Texas Fish & Game July 2015 by Texas Fish & Game

THE TEXAS OUTDOOR AUTHORITY

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July 2015 $3.95

Trout are a Lot Tougher than Many Anglers Think Bass Canopies:

Water Ghosts:

Spike the

Crossing Off Hogs

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Bowfish Tilapia

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OVER 50 FRESH & SALTWATER LOCATIONS 2500 GPS FISHING SPOTS

2015 EDITION Available Now!

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.

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CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF

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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

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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 EMAIL: ANEVES@FISHGAME.COM

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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

JULY 2015 Volume 32 â&#x20AC;˘ NO. 3

Contents FEATURES

BIG MAT ATTACK

COVER STORY: Spunky Specks

Speckled trout are STORY: touger and can survive more catch and release stress than many anglers think.

Story and Cover Photo by John N. Felsher

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Lily pads and other dense mats of aquatic vegetation are prime lurking territory for big bass. Pro anglers share their techniques for probing these thick canopies for lunker largemouth.

by John N. Felsher HUNTING WATER GHOSTS

Tilapia are sensitive to movement and can disappear like a ghost. This makes bowfishing for them an exciting sport, on par with hunting Rio Grande turkey or stalking whitetail in the woods.

by Dustin Warncke Crossing Off Hogs

A feral hog control project gets a lot more interesting when a crossbow becomes the weapon of choice.

STORY:

by Gerald Burleigh

CATFISH WITH A PUNCH

Punch bait is a deadly effective tactic professional whisker chasers rely on when going after summer catfish.

by Matt Williams

Mussel Bound Individual boaters have a legal obligation to help stop the invasion of Texas lakes by zebra mussels.

STORY:

Kayak Launch Points A new book profiles 101 freshwater kayak launch points in East, South and Central Texas.

STORY:

BARGAIN HUNTS

With land in Texas being about 97 percent privately owned, public hunting opportunities here are limited. But for the diligent Bargain Hunter, inexpensive options are out there.

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Inside FISH & GAME

Contents (continued) COLUMNS

10 by ROY and ARDIA NEVES TF&G Owners

Pocket-Size Conservation

HANKS TO THREE OF OUR IMPORTANT industry partners, TEXAS FISH & GAME has been able to produce and distribute a pair of informative new conservation booklets. They will be available in Academy Sports + Outdoors stores throughout Texas beginning this month, and, thanks to Costa Sunglasses and Yamaha Outboards, both publications are free. “Gulf Sport Fisheries—Your Role in Their Future” was underwritten by Yamaha and deals with a number of political and natural challenges that currently affect the fisheries—and anglers—of the Gulf of Mexico. Chester Moore, FISH & GAME editor in chief, edited this timely booklet. It deals with the controversy over red snapper regulation in federal waters, the recently renewed Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and other issues affecting an increasingly complex sport fishing world. As Chester explains in the introduction, “The complexity of managing fisheries that sometimes span continents is challenging, to say the least, and the number of interests in these fisheries are all seeking a voice. Who will manage the fisheries? How much will be allocated to recreational fishermen? What about commercial and party boats?” We hope this pocket-sized booklet provides a basic foundation from which everyday anglers can begin looking for and demanding solid answers.

COSTA SUNGLASSES PROVIDED THE support for our second booklet, “Catch and Release Conservation Manual.” This handy booklet provides clear instructions on the proper release techniques for eleven freshwater and saltwater gamefish common to Texas lakes and coastal waters. Its compact six-by-nine-inch size makes it easy to carry in a tacklebox or within reach on your boat. Catch and release is now a standard component in the ongoing effort to sustain the sport of fishing. But a fish released improperly is just as doomed as one thrown into the ice box. We are proud to provide this simple guide to doing it right. (You might also want to read this issue’s cover story on speckled trout catch and release, page 20). Our other partner, Academy, is distributing both booklets throughout Texas. You’ll find them in special displays on Academy’s fishing counters. Yamaha, Costa and Academy have done a great service by underwriting and distributing these booklets. Blue Wave Boats also contributed as a sponsor. They all have our sincere appreciation, and they deserve yours.

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Editor’s Notes

by Chester Moore

TF&G Editor in Chief

Doggett at Large by Joe Doggett

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

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

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Texas Freshwater 8 LETTERS by Matt Williams 12 TF&G REPORT TF&G Freshwater Editor 34 TEXAS Bare Bones DEPT. OF Hunting DEFENSE by Lou Marullo

TF&G Hunting Editor

Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales

TF&G Saltwater Editor

Open Season

by Reavis Wortham

TF&G Freshwater Editor

Texas Boating by Lenny Rudow

TF&G Boating Editor

Practical Angler by Greg Berlocher

TF&G Contributing Editor

DEPARTMENTS

Texas Guns

40 TRUE GREEN 64 INDUSTRY INSIDER

66 FISH AND

GAME GEAR

68 HOTSPOT FOCUS

72 TEXAS

HOTSPOTS

86 TIDES &

PRIME TIMES

94 TF&G PHOTOS

by Steve LaMascus

TF&G Firearms Editor

Texas Tasted

by Bryan Slaven

The Texas Gourmet

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LETTERS to the Editor

I WAS TELLING MY WIFE AND some friends about how much I loved Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. I even did the jingle “Mutual of Omaha is people, you can count on when the goings rough.” They laughed and then the next day in your article you quoted the same thing from memory. Hilarious. I was born in ’74 and you and I share a lot of the same passions and memories. I appreciate all your good work and hope you can come share a duck blind with me in the near future. Brian R. Sanford IT WAS WITH GREAT PLEASURE that I read your mention of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom in your column. I remember gathering together with my brothers and sisters on Sunday evening to watch Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler tangle with all kinds of wild creatures. My fondest memory is watching them rescue a puma on a little island in the flooded Amazon. I also remember them coming close to elephants and wrestling an anaconda. There are more technical programs on wildlife out today, but none with the spirit of Wild Kingdom. Thanks for reminding me of it.

Catﬁsh Appreciation CATFISH ARE SUPER POPULAR IN Texas but get little respect in the outdoor media. Thank you having so many quality catfish articles this year. There is nothing better than sitting on a rainy day catching a limit of channel cats. Jason Rogers

Statewide Trout Changes? WHY DIDN’T THE STATE GO coast-wide with the five trout regulation proposal? Carl Levin Editor: The numbers on the Upper Coast are stronger than in the Middle Coast area. Trout populations here are super healthy,

“

The numbers on the Upper Coast are stronger than in the Middle Coast area.

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Wild Kingdom Fans

Joshua Williams GREAT ARTICLE MENTIONING Wild Kingdom. That was my favorite show as a kid as is probably my favorite show of all time. Thanks Chester for bringing the Wild Kingdom feel to Texas Fish & Game and reminding us we would not have hunting and fishing without the fish and game itself. I appreciate you promoting wildlife stewardship. Ralph Donald 8 |

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plus there is far more support for a five fish bag down there than there is in our neck of the woods.

Flounder Gigging Ban DO YOU THINK WE WILL EVER SEE a total gig on flounder gigging in Texas?

Editor: If it happens it will be a decade or so away. Before we get to that point, I could see something like making gigging a wading only (no boat) affair or something to that effect.

Weird Animals I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS-HOW BIG can wild hogs get and is it true there have been hyenas spotted in Texas? Glenn Schmitt Editor: A 500-pound feral hog is a monster. The biggest I have ever killed was 350 pounds. They can get bigger but 500 pounds is a good top size to go by. There have been reports of hyena-type animals but there are very few hyenas in zoos and even few in private facilities in Texas and Louisiana, so it is doubtful there are escapees. I believe the animals people are referring to as “hyenas” are the same things being labeled as “chupacabras”. They are coyotes with severe mange, which gives the animals a hyena-like appearance although they are much, much smaller than a hyena. I got to interact with hyenas three years ago and they dwarf coyotes.

Send Your Comments to: MAIL: Editor Texas Fish & Game 1745 Greens Rd Houston TX 77032 EMAIL: editor@ﬁshgame.com

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EDITOR’S Notes by CHESTER MOORE :: TF&G Editor-in-Chief

Women’s Screams and Deep Growls

N ENRAGED CACOPHONY of growls, yells, and grunts broke the silence of the darkened forest. While rabbit hunting in a remote East Texas creek bottom, my father and I happened onto something that did not appreciate our being there. With each passing moment, the noisemaker seemed more agitated as it increased the intensity of its furious-sounding cries. The sounds were guttural and vile and they pierced my 12-year-old soul, permanently embedding their frequencies in my memory bank. Although it is impossible to accurately describe them, they still echo in my mind as if I were standing by my Dad right now, wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. I knew something was wrong when my Dad told me it must be a bull that got loose from a nearby ranch, as we retreated from the woods and called off the hunt. No bull sounded like this. Not even close. Neither of us had heard anything like this until August 20, 2000 as I accompanied our friend Bobby Hamilton on an expedition in Polk County, TX. It had been a long night as we sat out between a creek bottom and pine thicket. Other than a few faint moans heard in the distance, the venture was uneventful. That is until about 4 a.m. That is when a low grunt sounded from a thicket 40 yards to the west. Hamilton and I responded with grunts of our own and the mysterious noisemaker 10 |

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replied with great fury. A chill ran down my spine as memories of our encounter 15 years earlier came back. The tone was the same and so were goose bumps on my arm. It started with low volume grunts and then worked itself into a yelling frenzy until it let out a high-pitched roar that can only be described as terrifying. After fumbling through our packs, we flooded the woods with the powerful beacon of a million-candle Q-Beam flashlight, and the noisemaker crashed through the brush, then got quiet. Just nine months before the aforementioned event, I encountered a howler monkey while fishing on Venezuela’s Lake Guri. My guide and interpreter called the monkey a “mono vil” or “mean monkey” and after messing with one of the creatures, it is easy to understand why. As we approached more closely, it jumped from branch to branch, snapping limbs and increasing the intensity of its yells. Finally, I decided to do a series of grunts and see how the animal responded. I would grunt and it would grunt. I would grunt twice and it would grunt twice. And finally, tired of my harassment, the monkey let out a loud roar and disappeared into the dense canopy of the South American rainforest This was virtually the exact behavior and very similar sound to what occurred 3,000 miles to the north nine months later. Strange, huh? What about the bizarre screams of “panthers” commonly reported throughout Texas? People often report something that sounds like a lady screaming into the night. In fact, between Seguin and San Antonio there is a creek off Interstate 10 named “Woman Hollering Creek.” I have been blessed to be around captive cougars many times and in fact worked with them directly for two years while I was in college. I heard many vocalization, but none that I thought sounded like a woman screaming. Of course, sounds are hard to describe so maybe the high pitch yell they let out is what people are talking about.

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Screech owls are a common source of strange noises, and they are common in much of Texas. They are our tiniest owls, but let out the most intense vocalizations very spooky, especially if you are cruising along a river bottom at night. Feral hogs make many unusual noises that could easily be interpreted as something else if you are not familiar. They have plenty of sounds besides “oink.” Coyotes, particularly when a bunch of them start yipping, have a sound that is flat out weird. Last January, we were at the Texas Zoo in Victoria, and I watched as two coyotes did their yipping thing right in front of us. It sounded like there were three times that many. Other interesting sources of unusual woodland sounds are the various exotic deer that roam the Lone Star State. Axis and sika deer have a high-pitched sound that will certainly grab your attention. Elk are also present in Texas, and if someone is not used to their bugle it might sound like something from beyond. Some sounds out there are truly strange. They are not easy to figure out, and if you have recordings of anything like this, I would love to hear them. You can email them to cmoore@fishgame.com. I am working on a wildlife audio project for <fishgame.com>, and I would like to get a collection of strange sounds from across the state. Admit it, you have heard stuff in the woods you cannot explain. Maybe you are like me and want to know more. Then again, maybe you’re better off not knowing. That might make those pre-dawn walks to the deer blind less frightening. Until that scream summons from the thicket…

Email Chester Moore at CMoore@ﬁshgame.com

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The TF G Report Legislature Passes Hunting/Fishing Amendment Bill THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE HAS passed a proposed constitutional amendment that will guarantee a citizen’s right to hunt and fish. According to the Associated Press last week, the House passed it 111-1 with 20-plus abstentions. Senate approval came last month. “Voters in November will be asked to modify the Texas Constitution to recognize “the right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife subject to laws that promote wildlife conservation,” the AP report said. “Eighteen other states have approved similar measures, which supporters say come as some areas have shortened hunting

seasons or limited what animals can be hunted. The amendment wouldn’t trump hunting rules or ordinances banning discharging guns within city limits.” This will be an interesting public vote as very few people take part in some of these state elections. How will the public, with particular emphasis on a growing urban area, react to a state constitutional amendment on hunting? The answer will come in November.

TPWD Changes Shrimp, Oyster Regs COMMERCIAL BAY SHRIMPERS will no longer have to cull small shrimp during the fall season, thanks to regulation changes adopted last week by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. The elimination of a 50 heads on shrimp

per pound count/size requirement for commercial bay shrimpers in inside waters during the fall season (Aug. 15-Oct. 31) should help reduce resource waste that occurs from undersized shrimp mortality during the culling process. The commission also clarified reference to the effective date of federal rules stipulating turtle excluder device (TEDs) requirements and corrected an outdated statement regarding the waters in which TEDs are required. In addition, the commission approved changes to commercial oyster fishing regulations requiring dead oyster shell greater than ¾ inches to be returned to the reef at the time of harvest and be counted as an undersized oyster, and amended the definition of sack of oysters to include dead oyster shell greater than ¾ inches. TPWD reported many of the state’s oyster reefs have been depleted and hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of cultch (material, such as oyster shell, that furnishes a place for larval oysters to attach and grow to maturity) have been

BIG BAGS CATCHES

ZEBRA

REDFISH

South Africa

Bafﬁn Bay

Morgan Holden, 13, shot this zebra while on a hunt in South Africa with her family, dad Shawn, mom Becky and sister Kristine. Morgan used a .243 handed down from her grandfather to bag the zebra at 160 yards

Augie Hinojosa of Bishop caught this 55-inch bull red in the backwaters of Laguna Salada near Baffin Bay. He caught the fish with his trusty Shimano Curado and 6-foot, nine inch H2O Xpress Ethos rod on a fee-lined 7-inch live mullet. He saw the red feeding in 1-1/2 feet of water. He landed the fish about 200 yards from where he hooked it.

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removed from the state’s public oyster reefs because of oyster dredging. The majority of the cultch removed from public reefs is not recovered. The continuing removal of shell from oyster habitat poses a threat to the viability of the state’s oyster fishery, because a reduction in the cultch juvenile oysters depend on for growth results in less recruitment and, potentially, fewer legal-sized oysters.

Mustang Island State Park Gains Acreage THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE Commission has approved a 690-acre land acquisition that increases the size of Mustang Island State Park near Corpus Christi to 4,783 acres. In addition, the commission agreed to accept a 100-acre conservation easement donation adjacent to the park. Both land actions result from the settlement of a pollution mitigation case brought in 2005 against Asarco and Encycle, which operated smelting and waste management facilities that discharged pollutants into upper Corpus Christi Bay for more than 60 years. Mustang Island State Park opened to the public in 1979. Mustang Island has developed rapidly in recent years, and few opportunities remain to enlarge the popular state park.

TROUT Upper Laguna Madre Jeremiah Jones was ﬁshing the Upper Laguna Shoreline in a 40-degree north wind when he got his only aggressive bite of the day, followed by a storybook surfacing headshake and several hard, drag-pulling runs. The 30-inch, 8-3/4 pound monster trout responsible for all this excitement was gratefully released.

La. Black Bear Could be Removed from List THANKS TO A HIGHLY SUCCESSful public-private partnership spanning more than two decades, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal announced today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove the Louisiana black bear from the list of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). “The Louisiana black bear symbolizes how the Endangered Species Act can be a remarkably effective tool to protect and recover threatened and endangered species when we work in close partnership with states and other stakeholders,” Jewell said. “Across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, we have worked together with our partners to protect and restore habitat, reintroduce populations and reduce the threats to the bear. The bear’s recovery is yet another success story of the Endangered Species Act.” The Endangered Species Act has been a critical safety net for imperiled plants and wildlife for more than four decades, preventing more than 99 percent of the species listed from going extinct. In addition, the Act has helped to remove many species from the brink of extinction to the path to recovery, including the American alligator, Florida panther, bald eagle, brown pelican and gray whale. The Obama Administration has removed more species from the endangered species list due to recovery than any prior administration. “Today, after more than 20 years of collaborative research and recovery efforts, I’m proud to finally announce the recovery of the Louisiana black bear,” said Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. “With today’s announcement, we will finally start the process of removing the Louisiana black bear from the United States Threatened and Endangered Species List. This announcement highlights the vital steps we’ve taken to protect such an iconic symbol of our great state, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done to get here.” The Louisiana black bear is a subspecies of black bear unique to Louisiana, western Mississippi and eastern Texas. In 1902, it became part of American culture when, during a hunting trip near T E X A S

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Onward, Mississippi, President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a tethered Louisiana black bear. An editorial cartoon in The Washington Post relayed the story, sparking an idea from a Brooklyn candy store owner to create the Teddy Bear. When the Louisiana black bear was listed under the ESA in 1992 due to habitat loss, reduced quality of remaining habitat and human-related mortality, the three known remaining breeding subpopulations were confined to the bottomland hardwood forests of Louisiana in the Tensas and Upper and Lower Atchafalaya River basins. Today, those subpopulations have all increased in number and have stable-toincreasing growth rates. Additional breeding subpopulations are forming in Louisiana and Mississippi,which provides a healthy longterm outlook for the species. For more than 20 years, the Service has collaborated with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Tennessee, private landowners and others to address the threat of habitat loss in the bear’s range. This includes researching the status of the existing populations, establishing additional subpopulations, and protecting or restoring more than 750,000 acres of habitat. A large proportion of habitat supporting and connecting breeding subpopulations has been protected and restored voluntarily through private landowner restoration efforts. Long-term habitat protection is defined as having sufficient assurances that degradation is not likely to occur for at least 100 years. These assurances rest heavily on voluntary conservation agreements with private landowners and public conservation agencies in the Tensas and Atchafalaya River basins. The ESA requires delisted species to be monitored for a minimum of five years. Through the public comment period, which ends on July 20, 2015, the Service is seeking additional biological data and information regarding threats to the Louisiana black bear. For more information about the proposed delisting of the Louisiana black bear, please visit the Service’s websites at http://www.fws. gov/lafayette or http://www.fws.gov/southeast/. —from Staff Reports

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

Watch the Knife

ITH APOLOGIES TO Shakespeare’s Marc Antony, I submit that the “unkindest cut of all” is not delivered by a treacherous hand, as Brutus did to Julius Caesar. It is the cut you inflict upon yourself. Outdoorsmen frequently wield large knives capable of delivering terrible wounds. Through a moment of carelessness, a hand can be only a short stroke from trouble. Perhaps now, as the summer fishing season peaks, is a good time to stress this “point” or edge, if you prefer. The catchand-release ethic aside, plenty of flashing fillet knives will be in use during the next few months across the state. I recently filleted a redfish in my kitchen. The red was a smallish keeper,

maybe 22 inches. I held the old Russell knife in my right hand. The thin, nineinch blade sliced the first fillet from the backbone, and I flipped the slab over to peel the skin. I have done it thousands of times and was working on autopilot. Somehow, with the final flourish, the blade turned and slipped, slashing deeply through the base of my left index finger. I think it hit the bone. Mercy! Knife cuts are scary. The whole business makes you queasy. Bright blood sprayed across the brick floor, across the granite counter, and appro14 |

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priately enough, splattered against the tile backsplash. I dropped the bloody knife in the sink and bound the finger in a handy paper towel. Fortunately, my thumb was able to apply direct pressure to the wound. I sneaked a peek, easing the pressure, and the impromptu bandage turned red over the sink. My quick appraisal was, I’d better get to the nearest emergency room. I scuttled upstairs and grabbed my credentials, keys and a bath towel in case the wound started bleeding all over the vehicle. All this took about five minutes. Before climbing into the Tahoe, I snuck another peek. The bleeding had slowed considerably, so I kept the pressure on and checked the inch-long crescent slice about 10 minutes later. No serious leaking. I washed the cut and applied an antiseptic and bound the base of the finger in a tight bandage. The slice sealed over in several days, with no evidence of infection, although the scar is still red. The nerves burn a bit now and then, but the finger movement seems fine. THAT WAS ONLY THE SECOND BAD knife cut I’ve inflicted on myself in a lifetime of messing around with all sorts of blades. The first occurred about 25 years ago on the second morning of a week-long, fly-out trip on a small river in Alaska. Six of us were camped on a gravel bar within reach of a long pool filled with 20- to 35-pound king salmon, a dream wilderness setup. Following a quick breakfast, I grabbed my 10-weight fly rod and hastily reached into an open tote bag for a second box of bright streamer flies.

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In the bag was my old leather surf wading belt rigged with a piggyback sheath for pliers and fillet knife. The knife had worked partway loose from the scabbard and I severely slashed the outside edge of my right trigger finger against the base of the blade. I flapped along the gravel bar, scatter-

ing blood like a wounded grizzly and yelling all sorts of epithets. Outfitter J.W. Smith saw the commotion and rushed over. Smith could radio for help but the situation was only a semi-emergency. He eyed the cut, applied treatment, and then wrapped it in several layers of “second skin” adhesive tape. The bleeding slowed to a trickle, and we went fishing. Incidentally, despite having an injured casting hand, I had a great morning. I landed and released six king salmon to 30 pounds, while the other three anglers totaled only three or four fish. They accused me of soaking the big egg-sucking, leach fly in blood; maybe they had a point because each time I “set up” with a hard strip-strike on the 20-pound leader, blood would squirt from the finger. Both times I was lucky. Worth note, a clean knife slice is similar to a surgical cut, and the two edges pull together nicely. The adage “familiarity breeds contempt” probably accounts for most cuts from fillet knives. The contempt is for caution. The long-time angler has done the drill so many times that the motions become rote. It’s easy to forget that the sharp blade is working mere inches from wet and slippery fingers. SELF-INFLECTED WOUNDS FROM hunting knives probably are the result of the

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opposite mindset. The average hunter is a bit uncertain because he doesn’t field-dress game that often. One or two deer a season, maybe a hog or an exotic, but that doesn’t put you in the class of an African game skinner. Groping around inside the bloody carcass can be sort of hit of miss. You are carving and slicing, maybe hacking by Braille, and using both hands. A fixed-blade knife with some sort of thumb rise or cross-piece finger guard provides superior purchase although many salty ranchers prefer large

Ironically, regardless of function or design, a sharp knife is the safest to wield.

folding knives. If you opt for the latter, a locking blade provides extra insurance against a fumble. The worst knife cut I’ve witnessed occurred when a deer hunter had the blade of a big pocket knife fold back across his knuckles. He was in a hurry, yanking hard, and the knife turned with a vengeance. Perhaps his knife lacked leverage. Or the edge wasn’t as keen as it should have been. Ironically, regardless of function or design, a sharp knife is the safest to wield. It cuts cleanly and with less awkward force. Actually, the more I think about it, the Bard of Avon probably was correct: The treacherous thrust is the unkindest cut. The self-inflicted slice is the dumbest one.

Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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

Wild Weather

ATER, WATER EVERYwhere. That will be my recollection of May 2015. The rain won’t stop, the rivers haven’t crested just yet, lives have been lost, and thousands of people have had most or all of what they owned washed away. Half a continent west, Californians will look back differently on the same month. They’re living thirstily on the opposite end of the spectrum, halfway across the country, withering and parched under relentless, unprecedented drought. They are as desperate for the rivers to rise as we Texans are for

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them to subside. And all around the world, similar situations play themselves out regularly tsunami earthquake volcanic eruption blizzard. Somewhere on the planet, right now, whenever now might be, it’s too wet or too dry, too hot or too cold, too windy or well, calm’s not so bad unless there’s a tropical storm overhead. (Houstonians: Remember Allison?) In small doses, within reason, weather extremes are tolerable and make good conversation starters. When you wind up talking about homes washed off their foundations, people trapped in flooded cars or heat sucking the life from half a state the size of three states, however, the reality of it becomes a heart-twisting burden.

We are reminded every century or so by extreme flood and drought, major hurricanes and tornados, that nature remains in charge full force one hundred percent. We build bigger and stronger behind every loss, but that doesn’t matter nearly as much as we think. Nature, on a whim, can shear off an entire mountaintop. Upgrading from shingles to tile or using 2x6 studs instead of 2x4s to anchor a wall doesn’t mean much to triple-digit wind or rushing water. On the plus side, as mentioned earlier, these events aren’t regular occurrences. Nonetheless, they seem to be creeping into our lives and getting under our skin more often, enough to be more than mildly bothersome. Looking at historic weather data makes me

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I can’t turn my head or bury it under the covers. I want to know what could happen because my family’s safety is on the line, but I’m equally interested in what’s most likely to happen. Throw me a bone of hope as the

“ Nature, on a whim, can shear off an entire mountaintop.

