Texas Fish & Game September 2019 by Texas Fish & Game

Grizzlies &Hogs

What’s the Connection?

September 2019 | $3.95

7 Keys to Saltwater Success Weishuhn’s Buck Recall

Companies That Care for Wildlife 1909-Sep-CoverDIG.indd 1

A Gun for All Seasons

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

by ROY and ARDIA NEVES TF&G Owners

ROY AND ARDIA NEVES

Content-ment

PUBLISHERS

CHESTER MOORE

EDITOR IN CHIEF

UZZ WORDS ARE APTLY NAMED. TRENDY WORDS AND CATCH PHRASES erupt into the public consciousness like a cloud of insects. They swarm, flit around until they are impossible to ignore, and then they finally—mercifully—begin to die out. By then, they have become overused clichés that bring eye-rolls where they once commanded places of honor in Power Point presentations. One such word that has been buzzing around the heads of those of us in media for the past few years is “Content.” Content is what we have traditionally referred to as “editorial.” As in, the non-advertising portion of our magazine. In our case, this represents a healthy 60-plus percent of the typical issue. TEXAS FISH & GAME editorial—or, Content—includes the feature photo spreads, in-depth articles, columns and other standing departments that we use in our efforts to cover the enormous beat that encompasses all the various types of saltwater and freshwater fishing and all the various types of hunting in Texas. As an unusually robust species of buzz word, Content has swarmed beyond its original environment in the media industry and buzzed into the ears of the general business public. Now, anyone who sells a product or provides a service is encouraged to use Content as the main thrust of their promotional efforts. Web and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) gurus preach this method and offer their high-value services to help converted clients put it into practice. Blogs, YouTube videos, photo galleries, podcasts, and puff pieces of all varieties are ginned up and spewed out on web and social media sites across the vast digital spectrum. Public relations, or PR, firms have been around for more than a hundred years, cranking out press releases, wangling or even strong-arming positive coverage for their clients in media outlets and providing damage control when things go wrong. But this new emphasis on Content as a business strategy is a different animal. Rather than jockeying for product placements, favorable reviews, article mentions or even full scale profile features in established media, businesses are told to build their own original content platforms and to produce their own stories where their products and services are, if not the stars, at least prominent supporting characters. A growing number of companies have even started publishing their own magazines, complete with lifestyle stories showcasing beautiful people conveniently using their products and/or services. For example, REI, the rock climbing and whitewater paddling supply retailer recently quit publishing its catalogs in favor of putting out a glossy lifestyle mag. More such brand-oriented vanity magazines are sure to come. All this creativity is great. But, like infomercials on TV, pretty easy to spot as veiled selling vehicles. For those of us toiling away in the True Content mines, the “competition” is a bit troubling, especially if it has an impact on the support structure we rely on—conventional advertising budgets. But while all content, whether semi-artificial or not, competes for the eyes, ears and attention spans of a finite audience, we’re confident that enough of you still care about how you invest your limited information processing time. You have less and less of that time to waste and we’re sure you value sources that actually add something to your store of knowledge or emotional comfort system. Which is why we continue to work hard every month (actually every day, considering our newsletter and other digital incarnations) to hone the format, scope and accuracy of the editorial output that we produce. We listen to our readers and web visitors and invite comment, criticism and suggestions at every opportunity. You captain the boat. We’ll take it where you tell us. So please do, tell us. Producing the best, most entertaining and, above all, the most informative editorial content possible is our ongoing commitment. Our Content-ment, if you will.

E-mail Roy at rneves@ﬁshgame.com and Ardia at aneves@ﬁshgame.com

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

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ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR EDITOR AT LARGE HUNTING EDITOR FRESHWATER EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR BOATING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR SHOOTING EDITOR HUMOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DIGITAL CONTRIBUTOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR

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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 77267-9946 and at additional mailing offices.

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Contents September 2019 | Vol. 36 • No. 5

FEATURE ARTICLES

A GUN FOR ALL SEASONS Texas has more hunting seasons than anywhere. Are you gunned up for all of them?

by TF&G Staff

SEVEN KEYS TO SALTWATER SUCCESS Fall is peak fishing time on the Texas Coast. Here are seven keys to maximize options.

by Chester Moore

COVER STORY EARLY TEAL CHALLENGES

Editor’s Notes

by CHESTER MOORE

Doggett at Large

by JOE DOGGETT

Nugent in the Wild by MATT WILLIAMS

A GRIZZLY/HOG CONNECTION Believe it or not, there are common links between grizzly bears and feral hogs.

TF&G Report • 34 The News of the Nation

Texas Saltwater by LARRY WEISHUHN

Texas Guns

by STEVE LAMASCUS

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Hotshots 34 Texas Action Photos Focus 36 Coastal Columns 46 Texas Hotspots 54 Sportsman’s Daybook Tides & Prime Fishing Times

DEPARTMENTS

by CALIXTO GONZALES

Texas Whitetails

A whitetail remembrance from TF&G’s whitetail editor.

TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION

by Chester Moore

by Ted Nugent

Texas Freshwater

BUCK RECALL by Larry Weishuhn

story by Chester Moore

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Here is what a few companies are doing to protect wildlife.

by TF&G Staff

September brings early duck hunting to Texas as blue-winged teal move southward. But September is also a volatile weather month, presenting more than a few challenges.

COLUMNS

KUDOS FOR CONSERVATIION

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Letters

by TFG Readers

Texas Tasted by Bryan Slaven

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Outdoor Directory Fish & Game Photos by TFG Readers

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LETTERS to the Editor Kudos On Hog Fight I JUST FINISHED READING CHESter Moore’s article about hog sanctuaries in Texas. Thank you as we are fighting the same fight in Missouri. There has been 79,000 acres banned since 2016 and the hog population has exploded. Close to 1.5 million acres of Mark Twain National Forest could be closed and it will be federal wildlife crime to kill a hog there. Over two million acres will protect hogs from hunters 365 days a year.

FourYear-Old Fan Sara Beyer sent in this photo of her son, fouryear-old Everett. She tells us that Texas Fish & Game is Everett’s favorite magazine. His mom said he loves to look at all the pictures and even sleeps with it by his side at night.

Allen Morris THANKS FOR HAVING THE GUTS TO say what few have said. And that is there are sanctuaries created for hogs to breed, and that these states banning hog hunting are missing the boat. I agree that putting a ban on moving live hogs is enough. Why stop hunters from killing hogs? Makes no sense. Thanks for covering this important story.

Scott Kasey

HunterConservationists

BANNING KILLING HOGS TO STOP their population growth makes zero sense. Something is very wrong and I support 100 percent your stance on the hog issue.

YOUR COLUMN ON HUNTERconservationists was probably the best thing I have ever read on the topic. I have followed your work for a long time and know that you genuinely care about wildlife, even animals and fish you don’t plan to catch or kill. The examples you used show the model of North American conservation works. I realize you have limited space in a column but I would like to know what you think some of the mistakes that are being made in our conservation model and how we might do better.

Geoff Jackson

Double Dipping I ENJOYED YOUR ARTICLE ABOUT Double Dipping. I can verify catching the same bass twice. Years ago I was tagging bass I caught in my pond to weigh them and measure their length to monitor their growth. After tagging a bass, I kept fishing and about 15 minutes later on the other side of the pond, I caught the same bass. Seems unlikely, but I guess sometimes they do not learn their lesson.

Blake Picard Editor: Thanks for the kind words. Your question is a really good one. No system is perfect except for the one God initially

David Kaspar

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created. We have managed to mess that up big time although we do better in America in comparison to anywhere on the globe. I would say the overall biggest problem we have had is connecting the importance of habitat health to wildlife abundance, and it is something I am seeing in a big way with my Turkey Revolution project. People understand bag limits and limited access to hunting certain species, but there in general is a disconnect with habitat. We have got to stop buying the lies that because there are more trees now than when Lewis & Clark conducted their expedition that somehow that is good. Forest management in many ways has been abysmal for wildlife and we have totally transformed the forests to something that is not natural. I think if we can look as close at habitat as we do species bag limits, etc. we will have a bright future for wildlife.

« Send your comments to: editor@ﬁshgame.com PHOTO: SARA BEYER

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

Turkeys and Arrows

HE FIRST TIME I TOOK A turkey with my bow I was in a cactus thicket on the King Ranch not too far from Baffin Bay. I was 22 years old, and the legendary ranch had opened up a concession to a particular bowhunting outfitter. The tract we were on had zero hunting pressure for decades, so the animals were not stressed. It was a hunting paradise. Watching a monster Rio Grande gobbler come strutting into a clearing and releasing an arrow at only 10 yards was an incredible moment in my young life. I was with legendary television host Keith Warren, and I couldn’t believe I had a chance to get this close to a wary gobbler on the King Ranch. It was a fantastic hunt. Looking back, it was an incredible time in my life as a wildlife journalist. I also experienced an increased interest in conservation. Those two things have been linked ever since my first-ever published article. Each opportunity I had to do something like this, strengthened my resolve to spread the word about conservation. Recently, I revisited my love for wild turkeys, although I haven’t aimed a bow at one in decades. I have been able to take numerous birds by shotgun, including the eastern gobbler I got my while hunting with TF&G’s own Lou Marullo last May. This fall begins my quest to bag the “Grand Slam” of turkeys in two years. I start with Rio Grandes this fall in Texas since we can hunt turkeys throughout the deer season. Very few hunters actively pursue turkeys during fall, but I am and look forward to the challenge. In my opinion, taking the “Grand Slam” by bow is the greatest challenge a bowhunter of average financial means can accomplish. Few of us can afford the sheep slam and indeed not the pursuit of the North American 29.

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“Instead, the FWC utilizes spring turkey season harvest estimates from an annual mail survey as an index to population size. These harvest estimates are either on a statewide scale or a regional scale, so, therefore, do not necessarily track harvest rates of the Eastern and Osceola subspecies separately in Florida.” Nicholson said that given this data is derived from mail surveys, and the harvest estimates are currently only available through the spring of 2018. Information is not yet available for 2019. “In examining the spring turkey harvest estimates provided by FWC, it appears populations in Florida have been stable to slightly declining over the last decade, depending on the region.” Harvest data suggests the slight declines were observed more in Northern Florida coinciding with the Eastern subspecies and harvest rates since that time have been more stable in Central and South Florida where the Osceola subspecies occurs. Nicholson said research is being conducted to determine the cause. “While no exact cause has been determined yet, it is likely due to many factors, which may be different for certain areas. Factors likely include: decreasing habitat quality, changing land use, and land conversion (e.g., development), but may also include other factors we don’t fully understand yet, but active/planned research is looking into them.” All of those factors seem entirely plausible, and the word “decline” has been omnipresent during this Turkey Revolution quest. Louisiana and New York have both seen significant declines, and now Florida seems to be on the downswing. What is going on with turkeys and how widespread is the problem? That’s something we will be investigating heavily. As both a wildlife journalist and a turkey hunter, it is concerning. This year has been an inspiring one on the turkey front, and I have never been as enthusiastic about archery season starting. I am glad to hunt deer on my Newton County lease, but even more psyched about taking on turkeys in the Hill Country.

We can at least over several years hunt Rio Grande, Merriam’s, Osceola and the Eastern turkey. Turkeys are super-wary game animals and are an incredible challenge for bowhunters—I’m talking next level. Their hearing and vision are stunning. If they had the sense of smell that a deer has, we would never be able to kill them. Earlier this year, I began a project called “Turkey Revolution” that’s a long-term quest to raise awareness of turkey conservation. As turkeys go, so go America’s forests. I believe they are the key to conservation of forest-dwelling wildlife. This year’s goal was to get the slam all by camera. That meant traveling all around the country, and I got my third turkey in Florida in pursuit of the Osceola turkey which only lives in the southern two-thirds of the Sunshine State. I had done many studies to end up in this location to find Osceola turkeys. Since I am doing this all on my own coin, I was low on time. I had from sunrise to noon to make something happen at a location outside of Sarasota on the banks of the Myakka River. One particular area looked seriously promising, and within 30 minutes I spied my prize. A hen Osceola turkey gave me a curious look on the edge of a palmetto thicket and shortly after that followed another hen and a brood. They made their way into a clearing and fed down toward the edge of the river. It was great to see a brood because much of this habitat was thicker than I had suspected it would be. Prime turkey habitat has a relatively open forest, but suppression of natural fires has created enormous undergrowth. That allows predators a better shot at turkeys and destroys some of the turkey’s best forage opportunities. Upon returning home, I consulted David Nicholson, a biologist with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) in Florida, to check on population trends. “Unfortunately, there is not a reliable/accurate way to estimate wild turkey populations at a largescale, and therefore the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) does not currently estimate wild turkey population size in Florida,” he said. F I S H

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

Surf’s Up

ar. The earth slipped its axis as I was tossed over, around, up and down. All the while I was hurtled toward the beach by the maelstrom of whitewater. The wave finally abated, and I surfaced, gasping and choking amid a cloud of hissing foam bubbles. I was still hugging the board. Ken Bradshaw, a legitimate Big Name on the North Shore, learned to surf in Texas. He paddled briskly over. “Doggett! I can’t believe you rolled that wave!” “I was too scared to let go!” “You don’t belong out here! Now, dive for the bottom and let your leash take the board! Here comes the next one.” We dove. The water over the reef was maybe 12 or 14 feet deep. A broken wave rumbled overhead, churning with billows of turbulence, and I was dragged farther inshore by the tethered board. I climbed hand over hand up the 10-foot big-wave leash, Bradshaw was right there. “Good,” he said. “Stay loose. Now dive again.” We ducked several more waves then the set was done. We had been pushed all the way to the inside shelf known as Val’s Reef. I was utterly spent. “Sit here and regroup,” Bradshaw barked, wheeling his board to paddle back out. “Then catch one of these reforms to go in on. I’ll see you later on the beach.” I did, in fact, catch a “three-foot” wave at Val’s and rode the head-high wall to the salvation of the sand. But that’s not exactly real Sunset. That day, which occurred about 30 years ago, enforced several important survival lessons. These are rules that can have universal application to all outdoor enthusiasts on open beachfronts. First, respect what’s over the horizon. The swell that day at Sunset was coming up, with a large west swell filling in behind a medium northwest swell. I paddled out anyway, hoping to pick up a smaller wave or two, and got caught out of position by one of the first of the big west-swell sets. The same lack of judgment applies to, say— the guys in an open boat brashly running

HE DOZEN OR SO SURFERS on big-wave boards floating nearby no doubt concluded that I was about to face the classic Hawaiian horror story—caught inside and undergunned at Sunset Beach. A set of undulating blue-green swells approached, and I nervously paddled for the first-ever Sunset wave. The gathering peak was maybe double overhead. Such a powerful wave stressed the upper limits of my confidence and ability. Both arms dug hard, but the board seemed too slow. Or maybe there was a heartbeat or two of hesitation. Either way, I missed the wave. The board slid back as the wave passed, feathering a pepper of spray against the offshore trades funneling from the mountains. I turned, panting and puffing and hyperventilating, to face the open ocean. My instant reaction was—I’m a dead man! The next wave looked twice as big. The peak was 10 or 12 feet “Island Scale,” which meant it had an 18- or 20-foot face (the macho Island Scale is notorious for seriously downplaying wave size). The sparkling monster turned turquoise, crackling with energy as it stood up on the gray-green bottom of reef. The huge face went concave as spray roared from the crest. I was terrified, trapped squarely in the impact zone of a triple-overhead, certified national disaster. On Oahu’s fabled North Shore, Pipeline might be hollower and Waimea might be bigger, but a thick peak pushing across the vast Sunset reef has been acknowledged by many world-class surfers as one of the heaviest and most challenging waves in the world. The thick lip heaved forward, unloading almost in slow motion directly ahead. I went into a frantic survival mode, “turning turtle” by flipping the board and wrapping legs and arms in a death grip. The explosion of mighty Sunset was nucle6

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offshore without heeding the warnings of an incoming line of storms. Sitting in an 18-foot center console 30 miles off Freeport is not where you want to be when the sky goes black and the Gulf turns upside down. When recreating in the surf, if the bottom disappears stay in the whitewater. Calm water looks inviting on a rough day. However, the placid surface almost always marks a drop-off or channel, and the trench usually carries dangerous currents funneling away from safety. The breaking rows of whitewater define the shallower bottom, and the waves are moving inexorably to the beach—exactly where you want to go. They always have and they always will. Don’t fight that energy—utilize it. Know your limitations, and understand that all water sports can take you over the edge. Under the wrong circumstances, a two-foot wave can be as dangerous as 20-footer. Do not be tempted to venture into a situation where you are not confident you can get back to shore. The inexperienced swimmer should be especially cautious; the non-swimmer has no business even being out there. Be realistic in your abilities. Finally, if things go wrong and the outlook starts getting sketchy, try not to panic. That’s easy to say, sometimes hard to do. Choking and flailing can drag down even a veteran swimmer. The calming guidance of Bradshaw helped me handle that long-ago pummeling, but a “Bradshaw” might not always be available. Strive to stay within yourself and take it smooth and steady. Surfing in Hawaii or wade fishing in Texas, or any soggy activity in between, your life can totally depend on keeping a firm rein on panic. Once you lose secure footing, you have no free passes and no time outs. Gold credit cards count for absolutely nothing. Being able to safely walk away from any outdoor adventure is the most important thing.

« Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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

T WAS A SUNNY, WARM FALL day in 1957, and my cousin Mark and I were on safari along the Rouge River in Dearborn, Michigan. The Dearborn Hills golf course was our own little dream wildlife paradise, and we stealthily scooted along the fairway edges with our yew longbows tightly gripped, cedar arrows cocked, locked and oh so ready to rock! At the tender age of 9, I was already alive with the Spirit of the Wild, and my youthful critter radar was always on red alert. Mark and I simultaneously saw the movement above on the towering oak limb as a big bushytailed fox squirrel le Without a hint of hesitation, I went into full Gonzo mystical flight of the arrow predator mode and instantaneously my Bodkin tipped shaft was unleashed. Like a tractor beam with a life of its own, on a mission from God, that arrow arched up and over and intersected square into the shoulder of the fleeing limbrat, knocking the rascal clean off the branch, thudding to the ground. Our over the top excitement could not be measured by any human measurement, and we celebrated like maniac kids the 3rd such arrowkill of the morning. In those early days of my youth and reawakened bowhunting in America, the natural hand-eye coordination and ballet-like archery form we honed and practiced on a daily schedule was as pure as any endeavor of mankind. Such exciting, well-rehearsed hand-eye coordination could be witnessed by America’s youth at the baseball diamond, on the golf course, the basketball court, the hockey arena and the football field all across the country. I dabbled in those universally celebrated ball sports, but none could come anywhere even close to the thrill of my bowhunting dedication. When a target was identified, the graceful ballet of archery form completely took over my physical being, but more importantly, much

“ I couldn’t have articulated it at the time, but my inner instinct to discover my samurai Zen was coming on strong.

