Texas Fish & Game January 2016 by Texas Fish & Game

THE TEXAS OUTDOOR AUTHORITY Water Toys: Best Boats for Girls and Boys

January 2016 $3.95

THE

Rain EFFECT

Hog Cams:

Feral Giants Caught on Camera

Match the Hatch for Big Trout Smart Tactics for

Smarter Geese 1601-Jan-CoverDIG.indd 1

Going Deep for

Winter Blues

Show Time:

Whatever Floats Your Boat 12/19/15 11:48 AM

1601 staffbox-contents.indd 2

12/7/15 7:19 PM

1601 staffbox-contents.indd 1

12/7/15 7:20 PM

BIGGER. BETTER. 60 FRESH & SALTWATER LOCATIONS OVER 2500 GPS FISHING SPOTS

2016 EDITION

NOW AVAILABLE

ACADEMY • WALMART • FISHANDGAMEGEAR.COM

www.FishGame.com Published by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. TEXAS FISH & GAME is the largest independent, family-owned outdoor publication in America. Owned by Ron & Stephanie Ward and Roy & Ardia Neves.

ROY NEVES PUBLISHER

CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF

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

REPRESENTATION THE OMNI GROUP BRIAN THURSTON • PRESIDENT LEAHA WIRTH • VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES (971) 322-7548 TRISHA SCHULZ • AD SALES REPRESENTATIVE (206) 419-2630

C R E A T I V E ELLIOTT DONNELLY DIGITAL PUBLISHER ANNA CAMPBELL MELINDA BUSS HEATHER BRYAN WENDY KIPFMILLER-O’BRIEN TYLER BERG

• • • • •

GRAPHIC DESIGNER GRAPHIC DESIGNER GRAPHIC DESIGNER DIGITAL ISSUES DESIGNER DIGITAL PROD. ASSISTANT

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.

Paid Distribution of over 90,000 Verified by Independent Audit

2 |

J A N U A R Y

1601 staffbox-contents.indd 2

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

12/7/15 7:20 PM

1601 staffbox-contents.indd 3

12/7/15 7:20 PM

Table of

JANUARY 2016 Volume 32 • NO. 9

Contents FEATURES

COVER STORY: The Rain Effect

MATCH THE HATCH

That (literal) catch-phrase is especially appropriate when seeking big speckled trout in the chilled waters on the Texas Coast in winter.

Big rains hit many u parts of Texas in 2015. This multi-part series looks at what impact the new water will have on fishing.

by Chester Moore

Story and photo by Matt Williams

HOG CAM

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

We put out the word for readers to send in trail cam photos of big hogs. Here are a few of the bigger specimens sampled from the large response we got.

by TF&G Readers Winter Blues

The blue catfish is the largest freshwater gamefish in Texas, and this is the best time of year to chase them in deep water.

BOATS FOR YOUNG ANGLERS

48u

From kayaks to jon boats, there are many options available for young anglers, many of whom are already saddled with student debt.

Story by Marlin Stevens

by TF&G Staff

SMART TACTICS FOR SMARTER GEESE

Whatever Floats Your Boat

As populations of snow geese continue to grow, the rising numbers of older geese with many seasons under their bills mean that hunters have to hunt a lot smarter to get their limits.

The new year means u it’s a new season for boating—and for boat shows. Here is a guide to smart shopping at the shows.

by John N. Felsher

Story by Lenny Rudow 4 |

J A N U A R Y

1601 staffbox-contents.indd 4

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

12/9/15 1:04 PM

1601 staffbox-contents.indd 5

12/7/15 7:20 PM

Contents (continued)

Inside FISH & GAME

COLUMNS

10 by ROY and ARDIA NEVES TF&G Owners

Editor’s Notes

by Chester Moore

TF&G Editor in Chief

A Talent-Rich Lineup

Doggett at Large by Joe Doggett

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

EFINED BY OUR NAME, TEXAS FISH & GAME DOES not limit the scope of our coverage to saltwater fishing, or trophy deer hunting, or just bass. We cover it all, and it takes a lot of talent to do that kind of job well. Fortunately, we’ve got the talent. Joe Doggett, arguably the Dean of Texas outdoor writers, anchored The Houston Chronicle’s award-winning outdoor desk for decades. Joe has been on our masthead for most of our 30-year history. Another Chronicle outdoor alum, Doug Pike, has been a TF&G columnist for over ten years. He also currently hosts Houston’s top outdoor radio show. Ted Nugent—who was not born in Texas, but got here as soon as he could—has been contributing his passionate and lyrical observations to TF&G since shortly after his arrival to the Lone Star State, in the early 2000s. Our other outspoken opinionator, Poliitical Editor Kendal Hemphill, has won a case full of awards from regional and national organizations, many of them for the thoughtful commentaries he has contributed to these pages. Matt Williams is another veteran Texas outdoor journalist whose name is familiar to anglers and hunters across the state. Matt has also been a member of our team almost from Day One. Lenny Rudow, our Boating Editor, has a national reputation as one of the most knowledgeable boating writers in the business. After a long tenure as fishing editor at Boating Magazine, he brings TF&G readers a wealth of expertise, as well as a lively and entertaining writing style. Handling our gun and shooting coverage are two extremely qualified and talented writers. Steve LaMascus joined our staff more than a decade ago, after a distinguished career in law enforcement. A more recent addition to the team is Dustin Ellermann, the gifted shooter and dedicated educator who won season three of the History Channel’s Top Shot reality TV competition. In the hunting arena, Lou Marullo brings a lifefime of avid archery and gun hunting to his assignment. As for his creative credentials, he also fronts a heavy metal band that fills stadiums around the world. Calixto Gonzales has been our Saltwater Editor since 2007. Relatively new to the industry when he joined our team, Cal has become a prolific contributor who has developed a loyal following. As Humor Editor, Reavis Wortham has contributed almost two decades of fresh, funny and original stories in his Open Season columns. That he has become a successful novelist comes as no surprise to us. Then there is our Editor in Chief. Chester Moore, Jr. came to us right out of college, but even then he was already a polished outdoor writer. Working up the ranks, he served as Saltwater Editor, Executive Editor and, finally, his current position. With Chester in command, TF&G’s content has soared. These are just a few of our talented contributors. We hope to introduce you to more of them in future installments of this column.

Pike on the Edge by Doug Pike

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Nugent in the Wild by Ted Nugent

TF&G Editor At Large

Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill

TF&G Political Commentator

Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales

TF&G Saltwater Editor

Bare Bones Hunting

by Lou Marullo

TF&G Hunting Editor

Texas Freshwater by Matt Williams

TF&G Freshwater Editor

Open Season

by Reavis Wortham

TF&G Freshwater Editor

Texas Boating

CATCHES

32 TEXAS

DEPT. OF DEFENSE

40 TRUE GREEN 65 INDUSTRY INSIDER

68 FISH AND GAME GEAR

70 HOTSPOT

Practical Angler

78 TEXAS

TF&G Contributing Editor

86 TIDES &

by Paul Bradshaw

Texas Guns

by Steve LaMascus

TF&G Firearms Editor

8 LETTERS 12 TF&G REPORT 12 BIG BAGS &

by Lenny Rudow

TF&G Boating Editor

DEPARTMENTS

FOCUS

HOTSPOTS PRIME TIMES

94 TF&G PHOTOS

Texas Tasted

by Bryan Slaven

The Texas Gourmet

Email Roy and Ardia Neves at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com 6 |

J A N U A R Y

1601 staffbox-contents.indd 6

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

www.FishGame.com G A M E ®

12/7/15 7:20 PM

NTS

1601 staffbox-contents.indd 7

12/7/15 7:20 PM

LETTERS to the Editor Things You Can’t Unsee

Texas Monkeys?

I READ YOUR ARTICLE TITLED “Things you can’t Unsee.” I just wanted to let you know it was both moving and inspirational to me. It made me think of things I experienced in nature that I have not thought of in years. My favorite times as a child were spent every summer camping with several family members on Lake Sam Raburn. As a child you don’t realize the greatness of what you see in nature. As sportsmen we get to see and experience things that a lot of people will never see and experience. If they only knew what they were missing—man oh man. Thanks for reminding me of these things. Keep putting out the great articles and books. How about one on predator hunting in this great state of ours and one on pronghorns as well.

READER MIKE ODOM SUBMITTED this photo of a Japanese macaque on his deer

A number of these monkeys were brought onto a property near Tilley back in the 1970s and there still exists a sanctuary there for them. Some of them escaped into the nearby brushlands over the years and

Thanks again, J. W. Guillory GREAT WORK ON “THINGS YOU Can’t Unsee.” It is refreshing to hear such a positive message in an outdoor publication. Thank you for doing what you do in Texas Fish and Game. Leslie Gibbons YOU ARE SO RIGHT ABOUT THE “Things You Can’t Unsee.” I can’t unsee the first big buck I spotted on a hunt many years ago. I can’t unsee the look on my daughter’s face when she caught her first croaker, and I can’t unsee every beautiful sunrise in the great outdoors. Thanks for the reminder! Sam Levingston

8 |

1601 Letters.indd 8

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

lease near Tilley. He said they show up on the property from time to time. In 1995, while spending time in the thorn and cactus-filled wilds of South Texas, I heard a crazy story about a bowhunter who was startled by unusual loud cries coming from the creek bottom he was hunting. As his adrenaline production went into overload, he pondered what might be making that sound and why it was coming his direction. The sounds got louder and louder, so he readied an arrow just in case. Suddenly from out of the underbrush walked a large monkey. It was a shocking sight for sure, but not the monster he had imagined.

T E X A S

F I S H

occasionally someone gets a glimpse of them. We’re glad Mike got a photo for us. Cool!

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

G A M E ®

12/7/15 7:42 PM

1601 Letters.indd 9

12/7/15 7:42 PM

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

In Search Of Monsters

HE BRUSH POPPED AS footfalls sounded in the forest. As I flipped on my Generation 3 night vision goggles, a low grunt sounded from the direction of the footfalls. Just down the narrow fire lane was a large black blob headed my way. As it got closer, it became obvious the blob was a hog, and it was not just any hog. It was a genuine monster. A month earlier while driving by a high line right of way a half-mile away I saw a bunch of small hogs at a feeder. I stopped and pulled out my binoculars to get a better look. A half dozen or so 50- to 60-pound hogs began running in circles and then fled the scene. Out of the brush came what looked like a Buick. A wide, tall, long, black, furry Buick. It was the biggest hog I had ever seen. Years earlier my father and I saw a giant spotted hog crossing a dry creek bed in Burnet County. This one was bigger. Now what I was pretty sure was the same hog was walking in my direction. I was positioned 40 feet up a tree in a climbing treestand so I was not too worried about getting busted, but the hog knew something was up. It came to the bait pile below for a few seconds and then turned before presenting an opportunity. How big was this hog? Without exaggeration, it was in the 500 pound class. And I do not take that estimation lightly. Frequently, people post hog photos on social media, claiming their kills were 400-500 pounds when in reality those are usually 250-350 pounds. 10 |

1601 EdNotes.indd 10

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

And those are nothing to sneeze at. The biggest hog I have ever killed was 325 pounds, and it was taken about 12 years ago near Mason. A 300-pound hog is a huge animal. In fact, the average adult black bear in the United States is around 300 pounds. For comparison the average grizzly which we think of as hulking monsters is in the 600pound class. The hog I was looking at was 200 pounds larger than an average black bear and 100 pounds or less smaller than a typical grizzly. In all the talk about hogs, this is something that never gets addressed. In Texas and everywhere else that feral hogs roam, individuals larger than bears are roaming the woods. Burgeoning numbers of feral hogs have become synonymous with destruction of habitat. Some however have a burgeoning size issue. In last month’s edition, I wrote about “Hogzilla” and other hogs that caused a media frenzy and which turned out to be domestic stock. In at least one case it was so domestic that it had a name and was put on the hunting ranch just before the hunter shot it. What I am talking about now is hogs on free range—giant hogs—What I call “Monster Hogs.” At Kingdom Zoo we have created a “Monster Hog” database at www.monsterhogs.com. The idea is to log as many giant hogs that are captured on game cameras and killed by hunters. Some of the photos you will see are stunning. The bulk of the photos are from Texas. They show huge hogs from the Post Oak Savannah to the Pineywoods, and from the Rio Grande to the Oklahoma state line. Truly big, mature boars are in my opinion one of the hardest game animals to kill with standard methods. Sure you can chase them with dogs, which is a dangerous and challenging proposition in its own right. Or you can employ thermal imaging scopes and night vision to snipe them in fields at night. Both are super cool.

T E X A S

F I S H

However, if you were limited to methods for hunting whitetails, these monster hogs would be virtually impossible to kill on free range. Hunters routinely take big bucks they see on a game camera. How many can say they have been able to kill the truly big boars they see on the same camera? These extremely wary creatures become nocturnal at the slightest sign of hunting pressure. Their propensity to travel great distances makes patterning them futile in most cases. So, what is a monster hog? I call anything over 300 pounds, a big hog; 400 plus pounders, giants; and anything 500 and above, monsters. And they are if you think about it. An animal the size of a grizzly that has giant, razor sharp tusks, is smarter than your hunting dog and has not only the ability—but sometimes the will—to lash out, is a monster. In the next few issues we will celebrate the pursuit of monster hogs with articles, tips and a celebration of big hogs killed by TFG readers and the ones they captured in photos on game cameras. We will also be posting Kingdom Zoo TV segments featuring my personal pursuit of these monsters on film. You can watch these on our Kingdom Zoo Roku Channel and get exclusive clips at fishgame.com. “Like” our Facebook page so you can get updates. Look for exclusive giveaways of autographed copies of my book Hog Wild and other cool hog related merchandise. I have always been fascinated with monsters and there is no question some roam the dense thickets, expansive marshes and dark forests of Texas. We are now officially in search of them and will not stop until we get an up close and personal encounter with monster hogs. Stay tuned. Things are about to get interesting.

Email Chester Moore at CMoore@ﬁshgame.com

G A M E ®

12/7/15 7:47 PM

1601 EdNotes.indd 11

12/9/15 1:11 PM

The TF G Report

LAST NOVEMBER, TEXAS VOTERS made an overwhelming decision to make fishing and hunting a constitutional right. Prop. 6 passed by a margin of 82 to 18 percent. The Amendment to the state’s constitution now reads. “The people have the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife, including by the use of traditional methods, subject to laws or regulations to conserve and manage wildlife and preserve the future of hunting and fishing.” “Hunting and fishing

are preferred methods of managing and controlling wildlife.” “This section does not affect any provision of law relating to trespass, property rights, or eminent domain.” “This section does not affect the power of

“

Prop. 6 passed by a margin of 82 to 18 percent.

“

Fishing and Hunting Now a Constitutional Right in Texas

the legislature to authorize a municipality to regulate the discharge of a weapon in a populated area in the interest of public safety.”

• • • Toyota Bass Classic moves to Ray Roberts THE 2016 TOYOTA TEXAS BASS Classic (TTBC) will celebrate its tenth anniversary in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex on May 20–22, 2016. The fishing competition will take place on Lake Ray Roberts, and Toyota Stadium in Frisco will host activities for the whole family. Proceeds from the threeday festival will continue

BIG BAGS CATCHES

BISON

CUTBOW TROUT

Bandera County

Colorado

Michael Ogles took down this bison on a hunt near Medina in Bandera County. He shot the buffalo with a Marlin 1895 in .45-70 Govt.

Aidan Flannery, 11, of Plano caught this 25 and ½-inch cutbow trout (a fertile hybrid between a rainbow trout and a cutthroat trout) while ﬁshing with his father Scott on a ﬂy rod in the North Fork of the South Platte River in Colorado.

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

J A N U A R Y

1601 Texas Report.indd 12

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

12/9/15 1:26 PM

to benefit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) youth fishing and urban outreach programs, which have received $2.25 million since the TTBC event first began in 2007. “Toyota has been a proud supporter of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department since 2002, and we are excited to spotlight another great fishery in the state of Texas through the TTBC,” said Katie Scallan, senior manager marketing, Gulf States Toyota. “Toyota’s roots have been firmly planted in the great state of Texas since 1969 with the founding of Gulf States Toyota,” Scallan said. “For more than a decade, Tundras and Tacomas have been built at our manufacturing facility in San Antonio. Our roots have deepened since relocating our North American headquarters to Plano, and we look forward to continuing to promote and support the many great resources Texas has to offer for many years to come.” As host venue, Toyota Stadium will feature a wide array of family-friendly activities held in conjunction with the event. Fans can expect the return of the annual three-day star-studded lineup of country music concerts, a large outdoor

consumer expo and numerous outdoor family activities-all held in addition to the fishing action taking place at Lake Ray Roberts, one of the TPWD’s premier fisheries . “We are looking forward to celebrating the TTBC’s 10th anniversary in the City of Frisco at Toyota Stadium,” said Lenny Francoeur, TTBC’s tournament director. “This world-class facility was built to host large-scale events and will provide an amazing venue for TTBC fans and partners.” Over the past nine years of the event’s history, the partnership between TTBC and TPWD has showcased some of the

MAHI MAHI

best fisheries that Texas has to offer while raising awareness of conservation efforts and funding the department’s youth fishing and urban outreach programs. “The TTBC has been key to TPWD’s efforts to increase fishing opportunities in urban areas through its Neighborhood Fishin’ Program,” said Dave Terre, chief of research and management for TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division. “About 100,000 people a year benefit from this program, and about 50,000 of those are new to fishing,” Terre said. “The TTBC also supports a number of other conservation and outreach efforts aimed at involving more people in the outdoors.” 2015 TTBC Champion Brent Ehrler will join the 2016 TTBC field alongside the top 15 in 2015 Angler of the Year points from both the FLW Tour and Bassmaster Elite Series, and five chosen exemptions. The 36 anglers will compete on Lake Ray Roberts over the three days, with the field being reduced to the top10 for the final round on Sunday, May 22. “I love competing in Texas because their lakes are some of the healthiest and most productive in the country, thanks in large part to the efforts of TPWD,” stated 2015 TTBC champion Brent Ehrler. “I am excited to return to the Lone Star State and defend my TTBC title on Lake Ray Roberts in 2016.”

Sabine Pass

— From staff repots

Abby, Ashlen & Cambree Carlos caught mahi-mahi, cobia and a limit of red snapper on their ﬁrst offshore trip, 70 mies out of Sabine Pass.

PHOTO: TPWD

1601 Texas Report.indd 13

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/9/15 1:26 PM

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

The Junction Monster

HE TEXAS WHITE-TAILED deer season opened the fourth of November; but, as far as I was concerned, it might as well have been the Twelfth of Never. Such were my chances of going on a hunt. During the fall of 1968, I had no connections, no keys to the private gates that have for generations dominated deer hunting across the Lone Star State. That dismal prospect changed a week or so after the opener, when a school friend invited me to go with him to his family’s Hill Country lease near Junction. By “school” I mean college. I was 20 years old, a junior at the University of Houston. I was ready to go deer hunting. I was equipped with a Sako Finnbear bolt-action .270 fitted with a Redfield Widefield 4X scope. Also in the duffel were an impressive green-and-yellow box of Remington 130-

14 |

1601 Doggett.indd 14

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

grain cartridges, a Gerber fixed-blade knife, a North Face down parka, a pair of El Cheapo binoculars, and a pair of dark green Browning lace-up boots with cool-looking heavy Vibram soles. My resident hunting license had a whitetail buck tag ready to sign. With the possible exception of the fuzzy binoculars, I was, in the words of Big Foot Wallace, “armed and equipped as the law directs.” We drove to the lease, arriving during the late afternoon. We had ample time to unpack in the weathered clapboard house, hop into a camp Jeep, and take a quick scouting drive. The day was cold and cloudy with occasional spittle of drizzle. We flushed a group of four or five deer. They scattered with quick leaps and bounding white flags though the scrub. Game! I was enthralled by the country, the rugged terrain of cedars and oaks and mesquites that gives Central Texas that undeniable beckoning to the hunt. As we returned against darkness to the camp, friendly smoke curled from the chimney. Two additional guys had arrived and, through the camaraderie of hunting, we quickly bonded. The simple camp had a warm glow that night as we talked and cooked and tipped a few ice cubes. I looked around. The whole setup felt great—just as I imagined a deer camp would be. “I’m going to put you in a box blind down by a little creek,” my friend said. “It’s one of our best spots. Don’t shoot a doe, but any antlered buck you see is legal.” I unfurled my sleeping bag on a bunk bed, but I knew that significant slumber would be hopeless. I was too excited. I was awake when my friend prodded my bag, and the little camp stirred to life. We shared a quick breakfast and loaded into the Jeep and clattered into the dark pre-dawn chill. A fine mist continued to blow, and the wind was sharp from the north. My friend

T E X A S

F I S H

drove over a rocky ridge, down through a meandering valley and stopped near a sagging three-strand fence. “Your box blind is several hundred yards that way,” he said, pointing at the fence. “I took the back way in, so you’ll have to walk. I didn’t want to drive through the prime area out front and bust any deer. Just follow the fence then start looking to your left. Good luck; I’ll pick you up about 10.” I shouldered the rifle and started walking as the tiny red lights winked away and disappeared. Once alone, I felt a bit uneasy. The quiet, cold blackness “out there” became unnerving—and I’ll bet I’m not the only early hunter who has experienced that spooky sensation. I paced, figuring the odds were at least 50/50 that the bogeyman would grab me. But, after about five minutes, I spied the dark rectangle of the lonesome blind about 25 or 30 yards to the left. I pulled, and the wooden door creaked open. I fumbled in the parka pockets and realized I had no flashlight—a rookie mistake. Scrabbling fingers did find a box of matches, a remnant from the porch cigar detail the night before. The fleeting flare revealed a folding chair and three open window ports. The boots felt heavy and a downward flick confirmed that the heavy “waffle” soles were caked in mud

G A M E ®

12/7/15 7:47 PM

and grass straw—not the best choice for hunting in wet weather. The change from black to gray came torturously slow, stalled by fog and drizzle. I shivered, wishing for an extra layer. The brisk walk was fine, but the motionless vigil allowed dank chill to creep in from all around. The icy breeze was against my right cheek, but at least the tin roof kept the mist away. Well, most of it. After 30 or 40 minutes, the surroundings began defining: dark cedar clumps to the right and left, a heavy rim of oaks beyond, and the flat, rocky edge of the meandering creek bed in between. The creek looked mostly dry, with several narrow pools of holding water. I spent the next hour “glassing” the available terrain. Within 15 minutes, it became obvious that the blurry binoculars were a piece of junk, a waste of money. A $25 pair might look more-or-less like a $250 pair (1968, remember), but you get what you pay for. Optics is no place to skimp in deer hunting. I was looking left, cursing the miserable

1601 Doggett.indd 15

glasses, when I heard the distinct click of a tumbling rock. I turned slowly and saw a white-tailed buck mincing along the edge of the creek bed. The deer was about 50 or 60 yards away, and the antlers were instantly visible. They were brown and glistening in the mist. With pounding heart and panting breath, I reached for the rifle. The good glass of the scope cleanly framed the shoulder as I released the safety and pressed the trigger. The flat “Boom!” of the .270 rebounded through the heavy air and across the creek draw. The buck dropped in its tracks. Wow! No wonder the .270 is the most popular deer caliber in Texas! I just killed a buck! Just nailed him! The deer was dead, no question. I climbed from the blind and walked to the creek and admired my moment. Then I unsheathed the Gerber and did a surprisingly good job of field dressing, using a nearby pool to clean the blade and wash my hands. A streak of blood was on one rolledup sleeve of the flannel-hunting shirt, but you know what? It looked pretty damn good.

I stood and stretched and could not wait for the laboring sound of the Jeep as it nosed around the corner. My friend is no longer with us, but I remain grateful that he recognized my keenness and included me in that long-ago deer hunt. Oh, yes—I forgot to mention the size of that first great buck. The “Junction Monster” was a young fork-horn that weighed about 70 pounds. The observant reader probably noted several facts about deer hunting woven into this account, but perhaps most significant is that, under the right circumstances, a small deer can be mighty big. The size of a trophy and the value of the memory are not always judged by antler measurements. Sometimes we tend to forget that basic truth of deer hunting.

Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

12/7/15 7:47 PM

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

HERE COMES A TIME IN every person’s life when he or she contemplates, in earnest, the inevitable end. Some people make bucket lists. I prefer instead to recall some pretty cool boxes already checked and hope that my remaining time offers a couple of pleasant surprises. It’s not as though there’s nothing left to do. There are places I haven’t been—water not fished and ground not hunted—but I’ve been quite fortunate, as outdoors trips go, for a fellow my age. Working in the hook-and-bullet industry has its perks. I’ve received many invitations to cast-and-blast my way around the world. Some came with strings attached and were quickly declined. Others were open-ended, “come see what you think” offers, and gratefully accepted without promise. Even where the fish didn’t bite or birds didn’t fly, experienced outdoorsmen will understand, always there was a story. Quiet time in a duck blind or on a fishing boat gives occupants a chance to connect on levels not attainable when action is fast. On a bonefish-and-permit trip to Honduras, for example, my hosts and I first shook hands just as a tropical depression crossed the coastline. Conditions worsened over three forgettable days. We spent lots of time indoors, I mostly listening to (and believing) stories about how good fishing is when the sun shines. It did, on our final full day, and we made the best of it. Water was still wrecked overall, but we found some clean flats and managed to fool a couple of pocket-sized bonefish. Still fighting a 20 mph wind, I had “shots” at a few permit. Salmon fishing off Sweden’s southeastern coast, on the Baltic Sea at a water tempera16 |

1601 Pike.indd 16

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

“ In the end, it comes down to seeing your own bucket as half full or half empty.

“

Try to Fill Your Bucket

ture of 35 degrees, was dead slow thanks to years of commercial overfishing. I got an earful of great stories from my older captain and an eye-crossing introduction to a potent local beer. Only had a portion of one (quart) can and I felt like I’d just left a fraternity party. After a successful Saturday of marlin fishing—225-pounder—off Grand Cayman Island, I hopped a shuttle flight to Cayman Brac with plans to meet a local guide the following morning and chase bonefish. I do like catching bonefish. This trip was planned a year in advance by a public-relations firm based in New York

that was working for the island nation’s government. Every “i” had been dotted, it seems, except one. When my guide hadn’t arrived by 8 a.m., I asked the hotel clerk to give him a call. She connected and handed me the phone. “I don’t fish on Sundays,” he explained. “That’s my family day.” He wouldn’t budge, so I hopped on a bicycle, fly rod in hand and Crazy Charlies in my pocket. About halfway around the island, I was parched from pedaling over hot asphalt. In the little town at the bottom of a hill, I noticed a store. Water. Perfect. The shopkeeper and guide apparently were related. I barely made it back to the hotel in time to hydrate, pack my stuff and catch the return flight to Grand Cayman.

T E X A S

F I S H

And just this past summer, I jumped a jet for West Palm Beach. There, I met up with Mark Nichols, founder of DOA Lures, a dozen or so other outdoor communicators and as many guides for two days of always-good fishing with his products. I felt puny on arrival, but mustered for the first day’s fishing. We did OK. On Day Two, first time in my life, I was too sick to fish. Went to a local clinic, got some medication, then drove straight to the airport. I sat there for seven hours, only to learn that the flight was canceled because of a mechanical issue. It was nearly 11 p.m. The airline covered a hotel room, but to make the first flight out on Day Three, I had to be back in the airport by 5:30 a.m. I was, and I lived. Don’t feel sorry for me. I’ve had a dozen great trips for every disappointing one, and I’ve never made a trip that didn’t produce a good column or radio-show segment. Neither should you be envious of folks in my line of work. First, it’s work, so we’re usually on someone else’s clock (and dime). We’re fishing and hunting, granted; but these trips are distinctly different from time spent in the field or on the water with true friends. Many of my peers have traveled to Africa and Eastern Europe and the South Pacific in pursuit of fish and game, and I love hearing their stories. If I get to those places, great. If not, I won’t feel cheated. No Texan who has hunted and fished and lives for both has been cheated. We’re in a special place, and no matter where I go, I can’t wait to get back. There are people in other states, people all over the world, whose bucket lists and dreams include outdoor trips to Texas. In the end, it comes down to seeing your own bucket as half full or half empty. My bucket’s loaded—but there will always be room, and I hope time, for one more great outdoor adventure.

Email Doug Pike at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

G A M E ®

12/7/15 7:24 PM

1601 Pike.indd 17

12/7/15 7:24 PM

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

Celebrate the Glorious, Glorious RUT!

18 |

1601 Nugent.indd 18

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

matriarch SwampDonkey gal that had to weigh more than 150 pounds with a horse like head and an enormous brisket that protruded forth. These cagey, ultra-alert old Michigan she-deer will test the stealth of the most experienced bowhunter, for they never let their guard down, as they constantly scan

“ The time is now. Get out there.

“

HEN YOU’RE OUT IN the deerwoods everyday like I am, you become extremely tuned in to God’s miraculous creation, the pulsations of nature and her majestic, soul-stirring critters. There really is a wonderful, stimulating Call of the wild, but I prefer to call it the Spirit of the wild, for there is a tangible yet beyond the physical heartbeat to the ways of wild things, and us hardcore reasoning predators dedicated to be one with the beasts will eventually zero in and become a distinct part of that heartbeat. And Lord have mercy does it ever feel Goooooood! For this old rock-n-roll bowhunting fool, I am convinced that this hunting lifestyle represents the highest of highs, and like that old curse buck fever, it can and often does take some serious self-control and psyche management to maintain focus and keep the nerves and chest slamming heartbeat contained. Tonight on our sacred family swampland hunting grounds, like most ambush vigils, I had deer within sight off and on most of the time, but was delighted to be surrounded by 15 different whitetails a good hour before dark. Under the glowing canopy of slightly moving bright fall leaves at their most colorful effervescence, the streams of intermittent setting sunlight provided one of God’s most exciting firestorms of dynamic imagery. Again, self-control is the name of the game to keep from becoming entranced by the beauty of it all. To complete the creation artwork, enter a huge old doe and her brace of large fawns of the year, both healthy, fat young’uns nearing 100 pounds each. They were joined by a huge old lone

every which way. They live to discover intruders, especially uppity old backstrap addicted guitar players toting sharp sticks and antlerless tags. SpiritWild VidCamDude Big Jim has learned over the years that zero movement is essential, and he did a great job of remaining undetected with me high up in the towering, leafy oak tree. Soon a trio of yearling bucks sauntered in; a slick spike, a small forky and a larger, well-defined forky. More does and fawns snuck in from the surrounding sawgrass marsh, ultra-cautiously, refusing to give us a break, forcing us to remain motionless, peering only with our peripheral vision, not even daring to turn our heads.

T E X A S

F I S H

The small bucks took turns sniffing and stiff legging the does and fawns, acting like the juveniles they were, inspired to harass the does, but looking rather comical in their feeble attempt to be the big bad breeding buckaroos they would eventually become. I was so tempted to arrow the biggest fawn-less, lone doe, but the pitter-patter of dry leaves behind us made me wait, anticipating the arrival of a mature buck to take over the party of forest dwellers. Darkness soon enveloped my sacred hunting grounds, and we wrapped up another phenomenal day in the deerwoods, relishing every spine tingling moment of the greatest period of the year. Typically I hunt the 1st and last three hours of daylight, but starting in late October, knowing that buck movement increases as that magical rut builds steam, I increase my hunting hours till I often hunt all day long come that amazing first half of November. With some early season backstrappers in the freezer, and with the decision for so many years to pass up young bucks, the always exciting rut has become that much more intense for us on the Nugent hunting grounds, just knowing that all those three and four year old bucks we have passed on all those years are now world-class, huge, trophy monarchs, the kind of majestic stags that legends are made of. The time is now. Get out there and sponge up all this madness and outrageous deerhunting FUN! Happy, Happy rut to all my fellow deerhunting BloodBrothers across the hinterland. May the beasts of your dreams make that one mistake that gives us that rare and much appreciated, hard earned advantage to get the job done. Hunt hard, hunt smart, hunt long, hunt fun! This is our time. There will only be this one single 2015-16 rut. Live it to the fullest.

Email Ted Nugent at TNugent@ﬁshgame.com

G A M E ®

12/7/15 7:25 PM

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

T’S WORKING. The terrorism, I mean. You can’t watch the news, or go on Twitter or Facebook, or have a conversation, without hearing one side or the other of how we should be dealing with terrorism. And most of the time these conversations turn into heated debates, with both sides repeating talking points they’ve heard from spokesmen for ‘their’ side. Our country is being split in two by Islamic Terrorism. Oh, we were already somewhat divided, because of political correctness and people who make a living by creating animosity wherever they can. So we were already on the road to ruin, following those who support racism. But radical Islam is capitalizing on the situation. And it’s working. On one hand we have those who think, somehow, that if we pass laws against certain pieces of equipment, the terrorists won’t have that equipment anymore, so we’ll be safe. Because criminals can’t break laws. There are a few problems with this view. We have laws against drugs, assault, theft, rape, speeding, and a million other wrongs. None of those laws has ever prevented a crime, and they never will. Laws only provide for punishment after the fact. You can’t regulate behavior. We have to bear in mind that all our laws are being ignored by the people who commit these crimes. If we pass more laws, those will be ignored, too. Laws won’t help. On the other hand we have those who believe the way to combat radical Islamic terrorism is to ban Islam. Just make it illegal to practice Islam in America, and everything will be OK. Well, there are some problems with that view, also.

“ Our country is being split in two by Islamic terrorism.

“

Peace on Earth

Because I have lived my entire life in the land of the free and the home of the brave, I have a truncated view of this kind of thing. So I went to my friend, Keith Johnson, and asked him his views about our situation. Keith is a fellow ministry student at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. He grew up in South Africa, in the Islamic faith, with an Islamic family. He has a vested interest in solving our problem, one that is far more personal than mine, since some of his family still follows Islam. Keith is a Christian and an American citizen, but he’s seen more evil than most of

us will encounter in our lives. As a boy growing up, Keith watched radical Islam destroy the lives of people all around him. He said dissidents were often tied up, and an old tire was put around their necks, filled with gasoline, and set on fire. That’s religious persecution. I asked Keith if banning Islam in America was the answer. He said, “Well, the government in South Africa banned the African National Committee at one time, because of the problems it was causing. Now the ANC is running the country. And it’s destroying the country.” Not, of course, that banning Islam would be possible. America could no more ban Islam than it could ban shoes, and still claim to support freedom. This country was T E X A S

1601 Commentary.indd 19

F I S H

G A M E ®

founded on the principle of religious freedom. But the most telling statement Keith made is the reason why NO ONE should support banning Islam. He said, “If we banned Islam, it would be a short step to banning Christianity.” But there’s still more to the problem. Islam is a religion, and we’re all about religious freedom here, or at least we’re supposed to be. But Islam is also a political dogma that destroys the very fabric of any society it inhabits. So I asked Keith how we’re supposed to deal with that. How do we ban the political, while allowing the religious, aspects of Islam. He said, “You can’t. It’s not possible to separate the political from the religious in Islam. It all goes together.” So, it’s a theocracy. Actually, I do have a solution to offer. My idea is to trap as many feral hogs as possible in the southern U.S. and turn them loose in the Middle East. We all know hogs can proliferate in any environment, and we could use some relief. And the folks over there would be so busy trying to eradicate the hogs they wouldn’t have time to bother anyone over here. Yes, that’s a joke, in case you’re wondering. Personally, I don’t think it’s a disrespectful joke, and I’m not trying to be disrespectful, although I’m sure some will take offense. The question is, are we more offended by a joke about hogs, or by the murder of 14 innocent people over a difference of opinion? These attacks will continue. The answer is to stop them as soon as possible after they start. Disarming the victims makes them easier victims. The only good news is that, if the bad guys are trying to kill you, it means you’re one of the good guys. And make no mistake about it, America is still the good guys.

Email Kendal Hemphill at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/9/15 1:27 PM

THE BIG RAINS THAT FELL ACROSS MUCH OF TEXAS last spring and summer brought utter devastation to parts of the landscape and wrecked countless lives as it caused historic flooding that washed out roadways, breached dams and swept away numerous homes and vehicles, killing nearly three dozen people in the process. The wicked El Niño weather pattern rolled into the state in February and gradually gained steam through May. That’s when it dumped record amounts of rainfall on already soggy ground, causing creeks and rivers to swell well beyond their banks, sending way more water flowing downstream than some major reservoirs could hold.

20 |

Fea 1-Rain.indd 20

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

PHOTO:

12/7/15 6:59 PM

Story by Matt Williams

PHOTO:

Fea 1-Rain.indd 21

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E 速

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 6:59 PM

Dozens of impoundments — some of them drought-stricken for years — refilled in short order, while others were partially recharged with several feet of much-welcomed water. In some cases the water rushed in way faster than controlling authorities could let it out, resulting in extended periods of high water that spurred boat ramp and camp ground closures that lasted for months. The area around Lake Texoma was particularly hard it. During June, the Texas/ Oklahoma border lake rose more than 28 feet above full pool and jumped its emergency spillway twice. Not far to the north, just ahead of Mother’s Day weekend, the dam ruptured on Jimmy Houston’s 125acre Lake Twin Eagle, sending a staggering number of trophy bass and outsize crappie on a watery path to the Washita River. Houston was in Alabama practicing for a bass tournament when he got word that his beloved honey hole was gone. “It wasn’t like getting told you’re going to die in three weeks or anything like that, but it was a pretty bad deal,” he said. As destructive as the Spring 2015 floods were, they came with a silver lining that is sure to benefit many of our lakes and the sport fisheries finning around in them for several years to come. In other words, the long term fishing forecast looks pretty promising. The reason? It’s all about “trophic upsurge.”

Lake Medina: +75 ft. p

t Lake Grapevine: +28 ft.

Lake Bridgeport: +23 ft. u

t Fort Phantom Hill +15.2 ft.

Lake Possum Kingdom: +13 ft. u

Lake Amon Carter: +12 ft. u

Lake Belton: +11 ft. u t Lake Alan Henry: +10.5 ft.

As earlier mentioned, water levels on many Texas lakes were well below normal before the rains came. Some had been starving for water for years. During extended periods of low water, large expanses of the lake bed normally covered by water are exposed to direct sunlight. Sunlight spurs the gradual growth of grasses, weeds, bushes, trees and other forms of terrestrial vegetation native to the landscape. The longer the lake remains low, the thicker and more widespread the new growth vegetation becomes. When water levels rise and all that new growth vegetation is flooded, it pumps in rich nutrients that act as liquid fertilizer to everything in its path. This promotes a boom in plankton growth, benefitting everything from forage fish populations to top end predators like bass, catfish and crappie.

Fea 1-Rain.indd 22

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

t Lake Cooper: +12 ft. t Richland-Chambers: +11.5 ft.

Understanding Trophic Upsurge

22 |

t Lake Lavon: +13 ft.

Lake Ray Hubbard: +10 ft. u

Water Level Increases of Selected Texas Lakes The jungle of flooded cover also provides young-of-the-year game fish and forage such as sunfish and shad good places to hide from predators. This usually results in extremely high recruitment among one or more year classes of fish, ultimately leading to banner fishing several years down the road as the fish mature. Translation: Trophic upsurge, also known as the “new lake effect,” has the ability to make a tired or old fishery seem new again.

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

The new lake phenomenon has been documented on a number of Texas reservoirs over the years, and several more are in line for revivals as a result of the big rains that fell across Texas last spring. To wit: • Lake Alan Henry saw a 10 1/2 rise and went from 73 percent capacity to full pool. • Lake Cooper caught 12 feet of water and COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

12/7/15 6:59 PM

jumped from 39 percent full to 100 percent full. • Lake Amon G. Carter went from 56.1 percent full to six feet high after catching 12 feet of water in a single month. • Lake Richland Chambers rose from 63 percent capacity to a foot high as the result of an 11 1/2 foot rise. • Lake Lavon went from 46 percent full to foot high after catching nearly 13 feet of water. • Lake Ray Hubbard jumped 10 feet from 59 percent capacity to nearly 100 percent full. • Lake Grapevine rose 28 feet, refilling from 57 percent capacity to 15 feet above normal. • Lake Bridgeport rose more than 23 feet, from 38.9 percent capacity to 99 percent full. • Lake Belton jumped nearly 11 feet from 72 percent capacity to nearly a foot high. • Fort Phantom Hill Reservoir near Abilene rose 15.2 feet and refilled from 31.1 percent to 88.5 percent full. • Lake Possum Kingdom rose more than 13 feet from 63.9 percent capacity to 98.7 percent. The list goes on and on. Lakes Fork, Cedar Creek, Stillhouse Hollow, Falcon, Canyon, Benbook, Georgetown, Travis, Buchanan, Granbury, and a host of others saw significant rises last spring after years of low water. While fisheries biologists all around the state are excited about the possibilities on their respective lakes, few are more stoked than district supervisor Randy Myers is about Lake Medina. “It’s been like a ghost town out there for a lot of years, but not anymore,” Myers said. “It’s going to produce some great fishing for years to come, provided something crazy doesn’t happen. Located near San Antonio, 5,000-acre Medina was 86.08 feet below full pool (4.3 percent capacity) when the floods came last May. Within three months the water level GRAPHIC: TF&G (COURTESY GOOGLE MAPS)

Fea 1-Rain.indd 23

jumped nearly 75 feet to more than 75 percent capacity. Recognizing the potential, TPWD salted the lake with 203,000 Florida bass and 67,000 blue catfish. Not surprisingly, the fish have fared well amid the maze of terrestrial cover that grew while the lake was low. October electrofishing surveys performed at Medina turned up 341 bass per hour, which is 449 percent higher than the historic average. “Most of those fish were 7-9 inches and some up to 13 inches — the are growing like they are on steroids,” Myers said. “These were obviously all fish born this year, some through natural reproduction, There are swarms of bass everywhere out there. It’s unbelievable. The shad and bluegills have exploded, too.” Myers said electrofishing surveys performed at Lake Falcon show that population has also made some serious strides. Biologists collected 91 bass per hour at the fabled reservoir along the Texas/Mexico border, which is double the historic average. “Most of those were in the 4-7 inch range,” Myers said. “I’m thinking a lot of the fish spawned in June down there, maybe later. That lake is definitely on the upswing. The habitat conditions are really good at Falcon. It’s like a jungle down there with all the brush. Hopefully, we’ll get another boost (in water level) this winter and we’ll get another giant year class down there. When those fish mature, things could really explode. That’s what happened in the early 2000s.” Fisheries biologist John Moczygemba of Pottsboro says several lakes in his district have experienced similar population booms. “The bass, sunfish and shad have all exploded on lakes Weatherford, Nocona and Ray Roberts,” he said. “We saw a lot of 7-10 inch bass fish on those lakes in our electrofishing surveys. We’re hearing the same thing happened at Bridgeport, Texoma and Lavon. They also had real good striper spawn on Texoma with all the inflow. We lost some stripers through the spillway, but they will rebound. The fishing is going to be T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

LAKE OH IVIE

= Approx water level = Conserv. Pool level OH Ivie and other West Texas lakes remain severely low.

real good in years to come.” Fisheries biologist Kevin Storey of Tyler is equally excited about the future of several lakes in his district, particularly at Lake Fork, where flooded willows, buck brush and other terrestrial vegetation have made helped improve the lake’s habitat. Storey said the numbers from his fall electrofishing collection were not available at press time, but pointed out that 8-10 inch fish were extremely abundant in the survey. “That’s great news for Lake Fork,” Storey said. “Those fish should grow into the slot within 3-4 years and they will have a big influence the number of fish that anglers are able to catch.” Storey added that fall rains helped Fork’s maintain near full pool water levels going into winter. That should bode well for another banner spawn in Spring 2016 and provide another strong year class of offspring. As bright as the prospects are across much of the state, some lakes continue to starve for water. As of Oct. 31, Lake O.H. Ivie was only 12.8 capacity; O.C. Fisher, 16.4 percent; Oak Creek, 24.8; Sweetwater, 11 percent; Twin Buttes, 5.3 percent; Palo Duro, 5.2 percent; Meredith, 24.5 percent; Mackenzie, 16.5 percent; and Hubbard Creek, 37.3 percent. But there is a silver lining to it all. The skies will eventually open and the lakes will refill, resulting in another round of trophic upsurge to turn another group of tired honey holes into vibrant fisheries again.

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 6:59 PM

24 |

Fea 6-Trout.indd 24

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E 速

12/7/15 7:14 PM

story by Chester Moore

SPECKLED TROUT are finicky creatures. All fish have periods of aggressive biting and lockjaw but in terms of inland saltwater fish in Texas, specks are the most confusing, especially the larger ones This is especially true during the winter and early spring when few anglers seem to find consistent patterns. Some anglers hypothesize this is because trout are moving throughout the bay system following the available prey. Research shoots this down pretty quickly. Of the 477 spotted seatrout tagged in a migration study in Alabama, 58 returns were received, and 53 percent exhibited no movement. If you missed a big sow in a particular spot, chances are she is still very nearby. A troutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s metabolism slows greatly in winter and this is a proven fact as their growth rates rate slows to a crawl. This is even more pronounced in big trout which are by their nature slower moving and more selective. Most big trout are not likely contenders for daily migration.

PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

Fea 6-Trout.indd 25

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ÂŽ

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 7:14 PM

Ken Chaumont with a big speckled trout caught a few winters ago by “matching the hatch” with an Egret Wedgetail Mullet.

One of the reasons we often miss catching trout is because we are not accurately “matching the hatch”. When adult shrimp and menhaden (shad) are not abundant in the bays, trout feed on what is available and oftentimes it does not match up to the lures we typically take out of the tackle box and sometimes they are in places few consider searching out.

As trout grow larger they begin to eat larger prey. The largest trout eat the largest prey. Researchers in Texas and Mississippi have found mullet to be the preferred food of the biggest trout. At times the mullet is half or two-thirds the size of the trout. Mullet imitating plugs are common on the Gulf Coast and certainly should be a part of any angler’s repertoire but what

about color? Small mullet tend to be slightly lighter in color than their bigger counterparts. Do your lures match the colors of the young mullet in your ecosystem? What about the larger ones? I have seen mullet with greenish-looking backs in Louisiana and some nearly completely silver in Texas. If trout are reacting to a genetically inspired inclination to feed on that prey from their natural area then it is important to match colors as good as you can. Trout have clear, color vision and are super line shy in clear water. The use of lures that mimic very close to your local trout’s prey can give you advantage. With virtually every fish natural colors work best in clear water whereas the more exotic fare can get the job done when it is murky. Due to a lessening of algae during winter and early spring waters to tend to clearer in Texas bays barring flood conditions. Making sure your lures line up with what you see in the water is a point that cannot be overstated. In addition, fluorocarbon line can help eliminate loss of potential big trout catches. It is virtually invisible in the water. • Big speckled trout feed heavily on ribbonfish (cutlassfish) when they move into bays from the Gulf. Find ribbonfish scurrying to the surface in panic and you will find BIG trout. At a distance their silver flashes can spot ribbbonfish as they breach. The biggest trout almost never school. A study conducted by researcher D.C. Tabb found that trout in excess of six years of age are nearly all-large semi-solitary females. These are the giants we dream of. Big trout are truly elusive, strange fish that do not fit into a particular mold. They are much like giant largemouth bass in that once they reach a certain size their habits change dramatically. The angler who takes the time to study them and realize they will have to trade catching lots of trout for the chance to get one big trout will score on their personally fish of a lifetime.

Learning the colors of your local mullet can help you match the hatch.

