me, or any of the high-profile anglers we all know. It’s about another guy, one most of us don’t know, though we realize he’s out there, and we suspect we probably cross paths with him from time to time. I base the description of this mysterious character on one I stole from a cartoon I watched decades ago.

Speed Racer detailed the exploits of a young racecar-driving hero. The title character’s long-lost older brother Rex (Racer X) drove the Number 9 car, and many considered him a superior driver to Speed. Racer X had a falling out with their father Pops Racer over a wreck, and became the black sheep of the family.

Consistently, he preferred to stay away from the inquiring eyes of others, rambling off into the haze or over the hills after screeching in to save his little brother from those who tried to do him harm. At least that’s the way I remember the show. My fictitious Angler X resembles Racer X because he consciously works to avoid the long loops cast by the fishing network. He operates in secret, like a stealth bomber or submarine, unseen on the network’s radar screen.

The hull of his aging boat bears the logo of an established brand. Built to cut through rough waters while leaving the captain dry, the sturdy craft glides slowly over the waves; the man at the helm does not hurry to any particular fishing destination. Old-school by nature, he plods purposefully along, scanning the waters around him with discerning eyes, never looking for anything in particular, but seeing all relevant things.

Angler X reveres solitude; he shuns the adulation of others and abhors the garish glare of bright lights.

With an ample deck, the venerable, yet clean craft provides space for him to lie down and rest for a while without returning to shore.

During pleasant weather, he likes to fish through the night, sliding silently through the shallows for hours, shrouded under a black sky, sprinkled with twinkling stars. The wan moon silvers the surface of the bay when it rises, providing a guiding light. When the bite dies, astute Angler X sometimes snaps a tarp over the bow of his boat and crawls inside to snooze, while waves slapping gently on the bobbing hull play a lullaby.

He knows the bays he frequents as well as he knows the look A picture should reveal more about the fish than about the man, according to our mysterious angler who stays cloaked in a shroud of shadows.

18 | October 2014

on his trusted Lab’s face, but he generally shies away from popular fishing holes frequented by weekenders and guides. Instead, he prefers to stay in off-the-path places, many of which lie far from the dock, but some of which sit close under the noses of a crowd of anglers who have seemingly become obsessed with traveling farther and farther from whatever boat ramp they use, mostly “because they can”, not because they know they will find more and bigger fish at the end of the line.

On some days, Angler X winds up poling his shallow-drafting skiff through long expanses of grassy flats laden with shiny sand potholes, in search of monster trout and redfish. Normally, he waits until he spies the right fish before he makes a cast, but not always.

If conditions don’t favor such a method, he will change his tactics accordingly. He does not force his ways on Mother Nature; he attempts to marry his plans to her fickle moods.

He knows exactly where, when and how to use each of the tools in his arsenal. His modest quiver stays full of the right stuff. Like most old salts, he trusts and uses only a few lures, changing them infrequently. Some of the plugs, he made with his own hands; to all of them, he’s added some kind of personal touch, like dabs of colored dye, upgraded hooks, split rings and deer-hair trailers. He does not try every new thing that comes down the pike, relying instead on the same offerings he’s carried and used for years, which have proven themselves effective time and time again.

Long before the Twin Towers tragically fell, before global warming became big news and sargassum weed spread far from its namesake sea and covered our local beaches, he began perfecting his craft. Over the decades, he’s caught his share of monster trout, plenty of doubledigit trophies, though he doesn’t know the exact number. Normally, he won’t even pause to measure the precise dimensions of the fish he catches, preferring instead to raise them quickly and admire them, then release them without stamping the memory indelibly with numbers. To quantify every catch brings the modern world of man into something ancient and cerebral, and he finds such things

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participate in rituals like these, to ceremoniously address strangers he encounters on his forays; he loathes disingenuous things, done merely for the sake of following a social code and showing loyalty to a group.

Like a thoroughbred wearing blinders, he stays in his own narrow lane.

Our independent fisherman fits into no culture or community, except the untethered one comprised of like-minded anglers who stay away from others, doing their own thing. When asked a question, he offers cryptic, short, straight answers, never elaborating on concepts which might betray any of his secrets. He does not care to educate the masses, though he harbors no ill will toward his fellow man.

If I could, I’d tell you he lives in a cave and wears a cape, but to do so would be fake. He more closely resembles Clark Kent than Super Man; when out of his boat and his element, he adjusts his demeanor as a means of survival, so he can finance the excursions which sustain his alter ego.

He sees himself not as someone who plays a game with the fish, but as one who tries to find the ultimate expert angler within himself.

While taking part in his solitary pursuit, he relishes the escape it provides from everyday life. The adulation of others adds no fuel to his quest for self-actualization; he prefers a higher form of self-evaluation, one with standards he set.

Though his skills place him in an elite class, Angler X finds no need to prove himself in a public arena. Racer X could have won many of the races in which he appeared with his younger brother, but he always deferred and finished second, so Speed could stand on the podium at the center of attention. Rex shirked the glare of the bright lights, lingering on the periphery, content in his own private world. Similarly, Angler X could create plenty of noise in the fishing community, but he prefers obscurity, shadows and silence.

The wan light of the moon silvers the sea, providing a guiding light.

20 | October 2014

KEVIN COCHRAN CONTACT

obtrusive, even obscene.

Angler X can’t be called a Trout Snob, since he celebrates catching spot-tails too, especially when they blow up on floating plugs and throw foam into the sky, reminding him of frothy suds erupting from an uncorked champagne bottle. Naturally, he remains silent, fighting all fish he hooks deliberately and steadily, never rushing things or losing his composure. Like a gun-fighter or maverick from the Old West, he cloaks his emotions beneath a stoic veneer.

No doubt, this old cowboy angler is someone’s brother; in fact, he is a brother to all who love the salt. A celebrity he is not. He’d rather disappear like the bubble trail behind his boat than appear at a fishing show or captain’s meeting. He firmly believes competition and fishing don’t mix. For him, winning in fishing means proving the truth or value of something suspected, always by catching a fish. What he learns, he shares with a select few friends; what he catches, he either releases or discreetly cleans, away from curious, wondering eyes.

Celebrities, he believes, should stay on the red carpets, in places like Tinsel Town and the Big Apple, where they belong. A throwback to the days before GPS, Google Earth and Hashtags, Angler X has no Twitter handle, Facebook profile or 2Cool username. He has never Liked someone’s post or uploaded pictures onto a wall. In fact, he still carries a flip-phone. He could probably send a text to people on his contact list, but the few friends and family members found there mostly wait until they get home and talk to each other directly.

He shares little in common with some of the friendly folks I met in the Great Northwest, in Puget Sound, where residents traditionally practice what they call the “Lopez Wave” to acknowledge everyone they pass on the highway, similar to the way Aggies in College Station shout “Howdy” to their brethren, and the boaters on waterways in the Lone Star State raise their hands from the wheels of their craft to acknowledge others passing by. Old Angler X feels no need to

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

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

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

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STORY BY BILLY SANDIFER

for a nUmber of

months I’ve been attempting to give you

Quite unusual! A huge washout has developed at the 58-Mile beach of the Padre Island National Seashore—the surf is lapping right at the base of the dunes.

a How-To Series, a primer of sorts, on fishing the surf. I have not been able to do a very thorough job of this as there are simply too many ways to fish the surf and way too many tricks to get them all in a short series of articles.

Hopefully though, you’ve at least learned some of the basics. Every time I get on a particular topic and write up one tip, two more pop into my head. So what I’m going to do in this final segment is list a bunch of topics/tips, not all related to each other, but all are related and therefore valuable to surf fishing in one way or another. mono top-shot— Always use a top-shot of monofilament when fishing with braided line. This topshot should be equal to the length of the rod from tip to reel seat and have several revolutions of mono wrapped on the reel itself. If you use a shorter top-shot, or leader if you prefer to call it, the braid chafing at the rod tip will cause it become frayed and weakened while your outfit is sitting in the rod rack traveling the beach. Monofilament through the rod tip will not give you this problem.

Leapfrog— Never stop directly in a group of anglers catching fish. Be courteous and move at least 50 yards up the beach. These fish are moving parallel with the shoreline and by jumping 50 yards ahead you will give your anglers a chance to get their gear ready and get in position. Several groups of anglers can “leapfrog” the same school of fish by doing this and never interfere with each other.

Where are you fishing?— Always keep your line directly out in front of you. That’s the only way for other anglers to know where your line/fish are. If lines are TSFMAG.com | 23

Yours truly with a frisky surf speck on a recent trek down the beach.

allowed to cross one over another they’ll cut each other’s fish off time and again. We successfully fight and land three or more big jack crevalle at once simply by keeping even with our lines.

Littering with fish— Return all fish you aren’t going to eat to the sea. For one thing, it’s against the law to do otherwise, but my main reason is a hardhead fin makes for a very tricky flat tire. It breaks off in the tire but only goes flat when you park directly on it. So you keep having one flat behind another and the repairman can’t find anything until you figure it out and search every inch of that tire. Yes sir; the hardhead fin is a gift that keeps on giving.

Structure— The windswept Texas surf doesn’t support coral as many places do around the world and there are very few “hard” structures such as boat wrecks, so we are without static structure and it is absolutely imperative that the surf fishermen learn to “read” the waves that mark shallow bars, drop offs, channels and pockets if he is ever going to be successful at locating prime fish habitat. Never look directly offshore to read habitat. Instead, look at the rows of waves located at 10 or 2 o’clock to your position. Breaks in the waves mark eddies, calm pools and shallow bars and will become visible 24 | October 2014

patterns which will make the surf totally readable. Target one type of structure for a bit and if it doesn’t pay off turn your attention to different features. On a given day the majority of fish will all be on the same type of structure and sometimes it may be the exact opposite type locations from one day to the next.

Rods at the ready— When traveling the beach always have a set of rod and reels prepped and ready for immediate use. This goes for all sizes of tackle; light, medium and heavy. To not do so could at some point cost you the fish of your dreams.

Don’t overdo it— Resist the urge to pack more tackle than you can use. It usually cripples rather than assists you.

First lure of the day— I have always believed in starting with the lure that worked yesterday. Many times the mood and preference of the fish will have changed but more often I have found it will still be a good producer.

Get the point— Dull hooks probably result in losing more fish after hooking than any other reason. Check and replace hooks regularly. When replacing hooks on lures, match the originals as closely as possible—in terms of weight. Using hooks that are too heavy will likely alter the action of the lure and it may not run correctly. This is especially the case with topwater lures. When you purchase replacement hooks, always insure they are sharp from the box. There are many elaborate and expensive hooks that are surprisingly dull from the factory. I figure if the company can’t sharpen them then I can’t either. If I can bend hooks between my fingers I feel a fish will bend them as well. There’s lots of ways to save a little money and purchasing poor quality hooks is not one of them.

Take it to the sand— Never attempt to unhook a green, flopping fish when wading the surf. You are just as apt to get hooked as it is to get unhooked. Drag the fish up on wet sand and remove the hooks there.

Planning for success— The most successful trip is going to be the one where you are targeting the fish species that are present at the time. You can fish for anything you want but you are going to catch

Reid Yemington landed some great surf specks recently on a PINS trip with Jeff Wolda.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher -Tyrannus forficatusIts name is derived from very long outer tail feathers that provide its distinctive appearance, at rest and even more so in flight. Pearl gray above, whitish below with an orange-buff belly. Salmon pink underwings.

Present in Texas March through November. Prefers ranch land, farm fields and other semi-open areas.

Largely an insectivore; the scissor-tailed flycatcher is quite territorial and at times roosts in large groups.

what is there and biting. Knowing in advance which species are in good supply allows you to insure you have the correct equipment prepped for the trip or that you may need to delay your trip as your target species is not present at the time. Don’t try to do it all at once. Plan trips as carefully as possible to maximize your chances of success.

Timing your trips— Avoid full moons and high-traffic/visitor usage weekends. Heavy traffic and large crowds will usually cause fish to “lockjaw” and full moon makes for poor catching, even with the best of conditions.

Stick to your guns— When you find a lure the fish are taking on a given day, stick with that lure and grind it out. One fish on a particular lure (size, color, etc.) might be a fluke, but two or certainly three, never are. Concentrate your full efforts on that lure.

Know when to leave— If you are fishing light tackle and a shark shows up, load your gear and move, because the fish just did.

The “right” signs— In general, birds feeding in the surf zone are one of the most positive signs anglers can utilize for locating feeding game fish. However, I have never done well when fishing under flocks of cormorants. I have long believed it was the intrusive manner in which these birds feed that scares off medium-sized game fish.

Weed ‘em out— If a moderate amount of fresh sargassum is washing up on the beach it is going to be difficult to fish. If large amounts are present, fishing becomes virtually impossible.

Throw in the towel— …Over a bird’s head-that is. If any bird becomes tangled in your line, get a towel over its head as soon as possible and it will lay still and let you remove the line.

Take care with baited hooks— This happens way too frequently; anglers retiring for the night and leaving rods leaning on vehicles or tents with baited hooks. Coyotes and raccoons are frequent visitors to beach camps, even with campers present through the night. They’ll grab that bait in a heartbeat and what happens next is never good.

Know when not to go— Seas of four feet and greater are too big for quality fishing; periods during six foot seas are unsuitable to driving on the beach.

So there you have it; Surf Fishing 101. The more you read and practice your beach-fishing craft the better you will become at it.

When catching is slow, practice learning to read the surf. The more successful you become the better you will like it. I’ll be seeing you on the sand.

“If we don’t leave any there won’t be any.” –Billy Sandifer

Photos by Jimmy Jackson.

26 | October 2014

Contact

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

Website www.billysandifer.com

STORY BY Martin Strarup

One of the things that i

dislike most about having to work to survive is that

my opportunities to go fishing are limited. Lately it has been blowing every time that I’ve been able to go fishing and blowing much too hard for me to go where I wanted to go.

Seriously, the whole thing has been maddening. We had to be out of town for a few days, no getting out of it, and the wind died down to just a few miles per hour and stayed that way, just enough wind to put a ripple on the surface of the bay for the entire time that we were gone. When we arrived home, the winds came back blowing in the high teens. Not much has changed over the last week or two.

Two weeks ago I was supposed to go fishing with a group of guys and stay at my friend’s house out on Chocolate Bay. There had been zero wind leading up to the weekend that we were going, so my spirits were high. Then I pulled a muscle in my lower back and there was no way that I could go so my son and our friends went ahead without me. All I can say is that I’m not the Jonah in the group as the winds picked up and blew harder than anyone would have liked. They still were able to fish but it wasn’t very productive. Still the food, the drink, the camaraderie and the memories they created more than made up for the poor fishing. I stayed home and my back got better but I sure did miss being out on the water with my son and our friends.

While the limited fishing that I’ve been able to do the past month or so has been great when I could go; the catching has been lacking, at least for me. So rather than beat myself up or tear the boat up by going when it’s rough, I’ve just done things other than fishing.

I took Mike McBride’s advice and changed a few of my favorite topwater baits over to single hooks to give that a try. I couldn’t find any of the Gamakatsu Live Bait with Ring that Mike recommends so I took a look at eBay. I found some VMC In-Line Single Hooks (no extra rings required) and they look like they’ll do the trick—when I finally get to try them.

To remove the treble hooks I used the “World’s Best Split-Ring Pliers” which is what Texas Tackle calls their stainless steel split ring pliers. If you haven’t tried a pair you need to. They work as advertised and are the best that I’ve had the pleasure of using. Your fingers will thank me later.

I’m old school, so the thought of changing something as important as hooks sort of bugs me but, I’m not too old to learn new tricks. Plus the knowledge that I won’t have to grab a thrashing trout with two treble hooks flying around is comforting. For me the jury is out but I’ll give an honest report when I get out onto the water to try out the single hooks.

Other than changing out hooks on lures and checking reels (all okay), line, (it’s new so it’s good to go) and messing with the boat, there isn’t much to do that is fishing related for me right now but I’ve kept pretty busy checking the wind forecasts and working to get things ready for the upcoming bow and rifle deer season.

Speaking of checking the wind forecast, I found a cool smart-phone app called WindAlert that I really like. It shows the wind speed for multiple stations on our coast and elsewhere, and so far it’s been spot-on. The app will let you see the forecasted winds well in advance so you can plan a trip and it always shows the wind speed along the coast in real-time which is very cool. It has live radar and a myriad of other functions and should be on everyone’s smart phone. It offers a lot of handy tools for boaters and anglers and I’m glad that I have it.

TSFMAG.com | 31

Another app that I downloaded recently is the Texas Parks & Wildlife Outdoor Annual. It has all the same information the print version gives you but it’s all right there in your phone and at your fingertips. Fishing regulations, size and bag limits, and also all of the hunting seasons and limits by species and county. If you’re like me there may be some doubt in your mind about a legal size of a certain fish or how many you can keep, especially those fish that you don’t target often. This app will help you with that and more.

