Texas Fish & Game August 2016

VOICE OF THE TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION

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August 2016 | $3.95

Flounder Run: It Really

Birds of a

High School Bass: More Teams

Encounter with

Starts in August?

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Get on the Bus

Different Feather

The White Buffalo 7/9/16 8:22 AM

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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

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SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR EDITOR AT LARGE HUNTING EDITOR FRESHWATER EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR BOATING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR SHOOTING EDITOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR CONSERVATION EDITOR HUMOR EDITOR

C O N T R I B U T O R S

SUBSCRIPTIONS

(CONTINUED)

1745 GREENS ROAD, HOUSTON, TX 77032

TOM BEHRENS GREG BERLOCHER PAUL BRADSHAW CAPT. MIKE HOLMES DUSTIN WARNCKE LISA MOORE STAN SKINNER

• • • • • • •

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:

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

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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. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: subscriptions@fishgame.com Email new orders to: subscriptions@ fishgame.com Email subscription questions to: subscriptions@ fishgame.com.

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Paid Distribution of over 90,000 Verified by Independent Audit

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Table of

AUGUST 2016 Volume 33 • NO. 4

Contents FEATURES

THE FLOUNDER RUN

Does the fall flounder run really start in August? The annual migration actually does happen in stages, beginning early in the back marshes.

ON THE COVER: Silver at the Jetties

At the jetties in Port u Aransas, anglers can still get the chance for a breathtaking fight with a Texas Tarpon.

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by Chester Moore

by Chester Moore Cover Photo: Grady Allen

HIGH SCHOOL BASS

Some serious fishy business is going on in Texas High Schools, but there is nothing smelly about it... it’s about as clean and wholesome as you can get.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

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by Matt Williams

Advanced Hand Loading

BIRDS OF A DIFFERENT FEATHER

In the Texas Outdoor u Nation, our Firearms Editor provides a crash course in more advanced techniques for hand loading.

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If you’re tired of competing with thousands of other hunters for game, there are abundent numbers of gamebird species available with long seasons, liberal bag limits, and little pressure.

by Steve LaMascus

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by John N. Felsher ENCOUNTER WITH THE WHITE BUFFALO

An encounter with a rare member of the American bison species prompts this reflection on the miraculos recovery of these majestic animals from near extinction.

Special Section

In advance of the fall u hunt, this special section provides a number of thoughts and practical tips.

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by Chester Moore

by Chester Moore

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Contents (continued)

Inside FISH & GAME

COLUMNS

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by ROY and ARDIA NEVES TF&G Owners

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by Joe Doggett

Pike on the Edge

by Doug Pike

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

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Nugent in the Wild

by Ted Nugent

TF&G Editor At Large

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Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill

TF&G Political Commentator

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Bare Bones Hunting

by Lou Marullo

TF&G Hunting Editor

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DEPARTMENTS

8 LETTERS 86 TEXAS TESTED 88 FISH AND GAME GEAR

94 TF&G PHOTOS NEW SECTION

Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales

TF&G Saltwater 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 Paul Bradshaw

TF&G Contributing Editor

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Texas Guns

by Steve LaMascus

TF&G Firearms Editor

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Texas Tasted

by Bryan Slaven

36 HANDLOADING 40 TF&G REPORT 40 TEXAS HOT SHOTS

42 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

The Texas Gourmet

44 TEXAS DEPT. OF

92 Open Season

48 TEXAS COASTAL

by Reavis Wortham

TF&G Humor Editor

www.FishGame.com

Email Roy and Ardia Neves at ContactUs@fishgame.com A U G U S T

Doggett at Large TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

AIL FRAUD HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE before Benjamin Franklin’s time, and as a high profile user of the U.S. Postal Service, we have come to realize that it is not going to go away any time soon.

Over the past year, we have been issuing periodic updates on fraudulent activity that has been directed at our magazine and some of its subscribers. A number of scam operators have sent fake renewal notices and solicited orders at inflated prices, attempting to trick individuals into responding with payments, then simply taking the money and trashing the orders.

Unfortunately, with more than 90 percent of our 93,000 monthly distribution going to people who sign up to receive Texas Fish & Game directly, as opposed to buying it an issue at a time from a newsstand, we are open to this type of fraud. They are targeting every major subscriber based magazine in the nation. In Texas, Texas Monthly, Texas Parks & Wildlife and TF&G have the (dubious in this case) distinction of being the top publications in our region and, therefore, the top targets.

We have no idea how the thieves get the addresses. They may be lower than floor grime in a bus station men’s room, but they can be quite sophisticated. Some of them have staffs of phone operators and elaborate websites.

So they are certainly capable of cross referencing geographic mailing lists with public access to Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. hunting & fishing license and boat registration data to build targeted lists that have a higher probability of scoring responses. Several callers have wondered why they received a renewal for Texas Fish & Game when they were not currently—or ever—subscribed to it, which is a clue that the scammers are stitching together compiled lists.

Fighting them is like playing Whack-A-Mole. We can get the Texas Attorney General or the USPS Inspectors to go after one gang, and another one pops up in another state, using a different official sounding name (Publisher’s Payment Center, Secured Publisher Mail Center... etc).

We think the best way to fight these toilet lickers is to keep a vigilant eye out for them and to continually educate our subscribers. Hopefully by keeping you alert to these criminal efforts, we can do more damage to the perpetrators than what law enforcement agencies have been able to accomplish.

Doing any kind business by mail is costly. On its best day, a direct mail campaign aspires to the grand response rate of one to two percent—that’s one or two orders per 100 pieces mailed. The minimum printing and postage cost is $50 to $75 per 100. If the crooks charge you $30 to $48 for a renewal, which has been typical, they have to get two to three orders per 100 just to break even. By staying alert, if we can reduce that response rate to near zero, and get into their pockets, it will eventually teach them to leave us alone.

As has been our policy from the start, if you have sent money to one of these bogus operations, we will honor the subscription you paid for and did not receive. Simply call us at 800-725-1134 and we will take care of it.

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by Chester Moore

TF&G Editor in Chief

Hit ‘Em Where it Hurts

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Editor’s Notes

CONSERVATION FOCUS

56 TEXAS FISHING HOTSPOTS

64 PRIME TIMES

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LETTERS to the Editor Fishgame.com Kudos JUST WANTED TO SAY I LOVE JEFF Stewart’s “Old Moss Back” blog in the Texas Outdoor Nation part of the website.

It brought back memories of chasing a big, old buck on our Lampasas County lease years ago. It is amazing how a single animal can be such a focus of hunting efforts and how years later you remember it like it was yesterday. Thanks for bringing that back Mr. Stewart.

Abe Gibbons HOW COOL WAS THAT PHOTO AND write-up on the white buffalo on the website? Chester Moore you are a blessed man for seeing that one. Thanks so much for sharing!

Larry Zaharris Editor: I am a blessed man for seeing that.

And you will be excited to know this month we have a full feature on that encounter that has a lot of information about the legend of the white buffalo and also bison in Texas. This kind of thing is what the Texas Outdoor Nation is all about and one reason we are framing a big part of our coverage to things “uniquely Texas.”

A Fishing Poem READER HEATHER SPEARS KALLUS wrote us and said she was inspired to write a poem about kid’s fishing. We thought it was great so we had to share.

“Fishing with You” What is fishing with you, my child, really all about?

Is it how many redfish, flounder, or the trout?

Is it about the lures, the rod, reel, or bait?

Is it about the time of day? Before sunrise or late?

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sea, or river?

Will the sky be blazing hot or so chilly that we shiver?

Is it about the size of bass, catfish, or a gar?

Is it how you cast your line? A foot away or far?

For me, it’s more about the catching, not only just the fishing.

Catching time and catching memories.

That is what I’m wishing.

As you concentrate so hard on that fishing line, I am thanking God above that He made you mine.

When a squirmy little fish wiggles in your fingers, Around a moment such as this, my beating heart just lingers.

I smile because I love you and this time is what I treasure.

It’s not about the fish we catch or inches that we measure.

As you stand there waiting on the line that you have thrown, It gives me time to look at you and see how you have grown.

When you stare at your cork bobbing in the sea, That gives me a chance to realize how much you mean to me.

When you yell hysterically, “Woo-hoo!

This one’s a keeper!”

I recognize my love for you has only gotten deeper.

We’ll be fishing. I’ll be catching...precious time with you.

Catching moments left and right. That is what I’ll do.

So when you ask if I will go fishing with you soon, You can bet that it’s a yes! I love you to the moon!

years from about the time of startup. Anyway to add to your tools are a few assorted nails. The way they put the eyes on the bombers were with a nail head. They would pour paint in a small flat container (jar lid) and dip the head of a nail in the paint and apply it to the plug. It was all done free hand. Just wanted to pass it along.

W.D. “Hoot” Gibson

Gunnin’ Gobbler MY WIFE RAISES EASTERN WILD Turkeys and I was sighting in my scope

when GiGi flew up on the deck to check to see if she could help and if I was doing it right!

Steve Flores Palacios

Cool Historical Tidbit AFTER READING YOUR “MUST have” tools, it reminded me of my mother when she worked for the Bomber Bait Co. in Gainesville, TX. She worked there for 43

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Send Comments to editor@fishgame.com

G A M E ®

7/7/16 10:40 AM

EDITOR’S Notes

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

Whitetail Management Rules Changed by TPWD

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UST AS THE DEADLINE FOR this issue hit, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Commission approved a set of regulations pertaining to chronic wasting disease (CWD) and deer management.

CWD and its related regulations have been extremely controversial among Texas’s deer industry and the latest regulations have spawned a variety of opinions in recent years.

Among the provisions adopted by the commission include a suite of options to attain artificial deer movement qualified status through a multilevel system of ante-mortem (“live”) and post-mortem deer testing for CWD. Key changes to the rules include: • Establishing a minimum level of post-mortem testing in deer breeding facilities at 80 percent • Providing an opportunity for all captive deer breeders to test-up to Transfer Category 1 (TC1) status through 50 percent ante-mortem testing of their entire herd (a proposed May 15, 2017, testing deadline was eliminated from the rules) and breeders may choose their preferred ante-mortem testing means (rectal, lymph nodes, tonsillar etc.).

• Clarification that the 5-year, 80 percent eligible mortality testing requirement to realize TC1 status may be obtained through testing a 5-year average of annual mortalities and deer breeders may use a 3:1 ratio to substitute live tests for postmortem tests to meet required testing thresholds.

• Property owners may request to expand release sites, provided release site requirements apply to the expanded acreage.

• Elimination of testing requirements on Trap, Transfer and Transplant (Triple T) release sites.

The rules take effect upon completion of programming modifications to the Texas Wildlife Information Management System (TWIMS), but no later than August 15 and apply to the

movement of deer under TPWD permits, including Triple T, DMP (deer management permit), TTP (trap, transport and process) and deer breeder.

“This is bigger than the interests of one group and it’s not about choosing winners or losers,” said TPWD Commission chairman T. Dan Friedkin.

“The fundamental issue is how best to protect our state’s deer herds from a deadly disease,” Friedkin said. “The overwhelming amount of interest this issue has generated illustrates just how passionate Texans are about deer and our deer hunting heritage. The actions taken by the commission today are the result of extensive deliberation with input from all stakeholders, and I applaud the many individuals and groups from all over the state who took the time and effort to remain engaged in the process until the end.”

CONSERVATION GROUPS HAVE taken varying stances on the issue. For example is the official position of the Exotic Wildlife Association that “We oppose the rules approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Commission on Monday, June 20th. After months of negotiating through stakeholder groups, the voice of the deer breeding industry was not heard.

A clear and simple path for breeders to stay in business was offered by industry and replaced by an onerous and very complex set of rules that will make staying in business so expensive and confusing that the deer breeding industry will be severely impacted.”

The Texas Wildlife Association (TWA) said their mission is “to serve Texas wildlife and its habitat, while protecting property rights, our hunting heritage, and the conservation efforts of those who value and steward wildlife resources.”

They support the changes.

“We upheld that mission in our support of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission as they T E X A S

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approved an amended set of rules for artificial movement of deer by permit as part of the state’s chronic wasting disease (CWD) management plan.

“The approved rules provide continued protection against CWD, which poses a legitimate threat to the biological, ecological and financial health of wildlife populations and to the vibrant wildlife economies in Texas.”

They noted support for the rules came in from Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society, South Texans’ Property Rights Association, Texas Agricultural Land Trust, Boone and Crockett Club, Texas Audubon Society, and Hill Country Alliance, among others.

In an article at tpr.org, Representative Lyle Larson, a Republican from San Antonio decried the regulations.

“Parks and Wildlife definitely needs to have some legislative oversight,” Larson said. “They passed these rules outside the legislature, and I think you will see a number of bills that try to protect private property rights and protect the deer industry. It’s a billion dollar industry in the State of Texas.”

Larson said he’s pleased the new deer regulations include a “live” test for the disease, but, he says “the test is expensive. So for those ranchers who cannot afford the test they will have to continue to kill off sections of their herd in order to stay compliant with the state directive.”

We will have much more on this issue as it unfolds. It will have virtually no impact on the average hunter immediately but it will impact those involved in deer breeding.

The bigger issue at play is CWD itself, as well as the aforementioned property rights that has already gotten the attention of a legislator.

You will see both sides of the issue addressed at fishgame.com in the coming weeks and indepth stories here in the magazine.

G A M E ®

Email Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com

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DOGGETT at Large

by JOE DOGGETT :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Small Fish Big Reward

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VERY ANGLER HOPES TO hook a big fish. That pretty much defines the expectations at the beginning of each trip.

Yet, with some regularity, the big fish fail to cooperate. Sometimes, thinking small can salvage an otherwise poor outing. It is significant to note that in virtually all water—fresh and salt, near or far, small catchable fish far outnumber large catchable fish.

The best way to take advantage of this unfortunate imbalance is to understand the available options and carry suitable light tackle as a backup.

It’s been said many times that the best way to make the most of a small fish is to use a small rig. Put another way, a good way to devalue a potentially rewarding fishing experience is to use heavy tackle. When the mismatch is ridiculous the whole experience becomes boring—and the small fish gets an undeserved bad rap.

The concept of “light” is relative, but for many applications we’re talking about a light- or medium-light action spinning rod and an open-faced reel spooled with six- to eight-pound monofilament. The fly angler is looking at a four- to six-weight rod. You can cover a lot of light-tackle opportunities with these outfits.

For example, school specks under lights are an excellent light-tackle opportunity for coastal anglers. Night lights on docks and piers in the bay systems attract swarms of “jug trout.” However, most of these popping, swirling schoolies are short of the minimum length limit of 15 inches.

Once a school gathers, the action can be fast—and visual. At close range, you see the specks ghosting and flashing amid the glowing arc. This reliable pattern can save a slow day on an overnight trip, especially if kids are

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among the crew.

You can use a conventional 12- to 15-pound casting outfit to yank small specks from the glare. However, the catch-andrelease drill on schoolies is much more fun with a little spinning rig or a light fly rod. The little rod often is more effective. The smaller minnow and shrimp imitation, mated with lighter line does a superior job in “matching the hatch” on the little glass minnows and shrimp attracted to the lights. Also worth noting, the single hook of a small jig or streamer is less damaging.

Just to keep you out there, a legitimate “keeper” trout or a nice red might boil up and smack the jiving lure.

Offshore, the same spinning or fly rig stands ready when a dazzling school of oneto three-pound “chicken dolphin” races from under a weed line or a floating log. These hard-running, high-jumping fish are no match for kingfish tackle but provide terrific action with the little rod.

In freshwater lakes and ponds, the bluegill sunfish is the classic light-tackle option.

The hand-sized “bream” that hits a crankbait intended for largemouth bass is little more than a nuisance, but the same fish on a tiny jig or a fly rod popper can be terrific sport.

The summer weed beds rimming many ponds and coves usually hold swarms of panfish. An hour or two of chasing bluegills might not totally compensate for a lack of bass, but under the right circumstances, the session can take the sting out of a slow day.

Another great setup for light tackle is the typical Hill Country river. Many of the bass in these scenic, clear-water streams are small—certainly smaller on average than those in the big reservoirs and managed private ponds.

But a one- to two-pound largemouth—or, better yet, a smallmouth or a Guadalupe—is ideal for the finesse approach. Along the coast, you never know when something with real shoulders might strike a diminutive lure.

The traveling angler also should consider packing a light stick as a backup. The formula applies virtually everywhere, but one fine

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example is Alaska. Most anglers fly to the “Great Land” in quest of salmon and trophy rainbow trout. Many ignore smaller species such as the plentiful Arctic grayling.

Granted, the average one- to two-pound grayling doesn’t measure well against a sixpound wild rainbow. And the over gunned grayling can’t do much against a stout sevenor eight-weight fly rod and a disk-drag reel.

Hooking one can be a major letdown if you are trying to sight cast to “major bows” in a shallow stream.

But, under proper circumstances, the grayling is one the finest fly rod experiences.

A four- or five-weight rod, a small clicker reel and a dry fly transform this scorned fish into something special. Graylings in slow current over a gravel bottom rise voraciously to dry flies. Often, the larger ones will arc a foot or two into the air and grab the fly on the way down. Or maybe it’s on the way up. Either way, it’s a very impressive “take” with the fish flying its colors and flashing its broad dorsal sail.

And, on the light gear, a solid grayling will run, taking line and using the current, often leaping several times. Packing the proper outfit makes the most of this readily available option when, for example, you are “weathered in” and cannot reach a prime rainbow river.

Near or far, we all lust for big fish. And, certainly, there are days when the game plan is focused on the specific goal of one big strike. Good examples are grinding dogwalkers for a career sow speck in Baffin Bay, or chunking big plastics for a “double digit” bass in Lake Fork—or stalking the Rock Hole for that 30-inch rainbow on Lower Talarik Creek.

However, when Lady Luck and Old General Average fail to be impressed with your best efforts—well, going small beats nothing at all.

Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@fishgame.com

G A M E ®

7/7/16 9:51 AM

PIKE on the Edge

by DOUG PIKE :: TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Gun Control Really Only Controls the Law Abiding

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UNS. What else did you think might land here in the wake of a lonegunman terrorist attack that left 49 dead and 53 wounded this past June?

First reactions among politicians were swift and often sensational, as they always are. Elected officials and front-running candidates never miss an opportunity to heap their opinions onto us—no matter how poorly timed or insensitive they may be.

So here’s the deal. One side blames the guns and wants them more closely controlled. (As if FBI background checks were somehow insufficient.)

The other side, mine and probably yours, continues to politely remind gun-control advocates that guns can’t load themselves, aim themselves or pull their own triggers.

And gun laws—hard as it might be for their side to understand —are not obeyed by criminals.

More on that later.

Not to utter a cliché, but guns can’t independently kill people any more than can cars or knives or explosives. If you toss a knife, a gun and a bomb into a car and park that car somewhere, anywhere, absolutely nothing will happen and nobody will be hurt—unless you add to the equation a person hell-bent on hurting others. Then, and not a moment sooner, do you have problems.

I watched a television discussion, just a few days after that act of terrorism in Orlando, between two national talk-show hosts. One was for and the other against gun control. The “pro” talker, on whose show the conversation took place, banged the predictable tambourine for stricter control of all firearms and especially those that hold high-capacity magazines; he was absolutely convinced, as were the clapping “sheeple”

in his audience, that tighter regulations were certain to reduce gun violence.

His guest listened patiently, waited for the applause to fade, and then calmly raised Chicago as an example of how gun control, no matter how strict, predictably fails. That city has some of the tightest restrictions on firearms in the nation and, quite sadly, one of the highest murder rates.

Since Australia enacted strict gun laws years ago, its gun-related crimes have come down. That’s good news. In our country, where gun ownership never has been higher, gun-related crime has dropped all the more, and significantly so.

Rather than continue playing point-counterpoint, the two hosts agreed to disagree in principle and then contemplated solutions to the problem.

The gun-control side went back to gun control, potentially so far as a call for gun forfeiture, as the one and only solution. That, the man who more represented me countered, only takes guns away from the people—read as: smaller, weaker, slower—who would need them most if attacked.

Our side’s representative offered this idea—How about we make it a federal offense, in addition to all applicable state, country and local laws, to produce and or discharge a gun in the commission of any crime.

It would be a federal offense with mandatory sentences of years, and not months, if a gun is involved in anything from murder to purse snatching.

The good guys—that’s us—are still allowed to own weapons and to carry them as outlined by state and local guidelines, and we’re still allowed to use them to defend ourselves, our loved ones and our property as prescribed by law.

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time, where a day equals a day and a year equals a year behind bars, just might have an impact. It would diminish the comfort level criminals have about carrying, showing and/ or discharging their guns. By the way, they’ll still have those guns no matter how many new gun laws are passed.

In the same-week, related news that got swept aside by the Orlando mass shooting, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld restrictions used by some California county sheriffs to restrict concealed carry.

The 7-4 decision handed down by the court says, in a nutshell, that self-defense is not sufficient to justify the concealed carry of a firearm. Instead, those who seek permits to pack weapons must demonstrate some immediate threat to themselves, such as an active restraining order against someone.

I saw a quote that championed the decision, claiming that it would keep thousands of guns out of the hands of “dangerous people” in California. Ummmm….no. Taking away the right for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves from bad people will remove exactly zero guns from dangerous people.

Outside Texas, and a teensy bit now inside this state, we’re becoming less capable and even less interested in self-defense. Instead, we’re increasingly reliant on our telephones and the police, as if the former somehow could save us in a dark alley or the latter could appear in a split second.

Gun control is thinly disguised (if at all) people control. If we allow ourselves to be regulated to the point of giving up any hope of defending ourselves from bigger, stronger, vicious people, we haven’t given up freedom or any particular right. We’ve simply given up.

G A M E ®

Email Doug Pike at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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NUGENT in the Wild

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

It’s All About the Kids

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HAVE WITNESSED PERFECTION and lo and behold, it is indeed our beloved Ted Nugent Kamp for Kids charity. I wish every human being could attend one of these sacred events and see first-hand the sheer joy and effervescent glowing 100’s of kid’s eyes. The fiery positive spirit is palpable and perfect, and something very special that buoys hope for the future of America.

We just wrapped up the 26th annual soldout year of our 501c3 nonprofit all volunteer charity Ted Nugent Kamp For Kids.

This Nebraska event at the wonderful Walnut Creek Lake Park in Papillion Nebraska just outside Omaha may very well be the most positive guidance a child can get anywhere.

And believe me when I tell you that the giddiness is not exclusive to just the 100’s of gung-ho kids from 7 to 17 years of age. There is no doubt that every parent and volunteer wriggled and grinned with extreme excitement to be a part of it all.

Did I mention it was perfect?

The army of incredible volunteers represents exactly how God intended His miraculous creation in His image and likeness to function. These kind, generous, loving people from every walk of life give 100% of their heart, soul, spirit and energy to guide these kids straight up a TruNorth compass setting in life, and for this old goofy guitar player to be a part of it all is truly a highlight of my 67.7 year American Dream.

Celebrating our stimulating hands-on conservation outdoor lifestyle in every way possible, we enthusiastically teach the universally inspiring mystical flight of the arrow archery discipline, the aim small miss small firearms 12 |

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safety marksmanship discipline, the critical essentiality of hunting, trapping, fishing, slingshot fun, atlatl accuracy, hands-on woodsmanship and basic 1st aid and survival skills.

All this Life 101 reality is wrapped up in a powerfully unambiguous battle cry that happiness is only possible when you are clean and sober!

Clean and sober! Say Hallelujah!

Our NE Kamp, just like our phenomenal TNKFK events in Iowa, Colorado and South Dakota, only happens because an army of special people are eager to make serious sacrifices in their lives for the betterment of America’s youth.

A special thank you is certainly due to the 100s and 100s of volunteers over the years, and to each and every one of you, a sincere, double live Gonzo Uncle Ted Thank you, thank you, thank you! God bless each and every one of you and your families.

Super Americans Kevin and Sue Markt, Paul and Catherine Milone, Ward and Kyrsten Parker and so many in NE, Roger Bowen and team in IA, Carol Ashurst and Rose Long and team in CO, Bruce Cull and the National Field Archery Association in SD and a special Gonzo THANKYOU to all the generous people who donate to TNKFK over the years.

A huge Nuge SALUTE to Shikar Safaris for their generous and continuing support!

We sincerely thank and salute all the Shikar Safaris members, Full Draw Archery, IA Bowhunters Association, NE Bowhunters

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Association, National Field Archery Association, Sheels Sporting Goods, Mike and Cindy Tomcak, Grant Hoefener Memorial Fund, Orian Archery Club, Golden Arrow Archery Club, IA Chapter of the North American Foundation for Wild Sheep, NE Spine & Pain Center, Genesis Archery, Gold Tip arrows, Dr. & Mrs. Tim Burd, Erwin Kruse Memorial Game Feed, Saunders Archery, Armstrong Quality Home Improvement, ATV Motor Sports, 3M-Valley and the NE Walleye Association for all their generous donations and effort.

