October 2015

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about the Cover October is one of the finest fishing months for Texas saltwater anglers. Everything is in play—bays, beaches, flats, nearshore and offshore Gulf of Mexico—for every type and style of fishing. Don’t miss it!

Scott Sommerlatte Photo

October 2015 VOL 25 NO 6

Contents

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 Lagniappe 16 Picking the Correct Keys 22 Flounder Gigs, Hot Lanterns, and Tommy 26 Evolution of Tournament Ethics 30 Glory Days 36 Glad Tidings

42 Let’s Ask The Pro Jay Watkins 46 Shallow Water Fishing Scott Null 50 TPWD Field Notes David Norris 54 Fly Fishing Scott Sommerlatte 56 Kayak Fishing Chronicles Dave Roberts 58 TSFMag Conservation News CCA Texas 62 Fishy Facts Stephanie Boyd 66 Inshore | Nearshore | Jetties | Passes Curtiss Cash 70 Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

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

Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard Joe Doggett

66

10

WHAT OUR GUIDES

HAVE TO SAy

76 78 80 82 84 86 88

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

Dickie Colburn Caleb Harp Bink Grimes Gary Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros

REGULARS

80

08 Editorial 74 New Tackle & Gear 90 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 94 Catch of the Month 98 Gulf Coast Kitchen

98 6 | October 2015

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Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded. how to contact tsfmag: Phone: 361-785-3420 fax: 361-785-2844 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 was 63⁰ when I began this morning’s stretching exercises. The coolness was so refreshing I added a half mile to my normal two-mile jog.

Teal season opened Saturday. We love family waterfowling—kids, grandkids, friends and black dogs all crammed in one big blind. We enjoyed great shoots and nine-year-old Shelby Kay earned rite of waterfowling passage with her first blue-wings. Saturday supper was chicken-fried teal, Duck Dynasty style, the whole clan ‘round the table.

I strongly believe that getting kids involved in hunting and fishing is more important today than ever.

October’s promise of better fishing is almost impossible to imagine as September has been nearly unbelievable. Trout, redfish and flounder are in good supply all along the coast. Surf and nearshore action is reportedly also on fire although my crew has yet to make it past the jetties. Bay fishing has been that good.

This is definitely the season for the hardiest of outdoors-folk as there’s virtually no end to the fun. Two weeks of early-teal remain and South Zone Dove opens Friday. Deciding whether to fish the flats at dawn or set a spread for teal is a tough call but, toward afternoon when doves fly to feed, grabbing a shotgun is a no-brainer. If you’re not worn out come sunset you can always pick up a gig and lantern.

Monday morning drowsiness usually results—caution is advised.

I mentioned nearshore fishing being on fire and with that I would like to draw your attention to John Blaha’s article on page 58.

8 | October 2015

Autumn Bounty & CCA-Texas Reefing For a long time oil and gas platforms have supplied much of the productive fishing structure that can be accessed by small-boaters from Texas ports. However, following Deepwater Horizon, our government has greatly increased enforcement of its “Idle Iron” policy.

Idle iron is the name given offshore platforms no longer producing oil or gas. Thus, an idle rig is removed, no matter how irreplaceable the structure may be to the surrounding fishery.

Working with Texas Parks and Wildlife and other partnering agencies and organizations, CCA Texas is embarked on a program of artificial reef creation through its Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow initiative to replace the vital habitat and fishing structure that will be lost as rigs are removed.

Projects of this magnitude were impossible to imagine twenty years ago, but with growth in CCA Texas’s organizational strength and influence, they are becoming reality. CCA is a grassroots organization and we, the members, are the source of that strength and influence.

John’s article recaps the milestones of CCA’s reefing efforts and more can be learned on their website. If handing down better fishing to future generations is our goal, we need to become more involved in this process.

If you are not already a member, I heartily encourage you join CCA Texas today. Inviting non-member friends to attend a local fundraiser banquet is a great way to get them involved, too.

STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

Some guys are already back at the dock, but why would anyone want to miss this?

S

unrises on the eastern horizon are a sight to behold. The early morning musty smell of the marsh brings me back to my duck hunting days. A small group of teal buzzing overhead kind of sets the tone on a fall morning as we’re wading a secluded shoreline. Roseate spoonbills delicately wading along the marsh’s edge sweeping their spatula-shaped beaks side to side are pretty cool to watch. Sometimes the adventure starts before the first cast is ever made. Fishing is fun and catching is even better, but as my Cajun friends would say, everything that happens in between is lagniappe (pronounced lan-yap). Lagniappe is something extra; a bit of a bonus, if you will.

“Hey guys, let’s hurry and get your limits so we can head back to the dock!”

These words have never come from my mouth and I assure you they never will. To me, fishing is about soaking up everything that God has blessed us with. I have no problem with guys demanding to catch their limits then immediately wanting to head for the dock, so long as they’re not on my boat. To each his own I guess. Other guides jab at me (jokingly) for being the last boat in most of the time. Sometimes I tell them that we had our limits of trout early then went searching for big trout or schools of redfish. Or, we may have just caught and released more trout so everyone could experience the thrill of the fight.

Sometimes I just smile and say nothing.

On a recent trip one of my clients was struggling with the catching part because he was using a rod that wasn’t quite sensitive enough to feel the subtle trout bite that day. The guy standing beside him handed him the Waterloo HP Lite he was using and he started hooking up immediately. We ended up staying a little longer so he could partake in the fun. Needless to say, he is now the proud owner of a brand new Waterloo.

My reasons for stretching out a trip are many and I believe they’re all good. I love to eat trout as much as anyone, but we don’t do it for the food. If that were the case I would schedule all my trips at noon and we could just eat lunch at Topwater Grill and go home. To me, it’s about gaining a well-rounded experience and making the most of a day on the water. In addition, some folks only get to fish once or twice a year, so two hours of fishing would be cheating them. Having an appreciation for our fishery and learning how to trick trout is what fishing is all about in my mind.

There are periods when the trout aren’t cooperative for any number of reasons and the first few hours may TSFMAG.com | 11

be spent covering different areas of the bay looking for signs. Some pretty neat things can be observed along the way. A father and his young son were fishing with me several years ago on a morning when the bite was kind of slow. Drifting long stretches of shoreline in an area where I’d had recent success was the only thing I knew to do. I could tell that the youngster was teetering on the edge of boredom when he yelled “Daddy, I’ve got a huge fish!” Initially, I thought it was a jack crevalle. Then I just knew it was a giant black drum. About 10 minutes into the fight I was convinced it was a stingray. That poor little boy’s arms were about to fall off by the time he landed one of the biggest sea turtles I’ve ever seen! I never knew that limetreuse Bass Assassins were part of a sea turtle’s diet. For the record, the turtle swam away unharmed, probably wondering what in the world just happened to him.

On a brisk winter morning I was wading with three clients in Trinity Bay when a group of about 30 wild pigs walked into the water less than 100 yards away. There was a big trout tourney the following weekend. I remember joking with my tournament partner back then telling him that there were a lot of pigs on the north shoreline of Trinity. He was excited to hear the news until I gave him a clearer definition of pigs. Another time there was a bobcat walking along the

(left) Tom and his son, Brad, waited a long time for the tide and wind to afford them the opportunity to trick reds, but when it got right they made the most of it! (Photo by Robby Ferguson)

(above) Eric Onishi surely didn’t expect this. The epitome of lagniappe!

(below left) Oscar and Hector with some bonus flounder after a great day of trout fishing!

shoreline while we were wading. I had David Couch of Chupacabra Outdoors with me that morning and he tried to convince everyone that it was a chupacabra. He later put the blurry photo on his website (thechupacabraoutdoors.com) to silence all the naysayers. After all, once it’s on the internet it’s true, right?

Then there was the time I got into the boat after a long morning wade and trolled over to pick up my two customers. As I was getting close to them I strongly advised them to hurry into my boat. “What’s the hurry?“ they asked. Once they were in the fiberglass I pointed to the 5 foot rattlesnake that also wanted to get in the boat. Maybe not the kind of lagniappe we’re looking for—exciting none-the-less.

There aren’t many things more exhilarating than attempting to net a trout on a calm and peaceful morning than having an 8-foot bull shark do its best impression of Jaws at the side of the boat.

It’s like an atomic bomb exploding. By the way, we’ve seen tons of sharks this year. Their numbers seem to be increasing every year. They’re somewhat of nuisance at times, but exciting to watch, especially for kids.

From sea turtles, sharks, bottlenose dolphins, rattlesnakes to waterspouts—the adventure never ends. And let’s not forget about our topwaters getting blown two feet out of the water on 12 | October 2015

a big trout’s first swipe, then finally hooking up on the third or fourth explosion. The bonus is when she gives you two or three good tarpon jumps before coming to hand. It’s all part of the show.

Sometimes the fishing has little to do with fishing. A young man from Idaho booked a two-day fly fishing trip with me in March of 2006 and brought his father. I had never done much saltwater fly fishing so I leaned on a couple of experts for some direction. I spent some time with the late Chris Phillips up at Fishing Tackle Unlimited and made a call or two to Scott Sommerlatte. The information I gained from them was more than enough to increase our chances for success.

Day one was spent wading coves in West Bay amidst typical stiff March winds. The bite was tough on flies, but the trout and reds were cooperative (for me) on conventional tackle. Kurt and his dad kept their distance from me despite me waving them in my direction. They caught a few undersized trout on seaducers, clouser minnows and spoon flies. They seemed to be happy despite not catching a bunch of fish. The wind gave us a break on the second day and the fishing was much better. Once again, however, they wouldn’t wade over when I was on fish. They caught some, but I was a bit perplexed and maybe even a little disappointed that they pretty much hung out away from me in their own little world.

I pulled up to the dock at Teakwood Marina and Kurt’s father was a little tired so he headed for the truck. Kurt handed me my check and said, “Captain Steve, I know that me and my dad could’ve caught more fish had we spent more time by your side or used conventional gear, but you need to know something. My “Hey Captain Steve, this wasn’t dad has terminal cancer and the doctors give him only a in the brochure!” couple of months to live. He started taking me fly fishing when I was a little boy and those memories are the ones I cherish the most. We got to relive some of those memories the past two days and I thank you. This may be the last time I get to fish with my dad.”

As Kurt walked towards his truck tears flowed from my eyes. I drove home thinking about how blessed I was. Theodor Seuss Geisel, known by most as Dr. Seuss, once said, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” You see, the fishing part is fun, but everything that happens during the process can change your life. I know it has mine.

David, James and Karen could’ve gone in by 8 AM with their limits of trout, but they would’ve missed some unbelievable open-water redfish action!

Kurt’s flounder on a fly was nice, but the time him and his father spent together was priceless.

Contact

Steve Hillman

14 | October 2015

Steve Hillman is a full-time fishing guide on his home waters of Galveston Bay. Steve fishes the entire Galveston Bay Complex, wading and drifting for trout, redfish, and flounder using artificial lures.

Phone 409-256-7937 Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com Web www.hillmanguideservice.com

STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

S

ome anglers have no interest in targeting a particular kind of fish. They’d rather just head out to the water, look for a comfortable and/or fishy-looking spot, toss some bait out and wait to see what bites. Such a plan proves fine for their purposes, but people targeting one species will find a more cerebral approach useful, particularly when they deploy artificial lures instead of live or natural baits.

When making an angling effort which targets a particular species, identifying the most important key or keys to success proves critical. Depending on the type of fish sought and the location of the event, the correct keys vary greatly. Some of the keys relate most closely to a search, while others involve aspects of the angling method.

First, one should always consider the biology and habits of the species when trying to figure out which key behavior facilitates the best chance of more catching. In all cases, the angler must locate members of the desired species in order to catch fish. One might realistically expect to locate schools of hundreds or even thousands of specimens of some kinds of fish, while finding just one or a few members of other species can prove difficult.

Catching pelagic fish generally involves recognition of important keys related to searching for them. Those hoping to hook and land species like mahi-mahi or king mackerel can reasonably expect to encounter large numbers of them. In fact, locating prolific schools might prove the only way to catch some. Conversely, people in search of black marlin, swordfish or bluefin tuna cannot really hope to find or catch so many. Generating a realistic expectation with regard to how many fish one can expect to locate and catch increases the chances for identifying the most important key.

Taking mahi-mahi as the target species, one would certainly realize catching plenty of them requires finding a place in the open ocean where a significant number of the brightly colored, fast-moving predators swim close together. Mahi-mahi prey on smaller marine organisms, and generally seek out their meals near or directly under floating mats of vegetation or other objects. Consequently, cruising around on the open ocean in search of weed lines and/or other floating stuff generally constitutes the first critical key to catching.

18 | October 2015

Contemplating aspects of the physical act (method) of catching the fish proves futile, until one locates a place where fish likely congregate.

Of course, one might also find a marlin or other billfish in a similar place, but many times, locating these prized species involves covering lots of water somewhat more aimlessly, by trolling.

Certainly, dragging a spread of lures through some areas will result in more strikes than doing the same thing in other places. Deploying a fancy spread and beginning the trolling session at the end of the jetties makes no sense; one must identify and access an area likely to hold fish before the physical application issues come into play.

Using data about the surface temperatures of the water or visually recognizing color changes or signs of feeding activity can narrow the search. Whether targeting billfish or mahi-mahi, understanding the first critical key to locating the fish pre-determines the success rate of the efforts that follow.

Somewhat predictably, the critical keys change from season to season, day to day, even moment to moment. Certainly, once one locates an area holding enough members of the desired target-species, a A cold front bearing down on the paradigm shift occurs with water can cause trophy trout to feed regard to identifying the actively for a short time. Astute anglers “next” correct key(s). The focus adjust their angling strategies to take advantage of these brief frenzies. shifts from search to method, essentially.

The savvy angler who recognizes this truth will again attempt to whittle down all the possibilities and focus on the specific aspects of strategy which will most likely generate a positive outcome. Doing so involves correctly evaluating the evolving levels of importance of the specific elements of the method deployed in attempt to hook and land the fish, everything from depth of the effort to lure selection and presentation style.

The entire process remains fluid; changes aren’t permanent, but continual change is. Specific strategies and methods which work for a while will eventually become less effective, so the most productive anglers constantly make adjustments accordingly. Several factors drive these vagaries, including time of day, tidal The key aspect involved with movements, celestial events and Jerry Honeycutt’s catch of this 30 changes in the weather—in other inch specimen involved dangling words, all things which affect the a soft plastic under a cork. feeding mood and habits of the fish.

Certainly, these facts apply not only when the angling effort focuses on offshore species, but also to one focused on an inshore species. Anglers seeking to catch flounder always first identify the specific places where they will likely find numbers of fish, taking into account the season, which affects where the migratory species will most likely appear. The most important key to consistently catching flounder involves acknowledging how seasonal variations in water temperature affect their location, as they move back and forth from their winter spawning grounds in the open Gulf to their shallower summer haunts.

Red drum migrate too. Immature fish generally

20 | October 2015

movement, depth of the effort, lure choice and presentation style.

For instance, anglers targeting trophy trout in cold weather often have little trouble identifying a basic location which likely holds some fish. The best anglers also recognize one or more “micro sweet spots” within those areas and realize the key to catching resides in identifying which specific aspect of the physical angling effort holds the highest level of importance from moment to moment.

Much of the time, this requires them to figure out exactly which lure to deploy and how best to present it to the fish. Reliance on sound operating principles provides a starting point in the endeavor, while systematic experimentation properly refines the principles.

In cases like these, anglers correctly focus on aspects of the angling method, which provides the only real means of proving some members of the targeted species swim within reach. In that sense, the keys to catching prove interrelated; properly implementing the key method and enticing strikes becomes the only way to successfully carry out a “search.”

Kevin Cochran Contact

spend time foraging in schools in our bays and estuaries, while adult fish live and breed in the nearshore waters of the Gulf.

People hoping to catch a bull red will consequently need to identify completely different keys to optimize the efficiency of their outings than those targeting slot-fish in a shallow bay. Furthermore, locating schools of fish in the bays means properly identifying what clues most likely aid in the search.

In murky waters, finding mud stirs in open parts of the bay might lead to the mother lode, while in clear waters, visually spotting the schools of fish becomes possible. In either case, the most important initial key involves figuring out how best to determine the location of a school of fish, while subtle aspects of the catching strategy remain basically irrelevant.

Similarly, catching speckled trout on a consistent basis means figuring out which key or keys bear the most significance at a given moment. First, the angler should really choose between fishing for numbers and fishing for large specimens, since the keys to success in the two endeavors differ significantly. Anglers chasing limits of small keepers in the warm period, for instance, might As is often the case, numerous large trout swam close recognize the most significant initial together in cold weather when key as locating flocks of seagulls Matt McCollum caught this big hovering over schools of fish in open trout, along with 3 others of waters. They’d correctly assume similar size, casting around one small rock in Baffin Bay. catching the fish will be relatively easy once they’re located.

On the other hand, trophy hunters face an entirely different dilemma. In one way, catching large trout does not differ from all other species-focused angling efforts—one must locate some fish in order to catch some. The moderate seasons and mild weather make catching big trout somewhat like catching pelagic fish, meaning the search keys become paramount. Comfortable water temperatures and consistently suitable habitat tend to spread fish out, resulting in the need for more on-the-water searching on the part of the anglers targeting them. This generally means looking for areas with multiple signs indicating the presence of the fish, like copious amounts of forage species, slicks, mud stirs and wakes.

When large fish roam or sit in large areas covered with shallow, clear water, visually locating individual fish becomes the paramount key to catching them. Anglers who recognize this will always time their efforts to occur under enough light to see the fish, recognizing that moderate wind speeds greatly facilitate the search. Too much cloud cover and both calm and strong winds will render such plans obsolete.

On the other hand, extreme conditions simplify the search for trophy trout in some ways, and elevate the importance of subtle aspects of the physical methods deployed. Strong winds tend to create extreme tide levels and eliminate entire areas, while both high and low water temperatures concentrate numbers of fish in relatively small spaces. In such cases, the smartest anglers won’t waste much time looking for evidence of the fish; they’ll immediately start trying to identify the correct key aspects of the method without thinking much about where to make the effort.

In other words, successfully catching trophy trout in extreme conditions most often results from a focused approach made in a relatively small area, one chosen appropriately, of course, considering the environmental variables. Many potentially paramount keys can lead to the optimization of such an angling effort, including pace of

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

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

Trout Tracker Guide Service Phone Email Web

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

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STORY BY MARTIN STRARUP

B

odie fussed at Tommy and told him to hurry up and get in the boat.