26 |

Fea 6-Trout.indd 26

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

PHOTOS: CHESTER MOORE

12/9/15 3:32 PM

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

Decompression

ISHING CAN BE A HIGHpressure endeavor. Tournament anglers don’t fish just to have fun. They MUST catch fish—usually the largest of the targeted species—to have a chance of winning, or at least finishing in the money. Guides and charter captains HAVE to produce fish to keep the paying clients on their boats happy. Television show hosts know their viewers don’t want to watch 22 minutes of a man talking about the exercise “being called ‘fishing,’ not ‘catching’ for a reason.” They want to see him catch fish, sometimes big ones. Writers are under pressure to catch fish because we otherwise look pretty silly. Husbands are under pressure to catch fish so they can justify to their wives why they fish. Dads are under pressure because…Female anglers are under pressure because… Well, you get the idea. Whether the reasons are intrinsic or extrinsic, plenty of us put a ton of pressure on ourselves when we go fishing. It’s the sort of pressure that made Santiago row out farther than the other fishermen (imagine the pressure that Hemmingway’s protagonist felt after going 84 days without a fish). How many of us have gone a full day of hard, unrewarded fishing, swear, “one more cast,” only to finish the retrieve and swear, “okay, THIS is really the last cast!” Many captains will stay on the water a little longer when the action is slow to try and put fish in the boat. I know television personalities who have gone out on the water when conditions were less than ideal to get the shot and the fish. I’ve lost sleep worrying about catching fish the next morning. Heaven forbid, but sometimes the pressure takes the fun out of fishing. The truth is, however, it IS called “fish-

ing” and not “catching.” We are not going to catch fish every time we go out on the water. As much as we promise our buddies—and, more, ourselves—that we’re gonna whack ‘em, we don’t. Sometimes the weather goes bad, or the boat spins a prop, or we have the wrong bait, or the fish just simply don’t bite. Sometimes, there is no joy in Mudville. I don’t need to state the obvious. This is supposed to be fun. It was fun when each of us first dipped a hook baited with bacon, or salami, or bread and caught our first perch. Long before the expensive rods and reels, the footlockers full of lures, the big center console boats with the four stroke engines, and the expensive fishing apparel, we fished and we enjoyed ourselves. Whether we caught trout, bass catfish, or even a hoary carp, we were happy. The catching was important, but not urgent. Hell, we were fishing! Recently, I had the pleasure of fishing with Clay Norris of Berkley fishing and Captains Paul Braly and Daniel Land in the Upper Laguna Madre. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself because, well, you know, I should know what the hell I’m doing, right? Norris looked like the very picture of ease, even though we were going to be fishing with some new Berkley products. Captains Land and Braly also looked at ease. We were fishing a system they know intimately well—fishing for redfish they knew were there and hungry. When I saw how relaxed and excited to fish that these gentlemen were, I remembered where I was; and too, relaxed. At that point, when the self-imposed pressure dissolved, I began to have fun. In the end, we had an absolute blast. We saw a lot of pretty country, cussed some T E X A S

1601 Saltwater.indd 27

F I S H

G A M E ®

seagulls, and laughed a lot. I learned some fishing techniques that made me a better fisherman. We even caught some nice trout and redfish, too. The fish, though, were secondary to the overall experience of spending a day on the water with great friends and new friends. Vince Lombardi once admitted his regret for coining the phrase “winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” Lost in the quote which is considered the epitome of competition was Lombardi’s belief that there is glory in the effort, that we should also applaud the competitor who walks off the field or the court or out of the ring having given his most earnest effort, even if it was a losing one. Winning is important, but Lombardi believed that the effort to win, to grow, to persevere, was more important. It’s an important enough belief that it was the central theme of a commencement speech he gave at Notre Dame one year. The old idiom is that insanity is repeating the same action and expecting a different result. Catching fish is important, otherwise fishing becomes the embodiment of the definition of insanity (some would say it still is). However, most of the people who fish are past the point where they have to catch fish for sustenance (and then, it is actually more economical to go to HEB and buy some tilapia). The experience is pretty important, too. Especially, if you are sharing it with friends, strangers, or a part of yourself you don’t meet except when you’re on the water. More important, it is the experience that we want to pass on, not the pressure. Leave the pressure for less entertaining endeavors such as golf.

Email Calixto Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 7:29 PM

28 |

J A N U A R Y

Fea 3-HogCam.indd 28

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E 速

COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

12/7/15 7:01 PM

Big Hogs on Game Cameras submitted by TF&G Readers, on following pages u T E X A S

Fea 3-HogCam.indd 29

F I S H

G A M E 速

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 7:01 PM

This massive red hog captured on game camera by Josh Snearlely with a cool spotted pattern is out there somewhere in the Pineywoods of East Texas. This hog is likely in the 400 pound class making it a true giant.

Shea Harrison sent in this photo of a massive hog obviously not happy about the amount of corn being dispensed from this feeder. Hogs are not only large animals. They can be demanding. In other words they like to throw their weight around.

Travis Addington said he was going to hunt this hog hard after he sent in this photo. The hog is close to the camera giving it an almost mutant look but it is a really big one, probably in the 300-350 pound range.

LAST NOVEMBER WE PUT out a call for game camera and hunter kill photos of monster hogs and the response has been phenomenal. Photos are still coming in and one thing is certain. There are plenty of huge hogs in the state of Texas. Here are some our readers captured on game cameras. Next month we will see hogs killed and captured.

30 |

J A N U A R Y

Fea 3-HogCam.indd 30

2 0 1 6

This blurry shot sent in by Bobby Elder shows two absolute giant hogs. Notice how fat they are? There is a good chance these are “bars” or boars that were caught likely by hog-dog hunters, castrated and released. This makes them grow to huge weights and is done to allegedly increase the quality of the meat.

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

12/9/15 1:42 PM

Bubba Suggs managed to get a photo of a massive hog with the biggest tusks we have ever seen here on a live hog photo at TFG. This is the stuff nightmares are made of or in the case of many hunters, their dreams. Let us know if you kill this one Bubba.

This long, tall hog sent in by Shawn Carter is showing the behavior that makes them so hard to hunt. Hogs go nocturnal when pressured and they do so very quickly. Although hunting them at night is legal, it is not exactly easy, especially for hunters who cannot afford thermal imaging scopes and night vision.

A reader only identiﬁed as “Rene” in a message sent in this photo of two unique looking hogs from the wilds of Texas. At ﬁrst glance they have an almost warthog-like appearance.

Diego Rosales managed to get this shot of a big, muscular hog that almost appears well-groomed. Notice the feeder behind it. This is one big pig, no matter how high that feeder actually stands. We can’t imagine the timer being less than three feet high and most hunters set theirs a minimum of ﬁve feet.

T E X A S

Fea 3-HogCam.indd 31

F I S H

G A M E ®

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/9/15 1:42 PM

TEXAS Dept. of DEFENSE by STEVE LAMASCUS & DUSTIN ELLERMANN

Self Defense Tactical :: Concealed Carry

The Cop’s Revolver

HE SMITH AND WESSON K-frame .357 Magnum, originally known as the Combat Magnum, was the brainchild of the late Bill Jordan, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol. Jordan (19111997) was one of the fastest and most accurate gunfighters that ever lived. He was also a thinking man. With the introduction of the .357 Magnum in 1935, law enforcement had a cartridge that was powerful enough to stop most armed assailants with one well-placed shot, while still being mild enough in recoil that most cops could shoot it without flinching. Pretty soon it began to replace the .38 Special as the caliber of choice for many

Going Short SHORT-BARRELED RIFLES (SBRS) are more popular than ever. In some cases they are an excellent choice for a defensive weapon and compact hunting rifle. Others are simply a fun range toy. The popularity of AR pistols seems to have fueled this short barrel movement, especially with the introduction of pistol braces such as the Sig Arms SB15, which makes shooting these rifle-like pistols more practical. According to the National Firearms Act of 1934, any person wishing to own a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches must get the government’s per32 |

J A N U A R Y

1601 Dept of Defense.indd 32

2 0 1 6

peace officers. The only fly in the soup was that the original .357 Magnum was a big, heavy, N-frame revolver of the same size as the various .45 caliber revolvers. At that time metallurgy was not to the point where .357s could be offered in .38 Special-framed guns. So the cop was forced to choose either a heavy, burdensome sidearm in .357 Magnum, or a light, easilycarried sidearm in .38 Special. Sad to say, many opted for the lighter gun in the less powerful cartridge. I feel certain that these decisions cost some police officers their lives when the rather anemic 158-grain round-nosed lead bullet cartridges commonly marketed as “police loads” failed to stop an attacker. Beginning in the 1950s, Jordan began to consult (read pester) with Smith and Wesson on the design for a new, lighter, smaller, officer’s revolver in .357. Bill knew what he wanted and after five years of research and development, Smith and Wesson arrived at a design that Jordan liked. The first Combat Magnum, (Later desig-

nated the Model 19. I wish S&W would go back to names rather than model numbers.) serial # K260,000 was presented to Bill Jordan on November 15, 1955. Model 19s could be had in nickel finish, but the vast majority of them were finished with a gorgeous, deep, lustrous blue that looked as though it was bottomless. The .357 Combat Magnum could be had in 2.5-inch, four-inch, and six-inch barrels. The 2.5-inch was perfect for plain-clothes work, the four-inch was perfect for uniform carry, and the six-inch was perfect for target shooting, hunting, and competition. If there was ever a revolver that truly looked as deadly as the 2.5-inch Model 19, I don’t know what it is. I will share a secret with you. When I was contemplating going into law enforcement I spent a good deal of time patrolling with two friends who were peace officers. One was Bill Waldrop, a Texas game warden; the other was the then-Chief of Police in Sabinal, Texas. Both knew I was well versed in handgunning, so they allowed me to carry a con-

mission, cough up a $200 (infringement) tax, wait several months for paperwork to clear, then you can either transfer or manufacture your short-barreled rifle. In short, it’s the same process you must complete to own a firearm suppressor to protect your hearing. There isn’t any logic in restricting ownership of a rifle that is less powerful now that it has a shorter barrel, but that’s what you get with big government. The most popular option is to build or, technically, to “manufacture” a short-barreled AR15 by registering the receiver and engraving it to establish you as the manufacturer, Then you can easily install a new short-barreled upper on the rifle. Of course the easiest option is a .223 caliber upper, but that is where

the controversy lies. The 5.56mm/.223 Remington cartridge was designed for high velocities. It’s said that it performs best at more than 2,700 fps where the bullet will fragment, tumble and do the most damage to soft tissue. So, every inch chopped off of your barrel will lose valuable velocity potential. The magic length that you don’t want to go below for .223 tends to be around 11 inches. You can find lots of seven-inch .223 barrels, but that’s what I would classify as a “range toy.” Lots of noise, lots of concussion, lots of muzzle flash, but ineffective ballistics.

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

The beauty of the AR15 platform is its versatility. When I built (for any ATF agents reading this: after I had my completed tax stamp) my SBR lower, I had PHOTO: DUSTIN ELLERMAN

12/9/15 1:49 PM

1601 Dept of Defense.indd 33

12/7/15 7:38 PM

cealed handgun when I was out with them. That handgun was a 2.5-inch Model 19 in a Roy Baker pancake holster. When I joined the Uvalde Police Department, I was issued a very nice fourinch Model 19. I practiced a lot with that M19, but mainly shot light, .38 Special wadcutter loads in it. I carried 125-grain Federal .357 Magnum hollow points for more serious purposes. When I graduated from the Border Patrol Academy I was issued an old, but very serviceable Colt “Border Patrol” in .357 Magnum. It was basically a Colt Trooper II, as far as I could tell. Having been weaned on a Smith and Wesson, I did not like the Colt. The trigger pull was hard and different, the grips

didn’t fit my hand, and I didn’t shoot it all that well. So as soon as possible, I put in a memo requesting permission to carry my personal Smith and Wesson Model 66. The Model 66 was the stainless steel version of the Model 19. To this day the only authorized U.S. Border Patrol commemorative handgun was the one put out by Smith and Wesson in 1976, and it was a Model 66. Only around 3,000 were made, I believe. My opinion, shared by many former peace officers, is that the K-frame Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolvers known by the appellations of Model 19 or Model 66 are among the finest police revolvers ever produced. In fact, the 2.5-inch round butt version is still a very fine choice for the

plain-clothes officer, and is just about perfect for the civilian with a concealed carry license. Today I have two Model 19s—a 2.5inch and a four-inch—that have great nostalgic meaning to me. I carry both (one at a time, that is) regularly around my acreage near Brackettville. The 2.5-inch is riding on my belt as I type this. The first two rounds up are snake loads of #9 shot, but the next four, and the six in my pocket, are for other kinds of varmints. —Steve LaMascus

An 11” SBR riﬂe in .300BLK (lower) is just as compact with the 7.5” Saker suppressor attached as a standard 16” riﬂe (above).

.300 AAC Blackout in mind. Although the 5.56mm was designed for a 20-inch barrel, the .300BLK was designed for a nine-inch barrel and achieves the same muzzle energy as a 14.5-inch 5.56mm. Therefore I didn’t need to worry too much about ammunition choices and barrel length. I went with an 11-inch barrel to stabilize longer, heavier subsonic bullets thus ensuring I didn’t damage my suppressor. Advantages of a SBR are not only a 34 |

J A N U A R Y

1601 Dept of Defense.indd 34

2 0 1 6

more compact and maneuverable package, but also shaving weight off the muzzle end. Once a suppressor is added to a 16-inch or longer barrel, the leverage is in the rifle’s favor, not the shooter’s. Long suppressed guns get heavy in a hurry. Shooting is much easier when the one-pound suppressor is half the distance closer to you. Don’t be fooled, accuracy has nothing to do with barrel length, only velocity. In fact some stud-

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

ies have shown shorter barrels to shoot tighter groups. SBRs might not appeal to everyone, but most shooters who have suppressors tend to go down the short route way. Make sure you research the laws, stay legal, stay safe, shoot quietly, and have fun. —Dustin Ellermann

PHOTO: DUSTIN ELLERMAN

12/9/15 1:53 PM

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

Still Have a Tag to Fill?

NEW YEAR BEGINS, AND with it comes new challenges for hunters. Is this the year you score on that big whitetail you saw all season long? Is he still alive? Some off-season scouting will give you the answer. You might even be lucky enough to find his sheds. Either way, when the antlers start growing back, you can check the fields in late summer to see whether he is out there feeding. Hey! What am I saying? Hunting season is not over for Texans! No sir! Late season bucks are not impossible to find. You just have to hunt them a little differently than you did during the season. Time to pull out every trick in the book— and speaking of tricks, here is one that you might not have thought of. If you follow my column every month, then you might have seen a few unconventional things that I have tried, to score on my buck. Some things work; some do not; but I have to tell you that it sure is fun trying them. I wrote about a buddy and me walking out in a field where three does were, just to see how close we could get. All we had was a set of antlers that my friend held up to his head and surprisingly, we got well within bow range. Then, there was the time I stuffed a dummy and dressed it in camo clothes, tied it up in my tree stand and left it there for weeks before the season began. The deer got used to seeing it. Believe it or not, the first time I hunted the stand, the deer paid no attention to me at all. When you stop laughing, read this new

trick that actually worked for me this past season. Well—to be honest, it only worked once and spooked the deer the next time. OK— I was hunting alone and it seemed like every time I picked a stand to hunt in, the whitetails would always walk a different way. It was like they had a sixth sense and had me pegged even though the wind was right in my face. I thought for a while and came up with this idea. The day before I was going to hunt that area again, I went there with my special ammo. My “special ammo” actually was three extra radios. That’s right, you read that correctly, three radios. The day before I wanted to hunt a particular area, I went to my spot and placed each radio very near heavily used deer trails in the immediate area, but not leading to, my deer stand. I set different channels on each radio, turned them on, and placed them inside three zip-lock bags. I knew that the batteries would not get drained only by receiving signals and not sending them, my trap was set. The next morning found me perched in my stand well before shooting light. As the morning progressed, I watched as a nice buck slowly headed towards me. Then, as if on cue, it decided to follow a different trail that led in the direction of one of my radios. I had my radio in my hand and was ready as the deer came closer and closer to it and farther from me. Then I made sure my radio was set at the appropriate channel and pushed the button that would give a musical signal. The buck jumped, avoided that area, then headed toward another radio ambush. Again, I waited patiently and switched my radio to a different channel. As soon as the buck was close to the hidden radio, I hit the sound again. Once again the buck jumped, but this time headed back to me. I missed, but my trick actually worked. I rushed my shot and neglected to pick a spot on the buck and instead, shot at the whole deer. Not good, but as the big buck ran off, I had a smile on my face that went from ear T E X A S

1601 Hunting.indd 35

F I S H

G A M E ®

to ear—and that WAS good! Now that the trick section is done, I should remind you that if you want to be successful on a late season whitetail, you need to hunt places where you do not expect deer to be. Walk the hedgerows during rifle season. You just might find the buck of your dreams, dreaming himself, under the blanket of a thick hedgerow. Check the food sources you found in the middle of a woodlot. Smart bucks will, once again, be thinking of food they need to survive the colder weather not too far away. However, the big boys will be reluctant to approach the open fields. They feel much more secure if they can avoid being seen. It might be a scrub apple orchard in the woods, or maybe a grove of oak trees that still are dropping acorns. Often, late season deer will eat browse they find throughout the woods. These are animals that rely on their instincts. Consequently, depending on the amount of food available, it’s not uncommon to see deer in the brush near some suburbs in search of filling their bellies. Late in the year, you might find your favorite bushes in your front yard half- eaten by a few hungry deer. It always amazes me how many deer are killed after taking refuge in the smallest of woodlots. To many hunters, they simply cannot believe that something that small will hold deer, but it really does. Simply put, if you find an area you are convinced have no deer in it, check it out anyway. The big bucks did not get that big being stupid. They know how to avoid being seen by hikers, bird watchers, and hunters all year long. It is very possible to fill that tag this late in the year; you just have to think of different approaches for success. Most of all, remember to have fun and hunt safe. Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 7:33 PM

Floating Toys for Girls and Boys story by TF&G Staff

YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY YOUNG MEN, LIKE big, flashy toys. When talking boats throw in fast and high tech and you get a pretty good picture of what college age and younger anglers aspire towards. Boats however are expensive and with the average student debt at $29,400 according to the Institute for College Access, many young people start out in a not so enviable financial position. So, what about getting a boat? There are options for young anglers out there that can allow them to fish while at the same time not piling on huge amounts of debt. Here is the breakdown.

Kayaks There is no question young people make up a growing segment of the kayak industry. TF&G Practical Angler columnist and author of Kayak Texas Greg Berlocher said for young anglers wanting to get out on the water inexpensively kayaks are hard to beat. “Kayaks are fun, effective and with modern designs are easy to learn to navigate,” Berlocher said. 36 |

Fea 2-Boats.indd 36

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

COMPOSITE IMAGE: TF&G; INSET PHOTO, MATT WILLIAMS

12/7/15 6:57 PM

T E X A S

Fea 2-Boats.indd 37

F I S H

G A M E 速

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 6:57 PM

Aluminum bass rigs like this Xpress model come with plenty of features, but without the $60,000 price tag.

“And one of the great things about them is they allow access to areas some of the most costly boats can’t get to. Sometimes that is due to motor restrictions and sometimes it has to do the depth of an area but they really are stealth fishing machines that take some limits away from anglers.” Berlocher said the term kayak angler is made up of two separate words and kayak anglers can benefit from study and practice. Most kayak fishermen are fishermen who happen to paddle. “Paddling takes a back seat to fishing. Taking a course to improve your paddling skills will increase your mobility and range, and will put less wear and tear on your body,” he said. He also said young anglers should not expect a quick path to success whether in a kayak or a bay boat. 38 |

Fea 2-Boats.indd 38

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

“Become a student of the game There are no shortcuts to success. Time spent on the mental aspects of kayak fishing will translate to achievements on the water. Investing time, and perhaps a few dollars, in the sport you love will yield a surprising amount of dividends,” he said.

Aluminum Bass & Bay Boats A few years back in 4-time Bassmaster Classic champion Rick Clunn’s last Classic appearance, he fished in an aluminum bass boat. “It was about making a statement because I think the industry has sold people on the idea that you need to have a $60,000 bass boat to be effective and that is just not true,” Clunn said.

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

“Sure, there are advantages but for most anglers you can do just fine in an aluminum rig which are lighter and often much less expensive.” Companies like Xpress offer bass fishing aluminum rigs that not only fish good but look sharp as well. “Young anglers need to keep in mind the boat is just a tool. The fisherman is the one who has the power to make the right decision and the boat is the means of getting you to certain locations. Do not let the fact you might not be able to afford the latest, greatest bass boat stop you from fishing. Let it inspire you to use what you can afford to help you become the best you can be,” Clunn said. There are also aluminum center console bay boats, which come in a variety of sizes. “I grew up fishing in aluminum boats in PHOTO: CLAY CONNER

12/7/15 6:57 PM

saltwater and when I got to college age early in my career practically lived at the jetties fishing up close to the rocks,” said TF&G Editor-In-Chief Chester Moore. “You still need to be just as careful in aluminum rig as in any other but aluminum will give you a little leeway in rocky areas that you might not want to risk with fiberglass. I never thought I was limited because I had an aluminum boat. We actually used it as an advantage to sort of squeeze into tight zones we might not try with a big, fiberglass rig.”

Aluminum Skiffs TF&G Boating Editor Lenny Rudow is a master of breaking down the pros and cons of boats. He said one of the best boats to get for anglers on a budget is an aluminum skiff. “These boats are uber-simple, and provide a small, wide-open, fishing or hunting platform. They’re one of the most popular types of boats around, and thanks to high demand on the used market, aluminum skiffs retain their value better than many other types of boats,” he said.

Fea 2-Boats.indd 39

UPS: • Thanks to their simple design, skiffs are just about the least expensive boats on the water. • Thanks to their simple design, they can be used for just about anything—fishing in all types of waters, hunting (if you choose the boat’s finish appropriately, of course), or just cruising around the lake is no problem. • Aluminum construction means they’re lightweight, require less power than similarly•sized fiberglass boats, are easy to trailer, and easy to launch and retrieve. • Long term maintenance costs are extremely low. DOWNS: • Aluminum skiffs aren’t the best for handling large waves, nor open waters. • They have little in the way of creature comforts, and even less in the way of protection from the sun and weather.

blown around easily, which may make drift fishing in a breeze difficult. • Most don’t have as much eye•appeal as fiberglass rigs.

Buy for Your Needs The real key to getting a boat is buying for your needs, not the needs of a touring bass pro or some television show host but yours. Think hard about what you will be doing and seek out the affordable boat for that specific need. And realize as Clunn said it is not the boat that makes the angler but the angler that gives his or herself the opportunities to excel in fishing. Boats are extremely important and so is fiscal responsibility. As a young person make wise choices on both and get a fruitful and affordable start at fishing.

• Since they’re light they tend to get

12/7/15 6:57 PM

True GREEN TF&G Conservation Editor

Edited by WILL LESCHPER

Rainbows Ahead

EARS AGO, TEXANS HAD to drive to New Mexico or Colorado to catch a rainbow trout. But that was then. These days, anglers can enjoy trout fishing right here in the Lone Star State. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will be stocking hundreds of thousands of hatchery-reared rainbow trout at sites across the state through early March. Many of the stockings will be conducted at small community fishing lakes, state park lakes and popular river tailraces that offer easy angling access. TPWD has been stocking rainbow trout each winter since the 1970s, offer40 |

J A N U A R Y

1601 True Green.indd 40

2 0 1 6

ing Texans a convenient and inexpensive opportunity to go fishing. Fishing for these hungry trout is fairly simple, making it an ideal experience for children and novice anglers. Most sites get an annual dose of more than 1,000 trout, and the fish begin to bite almost immediately after stocking. Anglers can find stocking locations, stocking dates, driving directions to sites, and the most up to date stocking information on the TPWD’s complete Rainbow Trout Stocking Schedule. Many locations host special events for youth in addition to allowing the public fishing opportunities. Check with local parks and recreation departments or water authorities for additional information. Rainbow trout thrive in cold water and can be caught on a variety of natural and artificial baits. Top baits include commercial soft bait, cheese, marshmallows, whole kernel canned corn and small spinner baits. Fly fishermen have a lot of luck with handT E X A S

F I S H

tied flies. Baits can be fished off the bottom or suspended under a bobber. Fishing gear can be as basic as an inexpensive spincast rod and reel combo, a small plastic bobber or a fishing weight and a hook. Bringing a needle-nosed plier to help remove hooks is advisable. Other gear to consider include a five-gallon bucket, small ice chest or a fish stringer to store catches. Freshly-caught trout should be kept on ice to keep them fresh. Among the winter trout stocking sites are Neighborhood Fishin’ locations in urban areas across the state. Spots such as small neighborhood lakes get trout-stocked every two weeks during the winter. Catfish are also stocked there during the summer, making them year-round family fishing destinations. Details can be found on the Neighborhood Fishin’ Web page, which lists the urban area, lake or pond, driving directions and TPWD information for each site. Other popular fishing spots like the Guadalupe River below the Canyon Reservoir Dam, which includes the tailrace, also receive multiple stockings. Anglers should note special harvest restrictions in place along that stretch of the Guadalupe River below the tailrace. In this area, anglers may keep only five trout per day, which must be between 12 inches and 18 inches in length, though one fish longer than 18 may be kept. Any trout taken must be caught on artificial lures. A valid Texas freshwater fishing license package is required to fish for trout. Youths aged 16 and younger and all anglers fishing within state parks are exempt from the fishing license requirement. For additional details about the special harvest regulations and the location of that river stretch, consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual.