You people ROCK! SpiritWild BloodBrothers all!

Our IA, CO & SD Kamps are being organized right now for more upcoming summer Spirit of the Wild fun and education for America’s youth, and if you want to get involved, visit Tednugent.com for all the glorious details. Donations are always welcome and dearly appreciated too!

As we celebrate this ultimate example of we the people perfection, we must also hang our heads in shame that for reasons of apathy and embarrassing and inexcusable politically correct disconnect, these life’s basics are not standard curriculum in the American education system.

Environmental awareness and responsibility without hunting, fishing and trapping is a lie.

Individual accountability without hands-on conservation and resource stewardship is a lie.

Perfection is rare indeed in this crazy, mixed-up, illogical world, but it is available as long as we the people who know better take the bull by the horns and get the job done!

Go ahead, do something perfect today!

America needs it now more than ever! Ted Nugent Kamp for Kids is alive and well and America’s youth is being guided down the right path.

Email Ted Nugent at tnugent@fishgame.com

PHOTO: TED NUGENT

7/7/16 10:49 AM

TF&G COMMENTARY

by KENDAL HEMPHILL :: TF&G Political Editor

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UR COUNTRY WAS shocked and horrified on June 12 by the largest mass shooting to occur on American soil to date.

Forty-nine innocent people were killed, and another 53 wounded, by one hate-filled man.

We read the stories and watched the newscasts with disbelief, angered and saddened at the senseless destruction. We grieved for the families shattered by the tragedy, wishing we could do something to ease their pain.

Some did their best to help. Employees of a local Orlando Chic-fil-A, normally closed on Sundays, made hundreds of sandwiches and gallons of tea, and passed them out to workers trying to make sense of the mess at the Pulse nightclub. Others came and offered whatever aid they could. Tragedy often brings out the best in Americans, regardless of differences of opinion and life choices.

Once the dust had settled, many in authority began to point fingers, as usual, some in an effort to honestly shed light on why the heinous event occurred, but most with an eye toward pushing their own agendas.

It might be hatred of people of a certain lifestyle or religion, or control of the actions of their fellow citizens, or to gain sympathy for some cause. Various political organizations and religious groups were blamed, impotent solutions were proposed, and once again we were not joined as Americans facing a common enemy. Instead we were divided along religious, political, and social demarcation lines.

When that happens, the terrorists have won.

When we begin to blame one another, when we impose unrealistic expectations on our fellow citizens, when we shout for reductions in our freedoms in the interest of the perception of safety, the terrorists have won. When we look to a government that is unwilling to

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If one citizen in America lacks rights another citizen enjoys, neither is truly free.

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Liberty and Hate

damage the feelings of certain groups for fear of being politically incorrect. When instead it seeks to impose further sanctions on its own citizens, the very targets of these attacks. When it claims this is some sort of solution, the terrorists have won—and liberty has lost.

Freedom is a fickle thing. We all want to be free, but in order to enjoy our own liberty we must grant the same right to others. If we call ourselves a free society, yet withhold certain rights from certain groups because we disagree with them about something. It might be their lifestyle choices, or their religious beliefs, or their political affiliations, then we don’t really have freedom.

If one citizen in America lacks rights anoth-

er citizen enjoys, neither is truly free. When we set ourselves above those with whom we disagree, we hang ourselves with the rope intended for them.

The problem is that we, as a nation and sometimes as individuals, face an enemy that despises our freedom while using it against us.

The terrorist who has yet committed no acts of terrorism is as welcome here as the immigrant who wants nothing except to take advantage of the opportunities our country affords.

We can’t tell the difference between the two.

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our enemies hate us just because we have freedom. Hate is like that. The terrorist doesn’t want freedom, but instead of enjoying his own chains and leaving us alone, he must punish us for possession of our freedom.

This doesn’t make any sense to us, so we look for some other reason for his actions.

However, hate is its own catalyst, and there isn’t any other reason for terrorism against freedom. None of us, no matter our race, religion, gender, or level of wealth, is safe from hate.

On 1 October 2015 a young man walked into Umpqua Community College in Oregon and started shooting people. He asked his victims if they were Christians. If they said yes he shot them in the head. If they said no he shot them in a leg. Obviously Christians were targeted for death.

The Orlando murderer chose the Pulse nightclub because he disagreed with the lifestyle choices of its clientele. His hate blinded him to the fact that a government narrow minded enough to deny those people their right to live as they chose would also deny him the freedom to choose his religion.

We all have freedom here in America, which makes us all targets.

Several months ago, after the terrorist attacks in Paris, I wrote that although we all wanted to do something to help, “all we can do is mourn with Paris, and offer our condolences.

And prepare.

For terrorism, France is practice. The United States is the big game.” We don’t have the option of sitting on the bench in this one.

The radical Islamic terrorists of ISIS will not stop until we are all either dead or enslaved to their freedom-hating political ideology. We can point fingers and surrender our freedoms until we are just like them, or we can stand together and fight to preserve the liberty they hate. We can defend our way of life, and refuse to accept their chains in place of our rights.

The choice is the same one Patrick Henry offered Virginia in 1775.

Liberty or death.

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HE TEAL TOLD THE STORY. As I heard about small flocks of blue wing teal starting to arrive in the marshes on the Upper Coast, I knew it was time to get serious

about catching flounder.

The best flounder fishing of the year is about a two-week window of November when large numbers are pushing toward the Gulf to migrate.

The second best time is when the fall migration begins—actually, before fall.

During my extensive study of southern flounder, I have come across some specific timings and techniques that will give you a big advantage. We are on the cusp of one right now.

I call it the “first push”.

Migrations do not happen instantaneously.

Instead they occur in stages and the first stage of flounder migration takes place in late August and early September. When the first cool fronts blow through bringing in blue wing teal in large numbers, you can bet flounder are biting.

In my experience, flounder in the distant reaches of marshes start to move into the main channels of bayous and start staging toward the mouth. With each front comes more fish. If you play your cards right, it is a wonderful time to score on big ones.

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This is when the first tiny cold fronts come through, dropping the temperature from the upper 90s to the upper 70s for a day or two.

This bite lasts about two weeks and can get a boost if another small front comes through.

The day before a cold front usually features southerly winds and low pressure. If you can find protected water, these are great days to fish. The days of a front are slow typically because of high pressure, which is our next step. Two days after a front is usually the premium time to fish during the fall period.

Barometric pressure is probably the least understood aspect of flounder fishing, and it is one I am continually exploring in relation to fishing around fronts. High pressure puts a strain on fish and typically makes them bit finicky and sometimes not at all. Pressure that is falling or is on a downward trend means a strong bite.

That is why the day immediately following fronts is beautiful (clear skies with high pressure), but the fishing is subpar. Some suggest pressure over 30.20 is too high. If it gets below 29.80, things can get a little shaky.

If it is above 30 and falling you have ideal conditions. If you are fishing high-pressure days, use light line, small lures and be ready for a soft bite.

The reason the chance of catching a big fish is increased during this small window is very little pressure on the fish. The big ones that have been hiding away in various locales are moving in to key locations. You have a shot at catching them before other anglers do.

Just remember to watch for tiny cool fronts blowing through and pay special attention to the teal migration.

Although shrimp, croaker and other baitfish are all important component of a flounder’s diet, menhaden, often called pogies or shad in Texas, are the prey source where I focus most of my flounder fishing efforts during this crucial period.

At times the results are stunning.

Five years ago, my father, Chester Moore, Sr. and I watched flounder literally jumping out of the water feeding on menhaden as millions congregated in the Sabine Lake cut during the storm tides spawned by Hurricane Alex.

Another time I caught more than a dozen flounder in a spot the size of my desk because it was inundated with menhaden.

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Flounder migration comes in stages, beginning with early cold fronts of late August.

Texas’s bay-dwelling sport fish, flounder are the most opportunistic.

Owing to their flat design, these fish are best suited as ambush predators, and menhaden are easy to ambush.

These fish spawn numerous times from late fall through spring. This produces numerous classes of juveniles that gather in schools, which sometimes number in the millions. These tiny fish often cannot swim well, so they are blown against leeward shorelines.

This was the case with the example at the beginning of this story.

Anyone who has attended my flounder seminars or one of my Flatfish University events has heard me talk about the importance of finding eddies (areas of slack water) in the bayous winding into our bays and along ship channels.

The reason is the tiny menhaden we most frequently encounter in the spring cannot negotiate strong tides well and will often congregate in eddies.

Flounder, being the consummate ambush predator, gather there as well and feed aggressively. The first spots I target are bayous, sloughs and other drains where I find concentrations of menhaden. The first thing I look for is eddies.

When these tides are running extra high, I seek flounder along the main shorelines of

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bay systems.

Attacking vast shorelines would be a waste of time that end in dogged frustration, so you must have a strategy.

Instead of looking over eight miles of shoreline, narrow your search down to an eighth of a mile. You must eliminate water to successfully bag spring flounder. The first step I take while eliminating, is look for a shoreline that has stands of roseau cane.

Roseau cane has an intricate system that is somewhat like a smaller version of mangrove.

It gives menhaden 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 menhaden are removed from their cover and the predator/prey dynamic begins.

There is something about menhaden they cannot resist, and the angler that learns this will usually catch the most flounder.

Anglers willing to seek flounder during this “first push” of the migration can score big before most anglers are even thinking flatfish.

PHOTO: TERRY UPTON

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More Texas Teams Get on the Bus for Sub Head or by Line

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OME SERIOUS FISHY BUSIness is going on in high schools across Texas. But make no mistake.

There is nothing smelly about it. In fact, the fishy business in question is linked to an extra curricular activity

that’s about as clean, wholesome and impartial to physical ability and gender as any you will find.

“Those are some of the neat things about high school bass fishing,” says Clint Fountain of Kirbyville. “You don’t have to be a stand out athlete, be the fastest kid, throw the hardest, jump the highest or be a boy or girl to do it. It allows you to be yourself. Sure, some kids are better at it than others. But anyone can come out it here and excel. With bass fishing, you get out it what you put into it.”

Take that as sound advice from someone who knows. Fountain is a veteran angler and president of the Southeast Texas High School Bass Fishing Association.

This four-year-old non-profit organization was founded largely on the belief that competitive fishing at the high school level enables youths to become better students and anglers. It also builds character by exposing them to all the opportunities and challenges that competitive bass fishing offers.

story by Matt Williams

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As a volunteer advisor for the Kirbyville High School bass fishing team, Fountain has been affiliated with the SETX organization since its inaugural season in 2013. In the meantime, he and other volunteers have watched in awe as the grassroots program has grown into a virtual monster in a relatively short period of time.

“It’s been amazing to watch it happen,” Fountain said. “This thing has grown by leaps and bounds from the very start.”

The organization’s first official team tournament in December 2013 drew a whopping 263 teams from about two dozen high schools. At the time that was a national record for high school bass tournaments.

Amazingly, the record didn’t last for long.

In fact, the SETX program has broken its own

High school bass competitors can be champions regardless of athletic ability.

national record the last two consecutive years. Its 2015-16 season opener held on Sam Rayburn attracted 490 teams nearly 50 participating high schools.

“It’s grown bigger and faster than any of us ever dreamed it would,” says SETX tournament director Bryan Thomas of Lumberton. “I remember that first tournament when we drew 263 boats—we were like, holy cow, what is going on? Every year it gotten bigger and bigger. We’ve got 47 high schools affiliated with SETX now, but that what has been really impressive is the growth in the number of fishing teams within those individual schools. Right now we’ve got somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200 kids involved, many of which might not have gotten involved in the outdoors otherwise. That’s a good thing.”

Tim Haugh of Bullard can certainly relate. Haugh is a Tyler banker who helped form the first bass fishing team at Bullard High School in 2012 at the request of his son, Kevin, who was a freshman at the time.

The following year, Haugh and several high school fishing team advisors from around northeast Texas got together and formed the Texas High School Bass Fishing Association. The THSBFA experienced meteoric growth seemingly overnight, drawing 61 teams to its inaugural event and more than doubling the attendance by the final event of the 2013 season.

“We learned pretty quick that this deal had the potential to get huge,” Haugh said.

“We started out with a single division that encompassed Dallas/Ft. Worth and East Texas and we have added three more divisions since—West, Central and Houston.

We’ve also been hearing from quite a few schools down around the Austin/San Antonio area that want to get involved, so we’re looking at adding another division for them.”

Haugh said he agrees with the idea that introducing youngsters to the sport of bass fishing helps build individual character. This sport also allows everyone to compete on a level playing field regardless of gender or athletic ability.

Another huge benefit is it motivates students to take care of their work in the classroom. Both the SETX and THSBFA adhere to strict “No Pass, No Fish” guidePHOTO: COURTESY MARBLE FALLS-LAKE LBJ CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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lines. Anglers are required to maintain a 2.0 grade point average in all of their classes.

Otherwise, they will be left standing on shore when tournament time rolls around.

“All teams have to turn in an academic report before each tournament,” Haugh said.

“If you aren’t passing your classes, you don’t fish—it’s as simple as that. I get a lot of feedback from teachers who tell me about kids who have worked especially hard to improve their grades in order to be eligible to fish.”

Like the SETX program, the THSBFA hosts five regular season events over the course of the year. Prizes and points are awarded to the top finishers toward qualification for regional and state championships.

That’s where top qualifiers fish for valuable college scholarship dollars, which in some cases, have enabled young anglers to further their education when they otherwise might not have been able to do it.

Both Fountain and Haugh said their organizations awarded well over $100,000 scholarship money and prizes to competitors during the 2016 season—a high percentage of which wouldn’t be available without the valuable sponsorship support of fishing industry

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icons such as Bass Pro Shops, Costa, Toyota, Skeeter/Yamaha, Lews, Minn Kota, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Academy and a host of others.

“The sponsors have really embraced this concept,” Fountain said. “There is absolutely no way we could do this without them.”

Yet another key partner to both organizations is FLW’s Student Angler Federation (SAF). The SAF was created in 2010 through a partnership with The Bass Federation (TBF), one of America’s oldest grassroots freshwater fishing organizations, which focuses on junior anglers and conservation.

The two organizations are currently affiliated with hundreds of high school bass fishing clubs around the country with a membership that numbers well into the thousands.

Bassmaster operates a similar program under its BASS Nation heading and has recognized a 12-member All American fishing team the last two years. The selections are based not only tournament performance, but on how the young anglers perform in the classroom and how they served their communities. New Caney High School’s Dillion Harrell was among 12 anglers selected to the inaugural All-American Team in 2015.

The TBF ran its first high school event in 2010, which drew 76 high school teams from 16 different states. This year, the organization will conduct state championship events in nearly four dozen different states.

Also on the schedule are six open events, five regional conference championships, the High School National Championship and the High School World Finals, a non-qualifying event that was held on Alabama’s Lake Pickwick June 28 through July 2.

“High school fishing has gotten real big, real quick, and there is a lot room for it to grow even larger,” said Mark Gintert, national youth director for TBF. “In a little over five years of competition we have more than 20,000 high school anglers and more than 2,000 high schools and community clubs around the country, and it is growing at a rate of about 20 percent every year.”

To learn more about starting a team or getting your high school involved in one America’s greatest pastimes on a competitive level, check out highschoolfishing.org or call 580-765-9031.

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E

VER GET TIRED OF COMPETING with a thousand other hunters for game?

Want to hunt abundant species with long seasons, liberal bag limits and little pressure— sometimes no seasons or limits?

Think you might need to hire a bush plane to fly you off to some forgotten lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada? —No! People often find such action close to home, if they know where to look. In most states, hunters can enjoy numerous opportunities to bag game that most other people overlook.

Do you remember the last time you heard someone bragging about the

gallinules they shot? Texas allows liberal bag limits for gallinules and there is almost no pressure. Generally, these seasons run concurrently with duck hunting.

These shy shorebirds can provide great action for young hunters when ducks won’t fly.

Let us start with rails.

With their short, stubby wings, one would think rails couldn’t fly 10 feet. While they prefer to run through grass to escape enemies, they migrate across the continent.

Also called marsh hens, clapper rails inhabit salt marshes. With their skinny, grayish bodies, long legs and long bills, they make common appearances throughout coastal areas. More often heard than seen, they make a clattering, clucking sound. t A drake purple gallinule tiptoes easily across lily pads in a wetland.

Alternative Game Birds Add to the Diversity of Texas Hunting story and photos by John N. Felsher T E X A S

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Daniel Felsher shows off a sora rail he killed while hunting from a canoe in a marsh.

Overlooked by most sportsmen, common gallinules like this one offer great sport.

Their close, somewhat larger cousins, king rails prefer freshwater marshes, occasionally spotted in swamps or along river and lake shorelines. King rails are a richer cinnamon color than the grayer, buff-colored clapper rails. Clapper rails have gray cheeks compared to the king’s brownish cheeks.

The most widely distributed rail in North America, sora rails look more like quail or a cross between a chicken and a sparrow, and they are about as big as a meadowlark. Instead of long, probing bills, they have chicken-like short yellow bills. Sora rails live in brackish marshes or even salt marshes. They have gray-brown body, and black throats.

Also called moorhens, gallinules prefer a freshwater environment, or rice fields, but stray into brackish marshes. Purple gallinules, or “blue peters,” are brilliantly colored in rich purplish blue with olive-green backs and wings. They sport a blue patch of skin on their foreheads and red bills. Feathers under their tails are white. With their long, yellow legs, they can easily walk on marsh vegetation.

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instead of white bills. Common gallinules spend more time in water than their other cousins in the rail family, except for coots.

People can hunt rails and gallinules at high tide by poling shallow-draft boats through flood marshes to flush the birds. Weak fliers, when they do flush, they usually don’t fly far.

They’ll present a second opportunity quickly.

Other people hunt rails at low tide by walking the marshes. Several hunters abreast 50 yards apart might put them into the air. A good flushing dog helps.

At low tide, hunters can also scan exposed mudbanks from poled or paddled boats. Rails prowl mudflats and grassy shores looking for small crustaceans and other food items.

Not especially intelligent, if one runs into the grass, wait a few minutes. It will probably return 10 feet up the bank in a short time.

Rails and gallinules do not require highpowered ammunition. A .410 shotgun with 7 1/2 shot works great on them. Magnum loads destroy too much tasty meat. Therefore, they make great species for beginning hunters to learn about the sport.

Snipe constitutes another little-sought species. In late winter, large numbers of snipe

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descend upon salt marshes. Typically, most snipe fall to duck hunters’ guns. Few people specifically hit the marshes to hunt snipe although the season generally runs well past duck seasons with liberal bag limits.

Unlike rails, snipe zip through the air, swiftly and erratically like their woodland woodcock cousins. They flush in a screeching fury and kick in afterburners. Snipe hunters should carry plenty of ammunition and hunt them with light number 8 or number 9 shot and open chokes. They’ve embarrassed many a good wing shot.

Considered outlaws in Texas, Yellowheaded, red-winged, rusty, or Brewer’s blackbirds and all grackles, cowbirds (does not include cattle egret), crows, and magpies may be controlled without a federal or state depredation permit when found committing or about to commit depredations on ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock, or wildlife, or when concentrated in numbers and in a manner that constitutes a health hazard or other nuisance.

Farmers will welcome help in controlling these birds. Crows are tough, wary birds that make difficult targets. They are usually scattered through field and timberlands. Hunters can concentrate them by using owl calls and decoys.

Crows and owls hate each other. At night, owls hunt crows and destroy their nests.

Crows retaliate during the day. Whenever a crow spots an owl perched in the open during daylight hours, it raucously calls its buddies.

En masse, they attack the solitary owl until they drive it away or kill it.

Hunters can use this propensity to their advantage by staking out a few large, scattered owl decoys where crows will surely spot them. As crows gather for the attack, they might offer several good shots.

Hardy birds, crows require larger shot, such as number 6s and modified or full chokes. Hunters may need to take shots at these wary birds from longer ranges.

While deer woods and duck ponds burst with hunters, few sportsmen take advantage of these other lesser-sought species. Taking advantage of them could add increased sport to days afield—and sharpen skills for those “other” game species.

PHOTOS: JOHN N. FELSHER

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Bare Bones HUNTING

by LOU MARULLO :: TF&G Hunting Editor

Have Fun, Hunt Safe

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HITETAIL SEASON IS right around the corner and that means most deer hunters will soon be perched 15 to 20 feet above ground in their favorite deer stand.

The percentage of hunters who choose to hunt from a tree stand is astronomical. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of whitetail hunters will hunt from an elevated position.

There is a reason for that. Hunting from a tree stand has proved to be very successful.

First, hunting from above gives the hunter a better view of any incoming deer, That makes the likelihood of being surprised and caught moving is reduced.

I think the biggest advantage is that your human scent is above the nose of the deer.

Even if your scent is picked up by the whitetail, it will have dissipated enough that the buck can’t pinpoint exactly where you are.

As ethical hunters, we are encouraged— no, we are obligated to keep ourselves safe from any injury while hunting. That’s why I implore readers of this column to please use the safety harness that is supplied with every tree stand you buy. Gone are the days of just a safety strap wrapped around your mid section—or worse yet, a rope tied to you and tethered to the tree.

The biggest problem is the fact that these free five- point safety harnesses are difficult at best to untangle and correctly attach to your body. More often than not, a hunter chooses to toss the harness back in the truck and hunt without any safety harness at all.

In my hunting classes, I always ask in the beginning of class how many rifle deer hunters are here. Then I ask how many hunt from a tree stand. Virtually every one of them raises his hand. Then I ask for a volunteer to come up. When he or she does, I hand the

volunteer a balled-up safety harness and ask him to put it on for the class. While he (or she) struggles with the harness, I take my HSS (Hunter Safety System) vest and put it on. Two clicks in the front and one on each leg and I am ready to hunt.

It takes a total of 30 seconds to put on.

Meanwhile, I keep telling the struggling student that we need to hurry. The sun is coming up! Come on, we’ll be late!

Then I let the class know that this is the time the harness gets tossed back in the truck. Remember, the student (who claimed that he hunts safely from a tree stand) is trying to put this harness on under the bright light of the classroom.

In a real life situation, the hunter probably will be fighting with this tangled harness illuminated by the beam of a flashlight in his mouth.

Many deer are taken from ground blinds.

You do not have to climb up a tree to be successful with whitetails, but if you are one of the majority of hunters who will be elevated this hunting season and you do not have wings on your back, then you absolutely MUST use a safety harness. I recommend the HSS hunter vest. It’s so easy to use, and it can save your life.

If you are one of those stubborn hunters who say that they will never fall from a tree stand, then I beg you to go on the internet and google tree stand accidents. You are sorely mistaken if you think this cannot happen to you.

I have a good friend who has hunted for years. He is one of those guys that likes to hunt alone and not let anyone know where his “hot spot” is. That is another big mistake by the way—you should always let someone know where you will be hunting.

One day, this friend stayed in his stand long past sundown because he had does around him, and he did not want to spook the deer. When the deer finally left the area, he decided to get out of his stand. He fell 18 feet because he never used a harness.

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black of night until he found a road and lay there until someone came along and called for help. He was extremely lucky that his injuries were not worse.

I recently saw him and we spoke about that dreadful night. I asked him what kind of harness he uses now after such a frightening experience. He looked me right in the eye and told me he does not use one at all. I simply walked away shaking my head.

Another older gentleman I hunted with confessed that he never wears a harness either. The sad thing is that he told me he knew he should, but hated the way they feel and decided not to wear one.

One day, he was in his tree and another buddy was in another tree. Neither man wore any safety harness. The other man called on the radio that the stand was breaking and he was about to fall. There was nothing he could do. No branches were within reach, and down he went.

Miraculously, he only hurt his pride. The only issue was that he needed a change of pants as soon as possible. Moments later the two “safe” hunters met up. Once they both realized how lucky he was, they just sat back and laughed about it. They still hunt today without a safety harness!

I agree that the free harness you get with each stand you buy is a pain to put on. The safety vest is a ton easier and is just as safe.

The cost varies from $60 to $150. Is your life worth that much?

If you are out of work because of an injury while hunting, the cost of the ambulance or helicopter, hospital bill, surgery, doctor bill—you do the math. Then decide whether to use a safety harness this coming season.

Have fun and hunt safe out there.

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Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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“W

HAT IS THAT?” My fishing partner and (now former) Texas Fish & Game sales rep Nicole Becka asked me and our boat captain Robert Scherer.

As she pointed toward the tip of the Port Aransas Jetties, several long black fins stood out of the water. At first, I had no idea, but when a flash of silver caught my eye it became obvious.

Tarpon!

