Texas Fish & Game May 2020 by Texas Fish & Game

Gobbler Quest Mountain Merriams

May 2020 | $3.95

Five Fishing Mistakes and How to Fix Them Luck of the Draw: How to Win a Public Hunt Bears and Bighorns at Black Gap

www.FishGame.com

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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

Cabin Fever Has Gone Viral

PUBLISHERS

CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF

Y THE TIME THIS COLUMN REACHES THE EYES OF MOST READERS, THE Covid-19 crisis will have either started to recede or will still be advancing its savage assault. Either way, by then, a lot more pain, suffering and death will have been inflicted throughout the world and in particular across a huge swath of the American landscape. We’re Baby Boomers. Polio threatened our childhoods. We remember nuclear attack drills in our classrooms. We remember being kept home from school at the peak of the Cuban Missile Crisis. We watched the Vietnam War on TV every night with our parents. We sweated through doubledigit inflation in the late Seventies. We remember the worldwide panic that the AIDS epidemic sparked in the 1980s and 1990s. Of course, we remember 9/11. We certainly felt the pain of the Great Recession. We’ve ridden out hurricanes, tornadoes and floods. But we have never, in our lifetimes, seen anything on this scale. No event or threat, not the real fear of nuclear annihilation, not the shock of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, not polio or AIDS, not Katrina or Ike or Harvey, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, genocidal wars or even the Kardashians have been able to do what this virus has done—bring all of the world’s economies to a screeching halt and capture the undivided attention of nearly every person on the face of the Earth. Everything from big league sports to the most mundane of daily tasks has taken a backseat to this coronavirus, and with good reason. No one was immune to it when it struck, and so it spread like a global wildfire. Even though the majority of those infected show mild or even no symptoms, there seems to be an almost Russian Roulette nature to it—no rhyme or reason to who gets really sick or even dies, and who doesn’t, regardless of age or prior health condition. So we have to take it seriously. “Social Distancing” will be a top contender for Merriam Webster’s Word of the Year. Toilet paper and hand sanitizer are the new Bitcoin. Working from home is a lot more do-able than bosses ever believed. Life as we know it has changed, and some things very likely forever. How long this crisis lasts is still unknown as we write this in early April. It is also unknown how much more our lives will change before they begin to shift back to what may become the new normal. So we all have had to find ways to cope and to deal with the day-to-day inconveniences and anxieties of whatever lock-down conditions we may be under. Stay-in-place orders and quarantines allow for, and even encourage outdoor activity. Sunlight is a reliable ally in the battle against viruses, and getting outdoors is a proven treatment for cabin fever. Not everyone is fortunate to be holed up in a lake house or bay front cabana, or on a nice piece of huntable land. If you are, we know how you will be dealing with the isolation. But access for everybody else is becoming a problem. Boat ramps and beaches have been closed. State parks and many community parks are also being shuttered in the name of public safety. Meanwhile, mixed signals are coming from our leaders. While access was being increasingly restricted, the State government declared fishing and hunting “Essential Activities.” This is a rapidly moving story, and paper-and-ink journalism is not the best tool for keeping up with it. Fortunately, TEXAS FISH & GAME has digital versions that can bring you the latest developments. Go to FishGame.com for news on the pandemic and its impact on the outdoors. There, you can sign up to receive our free emal newsletter which will include special editions for Covid-19 updates. If and when the State sorts out how they intend to facilitate the “essential” pursuit of fishing and hunting, we’ll be on top of it. We will also share creative ideas for helping active sportsmen deal with this forced downtime. As you read this, most of us will have been cooped up for a month, and probably still don’t know when we can get back to enjoying the full bounty of the Texas Outdoors. One thing to consider: Because this is such an unprecedented crisis, it has been difficult to forecast the ultimate outcome while in the midst of fighting it. Yes, we should have seen it coming and we sat on our asses while it advanced beyond our defenses, but let’s leave the finger pointing to the historians. For now, let’s focus on the one aspect of this event that defines it—its utter uniqueness in the realm of modern crises. Once the health impact has been absorbed and, hopefully, resolved, the world will have to deal with the economic aftermath of entire industries being frozen in place for months, off-the charts CONTINUED ON PAGE

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T E X A S

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

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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 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., 3431 Rayford Road, Ste 200-408, Spring, TX 77386. ©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, 3431 Rayford Road, Ste 200-408, Spring, TX 77386. 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, 3431 Rayford Road, Ste 200408, Spring, TX 77386. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 3431 Rayford Road, Ste 200-408, Spring, TX 77386. 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 May 2020 | Vol. 37 • No. 1

FEATURE ARTICLES

10 of Texas Angler’s Rodeo (STAR) is still scheduled to kick off on Memorial Day, May 25. Due to the uncertainty of the Covid-19 crisis, CCA Texas has developed contingency plans in case conditions have not improved enough by the traditional start date for it to begin on schedule. In the event the tournament schedule does change, CCA Texas will announce the changes shortly after the end of April, well before the May 25 start date. Tournament director Bill Kinney expressed optimism, with his typical life afirming enthusiasm, that STAR will be able to proceed as planned. With that in mind, we will move on and discuss the tournament itself, in particular looking at a few strategies that might help you win it! STAR gives anglers along the coast a shot at winning big prizes for catching big fish through Labor Day.

Nina Garrett shoulders a stringer of Rockport reds. She and Charles Garrett were camped out on a reef at Rockport with fellow Oath Shark fishing team members, stocking up on fish for an upcoming veterans shark fishing trip. After one one so-so day, the following morning Nina waded a mile through deep mud and found a killer redfish hole. Cast after cast yielded red after red, including a 28-inch 9-pounder. Everyone in the party limited out. They released the 28-incher and a few of the other larger fish.

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S.T.A.R. POWER CCA’s epic contest is still set to kick off this Memorial Day. And now, more than ever, do we need it.

by TF&G Staff

LUCK OF THE DRAW Want a low-cost big game hunt? Put your name in the hat for a chance to draw from thousands of public hunting permits.

by Matt Williams

TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION

COLUMNS

T E X A S

by TF&G Staff

photo by Nina Garrett

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COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

A look at five common errors that most anglers make, and how to fix them.

S OF PRESS TIME FOR THIS ARTICLE, THE STATE

ON THE COVER

ANGLER MISTAKES

Editor’s Notes

GOBBLER QUEST Pursuing Merriams turkeys in the mountains.

by Chester Moore

by CHESTER MOORE

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Doggett at Large by JOE DOGGETT

Texas Saltwater

by CALIXTO GONZALES

The TF&G Report • News of the Nation Texas HotShots • Trophy Photos

Texas Freshwater by MATT WILLIAMS

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Texas Whitetails by LARRY WEISHUHN

Open Season

by REAVIS WORTHAM

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Letters

by TFG Readers

DEPARTMENTS Black Gap WMA

Outdoor Directory F I S H

& Game 34 Fish Forecast Center 50 Sportsman’s Daybook

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Special Section

Fish & Game Photos by TFG Readers

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LETTERS to the Editor Coronavirus Coverage THANK YOU FOR THE CORONAVIrus coverage in your e-newsletter. I trust Texas Fish & Game, and it has been great to see you have updates on how this all impacts and translates to the outdoors world. Jason Bates

includes “workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges.” The governor also mentioned in his press release that it does not prohibit people from engaging in essential daily activities, such as hunting or fishing, provided that the necessary precautions are maintained to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and to minimize in-person contact with people who are not in the same household. Things might have changed by the time you get this issue but we thought a governor considering hunting and fishing “essential” was quite noteworthy. If you don’t already subscribe to our e-newsletter you can do so at fishgame.com. We are posting COVID-19 related stories multiple times a week.

I FOUND THE STORY ON THE COVID-19 origins with animals and wildlife interesting. Thanks for keeping us updated! Bayley Tucker THANKS FOR KEEPING US UP TO date on beach closures related to the coronavirus. There are lots of conflicting stories out there and it’s nice to know some professionals are keeping up with these developments. Pete Stark

Hunting & Fishing are ‘Essential’ AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING, Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order implementing Essential Services and Activities Protocols for Texas that will override previous local orders and be in effect through April 30th-just after you should recieve this issue. According to the NRA-ILA, protocols allow exceptions for essential activities and services based on the Department of Homeland Security’s guidelines on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, which

Flounder Hearing DID THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDlife Department (TPWD) go on with their March board meeting and vote in the flounder and other proposals? I haven’t heard anything one way or the other. Joe Kemp Editor: We covered it in our 3-23 e-newsletter. Here’s TPWD’s direct statement.

Inside Fish & Game t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 unemployment and supply chain disruption. But unlike the Great Depression and the World Wars, the economic wounds inﬂicted by this crisis hit a substantially stronger body. Who is to say that our recovery won’t be rapid and robust? That is the upside of traversing such an uncharted path. All we have to do is survive—get to the other side. And we will. Until then, we just have to sit tight, watch our backs, and wait it out. Things like this remind us of W.T. Stapler, the old head football coach at Conroe High School. He used to push his varsity players onto the practice ﬁelds on hellishly hot September afternoons with the enticing promise, “Time is gonna pass, boys. Time is gonna pass.” This will end. We will come out of it. Time is gonna pass.

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

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Amid growing public health concerns, the March meeting of the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) Commission previously scheduled for March 25-26 has been canceled. All agenda items have been postponed until May 21. This includes the recommendation to close all flounder fishing Nov. 1-Dec. 14. “In light of what is happening with the public health and safety concerns surrounding COVID19, this cancellation is the safe and prudent thing to do,” said Carter Smith, TPWD executive director. “The health and well-being of our constituents, staff and commissioners will always be our highest priority. While this delay may create some uncertainty surrounding the upcoming license year, moving consideration of many of these items to the May Commission meeting should not pose a significant disruption to the overall regulatory process. We encourage any Texans who were following items being heard by the commission to remain engaged on these issues and let us continue to hear from you online through the public comment period.” Postponed briefings and action items include the statewide proclamations for recreational and commercial saltwater and freshwater fishing proclamations, hunting, and migratory game bird regulation recommendations, containment and surveillance zone boundaries associated with chronic wasting disease (CWD) detection, oyster mariculture rules, land transactions and formation rules for new agency advisory committees. Public comment periods for action items such as the statewide hunting, freshwater and saltwater fishing recommendations, agency advisory committees, and CWD have been extended until the May commission meeting. Remarks can be submitted on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Public Comment page. Currently, the Commission is planning to hear in-person public comments on action items during the meeting on May 21. The TPW Commission continues to work with TPWD staff to monitor the evolving health situation in Texas and will adjust its meeting schedule as necessary to safeguard public health while maintaining its statutory responsibilities to oversee the operations of the department.

Email your comments to: editor@ﬁshgame.com

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

NYTHING WE PUT IN THIS issue will be overshadowed by the global pandemic known as COVID-19 (coronavirus). Our hope is to keep you informed as it relates to the outdoors world and hopefully inspired and entertained in what is no doubt an unprecedented time in history in terms of worldwide clampdown on freedoms. Justified or not, freedoms have been restricted. From thousands of event cancellations to travel restrictions, it has the entire world in a combination of panic and confusion. And as usual during such a time, rumors spread like wildfire and this includes among outdoors lovers. One rumor is humans can contract the virus from fish and should avoid fishing and buying live bait. This is due to the fact scientists believe the first person that contracted the disease got it from a market that sold live fish in Wuhan, China. Numerous countries that trade live fish with China including Indonesia ceased operations due to the threat. According to an article in the New York Times, “The market was later shut down and disinfected, making it nearly impossible to investigate which animal may have been the exact origin.” What many have not reported is the market also sold many live birds and other animals. Officials believe bats which are a known virus vector could be the source or the endangered pangolin, which is trafficked throughout Asia and sold as a delicacy. No one is pointing to the fish as a source of the virus. While this virus seems to have emerged from an animal source, it is now spreading from person-to-person in China according to

“

We need to do what we can to support conservation groups during this time.

“

Cause> Coronavirus

Another rumor has been that since Chinese officials have put a ban on the eating of “wild animals” under very specific guidelines there is danger on consuming wild game taken here in America. China has put some restrictions on “wild animals” but this is a very different scenario than in America where wild game is hunted and then eaten. China has large markets where wild animals ranging from civet cats to snakes are sold by the thousands. They are crammed together in small areas. Imagine a giant East Texas farmer’s market but with reptiles, birds and mammals instead of tomatoes and watermelons. So far there is no warning from CDC about wild game and it is my opinion that will not become an issue in terms of wild game taken directly from the field. By the time this issue hits your mailbox or inbox, we have no idea what the status will be. T E X A S

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Some are saying 18 months of closures, while others expect it to blow over by June. This editor is praying this story is irrelevant by the time it makes print. One thing that is clear is that we need to keep our cause ahead of the coronavirus. Of course, we need to be safe. Of course, we need to use wisdom, but we need to keep the cause of wildlife conservation at the forefront of what we’re doing. Ducks Unlimited, Coastal Conservation Association, The National Wild Turkey Federation, Wild Sheep Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Trout Unlimited, Mule Deer Foundation and many other conservation organizations have canceled major banquets and fundraising events. As a result, millions of dollars that would go toward conservation stalled. Hunting and fishing trips around the nation and world were canceled, putting dramatic hardships on outfitters. At the time of this writing my friend Scott Smith of Canadian Wilderness Outfitters was looking at closed Canadian borders and an upcoming bear season that relies a good portion on American hunters. We need to do what we can to support conservation groups during this time. If you can afford it, donate to the cause of your choice. If you would have normally bid on a painting at one of the banquets, donate your amount limit to that group. If you have an out of state or country trip, postpone if you can and don’t cancel. You might just save your hunt and potentially help save an outfitter’s business. If there has ever been a time we need to put faith in God and put our energy into prayer, hard work and supporting our fellow man and wildlife resources, it is now. This can be a moment where we rose to the occasion or hide in fear. Let’s rise up together and make a difference for the causes we love.

CDC officials. “There is no reason to think that any animals including pets in the United States might be a source of infection with this new coronavirus. To date, CDC has not received any reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19. At this time, there is no evidence that companion animals including pets can spread COVID-19. However, since animals can spread other diseases to people, it’s always a good idea to wash your hands after being around animals.”

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Email Chester Moore at CMoore@ﬁshgame.com |

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

Special Places

sagged into the water and stirred back and forth. The newcomer carried a light spinning rod fitted with a small open-faced reel. The reel was a Mitchell 308, the new “ultralight” model, very high-tech alongside our pushbutton rigs. It probably was spooled with six-pound mono. As we watched, he reeled-in to re-bait. A small cork about the size of a quarter was positioned about two feet above a small hook with a long shank and a wide gap. A single tiny split shot was pinched midway on the line. The thin-wire hook was gold. We could see it flash as he impaled a shiner minnow. The rigging was spare and simple, but clean and functional. I glanced with growing embarrassment at my terminal setup. My red-and-white plastic bobber looked as big as a tennis ball. The snap swivel and heavy hook were clunky in the early light. Buddy was no better; his jazzy, snazzy leader with the red beads and gaudy swivels looked downright ridiculous. The tall kid flicked the rod with a low, smooth sidearm lob. The cork dropped softly in the green water beyond the weed mat. He engaged the bail on the 308, held the tip high, and slowly took up the slack, drawing the cork closer to the outside edge of the mat. The cork floated right on the corner at the mouth of the cove. The dark surface was slick, and we could see the faint shiver and dip as the minnow struggled. The little cork was a delicate transmitter. The only time my imposing red-andwhite orb had plunged under was when a big, red-eared slider turtle grabbed the chunk of raw bacon. As Buddy and I watched, the cork slanted down with undeniable authority into the green. The tall kid leaned forward with the rod, then set the hook with a smart sweep. The limber rod bent as the cork chased away under the surface. Then a largemouth bass jumped, flailing and twisting. It weighed about two pounds but at that moment looked as regal as any

HE SMALL COVE OF THE OLD Hermann Park duck pond was a special place. The corner was surrounded by tall pines and oaks. It was somewhat insulated from the nearby Houston Zoo foot traffic. The banks were rimmed with aquatic “coon tail” moss, and the open water was green and deep. In junior high days of narrow confines and limited goals, this mysterious water beckoned with thrilling promise. It was the wilderness edge of summer vacation. Catching small bluegill sunfish was easier in the shallows near the wooden piers and bulkheads, but Buddy and I were drawn to the cove. We had yet to catch a bass in there, but we knew it was a prime location. The promise was frustrating and infuriating. Casts with big bobbers and dangling baits drew blanks. Retrieves with my prized Lucky 13 plug and Buddy’s Shyster in-line spinner usually fouled in the shoreline belt of weeds. One Saturday morning of that long-ago summer, Buddy and I walked with our pushbutton spincast rigs from the park entrance to “our” back cove. We were talking and joking, tossing pinecones at the obnoxious flocks of white ducks. We were almost to the cove before I saw the tall, slim dark-haired kid. Buddy and I said nothing, but measured the newcomer. He looked several years older than we were. He was dressed in drab clothes and stood motionless beside a dark tree trunk on the east bank, on the shadowed side of the water. He was easy to overlook. The early sun was just topping the pines, and he already had staked out his spot. An aluminum bait bucket with perforated sides was tethered by the bank. Hanging from the curved handle of the bucket was one of those old metal clip-type stringers. The stringer

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salmon. The bass fell back and dove, miring in the moss. The newcomer reeled slowly, then slowly, firmly, lifted against the weight. The bass uprooted, skating across the surface mat. Tendrils of coontail draped across the open maw, and the tail curled stiffly. The kid reached with thumb and forefinger to clamp the lower jaw and lifted the prize to remove the hook. Then he bent to the bait bucket and hoisted the tethered stringer. I never will forget that gleaming sight. Many thousands of fishing memories later, I still hold that bright image. Seven or eight bass dangled and flapped from the clips. The bounty of green and gold and silver was stunning. To put it in perspective, Buddy and I didn’t have half a dozen bass between us for the whole Hermann Park summer. We looked at each other; at least we were correct about the cove. The tall kid grabbed the empty bucket and heavy stringer and walked away. Buddy and I never talked to him. Maybe we were intimidated, maybe we were jealous. Probably both. Big lessons can be learned from small water. I became more aware of stealth and finesse. I learned to utilize cover and to move less and look more. I no longer was content to flail and bumble on the outside; I strived to go inside the realm of the fish. I became a predator. That is one of the great lessons of successful angling. It applies on any water, under any circumstances. Some anglers with fine tackle and extensive travel fail to grasp this significance. They remain random traffic on the outside. I was fortunate to embrace that lesson early, and I never saw my tall teacher again.

« Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Five Common Fishing Errors and How to Fix Them

TF&G Staff Report

ISHING MEANS MANY THINGS TO MANY PEOPLE. FOR MOST it’s relaxing recreation. For some it’s a way to make a living through tournaments and endorsements. For others it’s a way to connect with the dreams of childhood. No matter which group you fall into, there is no question all fishermen want to catch more and bigger fish. That means doing the best you can on the water and in planning and gear selection before the trip begins. This list of five mistakes anglers make is all about pointing out the obvious as well as the not so obvious and suggesting quick fixes. Here we go…

Under Pressure: “Wind from the north fish do not go forth? Wind from the south blows bait in their mouth?” Ever heard that saying? How about this one? “Wind from the east, fish bite the least. Wind from the west, fish bite the best.”

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These two features work together to truly reduce backlashes while still allowing the reel to perform amazing distance with unmatched control by using both magnetic braking and centrifugal braking technology. Additionally, the Daiwa adjuster spool provides settings to fine-tune the spool tension. The T-Wing System level wind opens-up line feed. These two features work together to help you cast longer and more accurately. This provides you the stress-free control of not having to worry about backlash when casting in the wind, skipping baits or casting light lures.

Wrong Gear Ratio:

Even the best anglers have the occasional backlash.

lures and be ready for a soft bite. Throwing those super-sized lures is probably not going to get the job done.

Wind direction can make a difference, depending on where you fish, yet many anglers take these sayings at face value. A universal force that impacts fish, no matter where you are is barometric pressure. Barometric pressure is the probably the least understood aspect of fishing. It’s one I am continually exploring. High pressure puts a strain on fish and typically makes them a bit finicky and sometimes there’s no effect. Pressure falling or on a downward trend means a strong bite. That’s why the day immediately following a front is beautiful (clear skies with high pressure), but the fishing is subpar. Some suggest pressure over 30.20 is too high, and if it gets below 29.80 things can get a little shaky. If it’s above 30 and falling you have ideal conditions. Remember if you are fishing high-pressure days, use light line, small

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Backlash:

Even the best anglers have dreaded backlash incidents. It’s amazing and disheartening to see line you spent time spooling the night before going into a mass of knots that only a knife can undo. Adjusting your drag according to the size lure or bait you throw helps as does practice, but some new technology makes a difference. One solution is a reel that greatly reduces your chances of backlash, such as the Daiwa Tatula SV TW103. What really makes this reel special is the patented SV spool and air brake technology.

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Sometimes you can have the right lure and fish in the right spot, but are using a reel with the wrong gear ratio. A prime example is with topwater bass fishing. Topwaters are great for catching big bass. When you have a falling barometer and the fish are in heavy feeding mode, try “walking the dog” as fast as you can in transition zones between deep and shallow water. Any spot where the water drops immediately from say three feet, to eight or 10 feet is a killer place to find a monster bass. You will need a reel with a higher ratio of at least 7:1 or up to 8:1 for this technique. Topwater fishing creates a lot of slack in the line, and a higher gear ratio helps you take up that slack quickly for hookset. For slower strategies such as slow rolling a spinnerbait, a lower gear ratio is preferable. The Tatula SV TW103 for example comes in three settings. Standard (6.3:1) High Speed (7.3:1) Hyper speed ( 8.1:1) should have most of the bases covered for serious anglers.

Heavy Casting:

One of the biggest mistakes anglers make is not learning to make soft landings with their lures. This is magnified fishing in clear water and in small bodies such as ponds because the fish can be so much spookier, particularly in a heavy pressured area. Learning to cast softly and keep the lure just above the water’s surface when it lands (when possible) is a highly valuable skill. Many anglers are concerned about noises made on the boat, but often do not consider the noise they make when a lure hits the water. “Soft” casting can be a difference maker.

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Send Casting Errors Reeling THE DAIWA DEVELOPMENT TEAM HAS REDESIGNED THE TATUla SV reel to be the smallest and lightest and most stress-free reel they have ever built. It comes in at a featherweight of 6.9 ounces, and it may be the lightest, most controlled casting reel in the market today. Comfort is enhanced by a smaller low-proﬁle design and soft touch handle knobs. It is formed around an aluminum frame and chassis providing rigidity and a smooth perfor-

mance. The100 size Tatula SV is available in Standard (6.3:1) High Speed (7.3:1) Hyper speed (8.1:1) all gear ratios come in both left- and right-hand models.

Tatula SV TW103

Not Matching the Hatch:

Anyone can catch fish when they are feeding aggressively. It takes skill to get bit when they are not so hungry. Anglers need to focus on matching the hatch, no matter whether they are seeking

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bass on big reservoirs, trout in streams or redfish on the bays. In other words, be cognizant of what the fish are feeding on. When bass are eating crawfish, red/ brown colors are good and so are crawfish imitations. When redfish are schooling

under schools of shrimp, something in a rootbeer (if it’s brown shrimp) or glow (if it’s white shrimp) can be the difference maker. Study the areas you fish and the primary baitfish of your quarry. Keep a variety of colors, shape and lure sizes on hand to help you match the hatch and catch more and bigger fish.

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

FiftyYear-Old Thoughts

bunch of skipjack, and I was hooked. Jointed plugs have had a place in my tackle arsenal ever since. Call them what you will, jointed plugs, broken back minnows, segmented lures, Herman the Wonder Plug. There is no disputing the effectiveness of jointed lures such as the Jointed Red Fin, the Bomber Jointed Long A, or the Sebile Magic Swimmer. Segmented lures have been real fish catchers for decades. Through the 1980s, the ultimate big-trout killer up and down the coast, especially in Baffin Bay, was the Red Fin in pink back, silver sides, yellow belly, the classic Texas Chicken. The redheaded, jointed Long A ran a close second, and the long-extinct Mirrolure Snake Dancer claimed its share of Galveston Bay yellow mouths. Broken back was the king of wall hanger lures. Over time, first Spook-style top waters, and then the Corky, took over the spot that belonged to the jointed plug, and rightfully so. Both catch plenty of big fish, not just trout. What wasn’t replaced was the former king’s effectiveness. I have become a die-hard swim bait aficionado over the years (I’m also in the middle of a Kelly Wigglers renaissance, but that’s a column for another time), but I still throw the broken back more than a couple of times each season. When snook are chasing mullet along the mangroves in South Bay, I break out the Long A and let fly. The combination of heft (most are ¾ ounce) and thin profile, allow me to make long casts, and linesiders can’t abide the erratic wiggle of a well-retrieved plug. They absolutely crush it. A Red Fin is my go-to bait near docks and channel points in the Ship Channel, and I’ve often let one trail behind my boat during long drifts. They rarely fail to produce. On the occasions that they do fail, so has everything else I’ve used. The different applications speak to jointed lures’ versatility. The industrial-sized Long A is still a popular trolling bait for kingfish and dolphins along weed lines and oilrigs. Some surf anglers fling them off the points of jetties and breakwaters form Bolivar to Brazos Santiago.

TURNED 50 BACK IN JANUARY. That personal landmark makes a body begin to think about old habits and tendencies. It made me realize a few realities. I’m old school. I may be progressive about issues such as education, but in my soul, I’m old school. So, let’s talk old school. Let’s talk returning to the roots of saltwater artificial fishing. Let’s talk broken backs. The first artificial I ever used was the Beetle Spin spinnerbait in Catalpa Worm. The second one was a Cotton Cordell Jointed Red Fin. An old fisherman who saw me with the Beetle Spin tied to my spinning rod, heard the snide comments of the guides at the marina about “the dumb 13-year-old kid not knowing a bass lure when he saw one,” and handed me the slightlyused but functioning lure. “Why don’t you put that in your tackle box and save it for another trip,” the old gentleman said. “I hope you shut those guys up someday.” I would like to tell you that I went out the next morning, tied that Red Fin on my line and absolutely whacked the trout with it, but if anyone remembers an earlier column, “Spin Cycle,” you’d know that would be untrue. The fact is that I didn’t touch another lure for five years. I was 18 years old and treated myself to a trip over to Port Mansfield. My mom had given me $20 for the trip (big money back in 1988), and in my excitement, I had left it on my dresser that morning. So, I had no money for bait. In despair, I opened my tackle box and looked for anything that might give me a fighting chance. There, in the center tray of my old Plano was that Red Fin. I grabbed it, my rod, and went fishing. I caught one trout that day, along with a 14

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When redfish school in bays during late summer and early fall to feed just before migrating, sling a Texas Chicken in their midst and hang on. It may seem mysterious why the jointed plug has fallen from grace after so long a run on top. The easiest explanation is the growth in popularity of saltwater lure fishing over the past 20 years. More effective artificial baits are on the market than a single angler could ever use in a lifetime. There are new designs and colors, each being the next ultimate fish catcher. Ironically, the jointed plug is still among the easiest lures to use, much like the spoon— another lure that has fallen in popularity over the years. However, I know of at least two captains, the Neu brothers in Port Mansfield, who swear by them as redfish killers. You can literally fish one out of the box without having to learn a new retrieve. You can cast and wind all day, and the inherent action of the lure’s design gives you a good chance of success. From there, you can begin experimenting with retrieve styles, whether it’s a pull-pause, or a slow-and-steady, or a frenetic fleeing-baitfish retrieve. The only thing that limits you is your imagination. A perk of the growth in the saltwater lure industry is that jointed lures have also benefitted from the explosion. Alongside Cotton Cordell, Bomber, and Sebile, companies such as Reaction Strike, Strike King, Rapala, Smithwick and many others have their versions of segmented lures. Some are designed with multiple sections, which have a slithering action that fish love. Try the pull-pause retrieve with a Magic Swimmer and see what happens. I still have that old Red Fin. It’s scratched up, and the hooks are misshapen from years of being straightened and re-bent. I doubt the split rings could handle a pinfish, much less a big trout. It stays in my tackle box, however. Call it a joint resolution from the past.

« Email Cal Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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

Packing On The Pounds

NTHONY SHARP REELED IN a tall spot in Texas tournament lore last February when he wrangled a limit of Sam Rayburn bass so enormous in size that it sounds like something straight out of a fairy tale book.

PHOTO: COURTESY ANTHONY SHARP

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Sharp did the damage with a chartreuse/ blue back Strike King 8XD crankbait and a Carolina-rigged green pumpkin magic Zoom Baby Brush Hog. He described the magical spot as a flat section at the end of a point in about 17 to 20 feet of water. The point is flanked by a drain on one side and 40 feet of water on the other. Although a few larger sacks have been reported elsewhere across Texas and beyond, Sharp’s catch may be the biggest five-fish bag ever weighed by one angler during a tournament on Sam Rayburn.

Competing in an FLW Bass Fishing League event, the 42-year-old pipeline worker from Village Mills caught five bass totaling 40 pounds, 6 ounces—an 8.12-pound average. The catch crushed second place by more than 21 pounds and earned Sharp $7,000. Village Mills angler Anthony Sharp (far right) had a magical morning on Sam Rayburn Reservoir on February 15 when he reeled in a ﬁve-ﬁsh limit weighing 40 pounds, 6 ounces during an FLW Bass Fishing League event. Sharp’s catch, may be the heaviest single-day weight ever recorded by one angler during a Sam Rayburn tournament. It ranks as the third heaviest in BFL history.

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gest single day, individual tournament limit reported from Texas waters since George Herr caught 40-15 on Toledo Bend in 2014. It is the third heaviest in BFL history behind 40-14 weighed in 2011 by Rogne Brown at Lake Chickamauga in Tennessee, and 40-11 caught in 2015 by Casey Martin at Alabama’s Lake Guntersville. Arizona bass pro Dean Rojas has held the BASS all-time, five-bass weight record since 2001 with 45-2 at Florida’s Lake Toho. Keith Combs of Huntington set the FLW all-time, single day weight record in 2010 with a monster Lake Falcon limit weighing 41-3. The biggest single day individual weight ever recorded in a Texas tournament (44-4) was caught in April 2008 at Falcon by Florida’s Terry Scroggins. Even bigger totals have been brought to the scales in Texas team events. Anglers compete two-to-a-boat in team derbies. Teams may weigh five fish. The biggest Texas team limit of all-time is 49.31. Danny Iles and Brian Shook reeled in the massive bag during a Texas Team Trail event held last February on Sam Rayburn. Terry Oldham and Jamie Buitron hold the Bass Champs all-time, record with a 45.45 catch in 2012, also from Falcon. Lake Conroe has kicked out its share of big bags in the past, but none to compare to the 45-10 limit brought to the scales in January 2011 by Willis anglers Dusty Schultz and Rusty Lawson.

The limit was anchored by a double-digit fish Sharp didn’t even bother to weigh for big bass. He won the $1,000 big bass pot with his second-biggest bass, a 9-14. “I was so shook-up, I grabbed the wrong fish out of the bag by mistake,” he chuckled. “The bigger one weighed close to 11, but it really didn’t matter. This whole deal freaked me out. I went out that day thinking I might catch a high 20s sack. To go out and catch 40 pounds was unreal. I had no idea I had that much. I still can’t believe it.” Sharp was familiar with the area and claims he caught a sixpounder off the spot during a small club tournament the weekend before the BFL. On his electronics, he also saw several other fish that refused to bite. Sharp played it smart at that point. He left the area hoping the fish would hang tight until the following morning. “I told my wife I thought I had a shot at winning, but I really had no idea what I was on,” he said. “All I could do was hope they stayed put.” They did. The magic happened quick, too. Sharp said it took about an hour to assemble a limit of bass so plump they wouldn’t fit in the starboard side live well of his Triton bass boat. To remedy the dilemma, he contacted tournament director Brad Callihan by cell phone and asked for permission to use some space in the port side live well, which was reserved for his co-angler, Antwon Harris of DeRidder, LA. “I’ve never gotten a phone call like that, but it was a pretty good problem for him to have,” Callihan said. “I was really expecting him to have 30 pounds or something like that. I had to do a double check when I put them on the scales. Catching 40 pounds is a once-in-a-lifetime bag for anybody.”

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The Texas angler’s 40-6 catch ranks among tournament lore’s biggest bags.

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« Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

Other Mega Sacks SHARP’S MEGA SACK ISN’T THE heaviest ever brought to the scales in an individual bass tournament, but it’s the big16

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COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

4/8/20 5:01 PM

HE STATE OF TEXAS ANGLERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RODEO (S.T.A.R.) HAS kicked off on Memorial Day each year for the last 30 years. Offering anglers unprecedented opportunities to score on huge prizes, scholarships and fun, affordable competition, it is a pillar of the Texas coastal fishing community. But entering its 31st season, COVID-19 looms. The global pandemic at the time of this writing has shut down much of the world and no one is sure when restrictions on gatherings and travel will be lifted. At the time of this writing, its May 25 kick-off was still scheduled but S.T.A.R. officials would be evaluating conditions April 30, about the time this issue hits newsstands. Like everything since the coronavirus entered the world stage, things with S.T.A.R. could change and we will have all updates through our e-newsletter, fishgame.com and the Texas Fish & Game Facebook and Instagram pages. S.T.A.R. Director Bill Kinney said there is no better place for social distancing than along the Texas Gulf Coast and that as we seek God and the healing that can be found in the great outdoors, it is his hope S.T.A.R. will go on as planned.

