Texas Fish & Game March 2015

THE TEXAS OUTDOOR AUTHORITY

www.FishGame.com

Texas Turkey

Troubles & Triumphs

March 2015 $3.95

Catching

Spring

Ground Game for

Catfish

Reds The Basics of

Trout Fishing

Clunn & VanDam:

Texas Bassology

Exotics:

Back Door for Anti-Hunting Attacks?

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2015 EDITION Available Now!

ORDER NOW

OVER 50 FRESH & SALTWATER LOCATIONS 2500 GPS FISHING SPOTS

www.FishGame.com Published by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. TEXAS FISH & GAME is the largest independent, family-owned outdoor publication in America.

Owned by Ron & Stephanie Ward and Roy & Ardia Neves.

ROY NEVES PUBLISHER

CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF

www.FishandGameGear.com

C O N T R I B U T O R S JOE DOGGETT DOUG PIKE TED NUGENT LOU MARULLO MATT WILLIAMS CALIXTO GONZALES LENNY RUDOW STEVE LAMASCUS DUSTIN ELLERMANN KENDAL HEMPHILL WILL LESCHPER REAVIS WORTHAM TOM BEHRENS GREG BERLOCHER PAUL BRADSHAW CAPT. MIKE HOLMES DUSTIN WARNCKE STAN SKINNER LISA MOORE JOHN GISEL

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SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR EDITOR AT LARGE HUNTING EDITOR FRESHWATER EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR BOATING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR SHOOTING EDITOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR CONSERVATION EDITOR HUMOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR COPY EDITOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR STRATEGIC ADVISOR

A D V E R T I S I N G ARDIA NEVES VICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR LARRY DALTON • ADVERTISING COORDINATOR 1745 GREENS ROAD HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE: (281) 227-3001 • FAX (281) 227-3002

REPRESENTATION

PHONE:

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SUBSCRIPTIONS 1745 GREENS ROAD, HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE (800) 725-1134 TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: dhruzek@fishgame. com Email new orders to: dhruzek@fishgame.com Email subscription questions to: dhruzek@fishgame.com.

Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX 77267-9946 and at additional mailing offices.

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Table of

MARCH 2015 Volume 31 • NO. 11

Contents FEATURES

COVER STORY: Catching Spring Reds There are more redfish in Texas bay systems now than there have been in more than 30 years.

While many spring anglers will have their sights set on trout, redfish fans have loads of opportunities for fast-paced action.

STORY:

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Story and Cover Photo by Chester Moore

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

TEXAS BASSOLOGY

Based on interviews with Rick Clunn, Kevin Vandam and other top bass pros, here is an examination of bass biology and how anglers can exploit it for better performance.

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by TF&G Staff THE BASICS OF TROUT FISHING

Speckled trout are the largemouth bass of saltwater. The hottest fish on the coast has inspired more lure innovations and fishing techniques than any inshore species. Here is a guide to help you join the pursuit.

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TF&G Staff Report GROUND GAME FOR CATFISH Exotics: Back Door Anti-Hunting Threat?

With many species of exotic game animals nearing or at the point of extinction in their native lands—yet flourishing under the stewardship of game ranch managers in Texas and other American states— some animal rights groups are gathering mainstream support to attack these ranches as “captive hunting” operations.

Bank fishing strategies that will make a big difference in the boatless angler’s pursuit of catfish.

by TF&G Staff with Chad Ferguson

STORY:

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TURKEY TROUBLES & TRIUMPHS

Wild turkeys are more numerous than they have been in decades in many regions, including the Lone Star State.

Here is a look at the past, present and future fortunes of Texas gobblers.

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by Chester Moore

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Inside FISH & GAME

Contents (continued) COLUMNS

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by ELLIOTT DONNELLY Digital Publisher

Editor’s Notes

by Chester Moore

TF&G Editor in Chief

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FishGame.com

Doggett at Large

by Joe Doggett

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

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T HAS BEEN ONE YEAR SINCE WE LAUNCHED THE new FishGame.com website. When we first designed the site we incorporated a tremendous amount of wiggle room in order to grow and prepare for possible changes along the way. In the past year we have been assessing the overall useability of FishGame.com and found that there are some aspects of the site that work great and others that need to change. We have been able to introduce some subtle changes along the way, but the time has come to evolve.

The presence of social media is a blessing and curse at times. Our primary delivery method for web content comes in the form of Facebook.

Recently, Facebook decided that in order for our news to reach all of our 50,000-plus fans, we must start paying them to “boost” each post. Essentially what Facebook has done is cap the amount of people that we are able to distribute each news story to on a post-by-post basis. In order for all of our Facebook fans to receive every post in their news feed we would have to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $3000 – $5000 per day, depending on how many stories we post.

The honest truth is that I am torn between my love for the free market and feeling like this is extortion. Facebook has every right to conduct their business as they see fit, but I don’t have to like it damnit! I would love to tell you that Texas Fish & Game is going to pay to “boost” every post we publish, we’re not. In our web analytics reports we have seen that on average our traffic is dominated by mobile devices and that the majority of that traffic comes from the Facebook mobile app.

With these factors in mind, we have been working to give FishGame.com a solid refresh. Our goal in all of this is to create a more robust site that will encourage our readers to visit the site directly instead of relying on Facebook.

Additionally, we have focused on creating a user friendly mobile version of our site that is much easier to use and loaded with features.

As a companion to the refreshed website, we also introduced the new Texas Fish & Game mobile app. Our app provides our readers with a central location for digital issues as well as a platform to display FishGame.com. The app is available now for iOS and Android devices.

We believe that we have made some great changes to encourage our readers to dive into the world of Texas Fish & Game. It is not enough for us to be simply a magazine and website. Our goal is to create a place that allows our readers to engage in two way conversation as a diverse community of outdoor enthusiasts from Texas and beyond.

We will continue to post all of our news on Facebook, but encourage you to change your habits slightly and check out our app and mobile site. As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to drop us a line.

Pike on the Edge

by Doug Pike

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

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Nugent in the Wild

by Ted Nugent

TF&G Editor At Large

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Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill

TF&G Politcal Commentator

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Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales

TF&G Saltwater Editor

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Bare Bones Hunting

by Lou Marullo

DEPARTMENTS

8 LETTERS 12 TF&G REPORT 32 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

40 TRUE GREEN Texas Freshwater 64 FISH AND TF&G Hunting Editor

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by Matt Williams

TF&G Freshwater Editor

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Open Season

by Reavis Wortham

TF&G Freshwater Editor

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Texas Boating

by Lenny Rudow

TF&G Boating Editor

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Practical Angler

by Greg Berlocher

TF&G Contributing Editor

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Texas Guns

GAME GEAR

68 HOTSPOT FOCUS

76 TEXAS

HOTSPOTS

86 TIDES & PRIME TIMES

94 TF&G

PHOTOS

by Steve LaMascus

TF&G Firearms Editor

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Texas Tasted

by Bryan Slaven

The Texas Gourmet

Email Elliott Donnelly at ContactUs@fishgame.com 6 |

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LETTERS to the Editor Jaguarundi Sightings I’VE BEEN A LONG TIME SUBSCRIBer to Texas Fish & Game. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing 2 of the jaguarundi’s down in South Texas (Webb County) while hunting roughly 13 miles from the river. Also you and your father are pictured with Robert Scherer, he and I grew in the Cypress area and we played softball together years ago.

Great guy and always willing to give back.

Ambers Crenshaw I SAW A JAGUARUNDI IN ALLEN, Texas about two years ago by a creek in a park. My first thought when I saw it was that it was a small cougar (which have been seen in Lucas) but it was too small. I started looking for pictures if cats and found information and pictures of the jaguarundi. That was it!

The size, shape, color, and especially the long tail were a perfect match.

Craig Williams I AM SO GLAD TO FINALLY SEE A story about this species. I hunted in South Texas for 20 years. I was able to experience sightings of many wildlife species and my father always told me a story of a chocolate panther that was roaming the ranch. There were other close family hunters that would also see very quick sightings of this “chocolate panther.”

One day I was out in the stand against the fence line on the backside of a particular ranch. I was seeing my normal whitetail, hogs and a few javelina, when all of the sudden the animals became slowly spooked. The Whitetail moved into the brush, the hogs scattered and the javelina’s hair began to stand up. I’m sure you are familiar with wildlife and you know that there is not much that will cause this kind of reaction with this species of wildlife. I myself became a little nervous as they kept looking back in the brush waiting for something to come out. I had my rifle ready just in case, but had my eyes glued to my binoculars and looking down the sendero.

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walking. It was about the height of a bobcat, dark coat and it looked like it had spots. The tail was long and curved up. I had never seen anything like this. It crossed the sendero and disappeared and I have never seen it again.

This was about 3yrs ago. I hope this will help in your project with this species. The animal was beautiful and should be studied.

Laura Wood Editor: The feedback on the jaguarundi article was the greatest we have had in a while.

We have an exciting announcement coming from the article that will debut in the next issue. Keep your eyes on TF&G for more on jaguarundis.

—CM

Love for Lamascus

ENJOYED YOUR CUSTOM RIFLE article in Jan. 2015 issue.

I own a 257 Roberts Ackley Improved rifle built by a gunsmith namedBlackburn from Ft. Worth. It has a Sako action, Douglas barrel, and very nice wood. Also Leopold 3X9 Gold Ring scope. I also have the dies and quite a few cases both new and fired.

Since I am 85 years old and no longer hunt, other than birds, it would be nice if a younger hunter could own it. If you could advise me what a reasonable value would be and where to offer it for sale I would be in your debt.

Mr. Krech, I am very glad you enjoyed the article.

We try to please. As for your rifle, there are a couple of things I need to know before I can even make a stab at advising you on its value.

These things are: length of the barrel; which grade of Douglas barrel is it; is the wood hand done, or is it from Fajen or some other type of “semi-inletted and finished” stock; how old is the Leupold scope; what kind of dies are they; and last, when was the gun built, and what is its condition from 1 to 100?

—Steve LaMascus F I S H

I HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL “BILLS” from the White City, Oregon group. They have been for renewals for Texas Fish and Game, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and National Geographic (I do not subscribe to National Geographic).

When I received the first one for TF&G some time ago, I called the office and talked with someone there and he asked that I send all the billing papers to him at the Greens Rd. location, which I did. I have received several bills since then and have been just pitching them.

When I read the “Thieving S.O.B. Update” in the latest issue with the Oregon Atty. General’s phone number listed, I decided to call them and complain.

The lady I talked to said for me to go to their web site and fill out a complaint form so they would have something in writing that would enable them to more readily do something about it.

I filled it out and thought you might want the web site info to refer people to. If they get enough written complaints, maybe this will stop. I have never sent the Oregon company any money, but I can imagine that some unsuspecting innocent people would just pay thinking they were renewing their subscription. Here is the web site: www.oregonconsumer.gov.

Phil McMulin

Harold Krech

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Thanks for sharing what you found, Phil.

Hopefully Oregon’s AG will shut these sorry excuses for human beings down. In the meantime, we’ll continue our efforts to head them off by keeping our other subscribers as informed and alert as you have been.

—Roy Neves

Send Your Comments to: Texas Fish & Game 1745 Greens Rd Houston TX 77032

editor@fishgame.com

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EDITOR’S Notes

by CHESTER MOORE :: TF&G Editor-in-Chief

The Message

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O PLACE IS MORE ALIVE just before dark than the cactus-filled thickets of deep South Texas.

The evening of Saturday Dec. 27, 2014 was no different.

My father and I were hunting our friend Robert Scherer’s ranch near Freer and I was absolutely stunned by the number of big bucks, young bucks, does and other creatures I spotted.

A stunning green jay sang just outside the tower blind I sat in while a long-legged bobcat carefully moved down the sendero.

The highlight of the scene was a massive drop-tined 10-pointer that looked like something out of a deer hunter’s dream. I was there to shoot does for the freezer but had just as much fun filming and photographing the behemoth as I would have shooting it.

Truly majestic.

The previous evening Dad shot a beautiful 18-inch eight pointer that was his second biggest buck, only behind a three main-beamed monster he bagged at the same ranch two years earlier.

“That really is a nice buck. I’m so happy for you,” I said to Dad as I showed him a photo of it on my phone.

“Yeah. It is nice,” he replied with a smirk.

“See anything this evening Dad?” “A few does and a bunch of javelina, 15 of them,” he replied.

Dad then explained that a group of 14 javelina came out and fed on the corn scattered down the sendero and that he raised his rifle to shoot one but he just couldn’t do it.

“I really didn’t want to shoot a javelina and learned years ago not to shoot anything that I did not want,” he said.

“So, I decided to get some photos for you but when I got the camera positioned they all left.”

“Then something interesting happened,”

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he said.

“A lone javelina that had not been part of their group came out and virtually posed for me and let me take several good shots.”

Dad then turned on his camera, showed me some nice photos as a big smile came across his face.

“I really believe that was God’s way of showing me I did the right thing.”

“How awesome is that Dad? God has certainly shown us some amazing signs in nature hasn’t He?” I replied.

Two weeks before this trip we spent time at our friend Thompson Temple’s Ranch and spent most of it talking about our faith in Jesus Christ. Thompson said that while we can’t talk to our deceased loved ones there is nothing that says we can’t ask God to send us a message from them or a confirmation they are with Him. We briefly spoke about that and then decided to go quarter his buck that had been hanging in Scherer’s freezer.

While cleaning the buck with another gentleman and his wife who were hunting the ranch Dad suddenly said, “I think I overexerted myself.”

I walked over to help him from the squatted position he was in and he looked at me and said, “It’s not good.”

The couple who were helping us with the buck were EMTs and they worked on Dad and kept his heart beating for a good while, long enough for me to tell him I was proud to be his son, that I, my mom, my wife Lisa and his beloved granddaughter Faith loved him.

I asked if he could hear me and he blinked his eyes.

Soon after, Dad passed from this world into the arms of His Savior.

My head spun as I watched the man who introduced me to the great outdoors, supported everything I ever did and loved me unconditionally lifeless on the floor of the ranch house.

I had to make some painful phone calls home and then make the seven hour drive back to Orange.

Just as I left the ranch gates at around 10 p.m., I came within a couple of feet of hitting a big boar javelina. Something about the animal

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seemed surreal, almost as if I saw it in a strange kind of 3-D. As I drove down the lonely highway in my Dad’s truck, realizing I would never get to hunt or fish with him again, I cried my eyes out in mourning of the man who was behind many of my successes in life.

Then I started praying.

“Lord, could you please send me a sign from Dad, a sign from you that He is alright?”

I knew without question where He was but at that moment not much seemed real. My life suddenly seemed like a very bad dream. And then came the still small voice.

“The javelina.”

“The javelina was your sign. Your Father is with me.”

It was not an audible voice but it was crystal clear in my spirit and gave me an immediate sense of peace.

You see, our last conversation was about a lone javelina and how God used it to confirm that He made the right decision. Now it made sense why I got such a close look at the creature and why something about it seemed different.

The javelina was Heaven sent.

In my grief I did not notice but when I stopped to pray, things became clear.

Chester Moore, Sr. was a great man not because he had money, held a prestigious position or was famous. In fact, he was none of the above.

He was a great man because he loved greatly and shaped the lives of many people in powerful ways through that love-especially me, mom, Lisa, Faith and my close friends/brothers Bubba and Chris. The 400 people at his funeral proved that.

I miss you Dad and although I hope it’s not too soon I look forward to talking about our favorite subject-the Lord-in His very presence and seeing what amazing animals live in that very real place called Heaven.

Find a jaguar up there for me. You know they’re my favorite or perhaps a javelina.

Chester Moore, Jr. CMoore@fishgame.com

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The TF G Report New Copter Gives Texas Wardens Edge THE TEXAS GAME WARDEN’S today unveiled its new Airbus AS350B3e helicopter that will enhance the department’s statewide law enforcement apparatus and assist with its search and rescue and disaster response efforts.

The aircraft is outfitted with the latest law enforcement technology and emergency response equipment including a rescue hoist, thermal imager, searchlight, public address system, satellite communication and night vision.

Funding for the new aircraft, which was approximately $5 million, was made possible through legislative appropriation during the 83rd Texas Legislative session.

“This helicopter is going to be a tremendous asset and force multiplier for the Texas Game Wardens,” said Col. Craig Hunter, TPWD Law Enforcement Director. “We will not only be able to more efficiently move personnel and equipment across the state, but with the addition of the new hoist system, we will be able to better leverage our marine and ground assets to enhance our search and rescue capabilities during times of disaster.”

Among the new aircrafts advantages are its ability to carry additional game wardens including its K9 teams during remote search and rescue missions or other specially trained personnel for specific assignments. In addition to the new helicopter, the department also has a fixed wing 2009 Turbo Cessna Model 206 aircraft.

BIG BAGS&CATCHES

Wild Texas Game Warden Encounters THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE COMpiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

MISSED A SPOT: When a landowner in Red River County heard gunshots near his property, he called his local game warden for help. The warden searched several deer camps and found evidence of blood at an unoccupied camp. There, the warden observed that the hunter had made an effort to rake up the remaining debris and place it in a nearby burn barrel. When the warden located the hunter, he had power-washed his vehicle in an attempt to remove blood evidence. After questioning, the hunter admitted to shooting an 11-point buck with his .30-.30 rifle during archery season.

Case pending.

GROUPER Matagorda

AMBERJACK

REDFISH

Matagorda

Texas City

Joseph and Tracy Salinas of Spring are about to release this amberjack after catching it 45 miles out of Matagorda over an old shipwreck while fishing with Tracy’s dad, Terry Butts of Wharton.

Tom Norman with his personal best 38-inch redfish, caught at the Texas City Dike shortly after last summer’s oil spill was cleaned up. The fish was released.

Larry Livanec and Captain Mark Holland and Paul Rodrigues caught this 150-pound grouper fishing offshore out of Matagorda.

Visit FishGame.com to upload your Big Bags & Catches Photos and Vote for our next Winners 12 |

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DUDE, WHERE’S MY BOAT?: A Jefferson County game warden responded to a call about a possible stolen boat and motor recovered from the Neches River.

When the boat was towed in and contact was made with the owner, he said he had gotten hung up on a pipe and left his boat.

When he returned, he discovered it was missing. The value of the recovery was estimated at $15,000.

OH DEER: Two Bandera County game wardens and one Uvalde County warden responded to information about a few deer that had been illegally taken. At the residence, the wardens located meat from a freshly killed whitetail deer. During the investigation, it was learned that two 17-year-old males had killed one whitetail deer with a bow from a public road that night and also killed another whitetail deer by running it over with a truck a few nights earlier. The Uvalde County game warden obtained written statements from both suspects, and multiple charges have been filed.

a fourth Travis County warden who was positioned across the wooded area, which was the subject’s most probable path of escape. K9 Ruger tracked the male subject and assisted with flushing him out of the wooded area, where the game warden was in a position to observe the male cross the river and quickly take him into custody. The male subject told the wardens that he had placed his shirt along the river and hidden his fishing poles. Ruger was deployed for an article search and recovered the items. The subject

was filed on for criminal trespass and fishing without a valid fishing license. Cases pending..

—from Staff Reports

THE DUPING DEER DUMPER: A McCulloch County game warden received a call that a deer carcass had been dumped in the middle of a street in downtown Brady. A police officer removed the deer from the street and relayed to dispatch the name on the permit attached to the deer.

Before the warden arrived, a bystander reported that someone jumped out of a dark-colored sedan, removed the tag and drove off, leaving the deer at the curb.

Using the name that was reported, the warden traced the deer to a local property owner who informed the warden that he had donated the deer. The following morning, the warden went to the suspects’ place of employment. The individual admitted to dumping the deer and then returning later to remove the tag.

SCARED FISHLESS: Two Travis County game wardens were checking a known fishing area that has issues with trespassers. As the wardens approached the fishing tank, a male subject saw their truck, which he later said he thought was the landowner, and took off running into the wooded area. One of the wardens then requested assistance from a third Travis County game warden and K9 partner Ruger to track for the evading trespasser. Also deployed was

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DOGGETT at Large

by JOE DOGGETT :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Following Falcons

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BLUR OF SHORT WINGS and long brown-barred tail flashed from the wooded esplanade and across the two lanes of outbound traffic—a Cooper’s hawk! The strong claws held a luckless grey squirrel snatched from the urban environs of Houston.

I tapped the brake and watched as the quick predator made an improbable swerve, passing above the vehicle ahead of me and vanishing through the trees beyond. I don’t think the other drivers saw the hawk.

The Cooper’s hawk, like the larger goshawk and the smaller sharp-shinned hawk, is an accipiter. It is sculpted to twist and turn and shoot from nowhere amid tight quarters.

Conversely, the falcons such as peregrines have long, thin wings for ranging high and dropping fast through open sky. The buteous such as red-tailed hawks have broad wings and wide tails for soaring amid the thermals.

Falcons have dark eyes and often, with superior speed, kill frantic birds in full flight.

They are like heat-seeking missiles. Or, maybe it’s the other way around. Accipiters and buteous have yellowish or reddish eyes. They often perch on high vantages and wait for prey to show amid ground cover. Agile accipiters feed heavily on birds, while the deliberate buteous kill mainly rodents and rabbits.

If all this sounds as if I know something about birds of prey, I do. Well, at least I did.

For several years during the early 1960s I was an avid teen-aged falconer. Several friends and I really got into the ancient “Sport of Kings.” We learned quite a lot from books (The Art and Practice of Hawking, E.B. Mitchell; A Manual of Falconry, M.H. Woodford; and Falconry for You, Humphrey AP Evans being three of the best).

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ful “manning” of several small kestrels (true falcons, but often called “sparrow hawks”) and a couple of passage (first-year migration) redtails.

The kestrels would “wait on,” circling above me and flying prettily to a twirled lure.

One, a female named Blitz, chased several sparrows across an urban field we called the “Bellaire Woods.” She came close, with dark eyes glittering, but failed to kill.

Finally, she caught the billowing March wind and left me, following the wild migration north. And that’s as it should have been.

I flew a redtail named Tinkerbelle “from the fist” as the ancient austringers (fliers of yellow-eyed hawks) would say. She was a remarkably docile bird but I almost lost her in a vacant field just six days into manning. She bolted from my fist, yanking the thin leather wrist jesses from my fingers before I could attach the leash.

The young redtail flapped in a low arc around the open ground then, amazingly, sailed back to claim the strip of raw meat pinched on the outstretched glove. I still recall the thrill of having a wild hawk with bold eyes, spread wings, and poised legs return to my fist.

Six days and she “flew free” —I must have been doing something right. Tink was a fine bird but I was unable to cast her at any legitimate game in the various vacant lots near home.

One fine spring afternoon, she also caught the warm wind and was gone. No foul or fowl—just wonderful memories.

Those were among my falconry highlights.

My sophomoric status was too rough for a lordly peregrine; if nothing else, I had no regular access to the vast open terrain necessary for a high-flying falcon. I probably could have graduated to a Cooper’s hawk but never recall seeing one. I certainly never had the chance to snare one in a baited loop trap or bow net.

Sadly, my time of falconry coincided with a serious decline of birds of prey. During the early ‘60s, populations were down due

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to extremely questionable “target” shooting (hawks were considered “varmints”) and poorly regulated use of pesticides such as DDT. Now, migrating birds of prey are common along the upper Texas coast. I occasionally count hawks during long drives through rural areas; two winters ago, I had a windshield tally of more than 60 between Houston and Freeport, a distance of about 60 miles. Most were well-fed redtails.

You occasionally see the sickle-winged peregrines if you know where to look; oddly, one the best places for sightings in my region is in downtown Houston. During the fall/ spring migrations, the falcons perch on high building ledges and feed on flocks of horrified pigeons.

In ancient times, the Cool Meter pretty much stopped at the peregrine, or “falcon gentle.” Technically, the “falcon” is the larger female; the smaller male is the “tiercel,” or “tassel gentle.” Incidentally, it’s OK to call a long-winged, dark-eyed falcon a “hawk,” but it’s a major gaffe to refer to a short-winged, yellow-eyed hawk as a falcon.

Falconry spread to Europe from Asia and China more than one thousand years ago. Medieval European courts perfected the art, and the peregrines were prized. Other A-Team hawks were lanners, sakers, merlins, goshawks and the mighty Icelandic gyrfalcons. The annual hawk fair at Valkenswaard, Holland, was the feathered Safari Club International Convention of the time, drawing Big Names from around the hawking world.

We are talking about serious business here. And with good reason. A superior peregrine will ring up perhaps three or four hundred yards —almost mounting from sight, a “dark star a-glitter in the sky.” When the keen falcon accelerates then snaps her sails together and dives on a flushed bird far below, the vertical drop is like “a lance driven from heaven.”

I have on occasion witnessed trained peregrines in flight and the “stoop” is perhaps the most remarkable display of speed, strength PHOTOS: JOE DOGGETT

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The undeniable aura of a dark-eyed falcon has remained unchanged and unchallenged for more than 1,000 years.

and courage in the animal kingdom. It leaves you breathless. It ignites your killer spirit.

Back in the ‘60s, the books claimed they maxed at about 180 miles per hour; precise electronic gadgets have since documented speeds in excess of 200.

This is what I dreamed of as a young teen. But falconry at the high levels can demand too much. A 13th Century falconer, Davide de Pradas, wrote, “No man should own a falcon whose mind is on business, war, gambling or love.”

That might be stretching it but, now as then, uncommon dedication is required. And it’s hard to maintain that stoke; by In 1962, a star-struck Doggett admires his passage red-tailed hawk, Tink.

1964, in hawking terms, I no longer was “sharp set.”

I increasingly was drawn to an The catching and training of birds for falAmbassadeur 5000 casting reel, a Remington conry is carefully controlled by the Texas 870 Wingmaster shotgun, and a Blaker Parks and Wildlife Department. For addi10-foot surfboard. I put the falconry books on tional information, call TPWD at 800the shelf and walked away.

792-1112, menu 7.

But, even now, when I see a proud hawk I give a lingering look of awe and admiration.

I do it every time.

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Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@fishgame.com

FOOTNOTE: REGULATIONS WERE basically non-existent during my foray into falconry but all hawks now are protected.

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2/9/15 8:49 PM

PIKE on the Edge

by DOUG PIKE :: TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Generating Power

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ONEY IS POWER, ESPEcially if you use some to buy a generator.

This past deer season, on a Sunday afternoon at a friend’s place not far outside Houston, three of us gathered a little after lunchtime with intention of scouting, sharing some elk jerky along the way, and maybe shooting a deer or a pig before dark.

We visited briefly, then split up and rode the same old roads in all directions, spending

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an embarrassing amount of that time swapping text phone calls. “Real” hunters, at least by the definition I first heard, don’t talk much except over eggs and bacon before dawn, wherever dead deer get unzipped after a kill, and around campfires at night.

Granted, we didn’t intend for this trip to go all metro, but good intentions can get derailed in a hurry when one text after another reveals, “Nothing here.”

Rather than whip the proverbial dead horse until dark, one of the guys in the group typed this enticing proposal: “This sucks. Meet at camp and watch rest of Texans’ game?”