A school of silver kings were feeding

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on mullet about 50 yards south of us, and now our attention switched to them. As we cast everything in the tackle box at them Nicole finally got a hookup on a topwater. It didn’t last long but we got a big thrill watching the four foot tarpon bust out of the water and show its deep red gills as it shook its head.

Tarpons are a fairly common sight at the Port Aransas Jetties and also at the jetties in Port Mansfield and Port O’Connor.

Officials with the state’s Tarpon Observation Network (TON) note that anglers annually target Texas tarpon near-

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shore with some degree of success.

“While current populations are not what they once were, a major effort to conserve the species has led to more opportunities for Texas anglers. Each year, typically in the late summer and early fall, anglers target tarpon with some degree of success.”

Now is the time tarpons start schooling in areas such as the stretch between High Island and Galveston, around Port O’Connor, Port Mansfield and in other locations.

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TON advises that most tarpons are often hooked incidentally while fishing for other species. However the tarpon’s habit of supplementing oxygen intake by gulping air (often referred to as “rolling”) can alert anglers to their presence.

Tarpons are opportunistic carnivores, feeding on a variety of prey. Anglers typically use dead or live fish for bait, such as menhaden or mullet, but live crab, live shrimp and artificial baits (including flies) that resemble baitfish or shrimp can tempt a hungry tarpon as well.

Hard bony plates in the mouth make

COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

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tarpon difficult to hook, but circle hooks have been found to provide the best hookup ratios. Owing to the presence of sharp gill plates, anglers typically use long 80-pound test or heavier leaders as insurance against cut offs. Nevertheless, hooking a tarpon and bringing it to the hand is easier said than done, with most hookups resulting in the tarpon winning the battle.

Although admittedly, contact with tarpons is rare for us, another acrobatic oceanic predator is abundant and we catch many of them. I’m talking about sharks.

Sharks, particularly blacktips and their

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close cousin the spinner sharks will put on extremely impressive displays on acrobatics arguably outdoing even tarpons.

The easiest spot to find sharks is around jetties or nearshore oil and gas platforms. Bring along some chum such as menhaden oil or throw out chunks of pogey to attract the big fish. Canned jack mackerel also makes great chum, and it is very inexpensive. All you have to do is punch holes in the can and put it in a lingerie washing bag or fish basket tied off to the boat.

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Jetties are also attractive to another predator class, sharks.

Another economical chumming method involves taking a five-gallon bucket, punching it full of holes and rigging weights in the bottom. The bucket should be tied to the boat with enough rope to sink at least 10 feet down and fill it with fish guts, old shrimp, cut menhaden or any kind of smelly stuff.

This will create a chum slick that will draw in sharks from all around.

A few years ago, two of our fine law officers, Jimmy Owens and Jason Loughlin invited me out to chase sharks at the jetties.

When we arrived, there were few big ones to tangle with but the rocks were swarming with hundreds of blacktips from two to three feet in length.

We decided to try our luck with topwaters and had a blast for several hours watching the feisty predators, chase and occasionally destroy our Top Dogs, She Dogs and Super Spooks.

If you think you had fun with topwaters, try catching sharks on them. It takes things

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to a whole new level. If you want to get sharks to come to the surface to hit topwaters, try taking out a pail of wet sand or mud and live glass minnows or finger mullet.

Take several of the baitfish, clump them up in the sand, and throw them overboard.

The fish will escape at different depths and it will drive sharks crazy. Once they start surfacing you can skip the sand and just throw over the live bait to keep them surfaced.

Over the years, fishing jetties has provided some of the most interesting experiences of my life. There was the time my father hooked into a stingray that weighed well over 200 pounds. It took him and my cousin Frank Moore on a two-mile ride.

I was in another boat and lost contact with them after we started catching fish. After a frantic search, we approached Frank’s boat to find my Dad lying in the bottom, drenched in sweat and Frank now fighting the behemoth, which was now flapping on the surface.

“What are you going to do with it?” I asked.

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“Son, I fought it for two hours, we’re going to eat it.”

That may be one of the greatest answers of all time. By the way the meat was great.

Nowadays we would not kill such a big ray but it was hard to argue with Dad’s logic back then.

Many of you have had amazing jetty and other near-shore Gulf encounters as well.

There have been millions of man hours spent chunking spoons and fishing shrimp under a popping cork along these fish super highways.

Don’t think for a second that you can’t enjoy these kinds of encounters in an aluminum boat. You must exercise extra caution in any smaller craft, of course; but as you can see my adventures have been many.

The first day my schedule meshes with calm winds, you can bet I will be there, chasing hard-fighting fish and expecting the unexpected.

PHOTO: CANSTOCK

7/7/16 11:04 AM

Texas SALTWATER

by CALIXTO GONZALES :: TF&G Saltwater Editor

Bench Depth

I

AM AN UNAPOLOGETIC PISCAvore. I love eating fish, often to the chagrin of some of my more “enlightened” fellow anglers who think keeping, filleting, and eating fish like trout, snook, and redfish is some sort of mortal sin that Pope Francis should publicly condemn.

The fact is that Texas Parks and Wildlife does a superlative job of managing and regulating our fish stocks, and the size and bag limits are designed to ensure that anglers can retain a moderate number of fish for the skillet (yes, even snook, which some treat like a mythical beast of medieval lore). Fish are an excellent and healthy source of protein. No one need apologize about keeping their limits (as long as they are abiding by state laws and regulations).

Though stocks are well managed and some are at historically high levels, even the most dedicated angler isn’t going to have piscine success every time on the water. No matter what you sometimes try, there is no joy in Mudville.

Any successful coach or sports general manager will tell you that a team’s success doesn’t hinge on their starting lineup, but on the depth of their bench. If you can have a number two left tackle that can pick up the slack when your high-priced starter is down with a blown knee, you have a better chance at maintaining a high level of success than if you were stuck with some ham and egger you grabbed off the street.

The same principal holds for fishing. whether your trip is successful or you end up stopping at the seafood section of HEB can depend on your plan when the specks and redfish have a case of lockjaw.

When the main target species aren’t cooperating, that’s when the astute angler looks to his bench and gives the call to some capable backups. The three fish that make up this second string are underrated quarry both in sport-

ing ability and gastronomical quality. Under the right conditions, they put up a stiff fight, are actually challenging to catch, and acquit themselves well in the kitchen.

First in the lineup, and a fish that should be welcome in any cooler, is the black drum.

TPW surveys show that numbers of slot-sized black drum—between 15 and 30 inches—are at an all-time high, especially in the Upper and Lower Laguna Madre. Many an angler from the Coastal Bend and Southern tip of the Texas Gulf Coast will tell you about the giant schools of black drum that cruise the flats in both halves of the Laguna Madre. Many boats eschew running around and finding moodier trout and redfish to hook up on the schools of black drum that roil up the water.

The most popular method to catch one of these feisty cousins of the more glamorous species is to pin a fresh, dead shrimp on a ¼ ounce jighead and cast straight into the school (which isn’t difficult to locate; just look for the disturbed water or the flotilla of boats chasing the school). Bounce the bait a couple of times until it’s picked up, set the hook, and be ready for a surprisingly stiff fight with some decent runs and lunges.

If you want to avoid bait, these feeding drum will strike artificials. A 3-inch Gulp!

Shrimp pinned on the same jighead will get eaten. Twin brother captains Danny and Jeff Neu are noted for getting drum to strike a 4-inch Norton Sand Eel, Jr. in LSU colors (purple body/chartreuse tail). For a benchwarmer, the black drum can be a top-flight starter on any team.

Next to the black drum on the pine is the sheepshead. The convict fish is considered an incidental catch to most inshore fishermen.

However, anyone who goes after the feisty striped fish finds a brute thug streetfighter who can test light tackle like a trophy speck or oversized redfish.

The key for sheepshead is structure, because these fish prefer to graze on barnacles and eat small crabs and other crustaceans that congregate around rocks, pilings, and bridge supports.

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structures are sheepshead magnets.

A live shrimp pitched right up against the structure won’t last very long. A good strategy is to use a cork to suspend the bait and serve as a strike indicator. Once the cork disappears, you set the hook hard, palm the drag and bull the fish away from the structure so he won’t break you off.

The fight that follows is up close and personal, like trading with a body-puncher. (Do not be surprised if you run into a tripletail; those hoodlums love the same structure as sheepies).

Finally, the last benchwarmer is the one with the biggest chip on his shoulder because he has the skills and qualities of an All-Pro, but none of the respect—the mangrove snapper.

Most mangoes are not very large, 12 to 13 inches, but what these diminutive battlers lack in size they more than compensate in sheer ferocity. A 1 to 1 ½ pound mangrove will try to snatch the rod right out of your hand and pull you into the structure so fast the fish is gone before you can register what happened.

The same structure that holds sheepshead will hold a population of these punks. They’ll nail a shrimp just as readily, too. Some of the larger ones—they can approach 10 pounds— will also hit a Gulp! or Live Target shrimp that is allowed to slowly sink next to structure.

Using lures, however, requires an almost basslike fishing touch. Watch for the line to jump to the side and set the hook hard and pull the fish away from structure before HE knows what’s happening.

One of the wildest fishing experiences I ever had was with Captain Jimmy Martinez.

We went up in the Brownsville Ship Channel looking for snook and throwing topwaters.

What we found were five-pound mangroves that were blasting our Super Spooks so hard that they would straighten the trebles.

Like I said, they have a chip on their shoulders, as do the other two members of the bench. That’s not bad depth.

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PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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a

A BEAUTIFUL HERD OF LONGhorn cattle made their way across a bluebonnet covered meadow. Walking down a trail from an oak thicket, one particularly massive bull stopped and glared at us, so I felt obliged to jump out of the truck and shoot photos.

We were at YO Ranch Headquarters near Mountain Home in Kerr County and had just completed granting a “Wild Wish” for a little boy named Amos who got to encounter a giraffe and many other exotic animals at the legendary ranch.

Amos and two other wish kids followed me and another chaperone out to photograph the

massive bull when we noticed something in the bushes. Hiding under the shade of a live oak was

story by Chester Moore

a massive bison. The longhorns were cool but this was awesome.

This thing was easily in the 2,000-pound range and gave us a real thrill, as buffalos were the topic of conversation riding down the road. “Wild Wishes” grants exotic animal encounters for children who have lost a parent or sibling or who have a terminal illness. To think that the Lord granted us this chance to see such an amazing animal together was humbling to say the least.

Then it got better.

From behind another tree stood up something big and white. At first it looked like a bull, but when it turned around, chills ran up and down my spine. This was no bull. It was a white buffalo.

The Great White Buffalo!

As I snapped photos, the majestic bison looked us square in the eye, then retreated into the oaks as we stood, blown away.

The author encountered this white buffalo at YO Ranch Headquarters. Bison have a rich history in Texas.

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A 700-acre range was opened to a Texas bison herd at Caprock Canyons State Park near Quitaque in 2011.

All three of the kids knew about the legend of the white buffalo and its importance to Native American culture. So did I of course. I could not help but sing a chorus of my friend Ted Nugent’s “The Great White Buffalo”.

We had no idea such a creature existed on the huge ranch and would not have seen it if we had not decided to pull over and photograph the longhorns.

I have no question the Lord had His hand on this encounter and so did the kids who were excited beyond measure. They had seen something that until then, only seemed like a legend.

I have had many incredible wildlife encounters and this one ranks right up there with seeing great whites in the Pacific. This was a lifelong dream come true, and I got to share it with three very special kids and a friend who is as big a buffalo fan as I am.

Part of my love of bison comes from knowing their tragic history and the great conservation efforts that saved them.

According to the Texas Bison Association, Bison were hunted in various ways. Before the Indians rode horseback, they would encircle the herd with tribe members on foot.

By getting the animals to mill within the ring they formed, Indians were able to fire large volleys of arrows into the herd until they downed an adequate number of animals.”

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acquired by the Plains Indians, bison hunting became easier. The Indians used other methods to take the mighty buffalo—stampeding herds over a cliff, driving the animals into a large natural trap, or into bogs or blind canyons.

The most famous hunting technique was the “horse surround.” Several hundred riders would form semicircles on two sides of the herd, then move in until they created a circle around its entirety. As pressure was applied, the bison would begin to get confused, start milling and eventually stampede into a frenzied milling mass. At this point, riders would move in and begin the slaughter with showers of arrows or plunging lances.”

Then came wholesale slaughter of bison

by European settlers that was as much to wipe out the Plains tribes that relied on them as it was to sell bison parts. What was once a herd of millions was reduced to fewer than 1,000 by the late 1800s.

According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, legendary rancher Charles Goodnight started the remnants of the herd on his JA Ranch in the Texas Panhandle in 1878, in attempts to save the animals that had meant so much to him.

It was actually his wife that influenced the cattle and business tycoon to preserve them, before they disappeared, so that future generations might be able to see and appreciate

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these special creatures.

Somehow, against the odds, a herd of genetic-related Southern bison have managed to survive the decades since, and now, we all benefit from the Goodnights’ vision.

When the bison were initially donated to TPWD and moved to Caprock Canyons State Park in 1997, it was discovered that their DNA was different, and feature genetics that are not shared by any other bison in North America. In fact, the Official Texas State Bison Herd at Caprock represents the last remaining examples of the Southern Plains variety.

Now YO Ranch Headquarters and other ranches proudly raise bison, and they are flourishing right here in the Lone Star State on private land and at Caprock Canyons State Park. Without ranchers and hunters, there would likely be no bison today.

As we walked back to the trucks, the moms, grandmas and dads were excited for the kids (and this big kid) who just encountered something special. They got to see all of this go down, but one thing they did not see were its eyes.

We stared into the eyes of the white buffalo. None of us may ever be the same. We locked eyes with a legend.

PHOTO: TPWD

7/7/16 11:02 AM

Texas FRESHWATER

by MATT WILLIAMS :: TF&G Freshwater Editor

Catching Kermit

L

ONGVIEW BASS PRO JIM Tutt has been sharing entertaining stories with me about his nephew, Andrew, for several years now. To hear Tutt tell it, the Johnson-McQueen Elementary fourth grader is waay mature for his age and has a serious passion for hook and bullet stuff.

Based on the tales I’ve heard, my guess is that Andrew may have already killed more whitetail bucks and caught bigger bass than some of the adult readers of this magazine have—and he’s only 10.

“He’s a pretty unique little kid,” said Tutt.

“He loves sports like baseball and football and he is good at them. But he is really eaten up with hunting and fishing. There aren’t a whole lot of kids like him.”

Andrew boated his biggest bass, a 9 1/2 pounder, at Lake O’ The Pines when he was only four. He has also shot nearly a half dozen bucks with his rifle. Now, he has big aspirations of getting in the woods at the family deer lease outside Mason with his compound bow or crossbow in the near future.

In the meantime, the budding sportsman is plenty content with his newest hobby and self-taught art—sight fishing for bullfrogs. I call it an art because that is exactly what the youngster has turned it into, right down the clothes he wears when he does it.

“They’re pretty smart, especially the big ones,” he said. “You’ve got to sneak up on them, and you can’t wear blue or red or they’ll spook. They don’t seem to react to white near as bad as they do blue or red, but it’s best to wear camo.”

Andrew doesn’t do his frogging in a stock tank or lake. Instead, he goes after them in the dilapidated in-ground swimming pool outside the rural home his parents bought back in 2012.

“The people who owned the place before us cleared some trees and brush and threw it into the pool,” said Tom Tutt, Andrew’s dad. “The side of the pool is cracked and we were told it will cost around $40,000 to fix everything right, so we decided to leave it like it is for now.”

Over time, the pool has partially filled with rainwater while duck weed and other vegetation have spread throughout. According to Andrew, the pool has transformed into an aquatic mecca for frogs, turtles and even a few water snakes.

When the youngster discovered the frogs in the pool, his first inclination was to figure out a way to catch them. He said his first bullfrog

Andrew Tutt with a bullfrog.

was the biggest of the bunch, an 18 incher with long, meaty legs that his dad fried up in a skillet and fed him for supper one night. He’s been catching and releasing them ever since.

“They tasted all right, but I didn’t like them that much.” he said.

Figuring out a way to consistently catch the frogs became a work in progress at that point.

The youngster says he tried grabbing them with his hands and scooping them up in a fish net and a five-gallon bucket tied to a rope, but the frogs were too spooky and fast for either tactic to be effective.

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but he never got the first taker.

That’s when Andrew decided to try something a little more aggressive. Rather than leaving it in the water for a frog to find, he elected to try reeling a bait right in front of their noses.

Much to his surprise, the technique worked like a charm. It has since produced a small army of toads almost as long as his own arm.

Andrew’s bait of choice is a Texas-rigged Zoom Brush Hog. It’s a soft plastic, creaturestyle bait frequently used by bass fishermen in combination with Texas rigs and Carolina rigs. He says the main keys are rigging the bait properly and making the right presentation.

Tutt likes to rig the bait weightless because it’s easy to keep it skimming the surface on a fairly slow retrieve.

The young angler says the technique is always the most effective on frogs that he can see visually, but which are unaware of his presence. His typical plan of attack is to sneak quietly up to the pool’s edge to see whether a bullfrog is around.

Once he spots a frog, Andrew says he will get positioned so he can cast the bait well beyond it so as to avoid making too big of a disturbance and spoiling his chances.

“Then I’ll just reel it right past him,” he said.

“Sometimes they’ll jump 12-18 inches to get it.

And they don’t miss it very often. Sometimes two of them will start fighting over the bait at the same time. That’s pretty cool to see.”

As earlier mentioned, Andrew releases all of the frogs he catches. Just not back into the swimming pool. Instead, he carries them to a nearby 1 1/2-acre pond where they have significantly more room to hang out and be frogs in what looks to be a much more froggylooking setting.

“I think I’ve caught about nine bigger than 12 inches out of there (the pool) so far,” he said. “They don’t fight real hard—about like a small bass. But it’s still a lot fun just trying sneak up on them and catch them.”

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STORY BY

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Steve LaMascus

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PHOTO: CANSTOCK

7/18/16 2:05 PM

F

or this article

two options. You can full-length

we are going to

resize it to near factory dimen-

assume that you

sions, or you can neck-size it,

are an experi-

leaving it as close to the dimen-

enced reloader

sions of your rifle chamber as

who has all the

possible.

usual equipment and appurte-

If you are going on an expen-

nances. This said, we are going

sive hunt, I suggest that you

to look at how to make better

resize it full length and then after

ammo and reload some of the

you have loaded the ammuni-

more common wildcats.

tion, try each cartridge in the

Most of us realize that car-

rifle to make certain that every

Trophy Photos from TF&G Readers

cartridge you are taking will

they are to be reloaded for are

chamber properly and easily.

more accurate than new factory

This is because sometimes neck-

brass. This is because the once-

sized brass will require a good bit

fired brass is now fitted exactly

of force to chamber completely.

to the dimensions of the rifle’s

This is nothing to worry about

chamber, while new brass is

in most instances, but if smooth

sized for some nonexistent aver-

operation might make or break

age chamber.

an expensive hunting trip, it is

fired cartridge case you have

DEPT. OF 42 u TEXAS DEFENSE

by Steve LaMasus and Dustin Ellermann

44 u TEXAS DEPT. OF CONSERVATION

by Will Leschper and Andi Cooper

48 u TEXAS COASTAL FORECAST

something to contemplate.

CONTINUED ON PAGE

Reported by TF&G Staff

HOT 40 u TEXAS SHOTS

tridge cases fired once in the rifle

Once you have your once-

REPORT: NEWS 40 u TF&G OF THE NATION

38 u

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

56 u TEXAS FISHING HOTSPOTS

by Tom Behrens, Dustin Warncke and Dean Heffner

64 u SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK Tides and SoLunar Data

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If you are looking for the utmost in accuracy, you need to neck-size your brass. Then when you are reloading the ammo, seat the bullets as close to the beginning of the lands and grooves as possible, but not in contact with them. If the magazine of your rifle will allow the bullets to be seated out that far, usually about 1/16th of an inch off the lands and grooves will give the best accuracy.

You can achieve this by trial and error, seating a bullet farther and farther out until one touches the lands and grooves. Now turn the seating stem of your bullet seating

From left, .222, .223 and .222 Magnum

die one full turn in. One turn on most dies is 1/16th of an inch.

If you have the bullet in contact with the lands and grooves, it will substantially raise pressure and give no better accuracy. There are also tools which will allow you to measure 38 |

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this and avoid the trial and error method.

One thing often overlooked by reloaders is the necessity of regularly trimming brass.

After a couple of reloadings brass will flow and stretch, becoming longer and longer.

Brass that is too long raises pressure. What you are looking for is brass that is the correct length and all the same length. If you have brass that is all different lengths, even if none of it is too long, you will never have all the accuracy the rifle is capable of.

Another thing to think about is that most rifles will perform better with loads near the top end. I don’t mean overloads, but good, stiff loads, near the upper end of what the loading manual says is maximum.

But never start at the top. Start at the bottom and carefully work your way up, loading a few rounds and shooting them to determine pressure and accuracy. If you start to see signs of over pressure, back off a grain or so and call it good. If you aren’t getting the velocity you want, try a different powder, but don’t overload the round. Not all rifles will accept maximum loads.

I have several rifles in wildcat calibers. My favorites are a .222 Remington Magnum Ackley Improved and a .243 Winchester Ackley Improved. When loading for these rounds it is necessary to fire-form the standard brass to fit the improved chamber. This is fairly simple if the rifle has been chambered correctly.

Ackley Improved chambers should be chambered to provide a crush fit on factory ammunition. That means that when you chamber a factory round, you should

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feel a bit of pressure as you close the bolt.

If you don’t feel that pressure, you have a problem with the chambering that needs to be addressed by a good gunsmith who is familiar with the peculiarities of the Ackley Improved rounds.

If you have the rifle properly chambered, all that is necessary to make your improved brass is to chamber a factory cartridge and fire it in the rifle. After firing you have an improved cartridge case. You then neck-size the cartridges you have fire-formed and start your load work-up.

Because it is likely you will have no published loading data for your wildcat, start with one of the middle loads for the factory cartridge it is based on and start working up.

You will probably be able to gain about five percent above published data. But be very careful, as often, or even most of the time, these cartridges do not show pressure signs like the standard cartridges will.

The case wall is straighter, and the shoulders much more square to the bore. This causes the cartridge to grip the sides of the chamber and not back up against the bolt, which is what causes the primer to appear normal, even when the loads are approaching maximum.

It is better to use a micrometer to measure the cases at the web, just in front of the extraction groove, before and after they are fired. When you have approximately .0005inch expansion you have reached maximum for that cartridge. Do not go higher or you might blow a primer, which can be anywhere from frightening to devastating, or get a cartridge stuck in the chamber. Take it from someone who learned this the hard way.

If you have specific questions on reloading, you can contact the author at the address below.

Note: Neither the author nor Texas Fish & Game magazine is responsible for the use of the information contained in this article.

These practices are safe only in the guns of the author. Use by the reader is understood to be at his own risk.

PHOTO: HELLBUS VIA WIKIMEDIA PHOTO: COMMONS CREDIT

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The NATIONAL

Feral Hogs Threatening Texas Eastern Turkey?

DESPITE THE INTENSIVE EFFORTS that saw turkey hunting opened throughout most of the East Texas region over the last 20 years, more recently numerous counties lost turkey hunting opportunities because of declining numbers. At the same time, feral hog populations have skyrocketed.

Is there a connection?

Of all threats, feral hogs are the most misunderstood. Their potential for impact is growing. Hogs have significant impact on their environment, and research suggests a negative effect on turkey nesting success.

Take for example, a study conducted in the Edwards Plateau (Texas Hill

News of TEXAS

Country), which is Rio Grande turkey country. There, researchers used chicken eggs to simulate turkey nestings and found that hogs destroyed 28 percent of them.

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

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

“There is no doubt that feral hogs have a negative impact on their environment,” said Rick Taylor, a retired feral hog specialist with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

(TPWD). “Research certainly suggests they can and do destroy the nests of turkeys and other ground nesting birds.”

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

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

Efforts to stock

BLACKTIP SHARK

FRESHWATER DRUM

Padre Island NS

Lake Livingston

Walter Colton caught, tagged, DNA sampled and released this blacktip shark at the Padre Island National Seashore. He said the scariest thing about catching a shark is releasing it. “I walked this girl out into belly-deep water and held her there for about five minutes until she slapped her tail and disappeared.

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Luke Brooks caught a lake record freshwater drum on Lake Livingston while fishing with Dave Cox, owner of Palmetto Guide Service. The big drum weighed in at 9.9 pounds. The now-certified catch is both the Junior Division and overall record for the lake.

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eastern strain birds were more successful especially in areas such as Red River County which has produced some world-class gobblers. There has been a renewed focus on turkey stocking recently and a renewed interest in looking at the factors that harm turkey numbers.