Tommy had long healed up from his injuries when his home had been broken into and was eager to get on the water, but not at night.

“I don’t know why we have to go flounder sticking in the first place, Bodie” Tommy whined. “How come we don’t just get up in the morning and go fishing like normal people and maybe catch a flounder?” he asked with a frown.

“Because I like to flounder and because the doctor said you needed to do more walking, and because Red likes to flounder, too,” Bodie told his friend.

“Well you remember what happened to us the last time we went floundering and I got a bloody nose from those rustlers who were stealing Mr. Connor’s cattle,” Tommy squealed.

“You got a bloody nose when you ran into my back and snagged your nose on the teeth of a flounder I had hanging on a stringer over my shoulder,” Bodie shot back.

“That’s not how I remember it,” Tommy mumbled.

“And that’s not the story you’ve been telling people, either,” Bodie replied with a chuckle.

With Tommy finally in the boat, Bodie lowered the big Tran Cat SVT into the water and headed up the ICW. “We’ve got to pick Red up at Parrot’s bait camp” Bodie said.

“Tell him not to pick on me, that I’m not completely healed up yet,” Tommy said.

Red was pacing the dock when Bodie idled up. “It’s going to be dark by the time we get to Green’s and I wanted to try for some trout before dark,” he growled. “What in the world took you so long anyway?”

Bodie cast his eyes in Tommy’s direction, who was already beet red, and went about stowing Red’s gear. Red glared at him but didn’t say anything as the trio took off down the ICW. TSFMAG.com | 23

24 | October 2015

he held in the small opening of the fuel tank. When it was full, Tommy removed the funnel and reached for the screw cap that would seal it.

But the screw cap wasn’t where Tommy thought he had set it.

“Bodie can you shine your light here, I can’t find the cap to my fuel tank,” Tommy said with worry.

Bodie shined the light all around the lantern but the stainless cap wasn’t anywhere to be found and Tommy started to get upset.

“I sat it down right here,” Tommy exclaimed. “It has to be here, Bodie, I can’t use my lantern without it.”

“Check your pockets, Tommy. It didn’t grow legs and run off into the salt grass,” Bodie said.

Tommy fumbled through his pockets and when he finally patted his shirt pocket he began to smile, “Found it,” he announced.

Bodie laughed, said good job, and Tommy began pumping the lantern to pressurize the fuel. When that was done he struck a kitchen match and turned the knob so the fuel could run into the mantle.

The antique lantern made spewing noises as the gas flowed up the generator and down into the mantle, followed by a miniature explosion as the gas ignited. Tommy worked the regulator lever on the generator and got the mantle glowing bright white.

“You ever notice, Tommy, how those old lanterns cast a ghostly glow across those dunes?” Bodie asked.

“I know. And I remember when you scared me to death over here, Bodie, with the ghosts and shooting and stuff, and I’m not falling for that again,” Tommy said nervously.

“I’m just kidding with you, buddy. Now let’s go find some flat fish,” Bodie told his friend.

The pair started walking the opposite direction Red had taken and had only gone a few yards when Tommy spotted a nice flounder lying up shallow. “Here’s one for the stringer, Bodie” Tommy said as he stuck his gig into the head of the flounder.

With care he reached his hand under the fish and turning his gig up he lifted it out of the water. He ran the sharp end of his stringer through the jaws of the flounder, shook it down to the float, and rejoined Bodie who was stringing one of his own.

There’s another one lying right over there, Tommy,” Bodie said.

Tommy tilted his lantern to shine where Bodie pointed and saw the flounder laying on top of the sand, gigging it the same way he had done his first. Turning to string it, he noticed Red’s light heading back towards them. “I guess Ol’ Red didn’t find any flounder down that way, Bodie. He’s already on his way back.”

Bodie and Tommy waited for Red to catch up and Red told them the water was muddy down that way, probably because the sloughs had drained so much before the tide started back in. “Can’t see a thing down that way,” Red affirmed.

Continued next month…

Martin Strarup

Contact

“The wind just quit around 1:00 today,” Red yelled to Bodie over the noise of the boat. Bodie nodded and gave the big engine more throttle. “Just how fast will this barge go?” Red asked.

“Faster than I want to or need to,” Bodie grinned to his friend.

They skimmed across the slick bay as the sun sank behind them.

Bodie turned his running lights on and when darkness fell he flipped a switch on the console. An extremely bright swath of light appeared in front of the boat and lit up the bay almost 180 degrees and nearly 100 yards ahead. Tommy turned around, looked at Bodie and asked “What in the world is that?”

Bodie smiled and said, “I got the idea from a friend who did the same thing with his SVT. I added that front casting platform and had Chuck at the boat shop wire in a bar of LED lights,” Bodie told them.

“Cost me a pretty penny but I can sure run at night with those lights turned on,” he added.

The three rode along with the bright lights showing the way and then Bodie started easing back on the throttle and slowed to a stop.

With the bow of the boat pointed towards shore the lights caused rafts of mullet to explode from the water.

“Plenty of bait,” Red announced.

“And I want it to stay around,” Bodie said as he shut the LED lights off.

With only the running lights it was instantly much darker and Tommy started to shudder. “Sure is dark out here,” he moaned.

Bodie flipped another switch and the entire deck became illuminated in soft red LED glow. “Is that better Tommy Boy?” he asked.

Tommy just glared at Bodie and Ol’ Red from his perch on the console seat.

“What in the world is that PVC thingamabob you have there, Red?” Tommy asked.

“It’s a battery operated LED floundering light you ignorant freak of nature,” Red growled.

“That’ll never work, Red. You need a good old fashioned Coleman lantern for floundering, like me and Bodie use!” Tommy blared triumphantly. But when Tommy turned to get some backup from Bodie he noticed that he too had one of the odd looking PVC poles with a round thing on one end and wires coming out the other.

“Not you too, Bodie, say it ain’t so!” Tommy cried.

“Sorry, my boy, but this thing is light, it’s bright, it doesn’t need white gas and it’s not hot on my hands,” Bodie replied instantly. “You need to get with the times if you plan on keeping up with me and Red.” Tommy just snorted and sneered at both of his friends and took his ancient Coleman single mantle lantern out of its case. He had put a new mantle on before they left port and struck a match to set it on fire to burn down. “New-fangled fancy-smancy lanterns don’t hold a candle to a real lantern,” he mumbled to himself.

“Tommy, don’t even think about filling that lantern in the boat, you know better. Walk it up to the beach and fill it where it is safe,” Bodie warned.

“It’s dark up there on the shoreline, Bodie” Tommy whined.

“I swear you are afraid of your own shadow. I’ll go with you and give you some light if it makes you feel better,” Bodie assured him.

Red said he was going to flounder down just a ways and Bodie said they would work the other direction and whistle should they get into a bunch. Red said that he would do the same and off he went.

Tommy grabbed a can of lantern fuel, his gig and lantern, and he and Bodie made their way to the shoreline. With the light of Bodie’s electric lantern Tommy carefully poured the flammable liquid into a funnel that

Martin Strarup is a lifelong saltwater enthusiast and outdoorsman.

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

Email

Trouthunter@swbell.net

STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

F

or as long as I can remember there have been, and always will be, divisions among fishermen—ages old arguments that for whatever reason continue to surface and attempt to divide the fishing community. Live bait versus artificial, waders versus boaters, and so it goes.

I guess if everyone thought alike the world would be a dull place. Without opposing views how we would ever learn new and potentially better ways of doing things? On the other hand, there would also be people who would continue to do things that have a negative effect on others without realizing their actions are detrimental to the environment and also those around them. The only thing for certain is that each side has a point of view and more often than not they are inclined to hold fast to that opinion.

An increasingly hot and often discussed topic along the Texas coast is fishing tournaments and the traffic associated with them. In our little world around Sabine Lake it’s ridiculously easy to spot the out-of-town boats and realize when the traffic is much higher than normal. Local boat launches swell with wrapped trucks and boats, more reminiscent of a NASCAR event than a fun day of fishing.

Tournament guys show up in places on the water many locals wouldn’t dream of fishing. Many times the out-of-town anglers teach us a lesson because they are open to the idea of fishing any water, unlike locals who tend to shy away from certain places, mostly because they have never fished there.

Easily the greatest lesson Sabine locals ever learned came courtesy of the Troutmaster tournaments back in the late-90s when wade fishing burst on the scene. Once local anglers saw the kind of success these tournament guys were enjoying it was all over but the crying,

everybody jumped out of the boat and into the next chapter of fishing. Now this process took some time to become accepted, it was new and nobody understood the “rules” so to speak. Boat anglers and waders clashed as they struggled to learn how close was too close, but eventually it became much more accepted and wading on Sabine is as common as it is farther south.

Fast forward to today and mention fishing tournaments and the conversation quickly turns to redfish as they are the current kings of competitive inshore angling events. Redfish tournaments have become increasingly popular for the simple fact that these fish are readily accessible in every bay and they’re hardy—capable of surviving a day in the livewell way better than trout. Also, heavy slot-sized reds can be found just about anywhere in any bay and this greatly levels the playing field. The combination of having an event where the fish can swim away and the tournament sizes are restricted (slot-fish only) makes for an excellent format all the way around.

Now the popularity of these events often leads to a temporary increase in fishing pressure and herein lies the rub. Here on Sabine we see a few of the same problems each time a big tournament is scheduled anywhere between Galveston and Lake Charles.

The expansive marshes between Sabine and Calcasieu become overrun and tower boats, in particular seem to draw the most wrath.

These skinny water machines buzz all over the marsh, into posted properties and no-motor zones, seemingly with little regard for courtesy to fellow anglers or local regulations.

There have been instances where tournament anglers have been run out of posted areas by landowners—some honest mistakes and some incidents of blatant disregard. The number of boats running in the refuge areas (where no big motors are allowed) is staggering TSFMAG.com | 27

and frustrating all at the same time. The damage done to these fragile areas by big motors and props takes a long time to recover and it is completely unnecessary. Every now and again we see anglers who truly don’t know they are in these areas and once they discover their mistakes they comply accordingly. Other times we see the same boats, who know the law but choose to ignore it, and those are the guys that give all the tournament folks a bad name.

Recently I was out scouting a few ponds and watched a tower boat “burning” pond after pond and I decided I’d had enough. I made several photos of the offending boaters and started making phone calls. Upon learning they were preparing for an upcoming Rudy’s Redfish Series event I got in touch with tournament director Geoff Austin and was immediately blown away at his willingness to fix the problem.

Geoff aggressively approached his anglers about the situation and made no bones about their responsibilities to the environment and to the laws surrounding those areas. His actions were instantly very noticeable as the amount of traffic in those marshes slowed down considerably and those that were in there were all following the rules. Austin’s stance on the matter and the promptness in which he addressed it showed his desire to promote his tournament in the most positive manner possible and I personally want to thank him for that.

Little did I know that the Rudy’s Redfish Series event those tower boat guys were scouting ahead of would reveal an even more impressive side of the fishing community.

On August 15, Florida angler Manny Perez (who had made the cut to the Top 10) was fishing the final day of the event and passed away very unexpectedly while on the water. Manny was found floating a short distance from his abandoned boat that was adrift in Sabine Lake.

Fast forward one week to the Rudy’s Redfish Series one day event on Sabine Lake where a sunrise service was held for Manny.

Competitors went through boat checks and then idled out into the lake where they gathered for a service in Manny’s honor. The outpouring of love and respect from the fishing community for Manny was incredible and the services for him were conducted with the utmost respect and honor Manny deserved. Tributes to Manny on social media with the code #2407 (the weight of his tournament fish in the livewell) have been posted and shared with thousands in the fishing world and beyond.

Geoff Austin and the folks at Rudy’s Redfish Series have truly raised the bar in the tournament world as to how events should be run from top to bottom.

28 | October 2015

Well done!

Chuck Uzzle

Contact

Other tournament anglers noticed Manny’s boat adrift and thought he may have experienced engine trouble and hopped a ride back to the weigh-in. However, a call to the tournament director revealed something was amiss and a search was begun.

Manny was ultimately found almost a mile from the boat. First responders worked to revive him while other Rudy’s anglers went to secure his boat. To their surprise, they learned Manny had a great stringer of fish in the livewell, 24.07 pounds to be exact.

Unfortunately Manny’s fish could not be weighed, and in an amazing tribute to their fallen comrade, all nine of the remaining Top-10 released their fish without weighing, saying, “If Manny can’t weigh, none of us are going to weigh.” The full field of anglers participated in an onstage group prayer for Manny and his family.

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

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A father and son team, wading a very favorable green tide.

STORY BY JOE RICHARD

T

hose of use who have been on the water for a few years sometimes daydream of the times when the weather was perfect, the crowds gone and the fishing outrageous—way beyond catching mere limits. If you put in enough years, sooner or later it all comes together. Something to reminisce, when the weather turns sour before you even reach the water.

I never got to spend a week in the Chandeleur Islands, which would probably qualify for a great trip, if the weather and fish cooperated. Instead we took our chances on day trips along the Texas coast.

To me, getting wet is part of the formula for a perfect day, instead of cranking fish from a boat. Getting soggy means connecting with nature, despite the hazards hidden by waves and tide. A perfect day for me would have to include either wading or sloshing around on a low-wall jetty, while slinging artificials. (Catching them on “arties” is part of my formula, versus using bait.

Fooling the fish, instead of feeding them). Having that MirrOlure get slammed way out there, and getting bowed up under a perfect sky.

I spent too many years walking the jetties, used up hundreds of spoons, had good trips and bad, but somehow they have all run together. (Save trips to the ER). However, there are three inshore glory days, what Joe Doggett and Rudy Grigar would call “ice cream” days—that stand out so brilliantly. Since they all happened in October surf, they are described here. Since history repeats itself with minor changes, along with weather patterns, perhaps these stories

will be of use to the reader.

Advice: Watch for a stretch of calm nights, following a light norther. And then hit a weekday when the crowds are gone—and when the surf is flat and green. In October under a Texas autumn sky, with no wind? It doesn’t get any better than that, and you have the makings for a “glory day” that can yield unlimited fish action. The kind of day you hope you can relive in some afterlife. (As opposed to, say, a reservation on the cheap side of hell, which wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.)

So, here are three noteworthy days spent on the Texas coast, when we hit the ball out of the park, so to speak. With a little luck this month, it could happen again. And it should. >One Monday I took out a charter of four guys from Houston. The weekend just passed had been blown out with southwest gusts, and we’d waded around in muddy back bays, real stingray water, catching an occasional small red. Not a good weekend. But Monday dawned different: No wind, boat ramps empty, nobody around, the Gulf impossibly flat to the beach and dark green. We anchored at the jetties and it looked very fine, but no action in a half hour. I kept glancing at the distant beach, shaking my head, and finally went after it. About eight miles south there was an old wooden shrimpboat sitting in chest deep water, like some Jack Cowan painting, and I anchored the Mako a hundred yards distant. We bailed out, walked the beach and approached without a sound. No hits on our gold spoons, save for

(left) Fine trout caught on a Yozuri plug. You know someone here is having a fine day.

(above) Keeper trout in the net on a fine day.

(left below) What could be better than fishing a fine day at the beach, with the summer crowds long gone?

one trout. So I climbed up about six feet high on the rotting shrimpboat, and spied about 200 redfish, swimming in a leisurely, counter-clockwise circle. I pointed them out and the action was on. These were all high-slot reds, save for one that ran me down the beach a good ways, a 37-incher finally landed on 12-pound spin tackle.

Having worked up an appetite, we left them biting and ran back to Port O’Connor, and had a leisurely lunch on the water at Clark’s. I grabbed a flyrod at the house, and then it was back to the wreck. Still not another boat in sight. We fought more reds, but by now a small offshore breeze had sprung up in my face, and my limited fly-casting skills were useless. Still, our total by 3 p.m. was 61 high-slot reds. It was a wonderful day, and we were barefoot on the beach under a mild October sun.

And didn’t even raise a sweat. Ye Gods. >On another fine October day, different year, good friends from Port Arthur were in POC for five days of tarpon fishing. It 32 | October 2015

(left) Hauling a few keepers back to the boat, after wading a shoreline.

34 | October 2015

kingfish of about 24 pounds, caught only 40 yards from the beach along the jetty rocks. That afternoon the action slowed. That evening we returned across the Laguna into a setting sun, perfectly content. The day before Halloween.

Shannon Tompkins also tells this fond remembrance: Early May on the Sabine jetties, circa 1985, when the tide was green and swirling around the tip of the Louisiana side, the wind light and the seas calm enough that Pete and I could scramble over the “hill” at the end of the jetty and stand on that small flat space on the very end of the breakwater. The trout were thick and huge. Chunk a Bingo and let the current sweep it into the water eddying just off the end of the jetty, and a fanged yellow mouth would grab it. We were the only two guys fishing the end of the rocks. A gorgeous spring morning. I had a fish— probably a huge red or jack or maybe a ponderous trout—empty the little Shimano Bantam 10SG reel. I had to hike back to the boat and re-spool.

When I got back, first cast, I caught a trout that measured a little over 32 inches, based on marks on my rod. (We never weighed the fish. What did it matter? ) We caught fish almost every cast while the tide was running, and when the tide was spent, so were we. Think I kept 10 or so trout, including two 30-inch-class fish. (The Louisiana limit I think was something immoral like 50 trout at the time.) We released dozens of fish, including some ponderous sows. I’ve had better days, with more and bigger trout. But for some reason, that one day sticks with me. Maybe it was because it was just me and Pete in an incredibly beautiful place on a perfect spring morning where you could actually feel the electricity of life humming all around us, like an aura or something. And, no, recreational chemicals were not involved.

Ha ha...good one, Shannon. Right where I spent countless summer days, too.

Joe Richard

Joe Richard has fished the Gulf since 1967, starting out of Port Arthur, but his adventures have taken him up and down the entire coast. He was the editor of Tide magazine for eight years, and later Florida Sportsman’s book and assistant magazine editor. He began guiding out of Port O’Connor in 1994. His specialty is big kingfish, and his latest book is The Kingfish Bible, New Revelations. Available at Seafavorites.com

Contact

was slow at the Pass, you never know about tarpon. But the Gulf was flat, so we ran down the beach in two boats that morning, wreckhopping. At a different wreck in nice, green water we anchored and were quickly hooked up. I didn’t like two boats fishing close together, so anchored mine in knee-deep water, and the two of us got out and waded to the back side of the wreck, and slung MirrOlures for hours.