We regrouped at the big bare spot in the corner of the front pasture, which serves as parking lot and makeshift staging area for great

hunts that never seem to happen. By the time I got there, one of the guys already had fired up his generator and placed it strategically behind a big tree to render the quiet machine even quieter. And from the backseat of his crewcab pickup truck, he produced a substantial television.

Much as I downplay the need for “luxury items” around unimproved hunting or fishing camps, I’ll admit that watching the football game, on that particular afternoon, turned out way better than sitting in a wood box and watching acorns fall.

The deer weren’t moving, but the Texans were. And they won.

Inevitably, talk turned to that purring source of electricity behind the tree, reliably serving its

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purpose from the far end of a 50-foot orange umbilical cord. It operated at a purr, which is a far cry from the cough-and-bark noise of oldstyle generators.

As with most technology, the smaller these machines get, the more practical uses we find for them. It’s a lot easier to justify toting a power source that’s “one-man” portable than one that requires four hands and two strong backs.

Watching football in deer camp, distasteful as it may seem to some, is the tip of the generator iceberg. I had a good radio interview late this past year with a fellow from Briggs & Stratton, which is battling Honda, Yamaha, Suburu and a half-dozen other trusted names for top slot among the truly portable, highly efficient, invertor-type generators on the market now.

The newest units aren’t skid-mounted and cumbersome; they’re compact, sleek and they’re on wheels.

And they’ll do a lot more than run a bare bulb and a radio.

Entry-level juice in the go-anywhere category is a few hundred watts. That’s OK for a single guy trying to light a musty trailer and stay informed, and you can get one of those little machines for a couple hundred bucks. (Beware the least expensive makes and models; it’s unwise don your Captain Frugal cape when purchasing on which you’ll rely in emergencies. A discount generator may run for a while, maybe a good while, but it also may go paws-up dead when that pull of the chord really counts.

Invest more, whatever makes sense, and upgrade to more power from a better known brand, such as Briggs & Stratton. Compare specific features to make your final selection, and ask some friends who already are in the power game for their input.

A generator rated to nearly 2000 watts can run a variety of essentials and still offer power for entertainment. The next leap, around 3000 watts, can pump out light and a little cool air, keep the food chilled and maybe let you cook a nice meal. More power is available, but I’m not sure it’s necessary for hunters, fishermen and folks in temporary darkness behind storms.

James Fogarty, a friend at iHeartMedia in Houston, said he keeps a generator at the (fully wired) house on his deer lease. It’s there in case of power outage, of course, but comes in handy more often than when the power fizzles.

“Almost every time we go out to work on

blinds or check feeders, we take the generator,” Fogarty said. “I’ve got battery-powered tools, but the last thing you want is to be halfway through a big job on the other side of the ranch and have a big saw or drill quit on you.”

The generator enables Fogarty and friends to clear shooting lanes, cut lumber, drill holes and drive screws all day if necessary, whatever it takes to do whatever job comes up. And, he said after a long pause, to operate a grinder – although I’m not sure why you’d need “right now” grinder access.

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“I hadn’t thought about using my generator to watch a football game instead of deer hunting,” Fogarty said, poking a little fun at my buddies and me.

Oh, yeah… Well, maybe if his place didn’t have so many big bucks, an afternoon of football close to the ice chest wouldn’t look so bad.

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Email Doug Pike at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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2/9/15 8:53 PM

NUGENT in the Wild

by TED NUGENT :: TF&G Editor-at-Large

Every Arrow, Every Hunt

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ESTERDAY WAS DAY 181 for my 2014/2015 hunting season.

Well, not exactly 181, for I suppose one would have to honestly take into account all those many spring days of turkey hunting, the nonstop hog and varmint hunting, and then there are the daily squirrel hunts and trapline runs to make my two wonderful Labrador Retrievers as happy as possible.

That being said, since the end of my phenomenal SHUTUP&JAM! musical adventures over the summer of 2014 where my killer band and I wrapped up my 6, 514th ferocious concert, suffice it to say that I couldn’t help but celebrate how my love of hunting has grown exponentially since birth these long, wild, wonderful 66 years ago. So far.

Lucky, lucky, crazy lucky me.

This would be a good time to remember, reiterate, consider, contemplate, absorb and make certain that we are adequately adhering to what we can all agree is the most important philosophical dictum of all times by surely the most important philosopher in recorded history, and I quote Dirty Harry; “A good man has got to know his limitations.”

Now take that brilliant mantra, then add the equally impacting truism of another historical character of varying appreciation, Al Capone, when he uttered a quality of life statement; “Enthusiasms!

A man has got to have enthusiasms!”

Or something along those lines. Then in the movie The Untouchables, unfortunately, he proceeded very enthusiastically to bash in the skull of a turncoat gangster with his Louisville Slugger.

Being that as it may, I tend to pick up on everything that life has to offer me, and these two quotes from important historical figures rang true to me upon my first hearing them, not because they opened my eyes to new ideas or insight, but rather because they resonated with my already in play natural life’s priorities.

And when it is all said and done, at least for me that is, such things always come down to the hunting lifestyle.

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In order to bring home the bacon with regular efficiency, a dedicated hunter must be ultra-tuned in. Now mind you, as in all things in life we must all chose our own individual degree of dedication, and though passions run as high as high can be in the hunting world, there is nothing wrong with taking one’s time afield in a casual manner.

One can hunt casually as long as they don’t take our reasoning predator responsibilities casually. Get too casual, and that could turn dangerous and irresponsible when it comes to safety and proficiency requirements. Safety and dedication to a clean kill must not be taken casually. I think we can all agree on that.

So last evening, SpiritWild VidCamDude Kris Helms and I once again, like every evening, headed to what we believed to be the best ambush tree on my SpiritWild Ranch hunting grounds.

Wind; NW in my face; check. Back to the setting sun; check. Smart, sneaky, hidden parking spot for the Polaris; check. Stealthy, sneaky travel route to the ambush tree; check. Silent climb into the ladderstand; check.

Ample silhouette breaking cover still solidly in place; check. Ladderstand rock solid and silent; check. Arrow knocked ready to rock; check.

Maximum deadly predator mindset ready to aim small miss small and kill dead; Check, check, double check.

The “cocked, locked and ready to rock doc” boogie was full on throttling, and Kris and I prepared for the dream deer encounter that we always prepare for, but in reality seldom actually experience. Yet our enthusiasms broiled onward and upward, undiminished.

You see, no matter how gungho we dedicate ourselves to master this timeless tooth, fang and claw predator ballet, hunting will always boil down to that mystical and inescapable “right place, right time” reality.

Even with trailcam technology lighting our way, solunar tables, well researched tomes on moon phases and barometric impact on game, and all those “how-to” videos from the experts, really all we can do is act upon a hopeful seat of the pants hunch based on the data we pursue and analyze and feel in our bones.

If we are honest about it, there really is no such thing as “fair chase”, because the critters always

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have the upper hand. God designed them a little too well.

But tonight we would break a two week skunking, for within an hour of ascending our ambush perch, a band of Aoudad sheep skittered about in the distance. These insanely spooky beasts can give a hunter a fit as they stop, freeze, backtrack, scoot, scramble, disappear and reappear over and over again and again.

That’s exactly what these berserk high strung animals did for over an hour before they finally bolted away wildly just because a bird flitted too close to the big ram.

So what else is new?

Shortly thereafter a trio of whitetail doe cautiously picked their way toward our little dry creekbed ambush. Within thirty minutes or so, more than sixteen deer were nervously picking about on the scattered corn and Primos Swamp Donkey goodies below us, but no shooters were shootable.

Kris and I have this statue game down pretty good, and finally a young buck nudged a mature doe down the slope at twenty-five yards, and my smooth, lightweight 45 pound Mathews ChillX came up and back gracefully, and that glorious, effervescent out of body moment of truth took over the solar system just like every fulldraw with the bow and arrow does for me, and in a flash, it was over but for the bloodtrailing.

Sure, to some it may have just been a doe, but for me, it was the coolest arrow of my life.

Emphasized by the glowing orange Lumenok, the mystical flight of my GoldTip arrow was intoxicating, owning my very soul.

I swear to God almighty, that the totally thorough soul cleansing power of critter encounters with a bow and arrow in my hands is so complete, so total, to defining, that there is no bad or ugly in the world. I not only swear to God, I sincerely thank God for such a defining escape from life’s ills.

The tracking itself was thrilling, the recovery the definition of joy and humility. The dragging, gutting, cleaning, skinning and hanging process can best be described as the ultimate hands-on prayer for the wildthings, and each and every kill is Thanksgiving personified.

Every arrow, every day, every hunt, every kill.

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2/9/15 8:52 PM

TF&G COMMENTARY

by KENDAL HEMPHILL :: TF&G Political Editor

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OST OF THE TIME, WHEN choosing what to write in this column, I look for something to complain about. That was pretty much the job description given to me

by Don Zaidle, when he asked me to start writing for TF&G in 2002. The idea was to inform readers of poor choices made by their elected leaders, anti-hunting and anti-gun groups, environmentalists, and others, in order to incite readers to get involved.

There is never a shortage of bad news.

No matter what the people in charge of anything do, there will be people who believe it was the wrong choice, or that it was done poorly. And unless you, the reader, gets involved and voices an opinion on the matter, nothing changes.

Once in a while, however, I come across a story that is nothing but good news. Not that there isn’t good news all the time, but it’s generally overshadowed by important things that need to be complained about.

Not this story. Everything else, no matter how important, can wait. Because this story is the epitome of what we are all supposed to do, as ambassadors of the outdoor heritage we’ve received from the previous generation.

This is a pass-it-on story.

We all, at some point, had to learn how to engage in the outdoor pursuits we enjoy.

And almost all of us were taught by someone else, someone older, who made a decision to spend their time and energy to continue the outdoor legacy in our lives. They passed their knowledge and love of the outdoors on to us.

We, then, have a responsibility to do the same thing, whether we have children of our own or not. There’s always a kid, somewhere nearby, whom we can mentor, but we have to give of ourselves. That’s what Alex Underwood chose to do.

Underwood is the Sheriff of Chester County, South Carolina. He wanted to

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Kids Outdoor Zone is an example of how such an effort can grow.

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Pass it On

give something back, to pass on his love for hunting. So he posted a notice on Facebook offering to take area kids hunting and teach them the ropes.

One of the responses he got was from nine-year-old Alex Collins. Collins lived with his mother, and had no father figure available to help him, but he badly wanted to go hunting. When he saw the sheriff’s post, it was the chance he was looking for.

So Collins wrote a letter to Underwood and took it to his local Chester County Sheriff’s office. Only that was the wrong

office. The Facebook post said Chester County, but Collins failed to notice that it said South Carolina. Collins lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania, hundreds of miles away.

When Collins found that out he was crushed, and it looked like all was lost.

But one of the local deputies had met Sheriff Underwood before, and contacted him about the situation. And the two police departments, using their own, personal money, worked it out so Little Alex could go to South Carolina and go hunting with Big Alex.

The whole operation was a huge success.

Even though he didn’t get a deer, Alex Collins had the time of his life. That happened because of some police officers who cared enough to get involved.

Cops are getting raked over the coals pretty well lately, and truthfully there are T E X A S

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a few bad ones, just like there are in any other profession. But by and large, the great majority of police officers are good people who do the best they can in a difficult job.

They risk their lives to serve others, even when a lot of those they serve don’t appreciate them.

And some cops, like Sheriff Underwood, go far above and beyond the call to help those who need it, just because they care.

Of course, you don’t have to be a police officer to pass on what you know about the outdoors to the next generation. Sheriff Underwood is a great example because, instead of just spending his time and energy enjoying the outdoors, as we all do, he made a special effort to find kids who wanted to hunt, and made it happen. Even when one of the kids who responded lived hundreds of miles away in another state.

Kids Outdoor Zone is an example of how such an effort can grow. TJ Greaney noticed a neighbor boy with no dad at home who needed a mentor. TJ took the boy under his wing, spent time with him, taught him to hunt, fish, and camp, and shared with him the ethics he needed to respect the wildlife and the land it lives on.

Now KOZ is a national organization with chapters all over the country, involving adults who want to help and kids who need them. The group is growing all the time, and although it’s always short of funds, no kid is turned away who wants to get into the outdoors.

The future of hunting and fishing doesn’t belong to us, but we have the option of ensuring our legacy will continue for years to come, or letting it fade until it is nothing but a memory.

We should all choose wisely.

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Email Kendal Hemphill at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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2/9/15 8:48 PM

An Examination of Bass Biology and Angler Performance TF&G Staff Report 20 |

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COMPOSITE IMAGE: TF&G; INSET PHOTO, JACK BISSELL

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LARGEMOUTH BASS seem to have an eerie “intelligence” about them that makes it look as though they can anticipate our next move.

This is especially true of the elusive trophysized fish that lurk in the dreams of all Texas bass fans.

According to fourtime Bassmaster Classic champion Rick Clunn, the greatest mistake is not repeating the exact cast you just made to catch a fish.

“Anglers should try to remember to make the exact cast to the exact spot and work the lure the exact same way,” Clunn said. “First off, bass are often together so there very well could be another there. Secondly, if you are aware of exact details and can repeat what you did, then you might let the lure fall the same way or work a crankbait with the same exact retrieve.”

“There is a reason what you did worked so it is worth repeating.”

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The only other angler to attain four Classic titles is Kevin VanDam who won back to back in 2010-2011. He said casting is super important in consistently catching bass.

“Proper casting is the most important thing an angler can do to up his or her game,” Van Dam said.

Really big largemouth bass are rare creatures resulting from strong genetics, age and an ability to elude anglers.

Of those three traits, elusiveness falls partly into the hands of us anglers who tend to tackle the obvious and avoid the mysterious. This is a big mistake.

“We do a lot of electroshock surveys to help determine bass population and the overall health of the fishery, but we generally get very few large specimens that way,” said Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) fisheries biologist in Jasper Todd Driscoll.

Solely fishing in shallow water is a huge mistake anglers make, especially if they are pursuing big fish.

A variety of studies in the South have proved the bigger largemouths’ tendency

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TF&G editor-in-chief Chester Moore interviewing Bassmaster legend Rick Clunn.

toward deep water. This includes a comprehensive project conducted by Auburn University in Lake Seminole in Georgia.

During the day, largemouth bass were offshore in deeper water near large woody structures and moved little. Movement was lower during dusk and night periods, and a general movement toward shoreline areas

was evident.”

Largemouth bass appeared to divide their time between an offshore resting area, primarily occupied during the day, and a near-shore area, where foraging presumably occurred, primarily used during low-light periods.”

Sam Rayburn guide Roger Bacon said

2/9/15 7:59 PM

he is not surprised at these findings as many of his bigger fish are caught in deep water.

Besides being a dedicated bass angler, Bacon also targets crappie for much of the year and his experience on open lake brush piles has given him unique insight into these deep water bass.

“Working on the brush piles fishing for crappie, we catch quite a few bass and a lot of them but what has been more interesting is studying the fish we see on the graphs when scoping areas on the open lake for putting out brush. We see a lot of bass that we, in turn, will go back to catch in spots that hardly anyone will target,” he said.

A lake like Rayburn has a lot of creek beds and humps throughout the main lake area from the north end down to the southern tier. From anywhere from 100 yards from the shore to one half mile from the shore, many of the biggest bass in the lake will live and probably die before anyone catches them.

“It’s a kind of fishing that doesn’t pay off with tons of bites and nonstop action. You have to go out there and put on a jig or jig and craw and work those areas you mark

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fish and be extremely patient,” Bacon said.

“There are big fish out there but you have to be willing to work for them.”

Keeping with the idea of catching huge bass, refusing to fish with super-sized lures can be a mistake.

In fact, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) Inland Fisheries Biologist (and newly appointed Inland Fisheries Director) Craig Bonds, the issue is how far bass can open their mouths.

“If they can fit it in their mouths, they will attack it and over the years I have seen impressive evidence of this,” Bonds said.

As a graduate student, he conducted a study examining bass dietary habits using clear plastic tubes that could be inserted through the mouth, worked into the stomach and used to extract the contents without hurting the fish.

“I found everything from snakes to small turtles, a baby duck and all kinds of fish from sunfish to other bass.”

The 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion Alton Jones said his experience fishing on Lake Falcon suggests sometimes, very large lures will draw strikes or at least attention

from big bass when others fail.

“You can see the big fish on a deep point and they avoid most things but you put something on like a huge swimbait, and then the fish swim out for a look for you get bit,” Jones said.

Another major mistake anglers make is relying too much on lure color to determine success.

Yes, it can make a huge difference, but changing colors 10 times during a trip keeps your lure in the boat more than on the water. Be aware of water changes that could signal a color change is needed, but find three or four standards for each lure and stick to them. This will give you confidence and allow you to spend more time worrying about casting, retrieving and feeling the bite than wondering if the color you are fishing is right.

Bass are truly unique fish and if you pay attention to their biology and your performance on the water, the chances of success skyrocket.

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PECKLED trout are the largemouth bass of saltwater.

Not only are they the most commonly pursued

species along the Gulf Coast, they also inspire the most artificial lures. From ultra-realistic shrimp imitations titanic-sized topwaters, specks have spawned legions of lures, and for some anglers that can be a bit confusing.

The following are five lure types that will give you a good foundation in pursuit of trout and allow you to target them during any season and circumstance.

SHRIMP IMITATIONS: Nothing helps anglers zero-in on speckled trout quicker than a shrimpimitating lure. Well, the real thing might, but since we are talking about plastics here, we will focus on realistic, super effective faux shrimp.

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Popping corks are a great delivery system for soft plastics and lures like Gulp!

Spoons are a highly underrated lure for catching speckled trout. They are easy to cast and can cover much water in quick fashion.

COLORS: Glow, chartreuse, root beer, natural shrimp, clear (variations thereof) SIZE: three- to five-inch with four-inch probably being the most common SEASONS: Shrimp imitations work best in the fall when shrimp are migrating out of bays and specks are feeding on them aggressively, but they can be effective yearround.

APPLICATION: There are lots of ways to work these lures but the all-time best is under a popping cork. Rig one on a fluorocarbon leader, put it under a popping cork and you have something that sounds like a trout striking up top and food on the bottom.

Many shrimp imitations come with prerigged jigheads in 1/8-ounce class. Those who do not use 1/8-ounce under a float, go with ¼-ounce when using other techniques such as crawling them across the bottom in areas with heavy current.

TOPWATERS: Tens of thousands of Texas coastal anglers are drawn to the water simply to see, feel and hear the sensation of a big trout “blow up” on a topwater. Trout begin to feed heavily on large finfish when they get around 22 inches and larger so surface lures imitating injured mullet and other baitfish can be super productive in their pursuit.

COLOR: Bone, black/red, black/chartreuse, clear, red/white, chrome/black SIZE: A variety of topwater plugs come in sizes ranging from three to seven inches.

Most are in the four- to five-inch class. The more fish you want to catch, the smaller the plug. If you are holding out for the trout of a lifetime, go with the larger ones.

SEASON: Year-Round APPLICATION: Topwaters can work in varying capacities. The ideal is to work over shallow flats or along shorelines lined with baitfish that have brought in potentially large trout.

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“Walking the dog” is the most popular method, which is bringing in the lure with a short side-to-side motion at a medium to fast pace.

This is done with walking plugs such as Top Dogs and Super Spooks. Chugging is another tactic that uses lures like Sebile’s Splasher to slowly chug along in a pop-sit (a few seconds)-pop motion. An important thing to keep in mind is not to set the hook too early. Let the fish actually take the plug under before attempting a hook-set, or there is a good chance it will get away.

SWIMBAITS: For year’s anglers have used lures called “cocahoe minnows” and “swimmers” and not realized they were fishing swimbaits, which have become the gold standard for many bass fishermen. These are lures meant to swim under the surface and cover water to find trout.

COLOR: Black/chartreuse, morning glory, natural mullet, smoke, white, chartreuse, copper SIZE: three to six inches is best for trout although many freshwater-based companies make swimbaits up to a foot long.

SEASON: Winter/Spring APPLICATION: Throwing swimbaits over shallow mud flats and reefs can help anglers find big trout that are attracted to larger baitfish as well as cover lots of water.

Start off swimming at a medium pace and then slow down if you do not get bit.

SLOW-SINKERS: Big trout are often lethargic especially during water and early spring and sometimes want something moving slow and right on top of them. Enter slow-sinkers like Texas’s legendary Corky.

These lures require a level of discipline to fish effectively but they can yield catches when others will not get the job done.

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COLOR: Pink, chartreuse, natural mullet, copper, white, bone SIZE: three to four inches SEASON: Winter/Early Spring APPLICATION: These lures are for anglers looking for their lifetime trout. Fishing them is slow, tedious and in many cases, boring because you may only get a strike or two a day. On the other hand, that strike might just be from a 10-pounder.

These are best fished over scattered shell, mud flats on warm winter afternoons or other spots with a concentration of mullet and potential for big trout.

Throw, let it sink a long time and twitch.

Repeat the process. Keep in mind you should be very mindful of the bite as big trout will often just grab or tap a lure during this winter period.

If you feel something odd, make adjustments and set the hook. Sometimes it is that monster trout you have been looking for.

SCENTED/FLAVORED BAITS: Numerous lure companies have scented and flavored baits that not only spark fish to hold on, but lure them in. Gulp! is the industry leader and there are many varieties. However, several companies have both scented and flavored lures that are popular with anglers.

SIZE: three to five inches SEASON: Year-Round APPLICATION: These kinds of lures are typically best rigged on a jighead and either crawled along the bottom or fished under a popping cork. In fact, the method described for the shrimp imitations works great for these and in fact many come in the form of shrimp. Another underutilized method is to rig on a Carolina rig and fish along drop-offs in the channels and also in the surf, in the guts where big trout often dwell.

PHOTOS: CHESTER MOORE, JR.

2/11/15 11:50 AM

Texas SALTWATER

by CALIXTO GONZALES :: TF&G Saltwater Editor

That Rumbling Sound

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T’S BEEN SOME TIME SINCE I went on a rant, so in honor of Georgia Tech’s Rambling Wreck, and their rousing win in the Orange Bowl, here is a mess of rambling rumblings, grumblings, and mumblings…

I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from my brace of columns about do-it-yourself lure making.

Some of you (and thanks for reading) want me to include more “Do It Yourself Angler” columns going forward. I will. Others told me that you’ve started experimenting with lure ideas you’ve had and are pouring your own molds.

Let me offer one last bit of advice on the subject: don’t give up!

If you are like me, born with two hands and 12 thumbs, your first pour is going to look like a creature from a Hammer Studios monster flick. If that happens, try again. Better still, take a picture of your abomination and contact the good folks at Makelure.com for a little advice. Mike and his merry band will happily take the time to discuss a strategy to design your lure.

We anglers are known for our singleminded persistence. Put it to practice again.

By the way, to the spouses of nascent lure makers: I bear no responsibility if your husband/boyfriend/wife/girlfriend has covered your kitchen table with molds, scales, and Sculpey clay.

••• I’ve got to mention this: a lot of high school theater teachers reading this are getting ready for One Act Play competition. Too many parents have no earthly clue how much time you put into working with your kids and getting some real works of performance art ready

for the stage.

Some don’t understand the sacrifice in personal time and expense that goes into what we do. Promise me that the first weekend after you are done, whether it’s with Zone, District, Bi-District, Area, Regional, or State competition, you will get your tired carcasses on the water and get some slime therapy. In fact, write to me about your first trip after your event, and I’ll gladly publish the best ones.

••• My son decided to walk to the local Walgreen’s to buy a charger for his phone. He came back with a Maine Coon kitten. How did that happen?

••• A friendly reminder to everyone out there: take care of yourselves. My best friend was the sort of man who ignored his health and all sorts of warning signs because he was in serious denial of his condition, which was diabetes.

That is, he ignored his health until he lost the top third of his right big toe to gangrene. It started as a blister that wouldn’t heal, and went to Hell from there. He’s all right now, but the scare he put all of us through was terrible.

Take. Care. Of. Yourselves.

••• I haven’t heard anything from my PETA friends lately. I feel so neglected…

••• Seriously, theater teachers work as hard as any football coach you can think of without the budget, personnel, and recognition. They will always have a spot on my boat.

••• The next time you fry fish, crush a handful of cheese puffs into your cornmeal/flour mixture.

You’re welcome…

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••• “I’m glad AT&T Uverse is finally carrying the World Fishing Network. After all, they had a channel featuring the same four Court shows back to back. Why not feature a channel about our favorite avocation?”

••• Why in the world are Texas bookstores selling magazines about ICE FISHING? ••• A friend of mine was fishing the mouth of the Arroyo Colorado back in October when he got a crashing strike on his Kelly Wiggler.

It was an 18-inch striped bass. Wow! ••• I’ve been asked a few times if I knew WHY there seems to be a population explosion of black drum in the Lower Laguna Madre. I took the time to ask Texas Parks and Wildlife Lower Coast Leader Mark Lingo. Best that the fisheries biologists can figure is that a large biomass of the noisy relative of the redfish and speckled trout passed down through the Land Cut from the Upper Laguna Madre and took up residence. The boon to anglers is that the huge number of thumpers are most likely in the LLM to stay. That spells a great fishing opportunity for young and old, experts and novices alike.

••• Seriously. A Maine Coon. Do you know how big those suckers get?

I am truly surprised it took so long before a 900-pound-plus blue marlin was landed on the Texas coast. Captains Steve Stromeir and T E X A S

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Chad Kinney have told me they’ve encountered some legitimate granders around the Floater and Perdido Spar. With the number of accomplished captains working the Texas Coast and the skills they flash on the water, it just goes to show you that landing a true giant like Richard Richardson’s 972-pounder is truly remarkable.

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2/9/15 8:54 PM

Special TF&G Staff Report LAST JANUARY HUNTERS, RANCHERS AND conservationists celebrated the President signing the Omnibus bill that featured a Dallas Safari Club-backed provision to allow continued hunting of scimitar-horned oryx, Dama gazelle and addax antelope.

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This was after a previous ban on hunting these species, which are ultrarare or in some cases totally absent, in their home land of Africa, but flourishing on Texas ranches where they have been managed for hunting for decades.

The ban had been a direct shot at hunters and the hunting community.It is indicative of a new tactic employed to forward an agenda not only against hunting, but also against pet ownership.

PHOTO: CANSTOCK

2/11/15 11:56 AM

Do They Open a Back Door to Attacks from AntiHunting Forces?

The same people who want to eliminate hunting also want to eliminate you owning pets. This has been well-chronicled over the years on these pages with quotes from leaders of groups such as the Humane Society of the United States, PETA and the Fund for Animals.

The tie-in to hunting is they have found a soft spot with exotic and potentially dangerous species, and they have willing accomplices in the media.

The most glaring example is with a 2012 importation ban on several large species of snakes―the Burmese python, yellow anaconda, northern and southern African pythons which were listed as “injurious wildlife” under the Lacey Act. It bans bringing them into the country and moving them across state lines.

The premise is based on the spread of Burmese pythons in the Everglades, which has been perpetuated as a genuine threat by several programs on T E X A S

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television. The interesting thing is the species could in no way survive winter and breed much north of that area so one has to wonder why such an aggressive ban.

Do you think animal rights groups are not behind this legislation? Think again.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) issued the following statement in response to news reports that a loose, 10-foot python was allegedly spotted in a wildlife area.

