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about the Cover It is amazing how fish can change colors to suit their habitat. Jonah Lemoine of Bridge City is our cover angler, proudly displaying a gorgeous “marsh pumpkin” taken in the Sabine Lake marsh with Capt. Chuck Uzzle. ~Hunter Uzzle photo
October 2016 VOL 26 NO 6
Contents
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
10 Limits – Food for Thought 16 Extreme Effects 22 Tommy and the Jackfish: Part Three 28 Jack of All Trades… Master of Most 34 MirrOlure Memories
40 Let’s Ask The Pro 44 Shallow Water Fishing 48 TPWD Field Notes 52 Fly Fishing 56 Kayak Fishing Chronicles 60 TSFMag Conservation News 64 Fishy Facts 68 Inshore | Nearshore | Jetties | Passes 72 Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks... 100 Boat Maintenance Tips 102 Science & the Sea
Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard
28
Jay Watkins Scott Null Bill Rodney Scott Sommerlatte Dave Roberts CCA Texas Stephanie Boyd Curtiss Cash Eric Ozolins Chris Mapp UT Marine Science Institute
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 Wayne’s Port Mansfield Report South Padre Fishing Scene
Dickie Colburn Caleb Harp Bink Grimes Gary Gray David Rowsey Wayne Davis Ernest Cisneros
60
REGULARS
84
08 74 90 94 98
Editorial New Tackle & Gear Fishing Reports and Forecasts Catch of the Month Gulf Coast Kitchen
98 6 | October 2016
Editor and Publisher Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918 National sales representative Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net regional sales representative Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com Circulation Subscription – product sales Linda Curry Store@tsfmag.com Design & Layout Stephanie Boyd Artwork@tsfmag.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly. Subscription Rates: One Year (Free Emag with Hard Copy) Subscription $25.00 E-MAG (electronic version) is available for $12.00 per year. Order on-line: www.tsfmag.com Make checks payable to: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 * Subscribers are responsible for submitting all address changes and renewals by the 10th of the prior month’s issue. Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded. how to contact tsfmag: Phone: 361-785-3420 fax: 361-785-2844 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. Periodical class permit (USPS# 024353) paid at Victoria, TX 77901 and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983.
EDITORIAL
It’s Going To Be Awesome!
The best part of October is the fleeting season we call Indian Summer. You cannot find better weather, equally suited for hardcore run-andgun angling and peaceful family outings. Imagine wading the quiet edge of flooded spartina grass in a backbay cove. The pre-dawn is cool enough for knee-deep water to feel warm on your legs. Flights of the first chirping pintails wing their way overhead. Finger mullet spray frantically as a bulge of water rushes your plug. Your rod has a deep bend and the line sings against a solid fish. You could be the subject of a Cowan watercolor or any of several thousand lucky October anglers anywhere on the Texas coast. Pick up a brush and paint yourself into the scene. October is all about spawning migrations and fishing success is about to rise in a wild crescendo. Millions of white shrimp will exit marshes with ravenous schools of speckled trout and redfish in pursuit, squawking gulls overhead. Flounder stage in drains and along major channels. Bull reds fill the surf zone. Offshore can also be great as red snapper creep back toward the magical nine-mile state water boundary and tarpon head for southern waters. It is important to recognize that the bounteous fisheries we now enjoy did not happen by accident, and I worry that many of our younger generation do not fully comprehend this. Yes, the Good Lord blessed us with a rich coast dotted with productive estuaries, but man has not always been a good steward. It wasn’t all that long ago when too little regulation and greedy fishing practices nearly took it all away. About forty years ago a notable group of coastal anglers formed
8 | October 2016
an organization of recreational anglers they named Gulf Coast Conservation Association. And they were not alone. Soon thousands of like-minded individuals joined the movement, pooling financial resources and exercising political clout to petition Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Texas legislature for conservative regulations to enhance the natural productivity of our fisheries. GCCA continued to grow, as the movement spread across the Gulf states and up the Atlantic coast, the name was shortened to Coastal Conservation Association to better reflect all its members. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department also deserves enormous credit. No agency in any coastal state has accomplished as much to conserve marine resources for the benefit of recreational anglers. Through peer review of its programs, TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division is recognized as the most proactive and prolific in its management practices. And for this we should all be very proud. Should you happen to encounter a member of Coastal Fisheries Division conducting a creel survey the next time you come to the dock, please show them the courtesy of willing participation. Their purpose is to gather data in effort to further improve fisheries, understand your fishing methods, how much time you spend on the water, how far you travel to fish the coast, and also your level of satisfaction. All it takes is a few minutes of your time. Get your family on the water and enjoy all that October has to offer.
STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN
A
s a young teenager, I mainly fished areas that weren’t far from the boat ramps from where I launched. The main reason was because my boat was small and it was safer to stay close to home. Quite honestly, the other reason was because I didn’t know many other areas and good marine electronics were not readily available. Fishing small visible reefs, piers and grassy shorelines were the norm. I didn’t care much about catching limits back then. Catching a few trout or reds was easily enough to satisfy me. Sometimes I caught more than a few and many times I caught nothing. Regardless, I had a great time doing it and learned a lot even if some days were spent basically getting in more casting practice. As an older teenager, I was fortunate enough to have access to larger boats and a few mentors to help me navigate new waters and learn new techniques. With time my awareness and skill level increased. The result was higher numbers of fish caught. No longer would I pass up a small slick or drive by a gas well on my way to a shoreline without looking for rafts of mullet or other useful signs. Lure and color choices became second nature. Over time I felt it was necessary to travel great distances in pursuit of greater numbers. I knew I was driving past fish that would’ve been enough, but I wanted more. When I started guiding I probably had a little bit of a chip on my shoulder and wanted to show the world that I could catch limits like some of those who came before me. I recall a trip where my clients were two trout shy of their limits and we fished for at least another hour so they could “finish up.” I look back and realize just how ridiculous that was. Twenty-eight trout was plenty and two more trout wasn’t going to change anyone’s life one iota. It wasn’t the fact that we caught limits that was absurd, but because I felt like we HAD to do so. Nowadays, the word “limit” has a different meaning to me. There are many really cool things we experience on a daily basis which have nothing to do with filling a cooler. Limits are in place to help manage the resource but catching a “limit” of trout seems to have become the barometer by which success is measured among fellow anglers and maybe even more so, guides. “Did you guys limit out?” This is a question I get asked almost weekly as spectators hover around the cleaning table. When I answer with a “no” they seem to be disappointed. I guess this is where we’re at these days. If the limit on speckled trout were 3 per person then everyone would boast about catching 9 trout (for 3 clients) and so on and so forth. I’m here to tell you that if
Catching two at a time on topwaters with 3 or 4 more following them to the boat made it seem like there were millions of trout this particular day. The next day we caught 5 trout. Go figure.
(left) Joe Mire with a healthy trout caught while drifting an East Bay restoration site. (right) Kurt Kaczmarick caught this solid speck on the only reef we could find holding fish that day.
catching a limit of something or killing a limit of something is how you measure success then you are participating in the sport for the wrong reasons. I’ve been guilty of it. Most of us have, but we must mature as anglers and start realizing that there is a difference between fishing and grocery shopping. I personally don’t think there is anything wrong with keeping a limit of trout, redfish, flounder or any other regulated species if enough research has been conducted to ensure said limits have been defined within a matrix that ensures sustainability. The operative word here is “regulated.” Regulate means to control or supervise. In our case, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Coastal Fisheries Division bears this responsibility. Their regulations are based upon data collected through various monitoring programs such as angler creel surveys, gill net catch rates and bag seine collections. TPWD Coastal Fisheries management strategies are designed to sustain fisheries harvest at levels necessary to ensure replenishable stocks of important species and provide balance within our marine ecosystems. In other words, a 10 trout limit or a 3 redfish limit isn’t a number plucked from the sky. However, we as fishermen especially those of us who are on the water almost every day, have our own observations and sometimes they do not necessarily match the scientific data available. For instance, I can remember summers where we could catch decent quantities of trout on almost every oyster reef in East Galveston Bay. Now, there seems to be fewer schools and they’re concentrated on only two or three reefs. The same holds true for winters in West Galveston Bay. Instead of three or four productive months it’s been narrowed to only a few weeks. I’m fully aware that there are multiple factors which influence our chances for success such as wind, salinity, forage species and available habitat. Another variable to consider is fishing pressure. The number of fishing guides and recreational fishermen coastwide has increased dramatically (left) It’s little over the past ten years. In 2006 there were 929 unexpected things like saltwater guides licenses purchased compared to big bull sharks that keep things interesting. 1,166 in 2015 (TPWD). During the same period of (right) TPWD bag seine time the number of recreational saltwater licenses results indicate that sold rose from 460,241 to 1,026,861 (TPWD). In “Recruitment levels addition, combination licenses which include were the third highest ever recorded.” My hunting, saltwater and all-water fishing increased observations tend to from 484,833 to 630,960 (TPWD). It’s safe to assume validate this. that most all-water licensees intend to fish saltwater. Otherwise they likely would just purchase freshwater only licenses. That being said, when all of the elements that should provide success are aligned and the results are still not satisfactory, there could be reason for concern. We still catch good numbers of trout most days just not where we used to catch them and sometimes we have to work a little harder. Is this because we have fewer trout or has the habitat and bottom structure changed so much that our fish have moved to other neighborhoods? Should a five trout limit It doesn’t take long to see once again be discussed for the Upper Texas the results from TPWD Coast or are we fine? These questions occupy my oyster reef restoration brain quite often. efforts. I counted 13 oysters ranging from 1.5 to I recently presented some of these questions 2.5 inches on this rock and to Lance Robinson who is the Deputy Director these were planted just 24 / Management Resources Manager of TPWD months prior to photo. Coastal Fisheries. “We aren’t proposing any
If catching 5-pound trout doesn’t get your blood flowing then you may want to take up a new hobby. And, no, we didn’t catch limits this particular day.
12 | October 2016
Some days I can see how these findings seem accurate while others cause me to speculate. I do not doubt TPWD Coastal Fisheries data. I happen to think we have the best program on the Gulf Coast especially regarding oyster reef restoration programs and how they involve all stakeholders during the decision making process. Since the devastation to wild oyster reefs from Hurricane Ike when we lost more than 12,000 acres they have aggressively been restoring reefs using primarily 2 to 4 inch river rock through funding from numerous sources, not to mention reproductive biology research and restocking programs which help supplement natural populations. Is our trout fishery in trouble? I personally don’t think that it is, but it needs to be closely monitored especially by the fishermen who are making first-hand observations. Better technology and endless 14 | October 2016
975,157 (460,241 saltwater) licenses were sold in 2006. 1,685,695 (1,026,861 saltwater) licenses were sold in 2015. Combination licenses include hunting and fishing but it’s very safe to assume that a large percentage of combo license holders participate in saltwater fishing. (TPWD Coastal Fisheries)
learning materials have made it much easier to catch fish. There are also more fishermen than ever. Combine these two facts and the result equals more trout harvested. Would a 5 trout limit for the Upper Texas Coast be a smart move? I certainly don’t think it would hurt. However, I have heard talk around the cleaning tables of anglers culling to keep their five largest trout if a limit reduction occurred. How many would be killed during the “culling” process? This would be a reason for concern unless someone could convince me otherwise. In addition, there would be more guides running multiple trips per day. Regulations are sometimes necessary to offset the effects of Mother Nature as well as human impacts. I’ve always said that Mother Nature controls our fishery, but we 2016 spring gill net affect it. Practicing good stewardship should sampling resulted in the always be paramount regardless of the state highest catch rates ever recorded over the 30+ of the fishery. Let the larger females go and years surveys have been only keep what you need. Remember, you’re conducted. (TPWD setting an example for future generations. Coastal Fisheries) Just food for thought.
Steve Hillman
Contact
changes to trout regulations at this time. There appears to be growing interest from some anglers to begin looking at a state-wide 5 fish bag limit for spotted seatrout. Populations still look pretty good based on our sampling. In fact, our 2015 spring gill net sampling resulted in the highest catch rates ever recorded over the 30+ years that we’ve been conducting these surveys. Corpus Christi Bay and East Matagorda Bay gill net samples had a spotted seatrout in every net set. Coastwide, 91% of the nets set had at least one trout in the gear. The upper coast numbers are a little higher than the mid-coast but lower than the lower coast (Corpus Christi Bay & Upper Laguna Madre) and the Lower Laguna Madre. Recruitment levels were the third highest ever recorded.”
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
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STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN
S
everal types of extremes influence anglers targeting speckled trout. Exaggerated temperatures and wind speeds affect anglers’ decisions and strategies significantly, both positively and negatively. Weather factors generate and accentuate the severity of the third and fourth types of extremes, tide strength and level. Anglers easily perceive some effects of these extremes. For instance, when the mercury in the thermometer dips down close to the freezing mark, most people wisely decide to participate in some other activity, rather than bundling up and trying to force-feed cold-stunned trout. Appropriately, if conditions become harsh enough, Texas Parks and Wildlife will temporarily close the fishery in places known to hold large numbers of stressed specks. Similarly, when winds whistle loudly enough to rip the hats off our heads, doing something indoors makes more sense than heading out onto open water. Most of us have developed thresholds of wind speed which eliminate our desire to go fishing. Obviously, some extremes render the activity impossible. But in many other cases, exaggerated environmental conditions do not entirely ruin the chances for catching some trout. To the contrary, some kinds of extremes, like dead-calm winds, hot weather and low tides can make fishing easier and more productive, provided anglers intelligently address the issues they create. Certainly, hot weather brings coastal anglers out in droves, since catching fish in sizzling heat often proves pretty easy. High air and water temperatures, above about 85 degrees, dictate elements of strategy for those who target trout with artificial lures, ranging from lure selection to presentation, choice of location and concerns related to the presence of prey species. Generally, hot water facilitates the effectiveness of small lures thrown around the edges of shallow structural elements lying close to deeper water and worked at high speeds at or near the surface. Topwaters like Super Spook Juniors draw numerous strikes from actively feeding trout throughout the warm period. Little floating plugs don’t always work better than all other lures, of course. Negative fish in hot water will often strike a soft plastic or spoon more readily. Employing speed as part of the presentation with these lures works best to draw reaction strikes from fish when their body temperatures rise with the red line in the glass.
Conversely, low and slow presentations often provide the only way to urge strikes from bottom-hugging fish in cold water. Naturally, soft plastics presented on or near the bottom at slow speeds work best in Jack Frost’s months. Even slow-sinking twitch baits, which produce well during warmer spells in winter, can become obsolete when water temperatures plummet below fifty degrees. In such situations, the choice of location becomes particularly important. Normally, trout retreat to deeper water when temperatures drop radically. Especially in the first half of the cold season, from about November through the middle of January, trout will ride out cold snaps sitting on the bottom in deep basins and channels. They normally move to the edges of these holes to feed when conditions moderate. Fishing around shallow structures close to deep basins along shorelines protected from the harsh effects of north winds provides high potential in winter. When fishing for trout in areas like these, astute anglers often narrow their search by looking for signs of bait fish, or prey species. Large trout feed primarily on mullet and smaller trout during the bleak weeks on the calendar, so most trout hunters look for a few jumping mullet when assessing the potential of an area. They know finding even a few can lead them to the trout hunter’s mother lode. If possible, they will throw directly at spots where mullet jump, but will also grind hard, even when they can’t throw right at the jumping bait they see. Conversely, finding copious amounts of prey species and targeting them precisely sometimes becomes necessary in extremely hot water. During the summer, in deeper parts of estuaries like Sabine Lake and Trinity Bay, locating herds of mullet roaming in open water and throwing lures directly in front of the lead edges of the tightlybunched schools can make for easy catching. Similarly, casting right where shrimp leap out of the water can pay off handsomely. Watching where gulls and terns hover over the waves can aid in this endeavor, when extremely hot water on the shallow Small topwaters work flats drives fish to well when cast around cooler depths out in the edges of shallow the middle. structural elements Extremely low tides lying close to deep water on early-morning can also displace wades in hot weather. fish from shallow 18 | October 2016
areas, sending them to the fringes of flats or into the middle portions of the estuaries. If enough water drains off of giant flats, leaving too little to cover the backs of the trout, the fish will retreat to deeper edges. This can concentrate large numbers of them within reach of anglers familiar with the coordinates of these locations. Low tides also accentuate the potential for wading in some areas which normally hold water too deep for the strategy. Anglers who best take advantage of this scenario often do so after studying the topography of these places, to learn the subtle structures present in them. Obviously, less water covering reefs, grass beds, rocks and other structures makes seeing them easier. On lots of hot summer Low tides also make days, small trout navigating more compete vigorously for dangerous for people available food sources. who don’t take the time to learn about the intricacies of the waterways. Conversely, bull tides of extremely high magnitude make moving around over the water in a boat easier, rendering many of the underlying hazards to navigation obsolete. On the other hand, high tides can exert negative influences on the ability to catch fish. Generally, more water in the bays creates more places for fish to find food, comfort and safety. Locating trout then becomes more challenging. Some places tend to hold concentrations of fish when tides rise. The shallowest spines of sand bars and reefs become accessible to hungry trout, which often chase their prey into these spaces. The back corners of coves and lakes sometimes fill up with specks in the same situation. Trout often retreat far into the shallows, away from the fringes of expansive flats on super high tides, forcing anglers to search for them over wide expanses, looking for the fish directly or for the signs they create, like slicks, mud-stirs and wakes. Calm winds will make seeing the wakes easier, since the surface of the water becomes static during lulls in the wind. While slick conditions do make reading signs of activity in the water easier, they also allow anglers to fish any and everywhere they desire. Light wind speeds facilitate ease of
20 | October 2016
strikes from trout in rough, off-colored water involves bending the tail of an Original Paul Brown Lure sharply down and employing raspy, sharp movements of the rodtip during presentation. These choices cause the lure to spin violently, activating the rattle and keeping it down in the water, increasing the odds of it passing close to the nose of a fish. Astute anglers adjust more than just lure choice and presentation when attempting to overcome the negative consequences associated with fighting strong wind speeds. They also recognize the futility of moving around looking for something easy, preferring instead to stand and grind on some diminutive structural element known or expected to hold fish, repeatedly casting in relatively small areas rather than attempting to cover broader spaces. In the end, extreme conditions of various kinds dictate elements of strategy. Some facilitate fast, easy catching, while others make drawing strikes difficult. When fishing in beautifully benign situations, smart anglers seek to maximize potential and generate optimal outcomes. Anglers who choose to fish when harshly negative conditions prevail either appropriately acknowledge and fight against their influences intelligently, or wage a war of futility.
