Texas Fish & Game October 2017 by Texas Fish & Game

VOICE OF THE TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION The Art of Using

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October 2017 | $3.95

Gunning for Wild Hogs Texas Bass Legends Search for Texas Sasquatch Super Snapping Turtles 1710-Oct-Cover-DIG.indd 1

Muley

Madness Mule Deer with a Handgun

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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.

C R E A T I V E ELLIOTT DONNELLY TECHNICAL ADVISOR

ROY NEVES

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CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF

C O N T R I B U T O R S JOE DOGGETT DOUG PIKE TED NUGENT LOU MARULLO MATT WILLIAMS CALIXTO GONZALES LENNY RUDOW STEVE LAMASCUS DUSTIN ELLERMANN KENDAL HEMPHILL WILL LESCHPER REAVIS WORTHAM TOM BEHRENS GREG BERLOCHER RAZOR DOBBS CAPT. MIKE HOLMES DUSTIN WARNCKE STAN SKINNER LISA MOORE

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TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. ©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 $24.95; 2 years $42.95; 3 years $58.95. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. 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, 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. Email change of address to: subscriptions@fishgame.com. Email new orders to: subscriptions@fishgame.com. Email subscription questions to: subscriptions@fishgame.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX 772679946 and at additional mailing offices. Paid Distribution of over 90,000 Verified by Independent Audit

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Table of

OCTOBER 2017 Volume 34 • NO. 6

Contents FEATURES

TEXAS LEGENDS COVER STORY: Packing a Mule It’s challenging enough to hunt mule deer, which are different from whitetails in many respects. But try doing it with a 10mm handgun.

14u

Texas has been a fertile breeding ground for pro bass anglers since the dawn of tournament fishing. Here is a profile of five of the sport’s biggest names, Texas pros who were casting for cash before many TEXAS FISH & GAME readers were born.

by Matt Williams

Story by Razor Dobbs Photo: Canstock

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

GUNNING FOR HOGS Deer season is also a great time for some of the best hog hunting opportunities in Texas. Here are five “fatal” tips to score on a big boar in the fall.

by Chester Moore Freaky Flounder A collection of photos from our readers who caught flatfish that were really big or just plain odd.

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by TF&G Staff

TEXAS SASQUATCH Tales of sightings in Texas of the mythical creature known as “Sasquatch,” or “Bigfoot,” or “Skunk Ape,” or “Sabine Thing,” or “Caddo Critter” or numerous other localized variations, are as old as Texas itself.

by Chester Moore

Cast & Blast Fall is an incredible time in Texas, a time when there is so much to do in the outdoors, sportsmen have trouble deciding—Do I fish, or do I hunt? Many don’t decide. They simply do it all. It’s called a “Cast & Blast.”

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SUPER SNAPPERS Alligator snapping turtles, prehistoric throwbacks that have refused to evolve, occupy creeks and sloughs throughout the wooded wilds of eastern Texas.

by Jeff Stewart

by Chester Moore

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Inside FISH & GAME

Contents (continued) COLUMNS

by ROY and ARDIA NEVES TF&G Owners

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T E X A S

by Joe Doggett

DEPARTMENTS

8 LETTERS Pike on the Edge 89 FISH AND by Doug Pike

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Nugent in the Wild by Ted Nugent

TF&G Editor At Large

Commentary

GAME GEAR

90 TEXAS

TASTED

91 OUTDOOR

DIRECTORY

by Kendal Hemphill

94 TF&G PHOTOS

Bare Bones Hunting

STATE SECTION

TF&G Political Commentator

by Lou Marullo

TF&G Hunting Editor

Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales

TF&G Saltwater Editor

Texas Freshwater by Matt Williams

TF&G Freshwater Editor

Texas Boating

by Lenny Rudow

TF&G Boating Editor

Practical Angler by Greg Berlocher

TF&G Contributing Editor

Texas Guns

by Steve LaMascus

TF&G Firearms Editor

Bass University by Pete Robbins

Special Correspondent

Open Season

by Reavis Wortham

TF&G Humor Editor

36 HOW TO GLASS 42 TF&G REPORT 42 TEXAS HOT SHOTS

44 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

46 TEXAS DEPT. OF CONSERVATION

48 TEXAS COASTAL FOCUS

58 TEXAS FISHING HOTSPOTS

66 PRIME TIMES

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Email Roy and Ardia Neves at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com O C T O B E R

Doggett at Large TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

E WERE STILL DRYING OUT FROM THE floods visited upon us by Hurricane Harvey as the deadline for this issue arrived. This powerful force of nature hammered the upper two-thirds of the Texas Coast relentlessly for almost a week, first with Category 4 winds and storm surges pummelling Port Aransas, Rockport, Corpus Christi and the whole coastal bend, then drenching much of the inland prairies all the way to San Antonio, before regrouping back out over the Gulf and heading to the Upper Coast. There, it dropped historic rains, in the trillions of gallons, on the Houston area. Finally, still not finished with its brutal mission, Harvey left Houston and moved on to Port Arthur and Beaumont and poured close to 50 inches of rainwater on the Golden Triangle before leaving our state and moving further inland across Louisiana on its way to Kentucky. With what seemed like sociopathic purpose, Harvey took its cruel time carving a path of destruction through Texas. After devastating the middle coast, it inched its way up the coastline, allowing the feeder bands of rain on its “dirty side” to gather and begin their rotating sorties, around and around... and around... the upper coast, bombarding watersheds, reservoirs and communities with unrelenting sheets of rain. These weren’t common thunderstorm downpours but waves of steady rain that ultimately totaled as much water as flows over Niagara Falls in two weeks. In all, fifty counties were affected by the storm—twenty percent of the giant state’s total. The Texas Coast is no untested region when it comes to dealing with hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters. And the way Texans responded to this gruelling test proved we are not lightweights, either. Tens of thousands of people were displaced, forced from their homes— many with little or no notice—as floodwaters rose around them. Boaters—hundreds, if not thousands, of them—responded to this deadly crisis, forming an armada of Texas Grit. Volunteers in jon boats, center consoles, pontoon boats, kayaks, and crafts of virtually every size worked without rest, making run after run into neighborhoods and apartment complexes all over the Greater Houston area and beyond, rescuing stranded residents trapped by the rising waters. Some of those rescued were plucked off the roofs of two-story homes. Much of the flood water flowed over hazardous unseen structure, making these rescue missions true acts of bravery. Without these volunteers, the crisis would have overwhelmed the resources of police and fire departments and even the Coast Guard and National Guard units sent in to provide rescue operations. These heroics no doubt reduced the toll of death and injury. Indeed, lives were lost. Too many. But compared to the horrific events in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, the loss of life here was a great deal less than it might have been. Personally, we were lucky. The TEXAS FISH & GAME office was surround by high water on every access road for the duration of the storm. At our home in southeastern Montgomery County—situated in a wedge formed by the confluence of the San Jacinto River, Spring Creek and Cypress Creek, all of which crested at far above historic flood levels—water came close enough to our front door to warrant a voluntary evacuation call from the county emergency management office. Fortunately, we did not get flooded. Nor did our office, which we learned once we were able to gain access as soon as the water receded from Interstate 45. But many others were not lucky, including members of the TF&G family. The recovery from this catastrophe will take years. We trust that FEMA, state leadership and local governments are up to the task of providing support to the many thousands of residents and businesses affected by the storm. If governing agencies fail to meet the challenge, we are confident that private citizens of Texas will step up with donations of cash, necessities and their time and labor to get the job done. In fact, they are already doing just that. Hurricane Harvey created what has been declared an 800-year flood. Literally, a Flood of the Millennium. It would sure be nice to think that a disaster of this magnitude won’t happen again until the twenty-ninth century. But if we’ve learned anything as Texans living on the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico, more will come at us, and a hell of a lot sooner than we’d like. But, WE ARE TEXAS STRONG. And we will handle it.

by Chester Moore

TF&G Editor in Chief

Harvey Hellbanger

Editor’s Notes

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LETTERS to the Editor Pike and Procrastination WHY DO TODAY WHAT CAN BE PUT off? On another, and more serious note, I have noticed a reduction of legal speckled trout and redfish on the lower, middle and upper coasts. I would like to see this discussed to determine if others have noticed the same. A few Proposals: • Change the limits, entire Texas coast to 5 Specks and 3 Reds. • Change the size limits. For speckled trout 14 to 23 inches, nothing over may be retained. For Reds, 18 to 25 inches, no oversized tag. • Make all tournaments Catch & Release, photos should suffice. • Mandate barbless hooks to reduce damage to fish and make release easier. I realize these are controversial suggestions but believe it is incumbent on sportsmen to protect the resource we all enjoy.

Rat snake.

dozen of the other. But for educational purposes I would like to see the correct terminology used. Just like with firearms.... magazine vs. clip, bullet vs. cartridge, etc. The “Texas Rat Snake” has been reclassified as the “western rat snake”. As far as swimming styles, I have seen water moccasins both swimming high in the water column and also completely submerged. Same with plain belly water snakes. One venomous, the other not. Elliptical eyes slits vs. round pupils. Though I have never seen, in person, a pit viper with round eyes, dozens if not more pictures can be found on the web of pit vipers with round pupils. Their eyes dilate just like ours. In closing, I truly appreciate you educating the folks of our great state of Texas that snakes do not deserve to be needlessly killed. I just don’t want misinformation to get someone hurt.

Randolph Halford

Doggett on Snakes I APPLAUD YOUR FINE ARTICLE ON snakes. Too many people are appallingly ignorant of snakes and other animals native to our state. Hopefully your article will enlighten them.

Bill Montgomery LET ME START WITH WHAT A HUGE fan I am of Texas Fish & Game magazine. I look forward to every issue, and enthusiastically read them cover-to-cover. Y’all turn out a great product every month. Thank You. I started into your article “Know Your Snakes” with great interest. See I am a novice at IDing Texas snakes, but I have been working on my skills for a long time. So when I dug into your article a couple of things caught me off guard, as some of the information is partially incorrect. Starting with the term “non-poisonous vs. nonvenomous. I know, I know, dozen of one half a 8

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Editor: Dear Bryan. I can tell you’re a snake enthusiast (I own 18!) because snake lovers are also detail lovers. Yes, pit vipers eyes can appear round but in general Joe is right. On the Texas versus western rat snake. I honestly think the name change is lame but who am I? You are correct though. T E X A S

Love for Nugent I LOVE THE FACT THAT TED Nugent lives in Texas and he is in Texas Fish & Game every month. I love his stance on guns and appreciate his work with young. Keep it up Uncle Ted!

Bailey Lee

Send Your Comments to:

Bryan Klein

They will also be Texas rat snake to me. We thank you for digging so deep into the story and studying Texas’ snakes. They have a vital role in our ecosystem and Joe and I have bonded over them over the years. —CM

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Texas Fish & Game 247 Airtex Dr. Houston TX 77090 editor@ﬁshgame.com

PHOTO: CANSTOCK

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

New Beginnings

WENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO THIS month, my first published article appeared in the pages of a weekly newspaper called The Opportunity Valley News. The story was about red wolves and “coywolves” the hybrids between red wolf and coyote. My next week’s column was about squirrel hunting. And then I wrote something on whitetail and after that, flounder, just in time for the fall run. What followed is more than 6,000 published articles, 10,000 published photographs, a variety of books, 1,000 plus radio broadcasts, numerous television appearances and nearly 500 lectures, seminars and other speaking engagements. It has been a wild ride to say the least. If you had asked me at 19 years of age what my goal was, I would have said to make a living communicating about wildlife and to raise awareness of wildlife conservation through my work. That’s still my goal for this business. But it’s even more well-defined and crucial in my opinion. It also looks a lot different from what it did in 1992, and it must be even more so, going forward. The higher you climb in outdoor journalism, the less time you have to actually go outdoors. Factor in parenthood, and in my case, reaching out to hurting children for Christ (both far more important than hunting and fishing) and other commitments time outdoors, just gets flat rare—at least rarer than I would like it to be. But it’s a sacrifice I gladly make. What we have here at Texas Fish & Game is really a unique vehicle to get the word out on conservation. Even before I had any influence on content, the conservation ethic ran strong on these pages—especially in the saltwater fishing world. It is a publication with owners who know the value of stewardship. More than 20 years ago they had the vision to partner with wildlife classes in Texas schools to provide this publication as a teaching aid. I still spend time outdoors every week. But most of the time it is with a camera in my hand to capture images for this publication and my personal wildlife writings. About half the photos you see monthly, including the covers, were shot by yours truly. It is something I enjoy doing. Images are important and are crucial, not only to the

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ing desires died with my father on a friend’s ranch three years ago. He passed away while we were cleaning one of the biggest bucks of his life. Although I am on a lease this year and plan to give it serious effort, this is a good time to move on. This makes 25 years since I started my career and 30 years since I shot my first buck, with my Dad on a day lease in Llano County. Deer hunting will never be the same without Dad. So after this year, marking that great time with Dad, I will no longer get a lease. I will have to rely on friends to send me a backstrap. Duck hunting is a different story as I came into that on my own in my early 20s, and I love duck gumbo and fried bluewing teal breasts too much to bow out. I do, however, know the position I have with this publication and in this industry is not about me. It is about the resource. I have the opportunity, talent and focus to be a catalyst to protect our precious natural resources. You can only be good at what you believe. For 25 years I have stood for resource stewardship, often when others were ignoring certain issues. I plan to continue that at an entirely new level. No surrender. No retreat. No fear. Full steam ahead. America needs to know the results of billions of dollars in hunting and fishing license fees and excises taxes spent on wildlife conservation. Texas needs a wildlife journalist who doesn’t mind cutting through the BS of politics, the good ol’ boy syndicate and even the industry itself. This is a new beginning forged in purpose, focus and with a deep love for wildlife and all of the people who steward my favorite creatures and the habitat we pursue them in. I can write (and edit) with authority on hunting, fishing and all things wildlife because I have lived it my entire life. However, I can only move forward if I am honest with myself and realize my purpose in this position is not to enjoy the spoils of outdoor writing. It is to bring back the best stories, most unique insight and forward thinking journalism within me and the talented roster here at Texas Fish & Game. We have everything from big business to well-funded animal rights organizations trying to squash the progress the outdoors community has made. That community can only respond to these threats if they know about them. My job is to make that possible. And it’s one I do with great enthusiasm.

business side of what we do, but to promote resource stewardship. Many times over the years, I have chosen a camera over a rod and reel or gun to capture those images. Many times I did it begrudgingly, because I really wanted to get into a school of redfish or take a shot at the gadwall lighting in the rice field. I knew, however, reds didn’t produce a check when put in the ice chest, but they did on the camera. I realize even more now, the imagery and words we provide make sure that future generations can enjoy these pursuits. Now, I choose the camera with joy. The high school students who read Texas Fish & Game through their wildlife classes need to know that abundant speckled trout populations have a lot to do with efforts of the conservation ethic and funding of the Coastal Conservation Association. The longtime readers need to see that the “Redfish Wars” kicked off the coastal conservation crusade just as this publication was beginning. Now there are special areas of hatcheries being built for southern flounders to take that species to a new level. Those young people need to realize the 14 million acres conserved by Ducks Unlimited helps, not only to put teal, mallards and pintail in their favorite marsh, but also to help a host of other wild creatures. Those who have sewn into waterfowl efforts over the years, need to see the reason these young people can enjoy abundant hunting opportunities is because of their sacrifice. I can’t get this out to people with a gun or rod in my hand. It takes a camera in my hand or one filming me to capture these stories, which are far more relevant than stories of Chester Moore gallivanting around the country fishing and hunting. I’ve been there, done that and literally have the scars to prove it. Loved it too by the way. Chances are if you see me in the field from now on it will be capturing images, interviewing experts and bringing back to this publication cutting edge issues of stewardship that quite frankly no one else in Texas is touching. No, I am not retiring from pursuing the great outdoors. If you think I am giving up flounder or crappie fishing, for example, you’re nuts. I may go less often but I always pick the prime days and usually score. I have flounder on the agenda as I type this, in fact. I am planning big things for the fall on that front and probably right before a front (pun intended). I am, however, making this my last year deer hunting. It’s not because I don’t agree with it. It’s because, to be as honest as I can, my deer huntF I S H

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Email Chester Moore at cmoore@ﬁshgame.com |

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

Love Those Doves

shooting disciplines. Many veteran gunslingers would agree that the dove hunter who “takes ‘em as they come” and consistently averages better than 50 or 60 percent is a top hand with a shotgun. Of course, there’s no shame in missing—except maybe muffing that creampuff incomer alluded to earlier. We’ve all done it. I think maybe it looks so easy, you lift your cheek from the stock to better admire the ice cream setup. But, in a twisted way, the flaming misses are part of the fun—at least for nearby friends who are watching. Finally, doves are easy to pluck, quick to clean, and great to eat. A pair of game shears can snip and zip with “ease and elegance” through a full pouch. Or you can breast them. Either way, numerous fine recipes are available but the simple grill drill of bacon and onion and jalapeno is hard to top. These advantages are touted each season as we champion dove hunting. There’s one more point worth noting: The closest shotgun almost certainly is suitable. In other words, anything this side of a heavy 3 1/2inch, 12-gauge goose or turkey boomer is at home in a dove field. Preferences as to gauges, actions, and chokes have been debated for decades, with no absolute pecking order. To repeat, there’s no such thing as a typical dove shot. Regardless of the gun you use, statistics favor fairly open chokes but tight borings in reasonably skilled hands work well— excellent, in fact, for long-range pass shooting or jump shooting. This flexibility is a big plus for the one-gun hunter. Just reach in the closet, grab the trusty old 870 Wingmaster, and go dove hunting. It also plays to the opposite extreme for the avid collector of fine shotguns. No other type of hunting allows so many opportunities under such tolerable conditions. You are not dragging a highdollar double gun through a coastal salt marsh or jamming heavy loads into the chambers. You’re sitting or standing—or maybe walking slowly amid dry terrain—and popping away with forgiving shotshells. And, with the liberal daily limit, you have the option of using two or even three prized guns during a single hunt. Of course, this can be easier said than done. Uncommon resolve might be required to stop shooting under

OVE HUNTING IS A BIG deal in Texas. Based on annual statistics compiled by Texas Parks and Wildlife, the various dove seasons draw approximately 400,000 hunters. The actual number of “dove hunters” probably is greater, since some casual participation surely goes undocumented. Regardless, diminutive doves are second only to white-tailed deer. Several reasons explain this popularity: Doves are plentiful, available in every county, and the limit is generous, 15 birds per day (mourning doves and white-winged doves, no limit on non-native Eurasian doves). Oh, yes, and no more than two white-tipped doves, whatever they are. The hunting is inexpensive and minimal support gear is necessary. It’s a casual shirtsleeve affair during the prime months of September and October, and the alarm clock is a non-event. Most civilized dove hunts occur during the mid- or lateafternoon hours. Morning or afternoon, heavy lifting is not required and the upland terrain almost always offers hard ground for pleasant walking (opposed to the goo-pie marsh or flooded field facing the muddy waterfowler). And there’s no such thing as a typical setup. You have feeding fields, water holes, gravel bars, roost trees, and open flight lines. The first bird might be an incomer floating along at 25 yards; the next might be hurtling overhead at 45 yards. Your have deliberate crossing shots over plowed fields, and quick jump-shooting chances at birds corkscrewing up and away from brushy ground cover. And, in most situations, light field loads are standard issue. The lack of magnum kick favors all shooters, but kids and light-framed adults especially benefit from the lack of felt recoil. Truly, dove hunting can challenge all wing-

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a hot flight and walk back to the vehicle to change guns. About 12 or 15 years ago, several old friends and I got stoked on shooting hammer guns—you know, the old side-by-sides with exposed cocking spurs. Most of them were built in England. The quality “London guns” remain beautiful pieces of work, with fine wood, skilled engraving and slim receivers. Most of the fine, old hammer guns available today are 12 bores with 28- to 30-inch tubes, a bit unwieldy for quail over dogs, and totally unsuited for hard-core waterfowl hunting. However, the typical hammer gun is an excellent choice in the dove field. Remember, a stationary dove hunter takes deliberate shots. A frantic fast draw is not required (the abrupt flush when jump shooting being the exception). Time almost always is ample for you to anticipate the dove and safely cock the two hammers. Also, the long, twin barrels encourage a smooth swing and follow-through. The old hammer game guns are just one example of the flexibility of the dove hunt. If you want to shoot a light gauge, great—especially over incomers putting on the brakes at a water hole. Knowing the realistic limits of the gauge and choke certainly come into play, but opportunities abound for the disciplined dove shooter. But, again, almost any shotgun is a legitimate choice for doves, and all can point the way to great days afield. My first forays as a young teen growing up in Houston were enthusiastically saluted by a singleshot Stevens 12-gauge. It had a full choke, probably not the best choice for a rookie wingshooter, but the single “Bang!” worked with encouraging consistency. Those long-ago goatweed fields and brush lines are under subdivisions and strip centers now, and the simple gun has been replaced by a rank and file of superior smoothbores. But, pedigrees of fine engraving and figured walnut aside, I count some of those early fall afternoons among my most memorable.

Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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

Taming San Luis Pass

N MID-AUGUST, AFTER A SHORTterm spate of drownings, Brazoria County officials opted to shut down the recreational dipping of so much as a toe into water around San Luis Pass. To make their message clear, signs were posted to explain that people who violate the new law face fines up to $500. This natural interchange between West Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico is relatively narrow, like the waist of an hourglass. Ingoing and outgoing flow between the two water bodies is predictably strong and, as we are reminded annually, potentially perilous. Stand ankle-deep in water there at the peak of a tide change, and you can—you could until August 18 anyway—feel the sand being swept from beneath your feet. Sadly this past summer, several people died there almost within a week of each other. Two men were lost when one tried to rescue the other. Another man drowned when the kayak on which he and six other people were riding—including some children and adults not wearing PFDs—capsized. One side of me understands completely the county court’s decision to shut down fishing, swimming and bathing in an area that claims at least a few lives each year. Labeling it a “public safety” issue, Brazoria County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to make splishing, splashing or otherwise getting wet there a Class C Misdemeanor. That ruling, at least on the Brazoria County side of the pass, leaves me and other fishermen high and dry, presumably forever. We respect the pass as much for what it’s done to others as for what it could do to us and used it accordingly.

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elsewhere. For anyone who is not an expert open-water swimmer, that’s a good idea. As a veteran (read as “old”) wade fisherman, surfer and general fan of coastal waters, I count exactly five times I’ve felt uneasy in the water. Five times, I was at least moderately uncertain whether I’d get out of the jam I’d found myself in. Two were surfing incidents, one prior to leashes and another the result of a broken leash. Two others were nighttime wade-fishing events in Texas that involved stepping into deep water merely one unexpected, single pace beyond shallow water. Each time, when I resurfaced, I had to tread water and regain my bearings (with rod handle clenched in teeth) before side-paddling back to safety. The fifth was that San Luis Pass episode, and that’s the only one of the five that involved swift water. Fast-moving water is more dangerous than water standing still, but either can kill you. Instead of threatening $500 fines, I’d rather that the county had erected big signs, lots of them. At least one should state (in a halfdozen languages with bold illustrations) that the county assumes absolutely no responsibility for anything that happens beyond that sign. Maybe the county could just draw a big line in the sand and say, “If you cross this line, you’re on your own.” Driving past the line would be akin to signing a liability waver in favor of the county. Ultimately, short of fencing off San Luis Pass or posting full-time law enforcement, the county can’t force people to do the right thing—or keep them from doing the wrong thing. San Luis Pass can be dangerous. If you don’t get that, it might get you.

We either wore PFDs or fished somewhere else. The other side of me is willing to accept my own responsibility to fish there sensibly; if something happens to me there, without interference of anyone else, it’s my fault. Where next, I wonder, might someone identify a string of tragedies and declare that area off limits? Do we barricade dangerous intersections and force traffic to circumnavigate them? Do we build overpasses at every railroad crossing? Some places, some things, are inherently dangerous. Sign or no sign, warning or no warning, a handful of people occasionally are going to expose themselves—intentionally or otherwise—to that danger. The risk associated with doing so is on them. It’s hardly a recent determination that San Luis Pass is a perilous place to enter the water. It’s claimed victims since some unnamed storm sliced the coast there centuries ago. Count me among those who have temporarily lost footing in its swift current and had to swim patiently back to shore. I was young and strong when it happened, and I knew to stroke with the flow rather than against it. So, I put toes back on sand barely a minute later, but almost 50 yards from where I was yanked off my feet by the tide. I recognize that some people may not realize how fast water moves at San Luis Pass or that swimming against that current is a lifelosing proposition. However, I’d hope people would heed warning signs and adjust their activities accordingly. I wonder if county officials might have been at least as concerned with potential lawsuits and negative publicity as with public safety. To be honest, I wouldn’t blame those men and women for thinking that way. Society is quick to blame others for its own poor decisions. When lawyers ask in open court what could have been done to prevent any sad occurrence at San Luis Pass, at least one of several possible answers must include the victim not getting into the water. Ultimately, most potential future victims of San Luis Pass will get the message—some by way of citation—and enjoy beach time F I S H

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Email Doug Pike at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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9/6/17 11:52 AM

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

Welcome, Felix

Y DEAREST GRANDSON

Felix, Welcome to planet earth and the loving Nugent & Kennedy families and America at 1:07am on July 28, 2017 youngman! Those 1st 9 months were as comfy as it is going to get, but be prepared for one hell of an exciting journey in this never ending adventure called LIFE! Lucky lucky you to be born into such a loving, caring, nurturing family Felix! As time goes on you will come to discover just how lucky you are. Your mom and dad and entire family are as good as humans can be, so you will grow up in an environment that many people will never know. Count your blessings daily! Your last 18 hours inside mom before finally popping out proves that you are a member of a fighting clan! Never lose touch with the importance of fighting and never giving up no matter the odds against you. Your wonderful mother can fill you in on all the gory details and how it is always worth it. On July 28, 2017, you enter two very different worlds Felix. The best one is the world of your family, where love, DISCIPLINE, attentiveness, honesty, truth, logic, commonsense, goodwill and decency guide our every day, our every thought, our every decision. The other world is sadly and embarrassingly a worldgone bad where there is runaway hate, deceit, evil, and the tragic inexplicable scourge of political correctness and all the savage dishonesty that goes with it. We are very sorry that truth, logic and commonsense is basically against the law across America and very rare commodities in this day and age. You will come to know that your grandpa Ted fought valiantly throughout my life to right these wrongs, and honest history will make you very proud of my indefatigable efforts to squash political correctness and the harm it has wreaked. Your mother and father are the best of the best and will guide you properly for a wonderful quality of life. I’m sure your dad will teach you the basics, but your grandpa Ted is already pushing 69 years so I want to lay the grandpa 101 foundation for you in written form. Listen very closely to mom and dad and obey their every word no matter the temptation to question or defy them. They know best and their love for you is their only motivation. 12

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Your mom and dad will teach you how important honesty is. Never sway. Your dad will teach you how to do chores so as to be an asset to your loving family. Do your chores to the very best of your ability every day without being reminded. This is the sign of a great man. Your ultimate happiness will come from putting in a good, hard days work. You will sleep soundly at night. Your dad will show you how to handle tools. Hammers, saws, wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers and assorted hand tools and power tools are far more important than electronic devices. Learn to handle them well. Be sure you work with your hands often. Learn to fix things on your own. You must always have a large, clean handkerchief on you. You must always have a pocketknife, wallet, a little cash, ID, chapstick, pen, pocket flashlight, lighter and belt tool on your person everyday everywhere you go. Know the Boy Scout motto “Always be prepared” and live it. Learn to sharpen blades. Your cellphone must always be fully charged and on you. When your dad determines that you are ready, you will learn to properly and safely handle an array of firearms. Follow your dad’s directions very closely. Your familiarity and comfort level and proficiency with firearms is an essential and serious responsibility in life. They will serve you well. In spite of the soulless world of political correctness, you must know that the only gun law that matters is to never point any weapon at anything you are not willing to destroy. Burn that into your psyche and soul and demand it from everybody everywhere every time. Whenever in the presence of a firearm, maximize your level of awareness and watch and control all muzzles. You will learn the Golden Rule and live it. Your dad will teach you the art of archery, and discover how the mystical flight of the arrow can and will be the path of your life. Aim small, miss small, be the arrow. You will painfully discover that when you give the world the best you got, oftentimes you will get kicked in |

