September 2019

September 2019

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ABOUT THE COVER Bobby Walker enjoyed an exceptional day recently in the Lower Laguna with TSFMag’s Capt. Wayne Davis. Bobby landed several snook between 28 and 30-inches, and then got into some bigger ones that topped 34-inches and 12-pounds. All were caught on KWigglers Willow Tail Shads and all were released! Conservation kudos to Bobby and Capt. Wayne!

SEPTEMBER 2019 VOL 29 NO 5

CONTENTS

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 16 20 24 30

34 Let’s Ask The Pro 38 Shallow Water Fishing 42 TPWD Field Notes 44 Kayak Fishing Chronicles 46 TSFMag Conservation News 50 Fishy Facts 54 Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

58 Plastic & Water Don’t Mix 60 Field Test: Okuma Helios SX 64 Field Test: Plano Rustrictor 84 Boat Repair & Maintenance 87 Science & the Sea

Tough Times Make Us Better Fishermen Retracing Steps Pamela Comes to Texas: Part 5 Finicky to Finesse, and Then Some When Macks Attack

24

Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard

54

WHAT OUR GUIDES

HAVE TO SAY

66 68 70 72 74 76

Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene 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 Bink Grimes Shellie Gray David Rowsey Wayne Davis Ernest Cisneros

REGULARS 8 Editorial 62 New Tackle & Gear 78 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 80 Catch of the Month 82 Gulf Coast Kitchen

82

68 6 | September 2019

Jay Watkins Scott Null Holly Grand Dave Roberts CCA Texas Stephanie Boyd Eric Ozolins Everett Johnson TSFMag Staff TSFMag Staff Chris Mapp UT Marine Science Institute

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EDITORIAL

RED SNAPPER REALITIES

Lots of anglers were disappointed upon learning that our Texas recreational red snapper season would close at midnight August 1, versus TPWD’s projection of a 97-day season. Many things factored into the closure decision and it is important to understand these in order to temper disappointment with reason. Here’s the long and short of it.

To begin, the U.S. Senate directed NOAA to develop a pilot program that would lead to eventual management of the fishery by the five Gulf States. Federal water red snapper seasons would be conducted under Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) during 2018 and 2019. NOAA still controlled the TAC (total allowable catch) and divided it between the states based upon historic landings data. TPWD requested 16% of the recreational TAC but received only 6.6% – 265,090 pounds.

Under the EFP, TPWD was required to monitor catches and close the season when the quota was achieved. Angler participation and harvest data collected during the 2017 and 2018 seasons was the basis from which TPWD projected 97-days for 2019.

TPWD held public meetings to discover angler preference for structuring the season. Options included opening date, and split season versus continuous fishing days. Feedback indicated a 58% preference for a June 1 opening and continuous fishing days.

So, the recreational fleet set sail on June 1 in greater than expected numbers, aided by uncommonly calm seas and, as expected, the fishing was very good. Seas remained uncharacteristically calm throughout most of the

8 | September 2019

month and continued into July. Word spread and participation boomed.

Another factor that forced the early closure came in the weight of fish being brought to the dock – almost one pound heavier than the 2017-18 averages.

More fish of greater weight led to achieving the quota earlier than projected.

Back to tempering disappointment; we didn’t get to fish 97 days but the 62 days we were able to fish was a godsend compared with some of the ridiculously short seasons of the recent past. Let’s all recognize that for what it’s worth.

We should also rejoice that great strides were made toward achieving state management of this important and highly-popular recreational fishery.

Hopefully Texas will receive a larger share of the TAC when that happens.

There will be plenty of opportunity in coming months to again share with TPWD your preference of opening date and whether to fish continuous days or split-day seasons in 2020. Do not let the opportunity pass you by.

I also want to encourage anglers to continue reporting their catches via the iSnapper mobile device app. This is a voluntary reporting system, and while some may believe we shot ourselves in the foot by reporting our landings this year, nothing could be further from the truth. One of the primary reasons we did not receive a larger share of the TAC in 2019 was because NOAA’s assessment of snapper size and abundance are highly inaccurate, to say the least. Reporting the truth via iSnapper will work to our advantage in the long run.

Oh boy! What a way to start the day!

Tough Times

make us

Better

Fishermen STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

I

n all of my years fishing the Galveston Bay Complex, I would have to say that the summer months have historically been the easiest and most predictable. A typical late summer pattern on any given day would include finding a patch of good trout slicks, putting out the anchor and going to town on 17- to 22-inch fish with an occasional 24-plus incher. After a few hours of doing that we would go find open water schools of redfish and play with them for a while. If the wind was blowing too hard for the open bay schools then the back lake schools were just as plentiful. Fish (trout) would typically take up residence in their favorite locales (deep shell) and basically live there through September and even into early October. The onset of fall usually doesn’t really occur here until the first or second week of October and that is when the pattern would begin to change. It was fun. It was easy. We got spoiled.

This summer has been quite a different story. I’ve mentioned some of the reasons in previous articles (excessive freshwater, loss of oyster reefs, more fishing pressure, etc.).

I’m not going to continue to beat that horse. Instead, I’d like to share some of the positive aspects of this summer’s experiences and talk a little about what I think the future holds.

Easy fishing often leads to complacency. Conversely, when things get tough we tend to put our thinking caps on and become super focused. This is when true learning takes place. If we know what signs to look for and we put it all together, our efforts are usually rewarded with not only a few fish but a broader understanding of what makes everything tick. As our knowledge base grows we not only become more confident but we understand what is within our control and what is not. At this point another element enters the equation – acceptance. We learn to accept what we cannot change and try to control what’s within our ability.

The margin for error during this “learning” stretch was microscopic on some days. If you weren’t where fish were during their brief feeding window throwing what they were willing to eat, you could come as close to a skunk as you ever have. There are many factors that had to be considered in the equation in order to avoid a skunk.

TSFMAG.com | 11

Spending almost every day on the water was necessary to not only find the fish (because they weren’t in their typical locations) but learn the timing of feeding periods. Trout seemed to never be in the same place for more than a few days so you had to stay in superhero x-ray vision mode every minute on the water. Not having a heightened awareness level could mean you headed home with your tail tucked between your legs wondering if you still knew how to catch fish. Trust me. I’m speaking from experience.

Uncharacteristic of summer trout, often times this summer they simply would not produce slicks and this caused us to focus more on structure. As a result, I became a better structure fisherman. I found myself fishing more rocks, guts and shallow reefs than I probably ever have. The funny thing is that it worked – that is once I learned the bottom landscape and the techniques involved. It’s certainly not my favorite way to fish, but it got the job done.

Jack Cibulski with a very large male trout caught in less than 3 feet of water under a raft of mullet on a hot summer day.

12 | September 2019

There are two baits that seemed to work better than anything else. One was the MirrOlure Lil’ John and the other was Saltwater Assassin’s 4” Sea Shad. Color selection varied depending on water clarity but pink, purple, limetreuse and watermelon red glitter were definitely at the top of the list. I should also admit that I probably have more confidence in these two lures than any other, especially during the warmer months. Just like with anything, there’s something to be said for confidence.

If we were drifting along rocks, the best method was to cast up against the rocks and let the bait free-fall down the ledges and then lift and drop like fishing for black bass with a plastic worm. Another effective retrieve was simply flat-lining (straight retrieving) at a medium to fast pace. This technique worked very well with both baits, not only while drifting parallel to rocks, but also while drifting over shell reefs. My belief is that the accelerated speed of the retrieve triggered a sense of urgency that caused reaction strikes. Furthermore, the vibration from the paddletail-style Sea Shad throws off sound waves that the trout can home in on.

I mentioned that there weren’t many slicks to lead us to the trout (until later into the summer).

However, what we did witness were rafts of mullet. These rafts were encountered in only a few places in the bay, but in most cases they led us to the fish. The rafts were almost always found blanketing shallow (2 to 4 feet) oyster reefs, sand bars, and drop-offs. The fact that we caught so many trout in shallower than usual water that late into the summer is another point of interest. The water temperatures remained below normal mainly because of excessive

Joey Cibulski and Barry Schexsnaider had a blast working open water schools of reds after hammering solid early morning trout. Just like old times!

Scott Medsger made this solid trout angry enough to smash his topwater while drifting a shallow back lake reef.

This 1-acre school of reds in 9 feet of water was a great way to end an epic day on the bay!

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Hook ups almost every cast while drifting along rocks with my two go-to baits this summer – Lil’ Johns and 4” Assassin Sea Shads.

freshwater entering the bay.

Otherwise, our fish would’ve been found in much deeper areas along the ship channel. As usual, tide changes provided the best bites. Knowing the effects and making adjustments saved days for us.

Salinities and water clarity have improved dramatically. The Lake Livingston dam is currently down to 4,000 cubic feet per second which is the lowest I’ve seen it in a year. Many tiderunner trout as well as millions of small trout are holding in certain areas of our bay. When I say “small” trout I’m talking about 10- to 14-inchers. I had a trip the other day with just one client and the two of us caught nearly 100 specks before noon.

Only 16 were keepers but it was fun and lots of our bites came on topwaters. If these fish can stay within the system I would say the future looks bright. Effective September 1, 2019 spotted seatrout limits will drop to 5 per person from FM 457 in Sargent to the Texas/Louisiana border. This should certainly help improve the quality of our fishery for years to come.

My personal observations over the last several months lead me to believe that we’re going to experience a September that will more closely resemble a typical August. Things just seem to be shaping up that way. The tough stretches have helped us become better fishermen and as conditions improve catching will become that much easier. Good times are ahead of us if everything falls into place. Either way, I will accept it for what it is, even if it means fishing structure.

CONTACT

STEVE HILLMAN

14 | September 2019

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

TSFMAG.com | 15

RETRAC NG STEPS STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

The captain often finds reasons to work through the same area twice on the same day.

A

s my daily operating procedures matured over years of running charters, I developed a tendency to retrace my steps and work through the same area twice on some outings.

Like most other principles by which I operate, this habit developed organically, without much deliberation before its implementation. Now, I’ve contemplated the practice thoroughly and developed strong beliefs about it.

The choice to immediately repeat the path through an area or to return to a spot after leaving it on the same day can occur for multiple reasons. Several scenarios elevate the likely effectiveness of such a plan. In the simplest case, I choose to retrace the steps my customers and I made through an area, once we reach some kind of physical barrier which prohibits continued forward movement.

In some places, this happens when we make a slow trek across a flat, controlling our pace appropriately, then arrive at a depth contour, either a drop-off into deeper water or a shoreline shelf, perhaps even the shoreline itself. In such a scenario, if bite-frequency remained steady throughout the walk, circling back around immediately and proceeding through the area again makes perfect sense.

If light winds prevail, this might mean turning and casting into the wind while moving back to the original starting point. Stronger winds generally dictate shuffling backwards and looping around in an arc, casting sideways.

Sometimes, reduced bite-frequency dictates returning to the site of the starting point of a wade, or to the point where bite frequency spiked. We sometimes realize we’ve likely walked to and through the fish we located, despite my efforts to prevent us from moving forward at a pace which would cause us to do so. In these situations, when we simply turn around and work through an area again immediately for a second time, the size of the place normally runs small.

If the original wade took us through a larger space, getting into the boat and circling back around makes better sense. Employing a Power Pole with a working remote having decent range greatly enhances

Summer mornings provide the perfect time to instill the love of coastal fishing in young anglers, like Caroline Shankle, who regularly catches dozens of trout when fishing with the captain.

18 | September 2019

one’s ability to execute this strategy. Walking a distance away from the site of the last bite, then cranking up and idling well around the path of the wade improves the chances of using the motor to make such a move without spooking the targeted group of fish. In all these cases, the choice to go right back through an area makes sense because of the perceived stability of the situation, in terms of the feeding mood of the fish.

In a different scenario, the same choice might be made for the opposite reason. If we make a pass through an area without much luck, then an influential variable changes significantly in our favor, I sometimes choose to retrace the steps through the area a second time, without any lapse of time. I describe the pertinent variables as stimulators, meaning some weather or celestial event which increases the likelihood of improvement in the feeding mood of the fish. In places where tide movements influence the bite profoundly, this might be a turn in the tide or the start of a tidal flow in either direction after a slack lull.

In hypersaline lagoons where I make most of my forays these days, the celestial event might be the rising or setting of the moon, or a predicted major feeding period when the moon stands high overhead or falls directly underfoot. In places where tides don’t move much on a daily basis, such celestial events can generate feeding activity. As can weather events, like the onset of a medium-paced wind after a calm spell, the sudden reduction of a strong wind, or a shift in wind direction, especially when the shift proves favorable to other aspects of the On hot summer days, paddletails effort to catch fish in a place. bearing bright colors usually I will make the choice to immediately pass urge bites from trout, even when through an area again after experiencing a they aren’t feeding aggressively. low bite-frequency only if I originally came to the place knowing it recently held ample numbers of the right fish, and if signs indicate the fish likely remain present. This normally means I’ve caught plenty of bigger than average trout in the spot within the last couple of days or weeks, ideally more than once. If the sudden change creates a similar situation to a recent one in which we caught a bunch of fish, including several big ones, I’m more likely to make a second pass.

The above situations all involve the choice to work through an area twice without making a conscious decision to let it rest for a while. On many days when I choose to make two passes through an area, I do leave the place for some time before trying it the second time. Some of the reasons for letting a place cool off resemble those for circling around immediately, while others differ.

The most common factor causing me to

Through the last days of summer and the first ones of fall, redfish generally strike a variety of lures aggressively, including slow-sinking twitch baits thrown in hopes of attracting the attention of a big trout.

which to base their decisions. They can, however, use the concepts described above to make reasonable choices about whether to make a second pass through an area on the same day.

Making productive choices of this type requires one to accurately assess the potential for catching on a given day, and at the present moment. In prime catching conditions, with strong stimulators and benign weather in play, working through an area a second time should only happen when an epic catch occurs on the first pass. In the toughest catching conditions, in the absence of strong stimulators and/or with nasty weather in play, one might choose to make a second pass through a place after earning only a few bites the first time. Most situations fall somewhere between the two extremes, elevating the need for good judgment on the part of the captain deciding whether or not to retrace steps.

KEVIN COCHRAN CONTACT

leave a spot for a while involves a perceived negative trend in the feeding mood of the fish. If we’ve experienced a high bite-frequency while walking through an area, while a known stimulator influenced the situation, then the bite predictably wanes as the effect of the stimulator recedes, I often let the place rest before making a second trek through it. But not in every case.

Several factors can cause me to circle around immediately and make a second pass through a place, even when I know the fish we urged to bite on the first try have likely stopped feeding actively.

Marginal weather conditions, which make moving around and spotting signs of feeding fish more difficult, and which can reduce the number of potentially productive spots, increase the chances I’ll want to immediately retrace steps through an area, changing tactics like lure choice and presentation, in attempt to grind out a few more bites. This rings especially true if the first pass resulted in us catching one or more jumbo fish.

On the other hand, if better weather conditions prevail, and we catch numbers of fish without landing big ones, I’ll more likely let a place rest once a hot bite fizzles. I explain this to my customers on a regular basis. “If we make a move, we’ll probably find finicky fish in the new place, too. But we might as well give it a try, at least for a while.”

If we’ve been fishing shallow, I usually move somewhere and fish deeper, and vice versa. If we’ve been targeting fish in potholes surrounded by grass on a flat, I might make a move to a sand bar with rocks close by, or to an edge where a flat falls off into a muddy gut or open basin. In a place where tide movement plays a key role, I might move toward the tide source, hoping to encounter moving water, if the tide has fallen slack in the spot I’m leaving.

In all these cases, I try to find a site with some kind or kinds of different elements in play, compared to the first one. This increases my confidence in the idea of the fish in the new spot displaying a better feeding attitude. In a best-case scenario, we catch plenty of fish in one of the new places and perceive no need to return to the first one. On about fifteen or twenty per cent of the days I fish, we either catch fewer or no fish after making the move, and return to try the first spot again.

The imminent influence of a perceived stimulator often increases the likelihood of returning to a productive place after letting it rest for some length of time during the day. For instance, if we experience a hot bite just after daybreak while the moon sets or rises, then leave the area looking for other fish, I often return to finish the day where I started, assuming the fish will bite during the midday major feeding period.

While doing so, I usually clarify my thought processes for my customers, saying something like, “We need to go back over there where we started this morning and fish this predicted major feed in the last place we caught fish, instead of some new one, not knowing whether it held fish a few hours ago.” The mantra makes the most sense when we experience a sluggish bite in all the places we try after leaving the first one.

This daily strategy resembles a more basic plan used by fishing guides and others who regularly make trips onto the bays. Our first decision often involves returning to the place where we last caught a decent number of the right fish, especially if prevailing conditions resemble those in play at the time in which the catching occurred.

Weekend warriors face a more challenging dilemma, since they often embark on their journeys without recent positive experiences on

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 361-688-3714 Email kevxlr8@mygrande.net Web www.FishBaffinBay.com www.captainkevblogs.com TSFMAG.com | 19

Pamela comes to STORY BY MARTIN STRARUP

B

odie awoke and slipped quietly out of bed to avoid waking Pamela. He grabbed a pair of jeans, a shirt, and his work boots and closed the door silently behind him. Dressing in the kitchen while his coffee was brewing gave opportunity to reflect on what was happening in his life.

“Well I guess I should just go on and admit that I’m in love with her… and stop trying to make excuses about it,” he thought aloud.

“Now why would you want to make excuses about loving a woman who is in love with you, Mr. Allen?”

