Texas Fish & Game May 2016

VOICE OF THE TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION Y.O. Ranch

Uniquely Texas

May 2016 | $3.95

Stripers On Top

Texoma Topwaters Hit or Miss?

Not Every Deer Drops Strategies for

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Death

by Gar?

Odd Outdoor Dangers

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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 LISA MOORE STAN SKINNER

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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 CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR COPY EDITOR

A D V E R T I S I N G ARDIA NEVES VICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR DIRECT PHONE:

(281) 869-5549

EMAIL: ANEVES@FISHGAME.COM DUSTIN WARNCKE • ADVERTISING SALES DIRECT PHONE:

(512) 497-7674

EMAIL: DWARNCKE@FISHGAME.COM LARRY DALTON • ADVERTISING COORDINATOR 1745 GREENS ROAD HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE: (281) 227-3001 • FAX (281) 784-2962

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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.

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Table of

MAY 2016 Volume 33 • NO. 1

Contents FEATURES

STRIPERS ON TOP

The late spring striper action is world class on Lake Texoma, the grandaddy of Texas striped bass fisheries. This is especially true for anglers stalking stripers with tropwater plugs.

COVER STORY: The State of High School Bass Fishing in Texas

College and high school bass fishing exploded onto the scene almost ten years ago. And Texas has been a driving force in the growth and popularity of this sport that pro angler Alton Jones believes will determine the future of recreational fishing.

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TF&G Staff Report Cover Photo by Chester Moore

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

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by Matt Williams

TREASURE MAP TO S.T.A.R. RICHES

A rundown of where to catch S.T.A.R. winning speckled trout, flounder, and (fingers crossed!) tagged redfish.

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TF&G Staff Report HIT OR MISS?

Just because a deer didn’t fall when you took your shot does not mean you missed it. Few deer, even heart shots, will drop on the spot. Here are a few tips to make sure an apparent miss wasn’t actually a hit.

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by Steve LaMascus

Father’s Day Special Section

DEATH BY GAR?

It is time once again to celebrate the contributions that outdoor fathers make in building the sportsmen of the future.

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A look at the odd side of outdoor dangers in Texas, from tangling with trotline-hooked gar to killer bees.

by TF&G Staff

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by Chester Moore

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Inside FISH & GAME

Contents (continued) COLUMNS

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by ROY and ARDIA NEVES TF&G Owners

Creation and Evolution

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OU MAY HAVE NOTICED A DIFFERENT LOOK to the TF&G logo on the cover of this issue. We have been contemplating this design update for a while, and felt that the best time to unveil it would be at the start of a new Volume Year, which occurs every May. This issue begins our 33rd.

The TEXAS FISH & GAME logo has evloved over the decades, as the magazine itself evolved from an upstart local newsprint publication to the nationally recognized, glossy magazine we work with today.

In 1997 we took steps to trademark our name and logo. This was unusual for a regional magazine. It turned out to be a challenge because the U.S. Patent and Trademark office at first ruled that the name was too “descriptive,” as if someone attempted to trademark “Bass Lure” or “Hand Loader.” But persistence and a healthy investment in persuasive legal firepower finally won out and we were awarded the trademark on the basis of our longstanding, dominant presence in the marketplace.

Nearly twenty years later, we continue to work hard to serve our market, and that effort means that we must continue to evolve, in both creativity and our ongoing commitment to excellence.

The logo change is part of a general overhaul that is more than cosmetic, as you will see as you go through the remainder of this issue.

Evolution of the TF&G logo, In redrawing some of the architecture from May 1984 to May 2016. of TEXAS FISH & GAME, we have created a new section that we are branding TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION. This new section is our way of acknowledging—and celebrating—the indisputable truth that, in all aspects, especially its grand outdoors, Texas remains a nation unto itself.

From TF&G’S beginning in 1984, our mandate has been to provide outdoor content that is “just about Texas.” And, from cover-to-cover, that is still what we do. But this new section highlights the things that make Texas unique in the world, truly a nation of vast outdoor resources and a collective spirit that is found in no other place on Earth.

We have re-packaged some existing content items, re-engineered others, and implemented a few new ideas. We hope it helps you explore, enjoy and celebrate this great land we call home.

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Editor’s Notes

by Chester Moore

TF&G Editor in Chief

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Doggett at Large

by Joe Doggett

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

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Pike on the Edge

by Doug Pike

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

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Nugent in the Wild

by Ted Nugent

DEPARTMENTS

Commentary

8 LETTERS 90 FISH AND GAME

TF&G Editor At Large

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by Kendal Hemphill

TF&G Political Commentator

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Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales

TF&G Saltwater Editor

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Bare Bones Hunting

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106 TF&G PHOTOS NEW SECTION

by Lou Marullo

TF&G Hunting Editor

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Texas Freshwater

by Matt Williams

TF&G Freshwater Editor

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Texas Boating

by Lenny Rudow

TF&G Boating Editor

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Practical Angler

by Greg Berlocher

TF&G Contributing Editor

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Texas Guns

by Steve LaMascus

TF&G Firearms Editor

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Open Season

by Reavis Wortham

48 UNIQUELY TEXAS 52 TF&G REPORT 52 TEXAS HOT SHOTS

54 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

TF&G Humor Editor

56 TEXAS DEPT. OF

104 Texas Tasted

60 TEXAS COASTAL

by Bryan Slaven

The Texas Gourmet

www.FishGame.com

CONSERVATION FOCUS

70 TEXAS FISHING HOTSPOTS

84 PRIME TIMES

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LETTERS to the Editor Snakes

Lamascus Fan

THE ARTICLE ABOUT AUSTIN STEvens (feature article, March 2016) and rattlesnakes was intriguing. It is interesting to hear a perspective on rattlesnakes from someone who deals with them so much.

I agree that it is a shame these animals are misunderstood and while it is understandable people have some fear of them they are a valuable part of the environment.

I HAVE BEEN READING STEVE Lamascus comments about various calibers of rifles and wish to share with you my latest project. We have a deer lease in Lampasas County that we have been on for over 20 years and have been practicing selective harvesting of our herd. The ranch is in the Lucy Creek Wildlife Management area. In 2014 I was able to take a 12 point 150 B&C buck at 502 yards with an older model 77 Ruger 25-06. That’s another story.

I was talking with a good friend, who custom loads ammunition, about what would make a good custom rifle and he made an interesting suggestion. I was able to buy a used/abused Howa 1500 in .30-06 thru gun trader for $350. We found a local gunsmith who mounted a Shilen 26-inch # 3 contour barrel on the Howa in 6.5 X 06, reamed the barrel to Ackley Improved, and did the bluing for $450. A Boyd thumbhole laminated stock for $99 and a Burris Fullfield II 3-10 X 50 on a one-piece base that I already owned completes the rig. The finished rifle is a real beauty and shoots like crazy! I was able to take six deer this past season with it, at ranges from 175 to 300 yds.

My current load for this rifle is Win Super X .30-06 brass necked down to 6.5, WLR primers, 60 grains of Reloder 22 behind a 120-grain Nosler ballistic tip bullet. My reloader estimates that this combo is pushing the Nosler bullet at around 3,400 fps. We will be going to the range this spring to run chronograph tests to verify muzzle velocity.

Good hunting.

Ella Gardner The Q&A with Austin Stevens Snakemaster regarding rattlesnakes brought back lots of memories.

We used to see big diamondbacks on some property we had near the Brazos River.

Every once in awhile we would shoot one to fry up at camp but most of the time we let them slither by as long as they did not slither too close.

Jason Kemp Editor: I have also shot a rattlesnake to eat before but quite frankly don’t like the meat enough to take out another one. I would much rather take my snake sticks and move them elsewhere if needed. The more I learn about them, the more I understand the role they play. And also the more I learn people should keep a good distance between themselves and those fangs.

Playing around with rattlers is generally not a good idea unless you really know what you’re doing and what kind of trouble you could bring upon yourself.

7 ½ to 8 feet. In your professional opinion, what do you think?

Love the magazine.

Andre Dawson

MR. DOGGETT, I JUST READ YOUR article on snakes (Doggett at Large, April 2016). Thought I would share a picture.

This was taken in 2014 near the La SalleMcMullen County border.

It was an oil patch worker who worked for the same client as I did. I was told it measured 9 feet, but I think it was really more like

Joe Doggett: Thanks for sending the photo of the big diamondback. It looks very impressive (with a realistic girth proportional to a really long snake), but I’m not a qualified judge of images these days.

The fact that the guy is extending the snake from his body suggests that the snake image was enlarged. Maybe, maybe not. Somebody savvy with computers probably could tell more; sadly, it’s easy to alter images.

Regardless, I would say that it’s a very large rattler. Too bad a qualified herpetologist wasn’t there to bag and transport it to a zoo. If it was anywhere near the size claimed it would have been a magnificent find.

This, of course, is assuming nobody stepped on it…

Thanks again, and look twice around those mesquite and pear clumps.

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Ken Nolte Editor: Steve is a great writer and has a way of inspiring readers to try out some of the things he writes about. That makes it exciting for us to publish his gun writing every month. Thanks for sharing with us.

Send your comments to: editor@fishgame.com

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EDITOR’S Notes

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

Texas Outdoor Nation

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RE YOU FROM Texas?”

The question came from a tall gentlemen across the table at a beautiful fishing lodge on Mexico’s Lake Agua Milpa.

I was a little taken back because I don’t have much of an accent and had only been at the table for a few minutes.

“Yes, why do you ask sir?”

“Because, no one else thinks like that. No one thinks like a Texas accept a Texan,” he said.

The conversation had been about gun rights and although this occurred in 1998, I remember having unique opinions at the table.

Maybe what he said was true. Only Texans think like Texans.

Just as the old tourism slogan used to say, “Texas-it’s like a whole other country.”

That is true geographically as only Alaska tops Texas in land mass and as you will see in another article this month, there are many other outdoor attributes that truly set us apart.

But there is something else.

From its very foundations Texas produced rugged individualists that play by their own set of rules. And while it is easy to think that involves wearing a hat, cowboy boots and roping steers, that’s not the point. That’s a part of Texas culture that’s easy to see, but the underlying streak of individualism is much more powerful.

Whether it’s venture capitalists, cowboys, fishing guides or outdoor journalists such as myself there is no way to label what is Texas unless you see it or experience it. This is especially true in the outdoor world.

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any bandwagon, Texas is in many ways its own territory—unique unto itself.

And that is why this month we introduce Texas Outdoor Nation.

It has always been our desire to bring you the most in-depth outdoor coverage in the state but we realized we are more than just a state when it comes to fishing, hunting, wildlife and guns.

Texas Outdoor Nation is now a section of the magazine featuring a monthly uniquely Texas story. This month we feature the YO Ranch Headquarters and will tap into things within our borders you just cannot find anywhere else. And we are bringing in other departments under the banner and unifying

the vision of Texas-centric in everything from our conservation coverage to fishing tips.

In doing so we will be seeking out not just sources, but those that embody the unique spirit of innovation in the outdoors. Whether it is the guides who run airboats up the Brazos to catch flatheads in the deep holes hidden by drought, or deer hunters who hunt without bait or permanent stands in the national forests in East Texas’ Pineywoods.

We have always covered those types of things, but I think we have at times missed the boat on digging into the unique nature of Texas deer hunting for example. You can read how to hunt deer hundreds of places, but what about how to hunt deer in Texas? And not only Texas but what about in the Post Oak F I S H

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Savannah or Trans Pecos or Hill Country?

Each has its individual rut seasons, preferred foods, etc.

We are focusing intensely on those Texas specifics-even down to very localized areas to bring you information you flat out will find nowhere else. We are proud of what we have but refuse to rest on our laurels.

This is the 32nd anniversary of the publication, and we are excited to push ourselves to help you enjoy your time in this Texas Outdoor Nation at a new level.

And it is coming to the web as well.

Beginning now you will see a Texas Outdoor Nation area of fishgame.com with new bloggers who have that Texas spirit and are bringing a different angle to the things we commonly enjoy in the Texas outdoors.

Last year I wrote of the frustration of outdoor lovers identifying themselves as “topwater specialists” or “primitive only bowhunters” or whatever. I in fact said that from now I was just calling myself a Texan.

And that is where I am today. I am of course a blessed citizen of the United States of America but in terms of the outdoor world I live in, it is about the Texas Outdoor Nation.

After all, where else would a ponytail wearing, flounder fishing, follower of Christ who believes in gun rights, but is more interested in bullsnakes than bullets fit?

But you see it is not about fitting. I couldn’t care less about that. It is about having a place big enough and unique enough to spread my wings and seek out destiny.

That is what we have in Texas, and that is what Texas’s forefathers saw here. Scholars have written at length about their desires and ambitions but in reality it can be summarized in one word.

Freedom.

Let it ring!

Email Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com

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DOGGETT at Large

by JOE DOGGETT :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Limiting Out on the Regs

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HE COMBINATION OF A green tide and a bent rod can bring many pleasant surprises along the Texas coast. But an unexpected catch might pose a difficult question: Is it legal?

Several years ago, while wading the Galveston surf, I drew a sharp strike on a live shrimp under a popping cork. The fish was not large but it pulled hard, similar to a small jack.

It plodded close, flashing bright in a lifting swell. It was a small pompano. The delicious pompano are not unheard of in the Texas surf, but neither are they particularly plentiful. At least, I’ve seldom caught them.

This one looked about 12 or 13 inches in length. Naturally, I didn’t have a bloody, freaking clue if it was of legal length, and it was a bit on the runty side. I eyed the dapper little fish uncertainly then reluctantly flipped the No. 8 treble free with a pair of pliers.

Back at home, I was dismayed to discover that the “Bag and Length Limits for Saltwater Fish” in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Hunting and Fishing Regulations booklet did not even list pompano. You could have filled an Igloo with them. Or, if you just got a raise, maybe a Yeti.

Does the confusion sound familiar?

Chances are, once you get past the basics of speckled trout and redfish, the “regs” get a little muddled. For example, what are the limits on tripletail?

I “disremembered” until I consulted the 2015-16 booklet—three per day, 17-inch minimum with no maximum length limit.

How about Spanish mackerel? It’s a generous 15 per day with a 14-inch minimum. That’s a bounty for the jetty or surf pier angler.

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limit on the gafftop catfish targeted by beachfront bait-soakers? There is no bag limit but a 14-inch minimum length is imposed.

Quick, let’s have the lowdown on sheepshead. Frankly, I didn’t know until I cheated with the booklet. It’s five per day, with a 15-inch minimum. I assumed the minimum would have been less, maybe 12 inches, but there you go.

Down south, you might luck into a snook while fishing for specks and reds off the Isla Blanca jetty or maybe in the Brownsville Ship Channel. Well? One per day is allowed, with a slot-type length between 24 and 28 inches.

On the subject of slot limits, it probably doesn’t hurt to re-rack the red drum regs: three per day between 20 and 28 inches (one oversized fish allowed per license year when affixed with the properly completed Red Drum Tag).

And, now that we’re dealing with drum, how about the red’s glum cousin, the black drum? It’s five per day between 15 and 30 inches (with one over 52 inches per day, counting as part of the bag limit). Again, I’d forgotten most of that until I peeked.

For many of us, It’s a good idea to obtain a free copy of the regs and study up. Even at that, the many specifics are easy to forget or confuse. Running a photo copy of the two pages of saltwater limits sounds good in theory, but the chances are excellent you won’t have the information within reach when a mysto-fish comes to hand.

By the time you can find the tattered, folded cheat sheet in the boat console or tackle bag, the poor fish probably will have expired. No, probably better to trust to memory—and an accurate measuring device.

Measurements are easy enough in a boat or on a pier, not so simple when wading or rock walking. Many anglers place marker wraps on their rods—a great idea for a quick and handy measurement. Of course, we’re talking here about specks (15 and 25, with one over-sized fish per day permitted) and reds. That’s already a total of four marker wraps.

The obvious problem arises with all the oddball fish. Now you’ve got all sorts of wraps altering the clean cosmetics of your high-dollar F I S H

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rod, and no small problem trying to figure what is what and which is which. Color-coding might help but, again, this does nothing for the looks of the stick.

It’s worth emphasizing again that some reasonably abundant inshore species are not regulated as sport species by TPWD. Joining my reprieved pompano are bluefish, croaker, sand trout, whiting, ladyfish, and gray (mangrove) snapper.

The latter semi-tropical species is becoming reasonably common in South Texas, and the recent mild winter only should increase the population and distribution of this inshore snapper. The same, happily, can be said for snook.

While considering legal length limits, be advised that TPWD permits the bending or squeezing of the tail fin to attain maximum length. This dodge will gain a fraction or two, perhaps allowing a “short” fish to legally slip into the bag. I suppose this makes sense since it’s still all fish against a flat surface or a straight marker.

But, at the opposite end of a slot limit, the tilted tail might cost you. In other words, a 28-inch red taped with a normally fanned tail might grow into an over-sized 28 1/2 incher in the hands of a squeeze-happy warden. This is something to consider.

Of course, you’ve got the one-over card to play. Well, this is assuming a 30 incher isn’t already in the box.

The savvy angler should spend some time reviewing the likely regulations pertaining to the water within reach. Several guys riding together to the beach could do worse than to quiz each other.

But, eventually, most of us will be caught with a question mark flapping on the end of the line. The best policy is to turn the mysto-fish free. To the best of my knowledge, no one yet has been cited for prompt catch-and-release.

Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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PIKE on the Edge

by DOUG PIKE :: TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Early, Old, Young and Empty

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HERE ARE STARK DIFFERences between young and old, early and late, empty and full. And nowhere are those contrasts more vivid than in the outdoors.

If you’re 40 miles offshore late one afternoon and your ice chest is empty, it’s not been a good day of fishing. If you’re in that same boat and the ice chest is full but the fuel tank

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is empty, your day just got worse—and longer.

That happened to me once during a billfish tournament. The boat’s owner/captain, a pretender in hindsight, assured us he’d topped the tank and calculated how much fuel we’d need to fish all day. We’d make port that evening, he assured, with nearly a quarter tank in reserve.

The man was an accountant by profession and a good one, but he was way better at counting dollars than gallons.

It was nearly dark, about nine miles off Port O’Connor, when the “You’re out of gas, dumbass” buzzer sounded. The three of us who weren’t in charge looked at the man who was, but he wouldn’t look back.

On his sixth phone calls to “great friends” he believed would leave their homes and families, launch their boats, ride out to us and tow his

fuel-less boat back to port, he found a sucker.

Four hours after that, we were back at the dock.

Ten minutes after that, I shook that owner/ captain’s hand for the last time.

Early to bed and early to rise encourages health, wealth and wisdom, so the adage goes.

Late to bed and late to rise works well for teenagers on weekends and retirees pretty much any day, but that’s a bad schedule for fishing unless the only species you chase are bonefish and permit.

While I was writing for the Houston newspaper, Joe Doggett and I made several trips to The Bahamas. On my first, Doggett explained that bonefish were best stalked under high sun.

No need to answer any early alarm, he said.

The fish move with the tide, not the sun.

Which is true, but where there are bonefish,

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there also tend to be barracudas eager to dine on those silver bullets. Big ‘cudas, too, exciting fish in shallow water.

Our guides were young, but had no interest in launching before full sun to chase anything not wearing a skirt. After I repeated a story one of those Bahamians told me; however, Doggett agreed to rise just before dawn and plug a flat near the airstrip on Walker’s Cay. We took casting rods and topwaters, and witnessed (for several mornings in a row) some of the most violent strikes I’ve seen.

In gray light, the blasts startled us. We couldn’t see the fish coming, but we certainly knew when they arrived. As the sky brightened, we could see those sleek barracudas streaking toward the lures and, without hesitation, slamming headlong into them.

That final pairing, young and old, is the one that bothers me—mostly because I’m way nearer the latter than the former. It once was easy to dismiss the occasional gray hair atop my head or sprouting within an ear or nostril, but no more. They don’t outnumber the darker ones yet, not anywhere, but the blond tide fell slack a couple of years ago and has switched now to a silver incoming.

There are advantages to seniority that reach far beyond those discounts where you can eat an unhealthy but satisfying breakfast on the way to a proper fishing or hunting trip.

Deliver the right phrase with the right emotion and overacting, I’ve learned, and you can get young people to do just about anything.

Most hunters and fishermen, in addition to safety and etiquette, were taught to respect their elders. I was, as were all the people with whom I’ve fished or hunted more than a couple of times.

So are their sons and daughters, as is my son, being raised to believe that old folks know a lot and deserve special consideration. Seniors have stories to tell, sometimes over and over and over. They’re like gurus or doctors or teachers. They merit respect, even if we’re meeting them for the first time.

So if you find yourself in the position of camp elder, milk that status for its full value.

Squeeze that thing and yank it dry.

“Could one of you fellows lend a hand with this duffel,” I may ask as we unload the truck.

“My back [reach hand around and tap the spot just above your middle belt loop] has been acting up, and I don’t want to risk missing the chance to hunt with you guys. Who knows?

Could be my last trip.”

In the evening, you can save some energy

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and see more of that Gunsmoke rerun with this one.

“Would somebody kindly go into the kitchen and get me another piece of that cherry pie?

My foot’s a little tender, and I probably should keep it propped on this ottoman.”

Aging is not especially fun if the only thing you look at is your age. Our physical tanks may be running close to empty, but getting where we’ve been, down so many outdoor paths has filled our hearts and minds with great

memories.

Next time you’re in a room with a bunch of younger people, tell them a few fishing and hunting stories—after they bring you some cherry pie.

Email Doug Pike at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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NUGENT in the Wild

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

Celebrate The Spirit

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S I JETTISON FEROCIOUSly into the soul cleansing, spirit intoxicating month of September with fresh Rocky Mountain elk blood on my Buck knife and hands, please excuse me while I attempt to control my over-active emotion glands!

Lord have mercy! Son and best hunting buddy Toby and I just returned from the ultimate elk hunt in Colorado with the Primos BloodBrothers, being blessed with the gift from The Great Spirit of a ginormous Hill Ranch wapiti monster! I look to the heavens and am compelled to share, celebrate and promote the truth about hunting far, far beyond the choir.

This pure, perfect, hands-on conservation celebration will end up in numerous blogs, websites, magazines, media interviews, on social media and beyond to educate, stimulate and share this truth around the world to tens of millions of people.

I will start with the amazing post by Toby on his facebook that brought tears of joy to my eyes and sums up perfectly the spirit of our hunting lifestyle.

Happy Fall BloodBrothers. Happy Spirit of the Wild fall!

Flourishing Wildlife In Harmony With “All The Above” Energy Production My elk hunting buddy Jimmy Primos excitedly shared his elk stalking thrills with us all back at camp.

Seems he and his Hill Ranch Colorado guide Paul had heard a squealing bull elk up over the next ridge, with the subtle “mews” of cow elk echoing from the stunning wilderness forests all around.

Carefully playing the wind for a sneaky approach, they cautiously made their way up the steep, thick timbered Rocky Mountain slopes with visions of majestic stags and gorgeous venison bearing beasts before them.

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Ever so slowly getting closer and closer to the sounds of bugling bulls, they finally peered over the dense oak puckerbrush with high hopes of pulling the trigger on one of America’s most impressive big game animals.

There in the small clearing was indeed a wonderful trophy, but not the kind you can eat or hang on the wall. However, this particular trophy is appreciated by all human beings as the commodity by which Jimmy and I were able to get to Colorado for our dream elk hunt.

The squealing sounds that lured my friends up and over the mountain wasn’t elk speak, but rather energy speak, as the pumpjack creaked and groaned away pumping natural gas from far beneath the pristine wilderness mountain top terrain.

Here on the vast Hill Ranch outside of Trinidad Colorado, like thousands of privately owned properties across America, wildlife and flora and fauna rich wilderness thrives side by side with gas, oil, shale, coal, wind, solar and hydro driven energy production.

Our energy requirements and love of wild things is not only not mutually exclusive, it is proven to be highly beneficial to both.

Like the lichen enhancing heat from Alaska pipelines benefitting caribou, to the game rich bio-diversity of reclaimed coal mines in the east, the great fishing around oil platforms in the oceans, wildlife populations actually increase and expand as a result of energy development.

Sorry Al Gore, but the polar bears floating away on the ice floe is what polar bears do.

I just spent the week getting my Rocky Mountain high elk fix in with my wonderful son Toby and a camp full of great Americans, where we were surrounded by the healthiest elk and mule deer herds to be found anywhere in the world.

Throughout the gorgeous, healthy landscape, dotting the coniferous forested mountains were methane gas wells, running 24/7/365, surrounded by herds of elk, mule deer galore, more black bears and cougars than ever in recorded history, eagles, songbirds of every description, marmots, ground squirrels, porcupines, gophers, coyotes, badgers, bobcats F I S H

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and every indigenous species or critter that Jeremiah Johnson probably encountered, just more of them.

Long known for its coal and gold mining, eternal timber production, cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, and various agriculture in the bottomlands, the wild Colorado we enjoyed this opening week of elk and deer season in the Rockies proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the enviro-whackos must have started doping it up many years before it was legalized in these parts.

Hunters from around the world will once again descend on these game rich traditional hunting grounds and like my son and I, will harvest big and small game in record numbers while energy production rages on nonstop all around us.

I didn’t get fooled by the elk sounding squeaks of a pump station, but I did merrily leap up a steep mountainside one fine morning to ambush a regal old stag with my Savage .300 Winchester Magnum rifle and the aim small miss small sniper discipline that my dear old dad taught me.

The soul stirring excitement of another phenomenal annual was captured by Toby running our Spirit of the Wild vidcam for all the world to see on Outdoor Channel how the old Motorcity guitar player gets high on nature while providing the most delicious, natural, renewable, healthy, nutritious, organic, free range protein available to mankind to my family, friends, neighbors and charities. And lots of it!

As we loaded up the stunning antlers, hide and sacred flesh into our pickup truck, we did not have to be reminded about our inescapable consumerism, or how hunters just live it more honorably and honestly, naturally sharing this sacred earth with our brothers the beasts, and how we need to fuel our trucks to get the job done.

You can’t grill it till you kill it, and you can’t hump it till you pump it.

Email Ted Nugent at tnugent@fishgame.com

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TF&G COMMENTARY

by KENDAL HEMPHILL :: TF&G Political Editor

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F I WERE PRESSED TO PUT MY finger on a date in history, a specific moment when we lost the battle, I would say it happened on June 26, 1934. That was the day the Second Amendment was lost, forever, and the right to keep and bear arms disappeared, vanished, from the face of the earth.