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the teeth. Give the world the best you got anyway. Trust no one other than family. Eliminate liars, scammers and cheaters from your life. They will only bring you down. Your individual American Dream has no boundaries, but it will never happen unless you are clean and sober and avoid drugs, alcohol, tobacco and nasty foods at all costs. Refuse to associate with stoners and drunks. They are the lowest forms of life and will destroy everyone and everything around them. God gifted you a sacred temple and a limitless spirit. Treat them both with reverence. You dad is a great hunter and I hope you become one as well. The miraculous gift of wildlife is the foundation of life itself, and our reasoning predator instinct will guide you to balance the herds each fall and share the rocket fuel of pure venison with family, friends and your fellow man. Kill clean and follow your conscience. You will walk sacred grounds and sacred forests with your mom and dad. We planted those forests and you should plant trees every spring. Always put more back that you take. Never be afraid to fight for what you believe in. Your greatest gift was being born in America. Know her history. Understand how we got here by killing those who would enslave us. Know the cost of this precious experiment in self-government. Know that freedom is not free. Identify those who threaten it and fight them like the devils they are. Never back down. Never give up. Never give in. Politics is NOT the art of compromise. We have compromised America into a feeble shadow of her former self. Fight like you mean it. Spotlight cockroaches and stomp them out of existence. Improvise, adapt and overcome. As an American, you were born to raise hell. If you are not driving the enemy nuts, you are the enemy. You will read and hear many nasty, hateful lies about your grandpa Ted. This is because I drive the enemies of America batty and they are driven to maniacal dishonesty. Listen to people who know me, not the ones who hate me. You will be proud of me. Take a deep breath everyday Felix and look to the heavens and thank God almighty. Live this precious, miraculous life to the fullest. You are surrounded by the greatest people and the most intense love the world has to offer. Soak it in and reciprocate everyday. Be the very best you can be in everything you do and happiness is yours. I love you Felix with all my American heart and soul. We will go hunting soon!! PoppyTed

Email Ted Nugent at tnugent@ﬁshgame.com PHOTO: TED NUGENT

9/6/17 11:52 AM

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

Lion for the Cause

O DOUBT MOST TF&G READ-

ers will remember Cecil the Lion, the lion that was killed a couple of years ago by a Minnesota dentist named Walter Palmer. That lion caused pretty much every animal rights activist, social justice warrior, and whining bedwetter in the world to get their socks in a wad, even though the hunt was entirely legal and ethical. That was Cecil the Lion. If you replace Palmer’s name with ‘Richard Cooke,’ and replace Cecil’s name with “Xanda,” you have pretty much the same story for 2017. (Time to cue the violins, alert the bunny huggers, and fire up the microwave popcorn.) The outrage over Xanda’s death is liable to be even more entertaining than what resulted from Cecil’s demise. To begin with, Cooke killed Xanda legally, outside Hwange National Park. He immediately turned in the tracking collar he found around Xanda’s neck. Andrew Loveridge, who works for the Department of Zoology at Oxford University does a lot of the work with tracking collars in the area. He told the Telegraph that Richard Cooke is “one of the good guys,” meaning he’s ethical and honest about his hunting, and follows all game laws and regulations. Of course, that won’t save him from the hate of those who think hunting is bad for animals, no matter what. Some usually reliable publications that generally report facts instead of conjecture, are missing the mark on this one. The Daily Wire, Ben Shapiro’s baby, is not always right, but makes a valiant effort to offer factual news. DW ran a story about the Xanda hunt under the headline “Cecil The Lion’s Son Killed By Trophy Hunters In Zimbabwe.” Which, I hasten to point out, is a pretty misleading header, and not quite accurate. For one thing, Xanda wasn’t killed by “trophy hunters.” The lion was killed by one trophy hunter, a fellow named Richard Cooke. The difference is slight, but the plural seems to be an effort to lump a lot of people into one pile. To most non-hunters, there isn’t any differ-

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Diamond made famous quasi-use of anthropomorphism in his song, ‘I am, I said,’ when he pointed out that no one heard at all, not even the chair.’ As if a chair could hear. A chair can’t hear any more than a lion can sire a child. The goal, obviously, is to cause readers to think of Xanda, and all lion cubs, as human. Never mind that Xanda was hunted legally. Never mind that Cooke obeyed all applicable game laws. Never mind that Xanda was more than six years old and had not been under Cecil’s dubious protection for years. The antis are trying to depict Xanda as a poor, defenseless human child, murdered in cold blood by heartless animal haters, otherwise known as hunters. Cecil’s protection was indeed dubious. Most animals protect their young, pretty much, most of the time—but not always. Many animals commit fratricide, usually right after birth, to ensure they will get more food. The practice is common among spotted hyenas, golden eagles, and many other birds and insects. It’s part of the whole “survival of the fittest” thing. Infanticide is also pretty common in the animal kingdom, and one of the most habitual perpetrators is the African lion—Cecil, and, of course, his “son” Xanda. When a male lion defeats the alpha in his pride, he nearly always kills all the cubs sired by the previous leader. This causes the females to go into estrus quicker. It also ensures the females will have more time for hunting, which among lions is almost entirely a female job. When the females bring in scant food, because of lean years or fast gazelles, the males still eat first, as always. Sometimes there isn’t any left over for the cubs. So they starve. The anti-hunters want us to think of lions as people, as a mom and a dad and their children, living happily ever after in utopian bliss, until the evil hunter comes along bringing murder and mayhem into paradise. It’s a pretty picture, but it ain’t so. Lions are not people. But then, I wonder about some people . . .

ence between hunters and trophy hunters, nor is there any difference between either of those groups and poachers. We’re all “Bad People” because we hunt. The other problem with the headline, and by far the greater faux pas, is that Xanda the Lion is being referred to as Cecil’s “son.” This is ridiculous, especially coming from DW. A lot of liberal and anti-hunting sites are calling Xanda Cecil’s son, but you’d think a periodical like DW might get it right—not so much. Animals do not have sons and daughters. Human children are called sons or daughters, depending on which sex they are. Male children are sons, female children are daughters., Those born to extremely confused liberal parents are called something else, I guess. But animals don’t have children, ever. Children are human. The reference to Xanda as Cecil’s son is anthropomorphism, the act of ascribing human characteristics to non-human entities. Neil

The killing of Cecil the Lion spawned a cottage industry of outrage (thermal shirt, $14.95 plus shipping, at bewild.com).

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Email Kendal Hemphill at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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9/6/17 11:53 AM

Hunting Desert Mule Deer with a 10mm Semi-Auto story and photos by Razor Dobbs 14

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IT LOOKED LIKE A PHOTOSHOPPED SCEnic portrait. Rolling, dense fog draped the west Texas brush like a wet blanket. Something between rain and mist accented the color of every rock, bush and tree, creating a deep contrast. Visibility was only 40 yards, reminding me of the chill I get when I look into the dark depths of the Pacific Ocean. The thick fog was mesmerizing, but problematic for hunting desert mule deer. It didn’t matter. We were fixated on a set of antlers teasing just above the sage 25 yards away. I couldn’t see much more than the tips of the antlers, but he looked big—big enough for me to unholster the Dan Wesson 10mm semi-auto pistol on my hip. All I could hear were the sound of hoofs stepping on rocks and water slowly dripping off our blind. As the deer walked closer to an opening of sagebrush, My pounding heart overwhelmed me. I looked over at Ty, and he looked back at me. We had hunted lots of whitetailed deer together, but the intensity this morning was thicker than the fog outside. A mule deer with my 10mm? From all appearances, it was happening.

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9/6/17 11:23 AM

Hunting is what brought Ty Montgomery and me together seven years ago. I booked a whitetail hunt with him at their Montgomery Properties Ranch near Jacksboro, Texas. Since that first hunt together, I have become good friends with him, his brother Mitch, and father Don. In Texas terms, “they’re just good people.” Real Texans, ranching, hunting, serving their community, and loving life, that’s the Montgomerys. Even though we had become good friends, or should I say they tolerated me, I was shocked when Mitch phoned and invited me to come hunt mule deer with them at their Muley Mesa Ranch in West Texas. At the time, their Muley Mesa Ranch was for family only—no paid hunters, and for sure no ponytailed TV guys allowed. Maybe it was a friendly invite or maybe it was a test? I didn’t know for sure, but I would be on my best behavior anyway. I would try to contain my excitement in camp at tolerable levels, just in case. For those who are not familiar with mule deer, there are many differences between them and whitetailed deer other than appearance. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, these include food habits, behavior, habitat preferences, and population dynamics. For many years some ranchers used management techniques more suited to whitetailed deer than mule deer. Needless to say, the outcome was far from optimal. Now, thanks to years of research from Texas Parks & Wildlife and independent wildlife biologists across the state, have created specialized mule deer management plans. When implemented by landowners, these plans have had positive effects. In many areas, herds are growing in healthy numbers. However, in many ways, mysteries still abound about the mule deer. This may be one of the reasons so many hunters are fascinated by them—as I was with this big buck at the Montgomerys’ Muley Mesa Ranch. He was merely inches away from walking into the opening, but then he stopped and did the mule deer stare off into the dense fog. It seemed as if he felt a disturbance in the force. I thought at any second he would bolt. I held my breath, thinking somehow it would change the situation. He kept staring, still as a rock. I didn’t like it, but at least he was not 16

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The author, with his trophy muley and guide Ty Montgomery.

staring at us. We still had a chance. Then, he shook his head and took a step forward, his shoulder nearly clearing the sagebrush. Another step forward and I would have a clear shot into his vitals. I inched my handgun up onto the shooting sticks anticipating him taking another step. More staring into the fog. I held my breath again. It was dead quiet. All I could hear was the video camera recording and my heart thumping. Pure madness, but God, so much fun. I began to walk myself through the shot. I visualized putting the sight on the deer’s heart, squeezing the trigger, and following through. Not following through is one of my worst habits. What I mean by “following through” is like keeping your head down when you hit a golf ball. When you swing at a golf ball and you immediately look up to see where the ball is going, the shot usually turns out to be horrible. The same is true with shooting. Keep your head down and follow through. I’ve had some success managing this bad shooting habit, but my golf game is still in the weeds... |

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literally. The buck leaned his body forward, paused, then took a step and then another. He was in the clear. I now had the shot. I took a deep breath as I placed the red dot sight a third of the way up the buck’s shoulder. I started to exhale, pressing the trigger until the gun fired. The bullet hit the buck perfectly, and he raced off until the fog swallowed him in the mist. Ty and I did our best to whisper, but our excitement was overwhelming, and we couldn’t hold back any longer. We talked over one another at full volume in colorful language that I would never use in front of my mother. We rambled on for ten minutes, then left the blind to look for the buck. The sun peeked over the hillside casting a golden sheen. Within minutes the fog and mist was gone, and we could see the antlers of my dead mule deer buck next to a prickly pear cactus. He’s not the biggest mule deer we saw on this trip, but I don’t care. He’s just what I wanted.

PHOTO: RAZOR DOBBS

9/7/17 1:12 PM

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

Ready, Set, October!

CTOBER HAS FINALLY arrived! Serious deer hunters have been counting down the days. They have checked their favorite tree stand sites and have scouted for months now. They are ready… at least they think they are. Bow hunters all through Texas hopefully have been out practicing every week. The more practice you can spend time doing, the better shot you will be. You will be consistent with your form. You will also be able to draw your bowstring back to your anchor point and set your target in your sights with one smooth action. It has now become second nature to you, and that will play a very important role when it comes time to fill your freezer with some fresh venison. Keeping you, as well as your clothes, as scent free as possible also plays a critical role for bow hunting success. If you have not done so already, then now is the time to clean your camo clothes. Use a scent-free detergent and either place them in a dryer with earth-scented dryer sheets, or simply choose to hang them out in the fresh air to dry. Before each hunt (not each day you hunt), make sure you shower with a scent free soap and shampoo. Using a scent-free deodorant is also a must. What is the use of washing with a scent free soap, if you decide to use a deodorant that can put you in an Old Spice commercial? Any non-scented deodorant will do. Whenever we venture away from the pavement and into the quiet habitat of a whitetail, we always have to be aware of our surroundings. Snakes, spiders, mean hogs and whatever else we might run into while hunting with a stick and string; can be dangerous and force us to seek immediate medical help. Now, there is a new danger out there that many of us do not

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If you are out in the field and are not wearing rubber boots, then it would be a good idea to tape the bottom of your pant legs with some kind of duct tape to help prevent these buggers from getting under your clothes. This is also a good time to remind everyone who ventures outdoors to visually check your entire body to make sure you are tick-free after every outing. Fishing a riverbank, hiking a trail or walking to your tree stand all can produce these unwanted deer ticks. The scientific name for deer ticks is Ixodes scapularis. However, most people simply call them “dirty little sons of…” Well, I cannot put it in print, but you get the picture. The life cycle of a tick is usually only about two years, but they can do a lot of damage in that time. Although a female dies after laying her eggs, she can have 3,000 eggs. They will all be larvae and soon turn into six-legged dirty little sons of… Oops, I mean, ticks! An adult tick will have eight legs. After reading this very real fact, it is easy to understand how this has turned into an epidemic in some states. It is difficult to go out in the wild today and not have at least one tick on you. That is why I implore you to use Pemethrin on your hunting clothes. Lyme disease is a real and dangerous thing, especially if left untreated. If you suspect you have been bitten by a deer tick, the site of the bite will develop a large red circle. Seek medical help immediately. Removing a tick that has already embedded itself in your skin has to be done carefully with tweezers, being extra careful not to puncture the tick and to make sure that the entire tick is removed from your skin. Having said that… Get out there and enjoy this hunting season. Seriously, if you are careful and take the time to check for ticks when you get back from hunting, your hunting season should bring just as much fun as every other one. Have fun and hunt safe out there.

even think about. Deer ticks. These tiny little creatures can find a nice warm home on your body someplace, and you may not even know how serious the danger can be. They can be found in any woodlot of course, but they also linger in any tall grass or scrub in the fields. You could be walking your dog, and you and your dog can come home with these darn bugs and never know it until it’s too late. Once these critters find their new home, they will bite you and get under your skin. You probably will not even feel the bite itself. If the tick is carrying Lyme disease, it is possible and even probable that you or your dog will be infected. Ticks are present, not only in Texas, but in all 50 States. In some states, it is now at epidemic proportions. How can this very real issue be avoided? The short answer is it cannot. However, it can be prevented personally, if we take some easy measures. My wife has tried to convince me that the easiest way to avoid ticks is not to go hunting anymore. Now “them’s fightin’ words!” I have found a better solution. Before you go hunting, spray your camo down with Permethrin. You can find this in most stores that carry camping equipment. If you run into any ticks, they soon will die off. As a matter of fact, most insects that land on your clothes once they have been sprayed with Permethrin are dead in a matter of minutes. Just remember NEVER spray this chemical on your skin, just your clothes. For the disbelievers out there, google Permethrin and ticks. There, you will be able to actually watch ticks fall off clothing that has been treated with this chemical. Once dried, Permethrinl is odorless and will not affect your success in the field. Most ticks will be found on your pants. However, if you tuck the bottoms of your hunting pants in your rubber boots and if you’ve already treated your clothes, the ticks (or any other insect for that matter) will not survive on the treated fabric. F I S H

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9/6/17 11:55 AM

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

The Great Adventure

Edinburg with his 1982 Delta 88. Of course, the various rods and reels, tackle, and perceived expertise were provided by this stalwart writer, and a fine time was actually had by all. Even my big brother Paco, (whose idea of fishing is cross-examining some poor schlub during a big trial. He’s really good at it, too.) enjoyed our time on the water. What strikes me to this day, is that Mom and Dad dedicated so much of OUR vacation to MY passion. They didn’t, and don’t, prefer me over my two brothers, but they wanted to make sure we all enjoyed ourselves. So, along with the visits to the beach, the tour of the lighthouse and the museum of the wreck of the Atocha, we fished. And they put up with me, my fishing, and my… misadventures. One day I came home from a fishing expedition to the local golf course’s water hazard with a catfish spine firmly imbedded in the soft flesh behind my right thumb and on top of my right hand. The catfish managed to stay behind—but I showed him! He was going to go through life lacking a dorsal fin. Mom’s first reaction was to let the damn thing stay in my hand forever. After she realized it wouldn’t reflect well on her mothering skills to send me out into the world with part of another creature sticking out of me, Mom relented and took me to see Dr. Ben. Dr. Ben Garza has been my doctor since I was three years old. In the three decades he’s known me, he’s yanked my tonsils, treated my asthma, and held my son. He’s also been privy to my misadventure as an aspiring fisherman. Thus, he was more amused than surprised when Mrs. Gonzales brought in her thirteen-year-old middle child with a catfish spine sticking out of his hand. Pecks on the cheek and pleasantries were passed back in forth over the table where my hand was propped (Hey, we’re Mexican; the appropriate displays of affection must be exchanged before business is). “He’s incredible, isn’t he?” Dr. Ben asked. “Incredible wasn’t among the words I was thinking of,” Mom said, rolling her eyes towards the ceiling. Dr. Ben numbed my hand with a dose of Novocain and began working the spine out. Catfish spines are barbed, and that makes them a little tricky

Y GOOD FRIENDS MARIN and Sarah have just become new parents to twin boys. Marin is reveling in fatherhood and, as an ardent outdoorsman and angler, has already made plans for all the hunting and fishing trips he is going to have with his two boys. I smiled when he told me about them. He’s in for a grand adventure, one I embarked on—and one I sort of lassoed my parents into providing me. I do not come from a family of outdoorsmen. My mom who grew up in Brownsville, Texas, would fish more—if it didn’t involve being outside so much. My dad grew up in Atascosa County, which is thirty miles south of San Antonio. His youth was very hard. A three-year drought had ruined his father’s farm. The entire family—including two brothers and two sisters—had to work to prevent losing it. Fishing and hunting weren’t for sport, but to literally put meat on the table. I’m sure he would fish with me more than the handful of times he’s gone with me, if it didn’t bring back memories of those rough times—and if it didn’t involve being outside so much. I don’t regret that neither of my parents joined me whenever I went fishing, though. They didn’t go golfing with my two brothers, either (that pesky sunlight and exertion thing again). That’s ok, though. We spent lots of quality time together. holidays, family barbecues, trips, even school were all family time (Dad was our high school principal, and Mom was our English teacher and speech coach in same). Fishing, then, was my personal time. Even so, Mom and Dad understood that that fishing and hunting were very important to me, and they worked hard to encourage me. One year, when I was thirteen, the five of us spent an entire week in a condominium at South Padre Island. Five of those seven days were spent fishing in our 16-foot tri-hull, which Dad hauled down from 18

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to remove. This one was stuck deep. As Dr. Ben worked it out of me, little bits of subcutaneous particles and blood came out with it. Mom went pale and looked like she was going to pass out. “Are you all right, Judy?” Dr. Ben asked. “Do you need to sit down?” “Next time, I swear I’m leaving it inside you,” Mom gagged as she turned away and looked at the model of a human pelvis on the wall. Dr. Ben finally dug the spine out of my hand and held the thing aloft for the nurse, Mom, and me to see. It was an inch long (I could have sworn it was at least three, maybe four times that size), thin and very sharp. In the movies, it would have been streaked with blood, with thin tendrils of gore trailing from it to the gaping hole in my hand. In real life, there weren’t any streaks, tendrils, or even a gaping hole. There was simply a long, pearlcolored, serrated thorn, a puckered, star-shaped puncture hole (The scar of which I’m looking at as I write this), a gawking kid, an indifferent nurse, and a slightly queasy parent. Dr. Ben was actually quite pleased. “Now I have something to add to my collection,” he said. Collection? After the nurse had dressed my wound and given me a tetanus shot as a precaution (or maybe as punishment for putting Mom through this), Dr. Ben led Mom and me to his office. From behind his desk he withdrew a small test tube. In it were the prizes from some of my previous visits: Two fishhooks cut out of the same foot a year apart, a bb that had rolled around my forehead for two months before I told Mom and Dad about it (Never, ever tape a paper target to a brick wall) and, now, a catfish spine. As far as I know, Dr. Ben still has that collection. That those who guide us can put up with the nonsense we aspiring outdoorsmen put them through is nothing short of epic. Thanks, Mom and Dad. You did all right.

Email Cal Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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

TPWD Says No More Alabama Bass for Texas

EPTEMBER 1 MARKED THE start of a new fiscal year for the folks at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department—the beginning of a new budgetary timeline for the state agency and the time when new fishing and regulations voted in by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission early last spring become effective. There are only two changes that freshwater anglers need to be aware of this go-around. One of them is particularly noteworthy, because it establishes a brand new records category in the state’s Angler Recognition Program for a black bass species that many anglers are not very familiar with and some may have never even heard of -- the Alabama bass. Here’s the deal: Alabama bass are native to the Mobile River basin of Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, but they have been stocked in some lakes outside their home range. Some stockings have been performed by state agencies, including TPWD, which stocked the fish in Lake Alan Henry in Lubbock in 1996 as part of an experiment. It is believed that illegal stockings carried out by anglers have occurred in some other states. For years fisheries scientists recognized Alabama bass as one of three species of spotted bass. This included the northern spotted that is native to much of Texas and the Wichita spotted bass, which was eventually invalidated after scientists determined through genetics testing that it was actually a hybrid. Similar DNA research showed that Alabama bass and northern spotted bass (sometimes called Kentucky bass around here) are entirely different animals, particularly when it comes to growth potential. Biologists say true northern spotted bass rarely grow larger than 2 1/2 pounds. Alabama bass, however, have been known to reach the

double digits. As a result these findings, the American Fisheries Society designated the Alabama bass as a species unto its own in 2013. Established in 1870, the AFS is a non-profit organization comprised of fisheries professionals nationwide. Their goals are to advance fisheries and aquatic science and to promote the development of fisheries professionals. TPWD moved to create the category for Alabama bass after several big fish, including a lake record 5.98 pounder, began showing up at Lake Alan Henry a few years back. Genetics testing showed the fish to be pure an Alabama bass, linking it to 150 adult Alabama bass TPWD stocked in the lake roughly 21 years ago. As earlier mentioned, even bigger Alabama bass are believed to be showing up in other lakes. In fact, fisheries scientists at Auburn University believe several double-digit fish that have been caught from Bullards Bar Reservoir in California and identified as spotted bass in recent times were actually Alabama bass. The lake produced an 11-pound, 2-ounce beauty in February 2017 that was recently certified as a new world record spotted bass by the International Game Fish Association. The record may be reclassified as an Alabama bass world record, according to Jason Schratweiser, IGFA conservation director. California Department of Fish and Wildlife fisheries biologist Max Fish says Alabama bass were introduced to Bullards Bar in 1983-84. Fish says there are no records of northern spotted bass being stocked into that lake. Black bass are not native to California. Some may be wondering whether TPWD has plans to stock Alabama bass into more Texas lakes given their genetic potential to grow significantly larger than spotted bass. According to Craig Bonds, TPWD inland fishT E X A S

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eries director, future stockings are not in the cards right now. “At this time, TPWD does not plan on stocking Alabama bass in more Texas lakes,” Bonds said. “We do not want to risk potential negative inter-specific competition with recreationally and economically important largemouth bass fisheries, nor do we desire to risk hybridization with other endemic black basses in Texas, especially in areas where active restoration efforts are in place for native Guadalupe bass. In general, there is less support and acceptance within the broader fisheries management profession for further range expansion of black basses.” Scientific research shows that Bonds’ concerns about hybridization are on the mark. According to a paper authored by Steve Rider with the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Fisheries and Michael Maceina with the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences at Auburn University, the introduction of the Alabama bass outside its native range “has led to deleterious effects with endemic populations of black bass species. “In Keowee Reservoir, South Carolina, a unique reservoir population of Bartram’s Bass existed for more than 30 years but may be lost as a result of hybridization with Alabama bass,” the paper says. “Hybrids of Alabama Bass and Bartram’s Bass have also been detected in the lower extent of its range in the Savannah River. “In Tennessee, Alabama bass/spotted bass hybrids have been detected in Parksville Lake and Chickamauga Reservoir. In Lake Chatuge in Georgia/North Carolina, nearly 28 percent of the black bass tested were Alabama bass/smallmouth bass hybrids, resulting in the severe decline of smallmouth bass abundance.”

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Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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GRAPHIC LAYOUT: TF&G

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EXAS HAS BEEN A FERTILE breeding ground for pro bass anglers ever since the dawn of tournament fishing. That’s largely because some the very best bass fisheries in America are here. Texas bass fisheries are ripe with all sorts of cover and structure. It’s been said more than once that the lakes in Texas are so diverse that a bass fisherman who takes the time to get a good education here can take that knowledge and apply it just about anywhere in the country. Some of the sport’s biggest names hatched their careers in Texas decades ago, and a seemingly endless stream of talent has been coming ever since. To wit: Texas has produced way more Bassmaster Classic qualifiers than any other state in the country. According to Bassmaster stats released prior to the 2017 Classic on Lake Conroe, 310 qualifying spots have gone to Texans since the first world championship way back in 1971. Neighboring Arkansas runs a distant second with 191. It’s no secret that East Texas lakes such as Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend have been the incubators of much of that talent. That’s true, particularly when it comes to some of the sport’s elder statesmen—guys who were casting for cash long before

many Texas Fish & Game readers were born. Many of them were charter members of “The Hemphill Gang.” That’s the moniker BASS founder Ray Scott tagged on a salty group of Texas pros who guided out of Pendleton Harbor on Toledo Bend back in the 1970s and ’80s. Among them were Tommy Martin, Larry Nixon, Harold Allen, John Torian and Jon Hall.

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Other Texans among that generation of big sticks include Randy Dearman, Zell Rowland, Rick Clunn, Lendell Martin, Jr., David Wharton and Randy Fite, who was arguably among sport’s most deadly offshore anglers prior to the advent of modern electronics technologies. I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to share the front deck with the majority of the Texas legends over the years, several of them more than once. I recently caught up with several of them and asked them to share some tidbits about the good, bad and ugly of them formidable careers. Here’s what they had to say:

STILL COMPETING? Yes, local team and

individual events FORMER OCCUPATION: Fishing guide/

welder BIGGEST TOURNAMENT WIN: Dearman fished 234

Bassmaster events and his only win came in the 1993 Bassmaster Invitational on Sam Rayburn, where he boated 15 bass weighing 67 pounds, 13 ounces. The fishing line Dearman used to win the event nearly a quarter century ago ignited a trend that continues to evolve today. “I won that tournament using competition kite string on my reels to flip jigs into willow and buck brush,” Dearman said. “After that tournament, Terry Oldham, Joe

Randy Dearman HOME: Onlaska, Texas AGE: 70 YEARS FULL-TIME PRO: 23

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Rinosky and myself started a line company called Lynch Line. It was the first braided line marketed to bass fishermen.” MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN A TOURNAMENT: “I drew Bill Dance on day

two of the second Bassmaster tournament I ever fished, the 1980 Mississippi Invitational on Sardis Lake. “Bill was my hero back then. He didn’t catch much on the first day, but I caught ‘em pretty good. When we drew out he let me take my boat. I’ll never forget it. That relationship we developed that day eventually lead to a long-time sponsorship with Strike King Lures.” WORST MOMENT IN TOURNAMENT FISHING: “That’s easy. It was the Texas

Invitational on Lake Livingston in 1989. I lost the same bedding fish twice on a gitzit (tube lure) on the first day. I went back to that fish on day two and I broke her off. “On the last day I went back to her again. She still had my tube stuck in her mouth from the second day. I had to work her for a while, but I finally got to her bite again. I

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got her nearly to the boat when she got into some grass. I actually got a hand on the fish, but she broke off before I could get a grip and swam away with a second tube stuck in her mouth. I was one fish shy of a limit that day and ended up finishing second to Gary Klein by a little more than pound. That one hurt.” SPECIALTY: Flipping and throwing

a spinnerbait.

Zell Rowland HOME: Montgomery, Texas AGE: 60 YEARS FULL-TIME PRO: 37 STILL COMPETING? Yes.

FLW Tour FORMER OCCUPATION:

None

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BIGGEST TOURNAMENT WIN: Rowland

fished his first BASS tournament in 1970 at the age of 13, after which Ray Scott implemented a rule that required anglers to be at least 18 years old to compete. Roland had to wait another five years before fishing another BASS event and eventually turned pro in 1980. Rowland has since won five BASS events. The first, he said, is the highlight of his career. “My dream from day one was to win a BASS tournament and I finally pulled it in off on Lake Chickamauga in 1986,” Rowland said. “I won $75,000, a fully rigged Ranger and Choo Choo Custom Surburban. I’ll never forget it.”

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN A TOURNAMENT: Veteran Skeeter pro staffer

Rowland has qualified for 16 Bassmaster Classics and he led the 1991 Super Bowl on Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore, MD, for two days. “On the last day I had all the confidence in the world I was going to win,” Rowland said. “I was on my way in and I stopped at a little pocket near weigh-in. Jimmy Houston was sitting there and he showed me the exact spot where he’d lost a three pounder the day before. I made the exact cast and it bit. I had the fish all the way to the boat, and it just came off.” The fish cost Rowland winning the Classic that the late Ken Cook of Oklahoma won. WORST MOMENT IN TOURNAMENT FISHING: Rowland has logged a passel of

bad memories he had rather forget. Perhaps the worst occurred during the final round of the 1981 BASS North Carolina Invitational at Ablemarle Sound near Elizabeth City. Rowland was running a Eldorcraft bass boat and was making a 20-mile run to his fishing

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from Florida was pretty special.”

area each day. He and his partner found the fish biting particularly well on the last day. “By 8:30 I had 25 pounds in the livewell,” he said. “I felt like I had the tournament won at that point, but they were biting so good that we stayed and fished right up until the last minute. My partner had more than 20 pounds, too. On the way back to weigh-in, the hull on the boat delaminated; and it filled with water. It was only four feet deep, and the boat went down to the gunnel. I was able to idle over to a boat ramp and get help, but we didn’t make it to weigh-in. By the time we got back it was over. I would have won by over eight pounds. I’ll never forget seeing Forrest Wood standing there when I got in. When I told him what happened he told me it sounded like I needed to get in a Ranger. I fished out of one for the next 18 years.”