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Rad Trad

Those days in the 1950s were not only precompound bow, they were pre-recurve bow! The bows and arrows I started out with were pretty much the spitting image of the archery gear used by Cochise, Sitting Bull, Ishi and Crazy Horse. Somewhere along the development curve raging towards the phenomenal compound bow technology, such old-fashioned equipment began being referred to as traditional archery. Okay, I get that. But I am of the thinking that genuine tradition has way more to do with how one mentally approaches a given activity than it has to do with what gear one chooses T E X A S

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with which to pursue the endeavor. As I prepare to celebrate my 71st birthday and hunting season this year, I absolutely believe that my days afield with my state of the art Mathews Vertix compound bow is as pure bowhunting as any bowhunting that has ever taken place. I need to know and respect the game and its habits and haunts. I must play the wind, sun, moon and barometer. I must be at my utmost A-game of stealth and awareness no matter what bow design may be in my hands. I must practice diligently and constantly to be absolutely deadly accurate and one with the bow and arrow when I traditionally pick a spot and the shot happens. The tradition of responding to the powerful reasoning predator instinct and connection with God’s miraculous creation as the fall season comes on is as pure as the very first hunters in pre-history, time immemorial. My natural participation in tooth, fang and claw nature is the epitome of tradition. Hunting is a grand tradition and we should all celebrate and promote how all good American traditions should be pursued and enjoyed. When I pick a target for my arrow in 2019, what I experience is as pure and wonderful as what that little kid in Dearborn felt and enjoyed way back then. Bowhunting, anyway you cut it, especially in this day and age, is a radical tradition. And I like rad trad!

more importantly, the path of my arrow took over my total spiritual being. Even as a nutty, hyper, roustabout kid, my archery cravings consumed me more than anything in my young life this side of my guitar. I couldn’t have articulated it at the time, but my inner instinct to discover my samurai Zen was coming on strong, and my total fascination with wildlife and the mystical flight of the arrow was already the driving force in my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness American Dream.

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« Email Ted Nugent at tnugent@ﬁshgame.com

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Septemberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Teal Season Presents Early Opportunities and Challenges STORY BY CHESTER MOORE THE SEPTEMBER TEAL SEASON follows early southward movement, which can be intense. At the first hint of a cold front, bluewings quickly start moving toward the tropics. Back in 1998, the Texas coast experienced a brutal summer-long drought. Two days before the teal season opened, Tropical Storm Frances hit, dumping water everywhere on the coast. Instead of

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shooting in marshes, hunters were shooting teal out of flooded cattle pastures where the birds had more comfortable feeding on floating seed. How about Hurricane Harvey for a teal season spoiler? That ruined it for pretty much the entire Upper and Middle Coasts. This has been a wet year in much of Texas, typical teal hunting range, but at the time of this writing some areas were drying up.

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Anything could happen weather-wise by the time this article hits, but generally speaking we expect substantial hunting opportunities and once again have a six teal limit So, how should a hunter prepare to hit the field, especially in the overcrowded arena of public land? Let’s face it, on private hunts whether they are with an outfitter or on a well-managed lease, the situation is much easier than on public land. We thought we would share some tips to help you score if you have to venture among the sea of hunters on public ground. The key is scouting. Teal are dabbling ducks and tend to prefer shallow mud flats and grass beds in marshes where they eat milfoil, seeds of pondweeds and tiny mollusks. High water can cover areas that would generally be productive. However, knowing the topography of the land and locating higher ground that might hold only a few inches of water can yield results. This means scouting the evening (or morning) before a hunt and knowing exactly where birds are. When they have plenty of options, this is especially important because teal move quickly from spot to spot. With the resources available on the Internet, scouting is no longer confined to physically exploring hunting areas. Google Earth, for example, is a fantastic scouting tool. Teal are small and offer a challenging target, but they are easy to hunt during the September season. They are creatures of habit, so you can generally count on them to feed both early and late. The first thing is to set up a blind. In the case of teal, this does not require a lot of effort. Teal are certainly not blind-shy during the early season. So hunting out of a boat draped in camouflage netting or covered by Roseau cane is more than adequate. Or you can wear plenty of camouflage and sit still. For years, hunters brought dozens of decoys for the early season, but that is becoming outdated. Set out a dozen decoys of any duck species. This will give these sociable birds an inviting place to land, and you a place to shoot. I usually bring only half a dozen teal decoys, a few shoveler imitations, and a “robo duck.” I have no problem scoring limits of teal. Fishgame.com blogger and duck dog trainer Brian Johnson believes it’s the quality 10

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Teal are small and offer a challenging target, but because they are creaters of habit, are easy to hunt in September.

of decoys that makes the difference. “Real cheap decoys are just that. They are really cheap.” Johnson said. “They will not last, the paint will chip, they will crack, and the super cheap ones will turn on their sides in heavy wind. Before buying a cheap duck decoy, pay attention to the thickness, durability, and overall paint finish.” “I understand that money gets tight. If that is the case, I encourage you to buy a few good ones instead of dozens of cheap ones— or repair your old ones. Take my advice on this one. This is coming from the first-hand experience.” Johnson said duck decoys, for the most part, come with two options: weighted keel or water keel. The weighted keel will never land on the decoy’s side; causing you to have to go turn it right side up. “I personally like the way the weighted keel rides in the water. However, if you are packing dozens in on your back, I don’t think they are the way to go. The water keel is much lighter. My main consideration on keels is this: if you walk to your blind, use the water keel. If you use a boat or vehicle to |

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carry them, go with the weighted keel.” Calling teal is rather simple, although many hunters on public lands tend to overdo it. Simple teal whistles sounded a few times at the sight of birds is enough to lure them. Too much calling spooks them. I have seen hunters a few ponds away call too much and push birds right to me. Part of a successful hunt on public land is to use the mistakes of other hunters to your advantage. It seems there is always someone who calls too much, shoots when the birds are too high or arrives in the field late and pushes birds to you. If you keep your cool, you should get a shot at some of “their” birds. When you do get a shot, make sure not to use a heavy load, which can destroy the meat in their tiny breasts. Also, note that improved cylinder or modified chokes work great for teal, especially in close quarters. Chicken-fried bluewing breast meat is my favorite of all waterfowl dining options. I am hoping to get out there and collect some and enjoy this brief, but exciting time in the field.

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STORY BY CHESTER MOORE

T WAS ONE OF THOSE SPECIAL MOMENTS in life. Dad and I were going to a gun show to pick out my first deer-rifle. This wasn’t going to be a family heirloom or a situation where Dad handed me his rifle when the deer walked out. It was going to be all mine. At the time I was enamored with the .243 because it was what my Dad hunted with and as I understood it, a flat-shooting load. I thought it would be excellent for Texas whitetails, and maybe I could save up for a few years and hunt pronghorns in Wyoming.

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Camo is an integral design feature of the perfect waterfowl gun.

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On that day I walked out of the show in Beaumont, Texas with a Remington Model 7600 pump .243. The pump added a cool factor for me because I had not seen many pump rifles at that point. The .243 chambering gave me a gun that wouldn’t knock me to the ground, but would be plenty adequate for whitetails. I took quite a few deer with it in my early hunting life, but since then have amassed a collection of rifles and shotguns for hunting. There seems to be a gun for every season. The following is a look at reliable recommendations on the caliber front for the small, big and bigger game in North America. These are from the collection of guns available from CZ-USA, inspired by visiting with them at the 2019 SHOT Show where their myriad of firearms was on display.

more velocity and steel shot is a significant advantage when hunting the wide variety of waterfowl that flies down the Central Flyway. Most of the geese I have killed have been in a duck blind. So having a 12 gauge with a 3½-inch chamber for magnum shotshells is a plus. I have been looking at the CZ 612 Magnum Waterfowl. Built for the goose blind, the 612 Magnum Waterfowl boasts the perfect waterfowl camo pattern. This is combined with a 3½-inch chamber for magnum shotshells and a 28-inch barrel. The 612 Magnum Waterfowl ships with five extended black choke tubes. It’s nice to be able to fire confidently at a gadwall. Then take down a snow goose that passes by the same blind.

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Squirrel

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The .22 LR is the standard cartridge for serious squirrel hunters. The challenge of |

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CZ makes an inexpensive, versatile .22 LR for squirrels and other varmints.

being able to plink them off a tree builds patience and skill in a hunter. In areas where squirrels receive real hunting pressure, it can push even veterans of the game. The CZ 457 offers a variety of options for squirrels and other varmints that hunters might encounter. The 457 Scout is ideal for young shooters with a 12-inch length of pull and simple iron sights. The 457 American has no iron sights, perfect for mounting a scope.. Scopes offer a great advantage for hunting squirrels and other varmints in dense forests, especially in the dim light seen early in the morning and late in the afternoon.For hunters wanting to maybe shoot a little farther in more open country or take out other varmints, a scoped 457 Varmint has a heavier barrel and a little more stability. The .22 is still inexpensive to shoot compared to other rifles and has virtually no recoil. The CZ 457 platform is a great choice to PHOTOS: CANSTOCK, CZ-USA

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There isn’t a deer in North America the .30-06 won’t kill quickly.

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get kids started shooting and to learn to squeeze the trigger instead of pulling it.

Whitetail Deer Choices for whitetails range from the aforementioned .243 to the .270. However, for overall versatility, it’s hard to beat the .30-06. TF&G contributor Razor Dobbs said he likes the CZ 557 in .30-06. “While hunting at Sandstone Mountain Ranch in Llano with guide and friend Chris Treiber, we came across a giant whitetail buck with a broken back leg,” Dobbs said. “Despite the buck having snapped a femur, he was still able to evade us by darting through the thick brush. “As we slowly stalked through the thick stuff, the buck jumped up to run. I quickly aimed and punched him in the shoulder with 3,138 foot-pounds of .30-06. He dropped immediately. “There isn’t a deer in North America

Choosing the optimal gun is a personal choice. Many great options are available, so you’ll have no problem finding what you need. Always put the game first, and choose a caliber that’s adequate for a clean kill. Then make sure you get something comfortable for you. Take some time, and ask the gun dealer questions. Study every scenario. Most of all, have fun. Choosing the right gun can be as exciting for you now, as it was for me at age 13.

Elk Elk may very well be North America’s toughest game animal. Mature bulls have heavy bone and dense muscle, so taking one down is not a task for the .243 that I use to hunt whitetails. You need something that can deliver a heavy load at long distances and penetrate deep into a tough animal. That’s a tall order for many popular deer calibers. A mature elk can be six times larger than an average Texas whitetail and four times larger than a mule deer. So keep that in mind. A rifle chambered for .338 Lapua is ideal for elk and other mountain-dwelling game. A prime choice is the CZ Western Series 500 Badlands Magnum, which comes with F I S H

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a 25-inch barrel and a 14-inch length of pull. A chance at an elk can be a once in a lifetime experience. Making sure you have the right rifle can be the difference between celebration and heartbreak.

the .30-06 won’t kill and kill quickly, which is why it’s such a popular caliber, he added.” Other killer calibers include .308 and .270.

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A riﬂe chambered for .338 Lapua is ideal for elk and other big game.

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ALL IS THE PEAK FISHING TIME ALONG THE GULF COAST. HERE ARE SEVEN KEYS TO helping you unlock those opportunities and maximize your time in the field. AIM SMALL, MISS SMALL: As cold fronts arrive and push baitfish and shrimp out of back bays and out toward the Gulf, it’s easy to get caught up in the vast amount of feeding action going on. Trout and reds will sometimes school in vast numbers under huge pods of shrimp and baitfish. Much of the best action (for trout in particular) can be found on small pods of shrimp. If you see a few shrimp skipping across the surface perhaps with little surface action, try throwing a Gulp! under a popping cork or a topwater. You stand a great chance of getting it slurped under. FLOUNDER FUNNEL: With new regulations for flounder in effect for five years now, numbers of flatfish are increasing in a huge way.

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After the first big cold front blows through (which should happen between the middle and end of the month), focus on the passes. Flounder will be migrating out toward spawning grounds. This provides you with a great opportunity to catch them on soft plastic curtltail grubs tipped with shrimp or live finger mullet. NATURAL COLORS: As water temperatures begin to cool, consider using more natural lure colors. This is important as the water can clear dramatically. As a rule of thumb, the murkier the water, the brighter the lures (chartreuse, pinks, etc). In clearer water, shad, shrimp and clearcolored lures tend to work better. LIVE CROAKER: Although the use of live croaker for trout is controversial, there is no doubt it’s effective. Here, however, I am talking about using it for bull redfish. As the bull redfish hit the nearshore Gulf, tie on a large live croaker and throw it out on a Carolina rig. A croaker is by far the best bull red bait. The distressed, hooked croaker gives the bulls an audible target as well as something that smells appetizing. Use circle hooks to reduce deep hooking and think about releasing the big bulls to fight another day. Despite the term “bull” many of the biggest fish are females that can produce lots of offspring. Plus, their meat is tough anyway.

Target fall ﬂounder as they migrate through passes.

FULL FRONTAL ASSAULT: Early cold fronts can be great fishing opportunities but they can also mislead anglers. When a front approach the barometric pressure drops, and the fish feed very aggressively. This usually means big winds, which can in turn discolor the water. Finding protected areas to fish before a front arrives can lead to incredible fishing. The day after a front, however, can be tough because the pressure rises and the fish get lethargic. If this is the only day you can fish, use more finesse, employing smaller lures and a slower approach. Many times, it takes two days for the pressure to drop a little and get the fish feeding again. At this point, baitfish and shrimp from backwaters are exposed in open water and opportunities abound.

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Take any old frozen shrimp and mix in a few nice blue crabs (legal size of course) and put them in a chum or lingerie-washing bag on the side of the boat. As the tide moves, your chum slick will spread out and sound the dinner bell for roving reds. PHOTO: TF&G

CHUMMING REDS: Anglers in smaller boats who like to anchor up and fish over shell or around small passes can benefit from chumming. Redfish will follow a chum line right in, especially one consisting of mashed-up crab and shrimp.

The use of live croaker may be controversial, but it is effective.

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Spoons can add casting range, to help keep pace with fast moving reds.

LONG CASTERS: Always have a rod rigged up that you can cast a long distance with a lure that complements it. I always have a silver or gold spoon rigged up during the fall. Sometimes the redfish in particular

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are moving so far, it’s a real challenge to keep up with a trolling motor. A ½ or ¾-ounce spoon rigged on a 7.5- to 8-foot medium heavy spinning rod spooled with 30- to 50-pound braid is ideal.

It will let you make those casts on fastmoving fall reds and allow you to horse the fish in, so you don’t lose the school.

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ONSERVATION IS MORE important than ever to hunters and anglers. Now many companies are getting involved with projects that help ailing fish, wildlife and habitat. Consumers are now aligning themselves more with companies that invest in conservation projects. Here are a few that recently caught our attention. COSTA’S UNTANGLED: No form of ocean plastic pollution is more dangerous than discarded fishing nets. Costa has joined forces with Bureo who work with fishermen to prevent discarded nets from polluting our oceans and harming marine life. They are doing this in Chile where many old nets end up in the ocean. These shades look cool, feel great, and save marine life in the process. BERKELY CONSERVATION INSTITUTE: The Berkley Conservation Institute (BCI) is part of Pure Fishing,

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which is part of Newell Brands. BCI was developed to support conservation and angler recruitment efforts. They cooperate with fishing groups, conservation organizations, customers, and other industry partners to protect fishable waters. They collaborate to enhance populations of important sport fish. They also introduce the next generation to the delight of angling and teach them to lead the fight for conservation. MOSSY OAK AND NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION: The National Wild Turkey Federation and Mossy Oak continue to Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt through the Mossy Oak Obsession pattern. “The NWTF and Mossy Oak were both founded by turkey hunters who care deeply about the conservation of the wild turkey,” said NWTF CEO Becky Humphries. “As we work to secure the future of habitat and our hunting heritage, it is good to know we have a partner in Mossy Oak that is equally dedicated to the mission.” A portion of the proceeds generated

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from the sale of any item decorated in the NWTF Obsession pattern funds the NWTF and its mission to conserve wild turkeys and protect the right to hunt them. WINCHESTER AND DU: Two great names in conservation and the hunting and shooting sports industry joined forces in 1987, Ducks Unlimited and Winchester Ammunition. Winchester Ammunition has provided ammunition for DU’s Continental Shoots and sponsored numerous national chapter banquets and events. Winchester is an official sponsor of Ducks Unlimited. It’s also a committed business partner in their conservation efforts and support of the shooting sports. Many other companies are involved in conservation, but these are a few that stood out. It takes an enormous amount of money, creativity, and commitment to keep our wildlife resources healthy. Kudos to all companies who help make that happen.

