Texas Fish & Game September/October 2021 by Texas Fish & Game

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 | $3.95

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How Aggies Saved the Key Deer

Gear Up for Action Offshore www.FishGame.com 8/23/21 4:09 PM

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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

Welcome to Our Shirt Show

PUBLISHERS

CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF

VERY MAGAZINE ON THE PLANET SEEMS TO BE GETTING INTO THE RETAIL business. They’re doing it out of necessity, of course. By now it is news to no one that a stark reality has descended on print publishers over the past decade, with the mass exodus of advertising—the traditional source of magazine (and newspaper) income—to younger, allegedly more exciting options. It all started when the geniuses at Google figured out how to weaponize the lowly classified ad. Once they released “Ad Words” from their labs, the idea of investing creative energy and marketing budgets in beautiful, richly informative technicolor spreads in magazines became less appealing to the advertising industry—the industry that had helped make print media a major part of the American culture for 200 years. Now, publishers everywhere realize that unless they find other sources of income, their futures are more depressing than a Google search for “Bankruptcy Lawyers Near Me.” But as the familiar saying goes, “When Google closes a door, God opens a window...” or something to that effect. We’ve learned a thing or two from watching the whole world dive head-first into the shallow pool known as Digital Media. For one thing, it’s not a restricted pool. In other words, if we can’t beat ‘em, we can join ‘em. So, like most of our publishing cohorts, we’ve gone digital in every way possible—website, social media, weekly e-newsletters, podcast, and our own online store. If you trudge back through our history, you will see that we have been hawking TEXAS FISH & GAME branded merchandise almost from the beginning. Our early efforts were mainly promotional enterprises, designed to just get our name and logo out there on branded shirts and hats. But now, well into the Digital Age, we’ve upped our game to a whole new level. Another thing we’ve learned is that hunters and anglers like to express their passions on what they wear. Nothing identifies an avid sportsman better than a sleek performance shirt with a beautiful illustration and a few pithy words of descriptive testimony. In that spirit, we are now launching a new brand of TEXAS FISH & GAME products, starting with a line of performance shirts. Working with San Antonio-based artist Ricardo Rodriguez of Art Republic of Texas, we’ve designed a line of new shirts that we’re extremely proud of.

C O N T R I B U T O R S JOE DOGGETT DOUG PIKE LENNY RUDOW MATT WILLIAMS PETE ROBBINS KELLY GROCE LOU MARULLO LARRY WEISHUHN DUSTIN ELLERMANN REAVIS WORTHAM STAN SKINNER LISA MOORE

• • • • • • • • • • • •

SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR BOATING EDITOR FRESHWATER EDITOR BASS FISHING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR HUNTING EDITOR WHITETAIL EDITOR SHOOTING EDITOR HUMOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR

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Our shirts are available in our store—yes, like everyone else, we built an online store years ago and it carries this new apparel line plus our library of fishing and hunting books—and you can find it at FishGame.com/fishgamegear. The new shirts are available in white and silver and in sizes from SM to 4XL. In addition to the designs shown above, we have “Respect the Specs,” “Texas Reds,” and “Chasing Legends.” We’re working on more designs, including hunting themes, so stay tuned.

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

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September/October 2021 | Vol. 38 • No. 3

FEATURE ARTICLES

FALL CRAPPIE If you’ve got an itch to catch some autumn slabs, a trip to East Texas is a great way to scratch it.

by Matt Williams

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The tiniest of whitetails, found only in the Florida Keys, were in danger... until the Aggies came to the rescue.

A new movement has hit Texas with the goal of inspiring more women to become hunters. First in a series on WOMEN IN THE OUTDOORS.

COLUMNS

by Chester Moore

TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION

Editor’s Notes by JOE DOGGETT

Texas Freshwater by MATT WILLIAMS

Bass University

MEGA CAST & BLAST Five fish/hunt combinations to amp up your fall.

by TF&G Staff

by CHESTER MOORE

Doggett at Large

The TF&G Report + HotShots Action Photos

Fish & Game Forecast Center: Freshwater

Fish & Game Forecast Center: Saltwater

Sportsman’s Daybook

by PETE ROBBINS

Going Coastal by KELLY GROCE

Texas Whitetails by LARRY WEISHUHN

DEPARTMENTS

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by TF&G Staff

HOW TEXAS A&M SAVED FLORIDA’S KEY DEER

WOMEN ON THE HUNT

Photo courtesy Renee Thornton

Nothing says adventure to Texas anglers like an offshore fishing trip. To do it right, you need the right gear.

COVER STORY

Story by Chester Moore

GEAR UP FOR OFFSHORE

Letters

from TF&G Readers

Outdoor Directory

F I S H

Fish & Game Photos

by TF&G Readers

Guides, Outfitters & More &

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LETTERS to the Editor Texas Tarpon & Flats Fishing

“thump,” and all flounders do. I’m gonna go with flounder on this one. I’ve had some hit super hard. The hardest thump I’ve ever had however, was flounder fishing but it wasn’t a flounder. I had a curl-tailed grub tipped with shrimp working it along the bottom in Bridge Bayou on Sabine Lake and got a mega thump. I mean hard! I set the hook and at first it ran like a flounder but soon revealed itself to be a six foot alligator. It broke the line soon thereafter.