Bobcats Examined in D/FW area

counties improve communication to their residents about how wildlife and people can co-exist.”

Bobcats are the most common wildcat in North America. Not to be confused with the much larger mountain lion, bobcats typically weigh between 11 and 30 pounds and have a short tail, long legs, and large feet. Though reclusive and mostly active at night,” Broman said, “bobcats frequently leave cover to hunt before sundown and can be seen in a variety of habitats throughout Texas.

In recent years, bobcat sightings have increased within the Metroplex.

The study area includes approximately 49,000 acres bordered by SH 183 to the north, SH161 to the east, SH180 to the south and Interstate 820 to the west. The area includes parts of Fort Worth, Hurst, and Arlington.

RESEARCHERS, WILDLIFE MANAGers and local government officials from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Utah State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Service-National Wildlife Research Center, and Welder Wildlife Foundation have for the last couple of years been studying the ecology of bobcats in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The purpose of the study is to better understand how bobcats live with humans in highly urbanized landscapes.

“Bobcats have learned to thrive in urban areas and will always be a part of our urban wildlife community,” said Derek Broman, TPWD urban wildlife biologist in Dallas. “The goal of this research effort is to answer important questions about urban wildlife to help DFW area cities and

TURKEY Blanco County Eighty-six-year-old Dan Ulrich killed this gobbler at 35 yards with his crossbow while on a spring hunt in Blanco County.

The turkey had a 10-inch beard.

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TEXAS Dept. of

:: Self Defense :: Tactical :: Training Tips

by DUSTIN ELLERMANN and TF&G STAFF

:: Gear

Rattlers: Fact and Fiction

DID YOU KNOW RATTLESNAKES roam the southeastern corner of the state?

When thinking of the venomous snakes in the region, the cottonmouth, copperhead and to a lesser extent, the coral snake come to mind. However, rattlesnakes are indigenous to the region.

The timber or canebrake rattlesnake is the one most commonly encountered, and they are present from the northern reaches of Orange and Jefferson Counties on through the Pineywoods region.

According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, they have a heavy, light yellow, gray or greenish-white body with a rust-col-

ored strip along the length of their back and a black tail is tipped with rattles.

“Timber rattlesnakes have yellow eyes with elliptical or cat-like pupils. Twenty to 29 dark, V-shaped crossbars with jagged edges form a distinctive pattern across their back.”

As rattlers go, they are docile in most circumstances, and there are few instances of people being bitten by these beautifully marked pit vipers.

They are however, subject of an ongoing urban legend of sorts that we first proved untrue on these pages in 2006.

Here it goes.

According to the story, in a secret effort to replenish diminishing timber rattlesnake stocks, government officials have been stocking captive-bred specimens of the venomous reptiles at various locations within Texas’s National Forest land.

It is unclear which government agency is responsible, but some reports indicate it could be the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) while another rumor has it linked

S&W Performance Center M & P Shield EVERY YEAR I TEACH DEFENSIVE pistol shooting lessons to dozens of students.

More often than not, shooters bring handguns that are just too small to use properly in an aggressive defensive scenario.

Small pistols are easy to carry, but when they are too small they are difficult to shoot well. However, many armed citizens can’t carry a full-sized handgun, and it’s much more comfortable to carry a smaller piece. I think the S&W Shield is a great compromise of size and power.

The Shield comes chambered in either 9mm or .40S&W. For this review I tested the Performance Center Shield that comes with 42 |

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the upgrades of a ported barrel and slide, fiber optic or night sights, tuned trigger, and extra magazines.

On first impression I thought the Shield might have a bit too thin of a backstrap for comfortable shooting. Although thin frames are easier to conceal, smaller pistols tend to sting the palm of the shooter’s hand. However,

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to a clandestine Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) project.

I say “story” but the truth is I have heard numerous tales of rattlesnake restoration efforts in the Pineywoods of East Texas. One gentleman even told me his uncle’s brotherin-law had some released next to his farm near Crockett—hundreds of them.

Where did these stories originate?

Well, rattlesnakes have technically been “released” into certain areas in the Pineywoods. However, scientists did not breed them in captivity, and they are not part of some secret restoration effort.

These “released” rattlesnakes simply had been captured as part of a radio-telemetry study conducted by officials with the U.S. Forest Service. Timber rattlesnakes were captured in the wild, fitted with radio transmitters and released back into the wild so researchers could track their movements.

There never has been a timber rattlesnake stocking program in Texas or anywhere else for that matter.

the Shield didn’t prove to be uncomfortable at all. Perhaps the compensator ports in the barrel dampened the shock more than I expected.

I’ve seen arguments that ported barrels are not ideal for defense because of the blast in the shooter’s face. This results in an extra-blinding powder flash in low light scenarios, as well as blowback in your face from odd shooting positions.

I decided to try shooting from a retention position to see if this would be a problem. It was.

I shot one round from the hip when my chin caught something that shot out from the ports and caused me to bleed slightly. This could be a problem in a defense situation, so further testing was necessary.

I took a sheet of cardboard and laid it directly over the top of the pistol’s ports and fired several rounds. Nothing ever penetrated or stuck in the cardboard, it just had black,

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According to TPWD endangered species specialist, Ricky Maxey, the rumors have been floating around since the 1990s.

“I used to work in the Big Thicket area out of Beaumont,” Maxey said. “And we used to get questions about rattlesnake stockings frequently. It seems the rumors are still pretty rampant.”

“Someone could have seen Forest Service officials capturing the snakes or releasing the ones fitted with transmitters, and the rumor could have started there,” he said. “Then again, it could be the case of a true story getting less and less truthful as it’s told.”

The pigmy rattlesnake is also present in the Pineywoods region, and is very rarely seen. I have only seen one and that was in 2000 on my old deer lease in Newton County.

These snakes only attain lengths of around

18 inches and are super reclusive. They are most often seen crossing roads in the evening, and are a true enigma in the region. Most outdoor lovers are not even aware of their presence.

Diamondback rattlesnakes also are in the region, at least are dwelling in areas few people would expect. A capture reported to us by veteran local meteorologist Greg Bostwick two years ago gave us the first glimpse of area diamondbacks.

“The snake was captured alive about one mile south of my house in Chambers County and was about 4.5 feet long,” Bostwick said.

The snake was found north of Winnie, and that is not typical diamondback territory. In fact, there aren’t supposed to be any until you get a bit west of Houston, moving toward the Hill Country and southward on the coast in the Matagorda area. That is at least according to some field guides.

If you look closer, however, you can see there has been a population on Galveston Island for many years.

In fact, we ran a story about the

The M&P Performance Center Shield had very controllable recoil due to the barrel porting. It loved Black Hills 115 grain hollow points.

burn marks. So maybe my small injury was a fluke, but I didn’t want to test it any further from the retention position.

The trigger improvement was most noticeable compared to the standard Shield. I’ve said several times about the M&P line that it’s a fine pistol, but the stock trigger is junk.

The Performance Center Shield was much improved. It’s not perfect, it still has creep, almost a jump of a second stage, and a 5.75 pound pull. That’s still heavier than my liking, but for a defensive compact pistol it’s acceptable.

The Performance Center Shield comes with a safety that isn’t my personal preference, also.

Besides the internal safeties the trigger also has the half hinge safety, just like its older brother PHOTO: DUSTIN ELLERMANN

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M&P, so I feel it’s unnecessary to add another training regimen of an external safety to a pistol. While I carried this for testing, I decided to not use the safety.

However, I found that the safety did activate itself once rendering the trigger useless on the draw.

At the moment the only Shields that come without a safety are the non-Performance Center models, this is probably because of liability issues with a firearm with a lighter trigger. You would just need to be mindful of this feature.

The fiber optic sights are a nice touch during daylight, but at night they are useless. The good news is that now you can get the Performance Center Shield with tritium night sights. That would solve the low light problem.

The 9mm Shield comes with a flush fit-

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county putting up warning signs about the snakes at the courthouse there.

Mike Hoke, recently retired director of Shangri-La Botanical Gardens said there was a diamondback found during an expedition a while back at the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge. In addition, I spoke with a reliable source last year who reported killing a diamondback near the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge after Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Both of these snakes were believed to have been western diamondbacks, which are indigenous to the western 2/3 of Texas. However, the reason for three sightings/captures since our spate of Hurricanes in the last six years is interesting.

Texas is home to a large variety of rattlesnakes, most of which are rarely seen except for those who pursue them for study in the Trans Pecos region of the state. I will be blogging about these various rattlers on the My Kingdom Zoo blog at fishgame.com this month so make sure to check that out.

For now, rest assured there are no secret agencies stocking rattlesnakes on your deer lease. Although, that doesn’t mean you don’t have plenty of rattlers lurking in the brush.

—by Chester Moore

ting seven-round magazine and an extended, eight-round magazine. I found myself changing which magazine was in the pistol as my method of concealment changed. The 40 S&W version will cut capacity by one round.

On the range I found the Shield seems to be zeroed for lighter bullets. My usual 147-grain loads flew several inches high at 25 yards. 124 grain was a little lower but still high. The 115grain Black Hills were right on target.

From 10 yards I was able to get nearly every shot touching, so the Shield will have no trouble satisfying standard defensive range accuracy demands. If you are considering a compact concealment handgun that is accurate and easy to shoot, check out the new Performance Center Shield by Smith and Wesson.

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—Dustin Ellerman

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TEXAS Dept. of :: Edited by WILL LESCHPER

Texas is Tops

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EER HUNTING IN TEXAS remains tops in the country, largely due to the quantity and quality of our overall whitetail herd.

However, the Lone Star State also is home to a healthy population of mule deer, and in some places you could even say muleys are thriving.

That is tied in large part to conservation and scientific research, namely protecting smaller populations in some counties while opening up hunting in areas with growing numbers of mule deer. This is the same approach used in whitetail regulation changes.

Texas Parks & Wildlife in the past decade has opened a number of counties in the Panhandle and Rolling Plains to muley

hunting. In some cases TPWD set inaugural season frameworks in places that never before had good numbers of deer.

Calvin Richardson, TPWD’s wildlife district leader for the Rolling Plains and High Plains Eco regions, again is expecting a good outlook when it comes to hunting the top of Texas and into western areas of the state.

When looking at a new season in advance, it’s important for deer to be in good shape during the time their antlers drop, Richardson said. It’s also good to look back at previous seasons to look for trends.

This fall and winter will include good moisture levels the past couple of years after lingering dry spells from 2011, 2012 and 2013. Those years were somewhat detrimental to fawn production for all deer species, but there should still be plenty of bucks, includ-

ing mature ones, across much of the area Richardson oversees.

“Most portions of the Rolling Plains received above-average rainfall this spring (15 inches to 20 inches), resulting in abundant cover and forage,” Richardson said.

“Conditions are almost as good as you get for expecting a bumper crop of fawns. To the west, on the High Plains, rainfall came a little later in the spring.

“In general, the High Plains has seen less rainfall; and as usual, thunderstorms are hit and miss across that country that stretches from the Oklahoma Panhandle almost down to Midland-Odessa.

“As a result of that moisture, and lack thereof in some areas, the forecast may not be as optimistic as in some other seasons,” he said. “However, even being on par with

This photo shows degraded and eroding marsh (foreground), a beneficial use of dredged material project (middle ground), marsh terrace field (right background just in front of the buildings) and community infrastructure (background).

Two E’s: Economy and Environment THE RESOURCES AND Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act—the RESTORE Act. What’s in a name? If a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, this name is loaded with meaning. The emphasis and interpretation placed on it will have far reaching impacts for Gulf Coast citizens long into the future.

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relatively average years is typically really good in our state.

“Forage conditions can be categorized as average going into the summer months,” Richardson noted. “There are more mule deer than white-tailed deer on the High Plains.

The muleys tend to perform well even in dry times, especially given the intermittent buffet of wheat, corn, sorghum, alfalfa, and vegetables they may access on a seasonal basis.

“When it comes to horns, many hunters should see the benefits of spring rains on both muleys and whitetails. In lightly hunted areas, there’s a potential for older deer (six- and seven-year-olds) from a ‘decent’ fawn crop in 2009-10,” Richardson noted.

“Antler growth got off to an excellent start, and if we got a few more showers in June and July, those will help bucks finish off a good antler production year,” Richardson said. “One possible downside is that we anticipate a reduced number of mature bucks in the herd as a result of poor fawn survival during 2011-13 (historic drought conditions).

As always, this country will produce some Boone & Crockett mule deer and whitetails, but mature buck numbers may be affected by the low fawn crops during 2011-13 (reduced number of 4.5- and 5.5-year-olds).”

Richardson said TPWD will remain vigilant in the fight of chronic wasting disease, noting that the Hartley County discovery will make check stations all the more important this fall and winter. Texas deer hunters

as always are urged to properly dispose of carcasses from deer they shoot and safe handling recommendations include avoiding cutting through bones, spine or brain when processing deer. It should be noted that safe parts to transport include quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spine or head attached; hides or capes from which all excess tissue has been removed; and antlers, including antlers attached to skull plates or skulls cleaned of muscle and brain tissue.

Also, for taxidermy work, use a licensed taxi-

dermist to ensure proper carcass disposal.

Will Leschper’s work has been recognized by the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the Texas Outdoor Writers Association. His email is willleschperoutdoors@gmail.com.

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Email Will Leschper at WillLeschperOutdoors@gmail.com

The RESTORE Act was signed into law in July of 2012. It established the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund where 80 percent of the civil penalties paid under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act in connection with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill will be deposited and invested. The Trust Fund will be used for programs, projects, and activities that restore and protect the environment and economy of the Gulf Coast region.

Resource and ecosystem sustainability, tourism, and economic revival—these are the bricks upon which the RESTORE act was built. As implementation plans develop and funds are obligated, it is critical to stack the benefits from these investments much like a brick layer stacks bricks to CONTINUED ON PAGE

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Artificial Reef Goes in at Port ‘O

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HE TEXAS PARKS & Wildlife Foundation and Coastal Conservation Association-Texas are partnering with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to create the largest artificial reef in our state’s waters. The 381acre reef will be positioned six miles offshore from the Port O’Connor jetties and Matagorda Island.

The project is being funded through TPWF’s fundraising effort Keeping it Wild: The Campaign for Texas.

Private dollars raised by CCA’s Building Conservation Trust and donated to TPWF for the campaign will be leveraged with state dollars from the department’s Texas Artificial Reef Program and funds from Shell Oil Company through the Coastal Conservation Association’s national habitat program.

The structure, which will be called the

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ensure the stability and longevity of a home.

Ducks Unlimited and its many partners believe that longevity will be accomplished by investing in natural resources and ecosystem sustainability first and foremost.

All along the Gulf Coast, the economy is built on the back of our precious natural resources. The delicate coastal ecosystem provides the economic basis for tourism, consumptive uses, commercial fisheries and protection for communities and the industry infrastructure on which much of the nation depends. In areas like the Texas Gulf Coast, making investments in the ecosystem directly stimulates the economy, and therein lies the magic.

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Keeping it Wild Reef, will be about twice as big as any currently in place. It will be constructed in waters roughly 70 feet deep.

The reef will consist of 500 concrete pyramid structures with holes large enough for fish to swim through.

The outside

also will have an opening at the top large enough to allow sea turtles to escape. The reef material is expected to be under construction by the end of this year, with placement of structures in 2017.

The reef consists of five hundred concrete pyramids placed in the Gulf of Mexico, six miles from the Port O’Connor jetties.

of each pyramid will be embedded with limestone to provide marine life such as worms and other invertebrates with a hard substrate to burrow into. The structures

In the years since the spill, enactment of the RESTORE Act, patterns of decision making among the five Gulf States are emerging.

Texas stands out as a state making solid, long-term decisions that benefit the coastal ecosystem and the economies, communities and people that depend upon those systems.

Other states have made investments in high speed internet or baseball stadiums.

Although these are not intrinsically bad investments, they do fail to stack benefits and tend to provide shorter term impacts to the local economies.

For this reason, DU lauds the vision of the Texas RESTORE Advisory Board members, appointed by Governor Greg Abbott with Chairman Toby Baker from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Executive Director Carter Smith, and

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—by Will Leschper

« General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush with representatives from the Texas Department of Agriculture, Water Development Board and Department of Transportation and others.

Ducks matter, fish matter, people and communities matter. The RESTORE Act and other coastal funding sources provide a rare opportunity to make investments that will pay dividends for generations. All Texans should take pride in the legacy that such decisions leave for future generations.

—by Andi Cooper

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Coastal Focus: SABINE :: by Capt.

EDDIE HERNANDEZ

Hot August Action

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TTENTION ALL HEAT SEEKers. If you’re looking for a nice August getaway where you can catch lots of fish and lose lots of water weight at the same time you don’t have to look any farther than Texas’s northernmost bay system, Sabine Lake.

If you like hot action and hot temperatures, you’ll fit in quite nicely down here. For those who can take the heat, I can’t think of a better place to be than Sabine Lake when the thermometer is pushing triple digits.

There is no shortage of shad in our system in August, and when coupled with the midday slick-offs of late summer the fishing action can be just as hot as the temperature.

Fishing in the main lake can be red hot during these slick-offs. Not only hoards of shad, but

also shrimp and ladyfish can lead you to giant schools of trout and redfish. These schools are not hard to locate and stay with on the super smooth surface when the already light breeze dies down to virtually nothing.

And it’s not uncommon for these schools to stay up for long periods at a time. We have, on several occasions, stayed with the same school for over an hour. The north end of Sabine Lake between Pleasure Island and Coffee Ground Cove is prime real estate.

Look and listen for ladyfish smacking the surface and shrimp skipping for their tasty little lives.

Have your 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 foot mediumlight casting or spinning gear ready with 1/8 to 1/4 ounce lead heads and a variety of soft plastic baits and topwaters. Some of our favorites are H & H Sparkle Beetles, Saltwater Assassins, Cocaho Minnows, Skitterwalk and Super Spook Jr. In this particular case, color is usually not an issue, but you still may want to experiment a little to see if the fish like one better than another.

One of the best things about fishing these

giant schools is no matter what you’ve got tied on the end of your line, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to get bit. From dead shad to topwaters, it doesn’t matter; these fish are aggressively feeding and will gladly accept any offering you give them.

If you find yourself fishing one of the several massive schools of shad you’ll encounter, fish the perimeters and go a little deeper for some nice trout and line-stripping reds. Freelining or fishing live shad under a popping cork will also work well.

The bayous on the eastern bank of the lake should produce some nice flounders as they begin to gear up for the beginning stages of the fall migration. Johnson, Willow and Bridge Bayous should be the best bet for a consistent flounder bite, which is only going to get better over the next few months.

GULP! Swimming Mullet and other curltail grubs as well as live mud minnows should keep you in the action. Be prepared to lose some water weight while getting a rod-bending workout when you come see us on Sabine in August.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Surf, Johnson Bayou, Louisiana SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redfish, and Jacks BAITS/LURES: Soft plastics, topwaters, live shrimp BEST TIMES: All day when water is green and calm

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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Coastal Focus: GALVESTON :: by Capt.

MIKE HOLMES

Enter the Lion

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CTUALLY, WE SHOULD BE working against the lion—or at least, the Lionfish. These critters are destructive to coral habitats such as the Flower Gardens reef system.

Organized events are held there to capture lionfish by spear-fishing and any other means. Lionfish are not really a factor in the eco-system of the Galveston Bays—but how else do I work the month’s astrological sign into this column?

If you think about it, there is a shortage of fish species named after lions, or the big cats in general. There are cat fish, of course, and tiger sharks, even leopard rays, but as far as I know, none named after bobcats, cougars, lynx, or even panthers.

I consider this a serious omission, one that especially shorts August—which is a fine month for saltwater fishing, as well as the birth month of many great people besides me. That such a fine month only has one fish species associated with it by name—a destructive invasive species at that—is a sad state of affairs. I am surprised several politicians haven’t rushed to correct the matter for us.

So, if we were to nominate a fish species common to the upper Texas coast to best represent the month of August—which fish would it be? I would think it should be a “celebrity” gamefish, of which many are commonly encountered in August.

Marlin might come to mind first. It would certainly be a fine choice to proudly wear the banner of August. Marlins—we get both white and blue marlin in our portion of the Gulf—are great battlers on rod and reel tackle. They make long, powerful runs, they jump often and impressively, and they are challenging to find and hook. Generally, the only drawback to marlin fishing is the expense.

Charters to fish beyond the 100 fathom curve are expensive because of the necessary size and type of boat, plus the time spent on the water and the amount of fuel burned when running 60 to more than 100 miles from port and back.

Unfortunately, these drawbacks are mostly shared by other blue water gamesters such as wahoos, tunas, and bull dolphins—but the key word here is mostly. Although it doesn’t happen often enough to plan a trip by, fish usually considered deep water species are occasionally known to venture “inshore.”

From my personal time on the water, I have verified hook-ups with wahoo and white marlin at or near rigs 30 miles of so from shore. My best dolphin was taken closer in than that, and I know of one 200 pound plus yellowfin tuna taken behind a shrimp boat 45 miles out—by Captain Durwood Adams of Freeport.

Sailfish are the unheralded billfish in Texas waters. Although most that are caught are taken incidentally while trolling for marlin, sails are actually a reef species. They

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are encountered more often than generally known around rigs, over wrecks, and cruising underwater structure by anglers targeting king mackerel. The fisherman with a seaworthy, outboard-powered boat in the 21- to 28-foot range can every now and then find himself hooked to the trophy of a lifetime.

The inshore trophies, really, are tarpon and sharks. Both may be found from the beach up to 35 to 40 miles out. Although heavier tackle works best, either can be taken on the tackle used for kings and red snapper.

Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with fishing for kings and snapper—or bonito, jacks, or African pompano—another “exotic” species we’ve caught at rigs 30 miles out or closer. Neither are hefty redfish or speckled trout species to be ashamed of. The truth is, a whole lot of fish could be considered “THE fish of August.”

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Coastal Focus: MATAGORDA :: by Contributing Editor MIKE PRICE

I Got My Slam

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EFF WILEY CAME BACK TO the boat after wade fishing on the south shore of West Matagorda Bay, and I said, “How did it go?” His answer was, “I got my slam.”

So I asked where and how he caught his trout, redfish, and flounder and scored the coveted Texas Triple. He told me that he started fishing on a corner where the incoming tide was moving water through a deep trough into a cove that was about 200 yards across. The trough was where he caught two trout that were 20 and 21 inches.

Then he waded out into the cove and worked along the shoreline, in three feet of water, where an oyster reef separated the deeper water from 12-inch deep water, next to the grass on the shoreline. He was swim-

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ming his lure over the oyster reef using a red and white Bass Assassin soft plastic lure on a 1/8 ounce jig head, the same lure that he had caught the trout on, when an 18-inch flounder launched itself off the bottom, from a hole in the oyster reef, and blasted through the surface to attack Jeff’s lure.

With two trout and a flounder on the stringer, Jeff decided to go hunting for a redfish to complete his Texas Triple. He waded to a place where a small bayou met the cove.

Jeff knew that spot was a little deeper than the cove. He knew that the tidal movement of water into the bayou carried in shrimp and bait fish, making that location an ideal redfish ambush hangout. On his third cast Jeff hooked up with a 21-inch red to complete his Texas Triple.

“You will find trout in the deeper troughs, flounder hang out near shore and close to oyster reefs,” he said, “and redfish like spots where two different configurations come together like the small bayou and the cove.”

Surf is suitable for wade fishing about 20 percent of the time. However, if you plan

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Sunrise over Palacios

your surf fishing for the month of August, that percentage jumps up to about 40 percent. Some days are truly spectacular, with water so calm that you see open-mouthed mullet cruising the surface skimming for plankton, and your feet are visible when you are standing in water that’s four feet deep.

It was such a day when I was playing in the surf with my grandkids. A fisherman was throwing soft plastics while standing on the second sand bar and, of course, I was watching him as well.

The fisherman caught a good-sized trout and put it on the stringer. Then he caught another trout, and another. So I said to my 14-year-old grandson, “Will, that fisherman is catching trout, why don’t you walk back to the house and get your fishing rod and come back and give it try.”

He made his way over the dunes and soon he was out on the second sand bar casting, just like the guy who continued to put trout on his stringer (this was when you could keep 10). Will’s first fish was a small blue fish that he released, but then he got his line tangled up.

I could not help him because my other grand children were too little to leave by themselves in the surf. He finally got his line untangled and commenced to fish again.

PHOTO: MIKE PRICE

7/18/16 2:06 PM

Soon had a good fish on, probably a trout, but lost it.