Kevin Cochran Contact
mobility, and generally make the physical application aspects of fishing simpler. Normally, small, quiet lures worked slowly and steadily work best when winds whisper or fall entirely silent. Though dead-calm conditions simplify some aspects of the endeavor, they do not make the outcome more productive necessarily. In bays with little or no tide movement, many organisms in the bays become inactive without some breeze to provide movement to the water. Anglers will suffer the effects of limited casting distance and reduced ability to see into the water when calm conditions create a glare on the still surface surrounding them. When calm winds coincide with slack tides, predatory fish like trout tend to become difficult to catch, particularly for people targeting them with artificial lures. The best strategy for coping with weak tidal movement involves searching for fish in places which accentuate tidal flow, and using methods which best urge reaction strikes from the fish, taking into account the season and weather conditions. At the other end of the spectrum, coping with extra-strong tidal movements often means targeting fish in quiet eddies, out of the mainstream of the current, while using presentations which present lures down-current, into the sight cones of feeding fish. This works to a point, but the strongest tides sometimes cause a loss of control of lures worked with the current, necessitating the opposite strategy. When strong tidal flow coincides with high wind speeds, anglers fight a two-faced monster of sorts. High wind speeds facilitate the ease of casting long distances, but generate a long list of negative influences on the anglers attempting to cope with them. Strong winds roil up the waters, obscuring some visual signs of life, creating turbidity and hampering the ability of anglers to fish precisely and effectively. Wading deeper areas becomes more difficult in tall waves, and fishing from the bouncing deck of a drifting boat requires more dexterity than fishing from a more stable one. To some degree, casting and retrieving lures at an angle sideways to the breeze makes sense, though extremely strong winds make executing such a strategy more difficult, creating a long-arching bow in the line. Presenting noisy lures to the fish in erratic, unpredictable movement patterns, incorporating speed bursts, pauses and rhythmic components helps anglers earn strikes when winds make things sloppy. While winds sing loudly into the ears of coastal anglers targeting trout, a couple of specialized techniques sometimes provide the best way to cope and catch fish. Dangling a soft plastic under a float of some kind works well in strong winds. In the nastiest conditions, using rattling corks makes the most sense. Another strategy proven effective for urging
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
STORY BY MARTIN STRARUP
Part Three
“O
oh…that’s rank!” Red exclaimed, turning away from the rotting fish. “It’s ruined for sure,” Bodie added. “I don’t think that my taxidermy guy can fix this,” Tommy whined. “Take that nasty thing down to the dock and let the crabs have it,” Red snarled. “I can’t believe that I wasted the biggest fish I’ve ever caught. And you were right Bodie, I should have let it go,” Tommy whined. “Nothing you can do about it now,” Bodie told his friend. “Just do what Red said and get rid of it.” “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Tell Eloisa that I want the fried shrimp plate with fries and hushpuppies,” Tommy called back climbing into his truck. Bodie and Red walked back inside and sat down to their nolonger cold beers. Red asked Eloisa to bring a couple fresh ones and when she set them down she asked where Tommy was. Bodie explained and Eloisa shrugged her shoulders, “If he has a photo and knows the length he can have a replica made.” “Hey – That’s not a bad idea,” Bodie agreed. “What’s not a bad idea?” Red asked. “We could have a replica made of that fish. I have pictures of it on my phone,” Bodie said with a grin. “What’s this we stuff you’re talking about, Bodie? I ain’t buying that freak of nature a replica of a jackfish,” Red shot back. “Aw, come on Red, it won’t cost us much and we could have Eloisa hang it over by the pool tables and just sort of let Tommy discover it,” Bodie grinned back at him. Red thought for a minute, “What’d you say the length and weight
of that fish was?” “Well, I believe it weighed around forty-two pounds but I didn’t get to measure it,” Bodie replied. “I see,” Red answered in a softer tone. “Let me take care of this Bodie, I owe Tommy so I’ll have the replica made out of my pocket. Let everyone but Tommy know and we’ll surprise him with it on the wall.” “Mighty nice of you, Red,” Bodie said surprised, still unsure what he was up to. Tommy walked in just as Eloisa was bringing their food, looking like he just lost his best friend. “Cheer up and enjoy your supper, Tommy Boy,” Bodie encouraged. “You’ll get another big jack someday.” “He’s right about that,” Red added. “The bays are full of them.” Tommy fiddled with his dinner and then announced he was going to take his food to go and eat later. Eloisa boxed his meal as Tommy bid his friends farewell. “He sure is taking this hard,” Bodie remarked between bites of chicken-fried steak. “He sure is,” Red groused. “Why look here, he plumb forgot to pay for his supper.” The next morning Red drove into town and visited the shop of a taxidermist that had done some work for him. After exchanging pleasantries with the owner, Ben Seton, Red laid out his plan. “I need to price something out and see if it can even be done,” Red told him. “Red, you just tell me what you want. If I can do it and you have the cash, it will be done pronto,” Ben assured him. “I need a replica of a jackfish for a friend,” Red explained. TSFMAG.com | 23
“Heck, that’s no problem. All I need is the weight and length and I can order the form. When I get it painted up it’ll look like the real thing.” “Well, the fish was forty-two pounds but he never measured it,” Red explained. “But that’s not really all that important because…” “Sounds a bit fishy, Red, but you’re buying. I’m just the taxidermist.” So Red explained more precisely what he really wanted. “Oh, I can do that alright. But the detail and all and the time involved won’t be cheap.” “Right – Just give me a good estimate of the price and I’ll either say yes or no,” Red snapped. Ben noodled on a scrap of paper and announced his price. They shook on the deal and Red departed for the trophy shop on the other side of town. Red knew the shop owners but didn’t see either of them as he walked in. The young lady behind the counter smiled and asked if she could help him. “Where’s Don and Shirley,” Red asked the cute teen. “Oh they had to run to Houston for some things but they’ll be here tomorrow morning,” the girl replied cheerfully. “But I can probably help you. I’m Tammy, their daughter.” Red looked at the girl and shook his head. The last time he had seen her she couldn’t have been but four or five. “You’re Tammy, that little tomboy I took fishing with her daddy?” Red asked. “Oh I remember you now, you’re Captain Red,” the girl exclaimed. “I thought I recognized you but it’s been so long. How have you been?” After a brief conversation Red told her what he wanted and she offered her suggestions on what the plaque should look like and the best font style for the engraving. “If it’s going to be on a darker wall you really want to use a brass plaque with enameled lettering,” she advised. Tammy’s comments got Red to thinking that a small light mounted on the wall to illuminate the plaque might be a good idea and she agreed. They discussed the size of the plaque and the wording Red wanted. “Oh, we’ll have it done in no time,” Tammy assured him with a smile. “There’s no big hurry,” Red said. “I have to wait for the taxidermist to get done.” Red thanked her and left the shop, chuckling all the way home. “I sure do hate it about my big jackfish,” Tommy said sadly. “Try to forget about that danged jackfish and concentrate on the trout you’re not catching,” Bodie said to his friend, stringing his fifth trout while Tommy finally set the hook on a nice yellow mouth. “This is a good one, Bodie. I sure hope this rod will hold up as well as my old Skinny Rod did all those years,” Tommy moaned. “You’ve already caught a lot of fish on that rod Tommy, you know it will hold up,” Bodie said, rolling his eyes. Bodie waded back to the boat and was finishing a cold drink and contemplating a nap when Tommy strung his final fish. While Tommy was wading to the boat Bodie’s rod building friend called and said the rod he’d ordered was completed and ready to be picked up. Bodie thanked him and placed his cell phone back on the center console and reached for Tommy’s stringer. 24 | October 2016
“Nice string of trout my boy,” Bodie complimented him. To his surprise Tommy was suddenly cheerful and happy. “Sure is, and even though it took me longer than you, I think I got me a heavier stringer,” Tommy joked. Happy that his friend was back to normal, if Tommy could ever be, Bodie fired the boat up, raised the Power Pole and headed back to port. Red was working in his shop when his cell phone rang. It was Ben Seaton calling to say that his replica was ready. “I’ll be there in an hour,” Red told Ben with a laugh. Red stopped by the trophy shop and picked up the plaque. He visited with Don and Shirley for a bit, complimented them on raising a wonderful daughter and then rushed off to the taxidermist. “Well here it is,” Ben said to Red. “Sure is a lot of money but there’s a bunch of work that went into it.” “Money well spent, Ben. And it looks fantastic!” Red proclaimed with delight. Red drove as fast as he dared to Haddon’s, hoping Eloisa was there. She was getting ready for her lunch crowd when Red showed her what he had and got her blessing to hang the stuff on the wall. “There’s a plug high on the wall where you can plug that light in,” Eloisa said, pointing near the ceiling. “Never knew why that plug was way up there but you’re welcome to use it.” Red went to work, showed it all to Eloisa who just shook her head and laughed. Red covered everything with an old bed sheet and whispered as he was leaving. “Mums the word,” with his index finger across his lips. “Not a word to anyone. I want this to be a big surprise this evening.” Haddon’s parking lot was overflowing and Bodie had to park on the side of the road. “Wonder what in the world is going on to have a crowd like this on Wednesday night?” he mused. Making his way through the door it looked like half the town was there. Eloisa saw him and waved him over. “Saved you a spot over near the pool tables so y’all can be close by when Red unveils Tommy’s trophy,” she giggled above the hubbub. Taking a seat, Bodie noticed the sheet on the wall and wondered what Red had up his sleeve. Red came in and strolled to the table. “He’s grinning way too big,” Bodie thought to himself. “He’s got to be up to no good.” “What did you do?” Bodie asked. “What do you mean, what did I do?” Red asked incredulously. “I had a replica made of Tommy’s jackfish and a brass plaque engraved with the weight and date that it was caught. I even bought one of those little trophy display lights so everyone can see it better.” Bodie still had a hunch…Red was grinning too big. Tommy came in and made his way through the crowd. People were patting him on the back and congratulating him and Tommy had no clue what the heck they were talking about. “Is everyone in here drunk already or what?” he asked Bodie and Red. “And what are you so happy about, Red?” “I’m happy because you are about to be famous hereabouts. We’re going to show the world your jackfish replica mount and a special plaque that I had made for you,” Red chortled. Red got Eloisa’s attention and she handed him the karaoke mike. “Y’all shut the hell up and listen…” Red’s voice boomed through the tavern. “…some of you might not know, but our friend Tommy Meyers
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Red was confused at the backfire of his prank while the crowd all admired the beautiful miniature replica, heaping praise and congratulations on Tommy. With all that going on Bodie slipped outside to grab Tommy’s new custom rod. “I have a little something for Tommy too,” Bodie announced as he strode toward his friend. “The exact length and action of your old Skinny Rod…but even better!” Tommy cried a little harder and Red muttered some things that shouldn’t even be said in a bar. Bodie laughed and the crowd couldn’t get enough as they continued the celebration. “That was a really nice thing you did for Tommy,” Bodie whispered in Red’s ear. “Yeah, well let me tell you what he can do with that new rod,” Red grumbled.
Martin Strarup
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here caught a forty-two pound jackfish on his favorite custom trout rod a couple weeks ago. And in doing so the rod was ruined,” Red informed the crowd. “And due to a really hot day and too little ice, the jackfish turned into rotten crab bait and Tommy couldn’t have it mounted. So I have taken it upon myself to have a replica mount made for him. So Tommy, come on up here and help me unveil this for everybody to admire!” Red walked over to the sheet and Tommy all red and blushing from the attention slapped him on the back, saying, “You really shouldn’t have,” as Red jerked the sheet down. It was a beautiful replica of a jackfish, of that there was no doubt. The colors were perfect, the blending of paint and the application was flawless. But the replica was six inches long while the plaque underneath was twelve inches long. The crowd roared with laughter as everyone came closer and squinted at the tiny replica fish and read the plaque. Bodie just stood there frowning. Red was laughing so hard that he was in tears but Tommy just stared in admiration until tears came to his eyes, too. “Red this is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me,” Tommy said. “Why to go to all that trouble not to take up a lot of space on Haddon’s wall and to have such a perfect miniature of my fish made, a thing of pure beauty. Why this is one of the nicest things you could have done for me. You got the weight right, and the date, even spelled my name right. I just don’t know what to say!” Tommy grabbed Red and gave him a big hug, Red tried to get away. Bodie was laughing so hard he had to sit down.
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
Grandad threw topwaters – all the time!
STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE
I
flipped on the light switch as I headed upstairs on a mission to find a rod and reel setup I had stored away. Making my way toward the stack of rods I quickly recognized the spinning reel sticking out among the dozen or so adorned with baitcasters. Like always I grabbed a few and took a quick inventory of what exactly was in the stack, pausing to pick up each of them and perform the “whip and wiggle” to test the actions. While doing this I spied the old brown tackle box that belonged to my grandfather, sitting there like an unopened treasure chest. I laid the rods aside and picked up the old box with the reverence and respect that is reserved for such wonderful items. My grandfather would have celebrated his hundredth birthday this year and that old tackle box was a fantastic reminder of great memories he helped create for me. I sat down, opened the box, and just soaked up the sight and smell of the contents. For a couple of minutes I sat quietly while memories washed over me like waves and it was wonderful. Examining the contents of the box I couldn’t help but chuckle as I picked up one topwater plug after another. Rebel Pop-Rs, a Smithwick Carrot Top, SkipJacks, Hula Poppers and many other classics filled the trays. In all of the days my grandfather and I fished together he never threw any lure that went subsurface, he threw floaters exclusively and a few topwater flies. The collection of surface plugs in myriad shapes and sizes had one thing in common—they were all fished on the same rod. Think about that for a minute. In my grandfather’s day fishermen basically used only one rod and threw every lure they owned with it. Now fast forward to today and take a stroll down the rod aisle at your favorite tackle shop and prepare to have your mind blown by all the specialty rods with a zillion choices of lengths, actions, grips, intended applications, and so on. The “one rod for one style” theory is much more prevalent in the freshwater bass world. As a matter of fact it’s at times comical when you think how differently saltwater anglers see rod choices compared to their freshwater counterparts. You see it on the bass fishing shows all the time, freshwater anglers equipped with a pile of rods of varying actions, each intended for a specific lure and method of presenting it. Topwater, dropshot, Carolina rig, cranking, flipping, pitching—you name it—the modern bass arsenal is not complete without specific rods to match the range of fishing opportunities that may be encountered during any given outing. Switch over to a typical saltwater angler’s rod assortment and the scenario is startlingly bland. To say that a saltwater angler’s rod needs to be multi-purpose is definitely an understatement. Most folks who primarily use artificial lures are just as likely to switch from a Super Spook to an eighth ounce jig on the same rod and will willingly tackle much larger fish than 99% of the freshwater community will ever encounter.
TSFMAG.com | 29
Saltwater wade fishermen are a perfect (top) Grandpa’s tackle example when it comes to fishing all lures box is one of my greatest fishing treasures. with one rod. In many cases, especially wading, it’s not feasible to carry a double (right) Even the belly armful of rods designated for specific tasks. is orange – don’t see that every day. Fishing three or four anglers from the same boat is another instance where having a vast selection of rods available for each member doesn’t make sense. Limited room on most boats necessitates the need for a functional rod that can handle many different applications. Rather than having an assortment of rods in various lengths and actions at the ready, you will more likely see saltwater guys with two or three rods of similar length and action that they believe works best for them in a range of fishing situations. I have also begun noticing a growing number of saltwater anglers including a spinning
rig among the few rods they carry. Waders seem to have noticeably crossed over to spinning gear. The baitcaster is their primary tool and great for downwind presentations while the spinner is pulled from the holster when they turn back upwind to return to the boat or anytime a bait frenzy surfaces at a difficult angle for the baitcaster. The spinning outfit helps avoid backlashes and also helps slow a lure presentation due to lower gear ratios associated with spinning reels. I have to admit the combination of carrying both is quite nice and certainly comes in handy at times. Now in no way, shape, form, or fashion will I ever tell the world that one particular rod is the greatest of them all because that’s just asking for trouble. There are a bunch of great rod manufacturers out there and they all make quality products. Picking a rod is 100% personal preference and there is no wrong choice (left) A little fresh water inflow is always good for the estuary…but this? (right) He ate the whole thing!