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Exotics is a weak spot, and the buzzword is ‘captive hunting.’

You may be thinking that people are crazy for owning snakes, but this is just the beginning. They are coming for other animals as well.

Exotics is the weak spot, and the buzzword in animal rights circles is “captive hunting.” They know it is difficult to get an outright ban on the hunting part, so they will go with other factors. They hit the oryx because of its endangered status, but their new tactic is the spreading of disease.

This is from the HSUS website.

“Due to the high population densities on captive hunts, risk of disease transmission increases, posing a threat to animals inside and outside the fences. And it is doubtful that those involved in the captive hunting business provide acceptable veterinary care for their animals.”

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“Visitors to the Navarino Nature Wildlife Area are concerned as they should be about reports that a 10-foot python is on the loose in the park. Giant constrictor snakes are capable of injuring and killing people, pets and wildlife, including endangered species,” said Alyson Bodai, Wisconsin state director for The Humane Society of the United States.

“This incident, and hundreds like it, illustrates the urgent need for Wisconsin legislators to pass a law restricting the private possession of dangerous wild animals, and for the U.S. Congress to pass H.R. 511, which would stop the importation and interstate commerce of deadly giant constrictor snakes for the pet trade. The trade in these nonnative snakes threatens public safety, animal welfare and the environment.”

Ignore all of the words in the statement but two: “animal” and “welfare.” In the eyes of HSUS that means “animal rights” and the real agenda here is banning reptiles as pets.

Here’s another quote from the same section on exotic hunting.

“Although there must legally be fencing around captive hunts, animals often can and sometimes do escape from these facilities.

Since 2007, there have been 48 instances of elk escaping from captive facilities in Iowa alone. In Wisconsin, captive facilities reported 437 escapes from 2004 to 2007. The interstate transport of animals for breeding purposes increases the possibility of spreading these diseases even further.”

Hog hunting behind high fences was banned a couple of years ago in New York and they have recently banned all hog hunting. Competition with native wildlife was a key reason as was the import and travel ban on pythons.

While it seems implausible at this point that Texas would do such a thing, counties have plenty of leeway with what kinds of animals are allowed. Animal rights groups know most people are out of touch with what goes on at the country and city level and often find great success in various animal bans there.

But exotics are not the only pet targeted.

Hog hunting with dogs, particularly the use of pit bulls and other breeds as catch dogs is a particularly hated area for animal rights groups. It is an area we believe is vulnerable, especially at the city and county level.

Insurance companies are already balking at covering owners with pit bulls. Animal rightists are using the breed and its controversy to stoke the fires of breed bans. Here’s an interesting quote from PETA when asked if they would be for a pit bull ban.

“If someone proposed a ban on breeding Labrador retrievers or chihuahuas or poodles [you get the picture – any dog],

we’d be for those too. That’s because we don’t think any dogs should be brought into the world as long as millions are dying for lack of homes in animal shelters and on the streets every year.”

Louisiana has banned “hog-dog fights,” (which has nothing to do with hunting) where hogs are released into an area and catch dogs are sent to tackle the hog.

Although it is not hunting and should not be compared to it, it is linked by proxy and gives animal rightists an “in.” How long before this translates to banning using catch dogs or hunting hogs with dogs altogether?

This quote is from an article written for HSUS by Danielle Ring.

“For now, no other states have introduced bills to ban hog-dog fighting. But those states may be lying low for good reason. The HSUS believes that the blood sport is already illegal under many states’ existing animal cruelty laws, and two recent rulings have confirmed this: The attorneys general in Texas and Florida have delivered opinions stating that hog-dog fights violate their cruelty laws.”

Numerous states have bans now on hunting bears with hounds. Are hogs far behind?

This article was written to raise awareness to issues that fly under the radar in most sporting circles. You may not care to own a python; but have no doubt, many of the same people behind that ban would be glad to eliminate exotic hunting. Their cohorts are already contemplating actions on hogs and dogs.

Be on guard, and remember just because they’re not coming for your hobby now, doesn’t mean it’s not next on the agenda.

The Invisible Ark: In Defense of Captivity FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SEE

why the captive care of wildlife is crucial, this book is a must-read. Written

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way. The book is challenging and presents things on a broad and yet intimate basis.

Examples are given as to why captive ownership is important and how ignor-

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ing this is a detriment to the animals themselves. For more information go to vpi.com.

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2/11/15 11:56 AM

Bare Bones HUNTING

by LOU MARULLO :: TF&G Hunting Editor

Hunter Tech, Part 2

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AST MONTH I WROTE ABOUT the many technological advancements that have made hunting not only more successful, but also how more hunters have been able to hunt in their golden years due to some of these advancements. I already wrote about so many advantages we have today as hunters…things that our fathers never had the luxury to hunt with. Here are a few more.

I’ll start this month’s column with the clothes we wear in the field. In the early days, hunters wore the well-known red and black checkered outfit. It was made of wool and did keep you warm, and it worked! Soon Bowhunters realized they needed to blend into their surroundings for that close shot.

The early army green camo was the norm mainly because it was the ONLY camo available. It was not too long before companies came out with much better camo. Clothes that could blend in wherever you decided to hunt.

Goose and duck hunters used the camo that looked like they were standing in high grass or a marsh. Bird hunters who live in snow country dress in white to blend in. Bowhunters soon fell in love with what was called tree stand camo. This pattern resembled the bark of a tree. Oh believe me, if you had one of those outfits, you were the cool hunter envied by all of your hunting buddies.

In 1997, Scentlok clothing was introduced to the hunting world and basically changed the way we look at hunting clothes. Based on the properties of charcoal and carbon, these Scentlok suits proved to work and work well in the field. Today, many of the outfits worn by hunters come with scentlok technology.

Scent elimination sprays developed in 1985, are another ingenious product that our father never had. Although at the first SHOT show appearance (an industry show that unveils the new shooting and hunt-

ing equipment coming out on the market), nobody seemed to show an interest in this product. It has now grown into a multi-million dollar industry that is constantly improving.

As hunters, we were told to layer our clothing to keep the cold out. But today, new, lighter and more absorbing material is used as a layer. It actually draws moisture off your skin and keeps you nice and dry. I believe that the first company to introduce such a material was Under Amour, although I might be mistaken. Since then, many companies have come out with their own version of this technology.

Windproof and water resistant clothing ensures a comfortable hunt without the bulkiness of “old fashioned” layering. In years past, our fathers would leave the house looking like he had every stitch of clothing he ever owned in a feeble attempt to keep warm. So much clothing made it near impossible to put a rifle to your shoulder for a clean shot. And if he had to get in his truck to drive back home, he had to spend another ½ hour just taking some of the layers off so he could fit behind the wheel! I am glad those days are behind us.

Back in the day, if Dad shot a nice big buck deep in the woods, it meant that he would have to also struggle, at times, just to drag it back to his truck. I am happy to say that those days are behind us as well. Since the 4-wheelers have entered the market, it made retrieving your game much easier. You simply drive that 4-wheeler right through the woodlot and tie a rope to your vehicle on one end and your trophy on the other. Then just drive and drag it back to your truck or campsite. That made life much easier for the aging hunter. I realize that not every hunter out there can afford such a luxury but it does not matter. Just make friends with another hunter who does have one! Viola! Problem solved!

The invention of the GPS was astronomical for the hunter. Most smart phones today have a GPS built into it. Not only can you never get lost driving to your hunting location, but with this tool, you can also locate your T E X A S

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favorite tree stand. More importantly, if you run into trouble and need medical help while in the field, a GPS signal makes it easier for emergency personnel to locate your position.

I consider a GPS of some sort a must in your backpack.

Years ago, if we had a deer down, we would use a whistle to let our buddies hunting in the same woodlot know of our good luck. If we saw a deer heading their way, we would blow the whistle. If we fell and needed help, out came the whistle again. Can you see the problem here? All it really would do is let someone hear your whistle. Then, as technology improved, most hunters equipped themselves with a radio and an earpiece. It proved to be much better than an idiot blowing a whistle every 3 minutes!

Some hunters still use a two-way radio while hunting, but I find it very annoying when I am trying to hunt and all of a sudden I hear children playing with their new radios on the same frequency that you are on. Or the conversation about what the wife is making the husband for dinner tonight. It matters not if I change frequencies, they are EVERYWHERE. That is why I encourage my hunting buddies to use our cell phones if we have a signal. It is much easier and you do not intrude on other people with your conversation. Just remember that unlike the 2-way radio, the batteries on a cell phone cannot be changed in the field when they run out of power. It is not a good idea to sit in your stand while hunting is slow and text your friends back home. You may need to use that phone for an emergency.

Technology has improved our hunting in a huge way. It has made being in the field more comfortable, more accurate and most of all much safer than ever before. I think Dad would approve…just like we will approve any new developments that make hunting a better, safer environment for our children.

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2/9/15 8:47 PM

TEXAS Dept. of DEFENSE

by STEVE LAMASCUS & DUSTIN ELLERMANN

Self Defense Tactical :: Concealed Carry

Mindset = Survival

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ET ME ASK YOU A QUEStion. What is the first thing that goes through the mind of a person who is suddenly confronted with a life or death situation where he is either going to be killed or he is going to have to use his own weapon to incapacitate his attacker?

Well, you probably got the answer wrong. The truth is that for about 95 percent of us, excluding those of us who were more highly trained than any but the most elite special forces troops, the first thing in your mind is denial. This can’t really be happening. This happens to other people, not to me.

Believe me, I speak from experience!

The reaction time of the average person is about 15 to 30 hundredths of a second if you are really prepared for the moment.

That’s when you are standing in front of a target, your hands in the standard “surrender” position, waiting for the whistle.

If you are strolling along the street and suddenly are confronted with a shooting situation, your reaction time is going to be several times that. That’s why the first and most important part of developing your selfdefense skills is to develop a true combat mindset.

If you are going to carry a gun, you must first be ready and willing to prepare yourself mentally to react to such a situation in the proper way and as quickly as possible. This is going to make you do some things that are

unpleasant.

First you are going to have to contemplate taking another human’s life. If you don’t believe you can do that, don’t carry a gun. It would just cause more problems than it could possibly resolve, the worst of which may be you being killed with your own weapon.

It would amaze you the number of assailants who, if faced with a gun, will just dare you to shoot. This is because the bad guys realize most people are not mentally capable of shooting at another human, knowing they would probably take his life.

I learned a long time ago it’s usually a waste of time to threaten anyone with a gun. The few times I did so, the response was usually: “Go ahead. Shoot.” If you’re in a situation where you have to draw your

RRA LAR47 THERE SEEM TO BE TWO GROUPS in the gun world when it comes to choosing the best battle rifle. One side loves the AK47 citing its ruggedness, power, and reliability, and then the other side swears by the AR15 because of its low recoil, ergonomics, and accuracy.

But now you have Rock River Arms bridging the gap between the AR15 and AK47 with the new LAR47. Gun guys will recognize right away there is something very different with this AR. The LAR47 has a uniquely shaped lower receiver so it can accept standard AK47 magazines and 7.62x39mm ammunition.

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The Rock River Arms LAR47, an AR15 platform that fires popular 7.62x39mm ammunition utilizing standard AK47 magazines.

.223 round costs nearly $0.40. If you like more power, factory .300 Whisper/.300 Blackout ammo will cost nearly a dollar a round, but cheap blasting rounds for the AK47 platform are found for less than a quarter a shot.

Chambering an AR15 in 7.62x39mm is nothing new, but it requires oddly shaped, finicky magazines due to the cartridge’s dimensions. So the ability to use an AK47 magazine makes it fun on the range and

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downright handy in a battle situation where you could instantly utilize your enemy’s dropped ammunition.

The fire controls such as the crisp, five-pound, two-stage Rock River trigger and safety are standard AR15 mil spec. It doesn’t have a side bolt catch and the magazine release is inside the trigger guard, which can also be reached with your trigger finger if you are strong enough.

PHOTOS: DUSTIN ELLERMANN

2/9/15 7:50 PM

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TEXAS Dept. of DEFENSE weapon, you absolutely must be prepared to use it.

The mindset comes in at that point. You should have already, long ago, decided that you would shoot if the situation called for it.

If that is not the case, you should not draw the weapon in the first place.

As long as we’re on the subject, yelling “Stop, I’ve got a gun,” or “Halt, or I’ll shoot,” is usually a total waste of breath and mental energy. Worse, it takes your mind off the most important act of concentrating on your opponent’s actions. You can’t both yell directions and shoot at the same time. If you are in a situation where you need your gun, yelling instructions is only going to give the bad guy more time to kill you. The probable result will be “Stop! I’ve got a. . .” then

BANG! You’re dead.

The next unpleasant thing is that you must never let your mind stray. Strolling along, thinking about that paper you failed to give to the boss last Friday, or the fishing trip you have planned for next month, is dangerous. Instead you must always be aware of your surroundings and be prepared to react to any sudden danger always!

This harkens back to our conditions white, yellow, orange, and red. Never let your mind go below condition yellow, and at any strange occurrence, go instantly to condition orange. If it’s nothing, go back to yellow. If it’s something, you are ready to react with the appropriate force.

Some people would call this paranoia.

They would be dead wrong. Every day

on the news we hear of some new outrage, where some nut or terrorist strolls into a business, college, church, or grocery store, and starts shooting innocent people.

If we lived in a world where such violence was rare or absent, then yes, such mental preparedness might be paranoia. However, we do not live in such a utopia. We live in a world where many thousands of people would happily kill you and your family.

It happens every day.

The only way to deal with such violence is with equal or greater violence. Because of this, your every waking moment should be one of alertness and preparedness. Train your mind to be ready at every second to face a violent attacker and respond with force overwhelming force.

The truth is that your gun is only the third part of your ability to face violence.

Your mindset and your skills are first and second. Without the first two, the gun is just a weight that pulls your pants down.

—Steve LaMascus

Another view of the RRA LAR47.

I found myself reloading mags just as I would with an AK47, but by physical memory my hand reached under the rifle and attempted to cycle the bolt handle that wasn’t there because it utilizes a standard AR15 charging handle.

I was most inquisitive whether this rifle would be reliable with cheap surplus ammunition like its AK47 counterpart.

Taking two platforms and merging them together is an engineering challenge.

However,as the owner of Evans Brothers Guns who handled my transfer said, if anyone can do it, it’s Rock River.

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best reputation. After several hundred rounds of the steel cased ammo with my surplus steel and the included thermold magazines, I came to the conclusion that this rifle totally runs.

With a suppressor it was even more fun. To me AK47s aren’t too enjoyable to shoot due to their chunkiness and difficulty to accessorize. However the LAR47 is smooth and sweet. My eight-inch armored target plates only sway a little when hit with .223 rounds, but they were flipping completely over the hanger bar when I timed three successive shots right.

Downright enjoyable!

For accuracy testing, I mounted my

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EOTech with 3x magnifier, another feat that would have been nearly impossible with an AK47.Yet it’s very easy with a picatinny railed AR15.

I shot brass cased Winchester 123 grain FMJs. From 100 yards I shot twoinch, five round groups with three of those shots into ¾ inches. Steel cased surplus ammo stretched groups out to nearly three inches. That’s perfectly acceptable for a stock battle rifle using cheap ammo, especially if you measure that against a stock AK47-styled rifle.

The pricetag on the Rock River LAR47 starts at $1,270 MSRP. If you’ve always been on the fence on purchasing an AK47- or AR15-styled rifle, this is the perfect compromise.

—Dustin Ellermann

PHOTOS: DUSTIN ELLERMANN

2/9/15 7:50 PM

Also Available at Amazon.com

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9/24/14 5:41 PM

Bank Fishing Strategies for Boatless Anglers story by TF&G Staff with Chad Ferguson

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2/11/15 3:13 PM

ANGLERS BOUND TO FISHING for catfish or any other species from the bank have limitations.

Let us be honest here and recognize there are certain limitations to fishing without a boat.

This does not however mean bank anglers cannot have consistent, productive fishing action, whether they wade in for trout on the coast or fish from a pier in an inland state park.

The following tips will make a gigantic difference in your pursuit of catfish from the bank.

WATER LEVELS: Paying special attention to water levels and movement is crucial for anglers fishing from the bank. By virtue of fishing from shore, you are fishing across the very shallowest areas and that can be a problem.

Inland anglers should strategically position themselves in areas with enough depth to get solid fishing action. The tip of piers like those at many of our state parks and at private docks throughout the states are great spots. Another simple step is walking out toward points that extend into a lake or river. This offers a big advantage over simply setting up at a pretty spot on the bank.

Catfish can certainly be caught in the shallows, particularly during the spawning period, but if all of your fishing is in one to two feet of water you are missing out on many opportunities.

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2/11/15 11:59 AM

Precision Catfishing

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HE USE OF “LURES” FOR catfish might seem different but it can be highly effective.

Products like the Little Stinker Large Kat Lures allow for an efficient way to fish commercially prepared baits. These teardrop

plastic lures are made in bright colors with tiny pores to leak out scents to attract catfish. These lures are similar to tactics used in Europe to catch that region’s giant catfish—the Wels.

Simply insert the tip of the bait into the slit of the Little Stinker Teardrop Lure and squeeze. The scent of the bait will milk out of the lure attracting big cats. The bait remaining inside the lure will satisfy the fish as it strikes. The weedless design allows for fishing in and around brush, rock and structures where big fish hide.

This system lures fish with both scent and taste.

Injecting these lures gives anglers a messfree option for a style of fishing, not exactly known for cleanliness. Plus, it still has plenty of stink to lure in ol’ whiskerface.

Check them out at www.UncleJosh.com

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Little Stinker Large Kat Lures in Red (right—top), Chartreuse (right—bottom), Glitter (left—top) and Yellow (left—bottom).

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THE RIGHT LINE: This one might seem not so important, but it can save you lots of time and frustration in the field.

Avoid using fluorocarbon and braided lines that sink while fishing from the bank.

Shorelines are typically lined with vegetation, trash and other obstacles. If you are making long casts and using a sinking lure or fishing dead bait on the bottom, a fluorocarbon or other sinking line will get you snagged all over the place.

Texas Fish & Game Editor-In-Chief field tested some line a while back that was designed for crappie fishing and the first test was conducted a bridge with a baited brush pile.

“The bank there slopes way down and I got snagged all over the place on the brush because of the sinking properties,” Moore said.

“Most braided line floats (there are exceptions), and it also gives you a strength advantage. If you are fishing for catfish, for example, and hook a 30-pounder instead of the usual two to three pounders, it can pay off to have a strong, braided line,” he added.

CHUM: Although chasing fish from the bank is not an option, you can make them chase you. Chumming is an underrated method of pursuing catfish in Texas that can be used anywhere, from ponds to the state’s largest reservoirs.

Europeans use a technique called “ground baiting” where anglers use soured grain and prepared chum from the bank. They use slingshots to shoot it far into the water and also use a plastic device that rests above their leader.

If you can find an old 35mm film canister or one of the soft side plastic aspirin bottles, remove the labels and poke holes all over it.

Strategically poke aligning holes in the top and bottom. Using a Carolina rig, slide the rig above your weight and leader. Open the lid, fill with chum and cast. This allows you to have a fish attractant right on your line.

Take a cast net and catch a bunch of shad, then mash them up. Put these in the canister, instead of soured grain or a prepared bait. Since most coastal predatory fish key on fish oil, you can take a can of mackerel, poke holes in it and put it in a wire PHOTOS: HARD AND SOFT BAITS

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PHOTO: TPWD

device.

The device is to be filled with their tube paste or dip bait in flavors such as blood.

It creates its own mini chum as the bait disperses through the water, luring in fish of the whisker wearing variety.

Catfish pro, Chad Ferguson, says using these types of smelly concoctions can help bring fish to the angler.

“Catfish like things that stink,” he said.

“If bank fishermen put that knowledge to use, that will go a long way toward success.”

“Splash,” the state record catfish, was caught from shore at Lake Texoma

by Cody Mullennix, pictured here with retired TPWD inland fisheries director Phil Durocher.

fish basket and use it to create a chum slick that draws fish to your position.

An easier option and one that is perfect for using stinking concoctions is to the use

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the Little Stinker Large Kat Lures. They are pre-made rigs featuring a double or treble hook, depending on your preference, wrapped with a tear-drop shaped plastic

FLOATS: In northern states, floats are considered precision bait- and lure-delivering instruments. In Texas we often look at them as child’s play, but nothing could be farther from the truth.

Using floats while fishing from the bank gives you some wonderful advantages. For starters, if you have a good idea of the depth you will be casting toward, it will allow you to fish above any cover on the bottom (shell, brush) that could get you snagged.

Additionally it allows you to keep an exact eye on your bait and position it over

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A simple fishing float or bobber provides a number of advantages for the bank fisherman.

certain spots. Good visuals are extremely important for bank fishing.

Another advantage is fish attraction.

Popping and rattling corks, in particular, mimic the sound of feeding fish and are great at drawing reactions from everything from redfish to catfish.

BE MOBILE: When bank fishing it is easy to get set on one location since it can be such a pain to move. However, this can cause you to waste time and catch few fish.

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Have a few different locations in mind.

Remember, the same kind of conditions that impact fishing from a boat affect fish when you fish from the bank. The fish have not changed, only your location has.

RAINY DAYS: Rain gets catfish stirred up and in a big way. Most anglers avoid the rain but catfish fans, especially those who fish from the bank, know it is time to hit the water.

Narrow canals intersected by smaller

ditches than feed into bayous or rivers are great places to seek catfish as water levels rise and the visibility goes to zero. The word “feeding frenzy” may seem like overkill in this situation, but the fact is rain triggers a hunger impulse in catfish. Although you are sitting on the bank, your chances of catching a mess of fine eating catfish are as good as anyone in a boat when the sky is crying.

2/9/15 9:48 PM

True GREEN TF&G Conservation Editor

Edited by WILL LESCHPER

TPWD to Catch Illegal Smugglers

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HRONIC WASTING DISease is not prevalent in Texas, having only been discovered in the remote far western reaches of El Paso and Hudspeth counties, but as with other outdoor safety issues, it remains in the spotlight.

In 2012 tissue samples from a pair of mule deer killed in the Hueco Mountains near the New Mexico border returned positive results for the disease, effectively lumping the state in with 20 others where the disease has been discovered. However, deer aren’t the real danger in connection with CWD. The real threat remains the unscrupulous individual attempting to make big bucks by illegally smuggling deer that pose the great42 |

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est threat to our native population pegged at more than 4 million.

For that reason, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, in conjunction with the Texas Animal Health Commission and other state and national entities, has developed a surveillance plan and protocols aimed at discovering and containing further transmission among the state’s deer herds, which remain a multi-billion dollar industry.

TPWD estimates more than a half-million hunters on average annually have pursued deer during seasons in the past decade, and deer hunting’s direct economic impact is more than $2 billion annually in Texas.

The TAHC has authority for reporting and tracking diseases in alternative livestock

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including elk, red deer and sika deer, and TPWD has authority over free-ranging white-tailed and mule deer. The agencies also share regulatory authority over captive deer held under the authority of breeder permits.

Texas shut down the importation of deer from other states a decade ago and has conducted a rigorous CWD testing program ever since. TPWD has received test results indicating no disease detection for more than 25,000 samples collected from wild deer around the state since the 2002-03 hunting season, according to agency figures. Most were collected from hunter-harvested deer.

More than 7,000 similar results were submitted from permitted deer breeders.

TPWD also has established strict requirements on the movement of whitetails and muleys from breeder facilities. They include meeting certification status conditions with the TAHC, Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratories and the agency itself. Penalties include losing qualified status to move animals for a year or more, which can hit breeders in the pocket book.

The 2014 conviction of a former South Texas deer breeder underscores just how far some are willing to go to cash in on deer in the Lone Star State.

Frank Thomas Shumate Jr., 51, and Kalub Rogers, 31, of Corpus Christi, each were assessed $14,127.50 in fines and agreed to surrender the ability to apply for a deer breeder permit or a hunting lease license after pleading guilty to 50 charges of unlawful possession and/or sale of live game animals. The couple also agreed to surrender hunting licenses through the end of the 2015 license year and 2017 license year, respectively.

An investigation into Shumate’s deer breeding activities began in March 2004 and led to multiple charges in three counties, according to TPWD. In 2006 his deer breeder violations resulted in 10 convictions on criminal charges in Jim Wells County and five convictions each in Nueces County Continued on page 44 u

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True GREEN DU Greens Lake Effort Gets Funds DUCKS UNLIMITED (DU) RECENTly received $125,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) managed Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund to coordinate a restoration project for part of the Galveston Bay system. The Greens Lake Marsh Restoration Project will seek to remedy harm to natural resources resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, as mandated by the agreement governing the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund.

“The Texas coast is critically important for wintering waterfowl, resident mottled ducks and millions of other migratory birds,” said Todd Merendino, DU manager of conservation programs.

At 5,100 acres, Greens Lake Marsh is one of the largest marsh complexes in the Galveston Bay Estuary. The tidal marsh and open water complex lies along the north

TPWD t Continued from page 42 and Webb County. Shumate agreed to relinquish his scientific breeder’s permit and all deer held in captivity in his deer breeding facility in Nueces County.

Before losing his deer breeding privileges, Shumate initiated a plan to have a new deer breeding facility permitted in the name of Rogers on his property in Karnes County, where he then transferred more than 100 deer from his Nueces County facility, according to the release. TPWD’s Special Operations Unit also received numerous reports that Shumate remained active in the deer business and was buying and selling deer for which he was not legally authorized.

Further investigation revealed that

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shoreline of West Galveston Bay. It consists of several ecologically important coastal habitats, including intertidal emergent marsh and oyster beds. In addition to waterfowl and other migratory birds, these habitats are critically important as nursery areas to many marine species. The NOAA – National Marine Fisheries Service has designated intertidal marsh as Essential Fish Habitat for several economically important species, including brown and white shrimp, gulf menhaden, blue crab and speckled sea trout.

Unfortunately, much of the coastal marsh habitats of Texas have degraded or disappeared during the past century from construction of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) with subsequent erosion and salt water intrusion, as well as regional subsidence from groundwater extraction. These conditions have converted large expanses of highly productive vegetated marshes into shallow, empty open-water flats. Greens Lake has suffered the effects of these impacts, and conservation efforts led by DU will seek to reverse this trend and improve the Galveston Bay ecosystem.

“Resiliency of natural and human communities on the coast is of utmost importance to our ecological and economic sustainability.

The Greens Lake Project will improve Shumate conducted sales of at least 78 white-tailed deer from Rogers’ deer breeding facility to ranches for release into the wild for stocking purposes since September 2010, according to the release. Shumate received at least $171,466 for deer he illegally sold, which according to records submitted to TPWD, were transported from Rogers’ facility. The probe also indicated that Rogers held a deer breeder permit in her name on behalf of her husband, Shumate.

Rogers’ facility came under additional scrutiny in 2012 as a result of a delinquent annual report required of permitted deer breeding facilities. Criminal charges were filed when a herd inspection and inventory revealed irregularities and discrepancies, including 162 inventoried deer that were missing, according to

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coastal marsh conditions and provide improved wildlife habitat, water quality, and flood and storm relief to West Galveston Bay and its adjacent communities,” said Greg Green, DU regional biologist and Greens Lake Project leader.