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Three trout contenders

“There is true healing to be found in creation and we hope everyone who wants to fish S.T.A.R. this year has that opportunity. Fishing for many of us is such an important part of relieving the stress of life and living that life to its fullest,” Kinney said. For anglers who participate in this year’s

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tournament and heed the call of saltwater social distancing, the most talked about category is tagged redfish. And while they are dispersed all over the state and move around plenty once released, one thing is for sure. You have to be where redfish congregate to catch them. So, here

are some tips on finding summer reds in Texas. In the summer, mid-coast reds will be feeding in seagrass beds in Aransas and Redfish Bays. Some of these areas are off limits to boats with propellers but those in which anglers can fish without restrictions

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Tagged red

are best fished with live bait. Live croaker or mullet pitched in the sand holes between grass pockets is a sure way to score on reds. In the Laguna Madre area, anglers will be targeting reds up through fall along the edges of the Intracoastal and in the many little inlets between Corpus Christi and Port

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Mansfield. Topwaters like the Top Dog, Jr. and Skitter Walk are great for sight-casting to these reds in the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s super clear waters. For anglers with boats, the Sabine, north Galveston and Surfside Jetties are loaded with reds right now. Look for deep holes alongside the rocks to hold the most fish

PHOTOS COURTESY CCA TEXAS

with the boating cuts being a secondary and sometimes highly productive option. Live mullet is the best bait for the jetties, but artificial lures will work well too. Chunking a Â˝-ounce gold Rat-L-Trap or a chunking a big gold spoon tipped with squid or shrimp down into the deep holes works good for the jetty reds as well. Be warned however that when fishing the lighter tackle required for using lures, the reds can easily run straight into the rocks and you will not only lose the fish but your expensive lures. Summer months bring speckled trout out to the open waters of the bay systems, where drifting becomes important. In the Aransas, Corpus Christi Bay area, drifting over seagrass and mixed shell is the key to finding specks. From Matagorda into Galveston Bay, anglers typically drift over shell and target emerging slicks, where the specks have been feeding on baitfish. Live shrimp under popping corks and topwaters are the best bets. On the upper coast in Sabine Lake, anglers target big schools of menhaden (called shad locally) and drift with live or fresh dead shad under popping corks in the open area from

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PHOTO COURTESY CCA TEXAS

Nice redďŹ sh entry

about a mile north of Garrison Ridge up toward the Barrel Channel on the north end. Anglers should also consider surf fishing for super-sized trout. Matagorda is known for its beastly summer surf trout but the area around High Island should not be ignored. It gives up impressive fish on those days when the sandy green water reaches the beach. To consistently bag good numbers of

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

The northern tier of the Galveston Bay system holds many flounder during summer as do places in the Sabine system like Johnson Bayou and Coffee Ground Cove. Cooler water temperatures usually mean a higher content of dissolved oxygen which benefits flounder two-fold. First, it gives them more oxygen, which they need to be effective predators, and secondly it attracts more baitfish. It is important to remember that tides dictate how flounder will be feeding. On a fast falling tide, they move in close to the drainage in tight schools. When it is falling slowly, they might scatter out around the mouth of a drainage or up into the marsh. They will do the same thing during the first hour or so of an incoming tide. Then they will usually move into the cuts. I have always had far more success on incoming tides during summer months. Anglers seeking sheepshead during the S.T.A.R. might want to try fishing a live shrimp under a popping cork is also a great way to catch them. When the water clears up, these fish can be line shy so use a fluorocarbon leader under the

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PHOTO COURTESY CCA TEXAS

cork for best results. Fluorocarbon is virtually invisible and it also has low-stretch properties, which enhances its sensitivity. Many anglers use small treble hooks which the fish ingest, but with regulations that require us to throw back many of the sheepshead we catch that is probably not a good idea. Anglers have their best luck with thick, short-shanked hooks. Hook girth is something to consider due to the fact these fish often bite through thin hooks. S.T.A.R. made gafftopsail catfish a star among anglers and they are easy pickings during the warmer months. The key is finding pockets of big ones. Gafftops are like their freshwater cousins in that they are suckers for chum and will hit just about any kind of bait. Taking a small chum basket and fishing from a pier or rock jetty can be extremely effective especially when fishing a dead shrimp or chunk of cut bait. Chumming in the surf is not recommended if you plan on wading of course. You might invite sharks. Not good. Rigging up for gafftop is easy. A simple free-line with a 10/0 circle hook connected

A gafftop taking the spotlight

to 17-pound test or better is usually more than adequate. When pursuing gafftops in the surf, use a typical fish-finder (Carolina) rig with a wide-gapped hook works great. Popping corks with cut bait fished under them is also a great way to catch these slimy creatures. Other good areas are the jetty systems along the coast and around nearshore oil

and gas platforms where some of the biggest “slimers” in the state dwell for anglers who have access to them. And hopefully we all have access to every spot on the Gulf Coast and life gets back to normal in the great state of Texas and beyond.

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

Time for Predator Control

HEN IT COMES TO THE whitetail fawns on our property, I want to make certain all the fawns born have a chance to survive. I do not want coyotes or bobcats making the decision as to what stays and what gets eaten,” said my old rancher friend. “I rather consider myself a ‘fawn rancher’. “Years ago, we only had a few hunters on our property to help us take the number of deer that needed to be removed each year. Back then, coyotes and bobcats helped us keep the whitetail deer within the numbers our range could support in the worst of times. “However, with more and more urbanites wanting to harvest their own wild meat, we don’t need nearly as many predators as we once did. Don’t forget humans are part of the wild system and need to eat as much as fourlegged predators.” He continued, “There seems to be a misconception that predators take only the sick, weak and infirm. In fact, they are opportun-

Burnham Brothers’ Gary Roberson with his newest patented innovation for calling predators.

ists and prey heavily on fawns, particularly in a year such as we are having, where, because of a lack of rainfall there is little ground vegetation, which hides young fawns.” Before I could respond, my old rancher friend continued, “It’s almost time for whitetail does in our area to start dropping fawns, 24

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some may already have. Coyotes and bobcats know this and seem to be congregating on our property.” “I do not want to totally remove predators from our area, just want to minimize the effect they have on the fawns. If we have poor survival this year, that means five-years from PHOTO: LARRY WEISHUHN

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now we will have an unhealthy herd with very few mature bucks. I don’t want that to be the case, nor have fewer does for us to harvest strictly for meat.” That is how Gary Roberson of Burnham Brothers Game Calls (burnhambrothers. com), his son Steve, who is cameraman/ producer for their Carnivore television show, as well as Trijicon’s Eddie Stevenson and I happened to be on the Hargrove Ranches with wildlife manager Craig Archer (www. hargroveranches.com). Eddie and I hunt on the ranches for deer. Our purpose was to try to remove as many coyotes and bobcats as possible in a relatively short time before both whitetail and mule deer fawns are born. Too, we planned on putting Burnham Brothers’ newest electronic game call, the UltraCaller, which produces ultrasonic sounds, to the test. Gary has long worked with researchers to determine what frequencies predators could hear. One of the things they immediately learned is that coyotes and bobcats hear frequencies far beyond what existing electronic game calls can attain.

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Through various processes Gary and audio specialists have come up with a patented speaker that reaches new heights unattainable by any other electronic game calls. Frankly it will take many years for other game call companies to catch up, because of the patented process owned by Burnham Brothers. During two days of calling only in daytime, using Ruger American rifles in .223 topped with Trijicon scopes and shooting Hornady ammo, we took several coyotes including in areas where they had become “call shy,” proving the worth of the new UltraCaller and saving a considerable number of both whitetail and mule deer fawns. May and June are great times to reduce predator numbers to ensure fawn survival. Are you doing your part?

Steve Roberson drags out a coyote taken by his father, Gary, while trying to reduce the local predator population to help increase whitetail fawn survival.

« Email Larry Weishuhn at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

4/10/20 11:26 AM

T’S SPRING IN TEXAS. FALL hunting seasons will be here before you know it. Time for all public lands hunting junkies out there to get ready to head to the drawing board. Each June, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department begins accepting applications for thousands of available permits for a wide range of hunts included in the popular drawn hunts segment of its public hunting program. The program is an exceptional value, especially for hunters on a tight budget or those looking to see new country or try something different. It gives selected applicants the opportunity to enjoy high quality hunting experiences on premium properties that see limited hunting pressure without investing much money. Application fees for most of the multi-day

LUCK OF THE

deer, turkey, pronghorn antelope, exotics, javelina, alligator, waterfowl, pheasant, feral hogs, dove, quail and squirrel. A highly-prized bighorn sheep hunt in far in far West Texas will probably be up for grabs as well, pending August population surveys. Sold in auction settings, bighorn sheep permits have been known to fetch $100,000 or more. The draw hunts are held on state wildlife management areas, state parks, federal wildlife refuges, U.S. Forest Service properties and select private tracts. Although many of the hunts allow the use of firearms, others are designated as “Archery Only.” Several other hunts are open only to youth hunters with a supervising adult. In addition to Special Permit hunts, hunters have the option to apply for numerous E-Postcard hunts, U.S. Forest Service antler-

DRAW Get a Shot at High Quality, Low Cost Hunts

hunts range from $3 to $10. Successful applicants are usually required to pay a hunt fee of $80 to $130. However, some hunts, including Youth-Only hunts, require no application fees or hunt fees. “Our drawn hunt system is definitely a great deal,” says Justin Dreibelbis, TPWD program director for private lands and public hunting. “At only $3 per application for most hunts, it’s the cheapest big game public hunting draw in the country as far as I know. Some of the most sought-after guided hunts are desert bighorn on one of our Trans-Pecos WMAs, or exotics on Mason Mountain WMA. For these hunts, the $10 application is drastically cheaper than similar hunts in most western states.”

As always, the 2020-21 menu of drawn hunts will include dozens of different hunting categories for a long list of game such as 26

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less deer permits and several hunts that will be held on seven national wildlife refuges. E-Postcard and USFS antlerless permits are different from other public draw hunts. There is no application fee or hunt fee. However, hunters 17 and older are required to have a current Annual Public Hunting Permit before applying. The 2020-21 APH goes on sale along with new hunting licenses in mid-August. The cost is $48. The special permit provides access to hundreds of thousands of additional land enrolled in TPWD’s public hunting program.

The drawn hunts are open to resident and non-resident hunters who meet application deadlines. Some of the deadlines roll around in early to mid-August. Historically, hunters could apply for only one hunt within the same category, such as gun/deer either sex, archery deer, etc. G A M E ®

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TPWD modified the rule in 2015 to allow hunters to apply for as many hunts as they want within the same category. The only exception is Youth Only hunts, which allows for three applications per category. As many as four hunters may be included on the same application for many of the hunt categories. If an application is drawn, everyone in the group gets to hunt, provided they pay the permit fee. The selections are made by random computer draws. Draws usually take place on the first business day after the application deadline. Only drawn applicants are notified by e-mail. Submit your application via TPWD’s public hunts link: tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/ hunt/public/public_hunt_drawing/huntcategories.phtml. Required application fees for each hunter must submitted simultaneously using an appropriate credit card. Applicants who do not have a personal computer or Smart Phone should seek Internet access through a public library or a friend. Applications and fees are no longer accepted by mail. The easy-to-navigate public hunting website contains a wealth of pertinent information about application deadlines, permit numbers, hunting methods, bag limits and previous success rates. A downloadable brochure for each hunting area contains a map, total acreage, a description of the terrain, check-in times, special restrictions, all legal game and baiting rules, etc. The website also provides links to check application status as well as a list of answers to frequently asked questions.

Permits Galore The number of permits available for Texas’ 2020-21 hunting seasons had not been finalized at press time, but last year’s totals were impressive. TPWD offered 9,177 hunting permits last year, including 5,260 permits for use on state owned/managed properties, 1,370 USFS antlerless permits and 2,547 permits designated for national wildlife refuge hunts. Not surprisingly, some hunts are more popular than others. Those held on areas known for abundant game, liberal limits or producing trophy animals always get plenty of attention. A good example is the Chaparral WMA in South Texas. The 15,200-acre unit is always the frontrunner among white-tailed deer hunters. Located in La Salle and Dimmit

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GOING FOR THE BIG TIME

HETHER YOU’RE A blue-collar hunter on a really tight budget or a rich guy who is feeling particularly lucky, here’s a good deal that’s too good to pass up. It’s called Big Time Texas Hunts—a lottery-style program run by the TPWD that allows hunters to buy inexpensive chances to win top-notch hunting packages. Chances go on sale May 15. Winners are selected by computer drawing. The lucky ones get to go on premium hunting trips on some of the best private ranches and wildlife management areas in the state. There are hunts for white-tailed deer, mule deer, desert big horn sheep, turkey, waterfowl, dove, exotics, alligator, turkey, pronghorn antelope, pheasant and quail. Guides, lodging, food and onsite transportation are provided on most hunts. Winners may bring companions on some hunts. Entering the sweepstakes is simple. Chances can be purchased anywhere Texas hunting/fishing licenses are sold, by phone, mail or over the Internet. The cost per entry depends on the method of purchase. In-store, mail and phone entries cost $10. There is a $5 administrative fee for phone-in entries. Online entries are $9 with a $5 administrative fee. There is no limit on how many chances you can buy, and you do not need a hunting/fishing license to enter. However, a valid license is required to participate in the hunts. All entrants must be at least 17 years old. To learn more, go to tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/ hunt/public/btth/.

counties, “The Chap” is well known for producing numbers of quality bucks and an occasional giant. The 11,000 acre Gus Engling WMA and the 13,700 acre Richland Creek WMA (both near Palestine) are among the most popular areas in eastern Texas. Both WMAs produce a fair number of quality bucks each year, and the waterfowl hunting can be outstanding during years with ample water. The popular private lands dove hunts category will continue this fall. Last year 170 permits were available from six outfitters. Dreibelbis said he expects a similar number of permits to be available this season. A $10 application fee is required from each hunter on the application, but selected hunters are not required to pay any additional hunt fees. “The private lands dove hunts are definitely popular with our hunters,” Dreibelbis said. “People like the idea of being able to go dove hunting on a premium area for $10. I can’t blame them, either.”

Participation Spike Program participation has always been fairly brisk, but the popularity has spiked since 2014. That’s the year TPWD did away with its antiquated mail-in application system, ceased publication of a chubby public hunting lands booklet and stepped into the digital age. Dreibelbis says the drawn hunt program received about 50,000 applications the final year of paper applications. Participation nearly doubled to 99,052 the first year the program went online. The number of applications climbed to 165,753 in 2019. More quality hunts to choose from and more available permits have certainly made the program more attractive. However, Dreibelbis believes one of the main factors was the 2015 decision to allow hunters to apply for more than one hunt in the same category. “This change was made in response to survey data where the overwhelming majority of our public hunters were telling us they wanted this functionality,” he said. “Five years later, our survey data suggests that the vast majority of our drawn hunters are still happy with the ability to apply for more than one hunt in a category.” Participation has never been better, either.

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4/16/20 8:46 AM

N THE MARCH AND APRIL editions we profiled the Turkey Revolution quest where I set out in 2019 to photograph the “Grand Slam” of turkeys in a calendar year. The Rio Grande came in Kerr County, TX, the eastern near Cato, NY and the Osceola near

REPORT: NEWS 30 u TF&G OF THE NATION

the Myakka River in southern Florida. The Merriam’s came at around 8,000 feet elevation in Colorado and there was a bonus.

Reported by TF&G Staff

It was a cinnamon phase Merriman’s hen with poults. It was a literal one in a million

& GAME 30 u FISH HOTSHOTS

turkey and of the variety that intrigues me the most.

Trophy Photos from TF&G Readers

The Merriam’s turkey is often considered

the most beautiful of the “Grand Slam.” It populates foothills, mountains, and plains in many western states.

& GAME 32 u FISH FORECAST CENTER SALTWATER

Reported by Capt. Eddie Hernandez, Capt. Mike Holmes, Mike Price, Capt. Chris Martin, Capt. Mac Gable, Capt. Joey Farah and Capt. Gerad Meritt

They are abundant in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, Idaho, and Washington. Huntable, albeit lesser, populations exist in California, Utah, North Dakota, and Oregon.

A little-known fact is that Texas has a remnant population of Merriam’s in the Trans

& GAME 44 u FISH FORECAST CENTER FRESHWATER

Pecos region. Probably fewer than 500 pure

Reported by TF&G Staff

Merriam’s exist in Texas, but they are present, according to Jason Hardin, Texas Parks

50 u SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK

& Wildlife Department (TPWD) turkey program leader.

Tides and SoLunar Data

Most of these birds are found in the Guadalupe Mountains but also dwell among other ranges in the region. Rio Grandes are also present in mountainous country including Southwest Texas, Mexico, New Mexico, and Colorado. Various wildlife agencies have translocated them into areas beyond their native range as well. This includes Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, and California, as well as Hawaii. The most elusive of mountain turkeys however is the Gould’s turkey. T E X A S

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The author completed phase 1 of his Turkey Revolution quest by photographing this super rare cinnamon phase Merriam’s turkey and her poults.

Most abundant in northern-central Mexico, Gould’s are also present in Arizona and New Mexico and are a real prize for hunters. Getting a “Grand Slam” plus a Gould’s equals the coveted “Royal Slam.” It’s the turkey-hunting equivalent to getting a North American Grand Slam for sheep and bagging an argali in Mongolia. Annually, New Mexico offers only two Gould’s tags. One of those is auctioned off at the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) annual banquet. The state auctions the other tag. It’s very similar to what is done with wild sheep, and the money goes directly back to Gould’s turkey conservation work. Recently, New Mexico traded 100 pronghorns with Mexico for 100 Gould’s which were on their way at the time of this writing. According to officials with the Arizona Game & Fish Department, Gould’s were an

Merriam’s turkeys are considered by many hunters to be the most beautiful of all wild turkeys.