It was glorious. We landed 40 good-sized trout, while the other boat landed 40 middle-slot reds and a three-foot tarpon. Every fish was released. Wading around in fine weather did it for me, and we never got a scratch from those needle-sharp plugs. By 1 p.m. we were happy enough to quit. A smooth as gravy ride back to town, and then it was time for a huge jalapeno and guacamole double-cheeseburger from hell at Josie’s. And a nap. >Sometimes, to hit the right day, you have to pay your dues.

While in Houston, I got a hot tip from Port Mansfield on a Thursday afternoon in October, a guy said the fishing was out of control on the beach. We reacted like yanking a finger off a hot stove. Drove to South Texas that night, jonboat flying along behind. Slept in the truck, though not for long, before the guy tapped on our window at first light. We launched without coffee and crossed a mirror-calm Laguna Madre in our 15-foot jonboat, and out through the jetties.

Our fatigue vanished: Not another boat in sight, save for our friend in his; and he only carried a flyrod. The Gulf was flat and dark green.

(And so clear, I would later jump overboard at the jetties with a mask and could easily see 30 feet).

On the beach we anchored the jonboat, began to wade, and went to work. There were toothy critters out there, and all day I used an 80-pound mono leader with my gold spoon, which became worn almost silver. The heavy leader worked well because the fish were hungry. We waded barefoot in knee-deep water; there was no need to go deeper; a long cast would suffice. We never kept count of the trout, there were too many. Bonito came zipping by, a hard fight on spin tackle. Big mackerel, redfish, also a small tarpon landed. Later, a

(right) Wading a shell reef in October during mild autumn weather. What could be better?

Channels between oyster reefs can hold fish in primary bays during periods of moving tides.

STORY BY JOE DOGGETT

S

alty Everglades guide Jim Conley stopped wading, glanced at his watch, and motioned to the anchored flats skiff.

“We need to leave now. I want to hit the start of the outgoing tide at my next spot. Once the water starts moving good, some big snook should be stacked up in there. But it doesn’t last long—water gets too low.”

Conley’s secret spot was a 45-minute run at open throttle past the hundreds of small islands and “keys” south of Chokoloskee. It was a small channel between oyster beds near the mouth of one of the rivers draining the Everglades National Park.

How he found the hole amid the myriad of twists and tangles, I have no idea. But I suppose that after more than 50 years of fishing experience in the region, you learn a few things.

We idled up to the outside of an oyster bar and bailed from the skiff. Tide was running smoothly through the narrow trench and ragged clumps of brown and gray oyster shells already were showing against the dropping level. Southwestern Florida experiences typical tidal swings of three to four feet—amazing fluctuation compared to our crescent of the Gulf of Mexico.

The outgoing current was prime “red water” stained by the tannin of the river mangroves. We waded to the edge of the dropoff and began casting 1/2-ounce leadhead jigs rigged with fiveinch plastic tails.

Within five minutes, Conley leaned against a hard strike and the furious boil of a grown-man’s snook. Moments later, my line surged tight with the thrilling signature of a powerful fish.

TSFMAG.com | 37

We worked the 50 yard stretch for about an hour and landed six or seven grand snook—all in the 15- to 20-pound class. A six- or seven-foot bull shark nailed another one about 10 yards off my rod tip. Then it was over; the tide dropped too low and the school pulled out.

My first impression was that Conley certainly knew his fishing. The second was that wading and casting lures for big snook carries the game of plugging to its highest form. My pair of catch-and-release 40 inchers was a pinnacle session.

The third observation was that unless you understand and respect the lunar tidal movements you will never reach the postgraduate level in serious inshore fishing.

Tidal movements play a role in virtually every coastal region. The effects might be less pronounced in some venues but the positive/ negative influence is there.

This talk of tides might seem sophomoric to crusty old salts but Texas Saltwater Fishing 38 | October 2015

gains new and inexperienced readers each year. Frankly, even some veteran anglers aren’t as tuned to the tides as they should be.

Tidal swings along the Texas coast typically are in the one- to two-foot range, not too dramatic, but the changing levels can make a significant difference in fish movements. True, the best time to go fishing is when you can—but playing tides to best advantage certainly helps.

Most days offer four tides (two incoming, two outgoing) in the 24hour period. These “double tide” days usually are superior because the water movement is aggressive, with each tide compressed within a period of several hours. All this movement not only ignites feeding, it can pull better water clarity within reach of a specific area.

Or, on the downside, the movement might bring a belt of sandy water into your previously “trout green” arena. Well, (above) An early incoming nothing’s perfect. tide often is best for The Texas coast sometimes is plagued with froggy speckled trout and Spanish “single tide” days. Or, you might get three tides during mackerel in the surf. the 24-hour clock. Frankly, I never have understood how (below) Sow trout in the all this works (read above: “some veteran anglers aren’t Laguna Madre often ride as tuned...”). In defense, I’m not a bloody oceanographer. the rising tide onto grass And, at this stage, I’m too old to worry about it. flats and along shorelines.

But one-high/one-low cycles do occur with alarming frequency. The so-called “trickle tides” move slowly over many hours, not in a particular hurry to get anywhere. And neither, apparently, are the trout and reds.

This is not to say that single-tide days are a waste of time, but the double-tide days are the ice cream.

Regardless, the idea is to be in a spot that favors a particular tidal movement. The closer you are to the open beachfront, the more pronounced this factor becomes. You want to be casting across the prime water maybe an hour or two after the flow commences (keep in mind that at full high or dead low the current stops before slowly reversing and gathering momentum).

For example, the surf wader usually wants to put a jiving plug or a kicking shrimp across a strong incoming tide under the rising sun. The early push encourages bait and predators to move closer to the beach. And, as mentioned earlier, the influx often brings green Gulf water within reach of the second or third bar.

Conversely, the outgoing tide is taking it all away. The first hour or two of an outgoing can be productive, as plenty of water is still on the beach, but the dregs usually are lousy. The action simply moves too far off the beach.

An excellent place to fish an outgoing tide is in the channel of a free-running pass. Fish concentrate in the trench to feed on bait being carried out with the flow. It’s also an excellent place for the careless Big snook sometimes wader to get into wait in small channels serious trouble; one to ambush prey on step over a steep outgoing tides.

edge and you start tumbling. Wear a flotation device and remember the old adage, “calm waters run deep.”

A free-running pass creates a virtual river during the peak hours of movement. You can see the current rippling and weaving. The wader’s cork-rigged stringer runs straight with the flow. When fishing such a setup, a good technique is to quarter the cast “upstream,” allowing the lure or bait to descend through the water column during the retrieve.

Unless you really want the bottom (flounder, for example), use only enough weight to allow a slow drop as the current carries the cast.

Up in the primary bays, the same outgoing pattern holds true around the mouths of bayous and cuts draining adjacent flats or back lakes and estuaries. These “gutters” especially are good for redfish and flounder.

Other good low-tide spots in the bays are defined holes on flats, and channels through oyster reefs. Fish can stack up as water pulls off the surrounding shallows. Incidentally, a so-called hole in a Texas bay may not amount to much, maybe only waist-deep, but it’s sufficient to attract a wad of opportunistic fish.

Conversely, on the rising tide, the shorelines and shallow bars and reefs often draw life. The specks and reds may be scattered—one here, one there—but a single stretch of perhaps 100 yards can produce outstanding action as the water fills in. This can be a prime situation for intercepting a big sow trout as it noses into a foot or two of water over sand and grass. You could do worse than to work the area with a topwater plug.

The secondary bays or “back lakes” don’t experience much tidal movement during the normal daily swings; however, a major tide

40 | October 2015

caused by extreme circumstances can impact these remote areas. For example, a three-foot “bull tide” during the autumnal equinox can scatter fish well back into the marshes.

The same influence can be created by honking 20- to 25-knot onshore wind. The sustained energy pushes Gulf water onto the beaches and through the passes and into the bays, resulting in higherthan-normal tidal levels. A low tide might still be a foot or so above the normal high tide—most confusing.

A hard “norther” creates the opposite effect, blowing water from the back lakes and upper bays and chasing fish to deeper channels.

Technically, these wind-generated fluctuations are not true tidal movements but the results are similar.

These are a few of the circumstances influenced by tidal movements. Of course, nothing out there is absolute. Except maybe the tides, themselves.

Tide charts for regions all along the coast are tabulated well in advance and are available through various print and web sources.

This information can be a great ally when timing a trip; however, the tabulated site and your chosen spot may not be on the same schedule.

In fact, they almost never are.

It remains through trial and error to figure the timetable for a specific channel or flat or stretch of beach. The good news is, you’ve got a margin of error of several hours in which to work. Fish the spot several times and you should get a reasonable grasp of when to be there based on the nearest tabulated tide.

And connecting with those “glad tidings” can be a big deal in successful coastal fishing.

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In the center of this photo we have a school of reds exiting a nighttime feeding area.

J AY WAT K I N S

A S K THE P R O

Fishing the nighttime feeding area pattern I have discussed nighttime feeding areas in the past and how we approach trying to catch the fish that feed there at night, during daylight hours. I have even more confidence today than I did a few years ago because I continue to work on tweaking my knowledge of such areas. Just for the record, nighttime feeding areas are inhabited by all species of game fish, not just trout. I am most interested in trout but reds and flounder can most certainly be caught while waiting for that extra special trout.

So, what qualifies as a nighttime feeding area? I think shallow water lying close to deep water is the first thing to look for. Of course there also needs to be attractive bottom structure, maybe more than one type. Slightly uneven bottom contours with scattered shell and grass are some of the best. Ambush points are important to predators. Structure breaks up the predator’s silhouette, like spots or stripes on a cat, and trout are the true cats of the flats—spots and all.

Next we need a reliable forage supply, in other words bait schools that have setup in an area and continue to hold for long periods of time. Bait can fall off the flat with daytime heating but as long as it returns with some 42 | October 2015

consistency the predators will remain in the area.

Next I like to have good water movement, created either by tide or wind. Water movement during morning hours is critical.

Some believe that all barrier island shorelines and their back lakes would have nighttime feeding potential. The honest truth is that not all shorelines and backwaters are created equal. Over a lifetime of wading along Traylor Island I know that while it may very well all look the same, it is not. What makes certain spots sweeter than others is what I continue to try and learn. Nighttime feeding areas are the same. Although Matagorda Island might seem very similar along its length, it too has sweet spots. Most common are the mouths of the many drains and second has to be the slight drop-offs lying just offshore of the drains.

Run your boat right up to the mouth of the drain and you’re probably not going to experience the best the area has to offer. I like to park at least 100 to 150 yards from the area where I believe the bites will come. On weekends you might want to start a little closer to avoid being cut off.

Yesterday I had three guys standing in a classic Watkins

44 | October 2015

you’re in the right area there should be some bird activity, even if it is limited. I find that gulls and terns become talkative when they start seeing food and I also believe they will shadow a big fish as it cruises the flat. The bird knows the big fish is too large to eat but they have evidently learned that big fish spook small forage to the surface. This is a classic sign that you’re in the right area, especially when moonrise or moonset occurs mid-morning.

I study the solunar table religiously when working the nighttime feeding area pattern, as I believe these periods produce heightened activity. It is extremely important to fish out the morning when learning this pattern. You have to allow the pattern to fully develop if you’re ever really going to gain the confidence needed to make the pattern produce consistently. Knowledge is also gained on days when you don’t catch them. We have to lose a few in order to learn how to win consistently.

Now, what about those big trout that run up in shallow water over pure white sand flats or up on skinny windward shorelines, and stay there all day? I have seen it in Aransas Bay the past four to five years with more Mathew Schmidt with upperregularity. Can’t get many of them slot redfish working the nighttime feeding pattern; CPR! to eat a lure but they are constantly there, and no matter how hot the water gets they do not want to come off.

Again, no science here, but my theory is that dolphins and boat traffic drive them up there. I would say at least 20% of the trout I catch in Aransas Bay show signs of escaping a close encounter with a dolphin. Boats running all day, every day on the shoreline is another issue but that is another article. Just because the boat will run there does not mean it should. Hey, I am guilty of having been up there too, but trying to force myself to be more considerate and hoping others will follow.

First cold front should be here within 30 days and I am certainly ready for a cool down.

May your fishing always be catching! -Guide Jay Watkins

C ontact

line, all with fish on, when a boat came within 30 yards of my outside angler. It then turned and ran within 15 yards of my boat that was sitting on the Power-Pole. The driver then swerved sharply and preceded to run hard aground. Slicks popped all along the drop-off confirming that the fish we hoped would be holding there were indeed present. (Trout often burp up slicks when spooked.) We did not catch them, and even though it was a frustrating experience, we learned from it all the same. Never said a word to the guys that ruined the morning as doing so would not have changed what happened.

I like to position my anglers offshore and at angles to the shoreline. I want everyone to take a position in the line that allows them to first cast at slight angles to the wind and second on a slightly different line than the angler next to them. Give yourself 15 or more yards of spacing. I know it seems close but aim small miss small. There is usually a very distinct bait line in the pre-dawn hours. I guess safety is in numbers so the bait bunches up and travels in strings along a seemingly invisible line.

Game fish position themselves along the bait lines and many times the bigger trout will simply get in the line with the bigger mullet, using them as live camouflage. I can’t tell you how many large trout I have tricked with a smaller offering when I find them cruising with their dinner. Bites will come fast and the fish’s sizes will be varied, early on. In the hotter months small fish can dominate the early feed but do not be tricked into leaving. Puppies are eager eaters and often over-eat to the point of making themselves sick. Momma dog eats when she is ready.

You’ll usually have a lull in the bite just after sunrise and many will think the deal is done, but hold tight and work slowly for another hour. The big fish are slowly exiting the feeding flat due to sunlight penetration and water temperature rising. But they’ll continue hunting during their exit and will fall for anything easy. I prefer smaller lures in these situations, especially ones I can dance quietly right on the tip of her nose.

Nighttime feeding areas become shallow, clear and hot during the day. They cool at night and this is one element that attracts both bait and game fish. Some of my biggest trout come during the midmorning hours, actually as late as the noon hour on some occasions. If you’re really paying attention you’ll start to notice areas where mullet get active every time they cross the area. These are what I call hot zones and I believe big fish will hold there prior to finally dropping off.

Watch and listen to the birds as they work the area you’re in. IF

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 ATER F I S HING

Learning to fly I don’t know if it’s just me, but it sure seems like fly fishing in the salt is experiencing some serious growth. It used to be a rarity to run across another bug slinger on the water.

These days I seldom go a single day without seeing another poling skiff sharing a flat. While I’m sure a few grumpy old-timers are unhappy, I like it.

It isn’t that I feel fly fishermen are superior and it doesn’t make them special. However, most every fly guy I run across seems to “get it.” By that I mean they tend to be conservation-minded and courteous toward fellow anglers. I know plenty of non-fly guys like that too, but it seems to be nearly unanimous in the fly community.

Most have graduated beyond only being satisfied with limits and freezers full of fillets. A single tailing redfish stalked and presented with a perfect cast is the goal. A day on the water with a good friend is good enough. The catching, while still fun, becomes secondary. If you’re there, you know.

If you haven’t gotten there yet, that’s okay too. Some 46 | October 2015

folks will likely never get there, but think about giving it a try. Go out for a day and don’t worry so much about “limits by 9 am.” Dial down the pressure to fill the cooler.

Instead of being ticked off that somebody was in “your spot,” go exploring and find something new. I bet you’ll feel less stressed and start enjoying your time on the water even more than you already do.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t get a phone call or email from someone thinking about getting into fly fishing. Most mention they’ve fly fished in the mountains on vacation at some point or they did so as a kid. Now they want to try their hand at it in the salt. They’ll ask if I can take them and teach how it’s done. Others want to get started but are intimidated and/or overwhelmed by simply choosing the right equipment.

If you feel like I’m talking to you, keep reading.

First off, going with a guide is not the best place to start your fly fishing journey. I’ve been party to that and it can be pretty frustrating for the angler. The guide does

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48 | October 2015

on the side. Andy now works at Fishing Tackle Unlimited on the Katy Freeway and is still happily dodging errant casts. It is money well spent. A few one hour sessions can serve as a solid foundation to get you headed in the right direction. I wish I would have done that. Sure would’ve saved me a lot of time trying to break some bad habits I taught myself.

Another great resource can be found in your local fly fishing club.

In the Houston area we have the Texas Flyfishers, a great group that welcomes newcomers. Most regions of Texas have a club in the area. I just Googled “Texas fly fishing clubs” and found close to twenty. Most of these clubs will have some sort of beginner’s class or program. And even if they don’t hold a formal class, you’ll likely be able to hook up with somebody willing to help you out.

Once you have the equipment figured out and feel comfortable enough with your cast, that’s when you call somebody like me to help you put it all together and hopefully catch your first fish on fly. While the bow isn’t the right place to learn to cast, it is the only place to learn how to actually fish with a fly. The presentation, the strip (retrieve) and even the hookset are different than what you’re used to doing with your conventional gear. A couple days with a guide or experienced mentor can knock a whole lot of time from your learning curve.

So if you’ve been thinking about trying your hand at fly fishing, go ahead and do a little exploring at your local shop. The whole “snobby” fly fraternity thing is far more myth than truth. The fly guys I run with are some of the most down-to-earth good people I know and are more than willing to welcome you in.

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his job and puts you right in front of fish you can see, but you can’t make the cast. You try harder and it gets worse. By the end of the day you’ll either go home and sell your equipment or vow to do what you should have done to begin with—learn to cast. I can help tune a cast out on the water, but starting from scratch on the boat is tough. The distraction of trying to catch a fish isn’t conducive to learning proper technique.

My advice to those who want to get into this game is to first visit a reputable fly shop. No need to feel intimidated or embarrassed, everybody started off knowing nothing thing about it. With only a couple exceptions, every guy I’ve ever met who works in a fly shop is passionate about the sport and more than willing to help a newbie learn the ropes. Find somebody you connect with and ask them to explain the basics.

I struggled for a long time while stubbornly trying to figure it out on my own. Finally, I walked into the old Angler’s Edge and met Anthony. I swallowed my pride and let him know that I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, but was anxious to figure it out.

Anthony laid it all out for me.

Everything from explaining the rod weighting system to how a fly line works, to the knots used to connect everything. That afternoon was a turning point.