Email Will Leschper at WillLeschperOutdoors@gmail.com

G A M E ®

12/7/15 7:44 PM

1601 True Green.indd 41

12/9/15 2:01 PM

True GREEN

DU Lauds Passage of Texas Amendment

EXANS OVERWHELMINGLY supported Proposition 6— the Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment to the Texas Constitution—on the November 2015 ballot. The amendment authored by Representative Trent Ashby and Senator Brandon Creighton passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly. A whopping 81 percent of voters support the amendment. Texas Outdoor Partners, a coalition of 60 Texas hunting, fishing and conservation groups representing Texas’ 2.7 million hunters and anglers, got behind the Proposition 6 Right to Hunt and Fish amendment and helped move it forward. Dallas Safari Club (DSC) and the Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA) led the effort for Texas Outdoor Partners with key assistance from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and large wildlife membership groups such as Ducks Unlimited (DU), Coastal Conservation Association (CCA Texas), National Wild Turkey Federation NWTF), Texas Wildlife Association (TWA), and Texas Black Bass Unlimited (TBBU), and landowner groups including Texas Farm Bureau, Texas And Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, and Texas Forestry Association. Ducks Unlimited and CCA Texas were forced to respond to some op-eds on Proposition 6 that were just flat wrong, and grossly misrepresented the facts on the proposed Constitutional amendment. Some stated the right to hunt and fish was “under attack by rabid conservationists,” but the truth is that we were not aware of a single valid conservation organization opposed to Prop 6, or for that matter any organized and financed opposition. The first proposed Constitutional amendment we can recall supporting a right to hunt and fish was filed in 1999 in the Texas legislature, but conservation groups opposed those almost biennial efforts until this ses42 |

J A N U A R Y

1601 True Green.indd 42

2 0 1 6

sion in 2015 when the language in the proposed amendment finally created a proper and legally defensible balance between the opportunity to hunt and fish and the state and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s ability to manage with science our legal and ethical hunting and fishing. In addition, landowner concerns were specifically addressed through the amendment language which directly protected landowner rights and trespass laws. The need to protect hunting and fishing and the booming industry surrounding the sports has been increasing with the growth and enhanced funding of national extremist anti-hunting groups. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s most recent report based on 2011 data notes that : • 2.7 million people hunted or fished in Texas in 2011, more than the population of Houston, the state’s largest city (2.7 million vs 2.1 million). • There were more sportsmen and women in Texas than the 2011 home attendance for the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Texans, and the Houston Rockets combined (2.7 million vs 2.4 million). • Sportsmen and women spent $4.1 billion on hunting and fishing in Texas in 2011, which was nearly twice the receipts for cotton, the state’s second largest agricultural commodity that year ($4.1 billion vs. $2.3 billion). • Hunters and anglers supported more jobs in Texas than Dell; the University of Texas, Austin; and the MD Anderson Cancer Center, the state’s top three employers (65,993 vs. 59,000 jobs combined). • And Texas’ sportsmen and women generated $415 million in state and local taxes in 2011. That is enough to support the

T E X A S

F I S H

average salaries of more than 8,100 policemen in the state. On top of that, through licenses, stamps, and (sportsmen requested) federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment, licensed hunters and anglers since the early 193’s have annually paid for the bulk of science and conservation efforts in Texas, not general state taxes. Through the generosity of sportsmen and sportswomen, groups such as Ducks Unlimited, CCA and others are able to truly impact conservation efforts and ensure wildlife and fisheries populations, both game and nongame, thrive in our lakes and streams or timberlands and prairies. Theodore Roosevelt may have stated it best in saying “In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen. The excellent people who protest against all hunting, and consider sportsmen as enemies of wildlife, are ignorant of the fact that in reality the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination.” Although President Roosevelt may have astutely foreseen then the need for sportsmen in the future of wildlife, we have also seen the attacks on our sportsmen’s heritage ever growing in an increasingly urbanized society. The rights of average citizens to continue hunting and fishing using traditional methods have come under increasing fire by those who would like to do away with these activities. In fact both Houston and Dallas area anti-hunting groups put out last minute emails and social media posts encouraging their members to vote against Prop 6. By adding the Right to Hunt and Fish to the Texas Constitution, we create a barrier against efforts by well-funded national extremist groups to erode our sporting heritage and hunting and fishing activities. —Kirby Brown, Conservation Outreach Biologist for Ducks Unlimited

G A M E ®

12/7/15 7:44 PM

1601 True Green.indd 43

12/7/15 7:44 PM

story by John N. Felsher 44 |

Fea 5-Geese.indd 44

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E 速

PHOTO:: CANSTOCK

12/7/15 7:12 PM

ONG BEFORE WE COULD SEE them, we heard their unmistakable noise beyond the tree line on the horizon as they formed up. Perhaps 10,000 to 15,000 of them arose from a wet field and headed

directly toward our position at high speed. In the trench, a dozen heavily armed camouflaged men tensed for action. Most knew what to expect, but for some, this would mark their first experience. Every second stretched into an eternity as they rapidly came closer. The air hummed with a fast-paced staccato beat as they crossed several hundred yards of open field, desolate except for scant vegetation that provided little cover. In the half-light of a frosty overcast dawn, we couldn’t see them just yet, but we answered them with our own boisterous calls. “Now! Take ’em,” the lookout ordered. T E X A S

Fea 5-Geese.indd 45

F I S H

G A M E ®

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 7:12 PM

Flames spewed from cover as men rose to open fire with everything they had. No, these men didn’t spring spectrally from trenches of war-torn 1917 France. Instead of a battlefield, these goose hunters hid in a southwest Louisiana rye grass field where a dry irrigation ditch bordering the field provided excellent cover. Over our heads, a feathery white tornado swirled into the stratosphere as thousands of snow geese and their blue cousins raucously cackled the alarm. The squawking white tornado peppered with darker birds spiraled upward to gain altitude and distance from our shotguns and broke into clusters. Several didn’t make it, plopping thunderously into the muddy field surrounding us. Although called “waterfowl,” geese often find gleaning waste grain from dry rye, corn, pea, wheat, millet, rice or soybean fields more appealing that landing in freezing water. “It’s getting harder to hunt white geese because those older geese have seen everything,” advised Erik Rue with Calcasieu Charters who hunts in rice fields near Lake Charles, La. “In the 1990s, I took part in some test hunts with electronic calls with state biologists. Some data collected from those hunts showed that the birds averaged about eight years old. Since the conservation order season opened, (see sidebar) the average age probably increased. I’ve killed birds up to 18 years old, but I’ve heard of banded birds more than 30 years old.” Unless disturbed, snow geese tend to return to the same fields to feed until they consume everything edible and then move to the next field. “When snow geese gather in huge flocks of 10,000 to 20,000 birds, they are extremely difficult to hunt,” Rue admitted. “They are incredibly smart and alert. To consistently kill snows in larger numbers, people need to move around with the birds and hunt in fields where geese want to feed.” Never directly hunt massive goose concentrations. No matter how skilled, sportsmen can never fool thousands of wary geese and will only chase them away. Try to locate two or more large groups and hunt between them. Pick off stragglers flying from flock to flock without spooking the rest. Just a few years ago, hunters could hang several hundred white plastic bags from sticks and attract all the snow geese they wanted. Some sportsmen saved white milk jugs or bleach bottles to make cheap decoys, 46 |

Fea 5-Geese.indd 46

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

Good calling can help bring in snows.

Pop-up blinds are great ways to stay concealed while hunting wary snows.

perhaps adding a few windsocks in the spread to create movement. Now, sportsmen need to get more creative. “By the time snows get to Texas, we have to do some creative thinking to kill them,” explained Lance Stancik with

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

Backwater Waterfowl in Garwood, Texas, who also hunts in Saskatchewan. “In the past few years, decoys evolved dramatically. We went from laying down in rag spreads to hunting large spreads of full-body decoys, perhaps 500 to 600. Even the realism of PHOTOS: CHESTER MOORE

12/7/15 7:12 PM

Snow geese are numerous and they did not get that way by being dumb. They are smart birds.

full-body decoys changed. They used to be on stationary pedestals, but now they swivel on stakes that mimic geese walking around when the wind moves it.” Some people use “flying decoys,” light goose replicas made from nylon-type material attached to lines hanging off poles. Sportsmen can dangle several decoys off one pole. An electric motor spins the pole, making the decoys appear to fly. The spinning motion also creates realistic flapping so that the decoys mimic a small flock of geese landing in the decoys. “Decoy movement is the number one ingredient for goose hunting,” McKnight affirmed. “I’ve watched large flocks of snow geese across fields and they don’t sit still. They’re always moving. As soon as they land, they run around grabbing everything they can. They get up in the air and hop around.” Sometimes, sportsmen “flag down” geese. They flap white or dark objects that resemble wings to create flash that simulates

geese landing. With incredible eyesight, geese see the movement from great distances. Curious, they might fly over to investigate. “I’m a big fan of flagging geese,” Stancik recommended. “We use flags to position geese. The flags show movement. That sends out a signal to incoming geese that other geese are landing in that spot for a reason. That makes incoming geese want to land in the same spot. We call and flag at the same time to get birds into the correct position to shoot them.” People can also buy various motion decoys. Some companies make decoys with battery-powered heads that move. Others attach wires and pulley systems driven by electric motors to pull the heads of decoys down toward the ground repeatedly so that they look like geese feeding. Other decoys use springs or bungee cords to create movement. As winds whip them around, the springs or cords snap them back in place, adding a degree of movement to otherwise lifeless decoys. T E X A S

Fea 5-Geese.indd 47

F I S H

G A M E ®

In the 1990s, companies came out with decoys that looked like birds skewered on sticks while landing. Motors inside the bodies spun the wings, creating flash to mimic flapping wings. Spinning wing decoys worked exceptionally well for ducks, but not so much for wily geese. Many states banned them or curtailed their use. “I never really had much success with spinning wing decoys on geese,” Rue recalled. “I’ve seen a lot of geese flare from them. We do a lot of duck and goose combo hunts. Most people who use spinning wing decoys for ducks have them on a remote switch and turn them off when geese appear.” Geese are much smarter than hunters give them credit for and if you want to get serious about hunting them you need to continually change things up and make things as lifelike as possible.

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 7:12 PM

story by Marlin Stevens 48 |

Fea 4-Catfish.indd 48

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E 速

PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

12/7/15 7:12 PM

Going Deep for Blue Catﬁsh

T GOES BY MANY NAMES. “Blue Cat”, “White Catfish”, “Hump-back Blue”

and “High Fin Blue” are among the names attributed to this abundant sportfish. The blue catfish is largest freshwater game fish

in Texas (and third largest freshwater fish America beyond the alligator garfish and white sturgeon) with

the state record caught by angler Cody Mullenix on Lake Texoma weighing a whopping 121.5 pounds. Now is a great time of year to catch big blues, particularly

in the deep water of reservoirs throughout the state but to catch a few fish it is best to understand it. Let’s take a look at fascinating facts and figures for this whiskered behemoth.

PHOTO:

Fea 4-Catfish.indd 49

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 7:12 PM

Anglers should not overlook clear waters for catﬁsh. Most of the bigger ﬁsh are in the eastern third but there are blues and big channels in Central Texas too.

• Blue catfish have a forked tail, and are sometimes very similar to channel catfish according to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials. However, only the Rio Grande population has dark spots on the back and sides whereas many channel catfish are spotted although some adults do shed theirs. The number of rays in the anal fin is typically 30-35, and coloration is usually slate blue on the back, shading to white on the belly. TPWD also notes that channel catfish have only 24 to 29 rays. • A study from the Missouri Department of Conservation notes the senses of taste and smell are more important than sight in locating food. Researchers Robison and Buchanan and Pflieger suggested blue catfish feed mostly on or near the bottom and to a lesser extent in the midwater. In clearwater reservoirs, or tailwaters, blue catfish capture their prey by sight. Mark Ambler reported that blue catfish often suspend in deep water beneath schools of gizzard shad 50 |

Fea 4-Catfish.indd 50

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

being fed upon by striped bass and seek and eat wounded and dead shad. Before sophisticated fish-locating electronics, these large catfish, often suspended well above the bottom, were inaccessible to anglers. • To catch big blue catfish you have to know where they live. In Texas there are many top locations but Lakes Texoma, Livingston, Tawakoni and Lewisville are hard to beat. The Trinity, Sabine and Brazos River also give up some huge specimens. • Studies from the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge among others shows blue catfish have a high tolerance for salinity. And during winter large numbers of blue catfish can be caught in the Sabine Lake and Trinity Bay ecosystems if you know where to look. Frank Moore, who pursues these big, brackish blues every year. “My favorite spot to get them are the

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

deep, wide bends in some of the bayous. There tends to be a lot of mussel shell in some of these spots, which blues feed on and there are also quite a few crabs, which the blues and redfish feed on as well. If we find blues in these areas, the reds are always close by,” Moore said. He fishes small chunks of cut mullet on a Carolina (Fish Finder) rig and targets outgoing tides. “These fish will move up tight to the shorelines to feed on high tides and when it starts to trickle out you can really get on a good bite. It is very common to catch fish up to 15 pounds but most of them are in the five to eight-pound range.” Another spot he targets is along the edge of drop-offs in the Intracoastal. “There are lots of big blues and reds in the ship channel during the winter. On warm afternoons when you have a high tide the dark mud heats up and the fish move onto there. Any time from an hour or so before peak high tide until an hour or so PHOTOS: CHESTER MOORE

12/7/15 7:12 PM

Huge blue catﬁsh are present on numerous Texas reservoirs and winter is the best time to catch them.

after it starts falling is a good time,” Moore said. • From the aforementioned Missouri study came some interesting notes about their historical size. Records of large catfish date back to the Lewis and Clark exploration of the Missouri River. They described large “white” catfish, undoubtedly blue catfish, reaching nearly 1.5 m in length. Heckman in his Steamboating Sixty-Five Years on Missouri’s Rivers, provides the following account: “Of interest to fishermen is the fact that the largest known fish ever caught in the Missouri River was taken just below Portland, Missouri. This fish, caught in 1866, was a blue channel cat and weighed 315 lb. It provided the biggest sensation of those days all through Chamois and Morrison Bottoms. Another ‘fish sensation’ was brought in about 1868 when two men, Sholten and New, brought into Hermann, Missouri, a blue channel cat that tipped the scales at 242 lb.”

At the time of this writing TPWD was considering blue catfish regulation changes on what they said is the state’s premier fishery for the species-Lake Tawakoni. The proposal is a no-minimum length limit, 25-fish daily bag limit in any combination (blue or channel) of which no more than seven fish 20 inches and greater may be retained and only two fish can be 30 inches or greater in length. This regulation is designed to increase the abundance of fish over 30 inches, or about 10 pounds, by reducing the harvest of fish 20 inches and longer. “Lake Tawakoni’s blue catfish fishery is the state’s premier trophy catfish fishery. Angler surveys suggest the harvest of blue catfish has increased in the past five years. Investigations indicate that almost 60 percent of all blue catfish kept by anglers from June 2013 to May 2014 were 20 inches and larger. Reducing harvest of this size range of fish is expected to ultimately increase the abundance of fish 30 inches and longer by T E X A S

Fea 4-Catfish.indd 51

F I S H

G A M E ®

approximately 14 percent.” They noted the vast majority of anglers (85 percent) favored reducing harvest of larger blue catfish in exchange for increased opportunities to catch more large fish in the future. Management and attitudes about blue catfish are changing in Texas and around the country. The thrill of catching a huge blue on rod and reel is something that has resonated with the angling public. Big blues are impressive fish and as you can tell by this story, they are quite interesting. One of my biggest fishing dreams would be to catch a 100 plus pounder on rod and reel. Then again maybe there is one of those super massive as reported in the 1800s out there somewhere, perhaps in the thick timber and deep water below a dam or in a remote bend of a river. Just maybe…

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 7:12 PM

A NEW YEAR, A NEW SEASON FOR BOATING, AND BOAT SHOWS story by LENNY RUDOW

HAT’S THE BEST

your friends, and your family to see a slew of boats at

thing about the new year? Why,

the same time, in the same place. Added bonus: boat

it’s boat show season, of course.

dealers plan on selling at these shows, so deals abound.

Houston. Dallas. San

Ready, set, let’s go to the boat show!

Antonio. All across Texas, there are boat shows coming to

town in the next month or two. And whether you’re

New Boat Trends One of the most startling things you’ll see at the

planning to buy a new boat or just enjoy gawking at all

boat show is the integration of technology. Yes, even

the gleaming fiberglass, there’s no better way for you,

boats are becoming “smart.” A prime example can be

52 |

Fea 7-Boat Show.indd 52

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

PHOTO: DPC

12/7/15 7:18 PM

found in the new Connext system (made by and for

And Connext is not unique. Particularly in the

Yamaha). This is a touch-screen unit that not only

high-end watersports market, many manufacturers are

provides digital switching ability for systems like ballast

installing similar proprietary all-in-one control and data

tank filling and evacuation, all electrical systems rang-

systems at the helm. Yet at the same time, marine elec-

ing from lights to the stereo, and even pre-set cruising

tronics manufacturers are integrating similar abilities in

and towing modes, it also serves as an information dis-

their MFDs. You can mount an MFD from the likes

play for things like water depth, fuel level, and compass

of Raymarine, Garmin, Simrad, or Lowrance, and use

heading. Essentially, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s both a control system and an

it as a control station for much of the boatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in some

information hub for the boat.

cases, even bringing Wi-Fi aboard. T E X A S

Fea 7-Boat Show.indd 53

F I S H

G A M E ÂŽ

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 7:18 PM

show. Every major electronics manufacturer has new units hitting the market right now, ranging from simple $100 fishfinders to Connext touch screen digital control system.

Lower priced boat-motor-trailer packages are another welcomed trend for 2016.

For many boat owners, all this complexity isn’t really necessary. But if you’re an angler looking for a more utilitarian fishing boat, 2016 still holds a number of surprises for you. One of the most useful innovations we’re seeing in new model center consoles, for example, is the integration of adjustable backrests for bow seating. First seen just a few years ago, virtually all center console builders are now adding them to models that offer the common V-shaped seats in the bow. Another seating trend that’s taking off is the extension of forward console seats. In the past we always found rather uncomfortable, bench-like seating in this spot. But many builders have begun extending this seat, turning it into a full-blown lounge. Not only is it a lot more comfortable to sit in, but you

usually get a generous bulk-stowage area underneath, too. In smaller boats, another movement in the industry is sure to be quite welcome: the shift to lower priced boat-motor-trailer packages. Several builders have come out with new-for-2016 models in the 16’ to 18’ range which MSRP at under $20,000. No, these aren’t the fanciest boats in the world and they don’t have the biggest powerplants nor the most optional equipment. But the rising cost of boats has been a major concern among middle-class boaters for years, and it’s about time manufacturers responded by offering boat-motor-trailer packages that are affordable to the average American. Beyond these general trends in boats, you’ll find a slew of new gear at the boat

The trend in center console seating is moving toward comfort.

54 |

J A N U A R Y

Fea 7-Boat Show.indd 54

2 0 1 6

networked systems worthy of a sportfishing yacht. Here are just a few of the other things you might encounter during a day at the show: new lifts incorporating hydraulics (instead of those rusty old cables); inflatable throw-cushions that replace the old square pads (but take up a quarter of the space); waterproof stereo speakers that hook up to your cell phone; dive masks with built-in waterproof POV cameras (and waterproof cases that turn your phone into an underwater video camera); the list goes on and on.

Powerful Progress We’re seeing major advances in marine propulsion, too, particularly when it comes to outboard engines. So many, in fact, that it’s worth looking at several manufacturers individually: BRP – The big news came last year, of course, with the introduction of the G2 second-generation ETECs. These are now available in 200 to 300 horsepower models, and offer improved fuel economy, faster acceleration, lower emissions, and improved rigging. We’ve had the opportunity to run a number of Evinrude boats with G2’s on them during the ETEC past year, and the jury is in—these engines get a big thumbs-up.

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

12/9/15 2:12 PM

HONDA – The BF 90 has been tweaked to increase max RPM, to create the BF100. While that’s not a huge leap, note that it’s

found for everything from small pontoon boats to saltwater fishing skiffs.

Honda

Suzuki outboards now include precision joystick control.

a significantly lighter outboard (by 112 pounds) than the BF115. MERCURY – The entire Verado and Pro FourStroke outboard lines now benefit from trickle-down technology, thanks to improvements made for Mercury’s new Verado 350. Better knock sensors, a combined lift pump/high-pressure fuel pump, and an external fuel/water separator (replacing the fuel filter under the cowl) are all important changes. But one do-ityourselfers will love is the addition of a sticker under the cowl which has scanMercury able QR codes that Verado take you to how-to service videos. With your phone in-hand, you can learn how to handle maintenance chores on the spot. SUZUKI – All the major players now offer joystick control on multi-engine outboards, and Suzuki has expanded their Precision Maneuvering Control System to include 150 through 300 horsepower outboard applications. That’s what’s new, but in this case, a quick flash-back is also in order. In 2012 Suzuki introduced new DF15A and DF20A outboards, featuring battery-less EFI. With three seasons of hard use on a DF15A test engine—ranging from saltwa-

ter fishing to hunting to trot-lining—we can now confidently say that these motors are as rugged and reliable as they come. Added bonus: battery-less EFI eliminates the usual problems associated with ethanol gumming up the carburetor. TOHATSU – The latest news from Tohatsu comes on the smaller end of the horsepower scale, with redesigned four, five, and six horsepower portables. Here’s the kicker: these engines are incredibly light—the four-

So: are you psyched up? We sure hope so. And when you do start wandering through that fiberglass forest, Yamaha use these boat show shopping VC V Max tips to make it as productive SHO as it is fun. 1. Bring a digital camera or keep your cell phone handy, and take lots of pictures. By the end of the day the different boats begin to run together in your mind, so back up your memory with pictures. Extra Tip: snap off a pic of the price sheet displayed on a model of interest, to continue comparison shopping when you go home. 2. Some boats will have a ton of options while others will only have a few, and that can make a boat that’s a good value appear overly expensive (or vise-versa). Break out a calculator or pad and pen, and make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. 3. Dealers go to boat shows with selling in mind. This is a good time to negotiate your best deal, so you may be able to get an option or two for free, if you’re willing to sign on the dotted line at the show.

Tohatsu’s full line of outboards includes lightweight portables ranging from 2.5 to 20 horsepower.

horse model weighs just 57 pounds. Their 15 and 20 horse engines also got a boost, with a power tilt feature added. And since these engines are available in 15” and 20” shaft lengths, an appropriate model can be T E X A S

Fea 7-Boat Show.indd 55

YAMAHA – Yamaha started 2015 with this introduction of six—count ‘em, six—new models including the V MAX SHO 115 and 175, the V MAX SHO 150 and 250 X-Shaft, the updated F150, and a new F8 portable. But one of the greatest advancements Yamaha has made recently has flown under the radar screen of many boaters: their shift dampener system. This propeller feature, which has now worked its way through the majority of Yamaha’s propeller line-up, vastly reduces the clunk and thunk of shifting into and out of gear. If you haven’t experienced it yet, you should—the difference is dramatic.