I LOVE THE HIGHER CALLING GULF Coast podcast. I listened to your flats fishing series parts 1 and 2 and was fascinated with the concept of the Flats Slam. With that said I have some questions. Obviously, we have tarpon in Texas, but are there any bonefish and permit? If they are, they must be rare. Also, if you had to create a Texas flats slam based on fish availability what would it be?

Hogzilla WE NAMED THIS HOG “HOGZILLA!” (pictured) Hogzilla lived in Lavaca County in Texas. He was captured on a game cam-

Walt Woods Editor: Thanks for listening to the podcast. Since we debuted it last year (sponsored by Texas Fish & Game) we have had great response. There are tarpons and permit in Texas but they are super rare. There are only a few instances of each caught here. Actually, Capt. Brian Barrera whom we interviewed on the tarpon episode of the Flats Slam series had a client catch a bonefish and another a tarpon. I’m researching an article on the presence of both in the northern Gulf for a future article. On the Texas Flats Slam, that would be hard. If we’re just sticking with game fish present on our flats, the tarpon from the real flats slam would qualify, but you would probably have to put in a redfish for sure, and then a black drum. You can sight cast to both on the flats in Texas. I say we leave the real flats slam alone. I love reds and drum but there is no comparison in the fight department and elusiveness of bonefish and permit.

era on June 20, 2020. I was happy to take him during the late muzzle loader season in January 2021.

Crappie Vs. Flounder

Allen Larson

CRAPPIE AND FLOUNDER WILL both “thump” a jig. It’s a very specific thumping feel. In your opinion, Mr. Moore, which has the superior thump?

Conservation Commitment

Dane Sanderson

I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK Texas Fish & Game for its involvement with CCA, National Wild Turkey, Ducks

Editor: Both do thump, but I have found it’s only the bigger crappies that tend to give a 4

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Unlimited and the other groups you promote on your pages. Thank you very much for a serious commitment to conservation. Others talk it, but as far as I see TF&G walks it. With that said, I know Chester Moore is a member of numerous groups. Would he mind listing the conservation groups he belongs to?

Kaci Dickinson Editor: Thanks for your kind words. Roy and Ardia Neves have always been willing to partner with conservation groups and also let me push the envelope on those issues. I belong to a bunch of groups so, here’s the list. The Wild Sheep Foundation, Texas Big-

horn Society, Houston Safari Club Foundation, Dallas Safari Club, Ducks Unlimited, Coastal Conservation Association, National Wild Turkey Federation (including Montgomery County Chapter), Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Trout Unlimited, Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation, Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society and Bear Trust International.

Email your comments to: editor@ﬁshgame.com PHOTO COURTESY ALLEN LARSON

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

It’s All About Habitat

cent) new people from April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2019. “Cedar Park also made the top 10 fastestgrowing list, with 79,462 (+44.2 percent) new people in the same time period. And Round Rock is the 13th fastest-growing large city in the U.S., with 133,372 (+33.3 percent) new people over the same time period.” More people equals more demand on wildlife and fisheries resources. At this point in the story someone is mad at me already, fuming that I would dare question growth. This is a fishing, hunting and wildlife publication, and we must address what is happening to our state’s wild lands. Texas is 97 percent privately owned. That means 97 percent of the land is up for sale. Money talks. On a recent trip to Montana, I spent some time in the Gallatin National Forest which encompasses 1,849, 701 acres. That’s more than all national forest land in Texas (Crockett, Sam Houston, Angelina, Sabine) combined, along with all Texas Parks & Wildlife wildlife management areas on top of that. I saw all kinds of wildlife there, many public fishing access areas and mile after mile of true wilderness. That is just one of many national forests in Montana alone with several far larger than the Gallatin. While fishing Lower Laguna Madre, I learned about some bridge and other projects down that way that have truly frightening ramifications for the lush seagrass habitat. And as population grows, the need for water will increase with it. This will turn to inter-basin water transfer from areas such as the Sabine Lake area where water is plentiful. It will also lead to more reservoir construction, which destroys sometimes hundreds of thousands of acres of bottomland habitat. At some point we are going to have to talk about habitat. If this column were about trout or floun-

VER THE LAST THREE years I have traveled on fishing, hunting and wildlife photography excursions to other states more than I have in the previous 15 years combined. It’s been a tremendous blessing to hunt turkey in New York, catch bonefish in Florida, flyfish for trout in Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming and Montana and photograph bighorn sheep in Nevada, New Mexico and other states. With every exciting trip comes a little sadness. It’s shocking the amount of wildlife and fisheries habitat being covered with concrete, degraded by urban sprawl and otherwise impacted by development and industry. It’s a major issue from sea to shining sea with no state escaping some level of problems. In no place is habitat more endangered than right here in Texas. It breaks my heart to see what’s happening in some of the most beautiful and wildlife-rich areas in the state. From 2010 to 2020, the Texas population grew by 15.9 percent which is twice the average rate of state growth during the same timeframe. If you want to see where a lot of that growth is taking place, look no farther than the Hill Country. According to a story at KVUE.com, Austin has now grown to the 11th largest city in America. “There’s also been explosive growth in the Central Texas region outside of Austin, when looking at the rate of growth. For cities with more than 50,000 people, New Braunfels is third in the U.S. for fastest growing, with 90,209 (+56.4 per-