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wonder whether we’re actually experiencing more severe wind and water events or just hearing about them more promptly and in greater detail thanks to instant (and often sensationalized) news reports. Our attention is grabbed day in, day out, by buzzers and flashing lights and scrolling text to tell us how bad things could get in the blink of an eye. My stomach aches as the watches and warnings creep across the bottom of the screen or appear as text messages on my phone. I go to the Internet to look for details. I look back at the television and change channels in case one station has an update that the others missed. Then I eat some more Tums. My young son, in the meantime, has slept peacefully through dozens of significant storms, including Hurricane Ike when he was barely one. He lives under a confident, youthful presumption of safety, which most often is going to be the case for us all despite television reports that highlight worst-case scenarios and leave me lying awake at night hoping the roof doesn’t fly off or the car doesn’t float off.

clouds form overhead, so I can get some rest. That’s the story I want, a balanced report of how things are now, how they’re most likely to develop, and then maybe some words of caution that outline a worst-case roll of the

atmospheric dice. My thoughts at present are with those who already lost family members or property, or both and those whose homes and safety are currently threatened. Until this emergency passes, we’ll all keep a watchful eye over our shoulders. It wasn’t many years ago, as most Texans will recall, that drought and resultant fires wiped out huge chunks of the state’s midsection. During roughly the same time span, if memory serves, parts of the nation’s Midwest were, as we are now, underwater. It’s always something. Tragically, however, nature is an equal opportunity destroyer. Given time, nothing is immune from its power or outside its path. As has been said so often and will continue to be said, this, too, shall pass. And as soon as it does, once any necessary repairs are made to whatever’s broken or flooded or baked or knocked down, I’ve got some fish to catch.

Email Doug Pike at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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

The Spirit of the Wild Saves Lives

HE GREAT OUTDOOR LIFEstyle will not only cleanse the soul, it will save your life. Just ask my favorite guitar player (yes, that’s me) and I assure you that the jury is not still out. Growing up on the not so mean streets of Detroit back in the roaring ‘50s and 60’s, then on the fiery global rock-n-roll road beyond, all those so called “peer pressure” temptations were nonstop and ubiquitous. I swear to God it was the mystical flight of the arrow, critter encounters, the call of the wild and “aim small miss small” discipline that fortified me to defy all such nonsense. I thank God on a daily basis that my parents were darn good parents, and the determining factor for being a good parent can be described in a single word; DISCIPLINE! When it is all said and done (which by the way it never is) good old-fashioned discipline equals love and is without question the definition of good parenting. When I was growing up, my youthful ignorance allowed me to believe that discipline was nothing more than a major pain in the ass getting in the way of my youthful fun and adventure. But now 66.6 years later, with an honest look at the MotorCity Madman guitarboy, my brothers Jeff and John and my sister Kathy, and I give you four gungho, ultra-disciplined, ultra-hard working, ultra-loving, ultra-productive Americans ensconced solidly in the asset column of life. When my intellect and instincts developed adequately and then kicked in in my teenage years, there was simply no questioning that quality of life, and in many cases life itself, are derived from a conscientious mindset and the accountability that comes with it. At the tender age of 66.7 years, there is no 18 |

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doubt at all in my mind that the hunting and shooting disciplines I was taught growing up fortified me to defy the lies of peer pressure and standard youthful desire to get involved in less than desirable activities that cost so many lives. I defied the drug and alcohol and tobacco nonsense for the simple reason that my dad forbade them early on, and eventually my trained pragmatism guided me to avoid any and all activities that would get in the way of my marksmanship, predator level of awareness and overall “aim small miss small” regimen in everything that brought joy to my life. Getting high and poisoning one’s self does not enhance the hunting lifestyle, or anything else. Fewer opening days are not better than more opening days. Just saying. Which brings me to the bigger picture of how the hunting/shooting disciplines have saved so many young lives over the years. At the behest of my hero and friend Fred Bear, following our last hunt together in 1987, I created the Ted Nugent Kamp for Kids 501C3 charity to bring the outdoor lifestyle to as many young people as I possibly could. And thanks to an army of phenomenal volunteers, we have cleansed the souls of about 15 thousand young Americans and their families since 1989. The purpose of this writing is to encourage as many readers as possible to create their own lifesaving children’s event in order to counterpunch the embarrassing self-inflicted scourge of political correctness that is on the fast track to further dumb down more American children with such lies and scams as animal rights, anti-hunting and anti-gun propaganda flooding from the media, our government and academia nationwide. It’s really very simple; galvanize a few of your hunting friends and find a decent location like a farm, ranch, park or even an existing

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campground. Get some Genesis youth bows and feather fletched arrows, a few 3D and bulls-eye archery targets, some slingshots and air guns and ammo, fishing gear, a taxidermy buddy and a trapping buddy, some hotdogs and grills, earmark a Saturday during the summer, check all local laws and regulations, make certain each volunteer is qualified, trustworthy, good with kids and experienced, then have at it and save some lives. As we have learned for 25 years, it does indeed take some serious effort and sacrifice, but I can assure you that there is nothing available in the world today that will spike kids’ attention like the discipline of the various shooting sports, the magic of trapping and taxidermy and an organized day afield with family and friends reconnecting with the powerful instinct to be self-sufficient and learn the ways of the wild. It’s not rocket science, and with some effort, each of us can be a positive force to reckon with to educate, enthuse and recruit many new sporters to the conservation responsibility. Reaching out to any of the various sporting/conservation organizations, archery clubs, shooting ranges, 4H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Explorer Scouts, and so many others, and I have to believe that a nationwide network of these events could spread far and wide, and like a tsunami of goodwill and love, we the people can make an enormous difference for our children. I know one over the top, dangerously uppity, slightly obnoxious, wired, somewhat maniacal old guitar player that is living proof.

Email Ted Nugent at TNugent@ﬁshgame.com

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

TEPPING OUT THE BACK door of my house, as I had done thousands of times before, I can honestly say I was totally without fear. My house sits on a hill seven miles east of the rural Central Texas town of Mason, a town of 2,200 souls, where “crime” generally means kids swiping street signs, or shooting bottle rockets at one another on July 4. Real crime is rare in Mason, and the citizens are respectful of one another. It’s a safe place. So when I stepped out of my house, I certainly didn’t expect to be in any danger, from anyone or anything until I looked down and saw a five-foot western diamondback rattlesnake coiling up and sticking his tongue out at me. Suddenly, I didn’t feel quite so safe. The fact is that life contains hazards, more in some places than others, but there is no locale in the world that is totally protected. Bad things happen to good people, and the fact that danger is not immediately perceived is not proof that it doesn’t exist, but proof that it hasn’t been detected yet. Americans have certain rights, and none of those rights derive from government. All rights come directly from God, and government can either protect them for its citizens, or attempt to take them away. Those who don’t wish to acknowledge God, for whatever reason, refer to “human rights,” but the result is the same. Government cannot grant rights, because it lacks the necessary authority. A movement seems to have begun lately to protect American citizens’ right to feel safe. People feel threatened by the violence inherent in life, and they wish to insulate themselves from danger. This is a natural reaction, since humans are endowed with

“ Americans have certain rights, and none of those rights derive from government.

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Freedom from Fear

a sense of self-preservation, but there is one small problem with the right to feel safe it doesn’t exist. There is a big difference between the right of self-protection, which we all have, and the right to safety, which no one has. Evil is real, and we can watch for it, try to avoid it, and protect ourselves from it when it attacks. What we cannot do is eliminate it, which would be the only way to actually be safe from it. As long as evil exists, there is no

true safety. This fact certainly doesn’t deter humans from seeking safety, nor should it. But until we grasp the reality that evil is real and cannot be removed from the equation, we are unable to understand that complete safety is too much to ask for. Evil is like a virus we can inoculate against it, but we can’t cure it. The problem is that many Americans seem to believe they have a right to safety, so they push for laws that make them feel safe. The laws don’t make them any safer, and in most cases they make people less safe, but the illusion of safety is more important to these people than actual safety. A case in point is a recent court decision in Illinois, in the case of Friedman vs. City of Highland Park. The court ruled in favor T E X A S

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of a firearm ban in the city park, maintaining that “the ordinance may increase the public’s sense of safety.” The court acknowledged that the ban would not eliminate gun violence in the park, but upheld the ban, on the grounds that it “may” give people a “sense” of safety. In other words, the court recognized that the gun ban created an illusion of safety, but not real safety, which no law could ever do anyway. So the court created a right that doesn’t exist the right to freedom from fear. Creating a freedom from fear is a dangerous concept. It causes people to ignore danger in favor of an imaginary utopia. When reality bites and it will the victim feels betrayed by the system, when in fact he has been betrayed by his own desire for a safety that is non-existent. This court decision is akin to a doctor prescribing morphine for a broken leg. The symptom, pain, is eliminated, but the problem remains unsolved. The patient feels fine, and may consider himself healed, until he tries to walk. The resulting damage is far more difficult to fix than if the doctor had set and cast the leg to begin with. Everyone would like to be safe from harm, but only the incredibly naïve believe such a state to be obtainable. Even those who claim the police can protect us lock their houses. If the police could protect us, locks would be unnecessary. When I walked out my back door, I was in familiar territory, where nothing bad had happened to me, and believed I was perfectly safe. Finding a rattlesnake on my porch was not the fault of government, any more than evil is the fault of government. Believing the government can pass laws that protect us, whether from snakes, or thieves, or rapists, or murderers, is not just naïve. It’s criminal.

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the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, the spotted sea trout ranks among the most popular species in coastal waters. Also known as speckled trout, these sporty fish normally enter brackish estuaries, coastal bays and nearshore waters from Massachusetts, around Florida and down to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. In Gulf Coast states, about 75 percent of all coastal fishing trips target trout. On those trips, anglers bring in more than 42 million trout annually. This highly prolific fish can sustain considerable angling pressure because one female trout may produce between five and 15 million offspring in a single season. As fish grow older and larger, they produce more eggsâ&#x20AC;&#x2022;up to a point.

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Hardy Trout Survive Longer Than Many People Think

story and photos by John N. Felsher T E X A S

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Speckled trout females attain sexual maturity when they reach about 11 inches long, usually when they turn about a year old. Specks spawn over several months from mid-spring to early fall. Individual fish may spawn multiple times during a season. If only one percent of those offspring survives to reproduce, a single female could replicate herself many hundreds of thousands of times in her 10- to 12-year lifespan. With generally liberal trout limits and long or non-existent seasons in most states, many anglers practice “catch and grease” when it comes to this popular food fish. Not only do speckled trout taste delicious, but many anglers think that the seemingly fragile fish simply cannot survive if released. However, studies prove that trout can survive better than many people believe. “A speckled trout has a very delicate mouth, but it isn’t as delicate as a lot of people think,” explained marine biologist Randy Pausina, who is assistant secretary for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. “Indications are that by far the greatest majority of trout survive angling capture and release. Nearly all mortality in both trout and redfish occurs within the first 48 hours (of capture.)” Researchers from Texas A&M University and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department studied trout mortality rates in a test lasting from July 2004 to June 2005. In the test, researchers caught 479 trout of varied sizes using common recreational angling methods including single hooks, treble hooks, artificial lures and live bait. The researchers also used handling techniques regularly used by recreational anglers such as grabbing fish to unhook them by hand or with pliers. After catching the fish, researchers released the trout into controlled tanks that simulated conditions in the nearby bays and observed the fish for 72 hours. According to “Catch-And-Release Mortality of Spotted Seatrout,” a report issued by the TP&WD, all but 92 of those 479 trout lived, giving them an 81 percent survival rate. Most of the fish that died suffered extensive bleeding or severe hook injuries. About 95 percent of the fish hooked in the esophagus and 75 percent of those hooked in the gills died. Only 10 percent of the fish hooked just in the mouth died. Another eight percent of the trout hooked in other body parts, such as fish foul-hooked in the side, perished. 22 |

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In a TPWD study, ninety percent of speckled trout survived after being hooked in the lip. Esophagus and gill-hooked trout, however, suffered much higher mortality.

In an earlier study by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, researchers caught 1,512 speckled trout and 743 redfish over nearly two years. Like in the Texas study, researchers used single hooks with live bait, treble hooks with live bait, single-hook lures and lures with treble hooks. The Louisiana researchers also unhooked and handled fish with methods normally used by recreational anglers. After catching the fish, the Louisiana researchers put them into large live wells aboard their boats. Upon returning to shore, they transferred the fish to large holding tanks that simulated temperature, oxygen and salinity levels then found in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the Louisiana study, 82.5 percent of the trout and 97.3 percent of the redfish survived. Because fish swallow live bait and often try to spit out lures, more trout caught on artificials survived. Ironically, more trout survived after hitting treble hooks, probably because they couldn’t swallow them as easily. Of the trout that hit lures with treble hooks, 97 percent lived. About 91 percent of trout that hit single hook lures survived. For live bait takers, 83 percent caught on treble hooks and 74 percent on single hooks lived. Redfish fared better than trout, particularly after hitting baits with single hooks. About 99 percent of redfish that hit single-

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hook lures and 97 percent caught with treble-hooked lures survived. About 96 percent of the reds that hit natural bait offered on single hooks and 94 percent that ate baits on treble hooks lived to fight again. Even with live bait, circle hooks may keep fish from swallowing temptations. A circle hook generally anchors securely in the corner of a fish’s jaw, seldom causing much tissue damage. Therefore, anglers using circle hooks with bait can often release fish more easily. The season of the year and daily conditions also influenced mortality rates, researchers from both Louisiana and Texas concluded. Hot, shallow water such as that found in many coastal estuaries during the summer contains the least amount of dissolved oxygen. Fish caught in this environment often die more easily than fish caught in cold, well-oxygenated water. With a 78 percent survival rate, June came in with the lowest figure during the Texas study, followed by July with 88 percent, August with 90 percent and September with a 93 percent survival rate. With the exception of April, in which 98 percent of the fish caught survived, all trout caught between October and May survived. Being cold blooded, fish reduce their metabolism in frigid weather, but extreme cold can also shock and kill specks. Therefore, fish caught during normally pleasant temperatures in spring or fall typiPHOTO: JOHN N. FELSHER

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cally survive better than fish caught under a broiling summer sun or a biting January frost. “Temperature is a major factor with survivability, as is dissolved oxygen,” Pausina advised. “In warmer weather, the longer fish are out of the water the less likely they will survive. In the summer, the dissolved oxygen content is low, so that puts more stress on them.” The Texas researchers also looked at survival rates during catch and release trout tournaments. In nine tournaments held between February 2004 and June 2005, anglers brought in 1,373 trout. Of those, 23 percent died. Many tournaments either penalize anglers for bringing in dead fish or refuse to weigh them. Driven first by catch and release largemouth bass tournaments during the past five decades, boating companies greatly improved live well technology to keep more fish alive for longer periods. That technology transferred over to anglers fishing saltwater tournaments. Some anglers even bring small oxygen bottles to put in their live wells or add built-in oxy-

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genation systems for their boats so they can bring in healthier fish. “I’ve seen fishermen put speckled trout in a live well with redfish and bass at the same time and they survive,” Pausina recalled. “Even pumping Gulf water into large tanks in the summer, the water gets too warm. We have to cool them down a bit.” To avoid excessively stressing fish, you should simulate existing natural conditions on that day as much as possible. Refresh tanks frequently with water of similar temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen levels. Keep live wells thoroughly aerated. On a hot day, water in even the best live wells can heat up dramatically, but cooler water can lower a trout’s metabolism and increase its survival rate. To keep more fish alive during the summer, drop some crushed ice into the live well to lower the water temperature slowly. Don’t overwhelm it with ice, which can also distress and kill fish. Sometimes, people catch potential record fish, or even just a personal best. Live fish weigh more than dead fish. The more time

that passes between when a fish dies and when it hits the scales the more weight it could lose. Many boats come equipped with multiple live wells. If so, transfer all other fish to one tank, release them or put them on ice. Gently place the potential record fish by itself in one well-aerated live well. Then, as fast as safely possible, run to the nearest certified weigh station. Losing just a few ounces could mean the difference between a record and just another big fish. In the old days, anglers fishing in states without daily limits could fill several large ice chests with trout. Many of those fish went to waste before people could eat that many. If you want to keep some trout to eat no problem. You should ice enough trout to make a few meals, but release specks larger than four pounds to fight and breed again another day. Keeping a 9- or 10-pounder as a trophy won’t adversely affect fish populations since those old fish have already produced millions of offspring over several generations and won’t live much longer anyway.

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ILHOUETTED BY the glow of the rising sun, the frog hopped from lily pads to a patch of matted aquatic grass and remained motionless for a few seconds, but it didn’t stay that way for long. Moments later, a big bass exploded on the tempta-

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tion, flinging froth and weeds in all directions as it discovered a plastic imitation imbedded with steel hooks instead of a juicy morsel for breakfast. “Throwing a frog is a tremendous way to fish grass,” explained Shaw Grigsby, a professional bass angler and national television host. “A buzz frog is like a buzzbait

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that can easily come through the middle of the thickest vegetation. It’s a very simple bait to use, but it can produce really big bass. The legs on a buzz frog sputter like a buzzbait. Bass come out from under the lily pads or grass beds to eat it. When a big bass explodes on a frog, there’s nothing more exciting.”

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Probing Dense Canopies for Lunker Largemouth story and photos by John N. Felsher

Across the state, thick hydrilla, milfoil, lily pads, water hyacinths or other vegetation can clog many waterways. Matted vegetation might occur in practically any Texas waterway, but some lakes only contain scattered grass patches. Parts of other lakes almost look like solid meadowlands. Lakes with grass include Fork, Toled T E X A S

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Pro Shaw Grigsby, works a soft plastic jerkshad through vegetation.

Bend, Caddo, Sam Rayburn, Tawakoni, O.H. Ivie, Possum Kingdom, Lake O’ the Pines and Palestine. Lily pads line many swamps and bayous in eastern Texas, particularly along the Sabine and Neches rivers. Along the coast, shallow marshy lagoons and rich river deltas can grow thick with matted vegetation. During the summer, bass seeking shade congregate under thick grass canopies. These vegetated blankets also attract abundant forage, such as shad, minnows, bream, crustaceans, insects and other creatures. In some lakes, grass can grow so thick that it intimidates anglers who only see an impenetrable barrier to fishing. Anglers passing on grass mats skip some of the potentially most productive and least pressured waters in Texas. With abundant food, oxygen, shade and “security blankets” over their heads keeping them safe from airborne predators, many wily lunkers grow old and fat hunkered down under thick grass mats while rarely seeing lures. “The reason so many fish are up under the grass is because nobody messes with them,” explained Ken Cook, a former Bassmaster Classic champion. “People who don’t fish mats are losing the opportunity to catch a lot of fish. For bass, matted grass is kind of like a briar patch for rabbits. If mats blow from one side of the lake to the other, 26 |

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I’m going to go where the mats are.” Many anglers poke around the grassy edges with spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwaters, but to really reach lunkers, people typically need either to go over the grass or punch through the canopy into the lair of the beast. Sometimes, the biggest, most aggressive bass hover just beneath canopies waiting to snatch any creature slithering across the mats. To entice these lurking lunkers, throw unweighted, soft plastic lizards, flukes or similar creatures and dance them over the grass tops. At open pockets, let these baits sink a foot or two before continuing the retrieve. “I use a lot of Texas-rigged plastics without weights,” said Randy Blaukat, a professional bass angler. “I use a straight-tail worm or a trick worm rigged Texas-style without the weight. I rig a 10-inch worm and swim it across the surface like a top-water lure or reel it across the surface like a buzzbait. Often, when fish want to hit a top-water bait or buzzbait, but don’t really strike it, they might go for one of those top-water buzzing worms.” Among the most popular grass baits, soft plastic frogs produce many bucketmouths. Some frogs sink and others float. Anglers can fish either type in several ways. You can buzz them across the surface with a steady retrieve or pop them across the surface like a top-water bait. The commotion simulates a live frog splashing across the water. Buzzing frogs also make excellent search baits. “Sometimes, I’ll throw a search bait, but keep another bait handy in case something blows up on the first bait and misses,” advised James Niggemeyer, a bass pro from Van, Texas. “What I throw back a second time is largely dependent upon the cover I’m fishing. “Sometimes, the bass will eat the same lure again,” he said, “but usually, I follow up with a more subtle bait, especially in heavily pressured lakes and when the bite turns slow. If I’m working a frog over thick grass, I may throw back a soft plastic bait.” If bass won’t come up through the mats, anglers may need to go in after them. What might look like an imposing canopy on the surface may provide fish ample maneuver room beneath the vegetation. o penetrate beneath mats, many anglers flip jigs, tubes or other Texas-rigged plastic temptations through pockets in the mats. Working grass beds at close range, a good

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flipper can drop a bait through just about every hole in a mat. When the subtle approach fails, try something more dramatic. Nothing gets a fish’s attention like a chunk of metal smashing through the roof like a cannonball. A heavy jig crashing down through nearby water often provokes a quick reaction strike, even from non-aggressive bass. “Sometimes, the best places to fish are the toughest to go through, in the thickest places,” Cook emphasized. “Often, the thicker the cover, the bigger the fish. When I’m fishing really thick cover, I use a big sinker to punch through the canopy. I might throw the bait up in the air about 20 feet. When it crashes down on the mat, it punches through. Do whatever it takes to get it through the mat to where the fish are.” Most people think of weeds when considering “canopy cover,” but anything that provides low shade or a “roof” over the water could constitute a canopy. This includes overhanging trees, bridges and moored boats. Most familiar to many bass anglers, docks offer very obvious overhead cover. Old, crusty docks adjacent to deep water, such as a ditch or creek channel, typically offer the best fishing. “The best docks are usually the oldest because they have more cover and fish are more accustomed to using them,” said Alton Jones, a former Bassmaster Classic champion from Waco. “I like old, crusty wooden docks with large diameter pilings the best. I also look for secondary structure, such as brush piles.” To reach big bass lurking way under a dock or other overhanging cover, some people fling baits with light spinning tackle. Open the bail, grab the lure and bend the rod almost like a bow. Pick an opening between the dock and the water, a crack between pilings or a space between a moored boat and the dock. Then, release the bait. The slingshot effect flings a Texas-rigged worm, tube or jig far under cover where anglers cannot place lures with conventional casts. A seemingly solid canopy could dissuade some anglers, but people who know how to fish over, around or through such cover could reap big rewards. Even in highly pressured areas, anglers might find bass that few people tempt when they hit the grass.

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

Bounty Placed on Tagged Toledo Bass Vinson of Leesville, La., tournament organizers marked 100 bass with official BassCashBash tags before the five-month long event got underway on May 1. The fish were tagged and released up and down the lake to ensure all anglers have a fair shot, regardless of where they choose to fish.

“ Fittingly, the tournament is called BassCashBash.

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NE OF THE NEAT THINGS about fishing is you never know what might happen or what you might catch on the very next cast. I’ve have enjoyed some neat experiences with a rod in my hands and reeled in a few surprises along the way. Believe it or not, back when I was a kid, I once caught a four-pound largemouth on a colorful wildflower top that I had plucked off the banks of my grandmother’s stock pond. I’m not sure what possessed me to thread the bright yellow flower onto a gold Aberdeen crappie hook, but I do remember what happened the second the bait hit the water. In a flash, the burly fish darted out of a fallen locust tree, snatched the flower off the surface and raced back towards the cover. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had just witnessed a primo example of a modern-day “reaction strike.” Through the years I’ve reeled a number of other odd-ball catches that came as somewhat of a surprise. I’ve caught channel catfish on topwater lures. Blue cats on spinnerbaits. Crappie on crankbaits. And hybrid bass on slabs of cut bait meant to fool a whiskered fish. But one thing I have never caught is a bass with a tag poking out of its back. Not many folks have. But there are a whole bunch of them finning around in Toledo Bend right now—100 to be exact—as part of an all-new fishing tournament format that offers everyone from casual anglers to fishing guides and tournament pros the chance to win some big cash prizes for catching pretagged bass as well as fish over 10 pounds. Fittingly, the tournament is called “BassCashBash.” According to tournament founder P.D.