The NFWF grant and matching partner contributions will fund survey and initial engineering design for improving the Greens Lake Marsh. Implementation of the full restoration components may cost upwards of $10 million and take 3-5 years to plan and implement.

This project builds on prior conservation activities implemented by DU and compliments existing partnerships with the Texas General Land Office and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which are also supporting portions of the Greens Lake Project.

Approval of this project is the first of several steps to improve the ecological productivity and sustainability of Greens Lake and the Galveston Bay Estuary. Restoration of the area will benefit waterfowl, other migratory birds, finfish, shellfish and many other wildlife species.

—Andi Cooper

 the release. During a herd inspection TPWD wildlife biologists noted the remaining deer in the facility to be in poor condition and multiple decayed carcasses were observed throughout the pens.

The observation of 142 deer of unknown origin was cause for additional concern and tissue samples from several deer were tested for chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis. While neither disease was detected, the illegal actions highlight the biggest threat to Texas’ native deer herds.



Email Will Leschper at WillLeschperOutdoors@gmail.com

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COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

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THERE ARE MORE REDFISH IN TEXAS bay systems than there have been in more than 30 years. In fact, some areas are so thick with reds, anglers have a hard time catching legalsized fish.

STORY BY CHESTER MOORE

No, I am not talking about catching undersized “rat reds” but oversized bulls. In comparison to the period after the “redfish wars” and freezes of ’83 and ’89, that is a welcomed change.

With spring rolling in this month, most anglers will have their sights set on speckled trout, but for those who prefer reds, there is plenty of action out there along the Texas coast.

Let’s take a look at some of the more exciting opportunities.

Topwater Bonanza If you can find anything cooler related to Texas inshore fishing than catching a redfish on a topwater plug, call me. I’ll have to see it before I can believe it.

The raw force and determination behind the average redfish strike on a topwater is the kind of thing that keeps many of us spending thousands of dollars a year, getting up at ridiculously early hours, getting sunburned and flat out fatigued when the fishing is good.

The Keith Lake Chain located in Jefferson County near the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge is a great spot for catching topwater reds this month. My mentor, the late Ed Holder taught me about fishing this hot spot and shared what may be the most important thing to keep in mind for topwater reds.

He said anglers need to be mindful of what he called the redfish “cone of vision.” This is the zone that an angler should try to work around when T E X A S

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sight-casting to reds. If a redfish’s head were a clock, its eyes would be at two and ten o’clock. The fish can basically see to four o’clock on the right side and eight o’clock on the left, but five, six and seven o’clock are blind spots.

An angler should always make a point to throw the bait directly in front of the fish or even with its head. The fish may strike at the bait if it hears it hit behind the eyes, but Holder says the combination of seeing and hearing the action of a topwater plug is what will drive a redfish to hit most of the time.

With this in mind, it’s worth noting that it’s almost a miracle of physics for a redfish to strike bait on the surface. The mouth of a red is designed to descend downward to feed on crustaceans on the bottom, not extend outward to gulp up schooling fish.

If you watch closely, you can see the fish turn slightly to the side so they can strike the bait. Either the reds have evolved this ability over the years or nature just goofed up somewhere down the line.

Another interesting note shared by Holder was in regard to the movement of schools of redfish in marshy lakes like those

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in the Keith Lake Chain. Holder is a veteran airplane pilot. He says that while flying over these areas you can easily make out long mud trails in the water.

These trails denote where schools of redfish are rooting up crabs and small baitfish.

By wearing polarized sunglasses and paying attention to subtle changes in water clarity, an angler can make out these trails, and may actually be able to follow the schools.

After late cold fronts move through, redfish schooling activity may be such that almost anyone can find them. When they get to feeding in a frenzy, a school of reds may look more like an emerging submarine than a bunch of fish. In late spring, however, this isn’t always the case, but it can happen Look for subtle signs. A small mud boil may mean a lone redfish on the prowl. A ripple in the water can lead to a large school of aggressively feeding reds. Think small in early fall to find big numbers of redfish.

Intracoastal Buoys There are thousands of marker buoys and barnacle encrusted channel marker poles in

the Intracoastal and they are good spots to find reds this time of year. These poles make up their own mini ecosystems in much the same way oil and gas platforms do offshore.

They are obviously not a pronounced as rigs, but they do draw in fish.

The first thing you need to do is check to see if the poles have many barnacles on them. Those spots are good ones to fish because they are likely to draw in lots of baitfish and crustaceans, which reds, of course, dine on.

In addition, the ones located near shorelines with shell are great places to fish. The markers typically designate where the channel and shallows meet, so setting up between the shell along the shore and the marker puts an angler in a great position.

Chunk one line in the shallows and another in the deep and there is a very good chance you will score on redfish. Live bait such as mud minnows or finger mullet, works good in the spring, but so do crankbaits like Rat-L-Traps or even freshwater plugs like the Bomber 9A.

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Mid Coast Oyster Look for some of the deeper oyster reefs on the Middle Coast in Aransas, Oso and north toward Matagorda Bay to provide some of the best fishing for reds in the early spring. Oyster reefs are loaded with sand eels, which are a key component of their diet this time of year. The general practice while fishing reefs is to make long drifts with the current. A good tip is to use a wind or drift sock to slow down boat movement. A slower drift will make for fewer hang-ups and greater bite detection Keep in mind that not all oyster reefs are created equal and not all parts of an oyster reef are the same. It is important to look for the structure within structure. An oyster reef is a structure all by itself, but there is structure on top of that structure.

A big clump of oysters rising up on a slight ridge on a reef with an average depth of 10 feet is structure on structure. A sunken boat on a reef is structure on structure.

Norton Sand Eels, Bass Assassins or other eel-imitating lures are obvious choices for lures on these reefs.

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I like to use a NO-SNAGG Slip Sinker

by Lindy, which works great on oyster reefs.

Its unique shape allows it to twist itself free from obstructions where other sinkers cannot. When fishing with it on reefs, slowly raise and lower the rod tip to give the rig a hopping action. It works well with lures, but also is an excellent way of rigging live bait.

Jetty Reds All of the jetty systems in Texas will hold redfish this month. The action ranges from lukewarm to excellent depending on the presence of cold fronts and tidal flow.

On the passing of late cold fronts, target the eddies that form at the end of jetties.

Typically, all jetties have an area at the southern tip where the current washes out a large bowl area. When the tide is strong and in particular when it is going out, eddies form and a lot of the smaller baitfish gather in these spots. Redfish will stack up there and gorge themselves.

Probably the all-around best bait is a live mud minnow (the bigger, the better) hooked through the tail and fished on a drop-shot

rig. With the fish hooked through the tail it will swim upward and struggle a lot which draws the attention of the reds. The disadvantage is tail-hooking makes it easier for the red to take the bait without getting hooked, but it tends to draw more strikes. Free-lining a mud minnow with a split-shot rigged six inches above the hook, is also good, but sometimes currents even in the eddies can be such that it’s hard for the bait to get down to the fish.

Another spot to try at the jetties are the boat cuts. They are good on both outgoing and incoming tides, and redfish like to hang out from around 30 to 40 yards outside the cut itself. Live mud minnows or finger mullet fished on the bottom are a good choice, but you might catch a lot of small sharks as they start moving in this month.

For a shark-free experience try a ½-ounce gold spoon dragged across the bottom or slowly trolled against the current. Reds are suckers for gold spoons and will sometimes hit them when they turn up their noses to other offerings.

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A look at the Past, present, and future fortunes of texas goblers Story by chester moore 50 |

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WILD TURKEYS ARE MORE numerous than they have been in decades and in some regions, there are arguably more birds than ever throughout the United States.

Texas is the number one state in terms of turkey population with more than 500,000 Rio Grandes and scattered populations of Easterns.

With that said it might be difficult to imagine anything posing a real threat to turkey populations, but dangers loom on the horizon. Some of them are regionalized while others cover the map, but collectively they paint a questionable future for America’s favorite game bird.

Flying across the United State as I often do, it is evident that in recent years there is a lot less open game habitat than there was even in the late 1990s.

America’s population is growing, especially in Texas and with that comes a loss to turkey habitat.

Probably the biggest threat to turkeys in relation to human growth comes in the form of the quest for water. Currently there are millions of acres of reservoirs proposed throughout the country, and for those not familiar with reservoir construction, it goes something like this.

Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or some other agency dam up a prime spot on a river or large creek system and slowly fill in the surrounding bottomlands. As any turkey hunter knows, bottoms are extremely important to the birds, and this is currently the most endangered type of wildlife habitat on the continent.

In Texas there are major reservoir projects in discussion including one planned along the Sulphur River bottoms between Texas and Arkansas, which is some of the best Eastern turkey hunting in the state.

Hunting-based conservation groups are concerned about the plans but it is hard to argue with thirsty people.

“There are going to be serious problems over this fight for water; and as a fishing guide and a hunter, I can tell you it’s going to be very interesting,” said Roger Bacon. “Unfortunately wildlife will lose out in the end as you just can’t replace a hardwood bottom.”

PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

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Of all threats, feral hogs are the most misunderstood, and their potential for impact is growing. These non-indigenous omnivores have spread from the Deep South into 20 states with their most recent conquest being the Finger Lakes region of New York. Hogs have significant impact on their environment.

Research suggests there is a negative effect on turkey nesting success.

Take, for example, a study conducted in Rio Grande turkey country, the Edwards Plateau. There, researchers used chicken eggs to simulate turkey nestings and found that hogs destroyed 28 percent of them.

On the other hand, some researchers, including V.G. Henry, debate the hog’s effectiveness at nest predation arguing that they are “haphazard nest predators” and that hogs are, “not additive to nest predation, but only replaced that which would have occurred by other predators either driven off or preyed upon by feral hogs, especially snakes.”

Research conducted on other groundnesting animals, including reptiles, may shed some light on the potential for hogs to harm turkey nests. In Georgia, for example, 80 percent of sea turtle nests were lost on Ossabow Island because of hog predation.

“There is no doubt that feral hogs have a negative impact on their environment, and research certainly suggests that they can and do destroy the nests of turkeys and other ground nesting birds,” said Rick Taylor, a retired feral hog specialist with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD).

According to TPWD, the earliest stocking attempts utilized pen-reared turkeys, and later, the Rio Grande subspecies trapped in the western half of Texas. Both methods failed to create a sustainable turkey population in east Texas.

“Beginning in the late 1970s, TPWD began releasing wild-trapped Eastern turkeys from neighboring states. By 2003, more than 7,000 Eastern turkeys had been stocked into east Texas utilizing a block stocking approach. This method called for stockings of 15 to 20 birds per site with five to ten sites scattered across a particular county. Although this method was successful in several areas of the state, most of the stocked birds disappeared without creating a sustainable population.”

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Wild hogs are proven nest predators of turkeys although the amount of harm they do to turkey populations is not fully understood.

declining numbers. At the same time, feral hog populations have skyrocketed as have housing developments and urbanization. Is there a connection?

At this very time, TPWD is considering closing spring Eastern turkey hunting in another eleven East Texas counties. The recommendations are among a brief slate of proposed turkey hunting regulation changes for 2015.

If adopted, hunting season for Eastern turkey would be closed in eleven counties (Angelina, Brazoria, Camp, Fort Bend, Franklin, Harrison, Hopkins, Morris, Titus, Trinity, and Wood) and on National Forest lands in Jasper County.

While these counties are closed, TPWD wildlife biologists will evaluate the prospects for future Eastern turkey restoration compatibility and restocking efforts. The agency’s goal is to reopen hunting should the Eastern turkey populations in the affected counties become capable of sustaining harvest.

TF&G contributing editor Matt Williams wrote a fine piece a couple of years ago on East Texas turkey troubles. Although there is no one answer, it is obvious a number of factors are impacting these great birds.

Turkeys are not going anywhere certainly not to extinction but we at TF&G like to inform our readers of issues involving our resources before they do get out of hand. We have a great state agency with TPWD but it is you, the outdoor lovers of Texas, who make the most difference in the end. Turkey conservation can go as far as we want ,or we can let nature take its course.

It is a complex issue involving a complex species that is near and dear to the hearts of many anglers.

PHOTO: US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

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2/11/15 12:03 PM

Texas FRESHWATER

by MATT WILLIAMS :: TF&G Freshwater Editor

Pays to be Plump

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T’S MARCH IN TEXAS. TIME FOR all you bass junkies out there to get those game faces on. The fat girls are coming.

There’s need to get all dressed up, but it would be a good idea to grab your sunglasses before heading out the door.

The fat girls in question are heavyweight largemouth bass with poochy bellies packed so full of eggs it appears they might pop.

Driven by the biological urge to create the next generation of largemouth bass, plump females of all sizes and ages crowd the shallows every spring to spawn.

Geographic location plays a huge role in the timing of the deal. On some lakes the annual procreation ritual can get underway as early as January or February, but as a rule March and April are when the madness is at its peak statewide.

I call it madness because bass fishing prospects can be crazy good while the spawn is in progress. This is true because there are big numbers of aggressive bass finning around in skinny water where the majority of anglers feel most comfortable wetting a hook.

When bass fishermen talk springtime, “sight fishing” is a common thread in many discussions. It’s a topic that is founded on one of nature’s greatest shows that is currently in full swing on watery stages all across the state.

Here’s how it all plays out: When bass spawn they always do it in a nest, which is sometimes referred to as a “bed.”

Males build spawning beds by using their tails to fan or sweep away grass, silt and other debris to create a clean spot on bottom. This activity hinges heavily on water temperature.

As water temperatures begin nudging the 60s is when males begin patrolling the shallows in search of a good spot to build their

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beds. Choice nest sites are found on points or shorelines with sand or gravel bottoms in close proximity some sort of cover. Most bedding activity takes place in shallow water 2-4 feet in depth, but can occur 10 feet or deeper in water that is exceptionally clear.

Once water temperatures stabilize in the low-to-mid-60s the males begin courting available females to the beds spawn. The process typically begins with physical bumping and nudging and culminates with the female shuddering to displace its eggs onto the nest. The male simultaneously secretes semen to fertilize the eggs as they settle to bottom.

The female typically doesn’t hang around the nest for very long once she deposits her eggs. Instead, she leaves her male counterpart to stand guard over the nest while she swims away and eventually pairs with other males to carry out the process over and over again.

Biologists have told me a mature female may mate with as many as five different males each spawning season. They say it is nature’s way of maintaining some genetic diversity within the bass population while ensuring a higher degree of nesting success across the board.

That’s your bass biology lesson for the day. Now, let’s get to the fun stuff.

Often times, spawning beds will be visible in shallow water with decent clarity. The beds are usually pretty easy to identify, often taking the shape of large, light-colored saucers that stand out in stark contrast to the darker surroundings.

Bass have a tendency to defend their beds with aggression. At times, they will attack just about anything that infringes on their turf. The idea behind sight fishing is to move quietly through the shallows until you spot an occupied bed, then play on that nasty disposition by tossing a bait on or near the bed to simulate a perch, salamander or something else that might attempt to steal its eggs.

Play the right card and you will know it pretty quick. The fish will go head down, tail up and move in for the kill -- flaring its gills to inhale the quivering lure in a violent act of

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aggression.

Watching all this unfold from the casting deck of a bass boat is the essence of sight fishing. Thus, the importance of wearing good polarized sunglasses.

Not only do sunglasses help protect your eyes from hooks, slip sinkers and bugs, they also cut down on sun glare reflecting off the water. This will help you spot occupied beds from a considerable distance. Furthermore, it will enable you to detect stumps, logs and other objects beneath the surface that could spoil your chances should you crash into them with the boat on the approach.

Another big benefit of good sunglasses is they allow you to keep a watchful eye on the fish and monitor how it reacts to the bait. Pro anglers sometimes refer to this as “reading the fish.”

Every fish is different in the way it reacts when an intruder starts poking around its nest. While one bass may appear as wary as a feral cat, the next may respond so aggressively that closing the deal is so easy that it hardly seems like a challenge.

Watch the fish closely to see how it reacts to your bait. A spooky fish that swims off repeatedly and doesn’t return for several minutes probably isn’t worth fooling with.

However, one that hangs tight to the bed and shows obvious interest can usually be pushed over the edge in short order. Those are just a few of things that make sight fishing such an intriguing way to fish. I got hooked on it several years ago and it has since become a facet of bass fishing I look forward to every spring.

It’s fun.

It’s challenging.

Better yet, it’s a great way to catch a fat girl.

Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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Open SEASON

by REAVIS Z. WORTHAM :: TF&G Humor Editor

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RONG WILLIE CAME into my office after lunch, the busiest time of the day, with a paid of carefully folded camouflage pants. The tiger-stripe pants looked new.

“Where did you get these?” I asked. “I used to wear tiger-stripes all the time, but the army-navy stores don’t carry them anymore.”

He took a seat on the other side of the desk. “My wife bought them for me back in the seventies. I never wore them, and they’ve been in a box all these years. We were cleaning out the attic to find junk for a garage sale, and I found them. Thought they’d fit you.”

“You can’t wear them?”

He patted his stomach. “They would have fit back then, but not now.”

Doc came into the office with his afternoon cup of coffee. “Hunting season is closed.”

“Willie brought me some new britches, but I doubt they’ll be long enough, even though they might fit in the waist.”

“Try them on,” Doc suggested and settled into the chair beside Willie.

I looked down at my suit. “Might be a fashion faux pas.”

“Who cares, you’re just going to see if they fit. You aren’t going to wear them all afternoon.”

I thought of the meeting we were scheduled to attend in an hour. “Wonder what the boss would say if I came in wearing camo pants?”

Willie shrugged. “The pants wouldn’t match your tie.”

“Close the door,” I told Youngster who happened to walk in at that moment. The office was filling up fast.

He closed the door. While I kicked off my boots, he settled into the third chair. I stood up, unbuckled my pants and laid them carefully on the floor behind my desk, so they wouldn’t get wrinkled.

It was at that exact moment, while I was standing in my office wearing nothing but

“ ‘My wife bought them for me back in the seventies.’

“

Britches

tighty-whiteys, that my secretary knocked once before opening the door. I had just enough time to sit behind my desk, when she barged in.

“You forgot to sign these papers and I have to get them down to Purchasing in the next two minutes or the deadline will pass and you can’t order that computer for the print shop.”

“Stop right there,” I told her. She always walks around to the side of my desk when guys are in the room, so she doesn’t stand right between us. “I’ll sign them later.”

She looked stricken. “But…” “Yeah, Rev, you need to sign them,”

Doc said. “Go around there and give him the papers.”

“No!” “Don’t put it off,” Willie argued. “She needs your signature.”

So far, I was safe. My sports jacket, shirt and tie looked perfectly normal from their side of the desk. It was getting a little chilly from my side.

“I’ll sign them in a minute…” I was interrupted by a second person entering the open door. A secretary from down the hall also had a delivery for me. “Here, Colton told me to give these to you and for you to come with me right now.”

“Better go,” Youngster said. “We’ll wait here for you to get back.”

“I’d rather not.”

Both secretaries fumed, and waited.

I thought quickly. “Y’all leave for a minute T E X A S

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and I’ll be right behind you.”

“He’s almost retired and I think he’s abandoning his job,” Doc said. “That’s what it is, job abandonment. They’ll dock you if you aren’t careful.”

The girls stepped closer and I slid my chair closer to the desk and folded my hands. “Just give me a minute.”

My secretary frowned. “Y’all are just going to sit in here and talk about those hunting pants on your desk and tell hunting stories and I’ll be the one to take the flack about this purchase order.”

“I’ll take the flack…”

“You’re retiring. You’ll be gone by the time thing goes through, that’s why I need you to sign it now.”

“The boss is waiting for you,” said the other secretary.

“Leave then and I’ll be along.”

The boys were barely able to hold it in. “I think Rev just quit today.”

“I think y’all oughta shut up.”

“Stand up and make me.”

Snickers.

Exasperated, the girls left, slamming the door. The room erupted and I stood to put on my pants.

The door slammed open. The Cap’n walked in.

He took one look at me standing there in my skivvies and paused. “Have you signed those papers?”

“Uh, no.”

“Have you met with John?”

I looked down at my bare legs. “I will.”

“All right, then. But I’d put some pants on first.”

He left and it sounded like we were in a comedy club.

Before the door could close, a very irate individual stormed in and I again sat behind my desk, where I remained for the next hour.

It’s wonder I didn’t catch cold.

G A M E ®

Email Reavis Wortham at ContactUs@fishgame.com |

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Texas BOATING

by LENNY RUDOW :: TF&G Boating Editor

Two-Strokes Versus Four-Strokes Again

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OES THE INTRODUCTION of next-generation two-strokes change the old two versus four equation?

This year Evinrude introduced the new ETEC G2 second-generation outboards, while Yamaha, Suzuki, and Mercury all introduced new four-stroke models. Years ago when four-strokes first began taking over the outboard world, we all discussed the virtues and down-sides of each. We talked about why one or the other might be best in this way or that, and we carefully weighed the benefits and problems with each technology. The bottom line? For some people two-strokes made more sense, and for others, four-strokes were a no-brainer.

Today, however, the facts and figures

have changed—so let’s stack one up against the other, yet again.

Price Figuring out a head-to-head price comparison isn’t easy, thanks to the slippery nature of MSRP versus real-world pricing, variations due to shaft length, accessories, and controls, and a number of other factors.

That said, the newest two-strokes do run a bit higher than four-strokes, to the tune of around 10 or 15 percent.

Of course, this difference may be all but eaten up by the deal you make. The gap may also be closed by maintenance costs.

The G2’s, for example, don’t require nearly as much scheduled maintenance (more on this later) which is a significant expense for

an outboard owner. In the long run, a cost comparison looks like six of one, and a halfdozen of the other.

Performance This has always been an area in which two-strokes held a slight edge, and this remains true with the new generation of twostrokes. The real advantage lies in low-end grunt. It takes a few seconds for a four-stroke to get going, and a two-stroke still provides more seat-of-the-pants acceleration. Nail the throttle, and there’s a head-snapping surge of speed. Time-to-plane is reduced, and mid-range acceleration is also more instantaneous.

Just how important is that extra oomph?

Truth be told, beyond the adrenaline rush of rocket-like take-offs, there isn’t any other advantage to a properly-powered boat. On base-power boats, however, it can be a bit more important. Some boats rigged with minimal power may have issues getting onto plane, especially when heavily loaded, and in these cases the quick power of a two-stroke can make a radical difference in time-to-plane.

As far as top-end speed goes, there truly isn’t much of a difference. Horsepower is horsepower, and the amount of horsepower you choose has a lot more to do with your top-end performance than the stroke of those horses.

Efficiency Here’s a part of the equation that has, surprisingly, changed quite a bit. For starters, let’s note that four-strokes have become notably more efficient through time. Whether you’re talking Yamaha, Suzuki, Mercury, Honda, or whoever, the modern four-strokes being built today run noticeably more efficiently than those built a decade ago.

That said, the next-gen two-strokes seem to have made a real leap in efficiency. Not only do they appear to beat out the past generation, they seem to beat out current four-stroke efficiency in some cases, too.

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Texas BOATING I have to note up-front that I haven’t personally measured fuel flow on each and every model outboard on the market. But I have measured it on the 300 HP G2 and the 250 HP G2, I’ve measured it on their four-stroke competitors, and in both sizes fuel efficiency was 10 to 15-percent better than the four-stroke average.

Yes, of course there will be variations depending on the boats the engines are tested on. Naturally, different conditions are bound to provide different results. But any way you cut it, the next-gen twostroke appears to have a significant efficiency advantage.

Maintenance and Reliability Simply put, the jury’s still out. The G2 simply hasn’t been around long enough for anyone—and I mean anyone—to put their foot down and make a solid call on the issue.

That said, scheduled maintenance for these engines is far and away better than it is on four-strokes.

You shouldn’t, “shouldn’t” being the key word here, have to lift a finger for regular maintenance for the first 500 hours or five years of use. If this turns out to be an accurate measure of maintenance needs, it’ll be a huge point in favor of these next-gen two-strokes.

Appearance This is purely a matter of taste, so we’re going to leave it to you to make the call.

Still, it’s worth noting two things: first, that the new two-strokes look extremely, well, different. They have an exoskeletal design with removable side-panels instead of the traditional lift-off cowl. Second, they can be ordered in different colors to match your boat.

Weight Here’s another factor that’s been changing lately. Two-strokes always held a significant weight advantage, but that’s been changing. Four-stroke manufacturers have made huge strides in shaving weight off of their outboards, and in several cases, comparable models are within a few pounds of their two-stroke counterparts. The key factor here is to remember that this is true only of newer models.

Each horsepower range has to be compared individually, because many models that are just a few years old haven’t been updated to incorporate the weight-saving features of newer models.

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Sound and vibration levels Basically, nothing’s changed in this regard and here, four-strokes still have a major leg up. They’re virtually silent at idle, send few vibrations through the boat, and are an absolute pleasure to have on your transom. The new two-strokes, on the other hand, are far louder—you have to yell over them, and when they’re running, normal conversation can be nearly impossible.

Rigging This used to be a non-issue, since both two-strokes and four-strokes required similar rigging (with the addition of an oil tank, for larger two-strokes). Now, however, with the introduction of G2, this has changed a bit. The rigging is all encased in the motor mount, eliminating steering arms, wires, and hoses.

The result is a much cleaner-looking motor well, and according to Evinrude, this should even allow boat builders to design some models with narrower wells, reclaiming some of the cockpit space normally lost to them. As to whether or not this will actually happen, it’s an open question. It would be an expensive design tweak and there’s sure to be some resistance from some builders.

Still, even if the motor wells don’t shrink as a result, with the svelte rigging the boat looks better, presents fewer snags, and allows the motor well to be used more as an unencumbered swim platform, if nothing else.

So, what’s the bottom line for you and me, the outboard buyers? It still depends to some degree on your priorities. Is it most important to you to have the highest efficiency? The quietest engine? The least expensive one? All the variables we’ve discussed above have to be worked into the equation, before you can make the right call. But one thing is for sure: compared to one year ago, that equation is now a very different one.

Email Lenny Rudow at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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2/11/15 3:09 PM

The Practical ANGLER

by GREG BERLOCHER | TF&G Contributing Editor

Double Trouble

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HERE ARE TIMES WHEN fish turn up their noses at everything you offer them. More often than not, this behavior is exhibited on large, heavily fished reservoirs where apex predators have seen just about every piece of hardware under the sun. Being caught a few times makes fish highly suspicious.

When your quarry gets lockjaw, borrow a page from the fly fisherman’s playbook use a tandem rig.

Tandem rigs are composed of two lures and they can be rigged multiple ways. The first is an in-line presentation. The largest lure is connected to the line coming off your reel. The second, typically a smaller offering, is tethered to the first artificial with a short section of monofilament. Although harder to cast, a tandem rig will often coax tight-lipped fish into biting.

There are a number of advantages to tandem rigs. Multiple lures, or flies, fished closely together simulate a school of baitfish.

The first lure may attract a predator’s attention but the hungry fish may succumb to the smaller, more vulnerable offering trailing behind.

Adding a trailing jig or small spoon to a deep-diving Hellbender is a good option for anglers chasing white bass in reservoirs. The plug can be either cranked down or trolled.

More often than not, it is the small jig that gets hammered.