30 | October 2016
from oversized redfish on down. There are literally endless options on the market for anglers to choose from and the decision for saltwater anglers in some ways is more critical due to using one rod for so many different tasks. I can tell you from experience that once you find that perfect rod you’ll know it, and that rod will be the one all others going forward will be judged against. Even though anglers, including myself, have multiple rods at their disposal it seems like one of them continues to end up being used the majority of the time. It’s the one rod you absolutely will not leave home without. Hopefully this bit of advice will shed some light on how you think about choosing your next rod. Picking one that will enable you to not only do many things but, to do those many things well is the goal we all look for and sometimes actually attain.
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32 | October 2016
Chuck Uzzle
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if you like the one you choose because, in the end, you are the guy who has to be happy with it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been approached at fishing shows and asked, “What’s the best rod on the market?” My standard reply to this query is, “Whichever rod you feel makes you the best fisherman you can possibly be.” No better phrase than “to each his own” describes the process of choosing your fishing rod. As a guide who has a rod sponsor it’s my duty to show folks what I fish with. It is not my duty and certainly poor form to downgrade or speak negatively about any brand or style of rod and I will never do this. If my clients are using Brand B and they like it then I am happy for them. I always offer them the opportunity to use mine just so they have a basis for comparison. I have had clients express both like and dislike my personal gear and that’s to be expected because everyone is different. In the end though, they are more informed because they had a chance to actually fish another brand instead of just standing in the store shaking it as though it was magic wand. Real world experience is always best for making decisions. Having gone through all this process I can tell you my favorite rod for everyday fishing is the 6’9” Scott Martin APC (All Purpose Casting) from Okuma. This particular rod handles all the different lure sizes and types I use on a daily basis very well. The APC is extremely light with great backbone and sensitivity. I routinely switch from topwater plugs to unweighted soft plastics when I’m chasing redfish and I really like how well this rod accommodates both. I match this rod with an Okuma Helios TCS high-speed reel and I feel like I’m good to tackle just about anything in my part of the world
Chuck fishes Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes from his home in Orange, TX. His specialties are light tackle and fly fishing for trout, reds, and flounder. Phone 409-697-6111 Email wakesanddrakes@yahoo.com Website wakesndrakes.com
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STORY BY JOE RICHARD
Texas jetty trout caught in June, with a collection of Mirrolures.
R
ecently a salty veteran from Vidor named Dale Fontenot lent me a stash of his MirrOlures, left over from his hardcore days of wadefishing Galveston’s East Bay. They were a little crusty, but he’d sprayed the hooks many years ago with WD-40 and they seem to be fine. Many of these plugs have color patterns that are no longer available; some of them are coveted by coastal anglers who recognize some serious “killer baits.” Seeing so many MirrOlures makes me want to return to a simpler time when we slung these plugs all day without aches or pains, and were so eager to return to the water the next day. MirrOlures were actually started up around Kankakee in Illinois, but the factory migrated down to Clearwater, Florida in 1951. One year later I arrived on the Gulf Coast and these plugs were waiting for me. Though it was 1965 before I was handed a serious rod with a red reel, and a clear 52M model with silver sides. We drifted endless grass beds in about six feet of water in Rankin Bight east of Flamingo, just below the Everglades. Big sharks cruised in there, also tarpon, but mostly good-sized trout. Our drifts were slow, there was little breeze during summer, but my Great Uncle Wib and I always boxed a dozen or more trout in the three-pound class. Then it was off to something else, either snook in the mangroves or lots of mangrove snapper in the channels. We seldom saw another boat. Two years later I settled in Port Arthur and after a few years on Sabine Lake, concentrated on the nearby jetties at Sabine Pass, using green and gold-sided Mirros. My fishing buddy’s
uncle had been stationed on the Florida Panhandle and trained his nephew on that very plug, so we were comfortable with them in high school. Sabine Lake was safe for these plugs but we had to be very careful at the jetties; we couldn’t afford losses and a big Spanish mackerel could cut off a plug “quick as look at you.” A wire leader would ruin the action on trout, so we resorted to cheap gold spoons with a foot of wire leader and gave the mackerel a ton of grief. And we still lost up to ten cards of spoons every summer, while filling Igloos. There were serious losses on both sides. A few years later I owned a grand total of two Mirros, both of them pink, and one day was stunned to see what they could do in clear green water. It was Memorial Weekend and not a mackerel in sight. Trout, sometimes five or six, were following our gold spoons back to the rocks without hitting. But they went crazy over a pink Mirro, with three or four fish attacking on almost every cast. It was an afternoon tide and we had to get back, but we put together a heavy stringer and released even more fish. It was a serious lesson in what a MirrOlure could do when your daily go-to lure, the spoon, wouldn’t work. And a jarring lesson that color Big jacks in Texas are makes a difference; they certainly loved pink that normally to be avoided at day in clear water. all cost with that favorite Mirrolure. However, these I must have stuck with pinks for a long time small ones from Florida after that, because my next fond memory is two aren’t much risk. of us landing 40 sizeable trout on this plug in Matagorda Island surf. A bonus that day was a six-pound tripletail dragged onto the beach with a pink plug clamped in his jaw. I’m always up for walking the jetties, a longtime habit and a simple pleasure that doesn’t cost much. Our technique has been to anchor aluminum jonboats close by, jump out and start walking. With 20-pound line, which I use around the rocks, I can snag the bow of my anchored boat 50 feet out there and, in fairly calm weather, pull it right up Cleaning up a bunch of old to the rocks and hop aboard. lures and catching fish with It’s the walking and covering them is always fun. These hundreds of yards of rocks Mirros were shined up just before a trip in June. with a silent approach, while watching fish parade by, and having sizeable trout slam The finished job. Some of those plugs, which is so much these Mirrolures are no fun. And now, with this new longer sold in stores… treasure hoard of 52M plugs, I’ll be slinging them out into green water through October. Except, maybe not. I called Dale back and told him we’re heading out to fish the surf this weekend, and could we borrow his collection again. He groaned and explained that he’d lent every plug to his buddy Daryl, who was headed for Belize and wanted to try them out in southern latitudes. “What!” I screamed. “Why?” “I don’t know,” moaned Dale, who was frustrated after a week of heavy rain. “He 36 | October 2016
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Big trout caught on a bone-colored Mirrolure.
38 | October 2016
For those interested in the history of the MirrOlure, there were easily 160 colors produced by the year 2000. Whitefishpress.com has produced a book, “A Million MirrOlures: The History of the L&S Bait Company, 1937-2000 that can be ordered online. To quote from their website: “Dozens of incredibly detailed charts and illustrations help the collector identify product and learn more about when and for how long it was made. Over 500 full-color, high quality photographs are a major part of this book and add to the overall impact of the fishing tackle made by an impressive and world class fishing tackle company still in business today.”
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
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wanted to try them out down there and I said why not, go ahead, they’re not doing me any good right now.” So at this writing 50 of those fine plugs, many of them no longer available in stores, and probably deserving of being framed on the wall, are down south in the rum latitudes––perhaps left dangling from high mangrove limbs, cut off by cruel barracuda or lost to tarpon. I should wait in Hobby airport two weeks from now to find out, demanding answers. “What about the chartreuse and white? Tell me you didn’t lose that one.” And so on. I can see it now, Daryl will shake his head and ask me to sit down before relating some grim tale of lure carnage. I can only hope most of those plugs survived. Maybe the water down there is too clear for these colorful lures. Meanwhile, long-time angler and fishing buddy Pete Churton of Beaumont has dusted off his modest collection of 52Ms and we will try them if this rain ever stops. “I did a bunch of digging around and found eleven. There’s a bit of variety but my batch is definitely heavy on the pink. I remember going through a phase where all the big trout I was catching at the jetties were on pinks. I threw a lot of 52Ms but it seemed like whatever colors I used, they were the most productive,” he said. Houston Chronicle writer Joe Doggett is certainly no stranger to the 52M models, after wading the surf for decades. His favorite color? “As I recall, the go-to MirrOlure during the mid-1960s was the 52M28 (red back/gold side/yellow belly). Still a killer in our typically murky “trout green” surf. In super-clear water, a green back or black back with silver sides was best. Come to think of it, I caught my largest trout (10 pounds, 6 ounces) on a pink/silver MirrOlure. Chartreuse/white was also great, but these patterns came later. I do believe the all-time classic was the 52M28 (red and gold). Problem is, there are dozens of “killer” patterns with this plug. On that note, the hardest task might be finding a MirrOlure color that doesn’t work.” Fooling trout with this 60-year old lure is so much more fun
than tossing live bait for trout; there is really no comparison. If you happen to be wading and catching trout in the suds on these almost no-action, flashing plugs, that’s even better. My friends and I were mostly jetty rats, so we’ve stuck with that technique through the years. We were often wet out there, even swam back to the boat when we had to, and we all had our visits to the ER from falling. We did avoid stingrays, however. And somehow never heard of Vibrio for two decades. So, at this writing I am headed for Port O’Connor with Miss Amy for two to three weeks of fishing, and we will be on or around the big jetties almost every day. Armed with an assortment of 52M plugs, of course. Now, if we can just keep them from being stolen by big jacks and tarpon lurking out there…
Perfect conditions but we couldn’t get them to eat.
J AY WAT K I N S
ASK THE PRO
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A group on the boat posed a great question. How do I come up with ideas for my articles in this magazine? My answer was easy, “I basically write what I see daily on the water and what I believe will be happening when it hits the newsstand.” “Sounds easy,” one guy replied, “But you have been writing so long you must surely run out of things to write about at times.” “Well guys,” I told them, “Some writers complain often about that, and all of us suffer to some degree but, fishing as much as I do definitely helps. What would be really hard would be trying to write about something I don’t know much about.” I went on to explain how my angling style assists me in discovering fish patterns. “I rely on the same handful of lures in just a few colors year ‘round. My high-end tackle performs flawlessly and I don’t care to be bogged down by a lot of wading gear. Through these my mind is free to focus on the task at hand – locating the right fish and getting them to eat my offering.” When trying to write, it occurs that one must recognize that serious anglers have already been schooled on solunar tables, tides and seasonal influences. Ditto the various types of bottom structure and the ways baitfish and gamefish relate to it. You’ve been taught 40 | October 2016
to monitor water temperature and to seek areas where bait is plentiful and active. You have specific baits for specific conditions and specific rods to use with them. And, Lord knows we have social media out the wazoo. So yeah – finding a topic you have not already covered can sometimes be a challenge. So, when a not-so-common pattern developed the other day I quickly took advantage and now I pass it to you. For the record, I would say that early in my career only two guides agreed with my beliefs on this pattern and used it the same as I did—the great Totsy Belcher and Billy Sheka. Many others likely knew of it, but Totsy and Billy were the only guys I heard speak of it with similar beliefs. The pattern involves rapid changes in barometric pressure – sudden drops as thunderstorms or squall lines approach. We see this occurring often during late-summer and early-fall when tropical systems in the gulf take control of our weather. Days during this period are typically calm, too calm, and make me want to pull out what little hair I have left. Add the fact that the skinnier you fish the worse this gets. I know I cannot control conditions but, one of my biggest problems is that I actually believe I can make them eat when they don’t want to. In my younger days I suffered countless sleepless nights over this, praying I’d do
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Driscoll Otto with a personal best – CPR!
42 | October 2016
results were the same. Water that seemed sterile came alive again with feeding fish. Having it work so perfectly, I was excited to pass my interpretation of this pattern along to the group I had that day, careful to explain that it is hardly anything we can predict but definitely something to react to when it comes into play. I experienced this pattern several more times in the days that followed, renewing my confidence and questioning why I had allowed it to get filed so far back in my fishing brain. Sometimes it takes a catalyst like a little drop in atmospheric pressure to turn an area on. Small tropical rain showers can certainly do this for us if we are willing to resist the urge to flee a little rain, stand in there, and let good things develop. Planning for using such patterns requires paying attention to local weather and being able to place oneself on the right piece of water at the proper time. Next time you’re in such a situation and the approaching weather is not severe, stick it out and see if you can make it work. You might end up with another tool in the box for a rainy day – pun intended! On a personal note I want to thank the countless friends that prayed with us for my newest granddaughter, Jaycee Ray Watkins, when she arrived a few weeks too early. Her little lungs were not ready for our world and we had to wait fourteen days just to hold her. Mom and baby are doing great. Prayer works, always has and always will. Knee time is time well spent and I have vowed to try harder in that department. Ryan said it best. Brody, his son, made him a man. Raylee taught him to love. Jaycee has made him a believer. Wow! May your fishing always be catching! – Guide Jay Watkins
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a good job for the clients. By the way, it’s good to want to do good for the clients. It usually leads to another chance to do good again. Years ago I would notice that on calm mornings with scattered showers dotting the coast, bites would be few, even with otherwise great conditions in play. Few that is, until a small rain cell approached. Barometric pressure falls with this sudden change, creating a short window of feeding. To be honest though, you need to recognize that one still needs to be on fish in order to get fish to feed. Think trying to take a trophy buck on a ranch that doesn’t have one. On this particular day we left the dock in the dark and ran to an area I had not been fishing due to prolonged low tide. The winds were light but low atmospheric pressure in the gulf was spawning small areas of storm activity. No thunder or lighting around, so no worries that way. We could see light rain here and there, and out in the gulf. Though it may not seem likely, our atmosphere presses upon the face of the earth, and when pressure is low the tides will rise. I noticed the tide was four inches higher at the dock than the previous day, and high tide wasn’t due until midday. I may not be all that smart but I process things related to fishing pretty quickly. A quick adjustment to the day’s game plan was made dockside. I learned years ago that a flat will gain fish in a hurry when the tide jumps suddenly after prolonged low water. Bait follows the rising tide onto grass-laden flats and trout and reds follow them. Arriving at our spot it was obvious that the bait was already there. Several slicks dotted the flat as well, providing some proof that feeding gamefish had made the trip with the bait. With light wind and clear water I opted for a topwater even though I’m not all that big a fan. Within a few casts in the pre-dawn I had two fish – nice reds of about six pounds. A few trout followed and the client on my left was also getting into them. Blowups and hookups continued until just after sunrise. For about another hour fish rose to the plugs but did not eat – not even a 5” Assassin Shad. As a small rain shower approached, the wind out front of the cell began to ripple the surface. Light rain began to fall and, as if someone flipped a switch, the bite was back. This continued about twenty minutes until the cloud passed, taking the wind, rain and the bite with it. Thirty minutes later another shower approached and the
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 LL O W W AT E R FI S H IN G
Best Month on the Calendar Throughout the year there are many times I wish for a few more hours in the day or perhaps even an extra day during the week. At times it just seems like there isn’t enough time to get everything done. And then along comes the most trying month of the year. Who do we need to talk to about getting an extra October? I’ll gladly give up February or August to expand the finest month on the calendar along the Texas coast. First there’s the weather. No more sweat-soaked shirts the first hour into poling and smelling like a gym locker by the end of the day. After enduring day after day of heat, humidity and seemingly incessant southwest winds; October will give us the first crisp cool mornings. At some point I’ll have to dig into the back of the closet to find the Simms jacket for the predawn run into the marsh before the sun warms things up just right. Sure we’ll have a few windy days pre and post front, but they’ll be short-lived and more often than not the daily breeze will be light and pleasant. My main game of chasing shallow water reds is good, and at times great, throughout the year. Our reds on the Texas coast don’t really seem to care how hot or cold it gets. I’ve cast to them in less than a foot of water 44 | October 2016
when it was close to freezing as well as when the temps were pushing triple digits. But the first hints of autumn will send them into some of the best feeding frenzies of the year. As September comes to a close the reds have started bunching up to terrorize the maturing shrimp along the edges of the marsh cord grass. These little wolf packs move quickly down the marsh shorelines constantly pushing into the grass to dislodge the shrimp. This activity will usually continue into the first week or so of October. Once the first decent fronts start to reach the coast the shrimp will pull off the shorelines getting ready to migrate out of the marsh. The redfish will follow suit and start to gather in larger and larger schools while roaming around in the open lakes looking to root the shrimp out of the mud. Depending on the strength of the fronts, this will often last well into November and it isn’t unusual for it to go on into December if the fronts are mild enough. Speaking of the frontal activity, some of my favorite days are when everyone else stays home. A really strong front can blow a couple of feet of water out of the bay. When these drain days occur you can bet I’ll be out
46 | October 2016
and get in a practice run for you and your dog to work the kinks out before the opener the following weekend. The reality of this month for me is that I’ll be thinking about all of that from my office atop the poling platform. October and November are two of my busiest months. I’m certainly not complaining. Putting clients on school after school of reds is always a blast. As of this writing there are still some openings on the calendar if you’d like to go see some of the best redfish action of the year, but I can’t guarantee my mind won’t occasionally wander off to the sands of South Padre Island or to that awesome little brush blind near my pond where a nice buck always lays down a scrape. Yeah I know football season has started too, but the DVR will hold the game while you get outside and experience the best month on the calendar.