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN A TOURNAMENT: “Qualifying for the

Bassmaster Classic the first time in 1982 and getting to walk up on the stage with Ray Scott. I could barely talk I was so nervous. The feeling you get just to be there one time is hard to explain. It’s a memory to put in the bank that will be there forever.” WORST MOMENT IN TOURNAMENT FISHING: At one time, Bassmaster Classic

qualifications were based on the total pounds anglers caught over the course of the season, rather than points. Stanley said his most haunting memory was losing a 3 1/2-pound bass late in the final round of a tournament that caused him to miss qualifying for the Classic by a meager 1 1/2 pounds. “I can’t remember the year or lake,” he said. “But what I do remember was a terrible feeling I had driving all the way home to Texas from the East Coast when it happened. Something like that really eats on you.”

SPECIALTY: Topwater fishing.

Lonnie Stanley HOME:

Huntington, Texas

SPECIALTY:

Finessing a jig on bottom in shallow and deep water.

AGE: 71 YEARS FULLTIME PRO: 15 STILL COMPETING?

Yes, Local events Sam Rayburn/Toledo Bend FORMER OCCUPATION:

Tommy Martin

Heavy Equipment Operator

HOME: Hemphill, Texas

BIGGEST TOURNAMENT WIN:

AGE: 76

Stanley is a well-known lure maker from Huntington, he won two bass Bassmaster events and qualified for five Bassmaster Classics during a career that dates back to the early 1980s. His first win came on Florida’s Harris Chain, and it was a biggie. “It was the Bassmaster Mega Bucks and I won $108,000,” Stanley said. “That was the first time I’d fished the Harris Chain. A cold front came through right before we started, and it dropped the water temp 15 degrees. It was a really hard tournament. To go down there and beat Shaw Grigsby, Hank Parker, Ken Cook and several of the top-notch pros 24

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BASS Opens, FLW Costas and local team events FORMER OCCUPATION:

Finance/Insurance Company Manager BIGGEST TOURNAMENT WIN: Martin is a

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being the first guy to figure out how to catch bass out of deep grass with a jig on Toledo Bend. He won the 1981 Texas Invitational on his home lake with 81 pounds, 10 ounces, all of which came on a 5 1/2 foot pistol grip rod matched with monofilament fishing line and a 9/16 ounce Stanley Jig. He added a 1/4-ounce slip sinker on top of his jig to make it heavier and help it penetrate the grass easier. “The grass was matted in 26 feet of water back then and very people knew how to fish it,” Martin said. “I caught 35-12 on the first day, which at the time was a BASS record for one day on seven fish. My partner had 20 pounds plus out of the same spot. He ended up winning a boat and trailer.”

a really tight race for the Angler of Year title going into the Lake Guntersville tournament in Alabama in 1989. I had a good tournament up until the last day. I lost several big fish and made several bad decisions that cost me the title. It was a terrible day.” SPECIALTY: Jig and worm fishing on bottom.

STILL COMPETING? Yes,

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MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN A TOURNAMENT: Martin is well known for

WORST MOMENT IN TOURNAMENT FISHING: “Gary Klein and I were in

YEARS FULL-TIME PRO: 45

warrior from way back. He launched his career in the early 1970s and was fast to rise to the top, winning the 1974 Bassmaster Classic on Alabama’s Lake Wheeler. “It paid $15,000 back then, but it’s been worth $1 million plus over the course of my career,” Martin said. “Before I won the Classic I didn’t have any sponsors other than a few companies giving me some line and a few worms. That win enabled me to start generating some income through some cash deals. I helped form the first Berkley Fishing team with Jimmy Houston, Jack Haines, Ricky Green and Roger Moore. They paid me $500 a month. Other companies began to follow suit not too longer after. It helped jump start my career and lead to a long relationship with Bass Pros Shops and Johnny Morris, who I’ve been with since 1975.”

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Harold Allen HOME: Shelbyville, Texas AGE: 72 YEARS FULL-TIME PRO: 29 FORMER OCCUPATION:

Fishing guide BIGGEST TOURNAMENT WIN: Allen never managed

to pull off a win at the tour level, yet he was consistent enough to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic 15 times. His biggest win came in the 2005 Bass Open on the Ouachita River in Monroe, LA. “The area I caught them in had a reputation of being good for one day, but I managed to catch them in there three days in a row. I had to run for 20 to 30 minutes, then idle another 30 minutes over stumps, mud flats and cypress trees just to get in there. But it was worth it.”

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MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN A TOURNAMENT: “It

was the last day of the 2005 Bass Open on the Ouachita River. I flipped into a bush and got a bite, but the hook snapped when I set it. I sat down, retied and caught the fish on the very next flip that had just broke my line. It was my fourth keeper, a 2 3/4 pounder, which is a really solid fish over there. My partner looked at me and said ‘Man, that’s got to be a sign,’ and it was.” WORST MOMENT IN TOURNAMENT FISHING: “I can’t remember the year, but

for her hard. I tried everything I knew to get her to fire, but she wouldn’t bite. Then I got a wild idea. I reached in my box and pulled out at big spinnerbait with No. 7 Hildebrandt willowleaf blades that I’d caught ‘em on at Sam Rayburn a week earlier. I threw past that fish, brought that spinnerbait it by her nose and she mounted it on the first cast. She came up the first time, and all I could see was her huge mouth and head. She was so big, she couldn’t get out of the water. She went back down and came back up about 20 feet from the boat. That’s when my spinnerbait flew out of her mouth because the hook broke. Losing that bass cost me the big fish of the tournament, a check and a berth to the Bassmaster Classic that year. It was a terrible deal. I was sick about it.” SPECIALTY: Worm fishing away from the

bank.

I remember it was on Lake Seminole in a BASS Invitational. The water was gin clear and I found a giant—a 10 to 12 pounder— on a bed in about four feet of water. I fished

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DEER SEASON IS UPON US BUT that does not mean hog hunting is over. In fact, some of the best opportunities to kill hogs is during the fall and winter and the vast majority of hogs killed by hunters comes during this period. We have gathered the best information on how to score on hogs specifically with guns which is by far the best way to make a dent in their populations even if hogs are too spooky to enter traps. Here we goâ&#x20AC;Ś

Fence Line Fun Fence lines on even the thickest Texas properties are typically cleared out offering rifle hunters potentially long shots if they can figure out which way the hogs are traveling. Animals follow fence lines as travel routes whether they are on a low fence 100,000acre ranch, in a city park or a 100-acre hog hunting preserve. Take a walk down the fence lines and pay close attention to hog rooting activity on the edge of the fence clearing and also trails just inside the tree lines. You can bait up the smaller hogs quite easily by putting corn out upwind of your location and using a tree stand or a natural brush blind. They will gladly come out into the open to feed.

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It doesn’t take a lot of motivation to become a hog hunter in Texas.

The bigger ones however are much more shy and tend to travel the inside of the tree lines much more frequently and will often make a route around smaller ranches or at least stake out a territory along some of the thicker zones near fence corridors. The wise hunter takes advantage of this and will check these zones out carefully.

nothing more effective than taking them out with a surpassed rifle. “If you get downwind of hogs and make head shots with a rifle with a suppressor then you can take out multiple hogs,” said Daniel Stark of Killer Instinct Outdoors. Stark said companies like CZ are creating models specifically aimed at this strategy. “You have the CZ 527 American Synethic Supressor Ready. It comes with .300 Blackout or 7.62 X 39 both perfect for taking out hogs,” Stark said. Suppressors are great to use during the

Silence Them Hunting with suppressors is legal for those with the necessary paperwork and there is

day or at night and can be an invaluable tool when hogs are hammering deer feeders during hunting season and keeping them away. Squeeze the trigger long enough on a surpassed rifle like the one described above and you can keep certain hog away permanently.

Night Vision Night vision is becoming increasingly popular with hog hunters and for good reason. It gives you a really cool (albeit green) look at the nighttime world and it works great

Hog Hunting in Relative Silence

OUND SUPPRESSORS ARE deadly tools for hog hunters and CZ has the perfect gun to fit out with one. The CZ 527 American Suppressor Ready riﬂe features a classic American pattern stock, a sporterweight hammer forged barrel, a single set trigger and

American version ships with 1-inch steel scope rings. Threaded 5/8x24 for a suppressor, this short, handy 527 is equally happy shooting steel or taking down hogs. Chambered in .300 Blackout or 7.62x39,

it’s got enough knock-down power for most medium game at shorter ranges.

SPECIFICATIONS a recessed target crown. Built on a .223-length action, the tiniest of CZ’s centerﬁre platforms is also one of the most beloved by CZ fans. Made to be used with optics, the

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Product Name: CZ 527 American Synthetic Suppressor-Ready, .300 Blackout SKU: 03085 Firearm Type: Riﬂe Purpose: Hunting |

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MSRP: $748.00 Chambering: .300 Blackout Rate Of Twist: 1:7 inch

Magazine Capacity: 5 Magazine Type: Detachable Stock: Black Polymer, American-Style Length Of Pull: 13.5 inches Sights: No Sights, Integrated 16mm Scope Bases Barrel: Cold Hammer Forged Barrel Length: 16.5 inches Weight: 5.87 pounds Trigger Mech: Single Set Trigger Safety: Two-Position

« PHOTOS: TOP, CANSTOCK; BOTTOM, CZ-USA

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Thermal imaging and hog feeder lights are effective tools for hunting hogs after dark.

in conjunction with a surpassed rifle. Night vision equipment comes in generation 1, 2, 3, and 3 plus levels and in the form of riflescopes, monoculars or binoculars. Generation 1 offer a rather dim view of the night world and are only effective if use in conjunction with an infrared light. These lights can only be seen using night vision equipment and animals cannot see it or at least it does not bother them. Generation 2 is not much better but it is an upgrade. I own a pair of generation 3 and have used 3 plus and found they despite being much more expensive are worth the investment if you really feel you need them. If night vision is the Cadillac of hog hunting gear, then thermal imaging is the Ferrari. Thermal imaging which picks up heat signatures and in modern devices can give incredible target clarity is on the rise in Texas and is starting to become affordable

Lighting Up Corn The latest trend in hog hunting is the use of feeder lights, which are lights that typically mount on a solar panel or are battery operated on a timer and come on automatiPHOTOS: TOP, MOULTRIE FEEDERS; INSET, LEUPOLD & STEVENS

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of ground and come across many hogs in the process. The Leupold LTO Tracker is a sleek thermal option, one that is also surprisingly affordable.

Let them Eat Small to medium size hogs will usually run right in and start eating after they have established a pattern at a feeder. Mature boars and sows will be more cautious. Hunters should not get over eager to take a shot and let the hogs start feeding before squeezing the trigger. If they are comfortable eating and are focused on gobbling up whatever is on the ground they will be less focused on any sounds or movements you make, allowing you to make an easy, clean shot that translates to wild pork in the freezer. With a rifle in your hand you have the time to pick out the most strategic hog for population control. Perhaps that big sow needs to go. Or maybe you have a suppressed CZ 527 in .300 Blackout and can take the whole bunch. It can happen.

cally after dark or at pre set times. After a few nights the hogs become accustomed to feeding around the lights allowing hunters to shoot with regular riflescopes from distances as far as 100 yards. Some of these lights are green like the ones used by fishermen to lure in crappie, speckled trout and other species while others offer a standard white light. If you decided to undertake hog hunting at night in any fashion make sure you have permission to be on the property and make a courtesy call to the local game warden to let them know you are in the area. That way if they get a call from someone saying they saw lights on a certain piece of property they will not have to waste their time and efforts checking you out. Plus, you might just get some good hunting tips as wardens cover lots T E X A S

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NE OF THE MOST popular trends of late has been the search for Cryptid (undiscovered) animals and the most popular of these is Bigfoot. Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Skunk Ape, Sabine Thing, Caddo Critter and any of a dozen other names. These names all describe the same

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animal that is claimed to be seen by thousands of people all over the world, so why should Texas be any different. What follows is not meant to argue for or against the existence, but discuss some history and possibilities—and above all cause us to think. As far back as Texas has been Texas, tales of large bipedal humanoid groups of animals have been told around campfires

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and passed down as bedtime stories. Even before that, the native tribes of Texas had their own tales and accounts. The Cherokees called it the KeclehKudleh. Other tribes had names like Lofa, Na’in, Oma and so forth. There is literally no native tribe that does not have a word or name for what we now call Bigfoot. If any place on Earth could harbor such creatures, Texas is it.

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Historically, Davy Crockett told of an encounter with a creature in 1836. It was covered in hair and three foundlings tall (eight-plus feet), covered in coarse fur and having rows of broken teeth. This occurred near Nacogdoches Texas, while on his way to the Alamo. Davy said that the creature even spoke to him, warning him to leave Texas. Though not of Texas, Daniel Boone

also gave accounts of Bigfoot. Boone claimed to have fought and killed a 10-foot tall, hair-covered giant he called a “Yahoo.” President Teddy Roosevelt in his book The Wilderness Hunter recounted the story of two trappers who encountered a Bigfoot, and one was subsequently killed by it. Many other famous Texans and nonTexans have related stories and encoun-

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ters with Bigfoot-type creatures over the centuries. Yet, at no other time have we seen so many tales coming from every corner of Texas as we do now. I don’t know whether we are hearing about them more now because of social media and the overabundance of stimuli such as movies and videos. East Texas alone has had more than 208 sightings reported in the past few

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The iconic silouette of “Bigfoot” probably originated with this image, Frame 352 from a one-minute sequence of ﬁlm shot by Roger Patterson in northern California in 1967.

captured and imprisoned. Its fate is not well known. Some say it was sold, and others that it was killed. It is also said in some versions of the tale, that a female was also captured. Could there actually be a large bipedal animal roaming the woods of Texas? Before we dismiss it totally we must ask what have we discovered lately? In 1995, the Bili Ape or Lion-Eating Ape was discovered in Bili, Republic of the Congo. They stand six feet tall and weigh in at over 300 pounds. They are more closely related to chimps than gorillas. The mountain gorilla itself is a recent discovery. Until the early 1900s the mountain gorilla was a legend and believed to be a myth until Captain Robert Von Beringe shot two and sent them to the Berlin zoo. The white-cheeked macaque is a midsized, monkey-like animal discovered in Tibet only two years ago. Omura’s whale is a 35-foot-long species that has only been seen a couple of times. Yet in the past year we have gotten video and photographic evidence of their existence. Giant squid had only been known by rotting corpses washed up on beaches until just a few years ago, when technology allowed the first ever deep ocean filming of one. The Vu Quang ox was discovered in the jungles of Vietnam in 2007 and had been thought to be a myth. In the past few decades we have discovered literally thousands of new species. From the Sunderland leopard to the olinguito and thousands more new species are found almost daily. Does this in any way prove the existence of Bigfoot? Not at all. What it does prove is that for all of our knowledge and all of our exploration we have only scratched the surface of what might, or might not be out there. We are not taking a side here at TF&G just merely exploring the possibility, the fun and

years. One such sighting was in Panola County where a bowhunter witnessed a Bigfoot attack a couple of hogs and carry them off. Another sighting was reported by James Hendrix and his wife Carrie of Livingston, who witnessed a hair-covered, upright-walking creature cross a road and then a field. The Piney Woods and Big Thicket account for the majority of the reported sightings in Texas. Fishermen and hunters report sightings every year. Most have no reason to lie because they seek no fame or fortune. Most who report sightings don’t even want their names known. The “Beast of the Navidad”or “Wildman of the Navidad” was one of the first accounts of a Bigfoot-type creature in Texas. This creature was first reported along the Navidad River close to what is now Sublime, Texas in Lavaca County. The settlers originally called it “The Thing That Comes” because it would come at night. No one would see it, yet evidence of its having been there was clear. Missing dishes and tools were common when it had come. Sometimes it would even bring back things it had taken previously. Reverend Samuel C.A. Rogers reported seeing many sets of strange tracks, both large and small along the banks of the river. As a circuit-riding preacher he traveled up and down the river visiting settlers and towns. Rogers also wrote an account of a hunt for the creature. The hunt had more than 50 men and horses along with tracking and bay dogs. They set to the trail of the most recent tracks. Soon the hounds had caught the scent and bayed something in a tree. The account states that what was treed was a man, yet not a man. Covered in long hair and wearing rags, it spoke no language that was recognized by the men. The creature was subsequently 32

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excitement that there might be some things still left in the wilds, yet to be discovered. Texas is a hot bed of activity in the Bigfoot world, second only to the Pacific Northwest in sheer numbers of sightings. Just across the state line we have the Creature of Boggy Creek. In deep East Texas we have the Sabine Thing, which has been seen from as far south as Orange all the way up to the Sabine headwaters in Hunt County. The Caddo Critter has been seen along the banks of Caddo Lake and the many creeks and sloughs that surround it. Can we just discount all of the eyewitness sightings as hysteria or outright falsehoods? Sightings have been reported by doctors, preachers, teachers and law enforcement officers. At any other time, the word of most of these is beyond reproach and above question. Are they? Are they stretching the truth or spinning yarns? Who knows? I personally don’t think we have a worldwide conspiracy stretching over hundreds of years. Do I have the answers? I sure don’t, but that’s what’s fun about the whole thing. You don’t have to believe in Bigfoot right now, if you don’t want to. You can think it’s totally hogwash, and that’s okay. However, if you enjoy thinking there might be some things out there we have not discovered and corrupted—if you want to believe that we have not exhausted our ability to dream—if you want to imagine things greater and more mysterious than ourselves still exist, then that, too, is okay. What harm is there in exploring Texas, looking for things that might, or might not exist. Many things have been discovered while looking for things that never did.

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UST THE NAME “ALLIGAtor snapping turtle” churns up memories for anyone who has waded barefoot in the creeks, rivers, and sloughs of East Texas. My folks always warned of getting my toes bitten off by a gnarly old snapper. They would say that once they bite down they won’t let go until it thunders. Back in the early 70’s there were still quite a few big snappers around. We would regularly catch them in our bait seine and some were as big as 40-plus pounds. The alligator snapping turtle (macrochelys temminkii) gets its name from the three distinct dorsal ridges that run down its back and look amazingly like those of an alligator. These throwbacks to the dinosaurs can and do live far beyond 100 years. It is even estimated they could reach as much as 175 years of age. An alligator snapper does not even reach breeding age until its twelfth year. The alligator snapper is the largest turtle in North America and among the largest in the entire world. Along with the crocodilians, they are one of only a few species that have not changed much since prehistoric times. Surprisingly there are three separate species of alligator snapper. The largest verified snapper on record weighed in at a whopping 249 pounds. Other reports say some monster turtles as big as 298 pounds. have been held by the Brookfield zoo in Chicago. That being said, I have seen some huge snappers in my many years exploring the big muddy banks of the Sabine. I’ve seen them in the creeks that feed it, as well as every slough and oxbow I could get into on a boat or on foot.

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who tromped around in the water like I did has similar stories about the alligator snapping turtle. Today these amazing beasts are very rare in the waters they once thrived in, and guys like me are part to blame. I was a kid and the word “conservation” had little meaning. We fished and hunted to feed the family. There were no trophies except for the ones in our freezers and on our tables. Where I lived we went to town once a week for perishables, but ate mostly from what we grew, caught or killed. Luckily these survivors from the age of dinosaurs are making a comeback thanks to strict laws and protection efforts by TPWD and Texas outdoorsmen and women. Alligator snapping turtles now are protected in Texas waters, so please take care if you happen to catch one in your net or on your hook. If it’s in your net, release it right away. If you catch it on a hook and you can’t easily remove it, just cut your line. The hook will rust away quickly unless it’s stainless steel. Too many anglers feel the need to kill a turtle once it’s on their line. Remember this, if you’re caught harming a turtle, particularly an alligator snapper, it could mean thousands of dollars in fines and maybe even jail time. That would put a damper on any fishing trip. Killing them also has a deep impact on the environment we all love. So next time you snag an old alligator snapper, have a little respect for it and return it unharmed to the water. Maybe if you do so, your children and maybe even your grandchildren will be able to enjoy telling their children stories of their adventures with a true icon of the Texas wetlands.

Way back when I was just a nubbin, I was working my way down Wilkerson Creek with a buddy when we saw what had to be a dinosaur. This had to be the granddaddy of every snapper in Texas and half of Louisiana. We dropped our fishing poles and ran for help. We returned with his dad and a 22 rifle. Back in those days we ate turtles just like we did catfish and crappies. It took a John Deere tractor with a front-end loader to haul that snapper back to the house. This monster measured just shy of four feet across the back. I have no idea of its weight, but I do know it would not fit in a No. 3 washtub. It took a single bit axe and a hammer to hull it out. We ended up with an ice chest full of meat off of this giant. We didn’t waste it. We had gumbo and BBQ along with fried turtle and a good, old turtle mulligan. Another encounter with these monsters came when I was a few years older. We were gathering bait in a pond. Alligator snappers like to lie on the bottom and hold their mouths open while wiggling their pink tongue like a lure. When a fish swims in to grab what he thinks is a worm the turtle snaps its jaws shut. I drew the short straw and was making my way out when my big toe slid right in the snapper’s mouth. Needless to say, the jaws snapped shut on my big toe, and the race was on. I ran out of the pond so fast that I didn’t realize I still had the turtle on my toe. This thing was about the size of a snuff can, but believe you me, it felt like it was the size of a garbage can. After some gentle persuasion, the turtle decided to let go, but not before taking a good chunk of my big toe with it (barely a scratch). I am sure that just about everyone F I S H

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1 Miranda Green’s ﬂatﬁsh weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces.

Gene Brown fought a shark to get this 24-incher. Look at the teeth marks!

Chad Peterek caught this 26-incher in Upper Laguna Madre.

Doug Berger caught this 26-incher in East Matagorda Bay.

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EVER CAUGHT A FLOUNDER that is brown on both sides? The typical flounder is brown on the top and white on the bottom, but Lake Calcasieu guide Capt. Kevin Broussard caught one that was brown on both sides (Photo 1 ). It’s not the only one we came across. Ross Bass also caught a double brown-sided flounder (Photo 2 ). If you have caught a double brown flounder, an albino, white or piebald one, email cmoore@fishgame.com. We would love to share them with others. We are also interested in your photos of huge flounder. Here are just a few of the mutantsized flatfish submitted to us in recent months by our readers.

Karim Anabtawi hoists a 26-inch Sabine saddle blanket.

Lucas Moore shows off a 24- and 25-inch Sabine area ﬂounder. T E X A S

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HAVE SEEN MANY HUNTERS PICK UP BINoculars, take a quick look at a mountainside a halfmile away, and state unequivocally that there was no game on the mountain. The truth is they had no more idea what was on that mountain than I have what’s on the far side of the moon. It takes patience to properly use binoculars. It also takes knowing how. Once I was hunting mule deer in the Boise National Forest in Idaho. My brother David and I had hiked into an area where a ridge divided a range of low mountains. On both sides of us were steep canyons. Beyond were grassy mountainsides with scattered pine groves and a few aspens. I stopped at the crest of the ridge where two trails split. One trail went down into the northern canyon, and the other followed the south side of the ridge. David went on down the ridge another half-mile and found a place to glass. I sat down in a comfortable place, set up my walking stick so I could rest my binoculars on it, and began to glass. After a half-hour of glassing, I thought I had covered the far mountain pretty thoroughly, and I lay back to rest my eyes. Sometime later I sat up again, picked up my binoculars and again began to glass the mountainside. After another half-hour my eyes were again getting tired of staring through the glasses. I was just about ready to eat my sandwich when I saw movement in a small grove of pines I had glassed off and on for more than an hour. With something to hold my attention, I zeroed in on that spot. After a minute, I thought I could see a patch of something through the pines that didn’t look like rock or vegetation. After another few minutes I suddenly realized I was looking at a cow elk. Really bearing down, I began to see more elk. After a few more minutes I realized that I was looking at an entire herd of the big animals, each as large as a cow pony.

REPORT: NEWS 42 u TF&G OF THE NATION Reported by TF&G Staff

HOT 42 u TEXAS SHOTS Trophy Photos from TF&G Readers

DEPT. OF 44 u TEXAS DEFENSE by Stan Skinner and Dustin Ellermann

46 u TEXAS DEPT. OF CONSERVATION

by Will Leschper and Andi Cooper

48 u TEXAS COASTAL FORECAST

by Eddie Hernandez, Mike Holmes, Mike Price, Chris Martin, Mac Gable, Tom Behrens, Sally Black and Calixto Gonzales

58 u TEXAS FISHING HOTSPOTS

by Tom Behrens, Dustin Warncke and Dean Heffner

66 u SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK Tides and SoLunar Data

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE u

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It was approaching midday, and they had gotten up to stretch their legs and nibble some grass. When I finally quit counting, I had found 18 different elk on the mountainside. A couple of hours earlier, I would have said it didn’t have a rabbit on it. Eighteen full-grown elk are a lot of animals to be overlooked, but I had managed it repeatedly as I sat there in the warm October sun. Hunting pronghorns in the foothills of the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming, my brother had shot a good buck a few days before. I had not managed to fill my tag, and the hunt was coming to an end. I had only the rest of that day to kill a pronghorn or go home empty-handed. I

It was lying in the sage on the lee side of a ridge, out of the cold north wind. I looked over the country with my binoculars and found what I thought was a reasonable route for a stalk. David and our friend and guide, Jerry Cowley, whose family owned the ranch on which we were hunting, drove me several miles back around the buck, until we were on the north side of the hills. Then he dropped me off. While I started the stalk, David and Jerry returned to where we had first found the

Quality binoculars like those made by Leupold are useful even in heavy brush.

had stalked a couple of nice bucks, but something had always happened to bugger the deal. Now, as time was running out, we were situated on a large flat between two low ranges of rocky hills. I was using my binoculars, and David was working a spotting scope. I was ready to give up and go somewhere else when David said “Hey, Steve, look over in that bottom just to the left of that rocky spur on the right. I think I see the head of a buck antelope sticking up above the sage.” Try as I might I could not see a thing with the 7x35 binoculars, but when I looked through the 20X spotting scope I could see what he was talking about. Sure enough, it was the head and neck of a good buck. 40

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buck. There, they could see what happened. An hour later I was behind the log cabinsized boulder where I had decided to take my shot. I could see the pickup, parked far out on the grassy plain. They were still watching and making no gestures, so I assumed the buck was still where it had been when we spotted it. I looked around the boulder and saw the buck, still lying in its bed in the sage. I took a rest on another rock and prepared to shoot. Just as I started to put pressure on the trigger, the buck stood up and started to walk away. I put the crosshairs just in front of its brisket, to allow for the brisk north wind and its walking speed, and squeezed the trigger. |

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The 100-grain Sierra bullet from the little .243 Winchester dropped the buck so fast he just disappeared. As I started down to the buck the cold front that had been hanging over the mountains all morning hit with a roar. I finished field dressing the pronghorn with sleet bouncing off my hat. Without the benefit of a spotting scope, and someone who knew how to use it, I would never have bagged that buck. Binoculars are useful even when you are hunting in heavy brush. I use my binoculars about as much in brush as I do when hunting in the mountains. With a good binocular you can actually see through brush that would normally block your vision. When I am still-hunting brush I take

a very, very, very, slow step or two, carefully look things over with my eyes, then switch to my binoculars and take the brush apart piece by piece. It is amazing the number of times I have seen an animal with the binocular that I had completely missed with my eyeballs. I was hunting a wonderful ranch west of Uvalde. Since there were no blinds or feeders on the ranch, and only the family and friends of the family hunted there, we were free to still-hunt. I was moving very slowly through a pasture covered with huajilla, cenizo, granjeno, and other thorn brush that I didn’t and still don’t know the names of. I had seen a few does but no bucks. I would take one or two very slow steps, look things over, and then go to my binocular. PHOTO: LEUPOLD & STEVENS

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A couple of hours into the hunt I had stopped at the edge of a clearing. I had seen nothing at first glance, and was now picking the brush apart with my 7x35 binocular. I kept coming back to a small patch of granjeno in which something just didn’t look right. About the third time I glassed the patch of brush I suddenly realized that I was staring at an eyeball. As I stared, the eyeball turned into the head of a deer, then the head grew antlers. I counted eight points on the buck. I slowly took my old .270 off my shoulder, found a hole in the screening brush, centered the buck in the scope, and rolled it over. It never knew I was there. The shot was all of 75 yards. Without my binocular I would never have seen that buck until he spooked. He would have been gone before I could do anything. You want a binocular with relatively low power for brush hunting, nothing more than eight power. Seven power is better, and if you can find a six-power glass, such as the old Sard military night glasses, you will really have something. Good glass is essential for any serious hunter, no matter where he hunts. If you are such a hunter, buy the best binocular you can afford and learn how to use it properly. Many hunters think the more powerful a binocular is, the better it is. I almost never use a binocular of more than 8X, and never of more than 10X. My favorite is an old German Zeiss 8x30 Dialyte B, with individual eye focus. I have found that if you have a binocular with dual focus, most of your time is spent fiddling with the focus knob. I prefer the individual focus and have never found it to be a disadvantage. However, if you prefer the dual focus type, that’s fine. Just get one with good glass of not more than about eight-power. Sometimes, if I am hunting a place where the distances are very long, I will take a 10X binocular and use it for glassing from camp or from a vehicle, I will also use a 10X Alpen Apex (the smallest 10x42 bino that I know of) occasionally when hunting from a blind, but if I am out on foot, the one hanging around my neck will not be that powerful. Most glasses that powerful are big and heavy and not much, if any, better at spotting game than a smaller glass. Stay away from the tiny little pocket binoculars. They are light and handy, but are all but useless at dawn and dusk, when you need

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feel like I am crippled. If I am hunting in the mountains there will be a spotting scope in my daypack, or my guide’s pack. This is used for sizing up game that is too far away to be clearly seen with the binoculars. These two items have gotten me trophies that would otherwise have escaped, and they have saved me many dreary miles of hiking.

them most. They also do not have the definition of the larger types in any light. Any binocular with an objective smaller than 30 millimeters is not a serious hunting glass. I also, very much, prefer the roof prism binoculars over the porro prism type. I have found them to be more durable and they are more compact in any power. Good binoculars are just as important to the hunt as a good scope on your rifle. I would never consider going hunting without binoculars. If for some reason I forget them, I

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The NATIONAL

Wildlife Displaced in Wake of Harvey Flood Waters

News of TEXAS

animals may seek shelter in debris piles and caution should be used during cleanup efforts. Houston is home to diverse wildlife that go into people’s homes and yards 365 days a year regardless of rain, wind, and flood, so displaced alligators, snakes, bats, deer, and snapping turtles are something that Houstonians are used to seeing. “A snake in the yard is not a cause for panic,” he says. “They don’t want to be there, either, and if left alone will usually leave on their own. You’re more likely to come upon a skunk, a mound of fire ants or a wasp nest in a brush pile than a venomous snake. If you do have an encounter with a problem snake, seek help from local animal control or licensed snake removal experts.” During floods, alligators may disperse into areas where they

AS FLOOD WATERS FROM HARVEY recede and those affected begin to sort through the damage left in the wake of the storm, biologists with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department say encounters with various wildlife are to be expected. “People should be aware that snakes and other wildlife, including skunks and raccoons, may approach or enter yards and houses seeking cover or higher ground,” said John Davis, TPWD Wildlife Diversity program director. “Over time, displaced wildlife will return to their usual habitats.” Common sense precautions should be practiced; be aware that snakes and other

FERAL HOG

SHARK

Victoria County

Galveston

Fourdam Matey, age seven, shot this 100-pound feral hog on his dad’s lease in Victoria County with a .223 riﬂe. The hog was a special harvest, as Fourdam’s three-year-old brother, Aiden, joined him for the ﬁrst time.

