Texas Fish & Game April 2015 by Texas Fish & Game

THE TEXAS OUTDOOR AUTHORITY

www.FishGame.com

April 2015 $3.95

Covert

Big Fish Tactics Catching Some

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rays at the Jetties

High Fence

Hog Hunting

Guns & Loads:

Gauging Gobblers

Coastal Oddities:

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Lone Star Lakes:

Striper Superiority 4/3/15 6:48 AM

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2015 EDITION Available Now!

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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

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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: subscriptions@fishgame.com Email new orders to: subscriptions@ fishgame.com Email subscription questions to: subscriptions@fishgame.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX 77267-9946 and at additional mailing offices.

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Table of

APRIL 2015 Volume 31 • NO. 12

Contents FEATURES

COVER STORY: Covert Big Fish Tactics STORY:

The F.L.E.X fishing system targets big fish of any species.

STRIPER SUPERIORITY

Lake Texoma retains its crown as the Queen Mother of the Lone Star State’s booming field of world class freshwater striped bass fisheries.

by Matt Williams

Story by Chester Moore Photo of Steve Spalek and Mike Rutlege by George Knighten. Special thanks to Blue Wave Boats.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

GAUGING GOBBLERS

Turkey hunters now have a greater selection—and some more challenging decisions to make—in finding the right gun and loads for the spring hunt.

by Dustin Warncke

Saltwater Strangeness

Pink dolphins and STORY: Port Mansfield manatee sightings prove that the Western Gulf Coast is anything but ordinary. by Chester Moore

CATCH SOME RAYS

... and some big drum and bull reds at the jetties. If you’re looking for a fight, you’ll find one on the rocks this spring.

by Chester Moore

HIGH FENCE HOGS

Silence of the Hams STORY:

Hunting hogs and predators with suppressed firearms.

This excerpt from the book “Hog Wild” explores the opportunities and techniques for hunting feral hogs on game-fenced preserves of 50 to several thousand acres.

by Chester Moore

by Mike Holmes 4 |

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Inside FISH & GAME

Contents (continued) COLUMNS

10 by ROY and ARDIA NEVES TF&G Owners

Phoning it In

Editor’s Notes

by Chester Moore

TF&G Editor in Chief

Doggett at Large by Joe Doggett

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

COUPLE OF ISSUES BACK, WE WROTE ABOUT the new digital editions that we are developing. Since this is a continuing process, we felt that continuing to update you on our progress was a good idea. As of this issue—April—we have released a robust new App that manages the digital issues for smartphones and tablets. The free app is available in the Apple and Android app stores (search Texas Fish & Game—or find a link at www.FishGame.com). Look for this App icon If you are a print subscriber, you automatically get free access to the phone and tablet versions. All you need are the EMAIL ADDRESS and ZIP CODE associated with your subscription. If you haven’t given us your email address, the app has a link to our online subscriber service area where you can update it. This is a real-time link, so once you update your account, you can immediately access your digital issues. If you are not already a print subscriber, you can get a digital-only subscription on our website, www.FishGame.com, for just $11.99 a year. If you’re wondering WHY you would want to access the digital version when you already have a perfectly good old-fashioned dead tree version sitting on your coffee table, here are a few reasons: First, these editions are completely mobile. We’ve taken extreme pains to create versions for your phone that fit the size and operation of these smaller devices. So you can read an entire issue anywhere you can take your phone. By completely re-building the magazine for your phone, we made it simple to navigate and easy to read. If you are using a tablet, the experience is closer to what you see in the print magazine—just way cooler. The second reason is that the digital versions have more features. All the references to emails and websites you see—such as our email address shown in hyperlink blue below—are live links. You can jump from a story or ad to the web page referenced immediately (assuming you have internet access). The dynamic digital features also include embedded videos, slide shows and zoom capabilities on photos—plus, there are many more photos in the digital version than we can fit in our printed pages. We have also designed special new tools into some of our long-standing features, such as adding interactive maps to all of our Hotspots listings—with the ability to jump from a listing to that position on Google Maps for further exploring. Then there’s your valuable time. You can get access to the digital version quicker than waiting for the mail or driving to a store to buy a single copy. You may still prefer the print edition, and we have no problem with that. But take these digital versions for a spin—and let us know what you think. As never-ending works in progress, they will thrive on your feedback.

Pike on the Edge by Doug Pike

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Nugent in the Wild by Ted Nugent

TF&G Editor At Large

Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill

TF&G Political Commentator

Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales

TF&G Saltwater Editor

Bare Bones Hunting

by Lou Marullo

DEPARTMENTS

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

40 TRUE GREEN Texas Freshwater 64 INDUSTRY TF&G Hunting Editor

by Matt Williams

TF&G Freshwater Editor

Open Season

by Reavis Wortham

TF&G Freshwater Editor

Texas Boating by Lenny Rudow

TF&G Boating Editor

Practical Angler by Paul Bradshaw

TF&G Contributing Editor

Texas Guns

by Steve LaMascus

TF&G Firearms Editor

INSIDER

66 FISH AND

GAME GEAR

68 HOTSPOT FOCUS

76 TEXAS

HOTSPOTS

86 TIDES & PRIME TIMES

94 TF&G

PHOTOS

Texas Tasted

by Kenneth Teal

Special Guest Contributor

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www.FishGame.com &

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LETTERS to the Editor Open Carry Opinions MR. HEMPHILL’S COMMENTARY on open carry (February 2015) is very informative and insightful. Thanks for yet another good article. I agree that carrying an exposed handgun can target the average citizen. It is also true that the sight of a pistol can be a deterrent to confrontations. I’ve learned from experience that this depends on the situation. I’m sure you can recall situations in which you were approached by a group of young men who suddenly changed direction when they noticed your piece. Concealed and open carry both have their places. Preventing an aggressor from taking a weapon from one’s hands or holster is an important element of responsible concealed carry. It is critical to open carry, especially in a crowd or close encounter. In spite of the importance of retention skills, I don’t recall ever reading an article on this subject. Further, I don’t know any CHL holders, other than law enforcement officers, who ever received weapons retention training. I’m sure TFG readers would appreciate an article on this subject. The Texas Department of Defense seems the most appropriate section of the magazine to present this topic. Please consider publishing an article addressing handgun retention techniques and holster characteristics for open carry. Jack Moisuk Richardson, Texas Your idea has much merit. I know that the Texas Department of Public Safety provides training in weapon retention, but I don’t personally know of any others that do. I never was given such training in the Border Patrol, although I was involved in one altercation where a dope smuggler was trying to take my weapon from my holster while I was trying to pull his out of his waist band. Luckily for me, I won. The problem is that trying to teach such tactics via correspondence course would be next to impossible. I would take at least a 8 |

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chapter in a book with lots of photos, rather than an 800 word magazine article. Let me mull it over for a while and see if I can figure out any way of doing it so that it doesn’t sound like it was written by an idiot on speed. As for open vs. concealed carry, I tend to come down on Kendal’s side. Texas law has always mandated that officers carrying their sidearms in plain view were required to “display the badge of their authority.” Unless I’m hunting, fishing, or just messing around in the pasture, I prefer to keep my handgun concealed. Thanks again for your note and for reading TF&G. —Steve Lamascus TF&G Firearms Editor

The Awakening I WAS READING “THE AWAKENing” in the May 2014 issue this morning before work and I firmly agree with you. I know we are losing ground to development and pending reservoirs in the Piney Woods area but we’re also losing to two more predators. The clear cut logging industry and cattle farmers. I live in Mt. Pleasant and everywhere I look someone is having their place raped (clear cut) or they are completely clearing it for cattle purposes. When I was a kid, people had their timber select cut. Meaning that the logger only cut trees big enough for a cross tie or lumber. That way it was ready to cut again in 3-5 years. When you clear cut a place, you’ll be lucky to have anything to harvest in 20 years. Cattlemen wanted their meadows but also wanted their woods so the cows had some cover for the weather. Now, everywhere you look, someone is bulldozing their place off or having it clear cut. People don’t think about the long range benefits any more, they only want what’s easier for them now. I remember back in the early 80’s when I was in the Marines, you could fly over the great state of Texas and it was mostly woodland. Now you fly over it, it’s mostly pasture land.

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We are losing ground and we need to raise awareness. Johnny Applewhite There is no question times are changing and unless the outdoors community wakes up we will lose things that will be impossible to get back. I believe people are waking up and I am glad to see those like you who are taking note and supporting true conservation. —Chester Moore TF&G Editor-In-Chief

Tuna Talk MR. MIKE PRICE, I AM A LONGtime subscriber and fan of TFG. My wife and I are retired and make at least one trip to the coast a year. We’ve made several snapper trips, but have never caught a tuna. I have done some research on single boat charters in Texas and La. They are way out of our league financially. I’ve also looked at several 24-36 hr. Trips out of Galveston and Port A. The price is much better, but I don’t know if my wife would enjoy a trip that long. The only thing I can think of is taking a 12 hour trip out of Port A During shrimping season and hope we get lucky. Enjoyed your article “Offshore Rewards.” Thank you very much. Bob Mathews Mike Price is a valued member of our staff and we enjoy his articles as well. The tuna trips can be hit and miss depending on whether but they will certainly give you a shot at some exciting fishing farther in the Gulf than you normally go on a snapper trip. —CM

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

Killer Gar, Bees and Bulls

ACK AROUND 1997, I WAS running a trotline in a deep hole in the Sabine River. My cousin Frank Moore and I had trotlines about 200 yards apart and had been catching a few blue catfish. This was in the middle of winter and we were targeting huge blue catfish. In previous days I had several large hooks straightened and had visions of 75-pound blues in my mind. As I went to check my line, I noticed most of it was not parallel to the shore, but drifting out across the deep, instead of on the edge. The line had been cut (or so I thought). Immediately not so kind words flowed through my mouth to whomever cut the line, but then as I started to pull it in, something happened. The line moved. I pulled in a little more and felt a great weight at the end of the line and soon realized I had a seven-foot long alligator garfish on my line. In the Moore family, gars trump blue cats any day of the week, so I was excited and even more so when I saw the huge gar barely moving. Gars will often drown on trotlines (seriously), and this one looked a little worse for the wear, so I thought it would be easy pickings. I pulled the line up to the beast, hooked my gaff under the only soft spot on the fish, which is directly below the jaw. I jammed it in there good to make sure it would hold and to see how lively the fish was. It literally did not budge. The fish was alive but did not seem lively. I then took a deep breath, mustered

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up all the strength I had since this was a 200-pound-class fish and heaved the gar into the boat. That is when the big fish woke up. It pulled back with full force and all of a sudden I found myself headed down into 30 feet of water with the gar. In an instant I realized one of the other hooks on the trotline had caught in my shoe and I was now attached to 200 pounds of toothy fury. I had just enough time to take a breath and went under. All I could focus on was getting back to the surface and toward the light. I am not sure how deep I went but according to my cousin who was just down the shore from me, I did not stay under very long. A 200-pound gar and a 200-pound young man snapped the lead on the line, but the hook amazingly remained in my shoe as a reminder I was very near death. Make sure not to run trotlines alone. That was my first mistake. Also be careful to run the line along the side of your boat and not allow the hooks to fall in the boat. That was where I messed up. Catching fish on trot-lines is loads of fun, but it can be dangerous. Just make sure your desire to catch fish does not override safety as it did for me in the heat of the moment. Nothing frightens me more in the wilds of Texas than bees, particularly the deadly Africanized “killer” bees. These bees are spreading and have firmly es-tablished populations in the Brush Country and part of the Trans-Pecos and Hill Country. The sting of one bee might only cause some pain (unless you’re allergic), but the wrath of a swarm could spell death. In the spring of 2003, I had a truly frightening bee experience. While using a box call to lure in a lonely gobbler, I heard what I literally thought was a low-flying plane in the distance. All of a sudden, a shadow passed overhead and I looked up to see a massive swarm of bees less than 30 feet up. I remained calm, said a little prayer, and watched the huge swarm pass by.

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After talking with ranch officials, I learned the Africanized kind is present in the area, and thanked God the swarm did not sense how frightened I was. In fact, I was filming a segment for Keith Warren’s television program and once the bees moved a great distance, I told the cameraman to hit record. “They see bees can smell fear,” I said. “That’s not true! I was just more frightened than I have ever been and about 10,000 bees flew over our heads.” In 2003, Marullo and I were hunting again but this time near Mason, and this time we ran into a very mean bull. I was set up a few feet away from Marullo in a makeshift ground blind to film him (hopefully) shooting an axis deer. A couple of hours into the hunt a big, black bull came in and stood about 20 feet in front of me. This thing looked like the Anti-Christ with a toothache. The beast struck an enraged pose as it fixated on me. I tried not to look scared, but it was too late. The bull had fire and brimstone raging in its eyes. I did not know whether to remain still or stand up and let the bull know I was a human. Just then, Marullo chunked a few rocks at the thing and broke its concentration. The ugly thing soon walked off and I breathed a sigh of relief. I could have sworn I saw three sixes on its hind end, but that could have been the heat getting to me. After the hunt, I told Marullo I was glad the bull did not send me to the hospital for more than one reason. I can see the obituary now: “Chester Moore: dove with great white sharks in the Pacific, handled jaguars and waded through piranha-infested waters in South America—hospitalized by domestic cattle.” A shark attack has a little romance to it, but a bovine bashing would be more than a bit embarrassing.

Email Chester Moore, Jr. CMoore@ﬁshgame.com

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The TF G Report Bridge City brothers plead guilty to killing dolphin TWO BRIDGE CITY BROTHERS have pleaded guilty to federal wildlife violations, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today. Cory James Moseley, 23, and Cade Ryan Moseley, 18, pleaded guilty to taking a marine mammal in United States waters on Feb. 17, 2015, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin. According to information presented in court, on July 26, 2014, Cory Moseley and Cade Moseley were fishing on Cow Bayou near Orangefield when they spotted two bottlenose dolphins stranded in the bayou. They shot at the dolphins with a compound bow and Cade

Moseley hit one of the dolphins. The dolphin swam away but was mortally wounded. Wildlife agents were notified by a fisherman that there was a dead dolphin in the bayou. The deceased dolphin was recovered and an investigation resulted in federal charges against the Moseley brothers. The second dolphin was located in the bayou and rescued by wildlife agents and SeaWorld San Antonio personnel. The defendants each face up to one year in federal prison and a $20,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set. “It is disheartening that individuals would kill a dolphin for the sport of it, especially in today’s age,” said Tracy Dunn, Assistant Director for NOAA OLE. “Without the determination and skills of the NOAA investigator, supported by CGIS and TPWD, this unnecessary death may have gone unsolved.”

“The Coast Guard is committed to providing the highest level of service to protecting our nation’s valuable natural resources,” said Rear Admiral Kevin S. Cook, Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District. “The cooperative sharing of professional knowledge and expertise among our interagency partners will ensure perpetrators of such horrible acts are held accountable.” “We are extremely pleased that this case is being resolved,” said Colonel Craig Hunter, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “The dedication, professionalism, and teamwork demonstrated by investigators from NOAA, CGIS, and TPWD proved to be successful in solving this egregious criminal act.” This case was investigated by the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Batte.

BIG BAGS CATCHES

WHITETAIL

JACK CREVALLE

Houston County

Galveston

Ten-year-old Kyndall Sulewski with her 16-inch 9-point buck taken in Houston County. She said, “I’ve been hunting for a buck like that all my life.”

James Adcock caught and released this jack while ﬁshing at the Galveston North Jetty.

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

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Texas wardens seize Mexican shark boat TEXAS GAME WARDENS HAVE seized a Mexican shark-fishing boat in state waters near the Texas-Mexico border. Wardens were patrolling the Gulf of Mexico earlier today for illegal fishing activity when they spotted a Mexican fishing boat moving northbound in Texas waters. When the wardens, who were operating a 29-foot Safe Boat equipped with twin 250-horsepower motors, attempted to stop the boat its occupants ignored the state vessel and began racing back toward Mexican waters. After a brief pursuit, the wardens were able to pull alongside the boat and get it stopped. Two fishermen were arrested and taken to the US Coast Guard station on South Padre Island. The open boat, powered by a 75-horsepower outboard motor, was seized along with illegal long-line fishing gear. Sharks, the most common target of these vessels, are harvested not only for their meat, but also for their fins. Shark fins, used for soup, are considered some of the world’s most expensive seafood, and high demand for it supports a world-wide black market. Marine interests spotting foreign fishing

BASS Lake Fork Brian Cronin, left, caught his biggest bass to date while ﬁshing with his father-in-law James Blair and guide Mark Pack on Lake Fork. The lunker weighed 8-plus pounds and was taken with a Carolina rig in 30-feet of water.

boats, gill nets or long lines in Texas waters are urged to call the Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-792GAME (4263), contact a game warden or notify the U.S. Coast Guard.

Poachers busted in New Braunfels TEXAS GAME WARDENS HAVE arrested two adults and two juveniles for killing three deer and firing as many as 30 rifle rounds in and around Landa and Prince Solms parks in the New Braunfels city limits. “From the evidence we have, this appears to be a case of indiscriminate thrill killing,” says Capt. Jeff Carter, whose district command includes Comal County. “On top of that, multiple rifle rounds were being fired at night in a populated area. The outcome could have been much worse.” State involvement in the case began at 12:20 a.m. today when game wardens Nicole Leonard and Brent Satsky responded to a call for assistance from the New Braunfels Police Department. When they arrived on the scene a short time later, they learned that local officers had stopped a pickup truck near Landa Street and Paradise Alley while investigating a report of gunshots in the area. Two dead bucks and one doe were found in the bed of the truck, which was occupied by two men and two teenage boys. When officers checked the vehicle for weapons, they discovered multiple empty shell casings on the floorboards. The game wardens arrested the four suspects and took them to the New Braunfels Police Department for further questioning. After receiving permission to search the vehicle they found a .22 caliber rifle hidden under the rear seat. Charged with hunting deer at night and hunting from a vehicle on a public roadway, each offense a Class A misdemeanor, were Eric G. Johnston, 25 and Anthony E. Castillo, 39, both of New Braunfels. Both men were booked into the Comal County Jail in lieu of $3,000 bond each. The two juveniles were released to the custody of their parents —from Staff Reports

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DOGGETT at Large by JOE DOGGETT :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Springtime Bass

HE FIRST HINTS OF SPRING and the first runs of white bass go together. The timing is excellent, a great rod-bending exercise to erase the doldrums of late winter. Aggressive numbers and plenty of pull are the strong suits for the white bass (a.k.a. sand bass, speed perch, barfish). The white bass probably falls into the “panfish” category, with the typical fish being a few ounces either side of a pound.

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But fish topping two pounds are not uncommon, especially in the East Texas drainages, and occasionally you hear of a three-plus. Pure-strain whites (opposed to white bass/ striped bass hybrids) in the four- or five-pound class are extremely rare. They’ve been recorded, but I’ve never seen one. But the average white bass is plenty of fish for grownups and kids, especially on reasonably light tackle. White bass live large; they strike hard and boast impressive speed and stamina. Whites don’t jump, but pound-for-pound, they are stronger than most native freshwater species. Maybe this is because they are true bass (not sunfish, as are the various black bass), in the same family (Morone) as the saltwater striped bass. White bass are poor candidates for stale water

such as small ponds and shallow sloughs. They thrive in deep, open reservoirs. And, like their larger cousins, they prefer to spawn in moving water. Rivers and creeks feeding the big lakes are prime intercept areas for early-season schools. The schools hold in deeper pools but spawn over bars of gravel and sand. They are prolific, as reflected by the statewide daily limit of 25 fish with a 10-inch minimum length. Sadly, they aren’t best on the table. They’re OK, but certainly not the class of crappie or channel catfish. But, once found, they are easy to catch. White bass feed aggressively on small baitfish. The proven lures are two- to two-and-a-half-inch jigs, spoons, in-line and tailspinners. Regardless of the offering, remember that

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“minnow” usually trumps “frog” or “lizard” or “worm.” Excellent colors are whites and yellows, silvers and chromes, greens and blues that sort of thing. Having said that, I remember watching a guy absolutely kill Trinity River whites on a small, red/orange deep-diving crankbait that presumably imitated a crawfish. This was while several of us were chunking proven minnow-type spinners into the same water. What that was all about, I don’t know, but I stand true to the conviction that flashy baitfish offerings favor the percentages. I fished the Lake Livingston drainage extensively during the ’70s and early ’80s, when it was one of the finest white bass fisheries in the nation. It’s still good, but I doubt anything today can match that window of opportunity. I remember ridiculous days above the main lake in the Trinity River and the various tributary creeks. River rats like guide Ken Huffman had the early-season whites wired. And I remember sessions in the Trinity just below the spillway with Lloyd Hughes of Dam Site Marina, and in the main lake (the old Highway 190 roadbed) with Jack Segall of Kickapoo Marina. The no-limit tallies of whites were, well, I blush to recall. One Livingston old timer, Jack Shandley, made a career out of putting family-type groups on ice chests of main-lake whites. If memory serves, he worked out of Big John Brightwell’s Marina. One interesting thing: During the post-spawn months on Livingston, schools of white bass and black bass would gang together along the mainlake channels and feed on frantic threadfin shad. You would chunk a Little George or a Slab out into the melee and never know which brand of bass you would hook. No one can accuse Livingston of being segregated. Some of my fond recollections of white bass fishing occurred during the spring of 1972, when I was in graduate school at UT in Austin. Several of us discovered the white bass run in the Pedernales River above Lake Travis. This was easy, drive-to fishing, accessed via a token day pass on riverfront property known as “Reimer’s Ranch.” The fee was nominal, something like 50 cents or a dollar, and you could leave the money in a mailbox by the gate. As I say, this was a long time ago. The stretch at Reimer’s seldom was crowded on weekday afternoons and the property offered a short riffle followed by a long, lazy pool of green water. Schools of whites pushing up from the lake would stage near the top of the pool. The best water was on the far side (isn’t it always). The go-to rig was a clear plastic cast-

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ing bubble rigged with a two-foot monofilament dropper. The “killer bait” was a white or yellow 1/8-ounce bucktail jig. You would cast out, angling slightly upstream, and work the rig in snappy yanks and twitches. When the bubble shot under, you came tight to a hard-pulling white bass. These Hill Country whites were smaller, maybe 1/2- to 3/4-pound average, and during a good session you might string 12 or 15 fish. This doesn’t sound like so much now. But I remember it well.

The Navy and Vietnam were behind me and my career on the outdoor desk at the Houston Chronicle was just ahead, and the balmy spring afternoons and the scenic little stream and the schools of white bass helped define the simple pleasures of fishing. Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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PIKE on the Edge by DOUG PIKE :: TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Speckled Records

O, DID IT HAPPEN? DO WE have a new state-record speckled trout? I want to believe yes, the record fell between pen and publication, but odds say otherwise. As far back as this past October, confidence ran high among some of Texas’ most experienced coastal fishermen that this would be the winter during which someone topped Carl Rowland’s monster of a nearly 13-year benchmark, all 15.6 pounds and 37.25 inches

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that he caught on a fly rod. For perspective, consider this: Rowland’s fish was equal in length, in the average shrimp slinger’s box, to two “solid” keepers. To catch one speckled trout longer or heavier was/will be no simple task, and it was/is unlikely to be the result of luck. Long-time guide Jay Watkins and I shared stories in February of trips each of us made years ago with legendary Baffin Bay pro Cliff Webb. Watkins and I, years apart, each shared space in Webb’s boat on what amounted to two of the most incredible trout trips ever along the Texas coast. Both took place under absolutely miserable winter conditions, on days when angler traffic was nearly nil. Watkins had clients booked the day he and Webb fished, but they opted to

pass under forecasts of near-freezing temperatures and a good chance of rain. Weather was no better when Webb and I left the marina that afternoon in January of 1993. It was cold the entire time. Whenever wind and rain stopped, fog hung so thick we couldn’t see our longest casts hit the water. On both of those days, however, fishing was nothing short of stupid, crazy, insane good. Watkins and I conceded openly that we’ve each had our “trip of a lifetime” for speckled trout in Texas. At least for us, it simply can’t get better. And we’re OK with that. How good were those two runs? Between the pair, which were eerily similar, the three of us Webb, Watkins and I handled somewhere north of 55, maybe 60 fish. All but one, which I’ll acknowledge in a second, were heavier than

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eight pounds. Each trip produced numerous trout longer than 30 inches, and the last one I handled before Webb insisted we leave to beat darkness to port, was 32 and a quarter. As for that one runt, Webb opted once, for giggles, to start a drift we never left the boat elsewhere than down the prime midsection of the flat. My first cast turned that fish, which was between four and five pounds. Webb muttered something about not wasting time with little trout, and we moved quickly under electric power back into the land of the giants. Not that it matters, but Watkins shared that Webb told him the fish Webb and I caught were a smidge bigger overall than those they caught. Not that it matters. Just thought I’d share. What matters is that despite a staggering increase in pressure through recent years, despite improved navigation technology, despite faster boats and despite so much sharing of big-trout techniques, Baffin Bay (and, quietly, some other bay systems that shall remain nameless for now) continues to spit out long, fat trout. Sally and Aubrey Black, who keep excellent records and are no strangers to giant trout, watched their clients catch unprecedented numbers of “big” trout this past year. At the Houston Fishing Show in February, they reported averaging at least one fish longer than 30 inches weekly for the past few months. They forwarded photos all winter and, like the rest, waited for the record-setting hammer to fall. Mostly likely, though, Rowland’s name and fish likely still occupy their longstanding place on the record list. And surely, a lot of fishermen’s dreams didn’t quite come true on Baffin Bay. For most, it’s their own fault. As I’ve preached often on the radio and in print, if you want to catch a state-record trout, you’ve got to fish for nothing but state-record trout. There’s a vast difference in fishing for specks with hope of catching a record and actually fishing exclusively for the longest, heaviest speckled trout ever caught from hundreds of miles of prime water. You might catch that fish on a little jig or suspending plug or standard-issue topwater, but if you’re any good at all, you’ll also catch quite a few smaller trout and maybe some reds on those baits. Every minute passed fighting and releasing a fish smaller than 16 pounds or shorter than 37.5 inches is, in pursuit of the record, wasted.