About this time I watched the fisherman make his way back to shore with a heavy stringer of 10 trout. On Will’s next cast he hooked a trout that jumped out of the water and shook its head back and forth, but Will kept a tight line. The fish splashed and thrashed again, but Will maintained control and finally landed that trout. It was 21 inches and the only trout he caught that day. Still, we were really proud of him and he was pleased with himself. Fishing the surf in August often works to the advantage of the fisherman because the water is loaded with bait, visibility is good, and trout are feeding up.

THE BANK BITE TRES PALACIOS: I drove to the point where CR 321 meets Tres Palacios Bay and was amazed.

My headlights showed hundreds of shrimp jumping out of the water. I thought “With that many shrimp there must be some predator fish in the area.” While I was taking my kayak off of my truck, I paused to appreciate the sun rising over the bayside town of

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and jetties, bay reefs, tidal streams, and offshore are all good—and it would be wise to sample as many of these places as you can!

SPECIES: Anything from croaker to marlin might be your target species this month.

gry “targets” in the water.

BEST TIME: Worth repeating from July: To dodge the heat of the day, fish early and late—or at night. Always pay attention to tidal movement.

Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@fishgame.com

BAIT: It’s all good when there are so many hunPalacios. It was an unusual late August morning with a light north breeze, low humidity, clear air and a pre-dawn temperature of 69 degrees F. This spot is good for wade or bank fishing as well as kayak fishing. I launched my kayak and paddled southwest, fishing the shoreline of the Beachside development.

Old bulkhead and pier pilings were left over from the days when the property was Camp Hulen, a National Guard training camp from 1926 until 1946. Now they create structure favored by flounders and redfish. I watched shrimp jumping ahead of redfish wakes and placed my Egret Baits Zulu shrimp soft plastic lure a little ahead of the shrimp. The redfish didn’t care whether it was a real shrimp or soft plastic shrimp

and snatched the lure as soon as it hit the water.

The concentration of shrimp created a whole host of activity. A bottle nosed dolphin chased trout while egrets, gulls, and terns used the pilings as staging points for spotting shrimp. If you are looking for a good wade, bank, or kayaking location on a light north wind, you may want to drive to the end of CR 321 in Palacios.

Email Mike Price at ContactUs@fishgame.com

7/18/16 2:06 PM

Coastal Focus: MID COAST :: by Capt.

CHRIS MARTIN

Wading 101

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HERE ARE A NUMBER OF different types of fishing that people enjoy every day, somewhere. Some folks fly fish many of the great rivers in our country for some of the greatest trout fishing one can find.

Others have fun trolling many of the deeper lakes of the nation for northern pike and walleye. But when it comes to fishing the coastal regions of Texas, anglers may practice any of a number of different methods of fishing.

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Some fish out of their boat while either drifting or while at anchor. Others fish from a pier, the edge of the bank, or directly from the beach along the surf. For each of the different styles of fishing, anglers must consider an equal number of factors as they strive to be successful—and safe at the same time.

In wade fishing, coastal anglers will almost certainly face challenges at some point. Just like the guys who fish the northern rivers for steelheads have rocks, holes, and swift moving water to worry about, we have our own list of hurdles we must clear.

There’s deep mud, sharp shell, thick grass, drop-offs, and any of a number of other unforeseen underwater obstacles that we have to contend with. And let’s not forget about the constant threat of stepping on an unsuspecting stingray.

Ouch!

It’s for that reason alone that anglers should always wear, at minimum, a pair of stingray guards over the outside of whatever wading boots they wear.

Some anglers probably find the fully outfitted stingray boots to be a bit pricy, but they’re much cheaper than an emergency room visit or hospital stay—not to mention the pain, incurred by being hit in the foot or calf by a flying stingray barb.

When wearing chest-waders, anglers should consider a belt to be a mandatory piece of equipment. If you were to lose your balance and fall to your knees or, heaven forbid, fall out of a moving boat while wearing chest-waders, having a belt on around your waist would greatly slow the influx of unwanted water.

In August a wading belt takes on different meaning, as a belt is not used as a safety feature to keep water out of our chest-waders because we’re not wearing chest-waders now.

Instead, the summertime use of a wading belt now serves to attach ourselves to a number of different wading tools—net, stringer, basket, live-bait bucket, tackle box, etc.

When you exit the boat to begin a wading session, remind yourself to move slowly. This can be important for a number of reasons.

The obvious reason is that it is safer to take

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your time by going slow, because moving at a moderate speed allows you to drag your feet on every step as you work to keep a constant lookout for any sudden holes, obstacles, or marine life that could present a risk of falling.

From the fishing perspective, slow generally means quiet. Being quiet is a good thing when wading to avoid spooking any nearby game fish. Taking your time as you wade also allows you to fully observe wind, water, and bait conditions in the immediate area. This helps you to better familiarize yourself with your surroundings if you’re wading in a new location.

If you have an option, choose the type of bottom you wade across based upon your knowledge of the area and your individual level of wading experience. Sand and shell bottoms usually provide a safe and a rather secure footing for wading anglers.

Mud bottoms, on the other hand, often present new challenges. First, mud in itself can be very slick, especially in the event you step into mud and you don’t happen to sink to your knees. This sinking to your knees in most mud instances means difficulty in walking.

As your leg becomes encompassed with mud, a vacuum is created between the outer bottom sole of your wading boot and the surface of the mud directly beneath your foot. When this occurs, things can become extremely difficult for even the most advanced wade fisherman. If you are knowingly going to be wading in heavy mud, it is always a good idea to do so in the company of a partner.

One final recommendation to wading anglers who can’t swim is the importance of using a life jacket. In fact, wearing a life jacket isn’t a bad idea for any wading angler or boater. Tight lines to all, and I hope these tips help!

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

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Coastal Focus: ROCKPORT :: by Capt.

MAC GABLE

Which Way Did They Go?

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WAS ASKED TO ASSIST IN A BENefit in waters a little further south than I normally fish (Corpus Christi bay area) and at the end of the day, as is normally the case on weekends, there was a line at the fish cleaning station. This is my candy store, so to speak, for I love to see what was caught, who caught it and the different types of fish cleaning techniques.

This particular day an angler was asking an unusual question, especially at a cleaning station. “Not sure what these are but I caught a lot of them,” he announced loudly.

“That’s a whiting” another angler said.

“No, it’s a sliver trout” another said.

A third commented, “You’ve caught a bunch of juvenile spotted trout.”

“No they are not,” the now defensive angler stated, “because I caught some smaller spotted trout and they look different than these.”

“Well, if you know what they are why are you asking the question?” came another comment.

“Well I don’t know what they are, but I know a little of what they are not.”

“Sounds like you have a whole lot of ‘I don’t know’ and very little ‘I do know,’” the replies continued.

“I tell you what you have in that box,” came another opinion, “a hefty fine and another hefty payment for damaging state resources.

The game warden is right over there!”

“Mind if I take a look at your catch?” I asked the angler trying to defuse the moment.

The angler in question was now ready to take his ice chest and run, but agreed.

“You had a busy day fishing based on the number I saw in the box. Lucky for you you are not in violation, at least today” I said, trying

to take the pressure off.

“He has too many and they are all undersized!” another glaring remark came.

“Yes they are undersized and he has too many IF they were spotted trout, but these are not; these are sand trout!”

“What’s a sand trout?” the weekend angler asked.

“It’s in the spotted sea trout family but a sub species, kinda sort of” I said, trying not to cloud the issue.

“He has too many!” came another comment.

“Yes I believe he does, but not per the fishing regulations. The sea sand trout has no regulation BUT” I told the now inquisitive angler, “most know that for this fish you keep only what you can eat fresh because they have a reputation of not freezing well. The meat can get very mushy after they are frozen and thawed. Regardless…” I now launched into my “how many do you really need” speech much to the agreement of the other anglers.

“Well, I thought about that, but I hardly ever catch fish down here and I wanted to take

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advantage of it” he sheepishly stated. “They were easy and fun to catch; I swear they would bite a bare hook almost.”

“Yes, they often are aggressive and voracious, but Sir, ‘turn it loose today and catch it tomorrow’ is a good rule of thumb, especially if you have enough fish in your ice chest!”

“Well” he said, “I do have too many for myself and my family. Would you like some?”

“No thank you, but I bet if you go over to the boat ramp and ask some incoming anglers they will be more than happy to take some home.

“Sir, if you don’t know what it is, don’t put it in your chest, that’s bad on all counts and as the other anglers stated can get very expensive.”

Veteran anglers of our Texas coastline know what a sand trout is and most, if not all, have caught and eaten them. But even these veterans often get them mixed up with the silver sea trout that are mostly caught offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

Further, I have found a surprising number of people who are not at all informed about

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Forecast: ROCKPORT these much unheralded fish wonders. As for identification, few can mistake a spotted sea trout for any other species, as the much more sought-after fish’s spots are a dead giveaway.

The sea sand trout is smaller, usually ranging from 7 to 12 inches (yes larger ones have been caught but they are the exception). They are shiny with a slightly yellowish tint to their body color. The silver sea trout is often mistaken for the sand trout and can require close inspection to tell the difference.

A sand trout has 10 - 12 rays in its anal fin (the slender bony structure supporting the anal fin) whereas the silver sea trout has only 9. The sand trout is not regulated in Texas waters (I believe it should be) nor is it on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list.

The real facts on the fish are hard to find, for it is mostly overlooked and many just don’t have it on their radar. It is known as a prodigious spawner, but few facts support this. However, its spawning cycle seems to be longer than most in the SCIAENDAE family, being throughout the spring and summer.

This factor might be why there is little concern about it. Its maturity rate is not too dissimilar from the spotted sea trout, with both reaching sexual maturity in about 1 to 2 years. The main difference between the two is the sand trout is just smaller overall.

As the above angler can attest, they can be a lot of fun to catch when found and will bite on almost anything edible in our bays. They are affectionately called “sandies” for reasons mostly attributed to their fondness for sandy mud bottoms. They are known as a dominant predator of shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico, second to man.

Most anglers don’t target sand trout; they are rather a byproduct of other styles of fishing. My experience has shown me they prefer deeper water—6 to 20 feet—and mud mixed with a lot of sand on the bottom. Another reason they are overlooked (from a conservation perspective) seems to be they have a very rapid growth cycle, especially from the fry stage to 1 year of age. Some studies show they can grow as much a 1/4-inch per week during this period. This and other factors make them appear to be indestructible from a fisheries perspective; the fact they have a very short life, 2 to 3 years, doesn’t help.

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in the Rockport area they are all but nonexistent, attributed mostly to the lack of the water quality they prefer. In years gone by there were areas where good numbers of these tasty morsels could be boated. They require a good exchange of fresh saltwater from the gulf and a good egress to the Gulf of Mexico where they move off shore when cooler water prevails.

Hopefully the opening of Cedar Bayou will assist in bringing the sand trout population back; only time will tell.

A few tips if you do happen get into a school of these little wonders: keep only what you will eat in one or two days and cook them fresh (don’t freeze them). If you must freeze them, many believe leaving the skin side of the filet attached to the filet helps prevent the meat from becoming too mushy. I personally have found it does indeed help but again, I try not to keep any unless I will be eating them fairly quickly.

Over the last eight to ten years or so, they have not been in the waters in the Rockport area in any numbers to enjoy catching, cleaning, or eating. If other anglers do catch them in our area, I would much like to hear from you (don’t want to know where, just that you are catching some). It would be great news indeed for others and I miss them!

••• THE MONTH OF AUGUST CAN BE brutally hot so cover up with long sleeves and pants and lather the sunscreen on. There still is no better way to stay hydrated than drinking good old water. Live bait early morning and late evening is still the best ticket in town. Mid-day might be best-spent drinking iced tea somewhere in the shade.

COPANO BAY — Shell Bound Reef is good for trout using free lined croaker.

Redfish Point is a good place for keeper reds early morning on a high or rising tide. Finger mullet free lined works well here. Copano Reef is holding some trout and some keeper reds using croaker and mud minnows on a light Carolina rig.

ARANSAS BAY — Some black drum are in Allnys Bight as are some keeper reds. Use finger mullet close to the grass in the back part of the bight and shrimp on a silent cork

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on both shorelines going into the bight. Find some keeper trout off of Deadpan’s Reef with free lined croaker the best bait. Jay Bird Reef is good for trout using Jerk Shad in root beer gold and camo colors.

ST CHARLES BAY — Bird Point is a good wade for reds using super spooks in bone and white and blue and gold colors.

On high tide the shoreline just off the old Turtle Pen Area is a good place for reds using cut mullet on a light Carolina rig. The mouth of Cavasso Creek is good for trout using free lined croaker.

CARLOS BAY — The mouth of Spalding Bight is a good place for reds and some trout using croaker. The Carlos side of Cedar Point is a good place for reds and some flounder using free lined shrimp.

MESQUITE BAY — The small reefs on the east shoreline are good for some sheep head using shrimp under a rattle cork. Bray Cove is a good place for trout using croaker on a free line. Target the north shoreline on high tide.

Rattlesnake Reef is a good spot for reds using cut menhaden on a medium Carolina rig.

AYERS BAY — Ayers Reef is still holding some black drum with free line best or a very light fish finder rig. Second Chain is good for reds using mud minnows or finger mullet free lined. The shoreline of Matagorda Island is good for trout using croaker or shrimp free lined.

THE BANK BITE THE AREA JUST OFF FM136 near Black Point is a good wade for reds and black drum using a popping cork and live shrimp. This area is best fished on high tide and can be boggy with some soft bottoms so go slow and be patient.

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

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

Fishing in the Pink

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UGUST CAN BE BRUTAL. It’s hot, the winds have either disappeared altogether or make you feel like you’re in clothes dryer with a bunch of wet socks.

Laguna Madre waters have warmed into the mid-to-high 80s, and after brief, early morning bites, trout and redfish seem to disappear from the flats. The water becomes a hot, steamy anvil, and the sun is a 10-pound sledge, and guess who is right in the middle?

There doesn’t seem much an angler can do in August except get up at early-thirty to try to get a few fish and then sit in the condo for the rest of the day. August fishing can be tough sometimes.

Fishermen can take heart, however. The jetty systems of both Brazos Santiago and Mansfield passes provide some excellent (and sometimes better) fishing for a variety of fish, some that are highly desirable among even the most discriminating anglers.

Some of the most underrated summer fishing in South Texas takes place along either side of the Brazos Santiago Jetties that bookend the pass by the same name that feeds in and out of Lower Laguna Madre. These jetty systems are accessible from land—the north jetties from South Padre Island, and the south jetties from Brownsville via SH 4, and then turning left onto Brazos Island (known locally as Boca Chica Beach).

They offer excellent fishing for everything from the four parts of the “Texas Slam” (trout, redfish, flounder, and snook. Even when the Big Three aren’t cooperating, there is a healthy array of alternative species to keep you occupied (check my tandem saltwater column “Bench Depth” for further information).

Certainly, the most sought-after quarry are speckled trout and redfish. Both fish can be caught from the jetties on the same trip.

However, different techniques are called for.

Speckled trout will usually hold closer to the rocks and cruise up and down the gut that runs parallel to the jetties. This is especially true on the north jetties, where prevailing currents create gentler eddies and currents that, on an outgoing tide, push water and bait against the surf-side of the rocks. Redfish will be prowling the surf away from the jetties and in the guts that intersect them.

An incoming tide sends clean water in from the Gulf, lays swells down and makes early mornings magical off the rocks. A fisherman can do well throwing live bait under a popping cork near the rocks for trout (and mangrove snapper, which almost become a nuisance with their abundance), or on a Carolina rig out in the surf for redfish.

The bait bucket, however, isn’t necessary.

A box filled with chugging topwaters such as the Storm Chug Bug, Pop-A-Dog, similar such popper, a couple of pink/gold Rat-L-Traps, a ½ ounce silver spoon or two, and a collection of your favorite plastic tails in red/white, or chartreuse patterns and some 1/8 ounce jigheads (the lighter heads are less apt to snag up) is perfect to keep you mobile.

If the wind is straight from the south, you can still fling topwaters parallel to the rocks. In fact, the trout seem a little more aggressive in the more active water.

Start an early morning expedition on the jetties by casting back towards the corner where the rocks meet the beach and work the lure back along the bottom. Trout should be there, but there may also be a few big flounders waiting in ambush. From those casts, expand out into the guts and cast parallel to the beach to see if there are any redfish.

It doesn’t hurt to take a few wire leaders in your tackle box. This time of year, there are schools of Spanish mackerel that tear into bait balls in front of the jetties. They aren’t discriminating, and can clean you out of tackle in a hurry.

On the South jetties, the surf is a bit rougher, and the rocks are not laid as smoothly, but the presence of snook in the suds more than makes up for the tougher work. These T E X A S

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fish will also attack the same trout and redfish lures with abandon, only they offer some gillrattling jumps for your thrills.

The question always comes up about the sort of tackle needed for the jetties. Honestly, your traditional inshore 10-12 pound tackle is enough, but if you hook into a big red or snook, you are going to be in trouble.

Upping slightly to 14-17 pound tackle is a safer bet to handle just about anything that swims the suds around the pink granite, and it gives you a little more power in reserve if Mr. Big comes calling. My preferred rig is a 7 ½ foot medium action casting rod with a Curado 300-e loaded with 10/40 Power Pro braid. This outfit will tackle pretty much any fish you might run into on the rocks (unless a 150 pound tarpon grabs your plug; then, all bets are off).

If you are feeling a little ambitious, walk all the way to the end of the jetties to take a shot at a kingfish or tarpon. Tarpons prowl the currents and eddies on the channel side of the jetties when the tide is running. Mullet-imitators such as a large Rapala, LiveTarget Mullet, or a large white Bassassassin are the best bets to get a poon’s attention. Fly fishermen can use a large Tarpon Bunny or Chicken Feather-type fly on an eight- or nine-weight fly rod.

Kayakers can have a blast during these calm days with what tackle shop owner Joe Montemayor calls the “Dawn Patrol.” This involves paddling out parallel to the jetties early in the morning with a one-ounce Trap or Russelure behind him. The pace is the perfect speed to maximize the action of either lure.

You never know what is going to nail your offering.

Calm days bring blue water right up into the rocks, and kingfish follow bait into casting range. Use a Magnum Rat-L-Trap in Chrome/blue or a fresh ribbonfish on a classic kingfish rig. Large menhaden (pogies) are best if you can get some that are fresh. Upgrade to a surf rod and high-capacity reel.

You never know what may show up and rock your world.

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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

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.

Campbell Specks Play in the Sand

by TOM BEHRENS

it deals with the weather. In July a lot of the big fish move into deep water. Drifting the deeper reefs especially in East Matagorda Bay can pay off.” Capt. Kersh LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Ship Channel GPS: N 29 35.22, W 94 55.8059 (29.5870, -94.9301)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

the Gulp under a popping cork, he places it about 2 1/2 or 3 feet under the cork.

LOCATION: Campbell Bayou HOTSPOT: Sand Island GPS: N 29 20.3141, W 94 54.0286 (29.3386, -94.9005)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “Drifting Campbell’s Bayou can produce trout in the 16-17 inch trout. Look for bird action.” Capt.

Marcaccio LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond Shoals GPS: N 28 40.449, W 95 53.898 (28.6742, -95.8983)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Berkley Gulp Shad or live shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Kendall Kersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmail.com www.puresaltadventues.com TIPS: Kersh uses Berkley Gulp with a 1/4-ounce jig head, jigging it, or under a popping cork. If he is using

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LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Long Reef GPS: N 28 40.3998, W 95 53.0899 (28.6733, -95.8848)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Berkley Gulp Shad or live shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Kendall Kersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmail.com www.puresaltadventues.com TIPS: In dirty water he prefers a light color or really bright chartreuse. In clear water he like to throw a lot of pink colors LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Drulls Lump GPS: N 28 42.285, W 95 50.0659 (28.7048, -95.8344)

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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: Berkley Gulp Shad or live shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Kendall Kersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmail.com www.puresaltadventues.com TIPS: “We catch big trout all year round. A lot of

T E X A S

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp or croaker CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “Fish the channel from about marker 36 through 50. There are some occasional humps with water depth changes from 12-15 feet. Locate with your sonar, and use a Carolina Rig with live shrimp or croaker.” Capt.

Marcaccio

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “East Bay will be crowded with trout because of the spring water runoffs, but also a lot of boating traffic. Be careful to monitor you talk because of the close proximity with other boaters. There have always been difficulties with improper boat activity.” Capt.

Marcaccio

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LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Deep Reef GPS: N 29 30.802, W 94 40.581

(29.5134, -94.6764)

drains and bayous.” Capt. Marcaccio

u tap for online map

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “As you approach an area that is holding a number of boats, use your trolling motor to ease in.

When using your big motor, try to use idle speed only to not create a wake.” Capt. Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Little Hanna’s Reef GPS: N 29 27.5209, W 94 42.3989

(29.4587, -94.7067)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “The trout have been forced out of Trinity and upper regions of Galveston Bay into East Galveston and Campbell’s Bayou area.” Capt. Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Robinson Bayou GPS: N 29 35.0637, W 94 34.4947

(29.5844, -94.5749)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters early CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “Pockets along the bayous will hold significant numbers of fish in the seven pound range. Fish the

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Rollover Pass GPS: N 29 30.4973, W 94 30.0282

(29.5083, -94.5005)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters early CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “Visibility in the bay will probably be marginal, but don’t let that surprise you. Water temperature should be in the 80s.” Capt. Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Little Pasture Bayou GPS: N 29 31.254, W 94 32.3179

(29.5209, -94.5386)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters early CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “Topwaters early such as the She Pup or the Baby Spooks. Good colors are black, chrome and chartreuse. Slow presentation, just barely walk it.” Capt.

Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Stingray Hole GPS: N 27 49.2749, W 97 8.1229

(27.8213, -97.1354)

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

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TIPS: “A lot of fishermen new to East Bay go out the day before so they can see what is out there. The day you fish you need to be out there before daylight and you will have an idea what to be looking for.” Capt.

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LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Jetties GPS: N 29 38.6029, W 93 49.584

(29.6434, -93.8264)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: 3 inch Swimming Shad soft plastic CONTACT: Capt. Adam Jaynes 409-988-3901 amjaynes@gmail.com www.justfishsabine.com TIPS: Fish the channel side of the jetties when there is slow moving water. Fish the Gulf side on fast moving water.

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Cotton Bayou GPS: N 28 30.45, W 96 12.3816

(28.5075, -96.2064)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Berkley Gulp Shad or Saltwater Assassin Swimming Shad CONTACT: Capt. Kendall Kersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmail.com www.puresaltadventues.com TIPS: “Good for wading, right up against the shoreline, fishing the grassbeds. Typically I will throw a jig head with a 3 or 4 inch swim bait.” Capt. Kersh LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Greens Bayou GPS: N 28 29.662, W 96 13.685

(28.494361, -96.228079)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Berkley Gulp Shad or Saltwater &

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FISHING HOTSPOTS Assassin Swimming Shad CONTACT: Capt. Kendall Kersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmail.com www.puresaltadventues.com TIPS: “Typically, we fish West Matagorda as the tide is rising, wade fishing along the shoreline and shallower flats. Once the tide starts falling, move out a little bit deeper and fish the guts between the flats.” Capt.

Kersh

MIDDLE COAST

Corpus Reds in the Clover

by TOM BEHRENS

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SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Crab CONTACT: Capt. John Little 361-816-9114 captjohnlittle@sbcglobal.net www.facebook.com/captjohnlittle TIPS: “Redfish are going to be thick around Shamrock Island especially with all the rain we have had this spring. They will be looking for new crabs, new areas to feed in the shallows.”

LOCATION: Ayers Bay HOTSPOT: Ayers Reef GPS: N 28 10.434, W 96 50.3659 (28.1739, -96.8394)

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Shamrock Cove GPS: N 27 45.369, W 97 9.733 (27.7562, -97.1622)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redfish and Flounder BEST BAITS: Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Billy Freudensprung

979-997-2244 www.facebook.com/billy.freudensprung TIPS: “Look for shell piles and work the edges from a boat. Trout, redfish, and an occasional flounder can be caught. The trout are the easiest to catch using a croaker free lined.” Capt. Freudensprung 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, Redfish and Flounder BEST BAITS: Paul Brown Devil Eyes and Chickenon-a-Chain soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billy Freudensprung 979-997-2244 www.facebook.com/billy.freudensprung TIPS: Capt. Freudensprung’s favorite soft plastic is Devil Eye in either chrome with a chartreuse tail and a 1/4-ounce jig head. “It’s a great redfish lure.”

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Pita Island GPS: N 27 36.169, W 97 17.1989 (27.6028, -97.2867)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or Live Shrimp CONTACT: Capt. John Little 361-816-9114 captjohnlittle@sbcglobal.net www.facebook.com/captjohnlittle TIPS: Capt. Little says the month of July is a great time to fish around the island using live croaker.