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der limits, there would be dozens of emails. I’d be shocked if I get a couple on this. There seems to be a disconnect when it comes to habitat. It’s certainly not that people don’t have the capacity to get it. Our hunters and anglers are bright people here in Texas. I believe it’s politics. Most of us are conservative and through conservative social media we have been taught that even questioning development or siding on anything related to “green” is bad. I’m conservative; but I for one, like to conserve habitat, too. Business is not only generated from pouring concrete and building structures, but from guided fishing trips, crabbing, outfitting hunts and other forms of ecotourism. Yes, it generates money and lots of it. What happens to these people and their lifestyle when the habitat they rely on is gone or too degraded to be productive? I’m not anti-growth. I’m certainly not anti-capitalism, and I am not suggesting we turn everything left into federal lands of some sort. Even if I wanted that to happen, it would not. What I am saying is that as hunters, anglers and wildlife lovers, we should focus more on habitat than a lot of the other issues that distract us. If we don’t find creative ways to conserve what we have, the loss coming in the next two decades will be tremendous. There’s still time to do something about it and that’s what we’ll address in the second installment coming in the next issue. I salute CCA for their increased focus on habitat as well as the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited and the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. It’s time we all get on board with habitat conservation.

« Email Chester Moore at cmoore@ﬁshgame.com

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

Bass Fishing at its Best

HE LATE-AFTERNOON south wind was gusting to 20-plus as we shoved the 12-foot aluminum boat into the lake. Naturally, the best-looking bass water was on the far south end. I sat in the front, playing the age-hasprivilege trump, as Rickey Morris stepped to the stern. We nosed the skiff into the wind. He fiddled with the battery cables and turned the trolling motor handle to full power. We didn’t exactly go in reverse, but the splashing bow failed to reveal any discernible progress. “Hmm, battery seems a bit low,” he muttered, the master of understatement. “We’d better start paddling.” Morris passed over a broad-bladed wooden paddle and started digging with its mate. The coveted shoreline bristling with green promise was perhaps 400 yards away. I settled into a steady rhythm, punctuating each fourth or fifth stroke with a choice epithet. After 200 yards into the hammering chops, I felt every hour of my sagging 74 years. “Keep stroking! All this paddling exercise will help your surfing.” I’ve known the 50-something Morris for 25 years, mainly through a shared obsession for wave riding. By happy coincidence, he and his family live on a subdivision lake. By unhappy coincidence, he pays more attention to Fry Surfboards than Delco products. The grueling exercise finally reached the leeward bank. I slumped forward, sweating and panting. Morris had the good sense to pack a beverage cooler, and I reached back, waggling an impatient hand. “Ah, much better,” I allowed, wiping frosty

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losing any exceptional fish. My best was a thick green and gold beauty that struck at the end of a smooth cast tight to the reeds. The fish jumped repeatedly and pulled with alarming power—my reel drag was too tight, a rookie mistake that the 15-pound mono covered. It was an excellent session. Any decent largemouth that smashes a well-cast topwater lure (plug or fly) along a pleasing green shoreline carries the game to a high level on the style meter of Sport Fishing. Even Morris’s cheesy boat was a plus—the small skiff puts the low angler closer to the experience, a front row seat. I thought about bass fishing during my short drive home. Years ago, I spent many days on the big East Texas reservoirs. One of the standard patterns in open water was to work bottom structure such as a hump, creek channel, or roadbed. Most of this fishing occurred in 10 to maybe 20 feet. No casting targets were visible, only a vague notion of the bottom contours and perhaps a few blips of fish or bait as marked by the electronics. Go-to offerings were Texasrigged plastics, deep-diving crankbaits, and jigging type lures (such as Mann’s Little George tailspinners and Bomber’s Slab spoons) Bass often schooled over main-lake structures, and the fishing could be very productive. Back in the catch-and-keep days 10-fish limits were routine, mostly one to two pounders. Occasionally, a larger bass would push the “schoolies” aside and hit. It was fun. But it was not as exciting as what Morris and I experienced, and it was not as significant. What we experienced is what made the largemouth America’s fish. It is available on lakes and ponds across the state. The accurate cast, the violent blast, the repeated leaps, those elements combined with a pleasing shoreline are bass fishing at its best—Well, those things and maybe a hot trolling motor.

foam from parched lips. By paddling a few soft strokes and slipping a mushroom anchor after each sly advance we were able to semi-effectively work the bank. Tall reeds and fishy-looking stickups punctuated the promise. I used a crankbait, and he chunked a Texas-rigged plastic. Thirty minutes later, nothing. The late sun was settling behind low clouds, and the air was cooling. You don’t bass fish for more than half a century without picking up a few clues. I stashed the crankbait rod and grabbed a topwater rod. The 6½-foot stick was rigged with one of my all-time favorite plugs, a Norman Wounded Flash. Lake Livingston pro Jack Segall introduced me to the Wounded Flash back in the mid ’70s. The chubby torpedo profile is fitted with slim fore and aft chrome propellers that twirl and flutter with each rod-tip “slush.” It’s just the right weight and balance for smooth levelwind casting. Many fine slush-type plugs are available, but the old Wounded Flash remains my “confidence bait” when topwater conditions for bass are right. As if a switch were flipped against the growing shadows, the topwater conditions were utterly and totally right. My first cast—yes, my first shot—into a tight shoreline pocket drew a prompt blast. A three-pound bass tore into the plug, and I whooped against the bent rod. The fish was healthy and strong, pulling and diving with surprisingly vitality. Like most bass stuck on surface lures in shallow water, it made several twisting, shaking leaps—all you could ask from an A-list game fish. I held the glowing prize aloft before plucking the trebles and releasing the fish. “Not bad,” Morris said, ditching the worm rig and grabbing a topwater rod. His choice was a classic Heddon Torpedo, slightly smaller and fitted with a single tail prop. During the next hour we caught 15 or 20 bass, most in the honest three-pound class and several pushing four to five. The runt of the bunch was a gung-ho one pounder that nailed the Flash. We each missed several blowups (mainly hitting too soon), but I do not recall F I S H

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Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

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story by MATT WILLIAMS

T’S EARLY FALL AND another summer meltdown should be in the rearview, or real close to it. It’s a feel-good time of year that always brings a gradual chill to the water that puts the slabs in the mood to chomp.