At the time, Westbank Angler hosted a free casting clinic at the Transco Towers ponds every Sunday morning. Armed with my newly-acquired knowledge of the equipment, I went. My self-taught cast wasn’t pretty; I could get the fly out there a ways and in the general vicinity of the target—that was about it. As I stood at the edge of the pond flailing away, Andy Packmore from the shop walked up behind me. I’m sure he was suppressing his amusement as he dissected my cast and gave me a few pointers, a couple of which I still use today when my cast gets sloppy. By the end of that session I had improved quite a bit. I took his tips home and put in a lot of practice. I wish I had a dollar for every time one of my neighbors would ask if I’d caught anything while I cast to empty soda cans strewn about the yard.

Most fly shops have at least one guy who teaches casting lessons

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

By David Norris | Aransas Bay CCA Intern

F IE L D N O TE S

Drumming Up Some Fun During my Coastal Conservation Association sponsored internship with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department— Coastal Fisheries Division in the Aransas Bay ecosystem, I was surprised by the number of black drum we caught in our gill nets and bag seines throughout the bay system.

In some areas drum were more numerous than hardhead catfish. Their size varied from forty pound “big uglies” to cute little puppy drum the size of a goldfish. Good numbers of small juvenile drum usually precedes good recruitment of slot-sized fish during future seasons.

Gill nets are used to catch larger fish and the catch rate is expressed as fish captured per unit effort (CPUE), a measurement that describes the number of fish caught per hour the net was in the water. The black drum catch rate in 2014 was 1.48 fish/hour while spotted seatrout and red drum were 0.58 and 0.79 respectively. This indicates that there were greater numbers of black drum available to the nets than trout or reds.

The two graphs show the gill net CPUE for black drum from 1990 to 2013, and the number of black drum landed by anglers at boat ramps as documented by TPWD fisheries survey personnel during angler surveys. As you can see from Figure 1, the gill net catch rates have slightly decreased since 2010. After some discussion with fisheries biologist Brian Bartram, we hypothesized 50 | October 2015

that increased landings from anglers (Figure 2) starting in 2010 may have contributed to the reduction in abundance. However, the gill net catch rate has remained above 1.0 after the drop and in general, a CPUE greater than 1.0 is great news for anglers. However, this doesn’t mean that conservation shouldn’t be practiced when fishing for black drum. It should also be mentioned that there are many factors that affect CPUE and this hypothesis may only address part of the puzzle.

I personally believe black drum to be unsung heroes of the flats, often getting less notice than they deserve.

For most of the year they live in the shadows of their more popular cousins—spotted sea trout and red drum.

Schools of black drum can be very large and typically don’t move very far from day to day. Local professional fishing guide Larry Robinson says, “Sight-casting to large schools of black drum provides excitement and an experience that most people never encounter.” When more popular gamefish like spotted sea trout and red drum become harder to catch, black drum come to the rescue and pick up the slack for anglers and guides.

There are several reasons why I enjoy targeting black drum. For starters it’s a fish that can be caught by all, meaning you don’t have to have a boat or even leave shore to catch them. I often pursue drum while kayaking or

Your Catch Counts!

Report your Red

Snapper Landings

Get involved.

Help manage the red snapper fishery for future generations.

At the end of each day’s trip, parties that land red snapper are strongly encouraged to report their landings via a mobile app or online.

It’s fast, simple and easy!

load n w o D pp the a ! today

Download the free app at

www.iSnapper.org or report online at iSnapperonline.org Each submittal is important to the management of the red snapper fishery off Texas shores and beyond.

Anglers fishing from party boats are exempt as the captain reports for you.

FOR INFO ABOUT THE REPORTING PROGRAM Harte Research Institute iSnapper@sportfishresearch.org www.sportfishresearch.org

FOR INFO ON THE RED SNAPPER FISHERY TPWD Coastal Fisheries cfish@tpwd.texas.gov www.tpwd.texas.gov

wade fishing and from piers during the colder months. Black drum are often found in schools allowing you to catch more than one when you find them. For those that favor the fly rod, the black drum will test your casting accuracy, rewarding only the anglers who can put the fly inches from the fish’s mouth. Another reason I enjoy chasing drum is because they are great eating in the 14 to 28 inch range! I’ve had countless people tell me that black drum taste better than red drum and I agree, but we’ll leave it up to the reader to decide.

You can find these tasty morsels in channels and the flats adjacent to channels.

Black drum are bottom feeders and love crustaceans and bivalves. Fly fishermen should target black drum on shallow sandy-muddy flats with scattered grass beds.

Even on breezy days, black drum can be found tailing in the mornings and especially in the afternoons a couple hours before sunset. An obvious sign of feeding black drum in the area are holes dug out in the sand, commonly called “drum holes.”

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

52 | October 2015

Kids &

I

t’s one of the true joys of parenthood: exposing your kids to the wonders of the outdoors. Whether it’s an afternoon at the beach (and really, who doesn’t love that?) or a day on the water boating or fishing, kids love it. The fresh air, the sun and the sea, it all has a way of making a lasting impression on young minds.

But there are also a few pitfalls to be aware of. We’ve all been sunburned at one time or another and it doesn’t feel good. But in kids, recent medical studies have shown that sunburns can lead to an increased rate of skin cancer later in life. One study in particular stated that pre-teens who were sunburned five or more times increased their lifetime risk of melanoma, a particularly virulent strain of cancer, by over 80 percent. Here’s what you need to know before you hit the beach or the boat for the day.

First, understand the early warning signs of melanoma, the skin cancer most common in children. It begins in the melanocytes, which are the cells in the outermost layer of skin (the epidermis) that produce melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. Dark-skinned people have cells that naturally produce a lot of melanin, while fairskinned people produce much less. Melanocytes commonly cluster together to form skin growths that we call moles (or nevi, in medical terms). Most people have several moles, maybe a lot more, and in most cases they don’t cause any problems at all.

Sometimes though, because of a mutation,

A long-sleeve performance shirt like this Wireman from Mojo Sportswear is just the ticket for a day at the beach for this young man.

Sun Protection What Parents Should Know by Sam White

melanocytes can begin growing out of control, sticking together to form tumors, crowding out healthy cells and damaging surrounding tissue. This is melanoma. The good news is that when it’s caught early while it’s still on the surface of the skin, it can be cured. But if melanoma is not treated, it can grow into the skin until it reaches the blood vessels and the body’s lymph nodes. These two systems act like a super-highway for cancer cells, allowing them easy access to distant organs like the lungs or brain. That’s why early detection of melanoma is so important, and also why it is so potentially dangerous.

Catching a Killer Doctors recommend a rule of A, B, C, D, E when checking for melanoma—this applies to both adults and children.

Asymmetry: the shape of one half of the mole is different from the other half; Border: the edges of a mole are ragged, blurred, irregular; Color: uneven and including shades of black, blue-black, brown or tan; Diameter: changes in the size of the mole, usually an increase; Evolving: changes in the mole over a few weeks or months.

But childhood melanoma might not fit into those categories.

Parents should also look for the following in kids: a mole that changes, grows or doesn’t go away; an odd-shaped or large mole; or a palecolored or red bump on the skin, especially one that itches or bleeds.

Head for the docs if you see any of these on the young ones.

An Ounce of Prevention So now that we know what to look for, let’s delve deeper into prevention. Locking the kids in a dark closet until they’re 40 isn’t the answer but by following a few simple guidelines we can reduce the risks substantially.

Instilling good sun protection habits in the kids will lead to greater enjoyment on the water as they grow older.

The first is to use sunscreen, all the time. And you probably need more than you think, applied more often. The rule of thumb here is “one, two.” You should be applying an ounce of sunscreen (the amount that would fill a shot glass, or about the size of a golf ball) every two hours. Granted this is for adults so kids may not take quite as much but you get the picture. You should be using a minimum of SPF 15 and for the beach or water-based activities that should ramp up to a waterresistant formula that’s SPF 30 or more. The broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection is also preferred as these are the most harmful kinds of rays.

When it comes to sunscreen use it early and use it often. Get those kids lubed up and keep it up all day long.

Wrap ‘Em Up Protective clothing is also paramount, and in some ways is even a better solution. Anyone who’s had to apply sunscreen to a squirming eight-year old knows it’s not fun (or even easy). But give ‘em a colorful lightweight performance shirt to wear and they’re happy as can be. Look for fabrics that carry a high Ultraviolet Protection Rating (UPF). Many brands have a UPF rating of 50-plus. Technical polyester is a great fabric because it wicks away moisture and dries rapidly; on the other hand, cotton is generally a poor choice as it has a much lower UPF rating and holds water next to the skin. Long sleeves offer great sun protection and will actually keep them cooler than short sleeves in the hot sun. Add a cap or floppy hat for the head and you’re almost there.

The Eyes Have It Sun protection for the eyes is also paramount, especially for kids.

This doesn’t mean they need a $300 pair of Costas but investing in sunglasses that are polarized and offer UPF protection also doesn’t have to break the bank either. Besides, they’ll have a lot more fun if they can actually see into the water rather than being blinded by the surface glare all day.

Everything Else There are a few other more commonsense guidelines to keep in mind. Try to avoid the hottest parts of the day—the fishing is usually better early or late anyway. If you have to be out then try to find some shade for the kids if possible. Parents should check the kids once a month for the A, B, C, D, E guidelines and a physician should handle it during annual checkups just to be sure.

When it comes to kids and the sun, it’s relatively easy to keep them not only protected but also happy. And what you do early in their lives can also have a tremendous impact later on, not only in their outlook toward the marine environment but also on their personal health.

TSFMAG.com | 53

Costa’s “trash marlin” that greeted visitors to ICAST 2015

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

F LY F I S H I N G

Lead the way!

One evening last week I was watching the serial television show, Buccaneers and Bones. This series is presented by the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust to raise awareness about conservation of three very popular saltwater species; bonefish, tarpon, and permit. Some legendary anglers as well as celebrities host the series.

I was watching an episode where actor Liam Neeson describes his connection to the fish. And while I cannot recite verbatim what he said, the gist of it was that the connection between him and the fish was accomplished through a marriage of technology and engineering. In a weird kind of way what he said spoke to me. However, it also troubled me.

To be a little more specific, the connection Neeson described was a highly-evolved and engineered graphite rod, a well-engineered and precisely machined reel, and a polymer (plastic) line. It is the last item that I want to discuss. Not so much the line, but the plastic.

Now, I sure do not want to come off sounding like some kind of left-wing enviro-nutcase because, believe me, I am not. But—one of the biggest threats to our environment and especially our oceans is plastic waste. If you don’t believe me, do an internet search and read up on the “island of plastic.” If you would like more information, go to the Costa Del Mar website and check out their Kick 54 | October 2015

Plastic campaign. Of particular note is the marlin sculpture they created using only discarded plastics collected from oceans and beaches. It is eerily spectacular.

With that being said, many of the products we use in the fly fishing industry (as well as conventional fishing) have plastic components. But this article isn’t about the plastics used in our gear because, let’s face it; plastic is an important part of our daily lives. This is about how fishermen can reduce the impact of plastic on the environment.

I would like to believe when I see a drink bottle or other plastic floating in the water or washed up on a shoreline…it never got there through careless action of a recreational angler.

More than likely, at least in my mind, I prefer to think it came from some type of commercial vessel dumping trash overboard, maybe some dirty redneck who could not care less about litter on roadways or waterways, but that’s another problem, entirely. However, my idyllic thoughts/hopes notwithstanding, there are many things we all do daily that increase the amount of plastic that ends up in the environment in general, not just our oceans and bays.

Probably, one of the biggest things that we are all guilty of when we go fishing on a hot summer day is

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loading the ice chest with bottled water.

I know that I have been. The amount of plastic bottles that eventually make it into the environment is astonishing. Now I have always been a proponent of recycling no matter what the cost, however, maybe the point should be that we need to try to reduce the amount of plastic we use, whether we recycle or discard properly.

One of the things I am currently doing to reduce the amount of plastic I could possibly introduce to the environment is buying drinking water by the gallon jug rather than bottles, and offering it to clients in Yeti Rambler insulated cups. This is working very well so far although it does require daily washing of the Ramblers in preparation for the next outing. A small price to pay in exchange for a more environmentallyRe-using plastic bottles for miscellaneous storage. responsible alternative.

Another thing we can do as anglers to reduce the amount and effects of plastic on the environment is to purchase goods in plastic containers made in the USA. The reason here, as much as I detest some things about the EPA, this agency imposes regulations on US manufacturers that help protect the environment, while many countries do not. This especially seems to be true, based on my research, with China.

Another thing that we can do to reduce the amount of plastic going into the environment is to reuse plastic containers that some everyday items we use are packaged in.

Not too long ago I was fishing with my friend Jason “Smarge” Smargiasso and he Drinking water on my broke out a waterproof container he uses boat is now served in his skiffs to organize and protect some of from gallon jugs in his gear. It was made from a plastic bottle, Yeti Rambler cups. a product he purchases regularly. He had spare sunglasses, a spare handheld GPS and many other items potentially necessary for a day of fly fishing. Another cool thing about his containers is that they make great “sticker farms” to acknowledge/recognize his favorite fly fishing products. There actually is a little more to the story than just this but, I will save that for another day.

The point is, as fly fishermen, we have always led the way when it comes to conservation.

Trout anglers from the mountains taught us much about catch and release, long before we felt it necessary here on the coast. So, why should we not also do the same with the protection of our environment? Let’s all take a look at our buying habits and reuse/recycle all that we can. The future of our oceans, bays and estuaries depend on it.

Until next month, be good and stuff like that.

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 | 55

DAV E R O B E R T S

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

Paddling in Paradise I know Christmas is still a few months away but the melody of Andy Williams’ “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” plays through my head when I hear the word October. That one little word is enough to bring a smile to my face and, rightfully so. I personally believe that it is the greatest month out of the year and for multiple reasons.

For starters, the Texas summer heat is gone and is replaced with fair and cooler weather. This makes kayak fishing much more enjoyable. The cooler temperatures allow anglers to spend more time on the water while being able to cover a great distance. Luckily, fishing at this time of the year is phenomenal; paddling miles across back marshes or open water is usually not necessary. A short paddle to the nearest marsh outflow can produce limits of fish and in a short period of time. I recall a trip I had made last October where I had all intentions on paddling up a bayou and fishing the mouth where it 56 | October 2015

opened into the bay. I made it about 60 yards and saw one shrimp scurry across the top of the water, so I made a cast. I proceeded to catch a limit of trout and reds within one hour. If it was not for that one shrimp, I would have paddled over that whole school of fish. That is a prime example of how fishing is in October.

It is also the time of the year that all baitfish make their yearly migration to the gulf. Mullet, shad, crabs, and shrimp will gather in large masses and head south for the winter. Their annual journey though is treacherous; every predator for miles around will gather for the feast. Not only does a shrimp have to worry about falling prey to a hungry trout but just above the water’s surface awaits a flock of greedy gulls. The screech of a hungry seagull will attract other birds and is a clear indication that fish are feeding under them.

Fishing a group of birds that are “working” can be fun,

do is cast just on the outer edge of the school and hang on. Catching them is almost effortless but getting to witness these fish correlate always has intrigued me. These fish synchronize together and work as a team to benefit every one of them. Not just a few of them but hundreds of redfish will break into smaller groups and do their thing.

It is truly an awesome occurrence that only happens once a year.

All in all, the month of October makes for a kayakers paradise.

Every fish around is hungry and fattening up for winter, so the fishing is incredible. The weather is beyond perfect to be paddling in. I mean seriously, what is not to like? I wish every day could be this ideal, not just for the fishing but the kayaking too. One of these days I am going to be long gone and I am not sure what to expect afterwards.

Some say streets paved with gold but that is not how I envision it.

No, I will settle for fishing the brisk October days on Sabine Lake for all of eternity.

Enjoy Life!

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fast and furious. When fished properly, an angler can make 10 casts and have a limit of trout on a stringer. The key is to stay on the outer edge of the birds and cast just under them. If you can do this without spooking the birds away, they can be easily followed for a long period of time. Oftentimes boaters will crash directly into the school, pull a few fish out and then travel to the next group of birds; a cash and dash method of fishing. Kayakers do not have that luxury, unless you are looking for a good cardio workout. It is a fun experience to paddle from group to group and trying to catch as many fish as possible while the magic is still happening.

Although, this is not a method I prefer.

When the fish are in a feeding frenzy, lure choice is not all that important. I tend to stray from lures with treble hooks, such as top waters, Rat-L-Traps, crankbaits etc. I am trying to get a fish off as quickly as possible so I can make another cast. I want to avoid treble hooks caught in my net, my fish, or even me. I typically stick to a 1/4 oz. jighead with a Norton Sand Eel Jr. The color usually does not matter but I prefer purple and green. Another reason why I like Norton lures is because they are rugged. One lure can withstand several trout before it is torn apart and needs to be replaced. I have not found any other soft plastics that can compare to being as tough.

Scattered across the open water the trout are doing their thing but that is only half the fun. I always found it amazing what the redfish are doing at this time of year. The bull reds are thick in the surf and are still spawning. Only mature redfish spawn so when you catch one, it is going to be a good one! It is always fun though to hang into a 40� redfish and let him drag you around in circles. You are never really in control until you have landed him in the kayak. Also, like every other fish during October, they are in large schools. So catching several bulls in a day and doubling up is common.

Back in the marsh and bayous you can find every other redfish that is not participating in their annual spawn. These fish know when the shrimp begin to migrate and know exactly where to be. They will gather up in small or large schools and move down a shoreline.

They mostly gorge themselves on the thousands of shrimp leaving the estuaries but will devour anything in their path. Often times they can be heard crashing a shoreline before being seen. Chasing these schools of redfish is one of my favorite things to target. All you have to

Dave Roberts is an avid kayak-fishing enthusiast fishing primarily the inshore Upper Coast region with occasional adventures to surf and nearshore Gulf of Mexico.

Email: TexasKayakChronicles@yahoo.com Website: www.TexasKayakChronicles.com

TSFMAG.com | 57

Story by John Blaha | Photos by Lisa Laskowski

T S F M a g C ons e r v a t ion N e w s

CCA Texas Strengthens Commitment

to Nearshore Reefing

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) Artificial Reef Program is currently in the process of seeking a permit for the largest nearshore artificial reefing site to date in Texas waters. This site will be located north of the Brownsville Jetties and within easy reach of the local recreational fishermen. CCA Texas has been a longtime proponent of nearshore reefing and at its August Executive Board meeting, the Executive Board approved a $100,000 commitment to the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Nearshore Reef at the request of CCA Texas’s Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT). With this commitment, CCA Texas has now contributed $800,000 to nearshore reefing projects in Texas and is actively seeking other funds for the nearshore reefing program from outside sources. In addition to these funds and others currently being pursued, CCA’s national habitat program, Building Conservation Trust (BCT), has also tentatively approved an additional $100,000 to the Rio Grande Valley project pending final approvals. With the final approval of these funds, CCA’s total commitment will then be approaching $1.0 million dollars to nearshore reefing in Texas.