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PHOTOS: CHESTER MOORE

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A ﬂock of Merriam’s turkeys feeding in a high meadow in Colorado.

important food source for those who settled and worked in the rugged lands of southern Arizona years ago. Between the Civil War and World War I, miners working in southern Arizona hunted Gould’s for many of their meals. By the time Arizona had legal hunting seasons in 1929, Gould’s turkey had already disappeared from the scene. However, these

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birds are making comeback tracks in the Huachucas and other mountain ranges in southern Arizona.” Arizona operates on a lottery draw-style permit for Gould’s turkey. Many hunters go through an outfitter to help with the process as well as increase the odds of the highly challenging hunting required. Hopefully by the time this reaches sub-

scribers this COVID-19 crisis will have passed, and I will be in New Mexico and Arizona in search of Gould’s turkey continuing the Turkey Revolution quest. You will be able to read all about it at fishgame.com.

4/16/20 8:46 AM

The NATIONAL

Zebra Mussels Found in O.H. Ivie

News of TEXAS

“TPWD and CRMWD are going to continue to monitor the situation to determine whether zebra mussels have established a reproducing population in the lake, but we are also asking the public to help us by keeping an eye out and reporting any zebra mussel sightings at O.H. Ivie Lake to aquaticinvasives@tpwd.texas.gov, said Monica McGarrity, TPWD Senior Scientist for Aquatic Invasive Species Management. O.H. Ivie is now the sixth lake in the Colorado River Basin with invasive zebra mussels along with Austin, Lady Bird, Lyndon B. Johnson, Marble Falls, Travis and Walter E. Long. Because O.H Ivie is miles upstream of where they have been found before in the river basin, it is likely they were transported to the lake on a boat or other equipment.

THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE Department (TPWD) has added O.H. Ivie Lake near San Angelo to the statewide list of lakes designated as positive for invasive zebra mussels after multiple specimens were found in the lake in 2019. In March 2019, four adult zebra mussels were discovered by the Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD) in an above ground storage tank that is part of the lake’s water transmission system near San Angelo. Given the presence of zebra mussels in the water transmission system, the CRMWD and TPWD continued to follow up with additional sampling at the lake. In November they found a zebra mussel veliger larva near the Concho Recreation Area boat ramp.

SHARK

HYBRIDS

Galveston

Lake Tawakoni

M’Lyn Hastings of Haltom City shows off one of the many Blacktip sharks she caught and released while ﬁshing with family near the North Jetty in Galveston.

“It is essential that boaters be vigilant not to spread zebra mussels to nearby lakes that are now at higher risk due to proximity of zebra mussels,” said Brian Van Zee, TPWD Inland Fisheries Regional Director. “It is important for all lake users to protect our lakes by cleaning, draining and drying their boats and equipment every time they leave the water and properly decontaminate their boat if it was stored in the water on lakes with zebra mussels.” As of March 2020, zebra mussels are found in 30 Texas lakes across five river basins. A status map and full list of lakes can be found on the TPWD website. TPWD and partners monitor for invasive mussels in Texas lakes. However, anyone who finds them in lakes where they haven’t been found before or who spots them on boats, trailers or equipment that is being moved should help identify and prevent new introductions. Immediately report the sighting to TPWD at (512) 389-4848

J.R. Solomon caught these hybrids at Lake Tawakoni, ﬁshing in front of the Dallas pump station with a homemade lure.

Visit FishGame.com/HotShots to upload your own TEXAS HOT SHOTS 32

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environmental impacts on Texas reservoirs and rivers. Zebra mussels can harm aquatic species, cover rocks, beaches, hard surfaces with sharp shells, clog water intakes, damage or increase maintenance on facilities using raw surface water, and damage boats stored in lakes with zebra mussels. In Texas, it is unlawful to possess or transport zebra mussels, dead or alive. Boaters are required to drain all water from their boat and onboard receptacles before leaving or approaching a body of fresh water to prevent the transfer of zebra mussels and other invasive species. Zebra mussel larvae are microscopic and can survive for days in residual water. Adult zebra mussels can survive even longer out of water, especially in cooler months. The requirement to drain applies to all types and sizes of boats whether powered or notâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;personal watercraft, sailboats, kayaks, canoes or any other vessel or by emailing photos and location information to aquaticinvasives@tpwd.texas.gov.

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The rapidly reproducing zebra mussels can have serious economic, recreational and

ÂŤ

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Spring Conditions Shift into High Gear fish-catching ingredients are beginning to come together. Lighter winds will prevail for the most part. This allows to you fish some of the places you haven’t been able to in recent months. Predominant south winds and strong tides will move the pretty water and predator forage throughout the entire system. Here on the Texas upper coast, summertime saltwater specialists have been chomping at the bit for a taste of some good old Gulf of Mexico angling action. Although summer is not quite upon us yet, it’s close enough. A lot of folks from Galveston to Sabine will take advantage of summer-like conditions and hit the surf and jetties. Speckled trout definitely have found their way to the beachfront. If you can catch a calm morning with the green water pushed to the beach, you should be able to locate them. Any sign of nervous water or bait and fish busting the surface should mean you’re in the right spot. Giving them CAPT. HERNANDEZ a few different ContactUs@Fishgame.com baits to choose

SABINE Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

T’S TIME TO GET EXCITED about coastal fishing in Texas. May is here. If you are a saltwater angler who fishes the upper coast and you don’t get excited, you may want to have your pulse checked. How could anybody not get excited? Water temperatures will consistently be above 70 degrees, and weather patterns should be much more stable. Hordes of young baitfish have arrived in full force. The fish are plentiful and hungry, and all of the

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from can help your chances, but usually a soft plastic on a ¼-ounce lead head will do the job. It’s hard for them to resist a pink/ silver Mirr O Lure Lil John or Glow/Chartreuse Down South Lure. They also have no problem inhaling morning glory, closing night or roach-colored plastic baits. Other time-tested bait choices are topwaters, rattletraps and good old gold or silver spoons. The jetty bite should also blast off this month with real nice boxes of trout and reds. If you can get your hands on a couple of quarts of live shrimp, you should do real well fishing the rock piles and washouts. You can’t go wrong by rigging a treble hook about three feet under a popping cork, freelined, or with a split-shot about 18 inches above the hook. If live shrimp is not an option for you, the same results can be achieved with live finger mullet or shad. Just make sure you have your cast net, and you shouldn’t have any problem finding bait in the ship channel or along the jetties. A soft plastic fished fairly deep along the rocks will also work well on trout and reds. Put it on a ¼-ounce lead head. Let it get down there a bit and see what happens. You probably won’t be disappointed. With summer just around the corner, May is definitely the time to get excited about Texas coastal fishing.

• • •

GALVESTON Reported by CAPT. MIKE HOLMES

PRINGTIME IS WELL underway in the month of May on the Upper Texas Coast, having begun to emerge in April. Warmer water is here to stay for a while, until the heat of summer pushes it past warm into downright hot. Our few months of true spring is my favorite time to fish saltwater. The climate is very pleasant. CAPT. HOLMES Gulf storms are ContactUs@Fishgame.com not just over

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found in spring waters as well. In the surf, sand trout and more exotic catches such as pompano will join the mix as well. Because the water temperature is also more comfortable for wet wading, and the sun has not raised dangerous temperatures yet, fishing is much more pleasant, whether on foot or in boats. Many Texas coastal winters like the one we just experienced do not see temperature drops that keep us huddled indoors much of the time. However, spring is still a magical period of the coastal year. It’s the best chance to spend time by the water without needing protection from summer heat. Nearshore Gulf waters will probably be calmer, safer, and more comfortable in the light breezes of spring. Surface feeding schools of many species will join hungry reef dwellers in pouncing on angler’s offerings. Trolling joins drifting and fishing structure on most offshore anglers’ game plans.

FISH ICONS: Redﬁsh Speckled Trout Flounder Black Drum Sheepshead

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

BASTROP BAY

BASTROP BAY IS LOCATED IN BRAZOria County. It is part of the Christmas Bay Coastal Preserve, a 4,173 acre embayment in the southwestern portion of the Galveston Bay system. FISHING HOTSPOTS:

Spoil Area

Christmas Point

East of Christmas Point

East Shell Reef

Bastrop Channel

West Shell Reef

Reported by MIKE PRICE

Bastrop West Shore Bastrop East Shore

SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS 2020

comfort of deep holes from the midsummer heat. Top water activity will be apparent and productive. Although live shrimp are still one of the best bait choices, top water to slow sinking lures are coming into favor—and for good reason. Bird activity is back as a prime indicator of fish feeding, after being unreliable at best during colder weather. Schooling trout will also make themselves visible in open bay waters, pushing shrimp and small baitfish to top levels of the water column. Other fish species will also follow schools of trout, feeding on injured or disoriented bait trying to make a quick escape. Reef and sandbar areas will often see concentrations of both bait and feeding fish both in bays and the surf. Surf waders will also have the chance for Spanish mackerel and other gulf species pushing bait into shallower water. This activity will be especially productive near passes on both the Gulf and bay sides. Sheepsheads, drum, and croakers will be T E X A S

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MATAGORDA

WADEFISHING SPOTS 1

the horizon, as they can be in summer. Most of our common species of sportfish have ramped up their feeding activity after the slowdown winter usually brings. Bay waters will harbor baitfish species and shrimp. These bring the predatory fish that depend on them for their livelihood. Our coastal “big three”–speckled trout, redfish, and flounder– will be well represented, and usually eager to feed. Because water temperatures are mild, the feeding activity is as likely to take place in daylight hours as at night and might stretch out over all stages of sunlight—not just dawn and pre-dusk. These times will still likely be “prime” for peak activity, but some good action may be encountered during the day. Spring tides are much more favorable to feeding fish than the weaker tidal movements of winter. Yet, the water is cooler, and fish are more active than in warm summer currents. Fish will spread out much more than when seeking respite from uncomfortably cold water, and they have not yet sought the

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T WAS EARLY MAY AND THE springtime wind had worked up around15 to 20 mph from the eastsoutheast. Allan Berger and I were casting soft plastics at the entrance to a cove on the south shore of West Matagorda Bay. The tide was high and incoming, and neither of us got any hits. So, we changed tactics and cast into the bay, near an oyster reef, and there we found fish. Allen caught two trout and two ladyfish, and I caught two redfish. When you’re not getting any bites, it usually means the fish are not in that area. In this case, we started fishing at the mouth of a cove, which usually holds fish on an outgoing tide, but not necessarily on an incoming tide. This proved to be the case. However, when we MIKE PRICE switched to ContactUs@Fishgame.com swimming our

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el_jefes_charters@yahoo.com

UPPER COAST

TIPS: Typically, we will set up on the outside of the reef. You see the PVC pipes that are sticking up everywhere. Drift down the edges.

lures over and near an oyster reef in the bay, we found action. The predominant wind in May is from the southeast, and much of the time it is strong, more than 15 mph. Combine this wind with a strong incoming tide and you get high water. Some fishers like to take advantage of this high water and go into Oyster Lake in their boats. Oyster Lake is two to five feet deep on an average tide with many scattered oyster reefs. You should only venture into Oyster Lake in a boat if you are with someone who knows the lake and its hazards. Eddie Vacek has been fishing Oyster Lake all his life, but even Eddie had a problem on a high May tide. He went into the lake from Tres Palacios Bay when the wind was 15 to 20 from the southeast, the water was high, and the tide was incoming. He only had four inches between the top of his center console and the bridge, but he squeaked under. He and his partner limited on reds using gold spoons. However, when he tried to go under the bridge to head back to Palacios, the water had come up so high that it was not possible to go that way. He had to add 13 miles to his trip by going back through the lake and around Palacios Point and Hotel Point. If you are going to wade or kayak fish Oyster Lake be aware that alligators are in the lake. They become very interested when they feel the vibrations of a fish being caught. Last year, I had to pull a 25-inch redfish out of the water and put it in my kayak because a 12-foot gator was following me. In past years we have had an over-abundance of rain in the month of May, which makes it challenging to select a place to fish. However, the prediction for this May is normal rainfall and above average temperatures. If these predictions prove correct, you should be able to go anywhere in East or West Matagorda Bay and find water that has 12 or so inches of visibility (enough to fish artificial lures) and water with enough salinity to hold trout, redfish, and flounder. Try to schedule your fishing trip on a day with a strong tidal movement. Look for schools of finger mullet or bay anchovies getting busted in West Matagorda Bay. You can see this activity from a distance if you go slowly along the shoreline, paying attention 36

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LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Elm Grove Point GPS: N 29 27.1347, W 94 41.691 (29.4522, -94.6949)

to water disturbances. Redfish and trout, both, will be feeding on the baitfish. If you intend to go into the Gulf of Mexico via the Matagorda jetties, be aware of this hazard. Time your exit and return to avoid turbulence of wind-driven waves coming in as a strong tide is going out. This creates minirogue waves near the end of the jetties. The jetties were dredged in 2019, so this set up may be less likely. However, some unfortunate accidents have occurred because of these circumstances. If the wind is calm, the tide incoming and there is blue water off the beach, you may want to fish from your boat off the beach, or wade-fish from the beach. Feeding trout, reds and numerous other species will be in the surf if you have these unusual, but possible conditions in May. May is a very popular time to fish in East and West Matagorda Bays, especially on weekends. Please be courteous and give other fishers unimpeded space to drift and wade fish.

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Oscar Montemayor 281-853-4938 el_jefes_charters@yahoo.com TIPS: Capt. Montemayor describes his retrieve when using the Down South soft plastics: slowly bouncing them off the shell using a slow retrieve…twitch, twitch, pause, retrieve. I am ﬁshing the lower part of the water column. He uses a 1/4 oz. jig head. LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Fat Rat Pass Flats GPS: N 29 32.4289, W 94 31.3609 (29.5405, -94.5227)

• • •

UPPER COAST HOTSPOTS

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

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

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Oscar Montemayor 281-853-4938 |

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LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef GPS: N 29 28.704, W 94 45.702 (29.4784, -94.7617)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Oscar Montemayor 281-853-4938 el_jefes_charters@yahoo.com TIPS: Fishing reefs: Fish like to hang out on the edges. Cast and drift, wait for the thump, thump, reel up slack line and set the hook. Sometimes you don’t feel the thump; the line gets tight. When you feel weight, set the hook. More than likely it’s a ﬁsh, not shell. Capt. Montemayor

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Trinity Bay Wells GPS: N 29 34.963, W 94 44.574 (29.5827, -94.7429)

BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Oscar Montemayor 281-853-4938 el_jefes_charters@yahoo.com TIPS: When the temperatures creep up, Capt. Montemayor ﬁshes the wells in Trinity Bay, typically wells closer to the north shoreline.

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

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

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Oscar Montemayor 281-853-4938 el_jefes_charters@yahoo.com TIPS: The wells: There’s a lot of structure down there. Throw up to the legs, letting it sink all the way to the bottom, and work it up through the water column all the way to the boat. LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Sun Gas Wells GPS: N 29 38.934, W 94 48.4379 (29.6489, -94.8073)

SPECIES: Speckled trout T E X A S

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BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4087 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: I will run the boat to the Matagorda Jetties, park the boat, get out and start wading. If you have a 4-wheel drive, you can drive east of the jetties for 20-21 miles.

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

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4087 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: Key on breaks and looking for slicks, making long drifts, throwing MirrOlure Soft Shad or the Marsh Minnow that has a paddle tail. LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Chinquapin Reef GPS: N 28 44.562, W 95 46.773 (28.7427, -95.7796)

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Popping Cork with shrimp or Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Kendall Kersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmailcom www.pursaltadventures.com TIPS: There are literally hundreds of reef in the middle of the bay. Look for something different about the reef, some type of structure. LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: New Half Moon Reef GPS: N 28 43.374, W 95 46.2299 (28.7229, -95.7705)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4087 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: The new Half Moon Reed usually produces ﬁsh. Drift it throwing topwaters early or shrimp under a popping cork.

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Pipeline Area GPS: N 28 42.6, W 96 23.8159 (28.7100, -96.3969)

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

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: MirrOlure Soft Shad and Marsh Minnow CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4087 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: We are mostly fishing grass beds and little cuts from April -November. If you can find mullet working, that’s a plus.

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

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Coffee Ground Cove GPS: N 29 58.182, W 93 46.158 (29.9697, -93.7693)

LOCATION: Matagorda Surf HOTSPOT: Surf GPS: N 28 35.569, W 95 59.2679 (28.5928, -95.9878)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic shrimp tails CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins 409-673-9211 9782018@sbcglobal.net www.ﬁshsabinelake.com TIPS: A good color for muddy water is a limetreuse. For clear water we will go to white with sparkles, natural colors such as Margarita, watermelon/red ﬂake, or Opening Night.