LOCATION: Mesquite Bay HOTSPOT: Cedar Bayou GPS: N 28 4.3309, W 96 50.832 (28.0722, -96.8472)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redfish and Flounder BEST BAITS: Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Billy Freudensprung 979-997-2244 www.facebook.com/billy.freudensprung TIPS: “Close to the Aransas Wildlife Refuge, use live croaker over shell and mud where the edges drop off.”

Capt. Freudensprung LOCATION: Nueces Bay HOTSPOT: East Nueces Bay GPS: N 27 52.2799, W 97 19.9979

(27.8713, -97.3333)

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HOTSPOT: Chicken Foot Reef GPS: N 28 16.204, W 96 46.813

(28.2701, -96.7802)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redfish and Flounder BEST BAITS: Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Billy Freudensprung 979-997-2244 www.facebook.com/billy.freudensprung TIPS: “The perfect size for the croaker for trout and redfish is between 3 to 3 1/2 inches. Use a #5 Mustad Ultra Point Hook.” Capt. Freudensprung

SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redfish and Flounder BEST BAITS: Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Billy Freudensprung 979-997-2244 www.facebook.com/billy.freudensprung TIPS: “Let the croaker sink to the bottom. Give it a few seconds, crank the reel a few turns, and move it around. Pop it a few more times. Once you feel the bump, let him run fro second, than set the hook.”

Capt. Freudensprung

LOCATION: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Panther Point GPS: N 28 14.95, W 96 42.5819

(28.2492, -96.7097)

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Boat Hole GPS: N 27 40.969, W 97 14.9989

(27.6828, -97.2500)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or Live Shrimp CONTACT: Capt. John Little 361-816-9114 captjohnlittle@sbcglobal.net www.facebook.com/captjohnlittle TIPS: “Fresh water runoff doesn’t affect the trout like it does on other bays. The trout are used to it, and the rain will clean up the water for us, reduce high salinity.” Capt. Little LOCATION: Redfish Bay HOTSPOT: Bird Island GPS: N 27 56.035, W 97 5.119

(27.9339, -97.0853)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Flappin Shad soft plastic by Gambler CONTACT: Capt. John Little 361-816-9114 captjohnlittle@sbcglobal.net www.facebook.com/captjohnlittle TIPS: “Nice and easy, slow and easy, pump straight up, and let it drop down. Let the tail do all he action.

You will get most of your bites as the lure drops.”

Capt. Little LOCATION: San Antonio Bay

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or Live Shrimp CONTACT: Capt. John Little 361-816-9114 captjohnlittle@sbcglobal.net www.facebook.com/captjohnlittle TIPS: “Use a 4/0 Kale hook because the croaker down here aren’t very big, along with a 1/8 ounce barrel weight. The more natural the presentation, the better.”

Capt. Little 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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361-816-9114 captjohnlittle@sbcglobal.net www.facebook.com/captjohnlittle TIPS: “Topwaters produce early in the morning.

Silver, chartreuse, pink work under clear skies; Natural colors, a black or mullet color work better on cloudy days.” Capt. Little

CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonfire.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: Capt. Romero says the deeper water further south, 3-4 feet deep. Also the water “has more color, greener.”

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Long Bar GPS: N 26 8.592, W 97 14.2249 (26.1432, -97.2371)

LOWER COAST

Time for a Trout Realto Check

by CALIXTO GONZALES and TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: El Realto Bay GPS: N 26 15.354, W 97 18.4649 (26.2559, -97.3078)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonfire.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: Capt. Romero with July he will be fishing further south with live croaker, always looking for the big trout.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Oil Well Flats GPS: N 26 15.079, W 97 15.943 (26.2513, -97.2657)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. John Little

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonfire.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: “I’m looking for areas that have long thin grass, shell along with soft clay bottoms…real thick, real long grass.” Capt. Romero LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Grass Flats GPS: N 26 1.399, W 97 10.5606 (26.0233, -97.1760)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Skeeter Walker, Super Spook, or Corky CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonfire.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: Capt. Romero likes to use topwater lures, but not “broken backs” or soft plastic tails.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Three Islands GPS: N 26 16.621, W 97 17.7319 (26.2770, -97.2955)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonfire.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: Romero likes to use a chatter weight above his live croaker, pink being his favorite color for the chatter weight.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield

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HOTSPOT: Gladis’ Hole GPS: N 26 48.723, W 97 29.4769 (26.8121, -97.4913)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonfire.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: “When you put a chatter weight and a live croaker together you have a win-win situation.” Capt.

Romero LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N 26 27.694, W 97 21.685 (26.4616, -97.3614)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonfire.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: Capt. Romero likes a bigger croaker, but he says the trout are aggressive whether the croaker is small or big.

PINEY WOODS

Hump Days for Fork Bass

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Lake Fork

7/18/16 5:28 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps and Points GPS: N 32 49.5059, W 95 33.3 (32.8251, -95.5550)

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SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Chrome 1/2 oz. Rat-L-Trap, a Storm swim baits that look like shad, spoons in chrome or gold and a white slabs.

CONTACT: Doug Shampine 940-902-3855 doug@lakeforktrophybass.com www.lakeforktrophybass.com TIPS: July fishing on Lake Fork can be fun for the person who does not get out on the lake very much but wants to spend time on the water and catch something.

White Bass are schooling and following the big shad schools this time of the year. You can find them on top chasing shad or in schools located on main lake humps or some of the deeper main lake points. Places to look will be SRA point, the hump in the mouth of Little Caney, Bell Hump, and several humps in the damn area. A good lake map will help you find these.

You are allowed 25 keepers per person in your boat and there is a 10” minimum length on the White Bass.

LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps and Points GPS: N 32 50.754, W 95 35.1839 (32.8459, -95.5864)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Topwater lures, Carolina rigs, big Texas rigged worms and Shaky Heads with Grandebass Airtail Shake CONTACT: Lance Vick 903-312-0609 lance@lakeforkbass.com www.guideonlakefork.com TIPS: “July is the month of heat and I like it hot on Fork. Good shallow topwater bite over grass in the morning.

Deep worm bite on roadbeds, humps and points during hottest part of day. Fish 15 to 30 foot deep. Good fishing to all!”

HOTSPOT: Alligator Bayou and Big Cypress Bayou GPS: N 32 41.5019, W 94 2.2319 u TAP FOR (32.6917, -94.0372)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: V&M Paddletail Frog and V&M Porkpin Worm CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net www.caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish the edges of these creeks on the upper end of Caddo Lake with the white frogs on top and 1/8 oz. weighted June bug colored worms on the bottom along the edges of the grass. Give extra attention to the bends and points.

LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: North Lake Area GPS: N 30 27.786, W 95 36.1799 (30.4631, -95.6030)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live Shad, 1 ¼ oz. white slabs, spoons, Tsunami Holographic in hot pink/gold, 4 inch Swim Shad.

CONTACT: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Bounce baits off the bottom; look for strikes on falling baits. Troll Tsunami Swim Shad behind a #10 jet diver. BANK ACCESS: Beacon Bay Marina LOCATION: Lake Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: Still Water GPS: N 31 44.928, W 93 50.2619 (31.7488, -93.8377)

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SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Primos stink bait CONTACT: Richard Tatsch 936-291-1277 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: In July the cats have finished eating all the shad they can along the bulkheads after the shad spawn.

They are back in the deep water along channel edges and are fairly easy to catch. Just find a stump along the channel on the north end of the lake, throw some range cubes out and give it about 30 minutes. I use sponges to absorb the dipping bait with a #6 treble hook with a small egg sinker. Let it go to the bottom and wait on a little resistance. Once you feel it set the hook and hold on!

LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: The Hump GPS: N 30 40.8299, W 95 4.992 (30.6805, -95.0832)

SPECIES: Black & White Bass BEST BAITS: Top water plugs, Rat-L-Traps, crank baits, slab spoons and plastics.

CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: In July the main lake points will be active with plenty of schooling activity for both the Black and White Bass. Typically, early morning and late evening will be the prime feeding times. Start off shallow and back out to deeper water if need be with deep diving crank baits and soft plastics.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Third Ramp’s the Charm for Cats

by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER

LOCATION: Caddo Lake

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LOCATION: Fayette County Res. HOTSPOT: Third Boat Ramp Point GPS: N 29 55.878, W 96 43.368 (29.9313, -96.7228)

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www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: “Fish all main lake humps and points focusing in 8’ to 20’ near dropouts. Constantly be on the lookout for brush or debris.”

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: 300 Yards from Dam GPS: N 32 52.709, W 97 28.044 (32.8785, -97.4674)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch Bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: There is a 20’ deep point here. Anchor on this point and chum straight down beside the boat. Tight line near the bottom and set the hook at slightest rod tip movement.

LOCATION: Bachman Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 51.1859, W 96 52.014 (32.8531, -96.8669)

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SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Slab with a fly 12 in. above CONTACT: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Small rooster tails and small creature baits (3-4 inches long) CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Bass are on fire shallow along the banks. Fish in 1-5 feet of water. Cast along the banks parallel as the fish are no more than five foot from the banks.

At the time of this report, 1-8 pound fish are being caught!

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps and Points GPS: N 32 22.476, W 96 10.05 (32.3746, -96.1675)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Carolina and Texas Rigs CONTACT: Jason Barber 903-603-2047 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com

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FISHING HOTSPOTS johnnystevens@1scom.net johnnystevens@1scom.net TIPS: This area just north of the dam is a series of humps and ridges. This area was created to supply dirt that was used to build the dam. Use your electronics to check the slopes and humps. When you locate the fish anchor on them and use a vertical jig method on them. If you prefer to cast to them, locate them and put out a buoy marker so can cast to them. Use a slab and jig combo and let it go to the bottom and hop it back to boat.

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Res. HOTSPOT: Trees at Intake Channel GPS: N 30 36.8999, W 96 4.29 (30.6150, -96.0715)

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SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s Punch Bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Anchor near stumps/trees in 4-12 foot water.

Be sure to chum and expect fish to be near the bottom.

Use a treble hook.

LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: City Beach GPS: N 32 26.404, W 97 46.977 (32.4401, -97.7830)

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SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Soft plastics worked near deeper docks mid-lake and on the lower ends.

CONTACT: Michael Acosta 817-578-0023 unfairadvantagecharters.com TIPS: Look for docks near deeper water or work the backs of sloughs in the evenings. Centipede baits, and worms in blue fleck and red shad colors are some great soft plastic options. Downsize for a finicky bite.

Granbury water temperatures are in the middle to upper 80s and the summer patterns are in place. The weather continues to heat up and with the daytime heat, feeding generally continues early and late. The water will also

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start stratifying some and one should look for a thermocline developing later in the month. This will put all the fish between the surface and the thermocline. White bass continue to school on the surface on many areas of the lake. White bass are good on slabs, spinners and any shad imitation bait. Best bait for stripers continues to be live shad fished near channel ledges with a depth of 20 feet being typical on Granbury. Stripers are congregating on the lower ends where the deepest, coolest water exists. Some top water action for stripers and black bass continue early and late on main lake points adjacent to deeper water. Crappies are being caught suspended near deep shaded docks and bridge pilings and are good on small minnows and worms. Black bass continue to be caught in numbers with an occasional fish to 6lbs. Look for top water action early on pop-rs and frogs. Best action is mid lake to the lower ends near points and creek entrances with submerged brush. Soft plastics or crankbaits are a good choice later in the day. Catfish catches are good on prepared baits, hot dogs or cut shad mid-lake near deeper docks and near humps during the day. Nighttime catfish move in the sloughs and can be caught on nightcrawlers and cut-bait.

LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps and Ridges GPS: N 30 42.1979, W 97 21.8819 (30.7033, -97.3647)

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SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: 1/2 oz. white slab spoon CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: As always in the hot summertime at Granger Lake, the crappie fishing is excellent. However during the month of July, the white bass fishing can be just as good. About 3 years ago in July, in a period of about 3 weeks, we caught over 1000 good white bass. This time of year, the whites school up on humps and ridges feeding on shad. They can be caught very easily on slab spoons. The color really doesn’t matter but I like white. The smaller 1/2 oz. slabs also work a little better than the larger ones. They key is to find the whites feeding close to a high spot like a hump or raised roadbed. The top of the roadbed would be 10 to 12 feet under water with deep water all around. Position your boat on top of the high spot and jig the slabs off the bottom. Sometimes it works to drag the spoon along the bottom like you would a Carolina rigged bass

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LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake Brush and Standing Timber GPS: N 33 4.5839, W 96 27.7379 u TAP FOR (33.0764, -96.4623)

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/8 & 1/16 jigs with a painted pink head in black and chartreuse and white and chartreuse colors CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Concentrate on fishing 7ft-15ft as that will be the target for brush and standing timber. Some fish are still spawning in the button willows and submerged green willows around 2ft-6 ft. Finding any slack areas in 1ft-5ft below the dam when the gates are open will hold crappie hiding from the turbulent water.

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Kickapoo Creek GPS: N 32 16.374, W 95 28.338 (32.2729, -95.4723)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Big Eye Jig in black/brown amber and chart/white spinnerbaits CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish the creek channel slow and fish the stumps and brush along the channel. Also, fish the islands with the big eye jig and a chart/white spinner bait LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Corps of Engineers Brush Pile GPS: N 33 22.711, W 97 3.31

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FISHING HOTSPOTS (33.3785, -97.0552)

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows CONTACT: Jim Walling 940-391-5534 Jimwwalling@icloud.com TIPS: There are over 50 brush piles made by the Corps of Engineers in Ray Roberts Lake. Most are located on submerged points in 20-35 feet of water.

They simply dozed the timber on the main body of the lake and shoved it into piles. The piles were then cabled down to the ground. These brush piles have provided excellent fishing opportunities for many years.

Minnows fished over the top of the piles produce good numbers of Crappie in the summer. There are maps available that have the coordinates of all of the brush piles LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: North Schooling Area GPS: N 30 19.638, W 96 32.064 (30.3273, -96.5344)

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SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Hellbender/spoon CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Troll here using Hellbenders or other deep diving lures. Get your spoons down close to the bottom.

Watch for schooling right after daylight.

LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Alberta Creek GPS: N 33 57.54, W 96 36.012 (33.9590, -96.6002)

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: Slabs and topwater plugs CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: “Top water fishing at its best. Early morning, several large schools will surface around the lake.

These schools of fish can be a mile long and a halfmile wide. Cast Pencil Popper Topwater plugs for great action. After the surface action ends, locate the schools of fish with your electronics. Then, vertically drop slabs and use a fast retrieve. The fish will try to pull the rod out of your hands! Bank Access: Washita Point and Platter Flats.”

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Hwy 22 and McCowan Flats GPS: N 31 57.2879, W 97 25.224 (31.9548, -97.4204)

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Channel Surf Henry Bass

by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Down riggers with a 1/2 oz. buck tail jig with plastic trailers CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: The thermocline has set in and the stripers are hanging out on top of it. This time of year turns into a reaction type strike a lot of times. The fish will feed early, late or even at night when it’s cooler. Using down riggers with a 1/2 oz. buck tail jig with plastic trailers.

Troll the flats and ledges and edges anywhere from 13’ to 18’ down. Keep in mind the thermocline usually sets in at 22’ on Whitney so keep your baits above it.

LOCATION: Richland-Chambers Res. HOTSPOT: 309 Flats GPS: N 31 58.368, W 96 6.99 (31.9728, -96.1165)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: White Bass and Hybrid Striper BEST BAITS: Clear or White Tiny Torpedos CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com T E X A S

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www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: “July is often the HOTTEST month of the year in Texas! It can also yield some of the HOTTEST White Bass fishing you’ll experience the entire summer! The White Bass on Richland Chambers normally begin there early a.m. & late p.m. Topwater Schooling activity in July and it will last through September! Check out the Hwy 309 Flats on the North Shoreline directly across from Fisherman’s Point Marina. Look for the terns and egrets picking up bait over large schools of Whites. Sometimes, the schooling fish will literally be chasing shad in 1 to 5 acre size schools. Tie on a Clear Tiny Torpedo or just about any small silver or white bait and you’re in business. This is a thrill you won’t soon forget!”

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LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Creek Channels GPS: N 33 2.7719, W 101 3.8159 (33.0462, -101.0636)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: “Deep diving crank baits, worms, and flukes worked on a drop shot” CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglobal.net www.lakealanhenry.com/norman_clayton.htm TIPS: “July will heat up and send the bass into the channels of all the creeks and rivers. The Shad will bunch up, and the bass will follow. The main river, the Brazos, will have many schools of shad and I will be using my electronics to locate the schools. These schools will be one of the main keys to finding the bass. The creeks of Ince, Little Grape, and Big Grape will have schools of shad out over the channels. I follow the channel until I locate the schools of bass or shad. Then, this is the area I will concentrate my efforts.”

LOCATION: Lake Coleman

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FISHING HOTSPOTS HOTSPOT: Rear Cove GPS: N 32 2.3976, W 99 27.6871 (32.0400, -99.4615)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

2 oz. egg weight to keep your bait straight down. This is also a great month for topwater action so be paying attention down the lake and see if anything is feeding on top.

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

BIG BEND

SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, slabs CONTACT: Michael D. Homer, Jr., Texas Parks & Wildlife Department 325-692-0921 michael.homer@tpwd.texas.gov TIPS: Coleman Reservoir is now full, and largemouth bass production has been great. The coordinates listed mark an old concrete structure that is surrounded by flooded brush. Fishing that shoreline into the rear cove works best with spinner baits, whacky worms, Senkos, and trick worms to catch bass. Sunrise often produces a great top-water bite in the rear cove. Occasionally hybrid striped bass can be caught in this cove, which these fish will put up a nice fight. Anglers targeting hybrids may have the best luck using live shad for bait or spinner baits, chrome or white suspending jerk baits, or slabs.

LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Hog Bend GPS: N 32 52.516, W 98 29.427 (32.8753, -98.4905)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, jigs, topwaters CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Hog bend isn`t named for hogs for no reason.

We have caught some really nice fish here and this is the month for a big ‘un to come from there. Use live shad or a big dressed up jig or bait in this area early morning late evening and under cloud cover even topwater baits. You have the chance at a monster black bass in this area (or a striper or hybrid). We like to trailer jigs with mister twister tails and troll them in the deep water for a HOG. But this is a place to cross the eyes on a tennis shoe-sized shad and hold on! Fish right off bottom in up to 30 feet of water and deeper.

Don’t go past 42 feet with your bait. Use a 1 1/2 oz. or

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by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Amistad HOTSPOT: Box Canyon GPS: N29 31.4325, W101 10.209 (29.523875, -101.17015)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Texas-rigged plastic worms, Senkos, crawdad-colored medium-diving crankbaits CONTACT: Larry Scruggs 210-789-1645 fisherofmenlrs@hotmail.com TIPS: Fish the backs of the pockets with crankbaits and plastic worms early and then move out to the points and edges of hydrilla beds from late-morning until mid-day. Return to the backs of the coves during the late-evening hours for more active fish.

HILL COUNTRY

Party Time For Canyon Bass

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Party Cove Island Area GPS: N 29 53.304, W 98 15.732 (29.8884, -98.2622)

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SPECIES: Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Bass: Deep diving crankbaits and soft plastics; Crappie: live bait and Matzo sickle hook jigs with plastics CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide Service-Barry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: Water temperature has warmed up to the mid and upper 80’s. Bass and crappie have mostly settled into their summer patters of holding near the thermocline, along deep-water ledges, points and cover near these areas. For bass, spend most of your time fishing points with deep diving crank baits and soft plastics. For crappie, look for channels bends or points with brush piles. For crappie, I use # 2 red Matzuo Aberdeen sickle style hooks for live bait and Matzuo sickle hook jigs with plastics. There is lots of cover in this area with sharp drop-offs adjacent to a large flat point.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N 29 52.2479, W 98 12.276 (29.8708, -98.2046)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: “¼ oz. Picasso Shaky Head, Carolina rigged Watermelon flukes (1/2 oz. or ¾ oz. weights), Senko type baits Texas rigged w/ ¼-3/8-oz. Picasso Tungsten weights” CONTACT: KC’S Bassin’ Guide Service 210-823-2153 kandie@gvtc.com www.kcbassinguide.com TIPS: Be sure and fish the point near the drop off slowly. Work the shallows early and then move into the deeper depths. Bass are in their summer homes and, with the weather being warm, are not opt to be aggressive in nature. Use a good rod like Denali Rosewood Heavyweight 7’ for Carolina rigging. This rod can handle anything you get into and then some. Good summer colors include, watermelon red, blue fleck,

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FISHING HOTSPOTS June bug, watermelon candy.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Jacobs Point GPS: N 29 52.668, W 98 13.3259 (29.8778, -98.2221)

GPS: N 30 49.104, W 98 23.718 (30.8184, -98.3953)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

GPS: N 28 43.644, W 97 10.3919 (28.7274, -97.1732)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Jigging spoon in white color CONTACT: Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Fish from the point back to the swim beach casting out the spoon and try to maintain a depth of 20 to 40 feet, the Striped Bass like to school in this area this time of year. Tight lines and Fish On!

SPECIES: Striped Bass and White Bass BEST BAITS: Live Shad CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@yahoo.com www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: Fishing for Stripers and Whites is excellent as they are starting to move a little. Concentrate on upper to mid lake fishing ridges and humps in 30 to 40 feet of water. Drift or anchor live bait.

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N 30 45.1842, W 98 25.6254 (30.7531, -98.4271)

u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: Main Lake Rocks, Shade Trees, and Shaded Docks GPS: N 30 19.464, W 97 50.316 u TAP FOR (30.3244, -97.8386)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Buzz baits: half-ounce white or green.

Pearl white fluke: rigged weightless with a four ought worm hook rigged weedless CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-960-0566 TIPS: Hot, hot, hot! Now that it’s summer, remember to take plenty to drink. I like taking extra just in case someone else runs out. The lake is good and full and there is lots of water to fish. Early morning, I love the sound of a lunker buzz bait. I usually throw a halfounce buzz bait in white or green. It’s always been a big bass bait. Another favorite is my usual pearl white fluke rigged weightless with a four ought worm hook rigged weedless. Just stay around grass and you’re sure to get plenty of action. Take time to hydrate. I know I get involved with catching fish and forget to drink until I get overheated then it’s too late. As always, may your bites be big and your fish be healthy.

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: V&M Baby Swamp Hog, Pacemaker Jigs, Picasso Inviz-Wire Spinnerbait, Picasso Shock Blade, Gandy Crankbaits CONTACT: Brian Parker - Lake Austin Fishing 817-808-2227 lakeaustinfishing@yahoo.com www.LakeAustinFishing.com TIPS: “Bass will be searching for cover and ambush positions throughout the lake. I break my guide trips into 3 approaches, mornings, daytime, and evenings.

Mornings: I like throwing the Picasso Spinnerbaits and Shock Blade early when the fish are still on the feed. I usually do this just off the rocks and docks.

Daytime: I like to move closer to the docks and shaded cover flipping the Pacemaker Jigs and Swamp Hogs.

Be patient and work your bait with twitches to trigger those bites. Evenings: I go back to my morning routine and change to darker colors.”

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Mid to Upper Lake Ridges and Humps

Locator Maps link to Google Maps online

SOUTH TEXAS

Coleto Abuzz with Hot Bass

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake T E X A S

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DIGITAL EXTRA:

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live perch, shad, minnows, 1 oz. and 1 1/2 oz. slabs, deep diving trolling type baits CONTACT: Ken Milam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: Stripers and Hybrids will be close to the dam due to the cooler water. The best bait will be live perch, shad, or minnows. If fishing with artificials is your thing, 1 oz. and 1 1/2 oz. slabs plus deep diving trolling type baits will be best.

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK AUGUST 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.

T5

T14

T15 T16

TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below.

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on many wildlife species.

T13 T7

T3 T2 T1

AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours.

T18

AM & PM MAJOR phases occur when the moon reaches its highest point overhead as well as when it is “underfoot” or at its highest point on the exact opposite side of the earth from your positoin (or literally under your feet). Most days have two Major Feeding Phases, each lasting about 2 hours.

T19

T20

PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month.

PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.

T21

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.

KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty Port Bolivar

HIGH -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14

LOW -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06

KEY PLACE HIGH Galveston Channel/Bays T7 Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +3:54 T8 Eagle Point +6:05 T9 Clear Lake +10:21 T10 Morgans Point T11 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39

LOW +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15

KEY T12 T13 T14 T15 T16 T17

PLACE Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, W. Bay Alligator Point, W. Bay Christmas Pt Galveston Pleasure Pier

HIGH +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -1:06

LOW +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:33 +2:31 -1:06

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

PLACE HIGH San Luis Pass -0.09 Freeport Harbor -0:44 Pass Cavallo 0:00 Aransas Pass -0:03 Padre Island (So. End) -0:24 Port Isabel +1:02

LOW -0.09 -1:02 -1:20 -1:31 -1:45 -0:42

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

= 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 68 |

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AUGUST 2016

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Aug 1« 2 « High Tide: 4:26 AM 1.67ft.