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there. Knowing which lakes they’ve been schooling in will tell me where to set up to intercept them as they fall out with the dropping tide. Following these early fronts the schools will head right back into the lakes to continue feasting. This in and out game will play out several times before the first really serious cold front chases the shrimp out of the marsh for good. As cool as it is to be chasing these shallow schools containing hundreds of reds, my mind will still be wandering off to all of the other things going on. Just outside the marsh the trout will be going crazy as they pick off the migrating schools of shrimp. Chasing the birds can lead to fast limits. It’s also a great time for us fly guys to go wear out the trout. A suspending shrimp pattern that lands anywhere near the melee will get thumped hard. If schoolies aren’t your thing, the cooler water will pull some bigger trout up into the shallows. The sight of a big sow in a few inches of water is something that’ll burn itself into your memory. Everybody always talks about hunting big trout during late winter and early spring, but don’t discount this time of year. They may not be carrying as much weight, but a thirty inch trout is still a thirty inch trout. Along the beachfront hordes of predators will be harassing the various species of migrating baitfish all up and down the coast. Kings, bull reds, tarpon, Spanish mackerel, jacks and sharks are all in the mix. This activity could be happening just off the sand or maybe a mile or two out. Along the upper coast it tends to be best a little further than the middle and lower coast. Quite often the feeding frenzies along South Padre Island push right into the first gut. Sight casting to large rampaging predators while standing on dry sand is hard to beat. Every year I get photos from my buddies taunting me with this incredible fishery. Then there’s the start of the flounder run. It appears the new tighter regulations imposed in 2009 have made a huge difference. I now see more flounder on a daily basis while poling the marsh than I can ever recall. Many folks tend to jump the gun on the flounder run. The first fish caught at the traditional “run” areas tend to be the males which are smaller. The bigger females are usually hanging back in the marsh feasting around the marsh drains until sometime in November. Get set up on the right drain with a good falling tide and you’ll get to see big flounder free jumping through wads of bait. And if all that fishing weren’t enough of a distraction, there are all sorts of critters to hunt. Bow season is kicking off and the rut gets going along the middle and upper coast a lot earlier than many people realize. My place near Seadrift will see plenty of scraping, sparring and chasing throughout October with the peak usually occurring around the end of the month. The first fronts will also push fresh flocks of doves into the area that often go overlooked after the season opener in September. Quail and dove season overlap for a couple weeks at the end of the month into November offering up the chance to double your fun. And if you’re itching to blow a duck call, the youth-only duck hunt is set for the 29th and 30th. It’s a great time to introduce them to the sport while your attention is focused solely on them having some fun. Grab a kiddo
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
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By Bill Rodney | Natural Resource Specialist H a b i t a t A s s e s s m e n t Te a m , C o a s t a l F i s h e r i e s D i v i s i o n
FI E L D N O T E S
Oyster Reef Restoration In East Galveston Bay:
Build It And They Will Come! A fisherman standing on the deck of a boat might perceive East Galveston Bay as a wide expanse of open water, but to a hungry fish foraging along the bay bottom the view is quite different. It sees a landscape characterized by vast stretches of muddy bottom occasionally punctuated by oyster reefs. This ubiquitous muddy bottom is relatively a food desert, and our hypothetical fish predator likely greets the oasis of a prey-rich oyster reef with hungry enthusiasm. If our hungry fish is lucky enough to encounter one of the reefs restored by TPWD and its partners in East Galveston Bay in 2014 then chances are it will stick around to sample the numerous offerings that this benthic buffet has to offer. Like their tropical coral counterparts, oyster reefs host a diverse assemblage of fish and invertebrate species within their many nooks and crannies (Figure 1). Some of these creatures are permanently attached to the reef structure, while others prowl the cracks and crevices between the live oysters and dead shell that together form the reef matrix. All of these critters eat and are in turn eaten by something, making oyster reefs an important part of the Bay’s food web. Oysters feed by
Figure 1. Number fish caught per hour in gill nets on reef and non-reef areas.
48 | October 2016
filtering tiny organisms called phytoplankton from the water thus making them important in maintaining water quality and clarity. Unlike their tropical counterparts, however, oysters do not inhabit gin-clear waters and are not easily filmed for TV nature documentaries. For this reason oyster reefs are not as well understood or appreciated as coral reefs and this “PR problem” has been one of many factors in their decline. A recent scientific study found that 85% of oyster reefs have been destroyed or seriously degraded globally. Galveston Bay’s oyster reefs have mirrored this decline. Hurricane Ike’s storm surge alone was estimated to have damaged or destroyed at least 50% of the Bay’s reefs. The damage was particularly bad in East Bay where an estimated 75% of reefs were impacted. However, TPWD oyster dredge survey data indicate that oyster abundance was declining in the Bay well before the storm. A period of prolonged drought associated with La Nina caused less fresh water to reach our coastal bays. This resulted in higher than average salinity levels that favored high rates of disease and predation in oyster populations. These natural stressors were exacerbated by a high demand for water and for oysters by human
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
Figure 2.
50 | October 2016
populations. Adding hurricane Ike to this scenario resulted in a “perfect storm” for oyster habitat degradation. To address this issue, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Coastal Fisheries Division began actively mapping and restoring oyster habitat in Galveston Bay and other Texas bays in 2007. The 2014 East Bay Oyster Restoration Project is the most recent oyster reef restoration project to be completed under this effort (Figure 2). The project, a partnership between TPWD and CCA Texas, is the largest oyster restoration project to have been completed in Texas to date. Funded through a $3.18 million grant from the Texas General Land Office’s Coastal Impacts Assessment Program (CIAP), the project originally sought to restore 130 acres of oyster reef. As the project gained momentum, additional funds became available including $850 thousand from The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefits Fund and $500 thousand from CCA Texas. The resulting $4.96 million budget was mostly used to purchase nearly 73,000 cubic yards of river rock “cultch” and spread it over 180 acres of degraded oyster reef at 5 sites on 3 major oyster reef systems in East Bay. These reef systems included Hanna’s Reef (85 acres), Middle Reef (25 acres) and Pepper Grove (70 acres). These sites were closed to commercial fishing for 2 years to allow for colonization by oysters and other reef organisms. In addition to restoring oyster reefs, the East Bay Oyster Restoration Project also funded an engineering study to evaluate various alternative oyster restoration methods suitable for areas too deeply buried by storm surge sediments for traditional oyster cultch planting methods to work. The project also funded an educational module developed by
Texas A&M Galveston’s Sea Camp program that has taught more than 800 Galveston County elementary school children about oyster reef ecology and the many benefits of reef conservation and restoration. To measure the results of these restoration efforts, TPWD biologists have been monitoring the East Bay Oyster Restoration Project for oyster population growth and fish utilization. They have documented that oysters began growing on the rocks in high densities in the months following the cultch placement on the reefs. They also found that the reefs are being utilized by a diverse group of fish species including spotted seatrout, redfish, sand trout and black drum. The monitoring of the reefs is ongoing but the preliminary results so far support the “field of dreams hypothesis” that if you build it in Texas, they will indeed come.
Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or www.tpwd.state.tx.us for more information.
TSFMAG.com | 51
S C O T T S O M M E R L AT T E
F LY F IS H I N G
Necesitamos un poco de buena suerte I believe that fishermen tend to be a superstitious lot; even more so fishing guides. I also believe that luck is an important part of the fishing success equation and you have two choices here – make your own or woo Lady Luck until she smiles. Bananas on the boat is one of the greatest and oldest fishing superstitions. If perchance you have never heard it, you need to listen…do not bring a banana on a boat, especially not mine. I have seen the banana thing jinx way too many trips so, yes, I do in fact put some stock in it. And seriously, I have been there when bananas were tossed overboard. Mysteriously the wind laid and the fish start biting. This goes for all things banana, by the way. No Banana Boat sunscreen and no Banana Republic clothing. NO BANANAS PERIOD…not even for breakfast. Moving on, I’m going to let out a secret about me. I am a comic book geek. Not to the point of being a “fanboy” but I dig sci-fi and super heroes. One of Batman’s most enduring enemies is a character named Harvey Dent – AKA Two Face (Dent’s evil alter ego) who carried a coin with heads on both sides. He always won when he flipped it and called heads. His way of making his own luck. We all know this is not exactly the way it works in fly-fishing. There are a lot of variables that come into play that only the Good Lord can control. However, we can in fact stack the odds in our favor and make our own luck by being skillful and prepared. To do so requires practice and honing our fly-casting skills as well as taking the time to tie perfect knots and perfect flies, amongst many other things. However, all the skill and preparation in the world does not amount to a hill of beans if Mother Nature decides to be a temperamental b----. And, whether you know it or not, she owns each and every one of us. But she also has a beautiful baby sister and her name is Luck. Now Luck is a smart lady, but she can be naïve and can be tricked from time to time. Here’s a tale for you… For the last seven or eight summers, good friend David Sams, his daughter Marina and I have gotten together for a fishing weekend. 52 | October 2016
We now plan it to coincide with the members-only flyfishing tournament at the historic Port Bay Club. Now, before I get too far into this, know that I harbor a general dislike for fishing tournaments. I make an exception for this one because it is fewer than ten boats and, Port Bay Club, with its rich heritage, is one of my absolute favorite places on the entire Gulf Coast to hang out with David and his awesome daughter. As for my general dislike…tournaments seem to bring out the worst in almost all everybody. We’ll come back to this in a bit. The first year, maybe 2012, we won the tournament and were the first to have our names engraved on the trophy. We had scheduling problems the following two years. Then last year, we won a category of the tournament but did not get our name on the trophy.
was thinking of trying one of my “break glass in case of emergency” spots. I really didn’t want to go there but being desperate, I told them to reel up and settle in for a really long boat ride. Upon our arrival, the big fish were everywhere. But, like all the others, would not even sniff the fly. David broke the tension with, “I think we need to burn these shirts.” We all laughed but it reminded me that I had purposely brought one of my lucky shirts (I have two) just in case we got desperate. Remember what I said about wooing Lady Luck? Well, I changed shirts and the next few fish came up and actually sniffed the fly and one even gave it a lick but, still no take. Frustrated, David relinquished the bow to Marina. Moments later we spooked a good fish from under the bow of the skiff. I told her to wait until the fish settled a bit before casting. Her cast was perfect and the fish devoured the fly like its last meal. I will not get into the panic that ensued during landing it, however, I will say this. Marina’s thirty-one inch winning redfish will forever rank as one of my favorite moments in twenty years of guiding. I hope to tell you the story of my other lucky shirt someday.
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Which brings us to this year… Call it a run of bad luck, but all three times we have participated in this event the fishing has been nothing short of horrible. The fish were scarce to say the least the first year but we did not have a problem feeding the ones we saw, and managed to win. Then last year, we had a lot of cloud cover and just outright punky fish. As for this year, the fish were plentiful but ridiculously impossible. Most spooked about the time we spotted them and the ones that stuck around shied from the fly. Remember how I said that fishing tournaments bring out the worse in people? David and I have been great friends for twenty years and I cannot recall a cross word between us. Come noontime on tournament day, I’m quite sure Marina thought we might kill each other. Okay, I might be exaggerating, but there was some serious frustration and tension and a whole lot of cursing (sorry Marina). At one point, David said, “Drop me off on a point somewhere and come get me when it’s time to go in.” In all reality we were not upset with each other, but with Mother Nature. Now rewind to the day before the tournament and pre-fishing. When David arrived at my house he brought a gift of a freshly starched fishing shirt embroidered with our team name over one pocket (Matagorda Mafia) and the Port Bay Club logo over the other. “I got us some team shirts,” he said with a little bit of pride and a grin. “You have to wear it tomorrow.” So, back to noontime tournament day. We had been fishing all my honey-holes with absolutely no luck. I was getting desperate and
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54 | October 2016
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DAV E R O B E R T S
K AYA K F IS H I N G C H RO N IC L ES
LESSONS FROM
SUMMER SCHOOL Well it seems we have survived another scorching Texas summer. As I sit here and write this I am daydreaming about the site of schools of redfish pushing the shorelines for shrimp and groups of teal buzzing overhead. These are two sure signs that summer is on the decline and fall and winter are near. I, for one, cannot wait to be shivering in a duck blind or on Sabine Lake throwing a Corky Fat Boy. I have had enough of the Texas heat and am ready to move onto the next chapter. As I prepare for the transition in the weather, I have looked back on fishing this season and have come to realize that this was one of my more productive summers. Even though I did not catch a wall hanger trout, a record number of fish or anything exotic; I was still able to experience and learn several things when it comes to fishing and was fortunate enough to capture some of it on camera. My summer started off with me working 7-12s which really put a damper on my fishing. I only had one day off every two weeks and, of course, I spent it on the water. Fishing with this kind of schedule makes it difficult to put a definite pattern on the fish. A lot can change within two weeks, especially with the flooding we had. The conditions were constantly changing but that led me to one thing – adapt!
56 | October 2016
Out of my whole summer, I believe that is the one word that best describes how I fished. I had to adapt to the weather, new fish and an inconsistent bite. So overcoming these conditions was more of a “pick up where you left off” scenario than a focused game plan. I knew that I had one day to fish and I was going to make it count. I paddled far, paddled fast and fished even faster. I had three different lures tied on that I knew I could cover a large amount of water quickly with. Once you combine that with paddling a great distance, you are bound to find some fish. Every trip I made I took into consideration of where I found the fish, what I caught them on and why they were there. Two weeks later I would take that information and start from there and well, pick up where I left off. This fastpace habit I gathered over a few trips on my busy work scheduled really paid off when I was done with my 7-12s. I was then able to fish three days in a row every weekend with the same mentality of paddle far and fish fast. This was a great way to quickly put a reliable pattern on the fish. After realizing that most of my fish were coming further back in the marsh and I was getting to them a little late; I had to change my tactics. I started launching an hour early and paddling straight back to the ponds that have been holding them. My numbers drastically rose
58 | October 2016
but not fast enough. Fall and winter are just around the corner and I am hoping to learn a few new things this season that I did not know in the past. I know I will be taking some of my summer schooling into this season and will use it in my advantage. I plan on adapting to changing conditions, understanding when fishing is not in your favor and to slow down in appreciation of what is happening in front of you and to enjoy life.
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when I started my day earlier; it also was a great way to beat the heat. I also learned that no matter how prepared you may be or how perfectly you execute your plan, things just sometimes will not go your way. I always found it funny how that works but everyone has days like that. You do EVERYTHING right but somehow you still fail. I had a tournament this summer that I fished and I took a shot in the dark on a spot that was holding fish last year and had not been there since. I arrived to find exactly what I was hoping for, ponds full of redfish. I had three completely different styles of lures tied on and hooked fish on every one of them. They would come across the water at whatever I was throwing and crush my lure. I would set the hook and the fight would be on... for about 10 seconds. For some reason I had eight solid fish spit the hook on me; I guess that’s fishing. One of the other lessons I enjoyed most of all was to slow down and stop. I know that is the complete opposite about everything I just wrote about but I am not talking about catching fish. I got a lot of pleasure this summer by putting the pole down and picking up my camera to capture the moment. I got photos of my buddies catching fish, nature, and more sunrises and sunsets than I can count. These were just a few minutes that I took out of my trip to relish the moment and take in the beauty. I got to see nature in action as it should be without human interference and these instances were well worth my trip. They were more memorable than any fish I caught this summer. I was also able to pass on photos of unforgettable fish that friends of mine had caught.  This summer was full of ups and downs with more high points than lows. I had a lot of great lessons and gathered some really good knowledge of the sport. The temperatures are finally starting to drop
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
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CCA Texas staff member Kim Ogonosky receives help from co-worker Amie Fritchman getting out of the mud.