Her voice startled him and he whirled as she was about to take a seat at the kitchen table. The sight of her wearing only his shirt from the night before made his heart flutter.

“I reckon I never dreamed a woman as beautiful, classy, and smart as you would ever have romantic feelings for a rough old cowboy like me. But…after last night, I know it’s true and it makes me very happy.”

Pamela flashed a smile as big as Texas and Bodie tried to apologize for waking her so early.

“Oh, you didn’t wake me, Bodie. I knew you would be up early to go to the ranch, even though it’s New Year’s Day. I wanted to see you before you left,” Pamela announced smugly as she stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek.

Part 5

Bodie pulled two mugs from the cupboard but Pamela said she wasn’t ready yet. She was going back to bed as soon as he left.

Pouring his big insulated mug full of the steaming liquid and snapping the lid, he turned back to her and said, “Well, my dear, I’m leaving right now so you can go jump right back into bed before you catch your death of cold.”

Pamela smiled and gave him another quick peck on the cheek as she headed toward the bedroom hallway. Turning at the doorway she let the shirt fall to the floor and asked if it was really necessary that he leave her all alone on such a chilly morning. Bodie did his best to stammer that even though he’d love to stay he really needed to get to work.

“Well, she either loves me or she’s trying to give me a heart attack,” he mused as he climbed into the truck and cranked the engine.

It didn’t matter whether he was heading across the bay, sitting in a deer blind, or saddling up to check cattle, sunrise was always Bodie’s favorite time of day.

Arriving at the ranch he went to his office to go over some projects he needed to get organized. He was quiet to not wake Monroe next door so early on New Year’s morning and started a fresh pot of coffee. He was shuffling a stack of supply orders that needed to be placed when the door opened and Monroe stumbled in – shirt, boots, and hat in hand.

TSFMAG.com | 21

22 | September 2019

Surveying the fence that stretched along the northern ranch border, Bodie noted that most of it would need replacing come springtime.

Just then his phone rang and he saw that it was Pamela calling.

“No, my dear, I’m not cooking breakfast this morning, but I’ll bring something home for us,” he joked in greeting.

Her tone was serious…“Bodie, Doug just called and I have to accompany him to Europe. There is a labor problem at one of his plants and he wants to leave within the hour if possible.”

Bodie looked at his watch and knew he wouldn’t make it home that soon. “Pamela, I’m a pretty good ways off in the middle of a pasture and I don’t think I can make it that quick, much less get you over to Doug’s house in an hour.”

“It’s not a problem, my love. Doug’s already taken care of it. He is sending a car to take me to his house so I can pack and head to the airport with him….Oh, the car just pulled up. I love you and I’ll call you soon. Goodbye.” She hung up before he could say anything.

The news made him sad and somehow the fence he’d come to inspect didn’t seem important. Well, I guess I know now what love is, he muttered aloud. And I know my bed is going to be a whole lot colder until she gets back.

With no reason to hurry home, Bodie thought it would be a good idea to drive out to Mr. Connor’s house and wish his boss and Lazy C owner a Happy New Year. Winding down the long paved driveway and stepping out of the truck, he was mobbed by several happy Labs and a pair of excited beagles.

Bodie found the back door of Mr. Connor’s house ajar, which he thought strange. He called loudly and when no answer came he cautiously pushed the door open and saw his boss and longtime friend lying on the floor of the entry hall with his cell phone next to him.

Bodie immediately grabbed his own phone from his pocket and dialed 911 to request that an ambulance and a deputy be dispatched ASAP. He knew before checking for a pulse that the kind old rancher had been dead for more than a few hours. He had seen death many times and knew what it looked like.

Seeing no signs of a struggle, blood, or visible wounds, but unsure whether there might have been some kind of foul play, Bodie backed carefully out the way he’d entered the hallway to avoid disturbing any evidence. He then dialed the sheriff’s office and requested a forensics team also be dispatched.

Bodie went to his truck, pinned on his deputy sheriff’s badge, slumped over the steering wheel and wept sorrowfully.

To be continued...

MARTIN STRARUP

CONTACT

“Morning, Monroe. I tried not to make a racket and wake you.”

“You didn’t wake me, Bodie. I haven’t even gone to bed yet,” Monroe quipped to his boss man. “Now Betty Ann, I doubt you could wake her if you tried. She’s plumb tuckered out from dancing all night.”

Bodie smiled at that and told Monroe to pour them some coffee and have a seat to go over some ranch business.

Monroe brought the coffee and sat across from Bodie who pushed a stack of papers across the desk. “Can you read through those bloodshot eyes?” he asked.

“I think I can manage, long as I keep my left eye closed,” Monroe joked.

Bodie went over everything that needed to be done the next day and then wrote checks for the outfit that would be hauling cattle to the sale barn for them. He reminded Monroe to call Bobby Johnson and let him know they wanted the old railroad rails he had for sale to build two more cattle guards, and then asked him to check if Bobby could deliver them.

It was almost 8:00 when the two finished their business. Stepping outside, the norther that had been predicted had arrived and the temperature was already much cooler. Bodie went to grab a jacket out of his truck and Monroe went to get one from his house.

“Well, I woke Betty Ann up,” Monroe said with a grin.

“And I’ll bet she’s already getting breakfast ready, right?”

Bodie teased.

“Fat chance! All she did was roll over and tell me to hurry and bring her coffee,” Monroe replied with an eyeroll.

“Well then take her a cup from the office and let’s go have a look at the cows we penned for those boys to haul tomorrow.”

They jumped into Bodie’s truck and drove to the loading pens.

“That’s a good looking bunch of cattle,” Bodie remarked.

“Yes sir, we do have us some good stock,” Monroe agreed.

“We do at that Monroe; and it’s good hands like you and the rest of the crew who make it happen,” Bodie replied, reaching inside the center console.

Bodie extended his hand and wished him a happy New Year as he handed him an envelope with his name on it. Monroe jokingly asked if it was his walking papers.

Bodie laughed and told him to open it. Monroe’s eyes grew wide as he stared in surprise. “Wow! That’s a pretty big check, Boss,” Monroe announced with a catch in his voice.

“It is that, and you deserve every penny for all you do to make this one of the most successful ranches of its size in this part of the country,” Bodie assured him.

“Thank you very much, Bodie. And please tell Mr. Connor I thank him as well for his generosity,” Monroe stammered emotionally.

Bodie slapped him on the back and handed him a stack of envelopes, each with the name of one of their regular hands across the face. “Pass these out when the boys get up and moving. And please tell them how much Mr. Connor and I appreciate their hard work.”

“I sure will, Bodie. And I know they’ll all thank you later,” Monroe replied.

Bodie dropped Monroe at his house and told him to give Betty Ann his best regards before driving off to check a stretch of fence on the far end of the ranch. The weather app on his phone chimed with news of freezing temperatures expected overnight and he called Monroe to remind him to check that all the water trough piping was wrapped properly.

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.

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Trouthunter@swbell.net

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Finesse,

Finicky to

and then some STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

E

very once in a great while it happens, the stars align and things go exactly according to plan. On such a joyous occasion it would seem as though any and every fish in your vicinity is willing to eat any and every lure presented.

Welcome to Nirvana, hope you have a great stay.

Now as this dream is shattered by the sound of you crashing back to reality, you suddenly realize that days like the aforementioned happen far less than their counterparts – the days when fish seem to only want one thing or one specific presentation. Anyone who has spent time chasing fish along the Texas coast has certainly run into this problem and suffered through some difficult days. I know I certainly have and they are no fun. When faced with conditions where fish get finicky you have to approach them from the most basic angle, and that’s finding whatever it takes to draw a reaction.

Getting a fish to react in a manner or entice them into biting can be as simple as getting the proper bait right in their face, seldom do fish pass up the easy meal and a strategically placed offering usually does the trick. Here is a classic example that I’ve seen play out dozens of times.

While poling around in shallow water I locate a redfish for the angler on the front of my boat.

After maneuvering the boat into position for the angler to make a cast, the moment of truth comes and the cast spooks the fish, turning it into a finned and scaled version of a runaway train.

The angler on the front of the boat stands there dejected and can only watch as the wake of the fleeing fish widens as it flees. At that moment I pick up my spinning rod and pitch a lure in front of the fleeing fish and it gets eaten almost immediately. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen spooked redfish inhale a bait while they were running from an area where they had been spooked; it happens with surprising regularity. It’s like a thief running away from a robbery and passing an ATM machine spitting out money; they simply cannot pass it up.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are times that the redfish ignore the bait but, more often than not they eat it. For years my go-to bait for this situation was a hollow-bodied tube jig rigged in weedless fashion. The tube jig was a great shrimp imitation and was easy to present in a subtle manner. I lived and died with the salt and pepper color pattern for years. Since the tube jig I went almost exclusively to a plastic frog, a Stanley Ribbit to be exact. The action

TSFMAG.com | 25

provided by the frog’s kicking legs are almost irresistible to redfish and largemouth bass just the same. The frog has made believers out of many of my customers and it’s certainly one of the lures I never leave the dock without.

Recently I added a new bait to my arsenal that may well out-fish all my old standbys, especially when it comes to sight-fishing. Marker 54 Lure Company has come out with possibly the coolest collection of shrimp imitations I have ever seen. Joshua Morris from Marker 54 explained the concept to me and I was completely blown away at the actions on these shrimp. There are three models; the Jerk, the Glide, and the weedless. The jerk mimics a fleeing shrimp in the way it swims backward, the same as a shrimp flicking its tail.

As if that action was not enough, the bait will actually “back up” to its original Released to fight another day.

She Dog strikes again. position, which affords the opportunity Another red that just couldn’t resist the Stanley Ribbit. Please excuse the shadow; to fish a spot multiple times without the it’s hard to make a photo of a fish eating a lure with a rod in your other hand. need to retrieve and make a new cast.

“I designed this shrimp to fish potholes in the grass,” says Morris. “You can snap the bait to the surface and it will back up, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen.” I can vouch for that assertion personally, it’s amazing. In fact I spent about 20 minutes with my first one in a swimming pool and was mesmerized. All I could think about was how good this will do with sight-casting to redfish. The Glide model swims forward and the weedless version can be rigged forward or backward.

This bait has quickly become one of my favorites because it’s perfect for many applications and it’s very durable. The Jerk shrimp has taken my finesse fishing to a completely different level.

Now what I’m going to talk about next may not be considered the finesse side of fishing to some but it certainly draws a reaction, and that’s sound. Call it noise if you prefer. We have all heard various plugs, lures, and rattling corks make all manner of racket and they will most definitely improve your odds of finding fish under certain conditions. Some anglers prefer a deeper tone while others tend to gravitate toward the high-pitch models. Personally, I lean toward higher-pitch lures when given a choice. Seldom have I witnessed a deeper rattle tone produce more fish than the same or similar bait with a higher pitch.

A great example is the difference between the MirrOlure Top Dog and She Dog. Both baits are solid producers but 26 | September 2019

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CHUCK UZZLE

CONTACT

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the higher pitch in the She Dog seems to draw more strikes for me.

I remember drifting deep shell with Art Wright and big trout guru Mike McBride years ago when the She Dog was brand new. McBride refused to use it saying, “That thing sounds like a bunch of marbles in an empty coffee can!” Art and I caught fish on nearly every cast while McBride couldn’t buy a bite. I’m sure there are folks who can claim the exact opposite but the point is that the right rattle tone under the right conditions can certainly make a huge difference.

Perhaps the greatest lesson to take away from this article is that a basic reaction is a powerful thing and anything I can do as an angler to get a fish to react is exactly what I need to produce strikes on less than ideal days. Provoking a strike by tempting a fish with an easy meal or agitating them to the point where they want to kill a bait is all part of the puzzle that we strive to solve every day on the water. It’s exactly that which keeps us coming back for more.

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 wakesndrakes@yahoo.com Website wakesndrakes.com

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STORY BY JOE RICHARD

WHEN MACKS

Attack

I

’ve been a fan of Spanish mackerel for a loooong time beginning with my great uncle’s big catches in Miami many years ago. Fishing out of his own 16foot fiberglass boat with a huge for its day Johnson 40, Wib plied the winter mackerel runs in Biscayne Bay out of South Miami. Slinging jigs from red Ambassadeur 5000A reels, he said his best day was 90 fish. He fed the neighborhood, too. Including my future wife’s family, who lived down the street. Making his own white bucktail jigs, he dried them by the hundreds on a clothesline in the backyard between huge mango and avocado trees. When I was in the seventh grade he recruited me to help; I still have his lead jig mold.

Author with recent best mackerel ever, 6 pounds and 4 ounces.

Mackerel at the historic 18-mile lighthouse off Sabine. Now sadly sitting in a park in Sabine Pass.

Miss Amy with an autumn mackerel, 35 years after Port Arthur.

32 | September 2019

His top mackerel weighed nine pounds, and one can imagine the hard days out there, working that rather slow baitcaster reel. Those mackerel cut off countless numbers of jigs because he didn’t care for wire, instead using 40-pound mono. When the neighborhood preacher, fishing close by in another boat, ran out of jigs, he hollered across the water, hoping to buy some. “I won’t sell you any, but I’ll give you some,” said Uncle Wib. For me that was an early lesson in generosity.

Mackerel on the Texas coast are still a favorite to this day. Decent sized mackerel of three pounds or better provide ideal fillets. When we invite people over for dinner, it usually means fresh, thick mackerel fillets, broiled with Tony’s spice, served up with oven roasted new potatoes, salad and white wine. We’ve eaten mackerel hundreds of times. Trout and redfish, not so much; the mackerel have a better flavor.

This all came back to me last month when I hooked my biggest Spanish mackerel ever. Something powerful slammed my gold spoon and took off. Wary that the spin reel would be spooled, I handed the rod off to Amy and cranked the boat engine, and we began to follow. However, after 50 yards, the fish began to circle. Eventually she worked it in close and I scooped it up with the landing net. The darn thing looked like a kingfish. Upon closer examination, it had the shiny black dorsal, proof it was a Spanish.

Weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces, it provided a real feast with those thick fillets! At the table two days later, five of us couldn’t quite finish it.

As mentioned, a wobbling, flashy spoon is irresistible to these fish, if worked in a quick but erratic retrieve. That means you want a fairly fast reel of at least 6:1 ratio or more. Crank the spoon too slowly, and mackerel may only follow it for close inspection before turning away. We’ve caught fine mackerel on jigs, MirrOlures, even topwater plugs, but the spoon has the flash of a crippled minnow that triggers these fish. Like the jig, the spoon has good casting ballistics and sinks fast in the water column.

As I write this, plans are in the works for fishing Port O’Connor for two straight weeks which means I’m packing every spoon I can find—even a few lucky, scratched and fading survivors up to three years old. Dixie Jets and Johnson Sprites. Both will catch jetty and surf trout, and redfish too. Mix late August and early September with jetties, green water and spoons, and you’re looking at a slugfest. There will be losses, because mackerel are hard on tackle. Before you can blink, they’ll clip off a treasured, (no longer produced) killer MirrOlure in the surf and you won’t feel a thing… likely drawing a pardonable screech of anguish only heard by seagulls. Which is why we almost never used MirrOlures at Sabine back in the day; on some days trout were mixed evenly with mackerel and the bigger plugs were too expensive

Author’s second biggest mackerel, 6 pounds even. Fishing buddy holding it up, along with the Chugbug that caught it.

near, spending days gorging on their tiny prey. Manta rays even show up for the action. I’ve even seen those anchovy schools working in green bay water during high tides, with mackerel splashing all around, only minutes away from Port O’Connor. It’s fast action on spoons. Sometimes back at the jetties, a big kingfish will jump high with a mackerel in its mouth. Often coinciding with calm weather, it’s a great time to be out there.

JOE RICHARD

Joe Richard has fished the Gulf since 1967, starting out of Port Arthur, but his adventures have taken him up and down the entire coast.

He was the editor of Tide magazine for eight years, and later Florida Sportsman’s book and assistant magazine editor. He began guiding out of Port O’Connor in 1994. His specialty is big kingfish, and his latest book is The Kingfish Bible, New Revelations. Available at Seafavorites.com

CONTACT

to fritter away on a mackerel school. Trout wouldn’t hit wire leader, so we used straight 20-pound Ande line. Back then we threw cheap Acme spoons (bought at Gibson’s) and hammered the mackerel and trout, going through many cards of spoons. Their small, freshwater hooks were lame, replaced by larger treble hooks before every trip.

We still fish with spoons to this day, which seems to be a lost art at the jetties, offshore or in the surf.

One of our most memorable Spanish mackerel fishing days was Labor Day 1980. Recent honeymooners back from a South Miami wedding, my patient bride Amy had just settled down with me in the scenic town of Port Arthur and was getting a crash course on Texas fishing. We’d stopped the boat at the Sabine jetties after running around offshore all day in our small boat. An outgoing tide had nearuseless chocolate water wrapping the jetties, but small minnows were spraying near the rocks, so we knew something was after them. By reeling our spoons slowly across the surface, we hooked and landed enough mackerel to fill a four-foot cooler, easily a hundred pounds. A total melee ensued as we hoisted one fish after another into the boat, which soon became splattered with fish gore from bow to stern. At sunset we hauled them straight to Marion’s Cafeteria in Nederland, where they were soon served up. Welcome to life in Port Arthur.