The right was not taken away from us, because rights cannot be taken away. They can only be given up, surrendered—relinquished.

The American people voluntarily abandoned a God-given prerogative of self-defense over eighty years ago. I seriously doubt we will ever get that right back.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Private ownership of guns is still legal in the U.S., so we never really lost our right to keep and bear arms. We still have that right, or else we would no longer have guns at all.

Unfortunately, this is not true.

On June 26, 1934, America made a purchase, similar to the one made by Jabez Stone in the old story, “The Devil and Daniel Webster.” We traded something of great value in exchange for something worthless. This time there won’t be a lawyer like Webster coming to defend us against our folly, to win an unwinnable battle for us.

Before the National Firearms Act was passed by the 73rd Congress, American citizens had the right to keep and bear arms.

Once that bill, Statute 1236, became law, our right was gone, and in its place was a privilege.

There is a huge difference between a right and a privilege.

As mentioned, a right cannot be taken away, only given up. Rights come from God, and if you don’t believe in God you can name another higher power to whom to ascribe the granting of rights.

Even atheists, however, must admit that

“ A right cannot be taken away, only given up.

“

Right to Lose

rights are not granted by human largess. All humans being equal, no one person has more power than another, and a right is a possession that must come from a being with more power than the receiver. We can respect one another’s’ rights, but we cannot grant them, and we cannot take them away. If we say we have taken a right from someone, we are saying we are not equal to that person, but greater.

A privilege is a license, a watered-down right, given by a person or entity in a position of power to one who is under that power.

Privileges can include almost anything we can think up. Rights are very basic and specialized.

We never had many rights to begin with, so the loss of one is not to be taken lightly.

Some rights we all recognize are mentioned

in the Declaration of Independence, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The same sentence includes where those rights came from, our Creator, and mentions the fact that we are all equal. It also says these facts are self-evident, meaning we don’t have to explain them, because everyone already knows these things. At least, at one time everyone knew them. I’m not sure anymore.

But during the bad old days of a hundred years ago, after the War To End All Wars was over, and everything was supposed to be civilized, we decided we wanted to buy safety.

Safety was thought to be extremely desirable, and therefore valuable, so we had to buy it with T E X A S

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something that was also very valuable—a right.

So we bought safety, paying for it with our right to keep and bear arms, our right to self-defense.

When the sun came up the next morning,we found that we had indeed given up a right, but what we had bought was an illusion. We found we were still not safe. The entity that had promised to protect us was inadequate to do so. It still is. We had stationed a guard outside the henhouse, but the fox was locked inside with the chickens.

Some of us almost get it. Almost. A recent article decried the claim, made by many of late, that “The Second Amendment is my gun permit.” The article pointed out that this is not true, and that saying that the Second Amendment gives us the right to keep and bear arms is the same thing as saying that right was granted by the government. The Second Amendment, the article said, never granted us a right; it only protected a right that was already ours.

Before June 26, 1934, this was correct. We had a right to be armed then. But once that law was passed, we no longer had a right, we had a privilege, and privileges can easily be infringed.

Every time some court strikes down a gun ban, or forces a city to issue concealed weapon permits, or rules that a homeowner is allowed to defend his family, the fact is reinforced that we don’t have a right to keep and bear arms.

Instead, we are dependent on our government to tell us what we can and cannot do. We are asking for privileges. Any court that can grant us those privileges can also take them away.

We could, conceivably, regain our right to keep and bear arms, but that would involve two huge steps. We would first have to give up our illusion of safety, and then we would have to water the tree of liberty. But the Second Amendment branch of that tree has been dry for more than eighty years. It may never sprout again.

Email Kendal Hemphill at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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PHOTO COURTESY STRIPER EXPRESS

4/7/16 9:24 AM

Stalking Striped Bass with Topwaters story by Matt Williams THE STRIPED BASS MAY NOT rank at the top of statewide popu-

of a fast and easy meal.

Translation: It’s a terrible time

larity polls with Texas freshwater

to be a threadin or gizzard on the

anglers, but it certainly isn’t for a lack

74,686-acre Texas/Oklahoma border

of effort. Pound for pound, ounce

fishery. But it’s a grand time to be a

for ounce and inch for inch, Morone

striper fisherman, especially one with

saxatilis is arguably among the hard-

a topwater plug tethered snugly to

est hitting and strongest fighting fish

the end of your fishing line.

finning around out there.

Widely known for its brute strength and territorial disposition, the ferocious striper might best be

Ask any Texoma salt and they will tell you. The late spring topwater fishing is typically world class.

“It happens every year, usually

described as an NFL linebacker and

about the last week of April or the

pit bulldog wrapped into a silvery

first of May,” said Bill Carey off

stick of dynamite tipped with a short fuse.

Pottsboro. “The shad move into the shallows to spawn and the stripers move up there right along with them.

It can be like a blood bath out there at times. Those stripers are there for one reason, and that’s to feed. When it’s on, it’s some of the most incredible fishing

That fuse becomes particularly short during late spring

you have ever seen. They will literally crucify a topwater bait.”

Carey should know. He’s a former

at Lake Texoma, where

largemouth nut who turned striper

armies of the saltwater transplants

freak in the late 1970s. That’s when

—their metabolisms on turbo charge

he made is first trip to Texoma, one

with warming water temperatures—

of the few freshwater reservoirs in the

gravitate toward the shallows to

world with a self-sustaining striper

patrol shorelines and flats in search

population.

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PHOTO COURTESY STIPER EXPRESS

From that point forward, the only way Carey could fully feed his fishing addiction was by going after striped bass. He liked it so much that he eventually moved to the lake and started one lake’s premier striper fishing guide businesses in 1983.

Fittingly called Striper Express, Carey’s guide service caters exclusively to anglers who prefer to throw artificial baits. Now 64, Carey has since turned over the fishing end of business to his son, Chris, who is just as passionate about the sport as his dad, if not more.

Even so, the elder Carey remains closely connected to Texoma and striped titans that live there. I recently asked the striped bass guru to share some tips to help anglers better capitalize on the Texoma topwater bite. Here is what he had to offer:

Late spring is a good time to chase big stripers in the shallows with topwaters.

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TARGET HIGH PERCENTAGE AREAS: In May, when the fish are up shallow feeding on spawning shad, be sure to key on flats, islands, points or shorelines with deep-water access. Carey says the best areas are those that provide the fish with a route to travel from deep water to shallow.

BE AN EARLY BIRD: Be on the water casting at first light. The best bite typically lasts about an hour to 90 minutes, but it can last longer under cloudy conditions or when the skies are threatening rain.

DON’T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN: Stay alert and be ready from the beginning to the end of every cast. A big striper is apt to come calling anytime the lure is in the water; it makes no difference whether the bait is five feet from the boat or 50.

HEAD ‘EM OFF AT THE PASS: July is when main lake schooling activity reaches its peak. Carey says he has seen huge schools of stripers as large as a mile long and 1/4 mile wide moving down the lake at a fast clip as they have their way with roving pods of shad.

The striper expert believes that the larger fish are almost always at the leading edge of the school. For that reason, he says it is always a good idea to circle wide, get in position and wait for the schooling fish to come to you rather than running into the school and potentially spooking them.

Key areas for summer schooling activity

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include Soldier’s Creek/Oilwell Point, Dam and Texas bank to Little Mineral Creek (also nicknamed Striper Alley) and the Roosevelt bridge up the Washita arm (better known as the Alberta Creek run).

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE: A big striper will often times short strike a lure or slap it with its tail in an attempt to stun or injure what it believes to be a baitfish. Carey says it is important to not jerk the bait away from a short striking fish. Instead, just give the lure an occasional twitch to help the fish relocate the lure. The fish will often times come back and crush it the second time around.

WAIT BEFORE YOU SET: Never set the hook until you feel the fish. When you feel the fish, cross its eyes to plant the hooks deep.

PLAY THE WIND: Always play the wind, especially when targeting long, narrow points.

Position the boat so the wind will blow it across or the length of the point, then loop pack and do it again. Never start the big motor.

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THE RIGHT CASTS: Always cast topwaters into the wind. This keeps your line tight at all times.

COLOR CHARTS: Use dark colored baits such as black/foil belly or menhaden in low light or cloudy conditions and go with lighter colors like blue/chrome, white/red or clear to prolong the bite once the sun gets up.

THE RIGHT BAITS: In calm conditions, use stick baits like a Zara Spook. In windy, choppy conditions popper-style baits like a Cordell Pencil Popper or Storm Chug Bug are the orders of the day.

THE RIGHT SET-UP: Don’t use too much rod or too little line. Carey says the best topwater set-up is a seven-foot medium action and 20-pound test Trilene Big Game line.

Reel spools should be fully spooled to prevent a big striper from emptying the spool on a hard run.

do. If he’s not stripping line, keep a tight line and stay in the fight. A striper will fight you all the way to the boat and then try to bite you when you remove the hook.

HOOK SHARP, HOOK SMART: Stripers have tough mouths. Keep close check on your hooks to make sure they are needle sharp. It could make a difference in getting a hook in a fish that short strikes the bait. Plus, it will provide better hook penetration on a fish that eats the lure.

LINE CHECK: Perform regular inspections for line fraying two to three feet above your bait. If you find frays or nicks, retie before making another cast.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES: If you see a fish move, get a bait in there on top of it quick.

Hit the fish on the head with it if you can.

If shad are flitting about the surface, hang on tight.

MAINTAIN CONTROL: Never, ever, give a striper a slack line. His head is always violently shaking and he’ll throw the bait if you

4/7/16 9:24 AM

X Matagorda Surf Specks

X X

Midcoast Reds in Sea Grass

Shell & Grass Specks

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Baffin & Mansfield Trout

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Laguna Reds in Intracoastal

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North Bay Flounder

Popping Corks for Sabine Specks

X Reds on the Galveston & Sabine Jetties

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ATCHING A tagged redfish has become the dream of many anglers along the Texas Gulf Coast.

And while they are dispersed all over the state and move around plenty once released, one thing is for sure. You have to be where redfish congregate to catch them. So here are some tips on finding summer reds in Texas.

In the summer, mid-coast reds will be feeding in seagrass beds in Aransas and Redfish Bays. Some of these areas are off limits to boats with propellers but those in which anglers can fish without restrictions are best fished with live bait. Live croaker or mullet pitched in the sand holes between grass pockets is a sure way to score on reds.

In the Laguna Madre area, anglers will be targeting reds up through fall along the edges of the Intracoastal and in the many little inlets between Corpus Christi and Port Mansfield.

Topwaters like the Top Dog, Jr.

GRAPHIC LAYOUT: TF&G:

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Where to Catch S.T.A.R. Winning Specks, Flounder and (Hopefully) Tagged Reds

X

TF&G Staff Report

and Skitter Walk are great for sightcasting to these reds in the region’s super clear waters.

Anglers should keep in mind that reds have what can best be described as a “cone of vision”. They can see about 180 degrees and the most likely strikes will be found in front of the red and perhaps just off to the side. Precision casting is important because they will rarely turn around to strike at something they only hear.

For anglers with boats, the Sabine, north Galveston and Surfside Jetties are loaded with reds right now. Look for deep holes alongside the rocks to hold the most fish with the boating cuts being a secondary and sometimes highly productive option.

Live mullet is the best bait for the jetties, but artificials will work well too. Chunking a ½-ounce gold Rat-L-Trap or a chunking a big gold spoon tipped with squid or shrimp down into the deep holes works good for the jetty reds as well. Be warned however

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that when fishing the lighter tackle required for using lures, the reds can easily run straight into the rocks and you will not only lose the fish but your expensive lures.

Speckled Trout

Summer months bring speckled trout out to the open waters of the bay systems, where drifting becomes important.

In the Aransas, Corpus Christi Bay area, drifting over seagrass and mixed shell is the key to finding specks. Live croaker is popular in that area but so far plastics like Little Fishies and DOA Terror-Eyz.

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From Matagorda into Galveston Bay, anglers typically drift over shell and target emerging slicks, where the specks have been feeding on baitfish. Live shrimp under popping corks and topwaters are the best bets.

On the upper coast in Sabine Lake, anglers target big schools of menhaden (called shad locally) and drift with live or fresh dead shad under popping corks in the open area from about a mile north of Garrison Ridge up toward the Barrel Channel on the north end.

Anglers should also consider surf fishing

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for super-sized trout. Matagorda is known for its beastly summer surf trout but the around High Island should not be ignored. It has been quietly giving up impressive fish over the last few years on those days when the sandy green water reaches the beach.

Flounder

As this issue reaches subscribers, flounder action will be slowing a bit, but contrary to popular belief there are still fish to be caught

between the spring and summer runs.

To consistently bag good numbers of quality-sized flounder during summer, concentrate on the widest and deeper parts of cuts in a bay system. The largest concentrations of flounder are usually in the first 1/8 mile of these cuts during the dog days of summer because they have more tidal water exchange on each tidal movement, which keeps these areas somewhat cooler than the shallow backwater.

The northern tier of the Galveston Bay system holds many flounder during summer as do places in the Sabine system like Johnson Bayou and the Sabine River north toward the Dupont Outfall Canal.

Cooler water temperatures usually mean a higher content of dissolved oxygen which benefits flounder two-fold. First, it gives them more oxygen, which they need to be effective predators, and secondly it attracts more baitfish.

It is important to remember that tides dictate how flounder will be feeding. On a fast falling tide, they move in close to the drainage in tight schools. When it is falling slowly, they might scatter out around the mouth of a drainage or up into the marsh.

They will do the same thing during the first hour or so of an incoming tide. Then they will usually move into the cuts. I have always had far more success on incoming tides during summer months. In fact, I usually check the tide charts and mark off the days with the highest tides to concentrate on them.

And when these tides are running high, seek flounder along the main shorelines of bay systems. Attacking vast shorelines would be a waste of time and end up in dogged frustration so you have got to have a strategy.

Instead of looking over eight miles of shoreline, narrow your search down to an eighth of a mile.

Roseau cane has an intricate system that is somewhat like a smaller version of mangrove and it gives baitfish a place to linger, hide and dodge larger predators. It is best to fish these areas during the first couple of hours of a falling tide. As the water recedes, the baitfish are removed from their cover and the predator/ prey dynamic begins.

Stands of cane on any Texas bay system can hold flounder on high tides and if you luck out one of them just might be big enough to be a STAR winner.

4/8/16 11:25 AM

Texas SALTWATER

by CALIXTO GONZALES :: TF&G Saltwater Editor

• SAND PAPER OF VARIOUS grits. Very helpful when smoothing out and shaping blanks, working on the finish of a plug prior to applying varnish or epoxy.

Must-Have Tools for Making Your Own Lures

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FEW MONTHS BACK I RAN A series of columns on at-home lure making. I was pleased with the response the columns got from readers who were excited with the idea of “slinging goop” and making their own molds and pouring customized lures.

Some liked the idea of being able to reproduce favorite baits that are no longer available on the market (except, maybe on on-line bidding sites, but those supplies are sketchy at best). More than a few of you are ready to try your hand at being lure makers.

One reader, Albert R., asked me about what supplies he needed to stock, besides the obvious mold-making materials, plastisol, super-plastic, wire, Superfoams, and so on.

He was concerned about having to constantly run out to the local hardware store for something he lacked. Would I be so kind as to provide a list of tools and equipment that the aspirant lure-maker will need to while away hours in the man cave making a big mess?

Well, if you’re going to create your own backroom lure factory, some of the tools that you WILL need are: • DREMEL MULTI-TOOL W/ ACCESSORIES. No craft table is even approaching completion without one of these little gems on it. With its myriad attachments, the Dremel can cut metal, sand, drill, buff, sharpen, hone, and countless other functions that you may need to do in the course of making lures.

With the right implement, the Dremel can even cut through the barrel of an uncooperative padlock. When you finally own one, you actually begin to wonder how you managed without it.

• BOGGS TACKLE MAKER. Simply put, this little tool bends wires. If you need to create line ties or loops onto stainless or brass wire, the Boggs is the tool you need. It takes a little practice, but you should learn how to bend wire and make loops like a pro. The loops are perfectly rounded, with little or no tag end, and sit more snugly on the ends of custom plugs. It will also be a more secure loop than anything you can do with a pair of pliers.

• STANDARD DRILL W/ VARIOUS bits and drivers. You would be hard pressed to find a better tool to make a 1/8-inch flatbottomed hole in balsa or super plastic than a Forsner bit. If you need to drill holes into a mold box to suspend a wire harness, the drill bits in a standard kit are invaluable.

A standard drill also cuts down on time and tedium of driving screws, or withdrawing them. With the help of channel lock pliers, you can even twist a double strand of wire if a job requires it. A drill is a touch of old school that has a home on any work bench.

• VARIOUS LONG-NOSED AND short pliers. Next to the Dremel, pliers are the most useful tool in the lure-maker’s tackle box.

Whether it’s to bend wire, serve as a clamp, or cut wire, pliers are very handy. There are some jobs that a Boggs can’t do that a good pair of round-nosed pliers can.

• HOT GLUE GUN. The hot glue comes in very handy when making and sealing mold boxes to prevent the silicone from leaking all over the place prior to curing. When making your master, a dab of hot glue can attach two different parts together just prior to sanding.

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• SURGE PROTECTOR STRIP. At any given time, you could have a microwave oven, a drill, a battery charger, hot glue gun, and maybe even a hot plate plugged into the wall at the same time. A surge protector offers you more plugs and a stopgap that could prevent a blown fuse (except from your Eternal Beloved, when she sees the mess you’re making).

• JAR OF PETROLEUM JELLY. There are commercial mold release products on the market, but a thin layer of petroleum jelly spread over the surface of a mold is very effective in preventing your plugs from sticking. Spreading a bit before pouring the second half of a two-sided mold will prevent the two sides from fusing together, too (I learned that one the hard way).

• SET OF ACRYLIC PAINT Pens.

Nothing is so useful in coloring plastic eyes, adding spots and stripes to individual lures, or adding a finishing touch before epoxy coating than acrylic pens. In a pinch, acrylic pens can be very useful.

As you embark on your lure-making adventures, you will probably come up with your own must-haves that you will add to your toolbox. Some will be from pure necessity, others will spawn from moments of experimental inspiration, you never know.

That’s the great part of this avocation. You can’t tell where you’ll get your inspiration. All it takes is a little ambition, the right tools, and a whole lot of goop!

Email Cal Gonzales at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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JUST BECAUSE IT DIDN’T FALL DOESN’T MEAN IT WASN’T HIT.

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FEW YEARS ago I was guiding a hunter from back east. He was new to the sport, was a fair shot, but a bit short on experience.

Up front he told me that he had shot at a lot more deer than he had hit. I told him that was no problem, we would work within his limitations, and chances were we could get him a nice South Texas buck.

A couple of days into the hunt he had his chance. A good buck came out to the edge of some brush about 150 yards away. It was obvious that the buck was nervous and wasn’t going to approach the feeder, but had just stopped by to see whether there were any does hanging around.

It was a pretty long shot for a novice, but he was shooting a very accurate .308, and having seen him shoot, I was confident he could make the shot.

His .308 was sighted in an inch high at a hundred yards which would put it right on the money at 150.

I was talking quietly to the hunter, trying to keep him calm. I told him to rest his rifle on the bag that we had on the window of the blind, get a solid hold, take his shooting breath and then squeeze the trigger. I told him not to rush. If the buck left before he got the shot off, we would just find another, which might even be bigger.

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He took me at my word. I thought he would never get the shot off, but finally the gun roared. The buck bucked, kicked at its belly, and started off into the thick brush at top speed.

It was out of sight in split second. I grinned and looked over at my hunter.

His face was a picture of anguish.

“Damn,” he said. “I thought I was on that one.”

I told him he was on it and that it would be dead a few yards into the brush. I could see he didn’t believe me.

We waited the prescribed 15 minutes and then climbed out of the blind and walked over to where the buck had been standing. You could see in the dirt where the buck had kicked and then dug out.

I followed the tracks into the edge of the brush and there found the first big splash of blood. My hunter looked at the blood like it was a box of pure radium. His eyes were bugged out so far that you could have scraped them off with a stick.

“Heart shot,” I told him. “They nearly always take off like that when they’re hit in the heart.”

At first he grinned, and then he frowned. “Gosh, I wouldn’t have even come over to look. I thought I had missed him clean. I wonder how many of those other deer I thought I missed had been hit?”

Yeah. Me too.

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We found the buck about 50 yards out into the brush. It was hit square in the heart.

I am astounded by the number of hunters who believe that every deer hit in the chest with a high-powered rifle will fall down dead.

The truth is, although some do, some don’t.

I would guess, looking back over four decades of hunting deer, that more of them I have shot have run than have dropped in their tracks. If a hunter tells me that every deer he has ever shot has dropped, I know one of two things. One, he has not shot very many deer. Or two, he, like the hunter above, has not gone over to see about some that were hit, but did not drop.

Rule number One: Always go over to the place where the deer was standing and check to see if it was hit. If there is no blood on the spot, follow the deer to see if it bleeds later.

This is something that happens a lot. I have seen deer that were hit solidly, but did not leave any blood on the ground for astounding distances. Also, a great many deer hit in the lungs will give absolutely no indication of being hit, regardless of the power of the rifle they are shot with. They will simply run off as if they were scared, only to run out of oxygen and die within less than a hundred yards, and often in less than 50.

Even if there is no blood, there may be other signs. A lot of times the bullet cuts off some hair. If the hair is the color of the deer in general, it is a body shot. If the hair is very dark or black, it is from the upper body, maybe a graze across the top of the back. If the hair is light or white, it is from the lower body or the belly.

Rule number Two: Listen for the sound of the bullet striking the deer. You can’t always hear the bullet hit, especially at very close range, but you usually can. The sound of the strike can tell you a lot about where you hit the animal. If the sound is a hollow, watery sound, you can bet that it was a gut shot. If it is a solid thud, it is usually a hit in the chest.

If it is a sharp crack, you probably hit a bone.

For a number of reasons, a deer might not leave blood at the point of impact. The skin is elastic and not solidly attached to the body underneath. When the deer jumps and runs, the skin may cover the entrance wound. The deer might run some distance before the hole is uncovered. Also, the hair of the animal, especially the soft, furry undercoat, can soak up an unbelievable amount of blood.

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Hunters who assume their shot was a miss, could leave a deer to die in the brush.

before it stopped, wobbled around, and fell over. When we got to the deer there was no blood apparent at the wound site. But when I put my hand on the deer at the hole, it came away covered with blood. The hair had soaked up the blood like a dry sponge.

Another time I shot a buck that was above me on the ridge of a hill. At the shot the buck took off like the devil was riding his coattails and was out of sight over the ridge in a second.

I didn’t think I had hit it, but I followed rule number one. When I got to the spot where the buck had been standing I could find no evidence of a hit. I picked up the deer’s tracks and began to follow it.

About 15 yards into the brush I found a huge gout of blood. From there on it looked like someone was carrying a full bucket of red paint which was slopping over the top. I didn’t know a deer had that much blood.

When I found the deer it had run about 40 yards and run into a cedar tree, completely shattering the tree. It was dead on its feet when it hit the tree. The shot had been a solid chest hit. Had I been less experienced, I might never had climbed up that steep hill, and I would have lost a nice trophy.

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The last thing I have to tell you is that the color and texture of the blood can tell you a lot. If the blood is pink and frothy, it is from the lungs. If it is dark and greasy looking, with streaks of yellow and green or brown, it is from the guts. If it is dark and ropy, it is probably from an artery or the heart. If it is bright red, like the fake blood in the horror movies, it is generally from a muscle wound.

Now most of these things are generalities. They are not hard and fast natural laws, but they are true most of the time. The most important thing is that you should learn from your experience.

Learn to track, learn to see what is on the ground, look for small signs as well as large.

Sometimes the blood sign is little drops as small as bird shot from a shotgun. Sometimes the blood sign is not on the ground, but will be on the stems of grass and bushes.

I cannot tell you everything you need to know in a short piece like this, but what is in this article will take you a long way down the road to being able to find the deer you hit.

Good hunting.

PHOTO: DPC

4/7/16 12:14 PM

Bare Bones HUNTING

by LOU MARULLO :: TF&G Hunting Editor

Lou’s Believe it or Not

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F YOU ARE A HUNTER, YOU have stories of crazy things that have happened to you either in the field or on your way to the woods. Me too . I think I love the funny things that happen more than the hunt itself. Here are a few of my funniest, fondest memories:

WHERE I COME FROM, ice and snow during bow season were not uncommon. I hail from central New York and I think we held the record for the most snowfall in the entire state. As MY luck would have it, the cold winds blew out of Canada, picked up moisture over Lake Ontario, then came to MY house and dumped all the snow there.

My hunting buds liked to hunt in a valley we call the meadow. We had noted that whenever a snowstorm headed in our direction, the whitetail deer left the comfort of the hillside and headed for food in this meadow. Tha snow was so deep on the hill that they were “pushed” downhill to greener pastures. Hunting in this weather was not for the faint of heart.

As a matter of fact, it was more for lunatics who would do anything for a shot at a deer.

This brings me to my friend Jay. One evening I received a call from him telling me of a storm in the forecast and that we should give it a try in the morning. I am just as crazy as he is, so we decided to go. It normally took about an hour to drive to our spot. To our surprise, although this morning was very cold, the snow had not yet started and the roads looked clear.

They looked clear.

Jay was driving and I was enjoying a nice hot cup of coffee when, as we rounded a curve, the car started to spin out of control. We were on black ice—a sheet of ice that had formed on black pavement and could not be seen.

As we went spinning around as if on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, all I could hear from Jay were a few choice words probably not in Webster’s dictionary. Meanwhile, as I was spinning at extreme G forces, I kept my coffee cup as level as I could.

When we finally rested up against a huge pile of snow, I realized that my coffee cup no longer had coffee in it. I looked over to Jay to see if he was all right and he looked at me with coffee all over his face as well as on the steering wheel, shift, radio… in fact, when he traded the car in, he was still finding coffee stains.

ONE SEASON, JAY DECIDED to scout hard on what we called “Heart Attack Hill”.

This hill was so steep that at times you needed to grab small trees just to get up it—hence the name, but it was loaded with deer—big deer.

It was a big temptation for any deer hunter worth his salt.

After just a few days, he saw a nice buck and planned his ambush. One morning, everything was set. The wind was right, perfect weather and all that was needed was the buck to appear, and appear he did .

I should point out that at that time, many of us used a string tracker on our arrows.