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SPECIES: Speckled trout

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Getting to the Gut of the Matter SAN ANTONIO BAY AREA Reported by CAPT. CHRIS MARTIN

ANY COASTAL ANGLERS already know it’s not easy to find an exact fishing pattern for trout in our Texas bay systems. Variables include tidal flow, wind changes, salinity levels, and moon phases. So, many trout anglers rely on targeting certain structural attractions to generate trout action. However, there are other avenues to explore! This month along our portion of the Texas coast, speckled trout have left their wintertime hideouts. They are looking for their late springtime and early summertime food source. A lot of the small baitfish and shrimp are CAPT. MARTIN now beginning bayflatslodge@gmail.com to show up in numbers, and the trout won’t be persnickety as they hunt for small shad, mullet, mud minnows, glass minnows, and any available shrimp. They’ll be looking atop shallow flats, open-bay oyster reefs, and along grassy shorelines. However, other places often go unexamined by bay anglers, such as guts and troughs that typically run parallel to many bayside shorelines. Espiritu Santo Bay, San Antonio Bay, and Mesquite Bay have guts just like the guts found running parallel to the beach on the Gulf of Mexico side of Matagorda Island. Water currents flow through these guts differently than in surrounding waters. The current is most often influenced by tidal change, as well as by wind direction and strength. Anglers wading during lower tide periods will often find bait congregated

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in these guts and troughs. They can often find a solid trout bite as a direct result. The lower the tide the better, in this instance. Later in the month, as tides begin increasing a bit, anglers should look to the guts during periods of a strong falling tide. The falling tide often tends to carry the baitfish off of the neighboring flat and into the protection of the drop-off of the gut or trough. The month of May brings warmer water temperatures. This means anglers should also examine these troughs and guts on hotter days. These features hold a bit deeper water, which offers the trout some cooler water. One or two degrees difference can mean a big difference to the trout. So, remember to make a few intentional casts down the guts and troughs on warmer days. You might just hit the jackpot! On days with southerly winds, the wind will be coming off the Gulf and off the bay’s south shorelines. So, you may wish to position yourself here to cast across the wind and work your lure back along the mid-portion of the gut or trough. This can be attractive to trout hanging out in the gut waiting to ambush unsuspecting baitfish. As we discussed earlier, the trout aren’t going to be finicky this month. So, many different lures will draw a strike. If you’re an artificial enthusiast, May T E X A S

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is good for experimenting with different colors, sizes, and casting techniques for top-water baits. Try fanning your casts from your nine o’clock position to your three o’clock position. Then move a few yards if you don’t receive any responses. If you experience blow-ups, but the fish aren’t inhaling your lure, try pausing your bait after each blow up. Count to five before making a couple brief twitches of the rod tip. Then let your bait sit for another count of five. Many times the same fish that initially blew up on your lure will return to it as the lure sits motionless on the surface. Live bait anglers should also see some steady trout action this month. To change things up a little, try rigging a live shrimp Carolina-style. Slide an egg weight up the end of the line coming off your reel, then tie a barrel swivel to the end of the line. Tie an 18- to 24-inch leader to the bottom of the swivel with a single hook tied to the very end. Place a live shrimp on the hook and cast down the gut while occasionally giving the rod tip a brief pop to bounce the egg weight across the bay floor.

• • •

ROCKPORT AREA Reported by CAPT. MAC GABLE

NSWER THE QUESTION... I have gotten away from most electronic media. Haven’t been on any type of cable TV for years and don’t miss it. I seldom listen to the news because it’s not news. A politician’s hairstyle or what they like to eat doesn’t need to be on national news. Further, why sensationalize what some multiCAPT. GABLE million-dollar ContactUs@Fishgame.com athlete had for breakfast or what they’re sexual activity (good or bad) is. It is of no value to we the people. They may be gifted athletes or good

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HOTSPOTLIGHT: MIDDLE COAST speakers but not role models to be looked up to, and for sure not leaders of this country until they prove themselves to “WE THE PEOPLE” leadership standards. I don’t know about you but it’s just plain hard to get a straight answer to just about any question these days. Search the Internet with a question and you will get thousands of gray answers and lots of advertisements. Unfortunately, this is bleeding over into our daily interactions with people as well. No one wants to be on the hook for answers these days but still they want you to think they HAVE the answers. This new trend (malignancy) strikes at the heart of outdoorsmen/women. Truthful answers are what we need today in our hunting and fishing industry. They will make us uncomfortable and we may not agree with them, but at the very least we can then set a course of action for support or challenge. The enemy is misdirection and apathy.

FISH ICONS: Redﬁsh Speckled Trout Flounder Black Drum Sheepshead

ESTPIRITU SANTO BAY

ESPIRITU SANTO BAY IS A NORTHEASTern extension of San Antonio Bay in Calhoun County, Texas. It is separated from Matagorda Bay by a line of barrier islands that run south from Port O’Connor to Matagorda Island. FISHING HOTSPOTS: 1

Spoil Cut

Josephine Reef

Pringle Lake

Army Hole Mouth

NE Pringle Lake

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Rahal Bayou

Pringle Cut

Rahal Bayou Cut

Vandervier Island

Army Hole Mouth

Spoil Area Cut

Shell Edge

WADEFISHING SPOTS 1

Josephine Motte

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SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS 2020

An enemy is someone or thing that means to do us harm. To disagree or take exception to an issue (person place or thing) can be and often is more productive than out right agreeing. What should be the limit on trout? Should slot limits change on reds? Are we getting enough freshwater inflow from our rivers? Should croaker as bait be banned? Are flounder limits correct? Should commercial fishing of black drum be stopped? Should pollutants from boats be more tightly controlled? Should we have designated areas for kayaks? Are the current standards for setting fish limits the best of practices? Should we allow out of state commercial fishing of our oysters? What is best for the environment—an airboat or outboard motorboat? Should we limit the number of licensed guides on the Texas coast? Are current Coast Guard requirements for guides enough and do those requirements make for make safer boat operators? The list goes on and on. Put 100 experts 40

on these subjects in a room and tell them they can’t eat until all agree on the above issues—they would all starve to death. However, they are having real discussions about real issues; and yes, the answers change as we move in time. They are NOT ghost issues, which seems to be the favorite tactic these days. The stateliest home I had ever seen, built like a fortress the envy of many, to my dismay one day was being torn down. When I inquired as to why such a sturdy gorgeous home was being demolished the contractor said, the tiniest of reasons. Termites had ruined its foundation. Anti-hunting and fishing activists can’t debate—and win—about the benefits outdoorsmen and women have had on our environment, our fisheries and the beloved game of this state. Instead they use smoke and mirrors, graying and misdirecting ending in wrong answers/no answers that require wrong/ no actions. We are led to ask the wrong

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questions and the right answer to the wrong question is guaranteed to be the wrong answer. The result is an eroding of the foundation that our hunting and fishing heritage is built on. Politically correct? Oh Please!!!!! MAY IS A GREAT SHALLOW WATER time of year. The bite in the skinny water is driven by the many insects now hatched, alive and well, especially near salt grasses and end of bay coves. Even better if you find creeks, which complement the bite by adding fresh water.

trout using croaker. This area is best fished about 30 yards off the shoreline casting 360 degrees. Some black drum and flounder on the east shoreline (N28 10.900, W96 48.270). Live shrimp jigged across the bottom is the ticket.

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COPANO BAY: Copano Creek is a good place for reds using finger mullet freelined in early morning. (N 28.2031, W 97.0178). This area can get shallow on low tide. Copano Reef is a good spot for trout using freelined croaker N 28 06.707 W 97 06.40. ST. CHARLES BAY: A drift across Egg Point (N 28 10.084, W 96 57.066) is a good spot for reds and trout using a popping cork and shrimp. A sand eel rigged grassless is a good bet. Morning glory and new penny are good color choices. Drifts across the mouth of Cavasso Creek N 28 12.884 W 96 58.999 using Berkley imitation shrimp under a bubble cork work well for trout. Fish the deeper water edges and transitions. ARANSAS BAY: Grass Island Reefs (N 28 05.391, W 97 00.505) is a good trout area. Freelined live shrimp work best. The area just off Nine Mile Point N 28 01.707, W97 01.396 is a good spot for red using mud minnows on a light Carolina rig. CARLOS BAY: Carlos Reef (N 28 06.81 W96 54.203) is a good spot for black drum using fresh dead shrimp on a light Carolina rig. This is heavy shell so don’t reel in until you get a bite. MESQUITE BAY: Cedar Point (N 28 06 .708, W 96 49.812) is a good spot for flounders and reds using freelined live shrimp. Set the hook on the slightest bite—that’s a flounder. Northeast shoreline N28 09.655, W96 49 .242 is a good spot reds and trout using freelined croaker. AYERS BAY: Ayres Point shoreline (N28 11 .455, W96 48.828) is a good wade for

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backbone, and if you hook toward the tail you won’t hit any vital organs.

MIDDLE COAST

CORPUS CHRISTI AREA

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Traylor Island GPS: N 27 56.688, W 97 4.4639 (27.9448, -97.0744)

Reported by JOEY FARAH

AY IS A TRANSITIONAL month in fish patterns and fishing techniques here along the Coastal Bend. For months bait of all kinds has been filling the bays and growing from fry, to a food source for gamefish. Shrimp and live croakers will be available at bait stands and marinas. Lure fishing will be at a peak both with topwater baits and with soft plastics. This is a perfect month for just about every kind of Texas bay fishing. CAPT. FARAH The Corpus jfarah@yahoo.com Christi Bay Area has many gas wells in the open bay. Calm mornings will allow trout fishing around these small structures. Live shrimp free-lined with a light split shot weight, or live shrimp under a popping cork will bring in sand and speckled trout, both. Longer drops of three to four feet under the cork can produce more strikes than short leaders can. The Upper Laguna Madre is on fire with limits of trout, using shrimp and popping corks in the grass flats along the King Ranch Shoreline. When pin perch take your shrimp. try a soft plastic under the cork such as a DOA Shrimp or Gulp. Fishing the submerged spoil dumps along the ICW inside the National Seashore is a great place to find trout and redfish on drifts with live shrimp and popping corks. Soft plastics along the edge of the ICW Channel at first light can be all you need to fill the box with thick, spring specks. DOA, Texas Croaker color, three-inch shads are my favorite for imitating small pin perch, rigged with a 1/8- to ¼-ounce jig head. The Land Cut is a long run from the JFK bridge, 37 miles, but is a fish highway as herds of trout and reds will be following shrimp

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along the west side of the channel. Try fishing the corners of all the side cuts off the main channel. Live shrimp will catch just about everything when fished on Carolina rigs. Live finger mullet along the bottom and along cabin piers, will pull up big trout and monster redfish. May starts the beginning of live croaker fishing. Baits will often be small, as they have not matured yet. Smaller baits should be used with a light slip weight on your leader for casting and to keep your baits away from sea gulls. Target the sand pockets in the Upper Lagoon and the large rock piles along the Rocky Slough Shoreline. Practice safe and friendly boating as our summer crowds are just getting ramped up, remember to wear your kill switch! Follow all our hookups on Facebook at Joey Farah’s Backwater Fishing.

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Touts or live bait CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: May should be good fishing literally everywhere for reds, trout, whatever you want to fish for. I’ll be fishing from the JFK Causeway to Carlos Bay LOCATION: Carlos Bay HOTSPOT: Carlos Reef GPS: N 28 6.8099, W 96 54.2029 (28.1135, -96.9034)

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MIDDLE COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: St. Joseph Island GPS: N 28 0.7285, W 96 58.365 (28.0121, -96.9728)

SPECIES: Speckled trout and redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Artiﬁcial soft plastics will work in whatever color you prefer, whether wading or drifting. LOCATION: Carlos Bay HOTSPOT: Cedar Reef GPS: N 28 8.251, W 96 53.049 (28.1375, -96.8842)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahooo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Hook the croaker under the backbone and towards the back of the ﬁsh. You don’t want to hit the |

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SPECIES: Speckled trout and redﬁsh

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BEST BAITS: Touts or live bait CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Plastics, topwaters if it’s a good enough day for them, otherwise croaker. Live shrimp under a popping cork get a little iffy. The perch will still the shrimp off the hook.

treblejcharters@yahooo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: You twitch the croaker to make it grunt and to keep it from burrowing down in the grass. LOCATION: Redﬁsh Bay HOTSPOT: Dagger Islands GPS: N 27 50.1019, W 97 10.2659 (27.8350, -97.1711)

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Shamrock Island GPS: N 27 45.9679, W 97 9.7829 (27.7661, -97.1631)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302

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LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Intracoastal Spoil Banks GPS: N 27 33.6839, W 97 16.759 (27.5614, -97.2793)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahooo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Pop the croaker a little bit with rod tip every 30-40 seconds. Do it with your wrist, not your arm.

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Mark Robinson 361-550-1081 ﬁshmpr@aol.com TIPS: Robinson will be wade ﬁshing for spawning trout.

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Excitement Brewing on the Lower Coast BAFFIN BAY Reported by CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

AY IS AN EXCITING TIME of year for me, as it is for most anglers on Baffin Bay. The weather and water temperatures begin to stabilize, and the end of spring is quickly approaching. As Texas game fish are transitioning into summer feeding habits, it kicks off my favorite live bait fishing season. During this time, live croaker is my preferred choice of bait for speckled trout and redfish. Although these fish may CAPT. MERRITT not be feeding geradmerritt@gmail.com on croakers during a late season front, trout and redfish will naturally strike to simply kill the croaker. Many different practices apply to croaker fishing. The one you choose will depend on the weather conditions and pattern of the fish on that day. Strategies such as hook placement and the amount of time you allow the fish to run with the bait will vary this time of year as well. In other words, No single specific approach will work consistently, and you will have to switch your tactics regularly to match the behavior of the fish. This time of year, you will notice game fish starting to move to more prominent structures, for example, larger rock piles. They are following the baitfish that are using the structures to hide in as an escape from predators. Although you will still find fish lingering in grass pockets, search for potholes or areas with a lighter colored bottom. You can use this approach while wading, but this method works best from a boat, because of

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LOWER COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Arroyo City HOTSPOT: East of Green Island GPS: N 26 23.5379, W 97 19.465 (26.3923, -97.3244)

the higher line of sight. Once you‘ve selected bait that works well, a slow drift over a grass flat will help keep your bait just above the grass line. Another process I frequently use, is fishing various points along the shoreline. I pick out areas that jut out from the rest of the shore, causing somewhat of a blind corner. Granted, this placement can sometimes be risky. However, it can often prove rewarding, as the shoreline and drop offs tend to be more prominent. For less experienced anglers, a popping cork is always a reliable option. Place the cork a certain distance above the bait to keep it just above the tops of the grass or rocks. Remember, there is no specific approach for fishing Baffin Bay, as it is such a unique and diverse environment. Certain techniques will work one day, but maybe not the next. The challenge of finding fish and figuring out their patterns is what makes it a most rewarding body of water.

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy Jawbreaker Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonﬁre.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: In the early morning they usually come from deep water and feed in a foot of water, sometimes six inches of water. They usually tend to stick around in the shallows till mid-morning, then move deeper later in the day. LOCATION: Arroyo City HOTSPOT: Peyton Bay GPS: N 26 26.122, W 97 22.3519 (26.4354, -97.3725)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corkys and Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy Jawbreaker Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonﬁre.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: Capt. Romero specializes in big sow trout, ﬁshing drop-offs and sand bars, old bellies and guts where the big trout usually come during March through May to spawn.

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HOTSPOT: Rattlesnake Bay GPS: N 26 18.613, W 97 19.453 (26.3102, -97.3242)

FISH ICONS: Redﬁsh Speckled Trout Flounder

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Big topwater lures CONTACT: Capt. Joe Prado 956-357-1301 josephpradoprado@yahoo.com TIPS: Capt. Prado is wadeﬁshing in about deep water. About different colors -- Honestly, I don’t think color matters. I like a Pink/White, any natural bait ﬁsh color.

Black Drum Sheepshead

PORT MANSFIELD

PORT MANSFIELD IS IN WILLACY County on the south Texas coast. The region is renowned for its fishing, and Port Mansfield offers access to the Laguna Madre, a 130-mile-long bay that stretches from Corpus Christi to the mouth of the Rio Grande. The Gulf of Mexico is only a few minutes from Port Mansfield by boat, and its deep waters also harbor a wealth of game fish. FISHING HOTSPOTS: 1

Community Bar

Weather Station

3 5

North Side of East Cut

South Side of East Cut

LOCATION: Arroyo City HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N 26 28.134, W 97 23.677 (26.4689, -97.3946)

Old Speck Rig

Mansﬁeld Tide Gauge

Edge Cut Platform Army Hole Mouth

LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: Long Bar GPS: N 26 8.592, W 97 14.2249 (26.1432, -97.2371)

WADEFISHING SPOTS 1

Port Cove

Community Bar

Fred Stone Park

FACILITIES Al managed by Port Mansﬁeld Harbor Phone: 956-944-2325

A Public Boat Ramp N 26 33.165, W 97 25.713 B Fred Stone Park N 26 34.151, W 97 25.778 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS 2020

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy Jawbreaker Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonﬁre.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: Capt. Romero free lines or uses a Chatter Weight with the croaker. Kind of thump it every 5-8 seconds.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Green Island GPS: N 26 23.5379, W 97 19.465 (26.3923, -97.3244)

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Rudy Jawbreaker Romero 956-226-3561 Wheelsonﬁre.sk8@gmail.com TIPS: Capt. Romero looks for long, thin grass sticking up out of the water…kind of looks like fettuccine. The females when they lay their eggs, the eggs usually stick on that long grass.