That Rowland caught his fish on a fly, whatever its size, only supports the notion that huge fish will eat anything. They will, it’s true, but those same fish also eat foot-long mullet and 14-inch trout. But five- and six-pound trout do not. Heave something big, something that hits the water so hard it scares the scales off twopound specks. If I ever devote myself to moving Rowland’s fish into second place, I’ll do it with a 10-inch topwater in the dead of winter, on one of a

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bunch of days when I don’t really pay attention so much to wind or sky or tide as to how far I can sling my lure and how tempting I can make it look on the way back. I’ll be out there with little or no company. Except maybe Cliff or Jay or Sally or Aubrey, if I can talk any of them into going. Knowing what they know, I’m betting it wouldn’t take much to get them out there again.

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3/9/15 9:06 PM

NUGENT in the Wild by TED NUGENT :: TF&G Editor-at-Large

Godspeed Texas and Greg Abbott

IME FOR MORE NEVER ENDing massive celebration Texas! Our beloved Great Republic of Texas just went from Rick Perry, America’s best governor, to Greg Abbott, America’s new best governor. Godspeed governor Rick Perry, Godspeed Governor Greg Abbott, Godspeed Texas; We the people freedom BloodBrothers! Us Texans should never fail to count our blessings everyday, and share them with the whole world, for there is no question that we here in the mighty Lone Star State have the best “we the people” representation of any state in the USA. From Governor Greg Abbott, to the Attorney General Ken Paxton, through most of the legislature and state reps, we surely have done a fine job seeking out, vetting and electing true statesmen who abide by the US Constitution and the Texas Constitution and the will of “we the people”. Thank God Almighty and say Hallelujah like you mean it, and pass the ammo, and lots of it. When it comes to real freedom, ultra-quality of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as ultimately defined by our hunting rights and gun rights, our sensible wildlife regulations and the overall environment of individual liberties, the Nugent family found our home here in Texas as soon as we figured it out. Though there are some great governors and great states across this grand country, I’m thinking South Dakota, North Dakota, Louisiana, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho and a few others come to mind, there are also genuinely bad regimes and states that spit in the face of the US Constitution where the citizens are dangerously, if not down-right insanely over-restricted by antiAmerican goons.

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The poster child for sheer insanity has to go to California, where its subjects are not allowed to hunt mountain lions, but the state charges these very subjects’ outrageous amounts of tax dollars to hire government killers to kill their cougars for them. Add to that the engineered tax waste for compensating farmers and ranchers for all the guaranteed destroyed livestock and you have a bizarre condition that is impossible to explain on any honest level. And that’s not the worst of it! No! Not only can’t California residents hunt the flourishing cougar population in their own state, if a Californian goes out of state on a mountain lion hunting trip and kills a lion legally in another state, the hunter is forbidden to bring the lion home to eat or have mounted. You heard that right. Jerry Brown and his gaggle of insane bureaucrats have got to be from another planet where honesty, logic, truth, commonsense and science are banned. Then there is the sheer goofiness, and many of us believe to be the clear and present criminal infringement of our sacred 2nd Amendment guaranteed right to keep and bear arms, where a law abiding California resident can own an AR15 style rifle, the most popular, commonly owned firearm in America, but not if it has standard AR features. Can you in your wildest imagination figure out what sort of missing brain function must exist in what otherwise appears to be an upright humanbeing that would make a simple pistil type grip illegal? What sort of mindless creature would actually believe that a flash suppressor somehow makes a firearm more dangerous or crime prone? Here’s a real doozy to test your tolerance for absurdity; not only have the braindead bureaucrats of California outlawed standard capacity magazines, but get this, California ARs are only legal if the magazine cannot be released with a finger. By law, California ARs are only legal if the magazine can be released with a “magazine release tool”. Okay, I’ll give you a moment to pick yourself up from the floor and regain your composure

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from that surprise bizzarro belly laugh, even if it really isn’t funny at all. You ready? In the land of Oz California, a bullet qualifies as a legitimate AR magazine release tool. Feel safer yet, or just scared to death that such evil, nasty freedom hating weirdo’s exist in this otherwise great country? God help us all. And I could go on. While good American citizens in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois and California are subjected to tragic over-regulation, we here in Texas know exactly why more freedom loving Americans are flooding to this Last Bests Place. I know Governor Greg Abbott. This great man, great Texan, great American knows exactly who he is and lives his oath to serve his “we the people” employers. He has stated unambiguously on many occasions that he takes his oath to heart and will not waver from the clear guidelines of the US Constitution. As we throttle into 2015, those of us fortunate and smart enough to be Texans know that we are leading the way, and though we have it made with such great leadership, it is never a good time to take it easy and relax just because we have it so good here. Our elected employees in Texas expect us to keep raising hell, they want us to increase and upgrade our communication with them so they never lose touch with the most important and powerful guiding force in the history of mankind; a free people who refused the evil control of kings, emperors, dictators and tyrants, where “we the people” call the shots, and that this sacred experiment in self-government came about by divine intervention from the very hand of God. Texas is America my Spirit BloodBrothers. And if America wants to get back on track, there is no better guiding light than Texas. Godbless America, Godbless Texas, Godspeed Texans. Email Ted Nugent at TNugent@ﬁshgame.com

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4/3/15 6:08 AM

TF&G COMMENTARY by KENDAL HEMPHILL :: TF&G Political Editor

HE BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, & Really Stupid Rules is, once again, on a tear. They have decided to classify the most common, most ubiquitous type of ammo in the country, for the most common, most ubiquitous type of firearm in the country, as armor-piercing, in order to try to keep Americans from being able to defend themselves against tyranny in government (hereinafter referred to as ‘gubmint’). Basic M855 .223/5.56 bullets are not, in any way, armor-piercing. And the BATFERSR knows this. But if a gubmint agency wants to curtail freedom, it only needs a reason. The reason does not have to be true. This is not new, of course. The same fairy tale logic is being used in other attempts to restrict gun rights. For example, the BATFERSR defines a ‘Short Barrelled Rifle’ as any rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches. These rifles are not illegal to own, but in order to possess or build one you have to pay the gubmint a $200 tax, subject yourself to an excessively extensive federal background check (and pass it), and get your mom to write a note for you. (OK, you don’t need a note from Mom at least not yet.) An example of an SBR would be a gun that looks like an AR-15, except it has, say, a ten-inch barrel, instead of the requisite 16 inches. This gun would be identical to a regular AR, but would be exactly six inches shorter. This lack of six inches of hollow steel tubing requires the aforementioned hoopjumping, which takes about a year to complete, our gubmint being the well-oiled piece of massive, over-paid, under-achieving rusted machinery that it is. This, on the surface, seems pretty silly, since the gun is no more dangerous and

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If a gubmint agency wants to curtail freedom, it only needs a reason.

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hardly more concealable than if it was six inches longer. But if you delve deeply into the reasons behind the law, it becomes clear that our gubmint is buying crack by the five-gallon bucketful. There is no conceivable reason for this rule. Incidentally, the same background check applies to the process of buying a suppressor, and is administered by the same people. So if you already have a suppressor permit, you might think getting an SBR permit would be quicker. You would be wrong because of rules, or something.

Now add another rule, the one that says a regular rifle, with a legal barrel, has to have a shoulder stock. Remove the shoulder stock from your AR, and get caught, and you Go To Jail, Go Directly to Jail. Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200. BUT! If you want an AR with a ten-inch barrel and no shoulder stock, you can legally buy one from a gun company that makes them that way. No law against it, no penalty, no tax, and no note from Mom. You might say, “Well, these rules are about as messed up as rules can get. There’s no way the BATFERSR could possibly come up with a rule that made less sense than this.” Wrong again. Never underestimate the gubmint’s ability to unnecessarily complicate things. AR type pistols have become popular T E X A S

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in recent years, and a lot of companies make them, and sell them legally as pistols, although if you, as a typical, bonehead consumer, alter your AR rifle the same way, you’ll be a felon. But AR pistols are kind of hard to shoot with any accuracy one-handed. And since putting a shoulder stock on one is illegal, Sig came out with what they call an AR arm brace, which sticks out from the back of the AR pistol, and attaches to your forearm with velcro straps, so you can look like a Saturday morning cartoon character, and save the world from the evil forces of Zoltar, or whatever. This brace, to be sold legally, requires the approval of the BATFERSR, so Sig applied for that approval, and got it. So the arm brace is legal sort of silly, but legal. But now comes the tricky part. Some Zoltar fighters, while they’re out battling the forces of evil, have committed the horrible sin of holding their AR pistol up and resting the Sig brace against their shoulder while firing it. These people, suddenly, have made themselves Enemies of the State. Well, the BATFERSR got wind of this heinous crime. (For some reason, no one in the gubmint seems to have ever had any idea this would happen.) And they recently issued a statement that says, and I quote: “You Zoltar fighters better quit it, or else.” Seriously, the ATF has decreed, from on high, that holding an AR pistol up and shooting it with the Sig brace to your shoulder is officially Against the Law. So, the device they approved for sale and use is OK, but exactly how you hold it when you use it can be legal or not. The gun is no more dangerous, holds no more ammo, and is no more accurate or easier to load or anything. It’s just a matter of moving the gun about 12 inches that makes it legal or illegal. And we trust gubmint people to regulate toilet water consumption?

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3/10/15 10:51 AM

Texoma Leads a pack of World Class Lone Star Striper Fisheries

HRIS CAREY HAS one of those contagious personalities that breeds confidence and bleeds with positive energy. I don’t know how he is off the water, but standing elbow-to-elbow with the guy in his 23-foot Falcon you can’t help but get the feeling that you’re going to get bit. “I love this stuff,” Carey said. “Some days I run around out here like a mad man. Every day brings a different

challenge, and some are easier than others. It’s me against the fish. They keep me motivated.” Carey comes by his peppy demeanor naturally. He is the son of Bill Carey, a long-time Texas angler who founded one of Lake Texoma’s premier striper fishing guide services in 1983. Fittingly, it’s called Striper Express. Chris took over the fishing end of the business from his father several years ago and now oversees a five-boat operation that ranks

among the busiest on what is arguably one of the top striper lakes in the South and most certainly the best in Texas. Interestingly, the elder Carey is a former largemouth nut, turned striper addict. The 63-year old Frisco native cut his fishing teeth chasing largemouths on lakes Monticello and Bob Sandlin in eastern Texas. Then, in 1977, he made the mistake of taking a guided striper fishing trip on the 89,000-acre reservoir that straddles the Texas/Oklahoma border. I say it was a mistake because

story by Matt Williams

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that one guide trip fueled an addiction that ultimately cost him a ton in guide fees. “I went 33 times that first year,” Carey joked. “After that first trip I was hooked and never looked back.” Catching big stripers can do that to a man ―or a woman. Just ask Barbara Pope of Frisco. Last December, Pope and some lady friends were fishing on the Oklahoma side of the lake with Chris Carey when a heavyweight striper slammed her jig/Fluke rig. The violent strike progressed into a serious battle that had big fish written all over it. The powerful fish peeled line off the reel at will and Pope fought to regain it―a little at a time―every chance she got. It took some doing, but she finally played the striper into the landing net. Carey is certain the fish lost significant weight between the time it was caught and weighed on certified scales. At 24 pounds, 11 ounces, it still ranks as a new Texoma striper record for Oklahoma. Pope’s big fish came near the start of the most remarkable run on trophy-class stripers that either of the veteran guides can ever

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recall. During the final two weeks of January alone, Carey’s boats accounted for seven fish upwards of 20 pounds, including a 28.7 caught by David Walker of Lubbock and a 24.89 caught by Larry Murphy. Another noteworthy catch came on Jan. 31, when 12-year-old Mattie May of Rowlett landed a 17 1/2-pounder that should rank as a new junior angler Texas state record. “The number of fish in the 10-to18-pound range we’ve seen this year has been out of this world,” Bill Carey said. “You hear a lot of old timers talk about the old days when they all they caught was 20 pounders on Texoma. But that’s just 20 years of embellishment talking. “I’ve got 35 years under my belt and this past year was by far the best I’ve ever seen for numbers of big fish. It was absolutely incredible, and what is really encouraging is the stage is set for more great fishing over the next few years. We can’t wait see what we’ll have around the banks in late April. They’ll be like gangs of hungry teenagers at a buffet. They’ll crucify a topwater bait. It’s blind casting and it’s blast.” The Careys have carved out a niche on

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Texoma in that they target outsize stripers exclusively using artificial lures. Their guides take an aggressive approach with their fishing and stay on the move to locate groups of feeding fish. Naturally, their tactics change with the season. Translation: If you want to anchor and dunk live bait, it might be wise to check out a different outfit. “We fish people who like to fish,” Chris Carey said. “Personally, it makes me nauseated watching someone reel in a fish that ate a shad running around in a three-foot death circle. The fight is fun, but to me the thrill of striper fishing is tricking these big suckers into biting.” Carey’s mantra obviously has been well received by a loyal customer base. His boat alone has averaged more than 300 fishing days during each of the last three years, and many clients are repeat customers. Opinions vary as to why Texas’s topranked striper fishery is producing so many outsize fish these days. For starters, the lake is one of only a few in the world with a selfsustaining striper population. The Careys think the one-two punch of an ailing economy

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and heightened worries over a potentially dangerous blue green algae bloom in 201112 may have been a silver lining in disguise for the fishery. “There wasn’t near as much fishing pressure out there when all of that was going on,” Chris Carey said. “My guess is there were thousands of fish that made it to next level as a result.” Texas Parks and Wildlife fisheries scientists think the prolonged drought that has hampered annual spawning production up the Red and Washita rivers in recent years also may have played a role. Fewer fish means less competition for the available prey base. Nearly 40 percent of the fish collected during 2014 gill net samplings measured 20 or more inches, according to TPWD reports. “Think of it like a herd of cattle on an acre of land,” explained Tom Robinson, a TPWD fisheries technician based in Pottsboro. “When you remove some of those cattle, there is more grass for the others to eat, so they grow bigger at a faster rate. Plus, the Texoma limit restricts anglers to only two fish over 20 inches per day.”

algae blooms or fish kills,” he said. “With the striped bass stockings in 2013 and 2014 the population is rebounding nicely. In fact, there should be a lot of fish right at 18-inch minimum length limit this year.” •TAWAKONI: “Lake Tawakoni is a fish factory but it is probably better known for its hybrid striped bass and blue catfish fisheries than its striped bass fishery,” Van Zee said. “With that said the striped bass population is doing well, and it offers anglers a chance to

catch something a little bigger than the hybrid striped bass.” •CANYON: “The striped bass population in Canyon isn’t as strong or as big as the ones in lakes Buchanan and Whitney,” according to Van Zee. “But it has been producing some bigger sized fish and is another good location for striped bass anglers who want to fish somewhere other than Lake Buchanan.”

Other Choices for Texas Stripers Although the striper bite at Texoma in recent times been akin to something out of a fairy tale, it isn’t the only lake where anglers can get their strings stretched by these powerful sport fish. TPWD hatcheries produce around three million striped bass each year that are divided among a nucleus of reservoirs best suited for the saltwater transplants. TPWD Region 2 Director Brian Van Zee of Waco provided the following list of what he believes are the state’s top striper fisheries behind Texoma. Van Zee pointed out that his No. 2 and No. 3 choices (Buchanan and Whitney) are “pretty similar in terms of their striper populations and fisheries, so placing them into priority order is kind of like splitting hairs.” •LAKE BUCHANAN: “Although water levels are down in Lake Buchanan the striped bass population is doing well,” he said. Van Zee added that the sunshine bass stockings (a cross between a white bass female and male striper) are supplementing that fishery very well. •WHITNEY: “Whitney was impacted by golden algae in 2010 and 2011, but since about 2012 it hasn’t had any big golden

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3/10/15 1:31 PM

F.L.E.X. Fishing Sytem for Catching Big Specks by Chester Moore

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SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I INTRODUCED THE F.L.E.X. FISHING system, a dedicated plan for catching big fish of any species. F.L.E.X. stands for Focus-Learn-Eliminate-Experience and it has revolutionized my personal fishing. I am working on a giveaway for this system for TF&G readers that should be ready by the June issue. The following are some of the notes from my F.L.E.X. Fishing 速 speckled trout cheat sheets where I gathered the most detailed information available on giant trout. What you

are about to see is truly fascinating and are observations about big trout seldom if ever mentioned in print. As trout grow larger they begin to eat larger prey. The largest trout eat the largest prey. Researchers in Texas and Mississippi have found mullet to be the preferred food of the biggest trout. Frequently the mullet is half or two-thirds the size of the trout.

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Big speckled trout feed heavily on ribbonfish (cutlassfish) when they move into bays from the Gulf. Find ribbonfish scurrying to the surface in panic and you will find BIG trout. At a distance ribbbonfish can be spotted by their silver flashes as they breach. Trout are not big on migration, but there is some movement between the near-shore Gulf and southern tier of bay and channel systems. Researchers at Louisiana State University say the biggest trout are found in the Gulf, particularly during summer and fall. Near-shore oil and gas platforms as well as boat wrecks can house true monsters. Salinity can be a factor in locating trophy trout. Researchers with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission have found that adult trout tend to prefer water that is close to seawater in salinity over more brackish water. A study in Barataria Bay in Louisiana concluded larger trout are most likely to be found over shell or soft (mud) bottom when the water temperature is 75 degrees or higher. Trout have a layer of tissue that allows them to see in low light conditions and be superior night feeders. Fishing the predawn hours and using lures or baits with a luminescent quality or that create a stark silhouette can help you exploit this quality and score on big trout. Sagittae are the sound receptors in fish, and trout have large ones. They are very keen to sounds made by humans and other fish. Throwing lures delicately and working lures and popping corks in a fashion mimicking natural sounds can go a long way to helping anglers catch bigger, wary trout. Since trout are sensitive both to sound and visual cues, the ability to make long, delicate casts is absolutely crucial in the pursuit of big trout. Trout have clear, color vision and are super line-shy in clear water. The use of fluorocarbon can help eliminate loss of potential big trout catches. Trout have both a keen sense of smell and taste which work together simultaneously. Making the right connection when a big trout takes a lure is important because the big fish can be sensitive to non-organic material like plastic. Numerous anglers have observed a symbiotic-type relationship between big trout and alligator gars during the winter in deep, isolated canals. Gars and trout are seen right next to each other seemingly hanging 26 |

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Because speckled trout have sharp-eyed, color vision they tend to be extremely line-shy in clear water. Fluorocarbon can reduce the potential of losing a trophy catch.

together like a shark and remora. Could it be the trout are eating the gar’s scraps? Are they simply sharing a similar habitat when their metabolism is low and the gar won’t eat them? Be mindful of gars in the backwaters during winter months. Researchers in Louisiana have found that manmade reefs attract trout because they concentrate bait fish and help them conserve energy by not having to move much to feed. All big fish prefer not to move more than they have to. Male trout make a “croaking” noise. If you catch a bunch of males in an area return there in the evening and prepare to fish late. Males will gather in a spawning aggregation and croak en masse to attract females. This is a highly overlooked time to find big trout at their peak weight. Big trout often suck topwaters under the surface instead of “blowing up” on it. If this happens to you, wait a second before setting the hook to give the trout a chance to take it in. Of the 477 spotted seatrout tagged in a migration study in Alabama, 58 returns were received, and 53 percent exhibited no

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movement. If you missed a big sow in a particular spot, chances are she is still nearby. It is a proven fact that a trout’s metabolism slows greatly in winter as its growth rate slows to a crawl. This is even more pronounced in big trout which are by their nature slower moving and more selective. The biggest trout almost never school. A study conducted by researcher D.C. Tabb found that nearly all trout in excess of six years of age are large, semi-solitary females. These are the giants we dream of. Big trout are truly elusive, strange fish that do not fit into a particular mold. They are much like giant largemouth bass in that once they reach a certain size, their habits change dramatically. The angler who takes the time to study them and realize they will have to trade catching lots of trout for the chance to get one big trout will probably score on their personal fish of a lifetime.

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3/11/15 10:20 AM

Texas SALTWATER by CALIXTO GONZALES :: TF&G Saltwater Editor

Learning Curves

HE SCHOOL OF MULLET swam in one big shadow along the mangrove line. Occasionally, they’d ripple the water as they flitted and milled about nervously, sensing the large and hungry predator that was stalking them. “There’s a big snook under them,” said Captain Larry Corbett. “Get your plug out there and go to work.” I side-armed a cast, and my Top Dog landed directly in the middle of the school of nervous baitfish with a loud plop! The school of mullet suddenly erupted in panic and scattered in four different directions. The snook that had been cruising and strafing the school retreated back under the tree line, never to be seen again. “Yup,” Larry said. “You might want to throw your topwater at the perimeter of the school, next time.” I have often said that the 12 years I’ve been involved in outdoor writing have been akin to attending graduate school. I’ve learned more and grown more as a sportsman since I began this remarkable adventure, and I’ve endeavored to share as much of that knowledge with my readers as possible. Some of the lessons I’ve learned are practical, such as not casting a noisy, heavy lure into the middle of skittish baitfish unless I fully intend to ruin the opportunity to catch a predatory fish. Other lessons have been—well—esoteric, to say the least. In the end, however, all these lessons combine to make the angler and writer that fills these pages every month. LESSON 1: Live Bait Isn’t as Easy as You Might Think. I’ve often heard the lament that there is no challenge to fishing with bait. Just pin a shrimp, mullet, or (brace yourself) croaker on a hook, make your cast, and wait for some hapless fish

to eat it. The common adage is “You’re not fooling the fish, you’re feeding them.” That is partially true. I’ve been on boats where I’ve seen anglers fill a cooler in no time by simply fishing a live bug under a popping cork or tossing a croaker along a spoil bank. There have been other times where I went out into the bay with a quart of live shrimp, and came back with a quart of live shrimp. Contrary to the common school of thought, live bait does not guarantee a limit of fish, or even a single catch. Granted, there are times where all they want is meat, and even a specific type; but there are other times where the flash of a spoon, or the throb of a Cocahoe will out-fish live bait. Even when live bait is effective, it isn’t as simple as throwing out the bait, and eating a bologna sandwich, while you wait for your trophy to strike. Sometimes even bait requires a little finesse in its application. Maybe your hook is too big, or you need less weight or more. There is a degree of trial and error that goes into fishing effectively. LESSON 2: Not All Fishing Rods are the same If you’ve been reading this column for any length of time, you know I am an unreconstructed gearhead. I love the tools of fishing as much as I love fishing itself. I love the variety in appearance and function. Much to my wife’s chagrin, my collection of fishing combos is as vast and as numerous as Isaac’s brethren. I discovered that each rod manufacturer has a different idea of what a rod’s power and action are. My preference among rods is—remember?—7- to 7-foot 6, medium action with a fast tip. Imagine my surprise at the range of difference in feel and response in that seemingly tight classification. I’ve got some rods that were buggy whips whose “fast” tip bent all the way to the fore grip, and others that are absolute war clubs that have no action in them at all. Materials don’t seem to make a difference, because I’ll find that range among the high-priced rods made of the best materials just as readily as I’ll find them T E X A S

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in the mass-marketed, big-box-store specials. Unfortunately, my absolute favorite rod, the Fenwick Techna AV, is no longer available. Many colleagues have told me there is no real industry standard for actions and powers. It is as much art as science, and revolves around anglers’ preferences as much as it does function. There must be some truth to that; some of my fishing buddies claim my rods are just too heavy and stiff to fish comfortably. I’ve often lamented that other anglers’ rods are two whippy and flimsy for what I want to do. What that ultimately means is that I have to keep buying and trying rods to make sure I get the ones I like. Don’t tell my wife. LESSON 3: One Person’s Folly is another’s Entertainment I remember fishing with a buddy who will remain nameless who caught a 29-inch speckled trout. There was a video camera on the boat, and a third person was filming my buddy admiring his trout and talking about it like he was Bill Dance or something. On camera, he knelt down to ease the trout in the water, and a dolphin came out from under the drifting boat, grabbed the fish by the head, and swam off with his goody. On camera. I laughed for 45 minutes. I don’t feel guilty about that at all, because I know I’ve provided plenty of lazy moments for people who have shared boats with me. Such as the time I stepped off a casting tower and into five feet of water instead of two. Or the time I followed and cast a topwater at a school of tailing mullet, insisting it was redfish. Or when I had the bright idea of going on a party boat the day after a tropical depression had blown by. Everyone gets a good laugh at another’s expense while fishing sooner or later. It’s part of the fun. And part of the learning curve.