Story by John Blaha | Photos by Lisa Laskowski
TS F M a g C o n s e r v a t i o n N e w s
Dickinson Bayou Marsh Restoration Yields Immediate Benefit Coastal wetland loss from both natural and humanThe Galveston Bay National Estuary Program’s (GBNEP) induced causes is significant in Texas. Since the earlyComprehensive Conservation and Management Plan 1930s, up to 50% or more of wetlands once present have (CCMP) has given a very high priority to increasing the been lost in many areas along our coast. Coastal wetlands quality and quantity of wetlands, and setting as a goal the loss is a continuing concern because of the essential expansion of the area of vegetated wetlands in the GBNEP role wetlands play in fisheries production, flood control, area by 15,000 acres within 20 years erosion prevention, enhanced water quality, groundwater The Dickinson Bayou Marsh Restoration project, led replenishment, and recreation. by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), was Coastal wetlands also serve as vital nursery grounds recently completed and the efforts of the project leaders for greater than 95% of the CCA Texas staff member Amie recreationally and commercially Fritchman and TPWD’s Jan important fisheries in the Gulf of Culbertson planting grass seedlings. Mexico. Texas Parks and Wildlife, Galveston Bay Foundation, Galveston Bay Estuaries Program, United States Fish and Wildlife and other entities have all taken part in many marsh restoration projects in the Galveston Bay system. Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Texas has been a supporting member in many of these efforts including Bird Island Cove, Snake Island Cove, Oyster Lake (West Galveston Bay), and Sportsman’s Road projects. 60 | October 2016
are showing immediate success. The area, designated as impaired by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has been affected over many years due to development, oil and gas activities, dredging activities and natural events. The project area within the lower reaches of the Dickinson Bayou watershed has lost a considerable amount of its historic marsh acreage, due mainly to shoreline erosion. The wetland losses along with local subsidence has created a general widening of the bayou that has negatively impacted water quality in the form of low dissolved oxygen levels. Insufficient dissolved oxygen has been tagged as the root cause of at least twenty-nine fish-kill incidents within the bayou prior to the completion of the project. The Dickinson Bayou Marsh Restoration project is somewhat unique in that it is located in the watershed of Dickinson Bayou, which flows into Galveston Bay. The project’s location is a little less than 1.5 miles upstream of the HWY 146 Bridge. Marsh restoration projects typically take place along open bay shorelines and are restored and created with shoreline breaks and marsh mounding methods. The Dickinson Bayou project created 10 acres of living shoreline (new marsh) that will protect 17.7 acres of existing marsh. This project was executed using beneficial use materials to create the habitat. The beneficial use material was the material dredged from the bayou itself in order to restore historical depths within the bayou channel. The depth of the bayou in the bend adjacent to the Humble Oilfield had decreased to approximately 4 feet due to sedimentation with depths above and below the bend averaging 12 feet. This shallow area allowed a salt wedge to form at this point as tidal exchanges occurred. This ultimately resulted in the low dissolved oxygen level events that led to the numerous fish kills. Two living shoreline areas make up the 10 acres of restored marsh. Outer, stabilized levees were constructed with rock armor and then back filled with the beneficial use materials. TPWD and volunteers have already accomplished some grass plantings along the outer edges of the areas and within the levees as well. Once the materials in the marsh cells stabilize, a larger scale planting project will be undertaken during spring of 2017. Once stabilization and planting has occurred, the levees will be opened in some areas to allow water to flow through the marsh and provide access and egress for marine species in the area. “Because of the two fresh water streams that flowed into this marsh area, it remained healthy during the recent drought. When we visited this area and areas above and below this site, this area had the only viable seed head for the establishing marsh grasses,” commented Jan Culbertson, Texas Parks and Wildlife Coastal Ecologist and project manager. Culbertson commented further, “Because the freshwater streams into the marsh kept it healthy, this provided a perfect place for the restoration project and we are pleased at the immediate success we have seen. The project has taken some time to complete and this success makes it worth the wait.” Wetlands and marsh losses have continually increased over time along the entire Texas and Gulf coasts. These losses due to human-induced and natural events threaten the health of the coastal resources, and projects like this are important to help restore and create these critically important habitats. CCA Texas and its habitat initiative, Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow, are committed to supporting and helping TPWD and other groups in the efforts to ensure healthy and productive coastal resources for years to come. 62 | October 2016
“CCA Texas contributed $75,000 to this project. These funds were used as matching public funds for Texas General Land Office Coastal Management Program grants,” commented Jay Gardner, Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow Committee Chairman. Gardner continued, “Public funds are important in these grants and through the efforts of CCA Texas volunteers we are able to support important projects such as this one to ensure healthy coastal resources for the future.” Be sure to visit www.ccatexas.org/project-videos/ or search “CCA Texas” on YouTube to see videos on the Dickinson Bayou project and many others.
©JASON ARNOLD
IF WE SAVE THE SEAGRASS,
WE SAVE THE FISH. Seagrass is critical to good fishing. Marine organisms depend on it for survival—for food, shelter, and oxygen. But boat propellers are destroying Texas seagrass, which is seriously impacting saltwater fishing in the coastal shallows. When boaters do not lift their propeller in shallow water, the prop cuts and uproots the seagrass beds—leaving long barren trenches or “scars” that may take years to heal ... if ever.
Stop Prop Scarring – Lift, Drift, Pole, Troll
It is ILLEGAL in Texas to uproot seagrass with a propeller. Avoid damaging seagrass – lift your prop! When in shallow waters, lift your motor and drift, pole, or troll through it. After all, there’s nothing like a redfish on light tackle in shallow water. Let’s keep it that way!
For more information visit:
www.tpwd.texas.gov/seagrass
PROP SCARS
STEPHANIE BOYD
F IS H Y F ACTS
Great Blue Heron
The great blue heron, Ardea herodias, is one of the most widespread and adaptable wading birds in North America. It is the largest North American heron and, among all extant herons, is surpassed in size only by the goliath heron and the white-bellied heron. They can reach 4.5 feet in height and weigh anywhere from 4 to 8 pounds, as an adult. Their 6-foot wingspan makes them a joy to see in flight, and they can cruise along at some 20 to 30 miles an hour, even with their characteristic slow wingbeats. Males are slightly larger than females, but no other sexual dimorphism exists in this species. Great blue herons have long legs, a sinuous neck, and a thick, daggerlike bill. In flight, the heron curls its neck into a tight S shape; its wings are broad and rounded, and its legs trail well beyond the tail. They have a slate-gray body with a wide black stripe over the eye. Head, chest, and wing plumes give a shaggy appearance. A pure white subspecies occurs, nearly exclusively, in shallow marine waters along the coast of very southern Florida, the Yucatan Peninsula, and in the Caribbean. Where the blue and white forms commingle in Florida, intermediate birds 64 | October 2016
known as Wurdemann’s herons can be found. They have the body of a great blue heron, but the white head and neck of the great white heron (subspecies). Any wet habitat from as far north as Alaska and the southern Canadian provinces down to South America is fair game to the great blue heron. It can be found in fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded meadows, lake edges, open coasts, sloughs, riverbanks, shorelines, backyard goldfish ponds, and even heavily developed areas as long as there are fish in the water. They’ll also forage in grasslands and agricultural fields, where they stalk frogs and small mammals, but they won’t forego water for long. And they have a special preening life hack for their sodden lifestyle: powder down. Powder down feathers are small, specialized downy feathers that fray and disintegrate at the end, forming a very fine powder. Herons comb this powder with a fringed claw on their middle toes, using the down like a washcloth to scrape mud and such from their feathers. The powder tends to partially mask feather colors, making black sometimes appear gray. I guess it’s preferable to being coated in fish slime.
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Although this species is primarily piscivorous, it has been known to eat most small animals that come within striking range, including turtles, snakes, insects, mice, gophers, crabs, shrimp, salamanders, even other birds. When hunting, the great blue heron wades slowly, or stands still for long periods of time, waiting for a meal to come within range. They locate their food by sight and use their dagger-like bills to impale prey, often shaking the prey to break or relax sharp spines and edges, before swallowing it whole. Occasionally, the herons are a little too ambitious with their meal choices; they have been known to choke to death by trying to swallow fish too large for their long necks. Though these birds are generally solitary diners, sometimes loose feeding flocks form with the added benefit of locating schools of fish more easily. More eyes on the prize. They can also hunt day or night, thanks to a high percentage of rod-type photoreceptors in their eyes that improve their night vision. As a large wading bird, great blue herons are capable of feeding in deeper waters, opening a niche to them that is not available to most other heron species. Typically, they wade in shallow waters less than 20 inches deep during twilight hours, but they’re open to other plans of action if it gets the job done, including diving headfirst into the water, floating on the surface, or grabbing prey with their feet. Their variable diet and feeding behaviors allow them to thrive in a variety of environments, including areas where most waters freeze in the winter. They have even been recorded as a vagrant in England, Greenland, Hawaii, and Portugal. Though great blue herons hunt alone, they prefer to nest in colonies, usually large ones of several hundred pairs. Colonies are normally located 2 to 4 miles from feeding areas, in isolated locations, such as islands or wooded swamps, that discourage predation by snakes and mammals and disturbance from humans. Adults generally arrive at the colony site in late winter or early spring. Males stake out nest sites and court to females. Trees of any type, particularly tall ones, are used when available. Otherwise, herons may nest on the ground, shrubs, cacti, channel markers, artificial platforms, beaver mounds, duck blinds, etc. Males are in charge of collecting nest material (i.e. sticks), which they harvest from nearby shrubs and trees or steal from other unguarded nests. The female weaves a platform and saucer-shaped nest cup, lining it with whatever soft material is available: pine needles, moss, reeds, dry grass, mangrove leaves, small twigs, etc. A basic nest is about 20 inches across, but after multiples years of use, can end up being 4 feet across and almost as deep. Although nests 66 | October 2016
are often reused for many years, pairs are seasonally monogamous, choosing new partners and nest sites each year. Females lay 2 to 6 pale blue eggs, at two-day increments. Females typically incubate during the night and part of the day. Males incubate the rest of the day. If the nest is destroyed, the female will lay a replacement clutch, but the pair will only raise one brood per year. The eggs hatch in about a month. Both parents feed the chicks by regurgitating food. The first chick to hatch usually becomes more experienced in food handling and aggressive with its siblings, and consequently grows more quickly than the other chicks. After about 2.5 months, the young herons take their first flight. They begin to follow their parents to the feeding grounds and emulating their foraging behaviors. Over the course of the ensuing winter, the nowgrown herons gradually disperse to start independent lives. They can live up to 24 years in the wild. Usually colonies consist only of great blue herons, but occasionally they nest alongside other heron species (subsequently called a “heronry”), and infrequently include even birds of prey. Due to their size, adult herons have few natural predators, but alligators and a few of the larger birds of prey, such as bald eagles and golden eagles, have been known to kill both juveniles and adults. Eggs and nestlings are sought by a much wider variety of predators, including ravens, crows, black bears, and raccoons. Away from the colony, great blue herons defend feeding territories from other herons with dramatic displays: head thrown back, wings outstretched, and bill pointing skyward. Other animals in the area, including humans, can be subject to the same treatment, and a full-grown great blue heron can be a formidable foe. Great blue herons weathered the impacts of 20th century people relatively successfully. Although they were hunted heavily for their plumes and large chunks of their wetland habitats were drained or developed, most populations have recovered well. Breeding colonies remain vulnerable to habitat loss and human intrusion. Repeated human intrusion often results in nest abandonment. However, in an exception to the rule, a park in Vancouver has had a healthy colony for several years near the main entrance and tennis courts. Herons in the northeastern U.S. and southern Canada have benefited from the recovery of beaver populations, which have created a patchwork of swamps and meadows perfect for foraging and nesting. The great blue heron’s large size and white facial accents distinguish it from other dark herons, such as the little blue heron and the tricolored heron. It’s dark color alone distinguishes it from egrets. (Egrets aren’t a biologically distinct group from herons. Egret vs Heron is just a naming convention. In general, egrets are lightcolored and herons are dark-colored.) The sandhill crane is a similar size, but they are more uniformly gray and adults have a vivid red crown. In flight, the sandhill crane flies with its neck outstretched while the heron pulls its head back against its shoulders. Plus, sandhill cranes are usually in flocks while great blues are usually solo – unless there’s a lot of food to be had, like at a
fish hatchery. While it seems that herons at a hatchery would be a problem, mostly they eat the sick fish that spend more time near the surface anyway. Useful and iconic. And now, I’ll leave you with some advice from a great blue heron…. Wade into life. Keep a keen lookout. Don’t be afraid to get your feet wet. Be patient. Look below the surface. Enjoy a good reed. Go fish!
Where I learned about great blue herons, and you can too! The Cornell Lab of Ornithology | All About Birds www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/id The Birds of North America Online bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/025/articles/introduction Audubon | Guide to North American Birds www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/great-blue-heron Bird Web www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/great_blue_heron Sibley Guides www.sibleyguides.com/2011/06/powder-down-and-the-black-crowned-nightheron/ National Geographic animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/great-blue-heron/ Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Ardea_herodias.html Nature Works www.nhptv.org/natureworks/greatblueheron.htm Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_blue_heron en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heron
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With some great coaching from his father Steven Ward, Dillon caught the best redfish of the day.
CURTISS CASH
I N S H ORE | N EARS H ORE | J ETTIES | PASSES
OCTOBER BIG FISH ACTION Here on the Texas mid-coast, October is my best month to score with schools of redfish. Upper-slot fish head to the deeper water to join the larger “bull reds” during their annual spawn. The “bull red run” as many call it continues all month. A variety of techniques, baits and gear can be used to catch these reds. Ship channel jetties, natural and manmade passes, the surf and nearshore structure are all good areas to target Each year many people decide to tag and keep a large redfish because it is the biggest fish they have ever caught. They are indeed a true trophy but many anglers are disappointed at the cleaning table by the coarse meat and tough skin. I regularly encourage my clients to release the mature redfish – specimens up to about 33-inches are the largest I suggest for table fare. Where to Catch Them Finding them is not very difficult with most mature reds relocating recently toward the Gulf of Mexico. Areas with good current flow bring the 68 | October 2016
fish together, grouping them in large schools as well as funneling forage to them. Jetties and passes that give way to the gulf are prime locations for congregation. Look to the ship channel ledges and waterway intersections for increased current. I typically fish ship channel jetties by anchoring where the rock piles end and the sand bottom slopes toward the center of the channel. Ends of rock groins, near boat cuts and deep holes on the sides of the channel are most always target rich and good places to fish.
Young Jake Shidlofsky boated a stud trout at the POC jetties.
Cade Patterson bested this nice jack, a tarpon, and a limit of trout while fishing POC recently.
Tackle Rigging In consideration of the larger sized fish being targeted and the obligation we have to release these spawners, heavier tackle is used. We normally use 50-65lb braided line or 30-40lb monofilament on the reels. The heavy action rods are capable of handling the weight of the fish and force of the current where these fish reside. A long battle on light tackle puts undesirable stress on the fish during this important part of their life cycle. Additional time may be required to revive these big fish caught in deep water. Holding them by their bottom jaw into the current forces water over their gills while recovering. Monofilament leader material of 60-100 pound test works well and is preferred in this style of fishing. Steel leader material is discouraged due to possibility that the fishes gill plates or bodies may be damaged while the fight is on. In and around snags and the granite groins, a single drop leader or knocker rig works best. The “knocker� is basically an egg weight riding directly above or very close to the circle hook. By keeping a taught line you can occasionally lift the rig and drop it back down to tap the rocks or bottom. The weight placement, short hook lead and tight line help minimize snags while keeping the bait in the strike zone. When fishing channel edges or open water without snags we use a Carolina rig 12-36 inches in length with an egg sinker heavy enough to keep the bait on the bottom. Most rigs are constructed with a Mustad 39941 circle hook sizes 6/O - 9/O depending on the size of bait. When using a circle hook don’t TSFMAG.com | 69
bury it in the bait. Keep as much of the hook gap exposed to assist the hook in finding the preferred placement, in the corner of the mouth or lip. Bull Red Bait and Chum Fresh dead or frozen baits like menhaden, Spanish sardines, mullet and large white shrimp are all good choices. With finfish I insert the hook into the bottom jaw and exit between the eyes in the center of the head topside. Both menhaden and sardines have an oval shaped hard plate on top of their skull, hooks hold best here. Cutting off the tail from mullet and menhaden and peeling the shrimp both keeps baits from spinning in the current and releases more scent. Get some live crab if you really want to catch and release a large quantity of bull
Jeremy Fowler and Kevin Karpinski caught late season twin cobia on a recent charter.
the most of it by heading outside the jetties when the weather conditions allow. Many times we catch a string of calm days after a light frontal passage blows through. Kingfish, big Spanish mackerel and schools of cobia roam the state waters until the water temperatures drop into the lower-70s. These fish are normally more concentrated, so trying several spots may be necessary to connect. Live bait tend to bring Jake Fowler caught this nice them in or get them feeding better. I like to drift black drum while targeting while free-lining live pinfish near structure like gas bull reds at the POC jetties. platforms, shallow reefs and anchored cargo ships near the ports. ________________________________
Nearshore Opportunity With the cooling water temperatures, migratory species will soon began moving on. Some go further offshore while others follow the food source south, but don’t give up on them completely. In recent years we’ve experienced mild weather through most October. Make 70 | October 2016
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reds. Reds will follow the sweet smell and flavor into the current from surprising distances. Remove the carapace and fish the body of the bait directly on the bottom. Chumming definitely increasing the odds of hooking up or holding a school nearby. I like to toss a handful of chum up current as soon as a fish is hooked up. Most baitfish work well, with mullet, menhaden and sardines all being popular. Chopped shrimp pieces and their heads bring fish in as well. When using cracked crab for bait I chum with the carapace. The claws are especially productive when cracked to let the juice out. The weight and density of the claws allows these tidbits to drop through the water column settling near the hooked baits below.
In October, bottom structure in 70-foot depths or less can hold a good quantity and variety of fish. Upper-slot and oversized redfish are common catches alongside black drum, large sheepshead, bluefish and red snapper. Most fish will be down-current and directly on the bottom near structure. Larger fish often stage themselves upcurrent from structure. October has the most comfortable fishing conditions of the year, I hope everyone can get out and enjoy themselves on the coast before it the weather becomes too cold.
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
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©2016 EAGLE CLAW FISHING TACKLE | DENVER, COLORADO | EAGLECLAW.COM TSFMAG.com | 71
Oz fights a bull shark at sunrise from atop his beach truck.