M’Lyn Pyfer of North Richland Hills shows off the shark that she caught near the end of the North Jetty in Galveston. This shark was one of several caught by M’Lyn and her family.

Visit FishGame.com to upload your own TEXAS HOT SHOTS 42

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aren’t normally observed, according to Jonathan Warner, TPWD Alligator Program Leader. He offers the following advice for encounters with alligators: “Alligators are wary of people but keep your distance,” said Warner. “Never approach, harass or feed an alligator. When water levels recede, the alligator will likely disappear as well.” Gators are critical to the health and balance of aquatic ecosystems in southeast Texas. They’re also a protected game species. Davis said it may be some time before short term and long term impacts to wildlife as a result of the storm can be assessed, but stress that wildlife populations are fairly resilient. “These species

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An agitated water moccasin makes its presence known at Brazos Bend State Park in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

life. Dispatch teams and hotlines are being used to coordinate emergency first responders. Wildlife, in the meantime, are equipped by nature to take care of themselves in most situations. Tips and precautions about encounters with wildlife are available at tpwd.texas.gov. —Staff Report

Jones Named to Head Game Wardens

evolved with hurricanes and floods, so they will recover.” While emergency rescue operations are active, wildlife experts are urging the public to focus on helping people and reporting dangerous conditions of our neighborhoods rather than reporting displaced wild-

FLOUNDER Sabine Pass Eighteen-year-old Brady Coulter caught this five-pound flounder while he was fishing at Sabine Pass.

GRAHAME JONES, A 24-YEAR LAW enforcement veteran, has been selected as director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Law Enforcement Division. He will pin on his colonel’s badge Sept. 1. Jones, previously Chief of Special Operations, succeeds Col. Craig Hunter, who retires at the end of this month. “Grahame’s career in law enforcement as a State Game Warden with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is a distinguished one,” said TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith. “He is a consummate professional, a visionary leader, supremely dedicated to TPWD’s mission, work, and people, and a respected leader among state and federal law enforcement agencies, private landowner groups, and fish and wildlife conservation partners. I have no doubt that Grahame will make a significant positive impact leading the critical conservation law enforcement work of our game wardens and our agency across Texas.” As TPWD Law Enforcement Division director, Col. Jones will oversee a force of 551 highly trained state game wardens that provides law enforcement “off the pavement” across Texas, and 128 dedicated non-commissioned support staff. Though state game wardens focus primarily on conservation laws, they are fully commissioned peace officers authorized to enforce all state statutes. During Jones’ career with TPWD, he has served as a field game warden in East Texas, a Sergeant Investigator in Environmental Crimes, a Captain and Major in Internal Affairs, and the Chief of Special Operations. Jones grew up in Houston, fishing the Galveston Bay complex and hunting ducks T E X A S

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Col. Grahame Jones

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and geese on the Katy prairie. He has been actively involved with conservation efforts through the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and served on the CCA State Board prior to going to work for TPWD. Jones received a Bachelor of Science from Stephen F. Austin State University and attended the National FBI Academy in Quantico, VA. Jones and his wife, Julie, have two daughters, Gabbie and Jali. “The way we protect our natural resources, the way we provide water safety and public safety, and the way we respond to disasters has evolved over the last 120 years,” Jones offered. “On the other hand, the dedication, passion, and commitment exemplified by Texas Game Wardens and non-commissioned staff in protecting our natural resources and in serving our fellow Texans has remained a constant. That long-standing legacy of duty is something all Texans can all be proud of.” Col. Hunter retires with 40-plus years of law enforcement service. “He has been a devoted and tireless leader within the department, as well as the state’s law enforcement community as a whole. As the TPWD Colonel, Craig has expertly led our game wardens through some of the most challenging situations and times confronting the Texas outdoors. From responding to massive floods and fires to breaking up sophisticated commercial fish and wildlife poaching rings to enhancing our law enforcement presence along the state’s borders and waterways, Colonel Hunter has left a big footprint across Texas’ lands and waters. —Staff Report

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TEXAS Dept. of

:: Self Defense :: Tactical :: Training Tips

by DUSTIN ELLERMANN and STAN SKINNER

:: Gear

Scopes and Ballistics

ITTING A TARGET AT LONGrange with a scoped rifle ain’t easy. Doping wind, estimating range, and compensating for bullet drop present a mind-boggling mix of skills that few shooters have the time or dedication to master. However, “experts” (who eagerly bestow “knowledge” on the rest of you poor unenlightened souls) abound on the internet. I am one of those experts, but I own the sole distinction of being correct in all things. So, ignore the others. How do you know what I say is true? It HAS to be true—you saw it on the internet. Now that we’ve settled that, it’s time to dispel a few myths and misconceptions about riflescopes, bullet trajectories and such—some of which have lingered for many decades.

Poor Man’s BDC Reticle THE WORLD OF SHOOTING OPTICS is massive with seemingly infinite options. MIL or MOA adjustments? First focal plane or second? Fixed, side turret or bell parallax adjustment? MIL-Dot, Horris, or MOA reticle? Nightforce, Leupold, Meopta, Bushnell or countless other manufacturers? But with this technique you can keep it simple and use any duplex reticle as a poor man’s Ballistic Drop Compensation (BDC) reticle. Duplex reticles can be used for double zeros for fixed distances. For instance,

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One comes to mind that I often heard back in the ’50s and ’60s: “When a bullet leaves the muzzle, it rises for a while before it begins to drop.” Whenever I saw this in print, some genius would debunk this as a myth. They’d point out that gravity makes a bullet begin to drop immediately the instant it leaves the muzzle and imply that whoever thought differently was simply ignorant. Well, yes. Gravity DOES work that way— it’s just irrelevant to the matter at hand. Here’s why: As you look through your riflescope, the crosshair intersection represents the center of your line of sight, which extends straight as a string all the way to your target. If your eye and the target are at the same elevation, that line of sight is perfectly horizontal. For a typical riflescope, your line of sight lies 1.5 inches (more or less) above the centerline of your rifle’s bore, which the bullet passes through en route to that target. If your rifle is properly zeroed (or sighted-in)—at, say, 100 yards—the path of the bullet must intersect your line of sight at that distance. To do this,

the rifle’s bore must TILT UPWARD slightly to launch the bullet on an UPWARD path in order to intersect your line of sight. Guess what—When the bullet leaves the muzzle, it DOES rise for a while before it begins to drop. We can’t blame this little gem on the internet because back in the ’50s and ’60s, it didn’t exist. Armchair experts DID exist in those days, though. Many of them were gun writers who stated “facts” that often weren’t true— just like today’s internet experts. Also dating back to that era, is a sighting-in method designed to take advantage of a rifle/ cartridge’s long-range capabilities. This one is not really a myth or misconception. It’s just— in my humble opinion (IMHO)—a poor way to use your rifle’s trajectory. In recent years, this has been touted as the “Maximum Point-Blank Range” method. (Let’s call it MPBR.) It takes advantage of the relatively flat trajectory of many high velocity cartridges such as the .270 Winchester and most magnum rifle cartridges. Incidentally, the trajectories of this class

we use the Marksmanship Camp’s Volquartsen Custom .22LRs mostly at 50 yards for the kids. However, I enjoy shooting from 100 yards. So, I don’t adjust zero on the turrets every time I move back and forth. Instead, I adjust the magnification on the second focal plane reticle so the lower duplex point is exactly where my 100 yard shot will land. The easiest way to do this is to fire a shot on a clean target from the distance in question. Then adjust the magnification until the point of the lower

duplex rests on the point of impact while your crosshairs hold on the original point of aim. I was lucky enough that it matched right on the point of the “7” on my Meopta scope so it’s very easy to replicate. You might have to put a small scratch or use a fine-tipped marker noting the exact magnification setting to be able to adjust back and forth. This will only work with variable magnification second focal plane optics because the reticle will not change size with the magnification. The most common range finding and BDC scope reticle is the mil-dot so we can also use that as a target objective for the remainder of this tutorial, however this technique could be adapted to any other measurement as well.

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of cartridges are very similar, varying less than an inch or so out to nearly a thousand yards. So, MPBR works about the same for most flatshooting cartridges. Using MPBR, you sight-in so the bullet is three or even four inches high at 100 yards. At 150 to 200 yards the bullet will still be more than four inches high at the highest point (mid-range trajectory). Beyond 200 yards it will start arcing down to intersect the line of sight for a long-range zero of about 300 yards. The bullet will now begin dropping more rapidly. At 350 yards it will be about four inches low, and by 400 yards, it will drop to around 10 to 12 inches low. As it passes 500 yards, the bullet will now be about two and a half feet below your line-of sight. Keep in mind that a deer-sized game animal standing broadside with your scope reticle centered just behind the foreleg has a heartlung kill zone roughly 10 to 12 inches high. This MPBR zero puts your bullet within four inches above or below line of sight—that is to say, an eight-inch diameter cone of fire out to 350 yards or so. That’s well within the kill zone of deer-sized game.

Some or all of the above conditions might not occur all, or even most of the time, but why not be prepared? If you need to aim quickly and/or shoot past intervening brush, a four-inch gap between your bullet’s flight and your line of sight is just asking for trouble. Here’s a better solution—sight-in your rifle only ONE inch high at 100 yards. This zero keeps even medium-powered cartridges, such as .308 Winchester and .30-06 within an inch above or below line of sight slightly past 200 yards. Flat-shooting rounds from .25-06 to .30 caliber magnums will have a similar trajectory, but a few tenths of an inch flatter. If you’ve sighted-in this way, you merely put your crosshair where you want to hit and quickly take the shot. Assured that your bullet will hit within an inch of where you aim, you can be confident of a humane, quick kill. Also, with your bullet’s flight hugging tight to your line of sight, you minimize the chance of an unnoticed tree limb deflecting your bullet. Beyond 200 yards, a “ballistics reticle” or even a thick-thin crosshair similar to Leupold’s Duplex reticle will give you a good long-range aiming point. In next month’s column, I will go into more detail on how a ballistics reticle is a valuable aid to accurate long-range shooting. —by Stan Skinner

Does that sound okay to you? For me— not so much. Those who compile hunting statistics say that most rifle-killed big game are shot at less than 200 yards. What makes more sense to me is a sight-in zero designed for this kind of shot—but one that still works just fine at long range. For the purpose of this discussion, I’ll assume a few things about your deer-sized quarry (Oh heck, let’s just say “deer”). (1) Beyond 200 yards, the deer is probably not alarmed and might not even be aware of your presence. If so, you probably have plenty of time to plan and take an unhurried shot. Caption (2) Nearer than 200 yards, the odds that a deer will see or smell you increase considerably. If the deer is closer than 100 yards, the odds go way up. If so, the deer might be ready to “get out of Dodge,” giving you only seconds to shoot. (3) Deer, especially whitetails, like brushy and wooded areas. So, you might have to shoot past limbs that could deflect your bullet.

yards x 1,000 divided by size of the object observed in mils = range in yards. Then you could also use it for hold over. For instance if your target is 300 yards away, and your .308 drops 13 inches, then 13 inches at 300 yards would be 1.2 mils. Give the appropriate elevation hold below the first duplex estimating 1.2 mils and you should be right on the mark. Is this practice ideal? No, it can be a bit complicated and not as accurate. But it will work in a pinch and is a great way to expand your training toolbox in being intimate with your rifle system.

A duplex reticle can be used to “eyeball” ballistic drop compensation.

A “mil” relates to the US military variation of a unit of angle known as a milliradian. The distance between the centers of any two adjacent dots on a mil-dot reticle is one mil, which is 36 inches at 1,000 yards, or 3.6 inches at 100 yards. With this constant we can range distance of targets if we know their size, and use the mils as point of reference for holds for ballistic drop. However, what if you don’t have a fancy mil-dot scope, just a cheapo Tasco with a duplex reticle? If that Tasco holds PHOTO: DUSTIN ELLERMANN

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zero and shoots straight, you can find what magnification the duplexes match a mil measurement and use the same formulas for long range shooting. Begin by marking 3.6 inches (3 5/8 inches) or downloading a mil target and set it at 100 yards. Then find a stable position to determine at what magnification setting you can fit a mil between the center of the crosshairs and a point of the duplex. From here you can use the standard formulas for ranging: size of the object in T E X A S

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—by Dustin Ellermann

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TEXAS Dept. of :: Edited by WILL LESCHPER

Open Access Hunting

parks and also private lands,” he said. “We’ve expanded opportunities in many locations, which is what hunters have told us through our surveys is something they would like to see. “We’ve also used hunting-specific funds to expand hunting in Texas. One example is our private lands dove hunt drawing. We have used funds from migratory game bird hunting stamp sales to help lease out lands that are in some of the best dove hunting areas of the state, and our outfitters we have worked with have helped provide an exceptional experience.” Dreibelbis said that interest in the public hunting system as a whole has continued to expand annually. “We have seen increasing participation each year in the online draw system, which is mostly because folks have gotten used to using the system and become more familiar with our hunting options,” he said. “We (TPWD) also have taken over the

EXAS’S PUBLIC HUNTING program is a model for both conservation initiatives and access to the masses. While the Lone Star State doesn’t boast as much public land hunting as those states farther to the west, the areas of Texas open to walk-in hunts and drawn hunts are still vast, with plenty of different species to pursue. That includes federal wildlife refuges, too. Justin Dreibelbis, Private Lands and Public Hunting Program Director with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, noted that the overall public hunting program in the state is designed to extend hunting to many folks that otherwise don’t have prime access to private locales. “We have lots of very different opportunities throughout Texas for hunting, including at our Wildlife Management Areas, state

hunt drawings for National Wildlife Refuge opportunities at places like the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge along the coast and the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge in far South Texas, and we’ve been glad to help them. “They previously used a paper system for their drawn hunts, which took up lots of time for their staff, and they’ve been happy with the results of the online system. Using the online system also has opened up those hunts to an entire section of hunters that either didn’t know about those opportunities (including deer and exotics.)” Lower Rio Grande Valley Refuge biologist Imer De La Garza noted that the partnership with TPWD has helped to get the word out about, not only his area, but the overall public hunting program in Texas as a whole. “We’ve been running hunts on the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge since 2000,” De La Garza said, “but last

A dozer dredges a cattail lake at Taylor Lake WMA.

Plates Serve Up Funds for Duck Land DUCKS UNLIMITED LICENSE plates provide funding for public land projects throughout Texas Many people purchase specialty license plates to show their pride in, and affiliation with, a particular school, profession, or cause. Those purchasing the Ducks Unlimited license plates are making a difference for waterfowl and people across the state. 46

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Money from the sale of Texas Ducks Unlimited license plates help public land partners manage and maintain habitats that benefit waterfowl and provide public enjoyment. Revenue from these plates has allowed Ducks Unlimited to dedicate nearly $132,000 to help partners enhance and man|

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age more than 1,700 acres of wetland habitat since June 2016. These funds are prioritized for smaller projects on sites with public use opportunities that generally require habitat management and infrastructure repairs. Projects have been done across the state, including PHOTOS: ABOVE, LEFT, DUCKS UNLIMITED; ABOVE, RIGHT, QDMA

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TPWD Wins Award for Deer Quality THE QUALITY DEER MANAGEMENT Association has named the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department as the recipient of its 2017 Agency of the Year Award. “The white-tailed deer is a charismatic symbol that has come to represent the importance of wildlife conservation in Texas,” said QDMA founder Joe Hamilton, in a news release. “The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department understands deer hunting is an essential and longstanding contributor to the state’s culture and economy, and is a motivator for land stewardship.” According to the release, TPWD’s deer management program has been so successful that its 80 wildlife biologists work with more than 10,000 properties

on 25 million acres, including nearly 200 wildlife cooperatives actively receiving deer harvest and management recommendations. Texas is one of only a few

year was the first that we used Texas Parks & Wildlife’s online draw system to place hunters in our deer and exotic hunts. The demand for our hunts has gotten bigger each year, so it’s a good thing for anyone who may be interested in entering our draws.” The draws that have piqued the interest of hunters from across Texas are those for “blue bulls.” “The nilgai hunts in particular have generated more and more interest, especially because nilgai are isolated to extreme South

Texas,” De La Garza said. “People see where it says ‘unlimited nilgai’ on the hunt application and they get excited. There’s good and bad with that though. You can shoot them, but then you also have to pack them out. “These hunts have opened a lot of opportunity for all Texans, not just those folks who live down here in the Valley,” De La Garza said. “We’ve also been getting more and more applicants from all over the country, too. It has gotten much more competitive in the draw process.”

In addition to the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge also offers similar hunt frameworks for nilgai. Information: tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/ hunt/public.

Sandia Springs Wetlands (West Texas near Alpine), Gus Engeling and Richland Creek wildlife management areas (WMA) in East Texas, White Oak Creek WMA (northeast Texas), Taylor Lakes WMA (panhandle), and Sheldon Lake State Park, Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, Justin Hurst WMA and Mad Island WMA on the Texas Upper Coast. Project activities include levee repair, water-control structure installation and replacement, water delivery canal cleanout, vegetation control, removal of accumulated sediments, and other management infrastructure improvements. Because the majority of the larger, public grant programs and private foundation donations prioritize larger-scale projects on

the Gulf Coast, it is difficult for Texas Ducks Unlimited conservation staff to provide project support to our partners on these smaller projects across the state. License plate funds provide a means to do so. In addition to the traditional Texas Ducks Unlimited logo tag, Texas also offers a DU tag featuring a Great Blue Heron. A new tag design is in the works, and it will continue to show off Ducks Unlimited pride and help improve wetland habitats across the Lone Star State. Show your pride in wetlands conservation by getting your DU tag today.

and infrastructure improvements on Taylor Lakes WMA in the Texas Panhandle. RCWMA Mulching 2.jpg Plate funds supported woody vegetation control on Richland Creek WMA in East Texas. SLSP spraying 2.jpg Spraying to control undesirable vegetation on Sheldon Lake State Park near Houston. SandiaSpringsWetlands-overview.jpg An aerial view of wetlands restored using Ducks Unlimited license plate funding on Sandia Springs Wetland in west Texas near Alpine.

« TPWD’s Alan Cain, left, and Kip Adams of QDMA.

Email Will Leschper at WillLeschperOutdoors@gmail.com

TaylorLakesWMA-NE Cattail Lake Dozer Dredging.jpg & TaylorLakesWMADredging Scraper_Dozer.jpg Tag funds facilitate wetland restoration T E X A S

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states with a wildlife cooperative program that includes a dedicated cooperative staff member and incentives for participating landowners. Additionally, according to data compiled by QDMA for its annual Whitetail Report, Texas has one of the best buck age structures in the whitetail’s range. During the 2015-2016 deer season, only 23 percent of bucks harvested by hunters were 1.5 years old, while 59 percent were 3.5 years old or older, according to the release.

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—by Andi Cooper

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Coastal Focus: SABINE :: by Capt. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

Runnin’ and Gunnin’

or easier for that matter, when it comes to loading the ice chest than it does in October. Therefore, we probably won’t have to worry about hearing that for a while. The cold fronts we will begin to experience this month will begin to purge the marsh and bayous of shrimp and baitfish. That will trigger a feeding frenzy, which will last well into December. Gulls and terns feasting on large pods of shrimp will be a dead giveaway to the coordinates of huge schools of trout and reds attacking from underneath. If fast and furious catching is what you’re seeking, running and gunning with the birds is the easiest way to fill your fish box quickly. Shut down well ahead of the school and troll or drift until you can reach them with a long cast. Keep the wind at your back if possible to help make the long casts needed to get your lure to the fish. I’m convinced there aren’t any baits you could tie on that won’t produce strikes when the fish are schooling under the birds. Topwaters, soft plastics, Rat-L-Traps, swim baits, jerk baits and spoons will all get the job

NE OF THE MOST POPULAR quotes among fishermen on those dreaded tough days on the water is “that’s why they call it fishing instead of catching.” I’m sure we’ve all heard it more than we care to remember. With that said, I am happy to announce that October has found its way to the Texas Coast. We are now entering into one of the best, if not the best, month for consistently catching big numbers of good quality fish. The dog days of summer are in the rear view mirror now, but the heat is on when it comes to catching on Texas’s coastal bays and estuaries. It doesn’t get much better,

done. We usually stick to soft plastics on 1/4 oz. lead heads so we can get good distance on our casts and not have to deal with trebles every time we catch a fish. One of the best bits of advice I’ve ever gotten was from my mentor, the late Capt. Daniel Pyle, who always told me “keep em to a single hook.” This is definitely true a lot more often than not. Assassins, Zoom Super Fluke, and H & H Cocahoe Minnow in various colors always work well. October is also a great time to experience some serious redfish action at the jetties. Dark colored plastics and Hoginars fished deep should provide you with lots of action on slot fish as well as a few oversized ones. Fish the deep holes and washouts for best results. If you’d like to experience Sabine’s version of running with the bulls, break out the big rods and fish the jetties or the surf. Bait ’em up with whole or cut mullet or croaker and set your drag. These big bulls don’t mess around once they realize they are hooked, and there’s no better time to do battle with them than October.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: South Revetment (Pleasure Island) SPECIES: Trout, reds, ﬂounder, croaker BAITS/LURES: Shad, fresh shrimp, soft plastics BEST TIMES: Mornings and evenings

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Coastal Focus: GALVESTON :: by Capt. MIKE HOLMES

N TEXAS, AND PARTICULARLY on the upper coast, we normally have a short, but glorious fall for a few days between our tropical summer and a cooler, wet winter. During our version of fall, we can sometimes venture outside without sunscreen and might even be comfortable in long pants and long sleeved shirts on some days. As fishermen, the world is ours! Between school semesters, hunting seasons, and spectator sports, the beaches, bays, and offshore waters are left to the truly enthusiastic fishermen among us. We reap a significant gain from the loss experienced by those of lesser dedication. Fishing is never better, and with a less crowded playing field, we couldn’t ask for much more. There can be little doubt that the redfish is “king” of the fall saltwater season, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it again. I well remember the first time my younger brother caught a fair sized “rat” red on bay tackle. He then remarked that the largemouth bass he was more accustomed to catching were a bit lacking in strength compared to a red. From another novice’s viewpoint, my stepdaughter was underwhelmed at the prospect of my cooking her first redfish – a reaction probably not unexpected from a pre-teen girl. However, her mother and I persuaded her that “since you caught it, you have to eat it.” The young lady did not speak again until every crumb had been devoured. Adding further to the appeal, is the fact that they can be caught without the use of a boat, either from piers, docks, and jetties, or while wading the bays or the surf. Billfish may be the most universally celebrated fish, but it would be hard to compare their over-all popularity with that of the much more com-

“ There can be little doubt that the redﬁsh is “king” of the fall saltwater season, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it again.

LOCATION: Surf, piers, jetties, rock groins, and the shoreline of natural passes and river outlets. SPECIES: If you want it, it is probably available, from specks, rat reds and founders to big sharks and tarpon. BAIT: Live bait is always best, and the best way to get it is to catch your own with cast net, mud minnow traps, seines, and light tackle hook and line.

runs of a king mackerel, and they don’t jump like a tarpon. Instead they make shorter, but powerful runs, plowing their big and very hard heads through bottom sand and mud. Often they are not brought under control until they are so exhausted that releasing them is futile, as they will probably die, anyway. The sight of a big school of jacks crashing through rafting mullet in the surf, throwing their prey through the air in all directions, is about as exciting as anything you’ll see in coastal waters. Such a massacre also leaves T E X A S

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October— BEST!

dead and injured mullet in its wake. This makes excellent conditions to hook a big red, stingray, shark, or tarpon following to take advantage of the carnage. Speaking of tarpon, now is prime tarpon hunting time. Fish a large, live mullet with a strong circle hook through its lips, or maybe penetrating the body above the tail. This creates the ultimate crippled baitfish scenario in the deeper water between bars Wait patiently, and you could well be rewarded by THE most impressive battle to be had on a rod and reel short of a monster shark, brutish tuna, or a big marlin. A goodsized tarpon, jumping and crashing the water between the second and third sandbars, is the kind of power and beauty only found in the best of salt water—which you can see in Texas as well as you can in any foreign destination.

mon redfish. The first jack crevalle I caught in the surf hangs on my living room wall. It’s next to a 24-pound bull red that was mounted for its markings, 24 spots on one side, 25 on the other, rather than its size. Also hanging there is a five foot, 75-pound alligator gar I caught off the dock of my old home on Chocolate Bayou. I have caught many jacks since then, and never caught one I was ashamed of. Although basically inedible, few fish fight as hard for their size. Jacks don’t make the long, sizzling

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BEST TIME: Morning and evening are still best, but October temperatures are mild enough for good action to continue through the day. As usual, pay attention to the tides— not so much the high and low times, but the period of water current movement, either raising or falling. Either condition moves bait.

Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

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Coastal Focus: MATAGORDA :: by Contributing Editor MIKE PRICE

Shorelines and Marsh Drains

CTOBER IS A GREAT TIME to fish East and West Matagorda bays because the fish are aggressively feeding. All you have to do is find them. That is easier in October than in other months, because they concentrate on the

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shorelines and the marsh drains. Flounders move along the shorelines as they work their way offshore to spawn, and redfish move along shorelines feeding on crabs, shrimp and baitfish. All three species, trout, redfish, and flounder hang out where water drains from the marsh to the bay waiting for bait to be flushed out. Last year on October 7th I launched my kayak into East Matagorda Bay. The wind was out of the northeast, the most common direction in October, tide was outgoing strong, the 77Â°F water was a bit off color with only 8 to 10 inches of visibility, and the weather was overcast and 80Â°F. I was fishing a flooded marsh area adjacent to the bay, and I was working the shore-

line. On the third cast I must have dropped the Hot Chicken Bass Assassin right in front of a big redfish, because it was hooked and swimming before the sound of the splash reached me. Boy, was it a fight! That fish pulled and pushed. It ran and tried to hide in the cord grass, but I finally maneuvered it to the kayak, netted it, and put it on the stringer. The red measured 26 inches. On the shoreline in the marsh on the other side of the bayou, another big redfish took my lure. This fish was a challenge. It was well hooked, but it ran into the cord grass and got all tangled up. I held my rod tip high and did my best

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to keep some tension on the line. I had to get out of the kayak, grab the net, and wade through knee-deep mud to get to the tangled fish. I finally untangled, and netted the 27-inch red. According to the tide tables, a dozen days in October 2017 have strong outgoing tides in the mornings. In addition to fishing the shorelines on these days, try fishing the spot where water leaves large marsh areas and empties into the bay. On Halloween, my wife, Janet, and I were fishing near Coon Island on the north side of West Matagorda Bay. The tide was very strong outgoing, and the fish and birds were really active. Birds were feeding on migrating shrimp, and fish were driving the shrimp to the surface. We started catching lots of trout, but they were all small, so we moved, first to the shoreline and then to a place where the marsh drained into the bay. Janet was about 100 yards away from me on the shoreline when she called me on the two-way radio and said, “There are redfish here. I missed a big one, but they are coming your way.”