F I S H

G A M E ®

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/9/15 2:14 PM

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

Dream Season

INNING ONE BASS tournament at the pro level is a major league hurdle. Doing it twice, maybe three times in a lengthy career is epic. But pulling it off four times in a row—all in the same season, on four different lakes— is a virtual pipe dream that only Reelin’ Ray Hanselman can relate to. Hanselman, 42, is a Del Rio native who achieved the unthinkable last October. That’s when he won the FLW Rayovac Championship on the Ohio River in Paducah, Kentucky, and took a home a handsome purse of $50,000 in cash. The win is particularly noteworthy because it closed out what may be the most phenomenal season ever recorded since the dawn of bass fishing tournaments. Here’s a recap: Hanselman is an amiable fishing guide who cut his bass fishing teeth on Lake Amistad and competes in a few bass derbies on the side. He has antied up for nearly three dozen FLW events on the Triple A level since the early 2000s and notched Top 10 finishes in 12 of them. Until last season, however, he had never been able to close the deal and walk away with the winner’s trophy. Then something clicked. Then it clicked again—and again after that. Hanselman made headlines all around the country in 2015 as he ran the table on the Rayovac Texas Division field. He put together an unprecedented perfect tournament season, winning three consecutive regular season events and qualifying for the year-end championship. The dream season got underway last January when Hanselman won the season opener on Lake Amistad with a seven-pound cushion. He followed it up with another dominating performance on Sam Rayburn in April and earned his third win on Lake Texoma in May. 56 |

J A N U A R Y

1601 Freshwater Col.indd 56

2 0 1 6

His total winnings after three events—$99,546—would have more than doubled with contingency bonuses had he been running a Ranger bass boat instead his trademark Skeeter. Anyone who follows bass tournaments knows how difficult it is to win a bass tournament at the pro level, much less string together several wins in the same season. In looking back, it seems likely that Hanselman has probably pinched himself more than once to make sure he isn’t dreaming. “I was blessed,” Hanselman said following his Texoma victory. “Somehow all of the stars lined up and everything went just right at every tournament. It has to in order to win against these guys.” Amazingly, Hanselman managed to keep the mojo flowing right through summer leading up to the fall championship. Interestingly, his approach didn’t involve fishing any tournaments. Instead, he chose to go on family vacations and take care of his guide business. “I didn’t want to do anything to risk breaking my streak,” Hanselman chuckled. “One of the things about tournament fishing is you don’t always catch ‘em. I didn’t want to risk having a bad tournament or doing anything that might mess with my head or break my confidence. When you have all that momentum you never second-guess your decisions. If you have a bad tournament, it ruins it. It seems like it takes a while to get back in the groove again.” Obviously, Hanselman’s strategy worked like a charm. A big fish specialist by trade, he headed to Kentucky with two things in mind. Finding unmolested groups of bass and figuring out a way to fool them that other anglers might not catch onto. Actually, his plan starting coming together months earlier when he purchased a specially designed river boat and used it to school himself on tailrace fishing on the Rio Grande River below the dam at Lake Amistad. Although the Ohio River and Rio Grande are more than 1,000 miles apart, they have three things in common—lots of current, tons of rock and plenty of smallmouth bass.

T E X A S

F I S H

“I knew we were going to be fishing a lot current at the championship, so I wanted to learn more about how the fish relate to it,” Hanselman said. “Spending time below the dam at Amistad helped me a lot.” Hanselman said he had heard the Tennessee River tailrace at the base of Kentucky Lake dam had a history of producing some big sacks “back in the day,” so that’s where he decided to check first when he visited the river before it went off limits ahead of the tournament. “I wasn’t there five minutes when I had a big smallmouth cold trail my big swim bait back to the boat, and I immediately thought, hmmm…” Hanselman said. “Then, I had another one do it a few casts later.” Thinking he might be onto something, Hanselman returned to the area on the first morning of official practice. His practice partner, Buck Hux of New Braunfels, caught a five pounder on the fourth cast with an Alabama rig. “We got out of there immediately and came back real early the next morning,” he said. “Buck caught another five-pounder. At that point I got out of there for good.” Still not realizing the full potential of a swift tailrace system, Hanselman said he didn’t make his way to the Kentucky Lake dam until two hours into the opening round. That’s when a trio of plump smallmouths weighing about 10 pounds pounced on his umbrella rig simultaneously on his second cast. “That’s when I realized there was a bunch of fish out there, not just a few,” Hanselman said. In the days that followed, Hanselman narrowed his search area to three different spots where underwater rock outcroppings created current breaks with slack water off to the side. That’s where the thick-shouldered smallmouths would lay in wait to ambush small Asian carp and other bait flushed out by the current. “The ideal spot had two current breaks with slack water between them,” Hanselman said. “The current was really swift, but when that A-rig would slide off into the slack water is when my hair would stand up. That’s when they would annihilate it.”

G A M E ®

12/7/15 7:35 PM

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

Fly Killer

HE HUNTING CLUB MEMbers were gathered in the round corner booth of Doreen’s 24-hr Eat Gas Now Cafe on a warm, Indian Summer day when Delbert P. Axelrod, living proof that a man can function without a brain, hurried through the glass doors and thumped an object on the table. “Here it is!” As a collective group, the membership leaned forward to examine the bright yellow device trimmed in black. Doc frowned. “A toy gun?” “Not just any toy gun.” Delbert grabbed if off the table before anyone could touch the gun. “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” He snatched the salt shaker out of Jerry Wayne’s hand and unscrewed the cap. “Hey, I need to salt my eggs.” “You can use this. It’ll be more fun.” Delbert emptied the shaker into the top of the gun. “Doreen’s gonna kill you,” I said, hopefully. Delbert peeked over his shoulder. She was talking with a customer eating at the counter. “She won’t care.” “What do you do with it?” Wrong Willie asked. Delbert racked the slide and I realized he was holding a shotgun. “Do you mean this shoots…” “Salt.” About a million possibilities flickered through my mind as a fly lit on the windowsill behind Jerry Wayne’s head. “There.” Delbert aimed the salt gun and pulled the trigger. Jerry Wayne ducked at the sharp snap, and the fly flipped over, dead. For once, the Hunting Club was stunned silent. Wrong Willie indicated with his head. “There’s a fly on the table. Do it again.” Delbert shucked the slide to load again. He fired. The fly blew sideways as salt ricocheted softly into Doc’s coffee.

We glanced over to see Doreen glaring in our direction. The customer asked her a question, and she returned to the conversation. Doc took a sip. “The salt took the acidity out of this coffee. I always heard that worked.” Wrong Willie held out his hand, “Gimme.” and Delbert passed it over. “What do you call this?” “It’s a Bug-A-Salt.” A fly buzzed across the cafe and bumped softly against the window. The predator look gleamed in Willie’s eye. He cocked it, aimed, and when the fly buzzed to the other corner window, he led it just like a dove. Crack! The full load caught the fly and it fell like a rock. Salt hit the window and fell softly onto the sill. “This is ingenious!” “I want to try.” Willie passed it to Doc. He aimed at a fly on the table beside us that was enjoying a meal of spilled syrup, and fired. The fly kicked once. Our faces reddened with excitement, as if we’d forgotten our blood pressure medicine that morning. It was everything we could do not to act like kids and start shouting. So we acted like kids and argued over who would get the next shot. It was my turn. A fly left the window on the opposite side of the cafe and flew in our direction. I led him and pulled the trigger, missing by a mile. Salt dusted an empty table. “That’s the way you shoot doves.” I cocked it and shot again, this time shooting behind it. “Wait till it lands.” “I’m not Jerry Wayne, shooting doves off a tree limb.” “Hey, you said you wouldn’t ever tell…” The fly bumped the window and took off again. This time I caught it in flight, and it folded. Woodrow’s turn. “I get three shots because Rev did.” “Hey, not fair.” He shot a fly sitting on the edge of the table. It disappeared off the edge. He cocked again, looking for the next victim. That’s when we got into trouble. With no more T E X A S

1601 Humor col.indd 57

F I S H

G A M E ®

targets, he shot a napkin. Salt sprayed onto the table and Willie wiped it onto the floor. He shot Bill Parks, who was sitting with his back to us in the nearest booth. Bill turned. “What was that?” “Did you feel it?” “A little on my shirt. Someone throw a napkin at me?” “Don’t worry about it.” Since the salt shaker was empty, Jerry Wayne took the fly gun and salted his eggs, twice, which is why he’s on blood pressure medicine. We heard an approaching crunch, and Doreen loomed over the table. “Why is there salt all over the floor and what’s that noise? What are you guys up to?” Jerry Wayne took a bite. “Top came off the salt shaker.” “Oh, sorry. I’ll get you another.” She took the empty to the counter. “More ammo!” Willie almost shouted and snatched the Bug-A-Salt. “This is great. There’s no limit on flies, no license, no fear!” It was as if the pressure of excitement had blown a relief valve. We couldn’t contain ourselves, and nothing was safe. While one guy shot flies and wondered if would work on grasshoppers, spiders, and wasps, the rest of us were ordering them on our phones. We soon got to use it outside, when Doreen finally associated the snaps with shots and returned to find salt all over the booths, tables, and a couple of slower customers. We tried to explain that we’d solved her fly problem, but customer complaints about salt in their sweet tea overrode her enthusiasm… …so we stood outside, with half a dozen stolen salt shakers, and waited for flying bugs.

Email Reavis Wortham at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 7:36 PM

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

Pop Quiz.

T’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE’VE put you boaters to the test, so let’s find out how your nautical know-how stacks up against the competition. To bigin this quiz the scene is a large reservoir, and you’re entered in a bass tournament. Dawn is just breaking, your boat is in the second wave to leave the ramp, and you firewall the throttle.

1. JUST BEFORE pouring on the coals, of course, you made sure your outboard was trimmed: a. All the way up b. All the way down c. Neutral, even with the bottom of the boat d. Three quarters of the way up 2. TO GET the maximum speed out of the boat and beat your competitors to the hotspot, once on plane and running at full tilt you’ll trim the engine up until: a. It over-revs (then you’ll trim it back down a bit) b. It’s in a neutral position, even with the bottom of the boat c. You hear a howling noise from the propeller (then you’ll trim it back down a bit) d. The boat begins to chine-walk 3. YOU’VE GOT the trim perfect and you’re zooming along the lake’s surface so fast you can feel your cheeks flapping in the wind. A glance at your chartplotter shows you’re doing 68 knots. Dang it – you hate thinking about speed in knots. Good thing you know that 68 knots is equal to exactly: a. 78.2 MPH b. 78.3 MPH c. 78.4 MPH d. 74.8 MPH 4. YOU SEE the hotspot you’ve been looking for, a series of trees lying across the bank with a sharp drop-off close by. You slow up, 58 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 58

2 0 1 6

shut down the big power plant, and drop in the electric trolling motor. As you move closer, which item has the biggest potential for alerting the fish to your presence? a. The electric trolling motor b. Your fishfinder c. Your livewell pump d. Your Power-Pole 5. YOU CATCH a total hawg—get it back to the dock alive and on time, and you’re sure to clinch this thing. But it’s already a little later than you thought. If you go all the long way home, you might not make weighins. If you take a short cut you should get there in time, but there’s just one problem: your boat’s static draft is 16 inches, and you need to go through an area where the water’s only 14 inches deep. Naturally, you: a. Take the shortcut, but when you get to the shallow spot slow to an idle, and putt through with the engine tilted up as far as possible. b. You can’t change the time, and you can’t change your boat’s draft. Go the long way as fast as you can push it, and pray for the best. c. Pile all of your gear as far forward in the boat as possible; if you weigh down the bow enough the prop will be higher in the water, ultimately reducing your overall draft. Now, you can safely take the shortcut. d. Firewall the throttle, take the shortcut, and don’t slow down until you either run hard aground or get back to the ramp. 6. WITH A pocket full of tournament winnings, you decide it’s time to buy a new boat. This one’s going to be for use in the bays and creeks along the Gulf coast, where you love casting for species such as redfish, flounder, and speckled trout. That means a bay boat is probably the best choice for you. Luckily, while boat shopping, you know that when it comes to a boat’s transom deadrise: a. More deadrise usually means a smoother ride b. More deadrise usually means a deeper draft

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

c. More deadrise usually means less static stability d. All of the above e. None of the above 7. WHILE TEST-DRIVING a candidate you notice that at wide-open throttle, maximum RPM is 5800. But the manufacturer recommended max RPM is 6000. This rig isn’t propped quite right. To get it to turn 6000 RPM you need to: a. Drop the prop’s pitch an inch b. Raise the prop’s pitch and inch c. Drop the prop’s diameter an inch d. Raise the prop’s diameter an inch 8. THE NEXT boat you test drive runs great and seems well-built. You’re glad to see that the manufacturer used ______ grade stainless-steel, for all the fittings and hardware. a. 306L b. 316L c. 326L d. 516L 9. LIKE MANY boats designed to go fast in saltwater, one you’re looking at has a step in the hull. Steps get you an efficiency boost by: a. creating bubbles that reduce friction between the hull and the water b. raising the hull out of the water more c. creating a pocket of air under a portion of the hull, reducing friction between the hull and the water d. Steps don’t get you an efficiency boost—it’s a myth 10. YOU SEE a boat that looks great. It has a T-top and the pipework is a gorgeous blue color, thanks to powder-coating that’s on all of the boat’s pipework. But you decide to walk away, because you know that while powder coat looks great, if it gets chipped, it can’t be easily repaired. True, or false? a. True b. False BONUS QUESTION: YOU decide you want this boat to go fast—really, really fast. So naturally, you want the biggest outboard available on the market today. This is PHOTO: CREDIT

12/9/15 2:17 PM

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 59

12/7/15 6:42 PM

Texas BOATING ______ horsepower. a. 350 b. 400 c. 557 d. 627

1. B. STARTING with the engine trimmed all the way down will pop you onto plane the fastest; as soon as the boat jumps over the hump, you should start the outboard trimming it up.

Answers:

2. C. YOU can hear the prop howl just

prior to the engine over-revving, and this tells you the engine has exceeded maximum trim. If you answered “d,” remember that chine-walking is extremely dangerous and isn’t entirely due to engine trim; if your boat begins to chine-walk the appropriate response is to back off on the throttle, immediately. 3. A. ONE knot is equal to 1.15 miles per hour. 4. A. REMEMBER, we said “biggest potential”. All of these items do make some level of audible noise, but the prop noise of an electric motor (or any motor, for that matter,) related to the speed it’s spinning, can grow quite loud underwater at high RPMs. 5. D. THE key word here is “static”. That’s draft at rest—but when they’re up and running, the boat needs a lot less water. Trimmed up and on a full plane, getting by in water two inches less than static draft really shouldn’t be a problem. Just don’t slow down and let the boat settle, in which case yes, you will run aground. 6. D. ALL are true statements. 7. A. DROPPING an inch of pitch usually results in an RPM increase of about 200. 8. B. 316L grade stainless-steel is the best for marine use. 9. C. THEY draw air in from the sides by creating an area of low pressure, and maintain a pocket or pockets of air under the hull. 10. A. POWDER coating looks great, but once it’s damaged there’s no easy way to touch it up. BONUS: D. SEVEN Marine’s 627 horsepower outboard is currently the most powerful outboard available on the market. 10+ correct - Congratulations, you’re one serious boat nut who knows his stuff. 8 – 9 correct - That’s pretty good, captain, we’d step aboard your boat any day of the week. 6 – 8 correct – You may want to brush up on your nautical know-how. -6 correct – Keep your feet on Terra Firma, Gilligan.

60 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 60

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

12/7/15 6:42 PM

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 61

12/7/15 6:42 PM

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

Tips for Winter Trout Success

OASTAL FISHING TAKES on a different personality during the winter. Raw and raking cold fronts drop water temperatures, thereby slowing down the activity level of the coldblooded inhabitants of the bays. As bright bluebird skies return after a front blows itself out, water temperatures nudge back up a bit. Much of the shrimp, mullet, pinfish, croaker and other baitfish in a bay system migrate during the fall to the Gulf to spawn and overwinter. Apex predators spend most of their time trying to find comfortable conditions and their next meal, unlike their daily routines during warmer seasons. Understanding the seasonal pattern of our bay systems will help you become a better fisherman. Here a few tips to make you more productive this winter.

1. Find the warmest water Speckled trout are no different from humans in that they don’t like to be cold. When water temperatures drop into the 50s, spend time looking for the warmest water you can find. Many of my friends insist on having the most advanced electronics available on their boats, but overlook a temperature gauge. 62 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 62

2 0 1 6

Water temperature is the most important factor in successful winter fishing. I have seen a two-degree difference in water temperature between two adjacent flats. Two-degrees is a small difference, but where do you think we found the fish that day? If you can’t afford a temperature gauge, invest in a handheld thermometer and check water temperature every place

3. Get out of the boat Winter fishing requires a diligent approach. Pay attention to the smallest details. Bottom structure and make-up are important. Your foot can easily detect the differences between sand, mud, and shell bottoms. In the dead of the winter, bottoms featuring black mud will soak up and hold more heat than bright, sandy bottoms. Wading helps you pick up the subtle differences in the bay floor.

4. Dress warmly Don’t discount the importance of being warm while you are exposed to the elements. Being cold is the number one enemy of winter fishermen. Being uncomfortable for a long period becomes a serious mental drain, robbing you of your ability to concentrate. The jarring strikes you enjoyed in the summer are typically soft taps during the winter. A subtle tick on the end of your line will often go unnoticed by the angler with chattering teeth and numb ears. Dress in layers and peel a layer off if you start to perspire.

5. Down size your line or leader you scout.

2. Avoid barren water After seeking out the warmest possible water, look for the presence of bait in the area. Sometimes, a single jumping mullet may be the only indication that there is bait in the area. Like a pride of lions following a herd of antelope, speckled trout will shadow schools of mullet, keeping their next meal within eyesight. If bait is present, work an area thoroughly.

T E X A S

F I S H

When water temperatures drop into the 50s, phytoplankton die and drop out of the water column, leaving bay water remarkable clear. If you fish with monofilament, as I do, downsize at least one size, say, from 12-pound test to 10-pound. In addition, braid and mono fans, both, should add a six-foot length of fluorocarbon leader to their main line. The refractive index of fluorocarbon leader and water is extremely close, making the leader practically invisible. Joining the leader and main line together with a trim Uni Knot allows you to reel the knot through your rod guides easier.

G A M E ®

12/7/15 6:42 PM

Winter-chilled speckled trout are often lethargic and won’t attack lures that move too fast. As such, winter fishing is not easy. I like to crank the reel with a good tempo, and slowing things down to a crawl is admittedly tough. If you are a disciplined angler, slow down your retrieve. This leaves your lure in the strike zone longer, allowing a trout to determine whether it’s going to eat or not. If you aren’t disciplined, invest in a reel with a slower gear ratio.

7. Winter lures & Plugs Speckled trout aren’t the only fish that are lethargic during winter months. Pin perch, mullet, piggy perch and croakers slow to a crawl as well. Baitfish keep their movements to a minimum to conserve as much energy as possible. Soft plastics with curly tails are appealing to summer trout, but look like the fakes they are to winter trout.

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 63

Slow sinking plugs and un-weighted soft plastics are better options as they linger in

“ Understanding the seasonal pattern of our bay systems will help you become a better ﬁsherman.

“

6. Slow down

the strike zone and can be retrieved agonizingly slowly. If you like throwing soft plastics on jig heads, try downsizing to a 1/16-ounce jig head to allow a slower retrieve.

8. Avoid swimming pool water Clear water may be attractive to the eye but the crystalline water allows speckled trout to give your lure a good visual examination. While scouting the bay, look for streaks of dirty water. Trout will often use the dirty water to hide their presence. Work the margins of any color streaks thoroughly. One last tip: Spend time on the water exploring after an extremely hard cold front. Extremely low tides will expose structure you won’t normally see, such as sandbars, reefs, drains, and sloughs. Make sure you take a camera and notebook.

Email Greg Berlocher at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

12/9/15 2:20 PM

Texas GUNS by STEVE LAMASCUS | TF&G Shooting Editor

The Perfect Riﬂe Bullet

HE PERFECT RIFLE BULlet—A bullet that will expand to at least twice its original size immediately upon impact with animal

flesh. It will, always, retain 100 percent of its original weight. No matter what size the animal is, how massive its bones or thick its skin, or what the impact velocity is, the bullet will penetrate completely. It will, also, expend 100 percent of its energy inside the animal, but will leave an exit hole for blood-trailing. The bullet will drop to the ground, instantly upon exiting, 100 percent spent. The bullet gives up all its energy in the animal. This prevents the possibility of overpenetration and injury to other animals, man included. This perfect bullet will, always, shoot every time into the same hole, shot after shot. There is your perfect bullet. We could add a few other things to the list, but I think you get the idea. Want to take a swing at designing such a bullet? The above are the reasons that there is not now, and never will be, a perfect bullet. All we can do is design a number of bullets that if chosen correctly will perform adequately on whatever game or targets we are shooting. We must understand, however, that no one bullet will perform adequately for all our shooting needs. The person shooting prairie dogs needs a very frangible bullet. He wants a bullet that will practically explode on impact, and not ricochet. The bullet must stand up to high velocity without coming apart in the air. The bullet should also be extremely accurate, since he will be taking shots at very long range at very small targets. It must, also, have 64 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 64

2 0 1 6

a high ballistic coefficient, because he needs it to shoot as flat as possible, losing its velocity slowly, to aid those long, long shots. This is where the hotshot .22s are the best bet. The coyote hunter wants a bullet that will expand rapidly, but not exit. If he intends to sell the hide, he does not want a big bloody hole in it, but he does want to kill the animal in its tracks. He may need a larger caliber and heavier bullet than the prairie dog hunter. If he does not intend to sell the hide, he may opt for an even larger caliber, even his deer rifle. I have shot a couple of hundred coyotes with a .2506, which has been my favorite coyote rifle since I was a youngster. I generally use 85- or 87-grain bullets of fairly fragile construction. In the .22 calibers I like the 55-grain bullets, and in the .243 I prefer either 80- to 87-grain bullets. The deer hunter wants a bullet that will readily expand, but that will still penetrate the animal completely and leave an exit hole to assist in blood trailing, should that be necessary. He does not want a bullet that is too tough, because it will not transmit sufficient energy to the animal to cause a quick death. Neither does he want a bullet intended for varmints, as it will expand too rapidly and not give sufficient penetration on angling shots or if bone is struck. A good minimum for deer is a .243 caliber with at least a good, tough 85-grain bullet, such as the Barnes TSX or Nosler Partition, and a 100-grain is better. The elk hunter wants a bullet that is tough enough to penetrate a couple of feet of elk, getting to the vitals from almost any direction. He also wants a bullet that has a high ballistic coefficient, providing the lowest possible trajectory to aid in making long shots, should that be necessary. This is where the super-premium bonded-core bullets start to be worth their price. The last elk I shot was killed at more than 300 yards, with one shot from a 7mm Weatherby Magnum firing a 160-grain Nosler AccuBond.

T E X A S

F I S H

The moose hunter wants the toughest soft point bullet he can find. He knows that it may have to penetrate a few feet of moose meat to get to the vitals. It must be tough enough to crash through the bridge girder-like bones of an animal that can shade a ton in weight. A good minimum here is a .30-06 with a very tough 180-grain bullet, or a .35 Whelen with a 250-grain projectile. The hunter of the largest bears wants a bullet that will penetrate and crush bones. He is not worried much about how it performs at long range, but rather how it will perform on an ill-tempered brown bear at 30 feet. It must be tough, above all other qualities, but still expand to cause a quick death. A .338 Winchester Magnum shooting 250-grain bonded core bullets is a good choice here. The hunter of Africa’s elephant, Cape buffalo, hippo, and rhino, wants a bullet that will not expand at all. He would prefer a solid steel bullet if one could be made that would shoot well and not ruin his rifle barrel. He settles for bullets with tough jackets of mild steel and lead cores or bullets made of solid copper. In this case a bullet that mushrooms is a bullet failure and could cause his death, rather than the death of the animal. This calls for the really big bores such as the .458 Winchester, .470 Nitro Express, and others of this clan, firing solid bullets of as much as 500 grains and even more. The minimum here is a .375 H&H firing a 300grain solid bullet. So, you see, a hunter must be wise when he selects his bullets. He must know what is required for the game he intends to hunt and must realize that no one bullet or caliber will do everything. So before you head to the store to buy your next box of ammo, do a bit of research to see what you really need, not what the salesman needs to get off his shelves.