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

The Green Monsters

reproduce on the leaves. When the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow into the plant’s stem. This causes it to die. “We spend every bit of the money we get,” he said. While any of the aforementioned plants can spell trouble for a reservoir, perhaps the most dreaded of all is giant salvinia. This aquatic fern is native to the Amazon River Basin in Brazil. Researchers believe the plant was brought to the United States years ago in a tainted shipment of tropical plants or fish. It was introduced to Texas waters sometime in the mid-1990s, most likely when a water garden overflowed or somebody dumped a contaminated fish aquarium into a creek or stream. Findeisen said it was first discovered in Texas in 1998 in a small pond near Houston. It was found in Toledo Bend later that same year. The plant has since shown up in more than two dozen other public reservoirs, mostly in eastern Texas. According to Findeisen, 18 Texas lakes are currently infested with giant salvinia. Among them are Brandy Branch, Caddo, Conroe, B.A. Steinhagen, Livingston, Martin Creek, Murvaul, Nacogdoches, Naconiche, Lake O’ the Pines, Palestine, Raven, Sam Rayburn, Sheldon, Striker, Texana, Timpson and Toledo Bend. The plant has been discovered and subsequently eradicated in a handful of lakes over the years, including Wright Patman, Welsh, Gilmer, Falcon and, most recently, at Lake Athens and Lake Fork. Findeisen says the chances of eradication are always best when a new infestation is discovered early enough to be contained by floating booms. Then, it can be sprayed with herbicide or picked up by hand or nets before the plant has the opportunity to spread. Sadly, a successful eradication effort is no guarantee giant salvinia won’t rear its craggy head again on the same water body a year or two down the road. That’s because this plant is highly mobile in nature, extremely hardy and can be easily transported from one lake to the next. Left untreated under good growing conditions, coverage areas can spread rapidly and double in size within 7 to 10 days. The plant can grow just about anywhere, but flourishes in still backwaters that are well-protected and largely inaccessible to boat traffic. As a result, it can become well-established

UMMER IS WINDING DOWN, but it’s still business as usual for John Findeisen and his crew. In their line of work the job never ends. Findeisen heads up the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Aquatic Habitat Enhancement Team. Tiny in number, the staff is charged with the huge responsibility of helping to keep an army of aquatic monsters in check on hundreds of inland waters across the state. The monsters in question are invasive plants with peculiar names— giant salvinia, common water hyacinth, common salvinia, yellow floating heart and crested floating heart, just to name a few. Some are considered noxious weeds. Any of them can gobble up large areas of water in short order and cause serious problems on numerous fronts. Once established, the plants can form canopies so dense that native species might struggle to grow. Boating traffic may be impeded and water intakes clogged. Ecosystems can be threatened. With 254 counties to cover and only six men to do it, this tall task spreads the team pretty thin at times. Their three pickups gobble up about 11,000 miles of asphalt each month. “It keeps us busy,” Findeisen said. Invasive plants have become a daunting problem that demands year-round attention on Texas lakes. Dealing with them is a costly proposition, too. The Texas Legislature approved $6.3 million in funding to TPWD to fight aquatic invasive plants and animals in 2016-17 and again in 2018-19. Findeisen’s team has had a $1.73 million budget each of those years. The money is used for purchasing herbicides, spraying equipment, fuel, floating booms, and boats. It also pays outside spraying contractors hired to help out on large bodies of water with widespread infestations. Findeisen also allocates funds for rearing giant salvinia weevils. The tiny insects eat the plant and

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before anyone knows a thing about it. Compounding the problem is the fact that the plant floats and is not rooted to the bottom. This means it goes wherever the wind takes it. giant salvinia is sneaky, too. The plant is prone to cling to whatever it touches, including boat trailers, duck decoys, boat anchors and trolling motors. Experts believe the most new infestations occur when a boat trailer is backed into an infested lake and plants stick to the bunks or other parts of the trailer. The plants can live on moist trailer bunks for days and float free the next time the trailer enters the water. All it takes is a single sprig to lead to a giant salvinia infestation on a lake where previously there was none. Texas scientists have learned a lot about salvinia over the years. Herbicides will kill it, but they believe Mother Nature may be its worst enemy. Findeisen says flooding combined with high wind will often flush the vegetation out of remote backwaters and into the main lake where it is subject to significant wave action. Wave action beats the plants up and eventually they wash up on-shore and die. Heavy floods combined with a cold winter the last two years were a blessing for Caddo Lake. Caddo is a 26,800-acre lake near Karnack that ranks among the state’s top natural wonders. According to Findeisen, giant salvinia covered nearly 6,000 acres at Caddo in Fall 2017. In March 2019, the coverage area had been slashed to 362 acres. Speaking of Caddo, a really cool and entertaining video highlighting the battle with giant salvinia is currently circulating among film festivals across the country. Fittingly called There’s Something in the Water, the eight-minute animated documentary was co-produced by Dallas-area restaurateur, Shannon Wynne. This informative film chronicles the history of giant Salvina’s presence on Caddo and warns of the threats it poses to the natural lake and other waters where it gains a foothold. You can view the free trailer at www.theressomethinginthewater.com.

Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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

Poles of a Different Color

LOVE FISHING RODS. I LOVE THE limitless variety of actions, lengths, styles and designs. I love the uber-spectrum of colors and shades you can find. I love the myriad array of materials, blends, and composites that they can be built on. For every technique and every application, there is a rod. The selection is staggering. As deeply infatuated as I am with fishing rods, I doubt it even comes close to comparing to the passion of a person who custom-builds fishing rods. I had my first encounter with custom-built fishing rods when I was a boy and I hung out in my Uncle Bob Renaud’s Corpus Christi tackle shop, Gulf Sporting Goods. Uncle Bob used to build customized surf and light-tackle rods that were coveted by his clientele. I always admired his rods, which were artworks of both form and function. He was proud of those rods, and their owners considered themselves lucky to have them. Unfortunately, my Uncle had long retired from building rods by the time I had the common sense to appreciate how special owning one would have been. Rod builders are an interesting breed. They consider a fishing rod as more than a tool to cast lures and control fishing line. The graphite, fiberglass, or composite blank is the canvas they express their identities on Actually, any material can be considered fair game. Joe Montemayor, who has built rods for more than 30 years, used to build surf rods from retama cane, which had both flexibility and toughness. They were staples among South Padre Island surf and jetty fishermen.

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You are more likely to find a rod-builder who will build you that seven-foot, ultra-light bait casting rod with a moderate-fast action for shrimp tails than you are to find it on the rack at your big box store. That should not proscribe you from having one made. If you want a popular action, but you want your name on it, and it be in your favorite school colors, then go for it. Make the rod relate to you. Custom rod builders are more than just hobbyists who try and make a little extra from their pastimes. They are a unique part of the panorama that makes up Texas fishing. Joe Fisherman pulls a little extra overtime and saves his spare cash in the hopes of eventually owning a spiral-wrapped, microguided beauty with the Dallas Cowboys star emblazoned next to his name. Doctors’ and lawyers’ (and writers’) wives smile at the idea of commissioning a special anniversary gift from one of these artists. They contribute to the identity of Texana, and they enhance the quality of life of a few soldiers to boot! It is all a labor of love to them.

The thread, butts and handles, and wraps replace oils and watercolors. A rod builder can show his dedication to his or a customer’s alma mater, a profession or trade, such as a Caduceus for doctors, or as a display of gratitude for a soldier home from harm’s way (more on that later). “Really, we can pretty much design whatever we, or a customer can think of,” says rod builder Jerry Pointdexter. “If a customer wants a white rod with burnt orange or maroon threads and handle, we can do that. If you want your name on the rod, that’s no problem.” A custom rod, then, can be as unique as the individual wielding it. Custom rod builders can also offer features that mainstream tackle companies don’t, such as spiral-wrapped guides or micro-guides. Micro-guides, now a tackle industry standard, were originally the rod-builders’ wildcat rounds. Spiral wraps wrap around the spine of the rod to maximize the effectiveness of the rod’s action by allowing it to bend more naturally. This was also a rod-builder innovation. The micro-guides are smaller than your typical guides, which decreases the weight of the rod. Major tackle companies are reluctant to offer features such as spiral wrapping because most customers have a hard time wrapping their minds around the unconventional look. They work well, but the traditionalist nature of many anglers can’t accept the reality of the unique. So, if an angler is interested in unique features such as these, a custom rod builder is the best and perhaps only avenue. Anglers may have to pay a bit of premium to own a customized rod, but many consider the benefits well worth the expenditure— besides, there are always birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, Mother’s and Father’s Day. Many anglers I’ve talked to think that a custom rod is a specialist’s tool that is designed for a certain need. To a point, that might be true. Custom-built rods come in a greater variety of actions, lengths, and styles. F I S H

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Email Cal Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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HE BLOODY BUCK WENT THE WRONG WAY!” whispered Dean Stubbs in a heavy professional hunter, Zimbabwean accent. I smiled. “He’s trying to get down wind. He’ll reappear to our right,” he hissed. I kept rattling. Soon as the buck reappeared I grunted a guttural “Ekkkkk!” The buck stopped. He had one great antler and the other “mis-shaped.” He looked behind and to his right. I suspected another buck was about to make an appearance. Dean, on a “busman’s holiday” from his normal guiding and outfitting in Africa was on the FTW Ranch, nestled in the middle of no-where northwest of Uvalde. He was helping squire me around on the spacious ranch. Dean wagged his head indicating not to shoot. He knew I was tempted. The buck standing broadside in the open grassy patch was a really good Texas Hill Country whitetail. “Been seeing a really big ten, with a short drop-tine running with the buck you are looking at,” Dean stage-whispered. “If you can find him, I think you’ll like him a lot more.” I nodded, and lowered my Ruger Guide Rifle. It was loaded with Hornady’s .375 Ruger 300-grain DGX ammo, which my rifle dearly loved. The buck with the messed-up antler took several steps forward. A nice eight-point stepped out. I kept rattling. The two bucks started to walk away. I snort-wheezed, “fit,fit,fitffffeeeeeeeeee.” Both bucks turned, came back toward us. “I love messing with whitetails,” I quipped, almost out loud. Just then another buck stepped out. This one ran up to us. He stopped a few steps away. He had ten points with an outside spread well past his erect ears. No doubt he was mature. My Ruger came up to shooting position as I glanced at Dean. He again shook his head.

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Later that afternoon, several young bucks made their appearance, along with numerous does. One of the younger bucks had a huge set of antlers, but he was not yet mature. I strive only to take fiveyear-old and older bucks. After dark, I compared notes with Blake Barnett. He was also hunting the Sandstone. Blake had seen a couple of really good bucks. He said he would have taken one of them had the buck given him a killing shot. Weishuhn As we sat around with his big the campfire, the wind 10-point with changed and blew briskly short drop out of the north. The tine. temperature started dropping. By get-up time the next predawn, the temperature dropped to near freezing, and it was cloudy, threatening snow. It was black, in spite of a full moon high above a thick layer of moisture laden skies, but soon turned to graying light. Shapes moved in the food plot and eventually morphed into deer, bucks and does. Most were young bucks and a couple of “almost shooters.” Then they were gone. “Want to go back to camp for breakfast?” questioned Chris. “No, let’s stick it out until at least one o’clock,” I replied. “Tempting, but I think the bigger bucks will move during mid-day with the full moon,” I added. “Shot some of my best whitetails from ten in the morning till three in the afternoon when there’s been

The buck started walking away. I grunted. He stopped and turned to look at us. Again, I looked at Dean. He mouthed the word, “No!” I continued “messing” with the bucks for another three minutes, grunting at them as well as snort wheezing, the most aggressive vocalization a buck makes. It was a sound I first heard back in the late 1960s when I worked with captive deer for Texas’s then Wildlife Disease Project. I had used grunts and snort-wheezes many times since, with great success. Finally, the bucks walked away. A couple of days later, I was in the same area with my then-cameraman, Blake Barnett. Today, Blake is co-host of our DSC’s Trailing the Hunter’s Moon television show which appears year-round on Pursuit Channel. I started rattling. Four bucks responded. The last one to come in was the wide, massive ten-point with the short drop-tine that Dean had told me about. I wasted no time getting crosshairs on the buck and pulling the trigger. His antlers were impressive! He was large of body and absolutely delicious. A couple years later, I hunted near Llano in the Texas Hill Country, again being filmed for our TV show. At my side was long-time friend Chris Treiber. “I suggest we set up on a food plot in the central part of the property, Chris said. There are several good bucks visiting it. They’ve got scrapes along the edges. ”We’ve got an elevated blind there, but I know you like hunting on the ground and from natural blinds. There’s a rock wall we can set up behind, with trees and brush behind. I think you’ll like the place.” A short time later, we drove to where he suggested. I immediately fell in love with the place.

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a full moon shining all night long.” We saw no deer movement until a few minutes after ten. Then, deer started appearing in the food plot. First came does and six-month-old fawns, then bucks, both young and old. Near high noon, across the field through a screening of brush, I could see a mature, typical ten-point with split back tines. He moved slowly toward the field. I glanced at Chris. He was watching the buck through his binocular, nodding. I lowered my binocular and started watching the buck through the scope on my Ruger Number 1. It was chambered in .450400 NE 3-inch and loaded with Hornady’s 400-grain DGX. I know, that round is an “a lot of gun,“ but I like using the old African cartridges, even on Texas whitetails. I followed the buck onto the field. When he stopped broadside, I pushed the Ruger’s tang safety to “Fire,” took a deep breath, let it all out and gently pulled the trigger. At the shot the buck jumped, took off running, but within twenty steps was dead. I could not have been more pleased. At the buck’s side, I declared him one of the most handsome I had ever taken. Immediately, I decided, after properly taking care of the venison, I would take the cape and antlers to Double Nickle PHOTO: LARRY WEISHUHN OUTDOORS

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Taxidermy near New Braunfels. Today, the mount graces my office walls to honor the animal and help remind me of every minor detail of the hunt. Later that day while admiring a buck Blake had taken, Chris commented, “There’s an ancient ten-point on the ranch that needs to be taken. He’s had the same basic rack now for about three years. Think you should take him. If you can….” Of course I agreed. Next morning we sat in a natural ground

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blind that we had constructed the afternoon before, long before first light. It was horribly foggy! As dawn approached, the lead-gray light revealed numerous deer around the nearby food plot. We had built our brush ground blind in a staging area. “The one we’re looking for is the one on the far right,” whispered Chris. With luck, the buck would stay in the area until legal shooting light. As I had hoped, the buck I was after was hungry and kept feeding on the

Tecomate food plot. I looked back at Chris who was watching the time on his phone. Finally, he confirmed I could shoot. The crosshairs of my Ruger Number 1 locked on the chosen buck’s vitals, and I gently pulled the trigger. The buck dropped. He was mine.

8/8/19 1:47 PM

TEXAS WHITETAILS by LARRY WEISHUHN :: TF&G Contributing Editor

On the Cusp

UST PULLED THE CARD from the creek camera. Deer are really walking that narrow bottom trail you cut in early August,” spoke my brother Glenn. “At least four bucks are visiting the mock scrapes you put up. “Saw three bucks this morning freshly out of velvet on my place east of here.” I nodded. It was good to be back at my little place. For the past weeks, I had been in the western part of Texas looking at several ranches and discussing management programs with the owners and their hunters. We had also conducted the first runs on spotlight deer survey lines on the respective properties. Thanks to fortuitous rains, fawn survival rates hovered near one hundred percent. Antler development too, appeared extremely good. We had seen some mighty impressive bucks. One of my reasons for traveling west of San Angelo was to do some preseason scouting where I plan on hunting in December. I was tickled to hear bucks were visiting my mock scrapes. I had established four “artificial” scrapes the last week of July using Texas Raised Hunting Products’ “Breeding Buck Preorbital.” One I set up in what had been an active scrape from last fall. The other three were established along the edge of the usually dry creek that meanders through the property. Back in May I had talked with Brett and Gary Andrews with Texas Raised Hunting Products (www.TexasRaisedHuntingProducts.com) about how they use mock scrapes throughout the year. This for an episode for our “DSC’s Untamed Heritage” podcast. In years past, I had often seen evidence of whitetails, both bucks and does visiting established scrapes, regardless of their seasonal hormone levels. It was at Brett’s advice I set up the mock scrapes in July. 28

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Buck scrapes are great indicators of the health and numbers of whitetails.

My plan is to keep the mock scrapes “freshened” throughout the late summer and early fall. Closer to the rut, I will start adding Texas Raised Hunting Products’ “Scrape King” to keep bucks returning regularly. Now is the time to get things headed your way for a successful whitetail season! This coming hunting season, I will again be hunting with my Ruger revolvers, a singleaction Ruger Super Black Hawk Hunter and a double-action Ruger Super Redhawk Hunter. Both are topped with Trijicon’s SRO red dot sights. Primarily, I will hunt with my .480 Ruger shooting Hornady 325-grain XTP loads. With the Ruger Hornady Trijicon combination, I feel very comfortable shooting at deer out to 100 yards. From a “hunting rest,” I can put six shots into a six-inch circle at that distance. From a |

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solid rest, I can put six shots into a three-inch or smaller group. I will continue shooting this combination the next several weeks preparing for the coming hunting season. I want to learn this trio’s capabilities and mine with it. I will do the same with the various Ruger rifles I will use this fall. We will film all my hunts for our DSC’s Trailing the Hunter’s Moon television show, which appears year-around on the Pursuit Channel, Wild Pursuit Channel as well as other sources. So you will be able to see the results. Time to start getting ready. I can hardly wait!

« Email Larry Weishuhn at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com PHOTO: CANSTOCK

8/8/19 1:32 PM

Texas GUNS by STEVE LAMASCUS | TF&G Shooting Editor

HE .45 COLT WAS FIRST introduced in 1873 for the 1873 Colt Single Action Army revolver. It fired a 255-grain lead bullet using 40 grains of black powder for a muzzle velocity of 900-plus feet per second. It was, and is, a powerful cartridge. The true name of the cartridge is .45 Colt, but it has been called the .45 Long Colt for generations. There is no reason for it to be called “Long” Colt, because there never was a cartridge called the .45 Short Colt as was the case with the .32 S&W Short and Long, the .38 Short and Long Colt, and others. On the surface, that’s true. However, there was one good reason for calling the old round the Long Colt. A short round was also labeled the .45 Colt, which was, probably, originally the .45 Smith & Wesson Schofield cartridge. This cartridge was much shorter than the .45 Colt. The U.S. Army purchased a number of Schofield revolvers, which would not chamber the .45 Colt cartridge. However most Colt SAAs would chamber and fire the .45 Schofield cartridge. So, according to the 15th Edition of Cartridges of the World, to make matters simple the army provided a cartridge called the .45 Colt Government, which combined the length of the Schofield and the rim of the .45 Colt. This .45 Colt ammunition was shorter, and much less powerful than the original cartridge, but was, nevertheless, head stamped .45 Colt. Thus it was necessary to differentiate between the two .45 Colt rounds, and the original longer cartridge became the .45 “Long” Colt. The original load for the old cartridge was powerful, but the bullet was poorly designed. It worked very well on outlaws, hostile Indians, and rustlers, but was less successful on deer, elk, bears, and such. Then along came Elmer

“ The true name of the cartridge is .45 Colt, but it has been called the .45 Long Colt for generations.