So I’m prepared. My tackle is ready, the boat is ready and it has a sparkling new trailer under it, thanks to Coastline Trailers in Seadrift, but the wind isn’t ready.

It’s been a strange year for weather. We had a late winter and instead of the winds lying down after July 4th and having to endure calm, hot days on the bays when, unless you are wading chest-deep there is no relief, the wind just keeps blowing. Usually July and August are my favorite warm weather months for fishing. I can catch them wading or from the boat at the wells in West Matagorda Bay. When at the wells there is always the promise of maybe finding a nice tripletail hanging around the structure in addition to the trout that like to hang out there but, the last time we made a run to the wells it was hard to stay in the boat, much less fish.

I know the winds won’t blow forever and I know that the seas will calm down. I just wish it would hurry up and happen—when I don’t have to work.

Be safe!

CONTACT

MARTIN STRARUP

32 | October 2014

Martin Strarup is a lifelong saltwater enthusiast and outdoorsman.

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

Email

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STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

No, I’m not talking

The beauty of a redfish is that they will attempt to swallow anything that will fit in their mouth.

about those extra pounds around your middle; this is about fishing.

If you happen to pay attention these days to advertising you have probably noticed the way certain outdoors-sport and fishing retailers seek to distinguish themselves within their category. More and more we are hearing, “We’re not like the ‘big-box’ stores,” and, “If you are seeking the best quality tackle and gear, come check out our specialized selections….”

Two entirely different retail strategies—one is the mantra of a large corporation with maybe several hundred stores stocking a broad range of products—and the smaller, privately-owned specialty shop, stocked purposely with goods aimed at a regional market. We see success being earned via both business strategies, neither is more right nor wrong than the other, and having both within easy reach is a big advantage to the consumer.

While driving and listening to the radio the other day I caught a commercial for a local business stressing how they were local folks, with products local folks need, and touting their professional, friendly and knowledgeable staff. I caught the drift immediately. That’s when the thought hit me that we as anglers do something quite similar, distinguishing ourselves as a certain type of angler within the broader category of fishermen. For better or worse we all pretty much place ourselves into one group or another, but should we?

Perhaps the easiest place to notice such distinction is right here in Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, hands-down the most informative publication for saltwater anglers in the state, yet with an unmistakable specialization toward a certain audience. Just thumb the pages, the type (or maybe you prefer to call it a style) of fishing that receives the lion’s share of print is wade-fishing—more specifically, wade-fishing for speckled trout with artificial lures. Now I’m not for one second saying this is good or bad; it just happens to be an observation that proves my point. Most anglers who target speckled trout while wade-fishing with lures would be considered “specialists”—the same as those smaller retail stores who find niches and angles for competing against corporate giants.

On the other side of the argument is a not-so-specialized fisherman, one who is just looking for a bite, anything that will pull hard, and put a smile on their face.

For this type of fisherman there is a broad range of seasonal options that provide great year ‘round opportunity. Anglers who are willing to change tactics and chase different species of fish simply hop from one hot program to the next; it’s all fun to them. In a comparison with retail outlets we could think of them as a Bass Pro or Academy, where something is always in season.

Now before I go any farther I want to make it crystal clear that I respect all classes of anglers and believe that all styles of fishing have their own merits. The excitement level that can be achieved should be left to the individual angler to behold. My goal here is to show that there are many options, and discounting any particular style could cause a person to miss out on an opportunity to enjoy the sport of fishing even more. Over the years I have had plenty of opportunities to convert anglers from one method to another and it almost always ends up being memorable. Opening the door to a different method or style of fishing that allows an angler to enjoy the sport in any fashion is better than an occasional good day pursuing only one. Why limit yourself?

Rather than continue to label or separate fishermen into specific groups, it may be better to try and combine them, to mesh the best of each together to form a well-rounded fisherman who can play to his own strengths, and still be able to take kids, family members or first-timers on a great adventure.

TSFMAG.com | 35

More important than the method is the smile on the angler’s face!

A fisherman who perhaps specializes in a certain technique but is adaptable to changing conditions in order to be successful will always come out ahead in the long run. That’s the type of fisherman that I believe most of us should strive to become. Nobody wants to go out on the water and only do one thing over and over the same way and only catch fish if the conditions favor that technique when they could easily adapt to a more productive method.

I know there is a percentage of fishermen out there who will be stubborn and refuse to change their tactics because they feel it might be beneath them, or in some weird way they are too good to remain in the boat or use live bait from the bank. They may never be willing to 36 | October 2014

embrace this larger picture, but to each his own. I, on the other hand, will never be that proud and have no problem making the switch to a more productive style of fishing. I have absolutely no problem being labeled as a “big-box” angler. But like that certain percentage, I still have that personal favorite method, but Redfish are no tunnel vision—I just like to hearty! Check catch fish! out the size of the wounds Speaking of being wellhealing on rounded in order to catch fish; this one; you’d it is no secret that saltwater never have known from the anglers are considerably less fight it put up. obsessed (specialized) than our freshwater counterparts.

Most saltwater folks have a couple of rods and reels that handle all their needs. One minute you may be throwing a giant topwater and then turn around and throw a light jig head and soft plastic on the same rod and reel. Freshwater folks on the other hand seem to have a rod and reel setup for every situation. They spool several types of line in various pound-strengths, and I won’t even go

durable as the spinning reel counterpart I expect it will be a big winner. And—if you’re looking for a small-frame reel with big features, this one delivers lots of bang for the buck.

The best time of the year is now upon us. By all the signs we are seeing all around the Sabine system the fishing is going to be as good as it can possibly get during the next several months. This is a great time to introduce a youngster or expand the horizons of a novice—don’t be shy in choosing a method or style to match their abilities—there’s going to be a ton action!

Chuck Uzzle

Contact

into the multitude of lure types and colors they may use within any given outing.

Saltwater folks tend not to be wound that tight. Deciding whether to throw dark or light is usually about as “technical” as we get. No over-analyzing needed, just go out and fish. No over-abundance of tackle, just enough to cover the majority of the situations you might encounter. I do not believe I have ever fished with angler who would switch rods because he felt 10-pound fluorocarbon might be a better This reel has made a welcome addition choice than 30-pound braid for probing a to the author’s arsenal; certain piece of structure.

10 bearings, smooth drag That same line of logic works with your system, great casting distance rod and reel set up. I recently added a very and plenty bang for the buck. nice piece of gear to my arsenal and I am very happy with the performance thus far. The new Okuma Citrix 273 baitcaster is capable of handling virtually all your inshore needs. This small-frame 10-bearing workhorse has a 7.3:1 gear ratio and easily handles everything from light jigs and soft plastics to full-sized topwaters. So far I have been quite impressed with casting distance and the smoothness of the drag system. I’ve put my new reel through its paces on oversized redfish and it was more than up to the challenge. The ability to gain that much line on every turn of the handle is a big help when you are attached to a good fish and it turns and comes straight toward you. If this Okuma baitcaster proves half as

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

Phone Email

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

TSFMAG.com | 37

STORY BY JOE RICHARD

mUrky Coastal water looks UnsIghtly,

Seagulls swoop and hover over a school of trout in green water.

It doesn’t hurt to use spin tackle here, because distance counts and a backlashed baitcaster reel can spell disaster.

but it does hide the fish. It also provides ample plankton for baitfish and shrimp, while curtailing constant harvest from above. Scenic green water has eye appeal and sight-casting and the fish can easily see a lure, all good things. But murky water may be the reason the upper Texas coast from Galveston to Sabine Lake now has the healthiest population of trout on the coast, since the bag limit is still 10. The Trinity and Sabine Rivers often deliver big shots of fresh, murky water—but in these times of frequent drought, lower and middle coast anglers may become envious of the upper coast.

It’s just different fishing, in southeast Texas. Here, burning a shoreline with a new, high-tech boat, looking for fish, won’t work.

Wade-fishing is tougher, the bottom often too soft and the gators nosy. A little wind can turn the water into chocolate milk. But the fish are there. Flounder aren’t impacted by clear water gigging.

Redfish on the upper coast are schooling by mid-August on the surface in 8-10 feet of water, blasting baitfish through November.

The trick to finding these upper coast trout and reds during autumn is watching for birds that have sharp eyes and the advantage of height. In our youth we used to chase the birds on Sabine Lake day after day with a bassboat and late each night, eyes shut tight, you still saw black silhouettes of hovering, dipping seagulls. Back then it was all trout from two to four pounds, I never witnessed a school of reds on top. Today, redfish make up half the surface action on Sabine, and they’re tackle busters. Years ago we fished with tandem rigs and often caught two trout on a cast. That would be foolish today, when two reds will destroy almost any tandem rig. (Been there, done that).

How to fish these birds? There are things to watch for, and proper etiquette after finding a school of fish. One potlicker can put a school down, drawing the ire of nearby boaters.

A couple of my high school buddies from Port Arthur have been working the birds since 1970, and I often return to fish with them.

“These electric motors really help us keep up with a traveling school of fish,” says Mike Cichowski. He unhooked another small “rat” redfish and tossed it overboard, as we drifted along. “They also don’t seem to spook the fish. Some people don’t understand that you need an outboard to get within range of a school in the first place. We’ve seen boats stop more than 200 yards from a school, deploy their electric motor, but never manage to catch up because they’re on the back side of the school. If the fish are moving along at a decent pace, an electric motor won’t keep up, especially with a brisk wind blowing or a little tidal current. These troll motors are really helpful on trout schools, because they spook much easier than redfish.”

He went on to land several slot-sized reds in the next hour, some with beautiful dark copper color, different from most reds on the middle or lower coast. The opposite of stopping too far from a school would be running right on top of the fish, a common thing TSFMAG.com | 39

Tagged, 31-inch redfish invited to a dinner party that night.

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years ago, but on this day we see six boats on the horizon, and every one has an electric motor. You can’t really see the fish, but have to develop a sense of where the fish are going, often marked by the swoop of a bird, a jumping shrimp, or maybe a single swirl.

“One problem with electrics and redfish is the speed of these fish,” says his fishing partner, Bud Reynolds. “A redfish school can really travel and you have to literally chase them down with the big motor.

It’s pretty delicate to position yourself in front of a traveling school and keep from running right through the fish. Boat and fish converge too quickly, often without you being able to see the fish. Most boat operators haven’t mastered that yet and end up sending the fish down. On the other hand, an inexperienced fishermen may get a little overzealous and insist on racing up to the schools.

“Troll motors are a good tool, but I think courtesy helps more than anything,” says Reynolds. “If a boat is already on a school, the next boat to come up should wait his turn and fish behind boat number one. If that isn’t acceptable, it’s okay to motor several hundred yards in front of the school, shut down and wait for them to come to you. Boats shouldn’t be within casting range of each other.”

Both guys now carry some very nice binoculars.

“Binocs are a must and the higher quality, the better,” says Reynolds.

“Sometimes there may be one bird over a whole school of fish. I’ve also seen fish schools without birds, just whitewater and wakes cruising the surface. You have to use binocs; each day we usually drive the boat

Mike Cichowski with a keeper redfish caught under the birds.

a couple of miles, then stop and look. It’s amazing how many times you see birds or surface action through the glasses, where nothing was visible to the naked eye. If you don’t have binocs, you’d better have an 18-year old with you who still has real good eyes.”

That little GPS dome on their boat’s dash helped us start out in the right spot each day. An X marked the spot on the plotter from the previous day, and we often returned there for another drift when action slowed with the birds. In murky water we bounced scented worm jigs on bottom, picking up occasional fish until another flock of birds were sighted. The sun grew hot and the morning boats were gone, so we stayed near the X and waited. The morning’s scattered ladyfish and small trout now turned into sizeable fish, perhaps because of an increasing, outgoing tide. These bigger fish were in the same spot as the previous day in nine feet of water, scattered over several hundred yards. The presence of three or four hovering royal terns (normally not the best bird species to depend on, because of their plunging dive into tiny baitfish) was enough in this area to further our catch of keeper fish.

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Baitfish Basics Both Cichowski and Reynolds agree that jumping young ribbonfish are a very good sign. “These young ribbons are at least a foot long, and that means bigger redfish and trout close behind them. Tiny glass minnows are also good, however. When predators are feeding on them, the showering bait can be seen from a distance. The only drawback is that glass minnows are favored by ladyfish. That isn’t always bad; fishing around feeding ladyfish will almost always lead you to a pocket or school of reds or trout. A bait fished deep or drifted behind the boat under feeding ‘ladies’ will usually hook a redfish.

Action is a little slower, but at the end of the day this technique can net you a limit of nice reds,” says Mike.

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THE EVOLUTION OF FISHING For more information visit us at:

www.castawayrods.com TSFMAG.com | 41

“The favorite bait of schooling redfish, in schools of a hundred or more fish, has to be menhaden, which we call pogie or shad,” says Reynolds. “When the big reds get together, they blow the pogies 3 to 4 feet out of the water. It’s an awesome sight to see baitfish flying above whitewater. It’s worth going out three or four afternoons in a row and getting skunked, just to find that one school of redfish behaving like that.

“Redfish usually start schooling in mid- to late-August,” added Reynolds. “Earlier in the summer there may be a couple of reds mixed in with the trout schools, but usually you can’t find just a school of redfish until August. The reds will stay together in schools until a big weather change from either tropical rains or later, a big norther (usually around Thanksgiving). As the season goes on, the groups of redfish get smaller. In November a flock of seagulls may be over just three or four redfish. In January you may see a couple of seagulls over a single fish.”

42 | October 2014

Bird is the Word Reynolds has a few observations on bird behavior around schooling fish.

“Both the royal tern and smaller terns indicate bait on the surface,” he says. “I’ve found that if birds are staying in one spot, game fish are pushing bait to the surface. If the terns are travelling, it only indicates the general presence of baitfish. The best bird sign for redfish is a couple of seagulls hovering over a spot. The gulls will be at least 10 to 20 feet above the water and occasionally will dive down. There may be only one gull. Over trout, the gulls will be working close to the water with their feet constantly clutching for shrimp. I’ve even found trout under nothing but a few small “liar birds” [which are tiny terns that dive, but constantly disappoint anglers). The way we find good fish is to look for hovering terns, rather than those constantly ‘dipping’ the water at random.”

Pretty fine action, for the murkiest section of the entire Texas coast.

CONTACT

A Sabine Lake redfish caught with a New Penny Gulp scented lure, bounced on bottom in 10 feet of water.

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

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

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STORY BY JOE DOGGETT

At least a dozen of my fishing friends

are convinced that I am stuck in a time warp. Maybe they’re right. This is because I prefer using 60-year-old casting reels over the latest high-tech models.

At least, this is my stance when conditions allow—wading at a slow pace and working a lure in shallow water. Under the right circumstances, the classic reels remain legitimate.

No, better than legitimate. They are exceptional. This is assuming you take the time and effort to understand what’s going on. It’s a basic game but, done properly, works with style and efficiency.

The old direct-drive reels are simple machines that deliver main-line contact—no anti-reverse, no freespool, no antibacklash magnets, no internal drag. Somehow, this lack of support systems is appealing.

The casting reels originated from the “Kentucky reels” of the 19th Century (incidentally, plug casting is the only truly American type of tackle, as both fly and spin originated in Europe). The evolution peaked during the post World War II period of the late ‘40s and ‘50s.

Many excellent reels were manufactured by the leading tackle companies during this golden era. All offered high-end standard frame models as well as trimmer, lighter narrow-frame models.

Tier One examples were the Shakespeare President, Heddon Pal, Pflueger Supreme, South Bend Oreno, and Langley Lurecast.

The old reels were intended for use with limp braided lines (silk, nylon, Dacron). Tricky post-war monofilament was a poor choice because of the springy “memory” of the coils on the spool.

The entire industry changed with the introduction of the Swedish Ambassadeur 5000 during the mid ‘50s. Never, before or since, has a single product had such an impact on the tackle industry. The so-called “Red Reel” mated smoothly with mutinous mono and was the blueprint for the modern freespool casting reel. Within a few years the proud old direct-drive reels were doomed to dusty closets.

But that did not mean they were junk. They were excellent products, simply outdated. New equipment was on the shelves and the angling industry never looked back.

But I enjoy looking back. I recall those gleaming reels on the top tackle shelves when I was a young boy. They represented the highest level of skill, a dramatic contrast to the clunky pushbutton spincast rigs and awkward open-faced spinning reels.

I never lost that memory. So, during the past 12 or 15 years, the old American classics have been my go-to choice when wade fishing. I guess you could say I’m “watering my roots.”

First, the old high-grade reels are pleasing to the eye. They have a clean and functional look, an understated elegance.

The benchmark was the Shakespeare President No. 1970.

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bUyIng/ColleCtIng old reels The most difficult thing about using a classic casting reel is finding a good one in clean condition. Production of most models ended during the mid ‘60s.