Basically, a tube of nylon line was attached to the end of your bow (where a stabilizer would be), and the string was attached to the arrow that was ready to go. When you released your arrow, the string would pull out of the holder as the deer ran off. Then, all you needed to do was follow the string to your deer—sounded good.

Unfortunately, although the wind was light, it was enough to blow some extra string out of the tracker tube and get tangled on a twig.

As the big 10-point buck came into bow range, Jay came to full draw and readied for an easy 20-yard broadside shot. But when he released his arrow, it went 12 inches from his bow and headed straight down to the ground.

The 10-pointer stood there and looked at Jay as he unscrewed his string tracker from his bow and promptly threw it at the big buck.

IT WAS GUN SEASON, and bow season was now just a memory. Back then, we had T E X A S

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a large hunting party that consisted of both young and “not so young” hunters.

It was a ritual for all of us to meet on the eve of opening day at what was referred to as a hunting camp, but really was just a home for mice and other rodents. But for one glorious weekend every year, it was our home.

One year, we had a newbie in the group. He was a young lad excited to experience what it was like to be “one of the guys.” He just wanted to be a part of the camaraderie he had heard so much about. Looking back now, I might have gone too far with a joke, but I will let you be the judge of that.

The hunters were many and the sleeping cots were few, so we had to double-up on the wider fold out beds. Each guy who had been there a few years had his own “spot” that he used every year. Ron and I had such a spot.

The new guy had to sleep on a single cot in the middle of the room. Ron and I were in the double bed next to our newbie hunter.

This was not a large place. I have been in hotel bathrooms that were as large.

As the lights went out, Ron and I waited about five minutes then proceeded to make sounds in the bed that you might only hear behind a honeymoon suite door.

I don’t think it took more than 30 seconds before the young lad said in a loud voice “Oh My God!” In the pitch black of night, everyone heard a loud thump and the sound of a body hitting the floor.

When we turned the light back on, there on the camp floor lay our newbie hunter after he ran smack into a support pole in the cabin.

None of us could hold the laughter in any longer. He started laughing as well. He actually thought something was going on right next to him. When he found out that it was all planned—well, let’s just say it was an initiation that he will never forget.

These are just a few of the funny stories that I can remember. I am sure you have your own with hopefully many more to come.

Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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TWO-MAN TEAMS. That is how many fished a recent tournament on Sam Rayburn put on by the Southeast Texas High School Fishing Association

According to Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Alton Jones, this has the potential to shape the future of not only professional fishing but can serve to inspire a new generation of kids to get serious about all kinds of angling opportunities.

“When you start getting kids focused on this in high school, learning about competition, getting experience,

(SETX).

That is nearly 1,000 kids on the water, actively compet-

honing their skills and even seeking sponsorships it is easy to see how this will make a positive difference on the future

ing to catch bass in a focused, organized setting.

That is unprecedented and shows the future of bass fish-

of tournament fishing,” Jones said.

ing in Texas is bright. texas fish & game was the first publication to feature collegiate bass fishing nearly a decade ago and three years

Colton Mitchell, along with partner Dallin Bishop, won the State High School Bass Championship in 2013.

ago started writing about high school bass fishing. We predicted it would be huge and as you can see what is happening on the water is profound.

GRAPHIC IMAGE: TF&G; INSET PHOTO, CHESTER MOORE

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On three occasions texas fish & Game has had the privilege of sponsoring and accompanying Jones on fishing excursions for high school teams and each time has predicted the future of the sport.

“Many of the pros of the future will likely come out of high school clubs, go into college and then hit the pro level with much greater experience than those of us currently on the Bassmaster Elite Series did,” he said.

Most Texas teams are part of the Student Angler Federation (SAF), a collaborative effort of The Bass Federation and FLW Outdoors. Others are part of a high school bass fishing project created by B.A.S.S. On a more local level, most teams are part of a regional or statewide association like SETX or the Texas High School Bass Association (THSBA).

“The THSBA is also proud of the fact that we give each student many opportunities to be successful as an angler as well as involving that student in exciting promotional and volunteer activities” said THSBA President Tim Haugh. “We want to stress to students about working within the fishing industry while representing their faith, family, and school in charities and some of the largest tournaments in Texas. Advisors and coaches, when putting together their charters, are encouraged to incorporate these activities into their bylaws.

“The overall team competition at our open tournaments gives a unique opportunity for every member of that high school team to contribute to the team’s chances of winning the team trophy even if that team did not place in the money. Last year the THSBA gave over $40,000 in scholarships and prizes which will be cashed in once the student graduates from high school.”

In 2016 another group, the Faith Angler Network (FAN), is focusing on expanding its youth program. For the past seven years FAN has been committed to the Central Texas community by creating competitive and professionally-run bass fishing tournaments. FAN also has outstanding youth outreach programs that embrace the power fishing can have on changing and impacting lives. They reported more than 60 programs actively participating in Central Texas fishing events. FAN focuses on mentoring, skills, agility and fishing techniques, character building, commitment and healthy competition.

The Deep East Texas High School Fishing Series has also stepped up to the plate citing the biggest issue for anglers was not enough tournaments to fish.

To solve these issues the Deep East Texas HS Fishing Series will include 12 qualifying tournaments. To qualify for the Deep East Texas HS Fishing Championship, the teams will only need to count their best six performances. This will allow teams more flexibility to qualify for the May 7-8 championship at Jackson Hill Marina on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.

2016 Bassmaster Classic Champion Edwin Evers said high school and collegiate bass fishing are the pathway to profes-

sional bass fishing.

“You will definitely see anglers in the near future coming into the Elite Series from high school and college” Evers saide “It is such a great program because it allows kids to learn about competition, sportsmanship and to challenge themselves on the water early on.”

Evers noted that it could help inspire some of the kids who have what it takes to be a fishing pro.

“These are definitely championship qualities, and this will help some youths find that in themselves” Evers said. “On a much larger scale, it will give some kids who maybe don’t fit into other sports or activities something to do and greatly grow interest in bass fishing.”

One reason for the growth in schools is that it is governed for the most part by the Student Angler Federation and B.A.S.S. depending on which association school teams require and local teams and associations like SETX for example have their own requirements.

Another reason goes much deeper.

Take the home base for the Deep East Texas group. That is literally one of the birthplaces of competitive bass fishing.

When Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn were impounded, anglers such as Larry Nixon and Tommy Martin pioneered many of the bass strategies we hold dear today and set a precedent for angling competition.

In other words it is a part of Texas. Our children are addicted to electric devices such as smartphones and tablets like never before.

Many are taking that same love of electronics and becoming adept at using side-imaging sonar. This is promising, and it shows there are ways not only to engage youth in an outdoors dialogue, but to inspire them to get on the water and fish.

We will probably see a peak of interest in the next two to three years but there is no question high school bass fishing is here to stay and in Texas-sized fashion.

I personally can’t wait to interview the first Bassmaster Classic champion who started out on a high school team—in Texas of course.

There’s a good chance I won’t have to wait too many years for that to happen.

Bassmaster Elite pro Alton Jones believes high school bass fishing will shape the future of angling as a sport.

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PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

4/8/16 2:30 PM

Texas FRESHWATER

by MATT WILLIAMS :: TF&G Freshwater Editor

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OTS OF THINGS ABOUT BASS fishing I will probably never fully understand.

Perhaps the most perplexing of all is how a guy can go strutting into a tournament weigh-in with a fish he didn’t catch, or one that has been altered to make it weigh heavier or, in some cases, appear smaller than it really is—all in the name of beating a bunch of other fisherman out of a few bucks.

It takes a pretty crooked individual with a warped conscience to commit such a selfish and deviant act. It also takes a pretty dumb one—especially to try it in Texas. Here, toothy laws meant to deter such fraudulent acts can cost you a bundle and even land you behind bars for a spell if you happen to get caught.

I can’t say cheating in bass tournaments occurs a lot more often that you might think, because it doesn’t. Or at least that’s the way I prefer to think.

I work closely with a bunch of anglers who compete on the professional level and have dozens of friends and acquaintances who are regulars at weekend and Tuesday night derbies. As a whole, guys who fish tournaments are an honorable group who live by a distinct code of ethics. They despise those who attempt to skirt the rules every bit as much as I do.

But there are always going to be a few bad apples out there. When one of them rises to the surface in a weigh-in line, it comes as a slap in the face and an attack on the integrity of anyone with ties to the sport.

That’s how I felt when word surfaced that another “tail trimmer” had been nabbed at Lake Fork, this one during the Sealy Outdoors Big Bass Splash held last September. This amateur derby, which drew about 2,400 entries, advertised a guaranteed pay back of $500,000, including $160,650 in hourly payouts for the 15 biggest bass of each hour, each day.

“ As a whole, guys who fish tournaments are an honorable group who live by a distinct code of ethics.

“

Cheaters Never Win

The top prize for the event’s heaviest bass included a boat, truck and cash valued at close to $100,000. There also was a $2,500 cash prize on the table for the angler who weighed-in the heaviest fish under the slot over the course of the event.

Fork has a 16- to 24-inch slot limit on bass; it is not legal to retain any fish that measures between 16 and 24 inches. Tournament anglers at Fork routinely target fish on the bottom side of the slot, because big fish are much harder to come by.

During the tournament’s final hour on the final day, an angler presented a fish at weigh-in that caught the watchful eyes of Texas game

wardens. That’s because its tail looked a little odd. When wardens confronted the angler, he admitted to trimming the bass’s tail in order to make it appear as a legal catch under the lake’s restrictive slot limit.

Bizarre as it sounds, this isn’t the first cheating case filed at Fork for tail trimming.

“We’ve had them like that before,” said Wood County game warden Kurt Kelley. “It seems like it is a pretty regular occurrence.”

Lake Fork isn’t the only lake where cheaters have been nabbed in fishing tournaments.

It happens on lakes all over the country in all sorts of derbies ranging from small jackpots to T E X A S

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larger events with lucrative prizes and big cash on the line.

Tail trimming to alter the length of a fish is just one path to fishing’s dark side that cheaters have ventured down over the years.

They have also shoved lead weights into the bellies of fish to make them weigh heavier than they really are. In some cases, cheaters have even gone so far as to stake out fish in cages and crates or tie them to stumps before a tournament. The cheaters could then retrieve them while they were supposed to be fishing and then take the fish to the weigh-in.

As earlier mentioned, an angler who crosses over into the dark side of tournament fishing runs a high risk of losing way more than his or her reputation.

In 2011, Texas lawmakers passed legislation (HB 1806) aimed at cracking down on tournament cheats with a new law that packs some very sharp teeth. The law broadened the scope of existing fraudulent violations in fresh and saltwater fishing tournaments to include altering the length or weight of a fish and other deceptive acts.

As a result, anglers who commit tournament fraud in minor tournaments with small jackpots can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. They face up to a year in jail and fines up to $4,000.

The violation escalates to a third-degree felony if it takes place during a tournament offering a top prize worth $10,000 or more. A conviction packs a maximum fine of $10,000 and two to ten years in prison.

Cheating just isn’t worth it, any way you trim it.

Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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ack around 1997, I was running a trotline in a deep hole in the Sabine River. My cousin Frank Moore and I had trotlines about 200 yards apart and we had been catching a few blue catfish.

This was in the middle of winter, and we were targeting huge blue catfish. In previous days I had several large hooks straightened and had visions of 75-pound blues in my mind.

As I went to check my line, I noticed most it was not parallel to the shore but drifting out across the deep, instead of on the edge. The line had been cut (or so I thought).

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flowed through my mouth to whoever cut the line, but then as I started to pull it in something happened.

The line moved.

I pulled in a little more and felt great weight at the end of the line and soon realized I had a seven-foot-long alligator garfish on my line. In the Moore family, gar trumps blue cats any day of the week so I was excited.—even more so when I saw the huge gar barely moving.

Gar will often drown on trotlines (seriously), and this one looked a little worse for the wear, so I though it would be easy pickings.

I pulled the line up to the beast, hooked my gaff under the only soft spot on the fish, which is directly below the jaw. I jammed it in there F I S H

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good to make sure it would hold and to see how lively the fish was.

It literally did not budge. The fish was alive, but did not seem lively.

I then took a deep breath, mustered up all the strength I had since this was a 200-pound class fish and heaved the gar into the boat. That’s when the big fish woke up.

It pulled back with full force, and all of a sudden I found myself headed down into 30 feet of water with the gar. In an instant I realized one of the other hooks on the trotline had caught in my shoe. I was now attached to 200 pounds of toothy fury.

I had just enough time to take a breath and went under.

All I could focus on was getting back to the surface and toward the PHOTO:

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light. I am not sure how deep I went, but according to my cousin who was just down the shore from me, I did not stay under very long. A 200-pound gar and a 200-pound young man snapped the lead on the line. However, the hook amazingly remained in my shoe as a reminder I was very near death.

Make sure not to run trotlines alone.

That was my first mistake.

Also be careful to run the line along the side of your boat and not allow the hooks to fall in the boat. That was where I messed up. Catching fish on trotlines is loads of fun, but it can be dangerous. Make sure your desire to catch fish does not override safety as it did for me in the heat of the moment.

In case you did not notice, this was the story from my introduction.

PHOTO: DPC

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The sting of one bee might only cause some pain (unless you’re allergic), but the wrath of a swarm could spell death.

In the spring of 2003, I had a truly frightening bee experience. While using a box call to lure in a lonely gobbler, I heard what I literally thought was a low-flying plane in the distance. All of a sudden, a shadow passed overhead and I looked up to see a massive swarm of bees less than 30 feet up. I remained calm, said a little prayer, and watched the huge swarm pass by.

After talking with ranch officials, I learned the Africanized kind is present in the area, and thanked God the swarm did not sense how frightened I was. In fact, I was filming a segment for Keith Warren’s television program. Once the bees moved a great distance, I told the cameraman to hit record.

It was my closest call with death in the great outdoors and looking back it is evident God was not through with me.

Just as frightening and unexpected was an encounter with Africanized bees.

Nothing frightens me more in the wilds of Texas than bees, particularly the deadly Africanized “killer” bees. These bees are spreading and have firmly established populations in the Brush Country and part of the Trans-Pecos and Hill Country.

Africanized “killer” bees have been traumatizing Texans since invading from South America in the 1980s.

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“They say bees can smell fear,” I said.

“That’s not true! I was just more frightened than I have ever been and about 10,000 bees flew over our heads.”

A few years before, I guided my father on a hunt for red deer out in Kerr County. After bagging a big eight-pointer, we hoisted it into a strong oak and began to skin it. Suddenly, thousands of bees moved in, started buzzing all around us, and began to cover the animal.

Dad backed his truck up under the deer, I cut the hoist down, and we moved more than a mile away.

Not all outdoor dangers come from wild sources. Some are domestic.

In 2006, a snarling, enraged pit bull busted forth from the brush and headed right at me. A guttural growl and intense, focused eyes told me this dog was out for blood, in particular mine. I was at my deer lease before the season to repair a stand with no rifle in tow. For a second panic set in, until I realized I had the .45 that my concealed handgun permit allowed me to carry.

I quickly drew it, clicked off the safety, aimed at the dog and fired. It stopped, spun around and walked back into the brush. I pondered following it to put an end to the threat once and for all but decided to enter the lease from another location and avoid trouble until I was better armed.

Looking back, I have no doubt I would have ended up another statistic had I not possessed that gun.

According to the Center for Disease Control, there are 4.5 million people bitten by dogs each year, 20 percent of which require medical attention. In 2006 alone, more than 31,000 underwent reconstructive surgery as a result of dog bites.

Feral dogs are common in Texas and any large breed can pose a potential danger, especially if in a pack.

That encounter and these others showed me that in Texas you need to be prepared for any kind of outdoor danger whether manmade (trotline), human-bred (dog) or engineered in a lab (Africanized bees).

Let’s do our best to stay alert and safe out there.

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Texas BOATING

by LENNY RUDOW :: TF&G Boating Editor

The Ideal Live Well

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IVEWELLS ARE TRICKY LITTLE beasts; one design flaw can be ruinous.

Very few livewells out there have all the different features that add up to the ideal. For a live bait angler, this can be paramount. How can you tell if the livewell in a boat you’re looking at makes the grade? Let me count the ways: 1. ROUNDED SIDES— This is of top

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importance. If you’ve ever seen fish in a square fishtank, you know they bang into the sides quite often. When they get frantic—as live baits in a livewell often do—they may bury their nose in a corner and smack against it until they go belly-up. So a livewell isn’t any good unless it’s either oval or rounded. This prevents the baits from bashing themselves up, particularly when the livewell also has…

2. DIRECTED FLOW— Serious livewells don’t have a single port or inlet, but a fullcolumn inlet which blasts water into the livewell and creates a circular current from top to bottom. Working in tandem with the rounded shape we talked about a moment ago, this allows the baitfish, which naturally want to swim into the current, to swim in

circles or “hover” in place. Having the top-tobottom flow also eliminates “dead spots” in the livewell, which can form at the top or bottom if a single level inlet is used.

3. LOTS OF FLOW— Baitwells with wimpy pumps don’t cut it, especially if you plan to keep a big school of delicate baits lively and energetic. How much flow is enough? That’s a hard call because it depends on the well’s volume. Generally speaking, however, you’ll want to see a 400 GPH pump only on the smallest livewells, at least a 1,000 GPH pump on a mid-sized well, and 2,000 GPH or more on a full-sized (40 gallons or more) livewell.

In the case of multiple livewells each individual well should have its own dedicated

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Texas BOATING pump. The best livewell systems also have a built-in back-up pump. In many cases (like that Mako) a pair of wells will each have its own pump, and a third pump is plumbed to serve as a backup for either-or in case one fails.

4. VOLUME— As a rule, more is better. It’s often advantageous, however, to have multiple individual wells as opposed to a single larger one. Say you plan to troll for kings in the morning, and cast for speckled trout in the afternoon. Having separate livewells allows you to load one up with cigar minnow for the kings, and load the other with shrimp for the trout.

Many smaller and/or freshwater-oriented boats address the situation with a livewell divider or a drop-in minnow bucket. Although this does allow you to keep baits separate and is better than nothing, it’s less than ideal if you need to carry a large amount of live bait.

5. COLORATION— Livewell interiors

should ideally be baby-blue insside. You may have noticed builders trending towards this coloration for the past few years. It’s for a good reason. Studies done at Mote Marine Laboratory, in conjunction with Florida boat-builder Pursuit, found that the bluish color more closely resembled the bait fish’s natural surroundings. As a result, it kept baits calmer. Scared, skittish baits tend to dart around and bang into the livewell walls (even rounded ones) so this feature is a lot more important than one might think.

6. VIEWING PORTS— Having a clear lid or a viewing port on the livewell allows you to constantly monitor your baits. Have you ever made a long run, then arrived at the fishing grounds to discover a well full of dead fish? I know I have, and being able to tell at a glance when something is going wrong can save the day.

7. PRESSURIZATION— Top-tier

livewells, with hatches that dog down over a rubber seal, will actually pressurize when closed. This prevents excessive sloshing while underway. Particularly on rough, longdistance runs, this goes a long way towards keeping your baits healthy and happy.

8. TIMERS— These are mostly seen on freshwater boats, but they have a role to play in the saltwater environment, too.

They allow you to eliminate the noise of a constantly-running pump. They are particularly helpful on small boats that have a single battery where conserving juice becomes a concern. In the long run, they also extend pump life since the pump doesn’t have to run continuously.

Along with this list of items to look for in a livewell, we also have to note some things to look out for. Make sure the hatch dogs down tightly and has some sort of seal or lip at the top. Otherwise water may slosh out and get your passenger wet. Or worse.

I once ran a boat with a livewell that had a heavy fiberglass lid that didn’t dog down.

As we ran offshore, the lid swung up then slammed down. It was quite annoying. More important, when we arrived at the fishing grounds we discovered a bunch of half-baits in the back of the boat. Yes, half-baits. The flying lid had swung down and chopped the fish in half as they went sloshing out.

Stand-pipes are another item to avoid.

Threaded ones aren’t terribly bad, but they do tend to get in the way when you’re trying to grab or net a bait. The stand pipes that wedge into the drain are far worse, because these may come free during runs through rough waters.

Then the well drains, and your baits all die.

Finally, avoid pump-share arrangements like the plague. Often as a cost-cutting measure, a boat builder will install a single pump in the boat to feed both the raw water washdown and the livewell. This is bad for several reasons: the additional plumbing increases turbulence and reduces water flow; using both at once results in vastly insufficient water flow; and in the long run the pump gets overworked and fails prematurely.

Email Lenny Rudow at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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The Practical ANGLER

by GREG BERLOCHER | TF&G Contributing Editor

A

RE YOU A TOUGH MUDDER? British commandos devised an event combining distance, typically ten or more miles, with a muddy obstacle course to test the mettle, strength, and stamina of participants. Recreation runners adopted the concept and competitive mud runs are now held all over the country.

You don’t don’t have to be in the military or pay an entry fee to be a tough mudder though, just head to the coast. Many coastal flats, especially those that don’t undergo significant tidal movement on a regular basis, are covered with a foot, or more, of alluvial goo. Wading in the mud is, well, tough.

Savvy coastal anglers know that redfish have a love affair with muddy bottoms.

Learning to navigate in the mud and muck will increase your chances of success.

Kayaks are a great aid if you regularly fish on muddy flats. I prefer to paddle to my destination, then stalk tailing and waking fish on foot, rather than afloat. A simple twist of the waist and my legs slip quietly overboard. A stakeout stick driven into the mud keeps the kayak from drifting off while you are concentrating on fish.

If I am fishing from my center console, I will shut down the engine a good distance from the intended flat, then use my trolling motor or push pole to work my way stealthily onto the flat.

The biggest mistake wading anglers make when they encounter deep mud is to “bicycle.” When they hit the soft stuff, wade fishermen often increase their pace thinking the quickness of their steps will help them get better traction. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As you churn the goo on the bottom with your wading booties, you 44 |

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“ Kayaks are a great aid if you regularly fish on muddy flats.

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Tough Mudders

heart rate goes up and after 30 seconds of shear panic, you come to a stop, your chest heaving.

Wading in deep mud is a specialized drill, and a little knowledge can turn a nightmare into a dream. When you get to the soft stuff, the first rule is to stop and assess your situation. How deep is the mud? Will my footwear stay on my feet? How far do I have to wade before I can make a cast to a tailing fish? Am I in good enough physical shape to do some moderate exercise?

Once you have sized-up the situation and decide to continue your quest, each step should be carefully considered and measured. You aren’t sauntering along anymore,

casually looking at roseate spoonbills. You need to focus on each step.

Shin- to knee-deep mud can be traversed with slow, deliberate steps. With each new step, your leg will sink down into the mud until the resistance is great enough to support your weight. When you are ready for your next step, point your toes of your rear leg and then lean forward. Leaning breaks the suction of the mud around your calf, making it much easier to retrieve from the mud.

Pointing your toes like a ballerina straightens your foot and minimizes the friction as your wading bootie is hauled up from the depths.

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Once you get the hang of wading in mud, it opens up a lot of areas that were previously off-limits. One of my brother Bill’s favorite wading spots is affectionately referred to as “The Mud Hole.” Without fail, a school of marauding redfish can be found here when the tide is moving. Rarely do we see other fishermen, the deep, sucking mud an obvious deterrent.

Keep in mind that the goal isn’t to cover a football field at a time, but rather a handful of yards.

When fishing a mud flat, I will often wade to strategic area and then stop for an extended period. Standing in the same spot for 30 minutes to an hour may seem strange to many costal anglers but it is a great technique—especially if you are wading in deep mud.

Staying put has a number of benefits.

First, there is little or no noise. When you are moving, each step sends out shock waves through the water. Fish sense this disturbance through their lateral lines.

Coming to a halt avoids spooking the fish.

Standing still also maximizes the water clarity. When you’re moving, each trudging step dredges up mud and clouds the water. The sedentary angler minimizes turbidity in the surrounding water.

Standing scarecrow still is the ultimate act of stealth on a coastal flat. In much the same manner that bow hunters sit in a tree stand and wait for their prey to come within range, the same approach is highly profitable on a coastal flat.

Technique and tactics makes wading in the mud a lot easier and will help you conquer your apprehension.

Are you a tough mudder? You won’t get a T-shirt, but you will catch more fish.

Email Greg Berlocher at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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Texas GUNS

by STEVE LAMASCUS | TF&G Shooting Editor

Gear for Pronghorns

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EXAS IS NOT NORMALLY thought of as one of the premier states for hunting pronghorns. It is, however, one of the states that the hunter looking for a trophy pronghorn should seriously consider.

Pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) are currently on the decline in the Trans Pecos area of far West Texas, an area that has traditionally been the location of the highest population density, with the Panhandle being second and more stable. Extended drought is the probable culprit, but there may be other reasons as well. Still, huntable populations exist in both West Texas and the Texas Panhandle.

I love pronghorns. They are beautiful little animals that, unlike white-tailed deer, don’t care a bit whether they are seen, or not. They do not depend on stealth to survive, but rather on their incomparable speed and vision.

A pronghorn in good physical condition must be seen running in high gear to be believed. I was in a pickup once with three other men when we clocked a pronghorn buck at over 50 miles per hour. It ran alongside the pickup until it tired of the game. Then it put on a burst of speed and shot across the dirt road in front of us. He had to have been doing 60 when he crossed the road. Add to this their telescopic vision and you have an animal that is wonderfully challenging to hunt.

It is commonly believed that the pronghorn requires the consistently longest shots of any game animal in North America. From my own experience, I certainly agree.

The first item that is indispensible for hunting pronghorns is a good binocular of at least eight power. My personal favorite is a 10x42 Alpen Apex.

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speedsters with the binocular and and check them for trophy quality with the spotting scope. Then the hard part begins.

Stalking pronghorns is both enjoyable and perplexing. Seeing them is easy, but getting close enough for a shot takes work. Luckily, in much pronghorn country the land is cut by arroyos and dry washes, which give the hunter enough cover for a stalk.

Planning and executing the stalk is about nine-tenths of the fun. Some people, I won’t call them hunters, run the pronghorns with four-wheel drive vehicles, but this cheats both the hunter and the game, as does blasting away at them at long and undetermined range.

Stalking is the classic way to hunt pronghorns.

For me this way is the most fun. Next best is to ambush them at water holes.

Since the shooting at pronghorns is generally long, a rifle firing a flat-shooting cartridge is a necessity. However, the average pronghorn is a light-framed animal that will not weigh much over a hundred pounds, so the caliber need not be terribly powerful. I think the best calibers for pronghorns are few.