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.45 ‘Long’ Colt

as Unique, 2400, or H110, it’s no trick to get a thousand feet a second. So, the old .45 Colt finally became all it could be—and that is a whole lot. I currently own two .45 Colt revolvers. One is a Smith & Wesson Model 625 Mountain Gun with a 4-inch barrel. The other is a Ruger New Model Vaquero with a 4 3/4-inch barrel. I carry these guns a lot. I especially like them for rambling in the brush around my little spread because they are great snake guns when loaded with shot capsules using #9 shot. The cartridge holds a lot more shot than a .38 Special. T E X A S

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Also, with a mid-range load of Unique with a Keith bullet they have plenty of power for a wild hog and are still pleasant to shoot. I also have a Model 629 S&W .44 Magnum, but the 625 is lighter to carry, more pleasant to shoot, and has nearly the knockdown power of the Magnum. I make almost all my own bullets for the .45s and .44s. I generally prefer a good, heavy, cast lead, semi-wadcutter of the Keith design to any of the jacketed soft points and hollow points. I have shot deer with both kinds of bullets and can see no difference in performance, except that penetration is much better with the cast bullets—and they leave a better blood trail. The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook shows only about a hundred feet per second difference between the maximum loads for the .45 Colt (in Ruger Blackhawk and Thompson Center handguns) and the .44 Magnum. Of course if a handloader wanted to hotrod a cartridge, the .44 Magnum is the best choice, because the cylinder walls are thicker and stronger. However, with a 255-grain bullet at 1,000 to1,100 feet per second, the .45 Colt doesn’t have to bow down to any of the common handgun rounds. I often carry my .45 Mountain Gun with heavy loads of hard cast Keith bullets when I am in the mountains trout fishing in country where bears and mountain lions are known to roam. The moral of this story is this: The .45 Colt is truly an old cartridge, but there is no moss growing on it. Even today it is effective for just about anything a standard handgun round will be called on to do. I wouldn’t take one on a brown bear hunt, but there are very few brown bears where I do most of my roaming. I have complete confidence that the old .45 will do anything I ask of it with pizzazz. It is almost 150 years old, but I expect it will be popular for another hundred.

Keith. Elmer was a cowboy, originally from Missouri, later of Montana, and finally from Salmon, Idaho. He was a gun nut, shooter, guide, rancher, writer, a fine pistol shot, and an inveterate tinkerer and experimenter. In the 1920s and ’30s, Elmer was unhappy with the bullet designs of the day, so he came up with a series of handgun bullets for big-bore, large-frame revolvers. These bullets were so much better than anything else on the market that they became popular almost instantly and have stayed popular until today. With these big, square-sholdered, flatnosed, 250- to 255-grain “Keith” bullets and a stiff charge of modern smokeless powder, such

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Email Steve LaMascus at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

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ASEY ANDERSON IS A WORLDrenowned grizzly bear expert. He has done it all in wildlife exploration and filmmaking. Anderson is the host of Expedition Wild and Expedition Grizzly along with many other programs. He is a passionate naturalist with a heart for introducing the public to wildlife and wildland via media outlets Recently I had the pleasure of having Anderson in the studio on my program Moore Outdoors on Newstalk AM 560 KLVI. You can listen to that program below as we talk about the similarities between the habits of bears and feral hogs. I have hypothesized that feral hogs will take root in urban green belts and suburban sprawl. I also predict they will grow large. During our exchange in the program, Anderson made an interesting observation that grizzlies in Montana, brown bears in Alaska and the bears on Kodiak Island are the same animal. The difference?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Diet. Could hogs found in urban areas grow to epic proportions with no hunting pressure, plenty of food, and the potential to reach their maximum age? CONTINUED ON PAGE

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STORY BY CHESTER MOORE

REPORT: NEWS 34 u TF&G OF THE NATION Reported by TF&G Staff

HOT 34 u TEXAS SHOTS Trophy Photos from TF&G Readers

36 u TEXAS COASTAL FORECAST

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

46 u TEXAS FISHING HOTSPOTS

by Tom Behrens, Dustin Warncke and Dean Heffner

54 u SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK Tides and SoLunar Data

COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

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The grizzlies in Montana weigh around 600 pounds; the bears in mainland Alaska can be up to 1,000. There have been 1,500pound bears on Kodiak.

Think about that and apply it to hogs.

On several occasions I have seen with my own eyes—and verified through game cameras—extra-large hogs in Texas cities. The same thing is happening in Florida where pigs exist in virtually every city in the state. How will this change the landscape of urban greenbelts and woodlots? Will the presence of more massive hogs increase the danger to humans? In a 2017 article called “Profile Of A Killer Hog,” we revealed an exhaustive study that shows the most dangerous hogs are large, lone boars. They are responsible for more than 80 percent of attacks on humans. Will 32

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urban areas create more of these kinds of hogs? With limited space in certain zones, will these larger hogs set up a territory and be more aggressive about protecting it than they would in the wilderness? It’s an interesting idea. It was an honor spending time with Anderson in the studio and talking about our mutual passion for wildlife. Born and raised in East Helena, Montana, Anderson is a fifth-generation Montanan. He has worked in film and television production for more than a decade. His acting resume includes the television series Wild Wacky World, a role in the feature film, Iron Ridge, and National Geographic’s Expedition Wild.

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The NATIONAL

Federal Red Snapper Season Closed Early

News of TEXAS

As part of this agreement, also known as an Exempted Fishing Permit, Texas

BASED ON PROJECTED LANDINGS estimates, the private recreational angler red snapper season in federal waters off the Texas coast closed Aug. 2, earlier than the initially projected 97-day season. This is the second year of an agreement between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), where TPWD can establish the opening and closing of the red snapper fishery in federal waters off the Texas coast for private recreational anglers fishing from their own vessels.

must close the fishery when the state’s allotted poundage is reached. Red snapper catch estimates through July 12 from federal waters indicates Texas private recreational anglers have landed 69 percent of the allocation. “Closing the red snapper fishery earlier than expected is a sign that anglers were able to get out in the gulf early in the season

to catch red snapper,” said Robin Riechers, TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division Director. “An early season closure demonstrates our ability to meet management goals while still giving longer seasons than if we were still in the one size fits all approach across the gulf.” In projecting the number of days for the 2019 private recreational red snapper season in federal waters several assumptions had to be made by TPWD, namely that fishing behavior by private recreational anglers would be similar to that in previous years, with the number of participants in the fishery remaining relatively constant and the average

BASS

WHITETAIL

Lake Bob Sandlin

Starr County

Marshall Jarvis, Jr. caught this trophy bass on a Carolina rig while ﬁshing at Lake Bob Sandlin.

Sabrina Cano killed her ﬁrst buck, a nice 9-pointer, on a hunt in Starr County with her dad, Benicio “Benny” Cano.

Visit FishGame.com to upload your own TEXAS HOT SHOTS and Vote for our next Winners 34

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NEWS PHOTOS: ABOVE, TF&G; RIGHT, JOE VAVRICEK

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weight of fish landed similar to 2018. As it has turned out, weather patterns in the western Gulf of Mexico during the early part of the federal season have been generally favorable, resulting in more angler trips earlier this year compared to past years. According to Mark Fisher, science director for coastal fisheries at TPWD, several factors have contributed to the need for an early closure. The average weight of red snapper landed daily and the number of angler trips in federal waters have been twice the amount seen in 2018, and the average fish size has also been larger. “While we had hoped to reach the projected 97-day red snapper season, the ability to manage and close the fishery when the allotted poundage is reached demonstrates that state management of the fishery is working as expected,” said Carter Smith, TPWD Executive Director. “The success story here is that anglers have had greater opportunity to get out to this point and have taken full advantage of the weather and the fact that there are plenty of fish to catch.” The private recreational angler red snapper season in Texas state waters out to nine nautical miles is expected to remain open year-round based on state water landing projections. The federally permitted for-hire sector, which allow recreational anglers to fish from charter boats or head boats, will remain in its current management structure set by the federal government. The federally permitted for-hire sector’s red snapper season is projected to close Aug. 2.

Mustang Island Reopens For Camping MUSTANG ISLAND STATE PARK S reopening for overnight camping after Hurricane Harvey storm damage delayed the previously scheduled restroom replacement project in the campgrounds. “The staff of Mustang Island State Park is excited to once again be able to offer camping opportunities to visitors from around the world,” said Scott Taylor, Superintendent at Mustang Island State Park. “We look forward seeing all of the park visitors who have patiently waited as

Llano Bass Recover from Flood LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER A major flood scoured much of the Llano River and left anglers worried about the future of the waterway’s renowned bass fishery, biologists with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are finding evidence of a recovery. A fish sampling effort near Castell in late-June by TPWD aquatic biologists found large numbers of juvenile largemouth and Guadalupe bass are now present in the river. TPWD Aquatic Biologist Preston Bean, who is heading up a study looking at recovery of the river’s habitat and fish assemblage, reported Guadalupe bass made up 26 percent of the total catch and were at least 10 percent of the

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catch at each of 10 sampling sites. “Most Guadalupe bass we collected were spawned this spring and the average length was 2.2 inches,” said Bean. “The fish appeared to be feeding heavily and had excellent body condition.” The health of the resource was also evident from sampling of other aquatic species present in the river. Archis Grubh, TPWD Aquatic Ecologist who is studying effects of the flood on aquatic invertebrates reported seeing a steady repopulation of the invertebrate community, which means plentiful food is available for juvenile sport fish. While biologists note that it will take time for keeper-sized bass to reach pre-flood levels in the Llano River, the presence of large numbers of juveniles indicates the fishery is healthy and on the way to recovery. Based on average growth rates for bass from Hill Country rivers, it will likely take several years before good numbers of larger bass are available for anglers in the most affected reaches of the river. Follow-up fish, habitat, and aquatic invertebrate surveys are planned by TPWD in the months ahead, along with surveys to monitor for aquatic invasive species that often spread during flood events. “Keep in mind, last year the Llano River was greatly affected by a 100-year flood event that significantly altered its fish habitat,” said John Botros, TPWD River Access Program Coordinator. “Many anglers and local landowners expressed concern to us about the status of the fish population following this catastrophic flooding. While the abundance of fish in the river is lower than it was before the flood, we are happy to report that fish populations are showing signs of recovery.” —TPWD

park repairs were made following Hurricane Harvey and we would like to thank everyone for the continued support they have shown for their Texas State Park.” The restroom replacement project included significant plumbing and electrical work which affected the campground electrical service and portions of the wastewater systems in the park. Additional Harvey repairs are still ongoing to park buildings including the headquarters and maintenance shop. Overnight campground reservations for Mustang Island State Park can be made online at https://texasstateparks. reserveamerica.com/ or through the Texas State Parks Customer Service Center at (512) 389-8900. Through the online system, visitors can choose a specific site when making reservations up to five months in advance. Photos and details of campsites allow campers can pick their site before arriving at the park and ensure that sites have the amenities they need during their trip. Beach camping sites are reserved on a first come first serve basis. For availability, call the park at (361) 749-5246.

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8/13/19 2:17 PM

Coastal Focus: SABINE :: by Capt. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

Summer’s Been Extended?

the heat wave continues. As eager as we are for the fronts to begin ushering in some nice football weather, we’re just going to have to wait patiently. We’ll continue catching fish like we have been for the past several months. For the jetties and ship channel that means “Y’all aren’t quite rid of us yet.” Those good, cold fronts will begin sucking shrimp and baitfish from the marsh soon enough, and we will chase birds and intercept flounder at the passes in due time. For now though, while the air and water temperatures still have the mercury pushed towards the top, we will continue concentrating our efforts mostly south of the Causeway Bridge. In the ship channel, the topwater bite should remain consistent early and late for the next few weeks. This will produce some very impressive stringers of trout and redfish. Once the UV rays begin to penetrate the water and the blowups become fewer and farther between, make the switch to soft plastics bounced off the bottom on 1/8 ounce lead

ALL HAS ARRIVED....OR HAS it? The fact that the calendar says the fall season officially starts in September doesn’t necessarily mean that the thermometer is going to support that theory. In fact, more often than not, in Southeast Texas, what the calendar tells you is the exact opposite of what the thermometer is saying. With the exception of an occasional weak cool front, September on Sabine is more like an extension of the summer heat wave we have grown so accustomed to. Cooler temperatures are on the horizon, but for now on Texas’s northernmost coast

heads or under a popping cork. This should keep you on the fish. Locations with good bait holding bottoms and fluctuating depths from Cheniere to the Old Jetties are areas you want to key on. Strong tidal movement and the abundance of baitfish is what keeps these areas among the top of most people’s list. It will be the same story at the jetties. We still have a few more weeks of very consistent fishing there also. Again, throw topwaters early. Then switch to soft plastics around midmorning. That should result in putting fish in the box. Top Dog Jr., She Dogs and Skitterwalks in pearl, pink/silver and black/ chartreuse are excellent plug choices. Some high percentage soft plastics are Zoom Super Fluke, Saltwater Assassins, and H & H Cocahoe Minnow in LSU, glow and white ice. We’re going to continue to take what the fish gods are giving us while we patiently wait for the thermometer and calendar to get on the same page.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Pleasure Island Marina (Concrete steps). SPECIES: Redfish, flounder, croaker, black drum, crabs. BAITS/LURES: Mud minnows, finger mullet, fresh dead shrimp, chicken legs and necks/ BEST TIMES: All Day (especially with moving tide).

« Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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8/13/19 2:18 PM

Coastal Focus: GALVESTON :: by Capt. MIKE HOLMES

Early Fall Can Be Better Than Late Summer

N SOME YEARS ON THE TEXAS coast, September can be a bit slow to show significant signs of cooling weather. Fall is definitely in its early stages. It will begin to show an effect on the weather and the fishing activity that coastal anglers await eagerly each year. It can still be hot on the water in an open boat, but the water is still warm enough for comfortable wading in bays and surf. This results in a trade-off that can lead to the most productive and enjoyable angling of the year. Most fish species find this season as comfortable as do most anglers. Bait and sport species will be abundant and co-operative. The bays will be pleasant for drifting, and good wading areas easy to reach and fish. Offshore winds are normally much calmer than in mid-summer. This gives even small boat fishermen a good chance to safely “hunt” for offshore species. This includes mackerel as they interact with schools of bait on the surface over underwater structure or around near shore oil production platforms. For anglers in larger vessels, calm seas put deeper water structure within reach. This can lead to amazing fishing for both reef and surface species from red snapper and grouper to amberjack and even billfish. Oil “rigs” are easy to get “numbers” for, and can be seen from great distances—so this can be “easy” fishing. Good bottom structure is usually more difficult to find and fish, but spots are out there, and within reach of small vessels with offshore capability. Those choosing to go this route should be careful to monitor fuel capacity and usage. They should also be familiar with their navigational and communication electronics, keep safety equipment well stocked, and ALWAYS keep a “weather eye” watching the horizon.

LOCATION: Any water that is “salty” can be good at this time of year. The heat of summer will tend to linger, but when a bit of cool weather does make an appearance, it can trigger feeding activity in coastal ﬁsh not seen since the previous spring. Activity in the surf and nearshore waters usually “picks up” ﬁrst, then “spills over” into bays and tributaries like rivers and other coastal streams.

For adventure closer to shore, even “bay boats” can often be safely used to troll the surf line for anything from mackerel to tarpon. Fishing close to the beach can also be very good for shark—especially when chumming. Of course, spending time on the beach watching a few long rods in sand spikes baited with cut or live mullet can lead to some memorable adventures. An encounter with a bull red, nice shark, or hard-fighting jack crevalle is always possible.

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SPECIES: Just about anything that swims in salt water can be available. Inshore pan ﬁsh and “small game” species such as trout and redﬁsh should be common—and hungry. Flounders and CONTINUED ON PAGE

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Coastal Focus: MATAGORDA :: by Contributing Editor MIKE PRICE

Be Prepared

HE SURF. September weather usually yields many days that are calm enough to enjoy surf fishing. However, until you arrive at the beach, you will not know whether you can venture into the surf without being tumbled by waves. When I think the surf may or may not be calm enough to fish, I put my kayak on my truck so I can either wade fish the surf on Matagorda Beach or go into East Matagorda Bay. One September day last year, the wind was light and variable and small waves were breaking on the first sandbar. These were conditions that I determined would be OK for wading, with no waves knocking me around. The water temperature was a comfortable 84Â°F and water visibility was 15 inches. Even though these conditions were conducive to good surf fishing, I only caught three gaff-topsail catfish. The one condition that made all the difference for catching trout and other quality fish that day was that the tide was outgoing. An outgoing tide moves baitfish and shrimp offshore and predators follow. An incoming tide does the opposite, so your potential for a good fishing day in the surf is much higher if you fish when the tide is incoming. On another September day when the sea was calm and the tide incoming, I saw hundreds of golden mullet eyes, as schools of these fish traveled from right to left. Every now and then, the mullet erupted into a fountain going every which way, obviously being chased by a predator. I waited until I saw mullet scattering on the surface or a very tight school of mullet,

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Mullet in the surf being chased by tarpon.

then I threw my lure in front of that school, allowing it to drop beneath them. The strike came quickly. Sometimes my lure was broken off by Spanish mackerel. On other casts beneath mullet, I caught speckled trout. Keying on mullet that are being attacked in the surf is a good way to find speckled trout, Spanish mackerel, and other predators. Jack crevalle will also bust a school of mullet. I was fishing off Matagorda Beach from my boat when I saw mullet being scattered. I cast to that spot, hooked a fish that ripped line off my reel, and almost spooled me. Reeling rapidly when the fish ran towards me and lifting my rod and reeling when it stopped running, I would gain a little line on this hard charger. Then it would garner another burst of energy and almost spool me again. Finally, I started making progress and brought the fish up to the boat and saw that it was a jack crevalle. Then two sets of shark fins merged on my fish, and the line went slack; the sharks had taken my jack crevalle. September is prime |

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time to find jack crevalle in the surf, gorging on mullet. They range in size from five to more than 30 pounds. They are not good to eat, but they are sure a challenge to catch and release, if sharks do not get to them first. Spanish mackerel are another species attracted by large schools of mullet in the surf. If you want to catch them it is best to use a wire leader, because their teeth will slice right through monofilament line. However, when you put a wire leader on, trout will avoid your lure. Another fish that will chase mullet is tarpon. I was standing on the bow of my boat next to the Matagorda jetties on a blue water September day when I saw striped mullet jumping out of the water. Looking through the clear water, I watched a couple of four- to five-foot tarpon chasing them.

East Matagorda Bay by Kayak On another day in September last year the wind was light and variable, and the PHOTO: MIKE PRICE

8/13/19 2:18 PM

tide was incoming, but it was too rough for wade fishing. This happens when the wind has been blowing strong, usually from the south or east for a couple of days before you want to fish. Even though present conditions (light and variable winds) look good, the sea has not settled yet. So, on that day I went to a kayak launch spot on the west end of East Matagorda Bay and paddled my kayak east as the rising sun illuminated a hole in the clouds. I went out of the bayou and into a cove adjacent to the bay, looking for signs of fish feeding and saw a redfish on the shoreline make a big splash attacking baitfish. I moved to where I could cast just ahead of the fish the next time it showed itself on the shoreline. As I paddled toward the fish, I kept my eyes on the last place that I saw it and quietly lowered my anchor. Soon the redfish hit more baitfish, and I cast my Egret Baits Chicken on a Chain colored three-inch Wedge Tail Minnow with a little piece of Fishbite on the hook in front of the fish. I worked it perpendicular to its path, and the red took it.