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I spotted the fish as well as two egrets that were moving with them, feasting on the shrimp that the reds were kicking up. I dropped my kayak anchor about 15 yards away from shore and waited. When they got within casting distance I cast the lure close to the shoreline, and swam it in front of them. A 21-inch redfish grabbed the three-inch Egret Baits Wedge Tail Minnow and ended up on my stringer. Then we moved to where water was pumping out of the marsh and dissipating into the bay, and started catching small speckled trout with nearly every cast. Just before the bayou meets the bay is a deep hole. Janet dropped her lure in there and hooked a big red, but it got off. Then we paddled into the bayou and fished another deep spot and caught 19 and 21-inch reds. In October, quite a show goes on in the bays. Fish push shrimp to the surface, and birds squawk in excitement as they dive to snatch the shrimp. Redfish and flounders make their way along the shorelines and feed where marsh areas drain into the bay.

All you have to do is add yourself to the melee and enjoy the fun.

THE BANK BITE KAYAK RENTALS AT GRASSY POINT: Coming into Palacios on Business 35, take the ﬁrst left onto Bayshore Boulevard. Grassy Point Bait is on the bay about a half-mile up Bayshore Boulevard on the right, where the road turns north. It’s a good place to buy live bait, and you can ﬁsh from shore right there. You can launch your own kayak or small boat from Grassy Point, or you can rent a kayak from Grassy Point Bait from 7 am until 7 pm. The phone number is 361-972-5053.

Email Mike Price at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Coastal Focus: MID COAST :: by Capt. CHRIS MARTIN

The Hunt for Reds in October

the blistering heat of summer is once again behind us. Much more comfortable fishing conditions are in store for us in the weeks ahead. With the exception of a couple staggered seasonal frontal passages, October should also mean that moderate winds begin replacing the higher winds we’ve experienced over the past few months. A decrease in the amount of daylight hours will soon become noticeable, as well. The entire environment begins undergoing an instinctive transition as nature preps itself for the colder months of the year. The sheer amount of evolving adjustments is far too numerous to list here, but anglers are usually interested only in the changes that affect the fish and the fishing. Savvy coastal anglers know the kind of fun that the changes in October can bring. They recognize this month as being the most significant time of the year for the beautifully brazened, wide-shouldered, and hard fighting redfish. Any of a number of different reasons explain why this month is so popular for redfish, but this being the time for their urge to spawn is probably at the top of the list. The male redfish are ready to spawn every day, or every night as it may be—and the females every few nights. Regardless, it’s breeding time for these big bruisers, and they get hungry. The appetite of the redfish is at its highest, especially for the large females. They will literally want to eat anything and everything they can manage. These big mommas are ravenous, and will often attack anything that closely resembles any of the natural food sources—small crustaceans, worms, eels, crabs, mud minnows, shrimp, mullet, shad, piggy perch, croaker, etc. Their persistence in fulfilling their hunger cravings means the odds are tipped in the favor of anglers right now. So, hang on for the ride once it starts, because it does promise to be fun. October is historically known to present much higher tides than other months. So, a

HE SEPTEMBER EQUINOX officially marks the coming of autumn. However, we typically don’t see a noticeable difference in the weather until the very end of September or the first part of October. These changes offer a lot to anglers when it comes to coastal fishing. It means that

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huge number of these big reds will be found foraging for food atop real estate that might not have been covered by water until now. Marshy areas such as the numerous back lakes on Matagorda Island are primo spots to pinpoint your search for reds taking advantage of these higher tides. Higher water covers more of the marsh in many of the back lakes, which means there will now be water in grassy spots that offer protection to a lot of the smaller crustaceans and baitfish. What follows the bait into the grass? The redfish, of course! Anglers are often able to place either natural live bait, or plastic imitations, right up against the bank and reap great success, even in some really shallow water. Wading anglers often stand an even greater chance. They are able to cover a lot more surface area by casting and retrieving top water baits and plastic tails tight against the grass line as they move quickly and quietly down the shoreline. As we progress through this month and into the next, a couple other things anglers need to consider in their approach to successful fall fishing for redfish, as well as for large trophy-class trout. The first thing to think about we discussed previously. The days will continue to get shorter, resulting in less sunlight each day. Secondly (mainly for the artificial enthusiasts out there), keep in mind your bait’s silhouette whenever you’re fishing these low-light conditions. Anglers who fish artificial baits should transition to dark-colored lures and experiment with the more common plastic suspending baits. These darker, suspending lures imitate the silhouette of a mullet and contrasts the bait better against the sunlit background. Tight lines to all, and be safe out there.

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

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Coastal Focus: ROCKPORT :: by Capt. MAC GABLE

Sparing the Rod

LTHOUGH THIS ARTICLE IS NOT about parenting, it probably should be because I definitely have an opinion on the subject. Much of what I think, most young parents these days would not want to hear. There seems to be absolutely no accountability for the little darling the parents created and even less ownership for the way the whippersnapper is raised. More grandmas and grandpas are now being tasked with rearing their grandchildren. We should be down on our knees thanking God for these extraordinary co-parents. If there is hope for our up-and-coming generation it will be in large part due to these hero’s. I get more grandmas and grandpas as clients taking their grandchildren fishing than their true parents. It is estimated that 3 million grandparents now raise their son or daughter’s offspring, many of these below poverty level incomes. Ninety percent are on a retirement income and their numbers are rising. God has a special crown for these people in heaven. With terms like – “underachieving diamond in the rough”, “negative reinforcement”, “pacifistic nurturing”, the new generation lacks persistence in the face of challenge. No stick-to-itiveness. They get no discipline so guess what, they lack discipline. They get no punishment, rebuke or consequence for disobedience and therefore conduct themselves in an uncontrolled habitual way. One psychologist told a parenting friend of mine “you need to try harder at not trying hard where your kids are concerned”. What the hell does that mean? Our Creator said spare the rod spoil the child. Further, whoever spares the rod hates their children but the one who loves their children is CAREFUL to discipline them. Not in anger, CAREFUL - done showing thought and attention, avoid-

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eye on the rod or handle that creates perfect balance that keeps fatigue in using it to a minimum. Reels are as wide and varied as rods. They can range from $25 to upwards of $500. It’s not uncommon for a guide’s rod and reel to cost $300 to $400. It is a taboo for a client to hang a big fish only to have it get away due to rod and reel failure, so most guides take good care of their equipment. Others will not dally when a rod or reel becomes marginal and instead of repairing will get a new one to replace it. To them repairing or maintaining is not a prudent use of their time. Why take the chance the marginal equipment has been fixed properly? One rod or reel broken on a trip can eliminate any profit the guide might make for that fishing day. It is a mistake to think that manufacturers give guides their rods and reels. Although some do get some of their equipment to test, that is the exception rather than the rule. Guides spend their own dollars selecting the best rod / reel they can for their clients. The greatest compliment a guide can give a client is to hand his/her personal rod for them to fish with, so don’t take the offer lightly. A good guide will match the rod and reel to the person. Although some can fish with any rod, most—even though they don’t know it—need the pairing, and it does make a difference. Repeated misses at biting fish is often because a rod and reel just doesn’t fit a client’s mannerisms or idiosyncrasies. Rods too stiff, not stiff enough, reel handles on the wrong side, bait caster or spin cast and many other factors play into this. By now I hope you get the drift Rods and reels are special to fishing guides, and breaking one is akin to breaking their fingers. Guides can get hooked, cut, beat up in rough water, even have things go wrong with their boat and at the end of an outing they still have a smile for a good catch day. Let a rod or two get broken, and the same guide’s gaze will be locked to the ground. He will speak only if spoken to and go home to

ing potential danger or mishap. Notice that the word careful is before discipline. I should not have gotten started on this for I could write endlessly. Spare the rod, spoil the child does not mean giving the unruly child a fishing pole, even though many forms of today’s parenting seem to resemble this. But not to worry. I overheard just the other day “the little tyke will find their karma and happy place, just ignore them”. Really? Well, guess what mom and dad, if you don’t step up that place will more than likely be with grandma and grandpa. Believe it or not this does tie in to the original purpose of this article. The rod I speak of now is yes, a fishing rod, and several questions have come to me where fishing guides are concerned. What is the protocol when a client breaks a guides fishing pole? Should the client replace the rod/reel (which speaks to ownership of one’s actions much like the previous paragraph suggests)? We expect it of our children to be accountable, right? So how about us, be it a broken rod, a bent fender, or any number of nuisances that occur at our own hand? First, it’s important to understand how the owner of the rod feels. In this case, it’s a fishing guide. Although few know this, there are certain items which carry no weight with a guide, meaning they could care less, a rod and reel is not one of them. What a fine violin is to a professional violinist such is a rod and reel to many professional fishing guides. Some guides take more time selecting a rod and reel than they do a house or truck or boat. It is that final connection between them, their client and the prey they are seeking. It’s where the rubber meets the road. The rods and reels can be old or new, some may need attention. Usually the more worn and old the rod is, the deeper the attraction and affection. Some have custom features like special eyes or it could be made from a special blank (the core material a rod is made from). Special attention is given to tuning, such as the distance between the reel and the first F I S H

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Forecast: ROCKPORT Repeated warnings by the guide that are not heeded with broken equipment the result, is a no-brainer. Dig deep and help them out. Breakage from normal wear and tear is part of the business, and usually the guide will state that fact. A grey area exists between that which is, and that which is not, negligence. Again, this should be discussed with the guide. Most guides I know are pretty forgiving, but some are not. Most will appreciate any amount one can give in replacing what is to many their most sacred fishing item. I believe those who were spared the rod seldom if ever pay and seldom say sorry, those who were not spared the rod were reared to take accountability for their actions and help out if they can.

lick his/her wounds. It’s usually at the top of the list when communicating to other guides. The question remains whether to pay or not to pay and the best answer is yes to both. If the rod/reel was broken because of your negligence or that of your child, by all means offer to help the guide out if you can. At the very least have the conversation.

• • • OCTOBER—HOT OR COLD IS THE question where the weather is concerned. This month it’s wise to put a jacket in your boat and some long pants. Cut bait is my preference this time of year with mullet at the top of the cut bait list. Cut menhaden works well too, but mullet seems to be the overall favorite. COPANO BAY: The shoreline southwest of Bayside is a good spot for black drum using fresh, dead shrimp free-lined or a light Carolina rig. There is a boat ramp just off FM136. I suggest a shallow draft boat here as navigating it can be a challenge. Mission Bay is a good spot for reds using finger mullet or cut mullet free-lined. The key here is high tide or a dropping tide. ARANSAS BAY: The trout bite is still good using croaker free-lined on Mack Reef and Half Moon Reef. Poverty Reef is good for black drum using a silent cork and fresh dead shrimp. Wades down Blackjack Point are good for trout and reds using Berkley Gulp shrimp under a bubble cork.

ST CHARLES BAY: On cold front days, the back part of Cavasso Creek is a good spot for flounder using a shrimp on a light Carolina rig. Slight taps are typical. Often the flounder will bury-up on the bottom after 54

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ingesting the bait making you think you’re hung up. When in doubt set the hook. Bartell Island is a good spot for reds using mud minnows free-lined. Lot of shell here so cast and try not to reel in until you get a bite. CARLOS BAY: Drifts across Carlos Bay with a popping cork and shrimp are good for trout and some black drum. Frequent drifts back forth are the key here. Carlos Dugout on colder days is a good spot for trout using croaker free-lined. AYERS BAY: Ayers Point is a good spot for wades using croaker free lined or new penny Jerk Shad on a light jig head. Rattlesnake Shoreline is a good spot for sheep head and black drum using a silent cork and shrimp; cut squid is a good choice as well. NOTE OF CORRECTION: IN THE AUGUST EDITION, I STATED THAT ANY RED OVER 20 INCHES NEEDED TO BE TAGGED AND THAT WAS A TYPO ERROR ON MY PART. IT SHOULD HAVE READ:

No Over-sized Red Tag—A red fish over the limit (over 28 inches) must be tagged immediately. Thanks to Shawn Logan for the heads up.

THE BANK BITE PORT BAY BRIDGE just off highway 188 is a good access spot if you are limited in your ability to move/get around. There can be a lot of traffic here crossing the bridge, so be careful. A rising or falling tide is best here and cut mullet or finger mullet work well this time of year. A light Carolina rig is best this time of year. A light Carolina rig is best. Reds and black drum frequent this area and those that use the tides and have patience can be rewarded with some good fish. Nice sunsets here as well.

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

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9/8/17 2:06 PM

Coastal Focus: ARANSAS/CORPUS :: by Contributing Editor TOM BEHRENS

Wells, Wells, and More Wells

ELLS IN CORPUS CHRISti Bay, Aransas Bay, Redfish Bay and all the smaller bays in between should be trout producers in October. The above-water well structure has been taken down, but the unmarked shell pads are still there. Capt. Jim Leavelle says you might even tangle with a tarpon off some of the wells in Corpus Christi Bay. Don’t laugh. Leavelle cites a tarpon migration that comes into the bay in the early fall. Anglers are catching them on live shrimp. I bet they were fishing for trout and got a big surprise. “I fished for them off the Galveston coastline for 20 years,” Leavelle said. “If I can find the well pads in Corpus Christi Bay I can catch them just like we caught them out of Galveston.” Anglers in Galveston used to use a lure called the Coast Hawk for tarpon. According to Leavelle the company was sold to a buyer in Costa Rica, so if you want one of the lures now, you would have to go to Costa Rica. “Fishing Tackle Unlimited in Houston has a knockoff,” he said. “They’re calling it a ‘Sea Hawk,’ a very effective bait.” He described the lure as looking like a number two pencil. “It’s nothing but throwing a piece of lead that weighs two to three ounces with two treble hooks hanging on it,” Leavelle said. “I think the tarpon are hitting it as it falls, or as you retrieve it.” Capt. Jack McPartland and his clients key on the wells for speckled trout. No artificial baits are used, just piggy perch under a cork or free-lined live shrimp. At the wells McPartland uses 30-pound PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

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No artificial baits—not at the wells. “When you throw live bait when fishing around the wells, you throw it right next to the structure. Let it sit, let it swim around, and do its thing. “With an artificial you are working it away from the wells,” he said. “As soon as you jig a plastic two times, you’re six feet away from the well. When I throw a piggy up there, I want it next to the well the entire time until I see the rod bend. An artificial might work

braid line on his reels and 25-pound test monofilament for leader material. “The 30-pound braid diameter is equivalent to eight pound monofilament,” explained McPartland. “When a hook is made the hook eye is just crimped over, I have actually had the knots pop out that little bitty crimp spot where the eye isn’t welded to the shank; the knot slips through that little spot, and the hook comes off the line. “I knotted the braid on my hook, moved

Submerged well structures attract a number of sought-after gameﬁsh, including tarpon.

if you throw past the rig and pull it by the outside of the structure.” Check out the Hotspots in this issue for GPS settings for several well locations in Corpus Christi Bay or any of the other bays in the Aransas area.

it around the hook, and had the line come off the hook when I popped it with my hand, popped right off the eye,” he said. “Also, the braid is not going to break if you hang some junk down there. You lose a lot of terminal tackle as you have to cut the braid. A 25-pound monofilament leader gives me a bigger knot that will never slip out of the eye, and I can break it off if I hang a pipe or something.” He uses a two-foot leader, so if he has to break a line, he can tie on a new hook several times before he has to redo the complete rigging. T E X A S

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Email Tom Behrens at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Coastal Focus: BAFFIN BAY :: by Capt. SALLY BLACK

Epic Fall Fishing Begins

the complacency of summer. Water temperatures changing, even slightly, give the predators a wakeup call that summer is over and the next phase of their lives is beginning. Anglers targeting trophy trout, focus on sandbars, rock structures and grass/sand shorelines. Bait is the main thing to key on, along with slicks and birds. These birds aren’t necessarily like those you see in other bay systems, but shorebirds and seagulls sitting on the surface of the water, especially in main bay areas near rock systems.

HE ADVENT OF FALL IS EVIdent now, and the continuing regeneration of Baffin Bay is well on its way, with giant grass flats and clear water. Fall fishing has a well-earned label as “epic,” and it is much anticipated by Baffin Bay’s hearty anglers. Whether seeking trophy trout or giant redfish on conventional tackle or fly fishing in ankle deep water, this is the time to focus on the unique structures of Baffin Bay. It’s also a great time to drive around the bay and “mark rocks,” on your GPS, which is a local pastime when the conditions are right. The rocks stand out as large, black objects. The algae that grows on them is very dark and the contrast appears stark and unmistakable. The “rocks” of Baffin Bay are the lead actors in the creation of the magic and mystery of this bay system, most of them appearing like a coral reef. These many reefs attract mass quantities of bait fish which in turn, attract the predators that we, as anglers, seek. The drop in water temperatures is a reminder to all predators that winter is pending. This signal creates a feeding frenzy when conditions are right. Voraciously feeding trout and redfish gobble up anything in sight, preparing for the impending uncertainty of cold water temperatures. This means that top water fishing is a major focus. Big trout are also signaled to spawn again, and this creates some really heavy trophy fish, hanging mostly shallow, where all of the bait fish are gathered. This drop in water temperature is the main signal to wake up all creatures from |

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The ‘rocks’ of Bafﬁn Bay are the lead actors in the creation of the magic and mystery of this bay system.

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Toss top water lures and soft plastics. We will still be using the Black’s Magic 1/32ounce jig head, but may mix it up with all of the different styles of soft plastics. Based on the areas fished, this might be the big paddle tail (Saltwater Assassin fiveinch Die-Dapper), the smaller paddle tail (Saltwater Assassin four-inch Sea Shad) and the straight-tail plastic (Saltwater Assassin SW Shad). The five-inch “Die-Dapper” mimics a larger mullet, which big trout primarily target. Sandy, potholed shallow shorelines are a great place to use this lure, worked low and |

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slow along the bottom. Deeper water fishing might be best explored with the straight-tailed plastic, finesse fishing the water column, searching for the area where the fish are suspended. Shallow grass flats might require a straightback retrieve of the smaller paddle tail. Go with your gut feelings and observe your surroundings. While enjoying the bounty of Baffin Bay in the early fall, it’s hard to deny the flocks upon flocks of ducks arriving to winter here. Dove hunting is already well underway. Add to that the preparations for opening day of duck season and outdoorsmen have their hands full in October. It’s one of the best months of the year for so many reasons, but mostly because, with that first push of cooler air, comes relief from the long, hot summer in South Texas. Please check out our new lodge on the back of Baffin Bay, south of Kingsville. We have the best of everything here and no crowds to deal with. Our lodge is all-inclusive, and Chef Adam has impressed us with his great cuisine. All of our guides have new boats this year (a variety of Haynie craft with Mercury engines). We are ready to host you, your family, friends or company on one of the best adventures that the Texas Coast has to offer. This “season” is much anticipated and never lets us down. Please come down to “The Last Best Place on the Texas Coast” and join us in the celebration.

Contact Capt. Sally Black at 361-205-0624 Email: Sally@CaptainSally.com Web: www.BaffinBayRodandGun.com Facebook: Baffin Bay Rod and Gun Twitter: @CaptainSally Instagram: baffin_bay_rod_and_gun

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

Tarpon Trick or Treat

HEN OCTOBER ROLLS around, any fisherman who hasn’t turned in his rod and reel and parked his boat to focus on deer hunting is primarily paying attention to the big redfish and speckled trout that have put on the feedbag just ahead of winter. Others are chasing migrating flounders. Very few seem to realize that October is also a prime time in South Texas to adorn oneself in silver. Big tarpon—some really big ones—are migrating through the passes out to sea, and they’re hungry, hostile, and itching for a fight. For years, tarpon were one of the mainstay sportfish of LLM, and they were ingrained in the cultural identity of the communities of Port Isabel and South Padre Island. The Texas International Fishing Tournament and the annual Tarpon Rodeo focused more on industrial-sized ’poons and less on “food fish” such as trout and redfish. Their numbers dropped off precipitously up and down the coast after World War II. However, the silvery fish have been so successful in coming back, that Jeremy Ebert of Deer Park, Texas broke the state tarpon record on October 4, 2006 with a 210 pound, 11 ounce behemoth. He hooked and landed the huge tarpon while soaking menhaden in the surf for redfish off the Galveston fishing pier. Port Isabel tarpon aficionado Larry Haines once hooked into a tarpon he estimated at 220 pounds. He fought the monster from the Boca Chica jetties and from Captain Randy Rodger’s skiff for more than eight

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allows the lure to fish deeper in the water column (rock walkers can also make longer casts with the 1.25-ounce plug). Fly fishermen should not shy away from trying for these kings of the granite. A 9 to10 weight fly rod with plenty of backing should work well in most applications. The most popular fly is a white monster called the Tarpon Bunny, which seems to be stiff mojo for tarpon of all sizes. For more information on how to properly equip yourself for jetties tarpon, contact Larry Haines at The Shop (956-943-1775). Schools of smaller tarpon are always roaming the surf beginning in July. When southeasterly winds push clear water all the way up to the beach, you can actually see the pods of tarpon cruising through the waves or in the guts during high tide. The great thing about these fish is that they are perfect opponents for the typically equipped surf fisherman who is chasing trout and redfish. A 40-pound tarpon is great fun on a 7- to 7½-foot trout rod with a reel loaded with 12- to 15-pound line. You can fight him from the shore, and if the fish starts a greyhound run parallel to the beach, you can hoof it keep up with him. These beach-combing tarpon will strike the same lures and flies that trout and redfish will strike. If you target them specifically, patterns that include white or red seem to work best, and noisy plugs are very effective. Don’t be surprised if one of these junior thugs sucks down a shrimp under a popping cork, either. These fish aren’t very discriminating. Jeremy Ebert’s fish showed they’d even take cut bait. It may not seem appropriate behavior for so cosmopolitan a fish as the tarpon to slurp down a chunk of cut mullet, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a fisherman that will complain.

hours before succumbing to heat prostration. Had Captain Rodgers not broken the fish off and gotten Haines back to Jim’s Pier on Padre Island and to some immediate attention, the story would’ve ended badly. There are some big fish rolling out there, waiting for the stalwart angler to have a go at them. A properly equipped fisherman has a shot at latching onto one of the tarpon that cruises the Brazos Santiago Pass. Early in the morning, you can actually see pods rolling along the Boca Chica side of the Brazos Santiago Jetties. These tarpons are not necessarily feeding, but they will take a swipe at a topwater or a ¾-ounce gold or chrome Rat-L-Trap. Live baiters can try an oversized shrimp, six-inch finger mullet, or palm-sized pinfish fished under a balloon. If you’re shore bound, you may be well advised to equip yourself with a large-capacity spinning reel or casting reel and a 7 ½ to 8 foot medium/medium heavy rod. These fish can wreak havoc on lesser tackle. My preferred outfit is a customized seven-foot, six-inch Shimano Crucial Flipping rod coupled with a Tranx 400, loaded with 50-pound PowerPro braid. I attach a sevenfoot, 50-pound fluorocarbon leader with a Bristol knot. If I’m fishing live bait, I’ll add a six-inch piece of tieable titanium leader wire to prevent any lurking kingfish from biting me off. The ’poons don’t seem to mind. As the day progresses, fishermen who are still working the area should focus on the deeper hole at the end of the jetty. Some tarpons—and a few snook—will still be holding in the cooler depths, waiting for the current to push something edible by their noses. Again, a live shrimp or baitfish, fished deeper in the water column will not last long. Lure fishermen should look to an oldie but goodie, the Mirrolure Series 65M twitch bait in red head/white body. The 65M features the same action as the more popular 51MR, but the heavier weight F I S H

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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.

Christmas in October by TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Christmas Bay HOTSPOT: North Shoreline GPS: N 29 4.009, W 95 11.625 (29.0668, -95.1938)

BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastic paddletails CONTACT: Capt. Joe. Madsen 281-960-6960 joe.sen18@gmail.com TIPS: Live croaker bite: chatter weight, 20 lb. test clear monoﬁlament leader, about 18 inches long, with a number four hook. “Hook the croaker in the tail.”

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LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond Shoal GPS: N 28 40.449, W 95 53.898 (28.6742, -95.8983) SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastic paddletails CONTACT: Capt. Joe. Madsen 281-960-6960 joe.sen18@gmail.com TIPS: “If you active, feeding ﬁsh, I’ll speed up my retrieve, but it it’s a lot slower pace, I’ll slow my bait down to entice a strike.” LOCATION: Christmas Bay HOTSPOT: South Shoreline GPS: N 29 2.407, W 95 11.473 (29.0401, -95.1912)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastic shrimp tails CONTACT: Capt. Matthew David 832-549-8183 www.captmatagordamatt.com TIPS: Lures: “When wade ﬁshing I like Steve Brown’s broken back baits along with Paul Brown Corkies…a lot of topwaters too…Super Spook Junior, Rapala Skitter Walks…colors Hot Head on the Super Spook.”

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LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Tripod GPS: N 28 40.361, W 95 56.132 (28.6727, -95.9355)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout NOTE: These Reports were compiled before Hurricane Harvey stuck the Texas Coast. Some of the areas featured may not be safe or accessible. You should contact local ofﬁcials or the Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. before attempting to access any location in areas affected by the storm.

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastic shrimp tails CONTACT: Capt. Matthew David |

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832-549-8183 www.captmatagordamatt.com TIPS: Favorite soft plastic colors: Morning Glory, Chicken on a Chain and plum/chartreuse…”anything that looks like a shrimp or sand eel. I like the Norton Sand Eel because they are tough and durable.” LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Tripod GPS: N 28 40.921, W 95 53.137 (28.6820, -95.8856)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastic shrimp tails CONTACT: Capt. Matthew David 832-549-8183 www.captmatagordamatt.com TIPS: Capt. Davis also likes the 6 inch Gambler Flappin Shad…”I think the trout like that large proﬁle. Jig head size … 1/4 or 1/8 oz. weights.” LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Boggy Cut GPS: N 28 44.043, W 95 49.658 (28.7341, -95.8276)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastic shrimp tails CONTACT: Capt. Kendal Hersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmail.com www.puresaltadventures.com TIPS: “Search for bird activity, diving or sitting on the water,” advises Capt. Hersh. “Catch a few ﬁsh from the area and then move on, looking for more bird action.” LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Old Gulf Cut GPS: N 28 42.919, W 95 53.21

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FISHING HOTSPOTS (28.7153, -95.8868)

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of the season, although I have seen tarpon caught in November.” LOCATION: Galveston HOTSPOT: North Jetty GPS: N 29 21.352, W 94 43.15 (29.3559, -94.7192)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastic shrimp tails CONTACT: Capt. Kendal Hersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmail.com www.puresaltadventures.com TIPS: Baits: Small soft plastics work best…natural colors that resemble shrimp…Skitter Walks, Heddon Baby Spooks….”Color doesn’t matter a whole lot when you pull into a school of ﬁsh.” Capt. Hersh LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Third Cut GPS: N 28 44.241, W 95 48.576 (28.7374, -95.8096)

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LOCATION: Galveston HOTSPOT: North Jetty GPS: N 29 21.272, W 94 43.091 (29.3545, -94.7182)

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SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, live croaker and live piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Mike Williams 713-256-9260 fishing@pdq.neet www.galvestonfishinguides.com TIPS: “Redfish are the number one targeted fish in October, going into November at the jetties….best kept secret along the Texas coast--the jetties.”

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LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Texas City Dike Flats GPS: N 29 23.679, W 94 52.655 (29.3947, -94.8776)

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SPECIES: Redfish and Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, live croaker and live piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Mike Williams 713-256-9260 fishing@pdq.neet www.galvestonfishinguides.com TIPS: Leader lb. test for speckled trout: 15 lb. test monofilament…”Trout are line shy.”

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SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Live ﬁnger mullet T E X A S

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, live croaker and live piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Mike Williams 713-256-9260 fishing@pdq.neet www.galvestonfishinguides.com TIPS: “Most of the time in October we will be free shrimping…a tiny weight, and number 8 treble hook... or fishing under a cork.” LOCATION: Galveston HOTSPOT: South Jetty GPS: N 29 19.836, W 94 42.412 (29.3306, -94.7069)

SPECIES: Tarpon BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, live piggy perch, pinfish CONTACT: Capt. Mike Williams 713-256-9260 fishing@pdq.neet www.galvestonfishinguides.com TIPS: “We do have tarpon that live here year round, but for all practical purposes, Oct 22 is about the end

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LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Texas City Dike GPS: N 29 23.209, W 94 52.387 (29.3868, -94.8731)

LOCATION: Galveston HOTSPOT: South Jetty GPS: N 29 19.67, W 94 41.411 (29.3278, -94.6902) SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastic shrimp tails CONTACT: Capt. Kendal Hersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmail.com www.puresaltadventures.com TIPS: “Cast right into the center of the activity. Work the lure pretty fast. You could be 20 feet off, and not get a bite. If you don’t get a bite, keep looking for other schooling ﬁsh.” Capt. Hersh

CONTACT: Capt. Mike Williams 713-256-9260 ﬁshing@pdq.neet www.galvestonﬁshinguides.com TIPS: Flounder rigging: Fish Finder…a 20 inch leader tied to a small black swivel, above that on the line a 1/8 oz. sliding egg sinker, with a 6/0 treble hook.