We were using Ambassadeur reels that day, not quite so sporty as spin gear, but our red and silver reels with 20-pound line were more practical around platforms offshore and later, jetty rocks. With spin gear, you need elbow room and no obstructions. Even so, spin’s 12-pound line will cut awful easy. On some days mackerel are hungry enough to bite small, black swivels and even mono knots. We don’t use swivels to attach the necessary heavier mono leader, but instead connect the reel’s line straight to tough 40-pound Ande mono or fluorocarbon leader using a blood knot. Many times I’ve had people in the boat ask about that knot while I was patiently building another leader. The soft, almost invisible knot is crucial for catching sharp-tooth mackerel. You really don’t want a metal swivel clacking through your rod tip every few minutes during savage action; that’s a sure way to lose a rod tip.

The key to all this action of course, is finding green water—our one Labor Day muddy water success was an exception to the rule. At Sabine, back in the day, we were often confronted with dirty water around jetty rocks, probably more so than any other Texas jetty.

Where to go? Sometimes they’d drop me off on the jetty and I’d climb a navigation tower at jetty’s end, high above the rocks, peering in all directions. Looking for that magic dark line of water that almost guaranteed action. One slip above the granite rocks and it was all over, but I was sure-footed. We’d then take the little boat east, south or west, wherever green water beckoned. Such was our hunger for action.

Arriving at some platform or buoy offshore, we’d tie the boat off and start slinging spoons, letting them flutter deep, if need be.

Further offshore out there in depths of 30-50 feet lurk plenty of mackerel. That’s mostly over the horizon off Sabine, but further south along the Texas coast, those depths are within easy sight of land.

The water is greener down south, as well. That’s dependable fishing unless the tide is slack. Or, off Sabine, the dead zone of anoxic (low oxygen) water has moved in during late summer, which now seems to happen often.

Sometimes, massive bait schools arrive and stay, and mackerel stay for the feast. When massive schools of tiny reddish anchovies gather at the POC jetties in autumn, mackerel gather from far and

TSFMAG.com | 33

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

WEATHER PATTERNS, LATE-SUMMER STRATEGIES, & OTHER GOOD STUFF With continuously rising temperatures and heat indexes I find it necessary to concentrate more than ever on building and executing daily game plans.

Winds continue to reach the 15- to 20-mph range more days than not, which unfortunately removes mid-bay shell from the list of options many days. Locating quality fish that will take lures under these conditions can be quite a challenge.

I have always been a believer in managing my water, meaning that I prefer to avoid fishing the same areas day in day out – something that can be tough to live by under the conditions described above. Over the years I have also come to believe that continuous fishing pressure, even when practicing catch and release and keeping only a very few, can significantly reduce the number of quality fish within an area.

While an area of suitable structure has ability to reload

You have to love Madison’s smile as she posed with her oversized redfish – CPR!

34 | September 2019

(new fish moving in), what controls this? Do fish have the ability to restrict or manage their own numbers in areas where conditions are favorable to feeding? That would be a great question for Dr. Stunz and crew. My experience says restocking or reloading definitely occurs as so many of the areas that were good forty years ago are still productive today.

I have always believed it better for a guide to have multiple small areas with potential to produce four to five solid fish per visit versus larger, more open areas holding greater numbers of smaller fish. By making short visits to multiple small areas we can limit the pressure we place on them. This allows them to remain consistent producers for future sessions over coming weeks with my clients.

Just this past week I worked an area that started out producing a dozen to fifteen fish. Due to the weather patterns and fishing pressure in some of the other areas that I would normally have considered, I was forced to pressure this area for several days. Each day I noticed a decrease in the numbers of quality fish that we were catching but I did not see much of a decrease in the amount of bait present. What I did notice was bait acting differently, presumably from lack of predation pressure. Even though we were practicing mostly catch and release, the pressure we put on the area seemed to affect its production. Later in the week the winds let up and I was able to hit multiple areas of similar structure in three different bays. Each area would provide four to five quality fish. Simple math would tell you that after our third or fourth stop we were sitting on a fairly good day in the numbers department.

Oh, for the record, Jay Ray and I do not include undersize fish in our counts.

Fishing smart requires being smart. By fishing multiple areas in multiple bay systems, anglers gain greater knowledge of the types of areas currently holding fish. Having a half-dozen such areas gives me a ton of confidence when I put my daily game plan together. Truth is, if I have

positively identified a half-dozen productive areas, I can probably think of another half-dozen or more of similar structure that might also have fish, even though I haven’t scouted them yet.

At the present time I am planning my days with three key variables in mind – water temperature, tide movement, and wind velocity.

Calm mornings, normal for late summer, create many great options on mid-bay reefs. In Aransas, Copano, and St. Charles bays, Hurricane Harvey knocked the tops off a bunch of stuff. Reefs that were once knee- to thigh-deep are now waist-deep and some are too deep to wade. When searching for reef options I am looking for distinct points on either end and small bellies somewhere along the backbone. Of course we’re always looking for bait. To my way of thinking, the more tightly stacked the bait, the better the fishing will be.

Points are the easiest types of reef structure to fish. I like to position offshore and cast to windward points. Some reefs have depths that don’t allow this, you just have to walk around on them and figure this out for yourself.

A belly is a low area in the crown of the reef where water flows across. The greatest aspect of fishing bellies is that so many fishermen overlook them. I prefer the windward approach whenever possible as the larger trout tend to hold on the edge on the funnel where the flow of deeper water meets shallow water rather abruptly.

Redfish seem to hold on both sides, sometimes more concentrated on the down-current side.

If I pull up and find little or no bait activity I seldom even bother getting out of the boat. A prime exception would be days of deadcalm with zero tide movement following the full moon. Deep and

dark wins the day a lot of the time under these conditions but that is a whole other article.

Floating grass is often a problem when the wind dies in late summer. The new Texas Customs Jigheads, with flatter head shape and lead covering more of the hook eye, are proving to catch less grass than standard jighead designs. Not entirely weedless but they definitely collect less floating grass.

In September we will begin to see upper-slot redfish schooling in the bays in preparation for their spawning migration to the gulf.

Light wind and typically low tides make it easy to find them, and black drum. Yes, black drum can be caught on lures and the smaller keepers to mid-slot fish being some of the finest table fare that swims in our bays. Tripletail is the absolute best. My best lure for black drum is the MirrOlure Lil John in Watermelon Copper Glitter. A close second would be either Molting or Plum Haze-Chartreuse. In the clear waters of the Upper Laguna we had great luck with the 5” Shad Bass Assassins in Opening Night and Cajun Croaker.

As for the schooling reds, if they haven’t been harassed by too much boat traffic you can catch them on just about anything you care to chunk at them. We will see them lock up and not eat from time to time but they didn’t earn the nickname “Day Savers” by being finicky eaters. Currently Jay Ray and I are throwing lots of Texas Customs Double Ds for schooling reds in Gringo, Plum Nasty, and Toxic Tide colors. These lures are tougher than tough and you can throw them a country mile, which is a plus when working schooling fish. Oh, and if you get lucky and hook two on the same lure, the hooks and split rings are strong enough to drag them both in –

Landon was very pleased with his redfish – CPR!

A very solid summertime trout for young Preston – CPR!

TSFMAG.com | 35

36 | September 2019

sure to explain it’s what the kids wanted to do. I think it is important that the younger generation be brought up in the mindset of keeping only what you need for a dinner and releasing the rest. I love fresh fish and have no issues with clients keeping enough for a meal or two. I do however believe that Catch and Release will play an increasing role in sustaining the quality of fishing we have been enjoying these past several years.

Rockport said goodbye recently to fishing and hunting legend, James Fox. Everyone knew Fox and all loved and respected him. I hope Fox was greeted on the shores of Heaven by Howard Brown, Tim Redden, Danny Adams Sr., Richard Loden, Wayne Lindsey, Richard Walker and Mike Sydow. Can you imagine the reunion they had? Rest well my friend and save me a place at the round table.

May your fishing always be catching! -Guide Jay Watkins

C O N TA C T

assuming that’s something you want on the end of a $400 fishing rod. Fighting two at a time is not the issue, it’s trying to coordinate their individual movements during landing that causes tense moments. Hold the rod at the wrong angle at the wrong time and your one-piece rod will be a two-piece.

Mornings when the winds are up and big bays rougher than I like to fish, I look to barrier island shorelines. The points and areas around mouths of the many drains there are of greatest interest.

Quite often, the smaller of these are dismissed by many anglers but they attract bait and gamefish the same as the larger ones.

Submerged grass along with some type of bottom contour are the primary fish attractors. Guts that ran parallel to shorelines were very common here but Harvey reworked many of these into moguls more than pronounced guts. Be careful with stingrays in the up and down stuff; strapping on your ForEverlast Ray Guards can help you stay focused on your fishing. These areas fish best this time of year in early morning and during solunar feed periods that fall in late afternoon.

This has been a slightly tougher summer for me but, after all, it’s still fishing. Weather patterns have definitely taken a toll and we need to see Cedar Bayou reopened. I have confidence that the people of Aransas County and CCA Texas will get it done. When they do I expect positive changes will occur very soon.

The photos of the young kids in this article are awesome, right? All the fish caught over the two days they fished with me were released except for a few hooked deeper than we like. Zero problems from these three or their fathers as regards C&R. In fact, the dads made

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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Shimano Saragosa 6000 reels with 50-pound Power Pro on FTU 250 FH Hopper rods.

These outfits perform very well when casting lures to tarpon.

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

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

TARPON STRATEGIES & TACTICS So you want to catch a Texas tarpon? I get a lot of messages and phone calls from people interested in checking tarpon off their bucket list. Most conversations end with something like, “Well, let me know when you get on them and I’ll break free to head down there.”

I wish it were that easy.

Tarpon fishing is never easy no matter where you go, but it is particularly challenging along the Texas coast for a number of reasons. I don’t want to discourage anyone from giving it a shot, but I also wouldn’t want to paint a rosy picture full of high expectations. With this issue of the magazine hitting the racks at the height of our tarpon season I figured I’d go over the hurdles that need jumping in order for you to grab the lip of a silver king.

First off, the season is relatively short. Here along the middle coast they’ll usually show up around late May or early June and leave around the end of September. If the cold fronts are slow in arriving you can still find some fish into October. The upper coast has a slightly smaller window and the lower coast has a much larger timeframe.

The majority of our Texas tarpon migrate here from Mexico with the occasional Florida fish mixed in.

Given the short season of these migratory fish, weather 38 | September 2019

is the next big obstacle. The fish are here during the above mentioned times, but quite often we just can’t get after them. Weather patterns vary a good bit year to year. So far, this year has been a bit of a bust for June and July. There have only been a handful of stretches with favorable conditions. What I’m looking for is calm winds of 12 mph or less and seas 2’ or less, at around 6 seconds apart or more. If your boat can handle it you can certainly fish rougher conditions and have success, but locating the schools becomes challenging. Slick-calm conditions with bright sun allow you to spot rolling schools at great distances and definitely tilt the odds in your favor.

So you’ve got a late summer slick-calm day, now what? Go find some fish. There are days when I turn the corner at the jetties and they’re everywhere, then there are also days when I burn 3/4 of a tank of gas searching the entire beachfront. It’s a big game of hide and seek.

I’ve found them cruising the third bar on the beach one day and five miles out in 40’ of water the next. Most often we spot them rolling on the surface, but they don’t always do that. On those other days we’ll sometimes spot bait balls, mud streaks, or even pick them up on my Hummingbird Solix 12 side-scan.

TSFMAG.com | 39

Shimano Tranx 400 reels on FTU 250FS Hopper Rods; for jigging coonpop rigs. Shimano Talica 16 reels on FTU Black Magic rods for trolling.

Typical baitfish pattern I use when sight-casting to tarpon.

A good variety of tarpon baits from MirrOlure and D.O.A.

40 | September 2019

At every port up and down the coast there are certain general areas known to consistently hold tarpon. Most days, given good conditions, the local tarpon guys can find some fish to chase within those areas. But there are times when they seem to completely disappear. Tarpon are always on the move and just locating them sometimes feels like a victory.

Congratulations! You found some rolling tarpon, now what? First off, don’t spook them with the big motor. I don’t like to get any closer than 75 yards or so if I can help it. Shut down and get on the trolling motor to get in position for the cast. Not all “rolling” tarpon are the same. The ones you want to find are up top as much as they’re sounding. Those fish won’t be moving very fast and are fairly easy to set up on. They’re also the most likely ones to take a fly or lure. If your rolling school is outrunning your trolling motor then they’re on the move and will prove quite difficult to catch.

You can try circling way out in front of them on the big motor and then use the trolling motor to get lined up with their path. I’ve had success with that method on occasion, but it is definitely a low percentage play.

What to throw? For conventional tackle I use a variety of lures. A lot depends on what the fish are doing. If they’re up top I’ll throw large slow sinking MirrOlure plugs. If they appear to be diving or we’re spotting them on the electronics I’ll throw a faster sinking MirrOlure plug, a large DOA Bait Buster, or a Coon Pop rig. If we’re fly fishing I’ll generally use a 3- to 4-inch baitfish fly.

Sight casting to lazy rolling tarpon that often weigh in excess of 100 lbs will get your heart pumping. You need to take a breath then read the speed and attitude of the fish to know how far to lead them and what retrieve to use. It seems to be different every day and sometimes from one school to the next. I’m not going to kid you, it is hard to get a tarpon to eat a fly or lure.

Oh crap, he ate it!

If you have gotten this far, you have done very well.

You’ve caught a nice day, found fish, got in front of them and made a good cast with something they found acceptable to eat. Most folks rarely make it to this point.

But you are still a long ways from getting that photo you want so badly.

The inside of a tarpon’s mouth is extremely hard. Getting from the eat to hooked up is a crap shoot. You can have the sharpest hook and best technique yet still pull it right out of their lips. The best advice I can give is to sweep the rod low and away from the direction the fish was traveling. If using a fly rod, a hard strip set along with using the lower section of the rod low and to the side will get the job done.

Once the hook is set the fight usually begins with a series of the craziest headshaking, twisting, flipping jumps you’ll ever experience. This is where most of them get off and the reason you’ll hear tarpon guys bragging about “jumping” X number of fish. It is certainly an accomplishment to get to this point. And, honestly, those first few minutes are the best part of the whole experience.

Once things settle down you’re in for a battle

A full quiver of TFO fly rods, 6wt through 12wt, with Hatch reels. Ready for anything we might find along the beachfront…

Spanish mackerel to large tarpon.

C O N TA C T

depending on the size and attitude of your fish. Size certainly matters, but I’ve had some fairly large fish give in relatively easily while some smaller fish have given us hell. My best advice is to keep as much pressure on the fish as you can. Keep the rod angle low and pull opposite the direction they are heading. They switch, you switch.

The most important thing to remember is that if you are resting, so are they. Towards the end of the fight they’ll often try to surface and gulp air. Tarpon can breathe air.

And when they do it is like a turbocharger. I tell people it’s a thirty minute penalty if they let him get a gulp. To combat this you can try pushing the rod tip into the water and pulling them downward. It isn’t 100%, but it helps.

Should you make it to the point of actually getting a grip on that big ol lip, please be kind to these majestic fish. It is best to leave them in the water alongside the boat as you take photos and remove the hook. Please don’t drag them up onto the deck. They may swim off fine, but studies have shown that this greatly reduces their survival. Tarpon give everything they have in their fight to get free and they’re exhausted. It is only fair to take some time to properly revive them.

There’s a lot more to tarpon fishing than I have room for here, just know that it is an addiction. Even though they’re only here for a few months I think about them year ‘round and can’t wait for their arrival.

A few weeks from now I’ll be saddened as the schools thin out and head back south for the winter. Until then you can bet I’ll be out there chasing them every chance.

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

Telephone Email Website

281-450-2206 captscottnull@gmail.com www.captainscottnull.com

TSFMAG.com | 41

B y H o l l y G r a n d | C o a s t a l O u t r e a c h C o o r d i n a t o r, TPWD Coastal Fisheries

FIELD NOTES

PADDLE THE TEXAS COAST If you’re looking for a new fishing adventure this summer, consider exploring one of the Texas Paddling Trails. The number of Americans that participate in paddling activities is on the rise, which means there is an increasing demand for public access to water across the state. However, since much of Texas land is privately-owned, it can be difficult to find a place to get your feet wet. To overcome this issue, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) began working with landowners and community partners to create a network of paddling trails throughout the state.

The program began in 1999 when TPWD mapped the Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trail along Highway 361 in Aransas Pass. Twenty years later, there are now 75 paddling

42 | September 2019

trails in the Texas Paddling Trail network—nine of which are along the coast. The good news is that all official Texas Paddling Trails are well-mapped and designed to be easily accessible by paddlers of all experience levels and paddlers should find comfort in knowing that all trails have been surveyed with safety and ease of access in mind.

Coastal paddling trails cross bayous and estuaries from Houston to South Padre Island. Trail lengths vary depending on the location; you can take on a short 1.25 mile loop at the Lighthouse Lakes Trail or paddle the 26 miles of Buffalo Bayou in Houston. If you’re up for a real challenge, the Port O’Connor Paddling Trail is 40 miles of interconnected trails. If you do visit Port O’Connor, you could even paddle to Matagorda Island and use the picnic and campground area (with the correct permits). Paddling the shallow trails makes for a great opportunity to see the exposed tails of red drum while their heads are down next to the bottom eating, which is also known as ‘tailing’. It is common to encounter red drum, spotted seatrout, flounder, and black drum, which is why these trails are popular among kayak anglers. Take a break from paddling the shoreline or saltwater marsh to try wade fishing.

While you’re waiting to land the next fish, take a look around to see what other wildlife is in the area; the Texas coast is home to a variety of

birds, mammals, and reptiles.