“CCA Texas is committed to helping TPWD provide 58 | October 2015

easily accessible nearshore fishing sites for the recreational anglers of Texas,” commented Jay Gardner, CCA Texas HTFT Committee Chairman. Gardner continued, “Not only is TPWD providing close proximity nearshore fishing sites, but they are also creating much needed Gulf habitat that is being removed at alarming rates with the removal of nearshore wells and rigs.”

With this commitment to the Rio Grande Valley nearshore site, CCA Texas has now taken an active role in six nearshore sites along the Texas coast. These sites include Freeport – Vancouver, Matagorda, Port O’Connor, Corpus Christi, Port Mansfield and Rio Grande Valley. CCA Texas has been involved in these projects in many ways. CCA Texas has helped identify and secure reefing materials, secure temporary storage facilities for materials, managed the transportation of materials and also just supplied funds that allowed projects to be expanded. CCA Texas is committed to the vision of Texas having a nearshore reef out of every port in Texas.

With the upcoming approvals for permitted nearshore sites out of Galveston and Sabine by TPWD, this vision is a fast approaching reality. This is not only a vision, but

Port Isabel

PS-106

PS-106

PS-106

PS-1109

PS-1109

2 %

2 %

0

PS-106

PS-106

PS-106

PS-1109

PS-1109

0.325

_ ^

10,450'

0.65

Natural Banks

Shipping Fairways

Anchorage

PS-1105

2 %

PS-1105

6878'

PS-1105

2 %

PS-1110

PS-1110

1.95

PS-1105

PS-1110

PS-1105

Miles 2.6

PS-

PS-

Distance from Port Isabel Jetties: 13.7 nm

Distance Offshore: 7.1 nm Safety Fairways: 3.6 nm Anchorage: 7.7 nm Oil and Gas Pipelines or Easement: 8.4 nm State and Federal Boundary: 2.1 nm Obstruction or Platforms: 11.3 nm

Nearest Point to Point Distances

Estimated Substrate: Sand and Silty-Sand

Water Depth: 64 ft

1.3

Proposed South Padre Island Nearshore Reef Site (PS-106) - 1650 Acres Port Mansfield

_ ^

Texas Clipper

_ ^

RIO GRANDE SHELF FAN

Proposed South Padre Island Reef Site 26° 16' 42.55" N 97° 03' 23.24" W

PS-1070 Liberty Ship Reef

_ ^ _ ^

Port Isabel

_ ^

Coordinates for the Proposed South Padre Island Nearshore Reef Site NAD83 Latitude NAD83 Longitude TX SP South X TX SP South Y 26° 16' 42.55" N 97° 3' 23.24" W 1457264.39 16629266.35 26° 17' 17.42" N 97° 4' 19.94" W 1452063.96 16632727.88 26° 17' 15.70" N 97° 2' 25.28" W 1462500.40 16632673.82 26° 16' 07.67" N 97° 2' 26.55" W 1462464.75 16625804.79 26° 16' 09.39" N 97° 4' 21.18" W 1452028.45 16625858.85 Center NW NE SE SW

State and Federal OCS Blocks

Fairways Buffer

Federal and State Platforms Federal State Boundary

GOM Pipelines

Geographic Coordinates (Degrees Minutes Seconds) and State Plane Texas South FIPS_4205 (feet) in NAD83

TPWD ARP 71 Reef Sites

Proposed South Padre Island Nearshore Reef Site

Legend

_ ^ ^ _

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an effort that CCA Texas will continue to support both financially and with volunteer efforts.

The RGV nearshore reefing site will be unique in many ways, the most telling is its size. TPWD is seeking a permit approval for 1,650 acres, making it the largest permitted nearshore site in Texas. CCA Texas, local recreational fishermen, local academia and community leaders met with TPWD in early 2015 to pitch a new nearshore site for South Texas. Strong leadership and support from the local recreational fishing community as well as a lot of up-front data collection and planning was very telling at this meeting. TPWD supported the idea and was impressed with the efforts of the local community and began the permitting process almost immediately.

The long term vision of this site is to have low relief materials in the reef site for the small marine life and fish and higher relief materials such as pre-constructed pyramids for higher relief habitat and larger fish, thus creating a “life-cycle” reef. Long term visons also include sinking a large vessel for habitat and diving opportunities.

“Recreational fishermen in the valley are excited to have a new nearshore site with easy access for fishing and what we feel will offer excellent fishing opportunities for many species,” commented local fisherman Bob Glick. Glick added, “The vision of the local active members of this effort is to create a nearshore site that isn’t just a onetime effort, but a continuous effort to reef the entire site and create a habitat within it that supports the entire life cycle of the Gulf fishery.”

800 pyramids. This reefing effort will complete the reefing for both sites. The funding for these projects came from NRDA Restore Act funds, stemming from remediation to the BP Deepwater Horizon spill.

CCA Texas has a commitment of $200,000 to the Matagorda site, but because this award will completely fund the reefing for the Matagorda site, CCA Texas will move those funds to other projects within the artificial reefing program.

Nearshore Reefing Site Updates for Other New Projects:

CCA Texas remains committed to the nearshore reefing efforts in Texas and looks forward to expanding habitat and fishing opportunities along the entire Texas coast. For more information and CCA Texas and HTFT projects, be sure to visit www.ccatexas.org.

Matagorda and Freeport - Vancouver The Matagorda site will be completely reefed with 1,600 preconstructed pyramids and the Freeport – Vancouver site will receive

60 | October 2015

Galveston and Sabine Galveston and Sabine will both have new nearshore reefing sites in the very near future. The Galveston site will be located between the Galveston Jetties and San Luis Pass, closer to the Pass, and in Texas state waters. The Sabine site is located out of the Sabine Jetties to the southwest and adjoins the Texas/Federal state water dividing line.

Permitting is almost completed for both of these 160 acre sites with hopes of reefing to begin in 2016.

Port O’Connor The permit is expected to be in hand for the new Port O’Connor site by the end of September. This new site will be 380 acres and has two existing well heads standing in it. CCA Texas, Building Conservation Trust and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation have teamed up to raise $1.0 million for the initial reefing effort. CCA Texas has also contributed $100,000 to the permitting effort.

Photo by Barbara Albright.

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

King of Herrings Aye, she be sliver, with a fin of fire, like a big dragon.

A serpent from the depths of hell it be.​.. ~ Sea Story With its long, serpentine body and prominent red dorsal fin, the giant oarfish is a likely culprit behind legends of sea monsters and dragons, spawning tales of demonic creatures rising to steal crewmen and sink ships. Historical reports from the 1800s of a 56-foot serpent-like fish found on the shores of Scotland, believed now to have been an oarfish, may have spawned the legend of the Loch Ness monster (although the habitat makes this theory somewhat improbable). Though mainly restricted to the ocean depths, oarfish large and small have been found floating on the surface or washed ashore in warm and temperate seas worldwide. A sputtering oarfish may look like a terrifying sea monster, but it’s basically harmless.

Since first being described by Peter Ascanius in 1772, the giant oarfish, Regalecus glesne, has become somewhat of a celebrity in the marine biological world. In recent times 62 | October 2015

it’s attracted more serious scientific study, but with one significant obstacle – the oarfish’s habit of swimming near the surface when ill or dying means that the specimens available for study were almost always dead or dying oarfish which had washed ashore or entered shallow waters under stress. There’s only so much you can learn from an animal’s remains. Luckily, in the last decade, several videos of live oarfish have surfaced, most capturing the last moments of life, but one special video caught the king of herrings, quite by accident, in it’s own kingdom, deep in the Gulf of Mexico.

The “king of herrings” is so named because it was once believed that it swam in front of the herring shoals, as if leading them. Its common name, oarfish, is probably an allusion to the shape of its pelvic fins, or else it may refer to the long slender shape of the fish itself. The genus name, Regalecus, means “belonging to a king.” The species name, glesne, is from Glesnaes, the name of a farm at Glesvær, Norway, where the type specimen was found. They are also known as ribbonfish because of their

slender form, or rooster fish because of their bright red crests of fins.

The maximum reported length of the oarfish is 36 feet, although it is more commonly observed at lengths of approximately 10 feet. The maximum published weight of this species is 600 pounds. It is the world’s longest bony fish (a few cartilaginous fishes, such as basking and whale sharks, may be longer). It has a long, ribbonlike body with a red dorsal fin running its entire length. The dorsal fin is longest in front, making a cockscomb on the head. The pectoral fins are small, but the pelvic fins, lying just under them, are long and slender, broadening at their tips, like oars. The body tapers to a tiny caudal fin, which is entirely lost in some specimens. There is no anal fin and no scales. The skin is covered with tubercles (small, rounded, epidermal projections present on the head, body, or fins of some fishes). The body is gray to silvery with dark, wavy streaks or blotches. Its fins are pink or coral red. It has a concave head profile, large eyes, and a highly protrusible mouth, a characteristic of the order Lampriformes.

The giant oarfish has a worldwide pelagic distribution. It is believed to be oceanodromous (living and migrating wholly in the sea). It has been found as far north as 72°N and as far south as 52°S, but is most common in tropical to temperate oceans. Oarfish feed almost exclusively on zooplankton, though they will also eat very small fish, jellyfish, and occasionally squid. Toothless protrusile jaws suction krill-laden water into the mouth and over long, bristly gill rakers. Gill rakers in fish are bony or cartilaginous structures that project from the gill arch and prevent food particles from exiting the spaces between the gill arches. Giant oarfish are notoriously bad swimmers. While they have the ability to undulate their bodies, in true serpent fashion, more often their long bodies remain still while their undulating dorsal fins

do all the work (a type of locomotion called amiiform swimming), so it’s a good thing the oarfish doesn’t need to chase its food down. It just hangs vertically in the water column, sort of drifting with the currents, filtering water as it goes.

Although little is known about oarfish habits and life cycles, spawning has been observed off of Mexico between July and December. The eggs measure 2-4 mm in diameter and contain numerous oil droplets. After spawning is complete, the fertilized eggs are pelagic, remaining at the surface of the ocean until hatching. Upon hatching, the larvae appear similar to adults but in miniature and feed primarily on plankton until they mature. They occasionally associate in pairs, but there have been no observations of groups larger than three or any type of schooling behavior. Large adults sometimes kill themselves by swimming out of the water onto beaches or rocky outcroppings. Although the behavior has been documented on multiple occasions and usually occurs in areas near upwellings of water from the deep, scientists as yet have no explanations this odd behavior. And this isn’t the only detrimental behavior oarfish have adopted.

There is no direct evidence of predation on oarfish. Nonetheless, all records over 5 feet long have shortened bodies. An oarfish’s internal organs are all packed into the front quarter of its body, so it seems an oarfish could survive an attack by a predator, such as a shark, by sacrificing the tail end of its body. However, the injuries on collected oarfish were notably not consistent with shark bites. The hypothesis that oarfish have the ability to shed a body section voluntarily by separating the vertebrae in their “tails,” like lizards, implies an explanation for the recorded injuries: autotomy (self-amputation).

Since oarfish have no known natural predator, any autotomy is

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probably not for self-defense. Possibly it makes swimming more efficient, or has some energetic benefits. Being denizens of the deep, maybe they just crack under the pressure.

At the surface, it becomes apparent how soft and easily damaged these fish are. Their shiny scaleless skin is deceptively hard-looking.

We mostly associate the shine on fish with scales, but actually, it is crystals on the skin beneath the scales that produces the shine, which becomes evident on scaleless fish, like the oarfish. Many beauty products on the market today have a pearly iridescent effect thanks to a molecule called guanine. This is a compound that fish naturally grow on their skin in the form of tiny crystals and that, combined with cytoplasm, creates the characteristic metallic luster. The form of the guanine on the fish’s skin is anhydrous, i.e. it contains no water (which is pretty impressive considering they spend their entire lives… in the water). The unique morphology observed in these crystals is designed to enhance their light reflective properties. The guanine crystals reflect light at every angle. Because fish skin does not suffer from a drop in reflectivity, the fish in question no longer stands out from its surroundings, perfect for hiding or hunting.

The giant oarfish has no commercial value due to the poor quality of its meat, which is gelatinous and generally considered inedible.

However, it is considered a gamefish by some, and its cousin, the slender oarfish, has been caught with encircling nets and marketed fresh in some areas of Japan. In Japan, slender oarfish have long figured into folklore. Smaller than the giant oarfish, the slender oarfish, Regalecus russelii, is known there as the “messenger from the sea god’s palace.” Japanese myth holds that washed-up oarfish are a sign of an impending earthquake, a fable that regained popularity after several beached themselves before the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Though deep-sea fish, such as oarfish, living near the sea bottom are more sensitive to the movements of active faults than those near the surface of the sea, oarfish found in nets or on beaches does not seem to be directly connected with earthquakes.

Another relative of the oarfish, the streamer fish, Agrostichthys parkeri, has been reported to be electrogenic, producing a mild shock when handled by humans. The slender and giant oarfishes don’t seem to share their cousin’s electro-talent, which might come as a relief since, according to the World Register of Marine Species, there are two occurrences of giant oarfish off the Texas Gulf Coast (and more off the coasts of other Gulf-bordering states). Scientists are just beginning to explore the deep waters of the Gulf like never before thanks to the GulfSERPENT project, a collaboration between marine scientists and energy companies – such as BP, Shell, Chevron, and Petrobras – working in the Gulf of Mexico. Though not aimed specifically at oarfish, videos of the king of herrings captured by GulfSERPENT (the same videos mentioned at the beginning of this article) offer a unique glimpse at a creature which, until very recently, was only understood in death.

Hell is Empty.

And all the devils are Here. ~ Sea Story

www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=272529 NOAA www.nmfs.noaa.gov/speciesid/fish_page/fish82a.html Fish Base fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/summary/25038 www.fishbase.org/summary/16851 International Wildlife Encyclopedia

By Maurice Burton & Robert Burton Florida Museum of Natural History www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/Descript/OarFish/OarFish.html Encyclopedia of Life eol.org/pages/225594/overview Mountain & Sea Educational Adventures mountainandsea.org/10-amazing-facts-about-oarfish/ BBC Earth News news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8501000/8501251.stm National Geographic news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/04/140408-giant-oarfish-videodeep-sea-fish/ voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/06/11/rare-video-of-giant-sea-serpentoarfish-caught/ news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/10/131022-giant-oarfish-facts-seaserpents/ IFL Science www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/rare-oarfish-washed-ashore-newzealand The European Synchrotron www.esrf.eu/news/general-old/general-2008/fish Physics World physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2012/oct/23/silvery-fish-fool-predatorswith-their-skin New York Times www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/science/earth/oarfish-offer-chance-to-studyan-elusive-animal-long-thought-a-monster.html?_r=0 Los Angeles Times articles.latimes.com/2006/aug/26/sports/sp-seamonster26 The Japan Times www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2010/03/06/news/sea-serpents-arrival-puzzlingor-portentous/#.VZLgIKY01OD Tech Times www.techtimes.com/articles/47145/20150419/rare-deep-sea-oarfish-washesashore-in-new-zealand.htm

Where I learned about oarfish, and you can too!

Bloody Decks (Sea Story) www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/threads/isla-san-marcos-seastory-09-01-07.81929/

World Register of Marine Species www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=126525

Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_oarfish

64 | October 2015

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Jake Garrett with his personal best redfish before release.

CURTISS CASH

I N S H O R E | N EA R S H O R E | J ETT I E S | P A S S E S

CHANGE OF SEASONS While September sets the stage for cooler weather patterns it is October that brings them home.

This transition reminds me much of what we experience during the month of March, but in reverse order. This is a good comparison of how our bay systems will prepare for and react to the changing conditions ahead.

Early in the month water temps hang around 70⁰ and fluctuate often due to frequent weather changes.

As the water continues to cool the effects directly dictate the areas fish frequent. By month’s end our fishing patterns become more consistent and definitely more predictable.

66 | October 2015

EL NINO The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced a 90% probability of El Nino conditions increasing and continuing through winter. What this means to us is greater than normal precipitation and below average temperatures. The current conditions on the coast over the past few weeks have supported this weather synopsis.

With consideration of the news from NOAA, now would be a good time to get ready for a cold and wet winter. A thorough inspection of your waders, footwear, wicking layers and waterproof jackets is a good idea. I’ve been known to misplace

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October jetty reds have earned a reputation for testing tackle!”

an item or two during the off-season and more than once realized I had a new leak. Might as well get your replacements now before your favorite retailer is in short supply.

JETTIES There is no way I can discuss fishing in October without mentioning redfish. Actually catching them currently is so good, this month’s moniker has become cliché.

A variety of techniques, baits and gear can be used to catch the reds. Finding them is not very difficult with most mature reds relocating recently toward the Gulf. Ship channel jetties, natural and manmade passes, the surf and nearshore structure are all good areas to target. Once found, the schooling nature of the fish makes them susceptible to successful harvest.

I typically fish ship channel jetties by anchoring where the rock piles end and the sand bottom slopes toward the center of the channel. I use my depth sounder to help find these sweet spots, my unit has a monochrome display, so the wide bands of gray indicate a hard sonar return like rock. A softer return, signifying sand, is shown as a much thinner dark band. When an area is located take a note of the depth you plan to anchor.

I’ve found that a scope (anchor line) of 3 to 1 works in most situations, so in 40 foot depths measure out 120 feet. Tie the length of rope off to your bow cleat before dropping anchor. Once the anchor catches I allow the engine to continue idling, for safety‘s sake. Typically if the anchor set malfunctions it is immediately after the bow settles into the current and the tether is put in a bind.

This immediate strain can cause an anchor to slip, a rope to sever

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or a boat’s position to sheer. By aligning the boat parallel to a nearby object I can ensure the anchor is holding firm.

Once set, the engine is turned off and position fine tuning takes place. Often we have to deal with the conflicting forces of the wind, waves and current. Several quick equipment maneuvers can help us dial-in over the target. For lateral adjustment, the engine skeg can be trimmed up out of the water or turned varying degrees to port or starboard. To increase scope, play off more rope or take it in to decrease. For additional lateral movement or to stabilize a swinging stern, buckets can be tied off on cleats to increase drag.