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Big topwater lures CONTACT: Capt. Joe Prado 956-357-1301 josephpradoprado@yahoo.com TIPS: Super Spooks, Skitter Walks, She Dogs…it just depends on the wind which one I will use. On a high wind I will use a She Dog because it’s real loud. On a medium wind day, I use the Skitter Walk. If there’s not very much wind, I’ll throw a Super Spook because it’s a little quieter. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre T E X A S

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record Hybrids. They will be all around the lake on main lake points and humps. The use of electronics will be the key to finding the schools of shad and you will find the Hybrids. This time of year, they will range in the water column from 12 to 26 feet. Find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. Live shad will be the bait of choice, but the swim shad and crankbaits will work if you can control the depth. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Little Caney Creek GPS: N 32 50.112, W 95 33.6653 (32.8352, -95.5611)

Hyper Hybrids, Buzzing Bass & Creeky Crappie SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Plastic frogs, buzzbaits, flukes CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net www.caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish the vegetation/cypress tree mix in these areas. Look for water that is 2-4 ft. deep that is in shady areas during the bright part of the day. I recommend heavy braid when fishing around all the cover and because of the trophy sized bass that Caddo Lake regularly serves up. LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 22.974, W 95 34.9259 (30.3829, -95.5821)

Reported by TF&G STAFF

LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: Harmon Creek GPS: N 30 52.134, W 95 23.9039 (30.8689, -95.3984)

EAST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Ames Spring Basin or Old Folks Playground GPS: N 32 42.678, W 94 5.3399 (32.7113, -94.0890)

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SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers BEST BAITS: Live shad, Storm Swim Shad and crankbaits CONTACT: Richard Tatsch 936)291-1277 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: The hybrid stripers are in full swing now and this is the time to catch trophy fish and possibly lake |

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, topwater lures, Grande Bass Airtail Rattler, poppers and frogs CONTACT: Lance Vick 903-312-0609 lance@lakeforkbass.com www.guideonlakefork.com TIPS: I believe May on Lake Fork is the most exciting time of year. As the shad are spawning early in day use crankbaits and topwaters. Main lake points are best to find them feeding. When that is over you can catch fry guarding fish with topwater poppers and frogs back in the creeks around flooded cover. If that’s not enough action, tie on a Carolina rig put a Grande Bass Airtail Rattler on it and fish points and drop offs in 15 to 25 foot of water. Adding a rattle in the tail will set you apart from the crowd. Great areas to try are Little Caney, Birch creek, and Wolf creek.

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Jigs, Rat-L-Traps in Chrome Blue CONTACT: David S Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com

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CURRENT LAKE LEVELS LAKE

EAST TEXAS

CAPACITY AC. FT. Addicks -n.a.B A Steinhagen 69,186 Barker -n.a.Bob Sandlin 192,417 Bonham 11,027 Caddo 29,898 Coleto Creek 31,040 Conroe 410,988 Crook 9,195 Cypress Springs 66,756 Fork 605,061 Houston 130,147 Houston County 17,113 Jacksonville 25,670 Jim Chapman 260,332 Lake O’ the Pines 241,363 Livingston 1,741,867 Monticello 34,740 Murvaul 38,285 Nacogdoches 39,522 Palestine 367,303 Pat Mayse 113,683 Sam Rayburn 2,857,077 Striker 16,934 Sulphur Springs 17,747 Toledo Bend 2,236,450 Wright Patman 553,344 4/06/2020

CURRENT AC. FT. -n.a.65,563 -n.a.192,417 11,027 29,898 23,631 401,832 9,195 66,756 600,304 129,246 17,113 25,670 260,332 241,363 1,741,867 30,893 38,285 39,173 367,303 113,683 2,857,077 16,934 17,419 2,236,450 553,344

% FULL -n.a.95% -n.a.100% 100% 100% 76% 98% 100% 100% 99% 99% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 89% 100% 99% 100% 100% 100% 100% 98% 100% 100%

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TIPS: Cast jigs and Rat-L-Traps in the deep holes off sandy points. Troll the deep holes with the same baits. LOCATION: Lake Nacogdoches HOTSPOT: Main lake Schooling Area GPS: N 31 36.001, W 94 49.84 (31.6000, -94.8307)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, RatLTraps CONTACT: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 409-698-9114 TIPS: Fish chrome topwaters and RatLtraps. This is the best schooling area on whole lake. Avoid midday.

14 mi. West of Jasper

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

B.A. STEINHAGEN LAKE LOCATION: On the Neches River 14 miles west of Jasper on US 190 SURFACE AREA: 10,687 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 35 feet IMPOUNDED: 1951 IN THIS SHALLOW LAKE, THE ABUNdance of aquatic vegetation is relatively high. Predominant types are water hyacinth, hydrilla, and American lotus. Flooded timber and cypress trees provide additional cover for game ﬁsh.

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LOCATION: Lake Nacogdoches HOTSPOT: Split Cove GPS: N 31 36.036, W 94 50.187 (31.6006, -94.8365)

LOCATION: Lake O the Pines HOTSPOT: Alley Creek GPS: N 32 47.966, W 94 35.165 (32.7994, -94.5861)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Soft plastics CONTACT: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 409-698-9114 TIPS: This is a good spawning area. Look for bedding ﬁsh. Avoid midday.

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Live minnows, jigs CONTACT: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 903-938-1007 TIPS: Fish live minnows or red/white jigs. Work the brushpiles & creek. Dawn through midday.

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Above the reservoir, the Angelina and Neches rivers provide excellent habitat for spotted bass, crappie, and catfish. Due to the shallow nature of the reservoir, the most popular game fish at B.A. Steinhagen is the catfish. Channel, blue, and flathead catfish are all present in good numbers. An average population of largemouth bass is present and fishing is fair.

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EAST TEXAS

LOCATION: Toledo Bend North HOTSPOT: Bayou Seipe GPS: N 31 43.602, W 93 49.4879 (31.7267, -93.8248)

LOCATION: Lake O the Pines HOTSPOT: West Two Stumps GPS: N 32 53.099, W 94 42.371 (32.8850, -94.7062)

www.easttxﬁshingguide.com TIPS: This is a good spawning area with high water. Fish the timber and brush. Dawn to late morning, dusk.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, tubes CONTACT: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 903-938-1007 TIPS: Fish worms or tubes. Slow down and work cover entirely. Midday through afternoon.

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn HOTSPOT: Firetower GPS: N 31 07.291, W 94 14.861

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows (shiners) and jigs CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com www.toledobendguide.com

Creeks on Sam Rayburn are always productive this time of year. (31.1215, -94.2477)

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn HOTSPOT: Duranzo Creek GPS: N 31 21.618, W 94 26.722 (31.3603, -94.4454)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, Roadrunners CONTACT: Mike Knight 936-635-2427 notechmike@hotmail.com www.easttxﬁshingguide.com TIPS: Slow roll live minnows or Roadrunners over grass. Dawn to late morning, dusk and night.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Mike Knight 936-635-2427 notechmike@hotmail.com

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TIPS: May is the month the Crappie will be moving off the beds and following the creeks back to their main lake haunts. If you drop some brush or locate some natural cover along the creek channels the Crappie will hold in these areas before heading back to the main lake. Straight-line shiners or jigs over the cover. Remember, the month of May is “Take a Kid Fishing” month. The bream will be on the beds and it’s a good time to get a kid hooked on ﬁshing.

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Mid Region is Crappie Central in May LOCATION: Bachman Lake HOTSPOT: Bridge GPS: N 32 51.576, W 96 51.378 (32.8596, -96.8563)

Reported by TF&G STAFF

CENTRAL TEXAS HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: Lake Austin Flats and Docks GPS: N 30 20.922, W 97 48.5159 (30.3487, -97.8086)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: V&M Delta Bug, V&M Trickster, Picasso Tungsten, Picasso Inviz Wire Spinnerbait, Picasso Double Barrel Underspin CONTACT: Brian Parker - Lake Austin Fishing 817-808-2227 lakeaustinfishing@yahoo.com www.LakeAustinFishing.com TIPS: This will be post spawn feeding time on Lake Austin and other Lower Colorado River lakes. It’s very important to throw multiple times at the same spot when skipping or fishing docks and the reason is these fish are usually coming back from feeding in the mornings and are in metabolize mode (meaning they are digesting their meals from the morning feed).

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/16th jig in white and chartreuse or black and chartreuse under a 2-inch pegged bobber CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Under the bridge, are all sorts of trees stuck on the pylons. They are sitting anywhere from 5 to 6 foot of water some a bit shallower. The Whataburger side, West, right up against the bank is anywhere from 6 to 9 foot. The east side of the bridge is 2 to 4 foot. So, standing on the west side is best. Under the bridge behind Whataburger is good all day, but nighttime from 8 pm-4 am is killer with a 1/16 the jig-head white and chartreuse or black and chartreuse, under a 2-inch pegged bobber, but replace the peg with a glow stick. LOCATION: Belton Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 8.49, W 97 28.8359 (31.1415, -97.4806)

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS

CENTRAL TEXAS

LAKE

CAPACITY CURRENT % (Acre Feet) FULL Aquilla 43,243 43,243 100% Arlington 40,157 39,734 99% Athens 29,503 29,503 100% Austin 23,972 23,143 97% Bardwell 46,122 46,122 100% Belton 435,225 434,619 100% Benbrook 85,648 85,648 100% Buchanan 860,607 812,784 94% Canyon 378,781 356,804 94% Cedar Creek 644,686 644,686 100% Choke Canyon 662,820 293,200 44% Corpus Christi 256,062 182,843 71% Eagle Mountain 179,880 179,880 100% Georgetown 36,823 25,302 69% Granger 51,822 51,822 100% Grapevine 163,064 163,064 100% Halbert 6,033 5,450 90% Hubert H Moss 24,058 24,047 100% Inks 13,962 12,930 93% Joe Pool 175,800 175,800 100% Lavon 406,388 406,388 100% Lewisville 563,228 563,228 100% Limestone 203,780 203,780 100% Lyndon B Johnson 115,249 110,088 96% Marble Falls 6,901 6,809 99% Martin 75,726 75,677 100% Medina 254,823 185,058 73% Mountain Creek 22,850 22,850 100% Nasworthy 9,615 8,381 87% Navarro Mills 49,827 49,827 100% New Terrell City 8,583 8,583 100% Ray Hubbard 439,559 439,559 100% Ray Roberts 788,167 788,167 100% Richland-Chamb. 1,087,839 1,087,839 100% Somerville 150,293 150,293 100% Stillhouse Hollow 227,771 219,434 96% Tawakoni 871,685 871,685 100% Texana 159,566 122,038 77% Texoma 1,243,801 1,243,801 100% Travis 1,113,348 969,740 87% Tyler 72,073 72,073 100% Waco 189,418 189,256 100% Waxahachie 10,780 10,780 100% Weatherford 17,812 17,812 100% Whitney 553,344 553,344 100% Worth 553,344 553,344 100% As of 4/06/2020

(Acre Feet)

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the 90’s, now is the time to plan your trips in the early morning or late afternoon. Bass will move into the shallow water to feed when the sun goes down and move back to deeper water when it comes back up. Look for shorelines with stickups or larger rocks in the water. The backs of coves are great starting points for this time of the year. If you have been bitten by the top water bug, this is the time of the year for some great top water action!

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Just East of Austin

black back CONTACT: Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Look for the Striped Bass to be shallow (20-40 feet). They will be suspending over the river channel and feeding on the point in this area. Fishing the Super Shad close to the bottom produces fish in this area. Tight lines and Fish-On!

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

WALTER E. LONG LAKE LOCATION: In Travis County, just east of Austin. Also known as Decker Lake. SURFACE AREA: 1,269 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 60 feet IMPOUNDED: 1967

range are commonly caught, but the reservoir is primarily noted for producing good numbers of slot sized (14-21 inch) bass. Hybrid striped bass are stocked annually, and fish larger than 5 pounds are prevalent. Channel and flathead catfish are present in low numbers. This reservoir has a good population of bluegill and redbreast

WALTER E. LONG RESERVOIR CONtains excellent populations of largemouth bass and hybrid striped bass. Largemouth bass in the 8-10 pound LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N 30 48.738, W 98 25.968 (30.8123, -98.4328)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad or perch, topwater plugs, Long A Bombers and Red Fin lures CONTACT: Ken Milam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: Stripers will still be hitting top water plugs on

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LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 10.9379, W 96 4.8635 (32.1823, -96.0811)

main lake points where you see thread fin shad running. You can also find them near back of creeks. Live shad or perch ALWAYS work well but artificial lures such as the Long A bombers and Red fin type baits are also serious considerations.

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Punch bait CONTACT: Jason Barber 903-603-2047 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: Fish all rocks and riprap along ridges, dams, retaining walls etc. Punch bait of any kind will work in 2’ to 10’ of water on the bottom or under a ﬂoat.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Canyon Park Point GPS: N 29 53.2559, W 98 13.638 (29.8876, -98.2273)

LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 43.4759, W 97 11.334 (28.7246, -97.1889)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Hogie’s 4 Super Shad in Pearl with

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Topwater lures, weightless water-

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melon lizards, pearl white or watermelon flukes, white spinnerbaits CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-960-0566 TIPS: What a great month to fish. The lake is at full level, there are lots of hiding places for the fry and insects are flying. Anything goes this time of year. Some of my favorites are top water lures, spinnerbaits, flukes, and Texas rigs. I’d stay focused in back of creeks that have a lot of fry and fish top water early morning. Then I’ll find clear water during the afternoon and pitch white spinners during windy day. If no wind I’d throw pearl white or watermelon flukes. Just let it sink really slow. If they are there, they will hit it. Sometimes I’ll throw watermelon red lizard weightless. Remember: Fish the back of creeks! As always, may your bites be big, and your fish be healthy.

CONTACT: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598 817-597-6598 johnnysguideservice.com johnlu1313@gmail.com TIPS: This area just north of the dam is a series of humps and ridges. This area was used to supply earth for the dam. Use your electronics to check the slopes and humps. When you locate the fish anchor on them and use a vertical jig method on them. If you prefer to cast to them. Use a slab and jig combo and let it go to the bottom and hop it back to boat.

few small sticks in 6 feet of water can produce some of the largest crappie of the year. There is no need to use minnows this time of year since the crappie are so hungry after spawning. I always use a Berkley Crappie Nibble on my jigs. It helps to make the fish hold the bait longer. Fish vertically over the cover and hold the jig still. Wait no longer than 5 seconds for a bite. Then move the jig a little to a new location and do the same. If you feel cover and do not catch a crappie within 5 minutes, you need to move on to the next spot. Good luck and good fishing.

LOCATION: Fayette County HOTSPOT: Park Cove GPS: N 29 56.544, W 96 44.9639 (29.9424, -96.7494)

LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: Bowman Creek Bank GPS: N 32 37.246, W 97 03.879 (32.6208, -97.0647)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Spawn is mostly over by now. Fish will be shallow in the timber. Put chum around the trees and fish with a slip cork.

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 whitebassfishingtexas@gmail.com whitebassfishingtexas.com TIPS: Fish live minnows. This spot has lots of bank access and plenty places fish. Avoid midday.

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: Twin Points Humps GPS: N 32 53.16, W 97 29.672 (32.8860, -97.4945)

SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Slabs with a fly 12 inches above CONTACT: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598 johnnysguideservice.com TIPS: This area has two exceptionally large humps. During the early summertime, the shad congregate around these humps and the sand bass follow. I find the shad and fish on electronics and jig straight down with a slab and fly and many times you will get a double for the people who like to cast. Fan cast over these humps with a Mepps spinner or a tail spinner worked very slowly just off the bottom. LOCATION: Lake Eagle Mountain HOTSPOT: 200 Yards North of Dam GPS: N 32 52.588, W 97 28.067 (32.8765, -97.4678)

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slab with a fly 12” above Slab

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LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Brush Piles GPS: N 30 42.1079, W 97 21.066 (30.7018, -97.3511)

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Humps Between the Power Plant and Dam GPS: N 33 2.676, W 96 28.266 (33.0446, -96.4711)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/32 oz. Marabou jig CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: May is the beginning of the best crappie fishing at Granger Lake. The fish are biting in every spot that has brush. Concentrate on open brush piles in 6-12 feet of water. The key is finding the spots with the bigger fish. Those big slab sized crappie are normally in the smaller less obvious underwater cover. A

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Small Flukes in Pearl White, chartreuse, and silver/black CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 whitebassfishingtexas@gmail.com whitebassfishingtexas.com TIPS: The main school will be located in 18 to 26 foot of water near the dam or somewhere around the main island. Also check the humps in between the dam and the powerhouse. Dead sticking small flukes right off the bottom.

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LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: North End & Washita Point GPS: N 33 52.068, W 96 41.67 (33.8678, -96.6945)

CENTRAL TEXAS LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: 309 Flats GPS: N 31 58.71, W 96 6.864 (31.9785, -96.1144)

The crappie normally will be from the support beam up. Slow reeling up and a pitch and swing technique works well under the bridge. Using a tandem rig is also effective. Some fisherman like to tie up and work one set of pilings. I personally like using the trolling motor and go from piling to piling. You get new fish daily under the bridge. They are migrating back to the main lake, so they are not always at the same set of pilings each day. Night fishing is very good under the bridge this time of year. Tie up on a set of pilings and set out your fishing lights. Once the bait starts coming to the light, the crappie should be close behind. Live bait will work best at night. Don’t try it on a windy day: two- to four-foot waves will make it unfishable.