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“Slab” is a moniker that crappie anglers sometimes use when describing a big fish. The criteria for the title varies with who you talk to. Lake Fork fishing guide Gary Paris draws the line at 1 1/4 pounds. Paris and his clients have boxed

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thousands of slabs over the years. Like most avid anglers, the guide agreed that man-made brush piles and bridge crossings rank among the best places to look for schools of the popular panfish from summer through fall on Fork and other East Texas hotspots.

COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

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The Top White Crappie Lake in Texas THERE ARE TWO SUB-SPECIES OF CRAPPIE FINNING AROUND in East Texas lakes—black crappie and white crappie. Although black crappie drive most fisheries, Texas Parks and Wildlife regional director Marcos DeJesus of Tyler says there are a few where the white crappie stands out. “All of the big reservoirs have great populations, but it seems like the real turbid ones give white crappie an advantage over black crappie,” he said. “Some of the strongest populations sampled in recent surveys are from siltier reservoirs such as Cooper and Cedar Creek. Keeping a strong hold at the

top is Navarro Mills. This is a smaller silted reservoir that pretty much has lived its existence as a premier crappie destination since it produced the state record white crappie in 1968, a 4.56 pounder. Pound-for-pound this lake hangs in there with the best when it comes to white crappie. Navarro Mills still has a solid population, but the drastic siltation is starting to show signs of impacting crappie recruitment.”

« MAP: 2020 TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS

Good electronics and mapping technologies have played huge roles in Paris’s fishing strategies over the years, but none have helped him step up his game like LiveScope has. LiveScope is Garmin’s version of forwardfacing sonar. Like Lowrance LIVETARGET

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and Humminbird MEGA Live imaging, the high-tech system provides real-time sonar

images of structure, bait and swimming fish ahead of below or around the vessel. Paris says LiveScope enables him to pinpoint schools of crappie at suspended depths, make precise casts to them and see how they react to his bait. More

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PHOTO: STEVE OEHLENSCHLAGER

importantly, it gives him a good idea how many fish are in a school and allows him to bird dog the fish when they move. “LiveScope hasn’t really changed the way I fish,” he said. “I still key on brush piles and bridges just like I always have, but it has made me way more effective at fishing them than I was before. I can actually follow the fish if they move left, right or under the boat,” he said. “You can’t do that with traditional down-scan or side-scan sonar.” Paris says LiveScope comes in really handy when crappie meander away from a brush pile or set of bridge pilings. Often times this happens because the bait moves or due to fishing pressure. “You might catch two or three fish real quick, and then they quit,” he said. “It’s easy to think that is all that was there, but a lot of times the school may just move and set up 25 yards to the left or right. I find them relating to open water pretty often. Without LiveScope, I’d never know those fish were there.” Paris says the same game plan can be applied on Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend, Lake o’ the Pines, Tawakoni, Cedar Creek or any

Black crappie are the more prominent sub-species on most East Texas ﬁsheries.

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time to build your own. Otherwise, you can find success around bridges or select boat docks, provided the water depth is sufficient. Sam Rayburn fishing guide Bill Fondren with Tejas Guide Service knows a thing or two about brush piles. Fondren has dozens of fish hotels built on his home lake at varied depths for different seasons. Deeper piles in 25 to 35 feet hold fish from summer through winter. According to Fondren, how and where the fish will posi-

other lake with an abundant crappie population. “Learn to use it and you’ll catch more crappie wherever you fish, no doubt about it.” Deadly as it is, not everyone has the extra money to invest in expensive forward-facing sonar gear. Not to worry though, plenty of fall crappie can be caught without it. You can score big, if you know the whereabouts of a brush pile or two, or don’t mind investing the

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Three Steps to Shooting Crappie Jigs PERFORMING THE SHOOTING TECHNIQUE IS A SIMPLE, MULTIstep process: 1) Release enough line so the jig falls between the bottom rod guide and the reel. Trap the line against the rod with the index finger on your rod hand. Grip the jig head firmly between the index finger and thumb on your free hand. Make sure the exposed hook is turned downward.

2) Point the rod tip at the target dock with the line and jig parallel to the water. This will cause the rod to bend or load backwards, sort of like a bow and arrow. You might want to sit or kneel to get a lower angle. 3) Release the jig and trapped line simultaneously. This causes the loaded rod tip to spring forward and sling the bait toward the target.