Jig trailers are also good enhancements to surface plugs. I keep at least one slush bait rigged at all times with a trailer of some sort. The jerky retrieve required to spin the lure’s props imparts a seductive dart-and-fall action to the trailing jig, which is irresistible to fish. If a fish is hooked on the trailing jig, it appears to be chasing the floating plug, 60 |

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eliciting a pleasing surface strike from a rival schoolmate.

Crappie sharpshooters know the value of stacking two or three jigs in a vertical presentation and suspending them over submerged brush piles. Tiny tube and marabou jigs are deadly on suspended crappies but can take forever to sink into the depths. Securing a tiny jig 18-inches behind a small spoon, such as a Little Cleo, not only gets the jig down quickly, the added weight helps keep the line tight, allowing you to detect subtle strikes.

Heavier hardware, like a Slab spoon, allows bass rigs spooled with heavy gauge monofilament to become wonderfully effective at dispatching paper mouths.

Black bass are fond of tandem offerings. While not well suited for fishing thick shoreline tangles, a deep diving crank bait sporting a trailer is a great option for plumbing the edges of drop-offs. Not only do you present the fish two choices to consider, it is a unique presentation. On the flip side, how many times do you think that Lake Fork bass have seen a French Fry worm?

If you are fishing in brush piles or other heavy structure, it’s just a matter of time until you get snagged. More often than not, the dangling secondary lure of a tandem rig is the one to snag an errant branch.

Utilizing light monofilament for the connection between the primary and trailing lure creates a weak link that is easy to break. A gentle tug is all that is needed to sacrifice your crappie jig and retrieve the other half of your tandem rig.

A favorite pattern from your fly box is another option overlooked by many anglers.

Although the wind may prevent you from using the long rod, it doesn’t keep you from using a fly. Flies come in all shapes and sizes; some are very realistic imitations of insects and aquatic creatures. Apex predators often find feathers and fur more appealing than plastic.

A wet fly trailer tied to the rear treble of a Jitterbug is a wonderful teaching tool for children. If your child can crank the reel,

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they can catch fish. A steady retrieve brings the Jitterbug obediently wobbling back to the rod tip. No self respecting sunfish will allow a small wet fly to go unchallenged, impaling themselves Kamikaze-style. The small angler gets a thrill from catching fish; a blowup on the surface plug by an angry bass, an added bonus.

Tandem rigs can also be connected with a “Y” connection of monofilament. It is both simple and easy to make homemade double jig rigs, and can be tied on the water while you are fishing.

Cut an 18- to 24-inch section of mono and knot your favorite offerings to either end. Grab the mono in the middle and let both offerings dangle. Adjust the level of the lures so one hangs three to four inches above the other. When you have adjusted the spacing to your satisfaction, pinch the mono at its apex and tie a double surgeon’s knot with both dangling lines. The resulting loop should be about an inch in diameter. Knot your main line to the loop and cast away.

In the fall many anglers targeting flatfish will substitute a hook for the bottom jig and pin on a frisky shrimp or mud minnow.

Fished ever so slowly, both jig and live bait are inched across the bay floor. On some days, flounders seem to prefer chewing on a soft plastic bait instead of the real thing.

Regardless of their style, tandem rigs are prone to tangling; it goes with the territory.

Keep a small spool of mono and nail clippers handy and re-rig when needed.

Looking back on forty years of fishing trips, some of the most memorable involved tandem rigs. Give them a try. You might find that doubling-up puts more fish in the boat.

Email Greg Berlocher at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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Texas GUNS

by STEVE LAMASCUS | TF&G Shooting Editor

Guns for Predator Hunters

usual response was, “just how the heck do you call a coyote?” After a brief explanation the rancher would usually tell us to go ahead, just don’t shoot any livestock.

Today the same rancher is just as likely to tell you that he’s sorry but the ranch is

I

F I HAD TO SPEND THE REST OF my days hunting one animal in one way, it would be hunting coyotes with a call.

Predator hunting is one of the fastest growing of the hunting sports, and I hate that. When I was a kid there were almost no predator callers. When I would drive up to a ranch and ask to go “coyote calling” the

“ Predator hunting is one of the fastest growing of the hunting sports.

When I was a kid there were almost no predator callers.

“ leased for predator calling. Also, predator calling contests are all the rage. Personally, I very much dislike any kind of contest where the idea is to see how many animals can be killed.

I do realize that this is, now, with the reduction of the government trapper programs, used as a way to control predator populations, but it still sticks in my craw.

That said, let’s take a look at what is available for the modern predator caller in the way of armament.

WHEN I STARTED MY CALLING career in the early 1960s, the guns I used were military surplus rifles in .30-06, 7x57 Mauser, and .303 British. They worked very well and still would, but I had a serious 62 |

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craving for a “real varmint rifle.”

My first such gun was a Remington Model 700 ADL in .25-06, which cost me $117 (Who says there is no inflation?).

If there is a better all-around deer/varmint rifle, I don’t know what it would be. I shot a boxcar load of coyotes, bobcats and foxes with that old .25-06, using handloads with 87-grain Sierra spitzer bullets. Still, it wasn’t a pure varmint rifle and I still felt that craving, so I saved and scrimped and finally saved enough to buy a slightly used Remington 700 BDL in .22-250. Now I had a real varmint rifle. Strangely, although I shot a good bit of game with the .22-250, I still had more faith in the .25-06 and shot it more. So much so that in a period of about six or seven years I wore the barrel completely out.

The two oldest of the pure varmint cartridges are the .22 Hornet and the .220 Swift. Both are Winchester products and are opposite ends of the .22 spectrum. The Hornet is a mild little cartridge firing a 45-grain bullet at about 2,600 fps that is great for grey foxes, raccoons and badgers, but not much else. The Swift is the king of the .22 calibers, firing a 45-grain bullet at over 4,000 fps, or a 55-grain bullet at 3,800. Nothing, not even the modern .22 Winchester Super Short Magnum, has managed to best the old Swift by much.

The Swift, by the way, is currently making a comeback in popularity. With modern barrel steel, it is certainly worth a second look.

Remington has always had a penchant for taking good wildcat cartridges and chambering their rifles for them. They did this with the .25-06, .22-250, and several more.

However, some of the best were cartridges they designed. The pick of that litter is the now waning .222 Remington.

The .222 is a mild, super-accurate varmint cartridge, but has been overshadowed by the ubiquitous .223, which Remington also designed. It is great for shooting all day on a prairie dog town, is perfect for foxes and bobcats, but is a bit small for coyotes.

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Also very good was the .222 Magnum, a cartridge that most people today don’t even know existed.

One of my favorite varmint rifles is an old Remington Model 700 ADL that I have had rebarreled to .222 Remington Magnum Ackley Improved. This little hotrod is just enough faster than the .223 to make it a first class coyote rifle out to about 200 yards.

Basically, it will do easily what the .223 really has to be pushed to accomplish. It will not match the .22-250, but it will push a 55-grain bullet to about 3,400 fps. The downside is that you have to be a handloader as no factory ammunition is available for the .222RMAI, but brass is still available for the .222 Magnum.

My first .17 caliber was a Sako Vixen in .17-222, which even today would be a good choice for foxes. Remington was, also, the first major manufacturer to bring out a factory .17 caliber - the .17 Remington. This was a real speed demon, pushing a 25-grain bullet to just over 4,000 feet per second. So as soon as it hit the market I traded my Sako for a .17 Remington.

Now they have introduced the .17 Fireball, a .17 caliber based on the old .221 Fireball cartridge that was first chambered for the Remington XP-100 boltaction handgun. My opinion is that the .17 Fireball is a better cartridge than the .17 Remington. It doesn’t get quite the velocity, but is easier on barrels and doesn’t foul as badly, a problem encountered with the older .17 Remington. Either of the .17s make wonderful fox and bobcat guns, but are a bit light for coyotes.

For the serious coyote hunter, the high velocity .22s, such as the .22-250 and .220 Swift, are probably a good place to set the minimum. An old coyote is a tough animal and can take a lot to stop. In heavy brush where it can be out of sight in a few yards, you want a caliber that will put it down in its tracks.

This is not the place for the lightweights such as the .22 Hornet or the .17 Fireball.

Even the .222 and .223 are not optimum for such hunting.

These conditions really call for something like the .243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, or .243 Super Short Magnum. This is where my old .25-06 really shines, as does the .25 Super Short Magnum, 257 Roberts, and .250 Savage. The Super Short Magnums, however, appear to be rapidly losing popu-

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larity, while the older cartridges are gaining.

A .243 Winchester with 80- or 85-grain bullets is one of the finest coyote rifles of all time. My current pet is another wildcat a .243 Ackley Improved on a post-64 Winchester Model 70 push feed action with a Hart barrel 26 inches long. With this rocket launcher, if I can see it, I can usually hit it.

This should give you an idea of what you need for predator hunting. The market is pretty much glutted with good varmint cartridges. Just pick what you like and get

with it. In fact, predator hunting with your pet deer rifle is one of the best ways I know to stay in tune for deer season, and calling predators is one of the greatest sports I know. Sadly, for me, a lot of other people have figured this out.

Email Steve LaMascus at ContactUs@fishgame.com

2/9/15 3:43 PM

Fish and Game GEAR The Ultimate Finesse Spoon

THE ACME KASTMASTER, PROduced by Hard and Soft Fishing, has been an icon in the fishing industry for decades. No attention to details has been spared in the jewel-likefinish lure that catches all species Acme of fish in fresh, salt, Kastmaster hard, and open waters. spoons New for 2014 is the smallest Kastmaster in the lineup at 1/24 ounces, it offers a slim profile for anglers needing a more subtle presentation than larger models can provide.

“Whether you’re casting for stream trout, or fan casting ocean flats for sea trout, this smaller-sized bait is being produced due to demand from our customers,” said Matt Bichanich, the National Sales Manager for Hard and Soft Fishing.

“And don’t forget how well they work for panfish, or even vertical-jigged while ice fishing. There aren’t many baits that can be fished in so many ways for so many species of fish.”

The 1/24-ounce Kastmaster is available in several fish-catching colors.

Hard & Soft Fishing has roots dating back to 1922, when their first brand, Uncle Josh, began manufacturing in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. They have grown to represent nearly every tackle category on the market for both ice and open-water fishing. From the Pacific to the Atlantic and all the lakes and rivers in-between, they produce bait and tackle that has been helping anglers catch more fish for decades.

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The company’s employees don’t simply produce tackle, they use it on the weekends.

For more information go to www.unclejosh.com.

High Performance Freshwater Reel

The T-Wing’s wider aperture means reduced angles and less friction from any position.

Daiwa’s Free Floating Spool - Unlike other reels, where the pinion gear constantly rides the spool shaft, Daiwa’s unique system floats the spool independently on precision, stainless steel ball bearings. Because the pinion rides its own separate shaft, the spool spins freely, unhampered by gear train friction when casting.

When you combine these two systems along with Daiwa’s Magforce Z antibacklash control. You will get a smooth effortless cast that will give you increased distance.

Now available in xtra hyper speed 9.1:1 retrieve ratio for when you need to crank line in fast. Perfect for Flipping & Pitchin, Buzz baits and burning a lipless crankbait.

BENEFITTING FROM THE advanced design concepts and technology of Tatula Baitcasting reels, new Zillion Baitcasting reels offer some very advanced features.

Now Daiwa has combined their revo-

lutionary T-Wing System (TWS) and Free Floating spool system together to give you an even farther cast.

T-Wing System - With an ordinary levelwind reel, line coming off the spool is forced through the line guide at a sharp angle. The result is casting friction, especially when the line guide is parked on one side of the reel.

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Diawa Zillion Baitcasting Reel

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Fish and Game GEAR In addition to Daiwa’s TWS and Free Floating Spool technology, this new family of rugged, high performance baitcasting reels offers a host of Daiwa’s latest technology features.

Check it out at www.daiwa.com.

Buck Releases New Signature Line of Hunting Knives

THE OPEN SEASON SERIES IS THE newest assortment of knives designed to provide a blade for every field need. The set covers processing of both large and small game with a fixed-blade Skinner, Folder, Small Game, Boning, and Caping knife.

Each knife is offered in a Pro or Select version. The Pro versions are designed with S30V stainless steel blades and Rosewood Dymondwood handles with a metal inlay. They come with a genuine leather black sheath. The Select versions feature 420HC stainless steel and black thermoplastic handles. Each knife

comes with a heavyduty nylon sheath.

All knives feature an ergonomically contoured handle with large finger choil for a controlled, comfortable grip.

The 537/536 Skinner has a length of 8 ¼” and a 4 ½” blade, and is a great fit for those preferring a fixed-blade.

MSRP: $98-$140 For those preferring a folder, the 547546 Folding Skinner is a great

Buck Open Season series 547

choice. It has a 3 ¾” blade, and contoured handle with strong liner lock for secure use.

MSRP: $82-$125 The 539/538 Small Game knife is perfect for harvesting bird and other small game. Weighing only 3 ounces, and with an overall length of 7 5/8”, it is lightweight and easy to carry. MSRP: $82-$125 The 7” 543/542 Caper features a 3 ½” blade and weighs only 2.2 ounces. The contoured handle offers complete control.

MSRP: $82-$125 The 541/540 Boning knife features a 6 ½” blade, perfect for maneuvering into tight spots. The pointed tip makes for precise and detailed cutting. The 10 ¼” overall length adds control and balance, while maintaining extreme durability. MSRP: $98-$140 Each knife is sold separately and proudly made in the USA. 66 |

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See all Buck Knives models online at www.buckknives.com.

New Talon Shallow Water Anchor in Camo

shallow water anchor on the market. To see how Talon holds up to rigorous testing against flamethrowers, shotguns, cage fighters and more, visit the Talon Torture Chamber at talontorturechamber.com.

For more information, visit minnkotamotors.com, contact Minn Kota, P.O. Box 8129, Mankato, MN 56002, or call 800227-6433.

Minn Kota Talon shallow water anchor, in camo.

MINN KOTA IS EXCITED TO announce the Realtree MAX-5 design for the Talon shallow water anchor is now shipping.

Talon 10- and 12-foot models are now available in Realtree’s MAX-5 waterfowl camo pattern with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price starting at $1,999.99.

“All of the features and innovations built into the Minn Kota Talon have made it the shallow water anchor of choice,” Minn Kota Product Manager Brad Henry said. “We have continued our tradition of providing consumers the very best in quality and design by partnering with Realtree for their amazingly realistic MAX-5 pattern.”

Talon is the quietest and strongest

CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE for an expanding selection of innovative, new and hard-to-find outdoor gear. Visit

FishandGameGear.com

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SABINE Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

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ARCH HAS FOUND US and that means somewhat different angling opportunities should slowly begin to pop up on Sabine Lake.

Although no one really knows what Mother Nature has in store for us, you can bet there will be at least a few mild, fishable days mixed with some late winter-like conditions. For the most part though, those March winds will be howling from one direction or another.

As good as it would be to schedule trips on the good days only, that’s just not possible. If that were so, our unofficial slogan

“ You can bet there will be a few mild, fishable days.

“

Take Advantage of March

would have to change to something other than “If it ain”t blowin’, we ain’t goin!”

If you do get the opportunity to take advantage of some of those milder days, I highly recommend it. The Eastern side of the lake from Blue Buck Point to Coffee Ground Cove has the potential to explode this month, especially if we can string a few good days together.

Water temperatures steadily climbing up the thermometer coupled with big, strong

March tides should bode well for those lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.

Topwaters, soft plastics, and slow sinkers should all get the job done on the protected shoreline with a good, strong incoming tide.

If you locate bait, you should be able to find the fish. It shouldn’t be too hard to find bait, either, as the big tides and warmer water temperatures tend to jump-start the entire food chain.

Trout and reds will cruise the shoreline displaying their dominance as they aggressively feed on seemingly helpless mullet, shad, and shrimp. They should be more than willing to accept any offering you have for them.

If you venture a little farther to the north, the mouth of Bridge Bayou should produce similar results. Try to hit it on an outgoing tide and throw soft plastics, curl tail grubs.

Gulp! Shrimp in New Penny and Pearl are also hard to beat.

Flounders also have no problem with these baits, but seem to prefer the action of a curl tail in Smoke or Glow-chartreuse. If you are like most people and have no choice but to fish in the mid-March wind, give the reef a try. Located on the extreme south end of the lake, from the Causeway to Blue Buck Point, it is one of the March mainstays on Sabine.

Have your drift sock handy and make long drifts over the shell. Use your sonar to mark bait and fish and drag soft plastics behind the boat. A 1/4 ounce or heavier lead head will help you stay on the bottom.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Causeway, Pleasure Island SPECIES: Flounder, Redfish BAITS/ LURES: Curl Tail Grubbs, Mud Minnows BEST TIMES: Moving Tides

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@fishgame.com 68 |

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2/9/15 3:44 PM

GALVESTON Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. MIKE HOLMES

The Red Snapper Conflict Continues

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E MAY NOT KNOW HOW many pounds of red snappers the NMFS and the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council will decide to be permissible to catch during the open season in waters of the Gulf.

They will also decide how many days the season can be open. This is to ensure no more snappers than the quota calls for will be caught until at least sometime this spring.

What we do know is that it will be a whole different ball game this season, and we as recreational fishermen will not have home field advantage. As it now stands, Amendment 40 to the Magnusson-Stevens Fisheries Management Act will be the new law of the land or sea where red snapper are concerned.

Some evidently think this will be a good thing for their particular agenda, but whether it will be a good move for the future of the fish and the fishery is not so certain. This is the latest move in a struggle which has a lot of varying outcomes possible, and with political ends more important than ecological results.

In past years, a total allowable catch (TAC) for red snapper was established, although we cannot be sure if this number resulted from careful scientific collection and analyzing of data (hint probably not so much), a cell phone “app,” or a Ouija Board.

This number was then divided into amounts deemed appropriate by NMFS for the commercial and recreational sectors.

Giving the nod to those fishing to feed their families directly, the commercial portion of the total quota was normally 51 percent, leaving 49 percent for the “fun fishermen”.

Anglers fishing aboard for-hire vessels such as charter boats and head (party) boats are not legally entitled to sell their catch. They

are considered sport or recreational fishermen, so the fish they catch are counted in the recreational quota.

Except, of course, that they aren’t actually counted.

Commercial boats that sell their catch have paper trails to verify how many pounds they sell at least legally. Recreational catches are estimated and many of us feel not very accurately.

A vocal group of for-hire boat owners and operators have for some time felt that the recreational quota should be further divided among those caught on private boats and those caught on for-hire vessels. As of late October of 2014, the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council voted (10 to 7) to approve Sector Separation.

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Officials in all of the Gulf States were against Sector Separation, and the three Texas Representatives to the Council voted against it. It is interesting to note that Dr. Roy Crabtree, the NMFS representative to the Council, voted for it, although he had stated publically the outcome did not matter to him.

His vote came despite the fact that NMFS has elected to abstain from voting on such contested measures in the past. Several lawsuits, including one by CCA are already planned to contest this action, mainly because of the lack of valid data used in the decision.

As best I can understand it, the fact that Texas and now Louisiana, Florida, and Mississippi allow year-round red snapper fishing in their state waters is what the forhire groups supporting sector separation base their stand on.

The feeling is that the fish caught in these always-open seasons are counted against the recreational quota. Because NMFS has ruled that for-hire boats holding a Federal Reef Fish Permit cannot legally fish in state waters CONTINUED ON PAGE 71 u

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2/9/15 3:44 PM

MATAGORDA Area Hotspot Focus :: by MIKE PRICE

Spring in Both Bays

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HE MONTH OF MARCH often brings strong east winds to East and West Matagorda Bays, but with proper planning you can still have a good day of fishing.

One of the challenges created by strong east winds is finding a leeward shoreline. I invited Jeff Wiley to fish with me in early March when the forecast was a southeast wind from 10-15 mph.

When Jeff met me at Matagorda Harbor the winds were from the east at 15-25 mph, but we decided to go fishing anyway. The water temperature was 62°F. This was a bit warm to find trout in the Colorado River north of Braggs Cut, so we went south in the Diversion Channel, launched our kayaks and fished the bayous adjacent to the Diversion Channel.

We only caught one large trout in that spot: I

threw a Morning Glory/Limetreuse Bass Assassin into off-color, eight-inch visibility water and got a strike, but not a take. This was followed by a real hit, so I set the hook. The drag on my Shimano 2500FJ spinning reel performed beautifully as the fish ran and pulled. I let line out while keeping it taut enough to bring the fish in when it tired. The handsome, 23-inch, yellow-mouth trout made fishing in that spot worthwhile.

Then we moved south to Parker’s Cut, another spot where you can find leeward protection on a strong east wind, and we got into redfish.

One particular redfish was especially satisfying to catch: I was paddling my kayak while watching the shore for signs of redfish. I spotted splashing about ¼ mile away and paddled to it. The redfish was working its way toward me, so I dropped anchor quietly and waited. When the fish was within casting range, it went a bit deeper. I could not tell exactly where it was and I came up empty with a couple of casts.

Then I heard and saw it behind me; I could not turn my kayak around in time to position the lure in front of the fish so I flipped my lure over my left shoulder and was tickled when the redfish grabbed

it. The fine-looking fish was 21 inches, had three spots on each side and blue lining on its tail.

Another place to fish on a strong east wind is the east shoreline of Tres Palacios Bay. Launch at a public boat ramp off Highway 35 Business on the east side of Palacios, make the 1.7 mile trip across Tres Palacios Bay, and fish all the way down to Oliver Point, protected from the wind.

If you go fishing on a day when the wind is from the southeast, there is a good chance that you will find redfish, trout, and flounders on the south shorelines of both East and West Matagorda Bays, especially late in the month when the water temperature is approaching 70°F. In early March when the water temperatures are in the low 60s, you may want to wait until the sun has had time to warm the water before setting out.

Water temperatures can go up 5°F on a sunny day. Also, water moving into the bays with an incoming tide will be a couple of degrees warmer than bay water. A combination of an incoming tide and water warmed by the sun sometimes produces very good fishing late in the afternoon.

One of my most memorable fishing experiences was late on a March afternoon near Green’s Bayou in West Matagorda Bay. Jeff Wiley and I were heading back to Matagorda Harbor, about an hour before sunset, when we saw birds going crazy, so we eased close, shut the engine down, and dropped the anchor.

The first cast and every cast got a hit or a hookup. Redfish and trout were pushing glass minnows (bay anchovies) to the surface, and the birds were feasting. Redfish were in the middle of the melee and trout were on the outside. We stayed long past sunset and headed home tired, but elated.

March presents challenges with strong winds at times, but it also presents opportunities with flounders moving back into the bays after spawning offshore, and redfish and trout moving and feeding more as the water warms.

THE BANK BITE THE BLACK DRUM RUN Black drum gather in schools before spawning and one place that hosts this phenomenon is the Matagorda Jetty

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Focus: GALVESTON t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 69

The author with a redfish that has three spots on each side and blue lining on its tail

area. The drum run usually takes place in March.

These large schools can be caught from the jetties, the Gulf pier at Jetty Park, or from the two LCRA fishing piers in the Old Colorado River just north of the LCRA RV Park. Popular baits include cut fish and peeled shrimp. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department rules say that you can keep five black drum between 14 and 30 inches. However, be prepared for the occasional very large black drum to take your bait, as these big drum can get up to forty pounds.

Email Mike Price at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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when the Federal season nine days in 2014, remember is closed this amounts to an unfair advantage for private boats.

Of course, there are fewer red snappers in state waters than in the deeper waters governed by Federal regulations, so not all that many are caught. Also, the data collection is so poor there is no way of actually knowing how many pounds of snapper are caught anywhere.

Evidently, the feeling among some forhire operators is that they will get more fish for their customers who, remember, are supposed to be recreational anglers under sector separation. NMFS seems actually to be against all fishermen so they possibly look at it as (Sector) separate and conquer.

This argument, I think, will not be settled easily, or quickly.

I would not be surprised if someone proposes changing the classification of for-hire vessels to commercial since they are basically

catching fish for money.

Actually, Amendment 40 originally would have allowed for-hire boats to buy red snapper “quota” from commercial vessels once the recreational quota had been officially declared “caught.”

THE BANK BITE Location: Find a spot that allows you to reach deeper water, either by wading or a long cast.

Species: Traditionally black drum and pan fish such as croaker.

Best Baits: Live bait is scarce, but not always necessary. Cut bait and dead shrimp are as good as artificial offerings most of the time Best Times: Tides are always an important factor, and even more so now, as some fish will hold and allow currents to drift food to them, rather than being mostly on the hunt.

Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@fishgame.com

2/11/15 12:07 PM

UPPER MID Coast Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. CHRIS MARTIN

‘Speckulative’ Artificial Intelligence

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EPENDING ON WHOM YOU might be talking with, many people refer to March as being the last month of winter, or some might say it is the first month of spring.

For a lot of us it means that hunting season is over. It is now time to wipe the winter dust off the rods and reels and start preparations to get out among the rest of the coastal

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anglers just as soon as things warm up a bit.

So, it’s finally time for you and your fishing buddies to begin planning your first spring fishing trip. After all, you know very well that the water has probably already warmed to the point that fish just have to be there. They haven’t eaten all winter long, and they are now waiting for you to feed them.

When you and your friends go on your fishing trip, you suddenly remember the main reason why you don’t think much of fishing in March. That’s because when you get down to the water you discover the wind is blowing about as strong as that commonly found behind an airplane engine.

Windy, or not, this is a great time of the year to be hunting speckled trout because this is typically (in a normal Texas year) the time of the year when the baitfish begin to show up once again after winter.

Normally, the smaller baits, like the mud minnows and glass minnows, are the first to make an appearance. Following shortly after them should be the mullet.

Next month, after the mullet, the shrimp should start to pop up along the coast. But that is in a normal year.

Some may not consider this year to be a normal year simply because of the amount of arctic cold we had earlier. We’ll just have to wait to see what may happen, but if natural bait conditions stay even close to their schedule, this month could be a good time for coastal anglers to take advantage of the situation.

Personally, I love fishing in March regardless of the persistent winds and the baitfish situation because the trout are simply hungry. They’ve spent the cold months of the winter staged in deep water.

During some of the brief warm spells they might have run up to some of the neighboring flats to look for a quick meal and to warm up a little. Their metabolism is becoming more active all the time with even the slightest warming of their surrounding waters.

They haven’t eaten a lot for several months now and are looking to hit just about

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anything that moves. Add to that the fact that there simply isn’t a lot of baitfish or shrimp available to them right now.

Suddenly you have a perfect coastal angling advantage. During this March transition time, anglers should have the upper hand, and it should prove to be a great time to catch nice trout, and even some big reds, on artificial lures.

The smaller baitfish, such as the glass minnows, might be the first ones to show up on the scene following the coldness of winter.

Some of the more effective artificial baits to use this month might include ones like the MirrOdines, MirrOlure 51 and 52MRs, and even the newer and very popular SoftDine by Paul Brown.

Of course you can, never discount the tried-n-true Corky and Corky Fat Boy, even though they do more resemble a mullet silhouette than that of a glass minnow.

After the glass minnows, come the mullet.