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Focus: GALVESTON t CONTINUED FROM PAGE

croakers will also stage “runs” between the Gulf and bays. “Bull” reds are commonly found in the surf and around passes. Species more commonly considered as “offshore ﬁsh” such as mackerel, jacks, and others will make visits close to the Gulf beaches when water and bait conditions appeal to them. An occasional ling will also be encountered. BAIT: Baitﬁsh species are as common this time of year as they ever get, and huge schools of mullet “rafting” in calm surf will provide scenes of mass carnage as jacks, kings, sharks, and even tarpon feed heavily on them. Croakers, sand trout,

The surf is my first choice in September, but if it is too rough to wade fish and you have a kayak, head for East Matagorda Bay.

THE BANK BITE KAYAK RENTALS: There are two places to rent kayaks in Matagorda County: Matagorda

and other small ﬁshes will also be heavily hunted by predator species. Shrimp are also common. Various types of crabs and quantities of squid are also found on the “menu” for inshore sport species to pursue. BEST TIME: Although early morning and late evening are normally best, night time angling can be very productive. On cooler days even mid-day periods with good tidal movement and bait activity can pay off.

Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com Adventure Company rents kayaks and offers guided kayak ﬁshing 832-779-4157. Grassy Point Bait in Palacios 361-972-5053 rents kayaks.

Email Mike Price at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

8/13/19 2:18 PM

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

September Transitions

make transitions, which often spreads them out. The trout you found in July and August over mid-bay oyster will now slowly begin moving from the open bay waters. They’re headed into the back lakes, bayous, sloughs, and cove areas in and among the marshy backcountry. A slow transition between bottom contours of sand and shell, to that of grass and mud will start taking place as the summer heat is broken by some of fall’s initial cool fronts. You may cover a lot of water this month finding your trout limit, catching a few in one spot, and then another couple in another. However, if you stop for a minute and keyin on what the trout are after, your chances of success this month increase exponentially. The trout want food, and they want to be comfortable. So, look to places that offer both. Shallow water less than three feet deep generally changes temperature quite rapidly. It will become muddied very easily from high winds. Look for the trout to drop off into water that’s eight to ten feet in depth. There, the temperature doesn’t change drastically, and the silt and cloudiness produced in the shallows doesn’t exist. When it comes to food, look to the white shrimp migration to be a major contributor to where you find the trout this month. The shrimp will ride the tides out of the marsh. Then it’s into the larger bay systems as they migrate offshore into the Gulf. The shrimp aren’t as strong swimmers as the fish. They rely on tides and current as a means of transportation for their annual migration. They’ve been in the back marsh all summer long, but now they’ll be on the move. Trout will set up ambushes along the outside mouths of area drains and sloughs that empty water out of the back marsh country on a falling tide. Remember, however, it must be a falling tide. Later in September, and even into the first part of October, the white shrimp will be making their way through major passes

T OFTEN BECOMES A CHORE for September anglers to find an active speckled trout bite. It can be downright frustrating. It’s the time in the year when things are changing between summer and fall, and the fish tend to become somewhat standoffish. The trout spawn is typically over with by now, yet fall is not quite here. This can make catching limits of trout that much more challenging, because the fish are beginning to

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on their way to the Gulf. Along our stretch of the Texas coast, this means places such as the Colorado River at Matagorda, the Port O’Connor big jetties, Pass Cavallo, and even Cedar Bayou down in Mesquite Bay. September trout are going to move, so that’s what you will need to do also. Where you caught them yesterday probably won’t yield the same results today, so be prepared. When the white shrimp start to move, you may notice quite a bit of seagull action in midbay waters and deep passes, so keep a sharp eye to the sky. Anglers have already experienced a bit of bird action these past couple months, but look for that to only improve as we make our way through September. The birds can put you on the fish if you play your cards right. As previously mentioned, tidal movement and changes in water levels will be an important factor when you are looking for trout this month, especially for big trout. Water movement and currents tend to concentrate the bait, and large ambush predators such as trophy trout often prefer to stay in one place. they’ll simply let tidal movement supply them with their next meal. These big gals usually tend to feed best during the last hour of an incoming tide or the first hour of an outgoing tide. This occurs especially during times of a more significant tidal change, as this requires much less effort on their part for eating. Remember, an incoming tide is most often the preferred tide, simply because it almost always delivers cleaner water to neighboring shorelines and area back lakes. Just food for thought for the September trout fisherman along the Texas mid-coast. Good luck everyone, and be careful out there.

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

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8/13/19 2:18 PM

Coastal Focus: ROCKPORT :: by Capt. MAC GABLE

Fishin’ or Catchin’

HERE IS THE OLD MAN AND his ANCHOR,” came a comment from a jibing friend. “Where you been?” another guide piped in. “Contemplating the purpose of the universe,” I quipped back. “Guess he’s going to tell us the meaning of life this morning,” came yet another wellmeant harassment. “Guess you’re the one challenging the theory of relativity,” the verbal onslaught continued. “Being in the presence of such great minds as yours, I do try to keep abreast of topics that are way over your heads.” “I’m only interested in fishing,” came the retort to my comment. “Maybe you should get interested in catching too,” said another guide. As the quibbling continued, I was thankful to no longer be the center of attention this windy morning. “He’s adopted a new GREEN approach to his fishing business, let’s fish but not catch and save the aquatic universe.” “I believe you have a low tire on your trailer, why don’t you remove the valve core and blow it up with all your hot air?” Happy they were making someone else’s life joyfully miserable, I quietly eased away from the dock. “No clients?” came a hollered question. “Oh, he’s so good his clients just pay HIM to fish now!” I drowned the laughter as I throttled the Mercury and got up on plane. I love these guys. When the chips are really down, they have my back, but this day a little bit of them was going a long way. As I made my way across St. Charles Bay the comments from the well-meaning anglers and guides echoed in my head. I asked myself

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should I fish? It takes us from the grip of the thousand-pound gorilla (that circle of concern), which rules the majority of our lives. It’s just one day, but its positive effect can be felt for weeks or even months afterwards. Believe it or not, we honestly have little or no control over “catching” but we do exact much control over “fishing.” It’s a lesson we can apply to everyday life. Letting go of those things that you have no control of is NOT a lack of caring, it is a sign of wisdom. It’s also a recipe for a longer and happier life. Those days I must focus on the “catch,” I usually come from the water wound up just as tight as when I left. When focus is on “fishing”, I find the catching takes care of itself. September is a time for cut bait. The bays have been hit hard with every variety of live bait. I saw one angler using goldfish, but have no clue as to how effective they were. A cut piece of menhaden or fresh mullet cast on a free line is about as good as you can get. This is not fast-pace fishing (usually), but is slow soaking in its purest form. Partially fileted croaker is a good bet as well. As a stiff

which was more important to me—To fish or to catch? This rule doesn’t apply to everyone, but I have found in my maturing years, the catching that was once so important to me personally, seemed to be playing second fiddle to the healing powers of just fishing. Draw a small circle. Now draw a very large circle around it. The large circle is our area of concerns, to which we have little or no influence. The smaller circle is our circle of influence, where we have direct control to exact an outcome. Unfortunately, 90 percent of our population lives in the circle of concern; we worry endlessly about things we have absolutely no control of. This worry can be fed with antidepressants, anxiety drugs or drinking, resulting in an unhappy view of the day and to life in general. A days fishing narrows our focus to what’s just ahead. It’s thinking in the present moment, to just that day—and no farther. How’s the bait doing? Do I have the right rigging? Where

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Forecast: ROCKPORT wind at your back helps when no weight is used; couple this with an area with a slight current, and the cut bait is twice as effective.

mullet off the grass lines of Newcomb Point is a good spot for reds. During high tide, fish in toward the bank.

• • •

ST. CHARLES BAY: The cut between Aransas Bay and St. Charles Bay is a good wading spot. The deeper water of the cut is a highway to fish this time of year. A cork

COPANO BAY: Lap Reef is a good spot for trout using new penny colored jerk shad. Cut

drifted in the current is the best approach, using fresh dead shrimp. East Pocket just to the east of the cut is a good spot for reds using cut menhaden. ARANSAS BAY: The Grass Island Reefs just east of the north end of the LBJ causeway is a good spot for trout using free-lined croaker. The new jetty area adjacent to the Grass Island Reefs is a good spot for black drum and sheepshead using fresh dead shrimp under a silent cork. CARLOS BAY: The spot where Carlos Bay empties into Mesquite Bay is a good spot for trout and reds using free-lined live shrimp or live shrimp and a cork. Cedar Reef is still holding some keeper reds with free-lined finger mullet the best choice. MESQUITE BAY: The north shoreline close to the fish huts/houses is a good place for reds and black drum using free-lined live shrimp. The south side of Ayers Reef is a great spot for reds using a popping cork and cut mullet. This is a heavy shell area and bottom rigs can hang up/cut off easily. AYERS BAY: The north side of Ayers Reef is a good spot for trout using mud minnows or live shrimp under a popping cork. There is still some black drum on the east shoreline with fresh dead shrimp the best choice.

THE BANK BITE LAMAR BEACH ROAD on St. Charles Bay is a good spot and is easily accessible. The area from the St. Charles Bay Hunting Club all the way to Twelfth Street has a lot of salt grasses. This shoreline early morning and late evening is frequented by reds and black drum. Bottom rigs work well here with a light Carolina rig being best. Fresh dead shrimp or cut mullet is the best choice. Be mindful of the road trafﬁc, especially mid-day.

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

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8/13/19 2:18 PM

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

EPTEMBER IS REFERRED TO as a transition month, seasonal movement from summer into fall. Not in south Texas. September would be better known as August #2. But, since some persist in calling it a time of transitions, how about some fishing tips picked up from some of the coastal pros going into the transition? Guide Tommy Countz says normally the tides are a little lighter in September. However, by the end of September you have the equinox tides that allow him to access many of the back-lake areas and get up along the shorelines. “Every year I try to promote some fly fishing,” Countz said. “If you want to catch redfish on a fly you don’t have to be a good fly fisherman in September. It’s pretty easy. “You don’t have to be a Lefty Kreh and throw a 70-foot cast. You can throw a 20-foot cast and catch redfish. Spot the schools in the shallow water, set up ahead of them, drop a fly ahead of them, and start stripping line. When the school comes in, intercept it.” Look for areas that have a sandy bottom where you can get out and wade. “There’s part of (Matagorda) East Bay that I like to fish on the north shore that we can fish knee deep,” Countz said. “You can walk around easily without sinking down into the muck.” Capt. Paul Marcaccio passes on “triedand-true” tidal flow information. A lot of single tides in September can make for some slow fishing action, as the fish are restricted in their movement. Fish catching is always better in moving water. Circle the four to five dates on your calendar leading up to the new moon. The tides last a little longer with more opportunity to catch fish. September can be a month where we can receive a bunch rain from tropical distur-

“ If you want to catch redfish on a fly, you don’t have to be a good fly fisherman in September.

“

August Number 2

Pearl. It’s crystal clear with flash, sparkle. Bass fishermen have been using this color in soft plastic worms for a long time. “What we are trying to do is reflect the sunlight under water and get the fish’s attention. I don’t know if it’s because of the fresh water, but it’s working.” How many anglers when they check out the selection of topwater baits pick them up, shake them, listen to the noise emitted by the ball-bearings inside. On some baits you might be even able to detect a different vibration. The noise put out by different types of top T E X A S

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water baits is what gets the fish’s attention. Loud or not so loud, high frequency? low frequency? Baits with higher-frequency rattles attract fish better in windy conditions with chop. Baits with lower-frequency rattles generally perform better in calm conditions. Marcaccio normally likes a smaller, low frequency bait in calm waters; his favorite is the One Knocker by Heddon. “You don’t need larger baits to catch the big fish; don’t need the 4 ½ to 5 inch baits unless you’re in a chop of more than say like a foot and a half. “A lot of times, less action is better than more in fishing a top water lure. Let your bait sit after a moment or two after Walking the Dog—but keep the tension on it. That ball bearing inside the bait is still moving up and down in the chamber. You don’t hear it, but the fish do.” While we are still in August #2, you should target redfish that are seeking cooler water temperatures in the 16 to 18 feet of water along the base of the Corpus Christi Bay Wells. Capt. Ryan Bailey free lines croakers on the bottom in the rocks and shell that make up the base of the rigs. “A number six croaker hook, no weight, and a croaker,” says Bailey. “Once you a feel bump, let him run about 15 feet, tighten the line, and set the hook. I threw croakers all the way up to the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year.” August #2—transitioning into fall, waiting for the teasing touches of cooler weather trying to make its way this far south. But please, no tropical disturbances from the Gulf. We can transition just fine without the excitement.

bances. Fresh water runoff can produce color lines in the water. Look for the color breaks. Speckled trout will lay just off the edge of colored water waiting for dinner to come out. “Place your bait in the off colored water. Soon as you pull it across into clear water you will be happily rewarded with a trout,” says Marcaccio. A surprise, hot, new soft plastic summer color this year has been clear bait, anything with flash or sparkle. Marcaccio advises to not confuse this with a Limetreuse, Glow, or

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« Email Tom Behrens at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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8/13/19 2:18 PM

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

Bafﬁn Bay on the Fly

legs too fast. Slow down and take bigger, longer steps and make as little noise as possible. Put yourself at the top of the food chain. Hold the fly in your hand and have about 10 to 15 feet of fly line out of the tip of the rod. With this method, one back cast can get a fly to a fish close by (Most fly casts are less than 20 feet). Watch the baitfish moving. See shadows on the bottom. Watch the bottom through small waves that move down wind. Redfish are shaped like footballs and in grassy areas are truly copper colored, white, black and blue. Black drums are gray with dark gray vertical stripes, and high withers that are white. These two fish, “red drum” and “black drum” are in the same family, but they feed much differently. Redfish will heartily pursue moving food (your fly), black drums like to “find” their food, picking up little bits as they slowly graze the bottom. Don’t expect to catch these two fish species using the same technique. Cross a redfish’s path with your fly, and he will chase it. Drop a fly for a black drum to find. Then when he does, move it ever so slightly, and he will pick it up off the bottom. Catch on to this game and it’s one of the most challenging styles of fishing on the Texas Coast and highly under-rated. The rod and the line are the two most important tools for the fly fisherman. Buy the most expensive fly rod you can afford and match it with the most expensive fly line. A local fly shop (or your friendly fly-fishing guide) can recommend some brands and styles to look at. In fly-fishing, the fly rod throws the fly line. The fly line has a weighted front “taper” that loads the rod, much like a lure loads a spinning or casting rod before the cast. Fly-casting is easy. Most everyone tries to overcomplicate the entire style of fishing, but really, it takes about 15 minutes of training to settle out the basics of the game. Borrow someone’s gear before making the investment in fly equipment. Get the feel for it and then, when it gets in your blood, go make

HE HOT SUMMER ON THE Texas Coast is prime time for sight casters and fly fishermen especially on uncrowded Baffin Bay. It’s covered in shallow, clear, grassy shorelines and long strips of sand up tight against its banks, This is just perfect for redfish and black drums to cruise, looking for the tiny morsels they crave. Whether you’re walking the bank to stalk your prey or are poled around by your best friend on the poling platform, from now until at least the middle of October, the game is on. Even if you transition from a casting rod to a fly rod, hold that fly rod at least 50 percent of the day to ensure long-term fly success. To get serious about fly-fishing, we call it “live and die on the fly.” This means, don’t put down the fly rod for the casting rod when things get tough. The only way to get better at fly-fishing is to do it. On the job training is the most effective while you cope with the real world. You deal with wind, line management and most importantly, seeing the fish before they see you. Putting the game together without thinking about the details is when beginners start catching fish. See the fish, make the cast. Seeing the fish is the number one obstacle. This is the start of fly-fishing success. Wear a hat with a dark under brim. It will stop the refection of the sun from the water into your eyes. Then, get a great pair of polarized sunglasses with brown, amber or copper lenses. These colors ensure the most color contrast when looking through the water to the bottom. Other lens colors do not work. Walk slowly without making a sound or pushing a wall of water out in front. If you can hear yourself wading, you are moving your 44

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the purchase. Fly shops that know saltwater fishing are very helpful to beginners. They know that once you get hooked, you will be their client for life. Don’t consider fly fishing a new hobby. Just think about it as another tool in your “all-around angler” toolbox. Whenever the conditions warrant it, pull out the right weapon for the job. This summer is especially exciting for Baffin Bay fly anglers. It’s clear; it’s grassy and full of bait, including lots of crabs. That means all manner of shallow water predators will be in ankle deep water feeding some parts of the day and night. They eat small things, like crabs, shrimp, glass minnows, and other tiny baits and worms. That’s why a small shrimp or crab fly is so effective. It matches what’s up there where the fish are feeding. Throw a fly you can see, so you know exactly where it is at any time You can actually see it disappear into the mouth of a hungry predator to set the hook! Sight casting with either a lure or a fly, is about as addictive a fishing game there is. Be prepared, once you go in this direction, to be lured to the bank on every wade fishing trip. Once you catch that first fish on a fly, you will be officially addicted and never go on a fishing trip without one. I guarantee it! Now is the time to book your summer and fall fly fishing trips at Baffin Bay Rod and Gun. There’s a good reason we call it “The Last Best Place on the Texas Coast”—unhurried, no crowds, happy fish. Come see for yourself. We also have a pool and a new casting pond to practice your casts or learn from the pros!