« PHOTO: COURTESY WALLY MARSHALL

tion around the brush depends on oxygen content, sunlight and cloud Mr. Crappie, cover. He almost always finds the Wally Marshall, fish suspended. demonstrates dock “Sometimes they’ll be on top of shooting. the brush, out to the side or right down in the middle of it,” he said. Fondren likes to build his brush piles vertically in the water column using columns. Yet, he prefers to stay on the move sweet gums and willows. He steers clear of and cast with small jigs when targeting the cedar, because dense foliage is bad about crossmembers. He always lines up parallel with the bridge and casts ahead of the boat. snagging 2/0 shiner hooks and jigs. Brush piles of all sizes will attract fish. The key is to make a lengthy cast, then count Fondren is a fan of big ones. He builds the the bait down a few seconds before beginpiles in the shape of a horseshoe with the 8- ning a slow, steady retrieve. The depth of the crossmember can vary to 10-foot limbs spaced far enough apart that he can nose his 24-foot pontoon boat into with location and water level. At Fork, many the bend. This provides multiple customers of the crossmembers are about 20 feet deep when the lake is at full pool, Paris said. a spot to fish. Dock shooting is a special tactic Texas Fondren weights his piles using cinder blocks. He connects the block to the base of crappie pro Wally Marshall relies on to catch the limb using stainless steel wire to prevent crappie from spring through fall on just about any lake with boat docks, slips and piers. rust. Any brush pile constructed using natural Cedar Creek, Palestine, Tawakoni, Fork, materials will rot or lose its appeal in time. Conroe, Texoma, Athens, Toledo Bend are Fondren says it is a good idea to refresh piles among the East Texas lakes where he’s had good success. periodically. Marshall says bait fish gravitate to docks “I’m a firm believer in keeping things to feed, seek shelter and hide from larger fresh and green down there,” Fondren said. predators. Crappie take advantage of the shade to ambush unsuspecting forage. The FISHING BRIDGES AND DOCKS Fishing around brush piles is often a verti- fish also are attracted to the cooler water cal game. However, bridges and docks are beneath the canopy, and shooting is ideal for more about casting or “shooting” with small getting at them. Marshall says the magic is built around jigs or swim baits. Paris says anglers can catch fish by soak- the presentation of the bait, usually a 1/16ing shiners vertically around bridge support or 1/32-ounce jig. This is paired with a 12

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medium/light spinning outfit and high visibility monofilament line in four- to six-pound test. Done correctly, shooting will catapult the jig at a low angle, parallel to the water, with enough velocity that it will sail far beneath the dock or whatever you’re aiming at. Marshall claims he can shoot a 1/16-ounce Slab Daddy or Shad Pole jig about 60 feet with the right outfit. “It enables you to put a jig into the coffin corners—the deepest, darkest places under that dock that are impossible to get to with a conventional cast,” he said. “Plus, it allows you to get a bait beneath a dock without getting so close that you might spook fish hanging closer to the outside edge.” Marshall says anyone can learn to shoot docks effectively with practice and persistence. Beginners can learn in their yard or driveway by sitting in a lawn chair and using a sawhorse positioned 15 to 20 feet away to simulate the dock. He suggests practicing with 1/16-ounce lead weight instead of a jig. Practice until you can consistently shoot the weight under the sawhorse at varied distances. Having the proper equipment helps flatten the learning curve. A sensitive rod is a key component. Marshall’s favorite is a Lew’s seven-foot, medium/light action spinning model he helped design for shooting. Fittingly, the rod is called the “Speed Shooter.” It’s made from sensitive IM8 graphite with a fast-tip action tip.

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8/9/21 4:40 PM

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

Could Zebra Mussels Produce Record Panﬁsh?

EWS TRAVELS FAST WHEN somebody reels in a great big fish. Just ask John Galbraith of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Galbraith is the owner of Bass Tackle Masters on Lake Havasu, a scenic, Colorado River reservoir along Arizona/California border. He was at his shop last May when Wisconsin angler Thomas Farchione walked in with a whale of a redear sunfish and asked to have it weighed on certified scales. Galbraith has seen plenty of big redears over the years. His certified scales confirmed that Farchione’s catch was something special. The enormous sunfish tipped the scale to a previously unheard-of 6.30 pounds. It’s a pending All-Tackle World Record redear sunfish for the International Game Fish Assoc. Measuring 17 inches long with a 20-inch girth, the fish eclipses the former world record of 5.78 pounds caught in 2014 by Hector Brito. Brito’s fish topped Robert Lawler’s 2011 world record of 5.55 pounds. Both previous world records were also caught from Lake Havasu, a 19,300-acre reservoir that is fast becoming known as the Lake Fork of trophy redear lakes. Galbraith has an intimate knowledge of the lake’s history of kicking out giant sunfish. He weighed both of the previous world records. Galbraith says he has averaged weighing 15 to 20 redears in the four-pound range and three to four fish topping five pounds per year over the last two years. What gives with all super-sized redear sunfish at Havasu? No one knows for certain, but some experts and local anglers believe it could be linked to something in the water. Namely, quagga mussels. Like the invasive zebra mussels that have proliferated in many Texas lakes in recent times, quagga mussels are native to eastern