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FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Black’s Bayou GPS: N 29 59.866, W 93 45.182 (29.9978, -93.7530)

blowups on them. Then switch to soft plastic baits or live croaker.”

MIDDLE COAST

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Aransas Specks Strike Oil SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins 409-673-9211 4097862018@sbcglobal.net www.ﬁshsabinelake.com TIPS: “Most everything is eating small menhaden or porgy, or what a lot of people call shad. We are right on the edge of the fall transition when everything starts feeding on shrimp, when they come out of the ditches and bayous.” LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: San Luis Pass Flats GPS: N 29 05.655, W 95 07.340 (29.0942, -95.1223)

by TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Bay Oil Wells and Pads GPS: N 28 02.058, W 97 00.060 (28.0343, -97.0010)

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Estes Flats GPS: N 27 57.058, W 97 5.331 (27.9510, -97.0889)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblecharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “And of the ﬂats should produce ﬁsh at this time of the year.”

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: White Skitter Walks or live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Joe. Madsen 281-960-6960 joe.sen18@gmail.com TIPS: “Topwaters in the morning until we stop getting

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblecharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “In the warm water the trout will move out to deeper water, as deep as 10 feet deep. This is where the wells are.”

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastic paddletails CONTACT: Capt. Joe. Madsen 281-960-6960 joe.sen18@gmail.com TIPS: “At this time of the year the ﬁsh will be located on open water slicks. That will show you where on the bay you should begin ﬁshing.” LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Snake Island Cove GPS: N 29 9.565, W 95 2.215 (29.1594, -95.0369)

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LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N 27 53.459, W 97 5.789 (27.8910, -97.0965)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblecharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “As the water temperatures begin to drop the trout will begin to move up shallower water. Top water baits will work in the shallow water depths.” LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Traylor Island GPS: N 27 56.841, W 97 4.263 (27.9474, -97.0711)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblecharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Estes Flats, Shamrock Flats and East Flats are all good places to try your luck. LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: San Jose Island Shoreline GPS: N 28 0.728, W 96 58.365 (28.0121, -96.9728)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblecharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: San Jose Island: “Places you ﬁsh in May should produce trout in October.”

G A M E ®

9/8/17 2:06 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: East Flats GPS: N 27 48.991, W 97 7.139 (27.8165, -97.1190)

entrance to the Gulf that even if there is tide movement, unless you’re sitting in a ditch between two islands, it’s a real subtle tide movement.” u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

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LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: East Shore Boot Cove GPS: N 27 44.017, W 97 9.747 (27.7336, -97.1625) SPECIES: Speckled Trout

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblecharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: a Down South, Spicy Pumpkin Seed/chartreuse tail, along with a 1/8 oz. jig head LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Corpus Christi Bay Wells GPS: N 27 44.764, W 97 11.141 (27.7461, -97.1857)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp or piggy perch under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblecharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “Normally I prefer a light jig head. If I’m ﬁshing closer to Port Aransas, or if we have a ripper current I will maybe go to a 1/4 oz. jig head.” LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Shamrock Cove GPS: N 27 45.437, W 97 9.717 (27.7573, -97.1620)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblecharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “Normally I’m far enough away from any

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FISHING HOTSPOTS BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblecharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “The soft plastic is limber enough that if you reel it in like you would with a spoon, the tail will vibrate like crazy. You don’t have to impart and other action to the bait.” LOCATION: Port O’Connor HOTSPOT: Palacios Gas Wells GPS: N 28 35.017, W 96 20.285 (28.5836, -96.3381)

Hi-Yo Arroyo Redﬁsh LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado HOTSPOT: North of Arroyo GPS: N 26 22.645, W 97 20.033 (26.3774, -97.3339)

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SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Live croakers and piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Rudy Romero 956-226-3561 www.captainrudy.com TIPS: Transition line: a week line meeting the sand for redﬁsh that will be dining on grass shrimp and crabs LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado HOTSPOT: West of Green Island GPS: N 26 23.31, W 97 19.676 (26.3885, -97.3279)

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SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Red/white paddle tail soft plastic CONTACT: Capt. Joe Prado 956-357-1301 TIPS: “Bounce a 1/4 oz. jig head with either a red/ white paddletail soft plastic or Gulp…keep the rod tip low and retrieve really slow.” Capt. Prado LOCATION: Bafﬁn Bay HOTSPOT: Sloughs Rocks GPS: N 27 18.651, W 97 33.465 (27.3109, -97.5578)

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SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Live croakers and piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Rudy Romero 956-226-3561 www.captainrudy.com TIPS: “In October, I will start going north to the Arroyo, rigged up with a chatter weight, a number 5 or 6 Circle Hook with a 17 inch leader.”

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy Romero 956-226-3561 www.captainrudy.com TIPS: “Deep water, 3-5 ft. deep, deep grass beds, right off the beds should continue to hold big trout.” LOCATION: Bafﬁn Bay HOTSPOT: Badlands South GPS: N 27 17.182, W 97 25.053 (27.2864, -97.4176)

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Spoons, soft plastics or cut bait CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblecharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: For redﬁsh Capt. McPartland recommends casting your bait in the potholes. “I’m sure you could Caroline Rig with some Finger Mullet.”

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by CALIXTO GONZALES and TOM BEHRENS

SPECIES: Live Shrimp under a popping cork BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblecharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “You can catch probably something at the wells almost any time. “ Capt. McPartland LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Shamrock Cove GPS: N 27 44.017, W 97 9.747 (27.7336, -97.1625)

LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado HOTSPOT: Rattlesnake/Horseshoe Bay GPS: N 26 19.730, W 97 19.291 (26.328829, -97.321509)

LOWER COAST

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy Romero 956-226-3561 www.captainrudy.com TIPS: In October, Capt. Romero will start checking the transition lines, shallower water, looking for both reds and feeding trout.

G A M E ®

9/8/17 2:06 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Bafﬁn Bay HOTSPOT: Badlands GPS: N 27 17.152, W 97 25.053 (27.2859, -97.4176)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Popping Corks with Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Nino Gonzalez 361-332-1568 nino@redtailrods.com www.captninogonzalez.com TIPS: Capt. Gonzalez is targeting the mouth of Bafﬁn with popping corks and shrimp. He likes a popping cork that is solid…”it has a deeper sound.”

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LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N 26 1.707, W 97 10.613 (26.0285, -97.1769)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastic paddletails CONTACT: Capt. Joe Prado 956-357-1301 TIPS: Starting the morning: “I have a paddle tail, red/ white, with an 1/8 oz. jig head. If I see the fish feeding on the top, I’ll use a topwater, but normally when I’m fishing the edge of the channel I will be using a paddle tail.”

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay Pass GPS: N 26 2.435, W 97 11.011 (26.0406, -97.1835)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastic paddletails CONTACT: Capt. Joe Prado 956-357-1301 TIPS: “Keep my rod low, straight retrieve, tiny twitches. You’re trying to make the bait sink when it hits the middle of the channel or gut, drops to the bottom, and then bring it up the side of the channel.”

9/8/17 2:06 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS 903-312-0609 lance@lakeforkbass.com www.guideonlakefork.com TIPS: “October is here! Weather is great! Fishing is great! Fish are feeding up for the winter. The key to finding bass is finding shad in the shallows. Typically Shallow fish will bite early and deep fish will bite in the afternoon. Good fishin’ to all!”

PINEY WOODS

Fork Falls for Crappie & Bass by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Main Lake Brush Piles GPS: N 32 49.638, W 95 33.324 (32.8273, -95.5554)

LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Alligator Bayou GPS: N 32 43.1699, W 94 5.448 (32.7195, -94.0908)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Punch rigs, Texas-rigged worms, frogs, creature baits CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net www.caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish this bayou or any others similar to it. I like to fish frogs over the grass in these type of bayous and Texas rig a lightly weighted 6-8” worm in colors of Junebug or black/red flake along the edges of the grasses here. Many times you can go deeper into the grass mats by punching a 1 oz. heavy weighted jig or most any creature bait through the top of the mat to the bottom. Most of your larger bass will be caught this way in the hot months.

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs in Blue Ice, orange, or Chartreuse Pepper colors CONTACT: Doug Shampine 940-902-3855 doug@lakeforktrophybass.com www.lakeforktrophybass.com TIPS: October is a great time to fish on Lake Fork. Water has cooled down from the hot summer and the fish are now aggressively biting. I like to focus on the crappie in the fall as you can catch bigger crappie in the fall than in the summer. I put out my own brush piles and we fish the brush, not the bridges like everyone else does. Crappie like structure, so when you find that, you will find the crappie. Best depth will be 22-26 feet. For those bringing their own boat, TP&WD sank some artificial brush piles in Lake Fork. You can go to their web site and get the GPS locations and they will also hold fish. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 53.298, W 95 37.0079 (32.8883, -95.6168)

LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 26.226, W 95 35.508 (30.4371, -95.5918)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Pop’Rs, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, Bass Assassin shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch 936-661-7920 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: “The black bass will begin to feed on shad in preparation for the cold weather when they will begin to selectively feed. This is good for us fishermen who enjoy the top water bite. Baits like Pop’Rs and

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Shallow: spinnerbaits, small shad colored crankbaits and topwater Pop’Rs and Zara Spooks | Deep: small spoons or Carolina rigged Grandebass Airtail rattlesnakes in Chartreuse Pepper CONTACT: Lance Vick

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buzzbaits will work well on overcast days. If you’re on the water this time of year immediately after a cold front (up to the 3rd day after) and it is at daylight or an overcast day, locate the rip rap rock around the lake and start by throwing a small single-blade spinnerbait at the rocks then retrieving it back at a very fast rate where the bait is waking the surface. This is a very productive and very fast way to catch a number of ﬁsh that will attempt to pull the rod out of your hand. The next thing to try would be a Pop’R. Work this bait in the same areas and alternate between it the spinnerbait to determine which bait they want on that particular day. Another tried and true method is the Bass Assassin shad. I rig them using a barrel swivel and about a 10”” leader to keep my line from twisting. Then, depending on what I want the bait to do or how fast I want to work it will determine the hook size I use. If I want it on the surface I will rig with a 2/0 or 3/0 hook. If I want it deeper, I will use a 5/0 hook. The way I work it is an erratic fast twitching action. Good luck and good ﬁshing! Bank Access: Stowaway Marina” LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: The Pocket GPS: N 30 55.662, W 95 15.054 (30.9277, -95.2509)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Charlie’s Junebug 6” Gecko, Charlie’s 1/4 oz. Green Pumpkin swimming jig tipped with Charlie’s Chunk Green Pumpkin/Blue Flake CONTACT: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: “Look for clear or green water here in October. Flip docks, lay downs, boathouses and rocks. BANK ACCESS: Public boat ramp at Hwy 19 bridge or Bethy Creek Resort .” LOCATION: Toledo Bend North HOTSPOT: Buzzard Bend GPS: N 31 40.1039, W 93 49.0019 (31.6684, -93.8167)

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SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slab spoons, tail spinners, Rat-LTraps

G A M E ®

9/8/17 2:06 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: October is always a great time to be on the lake. Not much traffic, the days are getting shorter and the water temperature is starting to fall signaling that winter is on its way. The fish will start feeding heavy, bulking up in anticipation for the coming winter season. The white bass will start migrating to the north end of the lake. Concentrate on the inside bends of the river channel sandbars. Use your electronics to locate the baitfish. There will usually be plenty of schooling activity in these areas so keep a Rat-L-Trap handy.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Brush Off Some Roberts Bass by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Brush Pile GPS: N 33 24.127, W 97 5.314 (33.4021, -97.0886)

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214-538-2780 justinwilson371@yahoo.com TIPS: Still feels like summer out there but the occasional cool nights should start to help lowering the water temps. White bass are still really good. Not seeing as much topwater as the past months but starting to see some big schools off the main lake points in 20-40 feet of water. Once you find them, slabs jigged off the bottom usually make quick work of filling a cooler. The crappie bite is on, still catching quite a few smaller fish but the keeper/throwback ratio has been getting better with the occasional big fish. Look for these fish holding close to brush piles in 25-30 foot of water. Jigs are working but the quality of fish seems to be better on minnows. LOCATION: Bachman Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 51.1859, W 96 52.014 (32.8531, -96.8669)

SPECIES: Crappie/white bass BEST BAITS: Minnows, 3/4-1oz slabs CONTACT: Justin Wilson

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FISHING HOTSPOTS your electronics and anchor on them and let them come to you along this ridge. I use a slab with a ﬂy 12”above. Jig this rig up and down.

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LOCATION: Fayette County HOTSPOT: Northwest Side Main Point GPS: N 29 56.5679, W 96 43.6799 (29.9428, -96.7280) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Bass: spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps | Crappie: minnows and jigs CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: For bass, throw spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps along the weed line. Crappie are under the bridge this time of year. Minnows and jigs are your best bet. LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Docks GPS: N 32 22.8059, W 96 10.182 (32.3801, -96.1697)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: This area offers underwater structure in 12’ of water. Anchor up, chum close to the boat and fish straight down using a tight line.

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LOCATION: Gibbons Creek HOTSPOT: Old Employee Dock Area GPS: N 30 37.602, W 96 4.5899 (30.6267, -96.0765) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Crappie jigs CONTACT: Jason Barber 903-603-2047 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: Shoot jigs under all deeper shady docks throughout the lake. Use small ultralight tackle, 6lb line and small jigs.

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LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 42.2819, W 97 20.934 (30.7047, -97.3489) SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Slab with a fly 12-inches above CONTACT: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598 johnnysguideservice.com johnnystevens@1scom.net TIPS: This area is a long ridge surrounded by deeper water. Sandbass chase shad along this ridge. I have found the best way to work this areas to find fish on |

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SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Live shad or CJ’s punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Water depth is 7-8’ near the lily pads here. Float a cork close to lily pads in daytime. Soak a large perch there at night for big fish.

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: Long Ridge South of Pelican Island GPS: N 32 54.1259, W 97 30.21 u TAP FOR (32.9021, -97.5035)

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/32 oz. Maribou jigs, minnows CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell |

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512-365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Right now the very biggest crappie are in shallow water all over the lake. By shallow, I mean from 3 to 6 feet. They are holding on any structure. That could be 2 or 3 broom handle sized sticks sticking off the bottom in 4 feet of water in the middle of the lake. That spot could hold 10-15 crappie, all over a pound each. I ﬁsh vertical over these spots using a jig but minnows will also work. Good luck and good ﬁshing. LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: 10-Foot Hump near Blue Water Shores GPS: N 32 23.189, W 97 42.441 u TAP FOR (32.3865, -97.7074)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinner baits, RatLTraps, topwater spooks, white frogs and power worms later in the am. CONTACT: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 TIPS: Blacks are schooling with the sandbass on several areas of the lake. Work points with stick-ups and look for bird action shallow. Granbury water temperatures are falling in to the 70s and the fall feeding frenzy is in full force. Passing cool fronts dominate the weather pattern. Lake turnover has occurred and continues as the surface cools. Water temperatures and oxygen levels are consistent from top to bottom. LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N 33 3.0659, W 96 28.3739 (33.0511, -96.4729)

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SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: 1-2 oz. chartreuse or white slabs, soft plastic Cohos in white or yellow CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Fish in 10-25 feet on structure and main lake points with slabs. Throw soft plastic Cohos in white or yellow when the ﬁsh are on the surface or shallower than 6 ft.

G A M E ®

9/8/17 2:06 PM

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FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Flat Creek GPS: N 32 12.996, W 95 32.9999 (32.2166, -95.5500)

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Brushy Creek GPS: N 30 20.94, W 96 33.2039 (30.3490, -96.5534)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s Monster punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Use tight line near bank or if growing lily pads. This is a great place to night fish as well. Use cut shad for bigger fish and punch bait for more numbers of fish. LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: North Island and Tabletop GPS: N 33 52.068, W 96 41.67 (33.8678, -96.6945)

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SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Pencil Poppers, Chug Bugs, 4” Sassy Shad CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: “The big fish are on the banks early mornings in October. Cast Pencil Poppers and big Chug Bugs for vicious strikes in shallow water. Mid-morning change your lures to 4”” Sassy Shad on a 1 oz. jig head. Favorite colors are white glow and chartreuse fleck. Always keep your eyes on the seagulls. They can locate schools of stripers roaming in open water. Live shad fishing is also an excellent way to catch stripers. Locate the fish on the ledges, anchor up and place your bait three turns off the bottom. The best depth will average 30 feet deep. ”

SPECIES: Crappie/white bass BEST BAITS: Minnows, 3/4-1oz slabs CONTACT: Justin Wilson 214-538-2780 justinwilson371@yahoo.com TIPS: Most of the summer weather is starting to move out and the lowering temperatures and great fishing make October one of the best times of the entire year to be on the lake. The white bass are excellent on main lake points in 25-40 feet. I like to use a 1 oz. white and chartreuse slab jigged off the bottom where there is a school of feeding fish waiting to eat. The crappie can be found on structure at the same depths as the whites. The bigger crappie are starting to feed better than they have the past few summer months, making it a lot easier to fill the cooler. Jigs are working well, but minnows will be your most consistent bait. When you find a brush pile holding fish you can usually catch quite a few in one spot as long as you fish it diligently and work all around the pile including the edges and different depths of higher or lower brush.

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: 1/4 oz. Big Eye Jig in watermelon red trailed with Mr. Twister Pocket Craw , Texas Spinnerbait in chart/white with tandem willow blades. Mr. Twister comedia in watermelon red CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: This lake, at this time of the year, should be less than one foot low. Water should be clear down south and stained to muddy up north. Bass fishing is good. Fish brush and stumps where you find grass and fish slow for best results. LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: State Park cove point GPS: N 33 22.295, W 97 1.941 (33.3716, -97.0324)

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LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump GPS: N 31 54.672, W 97 20.868 (31.9112, -97.3478)

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SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Cut bait and live shad CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: A change is in the air! Fall weather at last and the fishing is hot! Cut and live shad are producing some big fish and a lot of fish right now. I am starting out early on main lake humps like Whitney Hump and others. We’re getting on anchor and throwing live shad and cut bait up on the humps. Leave your reel in free spool and turn on the clicker. The fish will pick it up and run. On live bait I like to set the hook while they are running. On the other hand, when using cut bait, I’ll let the fish run and wait till it stops to set the hook. Hang on because there is nowhere for them to go but around the boat. If I’m not limited out when the sun gets higher, I am backing off the edges of humps in 30’ of water and dropping live shad down around 18’ to 21’ and fishing them suspended. Keep an eye out for cranes feeding up shallow and have a couple of top water baits ready. God bless you and hope some day soon to see ya on the water! LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: 309 Flats GPS: N 31 58.788, W 96 8.3405 (31.9798, -96.1390)

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SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Danny King’s blood punch bait CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: The last two years the white bass and hybrid stripers have been tough to find in the early fall. If this occurs again in 2017, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you check out RC for an AWESOME catfish bite. Both blues and channels will congregate in the timbered areas up the Richland Creek arm of the lake. You can also find them off the Hwy 309 Flats along the edges of drop offs in 20’ plus water depths. Fishing your punch bait near the bottom will result in a nice box of quality cats ranging from 2lbs. to 5lbs. All you need is the bait, a minimum 15lb. test line on your rod and reel and a #

G A M E ®

9/8/17 2:06 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS 4 Treble Hook. Hold on as you’re likely to hook into a slot ﬁsh as the blues have a 30” to 45” slot and must be returned to ﬁght again!

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: “Top water lures, crankbaits, worms, jigs” CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglobal.net lakealanhenry.com/norman_clayton.htm TIPS: “As the cold fronts start rolling through the area, cooling the water down, the bass will be on the move up the creeks. Rocky, Ince, Little Grape, and Big Grape creeks will be the place to start this time of year. Fish fun and ﬁsh safe.”

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live bait, crankbaits, slabs, jigs CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: This is the spot if the weather stays warm like I think it’s going to. If it doesn’t and we get early cold weather, move north up the lake until you find them. The stripers will be mixed with the white bass and you can still troll for them, but with cranks and RatLtraps and with your drags set loose. But best as always after live bait, is jigs with Mister Twister tails and slabs right off bottom. This is the time of year that, when a cold front is on the border, pressure is rising and fish are biting. So choose your days with the weather! But any day fishing is better than a day at work. It is also like spring and another best time to hook a wall-hanger be it a striper , a Florida largemouth, catfish, or hybrid.

PANHANDLE

Henry Bass Get Ready for Fronts by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 33 2.8199, W 101 3.804 (33.0470, -101.0634)

LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Peanut Patch GPS: N 32 52.616, W 98 31.710 (32.876925, -98.528492)

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9/8/17 2:07 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS War Eagle spinnerbait along the points in the same area. Other good spots to try are Tulis and Cabello canyons. If the water level is low, a lipless crank bait sometimes catches larger bass over the hydrilla.

BIG BEND

Largemouth: the Mark of Zorro

HILL COUNTRY

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Mid-Lake to Dam Area GPS: N 30 45.006, W 98 25.458 (30.7501, -98.4243)

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Take a Dive for Canyon Stripers

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Amistad HOTSPOT: Zorro Canyon GPS: N 29 28.81596, W 101 16.1724 (29.4802, -101.2695)

the point from 20 to 50 foot deep and look for schools surface feeding in this area. Tight lines and ﬁsh on!

by DUSTIN WARNCKE u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Diver’s Point GPS: N 29 52.2479, W 98 12.276 (29.8708, -98.2046)

SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spooks, Spro Frogs, Stanley Ribbets, Power Worm, Senkos, Odom Jigs, War Eagle spinnerbait CONTACT: James Burkeen 830-734-9652 jjburkeen@gmail.com amistadbassin.com TIPS: Fish the outside of pepper grass and duck weed with a Zara Spook or a frog bait, especially early on cloudy days. On windy days I like to work a 1/2-ounce

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SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Whopper Plopper CONTACT: Capt. Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures 210-573-1230 capt.steve@sanantonioﬁshingguides.com .sanantonioﬁshingguides.com TIPS: October is top water time on Canyon Lake. Fish

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut Shad CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@gmail.com www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: Catfish prospects are good this time of year just about anywhere on the lake. Anchor 40; - 50’ on rod and reel or fish jugs in 30’. LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: Flats and Docks GPS: N 30 19.74, W 97 49.584 (30.3290, -97.8264)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: V&M Wild Craw, V&M Wild Thang, V&M Trickster, Picasso Shad Walker CONTACT: Brian Parker - Lake Austin Fishing 817-808-2227 lakeaustinfishing@yahoo.com www.LakeAustinFishing.com TIPS: This time of year is when the water temps start to drop and the bass begin to actively feed. Most of the larger bass will tend to feed on bigger meals so I tie on a Texas Rig with a V&M Wild Thang or Trickster and throw around the docks. I also like throwing a Pacemaker Jig with a Wild Craw on the flats/shallows and work it towards deeper water as the crawfish become more active this time of year going from shallow to medium depth in search of food. Early mornings and late evenings is a great time to throw a Picasso Shad Walker over the flats also. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Dam Area and Middle of Main Lake GPS: N 30 48.1242, W 98 26.508 (30.8021, -98.4418)

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FISHING HOTSPOTS u TAP FOR ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spooks or any kind of top water plugs, slabs, jigs CONTACT: Ken Milam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: October is one of the better ﬁshing months on Lake Buchanan. Due to the females, ﬁsh feel spring coming on and it’s time to eat! Stripers are doing the early morning top water thing. Look for feeding seagulls! LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Contour Hump GPS: N 30 34.59, W 98 22.6259 (30.5765, -98.3771)

TexasOutdoorNation-1710-DIG.indd 71

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vegetation and next to the main river channel. It has enough shallower water, mid depths and deeper water to hold ﬁsh for long periods of time.

SPECIES: Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Crankbaits and spinnerbaits CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide Service-Barry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: October is the month that the water temperature finally falls into the 70’s and marks the beginning of the fall fishing season. Bass and crappie begin moving from the depths of the lake into shallower water and the catching percentages start improving. It is also the time for cool fronts, which are blessings for moderating temperatures but can also produce dangerous winds and storms. Generally, just before a front arrives and as the front is pushing in, fish become more active and feed much more aggressively. This area is a hump defined with several small points and valleys, plenty of

9/8/17 2:07 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS better. Over the years I’ve learned a lot from older fishermen. I’ve been blessed to have fished with some of the best. Looking back, I’ve had a great love for bass fishing and that is my blessing. I loved it as a kid, however, my career and journey began when I joined my first bass club (Alice Bass Club in Alice, Texas) and the competition was friendly and great. Nothing like bragging rights.

SOUTH TEXAS

Put a Tiger in Your Bass Tank

LOCATION: Choke Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 29.274, W 98 22.8239 (28.4879, -98.3804)

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Big Tiger and Little Tiger Creeks GPS: N 26 42.036, W 99 10.1159 u TAP FOR (26.7006, -99.1686)

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ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait, cut bait CONTACT: Charlie Brown 830-780-2162 TIPS: Since the lake came up, fishing around grass and willows in shallow water seems to be the ticket. Use a float rigged to 3-5 feet and move to another spot if you don’t get a bite within 10-15 minutes.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Watermelon-colored plastics on Texas Rig CONTACT: Scott Springer 361-499-7643 outﬁtterscott@yahoo.com TIPS: Fishing has been fair lately. We are catching lots of smaller ﬁsh but recommend Big Tiger and Little Tiger as the best overall areas. Fish soft watermeloncolored plastics on a Texas rig. LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 43.464, W 97 10.4699 (28.7244, -97.1745)

LOCATION: Choke Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N 28 29.7539, W 98 15.1679 (28.4959, -98.2528)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Carolina rigs and drop shots using watermelon-colored plastics CONTACT: Scott Springer 361-499-7643 outﬁtterscott@yahoo.com TIPS: Fishing on this lake has been tough at this time. The dam area is producing the best bite. Fish Carolina rigs and drop shots for best results.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, Zoom pearl white flukes CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-960-0566 TIPS: Knowing bass habitats is everything. I like to take advantage of those cloudy and light rainy days and so do the fish. A little wind mixed with this weather can make the spinnerbait action great. Personally I like small white ones with Colorado blades. Usually I always use gold blades but silver can be just as effective. Also I like murky water. And so do the big bass. Early morning I also throw my Zoom pearl white fluke. I throw it weightless with a 3-4/0 worm hook rigged weedless. As the sun comes up I like to dip the little split tail in chartreuse. It just triggers the bite a little

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FISHING HOTSPOTS

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

Sunrise: 7:08a Set: 7:12p Moonrise: 12:01p Set: 11:01p AM Minor: 10:01a AM Major: 3:49a PM Minor: 10:24p PM Major: 4:12p Moon Overhead: 5:32p Moon Underfoot: 5:09a

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

1:49AM 6:19AM 2:18PM 10:55PM

1.38 ft. 1.46 ft. 0.51 ft. 1.56 ft.

TUESDAY

10:00A — 12:00P

FEET

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:33AM 4:22AM 3:13PM

1.49 ft. 1.49 ft. 0.53 ft.

11:00A — 1:00P

FEET

Sunrise: 7:08a Set: 7:11p Moonrise: 12:53p Set: 11:44p AM Minor: 10:51a AM Major: 4:39a PM Minor: 11:14p PM Major: 5:03p Moon Overhead: 6:19p Moon Underfoot: 5:56a

High Tide: Low Tide: FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12a

12p

12a 12a

WEDNESDAY

High Tide: Low Tide:

12:32AM 4:17PM

1.59 ft. 0.55 ft.

12:00 — 2:00 PM

FEET

12a 12a

THURSDAY

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 7:10p Moonrise: 1:42p Set: None AM Minor: 11:40a AM Major: 5:28a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 5:52p Moon Overhead: 7:07p Moon Underfoot: 6:43a

PRIME TIME

12p

28 º

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide:

1:48AM 5:24PM

1.63 ft. 0.56 ft.

1:00 — 3:00 PM

FEET

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 7:08p Moonrise: 2:31p Set: 12:30a AM Minor: 12:04a AM Major: 6:16a PM Minor: 12:28p PM Major: 6:40p Moon Overhead: 7:54p Moon Underfoot: 7:30a

Oct 1 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12a

9a O C T O B E R

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12p 2 0 1 7

T E X A S

12a 12a

F I S H

12p

12a 12a

G A M E ®

9/8/17 2:15 PM

11p 1:44p : 4:39a : 5:03p

08p 2:30a : 6:16a : 6:40p

FRIDAY

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide:

2:25AM 6:26PM

1.66 ft. 0.56 ft.