The tagged fish range in size from 14 inches up to about two pounds. The cylinder shaped plastic tags are blue in color and wear the BassCashBash insignia and phone number. Anglers who catch one or more of the tagged fish between now and September 7 will be eligible to win cash prizes ranging in value from $1,000 to $5,000. The only conditions are you must be pre-registered and turn the fish over to one of four official weigh-in stations. These are: Toledo Town and Tackle, Huxley Bay Marina, Buckeye Landing and Fin and Feather Resort in order to win. T E X A S

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One-time entry for the tournament is $50; bonus T-shirts are $20. The first tagged fish turned in will be worth $5,000 and second will be worth $2,000. All remaining tagged fish will be worth $1,000 apiece. Additionally, cash prizes will be awarded for as many as 200 bass over 10 pounds weighed at official weigh-in stations during the designated tournament time. The largest fish overall is worth $5,000; second wins $2,000; 3rd-10th win $1,000; and 11th-200th win $500. Bonus prizes of $500 will be awarded to winning anglers who purchase a T-shirt when registering. Regular updates will be posted on the tournament website, basscashbash.com. Winning anglers must submit to and pass a polygraph test to be eligible for the prize money. All awards will be presented during the BassCashBash awards banquet on September 26 at the Fin and Feather Banquet Hall. Vinson said the ultimate goal of the concept is to raise enough money to make donations of $5,000 to three different nonprofit organizations. “Hopefully we’ll be able grow this thing from one year to the next for a great cause,” Vinson said. “Who knows - we could have a truck or a boat for first place next year depending on how it takes off.” To learn more about the tournament, see bass cashbash.com or call Vinson at 337353-3381.

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Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Bowﬁshing for Tilapia story by Dustin Vaughn Warncke

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owfishing for tilapia on lakes and rivers around Texas is a challenging and fun sport equivalent to coming face to face with a Rio Grande turkey or whitetail deer in the woods. Tilapia are sensitive to movement and can disap-

pear like a ghost, but they are also curious. This combination of characteristics makes bowfishing for tilapia among one of my favorite outdoor pursuits. Tilapia are usually found in the southern United States as well as Central and South America where the climate is warm. Since they tend to thrive in warmer bodies of water, power plant cooling lakes are among the

best places to find tilapia. We have several of these lakes in Texas such as Lake Calaveras, Lake Brauning, Gibbons Creek, Coleto Creek, Lake Fairfield, and many more. Tilapia can also be found in other lakes and rivers. One example in South Central Texas, near my home town of New Braunfels is the Guadalupe River and Lake Dunlap. I have shot several tilapia on that lake over the years. One theory on how tilapia ended up in Texas rivers and lakes is that fishermen used to use tilapia to bait trotlines for catfish. Many of these escaped and reproduced. PHOTO: CANSTOCK; INSET, GEORGE KNIGHTEN

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Cody Waxler bowﬁshing on Lake Fairﬁeld.

The paradox regarding tilapia is that they are an invasive species, but they are also a fine fish for table fare, served in many fine restaurants across the world as well as available farm-raised in numerous fish markets.

Bowfishing for tilapia is comparable to turkey hunting in that tilapia can see very well and will bust you if they catch you moving even slightly before you shoot. This is why I call tilapia the “ghosts of the water.”

Our group’s bag from the last trip to Lake Fairﬁeld.

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They are simply there one minute and gone the next, leaving a cloud of mud behind after they quickly swim away. Most bowfishers would tell you that daytime is the best time to go hunting after these fish. On clear water rivers and lakes, tilapia are relatively easy to see, but you can see them even better with a good pair of polarized sunglasses. Remember, though, if you can see the fish easier, they can see you, too. You can bowfish for these fish by trolling around the edges of the lake in two to seven feet of water, much like bowfishing for other species. Go slow and keep your eyes open for them. My main strategy for bowfishing is to pull up into a patch of aquatic vegetation and find an area where there is a clearing with relatively calm and clear water. Anchor your boat and wait, with your bow in hand, ready to draw at any second. Typically, tilapia will peek out to look at you, exposing an easy shot. The moment you see one come out close to the surface for a look, shoot! Tilapia are a curious fish and their curiosity usually leads to a shot opportunity if you are fast enough. You can put dozens of fish in your ice chest if you can beat them at their own game. The two things you will most likely fight in bowfishing on power plant lakes is castnetters and wind. Cast-netters usually stir up an area trying to fill the bottom of their boats with fish, making it harder to find tilapia for a couple of hours. The wind can push you around off your favorite spot and ripple the water, making it harder to see the fish. If you can avoid these two factors, it makes bowfishing so much easier. One of the biggest mistakes you can make, and I am thoroughly guilty of this, is to point out the fish to your bowfishing buddies before you shoot. Remember, tilapia can easily sense movement. When they do, expect to see a cloud of mud as they dart back into the cover of vegetation. Poof! Just like a ghost. If you don’t have a boat and only bank access to a river or lake, try wade fishing around aquatic vegetation. Again, look for calm and clear water and areas where you can get a clean shot. Then wait and ambush the curious fish as they come up for a look at you. My friend, bowfishing guide Marty McIntyre (www.GARQUEST.com), recommends using a six foot or larger ladder for wade fishing. Just place the ladder in the PHOTOS: DUSTIN WARNCKE

6/9/15 5:07 PM

Marty McIntyre from GARQUEST.com wading and bowﬁshing on Lake Fairﬁeld.

water and climb to the top. This allows you to get a better vantage point to ambush your quarry when they come out of hiding. Many bowfishermen even take it a step farther and wade a tripod hunting stand out to a good spot on the water. They then climb

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up the ladder, sit down and wait for the action to start. Bowfishing like this closely resembles bowhunting on land. Many lake authorities do not mind you bringing in auxiliary equipment like this because these are invasive fish.

For bowfishing points, I recommend a two-barbed tip such as the Pro-Point from Innerloc H2O. The damage to the fish is pretty minimal, but a point like this really holds the fish well, and it allows for fast fish removal. If you get into a hotbed of tilapia bowfishing action, you can have great fun shooting and reeling in fish. Remember to have some back-up gear such as spare bowfishing arrows to make sure you can keep fishing in case you lose or break an arrow. I also recommend having extra tips in case the tip you are bowfishing with gets dull or bent from striking a rock or other hard object. However you choose to approach bowfishing for tilapia, you are most certainly going to have fun doing it. I assure you that the adventure is well worth the trip, if you have tilapia near where you live or can travel to a place that has them. Remember to aim low, think big, and have fun out there. See more of Dustin Warncke’s outdoor adventures at www.dustinsprojects.com.

6/9/15 5:07 PM

TEXAS Dept. of DEFENSE by STEVE LAMASCUS & DUSTIN ELLERMANN

Self Defense Tactical :: Concealed Carry

Holsters for Concealed Carry

HAVE FOR MOST OF MY ADULT life, and at times even before that, either carried a concealed weapon or had a handgun near at hand, especially in my home. When I was in high school in Eagle Pass, when my father was working night shift with the Border Patrol, I kept a handgun by my bed or under my pillow to protect my mother, two younger brothers, and baby sister. One dark, stormy night, someone tried to break down the back door of our house. I was sleeping in that room and was awakened by the sudden noise. I sat up in

Free Floating Advantage WHILE SHOOTING WITH THE local sheriff’s department recently, I learned a valuable lesson on a rifle drill. We were shooting through various holes in the barricade at an eight-inch steel plate about 70 yards away. I thought I could get away with resting my barrel and suppressor on the barricade since the shot wasn’t very far. Boy, was I wrong. It took two or three shots to discover my bullets were flying about 8 to 12 32 |

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bed, pulled the little .32 revolver (a very poor choice for protection, but all I had) from under my pillow and aimed it at the door just in time to see the wood bow inward from another heavy blow. Thank God whoever was trying to break in did not succeed, but if he had, he would have had a lethal surprise in store. Later, when I was the assistant manager of a big discount store, I carried a snub-nosed .38 in my waistband as, at closing time, I picked up all the money from the cash registers and stowed it in the big safe in the office. Then when I went into law enforcement, I learned to carry a concealed weapon at all times when I was off duty. Since that time I have tried, literally, dozens of different concealed carry holsters. Most of them were pretty poor at the job they were intended to perform, but some were very good. After all those decades I have a drawer in my filing cabinet that is full to the top with various holsters that I have tried and discarded or

inches over the target. The pressure I induced on my barrel by just resting the weight of the rifle on the barricade (It was impossible to rest my rail because of the small, three-inch slot I was shooting through.), influenced my point of impact significantly. The reason this happens is well-known.This is why we free-float our barrels in the first place. Pressure on the rifle, especially on a longer barrel, actually flexes the barrel and changes its point of impact. Still, I was very surprised about how much it influenced my shot at such a short distance. Later, at my home range, I set up at 50 yards and duplicated the scenario on paper. When I rested my rifle’s free-floated

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tried and still use. I am not going to tell you about all the holsters that are available. That would be an impossibility. But I will attempt to give you an idea of what I think are the most practical. Today, with the widespread laws allowing concealed carry by civilians in so many states, there are more good holsters than ever before. The best holster for concealed carry is probably one of the inside-the-waistband holsters. These are more concealable than one worn on the waist belt outside the pants, and they can be very comfortable. Strangely enough, in this case the minimalist approach may not be the best. I have found that holsters with a wide layer of leather next to the body are more comfortable than holsters without such padding. Examples of these are the Milt Sparks Versa Max

Point of impact at 50 yards shifts from center hits with a proper rest, to drastic misses when the riﬂe rests on the barrel.

rail against the barricade, my shots were perfectly centered on target. However, whenever I rested the rifle barrel on the barricade, my shots were consistently

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TEXAS Dept. of DEFENSE 2 and the Minotaur MTAC series (see photo). This type of holster keeps the metal away from your skin, prevents chafing and scratching, and pads the body against such protuberances as the safety and slide release of 1911 models. A great many models now have what is called a slide guard that puts a layer of leather between the gun and the wearer’s skin. I prefer all my IWB holsters to have at least this much protection. There are even holsters that allow the wearer to tuck in his shirt. I wear one of these a lot these days, and it is a real pleasure to go about without my shirttail waving in the breeze. In the past I had to wear my shirttail out or wear a jacket or vest, which is very uncomfortable in Texas summers. Also, wearing a photographer’s vest everywhere, especially in the hot summer, is a sure sign to anyone who knows that the wearer is probably carrying a gun; the same can be said of a big fanny pack. Holsters that I do not like are small of the back (SOB) holsters, shoulder holsters, and any of the cheap gun pouches that have no method of keeping the mouth of the holster open. The SOBs make it difficult to sit in a chair and you cannot maintain contact with the gun with your elbow in crowds.

Shoulder holsters are hot and uncomfortable and require the wearer to wear a jacket of some kind. The pouches, whether made of leather or nylon, are concealable but collapse when the gun is drawn, making it all but impossible to reholster the weapon. All good holsters should have some way of keeping the mouth of the holster open so that the gun can be reholstered, preferably with one hand. Some use a metal insert and some use several thicknesses of heavy leather. The type is immaterial, as long as it works. Other good holsters are the Summer Special variety, if they have a slide guard. But they cannot be worn with the shirt tucked in. For small revolvers the Bianchi Model 100 Professional is a great choice. In situations where you are wearing a suit coat, any quality belt holster that keeps the grip of the handgun pulled up close to the body is fine. The first of this type was the original Roy Baker Pancake holster, but many are made now. Bianchi makes a very good one in the Model 56 Serpent, a pancake with a thumb break that blocks the hammer from striking the firing pin.

10 inches higher and a few inches to the right. This shift to the right occurred because I also pulled pressure to the left with my support hand to stabilize the rifle. The shots were very consistent and my group was only a tad bit larger than my original. But a 10-inch shift at only 50 yards is a very significant change. It can mean the difference between life or death in a defensive scenario. I was shooting a suppressed rifle, so I decided to test out a nearly stock AR15 in the same scenario. I know that rifles have a point of impact shift when using suppressors so I wanted to eliminate that variable. I also wanted to use an AR15 with a standard handguard as opposed to the free floated rail that I have on my primary rifle. I figured there were two possibilities: first, the results would mimic

the earlier tests. Or second, the results Dustin demonstrates how NOT to rest your riﬂe wouldn’t be as drastic while shooting through small slots. The point of because perhaps the impact changes drastically when your riﬂe rests on the end of the barrel. suppressor weighed down the barrel and This is why we use free floated rails that caused more drift or because that a facdo not contact the barrel in precision and tory handguard mounted to the barrel competition shooting. I knew the theory might give more support. was sound, but I figured at close distances The rifle I used in the second test on a moderate sized target it wouldn’t was a Bushmaster Carbon 15 that I keep around for my wife. While I’ve seen these matter. It does. composite receivers crack, I figure the Know your equipment, train hard, and overall lightweight helps my wife for short training sessions. So duplicating the exact shoot straight. test from earlier, I had the exact same results as the previous rifle, with over a —Dustin Ellermann 10” point of impact change when fired from 50 yards. The moral of this story is to not rest your barrel on anything when shooting.

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On cocked and locked 1911s these are comfortable and very fast to draw from, but the downside is that the coat must be worn all the time. Others are any that are patterned after the Askins Avenger, or that have some method of pulling the grip of the gun close to the body. The holster should, also, have some method of keeping the gun secure in the holster in case the wearer has to make sudden and violent movements. This can be anything from a thumb break to a simple friction device. I use both and have no real preference, although I do find myself wearing the friction type more often these days. There are my thoughts on proper holsters, take them for what they are worth. Be safe. —Steve LaMascus

PHOTOS: ROBERT MORGAN

6/9/15 3:39 PM

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

Hide in Plain Sight with the Right Camo

ECENTLY, IN ONE OF MY bow hunting classes, I asked the students, “What do you really need to go hunting?” One young lad shouted that you need a bow. Right! What else? A barrage of answers came from all corners of the room; answers that I hear at every class I give. Then suddenly, an 11-year old said, “You need camouflage”. That statement caught my ear and begged for further discussion from the class. Do we need camouflage to have better success in the field? Do we need scent controlled camo? Should we hunt with blaze orange? I have been bow hunting now for almost 50 years. I also take my rifle out once bow season is over. Have I had success every year? The short answer is no. But I sure had fun every year. And if I had to make an educated guess as to my success versus the seasons gone by with no venison, I would have to say that success outweighs failure without a doubt. What I am trying to say here is that I am not a “newbie” at this sport and have tried many tactics and new ideas, including different hunting clothing that claimed to be a “must” in the hunting world. Science has proved that deer see in shades of gray. Much has been written about the eyes of a whitetail so I will not bore you with any details. But the fact that deer see in different shades is important to know. We all are aware that with the constant improvement of camo designs we can pick and choose the right camo for the right situation. But this writer is of the opinion that if you want to hunt, but cannot afford the expensive camo outfits, then put on your favorite dark-colored plaid shirt and grab your bow. If you choose the right dark background to hunt from, you

will be invisible to the whitetails as long as you stay still! I think this is the problem that most hunters fail to realize. If a deer is staring at them, then they feel that the camo didn’t do its job when in fact, the hunter moved. It is true. If you can just sit still until the deer is convinced you are no threat to them, you have a good chance for success. That may take 10 seconds or ten minutes. With dark-colored camo clothing, you need to hunt from the shadows. This will help you blend into your surroundings. I have such a spot that’s a natural ground blind. Twenty yards off the main deer trail is a spot that’s always in the shade. Using all of the downed tree branches and brush in the immediate area, I built my own ground blind. The only downside to this approach is that this lack of sunlight also means you will not be able to hunt as late as you could if your stand were on the edge of an open field. I also have something called “sky camo.” I like to use it when I hunt from a tree stand. Prior to the season, when I actually put my stand up, I check out the trees in the area with the perspective of what a deer would see. I bend down so that I am about the same height of a deer and look up in the direction where I wish to place my stand. If I am wearing my sky camo, then, to a whitetail deer, I look like tree branches with a sky background. On the other hand, if I wore my other camo that blends better in a tree with leaves and bark, to a deer, I would stick out like a sore thumb. I would look like one big dark blob on the side of a tree which, in turn, could alert a deer of my presence. Having said that, during rifle season you should always wear hunter orange camo T E X A S

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clothes. I realize this will raise concerns and questions about whether the deer see that bright color. I am convinced that as long as you stay still, you will in no way alarm the deer. I prefer the orange camo instead of the solid orange. With the camo orange outfit, your body is still broken up with different shades while still being extremely safe. That should be paramount for all hunters all the time. Hunting with a bow is by far much safer than taking game with a rifle. For as far back as I can remember, only a few bow hunting incidents that were not self inflicted and none of those involved a fatality. Rifle hunters cannot make that same statement. The sad thing is that most fatal incidents could be avoided if the hunter simply remembered what he or she learned in the hunter safety classes. “Know your target and what’s beyond.” This is reason enough to wear hunter orange during rifle season. How can the shooter see a hunter who is dressed in camouflage and is in a woodlot across a field? The answer is simple. It is impossible. Remember how far a bullet from a rifle will travel. A missed target could result in a bad day for an unsuspecting hunter. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, and that would mean rifle hunters should always dress in orange of some kind. Bow hunters should blend into their surroundings. All hunters need to hunt safe and have fun out there.

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Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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I’LL ALWAYS REMEMBER MY DAUGHTER’S FIRST experience with punch bait. She was 17 at the time and was way more into guys and cheerleading than she was whiskered fish. Her snooty reaction when I cracked open the lid on the gallon bucket of Danny King’s Punch Bait didn’t come as much of a surprise. Taylor’s nostrils flared the second she caught wind of the smelly concoction, but it was the look on her face when I started poking around in the mushy slop with a screwdriver that I’ll never forget. “That’s disgusting,” she quipped as I yanked the treble hook out of the tub with a nasty-looking glob of the bait in tow. Amused, I cracked a grin and lofted the bait towards a shallow point and reeled the line semi-taunt once the egg weight settled to bottom. “Watch this,” I said. Moments later, the rod tip went bump-bump and I set the hook into the first of several solid channel cat that sniffed out the bait on that sultry summer morning at Lake Nacogdoches. Taylor is grown and married now, and she hasn’t been catfishing with me since. But she became a firm believer in how deadly punch bait can be on channel cat that day. Chad Ferguson is a punch bait junkie from way back. Ferguson is a D/FW area angler whose guide service runs hundreds of catfishing trips on lakes Eagle Mountain, Worth, Ray Roberts, Lewisville and Grapevine every year. According to Ferguson, punch bait is huge part of his program, especially when channel cat are on the menu. “I primarily fish punch bait in the late spring and summer,” he said. “I do use it during other times of the year, such as when targeting blue cats around cormorant roosts, but it is not as extensive as late spring and summer when I focus primarily on channel catfish.” I recently caught up with Ferguson and asked him to share some punch bait fishing tips that just about any angler learn from. Follow them and you will catch more and bigger catfish: 36 |

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PHOTO: MATT WILLIAMS

6/9/15 3:49 PM

Pro Tips for Going After Summer Catﬁsh | story by Matt Williams

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Choices, Choices and More Choices Not to be confused with dough, dip or stink bait, punch bait is a prepared bait. It’s made from a variety of ingredients aimed at producing a poignant bait that is denser and thicker with more texture than other prepared baits. It gets its name from the manner in which anglers bait or load their hook. This typically involves using a flathead screwdriver,

wooden spoon or stick to poke a treble hook into the bait at a downward angle. When the hook is removed, the bait packs or balls up around the hook. Not surprisingly, Ferguson is super-particular about the type of punch bait he uses. That’s because none of them are created equal. “There’s a lot of great punch baits on the market that will catch fish,” Ferguson said, “but many of them have issues with texture and consistency or cannot tolerate the extreme summer heat.”

“Because punch baits are cheese based, Ferguson said, “they thin when they get hot. There are many good baits that just turn into a soupy mess when they get hot they won’t load on the hooks easily and won’t stay on the hooks when you cast. If bait isn’t right, it is difficult to bait the hook, and it won’t stay on the hook. That means you will be spending a lot of time fighting with the bait and not catching fish.” Ferguson has experimented with a number of prepared punch baits. His favorite is Uncle Josh Little Stinker Punch Bait. It comes in three scents -- crawfish, minnow and rotten shad. When it is hot outside, he recommends keeping punch baits covered and in a cool spot to help it maintain optimum consistency.

Punch Bait Rigs Catfish, especially channel cats, have a tendency to bite punch bait so light at times that it can be difficult for many anglers to detect the strike until it is too late. Ferguson’s favorite summertime remedy for what he sometimes calls “mealy mouthing” is a slip-cork rig centered around a two-inch, Slip-Stick float from Comal Tackle. The purposes of the cork are two-fold to suspend the punch bait off bottom and alert the angler when fish eats it. “A lot of people make the mistake of using a big, bulky bobber when they fish for catfish, but I can tell you from experience that it is going to cost you a bunch of fish,” Ferguson said. “Channel cats are really bad about mouthing the bait, sometimes so lightly that you probably won’t even know they are there. The Slip-Stick cork is so light, sensitive and streamlined that it allows me to tell when a catfish comes anywhere near the bait.” Ferguson recommends using the float combination with a bobber stop, No. 6 4X treble and split shot sinker, just heavy enough to make the float stand erect in the water. Ferguson likes to build his rig light as possible to reduce resistance and optimize sensitivity. He doesn’t recommend using any swivels or leader. The guide says using 4X treble hooks is super important when fishing with punch bait. The hooks are significantly stronger than 2X hooks, which reduces breakage. “I recommend using plain hooks, too no springs or sponges,” Ferguson said. “Punch bait is made to stick to a plain hook. Using

The author’s dad, Bill Williams, with a mess of catﬁsh from Lake Ray Hubbard.

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PHOTOS: MATT WILLIAMS

6/8/15 6:12 PM

Packing a Punch PUNCH BAIT IS ALL

about convenience and longevity. You can “punch out” a ball of this stuff and it will stay on the hook longer than many other kinds of prepared baits. It is effective for any kind of catfish action but excellent in areas with current of some kind. The Little Stinker Punch comes in minnow, crawfish and rotten shad varieties, giving anglers options that match the primary forage species in any Texas water body. Punch Bait is super popular in East Texas, particularly the northeast quadrant but it will catch catfish anywhere from the Panhandle to Rio Grande and everywhere in between —Chester Moore sponges or dip tubes actually makes punch bait more difficult to fish with.” Another key ingredient to Ferguson’s catfish rigs is Stren Catfish Monofilament line. The line is bright orange in color, which makes it easy to see. “It’s also very tough, so it holds up well around heavy cover.”

Stay on the Move Ferguson approaches channel catfishing similar to bass fishing. He stays on the move. “Get out of the mindset that you need to throw a big glob of bait out and wait for a catfish,” he said. “Be active, cover a lot of water, move fast and move often and you’ll catch more fish. If you don’t catch a fish in 15 minutes, move to a different spot.”

Rebait Often Punch bait is soft straight out of the tub, and it begins losing its consistency when immersed in water. For that reason Ferguson recommends reloading the hook with fresh bait before every cast.

Catﬁsh pro Chad Ferguson says there are many punch baits on the market that will catch catﬁsh. But not all of them are formulated to withstand the brutal heat of a Texas summer.

“People often think they should be able to bait the hook and cast multiple times, but it doesn’t work like that,” Ferguson said. “Bait the hook every single time you cast; put a good wad of it on the hook. Some of the bait will fall off when it hits the water, and some will fall off while it’s sitting in the water. That gets the scent in the water and draws channel catfish in, sort of like chumming. If you don’t have a bite in five minutes, pull the bait in, rebait and cast again.”

Fish Shallow Cover From May through September, Ferguson recommends concentrating on depths of five feet or less. He almost always fishes areas with some sort of cover or structure. “Get out of the mindset that you need to fish deep water for catfish, and don’t be afraid to fish cover,” Ferguson said. “Channel catfish love a variety of cover everything from timber, rip-raff, boat docks and lily pads. Get tight against the cover and experiment.” T E X A S

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Experiment with Depth Ferguson says making slight adjustments in the depth of the bait can at times make a huge difference in the number of bites you’ll get on punch bait. “Let the fish tell you what they want,” he said. “Sometimes having a bait 18 inches below a float instead of 12 inches makes the difference between fishing and catching. It can be different every day, and different throughout the day.” SCHOOL’S OUT AND SUMMER is here. The time is ripe to gather up the family and head out to your favorite catfish for some serious fun in the sun. If you forget everything else, be sure you don’t forget the punch bait.