Europe. Quaggas were first discovered in the United States in 1989 after foreign ships carrying microscopic quagga larvae discharged their ballast water into the Great Lakes. The mussels have since been confirmed in several western lakes, including Lake Havasu in 2007. The mussels’ razor-sharp shells can be problematic for humans. They cause significant damage to water systems by clogging intakes if not kept in check. However, many locals contend the mollusks have been a blessing to Havasu’s prolific redear fishery. The belief is the quaggas provide an abundant, high protein food source to complement other forage such as red swamp crawfish and grass shrimp. Also known as “shellcrackers,” redear are gifted with pharyngeal teeth in their throats that help the panfish crush the mussels’ hard shells to get at the goodies inside. Galbraith has owned his shop for nearly 20 years. Over the last decade, he’s watched Havasu transition from an outstanding redear fishery to one that is producing fish of colossal proportions on a regular basis. “In my opinion the mussels have had everything to do with it,” he said. “The lake record was a three pounder when the quaggas first showed up in 2007, and it’s gotten bigger ever since. Going from a three-pound lake record to a 6.30-pounder with three world records in a short time is no coincidence. The quaggas are the reason.” Fisheries biologist Ty Hardymon with the Arizona Game and Fish Department says he believes it’s entirely possible that quagga mussels may be contributing to the trophy fish explosion at Havasu, but he doesn’t think the invasive mollusks deserve all the credit. “It could be that the quaggas are part of a perfect storm out there,” Hardymon said. “I think there are a number of factors that play in that lake. It’s definitely possible, or even highly T E X A S

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The pending world record 6.3 pound redear sunﬁsh.

likely that the quagga mussels are contributing the growth of those fish. “I believe it also has to do with the extended growing season allowed by the warm climate, habitat availability and a variety of other resources. Plus, as a result of habitat selection, redears aren’t likely to encounter predators in Lake Havasu that will prey on them once they reach a certain size.” Zebra mussels—a cousin to the quagga— were first discovered in Lake Texoma in 2009 and have since proliferated in a host of other Texas lakes. Two dozen Texas impoundments are now considered “infested” with zebras. Redear sunfish coexist with zebra mussels in several Texas lakes. However, there have been no reports that sunfish are growing at accelerated rates in any of those waters, according to Craig Bonds, inland fisheries director with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Bonds thinks it would be pretty cool if it did. “We can go on all day talking about the negative consequences of zebra mussels,” he said. “But if we have to adapt to live with them in places where they already exist, it would be nice if not all of the effects are negative. If some larger redears are in some of these lakes infested with zebra mussels, that would be a silver lining in my book.”

Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

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

Hanselman: Dragonﬂies for Late Summer Bass

ONVENTIONAL WISDOM tells us that when Texas is at its hottest, in the depths of summer when sweat runs down the back of our neck by seven a.m., it pays to go deep for bass. That may mean plying offshore structure with a giant crankbait, a football jig or a Carolina rig. On lakes with verdant fields of grass, it often means punching “scrapes”— caverns under the thickest hydrilla where the giants gang up. Legendary Amistad guide and Bassmaster Elite Series competitor Ray Hanselman loves to flip, and he excels at it. However, he admits that “sometimes it can get monotonous,” especially if the bite is not as hot as the weather. When that’s the case, he’ll attack the opposite end of the water column. “There’s always some fish that go dirt shallow in hot weather,” he said. “I’ve seen it on Amistad, Choke and Rayburn, they’ll be up there in the middle of the day. Go as far back in a creek as you can go, even places where the water looks stagnant. There will often be bass back there. Bass will be any place there is food, and there are always some bluegills in places like that.” Bluegills may be the main draw, but they’re not the only draw. One late summer pattern that Hanselman has seen repeat itself tme and again is a distinct topwater bite where bass are keyed in on Ray Hanselman big dragonflies. 14

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He’s not sure whether there’s some evolutionary reason for this. “They may be burning more energy that what they can possibly eat.” Still, it’s fun to watch and even more fun to chase. “It’s especially good if the water has just come up,” he explained. “I like to look for places where there’s not just grass, but also some bushes on the water. When you find a place like that, just sit and watch. It’s like a cartoon when you see the fish go after the dragonflies. It’s like someone throwing fish in the air.” He’ll often see the fish lying in wait, and key spots are simple sticks in the water where a bass can wait to ambush something that lands. Besides the visual aspect of this process, another thing that makes it fun is that topwaters are often the best tool to make these fish bite. Hanselman’s key lures for this pattern include a black Strike King Sexy Dawg and a small popper like the KVD Splash.

Because the dragonflies’ wings make a buzzing noise on the surface of the water, he also tries to replicate that using tools such as a prop bait or a buzzbait with a Rage Toad on the back. His favorite rod for just about all of these techniques is the ultra-versatile, heavy-action Power Tackle LPC675: “It has the right amount of give for topwaters, and I can use it for a wide range of baits, everything from a small popping bait up to a buzzbait.” The most important thing about this dragonfly pattern,” he said, “is that when you find fish that are keyed in on it, they’re generally pretty easy to catch: “If you see one blow up and get in the general area, you’ll usually catch him.” He added that while it may not consistently produce the same quality as dropping a big jig or a heavy creature bait into a scrape, “you can catch big fish doing it if the lake has them.” He catches plenty of fish in the five- to six-pound and larger range every year this way, and he often has the areas all to himself. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy, though. If it’s not happening, or the fish aren’t in that zone, you can’t force it to work. It also seems to go away by late September, as groups of fronts roll through the Lone Star State and the once-abundant dragonflies disappear. While it’s in play, however, it can save your day or your tournament performance. “It’s another tool you can put in your box,” he explained. “Especially when it’s cloudy or the bass are not grouped up offshore or under the grass, this is something extra you can look for.”