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 O Z O L I N S
Double Dose of Bull There is no place quite like a calm autumn beach. The crowds of summer are greatly diminished with school back in session. Dove and archery deer seasons draw beach anglers to other outdoor pursuits. Comfortably cool October mornings are relished by diehards who would rather fish. The changing of the seasons is evident everywhere and the annual mullet migration is the catalyst that triggers insane surf fishing. The surf zone attracts predators large and small; bluefish, trout, and Spanish 72 | October 2016
mackerel blaze through rafts of baitfish, gorging on anything they can swallow. Swarms of feisty jack crevalle trap hapless baitfish against the sand. Yet there are two predators above all associated with October on the beach – bull reds and bull sharks. Mullet are a staple in the diet of red drum. You might not truly appreciate this until you witness a school of bull reds wreaking havoc in the shallows. The reds will at times chase mullet right up on the sand, stranding themselves and their prey, until a wave arrives and
food and countless anglers have been chased off the first sandbar throwing lures for other species. While accidents with sharks rarely occur in Texas, it is important to be keenly aware of your surroundings. Maybe it has been the lack of sargassum allowing anglers to log more productive hours the past two years, but whatever, the Texas coast has yielded some of the largest bull sharks seen in our area in decades. We released a potential state record fish on a charter earlier in the year with a fair share of eight-foot toads thrown in the mix. October and November are the prime bull shark months along the coastal bend. Due to their size and temper, shark anglers take to the sand seeking bulls often with great success. Like the bull reds, the bull sharks can be so thick in numbers that they will annihilate large tiger shark baits before the tigers even have a chance to find them. The vast majority of these bulls will be running around 6-feet, with fish anywhere between four and eight feet being caught. While the “no bait is too big” philosophy runs true with the bulls during this season, it is not uncommon to have a five-footer suck down a finger mullet on a casted bait. If the leader holds up and the reel doesn’t get stripped, these sharks are incredibly fun to catch on medium-class tackle. The “bulls” truly dominate the fall surf. If the mullet are running, undoubtedly the predators are in tow. This is such a fun time of the year to fish because fishing is as easy as it gets. The fish are hungry and the fish are feeding in great numbers, a combination that dreams are made of. Some anglers will be taking to the muddy waters of High Island where they may land upwards of twenty bull reds a day. Other anglers (self-included) will take to the south Texas surf in search of toothy creatures. Regardless of which decision you choose, you are in for more of a treat than a trick this Halloween season. If conditions are suitable, you may even have your chance at breaking the Texas state fly-fishing record for red drum, with your best shot likely around a jetty or other structure. In regards to sharks, no matter the size of the bull shark you catch, it is highly recommended that you release these fish. With the huge decline in overall shark numbers in the gulf the past couple decades, each and every predatory shark takes on an important role in the balance of the ecosystem. However, if properly conducted, you can land and safely release these sharks while getting some incredible photos. So go out, be responsible, and have a heck of a time this fall fishing season!
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rescues them back to the safety of the water. The mullet are coming out of the various passes and channels leading from the bays to the gulf. Many predators, including redfish, stage in these migration corridors and basically indulge in an all-you-can-eat buffet while it lasts. Predators then dog the mullet trains as they eventually arrive in the surf zone. Depending on their size, red drum may consume more than a dozen mullet a day and the bull reds seem to gorge non-stop. Once in the surf the redfish become pack hunters and are very efficient, working together like wolves to corner and ambush prey. It is no wonder that anglers become addicted. The kickoff to this activity traditionally occurs earliest on the upper coast, following the arrival of the first cold fronts. Targeting reds in the surf can be as simple as netting up fresh mullet and setting out bottom rigs. Six-inch “finger” mullet are widely popular but even larger “horse” mullet are consumed by bull reds. Areas such as High Island and Matagorda are usually shrouded in murkier water but this low-vis situation actually creates a feeding oasis for the red drum, making it easier for them to ambush prey. Both live and dead baits are known to produce excellent results. In contrast, the surf zone along the southern Texas coast is famous for greater water clarity and at times you can see schools of slot reds traveling the first gut. And while the bottom-rig method certainly works down here, the greatest thrill is sight-fishing with lures. The age-old redfish killer in the Padre surf has long been the gold spoon, but do not rule out other lures. Soft plastics are usually equally effective and topwater explosions are beyond exciting. Thanks to conservative resource management practices, our coast holds some of the largest redfish populations on the planet. Not only can you encounter large quantities of slot-sized reds, you also have the chance at some true Texas brutes. Bull redfish in excess of fifty inches and as many pounds are caught during October and these Goliaths are known to take baits as large as whole whiting rigged for shark. In fact, the numbers of oversized red drum in the surf may be so extreme, it is virtually impossible to get small shark baits past them. For whatever reason, the upper-coast seems to produce unusual numbers of multi-spotted reds. While reds normally have only one spot per side near the tail, we have caught bulls up there dotted with as many as one hundred individual markings. This time of year I have many family charters with kids. It is times like these when I can readily put a child on a fish of a lifetime and see them grin from ear to ear the whole trip. Seeing the kids participate and react like it is Christmas makes me tingle as I know I am providing a “healthy” addiction for an adolescent. Shadowing the endless schools of red drum cruising the surf we find the undisputed king of bulls - the bull shark. The wide variety of prey available attracts them in uncommon numbers. Since bulls are not the fastest of predatory sharks, the high concentration of food in the surf works to their advantage. Typically scavengers, they are quick to clean up scraps as well as grab any slowermoving injured fish, regardless of size. I have witnessed and made underwater video of bull sharks weighing up to three hundred pounds slowly creeping toward a ball of anchovies and simply swimming through with their mouth open. This may be the easiest and most efficient way for them to stock up on pure protein, I would imagine. Bull sharks will run at practically any depth pursuing
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
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NEW
TACKLE & GEAR
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74 | October 2016
products
MirrOlure Super-Sized MirrOdine XXL MirrOlure has added a larger size to its popular MirrOdine family. The MirrOdine XXL – 37MR measures 3-7/8” and weighs 1 oz. The ideal choice when targeting trophy gamefish. The XXL has a wide-body profile which resembles shad or threadfin herring and comes alive with a twitching retrieve. Tie on the largest MirrOdine and catch a fish of a lifetime. Available in 15 colors | www.Mirrolure.com
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TSFMAG.com | 75
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 2016
So much for our improving trout bite fueled by less rain. We narrowly dodged the epic flooding in Louisiana earlier this month and, thus far, the SRA has managed to hang onto the lake level on Toledo Bend without any major releases, but we have just been taking a soaking locally on a daily basis. While the Neches, Sabine and the bayous are high and muddy, surprisingly enough, the water clarity is still pretty darned good. I don’t think that diminishing salinity levels have disrupted the trout bite at this point, but we are not currently finding any numbers of keeper size trout herding the shad like they were last month. The redfish bite has been
textbook and just gets better every day, but I cannot recall ever entering the coveted fall months clueless as to what the heck is going on with the trout. Prior to the recent rains they were starting to show up in their traditional fall haunts, but even then the bite was hit and miss at best. Another solid red It is far too early to write on a windy day. off the much anticipated bite that takes place in the rivers and bayous every fall. Less rain and a couple of major cold fronts could ignite that bite in less than a week. Even with the less than favorable conditions, we have still caught enough trout in those areas to keep the faith. And, while they have been as scarce as hen’s teeth, we have caught a
Schooling reds make a great Plan B!
few trout in excess of five pounds targeting the deeper shell with soft plastics. Tide changes are critical when trying to exploit this deep bite and slower is usually more productive than faster with the retrieve. I am also convinced that I get far more bites by applying a liberal coating of Pro Cure’s menhaden scent on my plastics. Only because this report is of little or no use should it continue raining every day, let’s assume that things will dry out this month. Should that happen, the water conditions will improve very quickly and gulls cartwheeling over schools of keeper-size trout will be an everyday occurrence. Tide changes are important even when fishing in the open lake, but the last two hours of daylight can be magical! Coffee Ground Cove and the lakeside flats behind Sidney and Stewts are hard to beat for both the waders and folks drifting over two to four feet of water. Sea Shads and Lil’ Johns fished under a cork and Usual Suspect Swim Baits are excellent choices for trout and slot reds. If excitement is more important to you than fillets, you would do well to keep a She Dog or Super Spook tied on the end of your line. The kids will not get bored drifting a Gulp shrimptail or a live shad under a cork and you will do a lot more netting than fishing. A two foot leader works well with the Gulp, but a three to four foot leader with a small split shot works better with the live shad. The bite on the north revetment wall should also quickly improve and it is notorious for holding big trout throughout the fall. Crankbaits like the Swimming Image, MirrOlure’s Catch 5 and 2000, topwaters, and five inch tails like the Die Dapper rigged on a sixteenth ounce head are all reliable choices. I know water clarity makes a difference when selecting a color, but opening night and chicken on a chain are our first two choices most days. I don’t know that the redfish bite can possibly get any better than it is right now, but you can expect to see even more schools stomping across the surface all over the lake this month. We are still having to do a little cruising around to locate active schools, but that won’t be necessary as the surface temperature starts to cool down. Main lake points and the mouths of bayous are good places to start before the schooling kicks off each morning. A good outgoing tide will usher shad and shrimp out of these cuts. If you decide to wait on the schools in the open lake, try fishing around crab traps lines that have just been baited. I also catch some of my largest flounder every fall fishing this overlooked pattern! Take a youngster fishing tomorrow!
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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 yeararound pursuit for trophy trout and redfish with artificial lures
Telephone 281-753-3378 Website harpsguideservice.com
78 | October 2016
There’s not a better month, in my opinion, than October. As the first few cold snaps start to configure our transition, and by the time we stabilize into a true October pattern, everything will fall into place. October is such a relief from the brutal heat that we’re so exhausted of. You can’t beat rolling out of the marina with a light jacket on in the mornings. Flocks of birds working over airborne white shrimp and redfish stacked on the flats with tails up are all great parts of October. Drift fishing is good and so is wade fishing. October can be the best of both worlds. The fall transition has already been happening since midAugust, which is super early. The artificial lure bite has been tough lately and that’s due to the transition that we’re going through. It’s very odd to be going through a transition in midAugust through early-September when we normally don’t
experience these conditions until late-September and into mid-October. This early transition is an effect of the rain and storms we’ve had all through August and the first couple days of September. With all the rain and cloud cover everyday, the water temperature has dropped big time. We should be seeing water temperatures from 88-92 degrees everyday in August- early September but Every once in a instead the water temperature while I luck into has been 78-84 degrees lately. a good one! Even though it’s not October on our calendar, fish don’t go by calendars… solely the water temperature makes them TRANSITION into a different pattern and I do believe this is what’s going on right now. It feels like October in the water to them. The transition that we’re going through right now can be extremely tough, almost as tough as the spring transition. When the water temperature goes down drastically, the fish
get stunned into a lethargic mood for a few days. It messes them up and they hunker down into survival mode, just coping with the change. Once they get used to the water temperature after a few days, they will become livelier. It’s all about timing. West Galveston Bay West Galveston Bay has had the upper hand lately and I think that’s been due to the lack of pressure. Great mixed catches of trout and redfish are coming from the flats and sandbars around San Luis Pass and Bird Island. The north shoreline grass has been hot as well for throwing topwaters early and then switching to a big paddletail like a MirrOlure Marsh Minnow rigged on a light jighead in the potholes. The fish Peter Alonso use these sand pockets in the grass as ambush with a rather rare zero spot redfish. points so thoroughly working a paddletail through the pockets will normally result in at least a reaction strike when all else fails. This pattern should stay true through October until the water temperature gets below 75 degrees and stays there. Flounder should begin moving out of bayou drains and marshes, stacking up on ledges adjacent to shallow water. Redfish will be thick in the marsh and should start schooling up in tight groups, tailing from time to time. East Galveston Bay East Galveston Bay has been off and on lately.
One day they bite good and the next day, you can’t buy a bite. But there will be slicks so you know they’re there, just no cooperation. This is due to the transition of stunted water temperature. Once October rolls around I’d expect to see a more normal pattern emerge. Look for birds in the back of the bay as the first groups of white shrimp will start to flood out of the marsh drains during this time of year. The deep reefs will still be good in October if there are any fish left after the two-year massacre that we just went through on those spots. Wade fishing should potentially get better throughout the month of October on the shorelines throwing Corky’s and MirrOlures. Make sure to wear your mosquito spray! Trinity Bay I wouldn’t expect a banner fall season in the back of Trinity this year. I’m almost certain that the biomass of fish from Trinity that skedaddled from the flood were unable to make the trip home when the salinity finally started to come back. We simply just don’t have that many fish in Trinity Bay and they magically aren’t all going to swim up here any time soon. It takes trout awhile to push back up. Once October comes and the birds start to work above shrimp we will see how many trout are here. Redfish are plentiful on the shorelines along with an occasional flounder. Better days are coming! -Capt. Caleb Harp
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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 matagordasunriselodge.com
80 | October 2016
Fifteen years ago it was crowded to see three boats on an October weekday afternoon in East Matagorda Bay. People were more concerned with getting deer camp ready and duck blinds brushed. Indeed, times have changed. Sure, the birds still work in October, but the last few fall campaigns have been more of a November thing. That doesn’t mean fishing stinks in October, it just means if warm-weather patterns persist, keep your September plan in your back pocket. All guides in Matagorda are wondering what October will bring. We really don’t know. Fishing has been so good all year long we expect it to get even better as the water cools down. We have already begun to see signs of the good ole’ days with all the freshwater that has rejuvenated our bay system. More good news is we have already enjoyed more bird action this summer than we have for most of the past three falls. The spark that gets birds working is the amount of water in the marsh. When tides are high, which is normally the case in early autumn, shrimp retreat to the backwater areas
and nurseries. Then, as tides recede, often after the first cold front of the year, the marsh dumps those bloated tides and shrimp ride the current to the bays. October 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. With all the shrimp in the back lakes don’t be surprised to see schools of trout and redfish follow the pods of crustaceans. There are times you will have back lake birds working to yourself. As always, the scattered shell and mud in East Bay is a player for trout with light winds and green tides. We like to toss topwaters and soft plastics while drifting in October, but if the month is abnormally warm, live shrimp under a popping cork still gets the job done. Waders know getting wet puts you in a better position for taming bigger trout. The mid-bay reefs in East Bay ask for a Corky, She Pup, Super Spook or any of your favorite soft plastics. Autumn tides also send bigger trout and redfish to the shorelines. Don’t be surprised to see birds working tight to the shore. You can stay on them longer on foot than you can in a boat. One of my fondest memories of fall is wading the Oyster Farm one crisp afternoon and tossing a plug to a single shrimp bounding to the surf. Let’s just say I still remember every cast. West Bay often gets overlooked this time of year but there is plenty of potential and very few boats to compete. Redfish cruise in herds poking shrimp from the grass line and just about any bait tossed in front of their noses gets gobbled up. Follow our catches on Instagram @matagordasunriselodge.
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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 2016
Well we made it through another scorching summer and are officially into the fall season. Before you know it we will be talking about how miserable the cold is and we can’t wait for it to warm back up so we can shuck our Simms waders. It’s funny how we are never satisfied. The fishing and the areas we fished in September didn’t really change from what we were doing in August. The only change we really noticed here on the middle coast was that we did get our fall tides right on cue at the first of September. This influx of water did open up some new areas in the back lake regions that had earlier been void of fish. October is probably the best month to be fishing here in the Port O’Connor and Seadrift areas. That is because there are so many options. You can hit the reefs in San
Antonio Bay or head up toward Hynes Bay and work the birds. There will also be trout and reds in the back lakes on Matagorda Island. Over in West Matagorda Sister and brother, you’ll see the same stuff. Bird Mia and Nicolas activity up in Lavaca Bay and Borin can chunk hardware with the herds of redfish roaming best of them. Oyster Lake. Probably my most favorite area would be West Matty’s south shoreline where trout will still be hanging around the bars busting mullet and hungry reds chasing shrimp out of the grassy guts. For the guys who like deep water action you have Port O’Connor’s ever popular Big Jetties. There you will have a mixture of bay species with some pelagic species to boot. It’s not uncommon to catch a redfish one cast and then a smoker kingfish the next. Speaking of redfish, this is a
A WORM FOR ALL Joey Morris hooking up with a big fish in the surf.
prime month to hit the jetties and passes for a shot at a huge bull. I have seen them as long as 48 inches! A note though for anglers targeting this bull red fishery, make sure you are rigged with circle hooks as these fish all need to be released. They are the spawners for our future bay stocks. Sure some people want to eat them and they are well within their right to tag one but I would highly discourage any angler from keeping one of these beauties. Their flesh is hardly table worthy. Last but not least we have the nearshore and surf zone along Matagorda Peninsula and Matagorda Island. Some of my greatest trips this time of year come from fishing birds and bait within two hundred yards of the beach. It is nothing to work a group of birds and see speckled trout, redfish, mackerel, sharks and bluefish all trying to smack your MirrOlure She Dog! That’s what I call action. All the while a pair of manta rays are just lazily swimming by your boat. It’s crazy what you will see out here. Of all the areas I mentioned above you will have to remember that wind direction and weather patterns will dictate what areas you can safely fish. Meaning, if you have a howling northern blowing you will not catch me on the south shoreline of West Matagorda Bay. You would be better off hitting some of the protected north shorelines. An even better choice in this scenario would be the back lake areas of Matagorda Island that offer protection from any wind. Remember a little common sense can go a long way when dealing with the forces of Mother Nature. The lures that we will be chunking will not change from what we have been throwing all summer. We will still be throwing the four inch Bass Assassin Sea Shad (paddletail) in Mississippi Hippie and Copperhead rigged on the 1/16 ounce Assassin jigheads. I primarily throw the Sea Shad when I am wading in water less than waist deep. When wading the deeper mid-bay reefs or the deeper guts in West Matty, I will be chunking the five inch Saltwater Shad (rattail). The reason I switch to this type of lure is because you can work the full water column so effectively with up and down hopping motion on the retrieve. All it takes is a rhythm of rod twitches. The paddletails on the other hand are more suited to straighter-lined swimming retrieves. No matter which bay or area you decide to fish, October should deliver some of the most rewarding and memorable fishing of all the months and the cooler weather will make it that much more enjoyable. Fish hard, fish smart!