Email Steve LaMascus at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

G A M E ®

12/7/15 6:42 PM

Industry INSIDER Fishing Tackle Unlimited Opens Sugarland Store AFTER MONTHS OF PLANNING AND construction, Fishing Tackle Unlimited’s newest location, Southwest Freeway at Sugar Creek Blvd. in Sugar Land, is complete. The giant Houston outdoor retailer celebrated and kicked off the holiday season with a grand opening held on Dec. 3. The store opened its doors at 9 am with great deals on perfect gifts for angler on everyone’s Christmas List. The first 200 customers were given a free a Simms T-Shirt. In addition to the largest selection of fishing tackle and fishing accessories anywhere, FTU is excited also to have the first Simms Edition, Kraken 13.5 Elite, Jackson Kayak at the grand opening. While visiting the store, shoppers are invited to register to win this special-edition kayak that sports Simms colors and is loaded with accessories, includ-

ing a Go Pro Hero 4 camera and Werner paddle. Doug Pike from SportsTalk 790 and Texas Fish & Game was on hand to share

announcements and offer special giveaways during the grand opening festivities. Check the FTU website, www.fishingtackleunlimited.com, for updates on grand opening specials and prizes. FTU is the largest fishing-specific retailer in the world. Its current stores are at 12800 Gulf Freeway and 8723 Katy Freeway.

From left, Danny and Joe Meyer cut the ribbon.

FTU’s new Sugar Land store. PHOTO: FTU

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 65

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/9/15 2:33 PM

Industry INSIDER

Fishing and Hunting Celebration of Heroes WE OFTEN ASSOCIATE THE TERM ‘celebration’ with a boisterous and spirited crowd enjoying the moment. Although that was certainly the tone of the majority of Trinity Oaks’ Hero Celebration event for veterans, there were quiet moments of healing and introspective peace. After a long day in the field, hunting for trophy nilgai, Trinity Oaks supporter and singer/songwriter Thom Shepherd sang “Riding with Private Malone” acoustically around the campfire for the veterans. One of the veterans asked, “Are you serious...? You really wrote that song?” The hardened war veteran choked up with emotion and said that when he buried his best friend who was killed in combat they had played that song at his funeral. Shortly thereafter he asked Thom to play it again. Trinity Oaks, a San Antonio based nonprofit, which hosts hunting and fishing outreach programs throughout the world, recently held their annual veterans’ Hero Celebration event in Texas. This year’s retreat was for ten veterans who were from the Army, Navy, and Marine military branches. Trinity Oaks’ Hero Celebrations serve Purple Heart and live combat veterans of all conflicts and all generations. Events are designed for therapeutic time outdoors and to show humble appreciation to the men

hunting on the El Sauz Ranch in Port Mansfield, Texas. The veterans hunted, fished, enjoyed gourmet meals, and live music every evening around the campfire. A veteran described his experience as “mentally renewing” because of the “amazing time bonding with the volunteers and other

veterans moved beyond physical limitations to enjoy the hunting and fishing with increased mobility and independence. Trinity Oaks depends heavily on their volunteers to support the outreach work. Recently Eric Gonzales was made a new Advisory Council member and was asked why he supports Trinity Oaks. “After being in the military and being deployed, not all of my friends returned home; [volunteering] helps me deal with my own issues. I want to make a difference as much as I can to those who did come home,” replied Gonzales, an Air Force veteran.

veterans.” Trinity Oaks works hard to show veterans they are not alone and support them to redefine their new normal after military service. Many of the veterans on this year’s Hero Celebration had sustained IED injuries or had received sniper fire leaving them with

At the end of each trip the harvested fish and game are processed and given to the participants families or distributed to others who are in need of a nutritious meal. Trinity Oaks’ support does not end with the event. In fact, it is only the beginning as Trinity Oaks facilitates continued support through

and women who have served and sacrificed. After an escort of 75 motorcyclists from San Antonio, the veterans were treated to four days of world-class trophy nilgai

traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, or physical disabilities. Through adaptive methods, such as Trinity Oaks’ Action Trackchair, a customized all-terrain wheelchair on tracks,

event alumni reunions, family gatherings, caregivers retreats, and opportunities for our service men and women to volunteer in their community – which ensures the cycle of giv-

66 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 66

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

PHOTOS: TRINITY OAKS

12/9/15 2:35 PM

gap as we can by serving veterans with dream hunts and outdoor adventures and providing retreats for them and their families. • Trinity Oaks currently serves 100+ veterans and their families annually with a diverse and unique set of outdoor hunting and fishing programs.

Trinity Oaks Mission: To use hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities as a platform to give back and make a difference in the lives of others. • Over 100,000 lb. of game meat processed and distributed to those in need. • Trinity Oaks provided approximately 500,000 healthy, protein rich meals to hungry individuals and families in Texas and Northern Mexico.

Youth

ing back continues. Do you know or are you a wounded veteran who would benefit from a therapeutic outdoor retreat? Complete the online application from available on www.trinityoaks.org.

The Cost of War

wounded heroes as well – it destroys their families and encumbers their communities with associated costs of social services, violence, and unproductive citizens. Two million children live with war veterans, and as many as 500,000 are clinically depressed. The problem is not solvable via military resources alone – the military clearly states that community resources beyond veteran services must be developed and aided to successfully help our heroes and their families.

Website: www.costofwar.org Disabled veterans suffer from much higher rates of suicide, depression, violence, and unemployment than other Americans, which subsequently degrades both their and their families’ quality of life. The VA publishes that 22 veterans commit suicide daily, and the rate for young veterans, the 700,000 who have served in

• Therapeutic programs in nature have been proven to “lift spirits” for veterans,

Iraq and Afghanistan over the past 10 years, is growing. The effect of depression and its associated problems is beyond personal for these

positively impacting their emotional states and improving their ability to once again enjoy life and their families. • Trinity Oaks is filling as much of that

How Trinity Oaks Helps

T E X A S

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 67

F I S H

G A M E ®

• 350 youth participants where influenced with positive hunting, fishing, and other outdoor experiences. • Trinity Oaks positively impacted the lives of 350 kids from Texas.

Veterans • 189 Military HEROES participated in over 30 events in 5 states and harvested more than 200 animals. • We said thank you to these men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. Paige’s Place, a handicapped accessible bay home and fishing peir for veteran and disabled participant fishing experiences in Port Mansfield was recently completed. The $120,000+ remodel budget was funded by donors. —by Trinity Oaks

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 6:43 PM

Fish and Game GEAR Xpress Lineup of 2016 Boats

BOATING INDUSTRY LEADER, Xpress Boats of HotSprings, Arkansas recently introduced its 2016 product line at www.xpressboats.com. “We are most excited about our new offering, featuring a complete update to our popular Bayou series, stemming from a collaborative relationship with our marketing partner, Jim Ronquest of RNT Calls. We’re also introducing our new Bass Xclusive Pro series, which has been built on the famed Hyper-Lift Pad Hull design and xciting updates to our entire host of products” said Vice President, Rory Herndon. Xpress Boats, family owned and operated by the Herndon family, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this upcoming year. With humble roots, Xpress Boats solidified its legacy in an old schoolhouse in Friendship, Arkansas in 1966 when its founder, Kermit Bryant, had a dream to develop an “all-welded” aluminum boat. Today, that dream is a reality as Xpress Boats operates out of a state of the art manufacturing facility in nearby Hot Springs. As a major employer in the community, Xpress Boats continues to produce top of the line, high performance all-welded aluminum boats for just about any application.

Xpress Bass Xclusive Pro Series.

and each lure is hand-crafted in the USA. Available in 3/8 oz size, this frog won’t break the bank either at under $10 retail. Mann’s Bait Company, a leading manufacturer of all types of artificial lures,

Mann’s New Superfrogs

produces the industry’s most widely recognizable brands for fresh and saltwater fishing markets. All of our lures are manufactured right here in America, and Mann’s SuperFrogs

MANN’S INTRODUCES 6 NEW COLors to its SuperFrog lineup. Presenting, LadyBug, Showgirl, FireTiger, GoldDigger, Midnight Blue, and RedNeck, these frogs present unique color styles to an already killer bait. This unique hollow-body lure sets the standards for frog fishing, with twin skirted legs, a premium hook system, 68 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 68

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

PHOTOS: XPRESS BOATS, MANN’S BAITS, GROVETEC, REMINGTON CUTLERY

12/7/15 6:43 PM

distributed nationally, as well as in over 50 countries around the world. For a complete selection of styles, colors and availability go to www.mannsbait.com.

The Versatile Grovtec Backpack THE GT BACKPACK SLING OFFERS versatile options to hunters for safe-carry of rifles and shotguns when trekking through the woods or riding to hunt locations on ATV/UTV’s. By slinging the firearm safely across the middle of the hunter’s back similar to a backpack, this comfortable, shock-absorbing sling evenly distributes firearms weight and prevents slipping

off shoulders allowing hunters to carry their trusty hunting gun safely and securely. “We have been anxious to talk about our Backpack sling,” states Kim Graham of GrovTec. “Since our staff consists of avid hunters, F.A.S.T. 2.0 from Remington Cutlery.

we were able to field test it and even we were surprised at the ease of use, comfort, and level of safecarry that this innovative design offers. The Backpack Slings combines two GT padded slings, which absorb shock without the rebound that some other slings possess. Featuring a tapered design, the width of the sling at the load-carrying position to spreads weight evenly, and the design offers integrated thumb loops relieving tension on hands and forearms as well as offering a stabilizing platform for the firearm when ready to shoot. The sling also incorporates a long-lasting, non-skid material that holds just enough to keep the firearm in place without inhibiting a hunter’s ability to quickly shoulder. Also available in standard nylon web, all GT Backpack slings include sewn-in GT locking swivels that resist the strain of over 350 pounds of tension and are known for outstanding engineering and unsurpassed durability. All parts are made and manufactured in the USA. Recommended Retail $31.45-$49.00.

Remington F.A.S.T. 2.0 Assisted Opener Grovtec sling

For more information about Remington Knives, visit remingtonblades.com.

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

RUGGED PERFORMANCE AT Affordable Price...Anyone looking for a rugged assisted opening lockback with a great blade at a very affordable price will appreciate the new F.A.S.T. 2.0 R11609 T E X A S

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 69

Medium Folder from Remington Cutlery. It features a 3-1/4-inch modified droppoint blade with a thumbstud to aid in easy opening, ready for use. Made of 440 stainless steel, which holds a keen edge, the blade is coated with black oxide for further protection from rust and corrosion. The 4-1/4-inch aluminum handle has a Mossy Oak Break-Up™ Pink camouflage finish, with a lanyard hole and a metal pocket clip for convenient carry. It is 7-3/8” long when locked open and weighs 3.7 ounces. Retail price is only $39.99. This new assisted opener is from Remington’s Sportsman™ Series of imported knives that go through an intensive quality inspection and are backed by a Lifetime Warranty.

F I S H

G A M E ®

Visit

FishandGameGear.com

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/9/15 3:22 PM

SABINE Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

Being Brave Pays Off

HE FACT IS THAT JANUARY is not the most comfortable month to run the bay in search of fish. So it’s understandable that so many people choose to stay indoors rather than get out and expose themselves. For those who are willing to brave the elements, however, the Sabine ecosystem can really pay off. Years of logging countless hours of wintertime fishing has taught us a thing or two. For starters, you have to be disciplined enough to grind it out for several hours in less than desirable conditions, hoping for one or two big bites. Also, fishing the clearest water that you

can find is a key ingredient for success. Don’t waste your time hitting spots with murky water. Key on areas with nice mud bottoms that are holding mullet. The fish will be looking for areas with the warmest water. Clear water warms faster then murky water, and mud warms quicker and retains heat better than sand. Although the difference in water temperature may seem very little to us, it can be huge to the fish. The slightest variance in water temperature can mean the difference between casting and catching. It may only be a couple of degrees or less but that is very significant to the fish in cold water. Experience has also taught us that straight tailed plastic baits are more effective than those with a lot of movement. Wobbly baits like curl tails don’t really do much for these cold-blooded fish in cold water. A better scenario is to offer them a straight tailed soft plastic. Use the lightest jig head that the elements will allow and gently twitch it once it’s on the bottom. As usual, the slower the better when their metabolism is low.

Other good bait choices are slow-sinking mullet imitations such as Mir’O Lure Catch 2000 and Catch V as well as Corky Original and Devils. These baits are designed to sink very slowly, so give them time to get down then twitch and retrieve very slowly. If you’ve got good sunlight penetrating the water, your best bet would be to use darker or natural-colored baits. Red Shad, Morning Glory and natural mullet or shad work well in bright sun conditions. Lighter colors like chartreuse, limetreuse and opening night are much more effective when the sky is overcast. The eastern bank of Sabine Lake has multiple bayous, cuts and drains that empty into the bay. Some of these open up into big shallow ponds that have their own drains and cuts. Because of the large amount of water that moves in and out with the tides, your chances of finding decent water to fish somewhere along the eastern shoreline are pretty good. If you’re lucky enough to find clear water that’s also holding bait, you’ll probably be happy you got out and endured the elements.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Fish Pass (HWY 87 at Keith Lake) SPECIES: Croaker, Whiting, Redﬁsh, Black Drum BAITS/LURES: Fresh Dead Shrimp, Cut Mullet BEST TIMES: All day with moving tide

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

70 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 70

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

12/9/15 2:45 PM

GALVESTON Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. MIKE HOLMES

Here We Go Again.

NOTHER NEW FISHING year begins this month, and January usually sees a slow start for coastal fishing activity. Over the decades there have been many seasons when I tried to be on a boat headed offshore to kick off the New Year, hoping for a good catch of red snapper as an appropriate beginning. Other seasons I might have been fortunate to be in a crew with their sights set on that year’s first blue marlin for our area of the Texas Coast. Although that never actually happened, it sure felt exciting to be trying. After experiencing more “change” than I ever wanted to believe in for too many areas of our lives— things that once upon a time a man could avoid by going deep water fishing (a favorite line of mine from George Rieger’s excellent book, Profiles In Saltwater Angling, was in his chapter on Ernest Hemingway, where he describes the great author’s method of dealing with the dark days of the great depression as simply “staying offshore, as much as possible.” Works for me. Or used to anyway). If the weather on the first day of January 2016 is suitable to roaming past that imaginary line in the sand drawn nine miles off the beach to mark the end of Gulf waters regulated by the state of Texas, any red snappers that might be caught will have to be released, even if the angler is pretty sure that despite his best efforts the fish is unlikely to survive. This is true even if a waiting porpoise is ready to make a snack of it as soon as it hits the water. The “Snapper Wars” are far from over, and right now “we, the people” are still losing. Some almost meaningless changes to red snapper rules during the summer of 2015 “gave” one percent more of the TAC,

or Total Allowable Catch, to recreational fishermen, but the split with commercial interests is still 51 percent to 49 percent. The recreational guys are still expected to over catch their quota, leading to early season shut-downs. The red snapper is traditionally a cold weather species that kept the charter-for-hire boats in business over the winter. Unfortunately, red snapper fishing is now relegated to the hot summer months, or rather to a few days in the hot summer months. The Gulf can be a cruel environment in winter, even dangerous, but it still offers a wild beauty and a sense of fulfillment not many other activities can provide. Personally, I have always felt that the only feeling more moving than clearing the jetties early in the morning might be the one that comes as your boat slides back through those same rocks—safely—at the end of a successful day’s fishing. Sadly, if red snapper and most grouper species are taken out of the equation as they have been, a winter day on the Gulf might

T E X A S

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 71

F I S H

G A M E ®

not be very productive. Trying to target vermillion snapper and legal grouper these days means having to throw back a whole bunch of nice red snappers, which is not a fish that reacts well to catch-and-release, no matter what some in the regulation business might suggest. A good alternative for those who want to go offshore and bring home some fish is the Spanish mackerel. Many flat days in the cooler months will see huge schools of these fish surfacing offshore, feeding on small baitfish. Appropriately sized white and yellow jigs will usually get them going, either slow trolling along the outside of the school, or from a drifted boat with chum. Spanish macks are good light tackle sport fish, and better eating than their larger cousins, the king mackerel. Best of all, the bag limit is very generous, and the fuel bill to find them is not going to require a second mortgage on your home. Inshore fishing will be the usual winter fare, with success dependant on water conCONTINUED ON PAGE

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

73 u

12/7/15 6:43 PM

MATAGORDA Area Hotspot Focus :: by MIKE PRICE

Cold Weather Rewards

Y WIFE JANET AND I went kayak fishing in Oyster Lake last year in late January. The air temperature was 65°F and it was partly cloudy, wind was calm, water very clear, the barometric pressure was 29.95 and falling, and the tidal movement was strong. We launched our kayaks at 10 a.m. on a little peninsula near the bridge. Then we paddled east for about a half mile and drift fished. I had a couple of redfish on and lost them, and Janet didn’t get any hits, so we paddled to the shoreline, near the bridge. We stopped for a chat with a kayak fisherman

72 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 72

2 0 1 6

who was on his way home with a full stringer of reds over 24 inches each. He said that he had launched before sunrise and paddled to the south side of the lake near the old Intracoastal Waterway. He fished with red and white-four-inch-SuperShad Hogie soft plastic lures. In addition to catching his limit, he was broken off by a couple more redfish. According to Texas Fish & Game magazine’s “Tides and Prime Times,” he was catching his fish during a “major fishing period.” By the time we had finished talking, a 10 mph south wind had come up, and the south side of the lake was a mile and a half paddle away. Nevertheless, I said “Are you up for paddling to the south side of the lake?” “Sure, let’s go,” she said. At the south shore of Oyster Lake I had a red on briefly and lost it, and Janet had a good sized redfish on for an extended time and lost it. Then we started a drift back to the bridge. I caught a 24-inch redfish and she caught a 28-inch, 8-pound red. Had we gone out at sunrise and hit the

T E X A S

F I S H

major fishing period, we might have done better. The places we fished in Oyster Lake can be fished by boat as well, but you have to know where the oyster reefs are. We went on a near-perfect weather day, but brutally cold days come along every few years in January. Texas Parks and Wildlife closes some deep areas to fishing if there is a freeze event, which is defined as a time when air temperatures are below 32°F for three or more days. This is because fish congregate in holes where the water is a little warmer at depth. Water temperatures in January are typically in the fifties, but can get much colder. This drives trout, redfish, and some flounders out of the bays and into the Colorado and Tres Palacios Rivers. The way to find the fish in the rivers is to drift and fish, preferably using live shrimp (if live shrimp is not available use frozen shrimp) until you hit a concentration of fish, and then anchor.

Offshore Red snapper season is closed in federal waters, beyond nine miles offshore; but cold weather and water move red snappers to within the nine-mile, Texas limit, making January a great time to fish. You can keep four snappers per person, the fish have to be at least 15-inches in length, and you must use circle hooks. At present the closest large underwater structure out of Matagorda is The Rubber Ship sixteen miles southwest (GPS 28 22 469, 96 11 145). There are rigs visible from Matagorda Beach that sometimes hold red snappers in the winter. You can find bottom structure by just drifting, watching your sounder, and marking that spot. Dale Shively, Leader of the Artificial Reef Program at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said that next winter we will be able to fish a new 160-acre reef that will be put into place about seven miles offshore from Matagorda Beach in the spring and summer of 2016. Live bait is best for red snappers, but if you can’t catch or find live bait use sardines.

G A M E ®

12/9/15 2:45 PM

Bigger bait will attract bigger red snappers, and whole fish work better than cut bait. The tackle that I use for red snappers consists of: a five-foot-eight-inch-extra-heavy Shimano rod, Avet LX reel, a four-ounce egg sinker (heavier if the current is really strong) with a bead on each side rigged between two swivels, and a three-foot, 80-pound-test leader, with a 6/0 Gamakutsu Octopus circle hook. Sometimes snappers can be found at all depths. Therefore, when I lower the bait, I stop and wait a few seconds at various depths. If I don’t get bite, I’ll go to the bottom and come up a couple of reel cranks. When snappers are there, your bait is usually taken within seconds, so you have to be ready. To get a good hookset with a circle hook, I wait until the fish has the bait in its mouth and begins to swim. Then, using a steady, sweeping motion, I pull the rod tip up and simultaneously begin to turn the reel handle. Cool January water temperatures will concentrate fish in deep water in the Intracoastal Waterway, the rivers, and deep holes in the bays. Red snappers like cool water because it has more oxygen so they move closer to shore

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 73

Focus: GALVESTON t CONTINUED FROM PAGE

ditions and tides. A careful day on the bay is worth the effort just to study the bottom features exposed by lower than normal tides for use later in the year. For actually fishing in January, deep spots are favored—around the jetties might be best—and the scent of dead bait worked slowly might be the ticket to success.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Deeper water around jetties,

in the winter, and as long as you are fishing less than nine miles off shore you can keep four snappers per person.

THE BANK BITE

ALONG FM 2031, the road that parallels the Old Colorado River, between Rawlings bait store and Matagorda Bay Nature Park are two public ﬁshing piers. These piers create access to deep water

beachfront rock groins and piers, deep “holes in coastal streams, and deep reefs in the bays. SPECIES: Drum and sheephead can be trip savers, but some reds and trout are still around. BEST BAITS: Dead bait that leaves a scent trail and live baits with a wiggle factor. BEST TIMES: Watch the tides carefully, and plan trips accordingly.

Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com where trout and redﬁsh like to hang out when the water is cold. There is usually a tidal current moving water past these piers, which stimulates the bite. Live or dead bait works well, but be sure to use at least a two-ounce sinker to hold your bait steady in the current.

Email Mike Price at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

12/9/15 2:45 PM

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

Seeing Red in January

OASTAL ANGLERS LOVE nothing more than being able to fish in cooler weather, so they naturally enjoy the month of January. It’s a month of transition for so many things, so it seems to be anything but a boring month for so many reasons. For one, water temperatures begin to fall drastically, changing from that of cool to that of cold. Because of this, the fish behavior also undergoes change this month as the fish begin acting as though they have stage fright and lockjaw. They suddenly become very selective eaters and can be very hard to entice using the things that worked for catching them over the past few months when it was warmer. The places where the fish hang out also change this month, as the they often tend to begin looking for a steady food supply above mud, or shell, or both, instead of above sand and grass as they did during the summer and fall months. As a result, January generally marks a time of the year in which anglers, too, are required to change in order to be successful while fishing for cold-water fish. From a tactical standpoint, there’s a list of things anglers can do differently when fishing during colder months of the year. Things like slowing the retrieve of their lure to facilitate lethargic fish, throwing dark-colored lures to provide the preferred silhouette, using fluorocarbon instead of monofilament to enhance casting distance, and performing different styles of rigging to entice a strike are all standard items on the list. Probably the two biggest changes folks can make to their fishing habits for the month of January are the species of fish they target and the structure over which they target them. I’m talking about cold-weather redfish that many people find many times in 74 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 74

2 0 1 6

January whenever they happen to be fishing over shell that’s textured with mud, or a very soft and muddy sand mixture. Now then, a couple things may need to be clarified here regarding shell before moving on. When I say the word “shell” in reference to January redfish, I’m not just talking about the large-sized oyster shell that we’re ever so accustomed to finding in the form of reefs, or pads. When hunting these fish in cold water, it has become customary for anglers to make an effort to pinpoint any kind of shell. This means pieces of outer-body shells from any other mollusks typically found in the bay system, such as mussels or clams. Over the years, this has allowed anglers more success than failure when searching for reds once the water has turned really cold. How do you go about finding these shellrich locations? The answer is simple, but the effort can prove to be time consuming. Many anglers have spent endless hours scouting (and walking) newly exposed bay floor areas during periods of extreme low tide, such as immediately after the passage of strong wintertime cold fronts. The weather doesn’t always cooperate on such days, and you can spend the entire day with freezing hands and cold ears. However, the rewards can be astronomical if you’re willing to put in the time and effort. Remember to mark-up and make notes on your favorite hot spot fishing maps. A lot of area drains out of the back lakes and into the main bay system. These are always good places to start looking for small, submerged oyster shell patches. If you find some of these smaller oyster pads situated close to where the drain empties into the bay, position yourself on the bay side during a somewhat strong falling tide. You should be within casting distance of the mouth. This allows you to retrieve your bait in a natural fashion while utilizing the flow of the outgoing current to your advantage. A lot of times these reds can be found hovering over the oyster pads at the drain openings as they wait for their food source to

T E X A S

F I S H

be swept within striking range. Depending on how cold the temperature actually is, the strike can sometimes be very minimal, resembling nothing more than your bait rubbing against one of the oyster shells. When this is the case, try slowly lowering your rod tip, then reel in any slack line before attempting to set the hook. It’s very easy to miss these fish when they’re hitting like this. Some really good wintertime fishing for reds still comes from areas located in the upper end of San Antonio Bay adjacent to the lower stretches of the Victoria Barge Canal. It’s an upper bay delta area that historically has been more brackish in nature than that of San Antonio Bay itself. Although a wide variety of shellfish are found in the neighboring bays and rivers, two species in particular serve as primary food sources for redfish and trout. One is the eastern oyster commonly found in low-salt environs. The other one, the one that’s really popular among the redfish, is the rangia clam, found mostly in brackish surroundings. As we all know, the redfish can tolerate brackish water quite well, and they have a habit of feeding on mollusks and crabs in very shallow water. But for other unknown reasons, the redfish love these clams during periods of cold weather. I realize that looking for different types of shell may not be something you consider a glamorous task, but it can be quite effective. For those willing to spend the time and effort to learn this simple technique, the reward can be truly amazing. Here’s to hope for a very prosperous, safe, and Happy New Year for us all.