High Tide: 5:04 AM FEET

3 l High Tide: 5:38 AM

1.63ft.

Low Tide: 10:09 AM 1.15ft.

High Tide: 2:56 PM 1.45ft.

Low Tide: 10:07 PM -0.17ft.

Low Tide: 9:32 AM 1.21ft.

High Tide: 2:05 PM 1.46ft.

Low Tide: 9:23 PM -0.27ft.

1.58ft.

Low Tide: 10:46 AM 1.07ft.

High Tide: 3:47 PM 1.42ft.

Low Tide: 10:50 PM -0.03ft.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

4 « High Tide: 6:10 AM

5 « High Tide: 6:40 AM

1.53ft.

Low Tide: 11:26 AM 0.98ft.

High Tide: 4:39 PM 1.36ft.

Low Tide: 11:31 PM 0.15ft.

1.48ft.

Low Tide: 12:10 PM 0.88ft.

High Tide: 5:36 PM 1.28ft.

SATURDAY

6 Low Tide:

12:12 AM High Tide: 7:10 AM Low Tide: 12:57 PM High Tide: 6:44 PM

0.35ft.

1.44ft.

0.77ft.

1.21ft.

SUNDAY

7 Low Tide:

12:54 AM 0.56ft.

High Tide: 7:38 AM 1.39ft.

Low Tide: 1:49 PM 0.66ft.

High Tide: 8:13 PM 1.15ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

11:00A — 1:00P

11:30A — 1:30P

12:00 — 2:00 PM

1:00 — 3:00 PM

2:00 — 4:00 PM

3:00 — 5:00 PM

4:00 — 6:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 8:11p Moonrise: 5:27a Set: 7:15p AM Minor: 4:27a AM Major: 10:41a PM Minor: 4:55p PM Major: 11:09p Moon Overhead: 12:22p Moon Underfoot: None

Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 8:10p Moonrise: 6:26a Set: 8:02p AM Minor: 5:20a AM Major: 11:33a PM Minor: 5:46p PM Major: 11:59p Moon Overhead: 1:16p Moon Underfoot: 12:50a

Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 8:09p Moonrise: 7:25a Set: 8:45p AM Minor: 6:12a AM Major: 12:00a PM Minor: 6:38p PM Major: 12:25p Moon Overhead: 2:07p Moon Underfoot: 1:42a

Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 8:08p Moonrise: 8:23a Set: 9:24p AM Minor: 7:05a AM Major: 12:53a PM Minor: 7:29p PM Major: 1:17p Moon Overhead: 2:56p Moon Underfoot: 2:32a

Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 8:08p Moonrise: 9:19a Set: 10:01p AM Minor: 7:57a AM Major: 1:45a PM Minor: 8:20p PM Major: 2:08p Moon Overhead: 3:42p Moon Underfoot: 3:20a

Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 8:07p Moonrise: 10:13a Set: 10:37p AM Minor: 8:48a AM Major: 2:37a PM Minor: 9:10p PM Major: 2:59p Moon Overhead: 4:27p Moon Underfoot: 4:05a

Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 8:06p Moonrise: 11:06a Set: 11:11p AM Minor: 9:37a AM Major: 3:26a PM Minor: 9:59p PM Major: 3:48p Moon Overhead: 5:11p Moon Underfoot: 4:49a

T E X A S

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

8 Low Tide: FEET

1:38 AM High Tide: 8:07 AM Low Tide: 2:42 PM High Tide: 10:05 PM

TUESDAY

9 Low Tide:

0.77ft.

1.36ft.

0.55ft.

1.16ft.

2:31 AM High Tide: 8:35 AM Low Tide: 3:37 PM High Tide: 11:58 PM

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

11 High Tide:

10 º Low Tide: 3:44 AM

0.97ft.

1.32ft.

0.43ft.

1.24ft.

1:23 AM Low Tide: 5:41 AM High Tide: 9:30 AM Low Tide: 5:20 PM

1.13ft.

High Tide: 9:02 AM 1.30ft.

Low Tide: 4:30 PM 0.33ft.

1.35ft.

1.24ft.

1.28ft.

0.23ft.

FRIDAY

12 High Tide:

2:20 AM Low Tide: 8:02 AM High Tide: 10:05 AM Low Tide: 6:08 PM

SATURDAY

13 High Tide:

1.45ft.

1.27ft.

1.28ft.

0.14ft.

2:59 AM Low Tide: 8:53 AM High Tide: 11:00 AM Low Tide: 6:53 PM

1.53ft.

1.28ft.

1.29ft.

0.06ft.

SUNDAY

14 High Tide:

3:30 AM 1.58ft.

Low Tide: 9:02 AM 1.29ft.

High Tide: 11:56 AM 1.32ft.

Low Tide: 7:36 PM -0.01ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

4:00 — 6:00 AM

11:00A — 1:00P

11:30A — 1:30P

12:00 — 2:00 PM

1:00 — 3:00 PM

2:00 — 4:00 PM

4:00 — 6:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:43a Set: 8:05p Moonrise: 11:58a Set: 11:46p AM Minor: 10:25a AM Major: 4:14a PM Minor: 10:47p PM Major: 4:36p Moon Overhead: 5:54p Moon Underfoot: 5:32a

Sunrise: 6:43a Set: 8:04p Moonrise: 12:49p Set: None AM Minor: 11:12a AM Major: 5:01a PM Minor: 11:33p PM Major: 5:22p Moon Overhead: 6:37p Moon Underfoot: 6:15a

Sunrise: 6:44a Set: 8:03p Moonrise: 1:41p Set: 12:21a AM Minor: 11:57a AM Major: 5:46a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 6:08p Moon Overhead: 7:21p Moon Underfoot: 6:59a

Sunrise: 6:45a Set: 8:03p Moonrise: 2:33p Set: 12:58a AM Minor: 12:18a AM Major: 6:30a PM Minor: 12:41p PM Major: 6:53p Moon Overhead: 8:07p Moon Underfoot: 7:44a

Sunrise: 6:45a Set: 8:02p Moonrise: 3:25p Set: 1:39a AM Minor: 1:02a AM Major: 7:13a PM Minor: 1:25p PM Major: 7:37p Moon Overhead: 8:54p Moon Underfoot: 8:30a

Sunrise: 6:46a Set: 8:01p Moonrise: 4:16p Set: 2:23a AM Minor: 1:45a AM Major: 7:57a PM Minor: 2:09p PM Major: 8:22p Moon Overhead: 9:43p Moon Underfoot: 9:19a

Sunrise: 6:46a Set: 8:00p Moonrise: 5:07p Set: 3:10a AM Minor: 2:29a AM Major: 8:42a PM Minor: 2:54p PM Major: 9:07p Moon Overhead: 10:34p Moon Underfoot: 10:09a

MOON PHASES

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS Moon l Overhead l Moon Underfoot

READING THE GRAPH

MONDAY

TUESDAY

15 High Tide: FEET

12p

PRIME TIME

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

16 « High Tide: 4:19 AM

3:56 AM 1.61ft.

Low Tide: 9:10 AM 1.27ft.

High Tide: 12:48 PM 1.37ft.

Low Tide: 8:17 PM -0.06ft.

Fishing Score Graph

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

17 « High Tide: 4:41 AM

1.64ft.

Low Tide: 9:27 AM 1.23ft.

High Tide: 1:39 PM 1.42ft.

Low Tide: 8:58 PM -0.08ft.

18 ¡ High Tide: 5:05 AM

1.65ft.

Low Tide: 9:53 AM 1.15ft.

High Tide: 2:30 PM 1.47ft.

Low Tide: 9:39 PM -0.05ft.

n

1.64ft.

Low Tide: 10:26 AM 1.05ft.

High Tide: 3:25 PM 1.51ft.

Low Tide: 10:22 PM 0.02ft.

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

19 « High Tide: 5:31 AM

1.63ft.

Low Tide: 11:05 AM 0.91ft.

High Tide: 4:24 PM 1.52ft.

Low Tide: 11:05 PM 0.17ft.

SATURDAY

20 « High Tide: 5:58 AM

1.61ft.

Low Tide: 11:50 AM 0.75ft.

High Tide: 5:29 PM 1.51ft.

Low Tide: 11:51 PM 0.37ft.

SUNDAY

21 High Tide:

6:26 AM 1.57ft.

Low Tide: 12:40 PM 0.58ft.

High Tide: 6:41 PM 1.49ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

4:30 — 6:30 AM

5:00 — 7:00 AM

11:00A — 1:00P

12:00 — 2:00 PM

6:30 — 8:30 PM

2:00 — 4:00 AM

2:30 — 4:30 AM

Sunrise: 6:47a Set: 7:59p Moonrise: 5:57p Set: 4:03a AM Minor: 3:14a AM Major: 9:27a PM Minor: 3:40p PM Major: 9:53p Moon Overhead: 11:27p Moon Underfoot: 11:00a

Sunrise: 6:47a Set: 7:58p Moonrise: 6:44p Set: 4:59a AM Minor: 4:02a AM Major: 10:15a PM Minor: 4:28p PM Major: 10:41p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:53a

Sunrise: 6:48a Set: 7:57p Moonrise: 7:30p Set: 5:59a AM Minor: 4:51a AM Major: 11:04a PM Minor: 5:18p PM Major: 11:31p Moon Overhead: 12:20a Moon Underfoot: 12:47p

Sunrise: 6:49a Set: 7:56p Moonrise: 8:15p Set: 7:00a AM Minor: 5:43a AM Major: 11:56a PM Minor: 6:10p PM Major: ----Moon Overhead: 1:13a Moon Underfoot: 1:40p

Sunrise: 6:49a Set: 7:55p Moonrise: 8:57p Set: 8:03a AM Minor: 6:38a AM Major: 12:25a PM Minor: 7:04p PM Major: 12:51p Moon Overhead: 2:06a Moon Underfoot: 2:33p

Sunrise: 6:50a Set: 7:54p Moonrise: 9:39p Set: 9:06a AM Minor: 7:35a AM Major: 1:21a PM Minor: 8:01p PM Major: 1:48p Moon Overhead: 2:59a Moon Underfoot: 3:25p

Sunrise: 6:50a Set: 7:53p Moonrise: 10:21p Set: 10:10a AM Minor: 8:33a AM Major: 2:20a PM Minor: 9:00p PM Major: 2:46p Moon Overhead: 3:52a Moon Underfoot: 4:18p

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

22 Low Tide: FEET

12:40 AM High Tide: 6:56 AM Low Tide: 1:34 PM High Tide: 8:06 PM

TUESDAY

23 Low Tide:

0.61ft.

1.54ft.

0.42ft.

1.47ft.

1:34 AM High Tide: 7:27 AM Low Tide: 2:33 PM High Tide: 9:42 PM

WEDNESDAY

24 Low Tide:

0.86ft.

1.50ft.

0.27ft.

1.48ft.

2:38 AM High Tide: 8:01 AM Low Tide: 3:35 PM High Tide: 11:23 PM

THURSDAY

25 » Low Tide: 4:02 AM

1.10ft.

1.48ft.

0.15ft.

1.54ft.

1.27ft.

High Tide: 8:45 AM 1.46ft.

Low Tide: 4:39 PM 0.06ft.

FRIDAY

26 High Tide:

12:51 AM Low Tide: 5:52 AM High Tide: 9:54 AM Low Tide: 5:42 PM

SATURDAY

27 High Tide:

1.63ft.

1.36ft.

1.44ft.

0.00ft.

1:58 AM Low Tide: 7:27 AM High Tide: 11:19 AM Low Tide: 6:43 PM

1.70ft.

1.36ft.

1.45ft.

-0.02ft.

SUNDAY

28 High Tide:

2:49 AM 1.72ft.

Low Tide: 8:18 AM 1.32ft.

High Tide: 12:34 PM 1.49ft.

Low Tide: 7:38 PM -0.01ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

3:00 — 5:00 AM

4:00 — 6:00 AM

5:00 — 7:00 AM

12:00 — 2:00 PM

1:00 — 3:00 PM

2:00 — 4:00 PM

3:00 — 5:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:51a Set: 7:52p Moonrise: 11:04p Set: 11:13a AM Minor: 9:33a AM Major: 3:19a PM Minor: 9:59p PM Major: 3:46p Moon Overhead: 4:45a Moon Underfoot: 5:11p

Sunrise: 6:51a Set: 7:51p Moonrise: 11:50p Set: 12:17p AM Minor: 10:32a AM Major: 4:18a PM Minor: 10:59p PM Major: 4:45p Moon Overhead: 5:38a Moon Underfoot: 6:06p

Sunrise: 6:52a Set: 7:50p Moonrise: None Set: 1:21p AM Minor: 11:30a AM Major: 5:16a PM Minor: 11:58p PM Major: 5:44p Moon Overhead: 6:33a Moon Underfoot: 7:01p

Sunrise: 6:52a Set: 7:49p Moonrise: 12:37a Set: 2:23p AM Minor: 12:02a AM Major: 6:12a PM Minor: 12:26p PM Major: 6:40p Moon Overhead: 7:29a Moon Underfoot: 7:57p

Sunrise: 6:53a Set: 7:48p Moonrise: 1:28a Set: 3:23p AM Minor: 12:52a AM Major: 7:06a PM Minor: 1:20p PM Major: 7:34p Moon Overhead: 8:25a Moon Underfoot: 8:53p

Sunrise: 6:53a Set: 7:47p Moonrise: 2:22a Set: 4:19p AM Minor: 1:44a AM Major: 7:57a PM Minor: 2:11p PM Major: 8:25p Moon Overhead: 9:21a Moon Underfoot: 9:48p

Sunrise: 6:54a Set: 7:46p Moonrise: 3:19a Set: 5:10p AM Minor: 2:33a AM Major: 8:47a PM Minor: 3:00p PM Major: 9:14p Moon Overhead: 10:16a Moon Underfoot: 10:42p

MOON PHASES

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS Moon l Overhead l Moon Underfoot

READING THE GRAPH

MONDAY

TUESDAY

29 High Tide: FEET

12p

PRIME TIME

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

30 High Tide:

3:29 AM 1.72ft.

Low Tide: 8:51 AM 1.26ft.

High Tide: 1:37 PM 1.53ft.

Low Tide: 8:28 PM 0.03ft.

Fishing Score Graph

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

Aug 31 « Sep 1l 2 « High Tide: 4:56 AM 1.61ft.

High Tide: 5:19 AM

4:03 AM 1.69ft.

Low Tide: 9:20 AM 1.17ft.

High Tide: 2:31 PM 1.56ft.

Low Tide: 9:13 PM 0.12ft.

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:31 AM 9:48 AM 3:21 PM 9:55 PM

1.65ft.

1.07ft.

1.57ft.

0.24ft.

Low Tide: 10:19 AM 0.96ft.

High Tide: 4:09 PM 1.56ft.

Low Tide: 10:34 PM 0.38ft.

1.58ft.

Low Tide: 10:54 AM 0.85ft.

High Tide: 4:57 PM 1.53ft.

Low Tide: 11:11 PM 0.55ft.

SATURDAY

3 « High Tide: 5:41 AM

1.56ft.

Low Tide: 11:31 AM 0.74ft.

High Tide: 5:48 PM 1.49ft.

Low Tide: 11:47 PM 0.73ft.

SUNDAY

4 « High Tide: 6:03 AM

1.53ft.

Low Tide: 12:11 PM 0.65ft.

High Tide: 6:45 PM 1.45ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

PRIME TIME

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

12a

6a

12p

6p

PRIME TIME

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

PRIME TIME

10:00A — 12:00P

11:00A — 1:00P

12:00 — 2:00 PM

12:30 — 2:30 PM

1:30 — 3:30 PM

2:00 — 4:00 PM

2:30 — 4:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:55a Set: 7:44p Moonrise: 4:17a Set: 5:58p AM Minor: 3:21a AM Major: 9:35a PM Minor: 3:48p PM Major: 10:01p Moon Overhead: 11:09a Moon Underfoot: 11:35p

Sunrise: 6:55a Set: 7:43p Moonrise: 5:15a Set: 6:41p AM Minor: 4:09a AM Major: 10:21a PM Minor: 4:34p PM Major: 10:47p Moon Overhead: 12:00p Moon Underfoot: None

Sunrise: 6:56a Set: 7:42p Moonrise: 6:12a Set: 7:21p AM Minor: 4:56a AM Major: 11:08a PM Minor: 5:20p PM Major: 11:32p Moon Overhead: 12:49p Moon Underfoot: 12:25a

Sunrise: 6:56a Set: 7:41p Moonrise: 7:08a Set: 7:59p AM Minor: 5:43a AM Major: 11:54a PM Minor: 6:06p PM Major: 12:17p Moon Overhead: 1:36p Moon Underfoot: 1:13a

Sunrise: 6:57a Set: 7:40p Moonrise: 8:03a Set: 8:35p AM Minor: 6:30a AM Major: 12:19a PM Minor: 6:52p PM Major: 12:41p Moon Overhead: 2:21p Moon Underfoot: 1:59a

Sunrise: 6:57a Set: 7:39p Moonrise: 8:56a Set: 9:09p AM Minor: 7:18a AM Major: 1:07a PM Minor: 7:40p PM Major: 1:29p Moon Overhead: 3:05p Moon Underfoot: 2:43a

Sunrise: 6:58a Set: 7:38p Moonrise: 9:49a Set: 9:44p AM Minor: 8:06a AM Major: 1:55a PM Minor: 8:28p PM Major: 2:17p Moon Overhead: 3:48p Moon Underfoot: 3:27a

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Special SECTION

D

ID YOU EVER HAVE those moments where you can’t keep one thought in your head?

In other words, your mind gets flooded with random thoughts from all over the place.

I recently had this problem, but soon realized some of the thoughts were pretty interesting.

So I did what any writer would do— investigate.

These are some thoughts, myths and tips I have checked out in recent months.

I thought you might enjoy them as we get ready to enter the fall season of hunt-

by Chester Moore

ing and fishing here in the great state of Texas.

•••

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, Higginbotham said. “Sows have approximately 1.5 litters per year.

Are more litters per year and larger litter sizes possible? Absolutely yes! However, I am using long-term averages, not what can occur under ideal conditions, which is 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 or T E X A S

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even earlier,” he said.

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

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. 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

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Special SECTION during 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 here and their story is not finished by any stretch of the imagination.

PHOTO: CANSTOCK

••• Contrary to common belief, feral hogs are not born pregnant.

released by Hernando de Soto.

“These 13 pigs were originally domestics released to be used as a future food source by the explorers,” he said. “De Soto

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captured these particular pigs in Cuba and brought them into what is now Tampa Bay, Florida.

“Obviously, some escapes occurred

ACCORDING TO TEXAS PARKS & Wildlife Department’s study on the whitetail rut, a doe may be attractive to bucks for about five days, but may be willing to breed for a period of only 24 hours. If the doe is not bred during her first cycle, she will generally come into heat again about

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Special SECTION 28 days later.

“In areas where there are few bucks, a doe may not encounter a buck when she is first receptive and may not be bred until one of her later cycles. A hunter, landowner or biologist who sees the late breeding activity may be convinced that there was a late rut. On the other hand, those who see does attended by bucks in the early part of the season believe there was an early rut. This helps explain the wide variety of opinions on the timing of the rut during a particular year.”

TPWD also reported that “Hunter chronology” has a lot to do with the perceived timing of the rut.

“Traditionally, hunters are more likely to be afield during cool weather. They will

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The breeding habits of does may contribute to perceptions of timing of the rut.

usually be out in force with the onset of the first weekend norther during the deer season. When there are many observers spending time in the field it is more likely that breeding activity will be noticed.”

“Bucks, like hunters, have a tendency to move around during cool weather.

Bucks with hardened antlers are ready to breed and are looking for a willing doe.

More movement means more opportunity to encounter a receptive doe. This increased movement helps give rise to the idea that cold weather causes the rut. However, this theory is disproved by white-tailed deer breeding in tropical climates.”

••• HUNTING OFTEN GETS FLACK from the non-hunting public related to an alleged “unfair advantage” we have over the animals pursued.

In reality, animals have been given an incredible edge with senses and survival adaptations that far exceed anything of humans, and that makes many hunting PHOTO: CANSTOCK

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Special SECTION situations truly challenging.

For example, wearing camouflage may seem silly to those who have never ventured beyond the pavement but the facts listed below show it is extremely impor-

tant for the hunter.

Wild turkeys have a field of vision of about 270 degrees which allows them to pick up movement and notice things that are out of place more easily than most

animals.

Mallard ducks have even more impressive visual abilities.

According to researchers, the mallard has a retinal visual field giving 360 degrees visual coverage in the horizontal plane and a narrow binocular field of approximately uniform width (approximately equal to 20 degrees) extending through 220 degrees from the bill to directly behind the head.

That is why you should remain still in the duck blind until it is time to shoot.

A deer’s sense of smell is legendary.

Hundreds of products are on the market as well as homegrown remedies for eliminating human scent and appealing to hunger and sexual urges through smell.

Did you know, however, that deer actually have two noses?

According to a fascinating article put out by Dr. Karl V. Miller from the University of Georgia, few hunters realize that a deer actually has two “noses.”

“The second nose is technically not a nose, but it serves some of the same purpose. If you look on the roof of the deer’s mouth, you will see a diamond shaped structure with a small passage leading into 80 |

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The 360-degree horizontal visual field of mallards is one factor making them a challenge for hunters.

sively to analyze urine. When a buck sees a doe urinate, he will often take some of this urine into his mouth and perform a behavior called flehmen, or lip-curl.”

“This flehmen helps to introduce urine into the VNO. It is interesting that this organ is not connected to the same part of the brain that the nose is connected to. Instead, it is connected to the part of the brain that controls the reproductive condition of the deer. What type of information the deer is getting is unknown, but it is likely that odors analyzed in the VNO help get the hormones pumping in the buck and bring him into rutting condition.”

the palate. This additional nose, called the vomeronasal organ (VNO), is similar to the Jacobson’s organ that snakes use to “taste” the air. Deer use the VNO exclu-

Those are the kinds of things that make hunting so appealing. For the game we pursue, it is an issue of survival. However, without something to challenge us, the tradition of hunting would not continue.

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Special SECTION You see hunting is a very important tradition in our great state. It is a source of everything from family bonding to wildlife management and is the economic backbone of many communities.

When you look at hunting from the perspective of the challenge it represents, it is easy to take away a new appreciation of the pursuit. It is not just a pursuit.

Hunting is a challenge.

••• TF&G HUNTING EDITOR AND MASter bowhunter education instructor Lou Marullo said the number one mistake he sees young hunters making in regard to shooting is not practicing with broadheads.

“It is extremely rare to find a bow that shoots with field points exactly like it would with broadheads of the same grain weight. All you have to do is look at the physical differences and see that there are some serious aerodynamic differences,” he said.

A number of broadhead makers claim their products match up to field points, but there are simply too many variables.

“It’s an absolute must to get out there and shoot with broadheads before going hunting. Even if you are just off an inch or two that could mean the difference between taking a big buck and suffering the heartache of losing an animal,” Marullo said.

When it comes to shooting broadheads at a target, there are many options on the market nowadays. However, I am oldfashioned in this regard.

In my opinion, the most versatile and practical bow targets on the market are 3-D targets. I have owned Delta and Mackenzie 3-D deer targets and have found they will last for years, if you treat them right “When it comes to shooting broadheads, I have found 3-D targets with the removable core or vitals to be the best option although there are some good ones out there that are specific for broadheads as well,” Marullo said

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Texas BOATING

by LENNY RUDOW :: TF&G Boating Editor

The Birds & Bees

N

O, WE AREN’T TALKING about the fun stuff today. When I say birds and bees, I’m talking about the goddang $!*# birds, and those *$@! flying insects. They do a number on our boats.

Just this afternoon, I was getting ready to hitch up my 22 Glacier Bay when I watched a wasp fly into one of the bilge pump outlets.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had wasps nest on my boat—they love all those little cracks and

crevices.

Every other year or so I discover wasps living in the wash-down hose compartment, under a gunwale, or in a rodholder. But it was the first time this season, and seeing it go into the bilge pump outlet in particular is an extremely big deal.

Bear with me for a moment while I flash back to the summer of 2005. I took my twin boys, who were five at the time, through the inlet and into the open ocean for the first time.

We ran to a wreck about eight miles from the beach, where I knew there were some spadefish hanging around.