This should send a signal to top water enthusiasts that their world is probably about ready to erupt into some fairly extensive top trout action. Prior to the mullet, the trout will not have been used to finding food opportunities at the water’s surface, so beefy top water lures that happen to be made to resemble a surface-swimming mullet, just won’t look natural to the fish.

Anglers who are fortunate enough to be out there when this magnificent transition takes place will most definitely be in a position to enjoy all that top water fishing has to offer.

Just keep in mind that spring will soon be providing the fish with a varied assortment of food offerings, but during the month of March, the fish will most likely take whatever you may be willing to offer them. Good luck, and keep grindin’!

Contact Capt. Chris Martin at bayflatslodge@gmail.com or visit bayflatslodge.com

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2/9/15 3:44 PM

ROCKPORT Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. MAC GABLE

The color of fishing

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HE MIDDLE AGED COUPLE hired me to fish them in the month of April. They seemed nice over the phone and had said they had not had much luck fishing on their own, and just wanted to feel the tug of a fish on their line. Some fish to eat would be much appreciated.

The morning was cool when they arrived and the day, while a bit windy, promised to be a pleasant one on the water. The couple had bundled up for protection from the cold and windy morning and were nervously getting their ice chest from the trunk of the car.

I went to see if I could help, and upon greeting them noticed they were African American. There were two other guides and several other anglers at the boat ramp that morning and after getting the couple settled on my boat, I heard one person say “Well, there goes the neighborhood!”

Two feelings/thoughts went through my mind at that moment, the first was embarrassment. The second was anger and the urgent need to confront this person in a way that would not have been pretty.

What was at stake for me was my reputation as a guide, the reputation of the area in which I lived. Not being one to let something this cruel go, I quickly and loudly declared, “the neighborhood was lost when you showed up!” which brought a lot of laughter from the other onlookers.

The couple never raised their heads and did not acknowledge the verbal fisticuffs, but rather tried to focus on having a fun day on the water.

I eased my boat away from the dock and after a short distance I shut my motor off, walked from behind the helm of my boat and stood in front of the couple who were now seated in front of my console. I looked

out across the water searching for the right words.

“I am sorry for that” I said, knowing full well my clients had heard the comment. “It is no more a reality of who I am or who this community is and I want you to know that.

If you feel uncomfortable fishing here or with me I will understand. I would like the opportunity to be your fishing guide today, and it is my hope we can put such stupidity behind us.”

The man commented “the best way for us to respond to such things is to realize that possibly it wasn’t directed at me and my wife, and if it was, to know in our hearts that she and I have done nothing to deserve such a comment.”

“Sir and ma’am,” I said, “I would very much like to take you fishing. What do you say?”

“We came to fish!” they said in unison.

For the record, I want it known I was raised with black and hispanic friends from a very young age. I grew up playing with them, celebrating with them, crying with them,

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fighting with them, and with them trying to make sense of this thing we call life.

I have family and life-long friends who are black, hispanic, and/or gay. Don’t let my cap and sunburned neck mislead you into believing I am prejudicial where members of the human race are concerned. To see me that way is simply incorrect.

As the fish gods would have it, the day went well, with a lot of pole-bending action and limits of red and black drum.

After a few fish apiece, we all moved past the ignorance of the morning. As luck would have it, the lady’s pole bent almost double and her drag was singing like music to my ears. She hooked a 33-inch red that was most assuredly full of itself and proceeded to go around and around the boat, not wanting give an inch.

“Ma’am,” I asked, “if you need my help just let me know. Keep your rod tip high and lift up and reel down.”

Luckily for me, my net handle didn’t break, and we landed the biggest fish of the day and her biggest ever. I can still see today

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Focus: ROCKPORT the sheer joy she had on her face. It was 100 percent pure happiness.

My style of fishing seemed to appeal to the couple, and the man said “Capt. Mac, I am so used to throwing my line in the water and waiting sometimes for hours before I get a bite. This kind of fishing could be addictive!”

“We have slow days here as well,” I replied. “but fortunately I can usually find some fish that want to play.”

They said they would like to take a break from fishing and asked if I would share lunch with them.

“Sounds good,” I said, “but first let me check the leaders on your poles and retie your hooks, so after lunch we’ll be ready to fish.” We broke bread together, each sharing his/her meal.

The man asked the blessing, “Thank the good Lord for the fish in the box.” Then in words I will never forget, he said “Thank you Lord for no harm coming to us this morning, and may you grant us safe passage upon our return.”

We caught several more nice fish that day and as time ran out I said “Okay folks, time to reel ‘em up and go back! I hope you had a good day and that I earned my pay.”

The lady said “we had a fantastic time and we will be back for sure.” The man shook my hand and thanked me. Not letting go of my hand he asked “Capt. Mac, why can’t we all just get along like this?”

“I wish I knew the answer to that” I said.

For the better part of six hours that day mine was not a boat segregated nor integrated, nor for that matter, did we even care about such orientation.

It was in fact just people, folks, members of the human race sharing a common joy called fishing. On the trip back to the dock I was in deep thought. How do we justify being cruel to one another? Most of us all pretty much want the same thing to be treated fairly, to be treated with respect, and to feel like we belong.

I am a well-read person (which includes the Bible), and as we navigated our way to the dock two passages came to my mind: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

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remain: faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.”

I’m not much of a philosopher or a scholar but it sure looks like love, if given a chance, can and will trump all of our differences.

••• WHEN MARCH ROLLS AROUND, I can’t help but think of Pogonias cromis, better known as black drum. Based on my experience they are pretty plentiful this time of year. They are free spawners, meaning they can and do spawn almost anywhere.

March seems to be a golden time for drum congregating with spawning continuing to a lesser degree into June and July.

I am often asked what my favorite fish is.

My pat response is “the ones that bite.” I have to say for table fare, black drum is at the top of my list. On medium light tackle, pole action can be a ball of fun.

••• COPANO BAY—Still some keeper reds close to Turtle Pen and some nice trout hang out in this area as well. I prefer mud minnows for both this time of year, but soft plastics in root beer and new penny colors can produce a lot of action as well. Good sheepshead numbers are being caught on the old LBJ fishing pier using small kahle hooks and cut squid or frozen shrimp.

ARANSAS BAY—Grass lines just off of the north shoreline close to the LBJ causeway are holding some keeper trout using soft plastics. Darker colors early morning, such as morning glory and electric colors such as new penny mid-day and beyond, work well.

Sheepshead action is still good on the spoil area at the mouth of Dunham Bay. Free line is best if the wind allows or a very light Carolina rig with small kahle hooks.

ST CHARLES BAY—Black drum action is good in the very back of Cavasso Creek using peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig. Some keeper trout may be found at the mouth of Cavasso Creek (where it opens into the bay) using live shrimp and

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a rattle cork. Use finger mullet at the cut of Little Devils Bayou during high tide to find a few keeper reds.

CARLOS BAY—Some trout and reds are being caught using rattle traps in bone and white, and blue and gold in Carlos Dugout. The trick here is to let the current work the lure for you with very slow retrieves.

Drifts across Carlos Lake are still good for trout using a popping cork and shrimp.

MESQUITE BAY—The new spoil area on the northwest shoreline is good for sheepshead and black drum using free-lined peeled shrimp. Some reds can be found on the south side of Ayers Reef using cut mullet on a VERY light Carolina rig. The east shoreline adjacent to Brays Cove is holding some flounders. Free-lined live shrimp are best here. Set the hook at the slightest tap/ bite.

AYERS BAY—The northwest shoreline reefs have some keeper black drum and some reds. Live shrimp work well here on a light Carolina rig, or if the wind allows, freelined. Ayers Reef with a north wind is good for a few trout and some keeper reds using free-lined mud minnows.

THE BANK BITE THE MANY PIERS off of Fulton Beach are a good place for sheepshead and black drum.

Frozen or fresh, dead shrimp is the ticket. A silent cork is best for the sheepies here and a light Carolina rig for the black drum.

Contact Capt. Mac Gable at Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601 captmac@macattackguideservice.com

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2/9/15 3:44 PM

LOWER Coast Hotspot Focus :: by CALIXTO GONZALES

Marching Along

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FTER ANOTHER FRIGID winter, March should provide hope for some better fishing up and down the Texas Coast, though the weather won’t completely stabilize for at least another month. If trends stay consistent—maybe a bit longer—there are enough warm days to move gamefish to get out, start prowling and put on the feed bag.

On some days in March, the southeasterly flow begins to prevail, and the chilly temperatures begin creeping up into the 80s. Flats begin warming up, and trout and redfish start spreading out and working the winter kinks out of their bones. The water of the flats and guts between Port Mansfield and Port Isabel warm significantly. Schools and schools of young of the year mullet, menhaden, and other baitfish, and shrimp begin to show up in greater numbers. The southeast winds may begin to start cranking, but it’s a small sacrifice for the better fishing.

A good spot to start a late winter fishing trip is the Cullen House area. When the conditions are right, especially in March, this place is full of fish.

Redfish roam around the flats and terrorize any hapless crab, shrimp, and baitfish that have the bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Speckled trout lurk on the edges where sand and grass meet, waiting for any critter surviving the redfish rampage. Higher tides increase the overall depth of Cullen Bay and fish take advantage of the conditions to patrol along the newly flooded shorelines.

Weedless gold spoons such as the venerable Johnson Silver Minnow (ironically, in gold) will always be the most effective weapon for redfish up and down the Laguna.

The ¼ ounce variety is standard, but if the wind is a little stiff (which has been known to

happen in March), a 3/8 or ½ ounce spoon may be called for. When knuckleballing a cast into the wind, I prefer a gold ½ ounce Kasatmaster with red bucktail-dressed single hook. Topwaters also work well for both trout and redfish, with blue/orange, baby redfish, and bone the most effective colors.

Don’t be timid about throwing these plugs in choppy water. Fish can pick up the sound from a good distance in spite of the hydro-interference. The high-pitched version of the Bomber Saltwater-Grade Badonk-a-Donk minnow is the hottest bait to try on a windy March day, and the results can be very rewarding, if not down-right memorable.

Soft plastics can be especially effective.

Whether you swim the lures on a 1/8 to ¼ ounce head or under a noisy float such as Paradise Popper. This is a simple, effective, and successful way to introduce neophytes to fishing with lures. Plastics can do a number on trout and redfish in this area. The important part is to fish with a pattern you have the most confidence with (there is a reason, however, that the venerable red/white-tail soft plastic is still a best seller along the lower coast).

Gulp! Baits such as the Shrimp have become increasingly popular among LLM fishermen, especially when live shrimp are sold out. Fish them the same way you would a live shrimp, under a popping cork or freelined when fishing the depth breaks.

Anglers who for various reasons don’t wish to make the long run up to Cullen will find some very good fishing around the Parallel Bars, which is a short hop from the marinas and docks in Padre Island and Port Isabel.

Large trout are there in March, and they are partial to big noisy topwaters such as the Badonk-a-Donk or a River2Sea 120 Wide Glide. Again, bright colors such as white or chartreuse are the most effective patterns to goad these fish into striking. Though the fish are in deeper water, it—and the wind never become an issue. A big trout is willing to come up out of deep water to hit what he T E X A S

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thinks is an easy, wounded meal.

Those fishermen who prefer techniques other than topwaters would do well fishing a live shrimp under a popping cork or Mauler-type float. A plastic shrimp or shad tail under the same float works just as well (it will save on live bait, too). Slower presentations are critical, even when water temperatures warm up. Keeping a bait in the strike zone long enough for a just-startingget-aggressive trout to decide if he wants to eat, is critical.

An important factor is tidal movement.

If the water is moving—especially in the morning—the fish will be actively prowling on top of the Parallel Bars area. If there is no tidal flow, fishing will get very difficult, because the fish scatter in the deeper water and become harder to locate. Still, you may have to grind, but the fish you catch will be good fish.

When you are fishing in the deeper water, watch for color changes that will serve as “soft structure” for trout to use as ambush points for prey. THIS is the sort of situation where a popping cork or rattle float comes in very handy, because you can keep a bait in the color change for a longer time.

Note that this is one of the more popular spots on Laguna Madre in June, and don’t be surprised to find several boats drifting the area (some ambitious souls also try to wade the area). A little common sense, combined with patience and tolerance, however, should make things bearable.

I’ve written before that fishing is good the year around on Lower Laguna Madre.

There is a special place in everyone’s heart for March, though. The promise of spring and summer are on the horizon. Anglers can sense it, and more important, fish can sense it. Everyone and everything responds accordingly.

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Email Calixto Gonzales at ContactUs@fishgame.com |

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Texas HOTSPOTS

UPPER COAST

Keep Tabbs on Trinity Trout

by TOM BEHRENS

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Tabbs Bay GPS: N 94 52.0000, W 94 56.5415 (94.8667, -94.9424) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corky or MirrOdyne CONTACT: Capt. Jim West 409-996-3054 captjimwest@yahoo.com bolivarguideservice.com TIPS: West likes the Corky because he can work it really, really slow. “It’s a finesse bait.” Capt. Jim West LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Boiler Bayou GPS: N 28 38.4829, W 95 53.6479 (28.6414, -95.8941) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corky CONTACT: Capt. John Brummerhop 281-235-2035 Capt-John@Angler-Products.com TIPS: In March the trout will be transitioning to shallow water LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Brown Cedar Flats GPS: N 28 43.8469, W 95 42.6599 (28.7308, -95.7110) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Rapala Skitter Walk CONTACT: Capt. John Brummerhop 281-235-2035 Capt-John@Angler-Products.com TIPS: On warmer days, Brummerhop will tie on a topwater in either a white or pink color.

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Old Gulf Cut

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GPS COORDINATES are provided in two formats: “Decimal Degrees” (degrees.degrees) and “Degrees and Minutes” sometimes called “GPS Format” (degrees minutes.minutes).

Examples (for Downtown Austin): Decimal Degrees: N30.2777, W97.7379; Degrees and Minutes: N30 16.6662, W97 44.2739. Consult your manual for information specific to your GPS device.

GPS: N 28 42.919, W 95 53.2099 (28.7153, -95.8868) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Rapala Skitter Walk CONTACT: Capt. John Brummerhop 281-235-2035 Capt-John@Angler-Products.com TIPS: “I vary the retrieve depending on what the fish like. If it’s still cold, it’s going to be a little slower retrieve.” Capt. John Brummerhop LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Little Pasture Cove GPS: N 29 31.1472, W 94 32.1779 (29.5191, -94.5363) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Berkley Gulp in the New Penny color CONTACT: Capt. John Chesser 409-673-5420 johnchesser50@yahoo.com www.gulfcoastfishtrips.com TIPS: “All of the cuts around Little Pasture are good at this time of the year. The drains coming out of the marsh are all productive on an outgoing tide.” Capt. John Chesser LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Frozen Point GPS: N 29 32.4199, W 94 31.3609 (29.5403, -94.5227) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. John Chesser 409-673-5420 johnchesser50@yahoo.com www.gulfcoastfishtrips.com TIPS: “Let your shrimp drift through the cut and you will catch everything - flounder, specks and

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redfish.” Capt. John Chesser LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Anahuac Wildlife Refuge GPS: N 29 33.804, W 94 32.374 (29.5634, -94.5396) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. John Chesser 409-673-5420 johnchesser50@yahoo.com www.gulfcoastfishtrips.com TIPS: “The shoreline is always better for fishing in the afternoon than morning. The sun has a chance to warm the water up.” Capt. John Chesser LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Kemah Flats GPS: N 29 32.7769, W 95 0.648 (29.5463, -95.0108) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corky Fat Boy CONTACT: Capt. Jim West 409-996-3054 captjimwest@yahoo.com bolivarguideservice.com TIPS: “In March the fish will spread out, coming out of the wintertime pattern.” Capt. Jim West LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Burnett Bay GPS: N 29 46.1136, W 95 3.0462 (29.7686, -95.0508) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corky or MirrOdyne CONTACT: Capt. Jim West 409-996-3054 captjimwest@yahoo.com bolivarguideservice.com TIPS: “The fish are sluggish and the Corky works well because you can just twitch the bait and reel it slowly.” Capt. Jim West LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Dows Reef GPS: N 29 38.8579, W 94 54.1999 (29.6476, -94.9033) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corky or MirrOdyne CONTACT: Capt. Jim West 409-996-3054

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Texas HOTSPOTS captjimwest@yahoo.com bolivarguideservice.com TIPS: “The Corky sinks slowly and you can keep ii in the strike zone longer.” Capt. Jim West LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Beasley Reef GPS: N 29 40.2679, W 94 52 (29.6711, -94.8667) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corky CONTACT: Capt. Jim West 409-996-3054 captjimwest@yahoo.com bolivarguideservice.com TIPS: “Gold, chartreuse and pink is always good colors.” Capt. Jim West LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Madame Johnson’s Bayou GPS: N 29 48.9798, W 93 48.1931 (29.8163, -93.8032) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Yum Houdini Shad CONTACT: Capt. Eddie Hernandez 409-673-3100 www.goldenhookguide.com TIPS: Fish the flats between Madame Johnson’s Bayou, south toward the Shell Hole. “Hurricane Ike blew a bunch of salt grass into this area, but grass has gone away. It’s still a good springtime place to fish.” Capt. Eddie Hernandez LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Willow Bayou GPS: N 29 51.66, W 93 46.915 (29.8610, -93.7819) SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Gulp Swimming Mullet CONTACT: Capt. Eddie Hernandez 409-673-3100 www.goldenhookguide.com TIPS: “In March the flounder should be returning to the Lake from the Gulf. Some of the best flounder action in the past has come around Spring Break.”

Capt. Eddie Hernandez LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Greens Bayou GPS: N 29 44.8302, W 95 10.1628 (29.7472, -95.1694) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Skitter Walk Junior CONTACT: Capt. John Brummerhop 281-235-2035 Capt-John@Angler-Products.com TIPS: “If you have a warmer day, I work the topwater a little faster.” Capt. John Brummerhop

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Cotton Bayou GPS: N 28 30.45, W 96 12.3816 (28.5075, -96.2064) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Catch 2000 CONTACT: Capt. John Brummerhop 281-235-2035 Capt-John@Angler-Products.com TIPS: “Tide flow will affect feeding activity, but the warming of the water is what’s going to get the fish more active.” Capt. John Brummerhop LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Peninsula Shoreline GPS: N 28 28.801, W 96 15.753 (28.4800, -96.2626) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Rapala Skitter Walk CONTACT: Capt. John Brummerhop 281-235-2035 Capt-John@Angler-Products.com TIPS: “Anglers put too much on their line,” says Brummerhop. “You really don’t need swivels and all that stuff.” Capt. John Brummerhop

MIDDLE COAST

Plan Well for Corpus Sheeps

by TOM BEHRENS

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: The Wells GPS: N 27 44.764, W 97 11.1409 (27.7461, -97.1857) SPECIES: Sheepshead BEST BAITS: Live shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Eric Knipling 361-549-5923 cknipling@yahoo.com www.texasflatsflyfishing.com TIPS: “In March I would be free lining live shrimp trying to catch spawning sheepshead, hopefully in the 5-7 pound range.” Capt. Eric Knipling LOCATION: Copano Bay HOTSPOT: Port Bay GPS: N 28 0.796, W 97 9.133 (28.0133, -97.1522) SPECIES: Redfish T E X A S

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BEST BAITS: Boogie Walker topwater CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: Besides the Boogie Walker, Kocian also likes to use the Tide Stick lures in black/chartreuse.

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Nueces/Indian Point GPS: N 27 51.3259, W 97 21.85 (27.8554, -97.3642) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Eric Knipling 361-549-5923 cknipling@yahoo.com www.texasflatsflyfishing.com TIPS: “The water temperature will be a little warmer and sometimes that makes a great difference.”

Capt. Eric Knipling LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Pringle Lake GPS: N 28 18.984, W 95 30.865 (28.3164, -95.5144) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Catch 2000 CONTACT: Capt. John Brummerhop 281-235-2035 Capt-John@Angler-Products.com TIPS: Brummerhop doesn’t use a swivel on his line, but ties directly to the lure. “All you need is a good knot. I use fluorocarbon leader tied to Super Braid, 20 lb. test.” Capt. John Brummerhop LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Boggy Bayou GPS: N 28 27.6499, W 96 25.0819 (28.4608, -96.4180) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Rapala Skitter Walk CONTACT: Capt. John Brummerhop 281-235-2035 Capt-John@Angler-Products.com TIPS: Use Super Braid line, 20 lb. test. “Twenty pound test has the same diameter as 6 lb. test. The fluorocarbon leader become invisible in the water.”

Capt. John Brummerhop LOCATION: Mesquite Bay HOTSPOT: Cedar Bayou Flats GPS: N 28 7.3169, W 96 49.323 (28.1220, -96.8221) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Badonk-A-Donk topwater lure CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859

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Texas HOTSPOTS billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: The Badonk-A-Donk is perfect for the windy March days because of it super loud rattle.

LOCATION: Mesquite Bay HOTSPOT: Fish Camp Cove GPS: N 28 10.1179, W 96 49.183 (28.1686, -96.8197) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Logic Lures soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: “Later in the day the bite is better. The morning bite is still there, but watch your tide movements.” Capt. Billie Kocian LOCATION: Mesquite Bay HOTSPOT: Southeast Shore GPS: N 28 9.655, W 96 49.242 (28.1609, -96.8207) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Boogie Walker topwater CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: The buoyant shape of the Boogie Walker makes it easier to ‘walk the dog’.

LOCATION: Mesquite Bay HOTSPOT: Ballou Island GPS: N 28 8.337, W 96 52.374 (28.1390, -96.8729) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Logic Lures soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: “There are still shark in our bays which is rare for as cold it has been. They usually go to the deeper water and come back in the summer to give birth.” Capt. Billie Kocian LOCATION: Nueces Bay HOTSPOT: Nueces Bay GPS: N 27 51.0348, W 97 25.9662 (27.8506, -97.4328) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: “Lots of flounder, trout, and redfish are

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caught in the back of the bay, close to the canals.”

Capt. Billie Kocian LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Super Flats GPS: N 27 54.669, W 97 2.196 (27.9112, -97.0366) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: “As the water warms up the fish are coming more and more out of the deeper water to get on the flats to start sunning.” Capt. Billie Kocian LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Dagger Island GPS: N 27 50.217, W 97 9.967 (27.8370, -97.1661) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Berkley Gulp in the New Penny color CONTACT: Capt. Eric Knipling 361-549-5923 cknipling@yahoo.com www.texasflatsflyfishing.com TIPS: “Look for redfish up on the flats. Target the redfish by throwing live shrimp under a popping cork or soft plastics.” Capt. Eric Knipling LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Terminal Flats GPS: N 27 54.606, W 97 7.009 (27.9101, -97.1168) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Eric Knipling 361-549-5923 cknipling@yahoo.com www.texasflatsflyfishing.com TIPS: “If you drift use soft plastics; cut bait if you are anchoring up.” Capt. Eric Knipling LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Dagger Flats GPS: N 27 49.7539, W 97 10.6099 (27.8292, -97.1768) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. John Chesser 409-673-5420 johnchesser50@yahoo.com www.gulfcoastfishtrips.com TIPS: Watch your tides. Low tides at this time of the year could strand you.

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LOCATION: Redfish Bay HOTSPOT: Redfish Bay GPS: N 27 51.1039, W 97 9.352 (27.8517, -97.1559) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Logic Lures soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: Kocian likes the Logic Lures clear with chartreuse tail. “Logic Lures has a licorice scent.”

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Green Hill GPS: N 27 22.459, W 97 21.6079 (27.3743, -97.3601) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Big paddle tail soft plastics like the Norton Sand Shad CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “Los Corales, Pennescal Point, White Bluff and Black’s Bluff are all good producers.” Capt.

Tommy Countz LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Pita Island GPS: N 27 36.0329, W 97 17.466 (27.6006, -97.2911) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Big paddle tail soft plastics like the Norton Sand Shad CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “A lot of times the bigger fish are going to be moving along the shoreline when the sun is out. Mud bottom warms up quicker than sand and grass.” Capt. Tommy Countz

LOWER COAST

Reds See Green on the Arroyo

by CALIXTO GONZALES and TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado HOTSPOT: Green Island

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Texas HOTSPOTS billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: The Badonk-A-Donk is perfect for the windy March days because of it super loud rattle.

LOCATION: Mesquite Bay HOTSPOT: Fish Camp Cove GPS: N 28 10.1179, W 96 49.183 (28.1686, -96.8197) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Logic Lures soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: “Later in the day the bite is better. The morning bite is still there, but watch your tide movements.” Capt. Billie Kocian LOCATION: Mesquite Bay HOTSPOT: Southeast Shore GPS: N 28 9.655, W 96 49.242 (28.1609, -96.8207) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Boogie Walker topwater CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: The buoyant shape of the Boogie Walker makes it easier to ‘walk the dog’.

LOCATION: Mesquite Bay HOTSPOT: Ballou Island GPS: N 28 8.337, W 96 52.374 (28.1390, -96.8729) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Logic Lures soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: “There are still shark in our bays which is rare for as cold it has been. They usually go to the deeper water and come back in the summer to give birth.” Capt. Billie Kocian LOCATION: Nueces Bay HOTSPOT: Nueces Bay GPS: N 27 51.0348, W 97 25.9662 (27.8506, -97.4328) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: “Lots of flounder, trout, and redfish are

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caught in the back of the bay, close to the canals.”

Capt. Billie Kocian LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Super Flats GPS: N 27 54.669, W 97 2.196 (27.9112, -97.0366) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: “As the water warms up the fish are coming more and more out of the deeper water to get on the flats to start sunning.” Capt. Billie Kocian LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Dagger Island GPS: N 27 50.217, W 97 9.967 (27.8370, -97.1661) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Berkley Gulp in the New Penny color CONTACT: Capt. Eric Knipling 361-549-5923 cknipling@yahoo.com www.texasflatsflyfishing.com TIPS: “Look for redfish up on the flats. Target the redfish by throwing live shrimp under a popping cork or soft plastics.” Capt. Eric Knipling LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Terminal Flats GPS: N 27 54.606, W 97 7.009 (27.9101, -97.1168) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Eric Knipling 361-549-5923 cknipling@yahoo.com www.texasflatsflyfishing.com TIPS: “If you drift use soft plastics; cut bait if you are anchoring up.” Capt. Eric Knipling LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Dagger Flats GPS: N 27 49.7539, W 97 10.6099 (27.8292, -97.1768) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. John Chesser 409-673-5420 johnchesser50@yahoo.com www.gulfcoastfishtrips.com TIPS: Watch your tides. Low tides at this time of the year could strand you.

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LOCATION: Redfish Bay HOTSPOT: Redfish Bay GPS: N 27 51.1039, W 97 9.352 (27.8517, -97.1559) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Logic Lures soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billie Kocian 361-688-8859 billiekocian@yahoo.com www.sportfishingtexas.com TIPS: Kocian likes the Logic Lures clear with chartreuse tail. “Logic Lures has a licorice scent.”

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Green Hill GPS: N 27 22.459, W 97 21.6079 (27.3743, -97.3601) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Big paddle tail soft plastics like the Norton Sand Shad CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “Los Corales, Pennescal Point, White Bluff and Black’s Bluff are all good producers.” Capt.