Kayak anglers and other paddlers aren’t the only ones that benefit from Texas Paddling Trails. Communities with a local paddling trail take pride in the waterways and recognize the importance of showcasing the natural resources in their backyard. Tourism and outdoor recreation often go hand-in-hand, and the paddling trials are no exception. Tourists that visit towns with access to outdoor recreation activities, like the Texas Paddling Trails, stay in hotels, fuel their vehicles, eat at restaurants, visit retail stores, and visit other local attractions, which together contribute a positive economic impact.

Texas Paddling Trails also raise awareness on the importance of conservation. Paddlers enjoy their time in nature and prefer to paddle in clean waters that are safe to navigate, and as a result, paddlers and communities with paddling trails are motivated to keep the waterways healthy.

With the help of local partners and landowners, TPWD continues to open several new trails each year. In June 2018, TPWD welcomed the newest coastal trail in Texas: the Seadrift Paddling Trail. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department examines several factors to determine whether a section of river, lake, or bay would make for a good paddling trail. Some of the best areas are those with water segments that are four to twelve

miles in length, have public access, and designated parking. Cities, nature centers, paddling clubs, or other partners maintain put-in and take-out access sites and signage for the trails.

Before heading out for a day of fishing or exploring one of the coastal Texas Paddling Trails, be sure to check the tide and local weather conditions, including wind speed and direction. Many coastal trails do not have much protection from the wind, which can make it difficult to paddle. Maps and GPS coordinates for trail markers are available on the TPWD website. Remember that State and Federal regulations require you to have a personal flotation device and a sound-signaling device (a whistle or horn) while paddling. If you plan to be on the water in reduced visibility or anytime between sunset and sunrise, you must also carry a white light source. Now that you know all about the Texas Paddling Trails, the next thing to do is get your feet wet.

For more information about developing a paddling trail in your community or to start planning your next paddling adventure, visit https://tpwd.texas.gov/paddlingtrails.

Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or tpwd.texas.gov for more info.

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DAV E R O B E R T S

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

ONE OF THOSE DAYS Something I have learned through all my days on the water; at some point you’re either going to have a really good day or a really bad day. I believe it is safe to say that the majority of the time everything goes pretty much as planned and we end with what I would call an average day. Here recently, I made a trip to the lake and from the time I left the house I was having one of those days.

I started planning my trip a few days ahead and from the looks of the weather forecast it was going to hold up for me. I only had Monday off before going back to work so I had to make it count. Sunday evening came around, I loaded my kayak in the back of my truck and gathered my gear in hopes of being ready for a predawn start the next morning. Waking up, I began my normal moving around routine and stepped outside for a look at the weather and noticed flashes in the sky. Early morning thunderstorms!

Right then I knew I needed to stop what I was doing and revise my plans. I quickly pulled up the weather radar on my phone and noticed a few scattered storms in the area, with a major cell just off the coast. It seemed to be breaking up as it got closer to land but a squall is hardly something you want to get caught up in while fishing from a kayak. Shifting gears, I figured it would be better if I mothershipped my kayak to the area I was planning 44 | September 2019

to fish. If the storms decided to change direction I could quickly load up and get back to the safety of my truck.

Now trailering my boat, I continued keeping a close watch on the radar to monitor which way the storms were moving. The closer I got to the lake it seemed that my chances of dodging the storms were improving. I pulled up to the ramp, checked the radar one last time and determined it would be safe to go. As I stepped out of the truck I was instantly greeted by the smell of something burning. A quick look at the trailer tires revealed one of them covered in grease and the hub was smoking. I knew I was dead in the water with a bad wheel bearing. Great, now I have a broken down trailer to deal with in addition to the weather threat.

Assessing the situation and with my best fisherman’s logic, I figured that since none of the area parts stores would be open for several hours, I might as well go fishing. I eased my boat into the water and took off across to the area that I wanted to fish. Setting the anchor, I slid my kayak out of the skiff and was finally away.

I made my way down the bank and started off throwing a bone She Dog parallel to the edge of the grass. It didn’t take long until I had a blow-up and a feisty little rat red coming to hand. I breathed a sigh of relief that my hectic

It was a hard thing to do but I left the fish biting that day. As I look back on it, regardless of how my day may have started, it ended up being the best I’d had all year and I managed to make repairs to the trailer without too much difficulty. I returned a few days later but, in typical fashion, that school of fish had left the pond and were nowhere to be found. I guess that is how it is supposed to be, though, and exactly what keeps us coming back with high expectations. You just never know when you might have one of those days.

C O N TA C T

morning up to that point might be making a turn for the better. I paddled on a short distance and began casting again. Another blowup and this time a much bigger fish. After setting the hook, the fish made one fast run and my line went suddenly slack. Luckily my She Dog surfaced a few yards away. At least I knew I had a few fish hanging around and they are willing to eat.

I kept moving forward and when it seemed the topwater bite had slowed I picked up my popping cork rod and aired one out there. The cork went under on my second cast and the drag was screaming as line peeled from the reel. A good fight ensued and I brought the fish alongside the kayak and into my lap. A solid upper-slot redfish and my morning was made. I snapped a few quick photos and sent it back on its way.

The scene repeated itself and for the next half hour or so I landed another four fish that were of similar size. The last fish to slam the cork rig was a very nice flounder that had completely swallowed the Gulp lure and left me no option but to cut the leader where it disappeared into its gullet. No worries – I still had my She Dog. Continuing along the shoreline, I made my way to the mouth of a slough running toward a large marsh pond.

I noticed a fish bust bait on the bank to my right and made a quick cast. A few twitches later another good fish slammed the plug and I was hooked up again, this time to an even larger and stronger redfish. The fight lasted several minutes before I managed to bring it to hand, another upper-slot fish, maybe just a tad oversize. A few photos later and preparing for the release, I began to look over the pond and this is when I realized how many fish are actually in it.

Tails wagging to the left and right and fish pushing wakes in every direction. To top it off another fish crashed bait in the same location I had hooked the one I’d just released!

I kept sending the She Dog and the reds continued trying to destroy it. Some hitting it and coming unbuttoned, only to have another make a determined swipe at it within seconds. It was the most aggressive redfish feeding display I had ever witnessed. I landed two more solid fish before the third snapped the line during the landing and left with my She Dog. Being the only topwater in my box, I tied on a Stanley Ribbit frog and went back to work, never missing a lick. Needless to say the troubles waiting for me back at the boat ramp, though temporarily less important, managed to creep back into my thoughts. I’d had my fun and knew I needed to head back and take care of my trailer.

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

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

TSFMAG.com | 45

The CBBEP Project will focus on the West Marsh of Matagorda Island restoring historic flows to bring new life to the estuary.

(Photo Credit CBBEP)

Story by John Blaha

T S F M A G C O N S E R VAT I O N N E W S

CCA FUNDS ADDITIONAL $375,000 FOR HABITAT IN 2019 CCA Texas’s habitat program, Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT), and Building Conservation Trust (BCT), CCA’s National Habitat Program, recently approved $375,000 in funding for three more habitat restoration and creation projects along the Texas coast. This commitment brings the total commitment in 2019 to $900,000 and eight projects. $100,000 – Sabine HI20 Nearshore Reefing Site CCA Texas, BCT, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) kicked off the initial reef deployments in the Sabine HI20 nearshore site in the fall/winter of 2018.

These included a barge, 200 granite blocks and concrete culverts. The HTFT committee and BCT both strongly believe in the continued growth of existing projects such as Sabine HI20. This funding is earmarked for future deployment and as match in the effort to secure more funds from other entities. Partnerships are key to making projects such as these happen and CCA Texas and BCT are committed to being the leaders to see them come to fruition. CCA Texas and BCT look forward to continuing the push to reef the Sabine HI20 site, and are targeting to have efforts in place to do so by the end of 2019. $125,000 – Habitat Protection and Restoration at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Hurricane Harvey was a destructive storm on many levels.

46 | September 2019

Not only did Harvey destroy, damage and bring longtime changes to citizens and the infrastructure of Aransas and surrounding counties, it also caused significant damages to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and surrounding ecosystems. Over time, the Blackjack Unit along San Antonio Bay has seen significant erosion due to storm events causing the loss of critical habitats.

Hurricane Harvey only exacerbated the erosion and caused further damage.

The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) will be partnering with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to address damages incurred at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge from Hurricane Harvey.

Specifically, CBBEP will be working with USFWS to install a shoreline protection structure in San Antonio Bay that protects the habitats on the Blackjack Unit from erosion and storm events and, over time, restores upland and aquatic habitats that have been lost due to erosion.

CBBEP will also work with USFWS to repair damaged water control infrastructure on Matagorda Island and restore water flow and circulation to important habitats, improving their quality for fisheries and other wildlife.

CBBEP will be working with USFWS to oversee the design and construction of a shoreline protection structure in San Antonio Bay that will stretch along a minimum of 3.5 miles of the Blackjack Unit shoreline.

The structure will be designed to reduce wave energy

from storm surge, tides, winddriven fetch, and large boats, reducing erosion and the loss of habitat. The placement of such a structure will most likely be offshore where structures would not impede navigation.

The structure itself will provide habitat for fish and other wildlife, and it will also be designed to allow for colonization of aquatic plants between the barriers and the shoreline, which will create additional habitat for fisheries and wildlife and will further diminish shoreline erosion.

In addition to protecting and The CBBEP Project will create roughly 3.5 miles of breakwater to protect restoring habitat, the shoreline eroded shorelines that will naturally protection structure will also rebuild through sediment deposition. protect the visitor infrastructure (Photo Credit CBBEP) at the Refuge (e.g., roads, trails, and buildings), which plays an important role in the local ecotourism economy by serving over 60,000 visitors each year.

On Matagorda Island, CBBEP with partner with USFWS to repair and replace levees and water control structures that were damaged

by Hurricane Harvey. The goal of this project is to restore water flow and circulation, improving water quality, and increasing the quality of habitat available for wildlife in the 6,000-acre “West Marsh” area. The repaired levees and water control structures will also be protected with bulkheads, riprap, and other hard infrastructure to prevent damage from future storms. Restoring the levees and water control structures within the “West Marsh” will help restore and enhance the resiliency of a marsh system that supports significant numbers of fish, crabs, wintering waterfowl, whooping cranes, and shorebirds. CCA Texas and BCT are happy to be a part of this project that will help secure the health of this ecosystem for future generations.

$150,000 – RGV Reef Expansion The RGV Reef and the Friends of RGV Reef (FRGVR) organization are the perfect example of what grassroots organizations and driven volunteers can accomplish. Through this driven can-do attitude exhibited by FRGVR, the vision of a “Life Cycle” reef is well underway in this 1,650 acre reefing site. To date, a shrimp boat and tug boat have been sunk, 500 manufactured pyramids, 90,000 cinder blocks, and 17,600,000 pounds of recycled concrete railroad ties, culverts, highway dividers, rip rap, and crushed concrete have all been deployed. Much of this material and area to store it has been donated within the Port of Brownsville, labor from many sources and endless volunteer hours make this all happen. The net result is a very modest cost per ton of material to create an incredible habitat.

What have all these materials constructed? The 90,000 cinder blocks have created valuable nursery patch reefs for hundreds of thousands

Granite and concrete blocks will provide a great first step in building a habitat-rich environment in the Sabine HI20 nearshore reef site. (Photo by Lisa Laskowski Photography)

TSFMAG.com | 47

of juvenile red snapper and other species. The shrimp and tug boats have created high-relief structure suitable for large predatory fish and diving opportunities for recreational divers. The concrete railroad ties have been used to build a 35 foot tall “mountain” on the bottom of the Gulf, and a 500 foot long ridge in the “CCA Corner” that stands 10- to 15-feet tall. Along with the cinder block patch reefs TPWD has deployed numerous reef pyramids.

Because of the continued success of FRGVR efforts, CCA Texas and BCT are proud to continue their support of this effort. With this additional $150,000 contribution, CCA Texas and BCT have now contributed $611,000 to the Rio Grande Valley Reef. This most recent contribution will be used with other funds raised by FRGVR to start the new 200-acre CCA nursery reef in the north east corner of the project site. Plans also include finishing the CCA Ridge, adding ten 200-ton patch reefs of concrete railroad ties to the CCA Corner, and placement of another fifteen 200-ton piles along the northeast perimeter of reef to armor the new CCA Nursery.

The Future CCA Texas and BCT continue to explore funding opportunities up and down the Texas coast and

48 | September 2019

welcome opportunities to partner with like organizations, academia, and government agencies. If you or your company are interested in helping fund this critical work, please contact John Blaha at jdblaha@ ccatexas.org or Patrick Murray at pdmurray@joincca.org.

Recycled concrete railroad ties donated to RGV Reef by BNSF Railways will provide unique and complex habitat. (Photo Credit Friends of RGV Reef )

Relax, we’ll take care of the details!

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A large sea spider in the Colossendeidae family, seen at the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (4,905 feet). Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2017 Laulima O Ka Moana.

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

SEA SPIDERS Few invertebrates from land or sea play the sinister role as often as the spider. Luckily for arachnophobes, sea spiders aren’t true spiders, though their classification as chelicerates places them closer to spiders than to other well-known arthropod groups, such as insects or crustaceans. The subphylum Chelicerata is comprised of roughly 100,000 described species and includes sea spiders (class Pycnogonida), the extinct sea scorpions (class Eurypterida), horseshoe crabs (class Xiphosura), and the huge group of terrestrial and aquatic mites, spiders, and scorpions (class Arachnida). There are about 1350 known species in class Pycnogonida, give or take.

Approximately 58 species live in the Gulf of Mexico, and about 8 of them occur near Texas. Sea spiders are found all around the world from shallow shorelines to deep abyssal trenches. While most are epibenthic (living on top of the bottom sediments), a few are interstitial (living between the individual grains of bottom sediments).

The typical pycnogonid looks like an emaciated spider on hinged stilts. Their body is little more than a place for the legs to be attached. Pycnogonida even translates from the Greek pykno + góny to ‘lots of knees.’ Leg spans range from 1 mm to nearly 3 feet, though most are on the small end of this range. Some sea spiders are so small that each of their tiny muscles consists of only one single cell, surrounded by connective tissue. The larger species are mainly found in the Antarctic and deep seas.

Pycnogonids do not show an arachnid-like division of

50 | September 2019

the body into two clear halves. The first four segments are fused together and form a ‘head’ region, usually referred to as the cephalon. On the cephalon, there is an eye turret called an ocular tubercle. This normally supports four simple eyes and gives the animal a 360 degree arc of light detection. The cephalon also bears the chelifores, roughly equivalent to the chelicerae of arachnids. The chelifores are usually composed of three or four segments. In some species, the chelifores are reduced to stubby little structures, and in others they are missing completely. The chelifores are followed by the palps, similar to the arachnid pedipalps. Also on the cephalon are two features unique to sea spiders, at least among chelicerates: two ovigers and a proboscis.

Short for ovigerous legs, the ovigers are between 5 and 10 segments long, often with a claw at the end. Not all sea spider species have them, and in many species they are only present on males. In females, and outside the breeding season, they are used for grooming and cleaning. However, during the breeding season the males first use them in their courtship of the females, and then to carry the eggs around until they hatch. The proboscis varies in size and shape between species but is basically a tube-like projection with a triangular mouth at the end. The internal structure of the proboscis, and in fact the sea spider’s whole feeding apparatus is trifoliate (having three parts), reflected by the three “lips” found at its tip. The lips are sometimes armed with teeth and/

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or spines. The proboscis can move up and down a bit, and sideways even less. In species lacking chelifores and palps, the proboscis is well developed and more mobile and flexible, often equipped with numerous sensory bristles and strong rasping ridges around the mouth. It’s used to mix digestive enzymes into the food and to suck up food into the gut.

The final appendages on the cephalon are the first pair of walking legs. These typically have nine segments. Though the legs are short and stubby in some species, they are long and slender in most.

They can be quite spiny, and usually end in claws. The cephalon is followed by a series of three short trunk segments, each bearing another pair of legs, totaling eight walking legs. A few species, however, have ten or even twelve walking legs in total. The legs include within their interior space not only the muscles and nerves that allow them to move, but also extensions of the gut and of the reproductive organs. This is necessary because the body has become too small to house these organs. Sea spiders also do not possess a specialized respiratory system. A very thin cuticle covers the body, and gas exchange takes place through its surface. They pass oxygen to their extremities via their gut fluids, rather than the substance they have in lieu of blood (called hemolymph). While sea spiders do have pumping hearts, the hemolymph they pump circulates only around the center of their bodies and the uppermost parts of the legs. The main stretch of their legs receives oxygen through hemolymph and gut fluids powered by peristalsis (a radially symmetrical contraction and relaxation of muscles that propagates in a wave down a tube). Essentially, the heart powers the movement of oxygen to the core of the body, while the gut powers the movement of oxygen throughout the legs.

Behind the legs is a small tailpiece, sometimes called the abdomen.

This piece has no real function, and simply contains the anal opening.

However, some fossils have three to five ring-like segments here instead. Two fossils from the Devonian Period of Germany even have tails. In one example, the tail is a pointed spine, with the anus opening halfway along. In the other example, the tail is long and whip-like with many short segments, quite similar in appearance to the flagellum of whip scorpions. The modern sea spider body is contained in and supported by a non-calcareous exoskeleton built of a thin, waxy epicuticle; a thicker hardened exocuticle and a softer, more flexible endocuticle. Joints are moveable where the flexible endocuticle is present. The cuticle also contains many pits and hairs, which presumably act as tactile and chemosensory organs, although little is currently known of their function.