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Email Calixto Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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3/10/15 10:58 AM

Finding the Right Gun and Load for Spring Turkey story by Dustin Vaughn Warncke

OT TOO LONG AGO, all turkey hunters had was some spare squirrel loads or even duck and goose BB loads. We’ve come a long way since then. We have seen great strides in the pursuit of effectively and efficiently hunting gobblers.

With the growing popularity of the sport of turkey hunting came

innovation in products designed specifically for serious turkey hunters. Among these innovations are specialized shotgun configurations and premium high-performance shotshells. In conversations with fellow hunters, I often say we are in the Golden Age of firearms and ammunition—especially with modern day “turkey guns,” shotguns built with the turkey hunter in mind.

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At no time in our rich history of firearms and ammunition have we had so many breakthroughs with the incredible technology available today. Gun and ammunition manufacturers now have the ability to push the envelope

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Two of the authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorites: Mossberg 935 and Remington 870 12 gauges.

on what can be done. Finding the perfect blend of gun and load takes a little fine tuning. But with so many options available today, it is not hard to

find the right shotgun paired with the right shotshell load. First off, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk about the shotgun. The first rule for buying a new or used shotgun is to find one that fits you properly. Visit a local sporting goods or gun store and try some shotguns out for size. You want to make sure the weight is comfortable and that you can easily mount the gun into shooting position without

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PHOTOS: BIGSTOCK; MOSSBERG; REMINGTON

undue movement or effort. It’s no secret that turkeys have great eyesight, so keeping movement down to a minimum while shouldering your gun is a must. Is the gun suited for you to hold it steady for a long period of time? How does the shotgun carry for the long distances that turkey hunting sometimes demands? These are all good questions to consider when choosing the right gun. One of my personal favorites in the turkey shotgun realm is the Mossberg 935, which is a semi-auto, camo-clad shotgun. It has a great balance of weight, fit, and excellent performance and also has an option for a barrel specially designed for turkey hunting. I also own a Mossberg 835 shotgun which is a pump shotgun that has also proved its worth as an excellent shotgun for turkey. Just about every major gun manufacturer in the firearms industry that makes shotguns makes some models with turkey hunters in mind. Other shotguns on my all-time favorites list are the Remington 870, Remington 11-87, Benelli Super Black Eagle, Ithaca 37 Turkey Slayer, Winchester 1300, and the Beretta Xtrema 2. With all of the competition in the firearms industry, it is hard to find any shotgun that isn’t well made. Consider a shotgun an investment, not simply an expense of hunting, and don’t be afraid to spend a little more money for extra features that will aid you in your hunting success. Remember, the standard rules with shotguns have changed because of the more powerful ammunition available today. Bigger does not always mean better. With the new high-powered turkey loads and choke tubes available today, 12-gauge shotguns aren’t the only main player on the field anymore. Many hunters feel that 20-gauge shotguns are a better fit for their spring turkey adventures and I am one of them. I highly recommend the 20-gauge shotgun especially for young shooters and adults just getting started in the turkey hunting world, largely due to the recoil and weight factors. Although effective range of a 20-gauge T E X A S

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might be less than a 12-gauge, the chances of getting a hunter started on the right path are far better. Take time to pattern your shotgun with premium turkey loads. Try different shot sizes and even choke constrictions. Also, consider some of the aftermarket choke tubes as many of them have shown excellent pattern performance in the field. For ammunition, my favorite load is the Winchester Supreme in 12 gauge which packs a hefty load of two ounces of No. 5 shot. Other ammo I highly recommend is the Winchester Long Beard XR and Double X, Remington Premier and Nitro Turkey, Kent Ultimate Diamond Shot, Federal Premium Heavyweight Turkey, and HeaviShot Magnum Blend and Hevi-Metal. The only way to determine what ammo to shoot is to shoot a variety of shot sizes and brands from multiple distances to find the best combination of shotgun and ammo. Pick the one with the most consistent pattern. I recommend patterning your turkey gun at 25 yards for 20 gauges and 40 yards for 12 gauges. The ideal pattern is 100 pellets in a 10-inch circle. For initial patterning tests, use a large piece of butcher or craft paper. Consider a shooting rest like the Hyskore DLX Precision Shooting Rest, which you can fire remotely after you set up the shot on target. You can also use a regular gun rest and a recoil pad that goes around your shoulder to help reduce potential recoil anticipation since turkey loads pack a magnum punch. Know the limitations of your firearm and, if coaching a young hunter or adult beginning hunter, consider the limitations of the hunter as well. This will help you in deciding what shots to take and when to wait or pass on a shot. We can learn what those limitations are by practicing and experimenting with different loads and chokes as well as practicing real hunting scenarios while at the gun range. Be safe, have fun, and enjoy the outdoors this spring turkey season! To learn more about Dustin Warncke’s work, visit www.dustinsprojects.com.

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3/11/15 10:25 AM

TEXAS Dept. of DEFENSE by STEVE LAMASCUS & DUSTIN ELLERMANN

Self Defense Tactical :: Concealed Carry

Big or Little

N THESE COLUMNS WE HAVE several times spoken of the different cartridges available in handguns and their relative abilities in life and death situations. After each of those pieces I got emails from individuals some criticizing what I had written and some agreeing with my observations. One of the last such emails was from a gentleman who carried a small .380 auto in his pants pocket. He stated that he could draw his little .380 from his pocket and put three bullets in the target before I could draw my big .45 and hit it once. There are several problems with his thinking. One is that he has no firsthand knowledge of my abilities, and I doubt very

much that he can do what he says. I have been practicing almost daily for more than 40 years, so he had better be damned good. Carrying a firearm in a pocket has several disadvantages. The handgun tends to wander around in the pocket, putting the grip in positions that slow down the shooter’s ability to grasp the grip properly. Carrying a gun in that way also tends to allow the clothing to catch on the gun and slow down the draw. I carry my .45 in a leather or Kydex holster that keeps the gun in the proper position for drawing. When I reach for it I know that the grip is going to be in the correct position, and I don’t have to feel around for it and juggle it around to get a

proper grip. Also, to be ready to draw, he has to keep his hand in his pocket and on the grip of his handgun all the time. Furthermore, he cannot carry anything else in that pocket or he will be faced with the possibility of an accidental discharge, or, he will end up with his gun tied up with his keychain through the trigger guard. On top of all this, he will probably need those three rounds from his little .380 to put his adversary down, whereas I will probably get it done with one shot from my .45. I don’t always carry a .45. However, when I am carrying something of less power, I understand I may have to shoot

Qualiﬁed IF YOU PLAN TO OWN A GUN FOR self-defense, I’m a huge proponent of firearms training. Not just the “once upon a time” firearms course, and definitely not the short Concealed Handgun License class, but ever expanding, personally challenging, diverse training courses that will give you confidence and advantage should you need to defend yourself. One benchmark we can use to audit our defensive skills is to look at law enforcement. I spent the day with the Angelina County sheriff department for their annual firearms requalification to see how they train and qualify their officers. 32 |

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A deputy runs through the riﬂe portion of the training with Captain Lenderman timing the course.

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) sets minimum standards for firearms proficiency that every state agency must meet annually. Before heading to the firing line every service weapon was completely stripped, cleaned and inspected. Every officer is required to show proficiency in care and cleaning of their weapons. Then I participated in a short training exercise that more resembled a small 3 Gun match. Shooting against a timer, we

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fired their AR15 rifles at 50-yard steel targets in various positions using the VTAC barricades with limited ammunition. The limited round count was challenging to me since I’m used to the luxury of missing if I find myself running a gun too fast. However, when a law enforcement agency trains personnel for public law enforcement it’s great to ingrain the idea that every bullet is a liability and must find its appropriate mark.

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TEXAS Dept. of DEFENSE my opponent a number of times to get the required result. This is why I am a firm believer in carrying the largest caliber handgun you can handle and you can carry in whatever the circumstances are. Sometimes carrying a full-sized gun such as a Colt Commander is simply not practical. However, several handguns are available that fire a full-power 9mm rather than the .380 and which are only slightly larger. I recommend these guns, such as the Kimber Solo and the Kahr PM9, over any of the smaller guns in the less-powerful .380. New, small 9mms are coming on the market all the time. Sig Sauer just started marketing a sweet little 9mm that is just about as small as such a gun can be made.. Loaded with the best self-defense ammo on the market, the little .380 is right at the bottom of what I consider viable calibers. It is certainly better than no gun at all, and if your situation dictates it is the largest gun you can carry, then, please, carry it. However, if you can carry a more powerful weapon there is no reason to go with the less powerful gun. I have seen with my own eyes what can happen when a man is shot with an underpowered weapon, or with inadequate

ammunition. In some instances they simply run away and then go to a hospital to get attention for the gunshot wound. If they run away that’s fine, your gun has ended the conflict, which is the result you were looking for. However, what about that marauder who is hyped up on drugs and decides not to run off? You may shoot him full of little holes and he may still beat you to death before he wanders away or bleeds to death. If you don’t believe me, read the report of the Miami FBI shootout. I don’t know about you, but I want all the power I can handle and shoot well, just in case I run into the one who decides to stay and fight. Only a few decades ago, most police officers were armed with .38 Special revolvers firing 158-grain, round-nosed lead bullets. In those days the police reports were filled with stories about a police officer shooting a bad guy with every bullet in his gun, then beating him into submission with the gun barrel, only to have to take them to the hospital for treatment. Today, with better ammo and bullets, the .38 Special is a better weapon, but it is still very near the bottom of the pile of self-defense cartridges. I carry a .38 Special a good deal of the

time, but I only carry it when circumstances don’t allow me to carry something more powerful. When I do, you can bet the ranch I have the best ammunition I can beg, borrow, or steal. I generally carry Federal 147grain Hydra Shok +P+ loads, even in my little Smith and Wesson Model 36. All kinds of information can be found on the internet about the so-called knock-down or stopping power of various cartridges. I suggest you find such a site and study the differences between the cartridges you are considering before you make your decision. I do not, ever, recommend carrying a gun loose in the pants pocket. Just too many things can interfere with getting the gun into action in the least possible time. With the plethora of good holsters on the market you have no valid reason not to use one of them. The best possible end to a gun fight is for you, the defender, to put your opponent down with one well-placed shot. That takes a powerful weapon and a lot of practice. Like the old Texas Ranger said when asked why he carried a .45 Colt: “ ‘Cause Sam Colt don’t make a .46.” —Steve LaMascus

After the rifle refresher we shot pistols from the holster at various steel targets. The last event, the pump shotgun stage, involved knocking down some heavy steel plates that demanded a wellplaced shot to neutralize them. The TCOLE minimum handgun qualification standards are pretty straightforward. This requires the course of fire to include at least 50 rounds, with five rounds fired at ranges from point-blank to at least 15 yards and a minimum of 20 rounds fired from at least seven yards, including at least one timed reload. The rest is up to each agency’s instructor’s preference and discernment to train and challenge their officers. The qualification course that the sheriffs’ office used required a minimum of 70 percent hits on a TQ19 target with the following:

• From Contact Distance, within five seconds, shove the target and shoot two to the chest, one to the head. For the second string shove and shoot one to the chest and two to the head.

perform a tactical reload retaining the magazine, then fire six shots with support hand.

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• From the two yard line, with one hand, shoot one shot center mass, on the second string fire three shots center mass • From the four yard line, within five seconds, fire two shots to the chest, on the second string, two shots to the head. • From the seven yard line within 30 seconds, fire 12 rounds including a reload. • From the 15 yard line, within 40 seconds, fire six shots with strong hand,

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• From the 25 yard line, within 60 seconds, fire three shots standing, strong hand; three shots kneeling, strong hand; three shots standing, support hand; three shots kneeling, support hand. The Captain explained that this is just a starting point; and as the officers improve, the target size will decrease and the standards will become more challenging. So, I challenge you to test yourself with these minimum standards, find training, and improve your skills to be the best shot you can be. —Dustin Ellermann

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3/11/15 10:29 AM

Bare Bones HUNTING by LOU MARULLO :: TF&G Hunting Editor

Here Turkey, Turkey!

Y COUSIN AND I ARRIVED at our favorite turkey spot early VERY early. I eased out of the truck to make as little noise as possible, and my companion was getting out of the passenger seat. I closed the door with a whisper. My hunting buddy did not have the same thought as he slammed his door shut. Immediately, a loud and very aggressive gobbler sounded off. Well, I thought, we both know we are here now, so let the games begin! If you are new to the sport of turkey hunting, you will learn that to be able to call in a tom turkey is of prime importance. The key to success is whether you can sound exactly like a hen bird ready to mate. But that is only one key. There are plenty of others. No two birds sound alike. It may sound the same to our ears, but believe me, not to the bird. A turkey can distinguish between the boss hen and any other turkeys that might be in the same vicini-ty. I am always astonished at how well a turkey can pinpoint ex-actly where a call came from. Once, years ago, I set up my decoys in a field alongside a wood-lot. I heard gobblers sounding off at pre-dawn. At first, I was tempted to move in closer, but knowing how good the eyes of a turkey are, I decided to stay right where I was and take my chances. It soon was light enough to see my sights and I made a very quiet tree call. After a few minutes, I yelped softly. Immediately a tom answered me. I yelped again followed by an excited cackle except I cupped my mouth and turned my head away from the roosted tom turkey as I cackled. I was letting the tom know that I was a lonely hen looking for a boyfriend, but was flying off the roost away from him. “Gobble, gobble, gobble” was the imme-

diate response. I thought that this turkey was REALLY ready for some action, and I was ready to oblige. It just was not the same action that he had in mind. After a few more gobbles from my very excited friend that went unanswered, the frustrated tom finally flew down from his roost and landed just a few feet from me. Now, don’t you wish it could always be that easy? Unfortunately, as the season progresses and the turkeys have more and more encounters with hunters, they get wise to all of the calls that they hear and exercise caution before coming into your decoy set up. That’s why we need some tricks up our sleeves. First of all, practice your calling techniques. Learn how a turkey sounds like and the different calls that they might use. The yelp is the most common call you would use to lure that tom. A real turkey does not yelp loudly nor does she yelp over and over again. A common mistake that hunters make is calling as loud as they can with the assumption that a turkey in the next county over will come into your call.Not going to happen. Try to sound like a real bird. Soft calling with much patience is the key to success here. At first light, once you are able to see your sights, yelp very soft-ly. This is called a tree call and is used to sound like a hen is just waking up. I like to turn my head from side to side each time I call. That is what a real turkey will do. The next call I use is called a cackle. Sometimes a hen will make this sound as she flies down from her roost. As I said earlier, I like to cup the side of my mouth (if I am using a diaphragm call), and turn my head as I cackle to simulate a bird flying down in one direction. I even take my hat off and rapidly slap it back and forth on my knee to simulate the wings of a bird. Don’t laugh… it really does sound good. A “purr” call is used when the bird is too cautious and is hung up and will not make that final commitment to come in to your decoy. It is like the hen is saying “Hey, come on. I am ready!” I en-vy the guys that can T E X A S

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purr with a mouth call. I still have not perfected that. For me, a slate call works best for the purr. Another call that has proved successful is called the ki-ki-run or lost turkey call. It works much better in the fall when the birds are more concentrated in a group, but I have had it work during the spring hunts as well. I use it after a few morning yelps that have gone unanswered. There are many types of turkey calls on the market and my ad-vice is to try to use as many of them as you can. The sound that comes out of the calls you use does not have to be perfect. Most are good enough to bring a curious turkey in. The most common and easiest to use is the box call. There are many of them on the market and they all have a unique tone to them. Soon you will find your favorite one. The mouth or dia-phragm call is harder to use because it tickles your mouth, but it also involves less movement. Turkeys have very good eyesight and will bust you in a heartbeat if you move. A slate call sounds very good to my ear. Sometimes it comes with a slate side and a glass side for wet weather. I could never get the glass side to work, but that is just me. Last but not least is the wing bone call. This one is not used by a lot of hunters, and it might be exactly what you need to sound different in the woods. Turkey hunting is statistically the most dangerous type of hunt-ing. Too many hunters think they can sneak up on a turkey if they hear one calling. Hunters are dressed in full camo to blend into our surroundings and that is how accidents can happen. Please remember this fact and be safe. That’s why I always close my column with this little phrase. Have fun and hunt safe out there.

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Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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3/9/15 8:48 PM

...and Some Big Drum and Bull Reds at the

story by Chester Moore ANGLERS WANTING TO CATCH SOMETHING THAT FIGHTS super hard should venture south of their favorite bay system and hit the jetty systems of the Texas coast. At various points in the channel and at the jetties anglers are catching fish big enough to destroy your tackle right now. Cool, huh? 36 |

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Stingrays come in two size categories right now: large and extra-large. And the best places to start are at any boat or safety cut on the jetty wall. The tidal flow can be

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incredibly strong in these spots, because a huge amount of water is trying to move through a small space in a short time. Rays lie on the edge of this flow to mop PHOTO: CANSTOCK

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up on the crabs and baitfish that move through. Another great location is the deep holes at the southern tip of the Gulf side of jetties. These areas are especially important during the period between March and early July when the big rays are most common. I prefer to fish for rays with tackle, in the 50-pound class. Cut bait like mullet or croaker is best.

On stingray quests, I generally put out several lines with a slip egg weight and swivel, finished off with a wide gapped hook. It is best to use a steel leader at least three feet in length, as it will help to avoid breaking off if the ray runs to the rocks. Rays usually take the bait and run with it, especially if they are extra-large ones. A few T E X A S

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years back, some friends of mine and I were catching bull reds and rays and had what we assume was a big ray give us an experience we will never forget. It took a very expensive rod and reel out of the boat by ripping the rod in the holder out of the fiberglass. That increased my respect for rays tremendously.

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Giant Drum: Hard to Beat The big, over-sized black drums are also present in the system right now. At the jetties in particular, drums will gather and feed as the forage moves through the boat cuts and around the southern tip of

the rocks and around any deep holes. They also gather up over shell in the channel and around big drop-offs in the ship channel areas. I prefer to fish for drum with heavy tackle, in the 30- to 50-pound class. Crab is the best choice for bait. Broken in half, and hooked through the carapace, this stuff has a long hook life and is irresistible to a drum. Drums are a pecking fish, and sometimes they will not just take your bait and run with it. When you see something pecking on your line, pick it up and wait until you feel pressure on the other end. At that point, pull back and brace yourself.

Bully for Big Reds There are plenty of bull reds around now as well, and they will take the same baits as a drum, although the absolute best bait is live croaker. Anglers can catch oversized redfish in the exact same spots as they do the big bull drums and in fact will probably hang into a mixture of both. Another option for late spring fishing is targeting the surf from a boat looking for small schools of redfish feeding on mullet and crab up shallow. Days calm enough to do this can be rare, but the redfish are there. Keep in mind that small schools of redfish move quickly. 38 |

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In water three feet deep and greater, schooling reds often surface, send baitfish into the air for 10-20 seconds and then go down. Anglers unprepared to fire into the fracas are often disappointed they missed the fish. How could no fish bite when they were just feeding so aggressively? The answer is the fish were probably 100 yards away by

this point. This is often true of reds, not just in the surf but in the open bay. Reds on the prowl move super-fast, and anglers must be prepared to strike quickly if they want to seize the opportunity. Preparation for this kind of fishing begins at home. Make up a tackle box or bag with some key lures for targeting fast moving reds. Start with spoons. A gold or bronze spoon is arguable the best overall redfish lure, and they offer the advantage of being easy to cast accurately at long distances. For most settings a 1/2-ounce is perfect. Next go to topwaters. There is nothing more exciting in local waters than watching big reds attack a topwater. When they are feeding on the surface, they are suckers for surface lures. Walking lures are great but do not overlook chuggers. They can be extremely effective on reds. Rig these up on a spinning rod rigged with braided line and keep them handy.

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The spinning rod is to save you from frustrating backlashes, which can occur when you are trying to hit fish at long distances in a very short time window. If you, for example, are working a plastic, put down that stick, grab your spinning rod and chunk the spoon or topwater right where you saw the action. If the fish are already under, then throw it as far as you can down current of the spot and work it back up. The reds usually follow the tidal flow. If you keep missing the time window and want to make blind casts, consider using one of the numerous redfish ready spinnerbaits on the market. Everyone from Strike King to Bomber Saltwater Grade has solid product out at this point. Throwing the spinner is a great way to cover lots of water and will keep small trout off your line if they are in the area. Spinners are very effective for reds, but catch few specks. Finally, your soft plastics can come in handy. If the school pops up right in front of you, the reds will gladly hit just about anything that mimics a baitfish or shrimp. If someone in the boat gets hooked up, there might be reds following the one on the line. If you see them, chunk a plastic in their direction and hold on tight. A redhooked close to the boat has a habit of running under it or expending all of its energy on a mind-boggling run of pure power and intensity. Start seeing redfish with a game plan and your odds of catching them increase dramatically. Prepare and then be prepared for a fight â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a Texas-sized one.