SPECIES: White Bass and Hybrid Striper BEST BAITS: Slabs CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: May is my FAVORITE month of the Spring as the weather is more predictable, the temperature is pleasant, and the fish are easy to find and catch! The Hybrid Stripers and White Bass will be feeding aggressively in the Main Lake area all month long. Silver RSR Slabs fished in 20’-30’ water off the 309 Flats will result in lots of White Bass action and the occasional LARGE Hybrid Striper. Look for the Gulls to help locate the baitfish that the whites are feeding on.

LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 0.8579, W 97 36.402 (31.0143, -97.6067)

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump and 22 Road Bed GPS: N 31 54.612, W 97 20.754 (31.9102, -97.3459)

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: 3002 Bridge GPS: N 33 26.053, W 97 06.616 (33.4342, -97.1103)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits and Topwater Baits in natural colors CONTACT: Henry Niemiec 254-368-0294 surestrikeguideservice@yahoo.com TIPS: With the water temperatures in the upper 70’s and low 80’s and daytime temperatures reaching into the 90’s, now is the time to plan your trips in the early morning or late afternoon. Bass will move into the shallow water to feed when the sun goes down and move back to deeper water when it comes back up. Look for matted grass around the ﬂats and also the timber around the back side of the island. Work around the timber on the shady side and along the edges and through the grass. If you have been bitten by the top water bug, this is the time of the year for some great top water action.

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/16-oz. plastic jigs, white/chartreuse or black/chartreuse CONTACT: Cliff Spindle 940-727-3493 cliffspindle@yahoo.com spindleguideservice.com TIPS: In May the crappie spawn should be close to being over and the crappie are now migrating back out to the main lake. As they pass by the FM 3002 bridge they will often hang around the pilings of the bridge, and this is one of the most productive areas of the lake for crappie at this time of year. This bridge has support beams between the pilings that should be from 10 to 12 feet down, depending on the water level.

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SPECIES: Striped Bass and White Bass BEST BAITS: Sassy Shad jigs, top water plugs, live shad CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: May is most fishermen’s favorite month of the year on Lake Texoma. Most of the Stripers are finished with the spawn and are roaming the lake. Large schools of post spawn fish are hungry and will strike on artificial lures and live bait. Cast Pencil Poppers and Big Chug Bugs on the shallow banks early in the mornings. After the top water bite, switch to 1oz. White Glo Sassy Shad jigs or live shad. Work the jigs on main lake ledges to 30’ depths. Drift or anchor with live shad on the same ledges. Limits of fish are common and May is an exciting month on Lake Texoma.

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SPECIES: White Bass and Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live threadfin shad for stripers and flutter jigs for white bass CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Live bait (threadfin shad) is working best. Rig up on a Carolina rig and fishing straight down around 18’ just off ledges and edges at Whitney hump and other main points and humps. Watch your graph along these edges and humps and if your screen lights up with big balls of bait, the stripers aren’t far behind.

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Go West for Bass, Cats, Hybrids and Stripers

Reported by DEAN HEFFNER

WEST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Main Lake Creeks GPS: N 33 2.8199, W 101 3.7979 (33.0470, -101.0633)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Bass Jigs (white), 1/4 oz. or 3/8 oz. shaky head with a blue fleck worm or Senko type worm, Texas rigged worms CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglobal.net http://www.lakealanhenry.com/norman_clayton.htm TIPS: In May, the fishing usually gets easy on Alan Henry. The bass are on beds. You can use most anything that you can let set in the nest. May is also a great shaky head time. I fish the steeper banks with a 1/4 oz. or 3/8 oz. shaky head. I will also use a senko type worm on the shaky head. The bass will start moving out of the backs of the creeks to the channel edges, and on the humps and flats at the mouths of the creeks. Check out the mouth of Big Grape, Rocky, Little Grape, and Ince Cove. LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: California Creek GPS: N 29 32.856, W 101 00.898 (29.5476, -101.0150)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Grubs, minnows, jigs

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS

WEST TEXAS

LAKE

CAPACITY CURRENT % (Acre Feet) FULL Abilene 7,900 7,311 93% Alan Henry 96,207 94,374 98% Amistad 1,840,849 1,263,279 69% Amon G Carter 19,266 19,266 100% Arrowhead 230,359 223,314 97% Brady Creek 28,808 26,313 91% Bridgeport 366,236 366,236 100% Brownwood 130,868 125,698 96% Champion Creek 41,580 27,704 67% Cherokee 40,094 40,094 100% Cisco 29,003 25,926 89% Coleman 38,075 37,246 98% Colorado City 30,758 13,816 45% E V Spence 517,272 140,847 27% Elephant Butte 1,973,358 556,911 28% Falcon 1,551,007 393,847 25% Fort Phantom Hill 70,030 70,030 100% Graham 45,288 45,288 100% Granbury 132,949 132,623 100% Greenbelt 59,968 12,333 21% Hords Creek 8,109 6,489 80% Hubbard Creek 313,298 310,950 99% J B Thomas 199,931 50,083 25% Kemp 245,307 245,307 100% Kickapoo 86,345 82,696 96% Leon 27,762 27,692 100% Lost Creek 11,950 11,950 100% Mackenzie 46,450 5,236 11% Meredith 500,000 211,139 42% Millers Creek 26,768 26,768 100% Mineral Wells 5,273 5,273 100% Natural Dam 54,560 26,421 48% Nocona 21,444 21,444 100% N. Fork Buffalo Cr. 15,400 15,400 100% O C Fisher 115,742 10,720 9% O H Ivie 554,340 399,504 72% Oak Creek 39,210 37,060 95% Palo Duro 61,066 2,497 4% Palo Pinto 26,766 26,636 100% Pat Cleburne 26,008 26,008 100% Possum Kingdom 538,139 533,142 99% Proctor 54,762 54,762 100% Red Bluff 151,110 101,839 67% Squaw Creek 151,250 151,250 100% Stamford 51,570 51,570 100% Sweetwater 12,267 12,267 100% Twin Buttes 182,454 124,062 68% White River 29,880 6,272 21% As of 04/06/2020

(Acre Feet)

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CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 stan@amistadbass.com www.amistadbass.com TIPS: Use grubs, live minnows, tube jigs. Work the grass and rocks. Dawn to mid-morning; dusk. LOCATION: Lake Falcon HOTSPOT: Big Tiger

Lake Alan Henry is a West Texas haven for bass. PHOTO: LAKEALANHENRY.COM

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GPS: N 26 44.300, W 99 08.750 (26.7383, -99.1458)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, Willow shaped Slabs, bucktail jigs with a curly tail CONTACT: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 TIPS: Live shad worked near feeding flats. Downrigging jigs near channel ledges near baitfish can help locate active fish. Live shad fished on a Carolina rig fished 15 to 25 feet down is hard to beat.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Robert Amaya, Robert’s Fishing Tackle 956-765-1442 www.robertsﬁshntackle.com TIPS: work all the points and back end creeks during spawn. Dawn through dusk.

main lake and will be easier to pattern. Stick to the breaklines along the old riverbed and flats & points for striper and hybrids with live shad, jigs, slabs and trolling baits. Look for stripers to push balls of shad up on Tabletop. Once you figure out the right suspended depth, stick to that depth for fast action. Sandbass will be where you find balls of shad. You can rack up fast numbers with slabs. You can quickly move from chasing actively feeding schools to fishing off bottom vertically without changing lures.

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LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Tabletop GPS: N 32 51.234, W 98 33.00 (32.8539, -98.5500)

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LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Lower End GPS: N 32 22.659, W 97 42.009 (32.3777, -97.7002) SPECIES: Striped Bass, White Bass, Hybrids BEST BAITS: Live shad, jigs, slabs CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Stripers Hybrids are ﬁnally moving back into

Striper action gets hot and heavy on Possum Kingdom in May.

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PHOTO: DEAN HEFFNER

4/16/20 8:47 AM

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MAY 2020

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

READING THE GRAPH

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

Moon Overhead

Fishing Score Graph

Day’s Best Day’s 2nd Score Best Score

Moon Underfoot

Best Day Overall

MOON PHASES

l = New Moon l = Full Moon = First Quarter º » = Last Quarter «= Good Day by Moon Phase 56

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MAY 2020

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

High Tide: 9:28a

TUESDAY

1.61 ft.

Low Tide: 12:10a High Tide: 10:37a

WEDNESDAY

-0.30 ft. 1.70 ft.

Low Tide: 1:06a High Tide: 11:38a

THURSDAY

Apr 30 º

-0.27 ft. 1.76 ft.

Low Tide: 2:11a High Tide: 12:25p

-0.20 ft. 1.78 ft.

FRIDAY

May 1

Low Tide: 3:23a High Tide: 12:57p

SATURDAY

-0.07 ft. 1.71 ft.

FEET

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

4:39a 1:17p 8:04p 10:08p

0.09 ft. 1.57 ft. 1.07 ft. 1.09 ft.

SUNDAY

Low Tide: 5:57a High Tide: 1:26p Low Tide: 7:29p

0.29 ft. 1.38 ft. 0.80 ft. FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

9:00 — 11:00 PM

12p

12a

BEST TIME

5:30 — 7:30 AM

5«

1.19 ft. 0.52 ft. 1.19 ft. 0.42 ft.

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

2:31a 8:35a 1:15p 8:13p

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

3:57a 10:04a 12:53p 8:49p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12:30 — 2:30 AM Sunrise: 6:36a Sunset: 7:54p Moonrise: 1:50p Moon Set: 2:49a

1:30 — 3:30 AM

AM Minor: 1:39a AM Major: 7:52a PM Minor: 2:06p PM Major: 8:19p

Moon Overhead: 8:45p Moon Underfoot: 8:17a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:36a Sunset: 7:55p Moonrise: 2:56p Moon Set: 3:33a

AM Minor: 12:47a AM Major: 7:01a PM Minor: 1:14p PM Major: 7:28p

Moon Overhead: 7:50p Moon Underfoot: 7:22a

9:30 — 11:30 PM Sunrise: 6:35a Sunset: 7:56p Moonrise: 4:03p Moon Set: 4:14a

AM Minor: 2:27a AM Major: 8:41a PM Minor: 2:54p PM Major: 9:07p

Moon Overhead: 9:38p Moon Underfoot: 9:12a

Moon Overhead: 10:31p Moon Underfoot: 10:05a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

1.35 ft. 0.74 ft. 1.06 ft. 0.01 ft.

12a

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 6:05a PM Minor: 12:19p PM Major: 6:33p

Moon Overhead: 6:54p Moon Underfoot: 6:26a

TUESDAY

11:30P — 1:30A

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

MONDAY

12p

Sunrise: 6:37a Sunset: 7:54p Moonrise: 12:45p Moon Set: 2:02a

AM Minor: 11:22a AM Major: 5:08a PM Minor: 11:49p PM Major: 5:35p

Moon Overhead: 5:59p Moon Underfoot: 5:32a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:38a Sunset: 7:53p Moonrise: 11:44a Moon Set: 1:11a

AM Minor: 10:23a AM Major: 4:09a PM Minor: 10:50p PM Major: 4:36p

READING THE GRAPH

FEET

12a

9:00P — 12:00A

Moon Overhead: 5:05p Moon Underfoot: 4:38a

12:48a 7:14a 1:25p 7:43p

Sunrise: 6:39a Sunset: 7:52p Moonrise: 10:46a Moon Set: 12:17a

AM Minor: 9:25a AM Major: 3:12a PM Minor: 9:51p PM Major: 3:38p

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

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:40a Sunset: 7:52p Moonrise: 9:55a Moon Set: None

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

1.52 ft. 0.95 ft. 1.02 ft. -0.38 ft.

High Tide: 5:15a Low Tide: 9:31p

1.64 ft. -0.67 ft.

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

8«

High Tide: 6:29a Low Tide: 10:16p

1.72 ft. -0.84 ft.

SATURDAY

9«

High Tide: 7:41a Low Tide: 11:04p

1.75 ft. -0.86 ft.

SUNDAY

High Tide: 8:53a Low Tide: 11:56p

1.74 ft. -0.76 ft. FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

10:30P — 12:30A Sunrise: 6:34a Sunset: 7:56p Moonrise: 5:09p Moon Set: 4:52a

AM Minor: 3:14a AM Major: 9:27a PM Minor: 3:40p PM Major: 9:53p Moon Overhead: 11:23p Moon Underfoot: 10:57a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

4:30 — 6:30 AM Sunrise: 6:33a Sunset: 7:57p Moonrise: 6:16p Moon Set: 5:30a

AM Minor: 4:00a AM Major: 10:13a PM Minor: 4:26p PM Major: 10:39p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:49a

12p

11:30A — 1:30P Sunrise: 6:32a Sunset: 7:57p Moonrise: 7:24p Moon Set: 6:09a

AM Minor: 4:48a AM Major: 11:01a PM Minor: 5:15p PM Major: 11:28p Moon Overhead: 12:16a Moon Underfoot: 12:43p

T E X A S

TexasOutdoorNation-2005 MayDIG.indd 57

12a

BEST TIME

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM

AM Minor: 5:40a AM Major: 11:54a PM Minor: 6:08p PM Major: ----Moon Overhead: 1:10a Moon Underfoot: 1:38p

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:32a Sunset: 7:58p Moonrise: 8:34p Moon Set: 6:50a

F I S H

6:30 — 8:30 PM Sunrise: 6:31a Sunset: 7:59p Moonrise: 9:42p Moon Set: 7:35a

AM Minor: 6:39a AM Major: 12:24a PM Minor: 7:07p PM Major: 12:53p Moon Overhead: 2:07a Moon Underfoot: 2:36p

G A M E ®

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 7:41a AM Major: 1:26a PM Minor: 8:10p PM Major: 1:56p

12a

8:30 — 10:30 PM Sunrise: 6:30a Sunset: 8:00p Moonrise: 11:48p Moon Set: 9:19a

AM Minor: 8:46a AM Major: 2:31a PM Minor: 9:15p PM Major: 3:00p

Moon Overhead: 3:05a Moon Underfoot: 3:35p M A Y

12p

BEST TIME

7:30 — 9:30 PM Sunrise: 6:30a Sunset: 7:59p Moonrise: 10:48p Moon Set: 8:25a

2 0 2 0

Moon Overhead: 4:04a Moon Underfoot: 4:33

4/16/20 8:48 AM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

High Tide: 10:02a

TUESDAY

1.70 ft.

Low Tide: 12:51a High Tide: 11:02a

WEDNESDAY

-0.56 ft. 1.66 ft.

Low Tide: 1:50a High Tide: 11:48a

THURSDAY

14 »

-0.30 ft. 1.60 ft.

Low Tide: 2:52a High Tide: 12:20p

FRIDAY

-0.01 ft. 1.53 ft.

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

FEET

3:59a 12:39p 8:00p 9:34p

SATURDAY

0.27 ft. 1.44 ft. 0.99 ft. 1.00 ft.

Low Tide: 5:08a High Tide: 12:47p Low Tide: 7:21p

0.52 ft. 1.34 ft. 0.84 ft.

SUNDAY

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

12:26a 6:17a 12:46p 7:29p

1.06 ft. 0.73 ft. 1.24 ft. 0.63 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

9:30 — 11:30 PM

12p

12a

6:00 — 8:00 AM

1.17 ft. 0.89 ft. 1.15 ft. 0.40 ft.

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

3:18a 8:43a 12:13p 8:05p

High Tide: 4:17a Low Tide: 8:26p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12p

12a

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:26a Sunset: 8:04p Moonrise: 3:20a Moon Set: 2:58p

AM Minor: 12:58a AM Major: 7:09a PM Minor: 1:20p PM Major: 7:31p

AM Minor: 1:39a AM Major: 7:50a PM Minor: 2:00p PM Major: 8:11p

Moon Overhead: 8:24a Moon Underfoot: 8:45p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:26a Sunset: 8:03p Moonrise: 2:48a Moon Set: 2:04p

Moon Overhead: 7:38a Moon Underfoot: 8:01p

8:30 — 10:30 AM Sunrise: 6:25a Sunset: 8:04p Moonrise: 3:50a Moon Set: 3:49p

AM Minor: 2:17a AM Major: 8:27a PM Minor: 2:37p PM Major: 8:47p

Moon Overhead: 9:06a Moon Underfoot: 9:27p

Moon Overhead: 9:47a Moon Underfoot: 10:07p

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

20 «

12a

AM Minor: 12:12a AM Major: 6:24a PM Minor: 12:36p PM Major: 6:47p

Moon Overhead: 6:50a Moon Underfoot: 7:14p

1.26 ft. 1.00 ft. 1.09 ft. 0.17 ft.

12:00 — 2:00 AM

AM Minor: 11:46a AM Major: 5:33a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 5:58p

TUESDAY

12p

Sunrise: 6:27a Sunset: 8:03p Moonrise: 2:11a Moon Set: 1:09p

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

MONDAY

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:28a Sunset: 8:02p Moonrise: 1:30a Moon Set: 12:13p

Moon Overhead: 5:57a Moon Underfoot: 6:24p

READING THE GRAPH

FEET

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 10:50a AM Major: 4:37a PM Minor: 11:17p PM Major: 5:03p

Moon Overhead: 5:02a Moon Underfoot: 5:30p

2:05a 7:27a 12:36p 7:45p

12a

Sunrise: 6:28a Sunset: 8:01p Moonrise: 12:42a Moon Set: 11:14a

AM Minor: 9:49a AM Major: 3:35a PM Minor: 10:18p PM Major: 4:04p

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

10:30P — 12:30A

Sunrise: 6:29a Sunset: 8:01p Moonrise: None Moon Set: 10:16a

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

21 «

1.34 ft. -0.05 ft.