Some sea spiders have beautiful, bright colors coating their legs and body – purple stripes, bright yellow solid bodies, black and white stripes – but most are white or cream colored, or camouflaged to match the colonies of animals they feed on. They mostly walk or crawl, though some swim a bit using an umbrella pulsing motion.

Their small size and camouflage make them difficult to spot, though they’re not uncommon along shorelines, in tide pools and such.

Overall, they tend to be rather ponderous, slow-moving creatures.

In keeping with their relative lack of movement, sea spiders typically prey on sessile (non-moving) organisms such as cnidarians, sponges,

52 | September 2019

and polychaetes. They simply stick their proboscis into the victim and suck up the fluid contents, though some species make more of an effort and attack active prey, such as worms, by grabbing them with their chelifores. A few species browse on bryozoans, algae, or detritus. Food is either macerated with chelifores or externally predigested and then sucked into the digestive tract with a proboscis. Sea spiders can only feed on liquids, and part of the proboscis close to the body contains a pharyngeal filter, also called the “oyster basket,” composed of densely packed bristles that are used to filter out or grind ingested solid particles.

Although they feed on larger animals, such as sea anemones, by inserting their proboscis into the animal, many prey survive the ordeal, making some sea spiders parasites, rather than predators.

In fact, larval sea spiders often live as parasites within cnidarian (jellyfish, corals, anemones, etc.) tissues. Adults often have taste preferences for a particular type of prey that developed from their juvenile feeding habits. Many sea spiders appear to be specialized for feeding on a single taxonomic group. Like other specialized feeders, individuals of these species may even be unable to survive if their preferred prey starts to disappear. Differences in feeding preference often correspond to differences in proboscis and chelifore morphology, such as extremely thin proboscides in bryozoan feeders. Sea spiders don’t usually turn up in the gut of fish. When they do, it’s probably accidental predation, when the animals they’re sheltering in are eaten.

Most pycnogonids are gonochoristic, meaning they have separate sexes, though at least one species is hermaphroditic.

After a courtship (that is still undocumented), both males and females release their gametes in to the environment, where the fertilization occurs. Once fertilized, the eggs are gathered by the male who will care for them until they hatch (or slightly longer, in some species). He binds them together and attaches them to his ovigers by a sticky substance he secretes from his femurs.

Instances of multiple mating partners by both sexes have been observed, but males do not mix eggs from different females in the same clusters – clusters are laid chronologically starting from the end closest to the body. One Phoxichilidium femoratum male was observed with 14 egg clusters. Ladies…

Sea spider larvae are either obligate parasites or lecithotrophic (receiving nutrition only from the yolk), and if the former, are deposited on their hosts by the male at the appropriate life stage.

There are no known planktonic or nektonic phases. The larva has a blind gut (one opening only) and the body consists of a head and three pairs of appendages – the chelifores, palps, and ovigers – which they use to attach to their host. The other body segments and legs develop later.

As they rarely occur in prolific numbers, sea spiders have little economic significance. However, their distribution and diversity make them useful for studying evolutionary history. Large-scale events, such as glaciations and the isolation of Antarctica by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, can be tracked by trends in the distribution of invertebrates like sea spiders. And thus, the spider makes its mark.

Where I learned about sea spiders, and you can too!

Gulf of Mexico: Origin, Waters & Biota biogomx.net/sites/default/files/pdfs/chapters/43-Child%20 2009-Pycnogonida%20and%20Xiphosura%20of%20the%20GoMx.pdf

Palaeontology[Online] www.palaeontologyonline.com/articles/2011/fossil-focus-pycnogonida/ Encyclopaedia Britannica www.britannica.com/animal/sea-spider

World Register of Marine Species www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1302#distributions Marine Species Identification Portal species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=zmns&id=14&men uentry=groepen

World Pycnogonida Database www.marinespecies.org/pycnobase/

SpringerLink link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007% 2F978-1-4020-6359-6_4098

Berkeley ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/pycnogonida.html

Frontiers in Zoology frontiersinzoology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12983-018-0250-4 Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pycnogonida/ ScienceDirect www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065288108600735 www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/ pycnogonida LiveScience www.livescience.com/59818-sea-spiders-pump-oxygen-through-guts.html

Earthlife Web www.earthlife.net/chelicerata/pycnogonida.html

Canada’s Arctic www.arctic.uoguelph.ca/cpl/organisms/inverts/marine_inverts/ pycnogonids.htm Australian Antarctic Division www.antarctica.gov.au/science/cool-science/2010/sea-spiders-provideinsights-into-antarctic-evolution All You Need is Biology allyouneedisbiology.wordpress.com/2015/12/21/pycnogonida/ Revolvy www.revolvy.com/page/Sea-spider

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Aurora Ozolins waiting for a shark bite.

ERIC OZOLINS

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

THE SHARKING LIFESTYLE I have dabbled in a great number of ways to fish – fresh and salt water, inshore, nearshore, and offshore. I have enjoyed and pursued all of it with passion. If you haven’t already noticed, land-based based shark fishing owns my heart and soul. This unique approach to shark fishing includes surf, jetty, and pier and I’ve landed sharks from each. The sand and surf, though, are my home.

Perhaps I should tell you more about myself. Twenty years now I have been pursuing sharks from the Texas surf. During that time I have witnessed many incredible sights, landed incredible fish, and achieved angling feats some thought impossible. From an angling standpoint I am extremely blessed.

But my fishing strategies and productivity did not happen overnight, it took years for technology and methods to evolve. Nowadays, people getting into the sport can dump money for heavy-duty lever-drag reels, top-notch terminal tackle, and miles of braided line. Some of these fishermen (basically not yet knowing what they are doing) have been lucky enough to get a big shark under their belt very quickly. Others wait years. I was lucky to learn from some of the old-time pioneers of the sport.

The new millennium brought lots of technical innovation as methods of the 80s and 90s quickly went 54 | September 2019

out the door. Sit-on-top kayaks revolutionized the placing of baits far from shore. Back when I first got involved, Penn Senator 4/0 through 12/0 reels were the hot setup. Workhorses, but hardly comparable to today’s state-of-the-art stuff. Star drags burned out very quickly, gearing was single speed and very slow. Spectra braided line was just hitting the market and prohibitively expensive for many.

High-end reels such as Avet came upon the scene – fairly-affordable with powerful lever-drags. Their onepiece frames withstood the strain and torque of braided line while the line itself was becoming more affordable. In addition to no-stretch properties, braid is much slimmer than monofilament of the same strength, which allows more line to be packed on a smaller reel. Along with no-stretch, the slimmer diameter aided greatly in battling nuisance sargassum fouling lines.

Fishing methods evolved, too. Anglers learned to use floats on their leaders. If they got cut off, they could retrieve the valuable terminal gear. If anglers wanted to swap baits, they could paddle out, pull up the float and swap traces rather than reeling in and re-deploying. With Texas beaches being vehicle friendly, another drastic change was the number of anglers putting custom shark

Large shark baits with traditional J-hook rigging.

Author with large bull shark about to be released.

Author releasing a summertime tiger.

platforms atop their trucks. This kept lines higher, thus reducing chances of cutoffs on the closest sandbars. The name of the game is efficiency and, in recent years, anglers have become exceptionally efficient.

I have experimented and developed methods over the years that have proven very successful.

One thing that really has not changed though is properly rigging a large shark bait. Traditionally, anglers would stick a couple large J-hooks in a jackfish or stingray and it worked just fine.

However, with the new regulations from Texas Parks and Wildlife becoming effective September 1, J-hooks are out and we can only use non-offset – non-stainless steel circle hooks for shark fishing in state waters. In some ways this is almost cataclysmic for fishermen. With the J-hooks out of the picture, anglers are scrambling to learn how to use circle hooks without sacrificing hookup efficiency.

My typical shark trip begins with loading the truck (4WD necessary on most Texas beaches).

The Beach-Mobile, as I call it, is packed full to the gills with gear, ice chests, and just about anything I might possibly need. Depending the time of year, I usually head down Padre Island National Seashore, my home stomping ground. I cruise the beach searching for the best water quality. Water quality includes clarity, temperature, salinity, and bait presence.

Additional factors may include amount of sargassum weed and current. When I find a promising location I set about making camp. I almost always remain there for the duration of the trip. I believe it much easier to wait for sharks to come to you rather than searching for them.

I waste no time. The minute I stop I begin thawing baits with plans to run lines out as soon as possible. You can’t catch fish if you don’t have bait in the water. When running baits for sharks, I prefer three to four rods (50W or 80W reels), depending on current. I know guys that run more but hooking a massive shark can result in the whole spread becoming a tangled mess. Also important is not over-baiting an area. Depending size, my baits go out anywhere from 200- to 800-yards from shore, usually just beyond the third sandbar, about 400- to 500-yards. Capt. Billy Sandifer called this the shark highway, the same distance from shore where I have caught my largest sharks. I deploy my lines at an angle into the wind/current to reduce bow in the line. This helps keep the baits in position.

Preferred baits are jack crevalle, stingray, and bonito. Bait quality is of great importance; freezer-burned baits do not work as well as those properly preserved. Quite often with TSFMAG.com | 55

water as much as possible. Quick work of hook removal, measuring, tagging, and photos is the goal. The vast majority of sharks, even larger ones, are released and survive, no problem.

Shark fishing is my life. I track weather and surf forecasts daily in preparation for upcoming trips. When fishing the beach with charter clients I spare no effort to insure they will enjoy a productive outing. Educating them in the wonders of Padre Island National Seashore, the fishery, and conservation are always included to enhance the experience.

Adapting to change is a big part of shark fishing. Some of that is technology, some is Mother Nature, sometimes fishing regulations.

Through it all Texas shark fishing is alive and growing and will continue so as long as we do our part in stewardship. The quest is all about adventure; fishing enables us to achieve it.

C O N TA C T

stingray, I rig the bait and let it dehydrate in the sun a few hours.

Not sure why, maybe something to do with scent retention; feeding sharks seem to like it.

I use a single circle hook in most of my baits, placed at the very tail end. I also try to keep baits as streamlined as possible for ease to swallow. Targeting the larger of shark species, placing the hook at the end, your bait will still be good if a pesky blacktip bites the other end. A big shark has no problem consuming a big bait, even if it requires several bites. It might take a while, but a large shark will eventually consume the whole bait.

The bait is paired with one my quality leaders and terminal tackle.

Always insist on top quality in leaders and terminal tackle. Leader setups can be up to thirty-feet or more with sections of 700/900lb mono and coated cable. My float clips to the top of the leader where it connects to the main line. Weights clipped to the leader swivel can weigh upwards of two pounds. All surf weights have “legs” that help them hold in the sand. This is essential as we always have a sideshore current on Texas beaches, running either north or south. When the bait is all prepped and rigged on the leader, it’s time to get in the kayak. I leave the rods in the platform rod holders and run each bait out individually. Then it’s time to sit and wait.

When a shark takes a bait I quickly hop up on the platform to prepare for battle. Every shark is different; it might take a few minutes or a couple hours. The shark will tire during the fight and eventually come to the first sandbar where I can grab the leader. I carefully pull it shallow enough for safe handling, keeping it in the

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 is the owner of Catch Sharks Tackle Company.

Email Websites

oz@oceanepics.com oceanepics.com | catchsharks.com

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TSFMAG.com | 57

EVERETT JOHNSON

P L A S T I C & W AT E R D O N ' T M I X

SEPTEMBER IS BEACH CLEANUP MONTH ALL ALONG THE TEXAS COAST Everybody loves Texas beaches and here’s your chance to show your favorite beach some real Texas love. September 23 is going to be big day. TSFMag is encouraging readers to join with hundreds of volunteers from all across the state in cleaning debris from our beautiful shorelines.

Listed below are 30 facilitated beach sites where organized teams will be putting their backs into Texas General Land Office’s ADOPT-A-BEACH program.

you will join a network of concerned Texans dedicated to keeping our coast clean, safe and beautiful.

Learn more at: www.glo.texas.gov/adopt-a-beach/

The Texas Adopt-A-Beach program, an all-volunteer effort, is dedicated to preserving and protecting Texas beaches.

The program’s success is due to the generous efforts of dedicated volunteer county coordinators, coastal community leaders, sponsors and citizens. Strong support from the private sector helps carry our message to Texans all across the state.

Do your part to keep Texas beaches beautiful!

The Texas Adopt-A-Beach Program is an all-volunteer effort dedicated to preserving and protecting Texas Beaches.

Since the program began back in 1986, there have been more than 523,000 volunteers remove more than 9,590 tons of trash from Texas beaches. By becoming an official Beach Guardian in the Texas Adopt-A-Beach program,

58 | September 2019

The program strives to: • raise public awareness; • educate citizens about the source of debris; and • generate public support for state, national and international action to clean up coastal waters.

Cleanup Events – September 23, 2019 Sea Rim State Park

Palacios

Packery Flats

Check-in: Park Entrance Contact: Glenda Rutherford 409-971-2559, ext. 222 Glenda.rutherford@texasadoptabeach.org

Check-in: The Luther Hotel, 408 S. Bay Blvd.

Contact: Darlene Faldyn 361-765-0592 Darlene.faldyn@texasadoptabeach.org Diane Smith 915-503-3909 diane.smith@texasadoptabeach.org

Check-in: Parking lot off Hwy 361 Contact: Jace Tunnell 361-244-8665, jace.tunnell@texasadoptabeach.org

Bolivar Peninsula/Crystal Beach Check-in: Crystal Beach Volunteer Fire Department Contact: Brenda Flanagan 409-291-9092 brenda.flanagan@texasadoptabeach.org

Morgan's Point Check-in: Parking area at Ballester Fishing Area Contact: Emily Ford (281) 332-3381 Ext. 207 emily.ford@texasadoptabeach.org

Nature Conservancy Texas City Prairie Preserve Check-in: 4702 Hwy 146 N Contact: Tim O'Connell 409-941-9114 409-392-3550 (cell) tim.oconnell@texasadoptabeach.org Adriane Arnold 713-829-7093 Adriane.arnold@texasadoptabeach.org

Check-in: At the birding observation deck Contact: Alexa Cordova 361-573-2428 alexa.cordova@ texasadoptabeach.org

Check-in: Padre Balli Park Office Contact: John Vaughn 361-779-0477 john.vaughn@texasadoptabeach.org Jim Needham—Surfrider Foundation james.needham@texasadoptabeach.org

Magnolia Beach/Port Lavaca

North Beach Corpus Christi

Check-in: Crabbin' Bridge Contact: Angie Finegan 512-937-6684 angie.finegan@texasadoptabeach.org

Check-in: Texas State Aquarium Contact: Melanie Kudra 361-881-1319 Melanie.kudra@texasadoptabeach.org

King Fisher Beach/Port O'Connor

Cole Park/Corpus Christi

Check-in: King Fisher Beach Pavilion Contact: Roxanne Ochoa 361-746-4965 roxanne.ochoa@texasadoptabeach.org

Check-in: 1526 Ocean Drive Contact: Celina Ybarbo-Pulcher 361-826-1655 celina.pulcher@texasadoptabeach.org Katie Galan 361-290-2461 katie.galan@texasadoptabeach.org

Boggy Nature Park/Port O'Connor

Austwell Pier John M. O'Quinn I-45 Estuarial Corridor & Virginia Point Peninsula Preserve Check-in: Exit 6 off of Hwy I-45 at Reitan Point Contact: Evangeline Whorton 979-234-2096 409-789-4996 (cell) evangeline.whorton@ texasadoptabeach.org

Galveston Island Check-in: Menard Park, 27th Street & Seawall Blvd.

Contact: Sheryl Rozier, Keep Galveston Beautiful sheryl.rozier@texasadoptabeach.org

Surfside Beach Check-in: Stahlman Park (Bluewater Highway) Contact: Mike Mullenweg, Brazoria County Parks Department 979-864-1152 mike.mullenweg@ texasadoptabeach.org

Quintana Beach Check-in: Quintana Beach County Park, 330 5th St Contact: Patty Brinkmeyer 979-233-1461 patty.brinkmeyer@texasadoptabeach.org

North Padre Island/Padre Balli Park

Check-in: Austwell Pier (where it was prior to Hurricane Harvey) Contact: Dwight Mutschler 361-286-3762 361-5505485 (cell) austwellredfish@texasadoptabeach.org

Padre Island National Seashore Check-in: Malaquite Visitor Center Contact: Chuck Lassiter 361-949-8068 / 361-9498069 chuck.lassiter@texasadoptabeach.org

Aransas Pass/Redfish Bay Check-in: Lighthouse Lakes Park Contact: Richard Gonzales 361-779-7351 richard.gonzales@texasadoptabeach.org

Baffin Bay Check-in: Kaufer-Hubert Park Contact: Letty Couch 361-522-9861 letty.couch@texasadoptabeach.org

Portland/Sunset Lake Park Check-in: Sunset Lake Park Contact: Kristin Connor 361-777-4670 kristin.connor@texasadoptabeach.org

Port Mansfield Check-in: Laguna Point Park Contact: Robin Flores 361-790-6792 robin.flores@texasadoptabeach.org

St. Jo's Island Check-in: Fisherman's Wharf Contact: Shannon Solimine 512-574-9191 Shannon.solimine@texasadoptabeach.org Angie Huckabay 361-500-7642 angie.huckabay@texasadoptabeach.org

South Padre Island/Andy Bowie Park Check-in: Access Road 2 off of Hwy 100 Contact: Blanca Macias 956-761-5494 blanca.macias@texasadoptabeach.org Danielle Delgado 956-761-3700 Danielle.delgado@texasadoptabeach.org

Port Aransas Sargent Beach Check-in: County Park, 457 & CR 230 (Canal Dr) Contact: Mike Sandridge 281-908-4024 mike.sandridge@texasadoptabeach.org Ray Fessenden 979-482-7007 ray.fessenden@texasadoptabeach.org David Dupont 713-956-5240 david.dupont@texasadoptabeach.org

Matagorda Beach

Check-in: Avenue G at the beach Contact: Shannon Solimine 512-574-9191 Shannon.solimine@texasadoptabeach.org Angie Huckabay 361-500-7642 angie.huckabay@texasadoptabeach.org

South Padre Island City Beach Access #3

Mustang Island State Park

Boca Chica

Check-in: Park Headquarters Parking Lot Contact: Eric Ehrlich 361-749-5246 eric.ehrlich@texasadoptabeach.org

Check-in: End of Hwy 4 at the beach Contact: Fernando Ramirez 956-459-9611 fernando.ramirez@texasadoptabeach.org

Check-in: Gulf Blvd. (between Palm and Corral) Contact: Victor Baldovinos 956-761-8123 victor.baldovinos@texasadoptabeach.org Angie Cantu 956-761-8123

Check-in: Matagorda Jetty Park Contact: Peggy Stanley 979-216-6016 peggy.stanley@texasadoptabeach.org TSFMAG.com | 59

TSFMag Field Test Report

Okuma Helios SX Low Profile Baitcast Reel

BY TSFMAG STAFF & CAPT. JEFF LARSON

Texas Saltwater Fishing and jack crevalle. The bull Magazine was invited to reds and jacks, we thought, conduct a field test of the would test the drag system of new-for-2019 – Okuma Helios the Helios SX far greater than SX Low Profile Baitcast Reel. any of the bay species. We are Now, just so everybody sure you will agree if you’ve understands, we do not ever hooked into a 20-pound treat the responsibilities jackfish on this class of tackle. of field testing lightly in any way, shape, or form.