If we start with the .243 Winchester and the other hot 6mms and stop at the .270 Winchester, we have pretty much covered the best pronghorn calibers.

If I were to pick three I would say they would be the .240 Weatherby Magnum, the .25-06, and the .270 Winchester. Out of those three I would be hard pressed to choose between the .240 and .25-06—flip a coin.

I shot my first pronghorn with a .243 Winchester firing a 100-grain Sierra bullet at 3,000 feet per second. It was a one-shot kill at around 300 yards.

If I go again, I will take both a .240 Weatherby and a .25-06. I will pick the one I hunt with by how I feel on the first day of the hunt. At this particular moment I am leaning toward the .240. With a 100-grain bullet at 3,350 feet per second, it shoots about as flat as anything you can name. It also has the steam to knock a pronghorn teacup over tin plate at up to 400 yards.

If I choose the .25-06 I will shoot 100-grain bullets handloaded to about 3,300. The .25-06 does not shoot quite as flat as the .240, but neither I, nor the pronghorn, will be able to tell the difference.

Another item that is very handy in pronghorn country is some kind of shooting bipod.

A Harris bipod is a great device, but adds a lot of weight to the gun, making it clumsy to carry.

I prefer the kind of sticks that fold up and can be carried in a pouch on your belt.

Also almost indispensable is a quality laser range finder. Judging range in the flats can be all but impossible, so the range finder is a huge advantage.

Last is a good riflescope of 3-9X, 3.510X, or, maybe 4-12X. You will not need more power than that. Make certain the scope is of high quality. I had a scope go bad on a Wyoming antelope hunt once, and it cost me a record book buck. I don’t want it to happen again. If you have a fine, accurate rifle, there is no sense in putting a cheap scope on it. If you have to scrimp, do it someplace else. The price of a high quality scope is very small compared to the price of a pronghorn hunt.

Email Steve LaMascus at ContactUs@fishgame.com F I S H

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PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

4/6/16 3:45 PM

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ountain Home—As a youngster, I had a couple of scrapbooks full of photos cut out from hunting magazines that my father

and I put together.

One of these shots was from a now defunct Texas publication and had a photo of a man posing with a gigantic bull elk. I mean a huge one.

“Dad, I didn’t know we had elk in Texas,” I said “That’s at the YO Ranch. They have pretty much everything there,” he said.

Texas outdoors lovers know the YO Ranch for its exotic wildlife and Texassized mystique. To this day that image is burned into my mind and stirs my imagination of what lives beyond the ranch gates.

Steeped in history, the Y.O. Ranch remained the property of the Schreiner Family since 1880 when Captain Charles A. Schreiner began amassing the 566,000 acres of ranch land in the aftermath of the Civil War. In the 1950s they begin importing exotic animals from around the world and were the catalyst for what is now a thriving exotic hunting industry.

In October 2015, Byron and Sandra Sadler and their partners Lacy and Dorothy Harber purchased nearly 5,400 acres of the historical Y.O. Ranch and have named it “YO Ranch Headquarters”.

The Sadlers and Harbers are dedicated conservationists, members of Safari Club International, National Rifle Association, Dallas Safari Club, Houston Safari Club, Exotic Wildlife Association, as well as a myriad of other organizations serving and protecting the wildlife community.

A huge part of that conservation ethic can be seen in the hunting operation at the ranch. They manage a large

population of whitetail deer and Rio Grande turkey and more than 30 species of exotic animals from around the world.

Species like the addax and scimitarhorned oryx are virtually extinct in their native lands due to poaching and habitat loss but have been preserved due to the actions of hunters and facilities like the YO Ranch Headquarters.

A journey through the cedar and live oak thickets on the ranch is unlike virtually any other on the planet. Back in February Me, my wife Lisa and daughter Faith saw eland, the world’s largest antelope, a herd of gorgeous red sheep and a trio of zebras on a tour of the ranch.

Sportsmen from around the world routinely take record class animals like the axis deer from India which are thrivCONTINUED ON PAGE

Reported by TF&G Staff

HOT 52 u TEXAS SHOTS Trophy Photos from TF&G Readers

DEPT. OF 54 u TEXAS DEFENSE

by Steve LaMasus and Dustin Ellermann

56 u TEXAS DEPT. OF CONSERVATION

by Will Leschper and Andi Cooper

60 u TEXAS COASTAL FORECAST

by Eddie Hernandez,Mike Holmes, Mike Price, Chris Martin, Mac Gable and Cal Gonzales

70 u TEXAS FISHING HOTSPOTS

by Tom Behrens, Dustin Warncke and Dean Heffner

82 u SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK Tides and SoLunar Data

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Rustic cabins at the ranch feature uniquely Texas decor and many vintage items like this soda fountain.

A herd of addax crosses the trail. Addax are one of the endangered species that have benefitted from conservation programs like the one at YO Ranch Headquarters.

ing on the property. In the past blackbuck antelope have been gathered from the ranch and shipped back to Pakistan where native numbers and depleted to endangered status.

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possible because without there would be no funding to continue such efforts.

And while hunting is the main order of business, the ranch does wildlife tours as well as group tours and even weddings in the F I S H

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rustic but elegant cabins.

The highlight of our tour was my daughter realizing a lifelong dream.

Since she was two years old, giraffes have been Faith’s favorite animal.

It started when I bought her a gigantic plush giraffe on a road trip and she named it “raff raff” and has continued throughout the last seven years.

Seeing the majestic African natives walking through the lush Hill Country setting made us feel as if we were across the Atlantic.

Their stunning beauty radiated in the morning light and reminded the awesomeness of Texas. You are not going to see this in New York or Iowa. This is uniquely Texas, with a little borrowed from Africa of course.

“The giraffes are just amazing. They thrill everyone who visits them here in one of two huge pastures where we take our wildlife tours,” said Debbie Hagebusch, Director of Tourism for YO Ranch Headquarters.

Faith was nervous when their gigantic tongue reached out to grab the cookie she held but soon had a huge smile on her face and was as she said, “a bit of an expert” on feeding the animal of her dreams in short order.

“We really have a lot to offer and it is in a part of the world that has a unique beauty.

There is something special about walking outside of a cabin and looking out to the distance and seeing giraffes or Pere’ David’s deer and maybe get a glimpse of an eagle flying overhead,” Hagebusch said.

As we drove out the ranch, an unusual looking animal crossed the road. It was gigantic and looked like a bison but not quite.

Turns out it was a “Waffalo”, a hybrid of African Watusi cattle and an American bison that just sort of happened on the ranch. Bison have no qualms about breeding with cattle.

That is not something you see every day and those are the kinds of encounters one can expect while venturing onto this uniquely Texas ranch.

For more information on YO Ranch Headquarters go to www.yoranchheadquarters.com.

PHOTOS: CHESTER PHOTO:MOORE CREDIT

4/7/16 3:39 PM

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The NATIONAL

Flooding Pushes More Hogs into Populated Areas AS THE HUMAN TRAGEDY OF THE MASsive historical flooding experienced along the Sabine River basin continues to unfold through reconstruction of homes and other dwellings and will continue for months, the wildlife impact manifests.

Besides the usual suspects of snakes, alligators and turtles found in places they do not usually dwell, feral hogs have used the opportunity to move out.

A photo circulated on social media showed two huge feral hogs running through a neighborhood in downtown Orange.

Another video showed more hogs moving through a flooded area and giving a good scare to two men in the area.

I have verified hogs moving into

News of TEXAS

some wooded areas well within the city limits of Orange where they have not been found before and also a good number of them moving out of the marshes and closer to homes in other areas as well.

Many of the hogs displaced by the floods will return to their former habitation but others will not. Floods and other extreme weather conditions are in fact one-way feral hog populations expand.

It is important for people to keep in mind it does not take many hogs to produce many hogs.

Let’s say half a dozen hogs pushed into a city limit area with adequate wooded and grassy areas to remain for the most part hidden, that could turn into dozens of hogs in short order and hundreds in a year or so.

That is of course if there is a mix of male and females in the bunch.

Billy Higginbotham with Texas Agrilife

Extension wrote the wild pig is the most prolific large mammal on the face of the Earth— but they are not “born pregnant”!

“The average is between five and six pigs per litter. Sows have approximately 1.5 litters per year,” Higginbotham said. “Are more litters per year and larger litter sizes possible?

Absolutely yes! However, I am using longterm averages, not what can occur under ideal conditions which usually unsustainable over the long haul.”

“Young females do not typically have their first litter until they are 13 plus months of age, even though they can be sexually mature at six to eight months of age or even earlier in some cases.”

Higginbotham has said there are only two types of landowners in Texas: those who have hogs and those who will have hogs.

The recent floods are not a guarantee hogs that have pushed into new territory will expand but they will try. Much of their success will depend on how much effort is put on eradicating them once they are located.

REDFISH

TUNA

Laguna Madre

Corpus Christi

Andrew Luera caught this 32-inch redfish on live shrimp while wade fishing the Laguna Madre near Shamrock Cove. It was a 20-minute fight on 14-pound line. He released the fish.

Dexter Polk caught this blackfin tuna while offshore out of Corpus Christi on the Fish & Fun II. The tuna was in 300 feet of water, fifty miles offshore.

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TPWD Releases Catfish Plan

Recent flooding in East Texas has forced feral hogs to encroach even further into neighborhoods and other populated areas.

Hogs are pesky and certainly cause damage but they are truly amazing animals that can survive in virtually any condition and are smarter than most animals including dogs.

WHITETAIL Bastrop County Seven-year-old Kolten Lowery shot his first deer with .223 caliber at 127 yards.

The 5-1/2 years-old eight point had a 17-inch spread. Kolten was hunting in Bastrop County.

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We tend to think of them as part of the natural order here but they are not technically speaking.

Higginbotham wrote that in 1539 in what is now Florida the first hogs were released by Hernando de Soto.

“These 13 pigs were originally domestics released to be used as a future food source by the explorers. De Soto captured these particular pigs in Cuba and brought them into what is now Tampa Bay, Florida.”

“Obviously there were some escapes during the exploration and these pigs became the seed stock for future wild pig/feral hog populations. The wild pig herd that accompanied De Soto’s party increased to approximately 700 head by the time the exploration entered into what is now Texas in 1542.”

These animals have a long history in the Lone Star State and their story is not finished by any stretch of the imagination.

Feral hogs are on the move so stay alert, not just when you’re in the great outdoors but if you live nearby the Sabine River perhaps when you’re out checking your mail.

I live in West Orange and about four years ago, I and my wife Lisa saw a 150-pounder standing by our mailbox.

I’m just glad we saw it before it saw us.

TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTment (TPWD) has completed work on a plan designed to expand angling opportunities for Texas’ growing urban population and introduce the next generation of anglers to fishing.

More than a year in preparation, the plan (A Vision for Catfish in Texas) describes why catfish are likely to become more important to Texas anglers in the future, depicts the catfish species available in the state, reports results of surveys of Texas catfish anglers and presents goals and strategies designed to make catfishing better.

“Texas has some outstanding catfishing opportunities,” said Dave Terre, chief of research and management for TPWD’s Inland Fisheries division.

“We believe our public waters have great potential for providing quality catfishing in the future, and we have the experience and expertise to maintain and expand the fishery.

However, success will depend on having the support of anglers, industry, civic organizations and local governments.”

TPWD fisheries biologist John Tibbs was one of the authors of the plan.

“Catfish are the preferred target of more than a third of freshwater anglers in Texas,” he said.

“These anglers have many different views of what catfishing means to them. The catfish management plan will be the roadmap that guides TPWD’s efforts to increase catfishing opportunities and meet the desires of anglers.”

Catfish can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. They are easy to catch, good to eat and easily reared and stocked into ponds and streams, making them ideal for providing fishing opportunities close to where people live.

A copy of the plan can be viewed or downloaded at http://bit.ly/ CatfishManagementPlan.

—from Staff Reports

—by Chester Moore T E X A S

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TEXAS Dept. of

:: Self Defense :: Tactical :: Training Tips

by STEVE LAMASCUS and DUSTIN ELLERMANN

Defensive Rifles

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HIS WILL BE MY LAST Department of Defense article. I have enjoyed writing this column, but have come to the point where I have said about all that can be said.

It is difficult to teach self-defense by correspondence course. If you will take what I have said in these columns and practice it on the range, you will be much better prepared to face an armed adversary. Your next step is to search out a good training facility and get the training with a gun in your hand. God bless.

A defensive tool is one that can be carried on the person to be used when the person is surprised and must defend himself with no advance notice. Or, to be kept ready and loaded in a handy place in the home for those times when a person may be required to defend himself and loved ones from a violent

Dark Defense EVIL LOVES THE DARKNESS, SO WE must train to defend ourselves in such situations, and night sights on your firearms is one way to get an advantage in a low light battle.

XS Sights from Fort Worth manufactures a wide spectrum of tritium-illuminated pistol sights for more than two dozen handgun manufacturers, nearly two dozen hunting rifle brands as well shotguns and tactical rifles.

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:: Gear criminal who is breaking into the home.

In these situations a handgun or shotgun, especially a shotgun, is usually better than a rifle. A wise man once said that a handgun is used to fight your way to your rifle. I can’t argue with that, but a handgun in the hands of a person who is trained to use it well is pure purple poison.

A person who is really good with a handgun is one of the deadliest creatures on the face of the earth. A shotgun, however, is without doubt the best of all, and most especially for an untrained or poorly trained individual.

There should be a shotgun in every home.

On the other hand, a rifle would be a good tool if the victim were required to protect his home and family from violence in the case of great civil unrest. This would be especially true if the person had advance notice and had time to prepare his home for defense.

In this situation the high capacity magazines that these weapons have, with the fast reloading capabilities, would be a tremendous advantage. An AR-15 and a dozen 30 round magazines is one heck of a lot of deterrence.

Choosing ammunition for the self-defense rifle is an important decision. Full metaljacket ammo for the .22 caliber AR-15 is great for practice, but is not very effective in stopping a determined attacker. I know of one instance where an officer had to shoot an armed assailant 11 times with hardball .223 ammo before the bad guy quit trying to kill the officer with a .357 Magnum. This is why most of the police organizations have gone to soft-point ammunition for their officers. The Border Patrol, for example, currently issues the 64-grain Speer Gold Dot loads to their officers.

In the larger .30 caliber rifles hardball is okay, but even then soft-points are more effective. Federal, for example, makes some very good soft-point ammo for the 7.62x39, which is the caliber of the AK-47-type weapons and SKS rifles. You could buy hardball to practice and load a number of magazines with higher quality soft-points for more serious social occasions.

The type of rifle you use is also something that takes a bit of thought. The old SKS is a

white dot for your front sight. Aiming is actually instinctive because you simply rest the front, white ball in the vee of the rear sight.

The human eye works well with circles, and I never felt as if I was off-center. I was able to test both the regular-sized front sight as well as the large front sight dot. I found the oversized dot to be a tad quicker to acquire, so that’s what I would recommend for a more compact defensive handgun such as my Walther PPS. The tritium vial in the sight shines

brightly in its radioactive green hue. This makes it plenty visible in low light and glowing more intense in complete darkness. I used it in a variety of situations.

If I had enough ambient light to see the outline of my sights, the rear vee coupled with the front circle outline was easy to align. If it was too dark to see the outline of the sights, the front dot was easy enough to put directly on top of the rear “I” in the lower vee. Once again, shots were placed perfectly.

I tested the full-sized Walther P99AS most extensively with the standard-sized front sight. I found the point of impact to be exactly where the center of the dot was from every distance, from 7 to 50 yards. That’s not an exaggeration either; I was hitting eight-inch steel from 50 yards without issue with the sights.

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great weapon. They are generally accurate and very durable. However, unless yours has been altered, it does not use a detachable magazine. When empty it must be reloaded from the top using a stripper clip. This is much slower than simply replacing an empty magazine. Also, the stripper clips are prone to drop a round or two when roughly handled.

Better is an AK-type weapon. The AKs are renowned as being as tough and dependable as a sledgehammer. They will work in any kind of condition and will not fail if you forgot to clean it last time. Their failing is that they are not very accurate. They function well because the tolerances are greater, which is, also, why they are not as accurate as other weapons.

The winners in the accuracy race are the ARs. It is not uncommon for an AR-15 to be as accurate as most out-of-the-box bolt actions. I have one made by Smith & Wesson

that will regularly shoot three-shot groups at 100 yards right at one inch. The down side is that they are made with much tighter tolerances than AKs, and for that reason they are more prone to failures when they get dirty.

If you want to have the best of the best, the civilian version of the M-14, the M1A, is the winner. It provides power and accuracy.

It fires .308 Winchester caliber ammo from a detachable 20-round magazine and hits, to steal a phrase from James Bond, “like a brick through a plate-glass window.”

The down side of the M1A is that it is long and heavy, the ammo is bulky, and the 20-round magazines are rather pricey. The M1A can be fitted with a riflescope, but it takes some simple alteration to do so. I prefer to leave it like it is. With the standard peep sight it is quite serviceable out to 300 yards and beyond.

Another choice is the old M1 Garand

in .30-06. I love the Garand. It was our service rifle during WWII and Korea and it served with distinction. The drawbacks to the Garand are that it is heavy, it uses eightround en bloc clips rather than high-capacity detachable magazines, and if you use standard high-velocity ammunition in it, it will eventually bend the long operating rod.

There are now adjustable devices that allow the use of standard .30-06 ammo, but the M1 must be altered for them. As for the clips, with a bit of practice you can learn to slap in another clip in a second or two and be right back in business. I have an M1 and wouldn’t trade it for two AR-15s. However, I also have an AK-47 and an AR15, so I don’t have to make that trade.

Some handguns come with a plastic sight that holsters can destroy, so it’s great having a durable steel sight on these pistols as well.

The rear sight has just enough shoulder to catch on a belt or other object if you find the need to rack the slide onehanded. However, the edges are rounded off so it doesn’t poke you while your sidearm is holstered.

If you wish to upgrade your own firearm just check out www.xssights.com.

Most sets of sights run around $100.

—Steve LaMascus

The unique style of the XS Sights still proved to be plenty accurate as this seven-yard, rapid-fire shot group shows.

The kit includes everything needed to install the sight on your kitchen table.

Walther uses a tiny hex head screw for the front sight, for which I have had to purchase a driver in the past. However the included driver actually worked better than the one I purchased separately.

The rear sight drifted in easily enough with the included plastic punch, and the included Loctite should hold it solid.

PHOTO: DUSTIN ELLERMAN

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4/7/16 3:52 PM

TEXAS Dept. of Edited by WILL LESCHPER

Texas Gets Top Share of Fed Sporting Fund Again

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UNTERS AND ANGLERS remain the greatest conservationists of natural resources and game species — a fact rooted in actual numbers and hard data – specifically the billions of dollars that have been poured back into conservation efforts and habitat restoration through sporting goods taxes.

Dove hunting and deer hunting in Texas alone pump hundreds of millions of dollars into our local economy, and while that number includes valuable funds headed to outfitters and mom-and-pop shops, the federal taxes generated by the overall hunting and angling industry end up going back into state coffers earmarked for needed resource protections and improvements.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service annually

Texas Facts and Figures WE CALL THE OUTDOORS SCENE IN this great state “Texas Outdoor Nation” for a reason. Texas is not only like a country unto itself geographically but it is also totally unique in diversity, innovation and just plain cool.

Here are some facts and figures that should make you happy to live here or want to get here as fast as you can.

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distributes revenue to each state’s wildlife agency through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration programs, with funds coming from excise taxes on the sale of sporting firearms, ammunition, archery and fishing equipment, electric boat motors and taxes on the purchase of motorboat fuel.

This year’s total of $1.1 billion in disbursements includes $50,198,179 coming to our state, the highest appropriation in the country. The total includes $32,144,324 for wildlife restoration and $18,053,855 for sportfish restoration.

The overall figure is actually down slightly from the more than $54 million Texas received in 2015, but it certainly will be put

• DEPENDING on range conditions Texas is home to between 3.5 and 4 million whitetail deer. That is by far the largest in the U.S. • TEXAS was the first state to have saltwater hatcheries and remains the innovator in the field of producing redfish, speckled trout and now southern flounder.

• THE TEXAS state record all-tackle alligator garfish (302 pounds) also stands as the world record.

• WE ARE HOME to bass fishing champions. Rick Clunn, Larry Nixon, Tommy F I S H

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to good use.

The Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program reimburses as much as 75 percent of the cost of each eligible project, while state fish and wildlife agencies contribute a minimum of 25 percent, generally using hunting and fishing license revenues as the required non-federal match.

Funding is paid by manufacturers, producers and importers and is distributed by the Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program to each state and territory.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs have generated more than $18 billion since their inception — 1937 for the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Program and 1950 for the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Program — to conserve resources. State agencies have matched these program funds with more than $5 billion.

Pittman-Robertson funds allow the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Division to offer many services, including technical guidance to private

Martin and Alton Jones are either from Texas or lived here during their championship reigns. Recently B.A.S.S. legend and Classic champ Denny Brauer moved to Texas to spend more time on his beloved Lake Amistad.

• TEXAS MAY have the image throughout the national media to be a dry, desolate land but in fact much of the state is forest. In fact Texas now ranks only behind Alaska as having forestland with a whopping 60 million acres. East Texas alone has 12 million acres of property considered timber.

• EXOTIC HUNTING originated in Texas with the import of blackbuck antelope, axis deer, aoudad sheep another species by private holdings like the YO Ranch. There are currently 35 huntable exotic species here

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wildlife habitat in Texas, TPWD surveys and research for development of hunting regulations, operation and management of Wildlife Management Areas and conducting research and developing techniques for managing wildlife populations and wildlife habitat.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports monitoring of sport fish populations, their habitats and public use of fishery resources. Data and information collected from fishery management surveys are used to set fish harvest regulations, develop fish stocking plans and design projects that restore and enhance aquatic habitats.

Through support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program, TPWD has developed nationally recognized programs in applied research for the study of freshwater and coastal fisheries. These programs conduct special investigations of unique problems identified through fisheries management surveys and develop and evaluate projects focused on expanding and improving sport fishing in the State.

Other programs that benefit from the funds include projects that increase or improve access to public waters and the operation of freshwater hatcheries and coastal hatcheries which produce and stock more than 40 million fish annually in state lakes, ponds and bays. Those fish are stocked to establish populations and enhance existing ones, support research efforts and main-

tain put-and-take and put-grow-and-take fisheries in small urban reservoirs, which is how many youngsters are introduced to the pastime.

These funding streams are vital to future success and it’s up to hunters and anglers to continue our support of state and federal initiatives that pump millions of dollars into efforts to maintain and improve our opportunities. It also is imperative to stay abreast of any encroachment on those funding streams, which has been discussed by

legislators and other special-interest groups in regards to diverting dollars for other projects.

The wildlife and sportfish funds were earmarked for specific intentions and should always stay that way.

—Will Leschper

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Email Will Leschper at WillLeschperOutdoors@gmail.com

with populations of certain species skyrocketing. Free-ranging axis deer (those outside of high fences) are flourishing in Kerr, Uvalde, Real, Medina and Bandera Counties.

• AT THE TIME of this writing there have been 564 largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more donated to the Sharelunker Program. This program was founded in 1986. Lake Fork represents nearly half of all entries.

• SPEAKING OF Texas-sized bass, state officials have a program called “Operation World Record” that seeks to create a world record largemouth here. They do much of the research at a “secret” facilCONTINUED ON PAGE

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DU Honors Kingsville Professor

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UCKS UNLIMITED announced the winners of the 2016 Wetland Conservation Achievement Awards during the 81st North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference held in Pittsburgh, Pa. This year’s recipient in the research/ technical category is Dr. Bart Ballard, professor and research scientist in the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

“Dr. Ballard has spent his career focused on waterfowl and wetland biology, ecology and management,” said DU Chief Conservation Officer Paul Schmidt. “With numerous published scientific contributions and an impressive cadre of mentored

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ity at the Luminant Project where a lake is stocked only with Sharelunker fingerlings.

• WATERFOWL hunting is a big deal here.

According to Ducks Unlimited officials, just about every county in Texas produced at least one band recovery. The top five counties were 1. Jefferson, 2. Fort Bend, 3.

Wharton, 4. Calhoun and 5. Chambers.

• TEXAS is tops for turkey. There are more than 500,000 Rio Grande turkey as well as a population of easterns in the Pineywoods. In addition there are rumored to be some Merriam’s in the extreme western portion of the state.

• TEXAS once had its own wolf species.

Canis lupus monstrablis, the “Texas Wolf” went extinct by the 1940s but was once

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graduate students in prominent waterfowl and wetland conservation positions across the country, there is no doubt Dr. Ballard deserves this recognition.”

Ballard holds the C. Berdon and Rolanette Lawrence Endowed Chair in Waterfowl Research and has been on faculty at Texas A&M University-Kingsville since 2002.

“Dr. Ballard’s contributions to waterfowl biology, ecology and management have been numerous in a relatively short time,” Schmidt added. “In particular, his conDr. Bart Ballard tributions toward understanding wintering ecology of northern pintail along the Gulf Coast of Texas and the biology of Western Gulf Coast mottled ducks have been important for guiding waterfowl habitat conservation in one of DU’s highest priority landscapes.”

Dr. Ballard also devotes much service time to the Gulf Coast Joint Venture, Texas Colonial Waterbird Society, North American Reddish Egret Recovery, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Game Bird Advisory Committee, and the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society, of which he served as President from 2009-10. He was instrumental in initiating the formation of and served as the Faculty Advisor to Texas A&M University- Kingsville’s Ducks Unlimited Chapter.

“I’m honored to be recognized by such a prestigious conservation organization and deeply moved to have been nominated by some of my former students,” Ballard said. “My accomplishments are the result of collaborations with many students and colleagues over the years and they share this award with me. I am grateful to have been engaged with so many dedicated and passionate conservationists.”

common in Central and northern counties.

other state with a lowball estimate of 3 million. Texans are harvesting about 750,000 hogs a year. There are more hogs killed in Texas than live in any other state besides Florida which has about 1.5 million hogs.

• TEXAS has some unique wildlife laws on the books. Did you know it was illegal to shoot a buffalo from a second story hotel window? Seriously.

• IN A RECENT SURVEY one if five Texans said they owned more than five guns. Some 17 percent answered “preferred not to say”.

—by Andi Cooper

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• ACCORDING to the Congressional Research Service, Texas has 367 miles of coastline. When factoring in bay coastline the number skyrockets to 3,359 miles.