High Tide: 5:08a Low Tide: 8:51p

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

22 l

1.39 ft. -0.25 ft.

High Tide: 5:55a Low Tide: 9:18p

SATURDAY

23 «

1.44 ft. -0.41 ft.

High Tide: 6:43a Low Tide: 9:50p

1.49 ft. -0.54 ft.

SUNDAY

24 «

High Tide: 7:34a Low Tide: 10:27p

1.55 ft. -0.61 ft. FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

4:40 — 6:30 AM Sunrise: 6:25a Sunset: 8:05p Moonrise: 4:19a Moon Set: 4:41p

12a

5:00 — 7:00 AM

AM Minor: 3:27a AM Major: 9:37a PM Minor: 3:47p PM Major: 9:58p

Moon Overhead: 10:27a Moon Underfoot: 10:47p

Sunrise: 6:24a Sunset: 8:06p Moonrise: 4:48a Moon Set: 5:33p

AM Minor: 2:52a AM Major: 9:02a PM Minor: 3:12p PM Major: 9:22p

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 11:08a Moon Underfoot: 11:28p

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2 0 2 0

12p

12a

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 4:04a AM Major: 10:14a PM Minor: 4:25p PM Major: 10:35p

12a

11:30A — 1:30P

AM Minor: 4:43a AM Major: 10:54a PM Minor: 5:05p PM Major: 11:16p

T E X A S

Moon Overhead: 12:33p Moon Underfoot: 12:11a

F I S H

12p

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:23a Sunset: 8:07p Moonrise: 5:51a Moon Set: 7:22p

Moon Overhead: 11:49a Moon Underfoot: None

12p

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 6:24a Sunset: 8:06p Moonrise: 5:19a Moon Set: 6:26p

12:30 — 2:30 PM Sunrise: 6:23a Sunset: 8:08p Moonrise: 6:27a Moon Set: 8:18p

AM Minor: 5:27a AM Major: 11:38a PM Minor: 5:50p PM Major: 12:02p Moon Overhead: 1:20p Moon Underfoot: 12:56a

12p

BEST TIME

7:00 — 9:00 PM Sunrise: 6:22a Sunset: 8:08p Moonrise: 7:07a Moon Set: 9:16p

AM Minor: 6:15a AM Major: 12:03a PM Minor: 6:40p PM Major: 12:28p Moon Overhead: 2:09p Moon Underfoot: 1:44a

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

7:30 — 9:30 PM Sunrise: 6:22a Sunset: 8:09p Moonrise: 7:52a Moon Set: 10:13p

AM Minor: 7:09a AM Major: 12:55a PM Minor: 7:35p PM Major: 1:22p Moon Overhead: 3:01p Moon Underfoot: 2:35a

G A M E ®

4/16/20 8:48 AM

MAY 2020

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

High Tide: 8:28a Low Tide: 11:09p

TUESDAY

1.62 ft. -0.62 ft.

High Tide: 9:23a Low Tide: 11:57p

WEDNESDAY

1.68 ft. -0.57 ft.

High Tide: 10:14a

THURSDAY

1.71 ft.

Low Tide: 12:49a High Tide: 10:54a

FRIDAY

29 º

-0.44 ft. 1.68 ft.

Low Tide: 1:48a High Tide: 11:21a

SATURDAY

-0.25 ft. 1.58 ft.

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

FEET

2:53a 11:35a 7:21p 8:33p

0.01 ft. 1.42 ft. 0.82 ft. 0.83 ft.

SUNDAY

Low Tide: 4:07a High Tide: 11:38a Low Tide: 6:26p

0.30 ft. 1.24 ft. 0.52 ft. FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

8:30 — 10:30 PM

12p

12a

10:00P — 12:00A

0.91 ft. 0.59 ft. 1.08 ft. 0.11 ft.

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

2:11a 7:16a 11:14a 7:12p

High Tide: 3:38a Low Tide: 7:50p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12p

12a

BEST TIME

6:00 — 8:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:20a Sunset: 8:12p Moonrise: 1:50p Moon Set: 2:12a

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 5:50a PM Minor: 12:03p PM Major: 6:16p

AM Minor: 12:30a AM Major: 6:42a PM Minor: 12:55p PM Major: 7:08p

Moon Overhead: 7:32p Moon Underfoot: 7:06a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:20a Sunset: 8:11p Moonrise: 12:45p Moon Set: 1:32a

Moon Overhead: 6:39p Moon Underfoot: 6:13a

8:00 — 10:00 PM Sunrise: 6:20a Sunset: 8:13p Moonrise: 2:54p Moon Set: 2:50a

AM Minor: 1:19a AM Major: 7:31a PM Minor: 1:44p PM Major: 7:56p

Moon Overhead: 8:23p Moon Underfoot: 7:58a

Moon Overhead: 9:14p Moon Underfoot: 8:49a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

12a

AM Minor: 11:06a AM Major: 4:53a PM Minor: 11:33p PM Major: 5:20p

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

1.13 ft. 0.85 ft. 1.00 ft. -0.32 ft.

11:00P — 1:00A

AM Minor: 10:07a AM Major: 3:53a PM Minor: 10:34p PM Major: 4:20p

TUESDAY

12p

Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:11p Moonrise: 11:41a Moon Set: 12:48a

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

MONDAY

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:10p Moonrise: 10:38a Moon Set: None

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

READING THE GRAPH

FEET

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 9:06a AM Major: 2:52a PM Minor: 9:34p PM Major: 3:20p

Moon Overhead: 3:55p Moon Underfoot: 3:28a

12:11a 5:34a 11:32a 6:42p

12a

Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:10p Moonrise: 9:38a Moon Set: None

AM Minor: 8:06a AM Major: 1:52a PM Minor: 8:33p PM Major: 2:19p

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

9:00 — 11:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:22a Sunset: 8:09p Moonrise: 8:43a Moon Set: 11:08p

Jun 1

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

4«

1.35 ft. -0.69 ft.

High Tide: 4:51a Low Tide: 8:32p

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

5«

1.51 ft. -0.97 ft.

High Tide: 5:56a Low Tide: 9:17p

SATURDAY

1.61 ft. -1.12 ft.

High Tide: 6:57a Low Tide: 10:04p

1.64 ft. -1.14 ft.

SUNDAY

7«

High Tide: 7:57a Low Tide: 10:52p

1.63 ft. -1.03 ft. FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

9:00 — 11:00 PM Sunrise: 6:20a Sunset: 8:13p Moonrise: 3:59p Moon Set: 3:26a

AM Minor: 2:04a AM Major: 8:17a PM Minor: 2:29p PM Major: 8:42p Moon Overhead: 10:04p Moon Underfoot: 9:39a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

4:30 — 6:30 AM Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:14p Moonrise: 5:04p Moon Set: 4:03a

AM Minor: 2:49a AM Major: 9:02a PM Minor: 3:14p PM Major: 9:27p Moon Overhead: 10:56p Moon Underfoot: 10:30a

12p

5:00 — 7:00 AM Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:14p Moonrise: 6:12p Moon Set: 4:42a

AM Minor: 3:34a AM Major: 9:48a PM Minor: 4:01p PM Major: 10:15p Moon Overhead: 11:51p Moon Underfoot: 11:23a

T E X A S

TexasOutdoorNation-2005 MayDIG.indd 59

12a

BEST TIME

12p

12a

BEST TIME

11:30A — 1:30P

AM Minor: 4:24a AM Major: 10:38a PM Minor: 4:52p PM Major: 11:06p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 12:19p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:15p Moonrise: 7:20p Moon Set: 5:24a

F I S H

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:15p Moonrise: 8:27p Moon Set: 6:11a

AM Minor: 5:18a AM Major: 11:32a PM Minor: 5:47p PM Major: ----Moon Overhead: 12:48a Moon Underfoot: 1:17p

G A M E ®

12p

12a

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 6:17a AM Major: 12:02a PM Minor: 6:46p PM Major: 12:32p

12a

8:00 — 10:00 PM Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:16p Moonrise: 10:29p Moon Set: 7:59a

AM Minor: 7:19a AM Major: 1:04a PM Minor: 7:48p PM Major: 1:33p

Moon Overhead: 1:46a Moon Underfoot: 2:16p M A Y

12p

BEST TIME

7:00 — 9:00 PM Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:15p Moonrise: 9:31p Moon Set: 7:03a

2 0 2 0

Moon Overhead: 2:45a Moon Underfoot: 3:15p

4/16/20 8:48 AM

Outdoor DIRECTORY Guides & Outfitters

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Real Estate :: Gear

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LAKE TEXOMA

UPPER TEXAS COAST

LOWER TEXAS COAST

DFW METROPLEX

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GET YOUR TF&G APPAREL HERE!

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2005 Outdoor Directory.indd 54

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T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E Â®

4/8/20 4:58 PM

PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

Fea 4-BlackGap.indd 55

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E Â® |

M A Y

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4/8/20 5:02 PM

PHOTO: CANSTOCK

Black Gap has a healthy mule deer population.

LACK BEARS, BIGhorns, cougars and mule deer. There aren’t many publicly accessible lands where you can encounter all of the above in Texas, but you can at the Black Gap Wild62

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life Management Area (WMA) 55 miles south of Marathon. The Black Gap WMA borders Big Bend National Park on the northwest. The management area shares 25 miles of the Rio Grande with the Mexican state of Coahuila on the southern and east|

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

4/9/20 12:41 PM

Fea 4-BlackGap.indd 57

4/8/20 5:02 PM

ern boundaries. The property contains approximately 103,000 acres where the Sierranias del Burro and Sierra del Carmen Mountain Ranges enter into Texas. “It’s a very remote, diverse ecosystem that has an abundance of wildlife that we manage for biodiversity and as well as sporting opportunities,” said Black Gap WMA manager Travis Smith.

General visitation is allowed only during the period March 1 to August 31 and is restricted to roads (Horse and Maravillas Canyons) accessing the Rio Grande corridor. Seasonal hunting is available by annual public hunting permit for dove, quail, waterfowl (during the early teal season) and rabbits. It is also one of the few places

in Texas offering public draw permits for mule deer, which are abundant. “Our mule deer population here is pretty healthy,” Smith said. “We offer draw archery hunts for mule deer in October as well as November and December-January rifle hunts. As mule deer hunting opportunities are rare for most Texans, it is a great opportunity.”

A bighorn ram.

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T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

IMAGES: TOP, TPWD; BOTTOM, CANSTOCK

4/9/20 12:41 PM

deer population in Texas ranges from about 150,000 during dry conditions to about 250,000 during wet periods. The

latest estimates put it on the high end of that range. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Approximately 80 to 85 percent

The WMA is adjacent to Big Bend National Park.

According to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials, the mule

T E X A S

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4/8/20 5:02 PM

of the mule deer in Texas inhabit the

Black bear sightings have been reported in Black Gap WMA.

Trans-Pecos Region while the remainder are found in the Panhandle and western Edwards Plateau regions. Mule deer in the Trans-Pecos (including Black Gap WMA) and western Edwards Plateau belong to the desert subspecies (Odocoileus hemionus crooki). The first words of this story were “black bears.” That’s because Black Gap WMA has become one of the strongholds for bears in the Trans Pecos. Once virtually eliminated from the region, crossovers from Mexico started filtering in during the 1980s. Now bear sightings are not necessarily common, but they’re not a surprise either In September 2019, TPWD’s Twitter account shared a photo of a black bear mother with three cubs. It was a beautiful sight, showing that even in Texas’s roughest country, life is abundant. Thanks to TPWD’s management and sportsman’s dollars for footing the bill to steward this Trans Pecos gem.

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T E X A S

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G A M E ®

PHOTO: USFW

4/9/20 1:56 PM

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4/8/20 5:02 PM

BASS

AXIS

Private Pond

Real County

Six-year-old Reid Newsome caught this 6.3-pound bass all by himself on a ½-ounce spinnerbait. She did a jumping dance and gave him the ﬁght of his life. Dad Aaron has a ﬁshing buddy for life.

Ten-year-old Fourdam Matey of Victoria bagged this trophy free range Axis in Real County with a single shot from his youth model .223, with guidance from his Dad.

BLACK DRUM

GAFFTOPSAIL CATFISH

Matagorda Wyatt Balke caught this “Big Ugly” while ﬁshing in front of the family camp house in Matagorda on his 8th Birthday.

2005-Reader Photos.indd 62

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T E X A S

F I S H

Galveston Dana Pyfer with one of many gafftops she caught while ﬁshing near Port Bolivar.

G A M E ®

4/8/20 4:59 PM

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

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

WHITETAIL Nacogdoches County Malachi Johnsen shot his ﬁrst buck while hunting in Nacogdoches County.

REDFISH Port O’Connor Thirteen-year-old Burke Malloy of Houston caught and released this bull red while ﬁshing at the jetties in Port O’Connor.

WHITETAIL Brownwood Jonathan Holland got this big buck while hunting on the Foley Ranch near Brownwood with his Dad.

BASS Choke Canyon Haley Matthews with the ﬁrst ﬁsh of the morning on a recent trip to Choke Canyon. His per-sonal best record was smashed with this 11.6 pounder.

T E X A S

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4/8/20 4:59 PM

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

Idle Talk

‘D

end of the counter. Doreen had finally given in and allowed him to keep his tying vise at the café. Delbert P. Axelrod, our own version of Quasimoto, joined him at the counter. “Look,” Delbert said. “Horny toad.” Doreen nearly slapped his head off. “Ow! Let me show you what I have!” Slap again. In desperation, he quickly placed the little reptile on the counter. It did a few push-ups and glared at the café’s occupants.

ID I EVER TELL YOU about the time that …” Doc began. “Yes,” we answered in

unison. I think we may have hurt his feelings. He frowned at his empty plate. “I was just thinking about the first time I saw Mandy work birds.” “She’d run up to a thicket, stick her head in and listen for birds,” Wrong Willie finished for him. “Then if they were running out the other side she’d hurry around and cut them off.” Doc stared at Willie like pigeons had just flown out of his ears. The Hunting Club was killing a rainy Saturday afternoon in Doreen’s 24 HR Eat Gas Now Café. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Most of us have been together for so long that we’ve heard our same stories over and over again. Doreen did what she does best. She simply poured coffee and watched us wallow in a mire of familiarity. We didn’t even have Trixie to look at. She was off on a weekend in Cozumel with her twin sister Dixie. We just knew she and Dixie were laying on the beach in their new bikini bathing suits somewhere, sipping on drinks with umbrellas in them. It wasn’t good for us. In contrast, I idly wondered what kind of wax Doreen uses on her mustache. “Did I ever tell you guys about the time that the War Department and I hired a guide on the White River in Arkansas and for three days we caught nothing but two little bitty trout?” I was kinda pleased that I’d finished the sentence before someone cut me off. “Yeah, and it rained all the time you were up there and she threatened to throw your guide in the river,” Wrong Willie said. We sighed. Youngster was quietly tying flies at the far |

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The Hunting Club was killing a rainy afternoon in Doreen’s 24 HR Eat Gas Now Café

“

I thought for a minute that we were going to have a fight. But Doreen quickly realized what was going on. “Get that reptile off my counter!” Doreen ordered by way way of apology. I put my hand against Delbert’s chest and pushed him back. “I mean the lizard.” Delbert rescued the lizard and put it in his pocket. Big Roger, who was sitting next to Youngster, didn’t even blink, but then again he’s worked with us for the past fifteen years and nothing surprises him. “I woke up one morning on the lease, swung my legs over the side of the cot and stepped on a horny toad in my bare feet…” Jerry Wayne began. “And it hurt so bad that you fell backward onto Doc’s cot and woke everyone up,” |

T E X A S

F I S H

Woodrow finished. Everyone returned to their coffee cups. “Anyone want to go to my house and help me clean out my tackle box?” I asked. “I cleaned out my box last year, put it on the dock and…” “One of the kids knocked it off and you lost most of your lures,” I finished. Silence. Thunder rumbled outside. “Hud and I were catching sandies off the boat ramp one day when it was thundering like this…” “And it was lightning so y’all were casting sideways to keep from frying yourselves,” Wrong Willie said. “We’ve heard it.” “I haven’t,” Big Roger said. There was a shocked silence in the café. We stared at him. A two-headed space alien couldn’t have gotten a better reaction. “Did you hear about the time I was gigging frogs with my Cousin and a lizard fell down his neck in the dark?” I asked hopefully. “Nope,” Big Roger answered. “What about the pheasant hunt in the panhandle when it was so cold we couldn’t feel our fingers on the trigger?” “Nope,” Big Roger answered, again. The café lit up like the sun had just peeked through the storm clouds. Someone who hadn’t heard all our stories was in our midst. “What about,” Doc began cautiously, “the dove hunt when we had to stay in the room where a man had died the night before and the pool water was so green that something was alive in there but no one had the courage to get close enough to find out what it was???” We waited breathlessly. Big Roger thought for a moment. “Nope.” “Huzzah!!!” We high-fived, pulled chairs around the counter to surround Big Roger. Doreen got her raincoat and left. She’d heard them all before.

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