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True GREEN TF&G Conservation Editor

Edited by WILL LESCHPER

Unwanted Species

NVASIVE SPECIES AND ORGANisms continue to be a constant threat across Texas, but one particularly noxious one has gained a foothold, and in some cases been devastating to fish and other wildlife in some of our most wellknown locales. Golden alga, a highly toxic, microscopic organism can be lethal to all types of gillbreathers. Prymnesium parvum, which turns water a yellowish-copper color when it blooms. It has accounted for fish kills in five Texas river basins — the Canadian, Red, Brazos, Colorado and Rio Grande chains — and probably will affect others. Though golden alga blooms have killed many gilled organisms and seems to thrive in colder temperatures, no humans or other mammals have been affected by the alga. According to TPWD reports, affected

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fish can recover from the early effects of the alga if they are able to swim to an area free of toxins. Craig Bonds, named this year as the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s inland fisheries division director, has spent time in several state locales as a biologist and director. He previously noted that golden alga’s worst effects have been documented mostly in Central and West Texas bodies of water. “E.V. Spence (just west of Robert Lee) and some other lakes historically were good fisheries, but in the past decade they have been severely impacted by golden alga,” he said. “The lakes in the western part of the state have higher saline levels and the alga thrives in that type of environment. “When the golden alga blooms, it creates a toxin in the water that causes fish

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gills to hemorrhage, and they suffocate.” Bonds said that though golden alga has become a serious problem, it hasn’t affected wide portions of lakes it has moved into. “The golden alga is really a brackish water-living alga,” he said. “It causes fish kills when the pH level is high and conditions are more conducive to its growth. It usually takes place in pockets and coves, not on a lakewide basis.” Since 2001, golden alga blooms have caused more than 130 major fish kills and resulted in the loss of more than 34 million fish valued at more than $14 million. According to TPWD reports, Lake Whitney saw the largest one-day fish kill in recorded history, a 4.9 million kill in February 2005. More than four million fish were killed as a result of golden alga on Lake Granbury in the winter of 2004 and spring of 2005. Reports show the heaviest hit to the statewide fishery occurred in 2001 at the Dundee State Fish Hatchery in the Red River Basin. The hatchery, the largest in the state, is one of two sites where TPWD produces stripers and hybrid stripers that are then stocked into lakes for anglers to catch. Stripers don’t reproduce in fresh water lakes that don’t have readily available rivers running into them such as Lake Texoma, so TPWD grows fry, fingerlings and larger fish in a series of ponds. Golden alga got into those shallow ponds and before it could be stopped or the fish moved, the organism had killed an entire year’s worth of striper production, more than five million fish. It is not known whether golden alga is a native species or one that was accidentally brought to North America. According to TPWD, Texas biologists were the first to document the occurrence of the alga in fresh water in the Western Hemisphere. Among other southern states that have been affected by golden alga are Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Continued on page 42 u

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DU Secures Gulf Restoration Funding DUCKS UNLIMITED HAS BEEN awarded three North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants to support its restoration efforts along the Texas Gulf Coast. Approximately $3 million in NAWCA funding will be combined with nearly $6 million in partner funding to restore nearly 13,000 acres in coastal Texas. These projects will provide high quality foraging habitat capable of supporting tens of thousands of waterfowl throughout the winter. “The coastal prairies and marshes of Texas and Louisiana provide some of the most critical waterfowl habitat on the continent,” said DU Director of Conservation Programs Jerry Holden. “Unfortunately, this habitat and all of its values to wildlife, fisheries and people are disappearing, We are battling a long-term crisis of coastal

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marsh loss exacerbated by the Deepwater Horizon disaster, and the selection of these grants reflects a national understanding of that importance.” Gulf Coast wetlands protect nationally important infrastructure for energy and shipping industries and provide critical waterfowl, fisheries and cultural resources. “While our focus is waterfowl habitat,” Holden said, “it’s important to remember DU’s conservation work makes a huge difference for all wetland dependent species, especially people.” It has been five years since the Deepwater Horizon incident that claimed 11 lives and dumped an estimated 3.2 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Since then, Ducks Unlimited has received $5.35 million in funding from the National

Fish and Wildlife Foundation administered Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund for projects to improve migratory bird habitat in coastal Texas and Louisiana. In addition to the NFWF grants, DU has received $3.6 million in Gulf Coast NAWCA grants supported by Gulf Spill funding. Ducks Unlimited and its conservation partners match every NAWCA dollar at least 1 to 1, and on average 2 to 1. “Since our Dust Bowl era founding during the Great Depression,” Holden said, “Ducks Unlimited has been making the best out of bad situations for North America’s wetlands.” “Even the cloud of oil at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico had a silver lining, and we will harness it for the benefit of waterfowl, other wildlife and people.” The North American Wetlands Conservation Act of 1989 was passed, in part, to support activities under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. It provides competitive, matching grants to organizations and individuals who have Continued on page 42 u

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True GREEN Funding t Continued from page 40 developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Program funding comes from Congressional appropriations, fines, penal-

ties, and forfeitures. These funds are collected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950, and from interest accrued on the fund established under the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937.

—Andi Cooper

Aerial shot of marshland bird habitat.

Unwanted t Continued from page 40 Mexico. Other states that have been impacted and are thousands of miles away include Hawaii, Maine, Washington and Wyoming. Golden alga research efforts have been coordinated in different areas of the state to monitor, study and prevent large outbreaks. These include surveys, genetic studies, historic assessments and control mechanism studies. Despite major fish kills and the

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loss of angling opportunities and revenues, the state is continuing its push to find out what makes golden alga tick and what it can do to protect a major Texas industry. Hopefully, the future won’t be bright for one particular menace. For more information on invasive species in Texas, go to tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/water/ environconcerns/hab/ga. (Also—see the article on zebra mussels, page 48 of this issue)

Email Will Leschper at WillLeschperOutdoors@gmail.com

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6/8/15 6:14 PM

round 97 percent of land in Texas is privately owned, which makes our state unique compared to any other area in the USA. One of the challenges many Texas hunters face is finding affordable hunting land. Cost and availability are two of the main factors that cause many would-be hunters each year to abandon hunting to seek something more affordable with an easier entry point. When I first started hunting on my own as an adult I was nearly broke, having just graduated from college. I had purchased my first home, so I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the money for a season or year-long lease. I had to learn how to be creative in finding hunting opportunities Although it was a challenging process, it was rewarding. There are many alternatives available today that were not as common years ago. Day hunting ranches are at the top of my list of recommendations for finding hunting property. Game hunting ranches usually fall into high-fence and low-fence categories with some having both high and low-fenced hunting areas. One of the ranches I work with in the outdoor industry is DB Hunting Ranch in central Texas (www.dbhunting.com). On ranches such as DBHR, hunters can pursue wild hogs or exotic game animals yearround. Game animals such as blackbuck antelope, exotic deer, and even some African game species are available. Lodging and accommodations are also available at most ranches, and your guide usually works hard to help you take your quarry. T E X A S

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Cost for something simple such as a hog hunt usually starts at about $125, and your hunt is semi- or fullyguided. Although you have to follow the ranch rules, opportunities are usually greater for success. This is because day hunting ranches want you to return year after year for anything from a meat hunt up to a trophy hunt. If you choose this route, do your research on the ranch to make sure it has a good reputation, and don’t forget to tip your guide. Another option for finding affordable hunting areas is a membership network where hunters pay a yearly membership fee and enjoy deep discounts on hunts ranging from low cost to high ticket all-inclusive trophy hunting adventures. Joining a membership network like this is much like joining a bigbox wholesale club. Your yearly membership fee allows the freedom to choose what hunt you want and where you want it, all at a discounted price from a network of hunting and fishing outfitters all over Texas and even nationwide. One outfitter pioneering this model is Elite Outdoorsman (www.trophyhuntstexas. com). Their mission is to give more people an affordable opportunity to explore the hunting and fishing sports at a better price than sourcing an outdoor adventure themselves. They are based in Texas but outfit hunts all over North America. With the loss of wildlife habitat, urban and suburban areas are more populated with deer and other wild game than ever before. This makes for some great hunting opportunities in these areas. I wrote an article on urban and suburban bowhunting that appeared in the October 2014 issue of TF&G, and I have even written an eBook on the subject. If you aren’t a bowhunter, think about investing in a crossbow and check out your local area for possible hunting opportunities. Talk to your local game warden about it. In most cases, it is legal to hunt outside of city limits, but some cities have ordinances that 46 |

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The author with two memorable public hunt trophies: (left) a red stag from DB hunting Ranch, and (right) “Mr. Big” a trophy buck from one of his urban hunting hot spots.

within city limits with certain restrictions. I have hunted five- to 10-acre woodlots and even smaller areas with great success. In fact, last season I killed my personal best archery buck, named “Mr. Big,” from one of my suburban hunting hotspots, a property that sits just outside city limits. Looking at this property at first, it may not look like much, but it turns into a deer hunter’s dream in the mornings and evenings. Most urban and suburban hunting occurs on private property so having a great relationship with the landowner owning the property and neighboring landowners is the biggest key for success. The nice thing about hunting this way is that it can cost you next to nothing. I always offer my landowners meat from my hunts or services to help them with whatever they need. If you want to see what a hunt like this looks like, check out my YouTube channel as I have filmed many of these hunting adventures. Another option for finding affordable hunting land is hunting on government property. One of the first deer hunting experiences I had when I became an adult and out on my own was at Fort Hood as part of their hunt control program. Civilian hunting permits are only $125 at Fort

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Hood. Many other military instal-

lations around Texas have similar hunting programs. Although there are many rules and restrictions to follow when hunting on government property, many hunters have found success here. Public land is another good option as Texas Parks and Wildlife has expanded its public hunting program, including a cooperative of participating land owners and state property. A good friend of mine frequently hunts public land, especially WMAs (Wildlife Management Areas) for many different species of game with great success. An annual public land hunting permit only costs $48 and gains you access to almost a million acres of land. There are indeed ways to make hunting more affordable. You just have to learn how to think outside of the box. Approaching the quest to find affordable hunting property may seem a daunting task at first; but as we discovered, there are many affordable options available. The journey to finding some of these low cost gems is sometimes even more fun than the destination!

PHOTOS: DUSTIN VAUGN WARNCKE

6/8/15 6:15 PM

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

Drawing the Line

HERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT the snook. What’s not to like? They explode on your lure like a bass on a road rage. They pull and jump like a spastic tarpon, and their yellow fins, silver sides and stylish black stripe make for attractive pictures. If you are willing to ignore the snarking from anglers who have little better to do than harass their piscatorial brethren, snook tastes pretty good too. The robalo is one easy fish to love. July’s warmth is snook time on the South Texas coast. Catches of small-to-medium snook have been relatively commonplace on the Lower Laguna Madre, and in areas that were traditionally non-snooky. The fish have broken out of their traditional haunts in the South Bay, the Brownsville Ship Channel, and Brazos Santiago and have been caught in areas more popular for trout and redfish. Though you will never complain about the snook getting in the way of catching specks, I don’t think anyone will complain about hooking a snook while looking for other quarry. There is no need to rely on wishful thinking to have a shot at catching snook when conditions stifle activity. Nor do you need to start wondering whether the mangrove snappers are biting. You may need to adopt a different plan of action to get your fix, but the day is certainly not lost. Weather is the single factor that most affects a snook throughout the year. Meteorological patterns can minimize tidal flow and cause snook lockjaw. This might be a sudden cold front that sends water temperatures plummeting as much as 15 degrees (especially a late-season norther that catches fish and fishermen alike flat-footed). Or it could be rising barometric pressure from a summertime high-pressure system that parks itself over an area for days even weeks at a time. Snook, just like most inshore gamefish, seek

warmer digs when shallow-water temperatures creep below 70 degrees. They abandon their regular haunts along shoreline timber and on shallow flats Conversely, during the warm days of a Texas summer, snook will stretch their fins and start roaming bay systems and the first and second guts of the surf. They become more aggressive and can be easier to catch. It doesn’t take much, however to change that attitude. Ironically, the blue-bird skies and bright days of a mid-summer high pressure system that draws so many anglers to the coast can be the same conditions that shut down snook. The intense sunlight can push bigger snook deeper into shaded areas and cover. Most summers, a large high pressure system moves over much of the lower Texas coast and parks itself for the duration of the season. Southeast winds can get gusty and high temperatures often persist through the end of August. The conditions can make it tough to fish effectively for snook. The fish will hug tightly to mangrove treelines, or sulk deep along passes. When the system eases, which can happen for short windows during the summer, fishing for snook can be worth the effort. If tough conditions persist though, you may be required to adopt a different approach. Persistence is important in succeeding with tough conditions. The fish might not be hungry, but you can trigger reaction strikes. Finesse is the order of the day. Jerkbaits such as the Zoom Fluke or the venerable Saltwater Assassin in silver or straight white, rigged weedless on a 3/0 Owner Screwlock hook is absolutely lethal. Toss it up against the treeline and work slowly. Rig it weightless for a suspending action. More often than not, a snook will glide up underneath the offering, and suck it down. Another summer option for moody snook is live bait. It may seem downright sacrilegious to some anglers to even think of plying so wily and noble an adversary as the snook with meat. However, if you’ve been flinging everything in the tackle box at a fish that won’t even budge to look at it, you’ll reach for the cast net soon enough. Besides, fishermen in Florida chum for snook, for crying out loud. T E X A S

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Bait has its purposes. Later in the summer, when snook really start developing lockjaw, a large, live shrimp or a feisty mullet or pinfish may serve to get their attention. Shrimp can be fished in a traditional fashion, such as under a popping cork or free-lined around structure. Live finfish should be hooked just above the anal fin, so that it will swim up and away from structure. Moreover, the bait will give off a lot of vibration, which will draw a snook’s attention. Even if a linesider isn’t hungry, he’ll strike out of instinct. Surf snook can get a case of the mullygrubs just as easily as their bay-running counterparts. Again, these fish are very catchable, but the rock-hoppers are at an advantage here more than boat anglers. A snook will often hold very tight to rock crevices and groins when a high pressure system hits. A jetty walker can drop a bait or lure straight down into these tight spots when the most accurate angler can’t thread the needle and get to the fish. The up-close approach can be very effective. Back when I was a teenager, when there were “no snook in Texas,” I remember seeing an old fisherman on the North Brazos Santiago jetty who would fish with a 12-foot cane pole and live mullet. He’d drop the mullet into a crevice or notch and wait. More often than not, he’d yank up a big snook or trout. He caught plenty of the former, and tons of the latter. He’s long gone, but his lesson remains. When I dabble with his technique, I use a nine-foot surf rod instead of the cane pole. I’m not as successful as he was, but I still catch a few fish. Inactive snook may not be on the feed, but they are still catchable. You sometimes have to be creative to get a bite. You may have to tease them until they lose their temper; other times you make them an offer they can’t refuse.

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Email Calixto Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Stopping the Invasion of Zebra Mussels in Texas Lakes is Your Responsibility reported by TF&G Staff 48 |

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TINY BUT DEVASTATING, INVASIVE ZEBRA mussels are attacking Texas lakes. They threaten to spread to water bodies across the state, but you – anglers and boaters – can help stop zebra mussels, and there are legal requirements for you to take action.

Zebra mussels attached to a boat pulled from Lake Ray Roberts in 2014.

To avoid spreading zebra mussels, you must always “Clean, Drain and Dry” your boat, trailer and all gear before transporting them to another water body. For anglers, this includes bait buckets, waders, nets and anything else that’s come in contact with the water. These preventative actions are imperative because there’s no feasible way to rid a lake of zebra mussels once they’ve invaded. It is unlawful to transport zebra mussels even if you’re unaware you’re doing so. And because zebra mussel larvae are invisible to the naked eye and can survive in small amounts of water, you are also required to drain all water from your boat and onboard receptacles when traveling to or from any public water body. This law applies to all types of boats, whether powered or not. Violation of these laws could land you with a Class C misdemeanor and a fine of up to $500. These rapidly reproducing mussels have serious economic, environmental and recreational impacts. They are filter feeders that impact the lake’s food web and directly compete with baitfish such as shad for food. Any impact on baitfish can affect their predators — including game fish. Zebra mussels can T E X A S

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damage boats by attaching to the hulls and clogging water-cooling systems, completely cover anything under water, and litter shorelines with their sharp shells. Economically, they can cause millions of dollars of damage to drinking water facilities and electric power plants, ultimately resulting in higher utility bills. Zebra mussels have infested seven North and Central Texas lakes since 2009. They’re now in Lakes Texoma, Ray Roberts, Bridgeport, Lavon, Lewisville, Belton and Waco. If you have been on these lakes, you are at high risk for transporting zebra mussels and must be vigilant. The small adult mussels attach to boat hulls and motors, hiding in the tiniest of crevices, and can be difficult to detect. If you find zebra mussels attached to your boat or are planning to transport a boat that has been stored on an infested lake, call Texas Parks and Wildlife at (800)792-4263. Visit texasinvasives.org/zebramussels for more information and instructions on how to Clean, Drain and Dry.

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by Paul Batchelder, Sr.

each profiled point. In the end, he profiled quite a few more than 101 spots! This 256-page book features vivid black & white photographs of the sites, as well as detailed directions and maps, including GPS coordinates and elevations. Paul also provides helpful tips and information about each launch site. The book features launching points on lakes, rivers, creeks and in

Double Lake

FROM THE INTERSECTION of US 59 and Bus. Hwy 105 in Cleveland, Texas, continue north on US 59 for 1.3 miles to FM 2025 just north of Cleveland. Turn left and continue 16 miles. The entrance to Double Lake will be on your right. This is a fee park. The water levels have been down in this park over the past year, so it may not be accessible. Check with the forest service before you go.

Lake Livingston Area 301 FM 2025 N 30 32.861, W 95 07.974 • Elevation: 286 ft.

state, county and city parks. “101 Kayak Freshwater Launching Points” will be available in July from the FishandGameGear.com online store, as well as at Academy Sports + Outdoors and other sporting goods, kayak, boating and specialty stores. HERE ARE SOME samples of a few of the locations profiled in the book:

16 mi

THE LATEST BOOK TO BE published in the TEXAS FISH & GAME library is called “101 Freshwater Kayak Launching Points,” written and beautifully photographed by longtime kayaker Paul Batchelder, Sr. Paul spent more than a year exhaustively researching the book, traveling across East and scouth-Central Texas to personally launch from and photograph

Double Lake Recreation Area: (936) 344-6205. This is a very nice protected water that did hold some nice ﬁsh in the past.

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continue west on FM 1948 2.6 miles to the park entrance on the right. After you enter the gate take the ﬁrst left to ramp #1. This is a paved ramp

Sheldon Reservoir 8674 Pineland Road, Sheldon TX N 29 51.134, W 95 10.415 Elevation: 44 feet FROM THE INTERSECTION of Sam Houston Parkway (Beltway 8) east in and Garret Road in Houston, go east on Garret, .5 miles to

224 in Nacogdoches. Turn right (east) on loop 224 and continue 4.2 miles to Highway 7. Turn right on 7, travel 18.1 miles to county road 1234 and turn left on this dirt road. There are no signs showing access to this lake. In just .3 mile, bear right at the Y onto County Road 1510 and continue 2 miles back to the dam. The road goes across the dam and the launch is on the far side

with plenty of paved parking. No amenities at this ramp.

Max Starcke Park Guadalupe River Seguin N 29 33.091, W 97 58.236 Elevation: 486 feet

Pineland Rd.. Turn right 2.5 miles, the reservoir and parking lot will be on the left. You can also access this from Hwy 90, east of Beltway 8 turn north on Pineland Rd.. The launch will be on the right .5 mile. This is a free paved launch with a small parking lot. If you are looking for a spot for a great paddle close to the city this is it. The 1254 acre reservoir was created in 1943 and offers a series of channels and islands that give you lots to explore. If you love birds this is a prime nesting spot for many species. Largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish are all present in the lake. I have fished mainly for bass. Bring your weedless gear. Top water frogs and buzz baits will work well. The lily pads are abundant and make great cover for the bass. The water is clear to slightly stained. Calm water most of the time makes this a great place to paddle, because the flow is controlled water levels remain very consistent. No amenities here, be sure and take everything you need.

FROM THE INTERSECTION of I -10 and State Hwy 123 Business continue south on Hwy 123 Business 3.4 mi., until you reach Max Starcke park.

18.1 mi

on the right. This is a free paved launch. It is only one lane and parking is available on both sides of the road.

Yegua Creek Park (1) Lake Somerville US Army Corps of Engineers N 30 18.423, W 96 32.733 Elevation: 245 feet

Lake Pinkston Dam You will exit right onto River Dr. and proceed straight to the launch. It is a concrete bulkhead with stairs that allow you water access. No fee required.

N 31 42.607, W 94 21.778 Elevation: 301 feet FROM THE INTERSECTION of Hwy 59 north and Sam Houston Parkway north (Beltway 8) Travel Highway 59 north, 125 miles to loop PHOTOS: PAUL BATCHELDER, SR.

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FROM THE INTERSECTION of Hwy 36 and FM 1948, just south of Somerville, Texas, T E X A S

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with my friend Don Hubbard,

n late 2014, I

I got a Titan Extreme TenPoint

engaged in one of the

up-wind side in a one-chair, pop-up, ground blind. As I sat there in this not-

most exciting projects of my lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2022;

crossbow and started hunting them at

too-safe-feeling blind, I heard him com-

helping control hogs on property

night. The first night, I could hear a

ing down the same cow trail I was sitting

owned by Morgan and Deven

boar coming through brush very slowly.

on. He stopped about six feet even with

Michael in Orange County.

A slight breeze came from the wrong

my blind, behind some brush. He was

The following are my notes from this

direction, and he was only about 30

so close, I could hear him breathing.

truly unique adventure.

yards away. Away he went.

My scent killer must have been working

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A couple nights later, I was back up in the tripod stand. It was a windless night but started getting a light fog. He came back usual time. I could smell the old sour mud he had been rolling in and hear a light sound in the wet saw grass. He was here but very nervous he wanted the corn but did not come into the light. I came out the next evening and found the hog I had been hunting in the trap we set. It weighed 251 pounds. Next up big boar number 2 with much longer tusks. In fact, some local younger gentlemen thought they wanted to catch this hog. I mentioned they might not want to do that. He killed one dog and badly injured another. This one will stick his head in at this trap to but will not go in. I fixed a soft green light set up at this feeder and bought a Wicked green light to put on my TenPoint Crossbow. The hunt went on for several nights with the tusker only coming when the wind blows in his favor. Finally, he appears when I about to give up but he stays in the shadows most of the time darting in and out to get a bite of corn. At least he gives me a full broadside shot. I watch the Lumenok hit behind his shoulder but he drops the bolt about 20 feet in front of my tripod . The bolt was not very bloody so I figured he survived. Three nights later, he came in on the shadowy side next to the trap and begins to feed in front of it. I turned on green light and as soon as the green light touches him, all I see is the rear end of that boar in overdrive going though the tallow thicket. I did not think green lights bother hogs and it did not with other but this one was freaked out. I ordered a red light bulb for my Wicked light and arrive that evening right at dark to set up. About 8 p.m. I make sure my light and scope are set right. Red light looks great. As I am shinning the light around I look down road and there is a big pig coming. I fix the red light on him but something not right for him. He crosses over to the feeder and goes behind it a clump of trees and looks back my way. He starts to come back around feeder and cross the road to where I have a coyote live trap. He eats a little corn then goes into brush. A few minutes later, I catch something moving by coyote trap but on my side of trap as I swing the red light to him and as red light touches his face, he backs up into 54 |

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The author admires a boar that he bagged on a night crossbow hunt.

the pine trees. At this point I glad I am trapping hogs I at least have meat in freezer. I figure this hunt is over for tonight and just as I turn my red light off something moves to the left. This hog has made a complete circle, went by my parked truck down the road behind me came out to the left of me headed back to the feeder like everything was OK. He moves to about 20 yards, offering a perfect quartering shot. I watch red glow of the Lumenok hit right behind the shoulder & disappear . He ran to my right into a thick of blackberry and pine trees. It did not sound like he ran very far . This clump was about 1/8 acre in size so I waited awhile and started circling this patch looking for signs. The beast ran about 30 yd and piled up

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with a perfect heart shot. Only about three inches of my bolt was left in him with the rest out the other shoulder. This was an accommodating boar as he ran within 20 yards of my truck. I called Morgan & his son JT they help me load this 211 pound trophy boar loaded up. He is not biggest boar on the ranch. Game cameras are already showing some bigger boars taking their place. I look forward to continue the trapping efforts and attempting to kill more big boars with a crossbow. Anyone who thinks hunting hogs is not a challenge should try to specifically hunt a mature boar. It will quickly change your mind.