Field Test Guidelines It is serious business.

• Put the product in charter Manufacturers deserve an client’s hands for at least 30 honest and fair evaluation full days of fishing. of products tested, and we • Respool with fresh braided suspect that our findings line as necessary to fairly and recommendations will carry weight with our readers and have evaluate casting performance. potential to influence buying decisions.

• No maintenance should be performed other than occasional rinsing So, to provide an extensive and honest evaluation of the Helios and wiping of external services with Real Magic (or similar).

SX’s performance and durability, we set out to run a trial of 30 actual • No cleaning or lubing of internal mechanisms. fishing days spread across a two-month timeframe. Recognizing that • Don’t baby the reel but do not purposely abuse it. practically every reel will run like a champ Clean as a whistle inside; that’s factory lube right out of the box, we wanted to dig What we learned swabbed from the anti-reverse bearing. much deeper. Plus, we wanted to learn how Jeff’s report on the Helios SX can be well the reel would continue to perform summarized as highly favorable overall after the corrosive demons that live in salt and he gave it very high marks for casting water had ample time to wreak havoc. performance throughout the 30-day Good friend and fishing guide, Capt. no-maintenance trial period. Which says Jeff Larson, agreed to conduct the test. As much about the reel’s basic durability. The much as any member of our team would thumb bar exhibited no stickiness and he have leaped at the chance to take the reel encountered no difficulty with the casting fishing for 30-days in two months, such brake system. He did mention that the is simply not possible. We also suspected brake tabs are quite small, which some users that the rigors of charter fishing would might find tricky to engage or disengage. deliver a more severe test than an average While certainly not a performance angler might be inclined to place upon negative; casting brake adjustment their tackle. requires complete removal of the left side Jeff offers a variety of charter services plate. A side plate hinge would be a great that range from wading and drifting with improvement toward eliminating the live bait and lures in Port O’Connor bays probability of dropping the side plate while and back lakes for trout, slot-reds and black making casting brake adjustments. drum, as well as trips to the Matagorda The drag system on the Helios SX also Ship Channel where he targets bull reds earned high marks. Advertised to be 60 | September 2019

capable of delivering 18-pounds of stripping resistance, Jeff reported silky-smooth line payout, even when almost fullylocked against the hard runs of bull reds and jack crevalle.

Corrosion resistance on the SX’s external surfaces was also seen to be very good – no blistering or flaking – the reel looked brand new after the testing was completed. Okuma has obviously done their homework in this area.

Post Field Test Internal Examination and Summary Curious for a look inside the SX, after the field testing was completed, we took it to local reel repairman, Andy Westling, for a full strip-down inspection. We found no salt buildup in any of the mechanisms and, of special note, there was still ample evidence of factory lube remaining in all critical areas.

These included the anti-reverse bearing, drag tensioning system and drag plates, levelwind, and thumb bar.

In summary, the Helios SX passed our field testing with flying colors and we feel confident anglers who purchase this reel could expect it to perform likewise. Kudos to Okuma for producing a tough reel that is available at an attractive price point!

Helios SX Low Profile Baitcast Reel (2019 NEW) Okuma Helios SX low profile baitcast reels feature new internal velocity control system, the friction free disengaging spool shaft design, and a new, larger handle design with 100mm of throw for the ultimate in cranking power and feel. The Helios SX is built with rigid diecast aluminum frame and side plates as well as a machined aluminum spool for unlimited strength.

• ALC: Rigid diecast aluminum frame and sideplates • CRC: Corrosion Resistant Coating process • Machined aluminum, ported spool for reduced weight • Aluminum gears for tournament feel and reduced weight • Multi-disc Carbonite drag system for power and smoothness • Micro-click static drag star for Precision drag settings • Friction free shaft system allows for longer casts • 10BB + 1RB stainless steel bearings for ultimate smoothness • Precision Japanese ABEC-5 spool bearings, maximize freespool • Quick-Set anti-reverse roller bearing • New generation 12-point adjustable Velocity Control System • Oversized carbon fiber 100mm length handle for max cranking power • Weight 6.3 ounces • Max Drag Force 18 pounds • MSRP: $219.99

A must for Redfish, Speckled Trout, & Snook Ultra Heavy Gauge Titanium Large Acrylic Beads for Maximum Sound Molded Sound Chamber & Base Perfectly Balanced Polished Brass Weight Hi-Vis Colors High Quality Swivels

AVAILABLE IN TITANIUM AND MONOFILAMENT

BOOTH #4606 TSFMAG.com | 61

NEW

Fitec Signature Series Cast Net Fitec International is excited to announce its new Signature Series Cast Net that will be available early 2020. The Signature Series Cast Net is made from premium, high-tensile strength netting that is imported from Japan and made exclusively for Fitec. This netting is significantly stronger than the standard monofilament used in most cast nets. The six-panel design allows the net to lie completely flat and open fully, while its closely-spaced marble lead weights create an evenly-sealed footprint to trap bait. An open horn, rust-resistant swivel, and a double, triple-tied lead-line are just a few more things that make this best net on the market.

CastNets.com

8" Flexible Fillet Knife & Sheath The Dexter SG133-8 8" narrow fillet knife makes filleting and skinning your fillets easy. It's ultrasharp out of the package and with just the right amount of flex to glide over the bones. Dexter Outdoors now provides the latest in handle technology – personalized handles. Moldable handle material allows the user to form each handle to their particular grip, making the handle more comfortable to use and easier to grip. It features our proprietary high carbon, high alloy, stain free DEXSTEEL™. This knife is NSF certified and is made in the U.S.A. Sheath included.

DexterOutdoors.com/products/catalogsearch/result/?q=SG133-8WS1-PCP youtu.be/baFqxuZM918

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62 | September 2019

P R O D U C T S

Waterloo Rods Pro Shop Texas Custom Lures Jay Watkins Series Jigheads The new Texas Custom Lures – Jay Watkins Series Jigheads are available from a true 1/16-ounce to 3/8-ounce to meet every angling situation. Screw-loc design includes a true 3-1/2 turn spring that includes adequate spacing between leadhead and spring to help prevent plastic fouling the screw-loc when changing baits.

The head is flattened to promote swimming action and the lead covers the critical area where the eyelet meets the shank to prevent thin braid or monofilament line slipping through the

oz

joint. I have personally found this jighead design to catch less grass than standard jighead shapes. Texas Custom Lures Jigheads come in a variety of colors – Watermelon with Red Glitter and Sexy Shad are my personal favorites. Fishing guide - Jay Watkins

oz

www.WaterlooRods.com

Fish Monkey Free Style Glove The Free Style Custom Fit glove is specially made to allow you to cut off and expose fingers you need. Designed especially for bow fishing, spear fishing and a wide variety of angling applications, the Free Style glove is uniquely constructed to resist fraying or splitting at the seams, once cut. For total dexterity and hand protection, the fully customizable gloves feature a comfortable, second skin fit and UPF 50+ sun protection. A non-slip silicone palm and fingers grip fishing rods and fish without damaging the critical slime layer. Special wiring pads on the thumbs, index fingers and glove sides prevent cuts from wire or braided lines. Available in sizes Medium to 2XL, MSRP: $35.95. www.FishMonkeyGloves.com.

Batson Enterprises All-New ALPS Titanium HXN Guides Batson Enterprises is proud to announce the all-new ALPS Titanium HXN guides; the industry’s first 100% titanium extra heavy class guide set for the saltwater market.

The titanium HXN guides spent over two years in development and were designed around our SS316 stainless steel HXN platform. We included the same great features of our legacy HXNs and added 100% titanium frames to create a corrosion proof guide that is now lighter and stronger.

ALPS Titanium HXNs are available in sizes 8-25 and can be purchased through any of our dealers. Visit www.BatsonEnterpries.com for more information or to find a dealer near you.

TSFMAG.com | 63

TSFMag Field Test Report

PLANO RUSTRICTOR ™

StowAway

BY TSFMAG STAFF

So let’s be honest; at the end of a long fishing day we don’t always give our tackle the attention it deserves. We rinse rods and reels, we wash the boat and rinse our wading gear and hang everything to dry. But what about the lures? If you’re like me, you’re in a hurry. Too hot, too cold, or too tired… not to mention a cold beverage to celebrate the day’s success.

I wish I had a dollar for every batch of lures I neglected over the years and allowed to rust in storage trays, only to discover my mistake after a month or longer had passed.

In most cases we get away with simply swapping out rusted hooks for new ones, but not always. Sadly, we have likely all dumped way too many lures in the trash.

I learned of Plano Molding Company’s newest addition to their extensive line of tackle storage boxes recently. Please understand that while nothing beats fully rinsing and drying your lures before storing for extended periods, the Rustrictor™ Stowaways from Plano can be a godsend to those of us who procrastinate or just plain forget.

Quoting Plano’s Rustrictor™ StowAway advertising statement: “Plano’s innovative Rustrictor Series brings unbeatable rust-proof protection to the StowAway line.

Designed in partnership with industry leader Armor Protective Packaging, Rustrictor Stows surround tackle with 360 degrees of Volatile Corrosion Inhibitor (VCI). These tackle boxes fight back at rust and corrosion 5x longer* than the competition. Keep your prized lures looking like new with Rustrictor! *Per Accelerated Lab Testing 64 | September 2019

Here we have a Plano Stowaway with Rustrictor treatment and one without. Each box received the same lures (only difference being color) and given identical exposure to saltwater.

Rustrictor with lures, ready for saltwater.

Sound too good to be true?

Let’s find out.

In order to test the advertising claim, I designed an experiment that included both Plano’s Rustrictor and plain, nonRustrictor tackle storage boxes.

To keep everything fair, each box received an identical set of lures: 1/4 and 1/2 ounce Johnson gold spoons, One Knocker Spooks, and Rapala’s Skitter V. Every Monday and Thursday for three weeks, the boxes with the lures inside were filled with salt water dipped from the local boat ramp. The lids were snapped shut and the lures were allowed to soak twenty-four hours. After soaking, the water was poured out but no attempt was made to wipe away residual water or clean the lures. The boxes were then closed and placed on a shelf in the garage. I wanted to create a real-world environment for the salt to do its thing.

Non-Rustrictor with lures, ready for saltwater.

Lures stored in the Rustrictor Stowaway came through the test bright and shiny. No rust!

The results are displayed in the accompanying photos. The lures in the Rustrictor box remained virtually rust free while the lures in the non-Rustrictor box had begun to show rust and corrosion. Note especially the rust forming on the hook of the small spoon and the hooks of the Skitter V. These are not the fault of the lures; rather it is proof of purposeful neglect to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Rustrictor™ StowAway.

While we are not trying to sell anybody on the idea that the Rustrictor boxes are a panacea for eliminating rust on fishing lures stored for long periods without proper maintenance, I was none-the-less impressed with the results of the experiment.

The bottom line is that Rustrictor lived up to its claims, which is good to know, if you sometimes forget or procrastinate taking care of your tackle. www.planomolding.com/fishing/stowaway-utility-boxes/ rustrictor-series

Our Skitter V in the untreated Stowaway had considerable rust on the front hook and staining on its belly. It’s counterpart in the Rustrictor Stowaway made it through the test completely rust-free.

Johnson Gold Weedless Spoons in the Stowaway without Rustrictor did not fare well. The hook point is showing rust development and the plating in general is beginning to show corrosion freckling.

TSFMAG.com | 65

DICKIE COLBURN

DICKIE COLBURN’S Sabine Scene

S ab i n e

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

66 | September 2019

It took far too long for a five fish trout limit to go into effect all over the state, especially considering the positive results now enjoyed by lower coast anglers. The only area that probably will not see an immediate positive impact is Sabine Lake and that is only because everyone must play by the same rules for any change to work.

The bite continues to be incredibly tough and few anglers targeting trout even bother to launch on the Texas side of the lake. Better numbers of undersized trout are starting to show up from the Causeway to the jetties, but that improvement is of little value when most of them leave the lake via a Louisiana launch!

Thus far, the more restrictive

Kids and flounder go together!

limit has stifled my catching about as much as increasing the speed limit to 70 mph affected my driving when I was a young man. I had a 1952 Chevy that wouldn’t run over 60 anyway so they could have made the limit 100 mph and it wouldn’t have shortened any trips for me.

The jetties are occasionally serving up a few solid trout, but there is little need to get uptight over a five fish limit when you can’t consistently catch five 15inch fish. Following three days of incredible weather in late July, I joined a pair of the best local trout fishermen I know for two days of fishing in the lake only.

We bet a shrimp basket for the first limit and one for the largest trout over four pounds.

We fished all over the lake and no one lost a shrimp basket.

Brian caught and released three Texas legal fish the first day and Rick released a 3.61-pound trout the second afternoon.

Overall, the lake is as clear in pockets as it has been in a long time. We are also starting to catch a few small lady fish in the bayous, but most of the trout have not even been Louisiana legal.

Easily, the most encouraging bite has been provided by very solid flounder that are taking advantage of small schools of immature shad. The shad are just now showing up, but the flounder may well have been there all summer long waiting on the annual buffet.

Out of desperation, we went old school initially and started covering miles of shoreline with tube jigs and four-inch Sea Shads rigged on 1/8 ounce horsehead jigs tipped with shrimp. The majority of the flounder aren’t even keepers, but when we stick a good one it is a really nice fish.

After a few trips, we were able to target smaller areas and the average size improved. The biggest surprise has been that the fish are biting the jigs much better than Gulp and that seldom happens.

The best two lure colors have been blackchartreuse and pumpkin-chartreuse.

I find a spinning rod to be a better choice for short pitches into the wind. I am using a 7-foot medium Laguna rod with a Stradic 2500 reel. The reel is spooled with 15-pound test braid and three feet of 12-pound mono leader. The small plastics

work much better when tied on loop knots.

Don’t worry about being under-gunned with this set-up when a slot red decides to crash the party and the unexpected ambushes have been occurring with pleasing frequency. They almost always bolt for deeper water rather than burrowing in the grass and that makes for a longer, but more enjoyable tug of war.

The marshes have been our saving grace all summer, but most of the back lakes are grassing up very badly in a Not bad hurry. This eliminates the hi- performance bass for Plan B! boats probing the same backwater for bass, but it is also getting tougher to navigate even in flat bottom aluminum rigs.

Hopefully the shad will stay in the open lake as they continue to mature and we will find schools of redfish blowing holes in the surface this month. There was a time when trout did the same thing, but I am afraid it would be asking too much to see this happening anytime soon!

I can’t remember the last bass I ate, but due to the buy-in of catch and release angling, bass fishing has never been as good as it is today.

Catching, not keeping, is still exciting and a key ingredient for improving game fish numbers.

I am chasing flounder with ten-year old twins, both girls, tomorrow and I can’t wait.

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TSFMAG.com | 67

BINK GRIMES

THE VIEW FROM Matagorda

M ata go r d a

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

It has been a solid summer in Matagorda. Many calm days have allowed us to enjoy the bounty of the surf. So many anglers forget about the surf in September but the trout and redfish are still there.

We should see water temperatures continuing to hang in the 80s throughout the month and Matagorda trout will remain in a summer pattern. That means fishing deep shell in East Bay, where Bass Assassins, Gulps and live shrimp are best under a Mid-Coast Nexus cork. Small topwaters like She Pups and Super Spook Jrs will get blown out of the water as well.

Hopefully a slight north breeze this month will cut the humidity and mercury readings. Those cooler nighttime temps do wonders for coastal fishing, knocking water temperatures down at least a couple of degrees; and, a couple of degrees can put life back into stagnant wildlife.

Tides will begin to swell with the approach of the autumn season, much like the larger tides associated with prolonged low atmospheric pressure or a tropical storm system in the gulf.