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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8/13/19 2:18 PM

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

No Boats Needed

REMEMBER THE DAY VIVIDLY. I was making my run back down the Brownsville Ship Channel to the welcoming arms of the Lower Laguna Madre. It had been a good day. Sandie and I had caught a box of mangrove snappers, and even a couple of nice speckled trout to boot. We were zipping along, and suddenly my motor made a loud pop and that awful cadence: whackwhacwhackCLUNK! WhackwhackwhackCLUNK! There was no way to deny the truth. My lower unit had tanked, and I was soon to be shore-bound for a good, long time in the middle of the best part of the South Texas fishing season. Fixing the lower unit wasn’t the problem. Paying for it would be—on a teacher’s salary. Fortunately, the balky engine wasn’t the end of my fishing season. It was time for some oldschool footwork. I would simply revert to what I used to do back in my boatless days—hit the jetties, and hit them hard. Fishing the jetties in late summer/early fall isn’t a journey just for whiting and sand trout. Some of the most underrated summer fishing in South Texas takes place along either side of the Brazos Santiago Jetties. These jetties bookend the pass by the same name, which feeds in and out of Lower Laguna Madre. These jetty systems are accessible from land—the north jetties from South Padre Island, and the south jetties from Brownsville via SH 4. Then turn left onto Brazos Island (known locally as Boca Chica Beach. This offers excellent fishing for everything from the four parts of the “Texas Slam” (trout, redfish, flounder, and snook), mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, tarpon, and even Kingfish for the properly equipped. Certainly, the most sought-after species

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These fish will also attack the same trout and redfish lures with abandon. However, they offer some gill-rattling jumps for your thrills. The question always comes up about the sort of tackle needed for the jetties. Honestly, your traditional inshore 10- to 12-pound tackle is enough, but if you hook into a big red or snook, you are going to be in trouble. Upping slightly to 14- to 17-pound tackle is a safer bet to handle just about anything that swims the suds. Also, it gives you a little more power in reserve if Mr. Big comes calling. If you are feeling a little ambitious, walk all the way to the end of the jetties to take a shot at a kingfish or tarpon. Tarpon prowl the currents and eddies on the channel side of the jetties when the tide is running. Mullet-imitators such as a large Rapala, Bomber Long A, or Money Mino are the best bets to get a poon’s attention. Fly fishermen can use a large Tarpon Bunny or Chicken Feather-type fly on an 8- or 9-weight fly rod. Calm days bring blue water right up into the rocks, and kingfish follow bait into casting range. Use a Magnum Rat-L-Trap in Chrome/ blue or a fresh ribbonfish on a classic kingfish rig. Large menhaden (pogies) are best if you can get some that are fresh. If you intend to go big, don’t skimp on your tackle. Upgrade to a surf rod and high-capacity reel. Back in June of this year, I hooked into something that nailed my DOA Baitbuster and stripped 300 yards of braid off of the Calcutta 400B just like that. As far as I know, whatever it was is halfway to Yucatan. You never know what might show up and rock your world.

are speckled trout and redfish. Both fish can be caught from the jetties on the same trip. However, different techniques are called for. Speckled trout will be usually holding closer to the rocks and patrolling up and down the gut that runs parallel to the jetties (this is especially true on the north jetties, where prevailing currents create gentler eddies and currents that, on an outgoing tide, push water and bait against the surf side of the rocks). Redfish prowl the surf away from the jetties and in the guts that intersect them. An incoming tide and soft southeast breezes send clean water in from the Gulf and make early mornings magical off the rocks. A fisherman can do well throwing live bait under a popping cork near the rocks for trout and mangrove snapper, which almost become a nuisance with their abundance. For a Carolina rig out in the surf for redfish, the bait bucket, isn’t necessary. A box filled with chugging topwaters is perfect to keep you mobile with lures such as the Storm Chug Bug or Mirrolure’s Poppa Dog, a couple of chrome/blue Rat-L-Traps, a ½ silver spoon or two, and a collection of your favorite plastic tails in red/white, or chartreuse patterns and some 1/8 ounce jigheads. If the wind is straight from the south, you can still fling topwaters parallel to the rocks. In fact, the trout seem a little more aggressive in the more active water. Start an early morning expedition on the jetties by casting back towards the corner where the rocks meet the beach and work the lure back along the bottom. Trout should be there, but there may also be a few big flounders waiting in ambush. From those casts, expand out into the guts and cast parallel to the beach to see whether there are redfish. It doesn’t hurt to take a few wire leaders in your tackle box. This time of year, schools of Spanish mackerel tear into bait balls in front of the jetties. They aren’t discriminating, and can clean you out of tackle in a hurry. On the south jetties, the surf is a bit rougher, and the rocks are not laid as smoothly. However, the presence of snook in the suds more than makes up for the tougher work. F I S H

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THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Coast Guard Station SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Flounder TIPS: Wade-ﬁshing with live shrimp/soft plastics under a Mauler.

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

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

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

SALTWATER Speckled Trout Flood Moses

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.

by Tom Behrens

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Moses Lake Flood Gate GPS: N 29 26.808, W 94 55.712 (29.4468, -94.9285)

TIPS: Find the redﬁsh in the middle of the bay…scattered shell throughout the bay from Boiler Bayou on the south shore on out into Raymond Shoal.

••

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Topwater baits and soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “When drifting East Bay I will throw a heavier (1/4 oz) lead head to get farther out from the boat and get down quick. A lot of times the redfish will be closer to the bottom.”

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

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Concentrate on East Bay from the middle, Bull Shoals, all the way back to Rollover Pass. The mid bay reefs have been showing significant amount of 15-17 inch fish. LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Deep Reef GPS: N 29 30.802, W 94 40.581 (29.5134, -94.6764)

LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Levee Flats GPS: N 29 26.614, W 94 54.316 (29.4436, -94.9053)

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Topwater baits and soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com |

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Richards Reef GPS: N 29 31.408, W 94 44.276 (29.5235, -94.7379)

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Bird Island GPS: N 28 43.86, W 95 45.617 (28.7310, -95.7603)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics & Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Turn on Skyline Drive at the entrance to Texas City Dike. Fishing from the bank or wade fishing.

281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com gofishgalveston.com TIPS: This spot provides access to fishing without a boat.

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics & Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio |

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics & Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Capt. Marcaccio likes plum color variations in soft plastics….”as long as you can get enough red and silver flash coming from the bait.”

G A M E ®

8/13/19 2:18 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Bull Shoals GPS: N 29 28.716, W 94 44.424 (29.4786, -94.7404)

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Fat Rat Pass GPS: N 29 28.462, W 94 38.673 (29.4744, -94.6446)

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

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Gold Spoon CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@goﬁshgalveston.com goﬁshgalveston.com TIPS: “You ought to throw the gold spoon at least a half a dozen times a day while throwing your array of soft plastics. Throw it out and pull it in; nothing special.”

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics & Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@goﬁshgalveston.com goﬁshgalveston.com TIPS: “Concentrate on drains during falling tides. Predators will be sitting outside waiting for the bait to move out. Target either side of the drain.”

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Eddie Hernandez 409-673-3100 www.goldenhookguide.com TIPS: “The birds are working shrimp with trout under them at this time of the year. Any of the bigger bayous are good places to try your luck.”

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FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Corpus Christi Bay Front GPS: N 27 44.957, W 97 22.511 (27.7493, -97.3752)

Go Flat Out for Port A Redﬁsh

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Cottons Bayou GPS: N 28 30.552, W 96 12.453 (28.5092, -96.2076)

by Tom Behrens

• • • SPOTLIGHT LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Brown & Root Flats GPS: N 27 51.164, W 97 5.812 (27.8527, -97.0969)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Topwater baits CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “Normally in September we start finding schools of redfish. I love fishing some of the back areas with topwaters. Look up on the banks, and if you see a bunch of reds hopping around, there are usually redfish blowing shrimp up.”

••• SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Free Lined Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Ryan Bailey 361-215-4617 rbailey1254@aol.com TIPS: “Pop the croaker about once a minute. If you feel a pickup, let the ﬁsh run about 15 feet, tightened the line and set the hook.”

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Cut bait, live mullet or a gold spoon CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “The trout should be found in 4-6 feet of water; redﬁsh will be up shallow.”

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Greens Bayou GPS: N 28 29.738, W 96 13.565 (28.4956, -96.2261)

LOCATION: Nueces Bay HOTSPOT: Bay Bridge GPS: N 27 50.642, W 97 22.145 (27.8440, -97.3691)

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LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Corpus Christi Bay Wells GPS: N 27 44.764, W 97 11.141 (27.7461, -97.1857) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Topwater baits CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “In the marshes you’ll have lots of little shrimp hatching out, and that’s what draws the redfish to school up and begin feeding on the shrimp.”

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout & Black Tip Shark BEST BAITS: Free Lined Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Ryan Bailey 361-215-4617 rbailey1254@aol.com TIPS: “Black Tip Shark will hit a croaker just like a trout or redﬁsh. The size of a croaker is immaterial. I have cleaned 7 inch croaker from 15 inch ﬁsh.”

SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redﬁsh, & Black Tip Shark BEST BAITS: Free Lined Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Ryan Bailey 361-215-4617 rbailey1254@aol.com TIPS: “Target the well pads where there is a bunch of rock structure. I use a #6 croaker hook, no weight and a live croaker. The water at the wells is probably 16-18 feet deep.”

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LOCATION: Redﬁsh Bay HOTSPOT: Estes Flats GPS: N 27 56.541, W 97 5.944 (27.9424, -97.0991)

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Cut bait, live mullet or a gold spoon CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com

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FISHING HOTSPOTS www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “I free line cut bait in sand pockets. If I do ﬁsh live mullet, I rig it Carolina style so if can’t swim off.”

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HOTSPOT: Cullen Bay Channel GPS: N 26 15.812, W 97 17.166 (26.2635, -97.2861)

•••

Things Get Rocky for Bafﬁn Specks

SPECIES: Redﬁsh & Speckled Trout

by Tom Behrens

• • • SPOTLIGHT LOCATION: Bafﬁn Bay HOTSPOT: Rocky Slough GPS: N 27 9.903, W 97 26.716 (27.1651, -97.4453)

•••

SPECIES: Redfish & Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp free lined CONTACT: Capt. Carlos Garcia 956-433-6094 texasredfish20@gmailcom TIPS: “When you see a mullet moving fast, a redfish is chasing it. As soon as it get right on top of the mullet, set the hook and hold on.”

•••

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Stover Point GPS: N 26 12.191, W 97 17.702 (26.2032, -97.2950)

SPECIES: Redfish & Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Berkley Gulp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Carlos Garcia 956-433-6094 texasredfish20@gmailcom TIPS: “We are usually sight fish for the redfish while drifting in the boat and catch a lot of fish.” LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

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8/13/19 2:18 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS FRESHWATER

BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp free lined CONTACT: Capt. Carlos Garcia 956-433-6094 texasredfish20@gmailcom TIPS: “I fish a lot of the shallows along the dropoffs along the different islands. Cullen Bay works really well. There are a lot of fish backed up there in September.” Capt. Garcia

Rayburn Bass Play in the Mud

LOCATION: Port Mansﬁeld HOTSPOT: North Jetty GPS: N 26 33.93, W 97 16.303 (26.5655, -97.2717)

by Dustin Warncke

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Sam Rayburn Lake HOTSPOT: Mudd Creek GPS: N 31 11.868, W 94 18.1559 (31.1978, -94.3026)

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Berkley Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Carlos Garcia 956-433-6094 texasredﬁsh20@gmailcom TIPS: Capt. Garcia reports by mid-month the bull reds should be moving into the area. “I use a popping cork to get their attention and they come up and get the Gulp.”

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Senkos, chatterbaits, squarebill shallow crankbaits. CONTACT: Mike Knight 936-635-2427 notechmike@hotmail.com www.easttxﬁshingguide.com TIPS: September at Sam Rayburn is one of my favorite months. The bass will be active all over the lake. There should be lots of surface schooling activity. Try shad colored top water lures with propellers on one or both ends. The water temps will be starting to drop a little and the shallow bite will pick up around grass beds and secondary points.

LOCATION: Port Mansﬁeld HOTSPOT: Rinco de San Jose Shoreline GPS: N 26 47.384, W 97 28.0459 (26.7897, -97.4674)

•••

LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Alligator Bayou GPS: N 32 43.152, W 94 5.43 (32.7192, -94.0905)

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Berkley Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Carlos Garcia 956-433-6094 texasredﬁsh20@gmailcom TIPS: Capt. Garcia likes Gulp that has a chartreuse tail. “Mullet will work, also the Homewrecker lures work good…a funky tail that paddles really good.”

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Soft plastic worms, frogs, creature baits CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net

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www.caddolakeﬁshing.com TIPS: Fish the bends and intersections throughout this bayou and other similar areas. I like to use hollow body or paddle feet type frogs early and late here as well as on cloudy days. During the bright part of the day, use your 1/8 oz. to 1/4 oz. weighted Texas-rigged dark colored worms along the edges of the grass and pads. Dark colored creature baits like beavers and brushhogs weighted with a 1 oz weight and heavy braided line can be pitched into and punched through the heavy matted vegetation from close distances. This technique is usually where you will catch the larger bass. LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 26.226, W 95 35.508 (30.4371, -95.5918)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Pop’rs, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Richard Tatsch 936-661-7920 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: With the first cold fronts of the year beginning to move in, the 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 and the aggressive strikes that a spinnerbait can bring. If you’re on the water this time of year here’s a tip: Immediately after a cold front (up to the 3rd day after) and if it is at daylight or an overcast day, locate the rip rap rock around the lake and start by throwing a small single blade spinner bait 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 lure. Work this bait in the same areas and alternate between the spinnerbait to determine which they want on that particular day. Bank Access: Stowaway Marina LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Ray Branch GPS: N 32 48.576, W 95 34.2779 (32.8096, -95.5713)

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8/13/19 2:18 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS be dependable all through the month. Try a Texas rig 10-inch worm, heavy football jigs and crankbaits that will run to 20+ feet deep.

HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N 30 37.974, W 95 1.5059 (30.6329, -95.0251)

LOCATION: Toledo Bend North HOTSPOT: North End of Main Lake GPS: N 31 42.492, W 93 49.092 (31.7082, -93.8182) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spook with a white belly, Yellow Magic with a white belly, chrome Rat-L-Trap, white swimbait, watermelon red Baby Brush Hog, bass jig in black, brown, amber CONTACT: Doug Shampine 940-902-3855 doug@lakeforktrophybass.com www.lakeforktrophybass.com TIPS: September is the start of fall ﬁshing on Lake Fork. We will start getting cool fronts which will cool the water temperature and start the bass feeding for the fall. Schooling bass can be found in the mouth of the Chaney Branch, feeding on the big shad schools moving around in that area. The action will normally stop about 10 AM so turn your attention to the main lake points with a Carolina rigged Baby Brush Hog or bass jig will do the trick . Look in the 17-22 ft range and watch for bait ﬁsh. Dale and Ray branch are good places to check out the main lake points. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 51.4019, W 95 33.168 (32.8567, -95.5528)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, 1 ¼ oz white slabs, spoons, Tsunami Holographic hot pink/gold 4” swim shad CONTACT: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: “Look for birds working early morning over roaming schools of stripers. Follow the birds and throw the swim shad into the school. When the schools go down, use your electronics in the same areas to locate fish on the humps and ridges. Troll the Tsunami swim shad behind a #10 jet diver over the humps or jig the white slabs over the humps and feel for a strike on a falling bait. This time of year I like to get on the water around 6:30am and be off the water by 10:30am, cleaning fish. Good luck fishing Livingston!”

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, tail spinners, slab spoons, shallow diving crankbaits CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: The summer is winding down and the whites are starting to migrate back to the north end of the lake. Use your electronics to locate the baitfish on the old river channel sand bars. Use Rat-L-Traps or shallow diving crank baits when the fish are breaking the surface. When they go down, switch to a slab spoon or drag a tail spinner. The whites will usually school in the same areas around the same time of day. Look for the birds dive bombing the baitfish that the whites have pushed to the surface as they are a great fish indicator.

LOCATION: Toledo Bend Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 25.422, W 93 43.9919 (31.4237, -93.7332)

••

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Top water lures, small crankbaits, Texas-rigged worms, Carolina-rigged Grandebass Airtail Rattlesnakes, Victory Jigs with a Mega Claws trailer CONTACT: Lance Vick 903-312-0609 lance@lakeforkbass.com www.guideonlakefork.com TIPS: The dog days of summer are coming to an end. The key to finding bass in September is to find the shad. Oxygen levels in the lake dictate where the shad will be at this time of the year. If the lake is turning over, shallow grass will hold bait and bass. If the lake is not turning over, the deep bite will be good on points and road beds. In the process of finding the shad, you should find the bass nearby. LOCATION: Lake Livingston

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Crappie & White Bass in the Brush

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Top water lures, Rat-L-Traps, Texas rigged 10-inch worms, heavy football jigs, crankbaits CONTACT: Mike Knight 936-635-2427 notechmike@hotmail.com www.easttxﬁshingguide.com TIPS: Toledo Bend in September is kind of the end of summer and start of fall. There will be some schooling activity with top water lures and Rat-L-Traps, mostly in the south below Pendleton bridge. Also there will most likely be some really good bass action early, and I mean EARLY, on main lake points. I’m talking 5:30am until 8:30am and then it’s over. There will be lots of big schools of offshore bass including some giants, but you need to know and trust your electronics. The good news is if you ﬁnd one of those schools, they should T E X A S

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by Dustin Warncke & Dean Heffner

• • • SPOTLIGHT LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Brush Pile GPS: N 33 24.127, W 97 5.314 (33.4021, -97.0886)

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FISHING HOTSPOTS SPECIES: Crappie, white bass BEST BAITS: Minnows, 3/4-oz. slabs CONTACT: Justin Wilson 214-538-2780 justinwilson371@yahoo.com TIPS: Still feels like summer out there but the cool nights are starting to lower 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 foot of water. Once you find them, jigging slabs off the bottom can make quick work of filling a cooler. The crappie bite is good, 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. Smaller piles that aren’t getting as much pressure are producing more keepers than some of the other popular piles. Jigs are working but the quality of fish seem to be better on minnows.

matter the overall depth. LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: Twin Point Humps GPS: N 32 53.155, W 97 29.658 (32.8859, -97.4943)

•••

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

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass 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 lines. Crappie are under the bridge this time of year. Minnows and jigs are your best bet right now. LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Bridges GPS: N 32 19.8119, W 96 9.9899 (32.3302, -96.1665)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/8oz.-1/16oz. crappie jigs CONTACT: Jason Barber 903-603-2047 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: This month we are “bridge hopping” ﬁshing for crappie. Get your favorite crappie rod and tie on a 1/16th oz. jig on calmer days and a 1/8th oz. jig on windy days. Multiple colors will work. Fish around all the pillars and look for suspended ﬁsh in 8’ to 15’ no

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SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Slab with a fly 12-in. above CONTACT: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598 johnlu1313@gmail.com johnnysguideservice.com TIPS: This area is three large humps in the middle of the lake. The top of these humps are 24 feet surrounded by 32 of water. Work the edges of these humps with your electronics. When fish are located jig up and down with your slab and fly. The humps can be worked by fan casting and hopping your slab and fly just off the bottom to the boat. LOCATION: Lake Fayette HOTSPOT: South East Trees GPS: N 29 54.978, W 96 42.954 (29.9163, -96.7159)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait, shad CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: 10-12 foot water next to old road bed with stumps. Water is still hot, so look for fish close to bottom. Tight line or cork works here. LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Eagle Point GPS: N 30 37.92, W 96 2.7899 (30.6320, -96.0465)

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FISHING HOTSPOTS

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Shad, cut bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.ﬁshtales-guideservice.com TIPS: The water depth is about 7 feet here. Use 2/0 Khale hooks and set several rods around the boat. Fish pass in and out of Sulphur Creek here so this is a good ambush point for catching them. LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Twin Humps Near Town GPS: N 32 26.404, W 97 46.977 (32.4401, -97.7830)

SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Holographic slabs in silver and chartreuse CONTACT: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 TIPS: Look for bait congregated on or near the bottom in around 15 to 20 ft of water. Work channel ledges and humps near deep water. Granbury water temperatures are generally in the 80’S as summer continues with a slow cool down towards fall. Summer patterns continue for most of the month. The Texas heat is starting to taper off, but ﬁshing continues to be best early and late. Thermoclines are starting to disappear, and lake turnover is starting when the surface is cooling. White bass are located near structure and are feeding on near drop offs in 15 to 20 feet of water. Slabbing lead heads are best for putting sandies in the boat. LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 42.042, W 97 20.862 (30.7007, -97.3477)

SPECIES: Crappie & White Bass BEST BAITS: Dan’s Jigs, slab spoons CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Right now is the best fishing of the year at Granger Lake. The crappie and white bass have been feeding all summer long and are very thick and meaty. It is possible to limit on both species in a half day of fishing. Crappie are all over the lake in structure of any kind. Standing timber is good now. Just look for timber in the clearer water and you will catch crappie. Vertical jigging with Dan’s Jigs will produce big catches. The lake has been up all year and that makes for big fish. White bass will be schooling on the humps and ridges out from the dam. The best lure is a slab spoon in 1/2 to 3/4 oz. Just hop the jig off the bottom to produce the larger fish. Good luck and good fishing. LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N 33 3.726, W 96 27.768 (33.0621, -96.4628)

LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: Highway 287 Bridge GPS: N 32 0.336, W 96 12.4739 (32.0056, -96.2079) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs and swimbaits CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 Whitebassﬁshingtexas@gmail.com www.whitebassﬁshingtexas.com TIPS: This is a good time of year for catching white bass on Lavon. Fish main lake points, focusing in 1-20 feet of water. Your best baits this time of year are slabs and swimbaits. Watch for the bite on the falling slab.