3:00 — 5:00 PM

FEET

SATURDAY Sunrise: 7:10a Set: 7:07p Moonrise: 3:17p Set: 1:19a AM Minor: 12:50a AM Major: 7:02a PM Minor: 1:14p PM Major: 7:27p Moon Overhead: 8:43p Moon Underfoot: 8:19a

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12p

2:49AM 9:59AM 11:22AM 7:17PM

1.68 ft. 1.42 ft. 1.43 ft. 0.56 ft.

4:00 — 6:00 PM

FEET

+3.0

12a 12a

Sunrise: 7:10a Set: 7:06p Moonrise: 4:01p Set: 2:11a AM Minor: 1:35a AM Major: 7:47a PM Minor: 1:59p PM Major: 8:12p Moon Overhead: 9:31p Moon Underfoot: 9:07a

PRIME TIME

12a 12a

12p

12a

SUNDAY

Oct 1 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

PRIME TIME 3:10AM 9:23AM 12:51PM 8:00PM

1.69 ft. 1.38 ft. 1.47 ft. 0.57 ft.

5:00 — 7:00 PM

FEET

READING THE GRAPH

Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 7:05p Moonrise: 4:43p Set: 3:05a AM Minor: 2:19a AM Major: 8:31a PM Minor: 2:43p PM Major: 8:56p Moon Overhead: 10:20p Moon Underfoot: 9:56a

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

Moon l Moon Overhead l Underfoot

+3.0

+2.0

Fishing Score Graph

+1.0

Day’s Best Score

Day’s 2nd Best Score

Best Days Overall

MOON PHASES

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

12a 12a

12p

T E X A S

TexasOutdoorNation-1710-DIG.indd 75

12a

F I S H

G A M E ®

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9/8/17 2:15 PM

MONDAY

Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 7:04p Moonrise: 5:23p Set: 4:01a AM Minor: 3:02a AM Major: 9:14a PM Minor: 3:27p PM Major: 9:39p Moon Overhead: 11:09p Moon Underfoot: 10:45a

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:30AM 9:12AM 1:57PM 8:41PM

1.69 ft. 1.29 ft. 1.53 ft. 0.60 ft.

TUESDAY

5:00 — 7:00 AM

FEET

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:49AM 9:24AM 2:56PM 9:20PM

1.68 ft. 1.15 ft. 1.59 ft. 0.66 ft.

5:30 — 7:30 AM

FEET

Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 7:02p Moonrise: 6:02p Set: 4:59a AM Minor: 3:46a AM Major: 9:58a PM Minor: 4:10p PM Major: 10:22p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:33a

6« High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12a

12p

12a 12a

WEDNESDAY

4« High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:09AM 9:48AM 3:53PM 10:00PM

1.67 ft. 0.99 ft. 1.66 ft. 0.76 ft.

11:30P — 1:30A

FEET

12a 12a

THURSDAY

Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 7:01p Moonrise: 6:41p Set: 5:58a AM Minor: 4:30a AM Major: 10:43a PM Minor: 4:55p PM Major: 11:07p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 12:23p

PRIME TIME

12p

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:28AM 10:19AM 4:52PM 10:41PM

1.65 ft. 0.80 ft. 1.72 ft. 0.89 ft.

12:00 — 2:00 AM

FEET

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 7:00p Moonrise: 7:20p Set: 6:59a AM Minor: 5:18a AM Major: 11:30a PM Minor: 5:42p PM Major: 11:55p Moon Overhead: 12:47a Moon Underfoot: 1:12p

8« Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12a

9a O C T O B E R

TexasOutdoorNation-1710-DIG.indd 76

12p 2 0 1 7

T E X A S

12a 12a

F I S H

12p

12a 12a

G A M E ®

9/8/17 2:15 PM

FRIDAY

02p 59a : 9:58a : 10:22p

6«

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:47AM 10:56AM 5:54PM 11:24PM

1.63 ft. 0.60 ft. 1.77 ft. 1.06 ft.

12:30 — 2:30 AM

FEET

SATURDAY Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 6:59p Moonrise: 8:00p Set: 8:01a AM Minor: 6:08a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:34p PM Major: 12:21p Moon Overhead: 1:37a Moon Underfoot: 2:03p

7« High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12p

5:05AM 11:38AM 7:01PM

1.62 ft. 0.42 ft. 1.80 ft.

1;30 — 3:30 AM

FEET

+3.0

12a 12a

Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 6:58p Moonrise: 8:43p Set: 9:04a AM Minor: 7:03a AM Major: 12:50a PM Minor: 7:30p PM Major: 1:16p Moon Overhead: 2:29a Moon Underfoot: 2:56p

PRIME TIME

12a 12a

12p

12a

SUNDAY

00p 59a : 11:30a : 11:55p

8«

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

12:10AM 5:20AM 12:25PM 8:14PM

1.25 ft. 1.62 ft. 0.28 ft. 1.81 ft.

2:30 — 4:30 AM

FEET

READING THE GRAPH

Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 6:57p Moonrise: 9:29p Set: 10:08a AM Minor: 8:02a AM Major: 1:48a PM Minor: 8:30p PM Major: 2:16p Moon Overhead: 3:23a Moon Underfoot: 3:51p

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

Moon l Moon Overhead l Underfoot

+3.0

+2.0

Fishing Score Graph

+1.0

Day’s Best Score

Day’s 2nd Best Score

Best Days Overall

MOON PHASES

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

12a 12a

12p

T E X A S

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

Sunrise: 7:15a Set: 6:55p Moonrise: 10:19p Set: 11:13a AM Minor: 9:04a AM Major: 2:50a PM Minor: 9:33p PM Major: 3:19p Moon Overhead: 4:19a Moon Underfoot: 4:48p

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

1:00AM 5:32AM 1:16PM 9:35PM

1.43 ft. 1.64 ft. 0.18 ft. 1.82 ft.

TUESDAY

3:00 — 5:00 AM

FEET

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

2:01AM 5:32AM 2:15PM 11:02PM

1.58 ft. 1.65 ft. 0.14 ft. 1.83 ft.

10:00A — 12:00P

FEET

Sunrise: 7:16a Set: 6:54p Moonrise: 11:14p Set: 12:17p AM Minor: 10:08a AM Major: 3:54a PM Minor: 10:38p PM Major: 4:23p Moon Overhead: 5:17a Moon Underfoot: 5:46p

High Tide: Low Tide: FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12a

12p

12a 12a

WEDNESDAY

Low Tide:

3:22PM

0.15 ft.

11:00A — 1:00P

FEET

12a 12a

THURSDAY

Sunrise: 7:16a Set: 6:53p Moonrise: None Set: 1:18p AM Minor: 11:11a AM Major: 4:57a PM Minor: 11:41p PM Major: 5:26p Moon Overhead: 6:16a Moon Underfoot: 6:45p

PRIME TIME

12p

12 »

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide:

12:23AM 4:36PM

1.85 ft. 0.19 ft.

12:00 — 2:00 PM

FEET

Sunrise: 7:17a Set: 6:52p Moonrise: 12:13a Set: 2:14p AM Minor: ----AM Major: 5:57a PM Minor: 12:12p PM Major: 6:26p Moon Overhead: 7:14a Moon Underfoot: 7:43p

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12a

9a O C T O B E R

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12p 2 0 1 7

T E X A S

12a 12a

F I S H

12p

12a 12a

G A M E ®

9/8/17 2:15 PM

54p 2:17p : 3:54a : 4:23p

52p 14p : 5:57a : 6:26p

FRIDAY

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide:

1:24AM 5:52PM

1.84 ft. 0.26 ft.

2:00 — 4:00 PM

FEET

SATURDAY Sunrise: 7:17a Set: 6:51p Moonrise: 1:14a Set: 3:06p AM Minor: 12:40a AM Major: 6:54a PM Minor: 1:08p PM Major: 7:22p Moon Overhead: 8:12a Moon Underfoot: 8:40p

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12p

2:07AM 8:40AM 11:27AM 7:03PM

1.80 ft. 1.39 ft. 1.46 ft. 0.35 ft.

3:00 — 5:00 PM

FEET

+3.0

12a 12a

Sunrise: 7:18a Set: 6:50p Moonrise: 2:16a Set: 3:53p AM Minor: 1:32a AM Major: 7:46a PM Minor: 1:59p PM Major: 8:13p Moon Overhead: 9:07a Moon Underfoot: 9:33p

PRIME TIME

12a 12a

12p

12a

SUNDAY

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:39AM 8:50AM 1:05PM 8:05PM

1.74 ft. 1.24 ft. 1.49 ft. 0.47 ft.

4:00 — 6:00 PM

FEET

READING THE GRAPH

Sunrise: 7:19a Set: 6:49p Moonrise: 3:17a Set: 4:36p AM Minor: 2:21a AM Major: 8:34a PM Minor: 2:46p PM Major: 8:59p Moon Overhead: 9:59a Moon Underfoot: 10:25p

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

Moon l Moon Overhead l Underfoot

+3.0

+2.0

Fishing Score Graph

+1.0

Day’s Best Score

Day’s 2nd Best Score

Best Days Overall

MOON PHASES

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

12a 12a

12p

T E X A S

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F I S H

G A M E ®

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9/8/17 2:15 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

Sunrise: 7:19a Set: 6:48p Moonrise: 4:17a Set: 5:16p AM Minor: 3:06a AM Major: 9:18a PM Minor: 3:30p PM Major: 9:43p Moon Overhead: 10:49a Moon Underfoot: 11:13p

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:05AM 9:11AM 2:22PM 8:59PM

1.68 ft. 1.06 ft. 1.55 ft. 0.61 ft.

TUESDAY

10:00A — 12:00P

FEET

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:28AM 9:36AM 3:29PM 9:47PM

1.62 ft. 0.87 ft. 1.61 ft. 0.78 ft.

11:00A — 1:00P

FEET

Sunrise: 7:20a Set: 6:47p Moonrise: 5:16a Set: 5:53p AM Minor: 3:49a AM Major: 10:01a PM Minor: 4:13p PM Major: 10:25p Moon Overhead: 11:37a Moon Underfoot: None

20 l High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12a

12p

12a 12a

WEDNESDAY

18 « High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:49AM 10:04AM 4:29PM 10:30PM

1.57 ft. 0.70 ft. 1.66 ft. 0.94 ft.

12:00 — 2:00 PM

FEET

12a 12a

THURSDAY

Sunrise: 7:21a Set: 6:46p Moonrise: 6:13a Set: 6:28p AM Minor: 4:32a AM Major: 10:44a PM Minor: 4:55p PM Major: 11:07p Moon Overhead: 12:23p Moon Underfoot: None

PRIME TIME

12p

19 « High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

PRIME TIME

4:07AM 10:33AM 5:26PM 11:09PM

1.54 ft. 0.56 ft. 1.69 ft. 1.10 ft.

1:00 — 3:00 PM

FEET

Sunrise: 7:21a Set: 6:45p Moonrise: 7:08a Set: 7:04p AM Minor: 5:16a AM Major: 11:27a PM Minor: 5:39p PM Major: 11:50p Moon Overhead: 1:08p Moon Underfoot: 12:46a

22 « Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12a

9a O C T O B E R

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12p 2 0 1 7

T E X A S

12a 12a

F I S H

12p

12a 12a

G A M E ®

9/8/17 2:15 PM

FRIDAY

47p 53p : 10:01a : 10:25p

20 l High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

PRIME TIME 4:25AM 11:03AM 6:20PM 11:46PM

1.52 ft. 0.45 ft. 1.70 ft. 1.24 ft.

2:00 — 4:00 PM

FEET

SATURDAY Sunrise: 7:22a Set: 6:44p Moonrise: 8:03a Set: 7:40p AM Minor: 6:02a AM Major: 11:46a PM Minor: 6:24p PM Major: 12:13p Moon Overhead: 1:54p Moon Underfoot: 1:31a

21 « High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12p

1.51 ft. 0.38 ft. 1.70 ft.

3:00 — 5:00 PM

FEET

+3.0

12a 12a

4:39AM 11:35AM 7:15PM

Sunrise: 7:23a Set: 6:43p Moonrise: 8:58a Set: 8:17p AM Minor: 6:50a AM Major: 12:38a PM Minor: 7:13p PM Major: 1:01p Moon Overhead: 2:39p Moon Underfoot: 2:17a

PRIME TIME

12a 12a

12p

12a

SUNDAY

45p 04p : 11:27a : 11:50p

22 « Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

12:21AM 4:48AM 12:10PM 8:13PM

PRIME TIME 1.36 ft. 1.51 ft. 0.36 ft. 1.69 ft.

3:30 — 5:30 PM

FEET

READING THE GRAPH

Sunrise: 7:23a Set: 6:42p Moonrise: 9:52a Set: 8:57p AM Minor: 7:40a AM Major: 1:28a PM Minor: 8:03p PM Major: 1:51p Moon Overhead: 3:26p Moon Underfoot: 3:02a

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

Moon l Moon Overhead l Underfoot

+3.0

+2.0

Fishing Score Graph

+1.0

Day’s Best Score

Day’s 2nd Best Score

Best Days Overall

MOON PHASES

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

12a 12a

12p

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

Sunrise: 7:24a Set: 6:41p Moonrise: 10:44a Set: 9:39p AM Minor: 8:31a AM Major: 2:20a PM Minor: 8:55p PM Major: 2:43p Moon Overhead: 4:12p Moon Underfoot: 3:49a

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

12:57AM 4:40AM 12:48PM 9:15PM

1.46 ft. 1.52 ft. 0.37 ft. 1.67 ft.

TUESDAY

8:00 — 10:00 AM

FEET

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

1:40AM 3:39AM 1:29PM 10:24PM

1.53 ft. 1.54 ft. 0.41 ft. 1.66 ft.

9:00 — 11:00 AM

FEET

Sunrise: 7:25a Set: 6:40p Moonrise: 11:35a Set: 10:24p AM Minor: 9:24a AM Major: 3:12a PM Minor: 9:47p PM Major: 3:36p Moon Overhead: 5:00p Moon Underfoot: 4:36a

27 º High Tide: Low Tide: FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12a

12p

12a 12a

WEDNESDAY

Low Tide: High Tide:

2:16PM 11:34PM

0.46 ft. 1.66 ft.

10:00A — 12:00P

FEET

12a 12a

THURSDAY

Sunrise: 7:25a Set: 6:39p Moonrise: 12:24p Set: 11:11p AM Minor: 10:16a AM Major: 4:04a PM Minor: 10:40p PM Major: 4:28p Moon Overhead: 5:47p Moon Underfoot: 5:24a

PRIME TIME

12p

PRIME TIME

Low Tide:

3:09PM

0.52 ft.

11:00A — 1:00P

FEET

Sunrise: 7:26a Set: 6:38p Moonrise: 1:11p Set: None AM Minor: 11:07a AM Major: 4:55a PM Minor: 11:31p PM Major: 5:19p Moon Overhead: 6:35p Moon Underfoot: 6:11a

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12a

9a O C T O B E R

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40p 0:24p : 3:12a : 3:36p

38p one : 4:55a : 5:19p

FRIDAY

27 º

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide:

12:31AM 4:09PM

1.66 ft. 0.57 ft.

12:00 — 2:00 PM

FEET

SATURDAY Sunrise: 7:27a Set: 6:37p Moonrise: 1:55p Set: 12:01a AM Minor: 11:57a AM Major: 5:45a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 6:09p Moon Overhead: 7:23p Moon Underfoot: 6:59a

High Tide: Low Tide:

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12p

1:09AM 5:11PM

1.66 ft. 0.62 ft.

1:00 — 3:00 PM

FEET

+3.0

12a 12a

Sunrise: 7:28a Set: 6:36p Moonrise: 2:37p Set: 12:54a AM Minor: 12:20a AM Major: 6:32a PM Minor: 12:44p PM Major: 6:56p Moon Overhead: 8:11p Moon Underfoot: 7:47a

PRIME TIME

12a 12a

12p

12a

SUNDAY

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

1:37AM 9:22AM 11:10AM 6:10PM

1.66 ft. 1.28 ft. 1.29 ft. 0.66 ft.

2:00 — 4:00 PM

FEET

READING THE GRAPH

Sunrise: 7:28a Set: 6:35p Moonrise: 3:17p Set: 1:48a AM Minor: 1:06a AM Major: 7:18a PM Minor: 1:30p PM Major: 7:42p Moon Overhead: 8:59p Moon Underfoot: 8:35a

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

Moon l Moon Overhead l Underfoot

+3.0

+2.0

Fishing Score Graph

+1.0

Day’s Best Score

Day’s 2nd Best Score

Best Days Overall

MOON PHASES

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

12a 12a

12p

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

Sunrise: 7:29a Set: 6:34p Moonrise: 3:56p Set: 2:44a AM Minor: 1:50a AM Major: 8:02a PM Minor: 2:14p PM Major: 8:26p Moon Overhead: 9:47p Moon Underfoot: 9:23a

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

1:59AM 8:35AM 12:51PM 7:05PM

1.64 ft. 1.18 ft. 1.34 ft. 0.72 ft.

TUESDAY

3:30 — 5:30 PM

FEET

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:19AM 8:30AM 2:03PM 7:56PM

1.62 ft. 1.01 ft. 1.42 ft. 0.79 ft.

10:00P — 12:00A

FEET

Sunrise: 7:30a Set: 6:34p Moonrise: 4:35p Set: 3:42a AM Minor: 2:33a AM Major: 8:45a PM Minor: 2:57p PM Major: 9:09p Moon Overhead: 10:35p Moon Underfoot: 10:11a

3« High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12a

12p

12a 12a

WEDNESDAY

Nov 1 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:38AM 8:47AM 3:08PM 8:46PM

1.59 ft. 0.80 ft. 1.53 ft. 0.89 ft.

11:00P — 1:00A

FEET

12a 12a

THURSDAY

Sunrise: 7:31a Set: 6:33p Moonrise: 5:13p Set: 4:41a AM Minor: 3:15a AM Major: 9:27a PM Minor: 3:40p PM Major: 9:52p Moon Overhead: 11:25p Moon Underfoot: 11:00a

PRIME TIME

12p

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:57AM 9:16AM 4:08PM 9:34PM

1.58 ft. 0.56 ft. 1.64 ft. 1.01 ft.

5:00 — 7:00 AM

FEET

Sunrise: 7:31a Set: 6:32p Moonrise: 5:52p Set: 5:42a AM Minor: 3:59a AM Major: 10:12a PM Minor: 4:25p PM Major: 10:37p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:50a

5« High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12a

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12p 2 0 1 7

T E X A S

12a 12a

F I S H

12p

12a 12a

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FRIDAY

34p 42a : 8:45a : 9:09p

3«

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:15AM 9:52AM 5:09PM 10:23PM

1.57 ft. 0.32 ft. 1.74 ft. 1.16 ft.

11:30P — 1:30A

FEET

SATURDAY Sunrise: 7:32a Set: 6:31p Moonrise: 6:34p Set: 6:45a AM Minor: 4:47a AM Major: 11:00a PM Minor: 5:13p PM Major: 11:27p Moon Overhead: 12:16a Moon Underfoot: 12:42p

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

12p

3:34AM 10:33AM 6:11PM 11:14PM

1.57 ft. 0.11 ft. 1.81 ft. 1.30 ft.

12:00 — 2:00 AM

FEET

+3.0

12a 12a

Sunrise: 7:33a Set: 6:30p Moonrise: 7:19p Set: 7:50a AM Minor: 5:40a AM Major: 11:54a PM Minor: 6:07p PM Major: ----Moon Overhead: 1:09a Moon Underfoot: 1:37p

PRIME TIME

12a 12a

12p

12a

SUNDAY

32p 42a : 10:12a : 10:37p

5 « End DST High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:53AM 10:18AM 6:15PM 11:07PM

PRIME TIME 1.59 ft. -0.06 ft. 1.85 ft. 1.44 ft.

1:00 — 3:00 AM

FEET

READING THE GRAPH

Sunrise: 7:34a Set: 6:30p Moonrise: 8:09p Set: 8:57a AM Minor: 6:38a AM Major: 12:23a PM Minor: 7:07p PM Major: 12:53p Moon Overhead: 2:06a Moon Underfoot: 2:35p

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

Moon l Moon Overhead l Underfoot

+3.0

+2.0

Fishing Score Graph

+1.0

Day’s Best Score

Day’s 2nd Best Score

Best Days Overall

MOON PHASES

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

12a 12a

12p

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9/8/17 2:16 PM

HEN COOLER temperatures begin to give us some relief from the

grueling heat things start to happen in the wilds of Texas. Whether on the water or in the woods, wildlife begins to move and in the

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case of hunting seasons begin to open. The following information will help you be able to enjoy both hunting and fishing this fall and perhaps be more successful in the field. We like to call it “cast and blast” because in a state with as many outdoors opportunities as we have it is possible to shoot a big buck in the morning

story by CHESTER MOORE

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and thing hook into an equally impressive bass or speckled trout in the afternoon. Here we go…

GO “GREEN” FOR EARLY WHITETAILS If you want to be successful hunting whitetails on a consistent basis, gaining a broad knowledge of their natural food habitats is important and the time to start thinking about it is now.

PHOTO COMPOSITE: TF&G

9/6/17 11:21 AM

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9/6/17 11:21 AM

It is easy to rely solely on corn feeders to lure them in but the fact is when natural foods are abundant deer prefer them over corn and few big bucks frequent feeders during legal shooting hours. And there is another reason for this story. With today’s financial woes, many hunters are having to hunt national forest land, draw for hunts on public land or simply forego using feeders. We thought it was important to give some space to the importance of natural foods. The food sources deer will eat are growing right now and the earlier you get the jump on their location, the better especially if you are hunting public land. The Texas Agricultural Extension Service

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based out of Texas A&M University said it’s important for hunters to know that whitetailed deer are ruminants like cows, but their diet selection is radically different. “Cattle are grass-roughage eaters, have a relatively large rumen relative to body size, and depend heavily on grasses for their diet. Grasses are relatively low in crude protein and digestibility when compared with legumes or forbs (broadleaf weeds).” “Because of these nutritive parameters, grasses have a longer residence time in the cow rumen. Longer residence time increases rumen microflora (bacteria and protozoa) degradation of the forage. Thus for grass-roughage eaters like cattle and sheep, residence time is relatively long and rate of passage slow,” they said.

White-tailed deer are concentrate selectors, which means their diet must be higher in nutritive value and more rapidly degraded in the rumen. “Therefore, white-tailed deer rely primarily on forbs and browse (leaves and twigs of woody plants), which are usually higher in crude protein and digestibility than grasses. Grasses comprise only a very small part of the overall diet of the white-tailed deer. Only grasses that are rapidly degraded in the rumen, such as the small grains and ryegrass, are used to any extent by deer.” “Other useful introduced forages include both warm- and cool-season legumes. Native plants used by white-tailed deer include browse, forbs, soft and hard mast (fruits, acorns), and mushrooms. Forbs and

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9/6/17 11:21 AM

mast, while providing good nutrition, may not be available each year or at all times of the year. Browse is usually the most important source of deer nutrition because of year-round availability.” Another excellent source for deer is black gum, which Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials rank as “excellent” for deer and other game. Coralberry or “buck brush” is a great source of food, especially in the eatern third of the state. The name should give it away but the thicket it creates along with the nutrition it provides makes it a favorite among deer hunters in the region. Looking at the Pineywoods as a whole, TPWD officials note that in most areas, the virgin forest has been har-

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vested several times over the last century. For those hunting on national forest or large public hunting lands in the eastern third of the state it is important to examine how the land is divided. A TPWD survey indicated that 22 percent of all timberland was classified as pine plantation. Most (72 percent) plantation establishment was on forest industry lands. The 1992 survey indicated that approximately 71 percent of the plantations were less than 20 years old. That is worth explaining because some of the very best areas in the state are around fresh clear cuts (and up to a few years old) that are used to make way for these pine plantations.

FLOUNDER The fall flounder run is set to kick into high gear in the latter part of October. Flounder are already starting to trickle from the marsh down into the channel and out toward the Gulf of Mexico. There has not been any big movements but migrations always start slowly. We need a “blue norther” to blow through and kick it into high gear. I have uncovered some tips for catching really big flounder that has paid off well and this week I would like to share them with you. Think Small: Big flounder can eat bigger fish than smaller ones but they often do not. Unlike speckled trout, which start seeking

9/6/17 11:21 AM

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out bigger baitfish than their smaller counterparts do, flounder are opportunists that eat what is presented them and typically just keeping eating more of the same size prey.

Go Deep: The biggest flounder tend to hang out in close proximity to deep water. Target a large percentage of efforts toward deep-water access points in ship channels and in areas where passes and channels intersect with bays. This is true year-round.

Territory: Tagging studies have shown flounder are at least semi territorial and this author believes they stay in a small area throughout their tenure in the bays. Before that big norther hit keep this in mind. If you have lost a big flounder in a certain spot keeping going back there. Chances are the fish is still close by. When the run begins this changes but keep this in mind.. If you miss a flounder at the boat throw right back to where you last saw it. That fish has probably not moved very far. I have done this on numerous occasions. Line Shy: All flounder are line shy when the water is clear but big flounder are super line shy. Always use fluorocarbon leaders or pure fluorocarbon line is you can see more than about 18 inches in the water when in pursuit of monster flatfish. Chumming: If you are fishing deep water where you have shallow flowing to deep or into a tidal marsh pool you cannot reach consider chumming. It is possible to bring flounder to you and in areas where their numbers are not necessarily high this can be an advantage. Flounder have large olfactory glands that allow them to smell so give chumming a try and see if you can bring in the big ones.

TROUT AND REDS UNDER THE BIRDS As soon as the big cold fronts start blowing through the Gulf Coast trout and redfish start biting under schools of gulls feeding on the shrimp they push up to the surface. The only technical part to fall fishing under the birds is to not run up on the 92

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9/7/17 2:53 PM

birds (or the fish beneath them) with the big motor. Stop at least 50 yards away and use a trolling motor or the wind to move in close. Also, respect other anglers fishing the schools. It is highly disrespectful to fish right next to them. Fishing the same school is fine, but getting close enough to shake hands is rude and may earn you a good look at a middle finger--or maybe the whole fist. These schooling trout will hit just about anything, including spoon, soft plastics, topwaters, and lipless crankbaits. Reds will too but if you’re specifically targeting reds use a gold spoon. It’s hard to beat. Sometimes trout in the fall want a fast retrieve. And I do mean fast. Most anglers fishing soft plastics hop the bait up and down, but during the fall, sometimes the

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PHOTO: CANSTOCK

9/6/17 11:21 AM

trout will hit only if you throw it out and reel it in as fast as possible. If you find a flock of birds obviously feeding on trout and cannot get the fish to hit, try this method. It usually works when nothing else does. By nature, the biggest specimens of speckled trout are lazy. They are old, fat, and seem to have lost their vigor for fighting the young ones for shrimp and menhaden. That means when you run into a school of specks feeding in the fall, the biggest specks will be belly-to-the-bottom. Instead of fishing a soft plastic lure on a 1/8- or 1/4-ounce jighead, simply upgrade the head 1/2-ounce so it sinks to the bottom quickly. Another way to get bigger trout as well as reds is to fish on the outside of the feeding frenzy. If I have had my fill of smallish trout or are simply hungry for some tasty redfish fillets, I pull up about 20 yards farther out than you would while trout fishing under the

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birds, and then make pattern casts around the school with a Rat-L-Trap or a 1/2-ounce

silver spoons.

9/7/17 2:59 PM

BASS IN THE GRASS Right now many Texas lakes are full and the ones in East Texas in particular are full of grass. It is all about available cover. Large Texas reservoirs have many coves, fingers and shorelines and in any given area the best cover will be the area that draws in the bass, particular during the summer and early fall period according to Texas bass pro Russell Cecil. Besides being a touring FLW pro, Cecil and his partner Todd Castledine are the current Anglers of the Year in the Texas Team Trail and Bass-N-Bucks Anglers of the Year for both the Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn Summer Series events. In other words, Cecil knows a thing or two about Texas bass fishing. “I love punching the ‘hay’ or the thick grass that will grow up in mats sometimes in the middle of the lake on little islands or humps and on shorelines,” Cecil said.“When

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that kind of cover is prevalent in an area you can bet there will be bass there. One of the keys is to have a good pair of polarized shades with superior lenses like the new Sunrise from Costa to look down in the pockets for fish and movement.” Then it’s time to “punch”. That means rigging up a soft plastic, usually some sort of creature bait, on a heavy weight. Cecil’s favorite rig utilizes a snell knot with an Owner Jungle Flipping Hook rigged on 80-pound Ande braid. This rig is flipped into pockets in the grass or any area that is penetrable. Most bites are a few seconds after the rig has hit the bottom showing the fish are hearing or feeling the lure and then responding. “You want to pay attention to anything that feels different whether it is a pulling sensation or any type of sudden stop,” Cecil said. A hard hookset and is required to penetrate through the “hay” and quite often the rewards are bigger than average bass. These

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fish are typically not as targeted as those on the edge of the grass, in the hydrilla or even in buckbrush. This fall if you want big bass, consider punching the “hay”. Big bass are there for the taking. Where water meets steel (shot) I will never forget hearing the familiar sound of whistling wings overhead in the predawn darkness of the deep bottomlands of Newton County. Followed by a series of “splooshes”, they hinted at the soul-stirring action to come as a swollen, orange sun peaked over the horizon. A million thoughts raced through my head as I wondered exactly what ducks were lighting in the decoys. Were they the fastflying green-winged teal I had seen while scouting the area the day before? Maybe they were widgeons, ringnecks, or pintail! Intrigue hung thick in the air. As the sun’s brilliance steadily vanquished the darkness, my father and I could make out a few greenwings on the outer edge of the decoys, teasing me as shooting time was still a full five minutes away. I figured they would leave before we could legally click off our safety and be on our way to some prime gumbo ingredients, but I really did not care. Just being in their presence was enough for me. Even in dim light, their beauty was radiant. Almost as if they had read my mind, the cluster of teal rose off the water a minute before they would have met a barrage steel shot, but I knew there would be more action to come. I could feel it. As the clock struck 6:53, I blew on my call and we readied our guns as the game was officially on. High in the sky I spotted four gadwall, giving the spread a look-over. As I let out a couple of quacks, the quartet dove came from the heavens in a nosedive straight toward the decoys. I clicked my

safety into the shoot position as my heart pounded in anticipation. The ducks continued their descent and a few yards before slamming headfirst into the water, they put on their breaks, turned into a landing position with wings cupped and legs out and Dad and I emptied our cartridges. All four of the ducks fell and we were off

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to an absolutely perfect morning of hunting and it created a memory that would last a lifetime. Then we planned our fishing trip for flounder in Sabine Lake where they just happened to be biting with great fervor. That’s what a “cast and blast” is all about.