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3/9/15 8:32 PM

Texas FRESHWATER by MATT WILLIAMS :: TF&G Freshwater Editor

Falcon Gar Results In

DON’T KNOW HOW YOU FEEL about alligator gars, but I think they are cool. With gaping jaws full of razor teeth, armored bodies and devilish-looking eyes, ‘gator gars are fierce-looking predators with a mysterious past and an uncertain future. Thirty years ago nobody knew very much about these prehistoric throwbacks other than they grew extremely large, made good targets for bow fishermen and were decent table fare for anybody willing to go to the trouble to clean one and prepare the meat right. Nobody really gave a crap about their future, and just about any angler you asked called them an ugly rough fish with no real merit in freshwater compared to more hallowed fish like bass, crappie and catfish. Things are different now. Here in Texas, the first law to help protect alligator gar was passed in 2009, a statewide daily bag limit of one fish per day, per angler. In spring 2014, the TPW Commission made the law even more restrictive, giving the TPWD Executive Director the authority to temporarily suspend fishing for alligator gar on specific water during the spring spawn. I’m not sure who was the first to hint around that these ancient-looking fish might need some protection, but I’m pretty sure the ball got rolling on the Trinity River in eastern Texas. That’s where some fishing guides started advertising bow fishing and rod and reel fishing trips offering clients a shot at a trophy-sized alligator gar. Success rates were high. Likewise, an increased interest in taking out-sized fish began taking shape. Known for achieving weights well over 200 pounds, the alligator gar is among the largest fish swimming in freshwater. The unrestricted state record weighing 302 pounds was caught

from the Nueces River and the bow fishing record for the Trinity is 290 pounds. Fish that size eat lots groceries, and what they eat has sparked some concerns over the years. A 2001 study conducted at Lake Guerrero in Mexico showed largemouth bass comprised 50 percent of their diet on that lake. Conversely, a Sam Rayburn study in the 1980s showed a much lesser number of bass in the bellies of gars. Other Texas studies conducted since the restrictive limit went into effect have shown that an alligator gar can live beyond 50 years. They usually don’t reach sexual maturity until age 10-14 and may take up to 30 years to reach six feet. Scientists also know populations have declined across many of the 14 southern states where they once thrived, largely because of floodplain manipulation and, in some cases, overfishing. The American Fisheries Society has considered the fish at risk of imperilment since 2008. Texas populations are doing better than most. In fact, the belief is that Texas maintains one of the last strongholds of alligator gars in the nation. TPWD’s inland fisheries division wants to keep it that way, which is why the department took a proactive approach and provided the fish some protection before anything potentially bad could happen. Findings from Texas’s most recent study on these piscatorial titans shows that TPWD may have jumped the gun when it blanketed the entire state with the same restrictive regulation on alligator gar. In other words, what’s good of the goose may not be so good for the gander. The gander, in this case, is Lake Falcon. TPWD biologists spent several months at Falcon last summer and fall learning all they could about the toothy predators finning around in the fabled bass lake. Among other things, they looked at population dynamics, spawning habits, angler harvest impacts and forage preferences. The study was carried out largely because of public outcry over concerns that alligator gar might have played a role in the sigT E X A S

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nificant decline witnessed in Falcon’s world class bass fishery over the last few years. In 2010, Bassmaster Magazine ranked Falcon the nation’s No. 1 bass fishery. It is worth noting that Falcon has seen some excessive fluctuations in water level since then, which also can impact fish populations. The lake was nearly 26 1/2 feet low in January 2015 and 36 1/2 feet low in July 2013. At the time the study began in summer 2014, the bass population was down about 65 percent from what it was in 2011, according to TPWD fisheries biologist Randy Myers of San Antonio, who oversaw the study. The study revealed some interesting discoveries about Falcon’s gars. Not only did biologists learn the gar population is significantly higher than it was five years ago, but they also determined that the fish tend to grow at a rate much faster than they do in other lakes. Myers said they collected five-year old gars at Falcon that weighed as much as 120 pounds and that females reached sexual maturity by age 7. They also found females carrying nearly 30 pounds of eggs. The study also showed that Falcon gars forage mostly on common carp, tilapia and gizzard shad. Largemouth bass made up eight percent of their diet; catfish, 10 percent; drum, three percent; and crappie, two percent. Myers said all of this, along with strong angler opinion favoring an increased daily bag, was taken into consideration before making a proposal in January 2015 to raise the alligator gar limit at Falcon to five fish daily. He added that the angler success rate on Falcon gars is currently very low, and that the population would be able to maintain at its current structure with a harvest rate up to seven percent. Following the public hearing process, the regulation change was set to go before TPW Commissioners for approval, amendment or rejection in March.

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True GREEN TF&G Conservation Editor

Edited by WILL LESCHPER

Still dealing with the BP Oil Spill

HE LARGEST OFFSHORE oil spill in our country’s history will spark the greatest conservation initiative that Texas–and by default, the world—has ever seen. It seems like the most contradictory of statements, especially when countless lives were cut short as a result, right? The April 20, 2010, blowout of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil well, killed 11 workers and dumped more than three million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast. It already has been a boon to numerous state entities as millions of dollars have poured into the coffers of cash-strapped research and restoration organizations. 40 |

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The oil giant still faces a gargantuan civil fine that is estimated to total more than $10 billion, on top of more than $40 billion it has paid for cleanup, other fines and compensation to those affected. The timeline on that ruling by a federal judge in New Orleans remains unclear. BP also forked over $2.5 billion to create the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund as part of plea agreements designed to aid the world’s most diverse and economically beneficial ecosystem. The fund overseen by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation already has paid dividends for the Lone Star State, which ultimately will receive more than $200 million to be spent on projects designed to improve our natural

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resources. A chunk of that money already has helped secure the greatest land acquisition in Texas history. In August the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund acquired the 17,000-acre Powderhorn Ranch near Port O’Connor in Calhoun County with the assistance of a diverse coalition and using $34.5 million from the fund. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will provide that money during the next three years as part of an overall $50 million project aimed at restoration and stewardship efforts for the ranch bordering Matagorda Bay that will become a state park and wildlife management area unlike any the state has ever seen. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, a nonprofit that raises private funds for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department projects, already has raised millions of dollars in matching funds to make up the difference in project costs. The Powderhorn’s location near the eastern section of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and other areas vital to protecting habitat increasingly being encroached upon by humans and development made it a prime real estate target for the past four decades. However, finding the funding necessary to secure the pristine location, including more than 11 miles of some of the best tidal bayfront habitat along the Texas coast, proved to be impossible. Enter the BP disaster fueled by the modern-day robber baron with limitless pockets and a realization by conservation groups and state and federal officials that now was the time to strike, and you’ve got the recipe for an unprecedented transaction that will allow multiple generations to escape civilization and provide increased support for wildlife and wildscape protection. The ranch’s boundaries also include thousands of acres of wetlands, tidal marshContinued on page 42 u

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True GREEN Oil Spill t Continued from page 40 es, bayous and prairie habitat that support waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds. In addition to the fishing opportunities, the site is going to become the best public birding site in Texas, with a growing audience seeking out undiscovered prospects to get

New Rules from NOAA NOAA FISHERIES IN FEBRUARY released a new agency policy on saltwater recreational fisheries aimed at serving as a guide to the agency’s actions and responsibilities under the law. It outlines its commitment

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closer to nature. The Powderhorn acquisition is merely the largest jewel in the overall conservation push for a state hungry to provide and maintain our outdoor landscape. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has awarded more than $56 million from the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund for more than a dozen projects with direct input from Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Texas to provide for sustainable saltwater recreational fisheries resources, to promote recreational fisheries through science-based conservation and management, and to support participation in recreational fishing today and for future generations, according to the agency. The policy includes six core principles which will be followed. The agency also is developing a

Commission on Environmental Quality, the General Land Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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Email Will Leschper at WillLeschperOutdoors@gmail.com

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complementary national recreational fishing implementation plan, which will outline the specific actions and activities it will take to further the policy. The saltwater fishing policy can be found online at http://www.nmfs.noaa. gov/sfa/management/recreational/documents/noaa_recfish_policy.pdf.

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“T

he fishing stops until I get a picture of THAT!” Just as those words left my mouth, a pink bottle-nosed dolphin breached the tea-colored waters of Lake Calcasieu in Southwest Louisiana.

Yes, it was pink, Pepto-Bismol pink in fact. The school of redfish we were on seemed insignificant as

an opportunity to photograph this ultra rare creature presented itself. Dubbed “Pinky” by locals, it had been photographed by several Calcasieu fishing guides over a span of a few years, and I could not have been more excited to get my chance.

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This beautiful creature is the only known albino adult bottle-nosed dolphin on the planet and is a brilliant reminder that some of nature’s greatest mysteries inhabit our waterways. When I was around five years old my late father, Chester Moore, Sr., had his own mysterious aquatic encounter. While fishing with a friend on Conway Bayou on the Louisiana side of the Sabine River, a gigantic gray-colored creature surfaced next to their aluminum boat and inspired them to head home. He immediately called a local game war-

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Manatees have been spotted as far down the Texas Coast as Port Mansﬁeld.

den and was shocked to find out a manatee had been seen in that very location a few days earlier. This was in the days before multiple television networks dedicated to animals and, of course, no Internet so this sighting came as a shock to the system. Last year a manatee was captured on video near Lake Calcasieu, and in the last few years there have been sightings near Port Mansfield (where there are manatee warning signs in the harbor) and Corpus Christi. In fact, TF&G contributor Eddie Hernandez saw one at the Sabine Jetties last summer. According the wildlife officials at

Louisiana State University (LSU), the manatee is a marine mammal of the order Sirenia, derived from the Latin word “siren” or “mermaid.” Many people believe sailors mistook manatees for the mythological mermaid.” Manatees have a body form similar to a seal, but they are much larger, reaching 13 feet in length. Manatees can live to be 50 years old. The average manatee is 10 feet long and weighs roughly 1,000 pounds. Females are usually larger than males. According to LSU officials, manatees spend six to eight hours a day in shallow

PHOTOS: CHESTER MOORE; USFWS

“Pinky,” the only known albino adult bottle-nosed dolphin is colored a Pepto Bismal-shade of pink.

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water grazing grass beds consuming roughly 100 pounds of food each day which equals four to nine percent of body weight. “They can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes and have been known to sprint for short distances at 15 mph. Manatees will communicate through sound, sight, taste, and touch. Manatees can hear very well even though they do not have external ear lobes.” My wife Lisa and I have snorkeled with manatees on two occasions in Florida’s Crystal River and were amazed at how friendly these giants can be. It was sad to see the prop scars lining their back,but it’s interesting to know Florida is the epicenter of the U.S. population. Some individuals travel up and down the Intracoastal Waterway and end up in Texas and Louisiana. A few years back my friend Bill Killian and I were fishing on a super-hot and perfectly calm day at one of the nearshore gas platforms out of Sabine Pass. High barometric pressure gave the fish a good case of lockjaw but things did not stay dull for long. A huge head surfaced out past the rig. At first it looked like images of the Loch Ness Monster or some other sea serpent but then

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a distinctive tear drop-shaped body rose and revealed a leatherback sea turtle. This was not just any leatherback, but a huge specimen that was at least seven feet long, perhaps larger. These are not common sights on the Texas coast, particularly only three miles from shore. It swam around for a couple of minutes and then dove back under never to be seen again by Killian and me. Turtles can live for incredibly long periods and I cannot help but wonder what that great creature had seen over the years. How many boat hulls had it swum under? How many brushes with tiger and bull sharks did it have through the years? Fascinating, isn’t it? Occasionally a tarpon will show up in strange places like the north end of Sabine Lake. I saw one in Old Rove destroying a school of mullet one hot August day in 1996, and we did a story somewhere around 2001 about an angler who caught a sixfooter on the Louisiana side of the Sabine Jetties. Although not a truly unusual catch, many anglers are surprised to catch big jack crevalles in places like the San Bernard River.

Some of those anglers had never seen this fish before. They are caught more frequently in the surf and at the jetties. Every couple of years someone will call and tell me they caught a “yellowfin tuna” somewhere in Trinity Bay, and I have to break it to them that it’s not a tuna, but a jack crevalle. They have similar coloration and are roughly the same shape. Luckily, for the anglers most of them either released the fish or called me before they ate it.Yellowfin is one of the tastiest fish in the world and jack is one of the oiliest and nastiest. Texas is blessed with hundreds of miles of coastline and thousands of miles of rivers as well as hundreds of reservoirs. There are still mysteries to uncover below the surface. The children of our Kingdom Zoo project have started a project gathering sightings reports of “Pinky” the dolphin, manatees in Texas and Louisiana as well as large sharks. If you have any such photos, email them to cmoore@fishgame.com or chester@kingdomzoo.com. The kids appreciate it.

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From HOG WILD by Chester Moore 48 |

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IGH-FENCED hunting operations, often called “preserves,” are a major force in the hog-hunting world. Some people have ethical concerns about any kind of hunting behind the confines of a high fence, but to do a complete treatise on hunting feral swine, discussing their pursuit on preserves is necessary. These operations can be as large as 40,000 acres to as small as 50 acres with the average probably in the 300-500 range. The fences are put up to confine hogs to the acreage contained within and greatly increase a hunter’s chances of getting an opportunity to harvest one. With hogs, these ranches are typically stocked frequently in response to hunting pressure, which in some cases can be intense, and many also include exotic animals such as Corsican sheep, axis deer and aoudad. A growing trend is small to medium size ranches that specialize in hogs and cater mainly to bowhunters who will find this style of hunting much more challenging than with a rifle. I have hunted high fenced operations for hogs a number of times and have always found the experience to be lots of fun and in some cases quite challenging. I have done all of my high fenced hog hunting with either a compound bow or crossbow and would like to use this chapter to give you an edge on taking hogs in these unique situations. As far as I know there has never been anything written on how to specifically target hogs in these kinds of ranches so I will gladly use this space to delve into this territory.

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First, let us talk about feeders. The number one way to hunt hogs on these ranches is to hunt in tree stands over feeders. It is an effective way to shoot eatingsized hogs that will gladly come in to a free offering of food. The problem is the hogs that have been on these preserves for a long time—in particular the really large boars— will avoid them during daylight hours. On a number of occasions, I have watched young hogs come in and just out of bow range and seen big boars waiting until nightfall to feed. It does not take them long to figure out that something bad happens around the feeders and to avoid them during daylight hours if at all possible. There are several ways to overcome this problem. The first is to look at a map (if there is one available) of the property and find the most remote feeder. Ask the rancher if there is one that receives little hunting pressure or that perhaps is difficult to get to and you can bet that will be the feeder that offers the best chance at taking a big hog over the feeder itself. Hunters are typically lazy and most will go to the first stand they can get to and will probably pull their four-wheeler right up under the stand and climb on up. When I have used four wheelers on these types of ranches, my mode of operation is to drive 150-200 yards away from the stand and then quietly walk in. When you have animals living in close quarters and they constantly hear motors in relation to hunting pressure it doesn’t take them long to figure out what is going on. In fact, I have in the past parked a four-wheeler at another stand that no one was hunting and walked to the others to fake out the hogs. I cannot say for sure that it worked but I did take nice hogs on those occasions. The second viable option is to ask the rancher if you can bring your own climbing tree stand or ground blind to set up and to avoid the feeders themselves. Hogs are not shy about making trails and you can usually find where the big ones are coming up and staging behind the feeders so a good method to use is to set up 20 yards from one of these trails, throw out some corn yourself and wait it out. The worst-case scenario is that you will have a shot at some smaller hogs moving through and the best is the monster hog no one has been able to kill will fall to you. The difficult part of this is figuring out where to set up. If you the wind is blowing from a major trail to a feeder, you could endanger 50 |

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your hunt by blowing your scent to the hogs coming to the feeder, them winding you and retreating. What that does is that it tells the other hogs that the feeder is not safe and you will not get a shot. If, however, you are extremely careful with your scent, wash your clothes in scent free detergent, use scent killer and clothes that have a silver or charcoal lining, are mindful of your boot scent and even use scent-killing gum, you can do this without spooking the hog. This might seem extreme but these mature preserve hogs are extremely smart and anything that can send them packing will. One thing to keep in mind is not to set up on the trail itself. Most of the time these preserve hog trails will be well defined so make sure and set up within shooting distance off of the trail and get at least 15 feet into the air if you are hunting from a tree stand. I know hogs are not supposed to look up but they do. I guess they did not read the rulebook. The other option is to avoid hunting anywhere near the feeders and locate trails between them. Some of these places will set up feeders pretty close to one another and the hogs will make the rounds. You can get into some serious action by setting up along these trails and waiting to see what comes along. A helping of corn on the ground will help to stop them in their tracks and you to get a shot. Some proponents of high fenced operations will tell you that fences never come into play in hunting but that is simply not true. Think about any kind of hunting you do for hogs or deer and how often fences lines come into play. Animals follow fence lines as travel routes whether they are on a low fence 100,000acre ranch, in a city park or a 100-acre hog hunting preserve. The difference with high fenced ranches, particularly smaller ones fences literally surround a location and they create a frequent travel route. Most ranches clear a good 30-yards out from a fence so that falling trees cause no problems so when this happens they create an instant “edge” effect that animals are drawn to due to the diversity of plant matter that will grow there and access to feeding in relation to thicker areas. If you have the opportunity to scout one of these places before you hunt it, take a walk down the fence lines and pay close attention to hog rooting activity on the edge of the fence clearing and also trails just

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inside the tree lines. You can bait up the smaller hogs quite easily by putting corn out upwind of your location and using a tree stand or a natural brush blind. They will gladly come out into the open to feed. The bigger ones however are much more shy and tend to travel the inside of the tree lines much more frequently and will often make a route around smaller ranches or at least stake out a territory along some of the thicker zones near fence corridors. The wise hunter takes advantage of this and will check these zones out carefully. If there are major water sources on the ranch like a pond or a creek, make sure to check those areas out thoroughly. Hogs have to be near a water source and during hot weather in particular stalking or setting up around water is extremely productive. If hunters are stalking the animals and pushing them around they are going to get overheated and come for water throughout the day so you can score big by simply claiming a water hole as your spot. A problem can be deciding where to set up over a waterhole. Obviously, the wind can be an issue but so can shooting distance if you are hunting with a bow or crossbow. One ingenious hunter I spoke with set up a 15-foot tall tripod in a shallow tank with a hard bottom wore his hip boots and climbed up into it to hunt. He said his friends thought he was crazy but he saw hogs all day and they did not mind their being something in the middle of the tank and ended up shooting a fat 225-pound white/black boar. A great option for hunting preserves is to find the thickest part of the property, slowly enter with the wind in your face and bring along some brush clippers. If you sit on a stand all day on these properties, you will often hear hog activity in the thickets and the reason is they feel safe moving around in there because hunters seldom dare enter. I would take the shears and make a natural ground blind along some of these trails particularly if you find an opening in a thicket and wait. You might be surprised what you run into.

An excerpt from Chester Moore’s book, Hog Wild, available from Texas Fish & Game at 1-800-750-4678, online at FishandGameGear.com, or at Academy Sports + Outdoors stores around Texas.

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

Primitive Weapons

NE WARM SPRING DAY IN the late 1960s, Cousin and I decided to pursue the use of primitive weapons. We’d been shooting everything we could find on Grandpap’s farm with our BB guns, but we ran out of ammo. When we went to Uncle Claude’s country store, he shook his great white head. “Sorry boys. I’m all out of them yellow tubes full of BBs. Y’all want to buy some candy instead?” A great salesman, we returned home with cheap straw hats and cheeks full of jawbreakers, but we still didn’t have any BBs. On the way to the house, I saw a nice, relatively straight limb that had fallen over a bobwire fence. I hauled it to the house and plugged in the old grinding wheel. “What’s that?” Cousin asked. “It’s going to be a spear.” “It looks like a stick.” “You’re right. But when I’m finished grinding all the bark off, it’ll be a spear.” Grinding wheels aren’t designed to construct spears, but I bet if Cro-Magnon man had found one plugged in and ready in someone’s garage 30,000 years ago, he would have used it. The process was slow. Hold the edge of the stick against the wheel until the bark stripped off and smoke billowed. Then, turn the stick, grind again, breathe some more smoke. I was proud of the finished product. About four and a half feet long, the surprisingly straight shaft was much wider at the base than the very sharp tip. “Ow!” “Pretty sharp, huh?” Cousin rubbed his stomach. “Don’t poke me with that. Besides, it isn’t a real spear. The Indians used spearheads.” “That’s because it’s a primitive weapon,” I said, with authority. “Spear points were modern weapons. I just need to harden this in a fire.” We found an open spot in the pasture, not far

from a plum thicket and gathered a small stack of wood. Fifty matches later, we still couldn’t get a fire started, probably because everything was the size of a stick of stove wood. I had an idea, and returned with a cup of gasoline in an empty peach can. “I saw the Old Man start a fire like this once.” After pouring it onto the wood, I lit our last match and leaned close. “Those eyebrows will grow back,” Cousin said half an hour later. “Now that you have a good hard point, what are you going to poke besides me?” “Well, we’re fresh out of buffalo. Let’s go stick something made of meat.” After an hour of hiding in the leafless plum thicket, we got bored and decided to practice throwing the spear. The only problem was the weapon’s balance. The first time I threw it, the spear flew end over end. “That’s how you throw knives,” Cousin commented. “I know, because I saw a guy throw a knife on Bonanza last night.” We hiked up to the hay barn. I threw the spear again, and this time the point buried halfway into a bale of alfalfa. “See?” “You were three feet away!” Cousin commented harshly. “But it worked!” I replied. “It won’t work on a deer, Cousin said. “There ain’t no deer in the county that’ll let you walk up three feet away and fling that thing at them.” A calf took that moment to walk past. “No!” Cousin shouted. I frowned at the lost opportunity. “All right. I’ll let you carry the spear while I make us a bow and arrow.” “With what?” I pulled a string out of my pocket. “This is a start.” We tugged a branch off a plum tree, carved a notch into each end, and finally bent it enough to attach the string. “Now all we need are arrows.” Nothing straight came to mind, but I had an idea when I saw our grandmother’s mop hanging on the side of the house. With a little work, the mop head came right off and the handle turned out two fine “arrows.” Unfortunately, the new T E X A S

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arrows’ thickness was too much for the bow, which snapped in half when we drew it. Disappointed, we sat on the porch to think. “We can practice throwing a hatchet,” Cousin suggested. “Naw, I broke the handle of the Old Man’s hand axe last weekend when I used it to lever some big rocks. My butt’s still sore over it, too.” I had an idea. “Up north the loggers throw double-bit axes.” “Nope,” Cousin said. “I broke the head off the axe chopping on that old bodark tree behind the house day before yesterday.” I was staring at the side of the smokehouse when I had an idea. I went inside and came back out with Grandma’s butcher knife. I tested the edge. “Ow, that’s sharp!” “She keeps it that way,” Cousin said, watching blood drip from my finger. “What are you going to do with her knife?” “We’re gonna practice throwing it against the smokehouse. All the old trappers knew how to throw knives. Remember, you saw it on television.” “He wasn’t using a butcher knife,” Cousin pointed out. “It’s all we have.” Using the knife tip, I chipped a small hole for a target in an asphalt shingle covering the smokehouse wall. “Ow!” I said as I gripped the point. “It’s still sharp,” Cousin pointed out. “You have to throw it,” I said. “My fingers hurt too much.” We backed up and Cousin drew back to throw. “I wouldn’t,” came a deep voice behind us. We turned to find the Old Man standing there. “Here. Trade with me and take these.” He handed us each a cylinder containing several hundred BBs. “Now, y’all go on and quit messing around here.” “It’s called the barter system,” I told Cousin when we were out of earshot. “It was a primitive way to buy stuff.” “I’m tired of primitive,” he said. “So were the primitives,” I said. “That’s why we have BB guns now.”

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Hunting Hogs, Exotics & Predators with Suppressed Firearms STORY BY MIKE HOLMES

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OST SERIOUS HOG hunting takes place at night, and anyone who has hunted at night knows that a rifle shot seems much louder than during daylight hours, when there is more activity to mask the sound. The use of a suppressor on a hog rifle can help dampen that sound considerably, although it will not completely eliminate it. Suppressors on TV and in the movies are not real – far from it – and the sonic “crack” from a center fire rifle will still be quite noticeable. A suppressor used on rifles firing anything that has a muzzle velocity over the speed of sound will normally be quiet enough to shoot without hearing protection for the shooter and close companions. Recoil will be less, muzzle flash almost eliminated, and barrel harmonics might be improved enough to help accuracy. To get that gun really quiet, however, means shooting sub sonic ammo. Killing big game cleanly with sub sonic ammo means choosing a caliber that shoots a heavy, round or flat nosed bullet close to the speed of sound with enough energy to penetrate muscle and bone. The best choice is also a caliber that doesn’t normally shoot at a muzzle velocity much over 1100 fps, so the drop in power is less dramatic. The speed of sound varies according to elevation, humidity, and temperature, but a good rule of thumb with temperature is at 32F, it will be 1087 fps, at 50F - 1100 fps, at 70F - 1128 fps, and at 90F - 1150 fps. When looking for the ideal sub sonic caliber, large bore pistol cartridges are possibly the best, .30 caliber rifle cartridges among the worst. A 300 gr .44 magnum bullet fired at 1000 fps will have half again as much muzzle energy as a 220 gr .308 bullet at the same speed and the flat nosed bullets are less prone to tumble or yaw. Also, sub sonic ammo will often not

cycle the action on semi-autos, so it is not a good choice for those who hunt with AR type rifles. The most efficient action types, to get the most from a suppressor, are single shots, bolt actions, and suitable lever actions. Because of the reduced velocity, no sub sonic round is going to be a long range sniper cartridge. With the .44 magnum in a suppressed rifle, 75 yards is going to be about the maximum effective killing range on an animal the size of a feral hog, and neck shots would probably be most effective. My own suppressed .44 magnum is a Thompson Contender which started out as a pistol, with a 14” barrel. I had Jim Rodgers of Class III Arms in Longview (longviewclassiiiarms@ yahoo.com) build a titanium suppressor 12” in length and weld it to my barrel. This gives me a total barrel length, allowing for some overlap of 19”, meaning when I use it with a shoulder stock, a Short Barreled Rifle permit is not needed. Only the original 14” are rifled with a 1-12 twist, but the heavy, blunt nosed bullets are very accurate out to 75 yards. I have experimented with 300 gr jacketed bullets from Speer, Sierra, Nosler and Barnes, using Universal, H-110, and Trail Boss powders. The best accuracy I got was with the Barnes all copper Buster and

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H-110, but since that powder performs best with magnum primers, it was the least silent. Trail Boss and solid lead bullets at just over 900 fps sound like a BB gun and would be fine for predators. My favorite hog load right now is a 355 gr hard cast lead bullet from Montana Bullet Works with Universal powder and standard Large Pistol primers. This combination is reasonably quiet, and I recently killed two hogs with one shot with it, and failed to recover the bullet, so the penetration is there. A good way to decide if a suppressor is for you is to book a trip with Randy Tausch and Gerald Hollub of Night Hogs in Seguin, Texas (www.nighthogs.com). These guys use .44 magnum Ruger 77 bolt action rifles with fully integrated suppressed barrels that are very quiet. Gerald loads their sub sonic ammo using 300 gr Hornady XTP bullets, and they have killed hundreds of hogs with this setup, often getting complete passthroughs but sometimes recovering bullets showing considerable expansion. They also use Gen III Night Vision scopes and goggles as well as thermal imaging equipment and

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Texas BOATING by LENNY RUDOW :: TF&G by LENNY

Should You Run a Bass Boat in Saltwater?