« Email Pete Robbins at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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PHOTO: BASSMASTER

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ENÉE THORNTON GREW UP IN rural Canada where hunting and farming are ingrained into the culture. Despite a lifelong awareness of hunting, she never pursued it until after thinking deeply about how animals were raised in factory farms. That inspired a quest to obtain her meat from the natural world and brought her to the conclusion hunting could be the solution. “I finally decided in 2016 to take the first step,” she said. “It was not easy, and I sort of fumbled a few times. But, I am tenacious and got involved with the Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta Chapter and other groups and agencies. I was dead set on making this work.” Although many of our first successful hunts were for rabbits or doves, Renée’s came in the form of a bear hunt in Northern Alberta in 2017. “That was quite an experience for a first-time hunter,” she said. “This was a spring hunt using the spot and stalk method, and I made a double lung shot from 115 yards. The boar was six feet from nose to tail and had a gorgeous spring coat. It’s still my favorite hunt to date.” Since then, she has taken axis deer in Texas, other game around the continent and has spent lots of time fishing. However, her even bigger passion is helping other women to get started hunting. “I had some definite challenges getting started,” she said. “As I talk to women from all around, I hear the same things. I’m excited to be part of something PHOTO: RENEE THORNTON:

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that will help offer solutions for women who want to hunt and pursue the great outdoors.” Thornton holds the chair of Women Hunt™, an outreach of The Wild Sheep Foundation that seeks cutting-edge solutions to connect women to the great outdoors. One of those solutions is a special project at the FTW Ranch, in the rugged Texas Hill Country near Barksdale. “With partners such as the FTW Ranch, we’ve created a special opportunity for 12 women from around the country not only to go on their first hunt, but learn the skills necessary to make it a lifelong pursuit,” Thornton said. Attendees were selected through The Wild Sheep Foundation and its regional chapters and affiliates such as the Texas Bighorn Society. Painstaking detail went into the application process, so all women who applied were given a fair shot without their identities known until they were selected. An even greater level of care went into the project itself. The 12 lucky women provide their own airfare to San Antonio, but the rest is taken care of by WSF. That includes WSF and sponsor swag, a Yeti 65-quart cooler to ship their meat back home in and more. The women will tour the ranch to see game and learn to properly identify each species in the field.

ABOVE: Renée Thornton bagged this big bear on her ﬁrst successful hunt in Northern Alberta.

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PHOTO: USFWS

PHOTO COURTESY RENEE THORNTON

12 ladies will get a chance to go on their ﬁrst hunt at the FTW Ranch near Barksdale courtesy of the WSF and their Women Hunt program. They will have a chance to harvest a whitetail doe and learn how to ﬁeld dress, process and cook the meat.

Renee Thornton believes Women Hunt will inspire and empower many women to hunt and become hunter-conservationists.

preparation from field-dressing to being able to properly butcher the meat. “We want to empower these ladies to have the confidence to be able to hunt, harvest and feed their families as well as share with their community,” Thornton said. An important part of the program is learning the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. It is the proven system that through partnering with hunters and anglers, has seen wildlife populations soar into the 2000s after the slaughter of the 1800s. “I saw Becky Humphries, Executive Director of the National Wild Turkey Federation, deliver an incredible speech on the North American Model,” Thornton said. “We have her recording one for us so the ladies can hear it articulated by someone who exemplifies that model in her work.” The women will also be encouraged to

“We want this to be an experience they will never forget,” Thornton said. “They will get a detailed course in game identification and in this case, will be learning to distinguish whitetails from exotics as part of that. The hunt is for a whitetail doe, which ties in with helping the ranch meet their management goals.” The ladies will go through firearms training and will have an opportunity to use Weatherby rifles, which they will learn to shoot out to 300 yards. “The goal is for each lady to harvest a doe,” Thornton said, “but if they are not all successful for whatever reason, the meat will be shared. Sharing our wild game is important. WSF and Women Hunt want to inspire the participants to share their game,” A wild game cooking specialist will come to the ranch to train participants in venison

share the story of their first hunt through outreach back home. That might be speaking for a local civic group, creating a social media presentation or talking with print and broadcast media. “We’re very excited about this program,” Thornton said. “We look forward to heading to the FTW Ranch for a special experience, not only for the 12 ladies but everyone involved in making it happen.” Through WSF’s Women Hunt™ program, women will not only learn to hunt, but learn to stand up for hunting and the conservation work it inspires. For more information visit www.wildsheepfoundation.org/womenhunt or call WSF at 406-404-8750.

The SAAM Program The Sportsman’s All Terrain All Weather Marksmanship (SAAM) program takes place at the FTW Ranch. This program has three branches, SAAM New Hunter Training, SAAM Precision, and SAAM Safari for

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sportsmen and women of all interests. All are designed to help shooters and hunters become highly proﬁcient under different conditions. In the case of the New Hunter program, it includes wildlife

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identiﬁcation and ethics. For more information on FTW Ranch and the SAAM program, go to ftwsaam. com.