We anchored up and fished for a few hours, before I noticed that the boat seemed to be leaning over to port. I opened up a deck hatch, and saw a foot of water in the bilge. Yikes! Even

scarier, I could hear the bilge pump pumping furiously away. Yet when I hung my head over the side, I could see that no water was coming out. The hoses looked good, the pump looked good, and yet we were filling up with water.

With my young boys onboard, the boat listing, and the pump failing to evacuate any water, obviously, I was more than a little concerned. We pulled anchor and ran in without anything else going wrong, thanks goodness.

Back at the ramp when I pulled the drain plug, it took a solid five minutes for the bilge

“ So yeah, when I saw that wasp fly into the bilge pump outlet I got a bit irate.

“ to drain. Safely back at home I went through the bilge pump system with a fine-tooth comb, but couldn’t find anything wrong; the hoses were all in place, and the pump seemed to be pumping.

When I removed the hose and the pump shot water across the bilge I figured the hose had to have a clog in it somewhere. I dragged the air compressor out of the shed, took the hose off the pump and yes, you guessed it— when I let loose with a blast of air, a waterlogged wasp’s nest came shooting out.

Although,I may be overemphasizing a bit, it’s not entirely crazy to say that those #*&! wasps could have killed my sons and me.

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Texas BOATING So yeah, when I saw that wasp fly into the bilge pump outlet I got a bit irate.

Wasps aren’t the only insidious insects we boaters have to deal with. I’ve had carpenter bees move into through-hull fittings, ants decide to set up house in my outboard’s telltale, and flies decide to reside in my bait cooler.

(Okay, that last one was my fault. I left a bag of mullet in there by accident, and two weeks later, it was pretty ugly).

Unfortunately, the only way to successfully battle insect invasions is to keep a sharp eye out and take action the moment you see something that indicates they’ve moved aboard.

These days when I see a wasp flying around my boat, for example, I take a minute or two to watch it, and see where it goes. If it doesn’t disappear into the distance, I’ll usually be able to track down the nest and take appropriate measures.

What about the birds? They can do a number on a boat, too. Their droppings are acidic and eats away at the waterproofing properties

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of your canvas covers, Bimini tops, and T-tops.

It also can speed the demise of marine vinyls, which have UV-protective coatings that can similarly be melted away.

On rare occasions they may even nest in a T-top, but if this happens to you, I’d respectfully submit that you really need to get the boat out more often. In any case, the best way to deal with bird droppings is to wash them away as soon as possible. Let them sit for a couple of weeks, and the damage is already done. It’s also a good idea to keep your boat stored away from trees or power lines if at all possible, so it gets bombarded from above less often.

ANOTHER ISSUE YOU’LL SURELY want to avoid is a federally protected bird deciding to nest on your boat. Yes this sounds nutty and in truth it doesn’t happen very often, but every now and again something like an osprey or an eagle decides to build its nest in or on a boat. Usually this occurs on boats that are lift-kept, at the end of a pier.

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If the nest becomes established and the feds notice, you may be told that using your boat amounts to harassing wildlife. Some people would probably remove each and every twig at the first chance, and another might sigh and accept the notion. I’m not going to tell you which is the right move, just remember that once a nesting protected bird gets noticed, your hassle-factor goes through the roof.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go grab a can of wasp killer and take care of business.

Email Lenny Rudow at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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The Practical ANGLER

by PAUL BRADSHAW | TF&G Contributing Editor

Surf Basics

IGHT NOW AS I TYPE, IT’S cold and rainy and miserable and I’m throwing a fit like a five year old because I can’t go fishing. Don’t act like you don’t do it too.

However, by the time you read this the sun will be out, the birds will be singing, and it will be hot—really hot, stupid hot. But big fish will be biting in the surf. All will be right with the world—unless you don’t have the first clue as to how to surf fish, but that’s where I come in.

I’m no surf

treasure, or sucking in your gut. Do you have four arms (not forearms)?

Me neither That’s where a rod holder comes in handy (there’s a joke in there somewhere). Before you drop 40 or 50 dollars at an on-line tackle store buying a single rod holder for the beach, which will probably break or get lost, you need to visit your local hardware store.

Go to the back where they store the plumbing material and pick up a ten-foot section of two-inch PVC pipe. For less than ten dollars you now have all the material you need to make two surf rod holders.

If you want to be precise, measure the pipe and mark the halfway point. If you’re a real man and don’t need no stinkin’ tape measure to figure out where the middle is, just eyeball it.

expert, but I’ve met a few. I will now pass along a few of their tips and tricks to get you started.

Surf fishing appears to be an easy endeavor, right? You throw out a line, then sit around getting a nice deep mahogany tan while waiting for something to bite. It can almost be this easy, but you’ll need to do a little prep work beforehand to attain this level of simplicity.

First, you need to find a way to hold multiple rods at one time while engaging in other beach activities such as getting bait, digging for

Close counts in this case. Now, at the highly precise middle of the pipe, take a hack saw and make a 45 degree cut all the way through the pipe turning the once ten-foot-long piece into two five-foot-long pieces with beveled ends.

Using these rods holders is fairly simple.

Take a shovel, which you should always have at the beach to dig out your stuck truck (not that it’s ever happened to me), and dig a hole about a foot deep. Place the beveled end of

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the pipe into the hole and push it down while twisting to get it deeper. Then fill the hole back up with sand.

Your rod holder is now anchored securely with the top about four feet out of the sand.

This additional height helps keep your rod tip higher so your line stays above the waves as they roll in, which in turn keeps debris from collecting on your line and wiping it out.

So you have a rod holder, and I assume, a fishing rod, but don’t know what to put on the end of it to catch fish. You’re in luck again, because I know people who know how to do that too.

Most likely you will be fishing with some type of live, or used-to-be-alive, animal as bait along with a weight and a hook. A leader is typically used to keep all of this in line.

Start the leader by tying a barrel swivel onto your main line. To the side of the swivel (not attached to the main line), tie on three to four feet of heavy (3050 lb) monofilament. Slide a plastic bead on this line, followed by a snap swivel, followed by another bead.

Now attach this to another barrel swivel. On the other side of the swivel tie four to five feet of even heavier (80 lb) monofilament. Then finish this off by tying on a circle hook. The snap swivel will connect to your surf weight.

If you are worried about the length of this rig while casting, take the hook and hang it on one of the legs of your spider weight. It will stay with the weight while in the air, but is knocked loose when it hits the water.

Email Paul Bradshaw at ContactUs@fishgame.com

ILLUSTRATION: PAUL BRADSHAW

7/18/16 5:38 PM

Texas GUNS

by STEVE LAMASCUS | TF&G Shooting Editor

I

HAVE A REAL SOFT SPOT FOR the old Remington 722 and 721 rifles.

These are the ungainly ugly ducklings that were the forerunners of the Model 700. They were very plain, but imminently shootable.

Many of them were astoundingly accurate, especially the Model 722 in .222 Remington. I have had several of these little guns that would regularly keep three shots in well under an inch at 100 yards. This was from a gun made at a time when a two inch group was considered acceptable, and one inch remarkable.

A couple of years ago I was in Oasis Outback in Uvalde, looking over the used guns, when I spotted a very nice looking Model 721 in .270 Winchester. As luck would have it, I was in the market for a .270.

This one was wearing some kind of monstrous aftermarket stock that had nice wood.

It was well made, but there was about twice as much of it as was necessary. The stock alone weighed several pounds and the forearm reached 2/3 of the way to the muzzle, with a big, fat beavertail fore end.

I looked the old gun over and found that it, like many others I have found over the years, had been shot very little. The bore was bright and shiny, and the lands and grooves were clear and sharp. Since the price was right, I bought it.

When I got it home and had worked up a load for it, a trip to my range showed it to have been a great buy. Group after group ran just over one inch. Not bad for a rifle that is probably 60 years old.

I kept the old gun lying around my shop.

I intended to whittle the big stock down to size, but never could seem to get started on the project.

Then one day I had an idea. Since I have so few ideas, I try not to waste any. This one was to make the old 721 a different project by fit-

“ Since I have so few ideas, I try not to waste any.

“

Building a ‘New’ Rifle

ting it with a new synthetic stock. I would also replace the miserable stamped-metal floorplate and trigger guard with a nice, new one that has a hinged floorplate.

A call to the friendly, helpful folks at Brownells sealed the deal and had the parts on the way. It turns out that nothing is specifically made for the Model 721, but many Model 700 parts will work.

Okay!

A few days later the stock and bottom furniture arrived, and I trotted out to the shop the start the job.

The stock they sent was a Hogue overmolded stock with pillar bedding. I expected to have to do some fitting work to make the M700 stock fit the M721, but in that I was pleasantly surprised.

I put the stock on the gun, slid the floorplate into the stock, and screwed it all down. Easy— well, almost.

The only fly in the peanut butter was the spring steel magazine box. It was about an inch too long to work with the new floorplate. Some judicious grinding was indicated.

I dug out my bench grinder and started gingerly taking metal off the bottom of the box. I ground and ground and ground, a little at a time. I was being careful not to take off too much metal.

I was beginning to think I was going to end up with just a sliver of metal, but it finally fit, and the floorplate finally closed over the box.

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Now to see what kind of impact the new stock had on accuracy.

I grabbed a box of the ammo I had loaded for the rifle and headed to my range. It took just three rounds to get the rifle shooting where it looked, and I was ready to shoot for group.

The trigger on this Model 721 is especially sweet; just over two pounds and no creep at all. I snuggled up to the comfortable, rubber coated stock, ran a round into the chamber, put the crosshairs on the target and squeezed one off. It hit right where the crosshairs rested on the target. Two more rounds, and I walked down to see how I had done.

At first I was surprised—pleasantly so. The three shots had gone into a nice, triangular group just 1/2 inch across—must have been luck.

Nope.

After two more three-shot groups, the average was just at 3/4 of an inch. Man do I love that pillar bedding!

The moral of this story is this. If you have an old rifle lying around gathering dust, just a little work can turn that old relic into a very nice, modern rifle.

Aftermarket stocks, such as the Hogue, are made to fit a large number of different rifles.

I won’t guarantee that putting an aftermarket stock on your old Mauser, Remington, or Winchester will make it shoot half-inch groups, but modern bedding techniques can do some remarkable things for old guns.

Starting off with an old, but serviceable gun, I ended up with a modern sporting rifle that I am proud to show and happy to shoot. It will shoot with almost any new, off-the-shelf sporting rifle, and outshoot most of them.

I doubt that the total expense on this rifle is more than $600, less scope. If you already have the barrel and action, you are way ahead of the game. Compare that to the $900-plus you will pay for most new guns of this quality. Thanks Brownells.

G A M E ®

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Texas TESTED Stratus Support System Reinvents the Sling WEAPON SLINGS HAVE BEEN around for centuries, yet not much has changed beyond overcomplicated tactical setups overcomplicated like the outdated “three point sling”. But Stratus Support Systems has improved upon the sling system in a way that hunters and even tactical operators will appreciate.

The Stratus Support System is a twopiece part that doesn’t dispose of your current sling, yet improves upon it. To install you simply strap the knuckle attachment to your long gun’s buttstock right behind the handgrip, and then string the beltloop knuckle receiver onto your belt. When wearing your rifle or shotgun the system will not only relieve your neck, shoulders and back from the weight of the firearm by distributing the weight to your hips but it will also secure it to your body so the gun doesn’t flop around.

I found this to be very useful while hunting when I spotted a sounder of hogs over

a hillside. I low crawled for 50 yards to setup for the shots. Normally this would be challenging and very slow while trying to either balance the rifle on my back by the sling or cradling it in my arms. However with the Stratus Support System in place the rifle stayed secure on my back while I just focused on a quiet and low stalk.

The knuckle design is solid and the belt receiver is well designed with flexible plastic that is quiet and secure. I attempted to make the knuckle jump out of the belt unit by jogging with the rifle but it always stayed put. However when you begin to pull the rifle into shooting position it’s designed to draw out smoothly due to the angle of release.

The Stratus Support System can also be used without a sling and the user can just hold the forward weight of the rifle balanced in his arms or allow it to hang by his side while standing around if your barrel length allows.

I’m also excited to test out the new picatinny rail knuckle attachment to secure my rifle while I’m riding my ATV. I’ve found while riding my four wheeler through the forest with my AR15 at the ready position I’m always having to travel slowly and having my rifle bounce all around me. However with this accessory I can secure the front rail of my rifle to my left hip while the sling holds the buttstock close to my shoulder ready for hog hunting action.

While this is a new product I’m also curious if it could catch on in the competition world. Slinging all your gear for certain 3 Gun matches can be a challenge, and this could be a handy accessory to secure those bouncing rifles and shotguns for the run and gun stages.

The Stratus Support System retails for $24.95 including shipping and handling.

Portion of sales are contributed to Wounded Warriors. Find out more at http://www. stratussupportsystems.com

—by DUSTIN ELLERMANN

The Stratus Support System showing the knuckle attachment strapped to the buttstock and the beltloop receiver ready to accept the knuckle.

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PHOTO: DUSTIN ELLERMANN

7/18/16 5:42 PM

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Fish and Game GEAR Revolutionary New Formula from Tink’s AMERICA’S #1 BUCK LURE, INTROduces Boost73. Tink’s Boost73 is the first product of its kind, combining a product with amazing attraction while provid-

Tink’s Boost 73

ing deer with the minerals needed to support antler and body growth. Formulated in association with the Enzyme Experts at Dead Down Wind, Tink’s Boost73 supports digestion to get the maximum potential out of your food plots and feeds.

Bigger, Stronger, Healthier Deer Herds With Tink’s Revolutionary NEW Mineral Attractant.

Tink’s Boost73 offers six irresistible, super concentrated flavors for long range attraction. Boost73 is the only all natural attractant that combines beneficial minerals that deer need with a digestive enzyme to help deer digest more efficiently! Once ingested, the enzyme in Boost73 will stay in a deer’s digestive tract helping them pull additional nourishment they wouldn’t be able to get on their own! Simply pour Boost73 onto the ground or a stump, refresh every 2-3 weeks and watch your deer get stronger and healthier. Flavors include Fall Acorn, Sugar Beet, Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Ripe Persimmo, and Crisp Apple.

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commented Chris Cobbett, Tink’s Director of Marketing. “The value is tremendous as hunters will now be able to truly get the maximum benefit from their investment in food plots and supplemental feedings. Being the leader in deer lures and attractants, this was the perfect next step for us. The scientists over at Dead Down Wind did a great job of utilizing a natural enzyme that is scientifically proven to maximize digestion.

Boost73 attracts deer from a longer range with our powerful flavors, promotes a stronger herd with added minerals, aids in digestion of whatever food source you provide or is naturally available to it…it’s the perfect product!”

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WM10 WadeMaster

by Hydro Glow HYDRO GLOW FISHING LIGHTS, known worldwide for its high quality 12v fishing lights, is very excited about its new line of lights designed specifically for gigging flounder. They offer 2 models, one designed for “on the boat” and another for wading.

The WM10 WadeMaster features a high output 10w LED for superb illumination underwater. The WM10 is a little over 4’ long. The WM10 is constructed of rigid anodized and powder coated aluminum to prevent corrosion and strong enough to withstand the rigors of flounder gigging. It has a conveniently located on/off switch on the end, an adjustable shoulder strap to make it easy for using both hands when needed. The WM10 is powered by 4 AA batteries so there is no need to drag that battery around any more.

The BF30 is a 30w, 12v high output “submersible” LED floodlight. The BF30 can be

Hydro Glow WadeMaster

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Henry Long Ranger

used above the water or below. Featuring an array of optical lens over the LEDs it focuses the beam to maximize penetration in the water. You will be able to run up to 4 lights on a good marine battery all night.

The BF30 is designed for those fishermen who just don’t like spending approximately $1000 or more on a generator. Leave the generator and get a set of the BF30 LED floodlights and enjoy the night without the noise.

For more information on the WM10 WadeMaster Flounder Gigging Light and the BF30 floodlight call Hydro Glow at 877.895.4569, email at hydroglow@gmail. com, or ask for them at your local tackle supplier.

on the shoulder for the quick follow-up shots where lever actions excel.

This premium rifle comes with an affordable price tag at just $1,014.95 MSRP, scope mounts included. Lever action hunting is more alive than ever, and now there is a new rifle on the market that will really reach

out and touch some fur. To find out more about this new model and Henry’s other great offerings order a free catalog at www. henryrifles.com/catalog.

Long Ranger Henry Repeating Arms HENRY REPEATING ARMS, KNOWN for their American-made lever action rifles and industry-leading customer service, seeks to enter new territory with their introduction of the “Long Ranger.”

This new model is chambered in the ever popular .223, .243, and .308 calibers, all of which provide a huge step up in effective range when compared with their previous models. It features a 20” round and blued free-floated sporter barrel supported by a lightweight aerospace alloy receiver and oil-finished American Walnut furniture with laser-cut checkering.

The new geared action drives a chromed steel bolt with a 6-lug rotary head into a rear extension of the barrel for a strong and consistent lock-up, which provides a level of accuracy that even the staunchest of bolt action enthusiasts can admire.

It weighs just 7 pounds and uses a transfer bar safety, so there’s no clunky external safeties to fumble with. Sling swivel studs are already mounted out of the box, and the solid black rubber recoil pad provides both recoil control and a non-slip anchor point

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Texas TASTED

by BRYAN SLAVEN :: The Texas Gourmet

Habañero & Apple Glazed Pork Chops

M

AKE SURE THAT PORK chops are thoroughly brined before preparation.

Trim any excess fat from pork chops, spray with olive oil spray or Pam, set aside in a baking dish in the refrigerator.

Combine all other ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat until blended well then remove from heat and set aside.

Season the chops with salt and pepper then

4-6 Center cut pork chops 3 T. TXG Habanero Pepper Jelly 1/2 cup applesauce 1 T. Dijon mustard 1 T. Fresh ground rosemary

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2 T. Olive oil 1/2 cup of white wine

PREPARATION

INGREDIENTS

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place on a preheated and seasoned grill indirectly over medium high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning often and basting when turning. The chops are done when a thermometer inserted will read 160 degrees.

Remove from fire to a warmed platter and cover with a foil tent, resting for 5-10 minutes.

Place the remaining marinade in a skillet over high heat, bring to a boil until slightly thickened then pour over the chops and serve hot.

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Serve with Hunter’s Quick Dirty rice and Pineapple Mango Pico de Gallo.

Enjoy!

Email Bryan Slaven at bryan@thetexasgourmet.com

PHOTO: BRYAN SLAVEN

7/18/16 5:40 PM

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www.FishandGameGear.com T E X A S

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Open SEASON

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

Social Media

T

HE HUNTING CLUB MEMbers were huddled over their phones when I came through the glass doors of Doreen’s 24 hr Eat Gas Now Café. I settled into the large round booth and hooked an index finger through the handle of my coffee mug.

“What are you guys doing?”

Wrong Willie looked up from the screen.

“Trixie helped us all to set up Facebook accounts this morning.”

I scanned the table. Doc’s tongue was sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he carefully thumbed the device. The phone in my pocket buzzed. I took it out and glanced at the screen.

“Uh, Doc. It’s not my birthday, but thanks for the sentiment.”

“I know. That was a test. Trixie said we’re ‘friends’ now, so you’re my guinea pig.”

“I don’t want to be a …” my phone buzzed again. This time it was Jerry Wayne.

He smiled across the table. “I ‘poked you.’”

“Don’t do that.”

“You can poke me back.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

My device buzzed again. This time it was Woodrow, but he had a Facebook account long before I ever waded into those waters.

This time, though, it was an album of photographs.

“Hey, that’s me and the War Department dancing in the middle of the highway in Oklahoma.”

“That’s right. I shot several pictures that day.”

“You used a camera, too. Not a cell phone.”

“We didn’t have them back then, well, not like we have now. I had that big ol’ bag phone.”

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“I had one too, remember. You probably don’t need to post pictures like this. I’m not sure the statute of limitations has run out.”

“What happened?” Trixie appeared at our table with a fresh pot of coffee, and the redhaired waitress was—splendid.

“The War Department and I were in the backseat of Woodrow’s Suburban. Woodrow and Flower Child were in the front, and we’d been fishing all weekend, him driving us around and trying our luck in creeks and streams. We stopped at a couple of private tanks and asked if we could fish, and everyone told us we could.”

“That doesn’t sound exciting,” Doc said.

“It wasn’t until we were blowing down the road and the War Department made Flower Child a bet that she wouldn’t eat one of the minnows in the bucket on the floorboard at her feet. Quick as a wink, Flower Child reached in, plucked out a minnow, and swallowed it.”

Jerry Wayne stifled a gag. “She chew it up?”

“That’d be sushi, and no, she swallowed it whole. Woodrow there was so stunned he stopped the Suburban in the middle of that rural two-lane highway and rolled out, laughing. We were having so much fun that he opened the back gate and turned up the music. That’s when country music was real and not that Rappy Rock Bubblegum crap they’re screeching today. Anyway, me and the War Department got out and danced a couple of two-steps right there on the road.”

Trixie ran her fingers through my hair and went back to the counter. “It’s a good thing the highway patrol didn’t come by.”

“We were lucky about a lot of things that afternoon. But like I said, y’all don’t need to be posting too many old shots.”

I glanced down at my screen when it vibrated still another time. “Guys, I’m right here with y’all. You don’t need to tag me with your location. We all know we’re here.”

“This is great,” Wrong Willie said. “Here’s a joke.”

I glanced down. “Almost every other word is misspelled, and that joke about the retriev-

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er and dynamite wasn’t funny the first time I heard it.”

“You should share.”

“I should take these phones away from y’all. Look, we’re five guys sitting around a table, paying more attention to the electronic devices in our hands than talking out loud.

It’s sad.”

A sad face appeared on my Facebook page.

“Look, you’re not supposed to post stuff on my page.”

“You started all this,” Jerry Wayne accused.

“Did not. Woodrow had the first page, and I only have one because it’s required in my book contracts. Let’s talk.”

They put down the phones and silence reigned.

We sipped coffee.

We looked out the window.

Doc turned around to see who was in the café.

I cleared my throat. “Dove season starts in less than two weeks.”

A minute later my phone gave me an alert.

It was Jerry Wayne and I sighed again at the post. “I didn’t need for you to update that.

We all know it. That’s enough. How about no more Facebook posts while we’re all here.”

“Fine.”

We put our phones back down and attended to our coffee.

Five minutes later, I saw Jerry Wayne’s phone was gone and he was staring at his lap.

“What are you doing now?”

My phone dinged.

He gave me an embarrassed grin. “Sorry.

I tweeted.”

Willie sniffed. “Was that what…?”

I gave up.

It was my only recourse.

Email Reavis Wortham at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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7/18/16 5:48 PM

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WHITETAIL Montague County

BASS

Twelve-year-old Caitlyn Carter shot her first deer last December while hunting in Bonita.

Her deer was a 6-1/2 year-old 10 point buck shot with .243 rifle. She was sitting with her Dad in a tree stand.

Guadalupe River Kevin Harris caught this black bass in Ingram Texas, on the Guadalupe river.

WHITETAIL Frio County & Comal County Like father, like son: Jonathan Doell (left photo) shot his first deer while hunting in Frio County with his grandfather, David Doell. On the right is Jonathan’s dad, Logan Doell, now deceased, as a boy with his first deer, taken in Comal County.

REDFISH Port O’Connor Jared Wilkinson caught this big red while fishing out of Port O’Connor with DB Coastal Outfitters.

The fish was released.

REDFISH Sabine Lake Robert Johnson of Missouri City caught and released this beautiful golden colored 36-inch redfish in the Sabine Lake area.

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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.

REDFISH

No guarantee can be made as to when, or if, a submitted photo will be published.

DUCKS

Freeport Thirteen-year-old Jaden Wall caught this redfish while fishing the Freeport area. The photo was submitted by proud dad Jesse Wall.

WHITETAIL

Undisclosed Madeline Rogers limited out on redheads along with her husband, David, and brother, Garrett Heard.

SQUIRREL

Yorktown

Lake Dunlap

Jace Drewry with his first deer, shot it at 125 yards with his dad’s Winchester 300 Magnum.

Jace and his dad, Mick Drewry were hunting near Yorktown.

Five- year-old Granger Walters of New Braunfels made a perfect shot on this squirrel under his grandfather’s watchful eye at Lake Dunlap using a .177 caliber pellet gun.

CATFISH Fayette County Res. Logan Jenke (right) and Kellun Kittrell (left) of San Antonio are Fifth grade classmates. They put the hammer down on these four catfish averaging 6 pounds each, at Fayette County Res. They also caught and released five bass averaging 4 pounds each. This was Kellun’s first time fishing out of a boat.

POMPANO Padre Island Six-year-old Faith Obersteller with her very first pompano, caught at the Padre Island National Seashore, around Mile 21.

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