PHOTO: GERALD BURLEIGH:

6/8/15 6:17 PM

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

Finale

ARELY OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN proper, the Hunting Club membership pulled up to our almost unused campsite in the miserable conservancy lease we’ve had for the past couple of years. An envelope in a plastic ziplock bag was tied to the lower limb of a live oak. Wrong Willie plucked it off like a piece of rotten fruit. “Looks like the mail’s in.” He slipped a folded sheet out of the baggie. “Well, it seems that one of you guys cut a limb off this tree without permission for an impact study the last time we were here.” He pointed at a thumbsized scar on the trunk. I raised my hand for the foul. “It was me. That limb stuck out over the road and nearly scratched the truck, so I took it off with my pocket knife.” Willie continued to read to himself and Doc rocked back on his heels, probably to get away from the sinner. “I’ve about had it with this place.” Willie lowered the page. “I’m with you. They have more rules than my old high school. We couldn’t come out here to hunt the way we wanted when dove season opened because they wanted to give the birds a rest. They must have looked tired from all that flying. Anyway, these folks are reinforcing here that we can’t be on the lease now except for the next two weekends and not at all during the week…” He stopped as a truck approached. Sally, the ranch manager, de-trucked and approached as if one of us might bite. She was probably right. “I see you found my note.” Willie held it aloft. “It’s more like a letter, maybe a tome…wait, I was thinking Stephen King wrote it…” I cleared my throat. “Uh, I’m the one who cut off the limb.” “Well, you guys know the rules. You can’t go hacking off limbs like you’re cutting brush through the Serengeti.” I couldn’t help myself. A two-year buildup of silence struggled to get free. “The Serengeti

is a plain. They don’t have much brush, but if you’re talking about those movies where a guy leading a safari is chopping away at little palms, well, that’s just Hollywood.” She stared for a long moment before bursting into an oratory I won’t repeat here, except to say that somewhere in the middle of her carefully prepared speech she listed her college degrees and experience in plant and animal conservation, and explained that cutting off the limb was sure to accelerate global warming. When she finished, Jerry Wayne took out his iPhone, turned his back to us all, and took a selfie. “What are you doing?” He gave me a grin. “I have the feeling these will be the last pictures we’ll ever shoot of this lease.” “What do you mean?” Sally demanded. Doc scratched his ear. “I’d guess it means that Rev or Willie is about to say something.” “Smile.” Jerry Wayne took another selfie. Willie folded the piece of paper once, then again. Then he tore it into tiny pieces that he scattered on the ground. “You can call this mulch. Here’s the deal. We paid for a deer lease that we’re not allowed to use during the week, or when turkey season opens, we can’t hunt except on the weekends...” He continued until he had everything off his chest. I was impressed. Sally huffed up as he listed every issue he could remember. “We allow plenty of opportunity to hunt. What did you expect?” “Access?” I suggested. “We’re all retired. We worked for years and could only hunt on the weekends, now that we’re free, we wanted to spend some time in the outdoors.” “You can!” “Not when we want to be here during the week. We can’t hunt on Tuesdays, or days when someone wants to come out here and count grass seed. You don’t want campfire, you really don’t want us to come here, and you keep changing the codes…” “That’s because we find people in here who aren’t lessees.” “But you never tell us, and I’ve been here when the gate’s standing wide open,” Willie said. “You won’t allow us to cut a small limb on T E X A S

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a cedar that’s jutting across the road, yet in the next pasture you have a bulldozer scraping the ground like there’s going to be a new Walmart.” “That’s a carefully designed and evaluated plan to eliminate the cedars.” She paused, hearing how that sounded. I couldn’t help myself. “How many native plants are you grinding under those tracks? Do you realize there are trout lilies not far from here?” She blanched. “You found trout lilies?” “Yep.” Sally gazed toward the direction I’d pointed. “Trout lilies. So what are y’all saying?” I heard Jerry Wayne’s phone click again. “They’re saying adios, au revoir, adieu, auf wiedersehen or guten tag.” I frowned at Jerry Wayne. “You know what all that means?” “Yeah, I was a foreign language major in college.” “You?” He grinned, shrugged, and climbed in the truck. Doc turned to follow. “I got a better one. See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya!” Willie waved his fingers. “Have a nice life.” I was the last to leave. Sally looked crestfallen. She met my eyes. “You know about native plants, too?” “Yep. I was pretty involved with a conservancy myself about twenty-five years ago. Bye.” I slipped behind the wheel and started the truck. In the back seat, Willie leaned forward. “Did you really see trout lilies here?” “Didn’t say here. Said I know about some not far away…like about two hundred miles, in Garland, but that isn’t far in the great scheme of Texas.” I glanced in my rearview mirror to see her on the phone. “I wish I could be around while she searches that creek bottom for the next few years.” Jerry Wayne took one more photo out the window. “Well, boys, we’re without a lease again.” Doc grunted and rolled his window up. “I don’t think we ever had one here.” So now we’re back on the hunt again, for somewhere to hunt.

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

Is It Time to Upgrade Your Electronics?

ARINE ELECTRONICS evolve and change just as rapidly as other types of consumer electronics. Are you carrying the same cell phone you used five or 10 years ago? I didn’t think so. Have you upgraded your computer or tablet in the last decade? Of course you have. So, why are most of us running boats with electronics that were built in the pre2010 olden days?

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Yes, I know, it’s painful to upgrade those electronics so rapidly. That five year old unit works just fine, so why the heck should you replace it? Here are three types of ground-breaking systems that out-navigate and out-fish-find their predecessors; each of them provide clear reasons why it’s time to upgrade your electronics. 1. FISHFINDERS–THE ADVENT OF high-frequency, high-resolution units has

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completely revolutionized your fish-finding views at the helm. By utilizing frequencies in the 400 kHz to 800 kHz range (instead of those in the neighborhood of 200 kHz) these units commonly called “scanners” or “imagers” get a serious sensitivity boost. Think of them as giving you an MRI-like picture, compared to the X-ray-like view of a traditional fishfinder. The downside is a loss of range, but since they easily probe depths of 100 feet and more, this limitation is relatively unimportant. Now, consider that most scanner/imagers can also send out traditional lower-frequency fish-finding pings, if you press the right buttons and ask them to. This limitation then becomes 100 percent irrelevant. Meanwhile, when compared to traditional fishfinders, their detail level is 10 times better. You can easily tell the difference between a sprig of weeds, a tree branch, and the fish swimming around them. Added bonus: these units need not be expensive. In fact, you can get a good scanner/imager from a number of manufacturers for a couple hundred dollars. And a combined fishfinder/chartplotter with a screen big enough to consistently operate in a split-screen mode is only a few hundred dollars more. You say you already have a scanner/ imager? Sorry, it’s probably out of date, too. In the past year, a new twist has been added: “CHIRP” multi-frequency scanning. Sure, this is a scaled-down version of CHIRP, with a shorter bandwidth. The Raymarine Dragonfly 5 and Lowrance Elite 7 CHIRP, for example, both introduced in the past year, ping through ranges about 50 to 70 kHz apart. Full-blown multi-channel offshore-style CHIRP units usually have a much broader range, running through more like a 200 kHz spectrum. But they also cost thousands of dollars, while the aforementioned examples are well under $1,000. The bottom line? Even if you upgraded to a scanner/imager two or three years ago, PHOTO:

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Texas BOATING 2. MFDS–IF YOU RUN A BOAT WITH a multifunction display at the helm, and it’s more than a few years old, I’m afraid it’s a thing of the past, too. Sure, we’ve seen these units become more and more capable over the past decade. They offer more and more features that used to require black-box add-ons for everything from satellite weather to radar. If you upgraded a couple years ago, you may have a do-everything box at the helm with no add-ons needed at all, except for one, and it’s a biggie: Wi-Fi. Wait a sec—before you say you don’t need and don’t want Wi-Fi on your boat, let me why it’s an awesome addition: cartography. Thanks to developments like the latest Navionics app, with Wi-Fi onboard, your phone and your boat can talk to each other. You don’t even have to tell them to do so; just set up the system to do it automatically, and when you step aboard and open the app, your phone will feed the latest cartographic updates directly into your MFD’s brain. It can also grab your fishfinder’s pings, match them up with your GPS coordinates, and use the info to replace pre-existing mapping data already in the unit.

Yes, you can “build” your own digital charts (much like the Insight Genesis mapping service provided by Lowrance, and the Autochart service of Humminbird), without lifting a finger. Your Wi-Fi-equipped MFD and your cell phone do all the work. But—built-in Wi-Fi just started popping up in MFDs a couple of years ago. Not all manufacturers offer it (though add-ons and after-markets are available), and no manufacturer offers it on all of the units in their line-up. So yes, that means that the unit currently sitting at your helm is almost certainly obsolete.

your boat, if you call them in an emergency) is probably the number-one way to significantly increase your safety margin. Yet that little bit of extra work (or perhaps the confusion related to wiring NMEA connections) prevents 90-percent of the boaters out there from taking advantage of it. Luckily, as is often true with all sorts of electronics, the cost of those once-expensive GPS receivers has plummeted. And physically, they’ve shrunk significantly. As a result, many VHF manufacturers have begun building GPS into the radios, both fixed-mount and handheld varieties.

3. VHF RADIOS–REMEMBER WHEN the USCG mandated that all new VHFs produced for use in America would be required to have DSC capabilities? That happened all the way back in 1999. Yet as of 2010, the best estimates put the proportion of VHFs with active DSC at a mere 10-percent. Why? Because going from “capable” to “active” requires a bit of extra work. You have to wire your GPS and VHF together via an NMEA connection, then register to obtain an MMSI number and program that number into your radio. Having active DSC (which allows the USCG to immediately know your current GPS coordinates as well as vital data about

“ Why are most of us running boats with electronics built pre-2010?

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your unit is already technologically dated.

With the GPS built-in you don’t have to wire a thing, and you can get DSC at the press of a button. Do you still have a DSC capable VHF on your boat, which is not DSC-active? If ever there was a reason to upgrade, this is it. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, folks, but these three systems and the advances they’ve seen in the last year or two make it clear that the vast majority of us are running our boats with outdated electronics. Unless you fitted out your boat with a brand-new electronics system in the very recent past, yes, it most certainly is time for an upgrade. And on the flip-side, this bad news is actually really, really good news— because once you upgrade your electronics, boating will become a whole lot better.

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The Practical ANGLER by GREG BERLOCHER | TF&G Contributing Editor

The Flash

LURE’S URE’S POPULARITY TENDS to come and go over time. The hot new lure of today is often tomorrow’s afterthought. Through no fault of its own, Old Faithful suddenly is dropped from the A-Team and relegated to the back of the tackle box, or worse, the storage bin in the back of the garage. So it is with the humble spoon. For three decades after World War II, gold and silver spoons were the go-to lure for fresh and saltwater species. Bass fishermen and coastal pluggers simply would not hit the water without an assortment of Tony Accetta, Dixie Jet, and Johnson spoons. Plastic lures weren’t really new but many

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early entrants left a lot to be desired. As lure-friendly plastic resins were developed, better-built plugs came to market and starting shouldering in on the spoon’s popularity. Today, spoons are either an afterthought to many anglers, or a complete mystery. I find, with increasing regularity, anglers that admit they don’t own a spoon or they have never caught a fish on one.

I have yet to meet anyone that told me “I fished with a spoon the entire day and never caught a thing.” When queried about their commitment of time, most offered sheepishly that they had invested only 5-10 minutes casting the shiny, metal lure.

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Spoons are still an excellent offering

and will fool just about anything that swims. The problem is that no one gives them a serious try. Invest several hours chunking a spoon during ice cream conditions and you will be a convert. Whenever word of a hot, new lure spreads, tackle stores sell out quickly and shelves become bare. Why? Fishing pressure has increased significantly over the last few decades and will only get worse as more people move to the Lone Star State. Fish are smart and studies of the largemouth bass reveal that Florida-strain bass get lockjaw when they see the same lure day-after-day. Anecdotal evidence suggests the same principle applies to trout and redfish. Hence, the interest in a lure that sport fish have never seen before. Spoons come in a variety of different sizes, shapes, weights, and colors. Long before drop-shotting was conceived, jigging heavy silver spoons was a productive way to catch largemouth bass suspended in deep water. If you see a ball of shad on your depth finder, position your boat directly overhead and drop your spoon overboard, pulling out a yard of line at a time of line until your spoon reaches the correct depth. Sweep the rod tip up a foot or two and then let the spoon flutter seductively down. If you are anywhere near the bait ball, you will get a

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strike—most likely as the lure is falling. Surf spoons are heavy, with 3/4 ounce models being the most popular; the extra weight allows you to punch a cast into a stiff coastal breeze with authority. When you are trying to eak out every last inch of cast-

ing distance, the combination of the surf spoon’s aerodynamic profile and extra heft makes it the plug of choice. I love fishing topwaters in skinny water. The sight of an apex predator detonating on a surface plug is visual candy to me. But when the fish refuse to feed on the film, my fallback is a 1/8 or 1/4 ounce, gold Johnson Sprite. When the water is thigh deep, I opt for more weight to enhance casting distance but in skinny water I downsize to a small spoon. With my rod

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tip held high, I can dance the small payload above the top of the seagrass below. Seagrass and treble hooks don’t make a good marriage. If you find yourself picking seagrass off your hook after every cast, it is time to switch to a spoon with a single hook outfitted with a weed guard. The Johnson Silver Minnow has been the standard for generations in this category. Also worthwhile noting is a Shorty’s Spoon, made locally in Corpus Christi by Joe Newcomb. The Shorty’s Spoon is similar to a Silver Minnow but a large gap single hook is screwed to the inside face of the spoon, instead of soldered, allowing you to change out hooks when needed. To get more information on a Shorty’s Spoon, email shortyspoons@gmail.com Newcomb at shortyspoons@gmail.com. If you want to fish with something the fish haven’t seen in a while, a spoon outfitted with a sporty bucktail fits the bill. Bucktails can be purchased in a variety of colors and the added hue contrasts nicely to the metallic flash.

Yellow is my favorite color with chartreuse being a close second. Red and black are both productive colors. In addition to the eye-catching splash of color, bucktails also add an enticing wiggle to a spoon’s action. Fishing a spoon is no different from fishing a jig head tipped with your favorite soft plastic tail. A steady retrieve with the occasional twitch is my standard retrieve, but I would encourage you to experiment. Spoons are economical baits that are a good choice for young anglers on a budget. A ten spot will buy you a handful of lures in different colors and sizes. With a judicial rinse in fresh water after a trip to the salt, they will last years and stand up to repeated attacks from toothy predators. If you are looking for a change of pace this summer, try spoon-feeding the fish a little flash and fur.

Email Greg Berlocher at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

6/9/15 4:54 PM

Texas GUNS by STEVE LAMASCUS | TF&G Shooting Editor

WILDCAT CARTRIDGE IS one that is not available in factory ammunition. It is almost always based on a factory cartridge that is changed in some way to fit the needs of the individual shooter. Wildcatting is almost strictly an American pastime. In Europe and other countries the shooter is usually happy with factory rifles and ammunition. Americans, being individualists of the first order, have always been dissatisfied with the status quo. Usually, by the time any factory cartridge is widely available, it has been necked up, necked down, blown out, or changed in some way a wildcatter thinks he can make it fit his needs better. This usually results in a cartridge that is no better than some factory cartridge, but once in a while, the result is a really great cartridge that does fill a vacant niche in the factory lineup. Over the years, Remington has adopted several previous wildcats and made them legitimate factory cartridges. The .22-250, .25-06, .35 Whelen, .257 Roberts, and several more are examples of former wildcats that are now available in factory rifles and ammunition. If the truth be known, a great many of the factory cartridges of today started their lives as “wildcats.” For example: The .270 Winchester is nothing more than the .30-06 necked down to .277. The .280 Remington is a 7mm/06; the .243 Winchester is a 6mm/308; the .220 Swift is based on the 6mm Lee Navy; the .257 Roberts is based on the 7mm Mauser, as is the 6mm Remington. I could go on, probably for pages, but you get the idea. One of the simplest and probably best of the wildcat types was made famous by P.O. Ackley—the “improved” type. An improved cartridge is changed by the expedient of simply firing a factory cartridge in 62 |

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“ Americans, being individualists of the ﬁrst order, have always been dissatisﬁed with the status quo.

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Wildcats

an “improved” chamber, which changes the angle of the shoulder and lessens the body taper to increase the powder capacity. The headspace of the cartridge is not changed, so factory ammunition can still be fired in the improved chamber. The improvements are increased velocity, usually longer case life, and a reduction in the tendency of the brass to flow forward, requiring less frequent trimming.

Other types of wildcats require some advanced methods of altering the case. This usually involves either moving the shoulder back to decrease case capacity, or moving the shoulder forward to increase capacity, as in the Gibbs line of wildcats, which are based on the .30-06, with the shoulder moved forward and the case blown out. The former requires a set of forming dies and the latter requires very precise loading of the parent cartridge when fire-forming. The handloader must seat the bullet firmly into the lands of the barrel in order to keep the base of the cartridge firmly against the face of the bolt. This requires the user to be a very experienced reloader. I personally don’t believe it’s worth the trouble. The simplest wildcats are those that do

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nothing but change the diameter of the cartridge neck. Some of these are the .22-250, which is a .224 caliber based on the old .250 Savage; the .25-06, which is simply the .30-06 necked down to .257 caliber; the .30-338, also known as the .30 Belted Newton, which is the .338 Winchester Magnum necked down to .30 caliber; and the 7mm-08, which is nothing more than the .308 necked down to .284 caliber. The reloading manuals, especially the older books like those printed by Ackley, are full of such cartridges. Some, like the .22-250 became great cartridges, and some, like the .17 Flintstone Super Eyebunger and .240 Page Super Pooper are all but forgotten. Some of the wildcats were made with very narrow ideas in mind. One such is the .22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer (don’t you love these names?), which is a monstrous .22 caliber based on the .378 Weatherby cartridge, intended for nothing more than setting a velocity record. It uses over a hundred grains of powder behind a 50-grain bullet. I suspect the barrel life would be barely enough to sight it in. By and large, wildcats are not really worth the trouble, even for reloaders. Generally you can find a factory cartridge that is just as good and not have to go to the trouble of fire-forming and the other things needed to make use of a wildcat. However, for some of us, wildcats are fun and worth the time and trouble. I have several wildcats that I love to shoot. Are they better than some factory cartridge? Not really. But for me they are exactly what I want, so I put up with the inconveniences. You might, also. You will never know until you try them.

Email Steve LaMascus at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Industry INSIDER Tournament Set to Shine this September sunshinekids.org/fishing to register and find more information.

“ This event has helped raise over $45,000.

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THE SUNSHINE KIDS FOUNDATION has announced the date for their 4th Annual Texas Tail Chasers Charity Fishing Tournament. The tournament will take place Saturday, September 19, 2015 at Top Water Grill in San Leon. All proceeds from this special event will benefit the Foundation, helping to make a difference for children and their families fighting cancer. Over the past three years, this exciting event has helped raise over $45,000 for children with cancer in the community. The tournament starts at 5:30AM with weighins from 12:00-2:30PM. Participants will enjoy lunch, draft beer, door prizes, raffle, silent auction and an awards ceremony beginning at 3:00PM. Top Water Grill is located at 815 Ave. O, San Leon, TX 77539. Please visit our website: www.

The Sunshine Kids Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to children with cancer. Established in 1982, the Foundation is committed to providing quality group activities and emotional support to

Kids who are receiving cancer treatments in hospitals across North America. The mission of the Foundation is to provide exciting, positive group activities for children with cancer, so they may once again do what Kids are meant to do…have fun and celebrate life.

The fourth annual Sunshine Kids Foundation charity tournament will take place September 19 in San Leon.

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PHOTOS: SUNSHINE KIDS FOUNDATION

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New Bass License Plates Unveilled

fee of only $30. This fee does not replace the regular vehicle registration cost. Specialty plates may be purchased at

any time of the year. Visit www.conservationplate.org/projects.

THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE Department is re-introducing its largemouth bass conservation license plate with a new graphic design. Artwork on the new plate depicting a jumping bass chasing a lure was created by well-known wildlife artist Clemente Guzman. In an online contest to determine the new plate design, Guzman’s jumping bass received the most votes from anglers with more than 4,000.

“Our hope is that this more robust bass will appeal to more anglers who will want to display this plate on their vehicles and boat trailers. By purchasing this specialty plate they will help provide critical funding for Texas’ fish management programs,” says Dave Terre, Inland Fisheries Management and Research Chief. “The more plates purchased by anglers, the more funding will be available to help keep Texas one of the best places to fish in the country.” The new plate launched May 25, at the Toyota Texas Bass Classic on Lake Fork. Plates can be purchased online at www. ConservationPlate.org/Bass or at local tax county offices for $30/year, of which $22/ plate goes to TPWD. “The bass plate was one of the first plates we introduced back in 2002 and we wanted to take advantage of the new digital printing capabilities at Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and give this plate a much-needed facelift” says Janis Johnson, TPWD marketing specialist. TPWD now offers seven conservation license plates, including the recently introduced hummingbird and rattlesnake plates and the horned lizard plate, the white-tailed deer (benefitting big game management); and the camping and bluebonnet plates (both benefitting state parks). Specialty plates have generated more than $7 million for conservation in Texas since 1999. The plates are available for cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers and RVs for an annual

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Fish and Game GEAR Yamamoto’s New Swimbait Has Heart

THE NEW HEART-TAIL IS A VERY versatile style of lure; fish it deep on a jighead, swim it Texas-rigged in the grass, or on the back of a swim jig or chatterbait

Yamamoto Heart Tail Swimbait

– the heart-tail’s compact profile facilitates the proper presentation by not overburdening moving baits. A wide body makes it ideal for buzzing on the surface over lilypads and thick vegetation where it really shines. Its unique, heart-shaped paddle tail produces a big side-to-side vibration that displaces a ton of water, and its extra-large hook cavity was designed for better hook penetration. The Heart-Tail’s wide body is perfect in situations where the water clarity isn’t that great and fish are using their lateral line more than sight - that big wobble attracts big bass. Available in 10 strike-inducing colors. Visit www.baits.com.

nology for forty years, has announced the addition of the new Micro H-2 sight to the company’s commercial product line. The Micro H-2 will be available for shipment in August 2015, and will be offered alongside the company’s existing Micro H-1.

Since its introduction in 2007, the Aimpoint Micro sight has become a popular hunting sight worldwide due to its lightweight and compact size, durability, and extremely long battery life. Product reviews with hunters and sport shooters identified a series of desired product enhancements that have now been added to this new product. These changes include: a new sight housing which allows the addition of front and rear protective flip covers, additional physical

Micro H-2 Sights in New Features

AIMPOINT’S NEW SIGHT PROVIDES additional features and enhanced performance for hunters. Aimpoint, the originator and world leader in electronic red dot sighting tech66 |

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protection for the sight’s adjustment turrets, and increased ruggedness for the sight’s internal electronic components. The most significant developments in the Micro H-2 however, are the advanced optical lenses that allow for even better light transmission and provide a noticeable increase in the clarity and performance properties of the sight. This ensures a more distinct and clearer dot in all conditions and situations. “The Aimpoint Micro has become the worldwide standard for compact reflex sights” says Matt Swenson, Vice President of Sales. “With the sight’s new design, the Micro H-2 takes the level of performance available from a compact sight to an entirely new level.” The Micro H-2 can be mounted on nearly any rifle, shotgun, handgun or crossbow, and can be used with most existing mounts that fit the Micro H-1 including the Blaser saddle mount. The sight can also be mounted to a larger magnified scope with a 30mm or 34mm scope adapter giving the hunter ability to hunt at both short and long distances while providing faster target acquisition. The Micro H-2 can operate for up to five years of constant-on PHOTOS: GARY YAMAMOTO, AIMPOINT, MIDASU

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use, using just one CR-2032 battery, and is waterproof. For more information on Aimpoint or its products, visit www.aimpoint.com.

Midasu Adds Lipless Crank to Hard Line

ONE OF THE HOTTEST STYLES of hardbait right now is the Lipless Crankbait and Midasu is excited to add it to their hard bait lineup. Similar to their Chikara crankbait in that it offers a loud sound chamber, it is available in unique foil finishes and comes with Mustad hooks They have gone out of their way to improve the design of this bait by creating a tear-drop belly which presents a more shad-like profile. When the bait is stopped in the water, the weight settles into this tear-drop belly and causes the bait to flutter seductively. They have stretched the body slightly

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Midasu Lipless Crank

and moved the front hook forward and the rear hook closer to the back so you can change out to bigger hooks without worrying about them tangling up with each other. The goal of lipless crankbaits has always been to wake up lethargic bass. Tie one on and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see that the Midasu does just that. Two unique characteristics that set the Midasu apart from the fleet of lipless baits on the market today is the sound the bait makes in the water and the vibration it produces. The Midasu has a more subtle rattle to it than other lipless baits. It is also wider. This lipless crank was designed to mimic baitfish, but it also have characteristics that

mimic swimming crawfish and is perfect for cold-water fishing in the spring. These unique approaches to the design in our Midasu Lipless Crankbait will provide hours of success on the water. Visit www.baits.com www.baits.com.