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TSFMAG.com | 83 DON'T MES
david rowsey
HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey
Upper Laguna/ Baffin
David Rowsey has 20 years experience in the Laguna/ Baffin region; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty. David has a great passion for conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish.
Telephone 361-960-0340 Website www.DavidRowsey.com Email david.rowsey@yahoo.com
84 | October 2016
Much of the state has been hammered by rain of late but we seem to be missing the majority of it in the Coastal Bend. My heart goes out to our brothers and sisters of Louisiana as they continue their recovery from the vast flooding that took place in August. Being born there, and still having many friends and family in that great state, I am not at all surprised to see how efficient they are at taking care of themselves and neighbors as our government chooses to play par for the course in efforts to help. My hat is off to the Cajun Navy. They are a great example of what an American should strive to be. Fishing throughout late summer was typical of the season, hot and slow. Lure fishing was tough if your goal was to target trout all day. After about 0900, we were almost forced to switch to reds and flounder. The flounder bite was amazing all summer and continues to be to date. That fishery has become a shining beacon in what more conservative regulations can do for a fishery. I am optimistic that the third year of reduced bag limits on trout will be showing a similar and significant impact as well. All signs are that we are headed in that direction. September brought us some cooler mornings and
had things hopping on the trout scene. Many days were more representative of early summer and great catches. This improved bite pattern should continue throughout October, and get even better as the winds start transitioning more from the north. October is a true transition month for this southern part of the Texas coast. I know my salty friends north of Corpus Christi enjoy some spectacular fishing during this month, but the heat is still pretty prevalent down here, and our trout are not quite as frisky as they are in the bays up north that get cooler weather. The cooler weather that comes to us in November is usually the initial kickoff for all things good in catching larger, fatter trout. Most of you are like me and will still need to get your fix and have your line pulled out. Although in a transition period, there are still tons of possibilities to make things happen and accomplish great days on the water. The first thing I like to do, this time of year, is fish small groups of gulls I find on the flats of the Upper Laguna. I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a bird fisherman as we do not typically have the quality of fish that y’all find in the northern bay systems. But October is a little different!
Leah Crouthamel with a sporty drum she caught on a soft plastic to finish her grand slam for the day. Great accomplishment for first-time wader!
As we see the baitfish and shrimp migrating to the north this time of year, you can have some great days working the birds from the boat, either drifting or using a trolling motor. In many instances, the smallest group of gulls may be working over the best trout. I check as many as possible, and as many water depths as I can until I hit the perfect group of fish. On many days, big tidal movements will have everything going crazy in the ICW, and it’s about as easy a fishing day as one could have. Never discount this method and style of fishing as fishing for dinks only. I’m telling y’all, there will be some studs caught in October working the drop-off and immediate flats of the ICW. Not into boat fishing? That’s fine. Jump out and wade the west side of the ICW from the JFK to Baffin. All easy wading with mostly solid bottom. The other option is to work the spoil islands in that same stretch of the ICW. With water flowing on all sides, distinct changes in the contour and diverse structure types – spoil islands are a nobrainer during the early fall run. You can always expect plenty of topwater action when there is plenty of bait migration occurring. If you are lucky enough to catch some cooler weather, the bite on top could last all day. My favorite topwater, hands down, is the MirrOlure C-Eye Pro Dog Jr. I find it to be the perfect size during the fall and it walks with ease. Great lure! For you worm pluggers, we are going to be using a little heavier setup than normal. I typically use a 1/4 ounce jig when boat fishing and 1/8 to 1/4 size when wading the edges of the ICW. I stay rigged up with a 5” Bass Assassin straight tail or their 4” Turbo Shad paddletail. Remember the buffalo! – Capt. David Rowsey
TSFMAG.com | 85
Wayne Davis
WAYNE’S Mansfield Report
Port Mansfield
Captain Wayne Davis has been fishing the Lower Laguna-Port Mansfield for over 20 years. He specializes in wade fishing with lures.
Telephone 210-287-3877 Email captwayne@kwigglers.com
86 | October 2016
Fall is upon us and we have felt and seen the first signs of northerly breezes, first on our faces as we prep for the morning launch and again in our bays. Boat traffic has tapered off, the yellow flags at bait camps have come down, and the transition from summer to fall is in full play. A fisherman’s “Most Wonderful Time of Year” as some may say. As the transition in seasons continues we have to adjust fishing and navigation strategies. You see, we have grown accustomed to south - southeast winds for many months and now we will be seeing a few light to moderate northers. Water levels will fall and depending how you look at things this could be good or bad. Let’s look at this as a good thing… We now have opportunity to fish areas we may not have been able to work when southerly breezes dominated our bays. Small points, drains and ledges that were mostly out of play through spring and summer will become primary targets. Northerly breezes will play perfectly into plans to catch trout, reds and flounder that are adding girth and prepping for winter. Get the picture? Great! As northers pass they create a totally different flow in the currents we and the fish are used to. We see
everything from seagrass leaning toward the south to currents flowing out of drains and water falling off the flats. As this occurs it’s a great idea to set up north of that drain and cast past it, starting on the outside and working your lure in toward the drain from there. From that point you could try throwing closer in to the drain and so on until you have fished the area thoroughly. Don’t overlook the opportunity to run lures close to or on the bottom for big flounder, they feed aggressively on falling current. I find paddletails particularly effective in this scenario, and best on 1/4 ounce jigheads. October can also bring days of little to no wind. At the time of this writing that is exactly what I have seen in Mansfield. Maybe 5 mph from a range of directions with no meteorologist being able to predict them accurately. Under these conditions I find myself fishing what I call “hilltops” or sandbars – one in particular has been nicknamed Wayne’s Bar. I have found myself here on many recent fishing days. When you fish these areas and the wind can’t make up its mind you can simply walk in a large circle as it changes cover it all very well. As you know, we usually can only fish in one direction or another
depending on the wind direction. What a great opportunity! The flats have also been productive, reds are schooling and have come back in a fair to good showing. It seemed we were struggling most of the summer when it came to redfish. Now, while slowly cruising the flats in my 24-foot Shallow Sport Classic I see pods and sometimes schools on the transition line where the sand meets the grass. Reds can often be found within about 50 yards either side. Oh, and those big grey fish you see up on the flats – they are big single trout, which under this scenario are not easily tricked into taking a lure. I have however, sight-casted big trout under these conditions but the lure has always been a clear bait. The bait I use is hard for any angler to see in clear water, but rest assured big trout see this bait and they see it well. In the K-Wigglers lineup it is called “Sand” for reasons just mentioned. In Port Mansfield I am also seeing the flounder making a move in the general direction of the East Cut which leads to the Gulf. They have been found on the sand-grass transition line in the shallows just waiting for a snack. A 4-inch paddle tail in olive red flake with chartreuse tail, Carolina pumpkinseed with chartreuse tail and good ol’ red-n-white are good choices for flatties. In closing, if we are lucky enough to catch those big, fat trout gorging up with a length that breaches the 24 inch mark we should consider CPR (Catch Photograph and Release). These fish are crucial to our bay system and crucial to the future of catching trophy trout. Catch and release can be very rewarding, especially after the fact, and I believe doing so breeds and spreads to fellow anglers to do the same. I personally want to catch 30-inch trout in 20 years and I’m sure you do too, so let’s get started. Be safe and courteous on the water. 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 2016
I am very excited to be entering a new season. Gone at last are the long strings of scorching 100⁰ days and summertime boat traffic. It was a grind all summer to stay on solid fishing patterns and I really disliked having to fish deeper than I’m accustomed, not only to stay cool but also because boat traffic pushed so many fish from their normal shallow areas so many days. October is usually a transitional month as cooler weather predominates and our fish change their staging and feeding patterns. I expect to see more aggressive shallow water feeding activity lasting for longer periods than in summer, but with tides running at traditional highs for the season we will probably need to cover more water to find them. The best news I have to offer is that redfish can now be found in many areas from Port Mansfield all the way to South Padre. We did not enjoy such widespread opportunity as recently as a few weeks ago. Schools of reds have invaded the eastside grass and sand flats in very encouraging numbers. Being that the east side of the Laguna is much clearer than west of the ICW, the redfish are going to be spookier unless they are schooled up. When they run in schools they tend to be
extra aggressive in their feeding because of their competitive nature. When they are schooling, it really doesn’t matter what you throw at them. They usually race to see who eats it first. Gold spoons, plastics such as a K-Wiggler Balltails in bone diamond and plumchartreuse, and sometimes a Super Spook Jr will entice ferocious strikes from schooling reds. Being that our water levels are higher than normal right now and should continue to hold that way through most of this month, our back bay shorelines Who’s says game wardens can’t fish? Santana Torres caught this one on topwater.
have been pretty productive. Toward the middle of September redfish started feeding aggressively, but this is no comparison to what we’ll see as the fall season develops. I look forward to exciting topwater action along recently flooded shorelines as the schools harass rafts of mullet and stand on their noses with tails exposed rooting shrimp from the grass. Our Lower Laguna trout fishery is really healthy right now, not only for keepers but we are also seeing some pushing the twenty-five inch mark. The numbers of undersize fish also point toward a bright future. I suggest handling them gingerly when landing and releasing as they are the foundation of our fishery in coming years. This time of the year you will find trout alongside redfish on shorelines and grass flats when targeting shallow potholes. We typically see them staging and feeding shallower for longer periods this time of year and willing to take small surface lures. Deeper water will also hold good numbers of trout, worth mentioning are the old oil field channels on the flats. Lately we have been concentrating on large schools of active mullet on the edges of deeper water and finding solid topwater action. Look for trout fishing to get even better as we work through October and closer to the kickoff to trophy season that could begin as early as mid-November.
Flounder numbers continue to flourish as can be seen daily on my charters. Their common haunts are always edges of the ICW around piers, cabin pilings, and old oil field cuts, but we continue to find them scattered on the flats when targeting trout and redfish. Snook – my favorite of all – have also been making a solid showing this year with many clients able to scratch this South Texas trophy species from their bucket list. In closing I want to thank Fishing Tackle Unlimited for providing me their excellent Green Rods. The action, sensitivity, and lightweight comfort all contribute to our success through long days on the water. Thanks also to Concept 13 reels, an excellent choice for pairing with the Green Rod. Wade fishermen take note; Concept 13 showcased a new model at ICAST back in July that is designed specifically for Texas. Features include corrosion-resistant sealed bearings to meet the demands Mike Wilson was of extreme salinity. Look for it soon all smiles after landing this hard at Fishing Tackle Unlimited. Last but fighting redfish. certainly not least, a big thank you to Costa Del Mar for providing me the best optics on the water. I’m excited to say that I will be attending their Slack Tide Gathering later this fall in Jensen Beach, Florida. They will be hosting seminars, games and, of course, we’ll get to wet a line. I cannot wait to provide a report next month how that adventure went. Best fishing to you!
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FISHING REPORTS
Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 October fishing convinced all of us that we needed to become guides. Most of the time, this particular month makes all of us look like we know what we’re doing. Birds will be picking on the northern end of the lake. All the way up to Prien Lake, Commissary Point, and north to Turner’s Bay, excellent fishing under birds should be available. West Cove and Joe’s Cove will also be very productive this month. When fishing birds, always approach the flocks from upwind and upcurrent. 99% of the time, trout and redfish under birds will travel against the current. This is very helpful information when the birds all fly away. Moving slowly against the tide after they break up and fly off sometimes allows one to relocate the fish. We will be chunking plastics rigged on quarter-ounce jigheads at the schooling fish. We will go with solid colors in stained water and more translucent colors in pretty water. We look forward to seeing all of you out on the water or in our boat this October. Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 James expects the recently productive patterns to become even better when October arrives. “We’ve got a huge shrimp crop this year, and most of the good catching we are experiencing lately is related to the herds of shrimp. Just the other day, near Smith Point, we found a big school of trout working white shrimp. Could have easily boated limits for
90 | October 2016
ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica
AND
everyone, with all fish over three pounds. Right now, the pattern isn’t as consistent as it will get in October. Normally, the stronger fronts and tide cycles will drain the marshes better around the middle of October, and then fishing under birds will become productive on a daily basis. The action should be spread out all over the bays, since the water is nice and salty now. We’ll be throwing tails mostly when fishing around the flocks, but small topwaters work well too, especially when we’re blind casting after the flocks break up. Hoping for some good days chasing the silver kings too. Last year, our best days for the tarpon happened close to the middle of October; a repeat is certainly possible.” Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 “Can’t wait ‘til October gets here!” Jim says. “We have had some good days lately, numbers-wise, but the fishing has been pretty inconsistent. We’ve had a really wet summer, and things have been hit or miss for the most part. If we don’t get much more rain, I expect action to pick up in parts of the bays further from the gulf. Lately, we’ve been seeing fish moving further up into the bays, toward Trinity and Upper Galveston Bay. If we have a dry fall, we should see that trend continue. Normally, in October, the fall patterns kick in hard, and we see strong tidal movements, stronger cold fronts and more migrations in full swing. We should have birds working in various parts of the bays once the shrimp migration gets going. Lots of hunting opportunities also come up this time of year. I’ll be hunting both doves and ducks this month, regardless
of the kind of weather we’re having. If winds are light and the weather’s cool and dry, fishing should be about as good as the hunting. This time of year is really fun because of all the productive options.” West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall looks forward to some fast, easy fishing and catching in October. “We’ve had a lot of rain this year, which generates a bumper shrimp crop. Once the fronts start pushing water out of the marsh and the shrimp begin moving toward the Gulf, we should have birds working all over the bays, where drains leading out of the backwater areas dump into the main basins. When targeting trout under the hovering gulls, we like to throw Norton Sand Eels in colors like chicken on a chain, halloween and salty chicken, rigged on fairly heavy heads, so we can make longer casts. On the other hand, we sometimes find we can catch bigger trout under the birds by throwing topwaters like One Knockers or Skitterwalks in bone or orange belly/blue back. Using the right rod helps make the floating plugs work better. A lightweight rod with some backbone like a Laguna Texas Wader 2 works perfect for casting the large plugs and getting lots of action with them without too much wasted effort.” Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski Bay Guide Service - 713.725.2401 October is one of the best months for fishing the Matagorda area, Charlie says. “We have an abundance of shrimp in all our marshes right now. A couple of decent fronts will likely push ‘em out into the bays, and the birds will be working on a regular basis. Of course, our fish under the birds in East Matagorda tend to run pretty big. The trout will average two and a half to five pounds in some cases, and catching fifty or sixty slot reds a day while targeting the trout under birds happens
for lots of people too. I think we are set up for some good fall fishing over here this year. The last couple of years, the marshes didn’t drain very well until the holiday season, so we kind of missed out on the frantic fall fishing for the most part. This year, I see it playing out differently, and expect us to have a classic autumn of fishing. In addition to working the birds, we have good opportunity to catch solid trout by wading the mid-bay reefs in East Bay when winds are calm, and also by fishing around the drains and bayous when tides are running strong.” Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Redfish are dominating our fishing scene right now. We have a tremendous amount of reds in our local waters, in places ranging from the wells to the flats. Schools varying in number from 10-30 fish are roaming shorelines chasing shrimp and shad. Most of of these fish are upper-slot 25-28-inch beasts. Gold spoons or any paddletail in white/ chartreuse, pumpkinseed/chartreuse will almost guarantee a bite. The surf has been the best bet for trout. We have been walking the beach throwing topwaters in the first gut at first light and hammering good solid trout up to 23 inches. Flounder continue to grow in size and number and we have made some quick trips, gigging our limits in a couple hours. As our temperatures cool, we should start to see some saddle blankets showing up. October is a great month, with birds to work for trout, schooling reds on shorelines, and flounder to gig at night. With all the recent rains and a great bait hatch, this should be one of the best months of the year.