Expect redfish to fill the back lakes and grassy shorelines and readily eating small topwaters and

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weedless soft plastics. Bloated tide levels also encourage large, solitary trout to extend their boundaries to the upper reaches of estuaries. So, when casting to a pod of marsh redfish, don’t be surprised to find a silver streak cruising the shallows and crushing your offering.

West Matagorda Bay anglers find large schools of redfish on the north shoreline. Live shrimp, mullet and topwaters usually work well here. Back bay areas such as Oyster Lake, Crab Lake and Lake Austin also hold healthy populations. Quite often during September we begin to see birds working in the back lakes on calm days as shrimp begin to leave their summertime haunts in the marsh.

Wading East Bay’s mid-bay reefs is productive throughout the year on the same baits and, with higher September tides, the muddy bottoms around Brown Cedar Flats hold both trout and redfish for waders.

Most waders forget about the grass beds in West Bay in September, but they still hold fish, redfish especially. Guts and cuts along the south shoreline often get overlooked; and, for those wanting to get away from the crowds, the far west end of West Bay is the place to do it.

Reefs along the north shoreline of West Bay hold trout, redfish and black drum for anglers slinging live shrimp. Shell Island, Twin Island and all the points along the north shoreline are littered with shell and are a good starting place. Though it is often an October/November thing, redfish have been known to school in large numbers in late September in these locales.

Teal season runs Sept. 14-29 and we will be hunting the mornings and fishing the afternoons.

We will be shooting white-winged doves in El Campo during the special white-wing season days and we often fish the morning and head to the fields for afternoon shoots.

We have something special in Matagorda. Few places in Texas can you have a legitimate shot at a trophy speckled trout every day. Please take care of our fish. Enjoy them, respect them, and handle them with care. Then thank the Good Lord for the blessing.

Follow our reports on Instagram @matagordasunriselodge and on Facebook @Bink Grimes TSFMAG.com | 69

CAPT. SHELLIE GRAY

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

Port O'Connor Seadrift

Captain Shellie Gray was born in Port Lavaca and has been guiding in the Seadrift/Port O’Connor area full time for the past 16 years. Shellie specializes in wading for trout and redfish year round with artificial lures.

Telephone 361-785-6708 Email bayrats@tisd.net Website www.bayrat.com Facebook @captsgaryandshelliegray

in

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I have long been a firm believer that the best lure bite in late summer usually occurs very early in the morning. Having said that, I’ve had several bookings lately with newer anglers hoping to improve their lure skills, also stating a preference for fishing from the boat – no desire to wade. While I’m always eager to accommodate my clients, expecting to catch fish on lures from the boat throughout the day is a tall order in our area at this time of year.

Why do I say this? Fishing from the boat means you can only present your lure to fish within casting distance, whether the boat is sitting on the Power Pole or drifting. Drifting helps, of course, but fish in shallow water (we fish mostly in four feet and less) can be spookier than fish in deeper water. So, boat noise becomes a factor to consider. Wade fishing also provides opportunity to stop frequently and saturate an area with multiple casts before moving forward again, not to mention being able to alter course at will to cast toward “fishy” signs as they appear. Another aspect to consider is that a group of waders can be spaced in a line, forty or fifty feet apart. Naturally, effort across this wider front is more likely to intercept feeding fish than the same group confined to the boat.

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So, if wading is not an option, here are some tips for those wanting to improve their lure skills and catch more fish from the boat.

Casting skill is vitally important. The farther and more accurately you can cast the more opportunities for fish to see and react to your lure. Practice makes perfect and you will need a quality rod and reel outfit. I prefer the Waterloo HP Lite 6’7” paired with a Lew’s baitcaster. Waterloo quality and service is the best in the industry.

Monofilament or braided line? Some anglers say mono casts farther but everybody has their own opinion and preference. I say try both. I prefer Berkley’s Trilene Big Game 12-lb mono. As for braid, you can’t go wrong with 30-pound Mustad.

Now you have your gear figured out and you’ve perfected your casting technique. What about lures? I usually start my day with topwaters unless it’s really cold in wintertime. They may not produce the most fish but they are outstanding tools for locating fish. Lots of blowups without hookups is a sign they might take a soft plastic bait more readily. Change lures quickly or have a buddy throw his plastic right where the blowup occurred. We catch lots of fish doing this.

If continuous casting becomes too tiring, try running your plastic under a popping cork. The cork game is slower-paced while the chugging and splashing of a cork attracts fish. The bait dangling under the cork, especially a scented bait, will draw a lot of strikes. Lots of corks to choose from nowadays; I prefer the Bass Assassin Kwik Cork.

A 1/2 ounce weedless gold spoon is another personal favorite and requires less effort than other lures. Just chunk and wind at varying speeds and let the natural flutter and flash attract the fish. I recommend a swivel on the spoon to reduce line twist.

Structure is always important! Our mid-coast back lakes offer great year-round drift and wade fishing, as well as protection from harsh wind in all seasons. Fish-holding structure in these lakes includes grassbeds, guts, bars, and mouths of sloughs. I try as much as possible to focus my drifting and wading on these structures. Long drifts or wades initially, then shorter and more focused “reruns” in the most productive areas. Punching a mark on your GPS when a fish is caught helps refine the process.

Mid-bay oyster reefs are another solid option to consider for drift fishing when the winds are favorable. Many of these have shallow crowns, some of which we can drift across, depending on the tides. Approaching a reef in my 24’ Shallow Sport, I first search for signs of bait activity and/or birds feeding along the reef before committing to a drift.

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TSFMAG.com | 71

DAVID ROWSEY

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey

Upper Laguna/ Ba f f i n

David Rowsey has over 25 years in Baffin and Upper Laguna Madre; 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 @captdavidrowsey

72 | September 2019

It has been a hot and usually windy summer. We have been teased by a few north wind days that dropped highs from the 100° range into the high 80s and, to a Texan, this qualifies as a major weather event. I’m certainly on the optimistic side of cooler weather coming early (mostly praying).

If there is a “cool” side to the overall weather picture that may not change significantly for some time, it would be the September 1 opening of dove season.

I likely speak for the majority of Texas outdoors enthusiasts when I say the opening day of dove season should be recognized as a state holiday.

I cannot think of any other day of the year when so many Texans head outdoors with a common goal… wearing huge smiles, clutching a favorite shooting iron, and enjoying the company of cherished friends.

And to think, we do all this in pursuit of a little bird that mostly keeps flying on by.

That first whiff of burning gunpowder sends my thoughts drifting to afternoons on stock tanks, senderos, and pastures versus potholes, shoal grass, and flipping mullet. As much as I would love to be in a pasture every day, reality requires that I’ll be grinding for fish in Baffin far more days than I’ll be

afield…but isn’t life grand?

September can be a very interesting fishing month. It can be hot enough to cook your brain but there will also be some early fronts that just make it really pleasant to be on the water. Regardless of the air temperature, there will be some fat trout to be had. Many of the trout will already be eating aggressively to get a jump on the cooler months that lie ahead. In addition to that, many will be heavily egg-laden as they prepare for the season’s final round of spawning activity.

One memorable September I was making a wade with a new client on the south shoreline of Baffin. We were in an area where I had been catching trout from three to six pounds, having a pretty good morning while releasing a lot of solid fish. I was shadowing my client went he reared back to bury the hook in a big fish.

All hell broke loose and much water was displaced upon the hookset while flashes of silver kept breaking the surface. I was in awe. All I could think was this was going to be the biggest trout I have ever witnessed.

My client was also very aware of what might be on the end of the line. I started snapping photos and told

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him, “That is the biggest trout I have ever seen. Be cool and don’t force him.”

The fish made several more drag-screeching runs but did not resurface until it was about thirty feet from us. My angler was doing everything right but I was shaking terribly with excitement; more so than with any big trout I had ever caught and I wasn’t even the one fighting it. As the trout showed itself at about 30 feet I couldn’t believe my eyes. It appeared to be four feet long, and like nothing I had ever seen in the bay.

Turned out it was a tarpon; the first I had ever seen in Baffin. I was disappointed and overjoyed at the same time. I truly thought my client had a world record trout on for 90% of the battle, and those moments will be forever burned into my memory.

Since that day in 2007, clients and I have had four more unexpected hookups with silver kings in Baffin. We have yet to land one but I now know that late August through September (all five hookups during this time frame) holds the greatest potential for accomplishing such an exceptional landing. And so far away from a Gulf pass!

Although trout are always our first option and passion, September has traditionally blessed us with big schools of reds making their way to the gulf. Saying that, it has been a tough go on reds this summer. I’m guessing they have been holding in deep water due to the huge amount of boat traffic in the shallower stuff where we wade. I do however expect them to start showing soon, and in the meantime, we are mostly catching them along the edges of schools of black drum. Drum are pretty finicky about taking lures, so targeting the outer edges of a school typically produces redfish with a Bass Assassin, and occasionally some quality trout.

Oh, if you happen to snag a drum, take it home and cook it! Tastiest fish in the bay.

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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

Boy, what a whirlwind since my last column. Catching world-class snook here in Texas; attending ICAST in Orlando; fishing the Everglades; the Hunter’s and Sportsman’s Expo in McAllen; not to mention a busy charter schedule – whirlwind may actually be an understatement.

For those who might not already know, ICAST is billed as the world’s largest tackle and fishing products trade show.

All the big-name brands are there; Simms, AFTCO, Costa, American Fishing Wire, Power Pole, and Shimano, just to name a few, all showing off their latest and greatest reels, lures, apparel, glasses, and related equipment. What a treat it has been.

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Doug Davis landed his first snook on a recent charter.

Back here in South Texas we had our 45th Annual Port Mansfield Fishing Tournament in late July with a little over 300 anglers participating in offshore and bay divisions.

The weather was great but the hours in the bay division are too long in my opinion – running 6am to 5pm on both Friday and Saturday.

Eleven hours in grueling summer heat leaves many bay participants (especially those who wade all day) too spent to enjoy visiting with fellow anglers and festivities at the Pavilion after submitting their fish to the weighmasters.

Fishing has been on an uptick with good catches just about every trip although redfish success continues to

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be less than stellar on average. Hopefully we will start to see them schooling on the flats as fall approaches. I have been focusing on our trophy snook fishery that seems to be making a great rebound. I have come to learn that linesiders have a mind of their own and you must be patient if you want to catch one, that is once you have them located. Once located, it’s a showdown to see whether angler or fish can be more stubborn. They will eat eventually, and when they do you want to be ready and fully prepared.

Here’s a teaching moment. I have some great clients who want to catch snook, they are good fisherman but show up with less than adequate leader material – usually too light. I make a practice of surveying their setups and offer a suggestion that they might want to consider upgrading to 25or 30-pound fluorocarbon leader. Those that accept my advice usually end up with a great memory and a photo to go with it. Those who say, “Oh, I’ll be fine,” usually go home with only the memory of a brief encounter with an aerobatic snook and saltwater on their glasses. So, if you are going to a gun fight, don’t show up with a pocketknife. But I digress.

Best baits for linesiders over recent weeks have been the KWigglers Willow Tail Shad in Bone Diamond, Mansfield Margarita and Padre Punch. We have landed more than thirty snook already this year and each of them has been on the Willow Tail Shad.

As we slide into September we should start seeing improved redfish numbers and even more flounder activity. Flounder catches are already considered good to excellent but I expect it will get even better as fall approaches. Many flounder are running in the three- to four-pound range with some going a little heavier. You can find flatfish in small drains and cuts close to passes that lead to the gulf. Additionally, some are still in small drains near flats in the back bays. Like snook, flounder often require a good deal of patience so take your time and work the area thoroughly. Best baits for flounder have been the KWigglers 4-inch Paddle Tail in good ol’ Red and White. If I was allowed on one lure for flounder, that’s the one I would grab – no questions asked.

Over the next month or so I’ll be focusing my efforts along grasslines and targeting potholes.

Whether wading or drifting, throw to every pothole you can reach, multiple casts when possible.

I recently caught a trout, redfish and skipjack from the same pothole the size of a trashcan lid. We will also be seeing more bait lines and pods of mullet close to the East Cut in September. Following closely behind will be your trout and reds.

At the present time it would appear that everything is shaping up for an awesome fall fishing season. If you are looking forward to a fresh fish dinner, by all means keep a few. But if you already have fillets in the freezer you might think about catch and release for your next trip.

Until next time, stay safe and be courteous on the water.

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TSFMAG.com | 75

CAPT. ERNEST CISNEROS

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene Arr o y o C ol o ra d o t o Po rt I sa bel

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

76 | September 2019

September rolls around and kids and redfish head to school. Kids are in classrooms while the redfish gather in large groups preparing for their annual spawning run. A welcomed change will be noticed by year-round anglers as lines at boat launches shrink and the number of boats on the water become fewer. Many anglers will exchange rods and reels for shotguns and rifles. Another noticeable change will be days becoming shorter and temperatures dropping a few degrees. This always has a profound impact on fishing success.

Fewer boats buzzing across the bays will allow fish to congregate in greater numbers for longer periods. One of the first signs of this is seen in redfish schooling behavior as I mentioned above.

This change, along with slightly cooler water temperatures will also encourage speckled trout to return to shallow flats rather than staging in deeper water as they have done much of the hot summer.

Our redfish population right now is looking solid and has rebounded pretty well, in my opinion. It’s not easy limits every trip but our catch ratio has undoubtedly improved when compared to the past two years. We have yet to see any of the huge

Tanner Harvey's trip from Arizona was all worthwhile when he landed this snook.

Mauri Rodriguez displays one of a pair of snook he landed on a recent charter.

herds that roamed the flats years ago but we are currently catching decent numbers from smaller schools. I will also point out that most of our success has been coming in tucked-away places, only a few occasions on open flats.

Our best catching conditions seem to have been enhanced by tide movement and periods of lower boat traffic. Moon phases have also played a role. During the recent full moon the bite was best in midday hours and again in late evening, both of which were predictable. Puzzling to me is how the redfish have been acting during recent new moon periods. Typically on new moon we expect a steady bite throughout the day but that hasn’t been happening. Many times we struggled all day until they finally turned on in late evening. Goes to show we still have a lot to learn.

I am grateful that we have a healthy trout fishery. If numbers of small fish coming to hand are any indication, I would have to say the future of this fishery is very bright. Surprisingly, along with all the small trout we are finding everywhere we fish, we are also finding better than average numbers of trout of the mid-twenties-inch class and a few even longer. Better than average for summertime, anyway.

The ideal water depth for finding trout action has been running thigh- to waist-deep. The best baits have been KWigglers Ball Tails and Willow Tails; Plum-Chart, Turtle Grass, and Mansfield Margarita. I expect to see them moving shallower as September rolls along, once the water temperatures begin to recede a few degrees. I expect to find the bite becoming more aggressive later in the month and increasing willingness to take topwaters. Slicking also becomes more prevalent in early fall, coinciding with increasing feeding activity.

In our other species category, flounder and snook both seem to be thriving. Snook landings on my charters throughout summer have been rivaling what we enjoyed ten years ago, and that’s saying something. Let me put it this way – snook encounters have become so common that we are running 100% on at least one angler per charter catching a snook, sometimes several. Bear in mind that we do not target snook on every charter; neither do I allow snook to be retained on my charters. Snook fishing on my boat is all CPR! Moving on to flounder, I am pleased to report flatfish numbers have been very impressive since mid-summer. This comes as a big surprise given that we had a couple of lean years prior to this recent spike. Catching them was a tough gig…no pun intended. With this fishery in the shape it’s in we are once again able to purposely target them. We hope this trend continues but we must be willing to do our part. I like to live by the creed of keeping only what I’m going to eat fresh and releasing the rest. If more fishermen will do this I believe it will help this species continue to rebound.

The Lower Laguna is in great shape with plenty of forage available for our game species. Large schools of mullet are everywhere and we are kicking up shrimp as we wade. Piggy perch are constantly nipping at our soft plastics – and we’re catching lots of fish. Whether you’re planning to hit the water or chase doves this month, get out there and enjoy it while you can.

TSFMAG.com | 77

FISHING REPORTS

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 With August winding down and September fast approaching, we'll start the month fishing in much the same way we finished the last. September usually starts off really hot but ends up with much more comfortable temperatures. On Calcasieu, it's a transitional month, with the trout spawn starting to wind down and the fish beginning to behave more in fall patterns than summer ones. Shrimp start migrating with the first hint of north winds, and this kicks off the bird activity, which usually becomes steady and predictable by the second or third week of the month. Fishing birds can be fun and action-packed, but we have other productive patterns available this month too. We sometimes find ourselves working the same reefs and flats we frequented in April and May. The three main types of lures, topwaters, slow-sinking twitch baits and soft plastics all work well this time of year to catch trout. Redfish are usually willing to eat a variety of lures too, especially the slot fish schooling in the middle of the lake. We always look forward to September, as it generally kicks off some of the best catching of the year for us.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 September marks the transition from deep-water summer patterns to fall patterns for James. And, this is a prime month for targeting the silver kings in the Gulf, he says. “We usually put a priority on chasing tarpon in the nearshore waters this month if the weather cooperates, meaning we have enough calm days to allow us to get out there and spend the time looking for them. If we're fishing the bays for trout and reds, we'll still be doing some slick-hopping, looking for fish in fairly deep, open water early in the month, with a move to shallower spots later. We've had good concentrations of fish in the isolated pockets of salty water in Lower Galveston Bay and West Bay lately. We're finding them by searching for slicks and mud stirs. Catching has been best on Bass Assassin Sea Shads rigged on medium-sized jigheads when the current's lighter, heavier ones when the tide's stronger. In September, we usually find some good concentrations of redfish schooling in areas close to San Luis Pass and the ship channel, and it can be a great time to catch fish in the upper end of the slot and over-sized ones too.”