Garage sales are hit-or-miss for quality reels. Best bets are antique tackle shows and swaps, or bidding sites on the internet (eBay, for example). The best choices are the top-end models and the narrow-framed models; avoid low-end models. Then, as now, the cheaper stuff seldom is a bargain for serious fishing.

A reel intended for fishing (rather than collecting) does not have to be in mint condition. A few cosmetic flaws are fine, assuming the reel is mechanically sound and the spool and handle spin smoothly. As a plus, the “used” appearance helps lower the price (good top-end reels should be available between $50 and $100, surprisingly cheap).

Two major things: Confirm that the levelwind does not stick or catch, and make certain the metal handle and plastic knobs are in good condition. A badly corroded handle or a frozen knob should be a deal-killer. Remember, a replacement might be very difficult to find.

Also, excessive play in the handle on the shaft indicates considerable wear; the reel might function adequately but the price should reflect the flaw.

One more shopping tip: A reel that seems smooth but stiff might just need a good cleaning. Old dried grease can clog the gears of a perfectly fine machine.

Classic “salt and pepper” nylon or Dacron line in the 10- to 15-pound test range is available through some tackle catalogues and major retail outlets. Or, you can use a limp superbraid of comparable diameter.

—JOE DOOGETT

46 | October 2014

(Incidentally, the four-digit model number had nothing to do with the date of manufacture—a bit confusing.)

The full-sized President featured stainless sideplates fitted with trim plastic spacers and a functional handle with marbled opaque plastic grips. Gears were either brass or nylon and the bushings were Carboloy (the lightweight aluminum No. 1970A was finished in green). To reduce spool weight, a plastic snap-on arbor was available.

The President was rugged and powerful but smooth under thumb.

It weighed approximately 9 ounces, a bit heavy, and held 100 yards of 15-pound line. During the late ‘50s the President retailed for $35.00—a significant chunk of change (the whiz-bang Ambassadeur 5000 debuted at $45.00 and coastal dealers had trouble keeping them in stock).

0885 (if I did not already provide one): Here’s a close-up of the President on the water. In its day it was Cadillac of a reel.

A lesser known classic was the Shakespeare Standard Sportcast No. 1977, a narrow-framed little shooter with stainless sideplates and jeweled end caps. It offered a softly rounded metal “palming” rim on the left plate. The Sportcast No. 1977 was fitted with a cork or plastic spool arbor and could hold 50 yards of 15-pound braid. The reel weighed a mere 7 1/2 ounces and retailed during the ‘50s for $11.00.

The Sportcast was a beautiful little reel and the choice of many proclass pluggers along the Texas coast.

The Sportcast No. 1973 was the anodized aluminum version; it was finished in dark green and boasted nylon gears. Remarkably, the 1973 scaled a scant 5 1/2 ounces.

Remember, this was a reel in its heyday during the Eisenhower administration. Think about that as the tackle industry continues to obsess over lightness. The little aluminum/nylon Shakespeare was light because there wasn’t much to it—but what was there worked very well.

According to the Shakespeare brochure, the fast 1973 was, “The favorite of tournament casters and fishermen who know the joy of bait casting with light sporty tackle.”

My second reason for favoring the old reels is, indeed, the “joy of bait casting.”

The old salts made plugging an art. They realized that the elements of high performance were light (small diameter) line, a fast reel with a

lightweight spool, and a light-action rod.

The great Texas outdoor writer Hart Stilwell wrote in 1946 (Hunting and Fishing in Texas): “We use tackle especially suited for this (bay) fishing. The rod is from six feet four inches to seven feet, and it is considerably lighter and more flexible than most bass rods. The rod is built with a butt from ten to thirteen inches long, and this makes it possible to use both hands in the cast.

“The reel we use is the little midget Shakespeare Sportcast, and we use a ten-pound test nylon line. With this tackle you can almost throw a No. 5 (Tony Accetta) spoon away, and this is one kind of fishing in which distance frequently pays off.”

Does Stilwell’s long-ago observation sound familiar? Well, it should. The pro-class formula for covering today’s tides is almost identical. Do not be deluded into thinking that those old salts did not play a fast-lane game.

But can the old reels cast as well as current models? Well, no.

Too many things are moving—not the least of which is the spinning handle during the cast. But a tuned reel can “chunk” a 1/4- to 1/2-ounce payload plenty far enough. You’re not giving up a whole lot.

You need to adjust your timing. The dynamics are subtly different.

An old reel starts slower because the handle must start turning as the spool starts revolving. Opening the casting arc a bit usually helps by allowing the flexible rod tip to load sooner. Once you get the timing, it becomes second nature.

Incidentally, I prefer using light-action graphite rods with the old reels. I’m not totally retro, mainly because the period bamboo and fiberglass rods are heavy and sluggish compared to graphite. I want to bring out the best in the old reels and the modern sticks help achieve this goal.

An important part of smooth casting is to cant the wrist to the left (right-handed caster) so that the spinning handle is angled up. This tweak has something to do with centrifugal force; the weight of the handle helps prevent the spool from overrunning.

Are the old reels as smooth as the new ones? Well, no.

Again, too much friction. But a drop or two of oil on the levelwind and the end caps and the handle shaft every few hours keeps things humming.

But a big drawback of the typical old reel is a pitiful retrieve ratio. Most are in the neighborhood of 3-to-1, compared to the current 6-to-1 and 7-to-1 rippers.

For this reason, an old reel is a poor choice during a windblown drift. You crank at a furious pace just to maintain contact.

But, when wading, you can make it work. In fact, the slow ratio can be an asset when using a twitch-type plug. But, no question, a modern reel is far more efficient in covering water.

Is the drag as good? Well, no – mainly because there is no drag.

And that’s great—the king thrill of using the old stuff. You have no idea how much a mechanical star drag drains the life from a trout or redfish. Conversely, using only your thumb on the spool allows even average fish to take line. Zee, zee, zee… there it goes!

Redfish were made for this game. A decent “slot fish” demands lingering minutes of give and take. You play the fish in a wide circle, thumbing the determined runs until the beaten fish glides close.

Of course, if you’re trying to make every second count, the lack of drag may not be such a good thing; but if you want to savor each hookup, the direct contact acts as a supercharger.

The Fun Meter jumps several notches each time the little handle spins and stutters against a pulling fish and a feathering thumb.

As an overlooked advantage of the old school, you can reduce tension almost instantly—something a sticky star drag cannot always accomplish. No mechanical brake is as reliable as your own thumb when it comes to quick or subtle adjustments on the spool. This is something to think about, especially on a short line when a big trout is boiling and bucking and hanging by a thread.

Bottom line: You’re not giving up anything under a bent rod. Sow trout and slot reds are easy—and exciting—to play with an old reel.

This is assuming you don’t ham-hand the deal and trigger a ruinous backlash under a careless thumb.

A return to yesterday’s bays may not be for everyone, but the soft whir of an old President or Sportcast laying a smooth cast across the open water is a pleasing echo of times and tides of long ago. If this has any appeal, the answer is right under your thumb.

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Never be afraid to throw your favorite Corky in the shallow stuff.

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

Time to reload!

Catching some nice redfish on a recent trip along a line of potholes I made the comment that we might want to back out and let the area reload for a few hours. The idea of “letting the area reload” was brand-new to my group and it goes hand-in-hand with me saying for years that during a day of fishing with me one might hear a few things about fishing they’ve never heard before. I would like to follow that up by also saying that not even I believe my way is the only way but, it has certainly worked out well for me for many years.

My belief in the “reloading” concept began many years ago when fishing was almost always a lot of catching. Even in those good ol’ days I would find that sweet spots along shorelines and around reefs would eventually show signs of depletion if I continued to make them my go-to areas.

I remember a conversation years ago with a fellow guide that waded with croakers, telling me he did not know what happened to all the fish he’d been catching in a certain area. He went on to say that he’d experienced almost two weeks of limits, however, in the past several days the bite had slowed and the numbers were way down.

48 | October 2014

I asked how many he thought he had taken there and he said about 30 to 40 a day. Let’s say 30 fish, times 10 days, for a realistic count. That’s like 300 right? He had a puzzled look on his face like—So what?

No matter how good an area is, the population it will support is limited, so we need to let our areas rest or, as I call it—reload. I have no hard science but my 35-plus years of guiding the Rockport area certainly show the benefit of managing the number of fish we catch out of each area we use.

Even when practicing catch and release, I believe that fish sense the pressure and change their habits. I have members of my fishing club asking why I went to Copano on Tuesday when on Monday we had solid fish on the Runway in Mesquite. Truth is, I wanted to see if like areas with very similar layouts were also holding fish. And—I was allowing the Runway area some time to reload.

If I can locate four or five areas holding fish, I can then manage my days and the numbers of fish holding in those areas, never hitting any one of them too hard. My boys and I have always practiced under this pretense when

scouting for tournaments and even during tournament hours. Recently in a Rudy’s Redfish tournament, Ryan and I pulled back from an area that had given us eight or ten 6-plus pounders, to allow it to reload for a few hours. Our first two fish out of those potholes had been 7- to 7 ¾ pounders, so we knew bigger fish were present.

After the reload we found more had moved back into the area and many were slightly over the 28-inch mark, which told us that a few just-under-28s were likely available as well. It ultimately didn’t pay off as hoped but it certainly could have, and I positively believe that had we stayed and pounded the area we would have pushed all the fish out for the entire day.

Reloading is a common practice in the bass community as they know that certain areas have all the right ingredients to continually attract fish. Problem is; catching fish educates them and puts their senses in high-gear, which can equate to shutting down the bite. A bass is a fish right? Just a freshwater environment verses saltwater. So are saltwater fish not capable of the same?

I think fish are more aware today than ever before of our presence.

We educate them every day just by returning. I find myself fishing the fringes of smaller areas more often lately than ever before. Today, for instance, we stood in a small area of mud and submerged grass along a windward shore, fishing for 3 ½ hours. Caught 10 slot fish in that time frame, lost a few, and had some undersized fish. I made certain that my guys were aware of the down-periods as the fish reloaded. We would catch a few and then it would go dead for maybe 30 minutes.

Then a flurry where numerous fish were caught or bites received before the next lull. The nature of the area along the shoreline allowed for continual reloading IF we as the anglers were able to stand far enough away from the “hot” zone and allow the reloading process to repeat

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Brandon Wimberly with very heavy 25 1/4 inch fish while grinding small fringes of structure.

itself. I had it happen with Jay Ray in Port Mansfield last winter in a very similar area. IF you stood there and let the grass beds at a good cast’s distance reload, a 6- to 8 pound trout was your reward. Over a four hour period we caught fourteen trout, the smallest just over 6-pounds!

With “tougher than tough” fishing this summer it has been imperative that you manage your water and try to manage the fish residing within.

I have some loyal followers who despite the conditions have managed some exceptional days with these tools. I also have those that stroll through fish thinking two or three casts at a pothole or grass bed should be plenty. I am a big believer in covering water the right way, not simply covering a bunch a water. So when I take the few track stars I still have in my lineup I try to take them to areas where they can find fish the way they like to do it. That’s my job.

Time was, when I got out of the boat I just took off; you followed or got left behind. I am still the bird dog because when leading I can control speed of the wade, angle of the cast and positioning in relation to structure. But—I want you right in my hip pocket so we are all working similar water. It is a well-known fact that if you see my boat—four guys lined up and standing still two or three hours—fish are being caught. By lining up and holding position we are allowing the structure in front of us to continually reload. Most days it happens with most anglers not even realizing. It took years of me walking through them and then finding the bite again on the way to the boat to realize what was happening. Nowadays I have a tremendous amount of confidence in the slowing-down process as well as the patience to let the pattern develop.

We see these mistakes not only by waders but also with drifters.

Areas with high probability, potholes, grass beds, points and drains, deserve more than a few casts and to do this thoroughly, you have to stop walking or stick the Power Pole. And don’t give up when the bite slows after a few fish. The piece of structure that attracted those few will attract more but you have to let it happen.

Tournaments are a great example. We do not want to spend our time running and gunning, so we work much more slowly in high probability areas. This has allowed me to witness the reloading process many times. Power drifting—drifting until fish are located— is a good tool for locating but, once located and the area marked, you need to employ a slower more deliberate approach. Tournament play made me a better angler in my guiding business. I will say though, staying in the boat (when I’d rather be knee-deep) and working slowly across a flat takes extreme patience and confidence.

I have owned this confidence for many years but just over the past five have I gained the patience to pull it off. So try letting your favorite areas reload the next time you’re out and start developing the confidence and patience you’ll need to repeat the pattern time and time again. Winter is coming and I can’t wait.

May your fishing always be catching. -Guide Jay Watkins

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

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

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

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

Hallelujah—Fall is here!

With the start of football and hunting seasons the bays will be less crowded and the fish will be going nuts fattening up for winter. Hands down, it’s my favorite time of year. The grueling heat of summer is gone and a light jacket feels good on the predawn run. When questioned about the best time of year to fish the marsh my response is, “If I only had 30 days to fish out of the entire year I would choose the middle of October to the middle of November.”

Due to printing schedules and deadlines I’m writing this the first of September. While I suppose that is

50 | October 2014

technically fall, it doesn’t really feel like it right now. I just came in from doing some tractor work prepping some food plots for deer and I don’t think it could get any hotter. But the clock is ticking on this heat and soon that first cool breeze will slide in from the north.

The good news is that Mother Nature’s clock spins no matter the weather. The reds have already started sporadically podding up in the marsh over the last few weeks and it will only get more consistent in the coming weeks. With all the recent extra high tides the majority of shrimp are still way back in the marsh grass and not yet

shrimp throughout the marshes, but there are certain areas that hold an abundance and that changes from year to year. These little ponds and ditches empty into the larger marsh lakes and once the shrimp start their migration the larger lakes adjacent to these areas will hold the most consistent schools.

The only hitch in the plan is the long-range forecast for a later than normal tropical season. I don’t trust those weather guessers, but if they’re right we might have to deal with some higher than normal tides on into the early part of the fall. Should that be the case the shrimp will stay put and the reds will push into the flooded grass to find them. Targeting these fish is a blast, it just isn’t very easy.

A few years back there was a late season tropical storm moving across the Gulf headed towards the lower coast. Our tides on the upper coast pushed a couple feet higher than normal flooding the marsh

fully mature. Occasionally on a falling tide a few have been slipping out to the edges and getting pounded by small schools of reds. I’ve even been finding a few trout way back in areas they don’t usually venture.

The other day I went on one of my marsh hikes to check things out in areas inaccessible by boat. I do this from time to time to try and figure out where the biggest population of juvenile shrimp are hiding.

These little ditches and ponds are where they grow up. The reds know this too and there are always a surprising number of fish in places you wouldn’t think they’d go. I carry the fly rod with me of course, but catching isn’t my main focus.

I want to know which areas to concentrate on as these higher tides start slipping lower. Sure there are

almost to the tops of the cord grass. Based on my hiking missions I knew where there was a mess of shrimp. The high water allowed me to pole the skiff over what would normally be dry ground. It wasn’t hard to locate the reds, just listen and follow the crashing noises. Retrieving a fly or lure through the thick grass was tough and getting their attention was even harder. I eventually gave up trying to finesse them and got aggressive. The fish were so preoccupied with digging in the grass you could get right on top of them. I picked out the biggest nastiest fly in the box and just started splatting it on their heads. The reaction strikes were incredible. It was so much fun; I stayed out there until the last bit of daylight spending the last hour walking around with a camera.

When I got home I was grinning that silly satisfied grin from a great day on the water. Camille knows TSFMAG.com | 51

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that look and still asked how the fishing was. A good wife will do that even though she knows she’s going to have to listen to an hour of play-by-play.

“It was awesome!”

“How many did you catch?”

“None.”

That one got a puzzled look. I had figured out how to get them to eat a fly, however I hadn’t figured out how to land one. These were big heavy reds, a few oversized, and they were really fired up.

Every fish I hooked would barrel off through the thick grass and eventually wear through the leader.

It cost me a lot of flies, but I’d do it again tomorrow.

If we don’t get any tropical trouble and nature follows a normal course, the tides will drop out as the fronts blow through and the shrimp will exit the pothole lakes. At first they’ll hug the shorelines of the bigger lakes and the reds will be poking into the grass to shake them loose. It’s fun visual action that can get the blood pumping and cause some wild casts. Take your time, settle down and make a good shot. Tossing into shoreline grass and hanging up is a sure way to blow the opportunity.

At some point a real front will come through and pull the shrimp off the shorelines as the tide blows out. The reds will respond by schooling up and plowing across the shallow lakes to root them out of the mud. These schools can number into the hundreds. It’s a sight to see, that many reds rumbling across a mud flat. If you’re careful you can work the edges and pick off several before spooking the whole crew. You want to try to hit the sides. Picture it as a sloping mound of fish. The ones you’re seeing up top are at the top of the hill, but there are usually others hugging bottom in front and along the sides. A cast behind the reds will often pick up a schoolie trout. If the water is clear enough you can sometimes see a horseshoe shape following the reds. That’ll be those dink trout picking off the leftovers.