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Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn expects the shallow water fishing to become more productive in October. “Topwaters work really well once the weather cools down. Of course, slow sinking twitch baits like the SoftDines work well in the shallows too. And, as always, we won’t hesitate to throw soft plastics on light jigheads if we need to. We normally wade around sandy pockets in the grass beds along area shorelines. Fishing for schooling reds in places like these can be great this time of year. In addition to the migrating reds, we’ll be looking for some of the bigger trout, keying on areas which are holding good concentrations of bait, specifically rafts of mullet. The bigger trout tend to eat lots of fish as opposed to shrimp, so finding what they eat is a key. We should also have some decent days left in the surf come October. Fishing out there has been good all summer, so I’m hoping it carries over a little into the fall. In addition to the trout, we should be able to locate a few tarpon along the beachfront, in places close around the pass.” Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake will be right in the middle of cast and blast season when October rolls around. “Dove hunting cast and blast trips will be productive this month. For the fishing, we have a really high tide right now. If that holds true into October, I like to target both trout and reds around shell reefs in places like San Antonio Bay, where fish tend to get concentrated around the shallow parts of the shell humps. I also expect to be using the air boat some, fishing in the back lakes off Aransas and other local bays. Fishing usually gets good in those areas once a couple strong fronts blow through. Back there, we should see fast action on the redfish, and in some years, good numbers of the bigger trout mix in with the schools of reds too. The surf has been really good for me this year, so I’m hoping to get out there a few more times, especially in the first half
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Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 The fishing is still very good in our part of the Laguna Madre. The redfish are running in schools like they normally do. The only thing is, that the schools are not as big like they usually are this time of the year. I think that part of the reason that the schools are smaller is because of boaters charging at the schools with their outboards and making quick casts as the schools run from the noise of the motors. Greater success with the redfish schools will come by approaching the schools from upwind with a trolling motor. Approaching them quietly and casting a weedless half-ounce spoon or your favorite plastic lure rigged on an eighthounce jighead should lead to more hook-ups. This action will probably continue, at least, through the fall. The water clarity in Baffin Bay is still very good, with much of the structures visible. The speckled trout are still in two to three feet of water early in the morning and then moving to four to five feet as the sun gets higher. Free-lined piggy perch will attract trout, redfish and flounder during this time. Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 Water quality continues to be good over most of Baffin Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre, and fishing has remained steady. “Recently, we had another push of water coming in through the Packery Channel. This kind of event floods the flats on both sides of the JFK Causeway with clear ocean water. The high tides place plenty of water on the shallow grassy flats and we are able to sight-cast redfish, drum, trout and even sheepshead at times, normally when we are able to see them well against a bright, sandy bottom. Most years, once the bull tide associated with the fall equinox rolls in, it stays around for quite a while. So, I expect
with g a m e EE R G et F h a se! c r u p y p o c hard onth subscripreceive a 12-m Order today and ry and sign up family memur tion for $25.00. H iends at the same rate! bers and/or fr
Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation: 1) Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine 2)ISSN 1935-9586 3) Filing Date 10/1/15. 4) Issue Frequency: Monthly. 5) No. of Issues published annually: 12. 6) Annual Subscription price $25.00 7) Complete Mailing Address of Office of Publication, 58 Fisherman’s Ln, Seadrift, TX 77983. Contact Person: Pam Johnson. Telephone 361-785-3420. 8) Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters: PO Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983-0429. 9) Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, PO Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983-0429. 10) Owners: Pam and Everett Johnson, PO Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983-0429. 11) Known Bondholders, Mortgagee, None. 12) Tax status has not changed during preceding 12 months. 13) Publication Title: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine 14) Issue date for circulation data below: August 2015. 15) Extent and nature of Circulation: General Publication a) average no Copies preceding 12 months: 22,842; no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date 21,854. b1) Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions: avg. preceding 12 mo., 5,568; single issue nearest filing: 5,308 b3) Paid distribution outside the mail including sales dealers and carriers Avg. preceding 12 mo’s 17,102, single issue nearest filing: 16,396 b4) Paid distribution by other classes of mail Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 80, single issue nearest filing: 64. c) Total paid distribution-Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 22,750, single issue nearest filing: 21,768. d1) Free or nominal rate outside county Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 1,276, single issue nearest filing: 848 d4) Free or Nominal rate distribution outside of the mail Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 180, single issue nearest filing: 150. e) Total free or nominal rate distribution Avg. preceding 12 mo’s :1,458 single issue nearest filing: 978. e) Total distribution Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 24,208 single issue nearest filing: 22,766. g) Copies not distributed: Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 4,223 single issue nearest filing: 5,009. h) Total Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 28,431, single issue nearest filing: 27,775. i) percent paid Avg. preceding 12 mo’s: 94%, single issue nearest filing: 96% . 16) Publication of statement of ownership: If the publication is a general publication, publication of this statement is required. Will be printed in the October 2016 issue of this publication. Signature and title of Editor, publisher, business manager or owner Pamela K. Johnson - date 9/01/16
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of October. Of course, duck seasons will be starting up, so I will be doing lots of trips where we hunt the marshes early for the ducks, then fish our way out after the shooting stops.”
conditions in October to be much the same, with regard to the high tide level. Temperatures should also cool down somewhat, making the flats a bit more comfortable to the fish more of the time. Normally, early-fall is a great time to find cruising trout, schools of reds and other species in the shallows tight to area shorelines, on tops of shallow sand bars and well up into large, grassy flats.” P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins October is almost here and things are about to get rowdy. The dusky anchovy migration will begin winding down right about the time the mullet migration gets underway. The surf will be full of predators: jack crevalle, red drum, Spanish mackerel, spotted seatrout, bluefish,and tarpon will all be hustling balls of anchovies and rafts of mullet in the shallows. Casting live or dead mullet could result in any of these. Lures can be equally effective, especially during feeding frenzies. Trout will take topwaters on moving tides. Key on birds to pinpoint feeding activity. Skipjack (ladyfish) will stick around as long as anchovies are present and will fizzle toward the end of the month. Be careful when wading, stingrays are thick on the bars and hungry blacktip and bull sharks will be cruising the guts – attacks are rare but avoid interaction. Pending being free of red tide, the only real hazard will be high tides. Be aware when driving that strong north wind can cause water to rise to the dunes. Fishing should be phenomenal all month when weather cooperates. Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 Fishing is currently very, good. The trout have been on the east side in the grass beds – holding waist to chest-deep. Topwater action is good until the floating grass gets in the way. Then we switch to K-Wiggler Ball Tail Shad in Mansfield Margarita, bone diamond and electric
sunrise on eighth-ounce jigheads. Quite a few have been undersized, but plenty of nice ones too. Occasional redfish can be picked up with them. Redfish are finally schooling over sand in big groups, headed toward East Cut. We’ve been catching them mid-morning, fishing ankle to knee-deep. They are taking quarter-ounce gold and silver weedless spoons and K-Wiggler paddletails. We are also finding occasional large schools in deeper water. Check the beachfront and the end of the jetties for monster schools too. Once you locate them, try to keep track of them. The old saying, “Never leave fish to find fish,” applies here. Expect great fishing days this month; October is always a fantastic month at Port Mansfield. Until next time tight lines and calm seas. Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 This has been a great summer, mostly due to the success of our new cork, the FP3! We’ve been getting positive feedback on this popping cork that has helped improve other anglers’ fishing dramatically. Shallow water heats up quickly and becomes hypersaline during the months that also see light winds in the early-morning hours. These qualities make fish feed during the night, especially when a spotlight effect from the full moon accompanies double tides. The sluggish waters and light winds make casting to redfish while drifting the flats tough, but we’ve had some phenomenal days on reds, trout and flounder throwing our FP3 corks trailing Berkley Gulp! Live threeinch shrimp in pearl and new penny! Freddy says, “Once you try this cork, you will immediately see a difference in casting distance, fish attracting vibrations, and number of strikes. FP3 is the culmination of thirty six years of guiding experience on the LLM.” We are optimistic about the coming months with fewer boats and cool temps. Stop open bay dredge disposal.
TSFMAG.com | 93 1750-020418-15_RedfishAdTXSWSF_CSP_vsf.indd 1
7/15/15 10:25 AM
Crew Wright Jose Juarez Michael Fillmore, Jr. Galveston - 42” red drum Freeport - 40” first black drum! San Antonio Bay - 22” redfish
Chris Foster Galveston - 36” 20 lb first bull!
Marvin Garza Mansfield - 41” personal best red! CPR
Kallen Kieschnick Aransas Pass - 30.5” personal best red! CPR
Jordyn Pausewang Sargent East Bay - first trout! 94 | October 2016
Courtney Martinka Alex Martinez, Jr. Mesquite Bay - 40” black drum Lake Austin - large mouth bass
Jacob Chapoose Port Aransas - 44” black drum
Dreyson Pontious 25” trout
Weston Pomykal Galveston - black tip shark
Beth Porter Matagorda - 28” first red!
Zac Eckhardt Texas City - redfish CPR
Roger Saa Galveston - 47” jack crevalle
TSFMag
Catch of the Month &
Silverstar Fishing Jewelry
Photo Contest Sponsored by
Jason Matthew Perez Yarbough Pass - 17” black drum
Ella Doss South Padre - first jack!
Beginning with the November 2015 issue, Silverstar Fishing Jewelry will be sponsoring a brand new photo contest. Winners will receive a beautiful 1-inch diameter custom-designed sterling silver pendant that would look great worn on a neck-chain. Contest Rules Gerardo (Titos) Mendoza St. Luis Pass - first bull!
Jason & Tami Pausewang Gulf Cut - 37.5” & 38” redfish
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.
OCTOBER WINNER Bryson White West Bay - trout
Ryan Thomas Matagorda - 28” 8 lb flounder
Collin Hilbrich Mesquite Bay - 38” redfish
Sydney Fillmore 38” first black drum!
Kalli Merks Baffin Bay - 25” trout
AJ Gaona
Baffin Bay - 45” redfish TSFMAG.com | 95
Jayden Shive Speedy Stop Tournament
Rudy Castillo Aransas Pass - 28” redfish
Nathan Abbott Moses Lake - 21” 4lb 2oz flounder
Cole Clark Bolivar Peninsula - 18” trout 96 | October 2016
Alexandrea Hernandez Port Aransas - 42” bull
Natalie Hancock Charles Pasture - first black drum! CPR
Brad Lackey ICW - 44” jack crevalle
Kylie Brown East Bay - biggest fish my Nana’s seen!
Gregory Stevens, II Galveston - 42” redfish
Darren Volek Palacios - 43” redfish
Bonnie Allen Browns Cedar Cut - personal best!
Ladd Pepper Port Aransas - 42” personal best red!
Richard Kennedy Galveston - black drum
Mike Gar Young Farmers Tourney, 2nd place!
Larry McDowell Sabine Lake - 7lb jack CPR
Jose Rodriguez Wallisville Lake - 27” first red!
Edward Moore Galveston Bay - 24” trout
Dwayne Juergens Matagorda Bay - 26” trout
Adrian Salinas San Luis Pass surf - 30lb jack
Donald Franklin 26” trout
Callen Smith Bastrop Bay - 23” first floudner!
Justin Stille POC - 40”+ bull red
Ivan Flecha Brauning Lake - 29.25” redfish Michelle Walker Port O’Connor surf - redfish
Jeffrey Long Estes Flats - 26” redfish
Please do not write on the back of photos.
Email photos with a description of your Catch of the Month to: Photos@tsfmag.com
Rob Wales POC jetties - kingfish CPR
Lance Turley Laguna Madre - 27” trout
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
Captain’s Shrimp Creole INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION
3/4 cup chopped Anaheim or green bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped carrot 1 cup chopped onion 6 medium cloves garlic sliced thin 1 large can whole peeled tomatoes 32 jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined 1-1/2 Tbsp Knorr brand chicken-flavor bouillon powder 1 Tbsp coarse ground black pepper Dash cayenne pepper 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp butter or margarine Fettucine pasta - six servings
In large frying pan: -Heat olive oil and sauté pepper, celery, carrot, onion and garlic to become translucent. Sprinkle with bouillon powder, cayenne and black pepper. -Place tomatoes in blender on stir cycle three seconds (you want to leave some chunks) then add to sautéed veggies. -Bring to simmer for about ten minutes and add shrimp. Continue simmer three minutes stirring often until shrimp are cooked through, cover and remove from heat. While Creole mixture is cooking: Prepare fettuccini pasta, six servings, to package instruction for al dente. Strain and return to pot, stir in butter to prevent sticking and cover. Place pasta on serving plate and cover with Creole sauce and shrimp mixture. Top with a sprinkle of grated parmesan and crushed red pepper. Serve with green salad, garlic toast and grilled veggie of choice.
98 | October 2016
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TSFMAG.com | 99
CHRIS MAPP
BOAT MAI N TE N A N CE TIPS
More items to add to your carry-aboard spares list When certain boat maintenance issues become repetitive, we believe it helpful to pass advice along to our customers in hope that they can avoid them. So – with this in mind – I want to tell you about a couple of problems we have been seeing and how you as the boat owner can deal with them. I also want to recommend some musthave carry-aboard spare items. Part of our standard procedure, we address each and every mechanical and electrical problem we encounter with two questions. Why did the issue occur? How can it be prevented? Here we go again with ethanol. Ethanol has increased the cost of operation in a number of ways, from the expense of repairing the damage it causes to the expense of fuel treatment chemicals we now must add to boat fuel to help prevent the damage. There has always been the need for good fuel filtration – but with ethanol in gasoline – the ante has been raised to “great” filtration. We are now recommending replacement interval of fuel/water separation filters at six months, even with low to moderate hours of operation. Monthly inspection of the outer casing of the filter canister is also Chris Mapp, owner of Coastal Bend Marine. Evinrude, Suzuki, Yamaha, Mercury, Honda, BlueWave, SilverWave, Shallow Stalker Boats, Coastline Trailers, Minnkota & Motor Guide Trolling Motors. Great Service, Parts & Sales “What can we do for you?”
(left) An extreme case of fuel filter corrosion, but I think you get the idea. We have seen canisters with far less corrosion already leaking. (right) Cutaway of fuel primer bulb – notice the check valve ball has become dislodged and was blocking flow.
18 Acres of Towable RVs Indoor Showroom Hwy 6 in Alvin, TX CONTACT Brent Garrison 281-303-1095
100 | October 2016
recommended. The filter canister is made of mild steel and the only protection against corrosion is the paint it receives at the factory. Salt water and damp salt air make them susceptible to pin holes from corrosion and, with most filter units installed inside closed compartments, the process is accelerated. Even the tiniest pinhole in a filter canister will lead to loss of prime in the system and fuel starvation… not to mention fuel leakage and potential for explosion hazard. Fuel filters should be changed at the first sign of surface discoloration, and for the areas you cannot see, rub your hand around it carefully to detect rough spots. The bottom of the canister is often the first place corrosion and pitting will occur. After replacing the filter, spray with Corrosion-X Red once a month to help prevent corrosion issues. Ethanol has also been causing a very high failure rate of fuel line primer bulbs. Symptoms of this are frequent need for re-priming and also inability to achieve firmness of the bulb following repeated squeezing. You will likely hear and feel fuel moving but the bulb will not firm up. What we’re seeing is a rash of check valve balls inside the bulbs falling out of place due to ethanol attacking and degrading the check valve seats. The displaced check valve ball can then block the flow of fuel to the engine. We recommend that you add spare fuel/water separator filters and a new primer bulb to your list of carry-aboard spare parts. Consult your marine dealer for proper filter wrench and also appropriate tools and clamps you will need to accomplish on-the-water repairs. This can save downtime and the need to be towed to the dock. Have a great fall season and I want to send a special “Thank You” to all who attended our Labor Day Sale for some great BBQ and fun. We look forward to seeing you again next year. Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine | Port O’Connor, TX coastalbendmarine.com | 361-983-4841
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Science and the
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Hiding from Prey and from Scientists Many predators hunt by camouflaging themselves and waiting for unwary prey to swim close enough to become a meal. One species of frogfish managed to hide from scientists, too. Only in 2015 did researchers rediscover this color-changing critter dwelling in tropical and subtropical waters and determine that it was an entirely new genus and species, Porophryne erythrodactylus. What makes frogfish such successful predators is their ability to completely blend into the sponges and corals where they lay in wait, so it’s incredibly difficult for unsuspecting prey to spot them.
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If you are having difficulty catching fish on a consistent basis, the clinic is designed for you. Learn Capt.Robert Zapata’s secrets to finding and catching more fish from his 25 years of experience as a professional fishing guide.
For Information Call 361-563-1160
The red-fingered anglerfish can change color to hide from prey. Credit: David Harasti The common name of this new fish, the red-fingered anglerfish, applies to its most distinctive feature: red coloring on the tips of its pectoral fins. They’re also considered so ugly that a mayor in Indonesia once famously called them “the spawn of Satan.” Despite that colorful feature, however, the red-fingered anglerfish’s exceptional camouflage kept it out of scientists’ sights for more than 30 years after the first one was collected in 1980, and later lost. When divers spotted one in 2005 off the coast of Sydney, scientists from the University of Washington in Seattle and Macquarie University in Sydney set out to find more specimens. They collected three, enough to conduct DNA sequencing and determine if the fish was truly a new species or not. They suspected their samples might contain at least two different new species based on the fish’s differing color patterns. But, the DNA sequencing revealed they were all the same species. They simply have the ability to change from a grayish color to a reddish-pink to an orange color to blend in with their surroundings. That’s some strong hiding ability!
PESCADO PARK RV PADS & BOAT STORAGE
Baffin Bay
near Kaufer-Hubert Boat Ramp DAN WARD
OWNER / OPERATOR
102 | October 2016
832-860-4600
dwPescado@gmail.com
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texas saltwater fishing holes
Galveston
corpus to port isabel classifieds
Designer & Manufacturer of Specialized High Performance Fishing Rods Office: 361.573.0300
805 B. South Bridge Victoria, TX 77901
Fax: 361.573.0304
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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
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