Due to the fact that larger oversized reds are more plentiful this time of the year I like to use 30lb monofilament on the reel spool and 60lb for leaders. Single drop leaders or 12” Carolina rigs both work well in this style of fishing. The rig is dropped straight down instead of cast.

On the business end I use a Mustad 39941 6/O circle hook and an appropriate sinker of 2- to 6 ounces weighting the rig.

Fresh dead or fresh-frozen baits like menhaden, Spanish sardines, mullet, cracked crab and large white shrimp are good choices. With finfish I insert the hook into the bottom jaw and exit between the eyes in the center of the skull. Both menhaden and sardines have an ovalshaped hard plate in their head. Shrimp are hooked through the tail, fish cut in half, the back half cut into pieces and tossed overboard for chum.

NEARSHORE With the cooling water temperatures, migratory species will be moving on. Many go further offshore or follow the food source south, but don’t give up. In recent years many species lingered during milder fall weather. We did well through Halloween on kingfish, big Spanish mackerel and cobia.

Some structure oriented fish also leave or become less abundant when the water stays in the lower-70s. Ladyfish, triggerfish, spadefish, bonnethead shark and blue runners make themselves scarce.

The available space quickly fills around the state-water oil platforms, wrecks and reefs.

Silver trout, aka “gulf trout” show about the time the others leave. These fish are commonly 1-2 pounds and eat quite well when fresh, though not as desirable once frozen and thawed.

These trout are commonly reeled up incidentally while catching other species. To target them specifically, smaller baits like shrimp or a squid cut into 1” chunks do well.

68 | October 2015

THE

SOURCE ULTIMATE FOR THE

CUSTOM ROD

In October, bottom structure in 70-foot depths or less can hold a good quantity of fish.

Upper slot and oversized redfish are common catches alongside black drum, large sheepshead, bluefish and red snapper. In fact the snapper tend to run larger than in previous months. Most fish will be down current and directly on the bottom near structure. Larger fish often stage upcurrent from structure.

The same tackle used for jetty bottom fishing can work for nearshore duty. A heavier drag setting, gloved hand and sheer determination may be needed to keep cutoffs to a minimum.

For quantity and variety use cut up Spanish sardines, mullet or squid. Live pinfish are especially good if larger snapper are nearby.

Deepwater is where it’s at this month for quantities of upper slot and oversized redfish. If you fish for them this month please keep a few things in mind: - Use adequate tackle and circle hooks.

- The coarse meat of spawning-size fish is not very palatable.

- Modern taxidermist make excellent replica mounts; a few photos and length-girth measurements are all that’s needed.

Thank you for taking care of the oversized redfish, this is where the little ones come from!

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C ontact

Two Great Locations: 12800 Gulf Freeway Houston, TX 77034 281-481-6838 Capt. Curtiss Cash offers charters in the Port O’Connor area; specializing in fishing the bays, passes, jetties, surf and nearshore waters. Species targeted include speckled trout, redfish, flounder, tripletail, black drum, bull reds, sharks, snapper, kingfish, ling and tarpon, when seasonally available.

Phone

361-564-7032

8723 Katy Freeway Houston, TX 77024 713-827-7762

FishingTackleUnlimited.com TSFMAG.com | 69

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

Tiger Tales

Part I

Note the circle hook in the corner of the mouth. Testament that conservative principals work and most definitely have a place in modern-day shark fishing.

70 | October 2015

As this year has progressed, the level of uncommon catches by surf anglers is running at an all-time high. The menacing sargassum seaweed continues to remain absent and surf anglers have been able to fish at will. Here in Texas, heading into the fall fishing season, we are experiencing a truly historic “sharking” year, rivalling the golden age of 1960s and 70s fishing. The year began with phenomenal springtime action; exceptional numbers of hammerheads, both scalloped and greater. This was followed by a host of “toad” bull shark landings with impressive 8 and 9-footers being very common. As mid-summer approached and the opening of Gulf shrimping season, the sharking slowed in general however, the highly-sought after tiger sharks moved in and were aggressively hungry!

In this 2-part article I will present two separate very different tales of grand fishing achievement. Here in Part-I, I will cover a story of unparalleled accomplishment for a very deserving individual—good friend, Steven Kennedy.

Steven is the founder and owner of Catchsharks.com, a Texas company that came on the scene several years ago, aimed at promoting conservative shark fishing practices and methods. His custom shark and big game leaders are built with unmatched quality and durability. I have been very grateful for his support and the ability to use and endorse his top-of-the-line gear since Catchsharks’ earliest days. Unlike mass-produced terminal tackle, Steven’s gear is handcrafted to a degree not seen elsewhere in the commercial market. Steven’s leader materials are all of very high-quality, but it is the craftsmanship that sets his products

apart. These are the only shark leaders made with such precise attention to detail—crimps are shrink-wrapped and the swivels and conservation-minded circle hooks are powder-coated for long service. What Steven has done for the shark fishing community over the past few years is truly award and recognition worthy.

Steven resides on the upper-coast, mainly calling the beaches of Matagorda and High Island home. The medium-sized shark fishery is superb for much of the year in the surf along those shallow shores and Steven has been able to test and optimize his gear through countless days and nights camped on the beach with occasional journeys to Padre Island. On Padre, the closeness of the continental shelf creates the famed Devil’s Elbow, a region rich in nutrients delivered via powerful offshore currents. The food chain in the Devil’s Elbow is massive, from the tiniest of plankton to the largest oceanic predators, and South Texas is truly the “big-boy shark capital” of the western Gulf of Mexico.

Steven’s adventure that I’m about to relate occurred recently in August; a solo fishing trip that produced a game changer—not just for Steven, but the whole of the Texas shark fishing community.

Late afternoon of August 13, Steven’s 50W marlin-class reel began to slowly yield drag, creeping “toward Cuba” as sharkers say. Anxiety grew as line continued to disappear and he held little doubt that this was “his” shark, a reward for years of promoting conservation and safe handling of sharks with a goal of catch and release.

In Steven’s words: “I could feel her consistently heavy stride as she continued to pull line off and I was growing concerned. I started the battle with a bait about 600 yards out and now she was

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Steven’s 13-foot “released” tiger is currently leading as longest shark registered in Texas Shark Rodeo 2015.

72 | October 2015

She was healthy and appeared as though she had pupped very recently. The unplanned volunteer crew worked quickly in helping with tagging and collecting genetic samples for research. The release was storybook. Steven watched her swim away in the fading daylight like the final scene of an epic movie.

As I have always said, modern day hardcore sharkers are a special breed, the hardiest of the hardy in the angling world. We break boundaries and do what it takes to achieve that level of accomplishment. The elite few of us fortunate enough to have had face-to-face encounters with not just giant sharks, but some of nature’s most impressive life-forms, can relate to their own personal moments. These moments are what spawn the awe-inspiring stories that are told generations over. For Steven, I believe this fish was a product of karma and his story will be relived for quite some time to come.

To land and release a 13’ tiger from a Texas beach leads us to believe that perhaps these legendary monsters somehow did escape the heyday era of Texas sharking and are more present in our waters currently than we realize.

Stay tuned next month for Part II of Tiger Tales. A story of youth triumph—David vs. Goliath shark fishing.

C ontact

an additional 500 yards into her initial run. She was pulling about 42 pounds of drag—with no indication that she cared or even knew I was there. No headshake, no change in speed, just a steady powerful stride.”

As I can personally relate, the incredible feeling of hope and uncertainty, being hooked up to an unknown behemoth, is indescribable. It’s what sportfishing is all about and it possesses a gripping effect on anglers. It is a combination of mystery, power, and uncertainty that shrouds the individual in an isolated bubble of time and great adventure. Fish THIS BIG do not come along often and, when they do, you immediately become immersed in the greatness of the situation.

As Steven was discovering the enormous power of this shark, his intuition said he would have to wait until the time was right before attempting to turn her toward the beach. Finally, with the 50W’s spool desperately narrow…it was time!

“Being a one-man camp, I knew I would need help,” he told me. “I began flashing S-O-S to the neighboring camp with my spotlight. I could see their silhouettes but they were about a half a mile away and with the late-afternoon sun I could only hope they would see it.”

“I have always been a very conservation-minded and I took a lot of criticism as I built my business based on conservation. My mind was already racing, how much a catch like this could mean in promoting it. But—I would need a healthy release,” he added.

As fate would have it, the neighboring camp recognized his S-O-S and came to Steven’s aid as he was well into the fight. However, having help arrive is only part of it. There is still plenty of strategy involved in successfully landing and releasing a fish of such magnitude, especially with a volunteer crew of “new” friends.

Two hours and twenty minutes of incredible tug-of-war later, Steven brought the majestic shark into leadering range. He was very lucky to receive complete cooperation from the neighboring campers and passersby as it was finally time to land the beast.

Steven’s tiger taped out at 13-feet even, one of the largest tigers landed from the PINS beach in perhaps 30 years.

Preparing for the release, volunteer crew looking on.

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

www.power-pole.com

TSFMAG.com | 73

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Fat Cat 21 Catamaran has a patented top-drive tower to lift anglers six feet above deck. No more worries about low bridges, boat lifts, or garages doors. Sight-casting for redfish has never been more exciting.

Fat Cat has a full line of bay boats from 16’ to 26’ in both catamaran and V-hulls. Visit www.ronhoover.com or www.fatcatboats.com or come by Ron Hoover in Galveston to see them in person.

How do you make a Bubba Blade meaner? Give it teeth!

We wanted to make sure our next knife was a kick-ass blade worthy of the Bubba Blade name, so we asked our pro-staff what they wanted.

They asked for an offset blade with serrations to grab onto the meat before beginning a cut, a flexible blade to skin and remove ribs easily, and a power-point tip to penetrate scales and begin a cut with ease.

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Check out our new 9-inch Serrated Flex Fillet knife at your favorite fishing retailer or at www.bubbablade.com

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74 | October 2015

The TroutTrick® features 10X Tough ElaZtech® construction, a slender profile, and a ribbed body that emits unique vibrations that trigger reaction bites from seatrout, redfish, and flounder. The Trout Eye™ jighead features a high-quality Mustad hook and needle-sharp keeper barbs that grip all types of soft plastics securely. Based on the knowledge that gamefish strike at the eyes of their prey, the real differentiator with the jighead lies in its oversized 3D eyeballs— the largest of any jighead in its class. Paired together, this combo is unmatched in its ability to produce bites from specks in a variety of conditions! www.ZManFishing.com

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The Mambo Mullet is designed with reverse hydro cups in the tail and is notched along its flanks making this extremely durable lure dance through the water with a dynamic side-to-side wobble. It can be fished very shallow making it extremely effective in Texas bays and flats.

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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

76 | October 2015

After four consecutive months of writing columns only marginally more interesting than watching paint dry, I am tickled to finally post a favorable report. The first week of August, the glut of freshwater released its stranglehold on the north end of Sabine Lake, and as Capt. Lamar Belcher elatedly noted, “We have our lake back again!”

By the end of the month we were not only fishing in clearer and saltier water but taking advantage of cooler weather as well. We are still struggling to catch consistent numbers of solid trout but the redfish have just gone ballistic.

This is certainly not to say that the better trout are not there—they just won’t currently bite what I want them to bite. While we have frequent moments with topwaters and tails, the live bait fishermen are doing much better fishing the passes and main lake points. Not only

are they catching some very nice trout, but some bragging size flounder as well!

The live bait bite has been a bottom thing ranging anywhere from three to fifteen feet. They are taking advantage of the tide changes on Carolina rigs. If you plan on fishing this program bring both live shad and finger mullet as it is not at all uncommon for the fish to hit Andrew beat the heat and only one or the other. the redfish!

The ladyfish are chasing shad and shrimp to the surface all over the lake while looking over their shoulder as the redfish are never far behind. I don’t think it is possible to throw the wrong lure or color when the redfish join the melee, but not the case with the trout.

As good as the redfish bite has been we are still targeting trout and welcoming the redfish as an unplanned alternative. The most versatile bait in my arsenal for hunting fish at any depth is a swimbait,

The Kyles had no problem finding the redfish.

but once we find them it is not at all unusual to switch to a longer or shorter tail rigged on 1/8 ounce jigheads. Invariably a particular color, length, or tail shape will prove to be even more effective.

I am sold on the H & H Usual Suspect as far as swimbaits are concerned, but the Bass Assassin Swim Hook will convert your favorite color in any paddletail plastic into a legitimate swimbait. You have to buy into the fact that it is okay for the belly weight to be outside of the bait, but due to its shape it swims incredibly true and it instantly expands your pallet of color choices.

I really thought that it would be October before we enjoyed a consistent bite fishing tails and imitation shrimp under a cork but that bite is already going full bore. Not that it won’t hold its own with any other tail when rigged on a jighead and bounced off the bottom, but I am now convinced that there is no more effective tail to fish under a cork than the MirrOlure Lil John. I still think it looks like hell, but it is a fish catching little dude!

Plastic shrimp imitations have always been a favorite for cork fishermen on Sabine and that will not change. I initially fished the DOA shrimp exclusively only to switch to Egret’s Vudu shrimp due to the fact that it tricks the fish just as well and is incredibly durable. A lot of good fishermen gave up on the Vudu too quickly because the hook in the first version was woefully unsubstantial, but that problem has been remedied.

I recently tried the new LiveTarget shrimp and they catch the heck out of fish as advertised, but while they are incredibly realistic, I find them to be a little soft. They are, however, armed with a hook that will not fail on the heaviest trout or redfish. The folks at LiveTarget have been producing hard plastic lures that absolutely look alive for about ten years and their hard plastic version of this same shrimp is no exception.

As a matter of fact, I prefer the hard plastic version because of its durability. I don’t think the fish will ever tear it up as I am still catching trout and redfish on the first one I ever tied on. I hate treble hooks when fishing this technique so I removed the one on the tail and my hook-up ratio hasn’t suffered at all. If you like fishing shrimp imitations you need to give this one a try.

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TSFMAG.com | 77

Capt. Caleb Harp

The Buzz on Galveston Bay

Galveston

Capt. Caleb Harp has fished the Galveston Bay System since childhood and, now a charter captain and fishing guide, he uses his knowledge to enable clients to enjoy the excellent fishing the area offers. His specialty is the year-around pursuit for trophy trout and redfish with artificial lures

Telephone 281-753-3378 Website harpsguideservice.com

78 | October 2015

October can be truly phenomenal on Galveston bays.

Air temperatures are down requiring light jackets for morning boat rides and we encounter daily the bloodpumping October sight of acres of seagulls going nuts over migrating shrimp and hungry trout. Redfish by the 30s and 40s cruise shallow flats eating anything they can and trout blowup ferociously on Top Dogs on brisk sunrises. I look forward to October all year.

As for now, September fishing is great! Most of the bay complex is back to normal after that horrendous spring flood. Beautiful trout-green water fills most every part of the bay complex with light wind throughout the day and great tide movement. Rivers are running normal flows and with strong daily incoming tide and warm water temperatures, the bait is migrating further and further north and you guessed it… the trout and redfish are following.

Without trying to sound too obvious, the name of the game right now is to find a feeding school of fish. One school might be going off while another is at a lull. You have to bump around until you locate ones that want to eat. Do not resort to using bait for instant gratification, there is a school somewhere nearby that will take lures, it just takes a little work.

Mix it up. September is full of transitions and there are plenty of scenarios going on. We have fish holding on reefs, clam beds and other types of structure, and we also have open-water schools of trout and redfish following mullet and shad—these we find by locating mud boils and lines of slicks—hovering gulls are a dead giveaway and usually means they are feeding on shrimp. Just keep on grindin’!

East Galveston Bay East Galveston Bay continues to produce great catches of trout

and redfish and has become substantially less-crowded than early and mid-summer as water quality improves in the Trinity and UpperGalveston region. Trout action is consistent on oyster reefs throwing chartreuse-ice MirrOlure Lil Johns. Redfish have become easier to pattern; large schools can be found under slicks but, do not crowd them! The best way to get in on this action is definitely by drifting and riding the trolling motor. With October approaching, flocks of feeding gulls will be numerous toward the back of the bay and in front of marsh sloughs. Once we get into the “real” October cycle, the fish will transition to more mud-shell mixed bottom vs. solid oyster reefs in the middle of the bay. Drifting shallower reefs will produce great catches of trout as well as wading around bayou drains and mud-shell flats with Paul Brown Corkys.

West Galveston Bay West Bay has been running pretty much the same late-summer pattern as East Bay. Wading shallow sand flats is producing solid trout on big topwaters; drifting mid-bay reefs with soft plastics has also been steady. Redfish have been plentiful on grass flats on the north shoreline using Bagley spoons or a paddletail such as the Marsh Minnow

by MirrOlure rigged on a 1/16 jig-head. October’s pattern should transition the fish more toward muddy bottoms in West Bay. Be on the lookout for bird activity as each cool front will draw more and more shrimp out of the marsh.

Trinity Bay It’s great to finally write about my own backyard again. Trinity is back and it’s been good so far; I look for it to get even better in October!

On a normal year we know where to look for resident trout on deep structure and we also understand the patterns of migrants coming up the Ship Channel and the way they join with resident stocks. This year has been very different though, it seems they all showed up at once, moving steadily north as the salinity recovered.

Fishing over well pads and isolated clamshell beds has been the predominant pattern during Trinity’s recovery. You must use a trolling motor to experience the best these structure types can offer. Our best catches have been made on blue moon Lil Johns, and chartreuse gold Provokers on all sizes of jig-heads for different conditions. The 1/8 ounce for when the fish want to feed near the top of the water column, 1/4 ounce whenever they are suspended at about 4- to 5 feet and 3/8 when the bite is on the bottom. We should see more fish near the head of the bay as October rolls along. Judging by the number of shrimp already in the bay, October’s bird action should be one for the books. Be as courteous as possible while fishing the birds, it can get hectic out there.

Be safe out there and tight lines. –Capt. Caleb Harp

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TSFMAG.com | 79

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

80 | October 2015

If October is half of what Matagorda captains expect it to be, we could enjoy the “good ole’ days” once again.

When I moved to Matagorda County in the late-90s it was nothing to catch 3-to 5 pound trout on topwaters under the birds. Five-pounders were cheap, and we took it for granted.

Sure, the birds still work in October and the fishing is good, but we haven’t seen greatness during the past decade.