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Live minnows and crappie jigs CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: As late summer and early fall approaches, the crappie on RC are on the brush piles and bridge columns. While the majority of our fishing trips are still for white bass, we often split a trip into two segments and fish first for whites and then crappie. It’s a nice way to avoid the heat that is on us in September as you can

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 11.55, W 95 30.4079 (32.1925, -95.5068)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs, soft plastics, CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: “Bass fishing in September is good on Lake Palestine and can be caught a number of ways. One way is to fish shallow using a Big Eye swim jigs. Another way is to rig up a June bug colored plastic lizard, Texas-rigged and while rigging the Texas rig go on and get another rod and rig it with a Carolina rig. Now I like to always start shallow because there are so many shallow fish in a lake no matter where your fishing. Next, I will start with the Big Eye swim jigs working down the shallow water, fishing it up next to the grass and weeds. After I do this I will turn around and begin working my lizards. The lizards I like best are the Mister Twister brand. I can here you now ask, “”Why not another brand?”” My comeback is why? The Mister Twister company are the ones who made the first real lizards so if they were the first, why use a copy? I fish my lizards down the shoreline, fishing the shallow grass. After It warms up, I will move out deep with the Carolina rigs and I will spend the rest of my day fishing deep.”

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FISHING HOTSPOTS pull up under the Highway 287 Bridge, drop minnows down alongside the bridge columns and often end up with a nice cooler of Crappie. It’s always 10 degrees cooler in the shade of the bridge! A hint is to ﬁnd the depth of the cross member of the bridge columns and ﬁsh just slightly above or below it. Crappie hang tight to structure most days and you will be surprised as to how many you may catch!

weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.ﬁshtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Water depth drops off quick here so ﬁsh straight down by boat after chumming this area. It is best to use a tight line with 1/2 oz. egg sinker in this spot. Fishing is good here all through September. LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni HOTSPOT: Black Point GPS: N 32 52.1099, W 96 2.3339 (32.8685, -96.0389)

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Rock Island Shoreline GPS: N 30 18.708, W 96 31.674 (30.3118, -96.5279)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Carolina rigs, live shad CONTACT: Andrew Taylor, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service 903-269-6587 etxbass@gmail.com

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Shad, liver, CJ’s punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103

www.Laketawakoni.guide TIPS: As we look at the end of the hotter months of the year, you will find me Carolina rigging shad on 24” leaders. I’m structure fishing early in the day, hitting humps and sides of embankments. After the sun gets up and the water starts to turn warm, I typically head out to deep water, around 35’-45’. I spend a lot of time on my electronics searching for schools of stripers. Once a school is located and depending on the size, I figure out how we will set up on them. If the schools are moving super-fast, I like to set up a slow drift, dragging large threadfins. If the schools seem to commit and hold under the boat, we will “spot lock” and let them feed under us. Then we stay there as long as the bite continues. As we move into the fall, the patterns will change but the summer strategy we’ve been using will still work for this month. LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Texas Flats and Mill Creek Flats GPS: N 33 52.248, W 96 49.7939 (33.8708, -96.8299)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs and Coho Minnow jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfishlaketexoma@gmail.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: “Stripers are moving out of the deep water and roaming the flats in September. The lures of choice are slabs and jigs. Vertically jig 1oz. chrome, white and chartreuse slabs along the bottom in 10 to 30 foot depths. Coho minnow jigs in white glow color with a 3/4-ounce jig head and a four-inch inch tail are perfect for these hungry stripers. Cast the jigs and use a medium retrieve. If you find surfacing or swirling fish, cast the jig, hold your rod high and keep the jig subsurface.” Bank Access: Mill Creek Campsites. LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump GPS: N 31 54.672, W 97 20.868 (31.9112, -97.3478)

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FISHING HOTSPOTS SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Cut shad, striper jigs with trailers CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: I am using cut gizzard shad on a Carolina rig and making long cast up on Whitney Hump. Big stripers are moving up on the hump early. After the sun comes up good, we are backing out and using live shad and ﬁshing about 22 feet down along the edge of the hump in 32 feet of water. Mid-day downrigging, trolling with white striper jigs and white or chartreuse worm trailers at areas like McCowan Flats N31 55.452’. W97 24.628 is producing good stringers of ﬁsh.

••

•••

Catching Bass on Cisco is Kid’s Play

by Dustin Warncke & Dean Heffner

• • • SPOTLIGHT • • • LOCATION: Lake Cisco HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 26.418, W 98 59.305 (33.04445, -101.087194)

The National Bass of Amistad

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Deep diving crankbaits, bass jigs, spoons, worms, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglo+R29:W29bal.net www.lakealanhenry.com/fishing-guides.html TIPS: “September will find most of the bass in their deep water homes for the summer, and you will need to go deep to catch them. Shad or perch color will do the trick on lure color selection. You can use your electronics to find schools and then drop the lures right down on top of them. Start looking at the mouths of any creeks and work your way back until you locate the fish. Also, this is a great time of the year to beat the heat by going fishing at night using big dark colored worms or spinner baits. Fish points and the deep flats.

by Dustin Warncke

• • • SPOTLIGHT • • LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: National Recreational Area GPS: N29 28.92252, W101 4.0596 (29.482042, -101.067660)

•

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Carolina and Texas-rigged plastic worms, weightless Flukes, Pop Rs CONTACT: Larry Scruggs, Amistad Lodge and Adventures, fisherofmenlrs@hotmail.com, 210-7891645 TIPS: Fish topwater lures until first hour after daybreak and then switch to Flukes over the shallow hydrilla. Once the sun is high, go to plastic worms and fish the deeper hydrilla near the points and close to the mouths of coves.

LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Res. HOTSPOT: Broadway GPS: N 32 52.125, W 98 32 (32.8688, -98.5333)

••• •• ••

•

SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, jerkbaits, chatterbaits, soft plastics CONTACT: Michael D. Homer Jr. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 325-692-0921 michael.homer@tpwd.texas.gov TIPS: Early fall bass ﬁshing at Lake Cisco should be a treat for many ﬁshermen. Anglers can catch high numbers of little bass as well as take a chance at landing some ShareLunker-level bass. Lures such as crankbaits, suspending jerk baits, and chatterbaits are optimal. Texas-rigged soft plastics in natural colors also work well.

•••

LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Rocky Creek GPS: N 33 1.7819, W 101 6.4619 (32.440303, -98.988417)

••

T E X A S

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Buchanan Stripers Move to the Dam

SPECIES: Striped bass, hybrids BEST BAITS: Slabs, RatLTraps, crankbaits CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: It’s September and weather is about to cool off, the fish are starting their Fall migration but still some topwater action so be prepared if it happens. We are still downrigging and doing well but as always, quick limits with live Shad. Slabbin’ & thumpin’ will start being a good tool late in the month but the fish will be active and migrating so almost any technique will be working just have confidence in it. Flatlining rattletraps and crankbaits will also be working. Look for south wind days to be the best but any day on the lake is better than a day at work, so treat yourself to a day off in September and you’ll never regret it!

F I S H

by Dustin Warncke

• • • SPOTLIGHT LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N 30 45.732, W 98 25.716 (30.7622, -98.4286)

•••

••• &

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FISHING HOTSPOTS SPECIES: Striped Bass and White Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, slabs CONTACT: Ken Milam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: Stripers will be on lower end of the lake around the dam area. Also, you should be able to find them along the river channel. Use your fish finder to locate them. This time of year, live shad is usually a great bait. White bass will hold on old submerged trees along the river channel as well as ridges and humps off of the river channel.

to 60 feet deep and look for schools of striped bass. When located, vary trolling speeds until the ﬁsh strike. Tight lines and Fish On!

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 46.296, W 98 25.122 (30.7716, -98.4187)

• • • SPOTLIGHT • • LOCATION: Lake Calaveras HOTSPOT: The Dam GPS: N29 16.84686, W98 18.13878 (29.280781, -98.302313)

••

Rattle Up Some Calaveras Reds

•••

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@gmail.com www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: This time of year, live shad are your best bet for the striper bite. Keep in mind that high temperatures means lower oxygen levels in the water. Early in the day, drift or anchor humps and ridges in 30-40 feet of water. Then, late morning, fish over the tree tops in 50-60 feet of water.

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•

•••

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Big Tiger GPS: N26 43.55292, W99 9.49302 (26.725882, -99.158217)

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Lake Fork swimbaits, jigs, plastic worms CONTACT: Robert Amaya 956-765-1442 robertsfishntackle@gmail.com robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Start the morning off using topwater lures in the backs of coves. Fish the standing brush in five to 10 feet of water off the points and in the larger coves with Texas-rigged plastic worms. Cast Swim Baits off rocky points and retrieve slowly.

LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Turkey Creek GPS: N 28 44.7479, W 97 10.2659 (28.7458, -97.1711)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Carolina rigs using large soft plastics like 10”-12” worms or lizards in watermelon red, RatL-Traps in silver and black CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-960-0566 TIPS: September will ﬁnd ﬁsh getting a little more aggressive, trying to feed up while fry is still plentiful. Anything and everything they can get into their mouths

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Zoom fluke in white color CONTACT: Capt. Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com http://www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Trolling this area with downriggers seems to produce the best catches. Set the downriggers from 40 |

by Dustin Warncke

SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps CONTACT: Steve Nixon 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Use a chrome Rat-L-Trap and troll it in front of the dam at 10 to 20 feet. The east end of the dam usually produces the most redfish.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Turkey Creek Point GPS: N 29 51.726, W 98 13.1939 (29.8621, -98.2199)

•••

on is fair game. I don’t think there are many baits that won’t work this month. Usually during the hottest months the best bet for bigger bass is to go deep - in the 10-30 foot range. Carolina rigs are good with bigger plastics like 10-12 inch worms or lizards. I’m always partial to watermelon red colored baits, dipped slightly in chartreuse. Bigger Rat-L-Traps can be productive also and I like silver and black colors on those. They really make good ﬁsh locators. Just a reminder: take plenty to drink and remember it’s more of the ﬁshing than the catching that makes the trip!

T E X A S

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK SEPTEMBER 2019

Tides and Prime Times

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

The following pages contain TIDE and SOLUNAR predictions for Galveston Channel (29.3166° N, 94.88° W).

T12

T11

T10 T9

TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the upper white boxes on the Calendar Pages. Use the Correction Table below, which is keyed to 23 other tide stations, to adjust low and high tide times.

T8 T17

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

T15 T16

TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below. SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of inﬂuence on many wildlife species.

T13 T6

T3 T2 T1

T14

AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours.

T18

AM & PM MAJOR phases occur when the moon reaches its highest point overhead as well as when it is “underfoot” or at its highest point on the exact opposite side of the earth from your positoin (or literally under your feet). Most days have two Major Feeding Phases, each lasting about 2 hours.

T19

T20

PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the inﬂuence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest inﬂunce of the month. PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.

T21

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.

KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty Port Bolivar

HIGH -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14

LOW -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06

KEY PLACE HIGH Galveston Channel/Bays T7 Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +3:54 T8 Eagle Point +6:05 T9 Clear Lake +10:21 T10 Morgans Point T11 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39

LOW +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15

KEY T12 T13 T14 T15 T16 T17

PLACE Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, W. Bay Alligator Point, W. Bay Christmas Pt Galveston Pleasure Pier

HIGH +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -1:06

LOW +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:33 +2:31 -1:06

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

PLACE HIGH San Luis Pass -0.09 Freeport Harbor -0:44 Pass Cavallo 0:00 Aransas Pass -0:03 Padre Island (So. End) -0:24 Port Isabel +1:02

LOW -0.09 -1:02 -1:20 -1:31 -1:45 -0:42

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

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

READING THE GRAPH

Moon Overhead

Fishing Score Graph

Moon Underfoot

Day’s Best Day’s 2nd Score Best Score

Best Day Overall

MOON PHASES

l = New Moon l = Full Moon = First Quarter º » = Last Quarter «= Good Day by Moon Phase 58

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SEPTEMBER 2019

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

High Tide: 3:51a Low Tide: 7:38p

TUESDAY

1.62ft. -0.16ft.

High Tide: 4:24a Low Tide: 8:32p

WEDNESDAY

28 «

1.69ft. -0.25ft.

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

FEET

4:55a 9:41a 1:13p 9:25p

THURSDAY

29 «

1.70ft. 1.45ft. 1.53ft. -0.27ft.

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

5:24a 10:08a 2:39p 10:16p

FRIDAY

30 l «

1.68ft. 1.32ft. 1.57ft. -0.21ft.

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

5:52a 10:46a 3:56p 11:05p

1.62ft. 1.14ft. 1.58ft. -0.05ft.

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Aug 31 « Sep 1 « High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

6:17a 11:30a 5:12p 11:54p

1.55ft. 0.92ft. 1.56ft. 0.20ft.

High Tide: 6:42a Low Tide: 12:19p High Tide: 6:30p

1.48ft. 0.69ft. 1.52ft. FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

3:30 — 5:30 PM Sunrise: 6:52a Sunset: 7:48p Moonrise: 2:34a Moon Set: 4:54p

AM Minor: 2:03a AM Major: 8:18a PM Minor: 2:33p PM Major: 8:48p

Moon Overhead: 9:44a Moon Underfoot: 10:14p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

4:30 — 6:30 PM Sunrise: 6:53a Sunset: 7:47p Moonrise: 3:34a Moon Set: 5:52p

AM Minor: 2:56a AM Major: 9:12a PM Minor: 3:27p PM Major: 9:42p

Moon Overhead: 10:44a Moon Underfoot: 11:15p

TexasOutdoorNation-1909-DIG.indd 59

12p

12a

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 6:53a Sunset: 7:46p Moonrise: 4:41a Moon Set: 6:46p

AM Minor: 3:51a AM Major: 10:07a PM Minor: 4:22p PM Major: 10:37p Moon Overhead: 11:46a Moon Underfoot: None

12p

12a

BEST TIME

11:30A — 1:30P Sunrise: 6:54a Sunset: 7:45p Moonrise: 5:50a Moon Set: 7:36p

AM Minor: 4:48a AM Major: 11:03a PM Minor: 5:18p PM Major: 11:33p Moon Overhead: 12:46p Moon Underfoot: 12:16a

12p

BEST TIME

12:30 — 2:30 PM Sunrise: 6:54a Sunset: 7:44p Moonrise: 7:01a Moon Set: 8:20p

AM Minor: 5:45a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:14p PM Major: 12:28p Moon Overhead: 1:44p Moon Underfoot: 1:16a

12a

12p

BEST TIME

1:30 — 3:30 PM Sunrise: 6:55a Sunset: 7:43p Moonrise: 8:11a Moon Set: 9:02p

AM Minor: 6:44a AM Major: 12:30a PM Minor: 7:11p PM Major: 12:57p Moon Overhead: 2:40p Moon Underfoot: 2:12a

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

2:30 — 4:30 Sunrise: 6:55a Sunset: 7:41p Moonrise: 9:18a Moon Set: 9:41p

AM Minor: 7:42a AM Major: 1:29a PM Minor: 8:09p PM Major: 1:56p

Moon Overhead: 3:33p Moon Underfoot: 3:07a

8/13/19 2:19 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

2 FEET

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

12:43a 7:06a 1:12p 7:55p

TUESDAY

0.49ft. 1.43ft. 0.47ft. 1.47ft.

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

1:33a 7:28a 2:09p 9:29p

WEDNESDAY

0.81ft. 1.40ft. 0.30ft. 1.45ft.

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

2:29a 7:47a 3:11p 11:17p

THURSDAY

1.10ft. 1.39ft. 0.18ft. 1.49ft.

Low Tide: 4:01a High Tide: 7:56a Low Tide: 4:19p

FRIDAY

6º

1.33ft. 1.39ft. 0.11ft.

High Tide: 1:17a Low Tide: 5:29p

SATURDAY

1.57ft. 0.07ft.

High Tide: 2:49a Low Tide: 6:38p

1.65ft. 0.06ft.

SUNDAY

High Tide: 3:43a Low Tide: 7:38p

1.69ft. 0.08ft. FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

3:00 — 5:00 PM

12p

12a

4:00 — 6:00 AM

1.68ft. 1.39ft. 1.40ft. 0.12ft.