Tommy Countz LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Pita Island GPS: N 27 36.0329, W 97 17.466 (27.6006, -97.2911) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Big paddle tail soft plastics like the Norton Sand Shad CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “A lot of times the bigger fish are going to be moving along the shoreline when the sun is out. Mud bottom warms up quicker than sand and grass.” Capt. Tommy Countz

LOWER COAST

Reds See Green on the Arroyo

by CALIXTO GONZALES and TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado HOTSPOT: Green Island

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Texas HOTSPOTS 956-551-9581 TIPS: Fish dawn to midday. Wade the mouth on an outgoing tide.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Airport Cove GPS: N 26 10.02, W 97 18.12 (26.1670, -97.3020) SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp, soft plastics in red/ white, Bone/Chartreuse.

CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Live Bait is tough to beat in early spring.

If the water is still cool, fish soft plastics near the bottom with 1/8th ounce jigheads. Work slowly and keep a soft touch to detect light takes LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado HOTSPOT: Stover Point GPS: N 26 12.195, W 97 17.784 (26.2033, -97.2964) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live bait, cut bait, gold spoons, soft plastic in red/white, Bone/chartreuse CONTACT: LG Outfitters 956-371-0220 lgonzales@lgoutfitter.com lgoutfitters.com TIPS: Watch for boils to mark the presence of fish.

Off-colored water might require that you switch over to live bait or Gulp! tails. Long casts will allow you to work more water and lessen the chance of spooking fish.

PINEY WOODS

Harmonize with White Bass

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: Harmon Creek GPS: N 30 52.134, W 95 23.9039 (30.8689, -95.3984) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Jigs, Rat-L-Traps in Chrome Blue CONTACT: David S Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: “Cast jigs and Rat-L-Traps in the deep holes off sandy points. Troll the deep holes with the same

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baits. BANK ACCESS: Harmon Creek Marina or Hwy 19 Bridge LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: James Bayou and Bird Island areas GPS: N 32 47.916, W 94 0.1019 (32.7986, -94.0017) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: V&M Wild Thang Lizards and V&M Lightning Blades, Soft plastics in colors of white/ red, junebug, and black/blue. Dark and bream colors for skirted baits CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net www.caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish the scattered and isolated trees in 2-4 ft. of water paying special attention to areas that also have submerged hydrilla. March and April are the two main spawning months on Caddo Lake.

LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 27.1139, W 95 35.6939 (30.4519, -95.5949) SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers BEST BAITS: Live shad, Storm Swim shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch 936-291-1277 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: The hybrid stripers are doing great now and this is the time to catch trophy fish. They will be all around the lake on main lake points and humps. The use of electronics is a necessity! Find the schools of shad and you will find the Hybrids. This time of year they will range in the water column from 28 to 40 feet. Find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. Live shad will be the bait of choice but the swim shad will work if you can control the depth. Bank Access: Stowaway Marina LOCATION: Toledo-Bend Reservoir HOTSPOT: Sabine River, Government Ditch GPS: N 31 53.5319, W 93 55.896 (31.8922, -93.9316) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, shallow diving square bill crankbaits, Road Runners, Tail Spinners and slab spoons CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: The White Bass will be in the river proper making their annual river migration to spawn.

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the river sandbars. If the current is running, look for the “eddies” where the water is still. The Whites will bunch up in the still water. If the river is high, work the flooded sloughs. A ¼ ounce Rat-L-Trap, or Road Runner lets you cover a lot of water to locate the fish. Chartreuse or chrome colors usually work great. If you catch one, slow down because there are usually more fish in the same area.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Cow Down for Whites & Hybrids

by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Belton Lake HOTSPOT: Cowhouse Creek Arm GPS: N 31 8.7899, W 97 32.088 (31.1465, -97.5348) SPECIES: White Bass and Hybrids BEST BAITS: Storm Thin Fin in Silver Shad color or a 2.75” Storm Smash Shad in Rainbow Smelt color CONTACT: Bob Maindelle/Holding the Line Guide Service 254- 368-7411 Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Focus on the middle section of the Cowhouse Creek arm, near the old creek channel.

Watch sonar closely for suspended pods of fish and fish the Storm Thin Fin on a downrigger if the fish are deep, or fish a Smash Shad on a flat line if the fish are within 12 feet of the surface.

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Creeks GPS: N 32 13.098, W 96 3.6719 (32.2183, -96.0612) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits and plastics CONTACT: Jason Barber 903-887-7896 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: Fish the back 1/3 of all the spawning creeks with spinnerbaits and plastics. You should find fish in most all of these areas.

LOCATION: Fayette County HOTSPOT: Intake Corner GPS: N 29 55.2779, W 96 44.8379

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Texas HOTSPOTS (29.9213, -96.7473) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Stink bait, worms CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Fish are eating Algea and bait fish along the rocks and are also spawning there. Fish rocks and cattails along intake. The best times to fish are dawn to mid-morning.

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek HOTSPOT: Lone Tree East of Hog Point GPS: N 30 37.8808, W 96 3.781 (30.6313, -96.0630) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, Crawafish, Punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Fishing is great when south winds blow into the bank here. Fish tight line or cork set shallow.

Cast close to shore. The bite can be fast so be ready!

LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Creeks, sloughs, and coves GPS: N 30 40.602, W 97 21.78 (30.6767, -97.3630) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Bass Assassin Jigs, Marabou jigs CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell 512- 365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Right now is the time to start catching the spawning crappie at Granger Lake. As the days start warming, the crappie move into the shallow coves and spawning areas. Use 10 foot jig poles with a jig and slip bobber. Set the bobber stop at 12 to 16 inches. Work the baits close to the banks in areas of very thick cover. If you find a place that the fish are biting, keep fishing the area very thoroughly. When they stop biting move on to try new places. After an hour or so, come back to that spot and you can catch more. Weather conditions can affect the fishing this time of year and some days can be tough but you just have to keep trying and you will eventually find the fish. The two coves at Taylor Park and the big cove next to Fox Park are the best places to try this time of year. Good luck and good fishing.

LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Lower end near Striper Alley GPS: N 32 23.994, W 97 41.46 (32.3999, -97.6910)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad and jigging slabs in silver and chartreuse.

CONTACT: Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 www.unfairadvantagecharters.com TIPS: Down-lining live bait offerings on Carolina live bait rig. Look for striper schools around 15 to 25 feet down right near channel ledges. Granbury levels continue to be low, so call to make sure access is available. Access is available at the Hilton/City Beach launch and Pecan Plantation private launch. Water temperatures are back in the 50s and 60’s and the spring patterns are starting to dominate.

LOCATION: Joe Pool Lake HOTSPOT: Lake Ridge Parkway Area/Britton Park GPS: N 32 34.7999, W 97 1.158 (32.5800, -97.0193) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Floating jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, 4” black lizards CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell 972- 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net www.johnnyprocell.com TIPS: This is a very good time to catch an 8 to 10 pound plus bass. Due to tournaments on this lake, it is best to fish during the week if possible. Floating jerkbaits and spinner baits will work best but a 4 inch black lizards is my go to bait. Fish all the small coves on the south side of the triangle shaped land that runs east from Lake Ridge Parkway. If not flooded, there is good sight fishing at the very end of the lake on the northwest side near Brittton Park.

Caution is advised in this area because of the many stumps and downed logs. This is an excellent spinnerbait area.

LOCATION: Joe Pool Lake HOTSPOT: Lake Ridge Park/Cedar Hill State Park GPS: N 32 37.128, W 96 59.3819 (32.6188, -96.9897) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows or tiny crappie jigs CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell 972- 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net www.johnnyprocell.com TIPS: Crappie will move from the bridges and will begin to move into all the major deep coves.

Several can be reached by bank anglers in the area in Lake Ridge Park on the north side of the lake.

This spot offers excellent camping as does Cedar Hill State Park on the east side of the lake. Another good area is the wooded cove on the northwest T E X A S

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LOCATION: Joe Pool Lake HOTSPOT: Lake Ridge Marina Cove GPS: N 32 37.878, W 97 2.3579 (32.6313, -97.0393) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: 1 oz. slabs in silver or chartreuse, 4 “ Sassy Shad CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell 972- 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net www.johnnyprocell.com TIPS: Sandbass are small in this lake but can offer so excellent action during mid-day doldrums. Try the cove directly south of Lake Ridge Marina and east of the roadway. Trolled deep divers work best since they allow an angler to cover a lot of territory.

A hint is to just look for four or five circling boats.

Please do not tell anyone I sent you to this hot spot!

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Dam Area and Main Lake Boat Slips GPS: N 33 1.956, W 96 28.92 (33.0326, -96.4820) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Live minnows, black/chartreuse and white/chartreuse jigs with 1/32 and 1/16 oz. pink jig heads.

CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Crappie fishing excellent under private boat slips. Fishing is also good at the dam spider rigging in 18 to 28 foot depths. Find the bait and find the fish.

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 33 5.268, W 96 28.62 (33.0878, -96.4770) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Deep diving crankbaits in Crawfish, Sexy Shad, Fire Tiger; Soft plastic worms in Motor Oil or Chartreuse/Watermelon Green, Watermelon Red, Sinko’s, creature baits in soft plastic.

CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Fish the rocks along the rip rap in 12 to 18 foot of water with deep diving crankbaits. Texas rig when fishing the rocks. Carolina rig and fish any humps you can find in between the power plant and the dam.

LOCATION: Lake Lavon

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Texas HOTSPOTS HOTSPOT: Main Lake Shallow Coves and Humps GPS: N 33 3.33, W 96 26.952 (33.0555, -96.4492) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut shad, carp, or buffalo CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Fishing is excellent in shallow coves in 1 to 4 foot depths floating cut bait. Also, drift fish the main lake humps.

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Humps Between the Power Plant and Dam GPS: N 33 2.676, W 96 28.266 (33.0446, -96.4711) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Small Flukes in Pearl White, chartreuse, and silver/black CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: The main school will be located in 18 to 26 foot of water near the dam or somewhere around the main island. Also check the humps in between the dam and the powerhouse. Dead sticking small flukes right off the bottom.

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Old Folks Playground GPS: N 32 9.624, W 95 28.074 (32.1604, -95.4679) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Big Eye Jigs, Top Shelf Spinner Baits, Shimmy Shakers, and Mr.Twister Comida in Black/Blue CONTACT: Ricy Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish brush and drainage ditches around the old folks play ground. Fish the Big Eye Jig in the brush along the side of the islands and fish the Top Shelf Spinner Bait and Shimmy Shaker up in the brush and drainages. Another bait is the Mr. Twister comida in blk blu color fished in both locations.

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 5.8679, W 95 27.876 (32.0978, -95.4646) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs CONTACT: Ricy Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201

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ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish brush piles in 18 - 20 feet of water.

LOCATION: Lake Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: Timbered Areas of the Richland Creek Arm GPS: N 31 58.95, W 96 10.9241 (31.9825, -96.1821) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Danny King’s Blood Punch Bait CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: If the winter hangs on into spring and the crappie and whites still aren’t biting, the catfish will be. Water temperature is the key to getting most fish interested in the spring spawn, but the catfish love the cold water and will bite all Winter through early spring. Fish punch bait on a #4 treble hook in 15-25 feet of water.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Miller Road Arm/Middle Fork GPS: N 32 52.656, W 96 32.8679 (32.8776, -96.5478) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Large blade spinnerbaits, jerk baits CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell 972- 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net www.johnnyprocell.com TIPS: Bass will begin to awaken from their winter’s sleep and can be caught by slow rolling large blade spinner baits along the rocks in the middle fork (Miller Road Arm) of the lake. Jerk baits like the Gold Rouge and the Luck Charm will also catch shallow bass on these rocks once the sun comes out. This is the most protected area from wind and cold water that may flow into the lake on the other arms and will warm first. Another good area is the cove on the inside of the Hot Water Jetty south of Bass Pro. Work the rocks with the above mentioned lures and fish SLOW! LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Robertson Park GPS: N 32 52.128, W 96 30.7859 (32.8688, -96.5131) SPECIES: White Bass and Hybrids BEST BAITS: 1 oz. slabs in silver or chartreuse, 4 “ Sassy Shad CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell 972- 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net www.johnnyprocell.com TIPS: Fish will begin to move northward from the

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deep water near the dam and will be stacked up on the southern most point of Robertson Park in 18 to 22 feet of water and on the long sandy point that runs eastward toward Chandler’s Landing. There is an inundated levee at the end of this point. Fish will chase shad here in the late afternoon and can be caught on Sassy Shad or on slow rolled slabs.

When the fish are not active, dead-stick slabs in 18 feet of water. Color will change from day to day but silver or chartreuse work most of the time.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Harbor Bay Marina Bridge GPS: N 32 53.3939, W 96 29.4059 (32.8899, -96.4901) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows or tiny crappie jigs CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell 972- 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net www.johnnyprocell.com TIPS: Crappie will move in under the bridges. Best bet is the one nearest Harbor Bay Marina. Fish the old river channel where it comes under the bridge in 12 to 15 feet of water with either minnows or tiny crappie jigs. Big crappie will begin to move into the slips and the fishing barge at Harbor Bay, giving the non-boater a safe warm place to fish.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Grassy Points GPS: N 33 26.0663, W 97 1.7095 (33.4344, -97.0285) SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Jerkbaits and Alabama rigs, jigs, Biffle bugs, Chatterbaits, RatLTraps CONTACT: Dannie Golden, Get Bit Guide Service 817-228-5999 www.get-bit.com TIPS: With March upon us, it is the beginning of the spawn. Early in the month you can still do the same things you were doing in late February, but the weather will dictate the pattern. If it is still cold at the end of the month, it will stay the same as early March. The fish should be in the mouth of the major creeks and secondary points staging for spawning. Grass on the points will help. There will still be some fish on main lake rocky points to be caught on jerkbaits and Alabama rigs. A good flipping bite is also prominent around the creek channels; jigs or Biffle bugs. Chatterbaits, rattletraps are ideal during March. Flukes or Senkos rigged with a split shot weight can be used, but usually have to be fished very slowly.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Creeks GPS: N 33 26.1095, W 96 59.5075

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Texas HOTSPOTS (33.4352, -96.9918) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs CONTACT: Dannie Golden, Get Bit Guide Service 817-228-5999 www.get-bit.com TIPS: The white bass will be staging up to move up the creeks. With the lake so low, they will not be able to move very far and many will spawn in the main lake. A 1oz or 1 1/2oz slab will work best.

The key remains to keep your bait very close to the bottom. Small jerks up and off the bottom is all you need to do.

LOCATION: Lake Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: 309 Flats GPS: N 32 2.136, W 96 12.6005 (32.0356, -96.2100) SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers and White Bass BEST BAITS: 1 oz. Silver Glitter RSR Shad slabs CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: “Watch for the gulls and pelicans dipping down to pick up shad off the surface. Concentrate on drop-offs and ridges in the 309 Flats Area in water depths ranging from 20-30 feet. Bounce the slab off the bottom and when the strike occurs, HOLD ON! It might be a BIG Ol’ Hybrid! BANK ACCESS: Fisherman’s Point Marina LOCATION: Lake Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: Coves at Fisherman’s Point Marina GPS: N 31 56.2799, W 96 7.404 (31.9380, -96.1234) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Small minnows or jigs CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: Check out the Coves at the marina for early spawing Crappie. Small minnows or jigs in the 2 feet of water could result in a nice catch!

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Snake Island GPS: N 30 18.75, W 96 35.634 (30.3125, -96.5939) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, Punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Fish the south side of this island with wind blowing into shore. Shad should be gathering shallow now. Us tight line and cast close to shore.

LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Paw Paw Creek GPS: N 33 53.982, W 96 53.79 (33.8997, -96.8965) SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: RoadRunner and Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: In March the white bass have already spawned and the stripers are staging up the main tributaries. Structure like main lake points, ditches and creeks will hold stripers. 1oz. RoadRunner and Sassy Shad jigs in white or chartreuse will work best. Fish the creeks in 12’ to 20’ of water with a slow retrieve for fish up to 20lbs. Pay attention to the seagulls, they can be your best fish finder.

When you are fishing under the birds keep your lure in the top 15’ of water.

LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Mill Creek cut GPS: N 33 49.7879, W 96 45.3059 (33.8298, -96.7551) SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: RoadRunner and Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: “Stripers are staging up the main tributaries.

Structure like main lake points, ditches and creeks will hold stripers. 1oz. RoadRunner and Sassy Shad jigs in white or chartreuse will work best. Fish the creeks in 12’ to 20’ of water with a slow retrieve for fish up to 20lbs. Pay attention to the seagulls, they can be your best fish finder. When you are fishing under the birds keep your lure in the top 15’ of water. Most activity will be west of the Willis bridge and north of the railroad bridge on the Washita arm.

LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Lake HOTSPOT: Upper End of Main Lake GPS: N 31 0.4218, W 97 38.8559 (31.0070, -97.6476) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: 2.75” Storm Smash Shad in Rainbow Smelt color CONTACT: Bob Maindelle/Holding the Line Guide Service 254- 368-7411 Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: “Troll along the edges of the old river channel, maintaining your bearings using sonar. If you catch fish consistently in the same area, focus just on that area until the fish quit.

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LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Sandy Point GPS: N 31 55.23, W 97 20.8499 (31.9205, -97.3475) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Sassy Shad and Flea Fly CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Spawning whites on the main lake are in Whitney Creek and along Whitney Point as well as Sandy Point. Use a small swim bait and tie a flea fly about 10” above it and make long casts up on points and bounce up and down along edge of point back to boat. Catch them two at a time!

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump GPS: N 31 54.666, W 97 20.868 (31.9111, -97.3478) SPECIES: Stripers BEST BAITS: Chartreuse Wild Eyed Shad and Live Gizzard shad CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Early in the morning we are using Wild Eyed Shad swim baits and casting out on the hump and retrieving back with a medium to fast retrieve and catching the stripers as they are moving up on the hump gorging on the spawning shad. After the sun comes up I like backing off the hump and anchoring in 30 feet of water and fishing live shad suspended off the bottom. Another tactic is to also make long casts up on the hump with live shad and free line them on a carolina rig. The stripers will pick them up and make a long run. This results in a long distance fight and a lot of fun.

PANHANDLE

Creeky Bass on Alan Henry

by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Gobbler and Ince Creeks GPS: N 33 1.506, W 101 9.3179 (33.0251, -101.1553) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

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Texas HOTSPOTS BEST BAITS: Shad colored crankbaits, Shakey Head jigs with a blue, camo, or green pumpkin worm, Bomber Fat Free Shad in Foxy Shad Color, Strike King XDS in Sexy Shad color CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglobal.net www.lakealanhenry.com/norman_clayton.htm TIPS: March is when I get out my shad colored crankbaits and a shaky head jigs. Look for the warmest water you can find, and you will find the bass. The northwest creek will warm up first except for Big Grape Creek. Even though Big Grape is a south creek, it still is one of the warmest creeks in the early spring. Creeks to check out in March are Gobbler, Ince, and the northwest smaller creeks and coves. If you do not have any luck in the creeks, go to the steep banks close to deep water, and throw a shaky head jig with a blue, camo, or green pumpkin worm. Almost any steep bank will work, but the most productive will be the steep banks up the creeks. Also try the steep banks on the main lake area.

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Oil Well Slough GPS: N 32 55.3219, W 98 27.8569 (32.9220, -98.4643) SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Shad, jigs, slabs, crankbaits, RatLTraps CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: March is the time to take advantage of the fish fattening up for their annual spring run and we like to catch live shad when possible this month for easy pickings in all species. But jigs and slabs and trolling crankbaits and RatLTraps are perfect right now for the fattest, biggest sandbass of the year and an occasional striper or hybrid.

BIG BEND

Amistad Bass Rough & Ready

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Amistad HOTSPOT: Rough Canyon Area GPS: N29 34.20456, W100 58.4892 (29.570076, -100.974820)

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SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Jigs, plastic worms, crankbaits, soft plastic jerkbaits CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 stan@amistadbass.com amistadbass.com TIPS: Fish the shallow pockets in the various arms off the river channel. Start at the mouths of the coves and work your way to the back of them slowly. On bright days, make long casts with soft plastic jerkbaits and Carolina-rigged worms.

HILL COUNTRY

Tom Creek for Canyon Crappie

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Tom Creek Area GPS: N 29 52.128, W 98 16.1459 (29.8688, -98.2691) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Small crankbaits and jigs or live minnows CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide ServiceBarry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: Look for prime areas for spawning in shallow water. This is one of the best times of the year to fish the back of coves and other shallow water areas. Crappie will hit just about anything during the spawning season. The main difference in lure selection is the sizes. The best fishing occurs just before frontal passage and then a couple days after when the winds return from the south. Generally, the best fishing is in the afternoons on north banks protected from the north winds and areas which receive lots of sunshine.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 29 51.09, W 98 12.69 (29.8515, -98.2115) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Plastics, Picasso Tungsten Weights, Berkely Power Worms, Zoom flukes, Zoom Finesse Worms in Green Pumpkin Magic

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CONTACT: KC’S Bassin’ Guide Service 210-823-2153 kandie@gvtc.com www.kcbassinguide.com TIPS: Here’s a chance to work along a channel drop in a small cove uplake from the dam. Work slowly with a Carolina Rigged Watermelon Red fluke on a Denali 6’10 MH rod with a Tungsten 3/4 ounce weight. Also throw a drop shot and hang on! You can also throw a Wacky Rig with a 1/16th Falcon Wacky K Hook with Weed Guard and a Finesse Worm in Watermelon Purple or a Texas Rigged Senko in Watermelon Candy if the sun is high or Green Pumkin if cloudy.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Cranes Mill Point GPS: N 29 53.742, W 98 17.0759 (29.8957, -98.2846) SPECIES: White Bass and Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Sebile Onduspoon Spoon in Halo Color CONTACT: Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: “The west shoreline seems to produce the best catches. Fishing the spoon in 15 to 30 feet of water.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Canyon Lake Marina GPS: N 29 54.684, W 98 14.256 (29.9114, -98.2376) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Hard plastic jerk baits, soft plastic jerk baits, top-water, slow-rolling spinnerbaits, lipless or square-bill crankbaits CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide ServiceBarry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: Look for prime areas for spawning in shallow water. This is one of the best times of the year to fish the back of coves and other shallow water areas. Bass will hit just about anything during the spawning season. The main difference in lure selection is the sizes. The best fishing occurs just before frontal passage and then a couple days after when the winds return from the south.

LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: Main Lake Flats, Shallows and Docks GPS: N 30 20.484, W 97 50.7719 (30.3414, -97.8462) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Picasso Swim Jig, Picasso Shake E

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Texas HOTSPOTS Football, V&M Pulse Swim Jig, V&M Thunder Shad, V&M Super Shakeyhead, Amphibia Sports Eyegear CONTACT: Brian Parker - Lake Austin Fishing 817-808-2227 lakeaustinfishing@yahoo.com www.LakeAustinFishing.com TIPS: March is highly considered “the month” for all anglers because of the size of the spawning bass in Texas lakes. I personally do not search out beds on a regular basis but when a client ask to do so, I tie on swim jigs and shakeyheads, clean my high clarity Amphibia sunglasses and begin to work the flats, shallows, and docks in shallow water. I typically like to use a bluegill or sunfish pattern swim jig as these are the predominate egg eaters in these situations on Lake Austin. When using the shakeyheads, I will use a V&M Thunder Shad as this will resemble a small fish eating the eggs and produced strikes from the males and females.

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Upper End of Main Lake GPS: N 30 50.538, W 98 24.2699 (30.8423, -98.4045) SPECIES: Striped Bass and White Bass BEST BAITS: Live Shad CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@yahoo.com www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: Fishing is good in the early morning and late evening. Concentrate on the upper end of lake as well as deeper water near the river channel. You can also fish along ridges near deep water. Fish live shad drifting or anchored 20 feet down.

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Upper End of Main Lake GPS: N 30 50.466, W 98 23.7779 (30.8411, -98.3963) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut bait CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@yahoo.com www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: “Big blue cats are excellent on rod and reel in coves near trees or rocks. Fish the upper end of the lake early or late using cut bait. Remember to use a big bait to increase the possiblities of catching a bigger fish. We have been catching numerous 20 and 30 lb. fish so far. Jug lines are a good method if you are wanting smaller fish to eat.

Jugs good also if you are wanting smaller fish.

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Upper End of Main Lake GPS: N 30 50.0579, W 98 22.656 (30.8343, -98.3776)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, Magnum Zara and Pencil Poppers for topwater action.

CONTACT: Ken Miliam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: Striper fishing is GREAT this time of year!

Fish the humps off of the river channel. Also, fish along the tree lines. Stripers will be in the shallows and can be caught early morning and late evening on top water baits.

LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Dry Creek Area GPS: N 30 36.18, W 98 23.4179 (30.6030, -98.3903) SPECIES: Crappie and Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crappie: 1” to 2” small crank baits and jigs or live minnows, Bass: hard plastic jerk baits, soft plastic jerk baits, top-water, slow-rolling spinnerbaits, lipless or square-bill crankbaits CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide ServiceBarry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: Look for prime areas for spawning in shallow water. This is one of the best times of the year to fish the back of coves and other shallow water areas. Bass and crappie will hit just about anything during the spawning season. The main difference in lure selection is the sizes. The best fishing occurs just before frontal passage and then a couple days after when the winds return from the south.

Generally, the best fishing is in the afternoons on north banks protected from the north winds and areas which receive lots of sunshine.

SOUTH TEXAS

Benevides Bass Make Their Mark

by DUSTIN WARNCKE

LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 43.812, W 97 10.38 (28.7302, -97.1730) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits in white with small Colorado blades (brass blades), jig and craw combo CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-250-3959 www.coletocreekguidefishing.com TIPS: Usually our spawn in South Texas will be dependent on how our winter is going. On most of the lakes the pre-spawn starts in February. This year I believe it will start in March at Coleto. I locate my fish then go back over it with a jig and craw unless my action stays on. Don’t discount the very back of the creeks for lunkers. Focus on the creek mouths, slow rolling the spinner. The females will be there,and there is a lot of them on Coleto.

LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 43.86, W 97 9.972 (28.7310, -97.1662) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits in white with small Colorado blades (brass blades), jig and craw combo CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-250-3959 www.coletocreekguidefishing.com TIPS: Don’t kid yourself about Coleto being a smaller lake. Its still a southern lake and it has a lot of larger bass. This means the bigger the bait the bigger the fish. So don’t be afraid to throw as big of a bait as you would at Falcon or Choke. Actually the way the lake levels are in other area lakes, I’d prefer to fish Coleto if I was looking for action. Slow roll your spinnerbait outside of grass and hang on!

LOCATION: Lake Falcon HOTSPOT: Benevides Creek/Marker 5 GPS: N 26 41.724, W 99 9.51 (26.6954, -99.1585) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Texas-rigged Rage Tail Menace in Green Pumpkin color and a half oz. Jobaby spinT E X A S

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nerbait in “Falcon Special”color CONTACT: Jim Behnken 210-414-8048 jimbehnken@hotmail.com www.fishlakefalcon.com TIPS: Flip the Rage Tail Menace to bushes on the points at the mouth of the creeks, and slow roll the spinnerbait down the center of the creeks.