HE BASS BOAT IS ONE OF the most highly-specialized types of fishing boats on the water, and if you own one, chances are you spend the bulk of your fishing time going for largemouth. But even the most die-hard basser will be tempted when he or she hears about a red-hot speckled trout bite, or an off-the-hook run of redfish. When that happens, should you run your bass boat in saltwater? The bottom-line answer to this question is “yes,” and the chances are that most of you bass boaters have already done so a time or two. Sure, it takes a toll, but we buy boats to use them, not to leave them sitting in the driveway—so I say go for it. A few qualifiers are in order. Before you decide to make this move in the first place, naturally, you need to pay close attention to the weather and the size of the seas you’re likely to encounter. Most bass boats are extremely well-built, but they’re small boats with low freeboard, nonetheless.

That means 15- to 20-knot winds on an open bay are going to present a danger. In fact, the same is true on large, open lakes. Can your boat handle it? Probably. Can you? That’s a completely different question. Do you mind taking a pounding, getting soaked to the skin, and/or slowing down to make some accommodation for the conditions? Again, these are questions you need to answer on open bodies of freshwater as well as when going out on the bay. Generally speaking, the move to saltwater compounds the potential problems. For all of these questions, unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. As with any fishing boat or any boat design at all for that matter, a knowledgeable and experienced owner-operator—that’s you—is the only one who can make these kinds of judgment calls. You should always err on the side of caution for safety’s sake, especially when you take a small boat out on waters that are larger than you usually deal with.

SUPPRESSED HUNTS

bullet whacking a hog is loud enough to alarm the others. Hogs are also very intelligent animals and the sight of one or more of their companions falling to the ground, bleeding and kicking, generally gets them moving. In the event of a missed shot, however, a suppressed rifle gives the shooter a better chance at a second shot. For serious predator hunting, a suppressor on a varmint caliber rifle shooting full power loads not only helps reduce the need for hearing protection, but can confuse the sound of the shot so that its source is hard for the quarry to pinpoint. In calling, where shots might be close enough for a shotgun at times, a suppressed .44 or .45 rifle shooting 240 gr

t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 55 only hunt “spot and stalk,” getting as close to the hogs as possible and using shooting sticks. Not only have they invested in the best equipment so their customers don’t have to, but they will skin, gut and quarter the kill as part of their service. Using suppressed rifles and sub sonic ammo allows them to hunt multiple spots on the same property without chasing off the hogs for the night with their first shot. Even with sub sonic ammo, don’t expect to wipe out an entire “sounder” of pigs without spooking them. Often the sound of the 56 |

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Aside from seaworthiness and the general abilities of you and your boat, you need to consider the boat’s long-term well-being. Remember that saltwater takes a serious toll in the form of corrosion, especially on boats that aren’t really intended for use outside of freshwater. True, many if not most bass boats are built every bit as tough as boats intended for saltwater, but the pieces and parts aren’t necessarily designed for the impending salt bath. Metal fittings, wiring, seat bases and hardware, and hinges are just a few of the items that can age prematurely when exposed to saltwater. By “age” I mean turn into a hunk of rusty orange crud, overnight. The most important thing to keep in mind after a saltwater dunking is treat your boat to a thorough freshwater wash-down. Soak it down good, soap it up thoroughly, and make it a long, long rinse. Be sure to get plenty of freshwater anywhere the salty stuff went, including into the bilge. In fact, it’s a good idea to put the drain plug in, put the hose in the bilge, and let it fill until the pump kicks on and cycles some freshwater through the system. Do the same for livewells, wash-downs, and any other systems that sucked in saltwater through the course of the day. After that wash-down, be sure to take a lead bullets can make the hunter a truly silent killer. Having both options available would make for a very interesting hunt. When I was a kid in East Texas, landowners would often allow night hunting on their property with shotguns only, as even a .22 LR could kill or injure livestock with an errant shot or a ricochet. When seeking permission to hog hunt at night from someone who already wants the hogs taken out, the safety factor of a suppressed rifle shooting sub sonic ammo that has a shorter effective range and most likely will not ricochet might be a convincing factor.

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Texas BOATING rag, soak it down with a corrosion inhibitor like Boeshield T-9 or CorrosionX, and wipe down all the boat’s metal parts and pieces. Give a spritz or two behind the dash, too, wherever you see exposed wires. And then grease the fittings of your steering and tilt systems. While you’re back there greasing those fittings by your engine: the outboard is also going to need some special attention. Those who regularly run their boats in freshwater often aren’t in the habit of flushing their motor after each and every use, but after a dip in the brine, this is an imperative maintenance chore. You need to remind yourself to do the flush the moment you return home, and let the freshwater flow for a minimum of five minutes. Not only does a good freshwater flush help keep the engine’s cooling passages clear and prevent corrosion, it also prevents salt from crystallizing inside the lower unit, around the water pump impeller. Fail to take

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this measure, and on the next initial start-up, those crystals can grind and chew on the neoprene, shortening the impeller’s life-span. Don’t forget about your trailer, either, especially if it’s steel. Most trailers intended for saltwater use are aluminum but in the freshwater world, tubular steel is a possibility. Let those tubes sit full of saltwater for a week, and serious corrosion is bound to set in. So, as you rinse down the trailer be sure to thoroughly blast out any openings you can get to, and also pay special attention to light assemblies, the brakes (blast them off with your hose from underneath and behind,) rollers, and even the winch. Just what do I mean, when I say to do this trailer wash thoroughly? Every time I launch my boat in saltwater, I spend about 15 minutes rinsing off the trailer alone—and that’s after it gets a pre-rinse via the hour-long boat wash-down. This may sound excessive, but it can mean the difference between replacing a trailer every five to seven years, versus a trailer

F I S H

lasting for decades. Finally, don’t forget about your fishing tackle. If it’s geared towards bass fishing, it’s probably not designed for saltwater use. The moment you start spraying down the boat, also spray, soap, and rinse your rods, reels, and any freshwater lures you may have used while casting into the brine. Does all this post-fishing washing sound like a chore? Sure it does. But when you catch a brace of gator trout or bull reds, you won’t mind doing it one bit. In fact, after a good day of fishing there’s almost always a smile on my face, the entire time I’m holding the scrub brush and hose.

Email Lenny Rudow at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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The Practical ANGLER by PAUL BRADSHAW :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Spooning

HIS MONTH WE’RE GOING to talk about something that every one of you should find beneficial at some point in your life spooning. No, I’m not talking about the sleeping position. Get your mind back on track. I’m talking about using spoons for reds and specks while you are wading the saltmarshes and flats along the coast. Even if you never fish saltwater and just stick with chasing bass you can still use this same technique to go after them in shallow structure filled coves. So pay attention, there might be a test at the end. This is the April issue of the magazine so I’ll go out on a limb and make the assumption you’re reading this in the spring. I know, I’m a genius. During this time of the year the bait fish being chased by predatory fish (trout, redfish, and bass) are typically smaller than they are later in the year when they have had months to grow. Because of this you need to think small when you are selecting a spoon in order to match the bait. Keep the ½ or ¾ ounce spoons in your tackle box and dig out the little ones you bought in Arkansas on a trout fishing trip because your wife thought they were cute. Don’t act like that hasn’t happened to you too. A ¼ ounce spoon is a good place to start and even using something as small as 1/8th or 1/16th ounce isn’t out of the question. Spoons are very basic baits. Some of them are so simplistically designed that they only consist of a hunk of steel with a hook on one 60 |

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end and a hole punched in the other to tie your line to. If you are fishing one of these (not that there’s anything wrong with that) then your first task is to add a split ring to the line tiehole. These punched holes can have sharp edges which will easily cut your line and make you scream really loud when you lose a fish. The split ring allows you to tie the line to it instead of directly to the spoon. If you are fishing a spoon that already has a split ring (or have added one yourself as advised by a wise and handsome man), you might think you’re ready to tie it onto your line but you’re not. If that were the case, this would be the shortest article ever. Instead of tying it straight to your main line we’re going to add a little something else to make the spoon move more freely and eliminate line twist commonly associated with spoon fishing. Some people think this next part isn’t necessary. Realistically, it takes very little time and could potentially be the difference between landing or losing a fish, so it is worth the additional effort. Between your main fishing line

The main purpose behind the leader being this short is to aid in casting accuracy. With an over-long leader (a foot or longer) you lose the ability to control the cast. Plus, it makes casting while standing in waist-deep water more difficult. If you have some sitting around it doesn’t hurt to make your leader out of 20-pound fluorocarbon since it is less visible underwater. If you don’t have any, don’t worry about it. Build the leader out of whatever 20-pound monofilament you have. Take one end of the leader and tie it to the split ring on the spoon. Take the other end of the leader and tie it to one side of a barrel swivel. This is the part that will help eliminate line twist. A spoon isn’t supposed to barrel roll while being retrieved, but it probably will happen a few times. Even if the bait only rolls once per cast, that can add up during an entire day of fishing. For the barrel swivel, don’t choose a bright flashy stainless or brass one. You want all the flash and attraction to come from the spoon, so pick up a few black ones to use on this rig. Tie your main line to the other side of the swivel and you’re done. Now you can start fishing.

Email Paul Bradshaw at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

a n d t h e spoon, we’re going to add a short leader. How short? Glad you asked. Your leader should be no more than six to eight inches long, and even shorter is better. F I S H

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Texas GUNS by STEVE LAMASCUS :: TF&G Shooting Editor

Bullets 101

HE LADS WHO SLAVE FOR the ammunition factories started battling this bullet design business in a serious way almost 50 years ago, and they are still at it. Their task is complicated by the fact that the average rifle user wants an all-around bullet, and “There ain’t no such animal and never will be.” Jack O’Connor, The Big Game Rifle, 1952 This past deer season I had a conversation with a landowner who was really down on the .243 Winchester as a deer cartridge. He had just finished trailing not one, but three deer, two whitetails and an axis. They were wounded by a young hunter using a .243. He eventually found two of them both hit in the chest in spite of the fact that they were leaving no blood trails, but the third escaped, almost certainly to die later of infection, starvation, or predators. He said the .243 was a bum deer cartridge, and he would never have another on his place. I thought this passing strange, since the results the youngster got were diametrically opposed to my experience with the .243. When I asked him what type of ammunition the hunter had been using he didn’t know, but said he would find out. Turns out, as I expected from his description of the wounds, it was an 85-grain Hornady V-Max, a bullet that is intended for predators and varmints. The bullets had blown up before they had penetrated sufficiently to cause a quick death. I explained that it wasn’t the cartridge that was the problem, it was the choice of bullet, but he wasn’t convinced. I have seen this same thing happen over and over again through the years. A person 62 |

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who does not know the difference goes out to hunt deer with the same bullets that worked so well on coyotes or prairie dogs and has a bad experience. He is then convinced that he needs a bigger gun to hunt deer. This usually turns into a rip-roaring magnum that the inexperienced hunter is scared of and shoots poorly. This almost always exacerbates the problem, as he then flinches, shoots the deer in the guts or shoots off its legs, rather than putting the bullet in the chest where it will kill quickly. What he really needed was the right bullet in his smaller caliber. Today there is a bewilderingly large selection of different loads with different bullets for nearly every cartridge you can think of. In the .243 Winchester, for example, you can buy bullets that weigh from 55 grains to 105 grains in everything from V-Maxes, Ballistic Tips, Partitions, X-Bullets and soft points, to bonded core big game bullets. This immense selection confuses the novice if not everyone and causes him to make bad selections. The day when you went to the local hardware store, asked for a box of “aught-sixes,” and got a box of cartridges that would work for almost anything is long past. A perfect example of the need to choose wisely is the .22-250 Remington. The .22-250 is one of the most powerful of the centerfire .22s. It will push a 55-grain bullet above 3,650 feet per second. It can, when used by a cool, competent shot, drop a deer in its tracks. However, I have seen it fail on deer when the shot was where it should have been for an instant kill. Why? bullet selection. The .22-250 is primarily considered a varmint caliber. If you walk into a sporting goods store and ask for a box of cartridges for your .22-250, you are almost certain to be sold cartridges containing bullets intended for varmints. Varmint bullets will blow up after penetrating only a couple of inches, especially if bone is struck. I have seen the .22-250 loaded with F I S H

45-grain super-explosive bullets fail on coyotes hit in the brisket from head-on. The bullet blew up and failed to penetrate through the tough bone. Personally, I never use bullets lighter than 55 grains in a .22-250. Because the ammunition and bullet manufacturers know the .22-250 is going to be used on deer they, also, furnish ammunition with bullets intended for big game. Federal, for instance, loads some of their offerings with bullets especially for deer. One such is the 55-grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, a wonderful deer bullet in the .22 calibers. Nosler makes the Partition in .22 caliber, and this bullet, also, works for deer; and I just received a sample box of the new Nosler 64-grain Bonded Performance bullet in .22 caliber that should be a real honey for shooting deer. (I have since tried the 64-grain Bonded Performance on deer with my .222 Remington Magnum Ackley Improved, and it works, very well.) However, the unsuspecting and illinformed shooter who has been told the .22-250 is a good deer round, could just as easily head out to hunt deer with a 45-grain super-explosive bullet that will fragment into a million pieces if it hits a rib, and especially if it hits the shoulder blade. The secret to a successful hunt is to know the difference and buy the ammunition that is best suited for the game you are hunting. On the other side of the coin, it is possible to get a bullet that is too heavy and too tough for deer. For instance, I have a .35 Whelen that was built for me by Hill Country Rifle Company on a Fabrique Nationale Mauser action. It is a real sweetheart and I shoot it a lot, especially for wild hogs. My son-in-law once used it to kill an ancient Cape buffalo that had gotten old and crotchety and was terrorizing one of the local ranches. He killed it with one shot through the lungs as it stood in a stock pond, glaring at him with the malevolent look that Robert Ruark described so well. The Cape buffalo is renowned the world CONTINUED ON PAGE 64 u

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Industry INSIDER Costa on a Mission to Rid Oceans of Plastic ocean trash issue, and encourage them to kick the plastic habit. “Our hope is that we can spark real conversations within our own fishing and outdoor communities about the grave dan-

IMAGE: COSTA

A SWIRLING, FLOATING, MELTING mess of plastic trash and debris roughly the size of Texas spins in an ever-growing orbit in the North Pacific ocean, known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” Discarded plastic cooks in the sun’s rays, and oozes into miniscule pieces too small to be collected and removed from the water. This plastic sea soup continues to grow and threaten the globe, with similar garbage patches spotted in oceans around the world. Already, more than one million sea birds have been killed as a result, and two-thirds of the world’s fish now test positive for plastic in their system. Disposable items like plastic water bottles are huge contributors to the problem. Humans produce more than 200 billion plastic water bottles per year, with at least 10 percent ending up in the ocean. Costa, a company committed to sustainable sport fishing practices and ocean conservation, launched a campaign this week to educate its customers about the growing

gers facing our oceans,” said Perkinson. “This isn’t some distant problem, this is an issue that directly impacts all of us in the sport fishing industry. Simple changes such as carrying a reusable bag to the store, drinking out of a permanent water bottle and recycling the plastic we do use can significantly reduce the amount of trash making its way into our oceans.” The company produced a short animated video to more simply explain the plastic problem. To watch the clip, go online to:

TEXAS GUNS t CONTINUED FROM PAGE

over as a tough customer that soaks up high caliber bullets like a sponge soaks up water. The bullet Wacy used was a 250-grain Nosler Partition. The buffalo never got out of the stock tank. On the other hand, if I hunt deer with the Whelen, I use a lighter, softer bullet. My favorite is a 225-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, which in this caliber almost always gives complete penetration on a deer. In the .22-250, the Nosler Ballistic Tip will fail as often as not. Also good is the 225-grain 64 |

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Sierra Game King. If Wacy had tried to kill the buffalo using Ballistic Tips, he might have shot it a dozen times without getting the desired result. The tough 250-grain Nosler Partition, intended for elk and moose which can weigh from 800 to as much as 1,500 pounds is not a good choice for shooting deer that may weigh only 140 pounds. With this large caliber I get great penetration and quicker kills using the softer bullets. So, again, bullet choice is critical. If you do not choose carefully you will eventually, like the lad in the beginning of F I S H

this story, lose an animal that could have been killed quickly had you been using the right bullet. Those are the facts. I know this from many years of experience, both good and bad. Take my advice, or eventually you, or rather the deer, will pay the price.

Email Steve LaMascus at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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GOOGLE MAPS

The Great Paciﬁc Garbage Patch, roughly the size of Texas, swirls in the northern Paciﬁc Ocean

bit.ly/kickplasticvid. Costa also dedicated a page on its website to the “Kick Plastic” campaign, complete with news articles covering the issue, tips on ways people can reduce their own plastic habits, and showcasing people already making changes to clean up their acts. The hash tag #KickPlastic connects conversations happening on social media. The company is currently evaluating its own operational procedures,

and developing short and long-range plans on how it can reduce the amount of plastic it uses in its production process. For more information on Costa’s Kick Plastic message, or to join in the global movement, visit bit.ly/kickplastic. As the leading manufacturer of the world’s clearest polarized performance sunglasses, Costa offers superior lens technology and unparalleled fit and durability. Still handcrafted today in Florida, Costa has created the highest quality, best performing

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sunglasses and prescription sunglasses (Rx) for outdoor enthusiasts since 1983. For Costa, conservation is all about sustainable fishing. Many fisheries that should be vibrant and healthy are all but devoid of native fish because they have fallen victim to poor fishing practices, unregulated development, lack of watershed protection or all of the above. Costa works with partners around the world to help increase awareness and influence policy so that both the fish and fishermen of tomorrow will have healthy waters to enjoy. Costa encourages others to help in any way they can. For more information, contact 1-800447-3700 or visit the company’s web site at www.costadelmar.com. Join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/costasunglasses or on Twitter @CostaSunglasses.

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Fish and Game GEAR This Will Change the Way you Fish Forever

TEXAS ANGLER VANCE ZAHORSKI was fed up with rusty and inefficient linecutting tools. After 35 years of cutting line with his teeth or fumbling for scissors, clippers or knives, Vance was ready for a better way. After surf fishing at a friend’s wedding in Florida and almost stepping on his knife in the sand, Zahorski spent the entire way home inventing a cutting device that he could keep on his finger. His first prototype was made out of a dental floss cutter and welding putty. Three years, and many prototypes later, Line Cutterz was complete. The Line Cutterz ring is a sleek, fullyadjustable ring featuring an integrated double-sided blade perfect for quick and efficient cutting of mono-filament and

braided fishing line. The Line Cutterz ring is the ideal solution for all types of fishing, including surf, kayak, off-shore, night fishing and even for relining reels at home. The ring can be used buy men, women and children, and has been extremely popular with fishing guides. Zahorski started a successful funding campaign on Kickstarter in October after putting everything he had, literally, into his campaign. He sold his house, moved his family to Texas and hasn’t looked back. He is currently selling globally on his website, www.linecutterz.com. He is also in independent tackle shops around the United States, and soon to be the world. Zahorski prides himself in his grassroots social media marketing, and credits his loyal group of followers to his success. Want to see the ring in action? Follow Zahorski on Facebook, Youtube and Instagram to watch the ring effortlessly cut 80-pound braid, among others.

Classic-Winning Howeller Lures Smarter than Ever

LIVINGSTON LURES INTRODUCES the Howeller DMC Plus with exclusive EBS MultiTouch Technology. An expansion of the Classic winning Electronic Baitfish Sound Technology, the new Team Livingston series of lures introduces prodesigned body styles and actions with the advantage of EBS MultiTouch Technolo-

Livingston team member Randy Howell.

gy. EBS MultiTouch takes it even further, now allowing anglers to “program” the sounds their baits make, with four different settings that change the sounds emitted from EBS Original (gill plate compressions) to EBS Craw (snapping shellfish) to EBS Shad (Schooling Shad) to a fourth “stealth” setting with no baitfish sounds. The “smart bait” is born. EBS MultiTouch allows anglers to bring a whole new level of selectivity and precision to their

Line Cutterz ring

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PHOTOS: LINE CUTTERZ; LIVINGSTON LURES; WINDHAM WEAPONRY

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presentation. Instead of artificial beads and rattles, Livingston packs the natural biological sounds baitfish make reeling in more fish, even in the darkest waters. “It’s already been proven to us that sound technology is a game-changer, but adding additional sounds to the arsenal to make the bait even more natural to predator fish is an incredible benefit,” says 2014 Bassmaster Classic champ Randy Howell. “The ability to change sounds from a panicked shad to a crawfish without having to tie on another bait is really useful. You simply touch it, cycle through the sounds and cast. You’re right in the same school of fish, but with a different sound.” The Howeller DMC Plus is the big brother of the Classic Winning Howeller DMC. With a slightly larger body style and bill, the medium wobble and larger bill allow the lure to dig, roll, and deflect off of cover such as rock and timber with ease. Pair that with the advanced sound technology, and you have the perfect lure for fishing structure in that 8-10’ depth range.

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This is ‘The Way of the Gun’

FRANK PROCTOR, OWNER AND lead instructor at “Way of the Gun” and a noted 3 Gun Competitor, asked Windham Weaponry to build a 3 Gun Competition Carbine to his specifications. Per his direction, the rifle we assembled includes these fine features: a Midwest Industries Key Mod 15” Forend; a Magpul MOE Telestock; a BCM Pistol Grip, Charging Handle & Compensator; and a CMC

Trigger. Frank’s Way of the Gun DVD & Sling are included with the rifle, and the lower receiver is laser engraved with the Way of the Gun logo. As with all of our fine AR platform rifles, only highest quality US made parts built to the strictest quality standards are used and lovingly assembled by a team with decades of experience building the AR15. It is backed by a Lifetime Transferable Warranty – the best in the industry. See them all at: www.windhamweaponry.com

This performance carbine is ready to go, right out of the box.

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SABINE Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

E’VE ALL WAITED LONG enough but April has finally swaggered into town. After a fairly cold, fairly wet winter and a few spring teasers during March, it is finally here. With dominant southerly winds and bull tides bringing pretty green water deep into the far reaches of the Sabine ecosystem, this month could possibly be the one with the largest coast-wide welcoming committee. New crops of baitfish will hitch a ride with these big tides, which have been virtually uninhibited for the last few months, thus bringing new opportunities for predator fish

“ New crops of baitﬁsh will hitch rides with big tides, bringing new opportunities for predator ﬁsh and anglers alike.