• TEXAS has the story of the Alamo. There is no similar story of such heroism and bravery for Iowa or Wyoming. Texas’s independence is equal is as legendary as the famous battles of the Revolutionary War.

• THERE ARE NINE varieties of rattlesnakes in Texas: -prairie rattler, western diamondback, Mojave, timber rattler, western massasauga, desert massasauga, mottled rock rattlesnake, banded rock rattlesnake and the blacktail rattlesnake.

• ACCORDING to a recent study, you are more likely to be killed by “hands and feet” than guns in Texas despite Texans having more guns than anyone else.

• THE TEXAS state record for snook is 57 pounds and was caught by Louis Rawalt in 1937. That is bigger than the Florida record of 44 pounds, 3 ounces.

• TEXAS has more feral hogs than any

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4/6/16 3:46 PM

Coastal Focus: SABINE :: by Capt.

EDDIE HERNANDEZ

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NGLERS IN EVERY MAJOR bay system along the Texas Coast should be excited that the month of May has arrived.

Sabine Lake is no exception. We will reap the benefits of the ever-increasing water temperatures and stable weather conditions that come with late spring.

With summer knocking on the door, our beloved ecosystem is beginning to open itself up with options a’plenty for serious rod bending action from the marsh to the Gulf of Mexico. The lake should be primed and ready.

The rocks on the North Revetment of Pleasure Island is a good place to start.

Throwing topwaters early on calm mornings can pay off in a big way. Incoming tides

“ Our beloved ecosystem is beginning to open itself up.

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Stepping it up in May

should be your best bet, but as long as you’ve got moving water you should be in business.

Bone or pink Skitter Walks are tough to beat as topwater choices. Soft plastics rigged under a popping cork is also a deadly combination.

Another proven area for trout and reds, as well as some bonus flounder is the shoreline from Willow Bayou all the way to Blue Buck

Point. Soft plastics rigged with 1/8 or 1/4 ounce lead heads as well as topwaters and plastics under a cork, will get the job done.

Again, a moving tide will greatly enhance your chances.

Glow and Glow/Chartreuse soft plastics are hard to beat in pretty water. If the water is murky, darker colors such as Root Beer and Red Shad will get better results.

The action should be equally as exciting south of the causeway. The jetty bite always seems to catapult to a different level during this month. It seems to go from pretty consistent to phenomenal almost overnight.

Bring your entire arsenal of baits because the fish will seek and destroy everything from spoons to topwaters. If live bait is what you prefer, simply anchor off on a rock pile or washout. Fish finder rigs work well, as do popping corks with about three feet of leader.

A 3/0 Kahle hook should be perfect for this set up.

Chances are you won’t have time to put your rod down, but if you do, make sure that it’s secure in a rod holder. You don’t want to be one of the many people that have lost expensive rods and reels to these coldblooded thieves.

Anglers who choose hard or soft imitations should do well by trolling down the wall. Cast close to the rocks and work your lure all the way back to the boat. It helps to vary your retrieve so you can determine where the fish are.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Keith Lake (Fish Pass) SPECIES: Trout, Redfish, Flounder BAITS/LURES: Live mud minnows, finger mullet BEST TIMES: Early and late with moving tides

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Coastal Focus: GALVESTON :: by Capt.

MIKE HOLMES

Mayday, and Nights

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AY IS THE TRANSITION month between Spring and Summer, and can usually be counted on as the start of excellent fishing conditions.

The Texas coast again avoided tropical storms in 2016, which means the physical makeup of our bays and surf should not have changed much. This is not always good news, as those who love the San Bernard River can attest. That stream is still blocked from directly emptying into the Gulf, although aerial photography from November of 2015 revealed some signs the river was trying again to “cut” through the Cedar Lakes.

For the remainder of the GalvestonFreeport area, bait camps, fishing piers, marinas, and boat ramps escaped storm damage and are ready to greet a productive new fishing season!

For a happy period of my life I was solely dedicated to surf fishing. During this time, May was of special interest to me. For many years my first bull red of the year was hooked in early May. This included my career best, which weighed 41 pounds the morning after the catch. That fish bent some of my personal fishing rules by being hooked on a dead low tide period. However, it strongly re-enforced the old adage of the best time to fish always being WHEN YOU CAN! After spending a lot of time studying big reds, I believe they do not come to the surf to spawn, but rather to feed. The warming water and fresh currents of May bring schools of baitfish and new crabs. This, in turn, brings redfish, jack crevalles, croakers, sand trout, speckled trout, and a few tarpons and sharks.

Of course, except for tarpons and sharks, a big red will also feed on smaller members of the other fish mentioned, but mullet and shad are the preferred baits. Live baits are

generally best, but one night I watched some anglers I didn’t know drive up close to my fishing spot on the Galveston beach side of San Luis Pass. They threw out a line baited with a whole, dead shad, caught a nice bull red, loaded up and drove away. This, as I continued to fish with live mullet and no results.

There will also be mornings in May with a clear green tide and calm surf when speckled trout will hit nearly any lure offered as well or better than a live shrimp under a popping cork. This is especially true with a silver Johnson Sprite spoon keeping the red plastic tabs just above the hook. Many times this same lure will turn unproductive when repeated strikes cause that small piece of plastic to be lost. I suppose this is why they are offered for sale in replacement packages?

Boat anglers can also work the surf on calm days, either by launching off the beach where that is allowed, or by exiting through a pass. The term “weather eye” is especially important for boaters, as rough water can build fast and ruin a day of boat fishing.

Of course, the flip side to fishing from

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a boat is the ability to work inside the bay or in a river when conditions in open water are a bit “sporty.” Boaters also to have the ability to run a bit farther offshore than even the longest surf rod cast can reach, when the weather allows.

The flats and bars on the backside of Galveston Island and inside San Luis Pass are favored feeding spots not only for speckled trout, but for some nice flounders. In clear water, lure fishing for either species can be great sport. Floating a live shrimp through the deeper guts pays off as well, even in offcolor water conditions.

With the start of really great fishing coupled with mild temperatures, May should be well-marked on any Galveston area fisherman’s calendar.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Beachfront surf, piers, and rock groins, passes between bay and Gulf—both jettied

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4/6/16 3:46 PM

Coastal Focus: MATAGORDA :: by Contributing Editor MIKE PRICE

Offshore & Inshore

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AY FISHING OUT OF THE Matagorda area offers plenty for anglers who venture into the Gulf as well as those who stick closer to shore.

Offshore

Going more than fifty miles offshore requires a boat designed for long distances and rough seas—and a knowledgeable captain. The reward is catching bigger, wilder, and more exciting species than can be found closer to shore.

On May 22 we left Freeport aboard Chip Homesly’s 48-foot Viking as the sun was setting. We motored throughout the night at eight knots.

I was resting on the forward seat of the flying bridge, in front of where Ken Richardson

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and Buddy Wolf were driving the boat. They were throwing around stories about the “biggest snapper I’ve ever seen” and the “70pound wahoo.” Their conversation entertained me while I felt the sea breeze wafting through the opening in the zip plastic curtains, and listened to the swish-swash of the waves and the rumble of the diesel engines.

Chip backed into Cerveza, a platform 80 miles offshore, a little before daylight, and we dropped Shimano Butterfly vertical jigging lures to 50 feet of depth. If we didn’t get a bite, we dropped them another 50 feet.

At between 150 and 200 feet we found the bite, and Ken fought a 30-inch blackfin tuna to the boat. At the same time I had a fish on. I could tell by the way it pulled and ran that it was bigger than Ken’s blackfin. It took fifteen minutes of serious lifting and reeling before I wrestled the 55-pound amberjack close enough to the boat to gaff. After we caught a couple more tuna, the bite was off; so we rigged for trolling.

Using ballyhoo on two hooks under an Islander jig with a skirt, we put five lines out:

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two using outriggers, two on each corner, and one in the middle. Then we trolled between Cerveza and West Cerveza.

Our first taker was a 10-foot sailfish, and we enjoyed the process of catching and releasing it. The next taker was a 20 pound female dorado, which leaped and ran to everyone’s delight. The following fish was another green and gold dorado, a little smaller than the first one.

For lunch we enjoyed sashimi (raw tuna) with wasabi, soy sauce, and ginger. Then we found a sort of weed line that consisted of Sargasso weed clumps and a brown slime and followed it hoping for a strike. After about 15 minutes an 18-pound wahoo obliged.

Inshore Last May brought high winds from the southeast and very high tides to the bays.

Finding the fish can be a challenge when water moves over the marsh.

Usually I fish the back waters in lakes and bayous working the shorelines and reefs.

However, when Allan Berger and I went out, the 15-25 mph southeast wind and strong incoming tide had pushed water over areas that were usually dry.

Neither of us found fish in the back lakes.

Then we found that under these circumstances fish were hanging out in the bay about 20 yards out from the entrance to a back lake.

In that area Allan caught a 19-inch trout, a 14-inch trout and I caught two redfish that were 24 and 25 inches.

After each of us caught the first fish, we continued to fish the area where that fish was found, and it paid off. Once you locate fish, if you move your cast about 10 feet each time, there is a very good chance that you’ll hook up with additional fish.

High winds cause some interesting and potentially dangerous situations. On May 13, Mike Miller set out from Port O’Connor in his boat by himself to meet Eddie Vacek 20 miles away on the south shore of West Matagorda Bay. The wind was blowing 25 mph out of the SE and thunder storms were threatening.

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Mike got to the jetty near Airport Lakes when he lost his prop. He put his anchor out, but it did not hold. The wind blew him all the way to Picnic Beach on the west side of the Port O’Connor jetties. Finally he was able to push the bow of the boat up on the beach to stop it from moving and work on the prop problem.

Mike is an air conditioning expert and very mechanical. He had an extra prop, but he did not have a nut. The old prop had come off because he had used a non-stainless-steel cotter key, and it rusted.

In the meantime, Eddie was worried about Mike, and he went out in his boat looking for him, but did not find him. After several hours Eddie called the Coast Guard. They started looking for Mike, and finally found him seven hours after he had lost his prop.

Mike had fashioned a nut out of the terminal of a battery. It had taken him all that time to do that. Just as the Coast Guard arrived, he was ready to run, so they escorted him back to Port O’Connor. Now Mike carries an extra prop, nut, stainless steel cotter key—and a VHF radio.

Far offshore waters in May can yield

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and not, banks of river and creek outlets to the Gulf, bay reefs and flats.

SPECIES: Redfish, speckled trout, flounder, croaker, gaff top catfish, and some sharks.

BEST BAITS: Live or fresh baits worked in a good current, soft plastic lures or flashing spoons.

some world-class fishing. Predator fish are very active in East and West Matagorda Bays because water temperatures are just right. The bays are loaded with bait fish, but before you go on an inshore or offshore trip, make sure you are comfortable with the weather and bring along emergency supplies.

THE BANK BITE OYSTER LAKE is located at the intersection of West Matagorda Bay and Tres Palacios Bay. It is about 2.3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. Fresh

The natural baits can be shrimp or small baitfish.

Even squid can work well at times.

BEST TIMES: Tidal current is always important.

A tide change can trigger a feeding binge, even when currents are rather weak.

Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@fishgame.com

water flows into it from creeks, and salt water flows through the lake with openings to the Intracoastal Waterway and Tres Palacios Bay. You can drive up to the shoreline of Tres Palacios Bay and fish or launch a kayak. Wade fishing is good because there is a hard sand bottom on the bay side. To get to Oyster Lake turn south from FM 521 on FM 1095, turn left on 378, right on 373, and left on 365. It takes about 18 minutes to get to Oyster Lake from FM 521.

Email Mike Price at ContactUs@fishgame.com

4/8/16 12:52 PM

Coastal Focus: MID COAST :: by Capt.

CHRIS MARTIN

May’s Coastal Warming

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T’S THAT TIME AGAIN—THE TIME when waters along our Texas coast begin to warm to the point where we are once again allowed to shed those multiple layers of clothing and nagging chest waders that we’ve been wearing since last fall.

That’s right, by the time May is in full swing we should all be able to say that we’re now able to fish in the comfort of a pair of

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lightweight fishing paints and one of our favorite fishing shirts. It’s also a time when temperatures begin to soar in preparation for the arrival of the full summertime heat that can, at times, become severe in nature and downright miserable to live with.

Things begin to get rather toasty this month. So, coastal anglers can do themself a favor by taking preventative measures to protect themselves from the dangers of the heat. It’s fun to be fishing out on the water on a hot, sunny day. But too much sun and heat can make you feel terrible, and can even be dangerous.

If you’ve ever experienced symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, then you know firsthand that the sun is nothing to fool around with. When fishing in the Texas heat, you should always cover exposed skin areas with clothing, to include a hat—preferably one with a large brim. Of course, always apply adequate amounts of sunscreen before leaving the dock and then re-apply accordingly throughout the course of the day.

If possible, you should also take breaks from the sun by moving into some source of shade. I know, getting to shade can sometimes be an issue when you’re wading, but it can often be as simple as placing a bandana or towel over your head for a short period of time.

Also, remember not to wait until you become thirsty before drinking water.

Drinking water before you feel thirsty helps prevent the water level in your body from dropping too low, which can then lead to dehydration. Drinking water is an extremely important part of staying healthy in the heat, so don’t wait to drink up—water, that is.

Air and water temperatures won’t be the only things undergoing change this month.

The number of days consisting of four tides will start to become more of the norm rather than the exception. Also, the days will be getting longer, and with that comes an increase in the amount of sunlight each day. The winds will begin to blow mainly out of the south and southeast, so the Gulf and bay waters will soon begin taking on a greening F I S H

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effect—the “trout-green” water we all look forward to every summer.

But wait, that’s not all. Coastal anglers, too, generally start needing to make some changes at the start of the summertime season.

First, make it a point to be in the water as early as possible each day that you’re fishing.

This not only lets you take advantage of the coolest part of the day, but also gives you a chance at any fish that might be sitting in the coolness of the overnight shallows.

Second, begin looking for lively mullet activity on many of the outside shorelines that line the larger bay systems instead of confining your search primarily to the back lake areas.

Dominant winds of a southerly influence mean that the majority of these larger shorelines will be protected most of the summer.

So, this is where you should think about starting your days beginning in May. A third change anglers to make this month is how to work a shoreline area. During times of cooler temperatures, it’s a common practice to start the day by wading out in deeper water then move slowly into the shallows during late morning as the bait and the fish move onto the flats.

Now that things are beginning to warm considerably, your approach to a shoreline situation should be completely opposite. You should now start out each morning in really shallow water, and then make your way out to deeper water as the morning progresses.

Why? Because the bait fish are going to be heading for the cooler temperatures of deeper water once the sun climbs high into the sky and the shallows start to become too hot for them. You will want to make the transition with the bait fish. Good luck to all, and keep grindin’!

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

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Coastal Focus: ROCKPORT :: by Capt.

MAC GABLE

Different Strokes

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HAVE TO ADMIT MY OUTBOARD motor is getting old. Ten years to some may not be old at all but in the fishing guide profession it’s basically 10 lifetimes. Most guides get a new motor annually.

My old 175 Mercury Optimax has been reliable and, knock on wood, has never left me stranded. Even when it’s been ailing, my motor always makes it back to the dock. Of course I am meticulous about maintaining it. I like an outboard I am so familiar with I can tell either by sound or slight performance changes when to have it looked at. I even have it fixed when nothing’s wrong with it.

Case in point: after much deliberation I finally paid a small fortune for progressive sun glasses (much to the prompting of my wife).

On my first trip out with these solid gold optical wonders I was deliriously happy with just how well I could see, close up as well as at a distance. While I probably shouldn’t say this, I was seeing things that I hadn’t seen clearly for years. Needless to say, I was a happy guide.

After about a half day of fishing, my clients were satisfied and decided they had enough fish, so we headed back to the boat ramp. As we did, I noticed my smart gauge (a small LED screen that gives you anything and everything on how your motor is performing) had an indicator I’d never seen before. My mind flashed red—it was on the water pressure portion of my motor, so I started praying I would make it back to the dock before “The Mercury Guardian Feature” shut my motor down to an idle (This protects your motor from major damage in the event of a malfunction like lack of oil or water pressure drop etc. etc.).

Luckily we made it back. I cleaned my client’s fish, sent them on their way, and called my mechanic.

“Bring it over” he said, “and I’ll take a look.”

“I need it back today” I said. “I have trips the next two days.”

He just laughed. “Better get here quick and drop it off and I’ll call you.”

I told him I was on my way.

I dropped the boat off and waited on pins and needles until he finally called me.

You say there’s a warning indicator?” he said.

“Yes, and it’s on the water pressure screen of the LED.” “I’ve checked the motor out from prop to top and there ain’t nothin’ wrong with it” he said.

“Well, I ain’t makin’ this up” I replied, a little heated.

“Why don’t you come over here and show me what you talking about?”

Upon arriving, I jumped up in the boat. He turned the water on for the motor muffs and, immediately, there it was—a little round circle with a squiggly line through it.

“Who’s your boat mechanic now?” I hammered at him.

“Wow” he said, “that indicator is going to cost you a $100 and I can’t even fix it!” he said.

“Huh?”

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“That indicator has been there since Moby Dick was a minnow” he said. “It’s supposed to be there. It tells you water is moving through your cooling system. You’ve been stuck so many times by hooks it has affected your brain!” he said. “Oh, and nice glasses, I guess you’re making good money to be able to afford those?”

Oh man I thought. I took the new sunglasses off, put the old ones on and it was like a magic disappearing act. Now you see it, now you don’t.

“Now you don’t know you do?” the mechanic said to me, chuckling. The point here is my motor is in good shape but probably, for appearance sake, I should consider a new one.

I am a research NUT. I enjoy researching fishing equipment especially. So, moving forward, I began asking every angler I saw about his or her boat motor. I got an earful from those who love their outboards. Strangely enough though, there was a defining division between these folks. They all were parked in one of two camps: those who were two stroke

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Forecast: ROCKPORT engine fans and those who love four stroke engines. God forbid the two groups will ever agree as to which is truly better (if there is such a thing). For those who are not sure of the differences between the two types of motors, let me shine a little light on the subject, for I am honestly considering both to re-power my Haynie.

The old and formidable two stroke engine has been around for many years and has been a mainstay for many guides and recreational anglers. “Stroke” refers to the full travel of the piston in the cylinder in either direction (up or down). A two stroke engine completes its power stroke with two strokes—1 up, 1 down, and one revolution of the crank shaft which in turn powers the lower unit gear case.

A four stoke requires four strokes—1 up, 1 down, 1 up, 1 down—to complete its power stroke. This in simple terms is the mechanical difference between the two.

However, most see the requirement to add two stroke oil to the gas of the two stroke engine as the REAL difference. It requires this oil to lubricate where the four stroke has oil in its crank case, much like a normal automobile engine.

A four stroke has more moving parts, although that today is debatable as the new two strokes have compressors added to the

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outside of the engine to highly compress the fuel to improve performance and mileage and meet EPA requirements. Hence the ‘fewer moving parts’ debate is slowly slipping away.

My big issue with four strokes is the weight difference as compared to a same-HP two stroke. Another is that throttle response and hole shot are better with the two stroke, mostly because of the power stroke difference between the two, although four stroke manufacturers are addressing this as well, and it is getting better.

Noise is in the ears of the beholder. You can read the tests where each engine has been compared and, overall, the four stroke has a slight edge, but the truth is—to me—the engines just sound different. The two stroke has a higher pitch sound where the four stroke a lower pitch sound and individuals hear this noise differently. Living on the water next to a boat ramp, I get to hear many engines every day. The beauty of a four stroke is, when it is idling, it so quiet I have reached to start the motor only to find out it’s already running.

But when powered up, especially observing from a distance, it seems to me louder than a comparable two stroke.

Comparing the two types on paper is like trying hit a moving target. Each manufacturer claims their specs are the best and, as with

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most data, it changes almost annually.

The two stroke oil one must buy is expensive, but a four stroke requires an oil change on average of about every 100 hours (it can be different for each manufacturer) plus you need an oil filter as well, so almost a wash between the two.

The emissions challenge seems to go to the four stroke camp but not by much. As a matter of fact, some two strokes are actually a bit better than their four stroke counterpart.

Five years ago in the circles I travel, the four stroke seemed to have the edge in reliability. But recent improvements in two stroke technology has negated most of that. It’s been mostly nickel and dime kinds of things like sensors and warning indicators, etc. Yet today both are solid and reliable. Overall maintenance is more expensive on the four stroke as it has more moving parts internally to the engine, but as improvements are being made I can see this in the not too distant future coming in line with the best two strokes.

Longevity is anyone’s guess and it depends on how an outboard is run and maintained.

If you’re the type who goes full throttle every time you touch the throttle then your engine will likely suffer regardless of its manufacturing type. In my experience four strokes survive long storage better than two strokes and this is mostly due to the inherent differences in their fuel requirements, including the ethanol that is now in almost all our fuel.

Where is the future? It’s hard for me to believe the two stroke technology can compete in the distant future with four stroke technology but some manufacturers are betting IT will and THEY will.

In talking with representatives from Bombardier, they are very convincing in the belief their two stroke will not miss a beat today or in the distant future. Yet I see other manufacturers putting more and more emphasis on their four stroke research.

As to which manufacturer, I don’t think there is enough difference between the major players like Yamaha, Mercury, Bombardier (Evinrude), and Suzuki to make a claim one way or the other.

More important than the motor type or manufacturer is getting a good mechanic or dealer who will shoot you straight and who knows their stuff about your motor. Most don’t consider this but it is to me THE most

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important thing to consider when purchasing an outboard.

Lastly, if you don’t remember anything about this article, remember this: whatever you choose before you plunk down the thousands it takes to purchase one of these technological wonders, please find a boat as close to the one you have, or will buy, with the same kind of motor you are considering and beg for a test drive.

Testing an outboard on a totally different hull will tell you very little about the motor and I will also tell you motors of the same horsepower but different manufacturer matter greatly as well. For example, a 150 Suzuki will likely perform very differently than a 150 Mercury.

That goes two fold for the differences between a 150 four stroke and a 150 two stroke, so take the time and energy to test these water-wonders out. It is worth the effort.

Which will get my vote for my re-power?

Much like the upcoming election I’ve see no clear choice as yet, so if you’ve had some experience lately in this area, please send me a note as the input would be much appreciated. After looking at the prices of the new motors I must

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say 10 years doesn’t seem that old and my old Mercury is looking better each day.

••• MAY IS THE BEST TIME TO BREAK out the hard body lures like super spooks, Tsunami Pro Super minnow or Rapala Saltwater X-rapps. Insects by now are in full swing and hard bodied lures or top water poppers simulate bait fish that often seek the many insects which frequently visit water surfaces close to salt water grasses.

COPANO BAY — Shell Bank Reef is good for trout using croaker or mud minnows free lined. On high tide the shallow edge close to Turtle Pen is a good place for reds using finger mullet or top water lures in bone and red/ white colors. Redfish Point is a good place for black drum using peeled shrimp under a silent cork or on a light fish finder rig.

ARANSAS BAY — Grass Island Reef is holding trout with croaker or live shrimp the preferred bait. Scotch Tom Reef is good for reds and black drum using finger mullet for reds and live shrimp for black drum on a light

Carolina rig. The north side of Mud Island is a good spot for reds using mud minnows or finger mullet free lined. Wades here are productive on bait or lures in the sand holes.

ST CHARLES BAY — Some black drum may be found at the back of Cavasso Creek and some keeper flounder. Use live shrimp on a light Carolina rig. Drifts across Cow Chip are good for reds using Berkley Gulp jerk shads in root beer gold and camo colors. East Pocket is good for reds on high tide using cut mullets on a light Carolina rig.

CARLOS BAY — Both sides of Cedar Reef are a good bet for reds and black drum using live shrimp on a fish finder rig. Wades close to Cedar Point are good for reds and trout using super spooks and top water poppers in bone and pink/chrome colors.

MESQUITE BAY - The shoreline of Bludworth Island is good for black drum using fresh peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig. Roddy Island close to the ICW is a good place for reds and trout using mud CONTINUED ON PAGE

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Coastal Focus: LOWER COAST :: by Saltwater Editor CALIXTO GONZALES

Chiquita Mexiquita

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PRING CAN BE A SQUIRRELY time of year on the South Texas Coast. There are Chamber of Commerce days, where the soft southeast breezes ripple clear, clean water that sparkle with promise, and there are days where the wind just howls at 30 knots and the water looks like chocolate Faygo.

The trick for the successful spring angler is the find an area to fish that is relatively close to port so he can take full advantage of the good days, and be close to safety on the bad ones.

Mexiquita Flats) is nestled in between the Old Queen Isabella Causeway and the Brownsville Ship Channel portion of the Intra Coastal Waterway. Beginning with the spring tides of late April, warm Gulf waters flood over these grass and sand flats and quickly boost

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water temperatures over the magic 70-degree mark. If you are looking for an area where trout and redfish and bait are going to gather, this is it.

Like many of the other productive regions in Lower Laguna Madre, Mexiquita is a broad grass flat pockmarked by sand pockets, or potholes. Trout will lurk around these potholes, especially early in the morning.

Live shrimp or soft plastics such as a DOA Shrimp or Gulp! Shrimp are very productive when fished under a popping cork or Alameda float. If redfish are your preference, big, noisy topwaters such as a Top Dog, Jr. or Saltwater Chug Bug are good early morning choices.

These topwaters are smaller, which serve two purposes: first, they match the size of young-of-the year baitfish. Second, the smaller baits seem easier for an uber-aggressive red to zero in on.

Don’t be afraid to go Old School and toss a Jointed Redfin. These little buggers resemble small ballyhoo perfectly. Redfish and trout will strike it with abandon.

As the day grows longer, switch to a ¼

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ounce gold or bronze spoon and swim it slowly. A chartreuse or red plastic trailer seems to enhance the attractiveness of the spoon.

Because Mexiquita is literally within sight of the Brazos-Santiago Pass, it is affected by tides more than most of the other popular fishing areas. The most effective time to fish is during an incoming tide, when the flats are flooded by fresh water directly from the Gulf. Trout and redfish become very active and start prowling the flats. Once the flood tide is reached, then they’ll settle around the potholes and ambush any hapless prey that swims by.

Conversely, be careful not to be caught on Mexiquita during an outgoing tide. The place becomes a vast desert when the water drains. It isn’t uncommon to see some tunnel-vees and even scooters trapped in the flats until flood tide (which really stinks on a two-tide day!).