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

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SABINE Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

Hot Temps, Hot Action

T’S JULY AND THE TEMPERAture and fishing action are ascending rapidly and simultaneously. They actually have been for a while, but usually tend to peak somewhere around the middle of the month. The rod bending action has been gaining momentum steadily since the extra fresh water from record rain totals this spring has been flushed out and is now in full swing. The trout bite is usually super consistent

here on Sabine, but was pretty much nonexistent from mid-March to early May. This was because of all the rain we had and the runoff from our neighbors to the north. It was indeed a very wet spring, probably the wettest I can remember. That is all in the past now. It is July, it’s hot, and the fish are hungry. The jetties, short rigs and surf are loaded with trout and reds. Throwing top-waters early and light colored plastics once the sun begins to penetrate the sandy green water should be your keys to a successful trip. At the jetties, start at the boat cut or the end and work the entire wall, paying special attention to washouts and rock piles. When you hit a group of fish, work that area thoroughly before moving on. Live baits such as shrimp, shad and

finger mullet are also very effective in these hot summer months. Place a split shot about 18 to 24 inches above a Kahle hook, or rig it with a popping cork. Both of these techniques are very effective, especially when the fish decide to get lockjaw on artificials as the water heats up in the summer months. Something else that many people don’t realize is that, often, the fish really stack up north of the boat cut. Again, topwaters, light-colored soft plastics, and live bait should all put fish in the box. The crowd is usually a lot thinner on that side of the cut, so you can spend more time fishing instead of maneuvering around boats. Remember that tidal movement is very important. Both incoming and outgoing tides can be productive. Also, the channel side can be just as good as, or better than, the Gulf side at times. The short rigs are also holding nice trout and some big reds. Soft plastics and live finger mullet or shad should get the job done. You might also get to tangle with some Spanish mackerel on steroids, gaff-tops and sharks. Drifting or wading the surf is another exciting option in July. Early mornings when the pretty water has found its way to the beach before the wind picks up should be your best bet. Wherever you end up this month, remember to prepare for the hot weather. Bring plenty of extra water and wear a hat, long sleeves and good sunglasses. Also remember to lather up with sunscreen early and often.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Surf, High Island, TX SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redﬁsh, Jacks BAITS/LURES: Topwaters, soft plastics, live shrimp BEST TIMES: All day in calm conditions

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com 68 |

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GALVESTON Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. MIKE HOLMES

More Water Issues?

LTHOUGH THE UPPER Texas Coast had an almost normal amount of rainfall over the summer of 2014, the winter of 2015 was pretty wet. Driving north you will cover a lot of territory before running into the extremely dry conditions that areas such as Wichita Falls are struggling with. My in-laws live on what used to be Lake Arrowhead, where now only a small stream wanders through the dry lake bed. This was a body of water used as a sole source of H2O by rural residents and several communities. Now water barrels at each corner of most homes catch rain runoff via gutters—and this is the main water supply for many. The problem is not a lack of impoundments to catch water, but rain to fill them. Of course, the coast depends on major streams for much of the water that feeds the bays. Those streams usually begin in Northern Texas and meander through a lot of landscape and major reservoirs to get to the Gulf. When fresh water flow is lessened, salinity of the bays becomes too harsh for many immature fish and shrimp that use them as nursery areas. Even aquatic plants suffer. A wet season on the immediate coast can somewhat mitigate the damage of inland drought, but not completely offset it. With this in mind, hearing a representative of Ducks Unlimited tell us at the 2015 Texas Outdoor Writers Convention that climate scientists are predicting drought conditions for the next 30 to 40 years was quite a shock. If this prediction comes even

partially true, a lot of Texas game and fish—fresh and saltwater species, both—are going to suffer. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is to be commended, in my humble opinion, for their efforts to conserve the alligator gar. This is a fish that many would say is not worth the effort. Big gars are worthy opponents on suitable tackle, but they can be difficult to hook solidly. Instead of being beautiful creatures with graceful lines, they are brutish and threatening in appearance. Although gars are edible, they are not to everyone’s taste. To top all this off, gars can—and do—eat other fish such as bass and catfish and also compete with them for food and space in the water. Being a bit contrary, I have always considered the alligator gar a challenging fish that can pull harder than just about anything else in Texas in fresh or brackish water. A gar can sometimes jump to rival a tarpon—and is a fish not just anyone wants to go after.

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At one time in the 1970s, I tried to organize a group dedicated to the sport of pursuing these fish—to be called the IGFA, or International Gar Fishing Association. To be able to “borrow” from more than one existing organization, our slogan would have been, “First let’s save the ‘gator gar!” Guess I always was a bit ahead of my time. Last year about this time, I reported that TPWD required no license to fish in state parks, including Galveston Island State Park. Now I am happy to report that many parks will have fishing equipment available to loan to visiting would-be-anglers. These measures are aimed at getting more people involved in fishing, which might be a very good way to increase attendance at state parks. TPWD personnel still agree with most of us that the red snapper is pretty much fully recovered and could support a lot more fishing pressure than NOAA Fisheries is willing to allow. So the “season” in state waters inside of nine miles will stay open all year,

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MATAGORDA Area Hotspot Focus :: by MIKE PRICE

Bare Structure to Vibrant Marine Ecosystem

N FEBRUARY 2, 1972 THE VA Fogg, a 572-foot tanker carrying benzene, exploded and sank 35 miles offshore from Freeport, Texas, in 105 feet of water. I was the owner of Houston Scuba Academy at that time, and I organized the first group of divers (other than the Coast Guard) to dive on the ship. The ship was upright, but missing its center section, which had been blown out. Speculation was that while empty tanks (which had contained benzene) were being cleaned, a spark had ignited the volatile gas. The superstructure of the ship was intact, and a small portion of it stuck out of the water. The VA Fogg was my first experience watching a hard object on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico act as a collection point for marine life. Within a month or so, everything from colorful tropical fish to a 150-pound Warsaw grouper was calling this unfortunate grave site home. It had become an artificial reef. Since that time, offshore oil rigs have been put in, and they collected lots of marine life, which in turn, created great fishing. Then, to the dismay of those of us who enjoyed fishing on them, the rigs were removed. Their commercial life had run its course, and federal waters rules require that they be removed at that point. Some rigs ae still out there, and they offer great fishing, but they will be removed eventually as well. However, everyone agrees that artificial reefs are the best way to attract and keep healthy marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has worked hard to provide those reefs, starting in 1979 when nine liberty ships were sunk in Texas’s waters. The liberty ship closest to the Matagorda jetties is the Matagorda Liberty Ship Reef 616, 70 |

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GPS 28 06.996 and 96 05.201. It is 30 nautical miles southwest from the jetties in 120 feet of water. The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) has teamed up with TPWD to help with several artificial reefs along the Texas coast. Among these is the ship George Vancouver, sunk in 1995. This one has had additional reef structure added since then. The Vancouver is the second large artificial reef site accessible with a day trip out of Matagorda, GPS 28 47.555 and 95 20.850. The Vancouver lies35 miles from the Matagorda jetties in 60 feet of water. Numerous small wrecks lie offshore from Matagorda, but at present, these artificial reefs are our closest large reef sites. However, that is fixing to change. Dale Shively, Artificial Reefs Program Coordinator for TPWD, said Texas has received funds from the Deepwater Horizon Restoration fund that have been designated for the installation of an artificial reef. The reef will be eight nautical miles from the Matagorda jetties, and seven nautical miles directly offshore from Matagorda Beach. CCA is also contributing to this important addition to near-shore Matagorda recreational fishing sites. The 160-acre reef site will be four times larger than the largest reef yet constructed by TPWD using this process. It will be made up of 1,600 three-sided pyramids that have 20-foot bases and are eight feet tall. The Coast Guard requires a clearance of 50 feet above the pyramids, and they will be placed at a depth of 60 feet. The concrete pyramids will have limestone attached to the sides. Limestone is porous and makes a good substrate for small organisms to attach to and grow on, and they will match the pH of a natural reef. Each pyramid will weigh 6,000 pounds

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and be built to withstand storm events. One side of the pyramids will have an opening so turtles that may have burrowed under the sand will have a way to get out. The pyramids will also have small holes for little fish to move through. Fish will be attracted to the structures immediately,” Shively said, “and certain fish will make a permanent home at the reef, including red snapper. This is what happened at Sabine and Corpus Christi in a very short period of time. Other species such as trigger fish, grey snapper, and black drum are likely to occupy the reef. Redfish, trout and ling will probably also be found on the reef. After a time, some colorful tropical fish such as queen angel fish, wrasse, French angel fish, and sergeant major fish may show up. This is what happened at Port Mansfield.” The project is fully permitted, and the process of making the pyramids should have started by the time this piece appears in July, 2015. The contractor will probably bring the pyramids out in multiple trips, and the reef should be complete by late 2016. For more information go to http://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/water/ habitats/artificial_reef/ and https://www. facebook.com/TexasParksAndWildlifeArtificialReefProgram. Shively also said that another artificial reef is being permitted to be located in Port O’Connor near-shore waters. It will encompass 380 acres and will be placed south of the Port O’Connor jetties, 70-feet deep. There are two abandoned platforms in state waters there as well. Like the Matagorda reef, this reef will be composed of triangular pyramids. The pyramids will be placed in a rectangle around the platforms. When the platforms get rusty and must be removed, they will be cut at 20 feet leaving the required 50 feet of clearance. This is great news for Matagorda anglers. As soon as they start placing pyramids on the reef site, the fishing just seven nautical miles

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from Matagorda Beach will improve. The site is close enough for small boats to reach safely on a good weather day.

THE BANK BITE JULY OFTEN OFFERS many days of calm wind and blue water on the beach, days that beckon— almost beg—fishermen to try their luck in the surf. Contrary-wise, this kind of day may not be a good day of fishing at all in the bays. If the bays are off-color because days previously the wind had blown from the west or southwest and because the tide is not moving, head to the surf. The water is always moving, collecting oxygen from the air and stirring up the bait fish, even when the waves are tiny. If you do not have a four wheel drive vehicle, you may want to park your vehicle at the entrance to the beach or at Matagorda Bay Nature Park, and walk to fish in the surf. If you go east on the beach you will find that driving on the beach is challenging because some new dunes have formed very close to the water.

Email Mike Price at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Focus: GALVESTON t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 67 with a four fish bag limit. A short season in federal waters, combined with frighteningly low bag limits of two, or maybe even only one fish per day, does not encourage fishing for this species. Captain Joe Kent of Galveston, also writes for the Galveston Daily News on outdoor subjects. He told me that on one of his trips, he found only a few boats trying the old Buccaneer Field of oil production platforms. At one time, this area might have looked like the parking lot of a busy mall. Many platforms have been removed, of course, but many were toppled in place, so the fish holding habitat is still there. My first trip to the Buccaneers years ago in my old Bertram saw us catch red snapper, king mackerel, and ling while tied to a rig. We also caught kings and dolphins trolling on the way out and back. It was always a good area for multiple

species. I’m sure it still is for those willing to spend the money on fuel and equipment to bring home maybe one small fish dinner.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: San Luis Pass is good on either the Galveston or Follett’s Island sides when tides are bringing bait—and game fish—from bay to Gulf, and back. Just be very careful wading, as this is a very dangerous spot for the unaware. SPECIES: Redfish, speckled trout, flounder will often be joined by Spanish mackerel, various sharks, even tarpon or kings at times. A big alligator gar might not be out of the question, either. Best Baits: Live bait caught in a cast net, or cut mullet will catch anything that swims through here, as will many artificial offerings. BEST TIMES: Tide movement—coming in or going out—is the key here, and usually more important than time of day.

Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

6/8/15 1:19 PM

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

July’s Topical Tactics

N JULY, BEGIN YOUR DAY early with a top water presentation, making sure you work the lure across the shallows in a variety of patterns. If the wind happens to be ruffling the surface of the water or is kicking up small intermittent waves, toss a larger, noisier bait like the GunDog Flush or Dummy, the Super

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Spook, or the She Dog. In the event there happens to be absolutely no wind whatsoever, then you should offer the fish small baits like the Super Spook Junior, a Skitter Walk Junior, or even a small Zara Pup. A favored color during the bright days of summertime in clean, green water is anything with chrome on it. The chrome has such a high level of reflection that it seems to attract almost without effort. You can test this next time you’re catching a lot of fish on a chrome lure in clean water on a partly cloudy day. The bite will seem to turn off almost immediately as the sun disappears behind some of the day’s occasional clouds. If the sky happens to be completely filled with clouds, and the water is either clean or stained, the old reliable colors of bone and black can often be very productive. Both of those colors portray a vivid silhouette against the surface of the water in dim and in bright light conditions, and both have historically been very productive on days when absolutely no other colors seem to do the trick. One of the more common retrieval patterns for top water baits is the “walk-thedog” pattern, where the angler intermittently jerks the rod tip upwards and then reels in slack in the line between each jerk of the rod tip, thus “walking” the lure from side-to-side as it is retrieved back to the angler. Some people like to “walk-the-dog” fast, while others like to slow it down a bit, and some prefer to alter the pattern. Try a number of different retrieval speeds until you find what works best for that day under those conditions. If a slow retrieve doesn’t do it, then speed things up. If a continuous walk-the-dog isn’t effective, try altering the retrieve to a start-and-stop walkthe-dog pattern, staggering the time between rod twitches as much as five to ten seconds. If the fish continue to blow-up at your bait, but just aren’t exploding on it, try altering your retrieval pattern in one of two ways. First, at the time of the next blow-up, let your lure sit completely still for ten seconds

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immediately following the strike. After ten seconds, make one, two, or three simple and brief jerks of the lure with the rod tip. All the while, allow the lure to remain almost in the exact spot where the initial strike came from. The fish will most often come back to the lure and will hit it with an act of vengeance. A second tactic that has also been very effective in the past is to simply let the lure remain completely still, immediately following a missed blow-up. It’s sometimes extremely difficult to do this, but it works more times than not. After all, if you think about it, it’s probably much easier for the fish to catch a stationary target than a moving one. If short strikes continue, or if the bite on top simply turns off where you‘re wading, try relocating to another area that contains similar structure. If after moving, things still do not improve, consider moving to an area offering completely different structure. At this time of the year, there’s no better structure to be trying your top water luck at than that of shell—either along shorelines or out among open-bay reefs. Only the winds of July settling enough to clear mid-bay waters in San Antonio Bay will allow you to try your luck atop the bay’s numerous shell pads. If you get the chance, take advantage of it. There has been many a July set afire by the hot action atop the shell in San Antonio Bay as an angler throws top water baits. But the fishing atop shell is not the only thing that heats up this month—so do our bodies. Hydrate early, and hydrate often. You’ll be glad you did.

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

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ROCKPORT Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. MAC GABLE

HE PLENTIFUL RAINS OF spring time have had a positive impact on the bay systems in the Rockport area. The fresh water coming into our major bay systems has had a washing affect. Couple that with the improvement in nutrient levels, salinity factors and the life building nutrients have produced a healthy ecologically sound estuarine bay system. Texas, having been in drought conditions, has gotten at least a fresh drink of rain water from Mother Nature. Unfortunately if you believe the predictions overall climate change will bring, these spring rains will be the exception and not the rule as we move forward in time. Of course, no one including our best scientific minds can predict exactly how this will play out. For now we can enjoy the benefits this life-sustaining liquid brings to our fisheries and healthier bays, including healthier fish and to some extent better fishing. The opening of Cedar Bayou is another reason for optimism. The exchange of salt water and the migration of more bait through this natural pass will in the long term be nothing but good. To date we have seen some short term improvement in the adjoining bays close to the bayou. We pray this has positive longterm impact over the next three to five years. The Texas Parks and Wildlife lowering the trout limit, although controversial, should see (by the experts’ predictions) an up-tic in the quality of our fisheries as well. The mosquito population has never been better. High tides and flooded marshes have brought swarms not seen since Biblical times / decades. The larvae of these sharp beaked insects are excellent food for juvenile reds, trout and other predator fish. Bait fish also feed endlessly on the marvelous wiggling wonders.

“ Texas has gotten a fresh drink from Mother Nature.

“

Positivity

I find it interesting that only the female mosquito is the biter as they require blood to produce their eggs. The best way to not get bitten is not by annihilation of the female but by confusion.

It seems the chemical, DEET, disrupts their chemical receptors, and they seek other prey. I’m thinking there might be something for man to learn from this but pursuing that

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line of thought will no doubt get me, ummm, bitten. IT SEEMS A NEW AND HEIGHTENED awareness of litter on our bays has taken effect. Just the other day I beheld the most incredible sight. I witnessed another boat full of folks making their way down the ICW when, as is not unusual, an empty soda can and a Styrofoam cup blew out of the boat. To my sheer glee, they turned around, produced a fishing net and scooped the trash up out of the water. There might be hope for the human race after all. It might be my imagination, but I have seen what appear to be VERY courteous actions and gestures at our now-congested boat ramps. It seems bait has been plentiful, so no fist fights at local bait stands. One angler actually shared his six quarts of shrimp with another angler at a sold-out bait stand, though it wasn’t for free. Some of my clients have actually turned to me and said “Capt. Mac, we have enough fish, how about catch and release now?” I

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Focus: ROCKPORT had two clients that actually turned loose two 27-inch-plus trout—and no they did not have limits of trout at the time. They know who they are, so I won’t mention names, but—T and D, thanks so much for such great sportsmanship and care of our natural resources. Not too long ago while I was on a trip, my motor started making noise. If you have ever run the same type motor like I have for more than 22 years, you know your motor’s noises better than you know the ring tone on your phone. The sound was ominous: it was a definitive metal slap. Either my power head was about to throw a rod, my lower unit was fixing to lock up or my on-board fuel compressor was toast. Naturally I was 18 miles from my home dock, so we slowly limped back, me nursing the ADDK motor (Already Dead Didn’t Know it) back to the dock. Immediately, I called the best mechanic I know (Mac at Chris’s Marine), and he asked me what was going on. “I’ve got trouble. I have trips, and I have a motor with a bad power head, a bad lower unit or my compressor is fried, and I need it fixed yesterday!” He told me they were busy, but said I needed to get it in. I don’t normally plug a business in my articles, but these guys not only got to it, the owner himself, Chris, was the one that worked on my motor. I knew in my heart of hearts it was going to be A LOT of money—I feared it would be thousands of dollars. Times were lean for me right then. Chris called three times with a status and then told me like a voice from heaven, there was nothing wrong with my motor. It was just a loose prop. They could have sold me anything had they wanted to, but thank goodness for honesty, integrity, and the willingness to help out someone in need. You da man Chris and Mac, thanks again for getting me back on the water. How about those good friends? I don’t mean those that just say hello and talk about the weather. I mean those who, when your boat’s broken, your truck’s broke down, or your body or spirit is broken, you know one phone call and they will be there 74 |

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for you? Or how about that wife, who at the end of a bad fishing day is there to help you clean the boat, clean the reels, wash the sweat and fish out of your clothes and oftentime, bandages you up from mishaps that just seem to happen? Or who cooks the great meal that is often waiting for you when you do clear the doorway. All this makes your next day’s fishing not only possible but tolerable. Thank you, Lisa Gable, for always being there for this man, your husband. Lord I wish I wasn’t so guilty of looking mostly at the down side of life. It just seems these days to be so easy to do that. God, this country, our environment, including our beloved bays, have so much to be excited and feel good about. We need this affirmative and constructive view and mind set today more than ever. Tip: Many anglers move too often this time of year, meaning they have little patience. Even though it’s hot waiting in a place where you know you have had good fish activity in the past, it can be very productive. During the heat of the summer, I have seen trout turn off and turn on, all in the same place many times in a 12-hour period. I have often moved to other fishing spots only to return to the spot I left to find the fish in a feeding frenzy. Cover up, drink plenty of fluids and wait it out. • • • COPANO BAY — Croakers on Italian Bend shoreline are good for trout and some keeper reds. Free-line is best here. The reefs close to Smith Channel are good for black drum, using a light Carolina rig and fresh, dead shrimp. On high tide, Rattlesnake Point is good for reds using cut mullet freelined. ARANSAS BAY — The mouth of Allyns Lake is good for reds and flounders using live shrimp on a light Carolina rig. Jay Bird Reef is holding some black drum, peeled shrimp free-lined or on a light Carolina rig works best here.

action still good around Salt Creek using peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig. Cut menhaden on a fish finder rig is good for reds at the mouth of Little Devil’s Bayou. CARLOS BAY — Third Chain is a good place for reds, using free-lined finger mullet or cut menhaden. Drifts across Carlos Lake are good for trout using a rattle cork and Berkley shrimp. MESQUITE BAY — Wades at the mouth of Cedar Bayou are good for trout and reds using free-lined croakers. Rattlesnake Reef is a good place for some flounders using free-lined shrimp. The trick is to set the hook at the slightest tap, as the flounder often grabs the shrimp and buries itself again on the bottom, making you think you are hung up. If that happens, slow and steady pressure will free the flounder from the bottom. The north shoreline of Brays Cove is good for reds and trout using free-lined finger mullet and croakers. AYERS BAY — Rattlesnake Island shoreline is good for sheepsheads using a popping cork and shrimp. Some trout and reds holding in the deeper water transition off of Second Chain Island. Finger mullet free-lined work best here.

THE BANK BITE LIVE OAK POINT is a good place for big trout and some keeper reds using red and gold spoons or sand eels in sapphire shine color. Early morning wading out is best. Late evening casting from the bank is best.

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

ST. CHARLES BAY — Black drum

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6/8/15 1:19 PM

LOWER Coast Hotspot Focus :: by CALIXTO GONZALES

In the Pink

O WHAT’S A BODY TO DO IF he wants to get in on some good summer fishing action on the Lower Texas Coast, but he doesn’t own a boat? Easy: think pink, as in pink granite and jetties. Some of the most underrated summer fishing in South Texas takes place along either side of the Brazos Santiago Jetties that bookend the pass by the same name that feeds in and out of Lower Laguna Madre. These jetty systems are accessible from land (the north jetties from South Padre Island, and the south jetties from Brownsville via SH 4, and then turning left onto Brazos Island (known locally as Boca Chica Beach). However, access can be iffy now that Space X is building a launch pad in the area. This jetty system offers excellent fishing for everything including the most popular species, speckled trout, redfish, flounder, tarpon and snook. Fishing is also good for mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, and even kingfish for the properly equipped. Certainly, the most sought-after species of the dedicated rock-hopper are speckled trout and redfish. Both can be caught from the jetties on the same trip; however, different techniques are called for. Speckled trout will be usually holding closer to the rocks and patrolling up and down the gut that runs parallel to the jetties. This is especially true on the north jetties, where prevailing currents create gentler eddies and currents that, on an outgoing tide, push water and bait against the surf-side of the rocks. Redfish will be prowling the surf away from the jetties and in the guts that intersect them. The key to fishing the jetties is catching the “cupcake” conditions that prevail starting in late June and holding on into September. An incoming tide and soft

southeast breezes that send clean water in from the Gulf, lay swells down to make early mornings magical off the rocks. A fisherman can do well throwing live bait under a noisy float such as an Alameda float or Cajun Thunder near the rocks for trout (and mangrove snappers, which almost become a nuisance with their abundance), or on a Carolina rig out in the surf for redfish. The bait bucket, however, isn’t necessary, and might even be a nuisance for the fastmoving rock hopper. What works to keep you mobile is a box filled with topwaters such as the Storm Chug Bug or Pradco’s Heddon Pop’R, a few 1/4 ounce jigheads, a ½ ounce silver spoon or two, and a collection of your favorite plastic tails in red/white, or chartreuse patterns. By the way, weighted worm hooks such as the Eagle Claw Trokar are helpful to mitigate snagging on the rocks. Start an early morning expedition on the jetties by casting back towards the corner where the rocks meet the beach and work the lure back along the bottom. Trout should be there, but there may also be a few big flounders waiting in ambush. From those casts, expand out into the guts and cast parallel to the beach to see if there are any redfish. It doesn’t hurt to take a few wire leaders in your tackle box. This time of year, there are schools of Spanish mackerel that tear into bait balls in front of the jetties. They aren’t discriminating, and can clean you out of tackle in a hurry. On the South jetties, the surf is a bit rougher, and the rocks are not laid as smoothly, but the presence of snook in the suds more than makes up for the tougher work. These fish will also attack the same trout and redfish lures with abandon, only they offer some gill-rattling jumps for your thrills. The question always comes up about the sort of tackle needed for the jetties. Honestly, your traditional inshore 10-12 pound tackle is enough, but if you hook into a big red or snook, you are going to be in trouble, and you may as well just give up if you hook into a tarpon or a jackfish (another T E X A S

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summertime denizen of the rocks). Upping slightly to 14-17 pound tackle is a safer bet to handle just about anything that swims the suds around the pink granite. It gives you a little more power in reserve if Mr. Big comes calling. If you are going to walk all the way to the end of the jetties to take a shot at a kingfish or something else really big, you may want to upgrade to a surf rod and high-capacity reel. You could hook into a smoker, and if you don’t have at least 300 yards of 20-pound line, you may be waving bye-bye in less than a minute. For moon-launching off the end of the jetties, I prefer a Shimano Terez 8-foot spinning rod with an 8000 Sustain spinning reel loaded with 40-pound braid. I’ve handled 40+ inch kingfish and some big redfish with this rig, and it offers enough flex that I can send a one-ounce Rat-L-Trap waaaaaayyyyy out there where the lunkers lurk. Then again, you may be doing that anyway if one of the true monsters shows up around the jetties. Kingfish, sharks, tarpons, giant bull redfish, and other surfing hoods know no mercy. Then you may not be rocking, but crying the blues.

THE BANK BITE HOTSPOT: Padre Island shoreline, north side of causeway LOCATION: Left side, immediately after crossing. SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redﬁsh LURES/BAITS: Live shrimp or soft plastics under a Mauler or Popping Cork, topwaters early. BEST TIMES: Early morning, late afternoon, especially with a rising tide. Wade out toward boat channel and ﬁsh dropoffs.

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Email Calixto Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Texas HOTSPOTS

UPPER COAST

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.