“

April Arrives at Last

and anglers alike. We can now venture with confidence into places we haven’t seen in a while. Sand and grass will once again be players as water

temperatures below the mid 50s should no longer be a factor. Mud bottoms will hold fish year-round, but as the water temperatures continue to rise, more and more fish will follow bait to sandy flats and shorelines. It’s been a while since we’ve felt good about our chances at the jetties and the surf. A lot of these yellow-mouthed beauties will stage here for a while before making their way down the channel and into the bay. We like to throw topwaters early to help locate the fish, then switch to whatever is getting the best results. Both the north and south revetment wall on Pleasure Island will be in full swing at some point this month. Topwaters, soft plastics and jerk baits will all produce big time. Also, be on the lookout for bird activity to steadily increase on the south end and main lake as large schools of trout and redfish will begin to push pods of helpless shrimp to the surface.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Concrete steps (North Levy Road, Pleasure Island) SPECIES: Redfish, flounder, and croaker BAITS/LURES: Live mud minnows, fresh dead shrimp BEST TIMES: Moving tides TIPS: Walk slowly while dragging mud minnows next to concrete steps. Give flounder ample time to take the bait. Set the hook hard and have your net handy.

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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GALVESTON Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. MIKE HOLMES

April Is the Kick-off Month

PRIL IS THE FIRST REAL month of spring, time for warmer coastal waters; high, cleansing Gulf tides; and abundant forage species for game fish to gorge on after a hungry winter. Because nature does not adhere strictly to a calendar, improved fishing will probably be gradual. Jetties and beachfront piers nearest to deeper Gulf waters will see everything from “Bull” reds and big, black drums to speckled trout beginning to feed around rocks and pilings, and under lights at night. The milder weather conditions that encourage fish will have the same effect on fishermen, making time on or near the water a lot more enjoyable than when an angler might have to break icicles from his nose. Although my best “early catches” in the surf seem to have begun in May, April is not too soon to start putting in time on the beach. I remember seeing a jack crevalle caught in April surf, on the same day I beached an eating-sized (30 pounds or so) bull shark. In the Galveston Bay system, April, in most years, will see fish such as speckled trout and redfish beginning to move from the shelter of deeper water areas and feeding along the edges at least of shallow reefs and flats. If live shrimp is available for bait, it usually produces best, but other live critters like croaker, finger mullet, or mud minnows are normally better than dead bait. Until the water warms considerably, however, dead bait can be used without being sacrificed as often to crabs and hard heads and fish feeding by scent will eagerly track it down. Dead shrimp, cut bait from various fish species, and even squid will draw strikes.

Bumping soft plastic jig tails near underwater structure which in the bays usually means a fairly sharp rise or fall of water depth, maybe a reef, piling, or oil platform can pay off, especially if the lure is worked slowly. Flounder will join the list of possible “customers” here. It may be a bit early for the various sinking plugs and spoons, but a fella never really knows until he has spent some time trying them on a given day. In the Gulf proper, close-in structure could harbor Gulf trout or red snappers and of course snappers are legal to catch inside of nine miles from shore, in “Texas waters”. Bluefish is an over-looked bonus that can provide sport and eats. Spanish mackerel are also under-utilized. Either will take small jigs or small, baited hooks, except the hooks do not need to be so small for blues. Both are toothy fish, and are best taken with light wire or heavy monofilament leaders. They are often found in large schools, sometimes in the same school, even mixed with some bonito that you really don’t want to eat, but which are a whole lot of fun

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to catch. April is most important as the month to seriously get back into coastal fishing, with a very real chance of being rewarded for your efforts.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Galveston and Freeport jetties, beachfront piers and rock groins, the beachfront, and coastal bayous. SPECIES: Speckled trout, redfish, flounder in the bays, and joined by Spanish mackerel and bluefish in the surf. BEST BAITS: As usual, live or “fresh dead” shrimp and small forage species like mullet, shad, even squid are standard fare. Soft plastic artificial lures worked deep and slow can pay off, and those with infused natural scents would be worth a try. BEST TIMES: Target tidal movement, if possible. Water currents move bait and trigger feeding times for predator species.

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Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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3/11/15 12:04 PM

MATAGORDA Area Hotspot Focus :: by MIKE PRICE

Baitﬁsh & Big Trout

AT TOLLETT AND I launched our kayaks into East Matagorda Bay as first light started to create a glow in the eastern sky. The water was very calm as we went out of Vincent’s Bayou and into the lake that connects to the bay. I cast a red and white Bass Assassin well ahead of me, felt a thump on the retrieve, set the hook and the fight was on. The redfish zoomed away from me, and the lightly set drag on the reel buzzed. Then the fish came back at me, causing me to reel like mad, then it darted to one side and back to the other side of the kayak, pulling the kayak in whichever direction the fish was headed. I finally worked the red up to the net and lifted it onto my lap in the kayak. With my

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right hand I reached for the stringer and my left hand reached for the 24-inch redfish. I was thinking of how good it would taste when grilled instead of concentrating on the process of putting it on the stringer, and the redfish leaped out of the kayak. “No problem” I thought, it is well hooked, I will just reach over with my hand and grab it; this caused slack in the line, allowed the fish spit the hook, and it flipped me off with its tail and swam away. Pat caught a 15½-inch flounder at the point where the lake meets the bay. We both figured this was just the start of catching many fish, but after catching those two, the fish had lock jaw. They just weren’t eating, and we did not get any more bites. So it goes in April, sometimes you find the fish and sometimes you don’t, but you can have really good fishing by lining up as many positive factors as possible, and by being patient. The primary condition that is likely to contribute to a good day on the water is a strong-moving tide. Also, you can have a

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good day in all kinds of weather, but my logs show that I have had more action when winds are from the south or southeast. In April, water temperatures go above 60°F, and the days grow longer. Under these conditions trout and redfish don’t feel threatened by cold water and no longer feel the need to stay near deeper, warmer water, so they roam the bays in search of prey. Typically water temperatures at the beginning of April in East and West Matagorda Bays are around 65°F and they go up to about 73° by the end of the month. My wife Janet and I were in Boiler Bayou in East Matagorda Bay in early April on a warm, sunny day. There was a strong incoming tide, water temperature was 65°F and the wind was light from the south. The water level was low. and the sun reflected off shiny red dorsal fins and tails with black spots. Redfish with their heads down were eating something on the oyster reefs. I threw my gold spoon in front of a 23-or-so-inch red, and it showed no interest. I swam the spoon behind the fish and to the side; I even jigged the spoon up and down when the redfish swam within two feet of my kayak, but obviously it was not interested in a spoon. Janet was doing much better working a four-inch Fire Tiger Salt Water Assassin over the oyster reef and sand. She caught a couple of 22-inch keepers and two undersized reds. On a mid-April day with a light south wind and a strong incoming tide helped along by a full moon, Jeff Wiley and I tried fishing in Crab Lake off the Intracoastal Waterway north of West Matagorda Bay. Mullet move into the bays in large numbers in April, and usually when you find large schools of bait fish you will find predators. There was a lot of bait fish activity, but we only caught one little redfish, so we moved to the south shore of West Bay. Using a Bass Assassin pumpkinseed/ chartreuse paddle-tail soft plastic, Jeff scored a Texas Triple, catching a 21-inch redfish, PHOTO: JOHN N. FELSHER

3/11/15 12:04 PM

April is prime time for big specks.

a 17½-inch flounder, and a 19-inch trout. Jeff was fishing a spot where two islands funneled fast-moving water over shallow oyster

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reefs, through a narrow opening between the islands and into a hole that was three feet deep. Large loner trout tend to hunt the south shoreline and oyster reefs of East Matagorda Bay in April. One memorable foggy morning I swam a Morning Glory (black and yellow) Saltwater Assassin close to the cord grass shoreline near Hog Island and a 27-inch trout took the lure and treated me to a fine fight before I landed and released it. Big trout spook easily so fish quietly when seeking them. Prior to April, fishermen and women tend to look for concentrations of fish in or

near deep water, but in April fish disperse throughout the bays and you have to look for schools of bait fish preferably bait fish getting busted to find the predators.

THE BANK BITE GRASSY POINT IN PALACIOS: Grassy Point Bait and Marina is at 529 E. Bayshore Dr. in Palacios, Texas 77465. They sell live shrimp and bait fish, have parking, a launch ramp suitable for launching a small john boat or a kayak, and you can fish from their property. Fishing Tres Palacios Bay from the bank at Grassy Point has really good potential. If you intend to kayak or boat fish from there, it is best to go on a light southeast wind, or a light northwest wind.

Email Mike Price at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

3/9/15 5:25 PM

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

April’s Flat Trout

HERE ARE A NUMBER OF different ways to go about catching speckled trout along the inshore coastal regions of the Gulf of Mexico, with even more tackle combos that will catch trout. Naturally, particular methods and styles work diversely in certain situations, and in different scenarios under varying conditions. But when it comes to hunting big trout in early spring, coastal anglers who are willing

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to put forth the extra effort of getting into the water with the fish stand a good chance at impressive results. Even anglers who may not own a boat, or who are unable to travel far from their home, can still enjoy this fantastic sport. The key is trying to determine when and where to go, and then to decide the right thing to do once you get there. The middle portion of the Texas coast is primarily made up of Matagorda Bay, Espiritu Santo Bay, and San Antonio Bay. This encompasses miles upon miles of topnotch wading waters that are relatively close to the coastal towns of Port O’Connor and Seadrift. Just like most other coastal regions, these bay systems offer an abundance of fishing choices that include tapering shorelines, mid-bay reef systems, secluded back-lakes, deep-water scenarios, and countless flats areas. But now that springtime is here, anglers wading for larger trout will want to begin focusing on the flats areas located within fairly close proximity to some deeper water. Any time you happen upon trout, there’s generally a reason why you found them there. Some of the more common reasons include a comfortable water temperature, an adequate food source, and a sense of protection. Trout typically like water temperatures in the 70s, and they will often move around until they find it. Later on, in the hotter part of the year, the trout will move off the shallows and into deeper water in the heat of the day because the depths tend to hold cooler water. Now in April, water temperatures along shallow flats will often be warmer than the deep waters where the trout have spent most of their time the past few months. However, it is spring, and the weather won’t be completely void of northerly-influenced frontal passages. Regardless of how minor these fronts may be, they will still drop tide levels and water temperatures, thereby sending the fish (once again) in search of deeper water. F I S H

A couple of days after the front passes, winds will subside and bright sunlight will follow. Shallow water warms much more quickly than deep water, so area flats will again have some of the warmest water temperatures of any place in the bay. As the shallow waters warm, the trout will begin moving back onto the flats as the tide levels continue to rise. Because a good food source is so vitally important to the trout, any flats areas that contain large numbers of baitfish should offer great promise. As water temperature and the tides start rising, small baitfish in search of protection from predators will almost always seek out the shallowest water, often retreating into only a few inches of water in the grasses that line marshy areas and shallow back-lakes. As tidal waters continue to rise and fall, the baitfish are continually moving in and out of these locations. The trout know this, and they instinctively position themselves at proper places across the flat or just outside area drains or bayous that empty baitfish out of a back-lake and onto the flats during a falling tide. So, shallow flats areas situated adjacent to deep water that may be connected to other remote bodies of water via small channels or ditches should provide April’s wading anglers with good opportunities for prime trout action. The two things to remember this month while looking for trout are: First, the trout will be seeking higher water temperatures atop flats areas due to the warming characteristics of the springtime transition period. Second, the baitfish atop flats areas are driven by tides and current. So anglers who make it a point to know the tide schedules on the flats will be those get the greatest satisfaction from their wading efforts.

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

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3/11/15 12:04 PM

ROCKPORT Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. MAC GABLE

Tow Stub

OU HAVE READ MULTIPLE articles in our magazine and others that the slow fishing timeframe of winter is a really good time to perform maintenance on your boat, motor and trailer. You have a checklist and have diligently covered all the items on your fishing rig to ensure a trouble-free fishing season. You may have even put a coat of wax on starved gel coat so your boat will slip effortlessly through the water. All your rods and reels are ready to go, and at the first sign of spring you jump at the chance to chase whatever predators are prowling in the still-chilled waters of our beloved bays. As luck would have it there is not a soul at your favorite boat launch and the thought of virgin waters (those not fished by others that day) just adds to your excitement, but yet, deep inside, a small voice is saying it would be kinda nice if there were just a few anglers out for company’s sake, just in case something happens. You quickly dismiss the thought and plow full steam ahead with visions of a lot of pole-bending action. The day is beautiful and you can’t imagine why no one else is taking advantage of such a break from winter’s cold grasp. The boat slips off the trailer like a dream, a testament to the extra coat of wax you put on the underside of the hull. The old Mercury leaps to life when you hit the key and grabs a prop full of water as you back your rig up and ease it to the dock. You’re in a hurry (for one should not tarry on a boat ramp) thinking “get the hell outta the way” so as not to impede others. You then look up and there isn’t ANY other boat or angler around, just you and your well readied rig. This is fantastic, but yet, for some instinctual reason you hesitate can’t quite put your finger on it. That’s just silly, you tell yourself... onward you go! You’re under way now, up on plane and

the old Merc. Is running better than ever. The 10-year-old six-banger (six cylinder) doesn’t need to be replaced. Those guys at the boat shop are full of it, you think, a new motor indeed....HMPFF! You experience that oh so magical moment we all feel the first 10 minutes or so when on the water where life is OHHHHH SOOOOOO GOOOOOD! You’re headed to your farthest fishing spot and will make your way back just because you can. The five cups of coffee have kicked in so you are motivated. About 16 miles from the boat ramp you hear what must be your cell phone beeping. Digging into your pocket you realize it’s not your cell phone it’s still on the console of your truck where you left it. As you back off of the throttle the beeping gets exponentially louder and seems to be coming from your boat. You shut the motor off and begin a halfhearted effort to diagnose. At this point your brain is clicking at twice the speed of light and you recall from reading the manual (as well as what your

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boat mechanic/shop person said) it’s more than likely an oil injection alarm. You pull the cowling and sure enough there’s not enough oil in there to run a weed eater much less your 175hp outboard. Salvation lies in the gallon of EXTRA oil you keep on the boat for just this reason but, suddenly you realize, the oil is sitting on the workbench back in your garage, a victim of your steadfast boat cleaning. After all, you never needed it before. At this juncture you’ve now experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. You take inventory of your situation: you are 16 miles from the boat ramp, your outboard is out of oil, the extra oil is back in your garage, there’s not a soul in sight where you are and not one single person at the boat ramp where you launched, as you recall. Your cell phone is fully charged sitting on the console in your truck. You’re going to miss your dinner engagement because at current pace you envision spending the night on your expertly waxed boat. At this point the $600 to $1,000 Sea Tow charges

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Focus ROCKPORT looks pretty good to you and you wish you had opted to spend the day easing in your recliner. The above story is true. Names were left out to protect one’s vanity. This time of year, after five or six months of a fishing rig sitting idle, is the ideal time for such mishaps to occur. Luckily most call a tow service or flag down a nearby boat for assistance. I have a towing endorsement that allows me to tow for pay, but it’s one of my least favorite things to do. My boat is just not outfitted for towing. Still, one cannot say no to a stranded angler. The things the gremlins can do to cause such misfortune are too numerous to mention. I’ve seen things from a flipped kill switch to a piston sticking out the side of a cowling. Regardless of what it is, they all add up to needing help. Like many of us who make our living on the water, sooner or later you’re going to find yourself in need of a tow or some type of assistance. There are a few simple things one can do to stop the above situation from turning into an overnight stay or worse yet, a life-threatening circumstance. File a float plan so someone knows where you’re going to be. Have two sources of communication — a marine radio and a cell phone, or better yet a satellite phone and a 12V outlet for charging. Get a list of numbers for marine assistance. GPS coordinates are very helpful as well when a tow boat is trying to locate you. In my opinion a GPS built into your depth finder is cheap insurance. Some have an emergency locator built in as well. If you are not mechanically inclined, talking to a reputable boat mechanic about your specific motor can save the day. Ask them if it’s possible to add oil to the gas tank to get you back to the dock. Many motors now have a Self-Protect Mode that will shut the engine down to an idle and allow one (be it slowly) to idle back to the dock. Always carry extra water and clothing in case you find yourself sleeping at the Hilton on the bay (your boat). Be familiar with the alarms on your boat and know what they mean and what the limits are when they go off. One such alarm, for example, is a low 74 |

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water pressure beep which sometimes can be caused by trash blocking the inflow of water into the water pump. Many times simply shutting the motor off clears the blockage or running the engine in reverse for a few seconds clears the debris. If you should need to be towed, I recommend someone who does it for a living. Towing can be very dangerous and should not be put in the hands of a novice. If you have never been towed then you probably can’t relate to how helpless one is in his/her boat while being towed. You have little or no control if you’re in a boat being towed. I personally use a quick disconnect if I am being towed such that if things get out of hand I can quickly free myself and my boat from the tow boat. If you are going to be towed and the person towing is by him/herself ask them to keep a close eye on you while underway. Better yet, if you are with a buddy recommend s/he get in the tow boat so s/he can relay any issues you might have while being towed. Suffice it to say a boat is designed to be pushed from the stern by a motor not pulled from the bow. The physics involved in this are different on every boat and under the right conditions a towed craft can get into trouble very quickly. Most boats tow better with a portion of the skeg (the bottom most fin on the lower unit) in the water as it tends to hold the boat on track and keep it from roaming side to side. If you find yourself being asked to tow make sure your boat and motor can handle it. The strain this puts on your boat motor cannot be emphasized enough. I have seen transoms torn out and towing motors burned up because they just weren’t engineered for such tasks. In my opinion anything less than a 200hp outboard should not be used to tow unless it’s in an emergency. This does not mean you leave some poor soul stranded. Instead, offer to take the occupants to safety where they can then make arrangements to recover their vessel. Getting towed by a commercial tow boat is not cheap, but they bring unique skills to the table that are worth it. If by chance you get help from someone other than a commerF I S H

cial tower, offer to pay them and be generous if you can afford to be. After all, they have disrupted their day to assist you. ••• APRIL BRINGS FLOWERS, SHOWers and strong tides. The strong tides are usually accompanied by bait that has been missing during winter months. This inflow of bait is followed by the predator fish we like to catch. Live bait works well now, but don’t put away your soft plastics because they, too, are very effective this time of year. COPANO BAY — Lap Reef is good for trout using live shrimp either free-lined or on a light Carolina rig. The northwest shoreline close to Turtle Pen is a good place for reds using cut mullet or finger mullet on a light Carolina rig. ARANSAS BAY — The grass lines just off the north end of the new LBJ causeway is a good place for trout using Gulp mud minnow/croaker in camo and nuclear chicken colors. The pot holes in front of Mud Island are a good place for reds and trout using free-lined live shrimp. ST CHARLES BAY — Drifts across Egg Point using top waters in bone and red and speckled trout colors are good for reds. If you get a hit, set the anchor and keep. Find some small keeper black drum up inside Cavasso Creek using peeled shrimp under a cork. Fish as close as you can to salt grasses found in the area. CARLOS BAY — On the warmer days target the shell reefs on the east side of Carlos Lake for trout and black drum. Live shrimp is the ticket under a loud popping cork. On colder days, Carlos Dugout is the place to be using crank baits in bone, white, chartreuse and clear colors. MESQUITE BAY — The south side of Ayers Reef is a good place for reds using mud minnows or finger mullet on a free line. High tide is best here. East Pocket is good for black drum using peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig. Resist a lot of reeling in CONTINUED ON PAGE 76 u

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3/11/15 12:04 PM

LOWER Area Hotspot Focus :: by CALIXTO GONZALES

A Little Shelter

PRIL CAN BE ONE OF those months that can drive an angler to consternation. The fierce south/southeast winds that make March an absolute nightmare to drift fish can either finally slack off into mild to moderate breezes that optimize fishing conditions, or they can malinger well past Easter and continue the suffering a while longer, as they have the past few years. After two years of dredging up and down the Lower Laguna Madre, those winds can turn otherwise clean saltwater into something akin to chocolate Faygo. One thing that April means, however, is that water temperatures continue to climb from winter lows. This means that speckled trout and redfish shake off the winter blues and start feeding on fresh, young-of-the-year forage. The fish become so aggressive, in fact, that even the gnarliest of water conditions can produce an excellent day of fishing for the stalwart angler with a a strong heart and a solid game plan. With the newfound activity, fishermen should look for areas with clean, sandy bottoms and plenty of grass lines. Plenty of anglers look to the East Shoreline around Gaswell Flats and the Drum Boats for such an environment. Even when the wind is really pumping out of the Southeast, this area holds relatively clean water. The angler with a couple of good drift socks to slow his drift down can sharp shoot at potholes where trout will lie in ambush. The days on either side of the full moon are best for this area, but you’d do well any day during spring. Another good spot to start is the Cullen House area. When conditions are right, this area is full of hungry trout and redfish just

waiting for hapless prey to swim by. The waters tend to muddy up more easily when the wind is up, and it can be a long and bumpy ride when a low pressure system is passing through, but the fishing can be well worth the effort, even in unfriendly conditions. Small bays such as Cullen are prone to tidal movement more than Laguna Madre proper. Flood tides push a lot of water into these areas. The higher tides increase the overall depth of Cullen Bay, thus providing access to areas for both fish and fishermen that were out of reach during winter’s ultralow tides. The influx of fresh water can also give anglers access to cleaner water that may be sheltered by the shoreline of the spoil islands on the east side of the bay. The aggressive nature of fish in an earlyspring pattern means that live or fresh bait is effective. Live shrimp under a popping cork will find a lot of fish, but you will be culling plenty of short trout in the process of catching a limit. Cut ballyhoo, or even fresh mullet, will target larger trout and redfish, and also eliminate a lot of bait-thieves (with the exception of some sizeable hardhead catfish that also roam the area). Grinders do well around Cullen during early spring. Gold weedless spoons such as the venerable Johnson Silver Minnow or Sprite will always be the traditional weapon for redfish up and down the Laguna. The ¼ ounce variety is standard, but if the wind is a little stiff, a 3/8 or ½ ounce spoon may be called for when casting into the wind. Topwaters such as the Livingston Lures Pro Sizzle or Pro Sizzle, Jr. (which may be preferable when trout and reds are feeding on young-of-the-year prey) work well for both trout and redfish, with blue/orange 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 hydrointerference. Soft baits can also be effective during T E X A S

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April, especially eel-type plastics such as the Z-Man scented Pogyz. Whether you swim the lures on a 1/8 to ¼ ounce head or under a noisy float (which 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. Gulp! Baits such as the Shrimp in New Penny or Glow 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 free-lined when fishing the depth breaks. Don’t be surprised to see a few chunky black drums still prowling around. The warmer water hasn’t pushed the slot-sized fish out of Laguna, and they are still foraging between grassbeds and grubbing up shrimp, worms and crabs to keep their figures. The same shrimp/cork rig that you are using for trout and reds will snare these whiskered grubowskis. They’ll also hit a Gulp! Or Z-Man Shrimp if they are in a particularly aggressive mood. April can be an iffy time weather-wise on the Lower Laguna Madre, but the most stalwart of fishermen will always find some solid fish. They just have to go house-hunting once in a while.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Community Bar SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redﬁsh TIPS: Use soft plastics in red/white, purple/chartreuse or live shrimp under a popping cork. Fish the deep water between the shoreline and the bar.

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Email Calixto Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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3/11/15 12:04 PM

Texas HOTSPOTS

UPPER COAST

East Galveston Trout on a Roll by TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Rollover GPS: N 29 30.4973, W 94 30.0282 (29.5083, -94.5005) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Bass Assasin or MirrOlure soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 4097862018@sbcglobal.net www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Wade the south shoreline of East Bay when you have a southerly wind flow, anywhere from Rollover to Stingray. Capt. Paul Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Little Pasture Bayou GPS: N 29 31.254, W 94 32.3179 (29.5209, -94.5386) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Bass Assasin or MirrOlure soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 4097862018@sbcglobal.net www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Key on drains and bayous on outgoing or incoming tides, looking for nervous bait activity.

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.