The tendency for newbies is to take a shot right into the middle of the melee. You’ll certainly get bit, but the entire school will blow out and likely disappear. When that happens you can sometimes stay put and they’ll bunch back together nearby, but don’t count on it. It never ceases to amaze me how that many reds can vanish in that shallow of water.

So sharpen your hooks, tie your flies and clean up the gear—It’s coming and it’s gonna be good.

52 | October 2014

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

Telephone Email Website

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

WWW.SALTLIFE.COM

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Sargassum washed up on South Padre Island Beach.

Photo by Liana Lerma.

By Maria Cooksey | Summer Intern Lower Laguna Madre Ecosystem

FIELD NOTES

Sun, Sand, and Seaweed:

Sargassum on Texas Beaches

If you have taken a trip to any of Texas’ beautiful beaches this summer, you may have been met with a pungent smell and the sight of what you may deem “dirty” beaches. Sargassum algae, a type of seaweed, has arrived in full force this year along the Texas coast and onto our beaches!

Sargassum may seem like a nuisance, but its presence on our sandy shores is actually beneficial as it protects the beach from erosion and helps provide habitat for marine life both in the water and on land. Sargassum, also known as gulfweed, originates in the Sargasso Maria Sea, where it floats in giant Cooksey rafts. Its buoyancy comes from the numerous gasfilled bladders that are found throughout the weed.

Currents carry the floating weed from the Sargasso Sea down into the Caribbean 54 | October 2014

where some of the rafts of sargassum drift around the Yucatan Peninsula and finally make their way onto our Texas shores (Figure 1).

Along the way, the sargassum acts as a habitat for many different species of fish, crabs, shrimp and other small organisms. Juvenile fish seek out the weed as an oasis to protect them from the predators of the deep blue seas. Large pelagic fish, in turn, are attracted to the mats of algae for the floating buffet. Savvy anglers visit these floating fish magnets for the bounty they hold. New research indicates that these rafts of sargassum are also an important habitat for juvenile sea turtles. The brown sargassum mats soak up the sun and are generally a couple of degrees warmer than the surrounding ocean, making the rafts cozy for the ectothermic (cold blooded) reptiles.

Sargassum’s accolades do not end in the sea; as the sargassum washes ashore the mats of seaweed help trap sand that would otherwise erode due to wind and wave action. Over time, the seaweed and sand layers

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builds dunes. Additionally, as the sargassum decomposes it breaks down into vital nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, which

Sargassum being raked up in the early morning hours along South Padre Island Beach.

Photo by Liana Lerma.

56 | October 2014

promotes the growth of dune plants which further, promotes dune building. The resulting sand dunes are vital for the protection of

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

beachfront property, and the beach sand, when tropical storms and hurricanes hit.

It is understandable though, how the smell of rotting seaweed might mar some beach goers’ opinion of this environmental and economic boon that washes up on the seashore. Their opinion of sargassum may be further reduced because as it floats with ocean currents, its matted rafts entangle marine trash which washes ashore with the seaweed.

This trash is not only an eyesore, but poses a danger to sea birds and barefoot beachgoers.

To address the love-hate relationship, some municipalities rake-up and remove the sargassum and trash on a routine basis. However, beach raking is not only an expensive endeavor, but it can also be harmful to beach organisms and to nesting sea turtles. Moreover, sargassum removal increases the amount of sand erosion that occurs, which leads to more frequent beach fill projects, which are damaging to the environment and costly. Instead, some beach managers on the Texas coast choose to limit beach raking activities to the shoreline when unusually large amounts of seaweed has washed ashore. In place of raking the beach every day, maintenance workers are able to devote their time and energy to cleaning litter, which protects both the beachgoers and foraging sea birds.

If you are still not enamored with the idea of sharing the beach with seaweed, there are online tools that you can use to make sure that your beach vacation is a pleasant one. There are beach web cams for Stewart Beach on Galveston Island, Crystal Beach, Surfside Beach, Port Aransas and multiple beaches on Padre Island that show the state of the seashore and allow you to pick one that has the best conditions for your adventure. For future sargassum forecasts, Texas A&M University at Galveston has developed a Sargassum Early Advisory System (SEAS) using satellite imagery that predicts when large masses of the seaweed will hit the Texas coast. You may view their predictions at http://www.tamug.edu/seas/.

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

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

F LY F I S H I N G

A Guide’s Life:

Fly Fishing & Friendship I have said it a thousand times, so I guess this will be number 1001—the Good Lord has blessed me with the best friends anyone could ever ask for. Some are friends from my youth but many are people I have met through More than a decade ago my career. While looking in Belize— through my images, trying to lot less gray come up with a story topic, in the beard.

I kept running through a folder on my desktop that was labeled davidjsams.com, and thought to myself… why not share some of the exploits of me with my dear friend, David J. Sams.

Not only is David one of the first friends I made within the outdoor industry, he has also been a mentor, one of my biggest supporters, and has become one of my dearest friends. For those not familiar, David is one of the finest photographers in 58 | October 2014

the country and the founder of Lone Star Outdoor News, a unique publication dedicated to sharing hunting and fishing news. Incidentally, LSON just celebrated its 10year anniversary last month.

Congratulations to the staff of a great publication.

Anyway, the first time David and I shared a skiff was back in ’98. He joined me for a little fishing and a whole lot of picture taking. One of the things I remember most was him talking me into walking across a knee-deep mud flat so that he could make a couple of photos. I was much younger then and it really was not that big of a deal however, when I open his book Engulfed and see that picture I think of my first heart attack—the one that would happen if I tried that again.

There were of course more

Mind you, at the time of the tournament the fishing just outright sucked. I had been struggling to get my sports on fish for a week and was nervous. Well we got out there and David stuck the first fish that we came up on and things started looking up. The fact is, whenever David I get together, magic always seems to happen.

It took a little while but we eventually got Mimi her first-ever redfish on fly and then got David another.

Unfortunately the fish were not very cooperative that day Old friends sharing so we finished with only three. the experience.

Fortunately it was enough to take home the trophy. Actually I am very excited to have my name on the wall of the very historic Port Bay Club. If you are familiar with it, you will understand why however, I remember telling David and Mimi right after we boated Mimi’s red, “It doesn’t matter who gets the trophy, we won right here, right now.” Nothing is better than guiding an angler to their first (saltwater) fish on fly.

Fast-forward a couple years to Mimi’s second redfish on fly. Last year David took Mimi to Africa on safari so we did not have the chance to defend our title. We agreed we would not miss the next. Well… we missed it because we were all tied up when it came time for the third-annual Port Bay Club fly tournament so… we agreed to get together the first chance we had which, incidentally was two weekends later. Actually, I was very pleased because the tides were going to be perfect for some “big fish” and I could not wait to see the look on Mimi’s face when she got a really big fish on fly. Well folks, a picture is worth a thousand words.

And, I could not be more proud and excited to be a part of it.

I guess the point of all of the above is to say that fly fishing is the greatest of all pastimes and it not only leads to the greatest of adventures, but also the greatest of friendships. I have met very few people who share the passion for fly-fishing that I have not liked. And, of all of those people, many have become friends. I hope the love of the sport does the same for you all.

Be good...and stuff like that.

Mimi’s first redfish on fly.

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adventures between ’98 and ’03 but that is where I will pick up.

In August of 2002 I picked up the critter lying next to me on the floor while I am writing. His name is Classic Tequila Sunrise (aka-Sonny) and David could not wait to get him in a duck blind to take some pictures. So in January of ’03 Sonny and I loaded up and headed for the Crosstimbers Hunting Club in Comanche County. Sonny was only 6 months old and this was going to be his first duck hunt.

The hunt was epic to say the least. Sonny’s first hunt yielded ten mallards (nine drakes and a hen) and two pintail drakes.

There is still a debate as to who shot the hen. For all intents and purposes, I am the one writing this, so it was David. He will argue the point, but if it is in print then it must be the truth.

A year later there was the photo shoot that David was doing for Beretta and then there was the shoot for a Ducks Unlimited book called Generation DUX. Both of those come with a whole other set of stories but I need to save space for fly-fishing.

But let me backtrack a piece to November of 2003. You see, in ‘03 my side business of outdoor photographer was kicking some serious butt and I got called to do a shoot for a lodge in Belize. I told them I would need money in my budget for an assistant. They agreed and I called my mentor and friend and jokingly asked if he would like to travel to Belize and be my “assistant.” I still cannot believe that he agreed but, he did, and I am so glad. In fact, if he had not joined me, I am quite certain that I would not be writing for TSF because I would probably still be in jail in Belize. He ended up being the voice of reason between an art director from NYC and me that was, to say the least, difficult. I am not going to say what I might have done to her had he not been there but hey… I am here.

Over the years David and I have spent many days in the field and on the water and not a single one of them have been less than perfect because that is what makes what we do special—sharing the experience with rod and gun with our friends. That is why we are both in the business that we are in.

A few years back David called and said, Mimi (his youngest daughter) and I are coming down for the first-ever Port Bay Club fly fishing tournament and we want you to guide us. Now, a lot of you know how I feel about tournaments, but I am a sucker for his kiddos.

Marina (Mimi) and Lili are two of the greatest kiddos ever and I just could not say no.

We fished for fun on the first day and got serious on the second.

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

Telephone Email Website

979-415-4379 vssommerlatte@hotmail.com www.scottsommerlatte.com TSFMAG.com | 59

CADE SIMPSON

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

Planning a “PINS” trip

& wearing a skunk A reader emailed recently seeking tips and advice for planning a kayak fishing trip to the Padre Island National Seashore. We had a good discussion and I decided that I would share some of it in my column this month. Also, a friend invited me to join him and his wife for some trout fishing. It was a picture perfect day on the water and we had an excellent outing but, and you have no idea how much I hate to say this, I got skunked. That is not to say that my fishing partners did not do well, though.

Let’s begin with the Padre Island National Seashore discussion. In my opinion this isn’t your average weekend fishing trip. As with any adventure, there is planning and preparation but, a PINS weekend requires several levels of pre-trip work above the norm. You will need to study the weather and tide forecasts carefully before you go; the beach is not a good place to travel when tides are running unusually high or large waves are crashing on the sand.

Reschedule the trip if a front is predicted.

60 | October 2014

Keep in mind now, PINS is miles and miles of isolated and uninhabited barrier island. There is no cell service to speak of, no electricity, no drinking water, possibly no other humans for miles. My first suggestion would be do not go without a buddy. At the very least make sure someone knows approximately where you plan to camp and when you plan to return. Bring plenty of ice and water and healthy snacks; fruit, protein bars, etc. You should also plan to keep cooking to a minimum, maybe just some grilling or heating up. This helps keep your equipment and supplies list short. I tried a survival trip on Padre Island once—not fun.

Four-wheel drive is a must. I wouldn’t even think of driving onto the beach without FWD. Fill up in town and take a spare 5-gallon can of gasoline and several cans of Fix-A-Flat. A short-handled shovel and several six foot pieces of 2x10 are handy if you get stuck. A 20-foot tow strap is also a good thing to have along—to pull

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TSFMAG.com | 61

another vehicle, or possibly your own. Like FWD, do not go down the beach without a waterproof handheld VHF radio and, carry it in the kayak if you plan to paddle beyond the breakers. Wear your PFD at all times when paddling the surf.

I am trying to hit the major must-haves here, so I won’t go into all the miniscule items you should pack for a beach trip, however, one of the most important items is baby powder. If you intend to camp, baby powder will save your life. Ok, maybe not save your life, but it will make you much more comfortable in your tent after getting sticky in saltwater and covered with sand. It’s almost like taking a fresh shower.

As far as fishing PINS, you are essentially going to be surf fishing or paddling beyond the breakers to the close rigs, so gear up accordingly there.

Your basic trout and redfish tackle will be fine throwing lures in the surf; you’ll want heavier gear if you venture any distance offshore.

Being prepared for the hazards of beach travel are the main thing. Drive carefully and stay in the ruts, they may be deep at times but there’s less chance of getting stuck. Padre Island is a great place to enjoy the outdoors. Just prepare properly and have a great time.

On short notice a couple weeks ago, I was invited to jump in on a trout trip along the coast. The day before I went this guy had found some good trout over shell and mud mix. Conditions were to be similar the next day so he asked me to join him and his wife. This was a wade effort and we took his 62 | October 2014

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boat to get to the spot. I loved the spot, awesome conditions.

As the morning played out however I could not land a fish for the life of me. I battled a nice redfish for several minutes only to lose it when it got close. A little while later I hooked up on a fish that I was pretty sure wasn’t a red and was hopeful for it to be a big trout. Fought it all the way to me, it rolled on the surface and I got a clear look. I’m honestly saying it was a solid 28. And then...gone, it got off in the same way the red did. I was heartbroken, it would have easily been my biggest speck. The day went on to leave me wearing the skunk. My buddy and his wife however landed a number of solid trout and a nice red. A nice day on the water all in all.

The pictures this month include a nice red caught by my buddy’s wife, Tammy, on our trip. My favorite is the photo of Cliff’s son, Connor, holding an awesome red he caught while yak fishing the shallows with his dad. Way to go Connor! He will be out-fishing his dad in no time.

Until next month, tight lines. And don’t forget to send me your kayak questions and catch photos. Tell me your latest kayak fishing story.

TSFMAG.com | 63

Jack crevalle slamming a baitball a short distance off the PINS beach.

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

ERIC OZOLINS

Kayaking Into October Mayhem The arrival of fall is marked by cooler sea breezes with increased bait and predator action in surf and nearshore waters. We see the violent demolition of tightly-organized baitballs occurring all along the beach as an array of mullet, anchovies, shad, and menhaden flood the surf in overwhelming numbers.

The beauty of offshore kayaking in October is the fact that carnage is usually close to shore. While the blistering heat of summer has most predators pushed out deeper, the cooling autumn temperatures bring these fish to the shallows. Sharks will hunt in water so shallow at times that they will often beach themselves chasing and feeding on dusky anchovies. Tarpon and king mackerel will be seen within one hundred yards of the beach as they explode through massive pods of mullet. The migration routes of the baitfish species bring all of this right to our doorstep, and for a large portion of this protein-rich prey, their journey will end right here in the jaws of predators.

As long as there are no weather hazards or other anomalies, this October is expected to bring a great deal of excitement for coastal anglers. Sargassum is traditionally very light or non-existent, allowing for spectacular surf fishing conditions. Baitballs the size of basketball courts can appear less than a quarter mile from the beach and 64 | October 2014

with them come battle-worthy jack crevalle and sometimes even the prized cobia. While skipjack literally immerse themselves within the clouds of anchovies, the mullet schools will often contain large Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and red drum. Some of the largest concentrations of gulls and pelicans you will ever see will be picking off hapless baitfish pushed right onto the sand.

On your average year, October is our last great hoorah of offshore kayak opportunity. When conditions are prime an early morning window typically opens just prior to sunrise and usually lasts a couple of hours. Later in the afternoon the madness can reignite as ferociously as ever.

These are the days when I have my kayak ready for quick deployment as I drive the beach, surveying bird activity.

It is important to note that these baitball buffets will travel up or down the beach and sometimes at fairly decent speeds. Depending on the predators chasing them, you may not even have a chance to catch up unless you launch well ahead in the direction they are running. It is always tempting to give chase but this can be costly in terms of energy. Savvy kayak anglers are always careful to reserve strength for a final burst to reach the action and also for fighting a brute of a jackfish or maybe a wandering shark.

Tracking down the action is only half the battle.

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Collecting jacks for shark baits.

Preparing to release a kayak-caught cobia.

Sometimes the fish will be so aggressive they will pick up anything you throw. Other times, and especially with bonito and little tunny, you must “match the hatch� exactly or they will completely avoid your lures. For pure sport I love to throw oversized topwaters—jack crevalle and king mackerel will absolutely explode on them when they are feeding aggressively. I have consistently found that the larger the lure, the larger the fish you are likely to catch.

Live baits also work very well but at times it seems there can be too much bait available for predators to zero in on yours. Make no mistake though, jackfish and reds will suck down a mullet without thinking when you get it in front of them. If you really want a thrill, whip out the fly rod and battle a sight-casted tarpon from the kayak!

One of the most incredible natural sights you will likely ever witness can occur this time of year and, mysteriously, without a huge horde of baitfish present. Several times I have found incredible congregations of game fish in the surf, predators of mixed species swimming together.

66 | October 2014

Certainly not a common thing, still it makes me wonder whether these fish had just wiped out a school of bait and were simply milling about waiting for another to appear.

My first such encounter came around midday and I had been seeing activity a short distance offshore. The kayak was already rigged and I was planning to venture out and chase the birds. The surf was semicalm and as I paddled past the third bar I began to notice shadows amid randomly scattered bait. Paddling a bit further, and with better water clarity off the bar, I could see there were bull sharks all around me. I quickly cancelled the bird chasing plan.