Jetty Reds Make the Cut by TOM BEHRENS

LOCATION: Galveston HOTSPOT: North Jetty Boat Cut GPS: N 29 23.074, W 94 46.194 (29.3846, -94.7699) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier 281-337-0321 ralph2fish@aol.com www.fraziersguideservice.com TIPS: North or South Jetty? “It all depends on the water clarity and the amount of bait showing up. Bait is the key to wherever you fish.” Capt. Ralph Frazier LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Tripod GPS: N 28 40.3609, W 95 55.132 (28.6727, -95.9189) SPECIES: Triple Tail BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Capt. Countz says triple tail usually will be located around any structure sticking out of the water. LOCATION: Galveston HOTSPOT: Beachfront GPS: N 29 5.718, W 95 5.832 (29.0953, -95.0972) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp or spoons CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier 281-337-0321 ralph2fish@aol.com www.fraziersguideservice.com TIPS: “I drive the beachfront until I see slicks,

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birds, or a lot of bait activity, and then fish the location.” Frazier likes the beachfront on the Bolivar side. LOCATION: Galveston HOTSPOT: North Jetty GPS: N 29 21.2719, W 94 43.0909 (29.3545, -94.7182) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier 281-337-0321 ralph2fish@aol.com www.fraziersguideservice.com TIPS: “Use the trolling motor and go along the jetties, free shrimping until you find the fish.” Capt. Ralph Frazier LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Van-Ta-Un Flats GPS: N 29 32.794, W 94 45.805 (29.5466, -94.7634) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier 281-337-0321 ralph2fish@aol.com www.fraziersguideservice.com TIPS: Live bait or artificial? “We will work the gas wells with live shrimp and throw croakers on the reefs.” Capt. Ralph Frazier LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef GPS: N 29 28.92, W 94 43.6559 (29.4820, -94.7276) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier

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281-337-0321 ralph2fish@aol.com www.fraziersguideservice.com TIPS: Live croaker, free lined on the bottom. LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Deep Reef GPS: N 29 30.804, W 97 58.74 (29.5134, -97.9790) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or Live Shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier 281-337-0321 ralph2fish@aol.com www.fraziersguideservice.com TIPS: Live croaker, free lined on the bottom. LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Trinity Bay Wells GPS: N 29 41.677, W 94 47.3249 (29.6946, -94.7888) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or Live Shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier 281-337-0321 ralph2fish@aol.com www.fraziersguideservice.com TIPS: “As temperatures rise during the day move out to fish the different wells in Trinity Bay.” Capt. Ralph Frazier LOCATION: Matagorda HOTSPOT: Matagorda Surf GPS: N 28 35.569, W 95 59.2679 (28.5928, -95.9878) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Paddle tail soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “Any time the surf is green and flat, head to the beachfront.” Capt. Tommy Countz LOCATION: Offshore HOTSPOT: Heald Bank GPS: N 28 56.524, W 94 19.657 (28.9421, -94.3276) SPECIES: Ling and kingfish BEST BAITS: Sardines CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier

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Texas HOTSPOTS 281-337-0321 ralph2ﬁsh@aol.com www.fraziersguideservice.com TIPS: Send the bait down deep using just enough weight, usually 1/2 to 1 ounce, to allow the bait to swim.

tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: “In early morning I will be wading West Bay, working some of the grass beds, probably the outer beds more than the inside beds, targeting big trout.” Capt. Tommy Countz

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Johnson Bayou GPS: N 29 51.063, W 93 47.2097 (29.8511, -93.7868) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Adam Jaynes 409-988-3901 amjaynes@gmail.com www.justﬁshsabine.com TIPS: Jaynes likes to wade the beachfront throwing topwaters before sunrise. His favorite color is Limetreuse.

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Mad Island Reef GPS: N 28 37.2109, W 96 5.7829 (28.6202, -96.0964) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Paddle tail soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: “When the water starts heating up in July, I will be standing on the bar, throwing into the guts, working the edges,” says Countz.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: End of Jetty GPS: N 29 38.6029, W 93 49.584 (29.6434, -93.8264) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Wedge Tail soft plastics with a 1/8 oz.. jig head CONTACT: Capt. Adam Jaynes 409-988-3901 amjaynes@gmail.com www.justﬁshsabine.com TIPS: Jaynes’ biggest summertime trout, 9 pounds, came from the jetties. He was using a 3 inch swimming shad, making long casts parallel to rocks.

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: New Reef by Half Moon Reef GPS: N 28 43.374, W 95 46.2299 (28.7229, -95.7705) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp with a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: Capt. Countz says if the wind lays and you can ﬁsh the new reef that was built last year, he practically guarantees you will catch trout.

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Mudd Island Reef GPS: N 28 37.212, W 95 5.784 (28.6202, -95.0964) SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Croaker or piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburt 361-463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com TIPS: Fish the edges of the sand bars on Mudd Island LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Shell Island Reef GPS: N 28 37.788, W 96 3.9029 (28.6298, -96.0651) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics with 1/8 oz. jig heads CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037

MIDDLE COAST

Speckled Trout on the Halfshell by TOM BEHRENS

LOCATION: Copano Bay HOTSPOT: Oyster Reef GPS: N 28 5.6029, W 97 10.699 (28.0934, -97.1783) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics with 1/8 oz. jig heads CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: McPartland likes soft plastics in Pumpkin T E X A S

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Seed and Mullet colors. LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: St. Joseph Island GPS: N 28 0.7279, W 96 58.365 (28.0121, -96.9728) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Croaker or piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “Early morning bite for trout is best along St. Joseph Island and the reefs of Copano Bay.” …. Capt. Jack McPartland LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: The Rocks GPS: N 27 48.1949, W 97 23.04 (27.8033, -97.3840) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live croaker or piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburt 361-463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com TIPS: A pink Skitter Walk topwater will work before or right at sunrise. LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Lydia Ann Channel GPS: N 27 52.218, W 97 2.886 (27.8703, -97.0481) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Croaker or piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburt 361-463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com TIPS: Capt. Verburt seeks out the ﬁsh migrating in from the jetties. LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Lydia Ann Island GPS: N 27 53.694, W 97 2.5919 (27.8949, -97.0432) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Bass Assassins or Norton Sand Eels CONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburt 361-463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com TIPS: Clear or natural colors with a chartreuse tail are Verburts choices in soft plastic colors. Avocado is another good color. LOCATION: Port Aransas

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Texas HOTSPOTS HOTSPOT: Estes Flats GPS: N 27 57.12, W 97 5.148 (27.9520, -97.0858) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Cut bait - mullet and pin perch CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Capt. McPartland said the redfish action on the flats should be good early in the morning. LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N 27 53.4589, W 97 5.7889 (27.8910, -97.0965) SPECIES: Black drum BEST BAITS: Dead Shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: At this time of the year anglers should still be able find eating size black drum scattered along the bay systems. LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Dagger Island GPS: N 27 50.22, W 97 9.966 (27.8370, -97.1661) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Mullet and pin perch CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “When it starts to heat up a little, move out to the gas wells in the deeper part of the bay. Free line using no weight.” Capt. Jack McPartland LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Laguna Flats GPS: N 27 33.196, W 97 16.369 (27.5533, -97.2728) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live croaker or piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburt 361-463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com TIPS: Cast to the grass pockets, free lining a live croaker.

LOWER COAST

The Other Gulf Snapper by CALIXTO GONZALES and TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Gulf of Mexico HOTSPOT: Port Isabel Fishing Reef GPS: N 25 57.736, W 97 3.577 (25.9623, -97.0596) SPECIES: Mangrove snapper BEST BAITS: Cut squid, cut mullet, bucktails. CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Big mangrove snapper swarm over the reef south of Boca Chica. Cut bait is very effective. Try chumming them to the surface and free-lining a bait to them. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: The Washing Machine GPS: N 26 1.694, W 97 10.327 (26.0282, -97.1721) SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp, soft plastics in red/ white, glow/glitter; topwaters in Bone, Red/White. CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Night fish during a full moon. . Live shrimp, mullet, and mud minnows all work, as do soft baits that imitate same. Fishing lights aren’t very necessary to attract fish LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: North Jetty GPS: N 26 4.121, W 97 8.718 (26.0687, -97.1453) SPECIES: Kingfish BEST BAITS: Ribbonfish, Magnum Rat-L-Traps, Jointed Bomber Magnum Long A’s. CONTACT: Captain Layne Levens 281-705-5537 TIPS: Ribbonfish under a balloon can drift out away from the rocks. If you have a 12’ surf rod, you can also try zinging a big lipless crankbait out where the lunkers lurk and burn it back LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Long Bar GPS: N 26 8.349, W 97 14.194 (26.1392, -97.2366) SPECIES: Redfish

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BEST BAITS: Cut bait, live shrimp, Gold spoons, topwaters. CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Drift through the potholes with cut bait, or swim a soft plastic or gold spoon. Watch for tailing reds early in the morning. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Three Islands GPS: N 26 16.95, W 97 16 (26.2825, -97.2667) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Cut bait, live shrimp, Gold spoons, topwaters. CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Fish soft plastics on 1/8 ounce or 1/16 once jigheads. White and chartreuse are always a good color combination. If you are having a problem with floating grass try a weedless gold spoon. Really work the light colored pot holes. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Marker 67 GPS: N 26 13.877, W 97 16.175 (26.2313, -97.2696) SPECIES: Black Drum BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp, fresh dead shrimp, Gulp! Shrimp/1/4 ounce head. CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Fish the edges of the ICW near the shacks. Use a slip-sinker rig or slit sot. Fish around the eddies that form when the tide is moving. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Gaswell Flats GPS: N 26 16.309, W 97 16.222 (26.2718, -97.2704) SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, soft plastics in LSU, Pumpkinseed, Rootbeer/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Set up a long drift across the broad flat, spot the pods working over the bottom, and use cut bait on the bottom or weedless gold spoons to tempt them. Quarter-ounce spoons are best, but you may want to move up to a heavier spoon if the wind is blowing hard out of the Southeast. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre @ Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Big Oaks GPS: N 26 41.965, W 97 27.791 (26.6994, -97.4632) SPECIES: Speckled Trout

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Texas HOTSPOTS BEST BAITS: Live Bait, Topwaters early, soft plastics CONTACT: Captain Steven Devries 956-289-3631 TIPS: Cast topwaters towards the shoreline early in the morning. Turn around and cast into deeper water as the morning progresses and ﬁsh drop into it.

PINEY WOODS

Toledo in Vivid Black & White by DUSTIN WARNCKE

LOCATION: Toledo Bend Res. HOTSPOT: Myrick’s Reach/Green Willow Point GPS: N 31 46.266, W 93 50.0219 (31.7711, -93.8337) SPECIES: Black & White Bass BEST BAITS: Numerous topwater lures, crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps and plastics CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: In July the main lake points will be active with plenty of schooling activity for both the Black and White Bass. Typically early morning and late evening will be the prime feeding times. Work top water plugs, Rat-L-Traps, medium diving crank baits like the new Rat-L-Trap Echo, slab spoons and plastics. Start off shallow and back out to deeper water if needed. LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Flats GPS: N 32 41.262, W 94 3.6 (32.6877, -94.0600) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: V&M Pork Shad, V&M Bayou Bullfrog or Buzz Frog CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net www.caddolakeﬁshing.com TIPS: Fish the ﬂats where you have a mixture of lily pads, cypress trees, and hydrilla that sit in 3-5 ft. of water. LOCATION: Lake Conroe

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HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 25.8048, W 95 35.61 (30.4301, -95.5935) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Primos Dipping bait CONTACT: Richard Tatsch (936) 291-1277 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: Locate stumps lining the river channel edge and tie off in 20 to 25 foot of water. Use a bag of cattle cubes to bring the fish to you. I will dump a half bag of cubes on two different locations and come back to the first, tie up and get my boat back in the same position. Using a spinning reel with a treble hook, an 1/8 ounce egg sinker and a piece of cut sponge wrapped around it; dip it in the bait and drop it to the bottom. I stay in contact with the bottom raising the bait up and down slowly until I feel some resistance, then set the hook. On most days, you can catch limits of fish in just a few hours. LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: The Hump GPS: N 30 40.8299, W 95 4.992 (30.6805, -95.0832) SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live Shad, 1 ¼ oz. white slabs, spoons, Tsunami Holographic hot pink/gold 4 inch Swim Shad. CONTACT: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Bounce baits off the bottom, look for strikes on falling baits. Troll Tsunami Swim Shad behind a #10 jet diver.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Granbury Full to the Gills by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Lower Ends GPS: N 32 23.262, W 97 42.432 (32.3877, -97.7072) SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Live shad and jigging slabs in

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Chartreuse and Holographic Silver CONTACT: Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 www.unfairadvantagecharters.com TIPS: Fish near humps and ridges around 20 feet down. Early surface action is possible on spinners and rattle traps. Granbury levels are full and all ramps are open. All species are in their summer patterns as the lake continues to heat up (Water temperatures are in the 80s). Rains in May filled the lake and there is a lot of brush that grew during the drought that is now covered. This submerged brush is great structure for bass and crappie. Thermoclines are sure to develop later in July, which will congregate the fish. Stripers and sand bass are relating to structure, namely ridges, humps and points on the lower ends of the lake. Stripers and sand bass continue to push bait up on feeding flats adjacent to deeper water. Best baits for sand bass includes slabs, rattle traps and small spinner baits. Limits of sand bass and stripers are common. Crappie have been good on jigs and small minnows near deeper structure near mid lake and on the lower ends. Channel catfish are good to excellent on prepared baits and hot dogs mid lake. LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Bridges GPS: N 32 19.674, W 96 11.0579 (32.3279, -96.1843) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs and Minnows CONTACT: Jason Barber 903-887-7896 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: “Fish 12’ to 24’ and work the middle of the water column for suspended fish. The shade makes a nice retreat from the heat!” LOCATION: Fayette County Res. HOTSPOT: Deer Stand Hump GPS: N 29 1.9439, W 96 43.7819 (29.0324, -96.7297) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait, cut bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Anchor here, throw out some sour grain. Fish straight down over the chum. Mark the chum spot with a buoy help knowing where it is. Use CJ’s punch bait on a #6 Treble hook. LOCATION: Gibbons Creek HOTSPOT: Dam Rocky Point

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Texas HOTSPOTS GPS: N 30 36.684, W 96 3.9959 (30.6114, -96.0666) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, 1/16 jig in red/white or black/chartreuse CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Fish rocks and stumps here with a 1/16 jig in red/white or black/chartreuse. Drift a minnow under corks at 12 foot depth. LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps and Ridges GPS: N 30 41.4599, W 97 21.2819 (30.6910, -97.3547) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slab Spoons CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell (512) 365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Right now is the time to catch white bass at Granger Lake. They are schooling out in the main lake and can be caught on shallow roadbeds early in the mornings and over deeper humps in the heat of the day. The time I like to catch them is from about 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. They will herd the shad up from deeper water and push them up over the humps with shallower water. It is a funneling point. The deeper water is from 20 to 25 feet deep and the humps top out at about 10 feet. You can look for them with your sonar or just look for top water activity. When you find the fish, you need to position your boat right on top of the hump and use a slab spoon to catch them. Do not be lured off the hump just because you see some hitting the top over deep water away from the hump. Drop the spoon to the bottom and bounce it about 2 feet off each time. When you feel them hitting just keep up the action and they will hook themselves. Another technique is to cast out and drag the spoon along the bottom like you would a Carolina rigged worm. These methods will catch you the larger fish. If you just cast out and reel back in, you can catch fish but they will be the smaller undersized fish. The big whites sit on the bottom waiting for the mangled shad to drift down. The very hot calm days are the best time to try for these whites. LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Dam and Aerator GPS: N 31 53.97, W 97 12.5039 (31.8995, -97.2084) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Chrome and blue Rat-L-Traps and Little Georges

CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: The Whites are schooling early along the Dam. Run the dam and make long casts using chrome and blue Rat-L-Traps and Little Georges. After the sun get’s high, move over to the Bubbler (aerator) and enjoy fast action on Whites and Black Bass as they move in to gorge on the shad taking advantage of the aerator. LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 33 5.112, W 96 27.2399 (33.0852, -96.4540) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Mister Twister Hog Frog, buzz baits, BD7 Shad colored crankbait CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Fish the rocks in around boat ramps that have been submerged in about 12 feet of water surrounding the lake. They are usually located around the old boat launches. These can be found with good side imaging. LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Kickapoo Creek GPS: N 32 15.6659, W 95 27.792 (32.2611, -95.4632) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Mister Twister Hog Frog, buzz baits, BD7 Shad colored crankbait CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 OR 903-530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: “Fish the creek channel in 6 - 10 feet of water with a big eye jig. Fish the stumps and trees near the creek. Fish grass beds with a Mister Twister Hog Frog and buzz bait along side the grass. Down south of 155 bridge, ﬁsh a BD7 shad colored crankbait on the main lake points in 8 - 16 feet of water. LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: East Bank GPS: N 32 52.158, W 96 33.984 (32.8693, -96.5664) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Weed-less frog lures or buzz baits CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell (972) 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net www.johnnyprocell.com T E X A S

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TIPS: “Black bass have invaded the recently inundated vegetation that grew in the upper east end of the lake during the drought. Weed less frog imitations or buzz baits are the ticket here to get some smashing strikes. I suggest 30 to 50 pound braid to pull these pesky 3 to 5 pound green trout from the heavy vegetation. This area is reached by hugging the east bank of Hubbard until one reaches the ﬁrst set of high line supports. A good map will then

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Texas HOTSPOTS show the way into the river and this bonanza. LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Kates Point GPS: N 33 22.6895, W 97 3.172 (33.3782, -97.0529) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Headon Baby Torpedo, chartreuse/ white slab CONTACT: Dannie Golden - Get Bit Guide Service 817-228-5999 www.get-bit.com TIPS: July is one of the best months of the year to catch a bunch of fish. The sand bass will be schooling on the main lake. Most main lake points and flats will have schooling fish. Kates Point is known for schooling action. Towards the dam and south of the marina will have schooling fish as well. A clear Headon Baby Torpedo is great for schooling sandies. Once the schooling action stops, drop a 1 oz. chartreuse/white slab down in the same area. LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: State Park Cove GPS: N 33 21.7323, W 97 1.9963 (33.3622, -97.0333) SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, crankbaits, Carolina rigs, poppers CONTACT: Dannie Golden - Get Bit Guide Service 817-228-5999 www.get-bit.com TIPS: The largemouth bass will be on their summertime spots. Typically deep water or close to deep water is key. Topwater early morning, then move to deep diving crankbaits or a Carolina rig. A popping bait can also be good, but take your time with it. Fish can be located using a crankbait on drop-offs and rocks. A Carolina rig can be used in the same area once the crankbait bite dies off. There will still be some shallow fish on the main lake, around the grass. With all of the new water, the flooded willows on the bank will also attract black bass. Senkos or flukes will get you bit around the grass and willows. Fish them weightless. LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: North Schooling Area GPS: N 30 19.638, W 96 32.064 (30.3273, -96.5344) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Ghost minnows, shad, Rat-L-Traps, spoons CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com

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www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Anchor, using tight lines fishing with Ghost Minnows. If fish start schooling, toss silver spoons or Rat-L-Traps into school. LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Alberta Creek GPS: N 33 57.54, W 96 36.0059 (33.9590, -96.6001) SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Top-waters and Slabs CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: “Top water fishing at its best. Early morning, several large schools will surface around the lake. These schools of fish can be a mile long and a half-mile wide. Cast Pencil Popper Topwater plugs for great action. After the surface action ends, locate the schools of fish with your electronics. Then, vertically drop slabs and use a fast retrieve. The fish will try to pull the rod out of your hands! Bank Access: Washita Point and Platter Flats”

TIPS: July is the month that the White Bass normally begin their early AM and late PM top water schooling activity that will last all summer long! Check out the main lake south shoreline from Fisherman’s Point Marina to Ferguson Point, and the Hwy 309 Flats on the north shoreline. Look for the terns and egrets picking up bait over large schools of White Bass. Sometimes, the schooling ﬁsh will literally be chasing shad in 5 to 10 acre size schools. This is a thrill for kids and adults who think like kids!”

PANHANDLE

Stump Patch for PK Stripers by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Island Ledge & McCowan Flats GPS: N 31 55.434, W 97 24.6239 (31.9239, -97.4104) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: 3/4 oz. Chartreuse Slabs from rsrlures.com CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: The thermocline has set in and the Whites are relating to a reaction strike. Bouncing chartreuse 3/4 oz. slabs on ledges above the thermocline ( 20 feet) has been catching limits daily. In the early morning, look for schooling white bass from island to dam and around the McCowan flats. You can make long cast with the slabs and let them flutter down below the schooling fish and catch the larger ones feeding on what they injure and drop.

LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Stump Patch GPS: N 32 51.756, W 98 26.01 (32.8626, -98.4335) SPECIES: Hybrids & Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Perch, live shad, white, chartreuse, yellow artificials CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: It’s July, it’s getting hot and the bit doesn’t last long—so the early bird gets the fish. Or, fish after dark or under heavy cloud cover. Live bait is best but we are still catching fish trolling artificials. Work the shallow flats early and stay out in the bend enough to watch for schooling fish. Move deeper around 11 am. Drop shad from 20 to 42 feet. On cloudy days, anytime clouds cover the sun for 3 to 15 minutes, fish will come explode on baits up close on this spot (but they are spooky). Once you start seeing the thermocline, use it to find fish above and below it.

LOCATION: Richland Chambers Res. HOTSPOT: Fishermans Point Marina to Ferguson Point, 309 Flats GPS: N 31 57.1212, W 96 7.9799 (31.9520, -96.1330) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Clear Tiny Torpedo or 1/4 oz.. Blue/Chrome Rat-L-Trap CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.goneﬁshin.biz

LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Main Lake Creeks GPS: N 33 2.814, W 101 3.582 (33.0469, -101.0597) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: “Deep diving crankbaits, jigs, spoons, and worms. “ CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglobal.net www.lakealanhenry.com/norman_clayton.htm TIPS: “July will ﬁnd the bass on Lake Alan Henry

T E X A S

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6/8/15 1:19 PM

Texas HOTSPOTS in their summer mode. The bass will be related to the schools of shad. The shad will be in schools over the channels of the Brazos River, Little Grape, and Big Grape Creeks. Use your electronics to find the schools of shad and you will find the bass. Some of the lesser creeks will also have schools of shad, such as,Ince Creek, Rocky Creek, and the area around the dam. When you find the school of shad, drop a buoy.”

BIG BEND

Rough it for Amistad Bass

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Pop Rs, buzzbaits, Zara Spooks CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl, stan@amistadbass. com, 830-768-3648, amistadbass.com TIPS: Fish topwaters from the main lake grass beds to the backs of the creeks. Zara Spooks are my favorites but Pop Rs and buzzbaits also can be effective. Look for schooling ﬁsh throughout the day.