I believe that is about to change.

Freshwater inflow is a powerful thing; and, the spring and summer floods we endured have rejuvenated our estuaries from the bottom to the top of the food chain.

Shrimpers are telling me they haven’t seen a shrimp crop like this one in fifteen years. Crabbers are hauling in a bounty. Shad and mullet are everywhere. Big brown table shrimp are abundant.

Oysters are rebounding.

We caught good trout and redfish under the birds on calm days for over half of August. Those fish were crushing a topwater. I can’t remember an August

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pattern like this one in over a decade.

The marshes in West Bay are full of shrimp and redfish are already running the grass lines in large schools. Trout have been holding on the sand and grass shorelines of West Bay throughout the summer like I haven’t seen in years.

My point is: I can’t imagine it getting any better, but if you know autumn fishing like I do, it has to get better.

Swelling fall tides are a boon for redfishers. Like shrimp, when tides are high, redfish wander to the back lakes and marshes. It might be cruising the grass line in Oyster Lake, staging on shell pads in Crab Lake, or circling the reefs and drop-offs at Shell Island. Live shrimp under a popping cork is the best course of action, but I love to toss a small Super Spook along the grass and hope I can turn a whopper from the shell when it decides to inhale it.

With all the shrimp in the back lakes, on calm days, schools of trout and redfish follow the pods of crustaceans with gulls showing the way. It might be a single bird hovering a couple of feet above the surface, but most of the time that bird is over a large pod of fish.

Don’t forget that larger reds hang out in the surf and at the jetty.

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.

As always, the scattered shell and mud in East Matagorda Bay is a player for trout with light winds and green tides. We will toss topwaters, Bass Assassins, Down South Lures, MirrOlures and Gulps under a popping cork, and on days we can wade we will try to get on the mid-bay reefs for larger trout.

If you can’t tell, I am pretty excited about October.

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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

82 | October 2015

September fishing on the middle coast has been hot conditions do not allow comfortable or safe fishing in more ways than one. Even with the hot weather on the nearshore Gulf and beaches, I will point the the fishing has been on fire! I think it has more to do bow toward San Antonio Bay. October reef hopping with plentiful rainfall more than any other element. in San Antonio Bay can be almost surreal. When the I would say summer 2015 has been as close to a wind lays between fronts the bay can become like “normal” year, weather-wise, than anything we’ve a mirror—sometimes you can hardly tell where the seen in a long time. All through summer scattered water ends and the sky starts. afternoon showers would develop and deliver Another weather factor that sometimes appears in anywhere from a quarter to two inches of rain on the October is fog. All I can tell you is be safe and beware bays and surrounding areas. This is something we of other boaters when navigating. I see a lot of guys didn’t see during our long drought period and it has leaving in fog on GPS, I do it too, but your GPS is NOT been a godsend. radar. It will not show you the other boater that is Thus far in September we have spent many days idling in a channel or up to a reef, or the kayaker that catching trout and redfish in the surf and then moving to nearshore rigs to finish the day catching various snapper species, ling and the occasional kingfish. My Shallow Sport X3 has handled everything the Gulf of Mexico could throw at it— very comfortably, I might add.

In October you will still see my Shallow Toby Kmiec with a 44” red he Sport X3 heading out of the pass or caught wading a sand and jetties in search of tarpon, big redfish grass shoreline. Released to and many other species that follow the fight another day! blue water in close to the beaches. When

just left Charlie’s Bait Camp thinking everyone can see him. Be careful, be safe and run slow enough to stop in time to avoid an accident.

As far as areas of the bay and which reefs we will be fishing; it’s hard to say. Just like any other fishing situation you need to find bait holding on or near the reef you want to wade. Having a few birds such as pelicans hanging around is always a good clue that bait is present.

The types of reefs I prefer to wade will have many points that jut out from the main reef. Fish love to hang out around and near points and use them as an ambush area. Also the reefs I choose will have drop-offs within casting range—just in case the fish are hanging deep that day.

The lures I normally throw at my speckled friends in October are the Bobby Jacob landed this brute of a black drum while wading a sand flat. His son Barret assisted with holding the monster for a quick photo before releasing.

5” Bass Assassin Saltwater Shad and the 4” Bass Assassin Sea Shad, and I will rig these on 1/16 ounce jigheads. The colors I choose most often in both lures are Bone Diamond and Baby Bass. Just remember the colors you choose to throw this time of year are not as important as the action that they have.

Yes, you can throw topwaters and they work very well some days on the reefs. I prefer the thump of a trout hitting my plastics but, if I decide to try a topwater while reef hopping, I generally rely on the MirrOlure She Dog in CRBL (blue back-chrome body) and the CRGR (green back-chrome body). I prefer the obnoxious rattle and bang of the She Dog because it seems to bring the fish up from deeper water along the drop-offs of the reefs and will make the trout and reds crawl across the crown of the reef to come and smash it! Again, action and sound are more important than color.

If you haven’t been yet, you need to make a trip to Waterloo’s Pro Shop in Victoria. It is a 3,000 square foot fisherman’s paradise. They offer retail for their Waterloo gear and manufacture their rods there also. Easily accessible off Navarro Street in Victoria, now you can conveniently stop by during business hours to truly customize the rod you have always been wanting since you are able to see and feel all the different handles and actions of each rod they build. You can finish out your rod with any custom color combination so that you don’t look like every other fisherman out there. Fish hard, fish smart!

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david rowsey

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey Hard to imagine that October is upon us; 2015 is passing like no year in memory. I was always told growing up that time flies as you get older. I guess the old men who said it were right about that, too.

Seems just yesterday we were bundled against Upper February’s chill, casting to potholes, with midday air Laguna/ temps running low-50s.

Fall is definitely approaching but as I write this Baffin report the temperature outside is no indication the seasons are about to change. We are dealing daily with summer’s swelter but managing to fish through it. My best advice for trout success at present would David Rowsey has 20 years experience in the Laguna/Baffin definitely be to get out early—well before sunrise if region; trophy trout with artificial possible. Our “good” bite usually retires about 9:00 lures is his specialty. David has a a.m. and the rest of the day is spent fishing primo great passion for conservation structure for that one monster bite. It happens and encourages catch and with good enough regularity but it takes a serious release of trophy fish. mindset to accomplish.

I think most lure guides would back me up on Telephone this…The vast majority of clients do not have the 361-960-0340 Website kind of focus it takes to continue grinding when the www.DavidRowsey.com bite slows down.

Email They come for action and most would rather go david.rowsey@yahoo.com chase reds or just have fun with whatever bites they

84 | October 2015

can get. I’m not knocking them; it’s their day and I really do get that—but the largest trout make up probably less than 1% of the total population and if catching one is your goal it requires some hard work during these warm months.

October’s early northers will bring the first truly cool temperatures. Every little cool snap is part of the recipe to get the large trout thinking about winter and putting as much protein in their bellies as possible. It will start slow but by the end of the month all cylinders should be firing in preparation for a big takeoff.

Major bait migrations have been taking place and areas yet holding the largest schools of bait will be our primary focus for all game fish in October. I am not a “bird fisherman” per se but, flocks of clamoring gulls do pique my interest more in the month of October than any other time of the year. I know you guys farther up the coast have great success with the bird pattern but, normally, our action under them is never grand. October is the month where that can all change and I will take the time to investigate them when I see them.

In many cases the best action under birds is along

Brian Thompson proving that big trout love to hang out in schools of redfish.

MirrOlure She Dog and Bass Assassins did the trick. CPR!

the ICW where the bait is using the channel as a migration route to escape to the gulf. Many days, birds will be strung out for a mile or greater. I love to anchor the boat on the west side of the ditch and make long wades down the edge, fishing the ICW itself, and all of the potholes and grass fingers I encounter on the adjacent flat. I think most folks would be amazed at how many big trout and reds we catch doing this.

So as I am sliding through this transition period between the seasons, I will be in full preparation for the “big” fishing season soon to come. A new Haynie 24HO and 250 Pro XS Mercury was just parked at the house and is ready to roll out. I go through a long checklist of things to get prepared for the late-fall and winter season, i.e., Waterloo rods, Quantum reels in perfect working order, new Simms waders and technical gear are inspected carefully and leaktested. Bass Assassins and MirrOlures are organized and re-hooked as needed, a pair of new Maui Jim’s for the season, etc. Having everything together and where it needs to be is a big deal to me. I take a lot of pride in not only putting my clients on big trout but also making sure that they are comfortable, safe, and have everything they need to experience a great day on the water. We rely on each other to be successful, on the water and also in life.

We just completed our first year of the 5-fish trout limit. It will be interesting to see how the first year plays out. I’m optimistic, but think the real results will be more evident in years two and three.

Regardless, I believe it will be great for the fishery. My only complaint about the 5-fish limit is that it did not take place ten years ago. As the old saying goes, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago.”

Remember the buffalo! -Capt. David Rowsey

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Capt. Tricia

TRICIA’S Mansfield Report Although September fishing here in the Lower Laguna-Port Mansfield area has been pretty much the same as last month (pattern and strategy-wise); October should usher in cooler breezes, more aggressive feeding activity, and bigger trout staging and holding shallow for longer periods. I am super Port fired up for the exciting changes this month will bring, Mansfield and you should be too.

Most fishing days over the past month began with shallow wades and inspiring sunrises. Leaving early remained critical for any chance to beat boat traffic Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water in the shallows. Seeing wakes of redfish and trout Adventures operates out of sure gets the blood pumping, but unfortunately Port Mansfield, specializing in we had a few days ruined by uncaring boaters— wadefishing with artificial lures. burning the flats and weaving through waders and drifters. Shallow-water fish are naturally spooky enough on calm mornings when the water is airTelephone 956-642-7298 clear; all it takes is one boat running too close to Email shut down the whole experience. shell@granderiver.net Saying that, seeing them is never a guarantee Website www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com the catching will be easy—traffic or no traffic.

Sometimes it is just too calm or the fish are just too shallow. Other times the floating grass is too thick, hindering chances of good lure presentation.

86 | October 2015

Making the most of sunrise shallow wades is one of the most challenging angling games in the world, so get there early and pick your fish and area accordingly.

Swimming plastics and small spoons have always been my shallow water go-to lures but small surface plugs can also be a great tool. Lately, some of the feeding activity has been so aggressive that even full-sized plugs worked up in the skinny. It often took a slow twitch and they often did not hit hard enough

Brad Lyon landed this red from a waist-deep school we encountered recently.

to stick but, let me tell you, a “hump of water” chasing your lure is an experience all its own.

The most fun of it is the challenge of inducing a strike and the shallow fishing has been exciting the last several weeks, but these have not been our biggest fish. Most of the better ones have come from pulling plastics and surface plugs through waist to chest-deep depressions, even during the earlier morning hours some days. You tell me why they are that deep so early in the day.

The decision to start shallow or deep has not been easy and, as always, the real test comes down to understanding patterns and identifying new ones as they emerge. Our trout are still on the smaller side on average, and unless you happen on an unusual situation the keeper ratio is still rather low.

The standard summertime tactics are still I cannot wait for back-bay wading effective as of this writing and most of the trips this fall. better trout have been found on deeper grass with soft plastics.

However, floating plugs fished along structure breaks have been bringing some nice fish to the surface and I expect this to continue and improve going into October. If the rainfall we have been receiving the past couple months continues into October, the already abundant forage such as crabs and shrimp could just explode, and this is good news for fisherman. As these forage species make their way from the back-bays and sloughs, the trout and redfish will be there

to take advantage of the bounty and we will be there too. Be aware of this pattern following rainy periods. We don’t have all that many areas like this near Port so please remember to be courteous to those who arrived on the scene ahead of you.

Heading into fall I am eager and more than willing to trade summer’s deep wades for more shallow water opportunity. As overall water levels rise, shorelines and back-bay areas will be back in play after months of little or no water. Larger trout will move shallower where lures will get to them more consistently. Somewhere around mid-to-late month usually marks the end of trout spawning activity and fish begin to gain weight rapidly. As rich as the forage prospects are at present I’m expecting to see a better-than-average batch of 10+ pounders this winter!

October will bring a wide range of favorable circumstances and good anglers come prepared. Start dusting off your Corkys and other mullet imitators now.

Have a good assortment of surface plugs with sharp, single hooks ready to go. My personal assortment includes a variety of sizes and rattle tones as fish preference can vary day-to-day and you never know if it will be a Skitter Walk, She Dog, or Super Spook Jr that’ll light ‘em up. I will be here doing what I do, and if you haven’t been to Port Mansfield yet, there is a little bit of paradise at the end of Highway 186!

TSFMAG.com | 87

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

88 | October 2015

October is upon us and I am certainly ready for a caught; more than likely you are not the first boat that change! Speaking of change, fishermen often refer has scattered them. If I’m going to stop and fish where to October as a month of transition as trout and wakes are present I want to see at least 15- to 25 fish redfish react to cooler air and water temperatures within a small area. If they are spread as thin as a few in their staging and feeding patterns. Rainfall in every fifty yards or so I will continue the search until I October should not be as frequent as late-August and find a larger number. I also take note of water depth, September but, precipitation clarity, and bottom structure. and runoff are good in that This information is useful in they help reduce average predicting other areas that Laguna Madre salinity and might be holding them. contribute to better fishing, As mentioned above overall. The first of fall’s our winds have calmed many cool fronts will begin significantly and with this arriving soon and these, too, the redfish invaded the flats contribute to great fishing. in early-September. Funny Currently, the wind has that back during July and been generally light, including early-August we struggled to many mornings of barely a find the reds and now we are breeze, if any. It is fairly easy to seeing them in many places. find redfish roaming the flats Also, the topwater bite has when the water is glassy but really turned on! Maybe it is finding yourself surrounded the calmer wind conditions or This photo says nothing of the hard work it took to fool by redfish wakes doesn’t maybe slightly cooler water this snook. A great reward! necessarily mean they can be temps, or maybe the recent

reduction in boat traffic—whatever it is we’ll take it as we are currently catching lots of redfish.

Currently, the sandy eastside flats have really turned on and sight-fishing opportunity has been outstanding. In fact, it has been better the past two weeks than I have seen in quite a few years. We are seeing lots of scattered redfish on grass flats and many back-bay areas are also holding good numbers. We have also caught plenty of trophy reds in thigh to waist deep water when it seems boat traffic pushes them off the flats. The K-Wiggler ball tail shad in the new bone diamond color continues to be a hot redfish bait for us. I expect the redfish action will get even better as we roll farther into October.

Trout continue to be plentiful from the South Padre Island spoils all the way to the Land Cut north of Port Mansfield. Potholes along

Julie Boehm delivers a kiss of triumph!

the ICW spoils and also on the deeper adjacent flats have also been producing excellent numbers of solid keepers. Despite the all-day traffic on the ICW, it doesn’t seem to hamper the trout bite at all.

Working smaller topwaters like a Bagley Rattlin’ Finger Mullet across potholes has been a lot of fun; watching them roll, flip, and slam them aggressively—even in the middle of the day. Most of these fish are running around sixteen to eighteen inches but this will improve as the days grow shorter. You could say the shorter the days the longer and bigger the trout we will see in the coming months.

I never thought I would be reporting flounder catches as numerous as I have throughout the hot summer, but let me tell you, it has been that good. Every trip, without even targeting them, someone on my charters ends up landing one or two with a few lost in-between. Our catches and the flounder numbers at the cleaning tables demonstrate a remarkable comeback of these prized fish in the Lower Laguna.

I hope they continue to thrive in the years to come. If you haven’t reviewed the special flounder section in last month’s TSF Magazine I heartily recommend you do so as soon as possible if you want to improve your flounder catch ratio.

All in all, I feel the Lower Laguna Madre is about to bust at the seams. It’s exciting to see our bays flourishing with the action that we have been blessed to enjoy so far this year, and my prediction is that it’s only going to get better in the coming months. In closing, if you have never experienced the sunsets of October down here, it’s like gazing at a real-life mural, each is beautiful and different in their own way. Key West sunsets have nothing over an October sunset on the Lower Laguna Madre! Enjoy and keep it safe.

TSFMAG.com | 89

FISHING REPORTS

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 October kicks off our favorite time of year. Our fishing will consist mostly of targeting fish busting bait under birds. Areas to begin a search include Turners Bay, Commissary Point, Long Point, and West Cove. The schools will be mixed under birds-- trout and redfish. Shrimp imitations work best. MirrOlure Lil’ Johns, H&H Beetles, and Salty Grubs are our goto baits at this time. Natural colors like opening night, watermelon, and golden bream work great, when the water is clear. If for some reason the water is stained, chartreuse ice, glow, and purple also work great. All these soft plastics will be rigged on quarter-ounce jigheads. Topwater action will also be at its height. This is a great method for targeting larger fish, whether under the birds or on shallow oyster reefs. For some reason, bright/loud topwater lures have been best this year. Pink/ chrome and orange/chrome have been our best colors. ShePups/Dogs and SkitterWalks have been the ticket all summer, and we don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 “Fishing in the bays is really shaping up lately. Looks really good for October right now. The bays are full of shrimp, and catching trout has been really easy. We’re still fishing deep, using soft plastics like slammin’ chicken Sea Shads and Bass Assassins. Limits of reds have been the

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Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Jim loves the fishing in October in Galveston. “We’ve been having a pretty easy time catching lots of trout lately. The fish are still deep, in areas of Trinity and East Bay not far from the channel. Some of the deeper reefs have plenty of fish too. Some of the schools have an incredible number of fish in them, so catching is pretty easy once the school is located. In October, after a couple of stronger cool fronts, we should see some of the bigger trout move shallow. Wading will probably be good in the backs of the bays once the water temps cool down, especially if we get a nice bull tide. Another thing that’s been really good lately is the surf off High Island. On some days, birds are lined up out there, and limits are caught easily by anyone who walks in. Topwaters have been working well out

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norm too. October will probably stay the same, like it did last year, unless we get some pretty strong cold fronts. Normally, we will see an improvement in the topwater bite. Last year, the little chrome and blue ShePups were working really good. Normally, the bird activity picks up too, making for some easy fishing. The flounder fishing will start to pick up in October as well. Toward the end of the month, the wadefishing for bigger trout should start to get really good. Of course, we’re still chasing the silver kings right now. A couple days ago, we went two for four. The pair we landed were in the 140 to 150 pound class. It’s been too rough to get at ‘em since then, but once the weather settles again, we’ll be back at it. Early-October is usually prime time.”

there and in the bays too, and that should continue throughout the month. Speaking of birds, I’ll be hunting ducks and doves too. I split my time during fall, back and forth from the blind to the bay.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall reports good fishing in the surf during the time immediately prior to giving this report. “We’ve been doing really good on trout and reds along the beachfront, throwing tequila sunrise soft plastics mostly.