The afore-mentioned Old Queen Isabella Causeway is another short run, and it also doesn’t get as much attention as other more popular areas. Part of that may be the general belief that the area is strictly a bait fisherman’s paradise, full of mangrove snappers, sheepshead, and other panfish. That in fact is very true. It is a great spot to bring big and small kids who are more concerned with just getting their line stretched than catching the state record trout. On a good day, you may find some jumbo whiting and cosmopolitan pompanos also crash the party.

The mangrove snapper and sheepshead that hang around the pilings are tough fish. A 13-inch mangrove or 15-inch sheepshead can be quite a handful on light tackle. Even the lowly whiting can put up a spirited fight on lighter tackle. A standard free-shrimp rig—1824 inch leader, #1 short-shank hook and #3 split shot—with a lively shrimp pinned on is perfect to entice these structure-lurking battlers.

You’ll find plenty of fish around the crumbling pilings, but don’t hesitate to cast between the pilings. Pieces of the causeway have fallen into the water, and some of the larger fish tend to hold around these isolated concrete chunks.

If you fish parallel to the defunct bridge, you

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might luck into a pompano, or even find one of the snook that gravitate to the structure.

Don’t be surprised if you latch onto a good-sized trout or flounder around the Old Causeway. The pilings create current eddies that both fish hold around and wait for the tide to push bait by them.

Fish parallel to the current eddies and cast your bait into it and let it drift with the current.

Keep a finger on your line. If you feel a tap, drop your rod tip and let the line come tight, then set the hook.

If you prefer fishing with hardware, the DOA Shrimp, Berkley Power Tube, or an un-weighted Gulp! Shrimp is perfect for fishing eddies around the Old Causeway. The do-nothing action of these lures makes them look like an actual shrimp being taken where the current will.

Let the bait drift on a semi-slack line and give it a twitch every five seconds or so. No predator will let that sucker drift by their noses.

Another very good part of the Old

minnows free lined. Beldon Dugout is a good place for reds using finger mullet on a light Carolina rig.

AYERS BAY — The pocket close to Ayers Island is a good place for sheepshead using cut squid and small kahle hooks under a rattle cork. If the wind allows, Ayers Reef is a good place for reds and some trout using finger mullet on a very light Carolina rig. Lot of shell here so try not to reel, leaving the bait alone until a fish hits it.

Causeway is the curve where the bridge joins the mainland (or Long Island, as the case may be). Speckled trout, redfish and flounders congregate around the drop-off formed by the roadbed.

You can use either live bait, including finger mullet, on a ¼ ounce fish-finder rig, or you can bounce a soft plastic such as a shrimp or shad

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THE BANK BITE FULTON BEACH ROAD: Wades around the many piers in this area can be very productive for trout. I like casting camo and new penny soft plastics or pink and white and silver/blue hard bodied lures here. Topwaters on calm days can be good here as well.

Contact Capt. Mac Gable at Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601 captmac@macattackguideservice. tail on a ¼ ounce jighead off the drop-off and into the deeper water. Either technique is very effective to put fish in the box.

Lent is over, but fresh fried fish never gets old.

Email Cal Gonzales at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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FISHING HOTSPOTS Saltwater: n Upper Coast n Mid Coast n Lower Coast Freshwater: n Piney Woods

Freshwater: n Prairies & Lakes n Panhandle n Big Bend n Hill Country n South Texas

UPPER COAST

Go Deep for Reef Specks

by TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Deep Reef GPS: N 29 30.802, W 94 40.581 (29.5134, -94.6764)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Oscar Montemayor 281-853-4938 el_jefes_charters@yahoo.com TIPS: “Typically we will set up on the outside of the reef. You see the PVC pipes that are sticking up everywhere. Drift down the edges.” Capt. Montemayor LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Elm Grove Point GPS: N 29 27.1347, W 94 41.691 (29.4522, -94.6949)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Oscar Montemayor 281-853-4938 el_jefes_charters@yahoo.com TIPS: Capt. Montemayor describes his retrieve when using the Down South soft plastics: “slowly bouncing them off the shell using a slow retrieve…twitch, twitch, pause, retrieve. “I am fishing the lower part of the water column.” He uses a 1/4 oz. jig head.

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GPS COORDINATES are provided in two formats: “Decimal Degrees” (degrees.degrees) and “Degrees and Minutes” sometimes called “GPS Format” (degrees minutes.minutes).

Examples (for Downtown Austin): Decimal Degrees: N30.2777, W97.7379; Degrees and Minutes: N30 16.6662, W97 44.2739. Consult your manual for information specific to your GPS device.

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef GPS: N 29 28.92, W 94 43.6559 (29.4820, -94.7276)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Oscar Montemayor 281-853-4938 el_jefes_charters@yahoo.com TIPS: Capt. Montemayor prefers Windtamer braid line on his spinning reels. “It casts smoother, doesn’t tend to loop like mono does.” He likes Morning Glory, pumpkin/chartreuse colors in the Down South lures.

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Fat Rat Pass Flats GPS: N 29 32.4289, W 94 31.3609 (29.5405, -94.5227)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Oscar Montemayor 281-853-4938 el_jefes_charters@yahoo.com TIPS: Capt. Montemayor advises to start drifting the Galveston East Bay reefs in in May. He prefers to use soft plastics fished slowly on the bottom.

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LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Sun Gas Wells GPS: N 29 38.934, W 94 48.4379 (29.6489, -94.8073)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Oscar Montemayor 281-853-4938 el_jefes_charters@yahoo.com TIPS: When the temperatures creep up, Capt.

Montemayor fishes the wells in Trinity Bay, typically wells closer to the north shoreline.

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Exxon C Lease GPS: N 29 40.446, W 94 45.5819 (29.6741, -94.7597)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Oscar Montemayor 281-853-4938 el_jefes_charters@yahoo.com TIPS: The wells: “There’s a lot of structure down there. Throw up to the legs, letting it sink all the way to the bottom, and work it up through the water column all the way to the boat.” Capt. Montemayor LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Trinity Bay Wells GPS: N 29 34.963, W 94 44.574 (29.5827, -94.7429)

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middle of the bay. Look for something different about the reef, some type of structure LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond Shoal area GPS: N 28 40.446, W 95 53.898 (28.6741, -95.8983)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Oscar Montemayor 281-853-4938 el_jefes_charters@yahoo.com TIPS: “Typically the fish will be sitting on the current side of the well, but not always the case.” Capt.

Montemayor LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond Shoals GPS: N 28 40.446, W 95 53.898 (28.6741, -95.8983)

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LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Front of St. Mary’s Bayou GPS: N 28 39.786, W 95 57.432 (28.6631, -95.9572)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4087 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “Drifting the west end of East Bay is pretty much solid, scattered shell…just like a big shell reef, a series of reefs.” Capt. Countz

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4087 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “Key on breaks and looking for slicks, making long drifts, throwing MirrOlure Soft Shad or the Marsh Minnow that has a paddle tail.” Capt. Countz LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: New Half Moon Reef GPS: N 28 43.374, W 95 46.2299

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Popping Cork with shrimp or Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Kendall Kersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmailcom www.pursaltadventures.com TIPS: “The popping cork I like has an epoxy coating on the bottom of the cork.” He uses a 3/4 oz. weight.

“You can cast them a mile and they make a great popping sound. With the epoxy bottom, they last a long time.” Capt. Kersh LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Chinquapin Reef GPS: N 28 44.562, W 95 46.773 (28.7427, -95.7796)

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SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Popping Cork with shrimp or Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Kendall Kersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmailcom www.pursaltadventures.com TIPS: There are literally hundreds of reef in the

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4087 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “The new Half Moon Reed usually produces fish. Drift it throwing topwaters early or shrimp under a popping cork.” Capt. Countz LOCATION: Matagorda Surf HOTSPOT: Surf GPS: N 28 35.569, W 95 59.2679 (28.5928, -95.9878)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4087 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “I will run the boat to the Matagorda Jetties, park the boat, get out and start wading. If you have a 4-wheel drive you can drive east of the jetties for 20-21 miles.” Capt. Countz LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Pipeline Area GPS: N 28 42.6, W 96 23.8159 (28.7100, -96.3969)

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tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “We are mostly fishing grass beds and little cuts from April -November. If you can find mullet working, that’s a plus.” Capt. Countz LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Contee Lake GPS: N 28 17.7839, W 96 33.682 (28.2964, -96.5614)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: MirrOlure Soft Shad and Marsh Minnow CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4087 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “May is also the tipoff to triple tail fishing, fishing structure in West Bay, anything sticking up out of the water.” Capt. Countz LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Cottons Bayou GPS: N 28 30.45, W 96 12.384 (28.5075, -96.2064)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: MirrOlure Soft Shad and Marsh Minnow CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4087

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4087 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “Usually in May you can drift and throw some topwaters in three or four feet of water over the top of the reefs.” Capt. Countz LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Greens GPS: N 29 44.832, W 95 11.364 (29.7472, -95.1894)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4087 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “You will loose a lot of shrimptails to the rocks in the reefs. We put on a 1/16 oz. jig head and work it pretty quick.” Capt. Countz LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Coffee Ground Cove GPS: N 29 58.182, W 93 46.158 (29.9697, -93.7693)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic shrimp tails CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins 409-673-9211 9782018@sbcglobal.net www.fishsabinelake.com TIPS: “A good color for muddy water is a limetreuse.

For clear water we will go to white with sparkles, natural colors such as Margarita, watermelon/red flake, or Opening Night.” Capt. Watkins LOCATION: Tres Palacios Bay HOTSPOT: Oliver Point Wells GPS: N 28 38.5789, W 96 14.5819 (28.6430, -96.2430)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Popping Cork with live shrimp or Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Van Crittendon Jr. 361-481-1886 raiseemuptx@hotmail.com TIPS: “If I’m using soft plastic, I try to keep it moving,

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FISHING HOTSPOTS but it depends on how aggressive the trout are. With a live shrimp, just let it do its thing.” Capt. Crittendon LOCATION: Tres Palacios Bay HOTSPOT: Well Point Wells GPS: N 28 38.8, W 96 18.1979 (28.6467, -96.3033)

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LOCATION: Carlos Bay HOTSPOT: Cedar Reef GPS: N 28 8.251, W 96 53.049 (28.1375, -96.8842)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Popping Cork with live shrimp or Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Van Crittendon Jr. 361-481-1886 raiseemuptx@hotmail.com TIPS: “If I’m wading, I will be heading back to the spoil banks along the Intracoastal.” Capt. Crittendon

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Touts or live bait CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPatland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “May should be good fishing literally everywhere for reds, trout, whatever you want to fish for. I’ll be fishing all the way from the JFK Causeway to Carlos Bay.” Capt. McPartland LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Traylor Island GPS: N 27 56.6849, W 97 4.4609 (27.9448, a-97.0744)

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MIDDLE COAST

Spoiled Trout on the Intracoastal

by TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Intracoastal Spoil Banks GPS: N 27 33.6839, W 97 16.759 (27.5614, -97.2793)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahooo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “Size of the croaker is not that important unless they aren’t smaller than a silver dollar.” Capt. Jack McPartland

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Traylor Island GPS: N 27 56.688, W 97 4.4639 (27.9448, -97.0744)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout and redfish BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPatland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “Artificial soft plastics will work in whatever color your prefer, whether wading or drifting.” Capt.

McPartland LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Shamrock Island GPS: N 27 45.9679, W 97 9.7829 (27.7661, -97.1631)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahooo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “Hook the croaker under the backbone and

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SPECIES: Speckled trout and redfish BEST BAITS: Touts or live bait CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPatland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “Plastics, topwaters if it’s a good enough day for them, otherwise croaker. Live shrimp under a popping cork get a little iffy. The perch will still the shrimp off the hook.” Capt. McPartland LOCATION: Carlos Bay HOTSPOT: Carlos Reef GPS: N 28 6.8099, W 96 54.2029 (28.1135, -96.9034)

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: St. Joseph Island GPS: N 28 0.7285, W 96 58.365 (28.0121, -96.9728)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Mark Robinson 361-550-1081 fishmpr@aol.com TIPS: Robinson will be wade fishing for spawning trout.

towards the back of the fish. You don’t want to hit the backbone, and if you hook toward the tail you won’t hit any vital organs.” Capt. Jack McPartland

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FISHING HOTSPOTS SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahooo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “You twitch the croaker to make it grunt and to keep it from burrowing down in the grass.” Capt. Jack McPartland LOCATION: Redfish Bay HOTSPOT: Dagger Islands GPS: N 27 50.1019, W 97 10.2659 (27.8350, -97.1711)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahooo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “Pop the croaker a little bit with rod tip every 30-40 seconds. Do it by moving your wrist, not your arm.” Capt. Jack McPartland LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline GPS: N 27 29.134, W 97 21.1079 (27.4856, -97.3518)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Mark Robinson 361-550-1081 fishmpr@aol.com TIPS: A bone/silver She Dog, with a Walk-the-Dog retrieve should produce results.

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LOWER COAST

Lower Laguna’s Snake Bit Specks

by CALIXTO GONZALES and TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Rattlesnake Bay GPS: N 26 18.613, W 97 19.453 (26.3102, -97.3242)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Big topwater lures CONTACT: Capt. Joe Prado 956-357-1301 josephpradoprado@yahoo.com TIPS: Capt. Prado is wadefishing in about deep water.

About different colors -- Honestly I don’t think color matters. I like a Pink/White, any natural bait fish color.

LOCATION: Arroyo City HOTSPOT: Peyton Bay GPS: N 26 26.122, W 97 22.3519 (26.4354, -97.3725)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corkys and Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonfire.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: Capt. Romero specializes in big sow trout, fishing drop-offs and sand bars, old bellies and guts where mainly the big trout usually come during March through May to spawn.

LOCATION: Arroyo City HOTSPOT: East of Green Island GPS: N 26 23.5379, W 97 19.465 (26.3923, -97.3244)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonfire.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: “In the early morning they usually come from deep water and feed in a foot of water, sometimes six inches of water. They usually tend to stick around in the shallows till mid morning, then move deeper later in the day.” Capt. Romero LOCATION: Arroyo City HOTSPOT: West of Green Island GPS: N 26 23.31, W 97 19.876 (26.3885, -97.3313)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonfire.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: It’s all wade fishing…fishing a mixture of sandy bottom, kind of shelly bottom, and grass beds, grass pockets, soft clay bottoms.

LOCATION: Arroyo City HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N 26 28.134, W 97 23.677 (26.4689, -97.3946)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonfire.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: Capt. Romero looks for long, thin grass sticking up out of the water…”kind of looks like fettuccine.

The females when they lay their eggs, the eggs usually

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FISHING HOTSPOTS stick on that long grass.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Green Island GPS: N 26 23.5379, W 97 19.465 (26.3923, -97.3244)

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CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonfire.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: Capt. Romero free lines, or uses a Chatter Weight with the croaker. “Kind of thump it every 5-8 seconds.”

PINEY WOODS

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Big topwater lures CONTACT: Capt. Joe Prado 956-357-1301 josephpradoprado@yahoo.com TIPS: “Super Spooks, Skitter Walks, She Dogs… it just depends on the wind which one I will use. On a high wind I will use a She Dog because it’s real loud.

On a medium wind day, I use the Skitter Walk. If there’s not very much wind, I’ll throw a Super Spook because it’s a little quieter.” Capt. Prado LOCATION: Padre Island HOTSPOT: Bird Island GPS: N 27 28.402, W 97 18.5989 (27.4734, -97.3100)

Fork Creeks Holding the Bass

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Main Lake Creeks GPS: N 32 56.2319, W 95 38.796 (32.9372, -95.6466)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Plastic frogs, buzzbaits, flukes CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net www.caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish the vegetation/cypress tree mix in these areas. Look for water that is 2-4 ft. deep that is in shady areas during the bright part of the day. I recommend heavy braid when fishing around all the cover and because of the trophy sized bass that Caddo Lake regularly serves up.

LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 22.974, W 95 34.9259 (30.3829, -95.5821)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Big topwater lures CONTACT: Capt. Joe Prado 956-357-1301 josephpradoprado@yahoo.com TIPS: “Most of my clients at this time of the year want trophies. To catch a big trout, it does take a little bit more patience and skill to muscle in a 27 inch trout.”

Capt. Prado LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: Long Bar GPS: N 26 8.592, W 97 14.2249 (26.1432, -97.2371)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Popping Frog in white, Yellow Magic topwater lure, and Wacky Worm in Watermelon Red CONTACT: Doug Shampine 940-902-3855 doug@lakeforktrophybass.com www.lakeforktrophybass.com TIPS: Bass fishing in May on Lake Fork is my favorite month to fish. The top water bite is outstanding in May. The female bass are now in post spawn and are feeding up after not eating while they were spawning. You will find them in the shallow areas close to the spawning areas. Also the lily pads are growing along with the hydrilla, which provides ambush cover for these big females. Burch, Running, Coffee, and Big Mustang Creeks will be places to check out for these big bass to be feeding.

LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Ames Spring Basin or Old Folks Playground GPS: N 32 42.678, W 94 5.3399 (32.7113, -94.0890)

SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers BEST BAITS: Live shad, Storm Swim Shad and crankbaits CONTACT: Richard Tatsch 936)291-1277 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: The hybrid stripers are in full swing now and this is the time to catch trophy fish and possibly lake record Hybrids. They will be all around the lake on main lake points and humps. The use of electronics will be the key to finding the schools of shad and you will find the Hybrids. This time of year they will range in the water column from 12 to 26 feet. Find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. Live shad will be the bait of choice but the swim shad and crankbaits will work if you can control the depth. Good luck and good fishing!

Bank Access: Stowaway Marina LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Little Caney Creek GPS: N 32 50.112, W 95 33.6653 (32.8352, -95.5611)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Croaker

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PRAIRIES & LAKES

Texoma Stripers Get Sassy SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, topwater lures, Grande Bass Airtail Rattler, poppers and frogs CONTACT: Lance Vick 903-312-0609 lance@lakeforkbass.com www.guideonlakefork.com TIPS: “I believe May on Lake Fork is the most exciting time of year. As the shad are spawning early in day use crankbaits and topwaters. Main lake points are best to find them feeding. When that is over you can catch fry guarding fish with topwater poppers and frogs back in the creeks around flooded cover. If that’s not enough action, tie on a Carolina rig put a Grande Bass Airtail Rattler on it and fish points and drop offs in 15 to 25 foot of water. Adding a rattle in the tail will set you apart from the crowd .Great areas to try are Little Caney, Birch creek, and Wolf creek.

LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: The Lump GPS: N 30 41.172, W 95 5.658 (30.6862, -95.0943)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows (shiners) and jigs CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: May is the month the Crappie will be moving off the beds and following the creeks back to their main lake haunts. If you drop some brush or locate some natural cover along the creek channels the Crappie will hold in these areas before heading back to the main lake. Straight-line shiners or jigs over the cover.

Remember, the month of May is “take a kid fishing” month. The bream will be on the beds and it’s a good time to get a kid “hooked on fishing”.

by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: The North End , Washita Point GPS: N 33 52.068, W 96 41.67 (33.8678, -96.6945)

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SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Sassy Shad jigs, topwater plugs and

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SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Jigging White Slabs, trolled Pet Spoons on downrigger and Tsunami Zombie Eye Jigs (1 oz. pink/silver glow).

CONTACT: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Fish the slope of the drop off and jig the slabs and Tsunami Zombie Eyes right off the bottom. Feel for strikes on the falling jig. BANK ACCESS: Beacon Bay Marina LOCATION: Toledo Bend North HOTSPOT: Bayou Seipe GPS: N 31 43.602, W 93 49.4879 (31.7267, -93.8248)

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FISHING HOTSPOTS live shad CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: May is most fishermen’s favorite month of the year on Lake Texoma. Most of the stripers are finished with the spawn and are roaming the lake. Large schools of post spawn fish are hungry and will strike on artificial lures and live bait. Cast Pencil Poppers and big Chugbugs on the shallow banks early in the mornings.

After the topwater bite, switch to 1oz white glo Sassy Shad jigs or live shad. Work the jigs on main lake ledges to 30’ depths. Drift or anchor with live shad on the same ledges. Limits of fish are common and May is an exciting month on Lake Texoma Bank Access: Platter Flats, Washita Point

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits and Topwater Baits in natural colors CONTACT: Henry Niemiec 254-368-0294 surestrikeguideservice@yahoo.com TIPS: With the water temperatures in the upper 70’s and low 80’s and daytime temperatures reaching into the 90’s, now is the time to plan your trips in the early morning or late afternoon. Bass will move into the shallow water to feed when the sun goes down and move back to deeper water when it comes back up.

Look for shorelines with stickups or larger rocks in the water. The backs of coves are great starting points for this time of the year. If you have been bitten by the top water bug, this is the time of the year for some great top water action!

humps and the sand bass follow. I find the shad and fish on electronics and jig straight down with A slab and fly and many times you will get a double For the people who like to cast. Fan cast over these humps with a Mepps spinner or A tail spinner worked very slowly just off the bottom.

LOCATION: Bachman Lake HOTSPOT: Bridge GPS: N 32 51.576, W 96 51.378 (32.8596, -96.8563)

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 10.9379, W 96 4.8635 (32.1823, -96.0811)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Spawn is mostly over by now. Fish will be shallow in the timber. Put chum around the trees and fish with a slip cork.

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/16th jig in white and chartreuse or black and chartreuse under a 2 inch pegged bobber CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Under the bridge, are all sorts of trees stuck on the pylons. They are sitting anywhere from 5 to 6 foot of water some a bit shallower. The Whataburger side, West, right up against the bank is anywhere from 6 to 9 foot. The east side of the bridge is 2 to 4 foot.

So standing on the west side is best. Under the bridge behind Whataburger is good all day, but night time from 8 pm-4 am is killer with a 1/16 th jig-head white and chartreuse or black and chartreuse, under a 2 inch pegged bobber, but replace the peg with a glow stick.

LOCATION: Belton Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 8.49, W 97 28.8359 (31.1415, -97.4806)

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SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait CONTACT: Jason Barber 903-603-2047 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: Fish all rocks and rip-rap along ridges, dams, retaining walls etc. Punch bait of any kind will work in 2’ to 10’ of water on the bottom or under a float.

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: Twin Points Humps GPS: N 32 53.16, W 97 29.672 (32.8860, -97.4945)

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SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Slabs with a fly 12 inches above CONTACT: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598 None johnnysguideservice.com TIPS: This area has two very large humps. During the early summer time the shad congregate around these

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LOCATION: Fayette County HOTSPOT: Park Cove GPS: N 29 56.544, W 96 44.9639 (29.9424, -96.7494)

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek HOTSPOT: Employee dock area GPS: N 30 37.602, W 96 4.5899 (30.6267, -96.0765)

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SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Crawfish, shad, or punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Some fish have already spawned. Look for them 10 feet off shore along the rocks here or if lily pads are growing, close to the pads.

LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Brush Piles GPS: N 30 42.1079, W 97 21.066 (30.7018, -97.3511)

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lake mixed with stripers.

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LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 33 2.9099, W 96 31.7099 (33.0485, -96.5285)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/32 oz. Marabou jig CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: May is the beginning of the best crappie fishing at Granger Lake. The fish are biting in every spot that has brush. Concentrate on open brush piles in 6-12 feet of water. The key is finding the spots with the bigger fish. Those big slab sized crappie are normally in the smaller less obvious underwater cover. A few small sticks in 6 feet of water can produce some of the largest crappie of the year. There is no need to use minnows this time of year since the crappie are so hungry after spawning. I always use a Berkley Crappie Nibble on my jigs. It helps to make the fish hold the bait longer. Fish vertically over the cover and hold the jig still. Wait no longer than 5 seconds for a bite. Then move the jig a little to a new location and do the same.

If you feel cover and do not catch a crappie within 5 minutes, you need to move on to the next spot. Good luck and good fishing.

LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Lower End GPS: N 32 23.014, W 97 42.55 (32.3836, -97.7092)

SPECIES: Crappie

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SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Slabs and Live shad when located about 20 - 25 feet down. Chartreuse and silver are producing best.

CONTACT: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 www.unfairadvantagecharters.com TIPS: Thrash the water with your rod tip to bring in curious fish. When on top use chrome plugs/crankbaits. Granbury water temperatures are into the 80s and the summer patterns are starting to dominate. Most every species has spawned out. The weather is heating up and the morning and evening bites are best on those hot days. White bass are schooling on the main

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FISHING HOTSPOTS BEST BAITS: Minnows and black and chartreuse or white and chartreuse 1/16 ounce jigs CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: If the gates are closed, dependent on the rain this month, I would look for Crappie anywhere from 1 to 10 foot of water. In 7 to 10 foot of water you’ll find your females and shallower you should find your males. Fish with minnows under a cork or long rod with black and chartreuse or white and chartreuse 1/16 ounce jig head.

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N 32 13.5, W 95 29.2499 (32.2250, -95.4875)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: “Deep diver crankbaits in shad pattern, Carolina rig in Watermelon Red and the Big Eye jig in Watermelon Red or candy color.

CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: “We will be in what we call “”post spawn”” which means that our spawn for the most part will be over and the bass will be moving out away from their spawning grounds and the male bass will be in the shallows with the fry that are left.

I will be working the main lake points for the larger bass. I will be fishing the first drop off from the shore looking at the 10 to 16 foot range. Best areas will be the points near the dam. Fish as slow as you can for best results.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Cates Point GPS: N 33 22.689, W 97 3.22 (33.3782, -97.0537)

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SPECIES: Largemouth, White bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, small swimbaits CONTACT: Jim Walling

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914-391-5534 jimwalling@icloud.com TIPS: Post spawn fish will be plentiful in this area in May. The fish will feed on shad on most main lake points. Fish various topwaters and small swimbaits rigged on a 1/8-ounce jig head in 2-15 feet of water.

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Yegua Park Shoreline GPS: N 30 17.76, W 96 32.784 (30.2960, -96.5464)

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SPECIES: White Bass and Hybrid Striper BEST BAITS: Slabs CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: May is my FAVORITE month of the spring as the weather is more predictable, the temperature is pleasant and the fish are easy to find and catch! The Hybrid Stripers and White Bass will be feeding aggressively in the Main Lake area all month long. Silver RSR Slabs fished in 20’-30’ water off the 309 Flats will result in lots of White Bass action and the occasional LARGE Hybrid Striper. Look for the Gulls to help locate the baitfish that the whites are feeding on.

LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 0.8579, W 97 36.402 (31.0143, -97.6067)

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SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live threadfin shad CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: With the massive restocking program TPW has done the past few years on Whitney we are literally loaded with Striped bass. They have reached maturity and, after coming off the spawn, are gorging and making for some awesome action. Live bait (threadfin shad) is working best. Rigging up on a Carolina rig and fishing straight down around 18’ just off ledges and edges at Whitney hump and other main lake points and humps is the key. Watch your graph along these edges and humps and if your screen lights up with big balls of bait, the stripers aren’t far behind. You should be in for some fast paced action!

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SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait or shad CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Fish are still spawning. Fish shallows along the bank or structure. Use Kahle hook for Shad or a #6 treble hook for punch bait. Consider using a slip cork to prevent unwanted hookups.

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump GPS: N 31 54.612, W 97 20.754 (31.9102, -97.3459)

LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: 309 Flats GPS: N 31 58.71, W 96 6.864 (31.9785, -96.1144)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits and Topwater Baits in natural colors CONTACT: Henry Niemiec 254-368-0294 surestrikeguideservice@yahoo.com TIPS: With the water temperatures in the upper 70’s and low 80’s and daytime temperatures reaching into the 90’s, now is the time to plan your trips in the early morning or late afternoon. Bass will move into the shallow water to feed when the sun goes down and move back to deeper water when it comes back up.

Look for matted grass around the flats and also the timber around the back side of the island. Work around the timber on the shady side and along the edges and through the grass. If you have been bitten by the top water bug, this is the time of the year for some great top water action.

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FISHING HOTSPOTS PANHANDLE

Creeky Bass on Alan Henry

by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Main Lake Creeks GPS: N 33 2.8199, W 101 3.7979 (33.0470, -101.0633)

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CONTACT: Michael D. Homer Jr. 325-692-0921 michael.homer@tpwd.texas.gov tpwd.texas.gov TIPS: This is a special report/hotspot this month and thanks goes out to Natalie Goldstrohm. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department with the help of City of Cisco and the Still Waters Bass Club, has deployed Christmas tree brush piles in Cisco Reservoir. This particular location features both a rock pile and a brush pile in the lake arm near the dam. The rocky and woody structure should aggregate prey fish and largemouth bass to this location and should increase angler catch rates.

A map of all of the brush pile sites at Cisco Reservoir can be found on the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department website: tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/ cisco/structure.phtml.

LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Peanut Patch GPS: N 32 53.627, W 98 30.998 (32.8938, -98.5166)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: “Bass Jigs (white), 1/4 oz. or 3/8 oz. shaky head with a blue fleck worm or Senko type worm, Texas rigged worms CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglobal.net www.lakealanhenry.com/norman_clayton.htm TIPS: In May the fishing usually gets easy on Alan Henry. The bass are on beds. I do not do a lot of sight fishing, but you can find clear water toward the dam, and fine bass on the bed. I use a white jig so that I can really see it well. This way I can tell when a bedding bass picks up the white jig. You can use most anything that you can let set in the nest. May is also a great shaky head time. I fish the steeper banks with a 1/4 oz. or 3/8 oz. shaky head. I will also use a Senko type worm on the shaky head. The bass will start moving out of the backs of the creeks to the channel edges, and on the humps and flats at the mouths of the creeks. Check out the mouth of Big Grape, Rocky, Little Grape, and Ince Cove.

LOCATION: Lake Cisco HOTSPOT: Brush Pile Site 10 GPS: N 32 26.7564, W 98 59.0855 (32.4459, -98.9848)

SPECIES: Largemouth bass, Crappie BEST BAITS: Largemouth bass

The Spawn is On at Amistad

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Evans Creek GPS: N 29 30.2229, W 100 55.6938 (29.5037, -100.9282)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, swimbaits, topwaters, plastic worms CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 stan@amistadbass.com amistadbass.com TIPS: The bass will be in all phases of the spawn.

Some will be caught on topwater lures shallow. My favorite is to fish the deeper points near creek channels slow-rolling spinnerbaits or on crankbaits. Some bedding fish can be seen on non-windy days.

LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Zubergueler Bend GPS: N 29 35.1160, W 101 17.0970 (29.587421, -101.284934)

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SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: There is spotty topwater action in the mornings T E X A S

TexasOutdoorNation-1605-ISSUU.indd 81

BIG BEND

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SPECIES: Striped, Hybrid, White Bass BEST BAITS: Live bait, downriggers CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: This is the time I break out the pontoon boat with 4 downriggers and go after the big stripers and hybrids. There is spotty topwater action in the mornings against the bank and sandbass action almost everywhere you look. stick to baits that match a gizzard or threadfin shad.

LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Peanut Patch GPS: N 32 53.627, W 98 30.998 (32.8938, -98.5166)

against the bank. Black bass are chasing perch off their beds. Best days are mostly cloudy on the peanut patch and the whole patch could explode in topwater action.

F I S H

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, crankbaits CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 stan@amistadbass.com amistadbass.com TIPS: During the spawn, fish large flats, creeks and drop-offs.

G A M E ®

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4/12/16 10:57 AM

FISHING HOTSPOTS Super Shad close to the bottom produces fish in this area. Tight lines and Fish-On!

HILL COUNTRY

Canyon Stripers, Bass & Crappie

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Guadalupe River Mouth Area GPS: N 29 53.5379, W 98 18.216 (29.8923, -98.3036)

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by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Sailboat Moorings & Jacobs Creek GPS: N 29 52.83, W 98 13.512 u TAP FOR (29.8805, -98.2252)

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, Jewel jigs in 1/8oz with Net Paca chunks in Texas Craw color, Texas Rigged Trick Worms in Watermelon Red with a 1/8oz Tungsten weight.

CONTACT: KC’S Bassin’ Guide Service 210-823-2153 kandie@gvtc.com www.kcbassinguide.com TIPS: As you approach the sailboat area, fish the point to the right and work your way to left to the marina.

Fish in and around the end caps of the slots. Best colors for this time of year are Watermelon Candy, Blue Fleck, and Green Pumpkin.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Canyon Park Point GPS: N 29 53.2559, W 98 13.638 (29.8876, -98.2273)

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LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: Lake Austin Flats and Docks GPS: N 30 20.922, W 97 48.5159 (30.3487, -97.8086)

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LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Upper Half of Main Lake GPS: N 30 50.4, W 98 24.4919 (30.8400, -98.4082)

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SPECIES: Striped Bass and White Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@yahoo.com www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: “White Bass and Striper fishing is excellent.

Concentrate on 30 to 45 feet depths near ridges and humps.

If you have a breeze, drop your anchor. If not, try drifting and fish 24 feet down.

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N 30 48.738, W 98 25.968 (30.8123, -98.4328)

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SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Hogie’s 4” Super Shad in Pearl with 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 (20-40 feet). They will be suspending over the river channel and feeding on the point in this area. Fishing the

82 |

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs with minnows, small crankbaits, small spinnerbaits CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide Service-Barry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: There may be a small number of crappie, which have not spawned, but very few, if any. Most will be scattered following intermediate travel routes exiting the river, creeks and shallow water in search of their deeper summer habitat. Black crappie usually do not migrate as far from spawning grounds as white crappie.

More white crappie will be caught in the main lake during the summer, while black crappie will seek the deeper depths of the river. This area has lots of standing timber the river channel. Fish just off the main river channel and look for suspended fish.

Underspin with a V&M Thunder Shad (usually in white or hitch color) and work the 8-12 feet of water column with a yo-yo action. When the sun gets high, I switch to a Carolina rigged V&M Trickster in 15+ feet of water or start skipping docks with a V&M Delta Bug. It’s very important to throw multiple times at the same spot when skipping or fishing docks and the reason is these fish are usually coming back from feeding in the mornings and are in metabolize mode (meaning they are digesting their meals from the morning feed). So to trigger reaction strikes it is best to make sure you give that fish multiple opportunities to decide to eat again.

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T E X A S

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: V&M Delta Bug, V&M Trickster, Picasso Tungsten, Picasso Inviz Wire Spinnerbait, Picasso Double Barrel Underspin CONTACT: Brian Parker - Lake Austin Fishing 817-808-2227 lakeaustinfishing@yahoo.com www.LakeAustinFishing.com TIPS: This will be post spawn feeding time on Lake Austin and other Lower Colorado River lakes. I start my mornings with a Picasso Inviz Wire Spinnerbait and work the sandy flats right by depth changes. As the sun comes up, I switch to a Picasso Double Barrel

F I S H

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SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad or perch, topwater plugs, Long A Bombers and Red Fin lures CONTACT: Ken Milam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: Stripers will still be hitting top water plugs on main lake points where you see thread fin shad running. You can also find them near back of creeks. Live shad or perch ALWAYS work well but artificial lures

G A M E ®

4/12/16 10:57 AM

FISHING HOTSPOTS such as the Long A bombers and Red fin type baits are also serious considerations.

SOUTH TEXAS

Anything Goes for Coleto Bass

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 43.4759, W 97 11.334 (28.7246, -97.1889)

TexasOutdoorNation-1605-ISSUU.indd 83

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Topwater lures, weightless watermelon lizards, pearl white or watermelon flukes, white spinnerbaits CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-960-0566 TIPS: What a great month to fish. The lake is at full level, there are lots of hiding places for the fry and insects are flying. Anything goes this time of year. Some of my favorites are top water lures, spinnerbaits, flukes, and Texas rigs . I’d stay focused in back of creeks that have a lot of fry and fish top water early morning. Then I’ll find clear water during the afternoon and pitch white spinners during windy day. If no wind I’d throw pearl white or watermelon flukes. Just let it sink real slow.

If they are there they will hit it. Sometimes I’ll throw watermelon red lizard weightless. Remember: Fish the back of creeks!

LOCATION: Choke Canyon Res. HOTSPOT: Main Lake Shallow Areas GPS: N 28 29.2919, W 98 20.994 (28.4882, -98.3499)

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SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Stink bait, cheese bait, or worms.

CONTACT: Charlie Brown 830-780-2162 TIPS: Expect to find catfish in shallow water this time of year since May is usually a spawning month. Use a float rigged to 3 feet and move to another spot if you don’t get a bite within 10-15 minutes.

4/12/16 12:21 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MAY 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

T4

T11

T10 T9

TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the upper white boxes on the Calendar Pages. Use the Correction Table below, which is keyed to 23 other tide stations, to adjust low and high tide times.

T8 T6 T17

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

T15 T16

TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below.

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on many wildlife species.

T13 T7

T3 T2 T1

T5

T14

AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours.

T18

AM & PM MAJOR phases occur when the moon reaches its highest point overhead as well as when it is “underfoot” or at its highest point on the exact opposite side of the earth from your positoin (or literally under your feet). Most days have two Major Feeding Phases, each lasting about 2 hours.

T19

T20

PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month.

PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.

T21

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.

KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty Port Bolivar

HIGH -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14

LOW -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06

KEY PLACE HIGH Galveston Channel/Bays T7 Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +3:54 T8 Eagle Point +6:05 T9 Clear Lake +10:21 T10 Morgans Point T11 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39

LOW +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15

KEY T12 T13 T14 T15 T16 T17

PLACE Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, W. Bay Alligator Point, W. Bay Christmas Pt Galveston Pleasure Pier

HIGH +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -1:06

LOW +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:33 +2:31 -1:06

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

PLACE HIGH San Luis Pass -0.09 Freeport Harbor -0:44 Pass Cavallo 0:00 Aransas Pass -0:03 Padre Island (So. End) -0:24 Port Isabel +1:02

LOW -0.09 -1:02 -1:20 -1:31 -1:45 -0:42

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

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

READING THE GRAPH

Moon l Moon Overhead l Underfoot

Fishing Score Graph

Day’s Best Day’s 2nd Score Best Score

n

Best Day Overall

MOON PHASES

l = New Moon l = Full Moon = First Quarter º » = Last Quarter «= Good Day by Moon Phase 84 |

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T E X A S

F I S H

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G A M E ®

4/12/16 10:57 AM

MAY 2016

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

TUESDAY

25 High Tide:

26 Low Tide:

7:31 AM 1.69ft.

Low Tide: 1:06 PM 1.35ft.

High Tide: 4:12 PM 1.42ft.

12:32 AM High Tide: 8:24 AM Low Tide: 2:07 PM High Tide: 3:58 PM

FEET

0.30ft.

1.67ft.

1.41ft.

1.42ft.

WEDNESDAY

27 Low Tide:

1:15 AM 0.34ft.

High Tide: 9:28 AM 1.65ft.

THURSDAY

28 Low Tide:

2:06 AM 0.38ft.

High Tide: 10:40 AM 1.64ft.

FRIDAY

29 » Low Tide: 3:04 AM

0.43ft.

High Tide: 11:38 AM 1.64ft.

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

April 30 1 May Low Tide: 4:08 AM 0.48ft.

Low Tide: 5:15 AM High Tide: 12:17 PM 1.64ft.

Low Tide: 6:21 PM 1.23ft.

High Tide: 10:19 PM 1.32ft.

0.53ft.

High Tide: 12:48 PM 1.63ft.

Low Tide: 6:43 PM 1.05ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

8:00 — 10:00 PM Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 7:51p Moonrise: 11:01p Set: 9:11a AM Minor: 8:21a AM Major: 2:10a PM Minor: 8:45p PM Major: 2:33p Moon Overhead: 3:42a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

8:30 — 10:30 PM

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

9:00 — 11:00 PM

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

10:00P — 12:00A

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

11:00P — 1:00A

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

12:00 — 2:00 AM

12a

6a

12p

6p

1:00 — 3:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 4:05p

Moon Overhead: 4:29a

PM Major: 4:21p

Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 7:51p

Moon Underfoot: 4:54p

Moon Overhead: 5:19a

PM Minor: 11:29p PM Major: 5:16p

Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 7:52p

Moon Underfoot: 5:44p

Moon Overhead: 6:09a

AM Major: 5:44a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 6:10p

Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 7:53p

Moon Underfoot: 6:34p

Moon Overhead: 7:00a

AM Minor: 12:23a AM Major: 6:36a PM Minor: 12:49p PM Major: 7:02p

Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 7:53p

Moon Underfoot: 7:26p

Moon Overhead: 7:52a

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 7:54p

Moon Underfoot: 8:18p

Moonrise: 11:51p Set: 9:57a AM Minor: 9:15a AM Major: 3:02a PM Minor: 9:39p PM Major: 3:27p

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Moonrise: None Set: 10:46a AM Minor: 10:09a AM Major: 3:56a PM Minor: 10:34p

Moonrise: 12:40a Set: 11:39a AM Minor: 11:03a AM Major: 4:51a

Moonrise: 1:27a Set: 12:35p AM Minor: 11:57a

Moonrise: 2:13a Set: 1:34p

12a

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 7:55p Moonrise: 2:57a

4/12/16 10:57 AM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

2 High Tide: FEET

12:09 AM Low Tide: 6:20 AM High Tide: 1:16 PM Low Tide: 7:16 PM

TUESDAY

1.44ft.

0.59ft.

1.63ft.

0.82ft.

3 High Tide:

1:24 AM Low Tide: 7:21 AM High Tide: 1:44 PM Low Tide: 7:55 PM

1.61ft.

0.67ft.

1.62ft.

0.56ft.

WEDNESDAY

4 High Tide:

2:29 AM Low Tide: 8:20 AM High Tide: 2:12 PM Low Tide: 8:36 PM

1.79ft.

0.78ft.

1.62ft.

0.30ft.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

5 « High Tide: 3:28 AM

SATURDAY

6 l High Tide: 4:25 AM

1.93ft.

Low Tide: 9:15 AM 0.91ft.

High Tide: 2:42 PM 1.62ft.

Low Tide: 9:20 PM 0.08ft.

7 « High Tide: 5:22 AM

2.03ft.

Low Tide: 10:08 AM 1.05ft.

High Tide: 3:13 PM 1.63ft.

Low Tide: 10:06 PM -0.07ft.

2.07ft.

Low Tide: 11:01 AM 1.18ft.

High Tide: 3:45 PM 1.62ft.

Low Tide: 10:54 PM -0.14ft.

SUNDAY

8 « High Tide: 6:20 AM

2.05ft.

Low Tide: 11:54 AM 1.29ft.

High Tide: 4:18 PM 1.60ft.

Low Tide: 11:44 PM -0.12ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

2:00 — 4:00 AM Set: 2:36p AM Minor: 1:13a AM Major: 7:27a PM Minor: 1:40p PM Major: 7:53p

9:30 — 11:30 AM Moonrise: 3:40a Set: 3:39p AM Minor: 2:02a AM Major: 8:15a PM Minor: 2:28p PM Major: 8:42p Moon Overhead: 9:37a Moon Underfoot: 10:04p Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 7:56p

Moon Overhead: 8:44a Moon Underfoot: 9:11p Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 7:55p

MONDAY

9 « High Tide: 7:20 AM

1.99ft.

Low Tide: 12:52 PM 1.36ft.

High Tide: 4:54 PM 1.55ft.

FEET

6p

12a

6a

TUESDAY

10 Low Tide:

12:37 AM -0.02ft.

High Tide: 8:24 AM 1.89ft.

Low Tide: 2:01 PM 1.39ft.

High Tide: 5:33 PM 1.48ft.

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

10:30A — 12:30P Moonrise: 4:23a Set: 4:44p AM Minor: 2:49a AM Major: 9:03a PM Minor: 3:16p PM Major: 9:30p Moon Overhead: 10:31a Moon Underfoot: 10:58p Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 7:57p

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

11:30A — 1:30P

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

12:30 — 2:30 PM

Moonrise: 5:07a Set: 5:51p AM Minor: 3:37a AM Major: 9:51a PM Minor: 4:05p PM Major: 10:18p Moon Overhead: 11:26a Moon Underfoot: 11:54p Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 7:57p

6a

Moonrise: 5:52a Set: 6:58p AM Minor: 4:27a AM Major: 10:41a PM Minor: 4:56p PM Major: 11:10p Moon Overhead: 12:22p Moon Underfoot: None Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 7:58p

1:30 — 2:30 PM Moonrise: 6:39a Set: 8:06p AM Minor: 5:21a AM Major: 11:36a PM Minor: 5:51p PM Major: 12:05p Moon Overhead: 1:20p Moon Underfoot: 12:51a Sunrise: 6:32a Set: 7:58p

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

7:30 — 9:30 PM Moonrise: 7:29a Set: 9:13p AM Minor: 6:20a AM Major: 12:06a PM Minor: 6:50p PM Major: 12:35p Moon Overhead: 2:19p Moon Underfoot: 1:50a Sunrise: 6:31a Set: 7:59p

MOON PHASES

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS Moon l Overhead l Moon Underfoot

READING THE GRAPH

12p

PRIME TIME

Fishing Score Graph

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

11 Low Tide:

1:34 AM 0.13ft.

High Tide: 9:32 AM 1.79ft.

Low Tide: 3:37 PM 1.36ft.

High Tide: 6:36 PM 1.39ft.

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

12 Low Tide:

n

2:36 AM High Tide: 10:38 AM Low Tide: 5:28 PM High Tide: 9:05 PM

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

13 Low Tide:

0.31ft.

1.71ft.

1.26ft.

1.32ft.

3:43 AM High Tide: 11:35 AM Low Tide: 6:16 PM High Tide: 11:03 PM

0.49ft.

1.65ft.

1.13ft.

1.33ft.

SATURDAY

14 º Low Tide: 4:54 AM

0.64ft.

High Tide: 12:18 PM 1.60ft.

Low Tide: 6:46 PM 0.98ft.

SUNDAY

15 High Tide:

12:29 AM 1.40ft.

Low Tide: 6:03 AM 0.77ft.

High Tide: 12:51 PM 1.57ft.

Low Tide: 7:12 PM 0.82ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

3:00 — 5:00 PM Moonrise: 8:23a Set: 10:17p AM Minor: 7:23a AM Major: 1:08a PM Minor: 7:53p PM Major: 1:38p Moon Overhead: 3:19p Moon Underfoot: 2:49a Sunrise: 6:31a Set: 8:00p

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M A Y

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

4:30 — 6:30 AM

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6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

Moonrise: 9:19a Set: 11:16p AM Minor: 8:28a AM Major: 2:14a PM Minor: 8:57p PM Major: 2:43p Moon Overhead: 4:18p Moon Underfoot: 3:49a Sunrise: 6:30a Set: 8:00p 2 0 1 6

12a

10:00P — 12:00A Moonrise: 10:17a Set: None AM Minor: 9:32a AM Major: 3:18a PM Minor: 10:01p PM Major: 3:47p Moon Overhead: 5:15p Moon Underfoot: 4:47a Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:01p

T E X A S

F I S H

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

5:30 — 7:30 AM Moonrise: 11:16a Set: 12:10a AM Minor: 10:34a AM Major: 4:20a PM Minor: 11:00p PM Major: 4:47p Moon Overhead: 6:09p Moon Underfoot: 5:42a Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:02p

&

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

12:00 — 2:00 AM Moonrise: 12:14p Set: 12:58a AM Minor: 11:30a AM Major: 5:17a PM Minor: 11:55p PM Major: 5:43p Moon Overhead: 6:59p Moon Underfoot: 6:34a Sunrise: 6:28a Set: 8:02p

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

1:00 — 3:00 AM Moonrise: 1:10p Set: 1:41a AM Minor: ----AM Major: 6:09a PM Minor: 12:21p PM Major: 6:33p Moon Overhead: 7:47p Moon Underfoot: 7:24a Sunrise: 6:27a Set: 8:03p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

2:00 — 4:00 AM Moonrise: 2:04p Set: 2:20a AM Minor: 12:44a AM Major: 6:56a PM Minor: 1:07p PM Major: 7:18p Moon Overhead: 8:33p Moon Underfoot: 8:10a Sunrise: 6:27a Set: 8:04p

G A M E ®

4/12/16 10:57 AM

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4/12/16 10:57 AM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

16 High Tide: FEET

1:38 AM Low Tide: 7:05 AM High Tide: 1:19 PM Low Tide: 7:38 PM

TUESDAY

17 High Tide:

1.50ft.

0.88ft.

1.54ft.

0.65ft.

2:34 AM Low Tide: 7:59 AM High Tide: 1:42 PM Low Tide: 8:05 PM

1.59ft.

0.99ft.

1.53ft.

0.49ft.

WEDNESDAY

18 High Tide:

3:23 AM Low Tide: 8:46 AM High Tide: 2:04 PM Low Tide: 8:34 PM

1.67ft.

1.08ft.

1.52ft.

0.34ft.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

19 « High Tide: 4:07 AM

SATURDAY

20 « High Tide: 4:47 AM

1.73ft.

Low Tide: 9:29 AM 1.16ft.

High Tide: 2:24 PM 1.50ft.

Low Tide: 9:05 PM 0.23ft.

21 ¡ High Tide: 5:24 AM

1.76ft.

Low Tide: 10:10 AM 1.23ft.

High Tide: 2:41 PM 1.49ft.

Low Tide: 9:37 PM 0.15ft.

1.78ft.

Low Tide: 10:50 AM 1.29ft.

High Tide: 2:55 PM 1.47ft.

Low Tide: 10:11 PM 0.10ft.

SUNDAY

22 « High Tide: 6:01 AM

1.79ft.

Low Tide: 11:30 AM 1.34ft.

High Tide: 3:02 PM 1.45ft.

Low Tide: 10:45 PM 0.09ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

8:30 — 10:30 AM Moonrise: 2:56p Set: 2:57a AM Minor: 1:27a AM Major: 7:38a PM Minor: 1:49p PM Major: 8:00p Moon Overhead: 9:16p Moon Underfoot: 8:54a Sunrise: 6:26a Set: 8:04p

4:30 — 6:30 AM Moonrise: 3:48p Set: 3:31a AM Minor: 2:06a AM Major: 8:17a PM Minor: 2:28p PM Major: 8:38p Moon Overhead: 9:59p Moon Underfoot: 9:37a Sunrise: 6:26a Set: 8:05p

MONDAY

23 « High Tide: 6:38 AM

1.77ft.

Low Tide: 12:13 PM 1.38ft.

High Tide: 3:04 PM 1.44ft.

Low Tide: 11:22 PM 0.11ft.

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

TUESDAY

24 « High Tide: 7:19 AM

1.75ft.

Low Tide: 1:04 PM 1.41ft.

High Tide: 3:06 PM 1.43ft.

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

5:00 — 7:00 AM Moonrise: 4:39p Set: 4:05a AM Minor: 2:44a AM Major: 8:54a PM Minor: 3:05p PM Major: 9:15p Moon Overhead: 10:41p Moon Underfoot: 10:20a Sunrise: 6:25a Set: 8:05p

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

11:00A — 1:00P

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

11:30A — 1:30P

Moonrise: 5:30p Set: 4:39a AM Minor: 3:21a AM Major: 9:32a PM Minor: 3:42p PM Major: 9:53p Moon Overhead: 11:24p Moon Underfoot: 11:02a Sunrise: 6:25a Set: 8:06p

6a

12:00 — 2:00PM

Moonrise: 6:21p Set: 5:14a AM Minor: 3:59a AM Major: 10:10a PM Minor: 4:21p PM Major: 10:32p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:45a Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:07p

Moonrise: 7:14p Set: 5:50a AM Minor: 4:39a AM Major: 10:51a PM Minor: 5:02p PM Major: 11:13p Moon Overhead: 12:07a Moon Underfoot: 12:30p Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:07p

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

8:00 — 10:00 PM Moonrise: 8:06p Set: 6:29a AM Minor: 5:23a AM Major: 11:34a PM Minor: 5:46p PM Major: 11:58p Moon Overhead: 12:53a Moon Underfoot: 1:16p Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:08p

MOON PHASES

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS Moon l Overhead l Moon Underfoot

READING THE GRAPH

FEET

6a

Fishing Score Graph

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

25 Low Tide:

12:01 AM 0.14ft.

High Tide: 8:05 AM 1.73ft.

Low Tide: 2:16 PM 1.42ft.

High Tide: 3:04 PM 1.42ft.

n

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

26 Low Tide:

27 Low Tide:

12:45 AM 0.20ft.

High Tide: 8:57 AM 1.70ft.

1:33 AM 0.29ft.

High Tide: 9:48 AM 1.67ft.

SATURDAY

28 º Low Tide: 2:30 AM

0.39ft.

High Tide: 10:33 AM 1.64ft.

Low Tide: 5:06 PM 1.15ft.

High Tide: 8:14 PM 1.20ft.

SUNDAY

29 Low Tide:

3:34 AM High Tide: 11:10 AM Low Tide: 5:35 PM High Tide: 10:52 PM

0.52ft.

1.61ft.

0.95ft.