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

G A M E ®

12/9/15 2:50 PM

ROCKPORT Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. MAC GABLE

Problem with the ICW?

HE COMMENT WAS “BOTtom fishing snow birds.” He continued “They always fish in the Intracoastal.” “At least they stay out of our way,” the old salt said. “They might just know something WE don’t know,” I retorted, trying not to pick a fight. It was January and the guiding business was slow. We were at the local bait stand/boat ramp more out of habit than anything else. Out of the four guides, no one had any trips, and the local hang out seemed like a good place to sip some hot coffee. “They never spend any money, those snow birds” he said. “They are so tight they squeak when they walk.” “Pot calling the kettle black,” I said. “You run ‘may-pop’ tires on your truck and trailer. You haven’t re-lined your reels in five years. You wear patch-work jeans, mostly so clients will feel sorry for you and give you a big tip. I have it on good authority you even wash paper plates, and the sad truth is you have more money than all the rest of us put together.” That brought a cackle and a laugh from the hang out group “You are one to talk,” he said. “You haven’t put a new motor on your boat in six—no, seven years. By God at least I have a new motor.” “You have a newer motor that was willed to you from a dead relative,” I said. “Otherwise your motor would be older than mine.” “I guess we both are provident,” he said proudly. “You know, saving for a rainy day.” “I’m thinking that doesn’t recommend us much,” I retorted. “Besides you probably got that word ‘provident’ off of some cereal box, not really knowing what it means.” “I looked it up,” he said. “If these folks from out of town want to brave this cold weather and fish in the dead of January, more

power to them.” “It could just be they’ve found a best kept secret, fishing the deeper waters of the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway),” I suggested. “I’d rather go home and fish in a bucket” he said pointedly. “Got one in my truck,” I said. “I’ll let you use it for a fee.” Wise anglers become familiar with the ICW in their area. The simple reason is it offers deeper water protection for bait as well as predator fish during the colder months, such as January. A bit like our fresh water lakes, the deeper water offers temperature protection and acts as a host to bottom dwelling baits like sand eels, shrimp, crabs and reef worms, to name just a few. This is not intended to be a history lesson, but here are a few facts about the extensive ICW that traverses much of the southern and

T E X A S

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 75

F I S H

G A M E ®

eastern coast lines of our fair country. 1. IT SPANS almost 3,000 miles 2. ITS CONSTRUCTION was meant to be a continuous water way from Brownsville up to New York but the necessary canal through Florida was never completed so it’s now seen as two different parts, the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. 3. THE ROUTE is federally maintained. For the most part it is predictable as far as depth is concerned. 4. THE ICW route is used mostly used for transporting sulfur, petroleum products, chemicals, piping. In our area, it’s not unusual to see vast amounts of sand/soil that we locals affectionately call “the moving mountains of Rockport.” The many chemicals and the amount thereof are a definite concern of mine. Some of these chemicals are lethal and can wreak havoc on this sensitive ecosystem. A spill like the Exxon Valdez spill could spell absolute disaster for the area in the general vicinity of such a mishap. 5. DURING WORLD War II, the ICW

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/9/15 2:50 PM

Focus: ROCKPORT was patrolled as a buffer from enemy submarine attacks on the mainland. 6. LUCKILY FOR Texas, the heaviest commercial traffic is between New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama, with high concentrations close to the mouth of the Mississippi. 7. THE MAINTAINED water depth varies along its route with the lower limit being about six feet, and the deepest up to almost 20 feet, which brings us, back home to the intent of this article. The ICW in this area offers several advantages during the colder months. Its depth makes it easy to travel, especially for those not familiar with the very shallow water that frequents this area during the winter months. It offers protection from a wide variety of winds even on very windy days, it can be fished deep (meaning seven feet or more) or shallow. It almost always has a current / tide running through it, which moves bait as well as predators alike. I have caught a variety of fish including some fresh water fish such as blue cats, stripers, and alligator gars. The mouth of fresh water rivers can be a haven for red fish and trout and natural cuts that move into the gulf are a great place to ambush flounders. The down side to what we like to call the trench (ICW) is the currents can be swift and deadly so my advice is to stay in the boat if you are not VERY versed / knowledgeable on the area you are fishing. The many large vessels using the ICW can and often do throw big wakes that can and do swamp boats or even capsize them. It’s a hard place to pattern fish as the conditions change several times in a 24-hour period. Thermoclines that were holding fish are often churned away by the tides and currents moving through its deeper channels. I like using a fish finder rig or a heavy Carolina rig to ply these waters. I target areas that have access to shallow water shell and black shallow water mud flats. The deep water in these areas can be 10 to 20 degrees warmer during very cold weather. On warmer days, the shell and black mud flats attract bait as well as feeding predators. I will pick about a mile of the ICW and set up multiple times trying to find fish. 76 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 76

2 0 1 6

I have found chumming to be mostly ineffective as the movement of water is just too diverse. If one can find an eddy (slow swirling water), that is usually a good place to start. A word of caution: some big fish do ply these waters and can wreak havoc on light- to medium-action tackle. Live bait is best, such as shrimp or mullet, but as often is the case, live bait in January can be hard to come by. Cut mullet, cut menhaden and even some frozen croaker from the warmer months may be very effective. I like deep-running lures such as rattle traps or the Rapala X-Rap Magnum in just about any translucent body. If you find some over-hanging vegetation along the shoreline, trout and reds often work these areas looking for a free meal from the cover, up above. I work the edges using a popping cork, often with success. If you want to know how to catch fish when it’s cold, you might want to pay attention to those who have fished in the cold most of their lives—our brothers and sisters from up north. Laugh if you want, but those aluminum Lund boats (northern boats) anchored in the ICW might surprise us all by the fish they come back to the dock with. For me the ICW is a great place to relax, drink some hot coffee, and catch a variety of fish. For me, it beats hands down sitting in front of a computer or a TV all day. FOR JANUARY FISHING THINK slow, slow, slow. Bites are often just taps as lethargic fish will feed, but not with the energy of the warmer months. Be patient and use the lightest line you can get by with, as the water is often almost gin clear. • • • COPANO BAY — I like the mouth of Mission Bay for red and black drum. Use peeled shrimp and set the hook at the slightest tap. The north shoreline close to Turtle Pen is another good place for reds, use cut mullet on a light Carolina rig. The sheepshead action will be good on the old pilings of the LBJ fishing pier. Use freelined shrimp pieces and the smallest kahle hooks you can find. ARANSAS BAY — The ICW is the place to be. Fish the edges of the ICW using cut mullet or menhaden on a very light fish finder rig. On the warmer days, try the shell reefs,

T E X A S

F I S H

such as Deadman’s Reef. The reef is very close to deeper water, and reds as well as trout will feed into the shallows mid-day. With a slight north wind, Live Oak Point is a good place for reds and trout using live shrimp if you can find them. Frozen shrimp will work, if live is not available. ST. CHARLES Bay—Some black drums may be found at Twin Creeks during high tide. Use a light Carolina rig and peeled shrimp or cut squid. The mouth of East Pocket is good for reds and a few flounder using shrimp either live or free lined. The mouth of Cavasso Creek is good for trout using Berkley Gulp shrimp under a silent cork. CARLOS BAY—CARLOS Dugout is the place to be for trout. Deep running lures such as the Rapala Scatter Rap in mustard shad color or the X-Rap in translucent colors are best. The shallow edges of the shell here are good for trout using live shrimp under a silent cork. MESQUITE BAY—CEDAR Point is a good wade for trout using soft plastics in new penny fleck such as the Berkley jerk shad. Drifts across Brays Cove are good for flounder using white jigs tipped with squid or shrimp. AYERS BAY—BLACK drum are good against Second Chain and Rattlesnake Island using a light Carolina rig. The east shoreline is good for reds using cut menhaden or cut mullet, free-lined is best or a very light Carolina rig. Ayers Reef during high tide is good for trout and black drum using live shrimp under a cork.

THE BANK BITE A COLD but worth-it wade to the cut between St. Charles Bay and Aransas bay is good for reds, trout or black drum using live shrimp or new penny Jerk Shad. The boat trafﬁc here can get heavy, so be respectful of those having to go through the cut. Fish the deep channel with slow retrieves; light taps are bites, so set the hook.

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

G A M E ®

12/9/15 2:50 PM

LOWER Coast Hotspot Focus :: by CALIXTO GONZALES

January of a Different Stripe

ANUARY IS ONE OF THOSE months like a .500-level sports team. There are great days where everything goes right, and then there are days where you should have stayed in bed. The weather can be very unstable, with the wind turning from the southeast to the northwest almost instantly as Canadian fronts barrel down from the north. You can have some simply gorgeous days with light winds and trout green water, and within a matter of hours the wind could howl from the north and the waters of Lower Laguna Madre can turn into the color of Nestle’s Quik. Redfish and trout are hard to locate in water that turns murky with the slightest whiff of a norther. When the weather moderates and high pressure settles in, the fish that are cruising the air-clear flats are colt-skittish and hard to get within casting range. Flounders are literally nowhere to be found, and black drum are in the middle of their two migrations. The water is too cold for mangrove snapper, and the surf too rough, too often for pompano and whiting. As you might guess, you can just forget about snook and tarpon. Nope, the first month of the year is not the time to expect fish-a-minute action. However, don’t lose hope if you’re looking to get on the water on a nice January day. There are fish that will cooperate, even if the wind is coming from the wrong direction. Some hard fighters are out there spoiling for a good bout of knuckle-and-skull. They aren’t that tough to locate, and they offer some top-notch table fare for anglers hoping to put a few fillets in the oven. Sheepsheads are a plentiful Lower Laguna

Madre species that make their presence felt in winter, and they never got the memo about how bad the fishing is supposed to be. Few fish are more capable of turning a winter’s day fishing from bust to boon as quickly or quite the way these barred, stout fish with the funny teeth can. Sheepsheads readily bite the simplest of rigs, fight hard, and provide the patient fish cleaner with white, flaky fillets that are an culinary delight when fried or baked with a bit of lemon pepper and little else for seasoning. They grow big too, with several 6-8 pounders caught every year. A couple over ten pounds are brought to net each year (the last two state records, including the current record, a 15 ½-pound brute, were caught off of a South Padre Island fishing pier). Shorebound anglers have as much of a chance to latch into a few convict fish as easily any other angler. Sheepsheads begin to congregate in good numbers around pilings and jetties after the first serious cold front in November. They stick around until the water begins to warm in late April. In January sheepsheads are feeding aggressively to build up mass to convert to eggs later in March, so the numbers of fish available to fishermen jumps exponentially. The fact that convict fish are feeding heavily makes them relatively easy to coax into hitting a baited hook. The great part of the winter sheepshead run is the easy-access to the fishery. On days when the weather permits, all a fisherman needs to do is head to the Brazos Santiago Jetties on South Padre Island with some live or fresh shrimp (usually the latter; live bugs are hard to come by when strong fronts encourage them to bury themselves deeper into mud than trawl nets can reach). Add a reasonably stout spinning or conventional outfit with 15-pound line to catch a quick limit of five sheepies more than 15-inches long. The easiest rig involves a #2 Long-shank hook three feet under a popping cork, with a #3 split-shot sinker six inches above the hook to hold everything down. Toss the rig up against the rocks and wait. The float holds the T E X A S

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 77

F I S H

G A M E ®

bait above the rocks and also indicates when a sheep is grazing on your bait. Boaters also have an easy time of it when they search for sheep. The Queen Isabella Causeway is loaded with them. Anchor underneath the causeway and allow your boat to drift within 10 feet of the pilings. Free-lining a live shrimp up against the pilings is all it takes. Again, you will want to use stout tackle for this application, because there are some big fish down there, and you want to force them away from the pilings and into open water as soon as you can. Another productive spot for Valentine sheepshead is the Port Isabel Turning Basin. The docks and rip-rap hold sheepsheads. The pilings of the large dock along the south end of the channel is a popular spot. The loading dock near the old cement factory is another spot. Both are accessible by boat only, but are worth some investigation. Don’t be surprised you latch into some chunky mangrove snappers, too. If a stretch of mild weather warms water temperatures, mangroves break out of the mullygrubs and feed a little more actively. They’ll hold higher in the water column than sheepshead, but they’ll take the same baits. If there is no action around a set of pilings, move on to other ones. You should locate some sheepshead with a minimal of effort. Once you do, hang on, because these fish will give you the full measure before coming to the boat.

THE BANK BITE Location: South Jetties Species: Sheepshead, whiting, black drum. Tips: Use live or fresh shrimp on a bottom rig; ﬂoat rig near the rocks.

Email Calixto Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/7/15 6:43 PM

Texas HOTSPOTS

UPPER COAST

Moses: a Speck Promised Land by TOM BEHRENS

LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Moses Lake GPS: N 29 26.808, W 94 55.7119 (29.4468, -94.9285)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@goﬁshgalveston.com www.goﬁshgalvesteon.com TIPS: Marcaccio says anything bright will work. His favorite colors are Slammin Chicken, plum/ chartreuse, Limetreuse or pearl. LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond Shoal GPS: N 28 40.446, W 95 53.898 (28.6741, -95.8983)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 251-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: Just make long drifts from the south shoreline out to the middle of the bay. —Capt. Countz

78 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 78

2 0 1 6

GPS COORDINATES are provided in two formats: “Decimal Degrees” (degrees.degrees) and “Degrees and Minutes” sometimes called “GPS Format” (degrees minutes.minutes). Examples (for Downtown Austin): Decimal Degrees: N30.2777, W97.7379; Degrees and Minutes: N30 16.6662, W97 44.2739. Consult your manual for information speciﬁc to your GPS device.

LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Clear Creek Channel GPS: N 29 33.133, W 95 1.945 (29.5522, -95.0324)

F I S H

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@goﬁshgalveston.com www.goﬁshgalvesteon.com TIPS: Work structure and drop-offs. If you can be fortunate to have an outgoing tide, it would be excellent. Fish near drains and bayous. Capt. Marcaccio LOCATION: Upper Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: San Jacinto Bay GPS: N 29 43.1039, W 95 2.641 (29.7184, -95.0440)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@goﬁshgalveston.com T E X A S

LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Tabbs Bay GPS: N 29 41.634, W 94 56.544 (29.6939, -94.9424)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalvesteon.com TIPS: If you have fish that are in 8-12 feet of water, and if you can get some sunshine, start working the shoreline around noon. Capt. Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Greens Lake GPS: N 29 16.248, W 94 59.538 (29.2708, -94.9923)

www.goﬁshgalvesteon.com TIPS: If you are in 12-15 ft. of water you want to try to get the bait down at least two-third of the way down. The ﬁsh are not going to be on the bottom. Capt. Marcaccio

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@goﬁshgalveston.com www.goﬁshgalvesteon.com TIPS: If you get a cold front that is just cold, that’s great, but if you get a wet one it can take it’s toll. Keep an eye on your newspapers for runoff reports of the Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers. Capt. Marcaccio

G A M E ®

12/16/15 9:27 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Upper Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Scotts Bay GPS: N 29 44.628, W 95 2.364 (29.7438, -95.0394)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

www.goﬁshgalvesteon.com TIPS: Look for protected areas out of the wind along with deeper water access. Chocolate and Moses all have deep-water access. In January these ﬁsh are going to be in the thermocline somewhere between 8-15 ft. deep. Capt. Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: Chocolate Bayou Cove GPS: N 29 12.45, W 95 11.544 (29.2075, -95.1924)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@goﬁshgalveston.com www.goﬁshgalvesteon.com TIPS: Water temperatures are going to be mid 50s, which will require a slow, retrieve. All you want to do is hump is along the bottom. Capt. Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: Offats Bayou GPS: N 29 16.819, W 94 51.507 (29.2803, -94.8585)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalvesteon.com TIPS: Look for slicks or pods of shad. Just finding bait will be a bonus, not a great number of bait, but just an occasional mullet or slick. Capt. Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: Chocolate Bayou GPS: N 29 7.7999, W 95 9.54 (29.1300, -95.1590)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@goﬁshgalveston.com www.goﬁshgalvesteon.com TIPS: There might be an occasion that a 3/4 oz. Rat-L-Trap will work. It’s a tough bait to use because it has a great amount of vibration that you can feel in the your hand. You sometimes might have to throw a 3/8 oz. Trap if you are not getting down deep enough. Capt. Marcaccio

GPS: N 28 40.5419, W 95 58.08 (28.6757, -95.9680)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 251-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: If the river is clear, we are going to catch trout. It it’s muddy and fresh, then you are not. Capt. Countz LOCATION: Matagorda HOTSPOT: Diversion Channel GPS: N 28 39.018, W 95 59.2999 (28.6503, -95.9883)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Redﬁsh & Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz

LOCATION: Matagorda HOTSPOT: Colorado River

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@goﬁshgalveston.com T E X A S

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 79

F I S H

G A M E ®

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/16/15 9:28 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS 251-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: The diversion channel as it goes to the bay begins to get shallow. A lot of times on low tides in January, the reds will move up into it, along with the trout. Capt. Countz LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Light House Cove GPS: N 29 43.326, W 93 51.4919 (29.7221, -93.8582)

FOR E MAP

TIPS: Cast to the bank and slowly crawl the lure back to the boat. LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Greens Bayou GPS: N 29 44.8302, W 95 10.1628 (28.490721, -96.22523)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Morning Glow soft plastic on 1/8 oz. jig head CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 251-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: I fish some of the deeper guts that come out of the peninsula, and you usually can find redfish on the real low tides. A lot of the time you can find them in vast numbers. I have stood for hours with guys and caught redfish until they got tired of it. Capt. Countz LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Cottons Bayou GPS: N 28 30.45, W 96 12.384 (28.5075, -96.2064)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: MirrOlure Soft Plastics with 1/8 oz. jig head CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 251-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: Countz likes the MirrOlure Marsh Minnows in black/chartreuse.

80 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 80

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Weedless gold or copper spoon CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 251-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: Just crawl it along the grass. The whole trick in the wintertime is to slow down your retrieve. Capt. Countz

MIDDLE COAST

Laguna Specks Very Humble by TOM BEHRENS

S S

FOR E MAP

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins 409-673-9211 9782018@sbcglobal.net www.ﬁshsabinelake.com

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Middle Ground GPS: N 28 30.7459, W 96 13.486 (28.5124, -96.2248)

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Humble Channel GPS: N 27 38.817, W 97 16.3669 (27.6470, -97.2728)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Devil Eye soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt 361-463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com TIPS: Work the lure slowly along the sides of the channel, usually on a 1/8 oz. jig head, slowly dragging it along. Capt. Verburgt

G A M E ®

12/16/15 9:28 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Laguna Madre ICS GPS: N 27 40.8529, W 97 13.672 (27.6809, -97.2279)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

www.rockportredrunner.com TIPS: Look for holes and depressions in the flats. It’s not going to be a real deep hole, but it will be a little bit deeper than the rest of the flat. Capt. Chad Verburgt LOCATION: Redfish Bay HOTSPOT: Terminal Area GPS: N 27 52.387, W 97 9.5479 (27.8731, -97.1591)

SPECIES: Black Drum BEST BAITS: Dead or live shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt 361-463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com TIPS: The Drum will be the edges of the drop-offs, 3-10 ft. of water. Capt. Verburgt LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: California Hole GPS: N 27 55.561, W 97 4.8479 (27.9260, -97.0808)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Pink Devil Eye soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt 361-463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com TIPS: Before a front I’ll be doing a lot of drifting adjacent to deeper water on the flats. Look for flipping mullet. Capt. Chad Verburgt LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Humble Channel GPS: N 27 39.153, W 97 15.664 (27.6526, -97.2611)

SPECIES: Black Drum BEST BAITS: Dead or live shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt 361-463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com TIPS: If live shrimp are not available, dead shrimp works just as good. The ﬁsh don’t care. If you ﬁnd them in the holes they are usually so thick they are waiting for what ever bait comes by. LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Mustang Point/Ship Channel GPS: N 27 49.444, W 97 8.2109 (27.8241, -97.1369)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline GPS: N 27 34.4899, W 97 18.7939 (27.5748, -97.3132)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Gambler Flat Fishy Shad in Key Lime Pie CONTACT: Capt. Levi Price 830-613-1865 captlevi@tstar.net www.theﬁshtx.com TIPS: If the water is darker color or cloudy day, switch to Copper color with a 1/8 oz. jig head.

LOWER COAST

Bafﬁn Trout Get a Bad Attitude SPECIES: Black Drum BEST BAITS: Dead or live shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt 361-463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com TIPS: The drum will be located on drop-offs and holes, adjacent to deep water. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: New Humble Channel GPS: N 27 35.472, W 97 15.8119 (27.5912, -97.2635)

by CALIXTO GONZALES and TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Bafﬁn Bay HOTSPOT: Badlands GPS: N 27 17.1514, W 97 25.053 (27.2859, -97.4176)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Corky Fat Boy CONTACT: Capt. Levi Price 830-613-1865 captlevi@tstar.net

SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt 361-463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com T E X A S

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 81

SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Devil Eye soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt 361-463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com TIPS: Usually I prefer ﬁshing after the frontal passage, on dropping tides. The dropping tides congregate the ﬁsh in the holes. Capt. Verburgt

F I S H

G A M E ®

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/16/15 9:28 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS www.theﬁshtx.com TIPS: If you are in area that is known for big trout, get out of the boat and wade ﬁsh. Get away from the sound of waves against your boat. Capt. Price LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Queen Isabella Causeway GPS: N 26 4.97, W 97 12.06 (26.0828, -97.2010)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N 26 2.302, W 97 12.799 (26.0384, -97.2133)

SPECIES: Sheephead BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp, fresh shrimp, crab chunks CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Fish close to the bottom alongside the pilings with free-line rigs and shrimp. Braided line helps minimize bait stealing. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Unnecessary Island GPS: N 26 13.811, W 97 16.342 (26.2302, -97.2724)

82 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 82

2 0 1 6

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Sheephead BEST BAITS: Live bait, fresh shrimp. CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Look around dock pilings and parked shrimp boats for hovering sheepshead. If you see an isolated rock or chunk of concrete, stop and ﬁsh it. You might ﬁnd a 10 pounder.

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Gaswell Flats GPS: N 26 10.713, W 97 11.107 (26.1786, -97.1851)

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, cut bait, old spoons, soft plastics in New Penny, Tequila Gold CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: The shallows are beginning to warm as Spring-type weather starts to move in. Live Shrimp always is a good ﬁrst choice. Soft plastics with gold and gold weedless spoons work well. Fish them slowly. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Andy Bowie Park GPS: N 26 11.541, W 97 10.327 (26.1924, -97.1721)

SPECIES: Mixed Bag BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, fresh shrimp. CONTACT: Quick Stop 956-943-1159 TIPS: . Fresh shrimp in the ﬁrst two guts of the surf will get you a cooler full of big whiting and cooperative pompano. Redﬁsh and black drum will also crash the party and make things interesting.

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, Shirmp tail/popping cork, soft plastics in red/white, Tequila Gold. CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Fish the color change where the water starts to get deeper. Live shrimp under a popping cork is best. Fish soft plastics on warmer days when ﬁsh are aggressive.