The bite on bull reds has been good out there at times. Once October gets here, I expect to see the shrimp migration cranking up in earnest.

When that happens, we will experience better fishing inside the bays.

We’ll use working birds and slicks to locate the schools of trout and reds which are intercepting the shrimp on their way to the Gulf. It’s normally pretty easy to catch the fish when this gets going good. Soft plastics rigged on fairly heavy jigheads provide some of the best bang for the buck. It is easy to cast them far from the boat and get them down into the schools of fish quickly. Both these things are important when trying to catch fish schooling under the flocks of gulls. This month can be a really good month for wading with topwaters too. Both trout and redfish often attack the floating plugs with reckless abandon.”

Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski Bay Guide Service - 713.725.2401 Charlie expects one of the best Octobers in recent memory in the Matagorda area. “We are finally getting out of the weather pattern which produces westerly winds, and fishing has improved dramatically.

October is generally one of the top months for catching fish here. The coves and lakes in both bays are full of mullet and shrimp, so big trout and reds can be found by waders working the shallows most every

Find out for yourself…

day. We also have plenty of big trout around the reefs in the middle of East Bay. When winds allow, wading out there at the crack of dawn is a good way to catch some real wall-hangers.

Drifting over the scattered shell in areas close to the reefs can be a way to keep catching if the wading bite slows down too much later in the morning. West Bay has plenty of fish too, though the biggest trout aren’t typically as big. The fishing over there is steady and productive, though. We like to fish the shallow areas all along the south shoreline, way in the backs of the coves if the tide is really high. Drifting reefs over there works well too.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Our fishing in the Tres Palacios Bay system is the best I have seen in a long, long time! Drifting deep shell for trout, chasing tripletail, chasing schooling redfish, and fishing drains for flounder have all been awesome! Our best trout bite has come while drifting over deep shell with live shrimp or natural VuDu shrimp two to three feet under popping corks. The bigger tripletail have finally showed up, and we have been catching them under popping corks with live shrimp rigged about three to four feet around structure. Redfish have been the story of late; huge schools of 100-200 fish have started schooling chasing shrimp/ shad/mullet. We have not seen schools this size in our bays in a long time. Egret Bayou chubs in Cajun pepper and strawberry/white along with quarter-ounce weedless gold spoons have accounted for best bites.

I look for October to be just as good. Trout will be schooling under the birds in East and South Bay, redfish lurking on all area shorelines, and flounder feeding steadily around drains and bayous.

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Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 In October, Lynn expects to be hitting grassy shorelines, and trying to get away from such a priority on fishing close to deep water.

“We like to fish around the pass some early in the month, like we are doing now, but in October, we tend to start focusing on fishing around the mouths of the back lakes and even inside the lakes, targeting redfish mainly, especially on the outgoing tides. We like to throw topwaters like Super Spook Juniors in white/chartreuse head and also the chrome ones.

The bite on those is really good early in the mornings, when we fish them over sandy pockets in the grass. We also like to wade areas with a mix of mud and shell this time of year, and the soft plastics work really good in those areas. Our trout are likely to remain suspended over deep shell during October, unless we get some pretty strong fronts. We will spend some time chasing them when winds are lighter, and we are able to get out in the middle, and into the open waters around the oil wells and platforms, where the fish like to stay until the weather gets significantly cooler.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 The weather might be cooling off but the fishing and catching should continue heating up in October. The water temperatures will be cooling up a bit, but not enough to send the fish into deep water. Actually, the fish will probably move into shallower water as it gets cooler. There will be an aggressive trout spawn at the end of the warm period, which can make for easy fishing. As of the time of this report, many of the trout are carrying loaded egg sacks. If it’s not too windy, I’ll use natural colored MirrOlure SheDogs, and if it’s windy, I’ll use Bass Assassin Die Dappers in colors like pumpkinseed/chartreuse or sand trout rigged on eighth-ounce ounce SpringLok jigheads. The redfish will continue to run in schools, and they should be easy to find on calm mornings while running slow in water less than three feet deep, looking for them to wake up when they hear the outboard getting close to them. Cast half-ounce weedless gold spoons or the Die Dappers on quarter-ounce jigheads to catch them.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 October usually brings a big tide surge to the ULM and Baffin Bay area, and fishing can be really good in shallower areas of the system when this happens. “Right now, the water is in really good shape all over,” Joe says, “ so I expect to have plenty of good sight-casting opportunities once the weather cools down some more. If we get a big tide, the fish often push onto the really shallow areas with hard sandy bottom, where they are easier to spot once the sun gets up in the sky. Areas on the east side of Night Hawk, the Meadows and Yarbrough are prime places to start a search for big trout and reds if this happens. If we don’t have

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Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake will still be working a cast and blast schedule during October, and he says the dove hunting has been good. When he’s fishing, he plans to work a variety of patterns in this productive month. “Normally, after the autumn equinox, we have really high tides, so I spend a lot of time fishing tight to area shorelines in bays like San Antonio, Mesquite and Aransas. In a good year, plenty of shrimp are crowded into the marshes and back lakes during the middle of fall, so targeting trout and redfish around the mouths of drains and sloughs leading into the backwater areas is generally a good idea. Especially when strong outgoing tides flow out of the drains, fishing can be great in the current rips. We have had a really good topwater bite all year, and I expect that to continue

in October, which is one of the best months for them, historically. Of course, the old stand-by soft plastics by Norton will still catch plenty of fish on most days. Another thing I may be doing quite a bit is fishing the surf around Cedar Bayou.”

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92 | October 2015

such a high tide, fishing can be better along shorelines in places like Rocky Slough and the south shoreline of Baffin. When fishing those kinds of areas, we like to target fish in sandy pockets in the grass beds, or around rocks, if they are in the area. Because the water is clear, it’s possible to keep most of the casts in the right places, meaning next to the edges of the rocks, or along the perimeters of potholes.”

Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 High tides are common on PINS during October, and trips must be planned around cold fronts as these push tides even higher. Beach driving tends to be tougher than in summer, with soft sand in the Big Shell and other areas further south. October can deliver the best fishing of the year. Finger mullet will begin migrating to the Gulf sometime in September. This peaks in October and lasts into November. Large numbers of redfish will follow the mullet to the surf. Dusky anchovies will continue to be present, though not in the peak numbers of lateSeptember and numerous species of game fish will be feeding on them.

Lingering tarpon are an October possibility, and the first large schools of large jack crevalle will be present feeding on the finger mullet, especially early in the day. Spanish mackerel and skipjacks will be in good numbers, and the first good pompano fishing of the year will begin. Bull and blacktipped sharks will be in good supply, especially around the schools of anchovies. Whiting will be consistent and of good average size.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 Fishing in Port Mansfield is good and improving. Redfish are showing in good numbers at the jetties and sand flats. Live finger mullet and paddletails on heavy jigs are good at the jetties. Ol’ faithful gold weedless spoons and paddletails on light heads will do the trick on

the flats. Plan on catching a fair amount of undersized reds but a good effort will produce a nice stringer of keepers. Don’t be surprised if you hook a sow trout amid red schools. She will be skinny but still a great catch. Tons of trout—lots of little ones—a positive sign for the future— handle with care! Topwater action is very good but you have to sift for keepers. The west shoreline and deeper potholes have been ideal. In deeper potholes I prefer the K-Wiggler Ball Tail Shad on 1/8 ounce heads.

Nearshore gulf fishing has also been producing great catches; kingfish, jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel, tarpon and bull reds. Never pass on nearshore opportunity when it is slow in the bay; it has saved plenty of days for me. Tight lines and calm seas!

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 Windless mornings can be challenging for drift fishermen, but once the breeze stirs, the hits start! We’re getting more redfish than earlier in the year, but trout have been harder to come by. We’re pulling in plenty of small guys, but when driving across the skinny flats in a Shallow Sport, we can see all the large trout just hanging around, waiting for cooler nighttime conditions to get active. We’re throwing Cajun Thunder round corks with Berkley Gulp! Live three-inch shrimp in bright colors like nuclear chicken and the reliable new penny at reds with good results, including oversized. The flounder fishing continues to astonish us, leading to much speculation as to why this year, because we’re catching all sizes on a jighead bounced along the sandy bottom; just take the cork off and put on a Gulp! glow shrimp. Freddy says, “Next month, wind will blow in the morning and boat traffic will be down, so we’ll be seeing limits of reds on a regular basis, which is what drift fishing is all about!” Help stop open bay dredge disposal.

TSFMAG.com | 93

Nicholas Beuershausen Mission Bay - 15.5” first flounder!

Kaleb Billman Portland - 31” trout

Connor Lyons with dad first monster black drum!

Logan Trinity Bay - first red!

March 94 |2016 October 2015

Barclay Briggs Galveston - black drum

David Brown bull shark ate snapper at boatside

Amelinda Castellano Estes Flats - 24” first trout!

Jesús Cantú South Padre - 31.5” personal best red!

Lance Strand B.A.I.T. Tournament - 29” 6.8lb trout CPR

Ian McHaney Rockport - 37” 13lb jack

Logan Hudson Lake Austin - 23” first redfish!

Arturo Carmona Rivera - 36” 40lb bull drum

Fred Elizardo Port Mansfield - 30” trout CPR

Cody Lyons Lake Calcasieu - 27” red drum

TSFMag

Catch of the Month &

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Photo Contest Chris Perez Julio Wilmot IV Martin Mendez, Jr. - St. Charles Bay last sheepshead of the day 42” 50lb black drum Corpus - first catch of the day!

Flinn Simmons Tommy & Luke Sorrel East Matagorda - 20” trout Matagorda - 43” bull red CPR

Joe Tarelton Sabine Lake - black drum

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George Hessong Indian Point - 45” red

Carl Hooker Baffin Bay - 31” 10lb 4oz personal best trout!

1. Only current magazine subscribers, their dependents, and members of household are eligible to win.

2. One winner each month selected by TSFMag for photo quality and content.

3. Single-fish photos only, please. We do not publish multiple-fish images or stringer shots. Photos are judged for display of sporting ethics and conservation.

4. Send entries to photos@tsfmag.com **Photo entries must be submitted electronically—prints cannot be accepted.

All images submitted to Catch of the Month become property of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine.

Donna Teague Cooper saw the redfish coming & decided to leap in & get it for me!

Matt Searcy San Luis Pass - 43” bull red TSFMAG.com | 95

Zach Corcoran 29.75” 8.25lb trout CPR

Charlie Horton Matagorda Bay - redfish

Jason Gillman David & AndrewCurren with father, Justin Curren Arroyo River - 29.5” personal best!

South Padre - 3 keeper trout

Sam Keairnes & Tanya Trevino Port Aransas - 39” & 38.5” redfish

Gloria Garza SPI surf - 38” tagged bull red 96 | October 2015

Will Clunn Port Mansfield - 29” 10lb trout

Sara Zahn JFK Causeway - 27” redfish

Bill Sworn Redfish Bay - 49” 45lb black drum

Drake Rowland Port Aransas - 28” redfish

Shawn K. 42lb black drum

Jake Provow 27lb jack fish

Greg Bandish Steamboat Island - 25” trout

Louis Jasso & Johnny Clawson Sabine Pass - 27” slot reds

John Quinn King Ranch shoreline - 40” red

Morris Potts first flounders!

Presley Poole - Laguna Madre Lyle Graham 30” 11 lb personal best red! Quintana jetties - black drum

John Kouloumoundras Galveston - 27.25” 10lb red

Jose Mongarro Texas City Dike - 28” redfish

Cale Heinrich POC - black drum

Michael Poland West Bay - 22” flounder

Chris Hanson POC jetties - redfish

Nadia Martinez LLM - 22” first trout! CPR

Brad McMath Pelican Island bridge - 40” bull red

Jason Cotten Galveston - shark

Ryan East Bay - 28” first red!

Hagan McGlothin Clear Lake - 44” 50lb black drum

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

Tommy Alexander Matagorda Bay - 8lb trout CPR

Barbara Friesen 32” first red!

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

Pam Johnson

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

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

Crab & Shrimp Nachos This tasty finger food disappears quickly at a football party or after a fishing trip. The tortillas can be fried ahead of time and kept in a tightly sealed bag, then re-crisped in the oven. The shellfish filling can also be made ahead of time.

INGREDIENTS Vegetable oil 10 - 6” corn tortillas 2 Tbsp. butter ½ pound shrimp, shelled, deveined and chopped into small pieces 2 cans Miller’s Select Jumbo Lump Crab Meat, 6.5 oz (found at HEB) or 1/2 pound fresh crab 1 8-oz carton sour cream ½ tsp cumin seeds toasted and crushed 1/8 tsp salt (to taste) 3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese or Chihuahua 7 oz can nacho-sliced jalapenos

98 | October 2015

PREPARATION In a large skillet, pour oil to ½” and heat. Cut the tortillas in quarters and fry each piece a few seconds or until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

In another skillet melt butter and sauté chopped shrimp until barely pink, if using fresh crab cook with shrimp. Remove from heat and cool. Stir in canned crabmeat, sour cream and cumin seeds. Season to taste with salt. Place about one tablespoon of mixture on each tortilla piece and cover with grated cheese.

Place nachos on a large flat pan and broil about half a minute or until cheese is melted. Top each nacho with a slice of jalapeno. Serve with side dishes of Charred Tomatillo Salsa and Avocado Dip. Makes 40 nachos.

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A Whale of a Journey You might think the largest – and perhaps loudest – animal ever to roam the planet would not be hard to track. After all, blue whales can grow up to 100 feet long, weigh up to 200 tons and produce sounds that travel 1,000 miles. And yet, until recently, scientists had difficulty figuring out where these massive krill-eating creatures traveled. Now, a single female named Isabela has offered some clues.

Blue whales can weigh up to 200 tons, yet scientists are only beginning to learn about their migration patterns.

Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Researchers studying blue whales off the coast of Chile found that Isabela, at 82 feet long and probably weighing about 100 tons, made her way from Chile’s Gulf of Corcovado to the Galapagos Islands more than 3,000 miles away. To discover this, the scientists obtained DNA from blue whale skin samples gathered from darts and they took photographs of blue whale fins. They tracked Isabella’s movements by matching the DNA and photographic data obtained from Galapagos waters in 1998 with the same information collected from Chile’s southern coast in 2006.

It is still unclear why she traveled so far. Some speculate that the Galapagos waters are breeding grounds, but scientists need more data before they have enough evidence to support any hypotheses.

Isabela’s trip is the farthest a Southern Hemisphere blue whale is known to have migrated in a south-north direction. The discovery might help researchers encourage South American governments along the coast to create marine protected areas for the migratory routes of blue whales and other species so that they can continue to safely travel thousands of miles away and back.

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Preparing for long-term storage Enthusiasm shifts from coastal boating and fishing to hunting and other activities for many outdoors-Texans as October rolls around. Preparations for Chris Mapp, owner the upcoming deer season, dove shoots Coastal Bend Marine. and other seasonal pursuits take the Yamaha, Evinrude, Suzuki, center stage—and Texans dearly love Mercury, Honda, BlueWave, SilverWave, Haynie, El Pescador their high school and college football.

Service, Parts and Sales.

This is a month when too many boat owners close the door on the storage building trusting all will be well until spring fishing season rolls around, but they have not made proper preparations for long-term storage of their boating investment.

For anglers who relish the beauty of fall and winter days on uncrowded bays and continue to use their boats on a somewhat limited basis, and those who enjoy occasional coastal waterfowl weekends, this is also a good time for general maintenance.

General Long Term Boat Storage and Winterizing Prep Tips: -Service your lower unit. Prop should be removed and seals inspected. Even tiny evidence of lube leaking from prop shaft seals is a serious matter. Drain the lube and inspect it carefully. If it looks or smells burnt or appears milky you need professional service. Using the manufacturer’s brand of lube to refill the gear-case is recommended.

-Check your batteries. Wet cell types pushing their third birthday are candidates for replacement no matter how well they have been holding a charge. Long-term storage is very hard on them. Remove and clean (wire brush) the battery terminals and cable connections.

Any sign of corrosion should be addressed—up to having new terminal connections installed. Apply Corrosion-X Red liberally!

Scrubbing the top surface of batteries is highly recommended—dust and other debris can create a circuit between the terminals and drain the charge over long periods of inactivity.

-Running light fixtures corrode during long-term storage. Remove the lens and inspect bulbs and sockets, clean-replace as necessary.

Apply a light spray of Corrosion-X Red. -Fuel system maintenance is a must-perform part of storage preparation. Fuel in the tank should already contain a proper dose of

102 | October 2015

fuel treatment—because we do this every time every tankful, right?

But tanks need to be topped off before storing to reduce in-tank condensation. Replace your fuel-water separator filter(s). If you are not familiar with servicing the fuel filter under the engine cowling, see your dealer. Ditto on storing with 2-cycle lube tanks topped off.

-Mechanical steering cables, though not as common as they once were, are notorious for freezing up during storage. Lube according to manufacturer’s recommendations, making sure to work the steering full-lock, both ways. Hydraulic steering should be inspected for worn hoses, damaged fittings and leaking shaft seals.

Corrosion-X products are your steering systems best friend—liberal applications recommended!

-This is also a great time to check your boat trailer wheel bearings and hub seals. Always go back together with new seals and changing bearings now is much easier than somewhere along the highway!

-Any evidence of mold or mildew in storage compartments should be addressed before storing the boat. Storing with hatches open for good ventilation is a great way to prevent this. Ventilation also helps fend off under-deck wiring and fixture corrosion.

Periodically during the storage season: -We heartily recommend pulling the boat out periodically and running it on the water hose if making a quick shakedown cruise is inconvenient. Water pump impellers have a way of drying and taking a set during prolonged no-use periods—running the motor for 15 or 20 minutes helps prevent this.

-During periodic running of the boat, switch on the running lights.

“Warming” the wiring and fixtures drives out damaging moisture.

Ditto all other accessories. Discovering storage gremlins at this time is always better than the day you want to go fishing.

Have a great fall, whether it means fishing, hunting, or tailgating at football games. As always, we thank everybody for their business, and God Bless!

Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine | Port O’Connor, TX 361-983-4841 | www.coastalbendmarine.com

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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