Several minutes Autumn king passed and I began mackerel on topwater. noticing other species in the mix. Countless large cobia were hanging out, as though escorting the bulls. I love to throw lures to cobia and went immediately to work, hooking one on the first cast. However, after landing it, all further attempts resulted in getting intercepted by Spanish mackerel. The Spanish would then get picked off by a bull shark before I could get them to the kayak. Finally I just

Large bull shark photographed under the kayak.

Underwater photo of spinner shark alongside author’s kayak.

C ontact

put the rod down and sat there taking it all in.

King mackerel and jackfish cruised all around me and a tarpon rolled just feet off the bow. The gathering was increasing and I witnessed spinner sharks in excess of seven feet joining the bulls. As minutes ticked by bunches of anchovies the size of a coffee table began to appear. Several times I saw sharks racing into them—mouths wide open, gulping as many as possible. Spanish mackerel and skipjack were in force throughout.

After witnessing this gathering for more than twenty minutes, and recording plentiful video and photos, I decided to venture back to the beach to rig baits. After all, there were some very impressive bull sharks making their rounds. A gentle breeze was pushing me back into shore and I drifted via the wind.

As I crossed the second sandbar I looked behind the boat and I will never forget the scene. Eight or ten large bull and spinner sharks just several feet behind were trailing me in about six feet of water. While I knew (or hoped) they weren’t going to attack the kayak, just seeing this was the most terrifying moment I’ve ever had on the water. No doubt, had I ended up in the water at that moment, I believe I would have been the source of another feeding frenzy.

Making it safely to the beach, I took a few a minutes to reflect on what just transpired. A raw and powerful memory that I will cherish forever, a spectacular gift from Mother Ocean, on a beautiful autumn day.

For the past decade Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been promoting shark catch and release and assisting various shark research programs. Eric offers guided shark fishing on Padre Island National Seashore. Also renowned for extreme kayak big game fishing, Eric runs Kayak Wars; one of the largest kayak fishing tournaments in the world.

Email Websites

oz@oceanepics.com extremecoast.com | oceanepics.com | kayakwars.com TSFMAG.com | 67

Dredge working in the back end of Vinson Slough.

Story by John Blaha | Photos by Lisa Laskowski

T S F M a g Conse r v a tion N e w s

Texas Parks and Wildlife & CCA Texas Partner on 180 Acre Oyster Reef Restoration Project Across the world it is estimated that 85% of oysters have been lost since the late 1800s. Oysters are an important part of a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. A single healthy oyster can filter roughly 1.3 gallons of water per hour. Oysters are the natural filters of the ecosystems and a healthy oyster system improves water quality by filtering out excess nutrients, algae, and sediments. This has several benefits; improved water clarity in particular.

In 2008, roughly 50% of Galveston Bay’s oyster reefs were lost during Hurricane Ike due to heavy sedimentation. Oyster reef losses in East Galveston Bay are estimated to have been up to 80%. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and CCA Texas began working together in late 2010 to secure substantial funding through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP). A $3.2

million grant was secured for an oyster restoration project and CCA Texas provided an additional $500,000 to help restore 180 acres, completed in August 2014.

This project focused on four areas in East Galveston Bay. 80 acres were restored at Hannah’s reef, 70 acres at Pepper Grove reef, 15 acres at Middle Reef and 10 acres at CCA Middle Reef.

CCA Middle reef was constructed in a “mounding” configuration in order to create more bottom relief and fish habitat, and to provide opportunities for evaluating construction methods and success. The other three sites used a more evenly spread cultch material; river rock of 1- to 2 inches. This material was chosen so that it would pass through the commercial oyster dredge, thus minimizing the removal of cultch from the bay. The effort A very strong current has already been created between Vinson Slough and Cedar Bayou.

68 | October 2014

produced near instant success as cultch materials deployed in May 2014 and collected from Hannah’s reef in late July have already had oyster spat set and growth beginning. In an effort to protect these restoration efforts, recent legislation has been passed that will close these reefing sites to harvest for two years.

“A project like this does so much for a local volunteer and it is like connecting the dots,” commented Mike Petit, longtime CCA Texas member and CCA Texas Executive Board member. Mike commented further, “It is really gratifying as a local volunteer to see where the money goes that local chapters raise and to see that it is making an impact on the local bay system.”

CCA Texas’s habitat initiative, Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT) continues to work closely with state agencies, like organizations, and academia to restore and create vital habitat all along the Texas coast.

Projects like this are critically important in helping to ensure healthy coastal ecosystems are viable now and for future generations.

“Oyster reefs are an important part of a healthy ecosystem. They not only improve water quality, but also provide essential fish habitat,” commented Robby Byers, CCA Texas Executive Director. Byers continued, “CCA Texas contributed $500,000 to this project. These dollars raised by CCA Texas volunteers are a great example of a true grassroots effort to put money and effort back into the resource.”

CCA Texas will continue to remain a part of this project by recruiting local recreational fishermen to fish the new reefs as “citizen scientists”.

This effort is needed to create baseline data that will be used in the study to evaluate the success of the project. Volunteers are encouraged to work with TPWD and CCA Texas and fish designated areas by designated methods and be a part of the success and evaluation of the project. CCA

Texas will also work with TPWD to provide outreach and education to the general public about oyster reefs and the efforts to restore them.

If you are interested in helping TPWD and CCA Texas collect this type of data, please contact John Blaha at jdblaha@ccatexas.org or Bill Rodney at Bill.Rodney@tpwd.texas.gov.

CCA Continues Commitment to Nearshore Reefing Sites CCA Texas Executive Board recently approved $200,000 in funding for the new Port O’Connor nearshore reefing site. This follows a commitment of $100,000 in August 2013 for Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) to secure the necessary US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permit required for the site; 160 acres located in state waters out of the Port O’Connor jetties.

CCA Texas continues to work with CCA National’s Building Conservation Trust and TPWD to secure more funds with the goal to make this one of the largest artificial reef deployments to date. TPWD continues to work on securing the permit and hopes to have it in place by the end of 2014 and to begin deployment of materials into the site as soon as possible once the permit is in hand. With this $200,000 commitment, CCA Texas has contributed $700,000 to nearshore reefs along the Texas coast located at Freeport, Matagorda, Port O’Connor, Corpus Christi and Port Mansfield, and continues to fulfill the goal to help provide reefing sites to every port along the Texas coast.

Cedar Bayou Update By the time this issue hits newsstands, Cedar Bayou should be flowing once again. As of August 21, 2014, Cedar Bayou has been dredged to the intersection with Vinson Slough and the excavation effort toward the Gulf is continuing. This historic project has been a long time coming and is sure to have a significant and positive effect on the Mesquite and surrounding bay systems.

TSFMAG.com | 69

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y F AC T S

CORMORANTS “[Research on booming cormorant populations] may prevent human suffering… and spare us from human stupidity.” ~Jim Ludwig, former president of the Michigan Audubon Society Since Biblical times, cormorants have drawn the ire of fishermen who have been forced to compete with them. While their superb fishing skills were definitely a hindrance in the past, it’s likely that their somewhat prehistoric appearance earned them even more enemies. John Milton, in his epic poem, Paradise Lost, even portrayed the cormorant as Satan in disguise during his first attempt to deceive and tempt Eve. However, some cultures turned the cormorant’s natural dexterity into an asset, using them to fish like falconers use birds of prey to hunt.

The majority of cormorants, including nearly all North American species and both species found in Texas, have mainly dark plumage. Many species have an area of brightly colored skin on the throat, which often becomes even more colorful during breeding season. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. They are a coastal and inland bird, rather than oceanic. It is assumed that the ancestral lineage of cormorants dwelled in fresh water. Texas has two species: the

Neotropic Cormorant Photo by Marty Jones.

70 | October 2014

double-crested cormorant and the neotropic cormorant (formerly the olivaceous cormorant).

Cormorants and shags, along with anhingas and darters, frigate birds, gannets and boobies, pelicans, and tropicbirds all share a unique characteristic: four webbed toes. Other birds with webbed feet (such as ducks and geese) have only three webbed toes. The hallux, or hind toe (the big toe in humans) is free. Because of this, all the birds with four webbed toes were grouped together in the order Pelicaniformes. But recent molecular studies have shown that pelicans and tropicbirds belong elsewhere in the avian tree. In 2010, the American Ornithologists’ Union, the International Ornithological Congress, and the Clements checklist of birds of the world split and reformatted the Pelicaniformes and a sister taxa, the Ciconiiformes. Cormorants and shags were placed in the newly formed order Suliformes, along with frigate birds, boobies and gannets, and darters and anhinga. (Shags and cormorants are not taxonomically distinct; the term shag generally applies to smaller, stubbier-billed cormorants.)

The scientific genus name for cormorants, Phalacrocorax, comes from latinized Ancient Greek: phalakros, meaning “bald,” and korax, meaning “raven.”

“Cormorant” is a contraction probably derived from the Latin corvus marinus, meaning “sea raven.”

In fact, “sea raven,” and analogous terms, were the colloquial names for cormorants in Germanic languages until after the Middle Ages. This harkens back to times when all large black birds were dubbed “ravens.”

The misconceived impression that cormorants were related to ravens lasted until at least the 16th century.

All cormorants are primarily fish eaters (and consume an impressive

variety), but when opportunity knocks, they won’t turn down insects, crustaceans, or amphibians. Pursuit diving is the technique of choice for capturing prey. The bird dives from the surface and propels itself through the water with its feet. Many species make a characteristic half jump as they dive, presumably to give themselves a more streamlined entry into the water.

They hunt by sight, so you would expect cormorants to have excellent vision, similar to hawks in being able to detect and pursue prey from a distance. And cormorant eyes do appear to have some specific adaptations to their amphibious life style. The eyes have highly pliable lenses and powerful inner muscles that ensure a wellfocused image. However, when measured, cormorant underwater eyesight was found to be unexpectedly poor. Cormorant visual acuity is, in fact, comparable to unaided human eyesight under water.

Cormorants can detect individual prey only at close range (less than 3 feet). Their efficient hunting is due to specialized heron-like foraging techniques: a brief, short-distance chase and/or rapid neck extension to capture prey that is within eyesight or flushed from hiding at short range. Conclusively, cormorants are not the hawks of the ocean.

Upon return to the surface, the cormorant manipulates its fish into the easiest swallowing position, head first. A little more flair is used for crustaceans, including hammering the prey on the water to shake off legs and such, then a neat flip in the air to position the prey headfirst.

Some cormorant species have been found diving nearly 150 feet for their lunch. The neotropic cormorant, found year-round on the Texas coast, is the only cormorant known to plunge-dive into water to catch fish (like the brown pelican does). This species will also fish cooperatively by forming a line across swift-flowing channels, striking the surface with their wings (causing fish to flee), then diving as a group to pursue them.

Cormorants are often seen perching on a rock or jetty with their wings outstretched. It was often assumed that this was for wing drying. To enhance diving, the top layer of feathers is less water resistant than in most birds, so they stay wetter longer. But this wingdrying theory was, at least partially, debunked when cormorants were seen “drying their wings” in the pouring rain. Now, no one really knows the reason. Could be for thermoregulation; could be to aid in digestion; could be for balance; could be a personal space issue…

Probably, it’s a mix of all these reasons.

Both of our species nest on the Texas coast; however a good portion of the double-crested cormorants breed further inland, while the neotropic tenants are here year-round. The breeding season for neotropic cormorants is quite long, from early January (first eggs) to late December (last fledglings), though the peak season is from May through July. The double-crested cormorants that stay to nest also have their young from May through July. All cormorants are seasonally monogamous. Males display from a chosen nest site by waving their wings and pointing their bill skyward, exposing the brightly colored skin of the throat. The female chooses her champion and sends him off to collect nest material; she defends the nest-site and constructs the nest, which may take up to five weeks. Coastal nesting takes place predominately in living or dead trees and shrubs, though they’ll nest straight on the ground if that’s what’s available. Cormorants are colonial nesters, sometimes sharing nesting space with many different species. Nests are coarse platforms of sticks, usually three to twenty feet above ground or water. Building materials consist of twigs, green leaves, grass, seaweed, rope, deflated balloons, fishnet (really

any plastic debris), and often parts of dead birds. Well, they have to work with what’s available, right? Nest material is usually cemented together with guano, which over time, and with much accumulation, can kill the trees. Occasionally, large pebbles are found in cormorant nests, and the cormorants treat them like eggs.

Each mated pair has one brood per year. The pair can have up to seven eggs, though on average, they have 3-5. For many species, the eggs are a chalky-blue color. In Texas, young cormorants leave the nest at 3-4 weeks of age. They can fly at 6 weeks, dive at 6-7 weeks, and are independent at 10 weeks. They reach sexual maturity at two years.

Until 1972, all known breeding colonies of neotropic cormorants within the United States occurred along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, more than 75% of these between Galveston Bay and Sabine Lake. After a severe population decline in the 1960s, to a low of about 14 pairs in 1967, the species has increased and established new coastal and inland colonies. Although the population is still in flux, the overall trend is an increase. The cause of the decline is not conclusively understood, but probably resulted from persistent coastal development and use of the pesticide DDT, which thins eggshells.

In the last few years, about 1000 pairs of neotropic cormorants have typically nested on the coast.

The double-crested cormorant is a migratory resident of Texas, with the earliest non-breeders arriving at the beginning of August. Most are here from October through January, though a few stay as late as mid June. This species is the most widespread cormorant in North America and the one most frequently seen in freshwater. (The neotropic range extends southerly.) Their two main activities are fishing and lounging, with the majority of their day spent on the latter. When threatened, a double-crested may vomit fish at a predator. The oldest known member of this species was more than 22 years old, banded in Ontario in 1984 and found in Louisiana in 2006. In the 1800s and early 1900s, cormorants were frequently shot, and their numbers declined with westward settlement, but thanks, in large part, to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act signed in 1918, their populations have increased phenomenally. In the Great Lakes, some cormorant colonies have doubled in five years. Some people still regard cormorants as a threat to fishing stocks, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sometimes issues permits for controlled cormorant shooting to protect fisheries.

Cormorants can sometimes be difficult to identify, especially if you’re looking for a crest. The double-crested only has a double crest during breeding season. In flight at a distance, Canada geese look much like double-crested cormorants, but flocks of geese don’t change shape as much, and geese never stop flapping in direct flight.

When swimming, cormorants ride very low, often with only their long necks evident above the waves. This is due to that top layer of partially water-permeable feathers and also to their heavy bones, more solid than the bones of most birds. That style of low riding in the water is characteristic of another bird, the anhinga. Mostly a bird of the swamps, the anhinga is known as the water turkey for its swimming habits and broad tail, and also as the snake bird for its habit of swimming with just its long head and neck sticking out of the water, very similar to a cormorant. Anhingas are less often found near salt water; they prefer fresh. But you’ll find both anhingas and cormorants in brackish waters. Although these two water birds are often mistaken for each other, each of them has distinguishing characteristics. A primary difference between the anhinga and the cormorant is the Continued on page 100...

TSFMAG.com | 71

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Redfish…Redfish…Redfish October is possibly the best month to score with schools of redfish. Upper-slot fish (measuring toward the 28-inch max slot length) head to the deeper water to join the larger “bull reds” during their annual spawning activity.

“Bull” refers to size, not gender. The bull red run, as many call it, continues all month long.

Bait and Rigging Fresh dead white shrimp of approximately 25-count make an excellent offering, work equally well on most any bait rig, but are really good fished on what I call the “knocker rig.” This rig is basically an egg weight riding directly above or very close to a short-shanked Mustad 9174 5/O hook, (see photo.) By keeping a taut line you can occasionally lift Brandon Rodarte; topof-the-slot redfish. the rig and drop it back down to tap the rocks or bottom.

The weight placement, short hook lead and tight line help minimize snags while keeping the bait in the strike zone.

Spanish sardines, menhaden and fresh mullet claim a large percentage of hookups. Up close to the rocks or over sticky structure, a single-drop rig with a 2-6oz lead bank sinker works well. When fishing channel 72 | October 2014

edges or open water without snags, we use a 36” Carolina rig with an egg sinker of similar weights. Both rigs are constructed with 60-pound monofilament and a Mustad 5/O- to 9/O 39941 circle hook on the business end.

When using large natural baits, say 5- to 7 inches, I like to nip the tail off before deployment. This helps keep the bait from spinning unnaturally in the current and disperses the natural scent at a quicker rate.

On obtaining bait, my rule is to purchase twice as much as I plan on using. Approximately five pounds per person for a full day of catching is good measure. More is always better in case of unusually active bait stealers, a superhot bite, or if chumming might be needed to get and/or

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keeping them on the bite.