HILL COUNTRY

Austin Bass Like the Shade

by DUSTIN WARNCKE

LOCATION: Amistad HOTSPOT: Rough Canyon GPS: N29 36.31098, W100 58.377 (29.605183, -100.972950)

LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: Main Lake Rocks, Shade Trees, and Shaded Docks GPS: N 30 19.464, W 97 50.316

ALMANAC-1507-Jul.indd 83

(30.3244, -97.8386) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: V&M Baby Swamp Hog, Pacemaker Jigs, Picasso Inviz-Wire Spinnerbait, Picasso Shock Blade, Gandy Crankbaits CONTACT: Brian Parker - Lake Austin Fishing 817-808-2227 lakeaustinfishing@yahoo.com www.LakeAustinFishing.com TIPS: “With the eradication of the grass, the bass will be searching for cover and ambush positions throughout the lake. I break my guide trips into 3 approaches, mornings, daytime, and evenings. Mornings: I like throwing the Picasso Spinnerbaits and Shock Blade early when the fish are still on the feed. I usually do this just off the rocks and docks. Daytime: I like to move closer to the docks and shaded cover flipping the Pacemaker Jigs and Swamp Hogs. Be patient and work your bait with twitches to trigger those bites. Evenings: I go back to my morning routine and change to darker colors.” LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Area

6/8/15 1:19 PM

Texas HOTSPOTS GPS: N 29 52.2479, W 98 12.276 (29.8708, -98.2046) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: “¼ oz. Picasso Shakey Head, Carolina rigged Watermelon flukes (1/2 oz. or ¾ oz. weights), Senko type baits Texas rigged w/ ¼-3/8oz. Picasso Tungsten weights” CONTACT: KC’S Bassin’ Guide Service 210-823-2153 kandie@gvtc.com www.kcbassinguide.com TIPS: “Be sure and fish the point near the drop off slowly. Work the shallows early and then move into the deeper depths. Bass are in their summer homes and with the weather being warm are not opt to be aggressive in nature. Use a good rod like Denali Rosewood Heavyweight 7’ for Carolina rigging. This rod can handle anything you get into and then some. Good summer colors include, watermelon red, blue fleck, June bug, watermelon candy.” LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: North Park Point GPS: N 29 52.2659, W 98 12.4259 (29.8711, -98.2071) SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: White Striper Jig CONTACT: Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: “Trolling this area with downriggers seems to produce the best catches. Set the downriggers from 20 to 40 feet deep and vary trolling speeds. Tight lines and Fish On! LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Comal Park Point Area GPS: N 29 52.398, W 98 14.1959 (29.8733, -98.2366) SPECIES: Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Bass: Drop Shot, Wacky Worms; Crappie: Jigs and minnows CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide ServiceBarry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: Bass and crappie have mostly settled into their summer patters of holding near the thermocline, along deep water ledges, points and cover near these areas. For bass, spend most of your time fishing points with deep diving crank baits and soft plastics. For crappie, look for channels bends or points with brush piles. There is little cover or vegetation on this point but there is enough contour to hold bass. This a perfect time of year for dropshot and wacky worming. When crappie fishing,

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start with the brush piles found on many points. Use minnows or jigs under slip bobbers. I prefer Matzuo sickle style hooks for live bait, jigs and soft plastics because they penetrate easier and hold firmer. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Lower Part of the Main Lake GPS: N 30 47.01, W 98 25.0379 (30.7835, -98.4173) SPECIES: Striped Bass, White Bass, Crappie BEST BAITS: Stripers and White Bass: Trolling with small shad lures, chartreuse and white slabs small live baits. Crappie: small jigs and live minnows. CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@yahoo.com www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: The lower half of the lake is getting substantially clearer compared to the upper half which will make fishing much more challenging. Stripers are starting to move heading mid-lake and even to the lower half. Whites are a little slower on the move but not far behind. Ridges and sand bars from 15 to 30 feet of water for whites almost anytime but mornings and evenings are usually better. Crappie are excellent with small jigs and small live bait close to shore trees and rocks. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Garret Island GPS: N 30 50.525 W 98 24.588 (30.842078, -98.409793) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs and jigs CONTACT: Ken Miliam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: White bass are on the upper end of the lake around Garret Island area. Fish slabs and jigs in 15 to 30 feet of water. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Lower Part of the Main Lake GPS: N 30 45.924, W 98 24.816 (30.7654, -98.4136) SPECIES: Striped Bass, White Bass, Catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, slabs, and jigs CONTACT: Ken Miliam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: “On Lake Buchanan, the stripers will be on the lower part of the lake. Work the sides of the river

T E X A S

F I S H

channel and deep water humps and along the trees. Live bait (Shad or perch) Slabs and jigs will also work doing a YO YO style fishing. Down rigging 1/2 oz. white and yellow jigs being trolled along the tree lines and along the humps will work as well. Catfish action will be good. Fresh shad, cut perch, and cut carp will be a good bait. White bass will be on the deeper ridges use slabs and jigs to catch them! Just get on the water and try different baits and colors and use what works! Its summer time so take the kids fishing!” LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Horseshoe Bay Area GPS: N 30 33.618, W 98 22.9799 (30.5603, -98.3830) SPECIES: Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Bass: Topwater lures, lipless crankbaits and worms; Crappie: Jigs or minnows CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide ServiceBarry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: There is lots of vegetation, enough contour and deeper water in this area to hold some big bass. I prefer Matzuo sickle style hooks for live bait, jigs and soft plastics because they penetrate easier and hold firmer. Bass and crappie have mostly settled into their summer patters of holding near the thermocline, along deep water ledges, points and cover near these areas. For bass, spend most of your time fishing points with deep diving crank baits and soft plastics. For crappie, look for channels bends or points with brush piles.

SOUTH TEXAS

Summer Cats Go Deep on Choke by DUSTIN WARNCKE

LOCATION: Choke Canyon Res. HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 29.274, W 98 22.8239 (28.4879, -98.3804) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait, cut bait CONTACT: Charlie Brown 830-780-2162 TIPS: Expect to find catfish in shallow and in deep water this time of year. Use a float rigged to 3 feet

G A M E ®

6/8/15 1:19 PM

Texas HOTSPOTS and move to another spot if you don’t get a bite within 10-15 minutes. For deeper water, fish on the bottom. LOCATION: Coleto Creek Res. HOTSPOT: Main Lake Creeks GPS: N 28 45.054, W 97 11.5799 (28.7509, -97.1930) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Plastics such as worms, lizards, and crawls in watermelon color CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-960-0566 www.coletocreekguidefishing.com TIPS: Now that the lake is full it can really go way back into the creeks. I don’t catch as big of fish, however I do catch many more of them. I like flipping the edge of the banks and any structure I can find. Watermelon colors dipped in chartreuse is about all I pitch. Early morning top water or late evening can be a lot of fun too. May your bites be big and your fish be healthy!

DIGITAL EXTRA: Locator Maps link to Google Maps online

GPS: N26 55.44252 W99 19.56072 (26.924042, -99.326012) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plastic worms, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, topwaters CONTACT: Robert Amaya 956-765-1442 robertsﬁshntackle.com TIPS: Fish shallow points early with topwater lures and buzzbaits. Once the sun is up, move out to six to eight feet of water and ﬁsh the thickest brush with a Texas-rigged plastic worm.

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Dos Creeks

T E X A S

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK JULY 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.

T14

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

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 |

12p

MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.) Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)

12a

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

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T E X A S

F I S H

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SYMBOL KEY

BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

30 «

THURSDAY

Jul 1 «

FRIDAY

2¡

SATURDAY

3«

4«

Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 6:10p Set: 4:21a Moonrise: 7:06p Set: 5:10a Moonrise: 8:01p Set: 6:04a Moonrise: 8:54p Set: 7:02a Moonrise: 9:43p Set: 8:04a Moonrise: 10:30p Set: 9:08a Moonrise: 11:14p Set: 10:12a AM Minor: 3:27a

PM Minor: 3:53p

AM Minor: 4:14a

PM Minor: 4:41p

AM Minor: 5:06a

PM Minor: 5:34p

AM Minor: 6:01a

PM Minor: 6:29p

AM Minor: 7:00a

PM Minor: 7:28p

AM Minor: 8:01a

PM Minor: 8:28p

AM Minor: 9:02a

PM Minor: 9:29p

AM Major: 9:40a

PM Major: 10:06p

AM Major: 10:28a

PM Major: 10:55p

AM Major: 11:20a

PM Major: 11:48p

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:15p

AM Major: 12:46a

PM Major: 1:14p

AM Major: 1:47a

PM Major: 2:15p

AM Major: 2:48a

PM Major: 3:16p

Moon Overhead: 11:41p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:35a

Moon Overhead: None

12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:31a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 3:24a

Moon Overhead: 2:28a 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

JULY 2015

Tides and Prime Times

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: 4:19a 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 11:14a

+2.0

-1.0

BEST: 5:00 — 7:00 pm

Moon Underfoot: 1:59p

BEST: 5:30 — 7:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 2:56p

BEST: 6:00 — 8:00 pm

BEST: 7:00 — 9:00 pm

Moon Underfoot: 3:51p

Moon Underfoot: 4:46p

+2.0

BEST: BEST: 8:00 — 10:00 pm 3:00 — 5:00 am

TIDE LEVELS

BEST: 4:30 — 6:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 1:03p

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 12:08p

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

4:48 AM 9:25 AM 12:39 PM 9:07 PM

ALMANAC-1507-Jul.indd 87

1.35 ft 1.20 ft 1.23 ft -0.25 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

5:27 AM 10:13 AM 1:14 PM 9:46 PM

1.44 ft 1.22 ft 1.26 ft -0.36 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:05 AM 10:54 AM 1:59 PM 10:27 PM

1.49 ft 1.23 ft 1.28 ft -0.42 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:44 AM 11:36 AM 2:51 PM 11:10 PM

1.52 ft 1.21 ft 1.27 ft -0.44 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

7:22 AM 12:22 PM 3:51 PM 11:54 PM

1.52 ft High Tide 7:59 AM 1.15 ft Low Tide 1:12 PM 1.23 ft High Tide 5:01 PM -0.38 ft

1.48 ft 1.04 ft 1.16 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

12:40 AM 8:34 AM 2:09 PM 6:26 PM

-0.25 ft 1.42 ft 0.89 ft 1.05 f

+1.0

-1.0

6/8/15 1:19 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

TUESDAY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

9»

Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:25a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:26a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:26a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:27a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:27a Set: 8:20p Set: 12:19p Moonrise: 12:39a Set: 1:22p Moonrise: 1:21a Set: 2:24p Moonrise: 2:04a Set: 3:25p Moonrise: 2:49a Set: 4:26p Moonrise: 3:36a Set: 5:24p

AM Minor: 10:02a

PM Minor: 10:29p

AM Minor: 11:00a

PM Minor: 11:26p

AM Minor: 11:55a

PM Minor: -----

AM Minor: 12:21a

PM Minor: 12:47p

AM Minor: 1:10a

PM Minor: 1:37p

AM Minor: 1:58a

PM Minor: 2:25p

AM Minor: 2:46a

PM Minor: 3:12p

AM Major: 3:49a

PM Major: 4:15p

AM Major: 4:47a

PM Major: 5:13p

AM Major: 5:42a

PM Major: 6:08p

AM Major: 6:34a

PM Major: 7:00p

AM Major: 7:23a

PM Major: 7:50p

AM Major: 8:11a

PM Major: 8:38p

AM Major: 8:59a

PM Major: 9:26p

Moon Overhead: 5:13a 12a

WEDNESDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:58a

Moon Overhead: 6:05a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 7:50a

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:36a

Moon Overhead: 8:42a

12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 6:25a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:25a Moonrise: 11:57p Set: 11:16a Moonrise: None

JULY 2015

Tides and Prime Times

Moon Overhead: 10:29a 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 5:39p

+2.0

BEST: 11:00A — 1:00P

Moon Underfoot: 8:16p

BEST: 12:00 — 2:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 9:09p

Moon Underfoot: 10:02p

BEST: BEST: 1:00 — 3:00 PM 8:00 — 10:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:56p

BEST: 3:00 — 5:00 PM

+2.0

BEST: 4:00 — 6:00 PM

TIDE LEVELS

BEST: 10:30A — 12:30P

Moon Underfoot: 7:24p

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 6:31p

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

1:27 AM 9:07 AM 3:10 PM 8:07 PM

-0.05 ft 1.35 ft 0.69 ft 0.95 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

MONDAY

2:16 AM 9:38 AM 4:12 PM 10:00 PM

0.20 ft 1.29 ft 0.46 ft 0.90 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

TUESDAY

3:09 AM 10:08 AM 5:13 PM 11:56 PM

0.48 ft 1.24 ft 0.22 ft 0.95 ft

Low Tide 4:11 AM High Tide 10:36 AM Low Tide 6:10 PM

WEDNESDAY

14 «

0.74 ft High Tide 1.21 ft Low Tide -0.02 ft High Tide Low Tide

THURSDAY

15 «

1:45 AM 5:38 AM 11:05 AM 7:04 PM

1.08 ft 0.97 ft 1.20 ft -0.21 ft

FRIDAY

16 l

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

3:14 AM 7:47 AM 11:37 AM 7:54 PM

1.23 ft 1.11 ft 1.21 ft -0.36 ft

SATURDAY

17 «

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

4:18 AM 9:28 AM 12:15 PM 8:42 PM

SUNDAY

18 «

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

PM Minor: 4:00p

AM Minor: 4:22a

PM Minor: 4:48p

AM Minor: 5:11a

PM Minor: 5:37p

AM Minor: 6:01a

PM Minor: 6:26p

AM Minor: 6:52a

PM Minor: 7:16p

AM Minor: 7:43a

PM Minor: 8:05p

AM Minor: 8:32a

PM Minor: 8:54p

AM Major: 9:46a

PM Major: 10:13p

AM Major: 10:35a

PM Major: 11:01p

AM Major: 11:24a

PM Major: 11:49p

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:38p

AM Major: 12:40a

PM Major: 1:04p

AM Major: 1:31a

PM Major: 1:54p

AM Major: 2:21a

PM Major: 2:43p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:06p

12a

12p

12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 3:29p

Moon Overhead: 2:44p

Moon Overhead: 1:56p 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

AM Minor: 3:33a

Moon Overhead: 12:15p

Moon Overhead: 4:13p 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 11:49p

+2.0

-1.0

BEST: 4:30 — 6:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 12:41a

BEST: 5:00 — 7:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 1:31a

BEST: 5:30 — 7:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 2:20a

BEST: 12:30 — 2:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:07a

BEST: 1:30 — 3:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:51a

BEST: 3:00 — 5:00 PM

BEST: 9:00 — 11:00 PM

TIDE LEVELS

Moon Underfoot: None

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

-1.0

1.34 ft 1.17 ft 1.22 ft -0.45 ft

Sunrise: 6:28a Set: 8:20p Sunrise: 6:28a Set: 8:20p Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:19p Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:19p Sunrise: 6:30a Set: 8:19p Sunrise: 6:30a Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:31a Set: 8:18p Moonrise: 4:26a Set: 6:19p Moonrise: 5:18a Set: 7:11p Moonrise: 6:12a Set: 7:58p Moonrise: 7:07a Set: 8:42p Moonrise: 8:01a Set: 9:22p Moonrise: 8:55a Set: 9:59p Moonrise: 9:48a Set: 10:34p

Moon Overhead: 11:22a

+1.0

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

5:07 AM 10:30 AM 1:01 PM 9:27 PM

1.40 ft 1.19 ft 1.23 ft -0.48 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

5:46 AM 11:10 AM 1:52 PM 10:09 PM

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

1.41 ft 1.17 ft 1.22 ft -0.46 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:20 AM 11:39 AM 2:45 PM 10:48 PM

1.40 ft 1.14 ft 1.21 ft -0.39 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:50 AM 12:05 PM 3:37 PM 11:25 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

1.36 ft 1.08 ft 1.18 ft -0.28 ft

HIGH

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

LOW

7:18 AM 12:33 PM 4:29 PM 11:59 PM

1.32 ft High Tide 7:46 AM 1.01 ft Low Tide 1:07 PM 1.13 ft High Tide 5:23 PM -0.15 ft

HIGH

LOW

1.27 ft 0.92 ft 1.06 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

12:32 AM 8:12 AM 1:46 PM 6:24 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

0.01 ft 1.23 ft 0.83 ft 0.99 ft

+2.0

+1.0

-1.0

+1:02 -0:42

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION 88 |

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T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

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ALMANAC-1507-Jul.indd 89

6/8/15 1:19 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

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

23 º

Sunrise: 6:31a Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:32a Set: 8:17p Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:17p Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:16p Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:16p Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:15p Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 8:15p Moonrise: 10:39a Set: 11:09p Moonrise: 11:30a Set: 11:42p Moonrise: 12:21p Set: None Moonrise: 1:13p Set: 12:17a Moonrise: 2:06p Set: 12:52a Moonrise: 3:00p Set: 1:31a Moonrise: 3:55p Set: 2:12a AM Minor: 9:21a

PM Minor: 9:43p

AM Minor: 10:09a

PM Minor: 10:30p

AM Minor: 10:55a

PM Minor: 11:16p

AM Minor: 11:40a

PM Minor: -----

AM Minor: 12:01a

PM Minor: 12:25p

AM Minor: 12:46a

PM Minor: 1:09p

AM Minor: 1:30a

PM Minor: 1:54p

AM Major: 3:10a

PM Major: 3:32p

AM Major: 3:58a

PM Major: 4:19p

AM Major: 4:44a

PM Major: 5:05p

AM Major: 5:29a

PM Major: 5:51p

AM Major: 6:13a

PM Major: 6:36p

AM Major: 6:57a

PM Major: 7:21p

AM Major: 7:42a

PM Major: 8:07p

Moon Overhead: 4:56p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:21p

Moon Overhead: 5:38p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 7:04p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 8:37p

Moon Overhead: 7:50p 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

TUESDAY

JULY 2015

Tides and Prime Times

Moon Overhead: 9:27p 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 4:35a

+2.0

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 6:43a

BEST: 11:00A — 1:00P

Moon Underfoot: 7:27a

BEST: 12:00 — 2:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 8:13a

BEST: 1:00 — 3:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 9:02a

BEST: 2:00 — 4:00 PM

+2.0

BEST: 2:30 — 4:30 PM

TIDE LEVELS

BEST: 10:30A — 12:30P

Moon Underfoot: 6:00a

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST: 9:30 — 11:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 5:17a

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

1:02 AM 8:37 AM 2:32 PM 7:35 PM

90 |

0.19 ft 1.19 ft 0.73 ft 0.91 ft

J U L Y

ALMANAC-1507-Jul.indd 90

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

1:31 AM 9:00 AM 3:22 PM 9:01 PM

2 0 1 5

0.37 ft 1.16 ft 0.62 ft 0.86 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

1:59 AM 9:22 AM 4:14 PM 10:43 PM

T E X A S

0.55 ft 1.14 ft 0.51 ft 0.86 ft

F I S H

Low Tide 2:26 AM High Tide 9:40 AM Low Tide 5:05 PM

0.73 ft 1.13 ft 0.38 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

12:34 AM 2:55 AM 9:52 AM 5:51 PM

0.92 ft 0.89 ft 1.14 ft 0.25 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

2:23 AM 3:37 AM 9:56 AM 6:35 PM

1.04 ft 1.04 ft 1.16 ft 0.12 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

3:26 AM 5:17 AM 9:54 AM 7:18 PM

1.17 ft 1.16 ft 1.20 ft -0.02 ft

+1.0

-1.0

G A M E ®

6/8/15 1:19 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

29 «

FRIDAY

30 «

SATURDAY

31¡

1«

2«

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 8:14p Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 8:14p Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 8:13p Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 8:12p Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 8:12p Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 8:11p Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 8:10p Moonrise: 4:51p Set: 2:58a Moonrise: 5:47p Set: 3:49a Moonrise: 6:41p Set: 4:45a Moonrise: 7:33p Set: 5:46a Moonrise: 8:22p Set: 6:50a Moonrise: 9:08p Set: 7:56a Moonrise: 9:53p Set: 9:02a AM Minor: 2:15a

PM Minor: 2:41p

AM Minor: 3:02a

PM Minor: 3:29p

AM Minor: 3:51a

PM Minor: 4:19p

AM Minor: 4:44a

PM Minor: 5:12p

AM Minor: 5:39a

PM Minor: 6:08p

AM Minor: 6:38a

PM Minor: 7:06p

AM Minor: 7:38a

PM Minor: 8:06p

AM Major: 8:28a

PM Major: 8:54p

AM Major: 9:15a

PM Major: 9:43p

AM Major: 10:05a

PM Major: 10:34p

AM Major: 10:58a

PM Major: 11:27p

AM Major: 11:54a

PM Major: -----

AM Major: 12:24a

PM Major: 12:52p

AM Major: 1:24a

PM Major: 1:52p

Moon Overhead: 10:20p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: None

Moon Overhead: 11:15p

12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:12a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:07a

Moon Overhead: 1:10a 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

JULY 2015

Tides and Prime Times

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: 3:03a 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 9:54a

+2.0

-1.0

BEST: 4:00 — 6:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 12:41p

BEST: 5:00 — 7:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 1:38p

BEST: 5:30 — 7:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 2:35p

BEST: 6:30 — 8:30 PM

BEST: 7:30 — 9:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:30p BEST: 8:00 — 10:00 PM

TIDE LEVELS

BEST: 3:00 — 5:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 11:44a

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 10:48a

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

4:01 AM 7:40 AM 10:30 AM 8:00 PM

ALMANAC-1507-Jul.indd 91

1.29 ft 1.23 ft 1.24 ft -0.16 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

4:32 AM 8:59 AM 11:52 AM 8:43 PM

1.38 ft 1.26 ft 1.28 ft -0.28 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

5:04 AM 9:37 AM 1:07 PM 9:27 PM

1.45 ft 1.25 ft 1.31 ft -0.36 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

5:35 AM 10:15 AM 2:16 PM 10:11 PM

1.48 ft 1.20 ft 1.33 ft -0.38 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:07 AM 10:56 AM 3:24 PM 10:56 PM

1.49 ft 1.10 ft 1.33 ft -0.33 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:38 AM 11:40 AM 4:34 PM 11:42 PM

1.46 ft High Tide 7:09 AM 0.97 ft Low Tide 12:30 PM 1.29 ft High Tide 5:48 PM -0.20 ft

1.42 ft 0.79 ft 1.23 ft

+2.0

+1.0

-1.0

6/8/15 1:19 PM

Texas TASTED by BRYAN SLAVEN :: The Texas Gourmet

Sauce Up Your Fish Fry

HAVE ATTENDED MANY A FISH fry in my lifetime, and have cooked almost as many myself. I have tasted a ton of different tartar sauces and cocktail sauces along the way and have developed a few as well. This month I have listed a few of my favorites. I hope you will give them a try!

Bryan’s Screaming Red Sauce INGREDIENTS 2 Cups Heinz Chili Sauce 1 Serrano pepper peeled & minced 2 T. Texas Gourmet Habanero Pepper Jelly 3 T. Lemon juice 1/2 T. Tarragon 3 T Prepared Horseradish 2 T. Worcestershire Sauce 1 T. Salt 1 T Cayenne powder PREPARATION Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours. Serve with fish, shrimp or oysters.

Red Delicious Tartar Sauce

½- fresh and ripe avocado, mashed 2- Green onions- sliced thin 1 - Tablespoon – freshly chopped cilantro 1 fresh jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and diced Juice of ½ lemon, (or as much as you like) 1 tablespoon-Texas Gourmet’s Side winder Searing Spice Season with salt and pepper to taste Combine all of the ingredients, then refrigerate for an hour or more to com bine the flavors, serve chilled!

Jalacado Sauce If you love tartar sauce and you like the flavor of fresh avocado then you are going to love this sauce, it’s great with fried seafood, chicken or used as a spicy dressing with seafood salad. I hope you like it and share it with your friends! INGREDIENTS: 1-cup mayo 1/3 cup sour cream 92 |

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Red Delicious Tartar Sauce

T E X A S

INGREDIENTS: 1 Cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons- fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup- freshly diced Red Delicious F I S H

G A M E ®

apple, leave the peel on 3 teaspoons- purple onion, coarsely chopped 1 Jalapeno- cored, seeded and coarsely chopped ½ teaspoon- prepared horseradish ½ teaspoon- sea salt 1 teaspoon- freshly cracked black pepper ¼ teaspoon – Cayenne pepper PREPARATION: Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until fine, approx. 30 to 40 seconds, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Should chill at least 1 hour before serving. Serve chilled, use all in 2 to 3 days.

Email Bryan Slaven at bryan@thetexasgourmet.com PHOTO: BRYAN SLAVEN

6/8/15 1:19 PM

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www.FishandGameGear.com T E X A S

ALMANAC-1507-Jul.indd 93

F I S H

G A M E 速

J U L Y

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6/8/15 1:19 PM

BLACK DRUM

WHITETAIL

Bolivar Peninsula

Llano County Thirteen-year-old Matthew Seymour took this buck on his ﬁrst day bow hunting, in Llano County.

Aiden Martinez, age 6, caught and released a black drum while on a kayak ﬁshing trip with his family on the Bolivar Peninsula.

SPECKLED TROUT West Galveston Bay

BASS Lake Texoma

Linda Reynolds caught this 28-inch trout in West Galveston Bay.

Eight-year-old Avery Hall caught this largemouth bass while ﬁshing at Lake Texoma.

REDFISH Bayport Natalie and J.R. Lozano caught these reds (J.R.’s 22 ½-inch and Natalie’s 24 ½-inch) on live shrimp under Texas Rattlin rigs in the Bayport ship channel. Their reels started screaming at the same time.

FLOUNDER Bolivar Terry Wilson caught this 23-inch, 5-pound, 10-oz. ﬂounder while ﬁshing at Laguna Harbor on the Bolivar Peninsula.

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T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

6/8/15 1:19 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.

REDFISH San Luis Pass Four-year-old Braxton Ermis caught his ﬁrst ﬁsh while out with his dad, Cody, around San Luis Pass. He caught (and released) the little red with a Berkley Gulp! Shrimp.

REDFISH

Upper Laguna Madre

Keith Lake

Julie Cass is a tennis pro in Austin who grew up in—and still loves—Corpus. On a recent visit, she caught these two keeper reds (normally she catches and releases).

Bradley Achord caught this redﬁsh at Keith Lake on a crispy November morning using Gulp new penny shrimp.

WHITETAIL Undisclosed Location

CATFISH Lake Houston

Camden Repper, 8, shot his ﬁrst deer last Thanksgiving Day, along with his ﬁrst feral hog, shot the same day, both with a .243.

FERAL HOG Sublime, Texas

Tara Mainord, 14, caught this catﬁsh while ﬁshing on Lake Houston.

Eleven-year-old John Schwake killed this large feral hog near Sublime, Texas with one shot with his trusty Remington .243.

T E X A S

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