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Fat Rat Pass GPS: N 29 28.462, W 94 38.6729 (29.4744, -94.6446) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Bass Assasin or MirrOlure soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 4097862018@sbcglobal.net www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Start skinny water first, foot-and-a-half up to three feet, and slowly move to deeper water. Capt. Paul Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Siever’s Cut GPS: N 29 26.5619, W 94 42.1379 (29.4427, -94.7023) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Bass Assasin or MirrOlure soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 4097862018@sbcglobal.net www.gofishgalveston.com

TIPS: If you can get 65 degree water temperature throw a topwater. Marcaccio says color doesn’t matter. LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Pig Pen GPS: N 29 25.1759, W 94 44.116 (29.4196, -94.7353) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 4097862018@sbcglobal.net www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Fish react to three things - sight, sound, and smell. If you can get them to react to the sound of a topwater bait, they will get all over it. Capt. Paul Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Hodges Reef GPS: N 29 34.963, W 94 44.574 (29.5827, -94.7429) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Bass Assasin or MirrOlure soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 4097862018@sbcglobal.net www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: After a late winter cold front, wait a couple of days befor fishing again. If you have to fish before the two day wait, fish 8-10 feet of water. Capt. Paul Marcaccio LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond Shoal GPS: N 28 40.449, W 95 53.898 (28.6742, -95.8983)

HOTSPOT FOCUS: ROCKPORT t CONTINUED FROM PAGE

here because you’ll probably hang up. Wait for bites then give it a two count before setting the hook. AYERS BAY – Southside shell of Second Chain is a good place for trout using jerk shad in new penny as well as punk prawn 76 |

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colors. The shell just off Rattlesnake Island is a good spot for reds using cut mullet either free-lined or on a light Carolina rig.

THE BANK BITE LONG WADES to Newcomb Point are good for trout and reds using Berkley Gulp Swimmo paddle F I S H

tails in pumpkinseed and sardine colors. This is a long wade so pack some water along.

Contact Capt. Mac Gable at Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601 captmac@macattackguideservice.com

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Texas HOTSPOTS SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: If I’m drifting, I will be pretty much in two areas - Raymond Shoal and St. Mary’s Bayou. Capt. Tommy Countz

BEST BAITS: Topwaters or live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: A new man made reef is located about half-a-mile off of Palacios Point. Look for the white markers showing the location of the reef.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: St. Mary’s Bayou GPS: N 28 39.7829, W 95 57.4309 (28.6631, -95.9572) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Norton Sand Shad or Bull Minnow CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: Out in front of St. Mary’s Bayou is scattered shell. I use some type of swimming shad along with a quarter ounce lead head to get the bait down. Capt. Tommy Countz

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Jetties GPS: N 29 40.0301, W 93 49.8768 (29.6672, -93.8313) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Lil John hard plastic or Provoker soft plastic CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins 409-673-9211 4097862018@sbcglobal.net www.ﬁshsabinelake.com TIPS: Green surf, light wind, the trout should be along he jetty. Capt. Bill Watkins

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Bird Island GPS: N 28 43.86, W 95 45.6169 (28.7310, -95.7603) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Norton Sand Shad or Bull Minnow CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: In April we start getting some bigger tides. A lot of times I’m working some of the shallow shorelines for redfish. Capt. Tommy Countz LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Cotton Bayou GPS: N 28 30.45, W 96 12.3816 (28.5075, -96.2064) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Norton Sand Shad or Bull Minnow CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: In April I’ll be wade fishing along the grass beds and looking for bait movement and slicks popping. Capt. Tommy Countz LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Palacios Point GPS: N 28 34.7329, W 96 13.665 (28.5789, -96.2278) SPECIES: Speckled trout

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Surf GPS: N 29 40.356, W 93 53.3189 (29.6726, -93.8887) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Lil John hard plastic or Provoker soft plastic CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins 409-673-9211 4097862018@sbcglobal.net www.ﬁshsabinelake.com TIPS: Favorite colors are Opening Night or Watermelon Red. All good colors with right water color conditions. Early in the morning I like the Lil John best. Capt. Bill Watkins

MIDDLE COAST

Throw Dagger for Aransas Reds by TOM BEHRENS

LOCATION: Aransas Pass/Redﬁsh Bay HOTSPOT: Dagger Islands GPS: N 27 50.1019, W 97 10.2659 (27.8350, -97.1711) SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Live or cut mullet CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland T E X A S

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361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Cut mullet wil work, but by this time of the year menhaden would be better if you can ﬁnd them. LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Traylor Island GPS: N 27 56.6849, W 97 4.4609 (27.9448, -97.0744) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: I stay with live shrimp even if the croaker are beginning to show up because the croaker are too small. Capt. Jack McPartland LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Pelican Island GPS: N 27 49.2679, W 97 9.2659 (27.8211, -97.1544) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastic lures CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: I use two colors all year long - Chicken of the ‘C’ and Spicy Pumpkin Seed with a 1/8 ounce chartreuse jig head. Capt. Jack McPartland LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Berry GPS: N 27 49.8529, W 97 13.974 (27.8309, -97.2329) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Gold Spoons or topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: McPartland has no favorite when it comes to the best topwater bait as long as it is either bone or black head/chartreuse body. LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Mustang Island Flats GPS: N 27 41.5159, W 97 11.437 (27.6919, -97.1906) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastic lures CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com

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Texas HOTSPOTS www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: The reason I like the Down South soft plastics is because of the good action you get out of the tail. Cast and reel, cast and reel. My customers don’t have to jig it like you would with a straight plastic. Capt. Jack McPartland LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Shamrock Flats GPS: N 27 45.369, W 97 9.733 (27.7562, -97.1622) SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Live mud minnows CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Use a Kahle hook for live bait; cut bait on a Circle hook. Capt. Jack McPartland LOCATION: Redﬁsh Bay HOTSPOT: Stedman Island GPS: N 27 53.3509, W 97 6.7489 (27.8892, -97.1125) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastic lures CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: The trout want to be some place where there is access to deeper water close by in case we have a late norther.

LOWER COAST

Speck-Fight at Baffin’s Coralles by CALIXTO GONZALES and TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Los Coralles GPS: N 27 14.869, W 97 30.22 (27.2478, -97.5037) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: We will be throwing a lot of topwaters while fishing over the rocks in Baffin…a lot better than getting hung up with a Corky. Capt. Tommy Countz

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LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Black Bluff GPS: N 27 13.7029, W 97 31.8829 (27.2284, -97.5314) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: If it’s a south wind I’m going to be on the Kennedy shoreline in some of the rock areas like Los Coralles, Black Bluff, and South Rocks. Capt. Tommy Countz LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: East Kleberg Point GPS: N 27 16.603, W 97 30.4489 (27.2767, -97.5075) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: If the winds out of the north I’ll be over on the north side of Baffin working East Kleberg Point, Tide Gauge and Cat Head. Capt. Tommie Countz LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Tide Gauge GPS: N 27 18.2479, W 97 27.5929 (27.3041, -97.4599) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: I might make a stop on my way from Corpus to Baffin at Night Hawk and concentrate on redfish. Capt. Tommy Countz LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Cat Head GPS: N 27 18.382, W 97 26.263 (27.3064, -97.4377) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Norton Sand Shad or Bull Minnow CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Look for bait action to find the trout. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Unnecessary Island GPS: N26 13.81098, W97 16.34202

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(26.230183, -97.272367) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, live or dead mullet, topwaters, gold spoons, Logic Tandem Rigs in Gold/metalflake, black/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 captmike@brushcountrycharters.com brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: If March is true to form, weather will start warming up, and the redfish will start spreading out on the shallow flats. You can fish more aggressively and work lures faster than normal for reaction strikes. Live bait or tandems are good with a Mauler. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Stover Cove GPS: N26 13.93002, W97 19.39002 (26.232167, -97.323167) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, Logic Solo or Tandem rigs in Pearl/chartreuse, pearl/pink, black/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 captmike@brushcountrycharters.com brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Fish the windward shoreline where the waves start to push bait into the shallows. Fish your lures or bait in a frantic retrieve. Use live shrimp on cloudy days or in stained water. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Horsehead Bay GPS: N26 20.87298, W97 19.70802 (26.347883, -97.328467) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters, gold spoons, Logic Tandems in gold/glitter CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 captmike@brushcountrycharters.com brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: This is very, very skinny work; best suited to technical skiffs, tunnel boats, and kayaks. If you get in there, look for mud boils or tailing reds. Keep your rod tip high while retrieving to keep your lure visible. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Coast Guard Station GPS: N26 4.36002, W97 10.03098 (26.072667, -97.167183) SPECIES: sheepshead BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp

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Texas HOTSPOTS CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 captmike@brushcountrycharters.com brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Fish the channel drop-offs and channel markers in the boat channel that passes in front of the Coast Guard station with live shrimp or fresh shrimp on free line rigs. The bigger fish are on the edges. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Coast Guard Station GPS: N26 4.36002, W97 10.03098 (26.072667, -97.167183) SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 captmike@brushcountrycharters.com brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Black drum are available along the channel edges, especially when tidal flow is pushing water off the flats. Use a 1/2-ounce egg sinker on fish finder rig with large shrimp. Most will be 14-20inch fish, but there will be some big bruisers, too. LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: King Ranch GPS: N26 46.30602, W97 28.35198 (26.771767, -97.472533) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft baits in Pearl/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse, purple/chartreuse Topwaters in baby trout, mullet, Bone CONTACT: Captain Steven Devries 956-289-3631 TIPS: Fish the deeper water near the spoils with soft plastics. If there has been a warm stretch, try topwaters in shallower water early in the morning. Look for weedlines and fish them thoroughly. LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N26 27.64002, W97 22.24992 (26.460667, -97.370832) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft baits in Pearl/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse, purple/chartreuse Topwaters in baby trout, mullet, Bone CONTACT: Captain Steven Devries 956-289-3631 TIPS: This area offers both a chance to put some good solid trout in the box, and a shot a truly big fish. Fish topwaters slowly near spoils for the big-

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ger trout, or the weed and potholes with plastics for chunky trout hungry after the winter.

PINEY WOODS

McDonald’s Filet o’ White Bass by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Toledo Bend North HOTSPOT: McDonald’s Bend GPS: N 31 24.288, W 93 39.5459 (31.4048, -93.6591) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slab spoons, Rat-L-Traps and shallow diving crank baits 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 moving back into the main lake returning from the river after their spawn. Work the north end sand bars. Use your electronics to locate the bait fish and you will find the Whites. Try to locate a number of schools and practice rotate fishing those areas so as not to over fish one location. The Whites will remain in those locations unless we have a weather change or the location is over fished. LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Clinton Area GPS: N 32 44.9039, W 94 7.2599 (32.7484, -94.1210) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: V&M Wild Thang 8.5 or 10 inch worm, V&M Lizzie lizard 6 or 9 inch, 5 inch V&M Chopstick(senko) CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net www.caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Use colors like June Bug, Watermelon/Red, and Blue Flex with 1/4 to 1/2 oz weights Texas rigged. Fish around the base of the cypress trees in 2-4 ft of water. LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 27.222, W 95 34.4099 (30.4537, -95.5735) SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers

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BEST BAITS: Live shad, Storm Swim Shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch 936-291-1277 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: The hybrid stripers will begin to school on the surface in the morning and will be easy to catch on surface baits and swim shad. They will be all around the lake on main lake points that have shallow sandy bottoms. Find the schools of shad and you will find the Hybrids. This time of year they will run shad up on these points early and late and during mid day they will move deeper. Find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. Live shad will be the bait of choice in deeper water but the swim shad will be the one to catch bigger fish in the shallower water. Bank Access: Stowaway Marina LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: White Rock Creek GPS: N 30 58.326, W 95 20.2254 (30.9721, -95.3371) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Live Minnows and Black/ Chartreuse Jigs CONTACT: David S Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Fish north of the marina in brush and on cut banks.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Tawakoni Striper Action Shallow by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni HOTSPOT: Shallow Main Lake Points GPS: N 32 52.248, W 96 0.03 (32.8708, -96.0005) SPECIES: White Bass and Striper BEST BAITS: 4 Sassy Shad swim bait with a 3/4oz head CONTACT: Tony Parker’s Guide Service 903-348-1619 tawakoniﬁshing@yahoo.com www.facebook.comtonyparker.ﬁshingguide TIPS: The hybrids stripers and white bass will be full swing into there spawn. Look for them to be using shallow main lake points and windy banks to spawn on due to low water this year. Sun Point and

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Texas HOTSPOTS the riprap on the damn will be great places to start. I will use a cast and steady retrive, moving it fast enough to keep it off the bottom. Also keep an eye open for schooling action. The birds will point the way to the schooling fish. LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Retaining Wall Points GPS: N 32 10.8359, W 96 4.2779 (32.1806, -96.0713) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Fresh Shad CONTACT: Jason Barber 903-887-7896 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: Use fresh shad for bait under a float in 1 to 3 feet of water along all retaining wall points on the main lake. LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 18.1919, W 96 8.6519 (32.3032, -96.1442) SPECIES: Catfish

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BEST BAITS: Cut Shad CONTACT: Rodney Stuart, Go Fish Guide Service 817-675-8062 Fishingrod38@aol.com TIPS: Big blue catfish are being caught all over the lake from 2 to 37 feet of water. The catfish are just on fire drifting deep water or ballooning two feet of water and at the time this report was written, trips are averaging about 300 to 500 pounds per trip. LOCATION: Fayette County HOTSPOT: Dam Rocks GPS: N 29 55.044, W 96 44.598 (29.9174, -96.7433) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait, worms CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Anchor 50-100 feet off shore, still over dam rocks, chum around the boat. Fish straight down using #6 treble hook, with tight line. LOCATION: Gibbons Creek

HOTSPOT: Crappie Hole GPS: N 30 36.678, W 96 3.9959 (30.6113, -96.0666) SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Minnows, funky chicken jigs CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.ﬁshtales-guideservice.com TIPS: There are trees and stumps close to the rocks. Fish are in the rocks and stumps spawning. Use minnows under corks or Funky Chicken jigs close to structure. LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Decordova Subdivision GPS: N 32 24.8699, W 97 41.3159 (32.4145, -97.6886) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Live Shad and Jigging slabs in silver and chartreuse CONTACT: Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 www.unfairadvantagecharters.com

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Texas HOTSPOTS TIPS: Best tactic is bouncing slabs off the bottom near schools of baitﬁsh. Look for whitebass schools around 15 to 25 feet down right near humps and channel ledges. Granbury levels continue to be low, so call to make sure access is available. Access continues to be available at the Hilton/City Beach launch and Pecan Plantation private launch. Water temperatures are back in the 60’s and the spring patterns are dominating. The sandbass have com-

pleted their spawn and are back in their main lake locations and are good on slabs. LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: Main Lake Flats GPS: N 30 42.6618, W 97 20.6999 (30.7110, -97.3450) SPECIES: Catfish/Crappie BEST BAITS: Cut Shad/Jigs CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell (512) 365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Now is the best time to load up on the plentiful blue cats that are all over the lake. Jug lines work best for the blue cats. Use 11/0 Mustad circle hooks and put 2 on each jug line. Space one hook about 6 feet from the top and one about 6 feet off the bottom. April is the time to catch some of the largest crappie of the year. The large females are out in the deeper water brush piles all over the open lake. The smaller males will be in shallow water protecting the nests and can also be caught in large numbers. My best crappie fishing day last year was on April 26 on which we ended up with 86 with being less than 12 inches. Jigs fished vertical over the brush is the ticket to getting a limit of the big crappie. LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 33 5.268, W 96 28.614 (33.0878, -96.4769) 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 Palestine HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N 32 13.5719, W 95 29.1239 (32.2262, -95.4854) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Bomber BD7 crankbait in Shad color, Carolina rigged with a Mister Twister Sensation worm in Watermelon Red CONTACT: RICKY VANDERGRIFF 903-561-7299 OR 903-530-2201

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RICKY@RICKYSGUIDESERVICE.COM www.RICKYSGUIDESERVICE.COM TIPS: Fish the main lake points with a Carolina rig. LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: East Fork on the West Bank, North of I-30 Bridge GPS: N 32 53.6639, W 96 30.8639 (32.8944, -96.5144) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Gold Rouges or similar jerkbaits, spinnerbaits in green/white or green/blue with two number four Colorado blades CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell (972) 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net www.johnnyprocell.com TIPS: Black bass will be scattered up and down the rip-rap along I-30 on both sides of the causeway. It is spawning time and one can expect more eight to twelve pound largemouths to be caught than at any other time of the year! The secret spot will be the area north of I-30 on the western bank on the East Fork side of the lake. This is where the majority of the ‘hawgs’ will spawn. This is also where one can expect to see bedding bass. LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: State Park GPS: N 33 23.647, W 97 0.4818 (33.3941, -97.0080) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, Senkos, Biffle Bugs CONTACT: Dannie Golden, Get Bit Guide Service 817-228-5999 www.get-bit.com TIPS: April is probably the best month of the year for chasing largemouth bass on Lake Ray Roberts. One of the reasons, there will be bass in all different stages of the spawn. The ones that spawned in March will have their feedbags on by now. They will be looking to put back on some weight from the spawn. This is also the time that we usually have our first shad spawn of the spring. . Look for bait early in the morning to be pushed right up on the bank, spawning on the shallow vegetation. The fish won’t be far behind. Also look for birds to be lined up on banks and points. LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Pond Creek Point GPS: N 33 22.6458, W 97 3.1656 (33.3774, -97.0528) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Chrome/Blue RatLTraps, Gene Larew Rally Grub CONTACT: Dannie Golden, Get Bit Guide Service

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Texas HOTSPOTS 817-228-5999 www.get-bit.com TIPS: The white bass are going to be in different stages as well. We will still have spawning fish in April and those that are done will be trying to take advantage of the shad spawn as well. Main lake points early in the morning can be great. Birds are key. If you see a group of birds lined the bank, you better stop. The sand bass will be stacked up there. The best points are usually a point with the wind blowing in on it. Chrome blue rattletraps, swimming a spoon and a Gene Larew Rally Grub rigged on a swimbait head will all work. Some morning you may even be able to get them on topwater. They won’t be schooling like during July, but you will see a fish bust or even just a shad jumping out of the water. Those are the signs that tell me the fish are really aggressive and you can get them to chase. It is a good month to put some fish in the cooler.

903-786-4477 bigﬁsh@striperexpress.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: In April large schools of stripers are roaming the lake. You can locate stripers on the ﬂats, and main lake points in 5’ to 30’ depths. Mid month, try casting topwater plugs and stick baits on the banks for great topwater action. You can land some egg ladened sows that will tip the scales at 20 lbs.

April is the beginning of the great spring ﬁshing at Lake Texoma. LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Striper Point GPS: N 31 57.1139, W 97 25.2119 (31.9519, -97.4202) SPECIES: Stripers and White Bass BEST BAITS: Swim baits and live shad

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn HOTSPOT: 147 Bridge GPS: N 31 13.77, W 94 19.326 (31.2295, -94.3221) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Flukes and Senkos CONTACT: Lynn Atkinson (979) 220-0251 lynn@reelumn.com www.reelumn.com TIPS: Fish the deer stand and canyons in the midlake area around 147 bridge. Use flukes and senkos flipping the buck brush. LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Big Creek Pavilion Shore GPS: N 30 19.752, W 96 33.942 (30.3292, -96.5657) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut Shad, CJ’s punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Lake is full, anchor close enough to shore that you can cast to the bank. Fish under corks using #6 treble hook. Large blues frequent this shore during this period. So cut shad cast deep can be good too LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Flats and Main Lake Points GPS: N 33 52.056, W 96 38.2859 (33.8676, -96.6381) SPECIES: Striper BEST BAITS: 3/4oz to 1oz Coho minnows and Sassy Shad jigs in White Glo and chartreuse colors CONTACT: Bill Carey

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Texas HOTSPOTS CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: The big stripers are running shallow. Start early throwing chartruese swim baits and ripping them back to the boat in 3 to 10 of water. The big sow stripers are up shallow gorging on shad. Small swim baits and Rat’L’Traps will put a lot of white bass in the boat in the same area as well. After the sun comes up, back off and anceor up and use a Carolina rig and cast live gizzard shad up shallow along the grass and hang on! Big sow stripers are roaming ﬂats and will pick up the bait and run! LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: Creeks Tributaries and Coves GPS: N 31 56.256, W 96 7.41 (31.9376, -96.1235) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Small Jigs or Minnows CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.goneﬁshin.biz TIPS: April is normally a very good month for catching really big spawning crappie. Concentrate jigs or minnows in 1’-3’ of water around the many Coves and Creek Tributaries on both the Richland Arm and Chambers Arm of the Lake. Look for grassy areas in the backs of the Coves and any laydowns or timber that is visible along the shoreline. Bank Access: Coves at Fisherman’s Point Marina.

PANHANDLE

Island Life for PK White Bass by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Costello Island GPS: N 32 54.57, W 98 27.939 (32.9095, -98.4657) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: live shad, jigs, RatLTraps CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: The shad will be spawning and every species will be eating them as they try to spawn. There`s some topwater action on and off but we

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mostly fish jigs this month and, of course, live fresh-caught shad. We also troll RatLTraps and crankbaits for white bass this time of year. With the live shad, if we are not real deep, we just split shot them. If fishing normal structure we just hook them thru the eyes but in heavy cover and for topwater, we double hook them thru the tail so they swim to the top for some fast adrenaline pumping action. LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Main Lake Creeks GPS: N 33 1.7579, W 101 6.4139 (33.0293, -101.1069) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Senkos, crankbaits, jigs, or spinnerbaits.Use Senkos, crankbaits, jigs, or spinnerbaits. Main colors red and shad. CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglobal.net www.lakealanhenry.comnorman_clayton.htm TIPS: April will find the bass starting to move up the creeks. The creeks that I would check first is Gobbler, Ince, and Big Grape. Rocky Creek would also be a good place to check. Also check the northern, north west coves. If the bass have not started moving up the creeks, I will back off in the creek channels watching my electronics for schools of shad or bass. I will use a spin jig or a spoon to attract the bass. Both of these lures will have a shad or perch colored finish.

BIG BEND

Bass Explore Amistad Canyons by DUSTIN WARNCKE

LOCATION: Lake Amistead HOTSPOT: Main Lake Canyons and Coves GPS: N 29 30.828, W 100 58.056 (29.5138, -100.9676) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Jerk baits, belly weighted flukes, swim baits, swim jigs, jerk baits, big spinners and medium running crank baits, Top water lures CONTACT: Ray Hanselman (830) 317-9942 reelnray@hotmail.com www.amistadfishingguide.com TIPS: April should be the turn around point for Amistad. The past few years we haven’t had any aquatic vegetation to hold fish for any amount of F I S H

time during and after the spawn. The lake has good grass in several areas now and that should help hold the bass up shallow enough to catch. I expect several typical spring patterns will work during April such as sight fishing in the protected canyons and coves. I would look out on some of the main lake flats and drains from marker 5 to 10 on both sides of the Rio Grande as there are acres of flooded duck weed and hydrilla out there from 15 to 20 ft. Try deeper suspending lures out on those flats. As always a light Texas rig with a 3/16th to 1/4 oz weight. Keeping an eye on the water temp will also dictate whether or not to pick up a top water bait. I will start throwing the top water when water temps reach the mid 60s.