If it is the big backbreaking fish you seek, I would suggest getting some live blue crab. The sweet smell and flavor from a whole cracked crab is something few self-respecting redfish and black drum can pass up. You may even have a few bonnethead or blacktip sharks crashing the party for fresh crab. After removing the carapace (the large upper-half of the shell), leave the body whole with pincers attached for best results. Use the same bait rigs previously mentioned and check the bait often due to washout and small fish nibbling on the meat.

Robert Huron hoists a large spawner for his wife Monica prior to release.

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jetties and passes Jetties and passes that provide access to the Gulf are prime locations for congregation. Areas with good current flow bring the fish together, grouping them in large schools as well as funneling forage to them. Look to the ship channel ledges and waterway intersections for increased current. Ends of rock groins, near boat cuts and deep holes on the sides of the channel are also good places to fish.

Nearshore Redfish schools will seek structure in state-water depths for the same reasons as they do inshore— FOOD! The oil and gas platforms, wrecks and ship channel markers-buoys are all worth investigation.

With these fish schooled up they should not be hard TSFMAG.com | 73

Kaitlyn Johnson and Sterling Cash with a double taken from a school headed to the Gulf.

Isaac Carver shows off a wellearned 32-incher.

to locate, commonly found down-current of structure.

Out past the jetties most of the same bait and terminal tackle will work. The use of 6-10oz lead weights may be necessary with increased water depth and current velocity found offshore. Be prepared with a heavy drag setting, often the larger more aggressive fish bite first.

Depending on the late-season water temperatures red snapper, cobia and kingfish could be in the same areas.

74 | October 2014

C O N TA C T

Tom Nye with large black drum that took a fresh shrimp intended for redfish.

honoring and respecting the fish In consideration of the size and maturity of the fish we are targeting, along with the obligation to release these spawners, heavy tackle should be used. We normally use 50-65lb braided line or 30-40lb monofilament on the reels.

The rods are capable of handling the weight of the fish and force of the current where these fish reside. A long, tiresome fight on wimpy tackle puts undue stress on them during an important part of their life cycle.

Each year many people decide to tag and keep a large redfish because it is the biggest fish they have ever caught.

A trophy indeed if it is headed to the taxidermist, but many anglers are disappointed at the cleaning table by the coarse meat and tough skin. I regularly encourage my clients to release the mature redfish; fish up to thirty-three inches are the largest I suggest for table fare. If someone is interested in a trophy mount for the wall there are many fine companies that offer replica fiberglass mounts. All one needs are approximate measurements and some photos showing the fish’s colorization and distinguishing marks to make it their own. Most taxidermy companies worth their wages will custom paint your fish to carry the memory for years to come.

Many of these large redfish and black drum caught will be very tired and/or have their swim bladder inflated internally. Many people “deflate” fish with venting tools made specifically for this purpose but the puncture wound they create may do more damage than good. Most of the vent tools were designed for snapper and grouper under 20 inches in length, so the venting needles are not manufactured for tough skin and scales of large drum.

Holding the fish’s head under water facing into the current helps them revive and resuscitate after an honorable battle.

Sometimes this may take the better of ten minutes so I’ve devised a tool to help both me and the fish. I have been using a 3-inch plastic spring clamp attached to a boat cleat with 1/4-inch rope. With the big redfish in the water I attach the clamp to their lower jaw and let them dangle on the surface with the current flowing into the gaping mouth. There is probably a fine line to walk here when considering rules of possession while this maneuver is enacted. I keep a hook still attached to the fishing rod lightly embedded in their lip while firmly clamped. Each person should use this method with their own discretion.

Get to the rocks this month if at all possible and enjoy the great game fish October is known for. Be safe, courteous to others, and respectful to the fish.

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

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DICKIE ColBuRn

DICKIE ColBuRn’s Sabine Scene

Sabine

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

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

78 | October 2014

After spending much of 2014 tweaking traditional patterns and better learning how to cope with too much wind, we are finally entering those coveted three months of the year when I could not care less about the wind. While the bite in the lake is as userfriendly as it can possibly get, the more protected bite in the river provides a consistent alternative that often merits first choice status.

Due to damper and cooler mornings I will be wearing my Frogg Toggs and Salt Life sunglasses. Shorts and a long sleeve T-shirt under a bibbed Toad Skinz rain suit are all I need until the arrival of much cooler weather.

I mention the Salt Life glasses because while the Zeiss lenses are as clear as advertised, they have also eliminated squinting through stinging, bloodshot eyes when forced to run the boat in the rain. As claimed, the lenses truly do prevent beads

of water from accumulating and limiting your vision.

Even if you never wear them in the rain you owe it to yourself to try a pair on the brightest of days. The Zeiss lenses are a difference maker!

We have gotten our fair share of rain this summer, right through Labor Day, but it hasn’t slowed the bite of late. As a matter of fact, a Usual Suspect swimbait was mini-tropical depression that parked on us for the past two the ticket for this Sabine days, forced us to abandon flounder. the best big trout bite I have experienced in several years!

Best of all—it took place in the river. We were “scraping the wall” on those 15 to 22 foot breaks at two different locations and caught stupid numbers of big trout that included two in the 29-inchclass. Because I seldom catch trout even 28-inches, I was more than pleased to catch and release that many six to seven pounders. All but one of those big trout fell for a Tidal Surge

Split Tail Mullet rigged on a 1/4 ounce Assassin jig.

As the surface temperature drops I will fish that same pattern more often than not with Fat Boys and Maniac Mullets. You will lose a few lures to shell and permanent piles of debris but the reward is well worth the risk. I prefer to fish that bite on an incoming tide.

Whether you elect to fish south of the Causeway or on the north end of the lake, the key to consistently catching our largest trout in the fall is to spend most of your time near deeper water. They will be transitioning from a steady diet of shad and shrimp to finger mullet and the larger bait fish tend to suspend in the deeper water for both safety and comfort.

The shallow flats adjacent to that deeper water are absolutely the best places to start and end your day as huge schools of bait fish temporarily abandon the ICW, river and ship channel in low light

Solid red taken under the birds.

conditions. Catching both trout and redfish usually requires little more than the combination of a decent tide change and just being there before the bait retreats to deeper water.

Choice of lures is usually not that critical as someone will invariably wear the fish out on a lure you never even considered trying. Strictly because I enjoy the thrill of topwaters I will start with a She Dog or Spook Junior. As soon as that bite slows we quickly switch to swimming Usual Suspects or Die Dappers rigged on 1/8 ounce heads over isolated shell patches in four to six feet of water. After that, it is back to “scraping the wall”.

When the wind allows, it takes a strong constitution to not chase gulls over reds and trout in the open lake. I don’t think there is a “wrong” lure for this bite, but a Sea Shad or Vudu shrimp under a popping cork is hard to beat. Redfish will not be able to leave a Hoginar alone!

The flounder run is already much further along than usual and we are once again catching some huge females. While the Chenier LNG terminal and Dick Dowling Park are drawing the biggest crowds, we have had no problem catching numbers of good fish around major cuts along the Louisiana shoreline.

We seldom target them exclusively, but still catch our fair share with a Gulp swimming mullet on a 1/4 ounce spinnerbait, a three inch Usual Suspect Swim Bait and four inch tube jigs. We fish all three of the aforementioned choices in addition to a shallow diving crankbait when working the shoreline for slot reds, and the flounder are really a bonus.

I no longer hunt, but it still doesn’t get much better than the fall.

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CaPt. stEVE hIllman

thE BuZZ on Galveston Bay

We’re still catching good numbers of trout and redfish over deep shell. So, not much has changed over the past month other than an influx of small trout throughout the bay system. There are still plenty of solid trout being caught, but many areas are inundated with little ones too. When I say “little” I’m talking about 8 to 15 inch fish. We drifted a set of slicks the other day and about every other cast yielded Galveston a throwback. Crimping (using needle-nosed pliers) the barbs on our jigs enabled us to flip most of them off the hook without ever touching them. I highly recommend doing this especially when working Steve Hillman is a full-time birds. If you can’t get on the right part of the school fishing guide on his home (keepers); it’s better to just move on. waters of Galveston Bay. Steve The dog days are drawing to a close and cooler fishes the entire Galveston Bay early-morning boat rides are a welcome reprieve.

Complex, wading and drifting Wading a secluded shoreline as the sun rises on a brisk for trout, redfish, and flounder October morning kind of rejuvenates the soul. As using artificial lures. cool fronts become more frequent some larger trout Telephone will tend to show up along shorelines. This works 409-256-7937 out well as early fronts typically bring stiff northeast Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com winds which make drifting open water difficult. This is when wading comes into play. We’ll be focusing on website www.hillmanguideservice.com patches of shell near depth changes. Undulations and

bayou drains will be perfect staging areas as currents funnel shad, shrimp and mullet onto adjacent flats.

Various topwaters will be the first choice, most days. MirrOlure She Dogs, Heddon Super Spooks (including Juniors and One Knockers) and Rapala Skitterwalks are all great choices. Throw the larger, higher-pitched plugs like the She Dog in choppy conditions and the One Knockers and Junior varieties on calmer days. Salt Water Assassins, MirrOlure Lil’ Johns and Tidal Surge Split-Tail Mullets will garner more attention when surface plugs aren’t getting it Steve Hughes and Kent Copeland with double hook-ups!

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80 | October 2014

BOATS MOTORS TRAILERS SALES SERVICE PARTS & ACCESSORIES

done. A high barometric pressure day following a front would be a good time to throw tails, in most cases.

We’re already seeing tons of little whiskers and eyeballs especially towards the back of the bays. There are some keeper trout in them but you have to sift through the throwback trout, ladyfish and gafftop. Towards the end of the month these shrimp will be larger and cool fronts will be stronger resulting in more keeper trout under them. Last year I found that throwing a Tidal Surge Maniac Mullet or a topwater helped weed out the little ones. There should be plenty of mid-bay flocks in Trinity, East and Chocolate Bays from which to choose by mid-October.

Slicks and pods of bait will be prevalent in 4 to 7 foot depths, Rick Vieira with his “pinch less than 27 inch” trout!

especially near ridge lines. Oyster and clam reefs will be good for drifting when the wind cooperates. Upper stretches of the bay near Tabbs, Sylvan Beach and San Jacinto River satellite bays will all yield good results as water temperatures drop. Aforementioned soft plastics as well as MirrOlure 51 and 52 Series are good choices when drifting these areas.

Back lake redfish are a blast this time of year as bull tides flood the marshes. There’s nothing like seeing a bronzed-back bulldozer of a redfish crush a topwater. Heddon’s Super Spook Jr. and Rapala’s Baby Skitterwalk are two baits that come to mind. Keep your eyes peeled for wakes and mud boils. Sometimes the water is clear enough to actually see the fish. Cast in front and beyond them or the school may scatter. Then, work your lure out in front of them. Keeping your distance and not casting a shadow is important. Making long accurate casts will increase your chances of a hook-up as well. If your surface offerings aren’t doing the trick then a 4 inch Salt Water Assassin Sea Shad is tough to beat. Speaking of making long casts; having the right reel for the job is a must. I personally use Shimano’s Chronarch 50e or Core 50Mg with just one brake set. Keeping your reels cleaned and conditioned is a must.

There’s a lot to be excited about during the month of October. With more options than probably any other month it’s obvious why this is my favorite month here on Galveston Bay. Weekdays won’t be so crowded but weekends can be like a Wal-Mart parking lot. Please just remember that there’s a lot of water out there. Use what you know and be courteous. There is great pride to be had in fishing with your eyes and finding your own fish. Don’t be the dog that licks the bowl.

TSFMAG.com | 81

BInK GRImEs

thE VIEW fRom Matagorda

Matagorda

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

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

82 | October 2014

I remember chilly earlobes in the morning, calm afternoons and world-class light-tackle fishing in October. In the mid-90s, it was nothing to pop countless 3-5 pound trout on topwaters during an evening session under the birds.

I will never admit to her, but those sunsets in East Matagorda Bay sweetened the deal during my college courting of a sweet little Bay City girl.

We celebrate 19 years this month. Back then, it was crowded to see three boats on an October weekday afternoon in East Matagorda. People were more concerned with getting deer camp ready and duck blinds brushed. Times have changed.

Sure, the birds still work in October, but the last few fall campaigns have been more of a November thing. That doesn’t mean fishing stinks in October, rather, it has changed to chasing redfish and drifting deep shell for trout until water temps cool.

But don’t be surprised if the “good ol’ days” of bird action return this year. We have had intermittent rains throughout the spring and summer which helps reduce salinity levels, thereby affording a

better white shrimp crop. Mind you, we remain in a drought, but this year was much wetter than the past five campaigns.

The tell-tale spark that gets birds working is the amount of water in the marsh. When tides are high, which is normally the case in early autumn, shrimp will hold in the backwater areas and nurseries. Then, as tides recede, often after the first cold front of the year, the marsh dumps those bloated tides and shrimp ride the current to the bays.

We like to throw soft plastics and topwaters under the birds, or maybe even a Gulp under a popping cork. Some impressive sand trout stage on the bottom as well for jiggers. Even if the birds don’t work, there are still plenty of fish to catch.

Swelling fall tides are a boon for redfishers. Like shrimp, when tides are high, redfish wander to the back lakes and marshes. We often Power Pole down and work the grass line, then pull up and drift down the shoreline and do it again.

Large schools of redfish tour the grass line rooting shrimp. The large “V” easing down the shoreline gives away schools of 25-50 reds, but so does the cracking pop of their jaws from inhaling small crabs and shrimp that get in the way.

The bull redfish run is strong in the surf and at the jetty. Large table shrimp, finger mullet and cracked crabs are the best offerings for the big spawners. If you plan to target bull redfish, the Gulf is the spot, but don’t be surprised if you run in to a 40-incher in the bay. About a halfdozen bull reds were caught from my boat this summer just drifting the bay for trout, and I know there will be tons more this fall.

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CaPt. GaRY GRaY

mID-Coast BaYs With the Grays

Port O'Connor Seadrift

Captain Gary Gray is a full time guide born and raised in Seadrift. He has been guiding in the Seadrift/ Port O’Connor area for 28 years. Gary specializes in wading for trout and redfish year round with artificial lures.

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

84 | October 2014

Well we’re all but done with another dreadfully fighting to get line back from a bulldozer. At the hot middle-coast summer. Due to wind and water other end of the line I’d have two guys landing a pair conditions I didn’t get to make as many trips to of nice slot-fish. the surf as I normally do, but this has hardly been a Just so you know; I am not complaining—I just normal year in many aspects. The trips we did make found it odd to be catching redfish from a school that had a little different kick to them—being repeatedly included such size variations. forced to leave good fish to The reason for me mentioning David Denbow and Shane find “other” fish. Sounds crazy this is because you will see more Watts team up to hoist a but on nearly all my 2014 surf of my 24’ Shallow Sport heading bruiser of a redfish. runs, no sooner than we’d get out the pass in October and into a good trout bite, redfish November, hoping to cash in would move in and completely on more beach and nearshore take over. I don’t know action. Through the latter part whether they were running of August and thus far into the trout off or feeding more September I have spent more aggressively than the trout. days chasing the silver kings and So there we’d be, catching bull reds than I can remember in solid trout and “BOOM” my 28 years of guiding. somebody would hook up Fishing the beachfront this with a line stripper. And these time of year will give you many were not your average schools opportunities. You can work of reds—one guy would be the birds with topwaters and reeling in an 18-incher while catch just about every species the angler next to him was you could ever want—Spanish

mackerel, trout, ladyfish, bluefish, even sharks. You’ll need to rig with a short piece of wire leader—unless you enjoy donating lures to toothy critters. The water gets a little bluer and a lot clearer this time of year, and as it cools down the snapper and other offshore species come well within small craft range.

Speaking of my 24’ Shallow Sport, I am in my third one from Coastline Marine up in Seabrook and I can honestly say I have zero complaints with the boats or the service. This hull does everything they say it will—and then some. Having said this though, I am going to make a switch for 2015. I will be sticking with Shallow Sport but I have decided to give the X3 a try.

The reason for switching is to step up a bit larger—something to Did I mention the reds were running big in the surf this year?

run big bay and nearshore chop a bit handier. I understand it will draft a couple inches deeper but I’m hoping the softer ride will open other doors. Baffin this winter…a better tarpon and nearshore snapper boat…who knows?

I will be getting with Cole and Chad Starr at Coastline Marine and Coastline Aluminum to work out aluminum fabrication and rigging ideas and I will be sure to include photos when we get it all together.

I will still be set up for flats wading but with a few more aces up my sleeve. I am getting all giddy thinking about it.

October is when San Antonio Bay really starts to shine. As the fronts get stronger and more frequent the shrimp just pour out of the Guadalupe Delta country. As successive northers drop the tide levels, we’ll see increased bird activity over frenzies of trout and reds gobbling shrimp.

As far as lure selection goes, you can pretty much throw whatever you like. Topwaters such as She Dogs and She Pups are usually tied to my Waterloo HP Lite when all this is going on but aggressive gulls will attack them recklessly some days. A switch to sub-surface plugs or soft plastic is often necessary to avoid them.