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

4:43a 10:27a 1:15p 9:13p

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

5:00a 10:26a 2:17p 9:50p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12p

12a

BEST TIME

1:30 — 3:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:58a Sunset: 7:34p Moonrise: 3:29p Moon Set: 1:12a

AM Minor: 12:01a AM Major: 6:12a PM Minor: 12:25p PM Major: 6:38p

AM Minor: 12:49a AM Major: 7:02a PM Minor: 1:15p PM Major: 7:28p

Moon Overhead: 7:54p Moon Underfoot: 7:27a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:58a Sunset: 7:36p Moonrise: 2:34p Moon Set: 12:25a

Moon Overhead: 7:01p Moon Underfoot: 6:35a

3:00 — 5:00 PM Sunrise: 6:59a Sunset: 7:33p Moonrise: 4:20p Moon Set: 2:02a

AM Minor: 1:37a AM Major: 7:50a PM Minor: 2:03p PM Major: 8:16p

Moon Overhead: 8:46p Moon Underfoot: 8:20a

Moon Overhead: 9:37p Moon Underfoot: 9:11a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

12a

AM Minor: 11:32a AM Major: 5:19a PM Minor: 11:58p PM Major: 5:45p

Moon Overhead: 6:09p Moon Underfoot: 5:43a

1.64ft. 1.37ft. 1.43ft. 0.18ft.

6:00 — 8:00 PM

AM Minor: 10:37a AM Major: 4:24a PM Minor: 11:03p PM Major: 4:50p

TUESDAY

12p

Sunrise: 6:57a Sunset: 7:37p Moonrise: 1:35p Moon Set: None

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS Fishing Score Moon Moon Graph Overhead Underfoot

MONDAY

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:57a Sunset: 7:38p Moonrise: 12:33p Moon Set: 11:40p

Moon Overhead: 5:17p Moon Underfoot: 4:51a

READING THE GRAPH

FEET

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 9:40a AM Major: 3:27a PM Minor: 10:06p PM Major: 3:53p

Moon Overhead: 4:25p Moon Underfoot: 3:59a

4:18a 10:33a 11:53a 8:30p

12a

Sunrise: 6:56a Sunset: 7:39p Moonrise: 11:29a Moon Set: 10:59p

AM Minor: 8:41a AM Major: 2:28a PM Minor: 9:07p PM Major: 2:54p

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

4:00 — 6:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:56a Sunset: 7:40p Moonrise: 10:24a Moon Set: 10:19p

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

12 «

1.59ft. 1.32ft. 1.47ft. 0.26ft.

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

5:14a 10:28a 3:11p 10:21p

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

13 «

1.54ft. 1.24ft. 1.50ft. 0.37ft.

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

5:28a 10:40a 4:02p 10:49p

SATURDAY

14 l

1.51ft. 1.13ft. 1.51ft. 0.49ft.

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

5:44a 11:01a 4:52p 11:16p

1.49ft. 1.02ft. 1.51ft. 0.63ft.

SUNDAY

15 « High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

5:59a 11:28a 5:44p 11:43p

1.48ft. 0.91ft. 1.50ft. 0.78ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

4:00 — 6:00 PM Sunrise: 6:59a Sunset: 7:32p Moonrise: 5:07p Moon Set: 2:54a

AM Minor: 2:23a AM Major: 8:36a PM Minor: 2:48p PM Major: 9:01p

Moon Overhead: 10:26p Moon Underfoot: 10:02a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

11:30P — 1:30A Sunrise: 7:00a Sunset: 7:31p Moonrise: 5:50p Moon Set: 3:47a

AM Minor: 3:07a AM Major: 9:20a PM Minor: 3:32p PM Major: 9:44p

Moon Overhead: 11:14p Moon Underfoot: 10:50a

S E P T E M B E R

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12p

12a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 AM Sunrise: 7:00a Sunset: 7:30p Moonrise: 6:28p Moon Set: 4:41a

AM Minor: 3:50a AM Major: 10:02a PM Minor: 4:13p PM Major: 10:25p

12a

12:00 — 2:00 PM

12a

12:30 — 2:30 PM

AM Minor: 5:14a AM Major: 11:25a PM Minor: 5:36p PM Major: 11:46p

Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 12:22p

F I S H

12p

Sunrise: 7:01a Sunset: 7:27p Moonrise: 7:36p Moon Set: 6:29a

AM Minor: 4:32a AM Major: 10:43a PM Minor: 4:55p PM Major: 11:06p

T E X A S

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:01a Sunset: 7:28p Moonrise: 7:04p Moon Set: 5:35a

Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:37a

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 12:44a Moon Underfoot: 1:05p

12p

BEST TIME

7:00 — 9:00 PM Sunrise: 7:02a Sunset: 7:26p Moonrise: 8:07p Moon Set: 7:21a

AM Minor: 5:56a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:17p PM Major: 12:07p Moon Overhead: 1:26a Moon Underfoot: 1:47p

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 AM Sunrise: 7:02a Sunset: 7:25p Moonrise: 8:37p Moon Set: 8:13a

AM Minor: 6:39a AM Major: 12:29a PM Minor: 7:00p PM Major: 12:49p Moon Overhead: 2:07a Moon Underfoot: 2:28p

G A M E ®

8/13/19 2:19 PM

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8/13/19 2:19 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

16 «

High Tide: 6:13a Low Tide: 11:59a High Tide: 6:40p

1.46ft. 0.80ft. 1.49ft.

FEET

TUESDAY

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

12:11a 6:23a 12:34p 7:43p

WEDNESDAY

0.94ft. 1.45ft. 0.70ft. 1.48ft.

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

12:41a 6:24a 1:12p 8:58p

THURSDAY

1.11ft. 1.44ft. 0.61ft. 1.49ft.

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

1:14a 6:06a 1:56p 10:29p

FRIDAY

1.28ft. 1.46ft. 0.52ft. 1.53ft.

Low Tide: 1:50a High Tide: 5:34a Low Tide: 2:48p

SATURDAY

21 »

1.44ft. 1.53ft. 0.43ft.

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

12:14a 2:40a 5:11a 3:50p

SUNDAY

1.62ft. 1.59ft. 1.61ft. 0.34ft.

High Tide: 1:45a Low Tide: 4:59p

1.72ft. 0.26ft. FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 AM Sunrise: 7:03a Sunset: 7:24p Moonrise: 9:07p Moon Set: 9:05a

AM Minor: 7:24a AM Major: 1:13a PM Minor: 7:44p PM Major: 1:34p

12a

12p

12a

2:30 — 4:30 AM

3:00 — 5:00 AM

1.80ft. 0.18ft.

High Tide: 3:09a Low Tide: 7:14p

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

FEET

3:37a 9:07a 12:17p 8:14p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

10:30A — 12:30P

12p

12a

11:30A — 1:30P

12a

12:30 — 2:30 PM Sunrise: 7:06a Sunset: 7:16p Moonrise: 12:24a Moon Set: 2:42p

AM Minor: 11:35a AM Major: 5:21a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 5:48p

Moon Overhead: 5:46a Moon Underfoot: 6:11p

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:05a Sunset: 7:17p Moonrise: None Moon Set: 1:43p

AM Minor: 10:41a AM Major: 4:28a PM Minor: 11:06p PM Major: 4:53p

Moon Overhead: 4:58a Moon Underfoot: 5:21p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:05a Sunset: 7:19p Moonrise: 11:35p Moon Set: 12:45p

AM Minor: 9:48a AM Major: 3:37a PM Minor: 10:12p PM Major: 4:00p

AM Minor: 12:06a AM Major: 6:16a PM Minor: 12:30p PM Major: 6:44p

Moon Overhead: 6:37a Moon Underfoot: 7:04p

Moon Overhead: 7:32a Moon Underfoot: 8:01p

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

1.84ft. 0.12ft.

12a

9:30 — 11:30 AM

Moon Overhead: 4:13a Moon Underfoot: 4:35p

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 7:04a Sunset: 7:20p Moonrise: 10:51p Moon Set: 11:47a

AM Minor: 8:58a AM Major: 2:47a PM Minor: 9:20p PM Major: 3:09p

Moon Overhead: 3:30a Moon Underfoot: 3:51p

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:04a Sunset: 7:21p Moonrise: 10:13p Moon Set: 10:52a

AM Minor: 8:10a AM Major: 1:59a PM Minor: 8:31p PM Major: 2:20p

MONDAY

BEST TIME

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS Fishing Score Moon Moon Graph Overhead Underfoot

READING THE GRAPH

High Tide: 2:36a Low Tide: 6:09p

Sunrise: 7:03a Sunset: 7:22p Moonrise: 9:39p Moon Set: 9:58a

Moon Overhead: 2:48a Moon Underfoot: 3:09p

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

1.83ft. 1.53ft. 1.59ft. 0.13ft.

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

4:01a 9:11a 1:56p 9:09p

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

27 «

1.79ft. 1.37ft. 1.66ft. 0.20ft.

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

4:24a 9:42a 3:15p 10:01p

SATURDAY

28 l

1.72ft. 1.13ft. 1.72ft. 0.36ft.

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

4:47a 10:20a 4:29p 10:51p

SUNDAY

29 «

1.66ft. 0.87ft. 1.77ft. 0.58ft.

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

5:08a 11:03a 5:42p 11:41p

1.61ft. 0.62ft. 1.79ft. 0.84ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

1:30 — 3:30 PM Sunrise: 7:06a Sunset: 7:15p Moonrise: 1:19a Moon Set: 3:39p

AM Minor: 12:56a AM Major: 7:11a PM Minor: 1:25p PM Major: 7:40p Moon Overhead: 8:30a Moon Underfoot: 8:59p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

2:30 — 4:30 PM Sunrise: 7:07a Sunset: 7:14p Moonrise: 2:21a Moon Set: 4:33p

AM Minor: 1:50a AM Major: 8:05a PM Minor: 2:20p PM Major: 8:35p

Moon Overhead: 9:29a Moon Underfoot: 9:59p

S E P T E M B E R

TexasOutdoorNation-1909-DIG.indd 62

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12p

12a

BEST TIME

9:30 — 11:30 AM Sunrise: 7:07a Sunset: 7:13p Moonrise: 3:28a Moon Set: 5:24p

AM Minor: 2:44a AM Major: 8:58a PM Minor: 3:13p PM Major: 9:28p

12a

10:30A — 12:30P

12a

11:30A — 1:30P

AM Minor: 4:28a AM Major: 10:42a PM Minor: 4:56p PM Major: 11:09p

Moon Overhead: 11:27a Moon Underfoot: 11:55p

F I S H

12p

Sunrise: 7:08a Sunset: 7:10p Moonrise: 5:46a Moon Set: 6:52p

AM Minor: 3:36a AM Major: 9:50a PM Minor: 4:05p PM Major: 10:19p

T E X A S

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:08a Sunset: 7:11p Moonrise: 4:36a Moon Set: 6:10p

Moon Overhead: 10:28a Moon Underfoot: 10:58p

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 12:23p Moon Underfoot: None

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12:30 — 2:30 PM Sunrise: 7:09a Sunset: 7:09p Moonrise: 6:55a Moon Set: 7:32p

AM Minor: 5:20a AM Major: 11:34a PM Minor: 5:47p PM Major: 12:01p Moon Overhead: 1:17p Moon Underfoot: 12:50a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 PM Sunrise: 7:09a Sunset: 7:08p Moonrise: 8:02a Moon Set: 8:11p

AM Minor: 6:14a AM Major: 12:01a PM Minor: 6:41p PM Major: 12:27p Moon Overhead: 2:10p Moon Underfoot: 1:44a

G A M E ®

8/13/19 2:19 PM

SEPTEMBER 2019

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

30 «

High Tide: 5:29a Low Tide: 11:49a High Tide: 6:57p

1.58ft. 0.40ft. 1.80ft.

FEET

TUESDAY

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

12:32a 5:48a 12:38p 8:16p

1.11ft. 1.57ft. 0.24ft. 1.79ft.

WEDNESDAY

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

1:29a 6:02a 1:31p 9:43p

1.35ft. 1.56ft. 0.17ft. 1.78ft.

THURSDAY

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

2:53a 5:57a 2:29p 11:21p

1.54ft. 1.57ft. 0.16ft. 1.79ft.

FRIDAY

Low Tide:

3:35p

0.21ft.

SATURDAY

High Tide: 1:00a Low Tide: 4:48p

1.81ft. 0.27ft.

SUNDAY

6º

High Tide: 2:10a Low Tide: 6:02p

1.81ft. 0.34ft FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 PM Sunrise: 7:10a Sunset: 7:07p Moonrise: 9:09a Moon Set: 8:51p

AM Minor: 7:11a AM Major: 12:57a PM Minor: 7:37p PM Major: 1:24p Moon Overhead: 3:03p Moon Underfoot: 2:36a

12p

BEST TIME

3:00 — 5:00 PM Sunrise: 7:10a Sunset: 7:05p Moonrise: 10:15a Moon Set: 9:33p

AM Minor: 8:09a AM Major: 1:56a PM Minor: 8:36p PM Major: 2:23p

Moon Overhead: 3:56p Moon Underfoot: 3:30a

TexasOutdoorNation-1909-DIG.indd 63

12a

12p

BEST TIME

4:00 — 6:00 PM Sunrise: 7:11a Sunset: 7:04p Moonrise: 11:20a Moon Set: 10:17p

AM Minor: 9:10a AM Major: 2:56a PM Minor: 9:37p PM Major: 3:23p

Moon Overhead: 4:50p Moon Underfoot: 4:23a

12a

12p

BEST TIME

4:30 — 6:30 PM Sunrise: 7:11a Sunset: 7:03p Moonrise: 12:22p Moon Set: 11:05p

AM Minor: 10:10a AM Major: 3:56a PM Minor: 10:37p PM Major: 4:23p

Moon Overhead: 5:45p Moon Underfoot: 5:18a

12a

12p

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 7:02p Moonrise: 1:21p Moon Set: 11:55p

AM Minor: 11:08a AM Major: 4:54a PM Minor: 11:35p PM Major: 5:21p

Moon Overhead: 6:39p Moon Underfoot: 6:12a

12a

12p

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 7:01p Moonrise: 2:16p Moon Set: None

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 5:50a PM Minor: 12:03p PM Major: 6:16p Moon Overhead: 7:31p Moon Underfoot: 7:05a

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 PM Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 6:59p Moonrise: 3:05p Moon Set: 12:48a

AM Minor: 12:28a AM Major: 6:41a PM Minor: 12:54p PM Major: 7:07p

Moon Overhead: 8:22p Moon Underfoot: 7:57a

8/13/19 2:19 PM

Texas TASTED by BRYAN SLAVEN :: The Texas Gourmet

Cool off With Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp

RESH SHRIMP IS A FAVORITE of my family and me. This recipe uses one of my favorite products, My Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly. It is tangy along with a hint of spicy sweetness to create a flavorful, but light dish that will satisfy your seafood craving. I hope you enjoy!

½ lb. Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1//2 inch wide by 1/8-inch thick by 2-inch-long strips 12 slices of bacon- center cut and thin sliced Baste: 1 T. Butter 2 T. Lemon juice 3 T. TXG Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly 1/2 T. Dried thyme leaves (or fresh thyme leaves chopped fine) 1/2 T. Black pepper 1 Clove of fresh garlic minced 1/3 cup white wine (chardonnay) Heat above ingredients in a saucepan, bringing to a boil. Lower heat, stir well. Remove from heat after 5 minutes.

Ingredients: Serves 4 12 Large Shrimp peeled & deveined, leaving the tail on slightly butterflied 6 Jalapeno Peppers rinsed, halved and seeded 1 Purple onion cut into ½-inch wedges

Instructions: Place a slice of cheese into a jalapeno half, then place the onion wedge on top of the cheese then place the shrimp on top. While holding carefully, wrap with a slice of bacon to cover, Leaving the shrimp tail exposed. Toothpick closed to seal. Grilling instruction: Grill indirectly over medium-to-medium high heat on mesquite/ charcoal or gas grill. Be sure and brush with the basting sauce every time you turn the shrimp, but keep covered until turning to keep the temperature up. Grill until bacon is browned. Do not over cook. Maximum grilling time 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with Pineapple & Mango Pico de Gallo

« Email Bryan Slaven at bryan@thetexasgourmet.com

Bacon wrapped stuffed shrimp. A perfect meal for our warm Texas evenings!

S E P T E M B E R

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T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

PHOTO: BRYAN SLAVEN

8/8/19 1:40 PM

Outdoor DIRECTORY Guides & Outfitters

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TEXAS FRESHWATER

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GET YOUR TF&G APPAREL HERE!

WWW.FISHGAME.COM

GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.!

ORDER TODAY!!!

2019 EDITION

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1909 Outdoor Directory.indd 61

F I S H

G A M E Â®

S E P T E M B E R

2 0 1 9

8/8/19 1:37 PM

SPECKLED TROUT Port Aransas Emily Torres caught this 23-inch speckled trout ﬁshing with her grandpa, Charlie Torres in the north ﬂats off the Aransas Channel.

REDFISH Keith Lake Drake and Daylen Calaway caught this double of 21- and 25-inch redﬁsh while ﬁshing with their Pappy, Bob Bellow on Keith Lake.

COYOTE Panhandle

BREAM

Trey Webb gunned down this coyote while pheasant hunting in a corn row in the Panhandle. He said, “Maybe this is the reason there aren’t many pheasants.”

Caddo Lake Nathan Holland, along with his sons Jonathan and Grayson, front and right, and nephew Esau Powell, center, caught 247 bream at Caddo Lake over Memorial Day weekend.

BASS

WHITETAIL

Lake Pinkston

Nacogdoches

Allen Russell caught this nice bass while ﬁshing on Lake Pinkston.

S E P T E M B E R

1909-Reader Photos.indd 62

Emmett Pack killed his ﬁrst buck, while hunting in Nacogdoches County.

2 0 1 9

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

8/8/19 1:43 PM

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

ALSO—Publish Them NOW on the web: FishGame.com/hotshots No guarantee can be made as to when, or if, a submitted photo will be published.

BASS Lake Tawakoni

WHITETAIL

Eight-year-old Peyton Jarvis with a bass he caught while ﬁshing with his grandpa, Marshall Jarvis, and brothers Trenton and Parker on Lake Tawakoni.

Kansas Seven-year-old Hatcer Railsback took this giant whitetail with a crossbow while hunting in Kansas.

CATFISH Lake Murvaul John Paul Johnsen caught this nice catﬁsh while ﬁshing on Lake Murvaul.

REDFISH West Galveston Bay Penny Norris, of Arlington, and Ernie Horton of Galveston had a great afternoon ﬁshing on West Galveston Bay.

T E X A S

1909-Reader Photos.indd 63

F I S H

G A M E ®

S E P T E M B E R

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8/8/19 1:43 PM

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8/8/19 1:19 PM