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: The Pasture GPS: N 26 5.857, W 97 10.897 (26.0976, -97.1816)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live bait, soft plastics in pearl, Smoke. CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Even on colder days, trout still hold in the deeper part of this broad ﬂat. Night ﬁshing with lights is very effective. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Airport Cove GPS: N 26 10.02, W 97 18.12 (26.1670, -97.3020)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live bait, soft plastics in pearl, Smoke. CONTACT: Captain Jeff Neu 979-942-0164 TIPS: .It’s a bit of a run to Airport Cove from Port Isabel or SPI, but the jaunt is worth it when the trout are turned on. LOCATION: Port Mansﬁeld HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N 26 28.149, W 97 23.874 (26.4692, -97.3979)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters, soft plastics in LSU, Black/Chartreuse, Gold spoons. CONTACT: Captain Jeff Neu 979-942-0164 TIPS: Trout lurk in the sand holes throughout the area. It’s tough to beat a soft plastic ﬁshed slowly. T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

12/16/15 9:28 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS Bigger ﬁsh will key in on spoons and Corkies. LOCATION: Port Mansﬁeld HOTSPOT: Marker 151 GPS: N 26 31.89, W 97 23.26 (26.5315, -97.3877)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

choice in deeper water but the swim shad will work as long as you can control your retrieve to keep the bait in the depth the ﬁsh are going to be in. The depths will vary from one day to the next. Today they may be in 20 foot of water and tomorrow they may be in 40 foot. It all depends on the schools of shad. Bank Access: Stowaway Marina. LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Flats GPS: N 32 43.074, W 94 6.5999 (32.7179, -94.1100)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Gold Spoons, soft plastics in LSU CONTACT: Captain Jeff Neu 979-942-0164 TIPS: Wade or drift the deep potholes in the area with topwaters, soft plastics, spoons, or your favorite redfish lures to find pods of reds cruising the flats in this area.

PINEY WOODS

Conroe Hybrids Go to School by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 27.216, W 95 34.404 (30.4536, -95.5734)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: V&M Pacemaker 3/4 oz. Ledge Blade and V&M Thundershad swimbait CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net www.caddolakeﬁshing.com TIPS: Fish over and through the hydrilla and pad stems with these shad colored lures. Bass will be on the ﬂats on the main lake in 2-5 ft. of water near the main channel and creeks. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Main Lake Large Creek Channels GPS: N 32 55.8204, W 95 38.706 u TAP FOR (32.9303, -95.6451)

ONLINE MAP

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers BEST BAITS: Live shad, Storm Swim Shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch (936) 291-1277 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: The hybrid stripers are schooling around ledges along the river channel. Find the schools of shad and you will find the Hybrids. This time of year they will run shad up on these ridges during the day they will move deeper around the area. Find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. As the water temperatures drop they will be in the 30 to 40 foot depths. Live shad will be the bait of

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Black/blue jig (1/2oz) with a real #11 black pork trailer, slow suspending crankbait with orange belly, red sides and dark back CONTACT: Doug Shampine 940-902-3855 doug@lakeforktrophybass.com www.lakeforktrophybass.com TIPS: Bass ﬁshing on Lake Fork in January can be very rewarding depending on the weather. If we had a mild December, the bass bite will be good on a jig. Start looking for those big females along one of the bigger creek channels. Look for a sharp bend in the creek channel or where the creek hits the bank and there is a sharp drop off. Target the bigger stumps beside the creek if you have had a T E X A S

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 83

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

F I S H

G A M E ®

couple sunny days in a row. The bigger females will come out of the creek channel and feed on the bank of the creek. When a cold front comes in, they will go into the deeper water of the creek channel and suspend. If the water gets real cold, like in the lower 40’s, they may not feed every day. The two baits I like to throw in January are the black/blue jig and suspending crank bait. Again target the bigger timber and stop your cranking when you come to a big stump. Once you crank your bait down, crank very slow. If you are lucky enough to ﬁnd some grass in the lake this crankbait works very well ﬁshing the grass. One other area the big females hang out this time of the year will be around the bridge pilings on the 154 bridge. LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: River Bend on Lake Livingston GPS: N 30 53.418, W 95 19.17 u TAP FOR (30.8903, -95.3195)

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Blue and Flathead Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Fresh Carp, Buffalo or Tilapia ﬁlleted and scaled CONTACT: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Carolina Rig with a ½ - 1 oz. egg sinker, drift baits on bottom from 12 foot of water to where the old river channel drops off to 45 foot of water. BANK ACCESS: Penwaugh Marina LOCATION: Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: North End River Channel Sandbars GPS: N 31 42.426, W 93 48.6899 u TAP FOR (31.7071, -93.8115)

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slab Spoons, Rat-L-Traps, Tail Spinners CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com www.toledobendguide.com |

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/16/15 9:28 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS TIPS: In January, the White Bass will be on a feeding frenzy, bulking up before making their annual run up the river to spawn. The Whites will be holding on the north end river channel sand bars. Concentrate on the inside bends of the river channel. Slab spoons, Rat-L- Traps and tail spinners are the go-to baits. Use your electronics to locate the bait- ﬁsh and you’ll locate the bass.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Lavon Bass Log Time in Timber by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake Timber and Rocks GPS: N 33 2.022, W 96 28.956 (33.0337, -96.4826)

84 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 84

2 0 1 6

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: Baptist Point GPS: N 32 52.79, W 97 28.64 (32.8798, -97.4773)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek HOTSPOT: North Bank on Eagle Point GPS: N 30 38.118, W 96 3.0779 (30.6353, -96.0513)

SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, jigs and small plastics. CONTACT: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598 johnnystevens@1scom.net johnnysguideservice.com TIPS: This area is really good this time of the year due to the north wind pushing shad onto the point. Work the lure very slowly. LOCATION: Fayette County HOTSPOT: Hog Pond Trees GPS: N 29 55.2779, W 96 43.056 (29.9213, -96.7176)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Worms or Punch Bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Catfish are in Pre-spawn mode. Fish 10’ of water, close to stumps, straight down with tight line. Chum will help too. T E X A S

F I S H

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Shad or CJ’s Punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.ﬁshtales-guideservice.com TIPS: This creek comes close to shore here. Fish 12-foot water using tight line. Large Blues pass through this creek area. Use a #6 treble hook for punch bait. LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Lower Ends GPS: N 32 22.78, W 97 42.336 (32.3797, -97.7056)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Creature Baits in Watermelon Green and Watermelon Red like Beaver Tails. Sexy Shad pattern KVD square bill cranks - 3 to 6 foot diver and 12-foot diver. White and chartreuse spinnerbaits. CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Bass are holding to timber and rocks. Using Creature Baits, Sexy shad KVD square bills and spinnerbaits. Use the spinnerbaits up shallow early and late or with cloud cover. When Fishing timber, make sure you bump that spinner into it. LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Man Lake Basin GPS: N 32 17.43, W 96 8.6219 (32.2905, -96.1437)

SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers and White Bass BEST BAITS: 1/8th oz. to 1oz shad imitating lures CONTACT: Jason Barber (903) 603-2047 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: On spinning and casting tackle spool 8 to 20lb line and present small to medium sized shad imitations vertically below the boat. Tap on the ﬂoor of the boat And watch your electronics in 30’ to 50’ of water. Anchor or drift and look for suspended ﬁsh 1’ to 10’ off bottom. Watch for light bites. 1/8th oz. to 1oz baits will work in various colors, just remember to make a lot of noise.

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Jerk baits fished on 3/4 to 1oz jigs in 20 to 40 feet of water. CONTACT: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 www.unfairadvantagecharters.com TIPS: Look for bird action to point you to active fish early. Later, look for schools of bait around 20 to 40 feet down on humps and ridges near access to deeper water. Be patient and work your jigs real slow through baitfish schools. Granbury water temperatures are in the upper 40’s and low 50’s and winter patterns are in full force. Birds continue to help anglers locate fish. Loons are your best friends. Cold fronts continue to dominate the weather patterns with the best fishing right before the front. Baitfish and predators are near the bottom of the channel and move up some on those warmer days. LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: Main Lake Open Water GPS: N 30 41.628, W 97 21.2339

G A M E ®

12/16/15 9:28 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS (30.6938, -97.3539)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Blue Catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, Zote Soap, Perch CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell (512) 365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Now is a good time to fish for blue catfish at Granger Lake. The cold north winds blow the baitfish to the south banks and concentrate the blue catfish in those locations. Use jug lines baited with your choice of bait to put some real nice fillets in the freezer. I like to use Zote Soap because of the ease of handling and it eliminates the gar problems (gar do not eat soap). I like to use a #11/0 Mustad circle tuna hook. Cut the Zote into 1/2 to 1 inch squares. I like to use 2 hooks per jug line with one hook about 6 feet below the surface and one about 6 feet off the bottom. Normally I use about a 20-foot line from weight to jug and set these in around 15 feet of water. You will have your best luck on the days when the weather is the nastiest with cold, wind, and rain. Try this out and you might just fill your freezer for the year. LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Power Plant Area GPS: N 33 4.4279, W 96 27.696 (33.0738, -96.4616)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Big Eye Jig in black/blue trailed with a black/blue Mister Twister Pocket Craw, Shimmy Shaker, Texas rigged Mr. Twister Swim Station, Top Shelf Texas spinnerbait with white single Colorado blade. CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: In January, bass ﬁshing will be best along the Kickapoo Creek area in 4 to 10 feet of water. Down south around the boathouses will be good as well. Fish around the front of boathouses that have brush in about 10 feet of water. LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps & Points GPS: N 33 22.6796, W 97 6.297 (33.3780, -97.1050)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Wolf, Indian, Buck Creeks GPS: N 33 26.114, W 96 59.4745 (33.4352, -96.9912)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Live bait, slabs, spoons CONTACT: Dannie Golden, Get Bit Guide Service 817-228-5999 www.get-bit.com TIPS: White bass can still be caught in January, but you have to be patient. Unlike other months you have to be ready to work your baits really slow. The gulls are gone by now, so electronics are key. Also a lot of the ﬁsh this time of year, will be really hanging tight to the bottom. Often, I will have my down scan zoomed in closer to the bottom to see them. Points or creek channel ledges will be holding ﬁsh. 32-38 feet of water is where I like to start looking. LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Big Creek Park Shoreline GPS: N 30 19.2419, W 96 34.908 (30.3207, -96.5818)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Cut Shad CONTACT: Rick Koonce 214-551-2304 rkoonce34@gmail.com www.rickslavonﬁshing.com TIPS: Fish the current from the power plant outlet in 20 to 26 feet of water. In windy conditions, use drift socks to slow the boat to the slowest possible drift. Using Carolina Rigs with 1/4 to 1/2 oz. egg sinker with 21 to 24 leaders, with 3-0 to 4.0 circle hooks. LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Kickapoo Creek and Main Lake Boat

SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Alabama/Umbrella rigs, swimbaits, jerkbaits CONTACT: Dannie Golden, Get Bit Guide Service 817-228-5999 www.get-bit.com TIPS: January is not a good month for numbers of bass, but can be a good month to catch a big bass on Roberts. There are a few baits that will be key in doing so. This month is one of the best months for the Alabama rig or umbrella rig. I like to use a Gene Larew Salty Swimmer on these. A small swimbait works great. Rocky main lake points, humps. and ridges are good places to target with the Alabama rig. A suspending jerkbait is also a good bait to use. I like a Strike King suspending bait in Sexy Shad. I also work it along these main lake points. This is also the time of year to break out the big rods with heavy line. I like to swing for the fences with big swimbaits this time of year. Big glide baits, like a Deps 250, will catch some giants this time of year. T E X A S

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 85

We don’t get many bites, but the ones we get are truly giants.

Houses GPS: N 32 17.7, W 95 30.186 (32.2950, -95.5031)

F I S H

G A M E ®

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Shad or CJ’s Punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Park is closed. Fish from shore casting out or anchor 40 yards off shore and fish back toward shore along edge of the cane. LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Paw Paw Creek and Willis Bridge GPS: N 33 53.9879, W 96 53.796 (33.8998, -96.8966)

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/16/15 9:28 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: Heavy Timbered Areas in the Richland Creek Arm GPS: N 31 57.354, W 96 17.1479 u TAP FOR (31.9559, -96.2858) ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Road Runner and Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: January is a big fish month at Lake Texoma. The cool water winter fishing is legendary. Large stripers up to 20+ pounds will hold on structure. A 7-foot medium heavy Castaway Rod with 20-pound test is recommended. The 1-ounce White Road Runner jigs with a white 7-inch worm will produce fish located on main lake points, the mouths of creeks and humps with deep water nearby. The cooler the weather the better the fishing holds true for these fighting fish. Bank Access: The Oil Wells and Texas Flats, using the same baits mentioned. Tie on half-ounce jigs if the seagulls are working near you. LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: State Park GPS: N 31 55.074, W 97 21.8219 (31.9179, -97.3637)

SPECIES: Channel and Blue Catfish BEST BAITS: Danny Kings Punch Bait CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: Find any timbered areas where the Cormorants Roost. Fish in 15’-25’ feet of water. Use a # 4 Treble Hook with Punch Bait. Keep a net handy as you’ll catch LOTS of 1 to 3 lb. fish, but you’re subject to hooking a MONSTER Blue Cat. Remember that RC is one of only three Lakes in the State with a slot on Blue Catfish. Fish between 30 and 45 inches must be returned to the Lake.

PANHANDLE

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

Hybrids Hover Near Poverty by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: STRIPAHOLIC jigs & 4 chartreuse slamming shad from rsrlures.com CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: With the cold water the baitﬁsh are lethargic and the striper bite can be soft at times. Dead sticking or strolling (slow trolling with electric motor) is working best. When dead sticking look for your schools of stripers or sand bass and locate your boat above them. Drop your bait down to just above their heads and do nothing. Wait for the bite and be quick with the hook set. Slow trolling is working with the same baits or swim baits as well. Remember when you think your ﬁshing slow enough, slow down some more.

86 |

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 86

2 0 1 6

LOCATION: Fort Phantom Hill Reservoir HOTSPOT: Poverty Point GPS: N 32 36.5339, W 99 40.049 (32.6089, -99.6675)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, spoons, jigs, swim tails, crankbaits CONTACT: Michael D. Homer, Jr. TPWD Abilene 325-692-0921 michael.homer@tpwd.texas.gov TIPS: Anglers can catch schooling hybrids striped bass by ﬁshing along Poverty Point in about 10-20 ft. of water. Lures such as chrome or pearl white T E X A S

F I S H

slabs and chrome spoons work well when ﬁshing off the lake bottom. Trolling along spillway cove and Poverty Point with 1 ¼ oz. white or chrome painted jigs with white or chartreuse 3-4 swimming tails or deep-diving crankbaits work well for catching hybrids. Fishing on calm days just after sunrise or just before sunset is likely to yield better results. Often on calm days, you can see schooling hybrids and white bass popping at the surface as they are preying on shad just after dawn or at dusk. If ﬁsh seem to be near the surface, a chrome-bodied suspending jerk bait with a blue or black back may yield a good catch. LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Main Lake Creeks GPS: N 33 3.432, W 101 2.8499 (33.0572, -101.0475)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crank baits, Shaky Head jigs, jigs, jerkbaits, and slow rolling spinnerbaits CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglobal.net www.lakealanhenry.com/norman_clayton.htm TIPS: Watch the weather forecast for a warm day just before a cold front comes through. I usually try to ﬁsh the steep banks about half way up the creeks, mainly Gobbler, Little Grape, Big Grape, and Ince. Also ﬁsh the steep banks on the main river using crank baits, shaky head jigs, jigs, and jerk baits. Spinnerbaits slowed rolled will also work. You will be looking for one or two big bites because the water will be in the mid to upper 30s. Fish Slow. LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Pickwick Bridge GPS: N 32 54.777, W 98 27.939 (32.9130, -98.4657)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: White bass & striped bass BEST BAITS: slabs, jigs CONTACT: Dean Heffner, Heffner Guide Service 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com

G A M E ®

12/16/15 9:28 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS TIPS: Break out your slabs and jigs, as it’s that time of year. Also, we dead stick some this time of year. Watch the birds and stay north of Costello Island. There are always ﬁsh around the submerged Pickwick bridge. It’s a new year and PK has a bumper crop of all species after the lake rose 15 feet over so much cover for the new hatchlings. I expect 20-pound stripers and a crappie rebound in 2016.

HILL COUNTRY

Launch a Missle at Canyon Bass by DUSTIN WARNCKE

BIG BEND

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 29 51.8292, W 98 11.8379 (29.8638, -98.1973)

Fast Draw for Amistad Bass

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Plastic worms, Senkos, Stanley Wedgetail Minnows, Roadrunners CONTACT: James Burkeen 830-734-9652 jjburkeen@gmail.com amistadbassin.com TIPS: Fish the rocky drop-offs with ultra-light equipment, letting the Wedgetail Minnows weightless Senkos or Roadrunners fall slowly and then lifting your rod up very lightly. The strikes often occur when the small lures are on the fall. Later in the day, use Carolina-rigged plastic worms in the deeper water when you ﬁnd second drop-offs near the channels.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Missle Baits mini-jigs, small white crankbaits, Senkos, Shaky Heads, Drop Shots, Uncle Josh pork trailers CONTACT: KC’S Bassin’ Guide Service 210-823-2153 kandie@gvtc.com www.kcbassinguide.com TIPS: Fish upriver, working vertical timber and stumps along 6-15 foot breaklines on southerly facing bluffs and along bluff walls inside of secondary points. For deeper bluff areas use Drop shot ¼ oz. Tungsten weight, on a good 6’10 MH like KC Kustoms drop shot rod. Useful colors are green pumpkin, Magic, Watermelon Candy, Watermelon Purple, Watermelon Red, Blue Flec. LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Canyon Park Point GPS: N 29 53.2559, W 98 13.638 (29.8876, -98.2273)

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 87

F I S H

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Slow rolling spinnerbaits, hard jerkbaits, drop-shots, and jigs CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide ServiceBarry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: Water temperature is cold and the bass and crappie are in their winter patterns. Most fish are deep off sharp drop-offs with ledges and brush. The best fishing occurs just before frontal passage and then a couple days after when the winds return from the south. The fish do not need to eat as often because the cold water slows their metabolism. Slower lure presentations work best this time of year. LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: Creek Inlets and Bedding Areas GPS: N 30 17.826, W 97 47.2739 u TAP FOR (30.2971, -97.7879)

ONLINE MAP

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Hogies 4 Super Shad in Pearl / Black Back CONTACT: Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures 210-573-1230 steve@sanantonioﬁshingguides.com www.sanantonioﬁshingguides.com TIPS: Look for the Striped Bass to be shallow T E X A S

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 29 52.38, W 98 14.874 (29.8730, -98.2479)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Salem Point Draws GPS: N 29 29.1299, W 101 5.8439 (29.4855, -101.0974)

(20-40 feet). They will be suspending over the river channel and feeding on the point in this area. Fishing the Super Shad close to the bottom produces ﬁsh in this area. Tight lines and Fish-On.

G A M E ®

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Cyclone and Picasso spinnerbaits, River2Sea S-Waver swim baits and crankbaits, T-rig or weightless rig with a V&M Wild Thang 8.5 worm or Chopstick CONTACT: Brian Parker - Lake Austin Fishing 817-808-2227 lakeaustinfishing@yahoo.com www.LakeAustinFishing.com TIPS: I generally try to find flats that are close to deeper/thick grass as this is the typical pattern for ambushing shad and smaller fish. Be prepared to throw multiple baits at the same area. I will usu|

J A N U A R Y

2 0 1 6

12/16/15 9:28 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS ally throw Cyclone and Picasso spinnerbaits along the edges and River2Sea S-Waver swim baits and cranks as well. If the moving baits aren’t pulling the bigger ﬁsh out, I’ll tie on a T-rig or weightless rig and use a V&M Wild Thang 8.5 worm or Chopstick to work just off the grass. Work from shallow to deeper water. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 47.808, W 98 26.79 (30.7968, -98.4465)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut bait or store-bought catfish baits CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@yahoo.com www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: Catfish is excellent for those with smaller boats and that are knowledgeable or brave to get up river where new water is coming in. Main lake is also good. This time of year you will mostly catch eating size fish. Concentrate on the brush edges using bobbers with bait just off bottom. Trophy catfish action should also be good. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Upper End of Main Lake GPS: N 30 52.062, W 98 25.668 (30.8677, -98.4278)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

LOCATION: Lake LBJ

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 88

2 0 1 6

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

digging into the rocks and pause often. The ﬁsh should be moving to the back of creeks by now in preparation of the spawn. LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 43.626, W 97 11.2199 (28.7271, -97.1870)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Slow rolling spinnerbaits, hard jerkbaits, drop-shots, and jigs CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide ServiceBarry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: This area is a good location this time of year. There is lots of deep water with rock and some deeper vegetation. The rocks hold some warmth and the fish naturally gravitate to that warmth. Many times the long point gives a good windbreak.

SOUTH TEXAS

Falcon Bass be Dammed by DUSTIN WARNCKE

SPECIES: Striped Bass and White Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, jigs and trolling baits for artiﬁcial. Shad, perch, and minnows for live bait. CONTACT: Ken Milam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: White bass, hybrids and stripers will be staging on the upper end of the main lake getting ready for the spawning run up the river. Live bait and artiﬁcials will both work well this time of year.

88 |

HOTSPOT: Bell Tower Point GPS: N 30 33.5039, W 98 21.24 (30.5584, -98.3540)

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N 26 33.648, W 99 9.738 (26.5608, -99.1623)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits: small white spinners with medium gold Colorado blades CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-960-0566 TIPS: January can be a great month to ﬁsh. The lake will be quiet. Lots of nice days. Water is cooler so ﬁsh are usually slower this time of year. Slow baits will be more effective. I actually like slow rolling a spinners this time of year. Fish right off drops along banks close to deep water. This is good time year to wear life jackets so be safe out on the water.

DIGITAL EXTRA: Locator Maps link to Google Maps online

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Flukes, Senkos, deep diving crankbaits, Brown/Orange jigs CONTACT: Bassin Billy’s Guide Service and Lodging 281-928-1133 billy34@gmail.com www.lakefalconfishing.com TIPS: Rocks are holding fish. Approach them with a Texas rig or Carolina rig and fish very slowly. When throwing the crankbait make sure you are T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

12/16/15 9:28 AM

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 89

12/16/15 9:28 AM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK JANUARY 2016

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.

T13 T6

T17

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the lower color boxes of the Calendar pages. Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE below to adjust times for points East and West of Galveston Channel.

T15 T16

T14 T18

T19

T20

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

T3 T2 T1

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. AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours. 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. 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 pds will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Pd, expect the best action of the season.

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

12a

Tab: Peak Fishing Period Green: Falling Tide

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

90 |

12p

12a

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

J A N U A R Y

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 90

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

2 0 1 6

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

12/16/15 9:28 AM

SYMBOL KEY

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

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Dec 31

Jan 1

Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 5:28p Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:28p Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:29p Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:30p Sunrise: 7:13a Moonrise: 8:57p Set: 9:29a Moonrise: 9:51p Set: 10:09a Moonrise: 10:44p Set: 10:45a Moonrise: 11:36p Set: 11:20a Moonrise: None

Set: 5:30p Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:31p Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:32p Set: 11:54a Moonrise: 12:27a Set: 12:28p Moonrise: 1:18a Set: 1:03p

AM Minor: 7:27a

PM Minor: 7:51p

AM Minor: 8:20a

PM Minor: 8:44p

AM Minor: 9:11a

PM Minor: 9:34p

AM Minor: 9:59a

PM Minor: 10:21p

AM Minor: 10:45a

PM Minor: 11:06p

AM Minor: 11:27a

PM Minor: 11:49p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:09p

AM Major: 1:14a

PM Major: 1:39p

AM Major: 2:09a

PM Major: 2:32p

AM Major: 3:00a

PM Major: 3:23p

AM Major: 3:49a

PM Major: 4:10p

AM Major: 4:34a

PM Major: 4:55p

AM Major: 5:17a

PM Major: 5:38p

AM Major: 5:58a

PM Major: 6:20p

Moon Overhead: 2:47a 12a

SATURDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 4:21a

Moon Overhead: 3:35a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:05a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:30a

Moon Overhead: 5:47a 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

28 «

JANUARY 2016

Tides and Prime Times

Moon Overhead: 7:13a 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 3:11p

+2.0

-1.0

BEST: 7:30 — 9:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 5:26p

BEST: 9:30 — 11:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 6:09p

Moon Underfoot: 6:51p

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

BEST: 11:00 P— 1:00A

Moon Underfoot: 7:35p

+2.0

BEST: 12:00 — 2:00 AM

TIDE LEVELS

BEST: 6:30 — 8:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 4:43p

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 3:58p