If you haven’t tried Bass Assassin’s 5-inch Vapor Shad; October would be a great time. This bait has been a solid producer for me in many situations and locations when the fish are feeding on shrimp— ship channel spoils, ICW drop-offs and mid-bay reefs. I have been stuck on the color they call Green Moon for some time now. I know I said I have been stuck on this color but honestly I feel any natural color will work as the fish can be pretty easy to fool during a frenzy-feed.

Fish hard, fish smart!

TSFMAG.com | 85

DaVID RoWsEY

hooKED uP WIth Rowsey I must say; it feels like the never-ending summer with heat index numbers that refuse to get under the 100⁰ mark. Hopefully October is going to grant us cooler weather—I am definitely ready for it.

October has always been hit or miss for us down Upper south in the coastal bend. In fact, both October and Laguna/ November can be a puzzle, even for the guys that are on Baffin the water every day. Saying that, it is still Baffin—and that means you always have a chance. I will certainly be in the water trying for the best available, but will also be spending lots of time slinging arrows and savoring the aroma of gun powder residue. Life is good.

David Rowsey has 20 years As my charter books start filling up from December experience in the Laguna/Baffin region; trophy trout with artificial through June of ‘15, I use this slow time to get lures is his specialty. David has a prepared for the upcoming fishing season. The great passion for conservation phone calls, text messages and emails are enough and encourages catch and of an incentive to get me motivated and ready for release of trophy fish. the beginning of my busiest time of the year. If you are a grinder in pursuit of giant winter/spring trout, Telephone 361-960-0340 I would advise you to do the same. You never know website when a buddy or favorite fishing guide is going to www.DavidRowsey.com call and say, “It’s on!”

Email In all seriousness, this is the time of the year when david.rowsey@yahoo.com I start pulling it all together for cooler weather

86 | October 2014

fishing. Everything from waders, tackle, rods, reels, boats, motors, etc., will be gone-through with a fine tooth comb to hopefully prevent the unexpected, and be prepared for those moments of triumph over Mother Nature.

As the first cool fronts settle in and water temperatures begin dropping, this will not be the time to find out that your old one-ply waders from last year…somehow got a hole in ‘em, or that last year’s badly-coiled mono…should have probably been switched out. I just hate hearing…I haven’t used ‘em since last spring; no idea why the handle won’t turn.

I hear these kind of statements on a daily basis from rookies, and occasionally even the seasoned crowd.

You can bet that by the second trip they have it all figured out, as they only want to be paying me as their guide not an expensive on-the-water reel repairman.

If you will take the time before you jump on the boat for the first cool weather trip of the season, you can spend more time fishing and less time watching your well-organized buddy catch fish. Quick checklist: Reels cleaned, new line, re-hook old lures or buy new, check waders for leaks, rework corroded zippers on tackle bags, boots, etc., organize your layering system.

Luke Molak with a BIG late-summer flounder. (Bass Assassin paddletail plastic.)

High tides have moved in from the influence of a couple small tropical systems in the gulf. Any new water we get into this landlocked system is a blessing in the long run. Fall equinox tides will also give us another push of gulf water in the coming weeks. This is all great news for the bay system, and for us as fishermen.

The higher water is pushing me with clients closer to the shorelines in pursuit of areas that have had almost no water on them. Deep potholes has been the norm of late; however, that pattern is changing rapidly, and will continue throughout the fall. We will be spending more time on the King Ranch Shoreline and the flats that make up the southern shoreline of Baffin. Both of these areas are heavily laden with a ton of structure, most being in the form of sand, grass, and potholes. Slight deviations on the bay bottom, say a 6- to 12 inch drop (anywhere along these flats), will always receive some heavy focus and lots of casting effort.

Overall, the topwater bite has been very slow. I look for that to change as we receive our first couple of cold snaps. For whatever reason, I like the original MirrOlure Top Dog up on these flooded flats.

The rattle is more of a “thud” sound versus the higher-pitched rattle of the rest of the Dog series. Maybe it’s just a confidence thing, but that older model lure still produces for me, big time.

If topwater plugging is not your game, I would have a 5” Bass Assassin rigged on a 1/16 ounce jighead. I prefer the Pro Elite series by Bass Assassin. It is just a deadly little hook and a small amount of lead.

I have never found any other jig that can dance through the grass like this one—without getting continually snagged up.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt. David Rowsey

TSFMAG.com | 87

CaPt. tRICIa

tRICIa’s Mansfield Report October is one of the most anxiously awaited months of the year. Calm winds, cool mornings, bull tides, and herds of mullet invading the shallows are exciting to say the least. And, if we have a repeat of last year—get ready and hang on!

Water levels are already rising and mid-to-upper slot Port redfish have been fairly predictable. We have been quick Mansfield to take advantage, and aside from the sight-casting, a strong topwater bite has been happening quite regularly as the wind picks up mid-morning. On a few of these trips smaller plugs were totally inhaled and larger ones Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water were often stuck crosswise in their mouths. Good stuff.

Adventures operates out of I am still a big fan of full-size Skitter Walks, but October Port Mansfield, specializing in last year was amazing with Heddon’s One-Knockers and wadefishing with artificial lures. junior-sized Spooks. Barring Mother Nature throwing us a bunch of wicked curves I am hoping to see a repeat.

While the action we are currently enjoying is certainly Telephone 956-642-7298 welcome I have yet to see the huge rafts of mullet Email forming up and this is a concern. I am optimistic it will shell@granderiver.net occur soon—seems everything is running a bit late this website www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com year. Toward the end of the migration we expect to see the baitfish beginning to stage in winter haunts. We do not have nearly as many marsh drains as the upper coast but the bay floor has contours and other structure;

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Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation: 1) Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine 2)ISSN 1935-9586 3) Filing Date 10/1/14. 4) Issue Frequency: Monthly. 5) No. of Issues published annually: 12. 6) Annual Subscription price $25.00 7) Complete Mailing Address of Office of Publication, 58 Fisherman’s Ln, Seadrift, TX 77983. Contact Person: Pam Johnson. Telephone 361-785-3420. 8) Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters: PO Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983-0429. 9) Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, PO Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983-0429. 10) Owners: Pam and Everett Johnson, PO Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983-0429. 11) Known Bondholders, Mortgagee, None. 12) Tax status has not changed during preceding 12 months. 13) Publication Title: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine 14) Issue date for circulation data below: July 2014. 15) Extent and nature of Circulation: General Publication a) average no Copies preceding 12 months: 24,142; no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date 23,800. b1) Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions: avg. preceding 12 mo., 6,339; single issue nearest filing: 5,806 b3) Paid distribution outside the mail including sales dealers and carriers Avg. preceding 12 mo’s 12,246, single issue nearest filing: 11,563 b4) Paid distribution by other classes of mail Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 75, single issue nearest filing: 62. c) Total paid distribution-Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 19,879, single issue nearest filing: 18,589. d1) Free or nominal rate outside county Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 1,205, single issue nearest filing: 1,101 d4) Free or Nominal rate distribution outside of the mail Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 176, single issue nearest filing: 158. e) Total free or nominal rate distribution Avg. preceding 12 mo’s :1,381 single issue nearest filing: 1,259. e) Total distribution Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 21,260 single issue nearest filing: 19,848. g) Copies not distributed: Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 2,743 single issue nearest filing: 3,862. h) Total Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 24,003, single issue nearest filing: 23,710. i) percent paid Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 94%, single issue nearest filing: 94% . 16) Publication of statement of ownership: If the publication is a general publication, publication of this statement is required. Will be printed in the October 2014 issue of this publication. Signature and title of Editor, publisher, business manager or owner Pamela K. Johnson - date 8/22/14

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manmade and natural cuts to deeper water, channel spoils, etc. These are the places you will want to target later in the month.

The trout are still numerous and lots of fun but I have opted to play mostly with the reds in the shallows, for now. A few very nice trout are still being seen and caught in the shallows, but that will probably change when the baitfish raft up.

Barry landed a 26-inch trout on a topwater and moments later broke out his fly rod and made a perfect sight-cast to this redfish. That’s hard to beat!

Worthy of mention is the abundance of stingrays. In fact, if you are not seeing them you are probably not where you need to be. I know most of you already get this but some are still hardheaded regarding stingray protection. If you are not already on board—wearing stingray protection is a total no-brainer.

The crowds have already slimmed down and the high water level should be at its peak by the end of the month. Larger redfish schools should increase and both reds and trout should feed aggressively in the cooler water temps. Traditionally, October has been a good “get bit” month. Many fishermen know this and naturally there will be a lot of tournaments going on this month. Weekday fishing is greatly advised if your schedule will allow it.

When the baitfish have moved up shallow you can bet there will be scattered groups of big fish staged nearby. Drifters will do okay, but in many of these shallow and sensitive places, too many boaters running back to repeat shallow drifts can turn them shy. Not to mention that shallow takeoffs can dig up precious new sea grass each time they have to wallow out a hole, spinning to get the boat up. Drifters should also be mindful to avoid encroaching on waders in the area. Whether wading or drifting, the key is to move forward slowly (Power Pole down as necessary) and resist the temptation of casting directly into the middle of the largest bait concentrations. The fringes will give you more bites and you will not spook the bait. When bait spooks predators spook as well!

As much as we can’t resist the urge to throw topwaters looking for better fish, dropping down with a soft plastic on a light jig should never be overlooked and this is quite often how we fool the better ones. I have had lots of folks who simply will not switch, even when I’m out-fishing them right at their side. I love topwaters, and even when they refuse to eat them I might continue throwing it simply because the swirls and blowups tell me where they and the mood they’re in. When learned though, we must decide if we want blowups or hookups.

We are entering into a month of change, and saying that, I personally will be experiencing some big change too. My longtime partner has to give up some time on the water for a while, and basically I have been on my own out there for a couple of years now. I have been and still am blessed to have colleagues such as Mike over the years, and hope he is not out of the water for very long. Another exciting change in my business is that I am now offering a meal and accommodation package.

Please call or email for rates and details. Come on down and get bit!

TSFMAG.com | 89

CaPt. ERnEst CIsnERos

south PaDRE Fishing Scene

A rr oyo C olorado t o Port I sabel

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

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

cell 956-266-6454 website www.tightlinescharters.com

90 | October 2014

I am happy to report that I have not been this excited about fishing in quite some time. Honestly—our fishing has been superb the last several weeks and it will only get better as the water temperature declines through the fall season. Many of our backbays are holding good numbers of redfish while the ICW drop-off and surrounding flats have been great places to catch a limit of trout. As a bonus, bigger trout are beginning to show here and there. Juvenile tarpon are being spotted and caught at the mouth of the Arroyo Colorado and the snook bite has finally turned on. Now if you add excellent water quality all throughout the Lower Laguna, you might begin to understand my excitement.

The last weeks of August gave us a long run of extremely low tides, and because low water levels concentrate fish, finding them and figuring their patterns was fairly easy. It was really just a matter of being there when they were feeding. Then during the first days of September we experienced a huge rise in water level and they scattered. So we’re back on the hunt, but the hunting is very good.

October is a month of change as summer fades and winter approaches. Days will be growing noticeably

shorter and we will begin seeing a few fronts coming down. The cooler air will cause enough of a change to make fish move from their late summer patterns and into their cool-weather, fall patterns. This time of the year Jason caught this nice trout on a “FloMingo” KWiggler.

mullet and pinfish become a major food source for game fish and the trout and redfish will follow those schools as they move around the bays.

A good place to start your October days is on the clear, shallow sandflats on the east shoreline, just as the sun is coming up. The reds will be there hustling tiny blue crabs, shrimp and baitfish; they’ve already been there for several weeks and we see them rooting and tailing when it is calm. Outgoing tides seem to produce best. When the sun is well up the mullet will head toward deeper grass beds and the reds will follow. The outgoing tide triggers a more definable pattern.

One of two big trout released for this angler.

Over on the west side, the rain that we have been receiving has all the small drains running and the adjacent flats are holding lots of reds and some trout. I will be targeting structure such as guts or other depressions near these drains in October as well as all the potholes in the area. By the indication of the number of redfish we have been seeing and catching, it looks like we are headed into a good winter season. Let me not fail to mention that the reds have been very aggressive on the surface, taking small to medium size topwaters very readily most days.

I mentioned in last month’s report that the big trout action was just getting started. We were seeing and catching big trout as though it was springtime, not the beginning of fall. Now perhaps you too have noticed that everything seems to be running very late this year.

The big trout action we usually experience in February through May just didn’t pan out, but as the summer wore on the big trout finally showed up and I am greatly relieved to see them. While we find smaller trout nearly everywhere we fish, this is almost never the case with the big ones. I have no clue where they have been all these months but the sprinkling of heavy trout we have been catching is, in my opinion, a very good sign for the months ahead.

I would like to take a commercial break and send out kudos to a great rod company who became a loyal sponsor of my fishing business earlier this year. Castaway Rods has just introduced the best rod I believe they have ever built. They call it the Nano Blade and I have been using it since July, right after it was announced at the ICAST show. I used it in Florida this past August and have continued using it on my jaunts on the Lower Laguna Madre. I like how it feels and the way it has performed. Look for a full review in my next month’s article. Finally, I would like to say that even if your fishing is slow this month, make sure you come out and enjoy some of the prettiest sunsets of the year. October is a great time to be on the water. Best fishing to you!

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TSFMAG.com | 91

FISHING REPORTS

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 October is one of our favorite months of the fishing season. With the first few fronts of the fall, shrimp and baitfish will come out of the marshes, starting up a long lasting buffet for the trout and redfish.

Many of the schools found roaming the lake will be mixed, both trout and reds. Birds will begin picking on the East Bank, in West Cove, and in Turner’s Bay. Fishing birds can be tricky at times, especially if they are hovering over nice trout in the sixteen to twenty inch range.. It takes anywhere from forty five minutes to two hours to catch a limit of trout under the right group of birds, therefore,you better know your surroundings and have a clue about what’s taking place under water. Almost all of the time, trout and reds move against the tide. If the fish are moving against the tide, smart anglers will too. This can be tough on your trolling motor, so use it sparingly. Keep the fish at the end of your cast so they don’t spook. As for lures, we stick to shrimp imitations like MirrOlure Lil’ Johns.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 James was right in the midst of a good run of nearshore fishing when we talked. “Winds have been calm and the Gulf waters flat the last few days. We’re getting a lot of bites from the silver kings, landing a few.

There are as many bull reds running up and down the beach as I’ve ever

92 | October 2014

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

seen. It’s been good. We’ll continue to have good fishing out there until we get the first strong front, usually toward the middle of October.

We’ll start fishing for trout more then. Right now, the trout fishing is pretty much the same as it’s been all summer. Most of the fish are out in the middle, around reefs, and they are easiest to locate when they are throwing slicks. Best lures for catching them are soft plastics, either rat tails or paddletails slow-rolled. Once we do get some cooler weather, the wading will improve, and we’ll be able to catch fish a bit better on lures like 51 and 52 MirrOlures, and the topwater action will pick up too.

We are likely to see an upturn in the number of bigger than average trout once the wading pattern kicks in better.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 We talked on a hot, still day, and Jim reported the teal hunting had been a bit slow. “It got calm today, and it was really hot, so it wasn’t that good, but we’ve got lots of birds, and by next month, we’ll have even more. Dove hunting has been more steady, and toward the end of September, we usually see a push of new birds from the north when some of the stronger fronts blow through. I’ll be dove hunting on the weekends, and fishing during the week. Fishing has been pretty easy, in terms of getting bites, but the quality of the fish has been a bit off.

That’s typical for September. Hot water and high tides make for some difficult fishing. We’ve still got lots of trout and reds around the reefs out in the middle, but the bays are full of sand trout and skip jacks and

other small fish too. Once we get some cooler weather, the tides will start moving out of the marshes, and we’ll catch some quality trout and reds up in the shallows in the back parts of the bays. It is set up well for a successful run.” west galveston - Bastrop - christmas - chocolate Bays randall groves - groves guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall reports excellent action on redfish lately in his area. “You’ve got to be willing to look for subtle signs and search for the fish. I was in the surf this morning. Made a long drive looking for signs of life, but didn’t really see anything. Not a jumping mullet, suspicious swirl, or anything. So, we didn’t fish it. On the other hand, once we were back in the bay, we saw a small mud stir out in the middle, and decided to fish it. Caught an upper-slot red on the first cast. Wound up slamming them, moving around and fishing similar mud streaks and tide rips.

The reds are deep right now, hanging out in areas with mostly a mud bottom. So, if you are going to catch them, you’ve got to be willing to think outside the box, and resist the temptation to run a list of spots.