In September, Randall expects the fishing on the flats behind San Luis Pass to be excellent, especially for redfish. “Really, this month is all about the menhaden. In a normal year, they are numerous on the flats behind the pass and in the surf in September, so the trout and redfish gorge on them while they can. When they are doing so, slicks are generally easy to find. Other signs leading us to the action are wheeling and diving terns and other birds. Sometimes, it's pretty easy to find the schools of reds by looking for the wakes and mud-boils they make when they are chasing down the menhaden. As far as catching goes, we have great luck throwing the old Woody Woodpecker SkitterWalk when the shad are thick. If the fish aren't quite as aggressive and the topwaters aren't working, we normally switch over to Norton Sand Eels in colors like glow and silver glitter/ chartreuse tail rigged on three-eighths ounce jigheads. We will still try the surf if it's flat. This time of year is a great one for a variety of species out there, everything from bull reds to trout, Spanish macks and the occasional stray member of a pelagic species.”

Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski Bay Guide Service - 713.725.2401 Charlie had been spending a lot of time wading in West Matagorda Bay in the weeks prior to offering this advice. “Fishing has been really good this summer in the Matagorda area. I've been wading West Bay more than anything else, catching plenty of fish pretty easy most days. Down there, we focus on finding large schools of mullet and other baitfish, then throw topwaters and tails mostly. The trout have been more plentiful than the reds lately, but that sometimes changes in September.

We usually get a push of higher tides, and the reds show up in better numbers in the northeast corner of West Bay and along the shorelines in East Bay. Since they're feeding up in advance of their migration to the gulf, they are usually feeding aggressively. It's not uncommon to catch dozens on topwaters when they are in this kind of mood. Fishing for trout in the middle of East Bay will still be productive this month. Birds might start working on a regular basis. And, of course, we might get a few more shots at the fish out in the surf, if the calm conditions we've had linger into the month.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Jim had been riding around, scouting some of the fields he intends to use for dove and teal hunts, when he gave this September forecast. “I'll be organizing quite a few hunts for doves and teal next month. Right now, it looks like we're set up for some good action on those. As always, weather plays a big role in our success with the birds. If the doves have plenty to eat close to the coast, we do well. Our fishing continues to be even more dependent on the weather. Lately, it's been pretty good, because we've had some calmer conditions. In summer, with the water continuing to run pretty fresh in lots of areas, we need calm winds and good tide movements to create a steady bite. On the best days, an incoming tide in the morning brings salty water into parts of East Bay close to the ship channel and the pass, and the trout bite pretty good.

September can bring more of the same, and the reds start biting better in the marshes and out in East Bay, around the reefs too. If we don't get more big rains, we should find plenty schooling out there.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Fishing has been really good in our local bays and surf lately, with trout biting steadily on deep bay reefs and around well heads. Live shrimp rigged about five feet under popping corks have worked best for catching them. The average size of the trout has been improving over the last couple weeks, with lots of fish running between eighteen and twenty inches. Out in the surf, the trout are running about the same size or a bit larger, taking SheDogs in chrome and chartreuse early and white ice DSL's later in the day. Fishing for reds has picked up momentum too, with lots of slot fish staging around the mouths of sloughs and drains.

Three-inch Gulp! shrimp in pearl white have been the best baits to throw at these fish as they forage along the grassy shorelines, eating shrimp.

The reds have been averaging in the low end of the slot, the perfect size for grilling. Some pretty big tripletail have shown up around visible structures, others under mats of floating grass. We target the surface fish with corks and a short leader to dangle the shrimp, moving the shrimp as much as five feet under the cork for submerged fish.

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 In September, Lynn hopes to continue fishing in the surf as much as he

78 | September 2019

had been in the weeks prior to giving this report. “Lately, we've been catching some pretty good trout along the beachfront. It's been calm and hot much of the time, which is great for the fishing out there. Our best luck has been early in the mornings, throwing topwaters in the shallows close to the shore. On some of the days, we've been able to continue catching well up into the day, when we moved out a little deeper and fished with soft plastics in the deeper guts between the outer bars. If we aren't able to hit the surf as much in September, I'll still want to stay close to the pass and fish grassy, sandy flats, trying to catch some of the bigger trout.

An incoming tide in the morning helps if that is the plan. We will throw topwaters and also some of the slow-sinking twitch baits like SoftfDines and others when fishing the flats. On some of the windier days, we may find ourselves in the back-lakes, searching for tailing redfish early in the mornings. September is usually a good month for pursuing the reds” Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 September will mark the beginning of the cast and blast season for Blake, and he looks forward to lots of action in a variety of places this month.

“In September, we'll hunt teal and doves a few times, and we'll be fishing too. I've been scouting some of the backwater areas where we typically hunt ducks, and the marshes have plenty of reds in them. We normally target reds first after we get done with a duck hunt, looking for schools in the lakes in the air boat, then move on out to the main-bay shorelines to fish for trout after that. Lately, our fishing for both trout and reds has been steady. The trout have been biting best early in the morning, taking topwaters pretty aggressively soon after it starts getting light. Of course, soft plastics like Norton Sand Eels in dark colors with bright tails are working too. And, we're fishing with live croakers a good bit. That will start to wind down in September, and we'll fish with lures more of the time. This is a great month to find reds schooling on the big flats adjacent to deep passes connecting the bays to the gulf, in the vicinity of Port Aransas.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 “This has been one great summer overall, especially for catching fish. I haven't found the number of schools of redfish that I became accustomed to from past years, but there are still plenty of fish out there. Of course, one thing to make sure of when trying to pursue the schools is not to crash through them on the outboard motor. Once they are seen, it's important to move upwind of them and drift and troll toward them using as much stealth as possible. Once the boat moves within casting range of the front edge of the school, it's best to stop the movement of the boat and make a long cast toward the outside edge of the school. I like to use a halfounce spoon or a five-inch swim bait like a natural colored Bass Assassin Die Dapper. Lately, we've had good luck wading in really shallow water and sight-casting for reds, black drum and trout. When working this drill, we often throw the Bass Assassin Elite Shiner in the Houdini color. A few weeks ago, we caught a thirty-one and half inch trout on it. So, we're loving the Die Dappers and Elite Shiners!”

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.877.1230 September fishing in the ULM/Baffin Bay area can be hit or miss, and the most productive areas can vary, depending on the type of weather we're having, according to Joe. “If we start getting a few decent fronts, the fishing on the north shoreline of Baffin and in the ULM between the JFK and Baffin can be pretty good. Mostly, the trout and reds will be hanging out in the really shallow water early, moving toward the deeper edges of the grass beds during the heat of the day. The fronts seem to stir things up a little and improve the potential down south. If it's hot and calm most of the time, the catching can get a little stale in the hypersailne lagoons.

If that happens, the action in Corpus Bay in places like the Boat Hole and East Flats can be better. Those locations have more consistent tidal movements, which keep the predatory fish feeding better even when it's

hot and calm. The water is in exceptional shape in those areas right now, really really clear, which should allow for plentiful opportunities at sight-casting as we get into the early parts of the fall season.”

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins 361-877-3583 | Oceanepics.com September brings up two major developments for surf anglers. First, this is the time of the peak of hurricane season. Any tropical system in the Gulf has potential to push tides to the dunes. Surf anglers and beach travelers should remain alert to marine forecasts to avoid being stranded. Second is the onset of bait migrations. Right now, dusky anchovies should be running the Coastal Bend surf, which will create a scenario involving as many or more working birds as any other during the year. Bait-balls get pushed to shore by predators, including skipjacks, Spanish and king mackerel, tarpon, sharks, redfish, bluefish, speckled trout and others. The sheer numbers of anchovies can turn the surf a rusty maroon color; tossing a spoon into the melee can produce strikes from a wide variety of attackers. Free-lining a live skipjack during frenzies can produce tarpon. Further into the month, hammerheads and tiger sharks take a back seat to blacktips, spinners, and bulls. Stingrays will be plentiful; waders should shuffle their feet with every step. Given all the activity and the potential for catching so many species, it's a great time to get out and enjoy the action on the beach!

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 September is one of my favorite fishing months and promises to be action-packed in South Texas. Redfish begin schooling in preparation for their annual spawning migration and hunting gets underway with the opening of dove season. Slick-calm mornings make it easy to locate redfish schools. One of the best places will be along flats of the East Cut, especially near cuts between spoil islands. If you enjoy chunking topwaters, there is nothing like seeing several fish fighting over it. If by chance you don't get the topwater action you are looking for, go with the old trusty gold weedless spoon. If you are looking for trout, try waistto chest-deep around the old Weather Station. Try topwaters early but do not hesitate to tie on a KWiggler Ball Tail with an 1/8 oz jighead. My favorite colors are Lagunaflauge, Mansfield Margarita, Bone Diamond and Pink Flomingo. The East Cut jetties are another good place to locate schooling redfish; here we key on gulls and pelicans feeding on bait pushed to the surface. We also frequently find kingfish, jack crevalle, sharks and sometimes tarpon. Have some wire leaders handy!

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com – 956-639-1941 Continuous summer heat waves blister South Padre Island, but fishing has remained quite consistent, on average. Not surprising, best catches have been coming during very early morning hours and again in late afternoon.

Lately, most of our best trout catches have been found while focusing on deeper grassbeds and along ICW drop-offs. Topwaters have been good for solid keeper trout in early morning. KWiggler Ball Tails (plumchartreuse) on 1/8 screwlock jigs have been bringing plenty of action over deeper grass when topwater action fades, but finding keepers requires working through lots of small fish. Please handle them carefully! Redfish are beginning to school on flats along the ICW. Focusing on flats adjacent to deep water and spoil islands has been producing better numbers than shallow back bays. Super Spook Jr (bone) with single hooks and weedless gold spoons are best lure choices for reds in grassy situations. I expect September’s cooler temperatures will improve the topwater bite in shallow water for both trout and redfish. Higher tides later in the month will improve fishing in back bays and many flats areas.

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY Heather Turner East Bay - 22” trout

Laurel Cantu SPI - first jack crevalle!

Kristin Gibson Baffin Bay - 27” redfish

Adam Mitchell Port Aransas - black drum CPR 80 | September 2019

Lauren Anderson Rockport - 29.75” 9 lb first trout!

Brian Christen POC - jack crevalle

Ronald Negron Galveston - blacktip

Ava Parker Galveston - trout

Bubba Woods Copano Bay - 27.75” redfish CPR

Bob Rivera Baffin Bay - 40+” redfish

Tanner Ewers Port Mansfield - 21" trout

Kate Schiavino first redfish!

Jonathan Parsons Matagorda - blacktip shark

Efraim Garcia 25” trout

Bruce Staton Aransas Pass - 28” redfish

Jay Reed Rockport - 29” redfish

James Lightsey Sargent - 39” redfish CPR

Plano V-Crate The V-Crate takes the popular milk crate model and improves it in every category for storage that’s the first of its kind, engineered specifically for kayak fishing. The unique V-shape wraps the kayaker with StowAway® utility boxes on either side for easy access. The V-Crate has a lot of storage power in the center module as well, plus a waterproof bin in the base. There’s plenty of room for your gear, but the V-Crate still manages to remain compact to fit most kayak models. It’s maneuverable, too, with the ability to hinge backward in low clearance situations and a top section that’s easily removed with two release latches. Fish where boaters, and even kayakers, haven’t yet dared to go with the V-Crate. www.planomolding.com

Aland Jackson Port Aransas - trout

Vincent Vo Galveston - redfish CPR

Teresa Sims Lower Laguna - 38” red

Roger Lightsey Sargent - 44” redfish CPR

Ryan Santana Aransas Bay - first flounder!

Dylan McMahan Galveston - triple tail

Photo Gallery Guidelines First come – first published!

Photos are judged on artistic merit and sporting ethic displayed. No stringer, cleaning table, or hanging board images allowed.

Digital images only. Adjust camera to high or best quality. All images become property of TSFMag. Email to: Photos@TSFMag.com Include short description of your catch with name, date, bay system, etc.

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PAM JOHNSON

Gulf Coast

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

Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361 792-4530

Grilled Red Snapper on the Half Shell INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup kosher salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cups water

2 to 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

2 cups crushed ice

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 to 3 pounds large snapper fillets with skin and scales intact

PREPARATION 1. Mix the salt and water until dissolved, then add ice.

Brine fillets 1 hour. Remove, pat dry with paper towels and place on rack in refrigerator 30 minutes. While you are doing this, get your grill nice and hot. We prefer the Big Green Egg and lump hardwood charcoal.

2. When grill is ready, coat flesh side of fillets with vegetable oil and sprinkle liberally with Cajun seasoning.

Place fillets on grill, skin side down with thickest part over hottest part of the fire, tails to the outside edge. Cover and cook undisturbed until thickest part flakes easily with fork, about 10-15 minutes depending on thickness.

3. When fillets are fully cooked, remove to a platter using a large spatula. The Dexter spatula, as shown in the photos, works great for this and other grilling chores.

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82 | September 2019

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S P O N S O R E D B Y C O A S TA L B E N D M A R I N E

C H R I S M A P P ’ S R E PA I R & M A I N T E N A N C E

INTERESTING DISCOVERY WHILE PROPPING A NEW OUTBOARD A customer brought in his boat for propping after being repowered.

Chris Mapp, owner of Originally equipped with a 2008 Coastal Bend Marine.

Evinrude, Suzuki, Yamaha, Yamaha F225 six-cylinder outboard, Mercury, Honda, BlueWave, the replacement he had installed SilverWave, Shallow Stalker was the 2019 Yamaha F200 inline Boats, Coastline Trailers, four cylinder. The original engine Minnkota & Motor Guide was propped with a 21-pitch Trolling Motors.

Mercury Revolution four-blade and Great Service, Parts & Sales this is what was on the new engine.

“What can we do for you?”

When we ran this prop on the new engine it delivered a disappointing maximum of only 4000 rpm – 5500 to 6000 rpm is normal when propped correctly.

I estimated the prop had too much pitch for the new F200 LB inline four. We opted for a Yamaha Turbo Offshore I with 17-pitch and reran the trial. The results were still disappointing at only 4200 max rpm. For every inch in pitch reduction we expect a gain of 200 to 250 rpm. Reducing from 21 to 17-pitch should have delivered 800 to 1000 additional rpm.

84 | September 2019

We verified proper engine operation and boatside fuel system.

We spoke with Yamaha and other technical services to discover if we were missing something. The boat was weighed on a certified scale to verify the hull was not waterlogged and overweight.

Our final call for tech advice went to longtime friend Louie Baumann at Baumann Propellers. We brought Louie up to speed and he recommended trying the same Mercury Revolution prop, but with 15-pitch. According to Louie, the Yamaha Turbo Offshore I has historically been found to be two pitches higher than the markings on the barrel. We tried the Mercury Revolution four-blade with 15 pitch and the boat performed flawlessly.

While propeller diameter and pitch markings may be the same, do not assume the performance will correlate directly between different prop manufacturers. A lesson well learned.

Have a great fall fishing and boating season!

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

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TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING HOLES GUIDE SERVICES M ATA G O R D A B AY Speckled Trout / Redfish

USCG Licensed Captain Stan Sloan

832.693.4292 www.fishfcc.com

• Bay Fishing, Offshore, Floundering, Waterfowl, Dove • Night Fishing off Lighted Pier • Right On The Water • Lodging with/without Meals www.matagordasunriselodge.com 979-241-1705

TROUT REDFISH FLOUNDER

Capt. Lynn Smith’s Back Bay Guide Service Port O’Connor Area

Wade & Drifting the Back Bays & Surf

Call 361.983.4434 (cell 361.935.6833) Email lynn@tisd.net (tswf.com/lynnsmith) ON THE WATER

Saltwater Fishing Clinics WITH

Capt. Robert Zapata

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

86 | September 2019

Science and the

Sea

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Deep Diving Devil Rays Devil rays, and their cousins manta rays, are known for putting on spectacular acrobatic shows, jumping and twisting in the air. They grow up to 13 feet across and typically live offshore throughout the world at latitudes where the surface waters are warm. But scientists have learned that devil rays don’t always stay in the warm shallow waters. Besides leaping toward the sky, these rays also regularly descend very deep into the ocean.

Chilean devil rays can dive over a mile deep. Credit: NOAA Biologists tracked 15 Chilean devil rays by attaching satellite tags, which gathered data on water temperature, depth and light levels for up to nine months. The depth logs revealed a surprising behavior: Devil rays are champion divers, often venturing more than a mile deep in waters barely above freezing.

Kyle Nethery

Most likely, these creatures dive to feed on the plentiful fish and invertebrates found in these dark, cold waters, but it’s no small journey for a smorgasbord. About once a day, the devil rays plunge over a mile straight down in less than 30 minutes and then gradually ascend over an hour and a half. Or, they drop down half as deep and hang out there for up to 11 hours at a time.

Either way, temperatures at those depths range from 35° to 37° F, so it’s no surprise that the rays take the chill off by spending a lot of time in shallow, warm waters, especially just before and after a dive. Gliding through these shallow waters makes for a spectacular show when the rays leap, twist and turn in the air, more than a mile above where they lunched a few hours earlier.

Designer & Manufacturer of Specialized High Performance Fishing Rods Office: 361.573.0300

805 B. South Bridge Victoria, TX 77901

Fax: 361.573.0304

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

TSFMAG.com | 87

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