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MARCH 2015

Tides and Prime Times

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

The following pages contain TIDE and SOLUNAR predictions for Galveston Channel (29.3166° N, 94.88° W).

T12

T4

T11

T10 T9

TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the upper white boxes on the Calendar Pages. Use the Correction Table below, which is keyed to 23 other tide stations, to adjust low and high tide times.

T8 T6 T17

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the lower color boxes of the Calendar pages. Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE below to adjust times for points East and West of Galveston Channel.

T15 T16

TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below.

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on many wildlife species.

T13 T7

T3 T2 T1

T5

T14

AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours.

T18

AM & PM MAJOR phases occur when the moon reaches its highest point overhead as well as when it is “underfoot” or at its highest point on the exact opposite side of the earth from your positoin (or literally under your feet). Most days have two Major Feeding Phases, each lasting about 2 hours.

T19

T20

PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month.

PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.

T21

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.

KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty Port Bolivar

HIGH -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14

LOW -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06

KEY PLACE HIGH Galveston Channel/Bays T7 Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +3:54 T8 Eagle Point +6:05 T9 Clear Lake +10:21 T10 Morgans Point T11 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39

LOW +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15

KEY T12 T13 T14 T15 T16 T17

PLACE Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, W. Bay Alligator Point, W. Bay Christmas Pt Galveston Pleasure Pier

HIGH +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -1:06

LOW +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:33 +2:31 -1:06

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

PLACE HIGH San Luis Pass -0.09 Freeport Harbor -0:44 Pass Cavallo 0:00 Aransas Pass -0:03 Padre Island (So. End) -0:24 Port Isabel +1:02

LOW -0.09 -1:02 -1:20 -1:31 -1:45 -0:42

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE GRAPH:

Yellow: Daylight Tab: Peak Fishing Period Green: Falling Tide

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

AM/PM Timeline Light Blue: Nighttime

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 AM

Gold Fish: Best Time

Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

Blue Fish: Good Time

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY:

AM PM MINOR Minor: 1:20a Minor: 1:45p Feeding Periods AM PM (+/- 1.5 Hrs.) Major: 7:32a Major: 7:57p Time Moon is at its Moon Overhead: 8:50a Highest Point in the Sky 12a

AM/PM Timeline

86 |

1503 Almanac.indd 86

6a

12p

6p

MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)

12a

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

M A R C H

2 0 1 5

Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

2/9/15 3:44 PM

SYMBOL KEY

= Peak Fishing Period

BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

MARCH 2015

Tides and Prime Times

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

24

THURSDAY

25

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

27

26 º

28

Mar 1

Sunrise: 6:51a Set: 6:14p Sunrise: 6:50a Set: 6:14p Sunrise: 6:49a Set: 6:15p Sunrise: 6:48a Set: 6:16p Sunrise: 6:47a Set: 6:16p Sunrise: 6:46a Set: 6:17p Sunrise: 6:45a Set: 6:18p Moonrise: 10:10a Set: 11:38p Moonrise: 10:56a Set: None Moonrise: 11:44a Set: 12:38a Moonrise: 12:33p Set: 1:34a Moonrise: 1:23p Set: 2:26a Moonrise: 2:14p Set: 3:14a Moonrise: 3:06p Set: 3:58a AM Minor: 9:16a

PM Minor: 9:43p

AM Minor: 10:14a

PM Minor: 10:41p

AM Minor: 11:09a

PM Minor: 11:35p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:00p

AM Minor: 12:23a

PM Minor: 12:48p

AM Minor: 1:09a

PM Minor: 1:33p

AM Minor: 1:52a

PM Minor: 2:15p

AM Major: 3:03a

PM Major: 3:30p

AM Major: 4:01a

PM Major: 4:28p

AM Major: 4:56a

PM Major: 5:22p

AM Major: 5:48a

PM Major: 6:13p

AM Major: 6:36a

PM Major: 7:01p

AM Major: 7:21a

PM Major: 7:45p

AM Major: 8:03a

PM Major: 8:27p

Moon Overhead: 4:52p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 6:38p

Moon Overhead: 5:45p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:29p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 9:07p

Moon Overhead: 8:19p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

23

 = New Moon º = First Quarter  = Full Moon » = Last Quarter  = Good Day  = Best Day SUNDAY

DIGITAL EXTRA Tap for Customized Tide Charts

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Moon Overhead: 9:54p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

+2.0

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 4:25a

Moon Underfoot: 5:19a

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 6:12a

BEST:

3:30 – 5:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 7:04a

BEST:

4:00 – 6:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 7:54a

BEST:

5:00 – 7:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 8:43a

BEST:

7:00 – 9:00 AM

BEST:

8:00 – 10:00 AM

9:00 – 11:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 9:31a

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

0

-1.0

+2.0

BEST:

2:00 – 4:00 AM

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

1:16 AM 8:23 AM 1:26 PM 7:11 PM

1503 Almanac.indd 87

-0.19 ft 0.88 ft 0.47 ft 0.88 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

2:22 AM 10:03 AM 2:27 PM 7:43 PM

-0.28 ft 0.86 ft 0.68 ft 0.87 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

3:35 AM 11:55 AM 4:47 PM 8:22 PM

-0.33 ft 0.90 ft 0.81 ft 0.87 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

4:51 AM 1:37 PM 7:09 PM 9:20 PM

-0.35 ft 0.96 ft 0.84 ft 0.86 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

6:01 AM 2:37 PM 8:04 PM 10:37 PM

-0.37 ft 1.00 ft 0.83 ft 0.87 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

7:01 AM 3:12 PM 8:32 PM 11:49 PM

-0.36 ft Low Tide 7:51 AM 1.00 ft High Tide 3:36 PM 0.80 ft Low Tide 8:50 PM 0.90 ft

-0.33 ft 0.98 ft 0.76 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

2/9/15 3:44 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK

SYMBOL KEY

 = New Moon º = First Quarter  = Full Moon » = Last Quarter  = Good Day  = Best Day SUNDAY

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION = Peak Fishing Period

BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS

2

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

3

MARCH 2015

Tides and Prime Times

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

4

FRIDAY

5

SATURDAY

6

7

8  Begin DST

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

AM Minor: 2:33a

PM Minor: 2:56p

AM Minor: 3:14a

PM Minor: 3:36p

AM Minor: 3:55a

PM Minor: 4:17p

AM Minor: 4:37a

PM Minor: 4:58p

AM Minor: 5:20a

PM Minor: 5:41p

AM Minor: 6:05a

PM Minor: 6:26p

AM Minor: 7:52a

PM Minor: 8:14p

AM Major: 8:45a

PM Major: 9:07p

AM Major: 9:25a

PM Major: 9:47p

AM Major: 10:06a

PM Major: 10:28p

AM Major: 10:48a

PM Major: 11:09p

AM Major: 11:31a

PM Major: -----

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:16p

AM Major: 1:41a

PM Major: 2:03p

Moon Overhead: 10:39p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: None

Moon Overhead: 11:24p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:07a

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:32a

Moon Overhead: 12:49a

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 6:43a Set: 6:19p Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 6:19p Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 6:20p Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 6:21p Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 6:21p Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 6:22p Sunrise: 7:37a Set: 7:22p Moonrise: 3:58p Set: 4:39a Moonrise: 4:50p Set: 5:17a Moonrise: 5:42p Set: 5:53a Moonrise: 6:33p Set: 6:27a Moonrise: 7:24p Set: 7:01a Moonrise: 8:16p Set: 7:35a Moonrise: 10:08p Set: 9:10a

Moon Overhead: 3:15a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 10:17a

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 11:02a

BEST:

BEST:

BEST:

4:00 — 6:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 1:11p

BEST:

4:30 — 6:39 AM

Moon Underfoot: 1:53p

BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 3:37p

BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 AM

+2.0

BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

7:30 — 9:30 PM

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 12:28p

TIDE LEVELS

3:00 — 5:00 AM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 11:45a

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

9

12:50 AM 8:32 AM 3:54 PM 9:02 PM

0.94 ft -0.27 ft 0.95 ft 0.70 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

MONDAY

1:45 AM 9:08 AM 4:10 PM 9:15 PM

0.98 ft -0.19 ft 0.93 ft 0.62 ft

TUESDAY

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

2:34 AM 9:38 AM 4:27 PM 9:34 PM

WEDNESDAY

10

3:21 AM 10:05 AM 4:45 PM 10:00 PM

1.03 ft 0.01 ft 0.92 ft 0.44 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

4:08 AM 10:31 AM 5:04 PM 10:30 PM

1.03 ft 0.13 ft 0.92 ft 0.36 ft

FRIDAY

4:56 AM 10:58 AM 5:22 PM 11:03 PM

SUNDAY

14

15

Set: 7:24p Sunrise: 7:32a Set: 7:25p Sunrise: 7:31a Set: 7:25p Sunrise: 7:30a Set: 7:26p Sunrise: 7:29a Set: 7:27p Set: 11:06a Moonrise: 12:50a Set: 11:52a Moonrise: 1:45a Set: 12:42p Moonrise: 2:40a Set: 1:37p Moonrise: 3:33a Set: 2:37p

AM Minor: 8:41a

PM Minor: 9:03p

AM Minor: 9:32a

PM Minor: 9:55p

AM Minor: 10:24a

PM Minor: 10:49p

AM Minor: 11:18a

PM Minor: 11:43p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:11p

AM Minor: 12:38a

PM Minor: 1:05p

AM Minor: 1:30a

PM Minor: 1:58p

AM Major: 2:30a

PM Major: 2:52p

AM Major: 3:20a

PM Major: 3:43p

AM Major: 4:12a

PM Major: 4:36p

AM Major: 5:05a

PM Major: 5:30p

AM Major: 5:58a

PM Major: 6:25p

AM Major: 6:51a

PM Major: 7:19p

AM Major: 7:44a

PM Major: 8:12p

Moon Overhead: 3:59a 6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 5:32a

Moon Overhead: 4:44a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

-1.0

1.02 ft High Tide 6:46 AM 1.00 ft 0.26 ft Low Tide 12:25 PM 0.40 ft 0.92 ft High Tide 6:38 PM 0.92 ft 0.28 ft

SATURDAY

13

12 »

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 8:08a

Moon Overhead: 7:14a

Moon Overhead: 6:22a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 9:04a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 5:08p

Moon Underfoot: 4:21p

+2.0

BEST:

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 6:47p

BEST:

BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 PM

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 8:36p BEST:

10:00P — 12:00A 6:30 — 7:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 9:32p

+2.0

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 AM

12:30 — 2:30 AM

TIDE LEVELS

8:30 — 10:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 7:41p

TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 5:56p

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

+1.0

0

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

THURSDAY

11

Sunrise: 7:36a Set: 7:23p Sunrise: 7:35a Set: 7:24p Sunrise: 7:33a Moonrise: 11:01p Set: 9:46a Moonrise: 11:55p Set: 10:24a Moonrise: None

12a

1.01 ft -0.10 ft 0.92 ft 0.53 ft

+1.0

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

12:39 AM 7:43 AM 12:53 PM 6:49 PM

0.21 ft 0.97 ft 0.54 ft 0.92 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

1:19 AM 8:51 AM 1:24 PM 6:49 PM

0.15 ft 0.96 ft 0.68 ft 0.94 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

2:05 AM 10:12 AM 1:58 PM 6:38 PM

0.09 ft 0.97 ft 0.82 ft 0.98 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

2:59 AM 11:46 AM 2:42 PM 6:31 PM

KEY

PLACE

HIGH

LOW

KEY

T1

Sabine Bank Lighthouse -1:46

-1:31

Galveston Channel/Bays

T2

Sabine Pass Jetty

-1:26

-1:31

T7

T3

Sabine Pass

-1:00

-1:15

T8

Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass -0:04

-0:25

Galveston Bay, S. Jetty -0:39

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the T4 Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine T5 the adjustment from the time shown for GALVES- T6 TON CHANNEL in the calendars.

Port Bolivar

PLACE

0.03 ft Low Tide 4:03 AM 1.01 ft 0.95 ft 1.03 ft

HIGH

LOW

-0.04 ft Low Tide 5:14 AM High Tide 2:14 PM

HIGH

LOW

-0.11 ft Low Tide 1.15 ft High Tide Low Tide High Tide

6:23 AM 2:53 PM 7:51 PM 11:17 PM

KEY

PLACE

KEY

PLACE

HIGH

LOW

T12

Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay +5:48 +4:43

T18

San Luis Pass

-0.09

-0.09

Texas City Turning Basin+0:33 +0:41

T13

Gilchrist, East Bay

+3:16 +4:18

T19

Freeport Harbor

-0:44

-1:02

Eagle Point

+3:54 +4:15

T14

Jamaica Beach, W. Bay+2:38 +3:31

T20

Pass Cavallo

0:00

-1:20

T9

Clear Lake

+6:05 +6:40

T15

Alligator Point, W. Bay +2:39 +2:33

T21

Aransas Pass

-0:03

-1:31

-1:05

T10

Morgans Point

+10:21 +5:19

T16

Christmas Pt

T22

Padre Island (So. End) -0:24

-1:45

+0:14 -0:06

T11

Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39 +5:15

T17

Galveston Pleasure Pier -1:06

T23

Port Isabel

+2:32 +2:31 -1:06

-0.18 ft 1.20 ft 1.03 ft 1.07 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

+1:02 -0:42

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION 88 |

1503 Almanac.indd 88

M A R C H

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

2/9/15 3:44 PM

1503 Almanac.indd 89

2/9/15 3:45 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK

SYMBOL KEY

 = New Moon º = First Quarter  = Full Moon » = Last Quarter  = Good Day  = Best Day SUNDAY

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION = Peak Fishing Period

BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

TUESDAY

16

MARCH 2015

Tides and Prime Times WEDNESDAY

17

THURSDAY

18 

FRIDAY

19 

SATURDAY

20 

21 

22 

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

AM Minor: 2:21a

PM Minor: 2:50p

AM Minor: 3:12a

PM Minor: 3:40p

AM Minor: 4:03a

PM Minor: 4:31p

AM Minor: 4:55a

PM Minor: 5:23p

AM Minor: 5:49a

PM Minor: 6:17p

AM Minor: 6:47a

PM Minor: 7:15p

AM Minor: 7:47a

PM Minor: 8:15p

AM Major: 8:35a

PM Major: 9:04p

AM Major: 9:26a

PM Major: 9:55p

AM Major: 10:17a

PM Major: 10:45p

AM Major: 11:09a

PM Major: 11:37p

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:31p

AM Major: 12:33a

PM Major: 1:01p

AM Major: 1:33a

PM Major: 2:01p

Moon Overhead: 10:01a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 11:55a

Moon Overhead: 10:58a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 12:51p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 2:43p

Moon Overhead: 1:47p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 7:28a Set: 7:27p Sunrise: 7:27a Set: 7:28p Sunrise: 7:25a Set: 7:28p Sunrise: 7:24a Set: 7:29p Sunrise: 7:23a Set: 7:30p Sunrise: 7:22a Set: 7:30p Sunrise: 7:21a Set: 7:31p Moonrise: 4:24a Set: 3:41p Moonrise: 5:13a Set: 4:47p Moonrise: 6:00a Set: 5:55p Moonrise: 6:46a Set: 7:02p Moonrise: 7:31a Set: 8:09p Moonrise: 8:15a Set: 9:16p Moonrise: 9:01a Set: 10:21p

Moon Overhead: 3:39p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 10:30p

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 11:27p

BEST:

BEST:

0

BEST:

3:30 — 5:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 1:19a

BEST:

4:30 — 6:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 2:15a

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 3:11a

BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 AM

-1.0

+2.0

BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 AM

2:30 — 4:30 PM TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 12:23a

TIDE LEVELS

2:30 — 4:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: None

Low Tide 7:28 AM High Tide 3:24 PM Low Tide 8:18 PM

-0.22 ft High Tide 1:02 AM 1.21 ft Low Tide 8:27 AM 0.92 ft High Tide 3:52 PM Low Tide 8:55 PM

MONDAY

1.13 ft -0.22 ft 1.19 ft 0.75 ft

TUESDAY

23

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

2:22 AM 9:21 AM 4:19 PM 9:37 PM

1.21 ft -0.16 ft 1.17 ft 0.54 ft

WEDNESDAY

24

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

3:34 AM 10:12 AM 4:45 PM 10:20 PM

1.29 ft -0.03 ft 1.14 ft 0.32 ft

THURSDAY

25

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

4:42 AM 11:02 AM 5:12 PM 11:06 PM

1.34 ft 0.15 ft 1.12 ft 0.11 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

FRIDAY

26

5:50 AM 11:51 AM 5:39 PM 11:55 PM

28

27 º

SUNDAY

29

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

AM Minor: 8:49a

PM Minor: 9:16p

AM Minor: 9:50a

PM Minor: 10:18p

AM Minor: 10:49a

PM Minor: 11:16p

AM Minor: 11:45a

PM Minor: -----

AM Minor: 12:13a

PM Minor: 12:37p

AM Minor: 1:00a

PM Minor: 1:24p

AM Minor: 1:44a

PM Minor: 2:07p

AM Major: 2:35a

PM Major: 3:03p

AM Major: 3:37a

PM Major: 4:04p

AM Major: 4:36a

PM Major: 5:03p

AM Major: 5:32a

PM Major: 5:58p

AM Major: 6:24a

PM Major: 6:49p

AM Major: 7:12a

PM Major: 7:36p

AM Major: 7:56a

PM Major: 8:19p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 6:22p

Moon Overhead: 5:29p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:14p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 8:52p

Moon Overhead: 8:04p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 7:19a Set: 7:31p Sunrise: 7:18a Set: 7:32p Sunrise: 7:17a Set: 7:32p Sunrise: 7:16a Set: 7:33p Sunrise: 7:15a Set: 7:34p Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 7:34p Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 7:35p Moonrise: 9:48a Set: 11:24p Moonrise: 10:36a Set: None Moonrise: 11:26a Set: 12:24a Moonrise: 12:18p Set: 1:19a Moonrise: 1:10p Set: 2:10a Moonrise: 2:02p Set: 2:56a Moonrise: 2:54p Set: 3:39a

Moon Overhead: 4:34p

Moon Overhead: 9:38p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 5:02a

Moon Underfoot: 4:06a

+2.0

BEST:

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 6:49a

BEST:

BEST:

BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 PM 12:00 — 2:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 8:28a BEST:

12:30 — 2:30 AM

1:00 — 3:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 9:15a

+2.0

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 AM

TIDE LEVELS

4:00 — 6:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 7:39a

TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 5:56a

BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 PM

+1.0

0

-1.0

1.36 ft High Tide 6:58 AM 1.34 ft 0.36 ft Low Tide 12:40 PM 0.58 ft 1.11 ft High Tide 6:06 PM 1.11 ft -0.05 ft

SATURDAY

+1.0

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

12:46 AM 8:10 AM 1:32 PM 6:35 PM

-0.16 ft 1.31 ft 0.78 ft 1.11 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

1:41 AM 9:28 AM 2:32 PM 7:03 PM

-0.19 ft 1.26 ft 0.94 ft 1.10 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

2:41 AM 10:54 AM 4:17 PM 7:32 PM

-0.16 ft 1.23 ft 1.04 ft 1.08 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

3:50 AM 12:25 PM 7:23 PM 8:09 PM

-0.10 ft 1.22 ft 1.05 ft 1.05 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

5:07 AM 1:43 PM 8:15 PM 9:57 PM

-0.03 ft 1.22 ft 1.01 ft 1.02 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

6:24 AM 2:34 PM 8:39 PM 11:37 PM

0.04 ft Low Tide 7:30 AM 1.20 ft High Tide 3:04 PM 0.96 ft Low Tide 8:57 PM 1.03 ft

0.11 ft 1.18 ft 0.90 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the lower color boxes of the Calendar pages. Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE (right) to adjust times for points East and West of Galveston Channel.

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SYMBOL KEY

BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

MARCH 2015

Tides and Prime Times

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

31

THURSDAY

Apr 1

2

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

3

4

5

Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 7:35p Sunrise: 7:10a Set: 7:36p Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 7:36p Sunrise: 7:08a Set: 7:37p Sunrise: 7:07a Set: 7:37p Sunrise: 7:05a Set: 7:38p Sunrise: 7:04a Set: 7:39p Moonrise: 3:46p Set: 4:18a Moonrise: 4:37p Set: 4:54a Moonrise: 5:28p Set: 5:29a Moonrise: 6:20p Set: 6:03a Moonrise: 7:11p Set: 6:37a Moonrise: 8:04p Set: 7:12a Moonrise: 8:57p Set: 7:47a AM Minor: 2:26a

PM Minor: 2:48p

AM Minor: 3:05a

PM Minor: 3:27p

AM Minor: 3:43a

PM Minor: 4:05p

AM Minor: 4:22a

PM Minor: 4:43p

AM Minor: 5:02a

PM Minor: 5:23p

AM Minor: 5:44a

PM Minor: 6:06p

AM Minor: 6:29a

PM Minor: 6:51p

AM Major: 8:37a

PM Major: 8:59p

AM Major: 9:16a

PM Major: 9:38p

AM Major: 9:54a

PM Major: 10:15p

AM Major: 10:32a

PM Major: 10:54p

AM Major: 11:12a

PM Major: 11:34p

AM Major: 11:55a

PM Major: -----

AM Major: 12:18a

PM Major: 12:40p

Moon Overhead: 10:22p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

Moon Overhead: 11:05p

Moon Overhead: 11:48p

6a

6a

12p

6p

12a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: None

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 1:14a

Moon Overhead: 12:31a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

30

 = New Moon º = First Quarter  = Full Moon » = Last Quarter  = Good Day  = Best Day SUNDAY

DIGITAL EXTRA Tap for Customized Tide Charts

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Moon Overhead: 1:58a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 10:00a

+2.0

BEST:

BEST:

-1.0

BEST:

3:30 — 5:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 12:09p

Moon Underfoot: 12:52p

BEST:

4:00 — 6:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 1:35p

BEST:

4:30 — 6:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 2:20p

BEST:

5:00 — 6:00 PM

+2.0

BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 PM

7:00 — 9:00 PM TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 11:27a

TIDE LEVELS

3:00 — 5:00 AM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 10:44a

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

12:56 AM 8:24 AM 3:26 PM 9:12 PM

1.07 ft 0.18 ft 1.15 ft 0.82 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

2:01 AM 9:08 AM 3:43 PM 9:25 PM

1.13 ft 0.26 ft 1.13 ft 0.73 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

2:56 AM 9:44 AM 4:00 PM 9:41 PM

1.20 ft 0.36 ft 1.12 ft 0.62 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

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3:46 AM 10:15 AM 4:17 PM 10:02 PM

1.25 ft 0.46 ft 1.12 ft 0.51 ft

F I S H

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

&

4:33 AM 10:43 AM 4:34 PM 10:28 PM

1.30 ft 0.57 ft 1.13 ft 0.41 ft

G A M E ®

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

|

5:20 AM 11:11 AM 4:52 PM 10:57 PM

1.33 ft 0.67 ft 1.14 ft 0.32 ft

M A R C H

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:07 AM 11:40 AM 5:07 PM 11:30 PM

2 0 1 5

|

1.35 ft 0.78 ft 1.15 ft 0.24 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

91

2/9/15 3:45 PM

Texas TASTED

by BRYAN SLAVEN :: The Texas Gourmet

Award Winning Jalapeno Kiwi Glazed Pork Ribs

B

ARBEQUED RIBS HAVE always been a favorite dish for the outdoor cooking enthusiast, and this recipe gives the traditional recipe a twist. A little bit of spice to go with a touch of sweet will make these ribs a family or cook-off winner!

Ingredients One Rack of Ribs Pork ribs rule in this recipe, you can use Baby Back ribs or St. Louis style ribs as well.

Rub For best results, use Texas Gourmet Sweet Chipotle Season all rub

Baste ½ Jar TXG Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly 4 oz. Orange Juice 1 T. Olive Oil 1 T. Soy sauce 2 Cloves Fresh Garlic Minced (Mix the above baste ingredients together in a small sauce pan and heat at medium heat for 5-6 minutes.) Remove from heat.

Preparation Generously spread rub on both sides of ribs cover and place in refrigerator Allow ribs to sit 2-3 hours before cooking.

Place ribs on smoker or grill with indi-

rect heating, approximately 2 ½ hours at 250 to 275 degrees. Turn the ribs every 30 minutes.

I recommend 2 pounds charcoal. Then if smoking, I use 2/3 Post or Red Oak and 1/3 hickory seasoned (dry) smoking wood.

Rinse wood with water to remove any dirt or dust before cooking.

After the first 2½ hours baste the ribs liberally with the basting sauce. Wrap them in heavy duty foil, but leave a small opening at the top center.

Allow to keep cooking at 250 to 275 degrees for another hour.

Remove from the heat and the foil, then return the ribs to the heat for 20 minutes to finish them off. Remove from heat, allow the ribs to rest, cover with foil tent for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.

Bon Appétit!

Email Bryan Slaven at bryan@thetexasgourmet.com

Mouth-watering Pork Ribs

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PHOTO: BRYAN SLAVEN

2/9/15 3:45 PM

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UPPER TEXAS COAST

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NEW 2015 EDITION

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www.FishandGameGear.com T E X A S

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WHITETAIL Streetman Fourteen-year-old Bryce Walker of Duncanville shot his first deer this youth season, a heavy-body 10-point shot at 120 yards on his Uncle’s pecan orchard near Streetman.

SPECKLED TROUT Matagorda Gary Atkins of Matagorda caught this 28-inch, 8-pound speck while wadefishing.

It made the CCA STAR leaderboard.

STRIPED BASS Lake Livingston Five-year-old Laine Socias caught his first keeper striped bass while slabbing in Lake Livingston.

SHEEPSHEAD

CARP

Galveston

Lake Livingston

John Nguyen of Houston caught this 8-pound, 3-oz. sheepshead at Seawolf Park on Galveston Bay.

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Blake Winter, 12, was using a cast net to catch bait for his dad when, much to his surprise, he caught this carp!

F I S H

&

SHEEPSHEAD Rollover Pass Jonathan Harris shows off a sheepshead he caught while fishing at Rollover Pass.

G A M E ®

2/11/15 12:08 PM

MAIL TO: TFG PHOTOS 1745 Greens Rd, Houston TX 77032 NOTE: Print photos can not be returned.

EMAIL: photos@FishGame.com

For best results, send MED to HIGH quality JPEG digital files only, please.

No guarantee can be made as to when, or if, a submitted photo will be published.

SHARK

BASS

Crystal Beach

Rusk County

Crystal Keill caught this bonnet head shark in the surf at Crystal Beach.

Two-year-old Grayson Holland landed his first bass while fishing with his Daddy on a private pond in Rusk County.

WHITETAIL Comal County SPECKLED TROUT Sabine Pass John Darling caught this 22-inch trout while fishing the Sabine Jetties.

Keagan Taylor, 8, with a Comal County buck taken with his new Mossberg 270 while hunting with granddad Bo Goodson.

GRAND SLAM Corpus Christi John Nichols (left) caught his first Texas Grand Slam (flounder, redfish, speckled trout) while fishing with a plastic spinner near Corpus Christi.

SUNFISH League City Four-year-old Rachel Dare caught this sunfish while fishing in League City.

T E X A S

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