Trout fishing is kinda slow right now, but should pick up once we get some significant cool fronts. We normally find birds working and easy catching in and around the area back lakes in October. All we need is some slightly cooler weather and a move in the tide to start it up.” matagorda | Tommy countz Bay guide Service - 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037 Tommy describes several potentially productive patterns he expects to be fishing in the Matagorda area in October. “In East Bay, we are hoping to have some working birds, of course. If we do get some shrimp moving out of the marsh, we’ll start seeing the flocks hovering and we’ll have some easy fishing. If the birds aren’t working, we’ll

either drift deep shell in the open bay or wade the south shoreline if it’s windier, the mid-bay reefs if it’s calmer. We like to start off with topwaters early, then switch to sinking twitch baits and soft plastics as the day wears on. In West Bay, we use the same basic plan for selecting lures. When fishing out of the boat over there, we will be keying on areas with deep shell, like the new 55acre patch. When wading, we like to fish tight to the shorelines, where there are small shell reefs. Flounder fishing around those little patch reefs can be really good this time of year. We also catch quite a few trout and reds around the same structures when targeting the flat fish.” palacios | capt. aaron wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Redfish have dominated our local bays during the past month.

Shorelines are brimming full of shrimp, and reds have been schooling like crazy. We have finally got some water back in the bays and some southeast winds and fish are doing what they are supposed to this time of year. Our reds have been good middle-slot fish ranging from twenty two to twenty six inches, best baits have been VuDu Shrimp in natural colors and Egret Bayou Chubs in opening night. Flounder have been mixed in with the schooling reds, and have been falling prey to the same baits. October ought to bring some bird activity to South and East Bays. The amount of shrimp in the bay this year is the best it’s been in quite some time, so we ought have a good year working birds. Heavy jigheads rigged with natural colored lures ought to do the trick to help you catch some trout. Night-fishing on local piers has been an added bonus as of late also; small VuDu shrimp in glow with chartreuse tails have produced plenty of small keeper trout.

TSFMAG.com | 93

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn spoke like a man who loves his work when he gave his report. “We’re already catching some really nice trout, up to 30 inches, using Super Spook juniors and throwing around sandy pockets in the grass beds on flats adjacent to deep water. This slow outgoing tide has really turned on a good bite. I expect the hot fishing to continue into October. I just love the fall. Standing on a flat and casting at feeding fish while pintails and teal whiz by overhead is as good as it gets, to me. We are blessed to have such opportunities.

Most likely, the fishing patterns will remain much the same during the early part of autumn. We’ll key on shallow stretches of water with a mix of sand and grass on the bottom and throw topwaters while they work, soft plastics and sinking twitch baits when the blow ups stop. I expect some really big trout to be caught in this area as the weather cools down even more. And, like I said, it will only become more and more fun to be on the water once the cool winds of fall bring a chill into the air.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake expects to be experiencing a variety of different activities in the great outdoors during October. “I am set up for some dove hunting in the Milo fields in the near future. As long as we don’t get any big rains, shooting should remain good and steady. I’ll also be getting ready for duck season during October. When fishing, I switch over to using artificials exclusively. Right now, we’ve got a high tide, and I’ve been fishing bays up north, keying on major mid-bay structures like reefs. Seems you need some fairly large structures to concentrate the fish when tides are high like this. As long as the weather stays pretty warm and the tides are high, I don’t expect much to change in the

Fantastic Fishing

Check out what Rockport-Fulton has to offer. www.rockport-fulton.org @ visitrockportfulton Photography by Phil Stranahan

94 | October 2014

fishing patterns. October is normally a good month for fishing with topwaters, and of course, I will use them as long as they are working.

Of course, I will still be ready to switch over to Norton Sand Eels in dark colors with chartreuse tails, and I’ll throw the limetreuse Gulp! jerk shads rigged on eighth ounce jigheads too.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 For October, the weather might be cooling off a bit but not the fishing.

The water temperatures will likely be cooling off some, but not enough to send the fish into deeper water. Actually, the trout will be going up into shallow water and lingering there for longer periods of time than in the last few months. Even though trout will spawn all summer long, I think they spawn with greater intensity in October. Many of the trout caught by my clients are already showing signs of preparing for the spawn, as many are already carrying loaded egg sacks. The trout will also feed more aggressively as they start to get ready for the winter.

My favorite way to catch the bigger trout is with topwaters because of the explosion that occurs on the surface of the water when they strike. Use your favorite topwater; mine is a bone MirrOlure SheDog. I also love a #CHBL colored Catch 5 suspending lure. Free-lined piggy perch should also be high on the menu for the spawning trout, and the redfish will not turn them down either.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 Joe plans to continue doing things mostly the same way next month as he has been lately. “Fishing for redfish has been good lately. I’ve been staying fairly close to the JFK, between there and the Yellow House, and the redfish have been pretty thick. On the calmer days, it is pretty easy to see the schools making wakes. Once we locate them that way, it becomes somewhat easy to see them and stay with them. We are having best luck catching them by throwing shrimp

tails and other soft plastics like Kelley Wiggler paddle tails. That’s a pretty standard deal with the redfish, which are normally easiest to catch on lures like those. If it is windier, and we can’t see the schools as easily and can’t see into the water as good, we are just pulling long drifts through the areas where we’ve been locating the fish, and fishing until we find them. The water is in good shape in the area right now, because we recently had a strong push of incoming tide, which brought the clean ocean water in through the Packery Channel.” padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 October offers some of the highest quality fishing of the year from the PINS beaches. As usual, fishing success will be highly weather dependent and the key to a successful trip is to go in the lull in between cold fronts. The surf will be alive with finger mullet and the various predators they attract. Large numbers of slot and oversized redfish, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, sharks and numerous other species will be at their peak numbers of the year within the surf zone. Fishing under actively feeding birds and also in areas holding large shoals of finger mullet should yield plenty of action to stretch your string. Tarpon and various shark species will be present and available on baits cast from the beach as well as kayaked. Bottom fishermen will find Florida pompano and whiting more than happy to eat dead shrimp and Fishbites while lure fishermen are enjoying a wide array of game fish. Beware of northeast and east winds which push the water level high on the beach; it’s best to plan your travel during low tide periods. port mansfield | ruben garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 getaway adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 School is in session and dove season is underway, lots of folks are working on their deer camps. This means the boat traffic is much

lighter. With the reduction in boat traffic the fish are not scattered as in summer. Look for schools of redfish on the sand flats, most will be headed toward the East Cut. Bull reds will be plentiful around the jetties and the schools will be noticeable. While you’re there keep an eye out for rolling tarpon. Hook one of them babies and you’ll be hooked for life on the silver king! The CCA Reef has been producing excellent snapper with occasional grouper and ling. Bay fishing is almost insane right now. The topwater bite has really taken off. The wind has been light enough to fish the west shoreline the way I like to fish it. I had a client release a 30” speck recently on a bone One Knocker. You may have to sift through a lot of dinks, but we are getting some really nice ones. Stick with it and you can get a limit, maybe a big girl.

Lower Laguna madre - South padre - port Isabel janie and Fred petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 Summer is over, and we’re looking forward to cooler weather and higher tides. At the time of this writing, we’re experiencing the results of tropical storm Dolly, which made landfall well south of us, but gave the bay a new look. The Lower Laguna Madre filled up and has a clear, turquoise tint, especially on the west side, but, heavy rain in Mexico could have adverse effects if flood water flows into the bay. Fishing has picked up in the redfish department, with limits and oversized on most trips when drifting in the dirtier water, and trout are remaining constant throwing Cajun Thunder corks trailing Berkley Gulp! Live three-inch shrimp where clarity is a problem and weedless gold spoons when clearer conditions allow. Freddy says, “Be flexible and enjoy drifting areas that have been super shallow all summer.

Changing lures is much easier than changing locations, so try different colors and alter leader length instead of running constantly.” Save sea grasses, help stop open bay dredge disposal!

TSFMAG.com | 95

Bob Wight St. Charles Bay - 27” 7+lb trout CPR

Bob Grantland SPI - 34” red CPR

Robby Jan Seadrift - 26” sheepshead

Ralph Alvizo Port Aransas - 41” redfish 96 | October 2014

Lisa Hahn Galveston - 25” redfish

Freddie Sanchez 41.5” 40lb black drum

Daniel Stout Kemah - 48” 40lb black drum

Tom Chrobocinski Bob Hall Pier - 45” red

Alberto Lopez South Bay - 27” 9lb first flounder!

Robert Mossman Port Mansfield - 38” black drum

Jeff White Scotts Bay - 24.5” trout

Robert Huron POC - jack

Ray Vigil 42” 45lb black drum

Morgan Pate East Matagorda - 28” trout

John Butina Laguna - 29.5” first black drum! CPR

Gillion Caranchua Bay - black drum

Sue Geraldi Rollover Pass - 30” redfish

Daniel Guillette Baffin Bay - 32” 10lb trout

Manuel Gonzalez Seadrift - 44” 60lb black drum

Andrea Hazley Copano Bay - 19” trout

Cassie Willis West Bay - flounder

Wyatt Foster – 2nd place for the STARteens Division for Speckled Trout!

Allen Hill Matagorda - 26” 7lb trout CPR

James Trujillo Lorie Kraus Rockport - first flounder! Mansfield - first kayak trout!

Please do not write on the back of photos.

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

Matt Rapp Baffin Bay - 33” redfish

Paige Thomsen Trinity Bay - personal best trout!

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

Pam Johnson

Gulf Coast Kitchen

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

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

Roasted ShrimpwithEnchiladas Jalapeño Cream Sauce • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste) • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 small onion, diced • 2 cups shredded green cabbage • 1 carrot, peeled and grated • 3 cups baby spinach • 2 tablespoons chopped chipotle pepper, in adobo sauce • 1/4 teaspoon oregano • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper • 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed • 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese

Jalapeño Cream Sauce • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter • 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth • 3/4 cup sour cream • 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 98 | October 2014

• Preheat oven to 400⁰F. • Mix shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and spread on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place in oven and roast; just until pink, firm and cooked through.

Remove from oven and cool, then dice to bite-size pieces.

• Reduce oven temperature to 375⁰F. • Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in large skillet, sauté onion and garlic several minutes, then add cabbage, carrot, spinach, chipotle pepper, oregano and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach just begins to wilt, about 1-2 minutes. Add shrimp and combine.

• To make the sauce, melt butter in a large saucepan and continue to heat while whisking in flour until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken stock and cook, whisking constantly until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Add jalapeños and garlic powder; simmer until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

• Fill tortillas with 1/3 cup of shrimp-veggie mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down in lightly-oiled 9x13 baking dish.

• Pour half the jalapeño cream sauce evenly over the top.

Place in oven and bake covered about 20 minutes, until lightly golden and bubbly.

• Serve immediately with remaining jalapeño cream sauce, garnished with cilantro.

TSFMAG.com | 99

...continued from page 71.

shape of the bill. Anhingas have pointed bills while cormorants have a hooked bill. Cormorants also typically have a yellow or orange color near the bill, while anhingas do not. Both are very graceful in flight, but an anhinga will flap its wings and soar, while a cormorant soars almost continuously.

As for telling apart the double-crested and the neotropic, during breeding season, the crests give it away. However, for the rest of the year, the double-crested is a bit bulkier with a longer, thicker bill than the neotropic, but size is difficult to judge in the field unless the two are sitting side-by-side. Double-cresteds have a larger gular area than neotropics. (The gular area is the colorful naked skin that surrounds the base of the bill.) Neotropics have a thin white border, or “lipstick,” at the base of the bill in the adults. In flight profiles, the neotropic has a long, wedge-shaped tail while the double-crested has a short, rounded tail. ***Be sure to note the differences because it is illegal to shoot, harass, trap, harm, or kill a neotropic cormorant or anhinga.*** (Double-crested cormorants can be taken, but only with a federal permit.)

Fun Fact: The cormorant served as a hood ornament for the Packard automobile brand. (Many people mistakenly believed it to be a swan.)

Science and the Sea

TM

Serious Sibling Rivalry Survival of the fittest has been a law of nature since the beginning of life, but sometimes that struggle begins earlier than we might think.

For baby sand tiger sharks, the fight literally begins even before they are born.

Where I learned about cormorants, and you can too!

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: The Texas Breeding Bird Atlas Double-crested: txtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/double-crested-cormorant/ Neotropic: xtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/neotropic-cormorant/ The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: All About Birds Double-crested: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/double-crested_cormorant/ lifehistory Neotropic: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Neotropic_Cormorant/lifehistory Audubon Double-crested Cormorant: birds.audubon.org/birds/double-crested-cormorant Neotropic Cormorant: birds.audubon.org/gbbc-photos/neotropic-cormorant-0 Animal Diversity Web: Phalacrocoracidae animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Phalacrocoracidae/ 10,000 Birds: What is a cormorant or a darter?

10000birds.com/cormorants-darters The Devil’s Cormorant: A Natural History

By Richard J. King Wildlife Research Team The Cormorant: The Devil Undisguised? www.wildlife-research-team.org/cormorantdevil.html Young People’s Trust for the Environment: Cormorant www.ypte.org.uk/animal/cormorant/65 –Field Guides for Distinguishing between Species– Texas Parks & Wildlife Department www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_lf_w7000_1159.pdf RICE University www.ruf.rice.edu/~ctlee/Cormorant.pdf Suite101 suite101.com/a/differences-and-similarities-between-an-anhinga-and-acormorant-a245175 Plos One www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0000639

100 | October 2014

Sand tiger sharks are predators even before they are born.

Credit: Tara Haelle, www.tarahaelle.com The female sand tiger has two wombs, but she does not have litters twice as large as other sharks. In fact, she only gives birth to two particularly strong, feisty pups. Newborn sand tiger sharks have keen eyesight and sharp teeth that have already tasted the blood of their siblings – or half siblings.

Their mother, like all female sand tiger sharks, mates with multiple males, all of whom fertilize eggs that end up in one uterus or the other.

The baby sharks hatch from those eggs while still in the womb, but only the first hatchling is likely to make it out alive. The first shark embryo in each uterus to break out of its egg cannibalizes the barely younger brothers and sisters who share the womb. These protein-rich meals help the hatchling grow so rapidly that it it’s more than three feet long when it’s born – and therefore not an easy meal for predators.

In a study led by Demian Chapman at Stony Brook University in New York, researchers discovered that the two birth victors are often only half-siblings, and the rest of the males who mated with the female lose out entirely on passing along their genes. While this intense sibling rivalry sounds vicious, it ensures that baby sand tigers have a fin up on other sharks from day one and are more likely to survive to adulthood.

The University of Texas

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

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TSFMAG.com | 101

CHRIS MAPP

B O AT MA I N T E N A N C E T I P S

Things to Know About

Hydraulic Steering

Chris Mapp, owner Coastal Bend Marine.

Yamaha, Evinrude, Suzuki, Mercury, Honda, BlueWave, SilverWave, Haynie, El Pescador Service, Parts and Sales.

102 | October 2014

Hydraulic steering has many advantages over cable steering but not totally without problems. Let’s say you notice oil dripping from the steering helm, or maybe the steering cylinder. The consequences of low fluid levels can be serious—like loss of steering while underway!

When a leak causes the fluid level to fall below the safe-operating minimum, the hydraulic pump can force air into the system. Common symptoms include need for greater steering effort, or maybe the boat will not steer when you turn the wheel.

Sometimes you feel a slight thumping when you turn the wheel. This is the pump cavitating—picking up air instead of fluid.

Hydraulic steering has four major components; the helm (includes pump and fluid reservoir on most systems), hoses to transport fluid to the steering cylinder, the cylinder itself, and of course the fluid.

Leaks can develop in all of them. The basis of any hydraulic system is that a fluid cannot be compressed. However, air can be. Air in the system can be a real problem.

So—you have air in the system—how do you refill the reservoir and bleed the air out?

SeaStar and UFlex are the most popular systems and the fill port is located at the top of the helm.

I recommend the following

procedure because it fills the reservoir and bleeds air in a single operation.

Quart bottles of fluid have a filling tube with a screw fitting at the end, smaller tube-type containers have threads on the nozzle. In either case, remove the filler cap and screw the nozzle into the threads. With quart-size bottles, invert and hold the bottle above the reservoir and allow the tube to fill by gravity.

Smaller containers are screwed-in, container upsidedown. Begin turning the steering wheel slowly, full right to full left, several times until the steering becomes synchronous to wheel movement—you will see bubbles rising in the tube on larger bottle.

Remove the filler nozzle and dip the edge of a clean towel into the port to pull out excess fluid—until all the threads are visible. Replace filler cap. Wrapping a towel around the helm and placing another on the deck below it catches drips. Zip the applicator with container of fluid and towel in a gallon plastic bag and store on the boat for future use.

Fix the leak when time allows but always be prepared to add fluid as needed until repairs are made.

Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine Port O’Connor TX coastalbendmarine.com 361.983.4841

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TSFMAG.com | 103

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

w w w. t e x a s s a l t w a t e r f i s h i n g m a g a z i n e . c o m