HILL COUNTRY

Buch Stripers Stay Shallow by DUSTIN WARNCKE

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Canyon Park Area GPS: N 29 54.0959, W 98 14.1659 (29.9016, -98.2361) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Flick Shake, 1/8oz Picasso Shakey Head, Trick Worms Zoom Baits, 1/32 Creame Whaky Sticks, Jewel Jig in Texas Craw color, 1/2oz spinnerbaits in white CONTACT: KC’S Bassin’ Guide Service 210-823-2153 kandie@gvtc.com www.kcbassinguide.com TIPS: Fish 5-10 feet deep. Concentrateon backs of creeks as the Bass are on the move where the sun warms the water early. Some Bass may be on the beds during the first part of April. Check the bluff wall on the right after the point. Jig early and slowly. LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: River Channel GPS: N 29 54.468, W 98 17.3759 (29.9078, -98.2896) SPECIES: Striped Bass, White Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Radar 10 in Chrome Blue or chartreuse CONTACT: Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com www.sanantoniofishingguides.com

G A M E ®

3/11/15 12:04 PM

Texas HOTSPOTS TIPS: Troll the Luhr-Jensen Radar 10 in the main river channel from the rapids of the river to the mouth of the lake until you locate the fish and then fish the area of the river you find them in. This is one of my favorite times of year on Canyon Lake, on any cast you may catch a White Bass, Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Crappie or even Catfish. LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Up-River Area GPS: N 29 54.5339, W 98 19.326 (29.9089, -98.3221) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Small crankbaits, small spinnerbaits, minnow or jigs with minnows. CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide ServiceBarry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: This is the time of year that some bass and crappie will have already spawned and some still in the spawning stage. Look for prime areas for spawning in shallow water. This is one of the best times of the year to fish shallow. However, due to low water lake level conditions, do not discount bass spawning a little deeper than usual. Also, bass and crappie that have already spawned will be moving back to deeper water to rebuild their strength by eating. If you cannot find the fish in shallow water, move out to a little deeper water and you just might find both spawned and ready to spawn fish. For this Hotspot, look for areas with flats near the river channel. LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: Creek Openings GPS: N 30 27.42, W 97 55.6559 (30.4570, -97.9276) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: V&M Wild Craw, Pacemaker Flatline Jig, Picasso Double Barrel Underspin CONTACT: Brian Parker - Lake Austin Fishing 817-808-2227 lakeaustinfishing@yahoo.com www.LakeAustinFishing.com TIPS: April is one of the better months to catch largemouth bass going to and coming from their bedding areas. I try to focus my efforts on their highway running into and out of the creeks. I’ll tie on a Picasso Double Barrel Underspin with a V&M Thunder Shad trailer and work the entire channel. If the water is calm, I’ll tie on a Pacemaker Flatline Jig with a V&M Twin Tail trailer and slowly work from shallow to deep with the jig. Keep in mind that there will be fish coming and going. If you catch a smaller male, throw right back in and see if you can get the female to bite with the male out of the way.

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 46.752, W 98 26.7599 (30.7792, -98.4460) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut Shad CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@yahoo.com www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: Fishing for big blue cats is excellent on rod and reel. Fish rock piles, rocky ridges, and coves near trees. I only fish for them if the wind is low. Concentrate on 15 to 25 ft of water, early and late. Try to use big enough bait that will cast without weights. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points and Shallows GPS: N 30 44.988, W 98 26.664 (30.7498, -98.4444) SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Topwater lures in all colors and sizes, CONTACT: Ken Miliam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: April Striper fishing on Lake Buchanan is awesome. Stripers will be in the shallows along points and cover. Concentrate on areas where you can find threadfin shad running and you are most likely going to find the fish!

SOUTH TEXAS

Choke Catﬁsh with Cheese by DUSTIN WARNCKE

LOCATION: Choke Canyon Res. HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N 28 28.2059, W 98 18.312 (28.4701, -98.3052) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cheese/Stink bait, cut buffalo or carp CONTACT: Charlie Brown 830-780-2162 TIPS: April is a great time to fish Choke Canyon for catfish as the fish like to move shallow. You can find them in less than a foot to two feet of water T E X A S

1504 Almanac (1).indd 85

F I S H

many times which makes fishing off right of the bank with or without a boat very easy. When fishing shallow, suspend bait under a cork and wait for the action. If the fish aren’t shallow, look for them in 40-50 feet, fishing 2-3 cranks off the bottom. LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Shallow Areas GPS: N 28 44.4959, W 97 10.8299 (28.7416, -97.1805) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs and crappie niblets in chartruese, small minnows CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-250-3959 www.coletocreekguidefishing.com TIPS: April can be a great time to be on the lake. Warmer water means more active fish. I get excited about the crappie spawn. I love trolling the shallow water with a crappie jig and long ultra lite rod and reel. I use 8lb braided line, perferability white. I troll along the banks and drop it in every nook and cranny. Some prefer minnows with small split shot. The females get up along the banks where the water is a little more clear to hatch their eggs. The reason I use white or other colored line is because I watch my line drop and a lot of times I see the bite before I feel it. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: US Side Creeks and Secondary Points GPS: N 26 52.962, W 99 15.822 (26.8827, -99.2637) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: 6 red lizards, 5 Watermelon Red Senkos, Watermelon Red Magic Brushogs, big and small Jo Baby spinnerbaits - 3/4 oz chartruese/ white double gold willow blades, and 1/2 - 3/4 oz War Eagle in Mouse color, medium-deep diving crankbaits, Power Worms in Motor Oil Red Flake or Plum CONTACT: Falcon Lake Guide Service - Timothy Griffin (956) 849-5153 BigBass@FalconLakeGuideService.com www.falconlakeguideservice.com TIPS: Fish creeks mainly on the US side of the lake. In April, nearly all of the Mexico side creeks will be spawned out and this will result in the US side creeks bing loaded down with fish. Post-spawn, most fish will be found on secondary points coming out of creeks. Fish spinnerbaits, Texas-rigged Power Worms, and medium deep diving crankbaits in these areas as well as main lake humps and ledges which should be loaded with fish which have spawned in January-March.

G A M E ®

A P R I L

2 0 1 5

3/11/15 12:04 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK APRIL 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

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

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

12p

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 |

12a

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

A P R I L

1504 Almanac (1).indd 86

12p

MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)

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 ®

3/11/15 12:04 PM

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

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Apr 1

FRIDAY

2«

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

12p

12a

Moon Overhead: 11:05p

Moon Overhead: 11:48p

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: None

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:14a

Moon Overhead: 12:31a 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times APRIL 2015

TUESDAY

l = New Moon º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

DIGITAL EXTRA Tap for Customized Tide Charts

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Moon Overhead: 1:58a 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 10:00a

+2.0

-1.0

BEST: 4:00 — 6:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 12:09p

Moon Underfoot: 12:52p

BEST: 4:30 — 6:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 1:35p

BEST: 5:00 — 6:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 2:20p

BEST: 6:00 — 8:00 PM

+2.0

BEST: 7:00 — 9:00 PM

TIDE LEVELS

BEST: 3:30 — 5:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 11:27a

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST: 3:00 — 5:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:44a

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

12:56 AM 8:24 AM 3:26 PM 9:12 PM

1504 Almanac (1).indd 87

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

3:46 AM 10:15 AM 4:17 PM 10:02 PM

1.25 ft 0.46 ft 1.12 ft 0.51 ft

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

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

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:07 AM 11:40 AM 5:07 PM 11:30 PM

1.35 ft 0.78 ft 1.15 ft 0.24 ft

+1.0

-1.0

3/11/15 12:04 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK

SYMBOL KEY

l = New Moon º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = 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

6«

Tides and Prime Times APRIL 2015

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SATURDAY

11 »

Set: 7:41p Sunrise: 6:59a Set: 7:41p Sunrise: 6:57a Set: 7:42p Sunrise: 6:56a Set: 7:43p Set: 10:38a Moonrise: 12:34a Set: 11:30a Moonrise: 1:27a Set: 12:27p Moonrise: 2:17a Set: 1:27p

AM Minor: 7:17a

PM Minor: 7:40p

AM Minor: 8:09a

PM Minor: 8:33p

AM Minor: 9:03a

PM Minor: 9:28p

AM Minor: 9:59a

PM Minor: 10:25p

AM Minor: 10:56a

PM Minor: 11:23p

AM Minor: 11:53a

PM Minor: -----

AM Minor: 12:21a

PM Minor: 12:48p

AM Major: 1:06a

PM Major: 1:29p

AM Major: 1:57a

PM Major: 2:21p

AM Major: 2:51a

PM Major: 3:16p

AM Major: 3:46a

PM Major: 4:12p

AM Major: 4:43a

PM Major: 5:10p

AM Major: 5:40a

PM Major: 6:07p

AM Major: 6:35a

PM Major: 7:02p

Moon Overhead: 2:43a 6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 4:19a

Moon Overhead: 3:30a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:10a

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:56a

Moon Overhead: 6:02a

12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 7:03a Set: 7:39p Sunrise: 7:02a Set: 7:40p Sunrise: 7:01a Set: 7:40p Sunrise: 7:00a Moonrise: 9:51p Set: 8:25a Moonrise: 10:46p Set: 9:06a Moonrise: 11:40p Set: 9:50a Moonrise: None

12a

FRIDAY

Moon Overhead: 7:51a 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 3:06p

+2.0

BEST: 8:30 — 10:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 5:36p

BEST: 9:00 — 11:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 6:29p

BEST: 9:30 — 11:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 7:23p

Moon Underfoot: 8:18p

BEST: BEST: 12:00 — 2:00 PM 12:00 — 2:00 AM

+2.0

BEST: 12:30 — 2:30 AM

TIDE LEVELS

BEST: 8:00 — 10:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 4:44p

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 3:54p

High Tide 6:56 AM 1.37 ft Low Tide 12:11 PM 0.90 ft High Tide 5:17 PM 1.15 ft

MONDAY

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

12:05 AM 7:51 AM 12:46 PM 5:17 PM

0.18 ft 1.37 ft 1.01 ft 1.17 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

TUESDAY

12:44 AM 8:53 AM 1:25 PM 5:08 PM

0.13 ft 1.37 ft 1.12 ft 1.21 ft

WEDNESDAY

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

1:29 AM 10:03 AM 2:13 PM 5:01 PM

0.10 ft 1.38 ft 1.21 ft 1.25 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

THURSDAY

2:22 AM 11:18 AM 3:29 PM 4:54 PM

0.09 ft Low Tide 3:24 AM 0.09 ft Low Tide 4:33 AM 1.40 ft High Tide 12:23 PM 1.41 ft High Tide 1:13 PM 1.27 ft 1.28 ft

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

17 «

SUNDAY

18 l

19 «

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

PM Minor: 1:41p

AM Minor: 2:04a

PM Minor: 2:32p

AM Minor: 2:53a

PM Minor: 3:21p

AM Minor: 3:41a

PM Minor: 4:09p

AM Minor: 4:31a

PM Minor: 4:59p

AM Minor: 5:24a

PM Minor: 5:52p

AM Minor: 6:20a

PM Minor: 6:48p

AM Major: 7:28a

PM Major: 7:55p

AM Major: 8:18a

PM Major: 8:46p

AM Major: 9:07a

PM Major: 9:34p

AM Major: 9:55a

PM Major: 10:23p

AM Major: 10:45a

PM Major: 11:13p

AM Major: 11:38a

PM Major: 12:06p

AM Major: 12:06a

PM Major: 12:34p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:36a

12a

12p

12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:22p

Moon Overhead: 12:26p

Moon Overhead: 11:31a 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

AM Minor: 1:14a

Moon Overhead: 9:41a

Moon Overhead: 2:18p 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 9:14p

+2.0

-1.0

BEST: 2:00 — 4:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 11:03p BEST: 3:00 — 5:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: None

BEST: 4:00 — 6:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 12:54a

BEST: 5:30 — 7:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 1:50a

BEST: 12:00 — 2:00 PM

+2.0

BEST: 1:00 — 3:00 PM

TIDE LEVELS

BEST: 1:00 — 3:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:09p

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

-1.0

0.11 ft 1.41 ft

Sunrise: 6:55a Set: 7:43p Sunrise: 6:54a Set: 7:44p Sunrise: 6:53a Set: 7:44p Sunrise: 6:52a Set: 7:45p Sunrise: 6:51a Set: 7:45p Sunrise: 6:50a Set: 7:46p Sunrise: 6:49a Set: 7:47p Moonrise: 3:06a Set: 2:30p Moonrise: 3:52a Set: 3:35p Moonrise: 4:37a Set: 4:41p Moonrise: 5:20a Set: 5:47p Moonrise: 6:04a Set: 6:53p Moonrise: 6:49a Set: 7:59p Moonrise: 7:36a Set: 9:04p

Moon Overhead: 8:46a

+1.0

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

5:47 AM 1:50 PM 7:36 PM 11:58 PM

0.15 ft 1.39 ft 1.03 ft 1.18 ft

Low Tide 6:58 AM High Tide 2:20 PM Low Tide 8:01 PM

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

0.22 ft High Tide 1:32 AM 1.36 ft Low Tide 8:04 AM 0.83 ft High Tide 2:47 PM Low Tide 8:37 PM

1.27 ft 0.32 ft 1.33 ft 0.59 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

2:50 AM 9:04 AM 3:14 PM 9:18 PM

KEY

PLACE

HIGH

LOW

KEY

Sabine Bank Lighthouse -1:46

-1:31

Galveston Channel/Bays

Sabine Pass Jetty

-1:26

-1:31

Sabine Pass

-1:00

-1:15

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

1.39 ft 0.45 ft 1.30 ft 0.33 ft

HIGH

LOW

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

4:00 AM 10:00 AM 3:39 PM 10:01 PM

1.50 ft 0.61 ft 1.29 ft 0.11 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

HIGH

LOW

5:05 AM 10:54 AM 4:06 PM 10:45 PM

1.58 ft 0.78 ft 1.30 ft -0.07 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:09 AM 11:46 AM 4:33 PM 11:32 PM

KEY

PLACE

KEY

PLACE

HIGH

LOW

T12

Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay +5:48 +4:43

T18

San Luis Pass

-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

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

1.62 ft 1.08 ft 1.30 ft -0.17 ft

+1.0

-1.0

+1:02 -0:42

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION 88 |

A P R I L

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T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK

SYMBOL KEY

l = New Moon º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION 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

TUESDAY

20 «

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

21 «

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Sunrise: 6:48a Set: 7:47p Sunrise: 6:47a Set: 7:48p Sunrise: 6:46a Set: 7:49p Sunrise: 6:45a Set: 7:49p Sunrise: 6:44a Set: 7:50p Sunrise: 6:43a Set: 7:50p Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 7:51p Moonrise: 8:24a Set: 10:07p Moonrise: 9:15a Set: 11:06p Moonrise: 10:07a Set: None Moonrise: 11:00a Set: 12:01a Moonrise: 11:54a Set: 12:51a Moonrise: 12:47p Set: 1:35a Moonrise: 1:39p Set: 2:16a AM Minor: 7:20a

PM Minor: 7:48p

AM Minor: 8:21a

PM Minor: 8:49p

AM Minor: 9:22a

PM Minor: 9:49p

AM Minor: 10:21a

PM Minor: 10:47p

AM Minor: 11:16a

PM Minor: 11:41p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:07p

AM Minor: 12:31a

PM Minor: 12:53p

AM Major: 1:06a

PM Major: 1:34p

AM Major: 2:07a

PM Major: 2:35p

AM Major: 3:09a

PM Major: 3:36p

AM Major: 4:08a

PM Major: 4:34p

AM Major: 5:04a

PM Major: 5:29p

AM Major: 5:55a

PM Major: 6:19p

AM Major: 6:42a

PM Major: 7:05p

Moon Overhead: 3:14p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:04p

Moon Overhead: 4:10p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:56p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 7:33p

Moon Overhead: 6:46p 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times APRIL 2015

Moon Overhead: 8:19p 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 2:46a

+2.0

-1.0

BEST: 8:30 — 10:30 PM

BEST: 9:00 — 11:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 5:30a BEST: 9:30 — 11:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 6:21a

Moon Underfoot: 7:10a

BEST: BEST: 10:00P — 12:00A 10:30A — 12:30P

Moon Underfoot: 7:56a

+2.0

BEST: 12:30 — 2:30 AM

TIDE LEVELS

BEST: 2:00 — 4:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 4:37a

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 3:42a

High Tide 7:12 AM 1.62 ft Low Tide 12:40 PM 1.08 ft High Tide 5:01 PM 1.31 ft

1504 Almanac (1).indd 90

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

12:20 AM 8:16 AM 1:41 PM 5:28 PM

-0.20 ft 1.59 ft 1.18 ft 1.29 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

1:11 AM 9:22 AM 3:06 PM 5:51 PM

-0.15 ft Low Tide 2:05 AM -0.04 ft Low Tide 3:04 AM 0.09 ft Low Tide 1.54 ft High Tide 10:31 AM 1.48 ft High Tide 11:37 AM 1.43 ft High Tide 1.24 ft Low Tide 1.26 ft High Tide

4:12 AM 12:33 PM 7:47 PM 9:44 PM

0.23 ft 1.38 ft 1.07 ft 1.09 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

5:26 AM 1:14 PM 8:02 PM 11:33 PM

0.37 ft 1.33 ft 0.98 ft 1.09 ft

+1.0

-1.0

3/11/15 12:04 PM

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

Tides and Prime Times APRIL 2015

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

May 1

2«

3«

Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 7:52p Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 7:52p Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 7:53p Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 7:54p Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 7:54p Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 7:55p Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 7:55p Moonrise: 2:31p Set: 2:54a Moonrise: 3:22p Set: 3:29a Moonrise: 4:14p Set: 4:04a Moonrise: 5:05p Set: 4:38a Moonrise: 5:57p Set: 5:12a Moonrise: 6:51p Set: 5:47a Moonrise: 7:45p Set: 6:25a AM Minor: 1:14a

PM Minor: 1:36p

AM Minor: 1:54a

PM Minor: 2:16p

AM Minor: 2:32a

PM Minor: 2:53p

AM Minor: 3:10a

PM Minor: 3:31p

AM Minor: 3:47a

PM Minor: 4:09p

AM Minor: 4:27a

PM Minor: 4:50p

AM Minor: 5:10a

PM Minor: 5:34p

AM Major: 7:25a

PM Major: 7:47p

AM Major: 8:05a

PM Major: 8:26p

AM Major: 8:43a

PM Major: 9:04p

AM Major: 9:20a

PM Major: 9:42p

AM Major: 9:58a

PM Major: 10:20p

AM Major: 10:39a

PM Major: 11:01p

AM Major: 11:22a

PM Major: 11:45p

Moon Overhead: 9:02p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:28p

Moon Overhead: 9:45p 12a

12p

12a

12p

12a

Moon Overhead: 11:11p

Moon Overhead: 11:54p

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: None

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

27 º

l = New Moon º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

DIGITAL EXTRA Tap for Customized Tide Charts

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Moon Overhead: 12:40a 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 8:41a

+2.0

-1.0

BEST: 2:00 — 4:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:49a

BEST: 10:00A — 12:00P

Moon Underfoot: 11:32a

BEST: 3:30 — 5:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 12:17p

BEST: 4:30 — 6:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 1:03p

BEST: 5:30 — 7:30 PM

+2.0

BEST: 6:30 — 8:30 PM

TIDE LEVELS

BEST: 1:00 — 3:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:06a

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 9:24a

Low Tide 6:37 AM High Tide 1:43 PM Low Tide 8:17 PM

0.49 ft 1.29 ft 0.88 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

12:58 AM 7:38 AM 2:05 PM 8:33 PM

1.14 ft 0.60 ft 1.26 ft 0.76 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

2:07 AM 8:28 AM 2:24 PM 8:48 PM

1.22 ft 0.70 ft 1.25 ft 0.63 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

3:05 AM 9:09 AM 2:43 PM 9:08 PM

T E X A S

1504 Almanac (1).indd 91

1.30 ft 0.80 ft 1.25 ft 0.50 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

F I S H

3:55 AM 9:45 AM 3:01 PM 9:32 PM

1.38 ft 0.90 ft 1.26 ft 0.38 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

G A M E ®

4:42 AM 10:18 AM 3:18 PM 9:59 PM

1.45 ft 0.98 ft 1.27 ft 0.27 ft

A P R I L

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

5:28 AM 10:52 AM 3:34 PM 10:30 PM

2 0 1 5

1.51 ft 1.07 ft 1.28 ft 0.17 ft

+1.0

-1.0

3/11/15 12:04 PM

Texas TASTED by KENNETH TEAL :: Special Guest Contributor

Boiled Crawﬁsh, Made Easy

RAWFISH SEASON 2015 IS upon us. In just a few short weeks crawfish will be at their optimal size: number one select. Our foolproof cooking method is sure to be a hit at your next crawfish boil. You are going to need a few things to get started:

Ingredients 30 pounds of (live) number-one “select” crawfish 15-20 medium red potatoes 10 ears of shucked corn snapped in half. 6 pounds Craw Crush Premium Boil; Quality link sausage (optional)

Pour onto a table & enjoy!

If you are adding sausage put them in now. Add the entire sack of crawfish to the pot and return to a boil. Cook for seven minutes, stirring occasionally all the while. Add the entire bag of ice and stir it in well. Soak for 10 to 30 minutes—the longer the hotter the crawfish will be. Remove crawfish and drain well, then layer in the the ice chest, sprinkling Craw Crush boil generously between layers. Close the lid on the ice chest and allow to steam from 10 to 20 minutes. Pour out onto a table covered in newspaper and enjoy.

Additional Items 10–20 gallon pot with drain basket. Extra large ice chest one bag of ice outdoor propane fish fryer Stir paddle water hose nearby.

Cooking Instructions Once you have the propane tank connected to the fryer and tested, place the pot on the fryer and fill up two thirds with cold water. Bring to a boil. Add 4 pounds Craw Crush premium boil. Make sure you place the basket into the water and then add the potatoes. Boil for 10 minutes. Now add the corn and boil for another five minutes. 92 |

A P R I L

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T E X A S

Four pounds of Craw Crush Premium Boil goes into the pot, but save the rest for a liberal sprinkling while steaming in an ice chest.

F I S H

G A M E ®

Kenneth Teal’s company, Swamp Dust, makes and markets a variety of seasonings including Craw Crush Premium Boil and other tasty Cajun products. Check them out at www.SwampDust.com. Email Kenneth Teal at kteal@me.com PHOTOS: KENNETH TEAL

3/11/15 12:04 PM

TEXAS FRESHWATER

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UPPER TEXAS COAST

OUTDOOR SHOPPER

MIDDLE TEXAS COAST

NEW 2015 EDITION

DFW METROPLEX

LAKE TEXOMA

320 Pages, Full of information on 56 Fresh and Saltwater Destinations 2,500 Fishing Hotspots, with GPS, tips & more 18-Month Tide Forecast

HUNTING SOUTH TEXAS

ORDER NOW

www.FishandGameGear.com T E X A S

1504 Almanac (1).indd 93

F I S H

G A M E 速

A P R I L

2 0 1 5

3/9/15 5:26 PM

WHITETAIL East Texas Aryssa Womack, 12, of Danbury shot this 97-pound doe at 204 yards while hunting on the Dolan Ranch in East Texas. It was her ﬁrst deer.

BASS Lady Bird Lake Thirteen-year-old Mac Surles landed his ﬁrst bass off a kayak whild ﬁshing with his dad, Jeff Surles on Lady Bird Lake in Austin.

FLOUNDER Sabine Pass Seven-year-old Lexy Ousley shows off her first flounder. She gigged the 24-inch flatfish in Sabine Pass.

REDFISH Bastrop Bay Roxanne Walch is pictured with one of two redﬁsh she caught on the same spot at Bastrop Bayou, exactly one month apart. They were the same size, and she was wearing the same clothes.

REDFISH Nueces Bay Zachary Gisler caught this 32-inch redﬁsh while wadeﬁshing with his dad, Craig Gisler, in Nueces Bay at Corpus Christi.

WHITETAIL

REDFISH

Trinity County

Copano Bay

Paul Folsom, Sr. shot this 11-point buck in Trinity County with his .308 caliber AR10. It had a 16 ½-inch inside spread and aged 4 1/2 years old.

94 |

A P R I L

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Abby Lane caught this 28-inch red ﬁsh while ﬁshing in Copano Bay last summer.

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

3/11/15 12:04 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.

BREAM Lake Conroe BLACK DRUM Dickenson Bayou Twelve-year-old Gage Fowlkes caught this nice black drum while ﬁshing from the shoreline of Dickinson Bayou.

Five-year-old Jackson (Jax) Romeo shows off his ﬁrst ﬁsh, a bream he caught at Lake Conroe. Grandpa Michael Romeo shared the photo.

SPECKLED TROUT Galveston Three generations of Fred Finchers show off two 28-inch and 24-inch specks they caught with guide Kurt Sauers in Galveston.

JACKFISH Galveston Jasper Palermo and Zane Wong, both ﬁve years old, helped land this 37-inch yellowtail out of the surf along Galveston Island. The yellowtail was caught on 12-pound test line.

FLOUNDER East Galveston Bay A.D. “Skipper” Harvell caught a nice early-run limit of ﬂounder while ﬁshing on East Galveston Bay last October.

BOBCAT New Braunfels Fifteen-year-old Caroline Gekas shot this bobcat on her grandfather’s hunting lease while on a Christmas hunt.

T E X A S

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3/11/15 12:05 PM

1504 Almanac (1).indd 96

3/9/15 5:26 PM

C3_Johnson/Minnkota.indd 3

3/10/15 5:55 PM

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3/10/15 5:56 PM