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9/7/17 3:07 PM

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

How Many Horses Is Enough?

That same outboard on a heavily built 18-foot fiberglass boat might not even be able to break a plane. A 60-horse outboard might be great on the aluminum rig and just barely sufficient for the glass boat. A 90-horse outboard begins to feel like a LOT of juice on that aluminum rig, which can now scream across the water’s surface and may feel a bit flighty at full throttle. But on the fiberglass boat that very same motor may feel ideal. Now, hull design comes into play. A flatbottom boat has oodles of planning surface, and is the easiest design to get up and running. That’s one of the reasons some small flatbottom jon boats can get up and plane with an engine as small as five or six horses. On a V-hull design, however, more power is usually necessary to get a boat up onto plane. The deeper the V (transom deadrise) the more power you’ll need. Power catamarans and tunnel boats throw another twist into the mix. Contrary to popular belief, some don’t really gain any efficiency from their design. Many others (usually those with “compression” tunnels that are designed to pack air between the two hulls) do generate extra lift. All other factors being equal, these designs can get by with smaller power plants than might be necessary on either flat-bottoms or V-hulls. Then, there are a number of less-impactful variables to consider. Steps, chines, strakes, and unique hull tweaks that may be found in one boat or another. All can contribute to just how much power it needs, in order to do exactly what you want it to do.

NE OF THE QUESTIONS I hear regularly from readers is whether an X horsepower engine will be enough for a Y length boat. Naturally, to get to the answer you need to dig quite a bit deeper. What is the hull made of, how much does it weigh, and what design is it? How will the boat commonly be loaded? What are your personal requirements (in other words, how much do you like to go really, really fast)? What are some of the other advantages and disadvantages of having more or less power, that are important to you? We can, of course, lay down a few parameters. Any boat’s power plant must be sufficient to get the boat up onto plane, in a reasonable amount of time. It needs to have enough oomph to do so in fully loaded conditions, too. On the flip side you don’t want to overpower a boat. Coast Guard maximum power capacity plates pretty much resolve that issue, but it’s still possible to get more power than is ideal for your purposes, which usually has the net effect of hitting you in the wallet in initial cost, maintenance costs, and operational costs.

The Hull Story

Take a Load Off

Let’s consider two 18-foot center consoles with more or less identical hull designs, but one is aluminum and the other is fiberglass. The fiberglass boat is going to weigh significantly more, and as a result, there will be a power band that will work for the aluminum boat, but which would be woefully inadequate for the fiberglass boat. A 40 horse can get a relatively light 18-foot aluminum rig up on plane without a problem, even with several people aboard. It can run at a cruising speed in the 20 mph range. 98

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Load is a huge determining factor when deciding how much power you’ll need, especially for those who like to use their boat for waterfowl hunting. Decoys, blinds, shotguns, other gear, and retrievers can combine to quickly sap an engine’s effectiveness, and that’s before we even account for a handful of hunters. For anglers, load weight may be less of an issue, but it still rates consideration. In most |

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cases, the determining factor here will simply be how many people you usually like to take fishing. If you’re a loner don’t worry about it one bit. If you sea-trial a boat all by your lonesome and decide it has just enough power, you’re headed for a future of disappointment if you bring a half-dozen friends with you. On an average 20-footer a couple people more or less can have a rather dramatic effect on performance, especially when a boat has minimal horsepower.

The Need for Speed Beyond needs we have wants, and many of us want to go fast on our boats—it’s just plain fun. Some other people simply can’t stand to miss one minute of fishing-time. Whatever your reason, if you want to feel the wind ripping your hair from your scalp, obviously, you’ll want the most horsepower feasible. There are some fringe benefits to having excessive horses, too. In general, boats that are powered at or near the top of their horsepower range tend to be easier to re-sell, and retain their value better. In many cases the engine works less than a smaller engine would, since it can spin fewer rpm to attain an equivalent amount of speed. If your engine turns 3000 rpm all day instead of 4500 rpm, this can have a significant impact on the life span of the engine and can even lower maintenance fees. Yes, there is such a thing as too much horsepower. But like we said earlier, the biggest issue here has been more or less eliminated by power caps put on boats by regulation. So these days when someone asks me if X engine is going to have enough horsepower for a Y length boat, I answer: Yes. No. Maybe. But if you can afford a bigger engine, why not get it?

Email Lenny Rudow at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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

Skinny Water Reds

NE OF THE MOST AWEinspiring sights a shallow water angler can see is the bright turquoise strip on the tail of a feeding redfish. Unfortunately, not everyone has had that experience and does not know what to look for. Sight casting involves spotting a cruising or tailing redfish and placing a lure, or fly, in front of it. Most saltwater anglers have heard of tailing redfish but have never seen one. If you haven’t, you are likely fishing in the wrong places. Redfish love to nose around the bottom and hunt for crabs, shrimp and other marine organisms. When they do, the top corner of their tail will stick out of the water—assuming the reds are in the shallows. Redfish are also known to feed in the skinniest of water, as in ankle-deep. Many anglers don’t start fishing until they are waist-deep in the bay, well beyond the zone where tailing reds can be seen. To increase your chances of success on the flats, you need to invest in a good quality pair of polarized sunglasses. Polarized lenses cut the glare on the water’s surface, allowing you to see fish cruising under the film. I find it humorous that some anglers stalk their prey with a rod and reel that pushes a thousand dollars, but wear ten-dollar sunglasses. You have to see the fish before you can cast to them. Good quality sunglasses are definitely worth the investment. Redfish and mullet both frequent shallow flats. It is not uncommon to see hundreds of tails sticking up in a secluded cove, but they are usually all mullet. The easy way to tell the difference between

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Redﬁsh are known to feed in the skinniest of water.

a mullet and a redfish tail is by the shape of the fin. The caudal fin of a redfish is square while a mullet sports a distinctive forked tail. In addition, redfish have a strip of bright turquoise along the trailing edge of their caudal fin. When you see the color on the fin, there is no mistaking that it is a redfish. As you wade through the shallows, it is imperative for you to walk slowly. Fish become extremely spooky in skinny water. This is not the place to splash or make noise. Stealth is the key. Wade slowly and deliberately. If you can hear yourself moving through the water you are moving too fast. Tailing fish present the best sight casting opportunity for lure and fly fisherman. Tailing fish are actively hunting for food and concentrating on finding a meal. This makes them less aware of your presence than normal. I have waded to within 10 feet of tailing reds and have never been noticed. A pod of fish tends to be less spooky than single fish, especially if their heads are down, and they are rooting in the grass. To demonstrate, try sneaking into a room of friends when they’re eating and talking. Chances are you can enter the room and move in close without being noticed. Same goes for tailing reds. |

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Not all sight-casting opportunities involve tailing fish. Redfish can also be seen cruising through the shallows looking for food. Redfish leave an impressive torpedo-like wake in the shallows, giving away their location. Cruising reds can sometimes be maddening to catch. I have cast repeatedly to cruising fish, only to get the cold shoulder. Keep in mind that cruising fish have a better chance of seeing you, and long casts are your best ally. Hungry reds will push up into water so shallow that their backs are completely out of the water. “Backing” fish are very skittish, and the slightest disturbance will cause them to rocket back to the safety of deeper water. Small lures and soft presentations are critical here. A lure that lands with a splat will spook a skinny-water red in an instant. Good options include gold spoons sporting a single weedless hook and soft plastics rigged on a weedless hook. Next time you head to the bay to wade fish, check out the shallows. Be patient and work slowly. You might be surprised how many fish you catch in twelve-inches of water.

Email Greg Berlocher at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com PHOTO: TERRY UPTON

9/6/17 11:56 AM

Texas GUNS by STEVE LAMASCUS | TF&G Shooting Editor

How Much Accuracy is Enough?

OST GUN WRITERS TEND to get all wrapped around the axle over accuracy, velocity, trajectory, and other minutiae relating to firearms, and I am no different. I hate inaccurate rifles; I like the flattest trajectory I can get, and I generally try to get the highest practical velocity from any rifle I am hunting with. If my rifle will shoot an inch at 100 yards I want to make it shoot 3/4 of an inch, if it will shoot 3/4, I want it to shoot a half. All of the above criteria are good, but just how much is really needed by the mythical average hunter? When I was a teenager I had a 1917 Eddystone Enfield .30-06, in which I had immense confidence. Actually it was my father’s gun, but I shot it for deer, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, and jackrabbits, and almost never missed. I even killed a prairie dog or two with it. I never actually shot the old gun for group on a target, but since I killed so much game with it I figured it was supremely accurate, even though it wore the original battle sights. Then one day Dad decided to mount a scope on it. After the job was done we took it to the range to sight it in. The first group of three shots ran nearly six inches. I was flabbergasted. After we shot up all our ammo trying to get it sighted in (No! It was not a scope problem.), we had discovered that instead of being extremely accurate it would just barely manage four-inch groups. I had killed all that game because the gun was sufficiently accurate to make the shots at the ranges I was shooting. Had Dad not mounted a scope on the old gun I would have gone through life believing it was a one-hole

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accurate guns. I even read once that legendary Carlos Hathcock’s Vietnam sniper rifle would group about two inches. He picked it because it always held its zero, not because it was the most accurate. The truth is that most hunters couldn’t tell you whether his rifle was shooting ½-inch groups or four-inch groups unless he was shooting from a solid bench rest over sand bags. In the same manner, a gun that shoots 2 ½-inch 100 yard, three-shot groups is sufficiently accurate for the vast majority of our hunting. Most of you, if you will be truthful, will admit he, or she, hasn’t killed a deer at more than 300 yards in his life. Personally, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of deer that I have shot at 300 yards and beyond, and I have killed a lot more deer than the average hunter—no brag, just fact. A famous writer and hunter once said: “Only accurate rifles are interesting.” That’s why we want our tack drivers, not because we really need them, but because we can have them. Also, they give us a sense of confidence that’s just not there with a rifle that’s just okay, That confidence makes us better hunters. I had supreme confidence in my Enfield, as long as I didn’t know how accurate it really was. Afterwards my confidence in it was shattered. Besides, who can brag about a rifle that shoots two-inch groups? If you are satisfied with your old smoke pole that shoots minute-of-coyote, there is really no reason to trade it for a more accurate rifle. However, if you want a new rifle that will stack its bullets one on top of the other, there is no reason you shouldn’t have it. Today most factory rifles will come closer to the mythical minute-of-angle than they will to the twoto three-inch groups with which our fathers and grandfathers were contented. That does, I believe, make them more interesting. But, please, don’t try to tell me they are necessary.

shooter. There just has to be a lesson there somewhere. Since white-tailed deer are the most common big game animal in Texas, let’s use them as an example. The kill zone of an average whitetail buck is just about the size of an 11-inch paper plate. This means that if you hold in the center of a deer’s chest you have, roughly, 5 ½ inches to play with in any direction. That is why my old Enfield with its fourinch groups never let me down. Over the years I have sat in a lot of deer blinds. I can count on my fingers those where the shot would

have been more than 125 yards. I would guess that the average distance from the blind to the feeder was more like 85 to 100 yards. Now, just exactly why do we need rifles that will shoot 1/2-inch groups to make shots at those distances when the kill zone is almost a foot across? Answer: We don’t! Back in the early 1960s, when I first began reading magazines and books on hunting and shooting, a rifle that would group less than two inches at 100 yards was considered accurate, and rifles that would group one inch were rare as chaste and modest exotic dancers. Those hunters killed deer just as efficiently with their “inaccurate” rifles as we do with our super T E X A S

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The BASS University by PETE ROBBINS :: for TF&G and Bass University

Shryock’s Fall Soft Jerkbait Solution

LTHOUGH MANY BASS pros put down their rods and head to the woods to hunt deer in the fall, Fletcher Shryock has trouble making that switch. As the weather cools down, he knows that if he finds one bass, it usually means that he’s found a bunch. In the lakes near his Ohio home, that means turning light catches into better ones, but he knows that on the trophy waters of Texas it can mean some of the best days of the year. “The biggest thing is that the bait begins to group up and migrate into the pockets and onto the flats,” said the popular Bass University instructor. The presence of bait is the first element of his three-pronged attack to find the biggest groups of quality bass. The other two are healthy vegetation and clear water, which often go hand in hand. “I’ll start looking in the

middle of the creeks and the backs of creeks,” he explained. “Texas doesn’t get really cold like it does up north, but colder weather affects them just the same. You might think that it would make the bass go deep, but the bait tends to head to colder water, and dropping temperatures actually push them shallower.” He’s picky about the kinds of grass beds that appeal to him and where he’ll start the search. He said that he’ll “stay away from endless, featureless miles of grass” and avoid vegetation that has started to die off, either naturally or as the result of spraying. What he wants to see is “some form of life,” ideally shad dimpling the surface and bass intermittently engulfing them. However, even other baitfish and game fish demonstrate that the food chain is operating efficiently. “I start off looking where the grass is hitting up against a creek channel,” he explained. “I don’t like to fish where it’s matted all the way to the top. The big groups tend to be in the voids, so I prefer it to be sparse enough that the fish have enough room to be able to hunt.” In dirtier water, a large walking topwater or a noisy buzzbait gets the call, but when he finds the perfect clear water scenario—the one that has produced many of his best fall catches— Shryock relies heavily on a Gary Yamamoto D-Shad. This is a fluke-style soft jerkbait that differs from its competitors largely because it’s made of Yamamoto’s heavier plastic. “It’s a great way to cover water in places where a regular hard jerkbait would get hung up,” he said. “That Yamamoto plastic sinks quicker, plus it’s weedless and nothing acts more like an injured baitfish. They can’t see it in dirtier water, but in the cleaner water it stands out.” Many anglers prefer the D-Shad in shades of green pumpkin or watermelon, such as the one Brent Ehrler flipped to finish third at

Fletcher Shryock

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this year’s Bassmaster Classic on Lake Conroe. Others like it in gaudy colors like Bubble Gum or “Lime Fever,” which stand out in a school of lively shad. Shyrock, however, said that no matter how many shad are around, the darting action of the D-Shad causes it to stand out, so he generally relies on a pearl white model. If he was fishing up north around smallmouths, he might dye the tail chartreuse, but on Texas lakes he’s generally content to fish it exactly as it comes out of the package. Proper rigging is simple. Typically, he places it on a 4/0 Lazer Trokar EWG worm hook with no added weight. He’ll occasionally add a small tungsten nail weight toward the front of the bait if he’s trying to fish slower and/or deeper. Unlike many other specialized tactics, this one doesn’t require any out-of-the-ordinary tackle, either. Shryock uses a seven-foot, medium-heavy Abu-Garcia baitcasting rod and 15-pound-test fluorocarbon line, although he can “easily bump up to 20 if there’s some standing timber around.” His preference, whenever possible, is to keep his line as light as possible, so the bait stays down. There are times when fall bass will chase the D-Shad skittering across the surface at warp speed, or dead-sticked and then popped out of the grass. Yet, most of the time he employs an intermediate retrieve—faster than he’d fish a hard jerkbait in the pre-spawn period, but not much. “I’ll usually make a bomb cast and then count to two or three,” he said. “Then I’ll go one-twopause, one pause, getting it down two or three feet, letting the fish tell me what they want. The key is usually to let it come into contact with the grass and then pull it free.” If he finds a lethargic group of bass clustered in matted-up vegetation, he’ll often slow down and pick the area apart with a flipping stick, often with a small Yamamoto PsychoDad craw and a heavy punch weight. Since these fish are so keyed in on shad, he finds that the soft jerkbait typically does most of the damage. Find bait relating to clear water grass, and it’s often a matter of calling your shots.

PHOTO COURTESY FLETCHER SHRYOCK

9/6/17 11:58 AM

Fish and Game GEAR Vapor Trail Makes Uncommon Scents VAPOR TRAIL SCENTS PRIDES themselves in being light years ahead of everyone else in the industry by having numerous products built for success in hunting pursuits. Here are some highlights of their product lines: VAPOR MAKER: A pump up scent atomizer that puts scent in the air in the smallest particles. It copies nature exactly so animals don’t question its authenticity and allows you to spray down from head to toe in ten seconds which includes even spraying your back. Works with any scent or scent eliminator on the market 33 POINT BUCK: This is a scent eliminator and attractant all-in-one. It’s all natural, made from plant based food sources. Unlike other scent products you can even spray down with it immediately after getting out of the shower. Using the Vapor Maker and the 33 Point Buck together, you can be 2 feet from wild hogs or deer without getting busted. VTS gathers the plants in the woods and make this product by hand, one bottle at a time! DIG-A-HOLE: This is a powder that is the most highly concentrated formula available today. Only 8 ounces of the 32 ounces is the sugar content of this product. The other 24 ounces is the mineral content for your animals. The Dig-A-Hole will turn 300 pounds of feed into pure sugar and turns your feeder into a mineral site at the same time. It is so powerful that animals can smell it 14 miles away and you can smell it through the plastic jug that contains it. DISPLAY HEADLIGHT: This head mounted light has a run time on high of 10 hours and a run time on low of 20 hours! This is the brightest light and longest run time on a single charge than any light out there, even those costing 4 times as much. The LCD display shows in real time how many hours you have left per charge as well as what percentage of battery life is left, just like your cell phone. This light uses a lithium ion battery that is built in so there are no wires or battery packs to worry about. The 10 watt model comes with 4 color lenses for night hunting, fish-

The Vapor Trail family of products.

ing and blood trailing. The blub life is an amazing 200,000 hours and it has a battery life of 500 charges. This is one light you can trust in the woods or on the water. To check out these and other Vapor Trail products, visit vaportrailoutdoors.com.

This Game Caller is a Game Changer THE CONVERGENT HUNTING BULlet HP Complete Bluetooth Game Calling System was designed to be very rugged, plenty loud, exceptionally clear, and easy to use in conjunction with the Convergent Hunting Solutions Mobile Applications, Carry Bag and Picatinny Phone Mount. The Bullet HP has a working range of up to 300 feet—10 times the distance of standard Bluetooth. It uses an integrated internal lithium ion battery, which will last all day and is rechargeable so there is no need to ever purchase batteries. It has a built-in decoy controllable via the app. The decoy features T E X A S

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dual directional, erratic movement that has proven very effective in triggering responses from even the most suspicious predators. Simply pair the Bullet HP with any Android or IOS Device and launch one of Convergent Hunting Solution’s mobile apps and you are ready to hunt. Because it is connected to your mobile device via Bluetooth you can play your sounds... even music! Features include: Predator Pro App Free Download, Bullet HP Bluetooth Speaker, up to 300 Foot Range via Bluetooth, integrated Li-ION Rechargeable Battery, over 10 Hours Battery Life Per Charge, integrated Decoy and Ground Spike, Picatinny Phone Mount, and Carry Bag.

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Texas TASTED by BRYAN SLAVEN :: The Texas Gourmet

Tangy Pumpkin Salsa Chicken Enchiladas

HIS HAS QUICKLY BECOME a fall time tradition in our family, we hope you enjoy with your family and friends as well.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas until golden but still pliable, about 10 seconds per side.

Arrange the enchiladas, seam-side down, in one layer snugly inside the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Drizzle with the Mexican crema and then sprinkle the cheese all over. Bake until the cheese melts and starts to brown in spots, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with a couple teaspoons of freshly chopped cilantro. Serve immediately. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients: • 9 tomatillos, husked and rinsed • 1/3-jar of Texas Gourmet’s Harvest Pumpkin Salsa • 1/2 medium white onion • 1 fresh Serrano pepper • 2 cloves garlic • 1/4-cup of roasted green Chile (roasted poblano can be substituted) • 1/2-cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1/4-cup vegetable oil • 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas • 8 boneless and skinless chicken thighs, seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder, roasted, cooled and shredded (to yield 1 1/2-cups) You can substitute with a rotisserie chicken from your favorite grocery store to save some prep time if you wish. • 1/2-cup Mexican crema or sour cream • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Perfect for fall, Pumpkin Enchiladas, served here with steamed vegtables.

Green sauce: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the tomatillos, onion, Serrano, garlic and 3/4-cup water in a medium, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and boil until the tomatillos turn olive-green color, about 10 minutes. Transfer the tomatillos, onion, garlic and Serrano to a blender. Add the cilantro, the Texas Gourmet’s Pumpkin Salsa and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. 104

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Transfer to paper towels to drain. Put the tortillas on a work surface. Place the shredded chicken and the diced green chile pepper in a bowl, add 1/2-cup of the sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to allow the sauce to blend with the chicken, then divide the chicken mixture evenly among the tortillas and roll up each like a cigar. Spread 1/3-cup of the remaining sauce in a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. |

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Email Bryan Slaven at bryan@thetexasgourmet.com

PHOTO: BRYAN SLAVEN

9/6/17 10:54 AM

Outdoor DIRECTORY Guides & Outfitters

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TEXAS SALTWATER UPPER TEXAS COAST

HUNTING SOUTH TEXAS

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NEW 2018 EDITION

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NEW TF&G APPAREL IS HERE!

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

Shaking Salt

to bring them up to speed. Anyway, they were discussing the merits of using the Phantom Sneak to shake salt on a bird’s tail, as opposed to the Creepy Crawl on one’s belly. Grandpa rubbed his mouth. “You know, my brother would just take a step and stop to wait for the birds to get used to him,” he said. “Then when they went back to what they were doing, he’d take another step. I saw him shake salt on enough tails one time, we fried a whole covey of quail for our supper.” Now, they were talking about hunting, and that was serious stuff. There was no way they were teasing me, so I went inside and snitched the saltshaker off Grandma’s kitchen table. The Old Man nodded when I came out. “Now move slow.” It must have taken me half an hour to creep the thirty yards down to the drive. By the time I got close, the birds had finished with their dusting and had flown away. I stopped and glanced over my shoulder, expecting to hear them laugh, but the Old Man pointed. “There’s a covey of quail working that fencerow. They’re headed toward the church. Slip behind ‘em easy and shake salt on the last one, then work your way up.” I gave him a big thumbs up, hit my knees, and crawled under the bobwire fence, immediately brushing a bull nettle with my arm. It set me on fire, but I didn’t run crying back to the house. Instead, I toughed it out like a man. Catching a glimpse of the bobwhites, I crawled as slow as a cat after a mouse, keeping the shaker ready for a quick dash of sodium. They didn’t seem too concerned, and they maintained their walking speed. Unfortunately, they were just a little faster than I was, and I fell behind. A field lark took that moment to intersect my path, so I veered after it. He wasn’t moving as fast as the quail, and I gained on him until we reached the barn. I lost him in the bitterweeds and raised up to see where he might have gone. The covey I’d been chasing blew up around me, scaring the pee-waddlin’ out of me, and whirred off toward the woods lining the high-

HE OLD MAN AND GRANDPA were sitting on the porch, watching the cows eat grass. I needed a little more entertainment. “There’s nothing to do,.” I complained. Those dangerous words were out before I could slap a hand over my mouth. The last time I uttered that sentence; I was up at the garden, pulling weeds. The time before that, The Old Man fired up the push mower and had me clean up around the house and fences. This time he simply raised an eyebrow, probably because it was late Saturday evening and he didn’t want to put gas in the mower. “Why don’t you get out from under our feet and go catch me one of them bluebirds.” About 15 or so bright blue birds were dusting at the far end of the drive, under the wide oak that shaded the mailbox. I’d been watching the bright blue birds throw up clouds of sand and flash their colors in the late sunlight. “You can’t catch a bird,” I said. “Sure you can.” Grandpa chuckled and rubbed his bald head. “Just get close enough to shake some salt on their tails, and you can pick ‘em right up.” Not a novice to old men teasing, I shot them both a glance. They were nodding at one another like it was some great pronouncement. When the old men up at the store were teasing us kids, they usually had a glint in their eyes, or were winking at each other, waiting for us to take the bait. This time they looked as serious as if it was a political debate, and I always hated hearing them talk politics because I didn’t understand a word of it, except “all politicians are crooked,” or “that one’s crooked as a dog’s hind leg.”— pronounced “crook-ed.” I know, I shouldn’t have to explain such things to Texans, but with all those Californians moving here in the last couple of years, I’ve had 106

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way. I thought it was over, but when I looked toward the house, Grandpa was pointing at the gate. Sure enough, the bluebirds were back, this time picking gravel with a couple of doves at the pipe gate. Having learned my lesson, proving that the Phantom Sneak wasn’t working, I dropped to my belly and Creepy Crawled downhill and under the gate. The weeds were thick, and before I knew it, I was only a few yards from the birds. Remembering Grandpa’s story, I crawled a foot, then paused. The birds went back to dusting. Another foot. The birds stopped until they thought I’d passed out in the grass. Another foot. I was almost within reach of a bluebird. I waited before ooching forward one more foot. That’s when I came nose to nose with a snake that was apparently looking for supper, but without a salt shaker. I levitated to the approximate height of the top strand of fence wire, along with the spooked birds. “Yeeeahhhh!” I didn’t actually touch the ground until I was halfway to the house. When I looked back, the snake was hot on my heels. Then my retreat went into overdrive, requiring only two more steps. The Old Man and Grandpa were shading their eyes in the direction of the gate when I shot past and through the door, letting the screen slam behind me. Grandpa grunted. “I wondered where that old blue racer had gone. I haven’t seen him in a couple of weeks.” I couldn’t form words and simply shrugged at my grandmother’s question. “Where’s the salt shaker?” She didn’t need to know it was still down there by the gate. I’d have to get it later.

Email Reavis Wortham at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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BLACK DRUM San Luis Pass Seventeen-year-old Emily Duin caught and released this good size black drum at San Luis pass out of a boat on a late July morning. Her dad watched her catch, boat and release the ﬁsh.

REDFISH Texas Coast Winston Pickering was on his ﬁrst ﬁshing trip with Dad Welton Pickering and his Uncle Jacob Goodale when they boated this nice red.

SPECKLED TROUT BASS

San Luis Pass

Hood County

Payton Davies caught his first fish, a speckled trout, while fishing off a dock near San Luis Pass. He was assisted with the catch by his proud father, Tim.

Nine-year-old Werner Bauer caught this four-pound bass, his largest so far, from a farm pond in Hood county.

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SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO photos@FishGame.com For best results, send MED to HIGH quality JPEG digital ﬁles only, please.

Also Enter our PHOTO CONTEST: FishGame.com/texas-hotsots-upload No guarantee can be made as to when, or if, a submitted photo will be published.

CATFISH Spring Ten-year-old William Hilton caught this 24-inch, eight-pound blue catﬁsh from the lake at Benders Landing Estates, in Montgomery County. It was the largest ﬁsh this avid young anger has caught, to date.

BASS Lake Travis Logan Slack caught this eight-pound bass while ﬁshing with his Grandfather and ﬁshing guide Allen Christenson on lake Travis in August.

FLOUNDER Copano Bay Katalyna Rivera is pictured petting her ﬁrst keeper, an 18-inch ﬂounder caught on a pier in Copano Bay. Her sister, Abryanna is on the left, smiling. Katalyna caught it on her 2-foot Minnie Mouse rod.

REDFISH Rockport Logan Kuenstler of Austin caught this 34-inch red while ﬁshing in Rockport with guide Terry Coufal.

BLACK DRUM Port Bolivar Fourteen-year-old Brooklyn Polk of Allen shows off the big black drum that she caught while ﬁshing with her family in the Intracoastal Waterway near Port Bolivar. Her catch was deﬁnitely the big catch of the trip.

MIXED STRINGER Port Aransas Tim Bradford and his fourteen-year-old son, Keatchie, caught 23 blackfin tuna, one 65-pound yellowfin tuna, a blue runner and 20 vermilion snapper on an offshore trip with Dolphin Dock Charters out of Port Aransas. It was Keatchie’s first tuna trip, and he had a blast.

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