1.26ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

7:30 — 9:30 PM Moonrise: 8:58p Set: 7:10a AM Minor: 6:10a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:34p PM Major: 12:22p Moon Overhead: 1:39a Moon Underfoot: 2:03p Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:08p

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6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

8:00 — 10:00 PM

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6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

Moonrise: 9:49p Set: 7:55a AM Minor: 7:00a AM Major: 12:48a PM Minor: 7:24p PM Major: 1:12p Moon Overhead: 2:27a Moon Underfoot: 2:52p Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:09p 2 0 1 6

12a

8:30 — 10:30 PM Moonrise: 10:38p Set: 8:43a AM Minor: 7:53a AM Major: 1:41a PM Minor: 8:18p PM Major: 2:06p Moon Overhead: 3:16a Moon Underfoot: 3:41p Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:10p

T E X A S

F I S H

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

9:00 — 11:00 PM Moonrise: 11:26p Set: 9:35a AM Minor: 8:48a AM Major: 2:36a PM Minor: 9:13p PM Major: 3:01p Moon Overhead: 4:06a Moon Underfoot: 4:31p Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:10p

&

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

9:30 — 11:30 PM Moonrise: None Set: 10:30a AM Minor: 9:44a AM Major: 3:32a PM Minor: 10:10p PM Major: 3:57p Moon Overhead: 4:57a Moon Underfoot: 5:22p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:11p

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

5:00 — 7:00 AM Moonrise: 12:11a Set: 11:27a AM Minor: 10:40a AM Major: 4:28a PM Minor: 11:06p PM Major: 4:53p Moon Overhead: 5:48a Moon Underfoot: 6:13p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:11p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

10:30P — 12:30A Moonrise: 12:55a Set: 12:26p AM Minor: 11:35a AM Major: 5:22a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 5:48p Moon Overhead: 6:39a Moon Underfoot: 7:04p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:12p

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MAY 2016

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

30 Low Tide:

4:43 AM 0.66ft.

High Tide: 11:43 AM 1.58ft.

Low Tide: 6:11 PM 0.70ft.

FEET

TUESDAY

31 High Tide:

12:27 AM Low Tide: 5:53 AM High Tide: 12:13 PM Low Tide: 6:50 PM

1.41ft.

0.80ft.

1.57ft.

0.43ft.

WEDNESDAY

1 Jun High Tide: 1:39 AM

1.60ft.

Low Tide: 7:00 AM 0.93ft.

High Tide: 12:44 PM 1.56ft.

Low Tide: 7:32 PM 0.15ft.

THURSDAY

2 High Tide:

2:41 AM Low Tide: 8:03 AM High Tide: 1:16 PM Low Tide: 8:16 PM

1.77ft.

1.05ft.

1.57ft.

-0.08ft.

FRIDAY

3 « High Tide: 3:37 AM

1.90ft.

Low Tide: 9:01 AM 1.16ft.

High Tide: 1:49 PM 1.58ft.

Low Tide: 9:00 PM -0.25ft.

SATURDAY

4 « High Tide: 4:31 AM

1.96ft.

Low Tide: 9:55 AM 1.24ft.

High Tide: 2:24 PM 1.58ft.

Low Tide: 9:47 PM -0.33ft.

SUNDAY

5 l High Tide: 5:23 AM

1.97ft.

Low Tide: 10:46 AM 1.30ft.

High Tide: 3:00 PM 1.57ft.

Low Tide: 10:35 PM -0.32ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

7:30 — 9:30 AM Moonrise: 1:37a Set: 1:27p AM Minor: 12:03a AM Major: 6:15a PM Minor: 12:27p PM Major: 6:40p Moon Overhead: 7:30a Moon Underfoot: 7:55p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:12p

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

8:00 — 10:00 AM Moonrise: 2:19a Set: 2:29p AM Minor: 12:52a AM Major: 7:05a PM Minor: 1:18p PM Major: 7:31p Moon Overhead: 8:21a Moon Underfoot: 8:47p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:13p

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

9:00 — 11:00 AM Moonrise: 3:01a Set: 3:33p AM Minor: 1:40a AM Major: 7:53a PM Minor: 2:07p PM Major: 8:20p Moon Overhead: 9:14a Moon Underfoot: 9:40p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:13p

12a

6a

12p

10:00A — 12:00P Moonrise: 3:43a Set: 4:38p AM Minor: 2:27a AM Major: 8:41a PM Minor: 2:55p PM Major: 9:08p Moon Overhead: 10:08a Moon Underfoot: 10:35p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:14p

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6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Moonrise: 4:28a Set: 5:44p AM Minor: 3:15a AM Major: 9:30a PM Minor: 3:44p PM Major: 9:58p Moon Overhead: 11:03a Moon Underfoot: 11:32p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:14p

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12p

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PRIME TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM Moonrise: 5:15a Set: 6:51p AM Minor: 4:06a AM Major: 10:21a PM Minor: 4:35p PM Major: 10:50p Moon Overhead: 12:01p Moon Underfoot: None Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:15p

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PRIME TIME

1:00 — 3:00 PM Moonrise: 6:07a Set: 7:56p AM Minor: 5:01a AM Major: 11:16a PM Minor: 5:31p PM Major: 11:45p Moon Overhead: 1:00p Moon Underfoot: 12:30a Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:15p

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Fish and Game GEAR Husky Gears Down for Hidden Storage WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING TO get more organized and keep things from sliding around or you’re the type that wants an easy spot to hide all your stuff, Husky Liners GearBox keeps your truck looking clean and organized.

The GearBox installs easily underneath the drop-down seats in your late-model

Husky GearBox

truck with a fit and finish that looks like it came from the factory. Plus, the GearBox is made from a durable, impact-resistant material to withstand virtually whatever you throw at it.

This product features a large storage capacity and a durable and impact-resistant interior surface. It was designed with a black textured finish to look like it came from the factory and comes with a no hassle Lifetime Guarantee. This product was also designed and manufactured in the U.S.A.

Putting Crossbows in Reverse TODAY’S CROSSBOWS ARE faster and smoother than ever, but very few are designed for superior maneuverability and comfort. The Barnett Buck Commander Raptor Reverse features reverse-draw technology that moves the limb pockets closer to the shooter and encourages an amazingly comfortable and 90 |

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steady shot. And if its strikingly good looks don’t grab your attention, its performance and features surely will.

Measuring just 10 inches axle-to-axle when cocked, the BC Raptor Reverse is ideal for both tree stand and ground blind applications. It combines the best design elements from all Barnett crossbows into one lightweight, hard-hitting package. Launching arrows at a blazing 330 FPS, the BC Raptor Reverse delivers 97 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy to its target.

The BC Raptor Reverse’s CarbonLite Riser creates significantly less vibration and noise than other crossbows without sacrificing speed or accuracy. The most technically advanced riser ever created for a crossbow, the CarbonLite Riser removes approximately 43% of weight, which creates an even more balanced feel.

Integrated string suppressors, adjustable butt pad, CNC machined aluminum flight track, finger reminders and a pass-through foregrip are all standard features of the crossbow.

Finally, the BC Raptor Reverse sports Barnett’s patent pending Bristle Retainer.

With it, users can be confident that the arrow is properly seated and ready for the next shot.The Buck Commander Raptor Reverse is available through retailers as a complete package including the crossbow, a quick-detach quiver, three 20” arrows and an illuminated 4x32 Multi Reticle Scope.

Buck Commander Raptor Reverse F I S H

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Shimano Adds Caenan to its Cast FOR ANGLERS WHO KNOW THE fishing advantages when using a baitcasting reel, especially those who enjoy competitive bass fishing, Shimano offers its new Caenan 150 casting reels. With noted Shimano durability and reliability, three low-profile design reels are available – the Caenan 150, lefthand retrieve 151 and higher-gear 150HG. When using certain hard and plastic baits, baitcasting reels “can provide more accurate lure placement, and enables you to make quicker casts so your lure is in the water more,” said noted pro bass angler Jonathon VanDam. “And while ideal for tournament anglers at all levels, the new Caenan reels are the perfect choice for the growing numbers of high school and college kids who are enjoying competitive fishing action and looking for solid, durable tackle with their hard earned money.”

Loaded with proven features, the Caenan reels deliver exceptional strength and rigidity with Shimano’s redesigned High Efficiency Gearing (HEG). Anglers can easily adjust spool speed – and dial the reel in to reduce backlashes, with Shimano’s upgraded Variable Brake System (VBS). Combine that with Stable Spool Design (S3D) for less spool vibration and anglers can expect longcasting performance.

The Caenan 150 and 151 with 6.3:1 gear ratios – reeling in 26-inches of line per crank, has all-around applications for use with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, worms, jigs and other soft plastics. The higher speed 7.2:1 gear ratio Caenan 150HG reel brings in 30-inches of line per crank,

G A M E ®

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ideal for coming tight quick on plastics for solid hook-sets.

All weighing 7.2 ounces with four ball bearings and one roller bearing for no handle backplay, the Caenan reels will handle from 120 yards of 10-pound test monofilament or fluorocarbon line and up to 90 yards of 14-pound. When used with standard PowerPro braid, the reels hold 150 yards of 20-pound and up to 105 yards of 40-pound test.

For more information on the new Caenan 150 baitcasting reels, visit the Shimano web site at fish.shimano.com — call Shimano’s product support team at 877/577-0600 (6 am to 5 pm Pacific Standard Time) - or see your local fishing tackle dealer.

Bad Boy Launches an Onslaught BAD BOY CHARGES INTO THE ATV market with the Onslaught 550 4x4, a midsize four-wheeler designed to dominate a challenging trail or attack a long day of hard work.

The new Onslaught

Bad Boy Onslaught

ATV features independent double A-arm front and rear suspension to enhance rider comfort as well as handling and maneuverability. An industryleading 12 inches of ground clearance allows Onslaught to move over terrain freely and easily.

A liquid-cooled 503cc engine with electronic fuel injection (EFI) delivers all the 4x4 power needed for challenging off-road rides or chores. Electronic power steering (EPS) is available to further ease the vehicle’s handling.

Two models are offered: Onslaught 550

4x4 EFI and the Onslaught 550 4x4 EFI EPS with electronic power steering. Both models are available in black or olive green, with Realtree Xtra camouflage and premium wheels offered as factory-installed options on EPS-equipped vehicles.

“We introduced the Onslaught in response to market demand for an ATV in the Bad Boy line,” said John Collins, vice president, consumer for Textron Specialized Vehicles, which markets Bad Boy off-road vehicles. “Onslaught offers comfort, control, power and styling for riders who simply want to do more in the outdoors. Whether it’s recreation or work, you can just bring it on and get after it with Onslaught.”

Other key features of the Onslaught include: • Dual 60-watt halogen headlights with low- and high-beam options, and a center headlight provide the brightest lighting in Onslaught’s ATV class for extended hours for riding.

Brake lights and taillights are standard.

• Hydraulic disc brakes for strong stopping power.

• Locking differential for increased traction.

• Front suspension has 8.7 inches of travel, and rear suspension has 9.4 inches of travel for smooth, comfortable ride.

• Standard front and rear cargo racks for gear and other necessities.

• Standard a-arm guard and skid plate underbody protection to avoid getting hung up on obstacles.

• Robust one-year warranty for added peace of mind.

Each Onslaught 550 4x4 model has digital instrumentation and electric start. Fuel capacity is 4.2 gallons; hitch towing rating is 1,225 pounds. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price starts at $6,299.

Onslaught is available at Bad Boy Authorized Dealers. To learn more, or to find your local dealer, visit badboybuggies.com. Join the conversation on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BadBoyBuggies and on Twitter at @BadBoyBuggies.

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F I S H

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Worden Cuts a Sonic Rooster Tail WORDEN’S SONIC ROOSTER TAIL, A weighted brass bodied version of the popular Rooster Tail spinner, is now available in seven new colors featuring painted French style blades.

The new Sonic Rooster Tail colors combine painted blades with matching pulsating hackle tails to create even more options for anglers

Spring Frog, Brown Trout, and Bleeding Frog.

facing changing water and weather conditions. The new Sonic Rooster Tail colors are: Brown Trout, Bleeding Frog, Fire Tiger, Clyde, Spring Frog, Metallic Red/Brass and Rainbow Fry. The new colors will make the Sonic Rooster Tail even more productive in all kinds of water and light conditions and should make the versatile lure even more enticing to trout, bass, perch, crappie and other game fish.

The seven new colors are available in Rooster Tail sizes 1/16, 1/8, and ¼ oz.

For more information on the new Sonic Rooster Tail colors contact Yakima Bait Company at www.yakimabait.com.

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Open SEASON

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

Fire

I

ANSWERED THE PHONE. IT WAS Willie. “What?”

“We’re cooking at your house tonight.”

“We are?”

“Yep.” “Why?” “It’s time to clean out the freezers. Doc is bringing venison, I’ll bring some dove…”

“No, why my house? I don’t have any backyard that isn’t swimming pool, and it’s too cold.

I know, because yesterday a plant blew into the deep end and I had to shuck my clothes and go in after it. You won’t believe how cold it is.”

“Yes I would.” Willie was quiet for a moment. “Have things returned to normal?”

I resisted the urge to check, and simply adjusted my britches. “Yes. Why is everyone coming over here? You have that new place out in the country, Woodrow has nearly fifty acres, Doc lives on the lake, and Jerry Wayne, oh wait, he’s out because he’s building a house.

You all have grills and smokers.”

“Doesn’t matter. We like that outdoor kitchen of yours, and besides, all the others are too far to drive.”

I didn’t believe them, but the gas grill was hot when they arrived on that Saturday evening. Cooking wild game with these guys is always an experience. Though I’m officially the guy behind the grill, they come in and slap meat on the grates like it’s theirs.

At one point, there were sizzling hamburgers, bacon-wrapped dove, backstrap, turkey breasts, chicken drumsticks, and even a redfish on the halfshell. I was a little concerned about all the grease dripping onto the burners, because I’d been negligent in cleaning the grill after the last few meat parties.

It’s always crowded around the outdoor kitchen. The refrigerator is only a couple of feet from the drop-in grill, so there’s a constant stream of people behind me. On the backside, there’s a high counter. Guests sit facing me, and lean on it like they’re in a bar.

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After over an hour, all the grilling was done.

The girls had everything else done in the house, and we heard laughter and shrieks coming through the open door. I closed the lid and left the fire going, to burn off the grates.

Our youngest daughter, Taz, came in off the patio with a calm, offhanded questions.

“Dad, here’s a fire in the grill.”

“I left it on to clean the grates.”

“No, something else is on fire.”

I glanced through the door to see flames flickering underneath. I trotted across the patio to the pool pump area and shut off the natural gas. When I went back, the flicker was as small as a candle.

Wrong Willie joined me, holding a drumstick. “Everything all right?”

“Yeah, I turned off the gas. It’ll go out.”

“You sure?”

When I turned, the entire drip tray underneath the grill was on fire.

“Got it.” Jerry Wayne trotted past, leaned over, and blew.

The flames grew in intensity.

Doc joined us. He grabbed the tray to pull it out, but it was already too hot. He blew on his fingers.

“That’ll make it worse,” Jerry Wayne said. “I just tried that.”

“My fingers aren’t on fire, they’re just blist…”

With a whoosh, the entire grill burst into a roaring flame. Thankfully, it’s all rock, so no wood was involved…at the moment.

I hurried inside for the fire extinguisher that took that moment to play hide and seek like a four-year-old. I looked under the counter, in the bar, in the pantry, in the refrigerator (don’t ask me why, things were getting exciting), under the sink with the cleaning supplies, and I finally found it, behind a cabinet door with the liquor.

When I returned, everyone was outside, holding their phones toward the fire and roiling black smoke. The boys were changing, “Fire! Fire!”

“Y’all calling 9-1-1?”

“Taking photos.” Willie frowned. “Where’d you go?”

F I S H

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“To get this.”

He looked disappointed. “Oh, I thought you went inside for some marshmallows.”

I pulled the pin on the extinguisher and aimed it toward the grill. The chemical dust shot out in a cloud.

“You might want to raise the cover.”

I turned to Doc. “You saw how hot it was.”

The War Department hurried out with a wet dish towel. She flipped the lid open and stepped back. Flames roared.

I attacked. More chemical shot out, covering the grates. The overhead ceiling fans distributed the powder evenly across the grill, the counter, and most of the patio, including the observers.

The fire refused to go out. I charged in again, spraying it at all angles.

More powder.

Smoke.

Coughing.

Shrieks.

It was finally over. The grill was totaled.

Smoke and soot covered the counter.

Powder was everywhere.

In response, we returned inside and continued the party.

We installed a new, high-end stainless steel grill one week later.

It was beautiful, pristine, glowing with five burners, rotisserie, and griddle. I admired it and shot a photo which I posted online.

My phone rang give minutes later. I answered. It was Willie. “What?”

“We’re cooking at your house tonight.”

“We are?”

“Saw your new grill. It needs breaking in, but we don’t need all the excitement like last time. It was almost too stressful, and we really just want to relax.”

So did I, but that’s an impossibility when you run with these guys.

Email Reavis Wortham at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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Bear & Son Cutlery Inc.

Page 93

Larson Electronics

Page 97

Black Hills Ammunition

Page 90

McCain High Performance

Page 95

Climate Bug Shield

Page 98

ReelSonar, Inc.

Page 93

Fishing Tackle Unlimited

Page 99

Rock River Arms

Page 91

Gary Yamamoto’s Custom Baits Page 94

Skinner Sights

Page 92

KT Coolers

Page 94

Spero Knives

Page 98

Lansky Sharpeners

Page 96

Texas Mobile Shrink Wrap

Page 92

4/12/16 1:16 PM

Special SECTION

Being an Outdoor Dad

O

N FATHER’S DAY, much is written about the importance of the father and how we should appreciate them. That is certainly true.

Nearly every crime statistic in America is related to the lack of fathers in the lives

of children.

I would however like to issue a chal-

who have no male influence in their lives.

Let me start with my own story and

lenge to go beyond your own children and provide a father figure to those kids

show some examples of how you can make an impact.

I am no one special, but I do have some skin in the game. In other words, I take action and realize that simply being

by Chester Moore

by Chester Moore 94 |

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4/12/16 1:16 PM

Special SECTION involved counts more than you can ever imagine.

By the time I was 20, schools were booking me to do wildlife presentations and visit classrooms to talk to students

about animals from around the world.

One of my early talks was in front of 500 kids at an elementary where my cousin Frank and I brought out dozens of reptiles and amphibians.

Details of the event are foggy 20 years later but getting to let a blind boy feel all of the creatures was unforgettable.

He took his hands to all of the snakes, turtles, lizards and frogs we had and felt their shapes and textures. He smiled ear to ear as he discovered things about the creatures I had spoken of a few minutes earlier. There is no question he actually “saw” more of these animals than the other students are because he appreciated any chance to connect with things he could not see.

When people talk about why they love children they often say the love kids because they are so honest. Comedian Bill Cosby did an hilarious skit that poked holes in that theory. Others say it is because kids are fun or energetic maybe that they remind them of better times in their life.

I believe the reason those who love kids, truly love them, connect so well with people decades younger is that kids are the planet’s best representatives of God’s original intent for us Kids may not always tell the truth or may act halfway crazy but there is a purity 96 |

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PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

4/12/16 1:16 PM

Kids have a natural curiosity about wildlife.

to their actions. Even in disobedience there is not the agenda adults put forward.

Kids love furiously, live with loyalty and

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believe what they are told.

The older kids get however, the more broken they become. The true belief starts to crumble as they encounter adults who often purposely squash their dreams and encounter situations that crush their spirits.

Ask a six-year-old what they want to be and the answer is likely to be an astronaut, racecar drive, famous ballerina or a doctor. Ask the same kids five years later and they will either say they do not know or have their goals set much lower. Between these points they met the world and it polluted their spirits to the point if doubt and disbelief.

Kids carry with them a piece of Heaven. The sooner we figure that out the better of our lives will be and the more we guard that peace of Heaven for them, the easier their destiny will come into focus.

4/12/16 1:16 PM

Special SECTION The fact is doing this is fun!

Kids say all kinds of cute things and I have found this is especially true when the subject is wildlife and the kids are from the inner city where the only connection to nature is through a television set.

A while back, my wife Lisa and I taught kids how to identify animal tracks at the Texas Wildlife Expo in Austin.

Hundreds of kids came through our booth that day and took a shot at guessing what the six plaster cast animal tracks we had were. The casts were red wolf, cougar, raccoon, bobcat, alligator and an otter.

The first kid of the morning pointed at the bobcat track and said it was a bear. I explained to him that a bear’s track, even a baby one, is much larger and shows claws.

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Special SECTION

Chester has been sharing his outdoor experience with children for more than 20 years.

His answer?

“Maybe it had its claws clipped.”

Probably 200 kids correctly identified

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the raccoon track. Some of them had seen them crossing the road, in the garbage can or at a zoo. One kid said he had a raccoon

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in his front yard.

When I asked if it was his pet he said, “No, my dog ate it this morning.”

His mom blushed and took him on to another booth.

Kids directed the most interesting comments at the alligator track, which is about 10 inches long. Many kids guessed that it was a bear track. That is understandable considering it is long and has claws.

I nearly had to bite a hole in my lip to stop from laughing when a little girl said it was a chicken track. To make matters worse, her mom walked up and said the same thing before I could correct her.

I quickly explained it was an alligator track and said if I ran into a chicken that big I would have to call in the military for back up.

Before the day was over, I had three more kids guess that a chicken made that track. One guessed it was an owl; two said duck and one said an elephant made it.

It was heartwarming to see the children’s reaction to the animal tracks. It was as if we opened an entirely new world to them and they loved every minute of it.

PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

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Special SECTION Lisa and I left knowing that we had sparked some children’s interest in wildlife.

Besides showing the kids how to identify tracks, we also gave a track casting

demonstration and sent the parents and kids home with sheets that gave instructions on plaster casting.

That is a hobby even poor kids in the city can take part in. It may not be hunt-

Chester introduced young Erin Beard to this wolf/hybrid pup.

ing or fishing, but any interest in wildlife is better than an interest in drugs or alcohol, for example.

You do not have to be an expert on fishing, hunting or wildlife. Simply being there and taking them to a farm pond to catch catfish or to the beach looking for shells can have an impact.

There are kids in your neighborhood, church and scouting groups that need a male figure to help focus their lives on the positive aspects of life and there are many of those to be found in the woods and on the water.

If everyone who loves the outdoors would sacrifice a little time to help mentor some kids on behalf of the great outdoors, there is no telling what kind of impact we could make.

Look at it this way; if we do not get their attention, there are plenty of drug dealers that would love the opportunity.

The kids deserve better than that and need outdoors fathers to help make their lives the best it can be.

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Texas TASTED

by BRYAN SLAVEN :: The Texas Gourmet

Lazy O Ranch Sweet Chipotle Chicken

T

HE TEXAS GOURMET’S Sweet Chipotle Season All is a delightfully spicy and sweet rub for ribs and chicken and tastes great on baked sweet potatoes, fries and deviled eggs. This recipe was created by a long time neighbor and good friend Jeff Ottmann . The recipe is easy to prepare and the results are absolutely mouthwatering and delicious!

Ingredients: 6 to 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thighs may be used as well ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup Texas Gourmet’s Sweet Chipotle Season All Foil A digital meat thermometer

Preparation: Place all liquids into a small sauce pot, Then sift the Sweet Chipotle Season All into the liquids breaking up any large bits of brown sugar before adding to sauce pan.

Bring to a simmer and heat through to allow the flavors to meld together to form a thin paste.

Space the chicken pieces onto a large platter and brush both sides well with the paste, then transfer to a seasoned and pre-

heated grill. Gas or charcoal are both OK, but cook indirectly at about 350 to 375 degrees and keep covered when cooking.

Turn the chicken every 5 minutes and baste with the paste each time you turn them. The chicken should be done in 10 to 12 minutes, but please use your meat thermometer and remove from fire when they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Transfer to a large warmed metal tray and cover well with foil to rest the meat and allow the juices to settle in the meat. (7 to 8 minutes will do fine) Serve with your favorite sides and a nice glass of your favorite red wine. Serves 6 to 8.

We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have over the years.

Bon Appetit, with much appreciation to my good friend Jeff Ottmann.

Email Bryan Slaven at bryan@thetexasgourmet.com

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www.FishandGameGear.com T E X A S

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CRAPPIE Lake Livingston Three-year-old Kasen Houston caught his first crappie while fishing at Lake Livingston.

REDFISH Rockport Seven-year-old Carson Ledford of Katy caught his first redfish while fishing with his Grandfather, Leonard, and guide Ottis Poston in Mesquite Bay near Rockport. Carson’s trophy measured 30 inches.

REDFISH FERAL HOG Robertson County Greg Steh shot this 310-pound wild boar last October, in Robertson County.

He had been after the hog for a while.

Galveston Anita Cardona caught this 28-inch redfish while fishing the North Jetties out of Galveston.

BLACK DRUM Freeport Nine-year-old Michael Fillmore, Jr. caught and released this 40-inch black drum while fishing with his sister Sydney (also pictured in this issue), mom and dad at Freeport.

WHITETAIL Central Texas Fish Fourteen-year-old Cash Mares of Pflugerville with a nice 11-point buck.

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MAIL TO: TFG PHOTOS 1745 Greens Rd, Houston TX 77032 NOTE: Print photos can not be returned.

EMAIL: photos@FishGame.com For best results, send MED to HIGH quality JPEG digital files only, please.

No guarantee can be made as to when, or if, a submitted photo will be published.

SPECKLED TROUT Matagorda Thirteen-yearold Katelyn Krivan caught a stringer of specks while wade fishing on West Matagorda Bay with her family. She limited out using a Vodoo Shad lure.

REDFISH Galveston Lorena Di Bello caught back to back reds to help her Team Old Salt place in a lady anglers fishing tournament. She and her team were fishing with Capt. Ray Saucier.

WHITETAIL Crockett County Devon De Leon with his first whitetail deer.

He used a .243 at about 8yards. He was hunting on his uncle Jorge Cavazos’s ranch in Crockett County.

BLACK DRUM Freeport Twelve-year-old Sydney Fillmore caught and released this 38-inch black drum while fishing with her brother Michael (also pictured on this page), mom and dad at Freeport.

MULE DEER Del Rio Nathan Holland of Rusk County shot his first mule deer while hunting near Del Rio.

SPECKLED TROUT Galveston Neal Helgerson caught this 22-1/2-inch speckled trout in Galveston Bay while vacationing with his family.

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