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PHOTO: ADOBE

8/9/21 5:15 PM

FFSHORE FISHING GETS IN YOUR blood. Hooking up with a hard-hitting king mackerel and connecting with a lifelong angling dream like a blue marlin, does something to a person. It makes them want to pursue bluewater action, but to do so effectively you need the right kind of gear. Calcuttaoutdoors.com has a huge array of equipment including Sea Striker’s impressive collection of offshore rigs. Let’s take a look at some of the best options for offshore anglers through Calcuttaoutdoors.com. CEDAR PLUG DAISY CHAIN: Cedar plugs are one of the most effective sport fishing lures. These daisy chains are rigged with 130-pound mono, three four-inch cedar plugs and one six-inch cedar plug

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with a 10/0 hook. When pulled behind a boat, the daisy chain resembles bait fish which in turn raise the game fish. They’re available in natural wood and painted variations packed in a reusable mesh pouch. TROLLING PLANERS: The planer takes your lure down deep without heavy sinkers. While in trolling position, the planer runs at a 45¼-degree angle. When a fish is hooked, it returns to the surface. All sizes feature a rugged stainless steel blade and large brass ring to assure a clean trip. Models 4 and 5 are also available braced. SEA BIRD TEASERS: The Sea Striker Sea Bird is an excellent teaser to use in front of a primary lure. Birds are effective teasers when used individually or in a daisy chain. They feature teddy bear eyes and an epoxy finish. The end connections are made from stainless steel wire and are welded for superior strength.

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BALLYHOO LURES-RIGGED: Ballyhoo rigs are made with a 3/8-ounce ballyhoo lure, 7766-7/0 Mustad hook, ½-ounce egg sinker, copper wire, and 12 feet of 100pound mono. These rigs are professionally tied to work effectively with a natural ballyhoo. They’re made with straight nylon.

BULBHEAD SQUID: A Bulbhead Squid is popular for rigging spreader bars and daisy chains. It’s available in three sizes and multiple attractive colors.

Xplorer Tackle Bag

BALLYHOO RIG: This is a ¼-ounce Sea Bug rigged and ready to fish. It’s professionally rigged on 100-pound monofilament with a 7/0 hook, a bait spring, wire nose tab and chin weight. Just add the ballyhoo. It comes complete with instructions. EXPLORER TACKLE BAG: Organize your tackle efficiently and securely with the Explorer Tackle Bags. The main storage compartment includes four tackle trays. External pockets provide additional storage. There’s an exterior pliers holster on a side pocket for easy tool access and easy-grip zipper pulls for effortless opening, even with wet hands. A padded adjustable shoulder strap allows hands-free transport. Its dimensions: 17.25 x 9.5 inches.

Renegade Fish Cooler

Sea Bird Teaser

DOUBLE DROP SPOT & KINGFISH RIGS: This is a double drop rig for spots, kingfish and other small to medium size fish for the frying pan or for offshore bait. The one-inch fluorescent floats keep the bait off the bottom and away from crabs. The rig has #6 plated hooks, a #7 barrel swivel and a large loop for sinker attachment.

Wahoo Trolling Kit

ALUMINUM GAFFS: (Gold Anodized) The gold series is designed to match the bluewater fisherman’s gold or black color offshore reels. They feature salt-resistant, bright-gold anodized handles, stainless hook and black grips. Gaffs up to three feet have one grip. All gaffs four feet and above have two hand grips designed to offer maximum holding power with wet hands. The hook is made from the strongest quality stainless steel available. Each hook is hand sharpened with a knife-edge point. Unlike round points cut on a lathe, the tip of the point will not lay over if a bone is struck while gaffing a fish.

Ballyhoo Lure Rigged

Trolling Planers

WAHOO TROLLING KIT: This kit includes a yoyo to keep gear spooled on. It also includes a 911storage bag, 24-ounce trolling lead rigged on 150-pound cable, and 25 feet of 150-pound mono leader. 22

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WRAP AROUND FIGHTING BELT: Big fish require long fights and sometimes the only way to get it done is by wearing a fight belt.

Wrap Around Fighting Belt

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WRAP AROUND FIGHTING BELT WITH SWIVEL GIMBAL: This is the perfect fighting belt for any inshore or light offshore application. Built from durable impactresistant materials, these fighting belts offer a quick and easy application system, allowing you to gear up at a moment’s notice. The spring loaded “wrap around” style arms quickly and firmly grab hold of the angler’s waist, eliminating the need to fumble around with adjustable straps or buckles when the fish of a lifetime is on the line. The non-slip, padded backing helps keep the belt securely in place. At the center of the belt is a swiveling gimbal that allows the user to fight from a wide variety of angles that gives the angler the upper hand. RENEGADE FISH COOLER XL: A good day offshore fishing means good eats to bring back home. That means you need a high quality cooler. Renegade fish cooler kill bags feature a high quality waterproof zipper and a wide opening for easy access when loading or unloading ice and fish. They are also loaded with open cell foam insulation for superior insulating properties to keep your catch cool and fresh. It’s durable, tough and lightweight with carry handles and a padded shoulder strap for easy transport, and it folds down for easy storage. Its dimensions are 68 x 24 inches. Finding affordable, quality offshore gear usually isn’t easy, but Calcuttaoutdoors.com makes it that way. Check it out, not only for your bluewater needs, but for everything from bay to bass fishing Calcuttaoutdoors.com is not only a place to find gear for fishing, but also to learn how to use it. From articles on how to properly spool a reel to tips on filleting fish, there is plenty to explore at the resource center. Also check out the video section for the latest in product demonstrations from the many product lines available. This includes a category for Offshore Gear.

PHOTOS: CALCUTTA OUTDOORS

8/9/21 5:15 PM

Going COASTAL by KELLY GROCE :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Off to a Roaring Start with Texas Tarpon

AM KELLY GROCE, NATIVE Texan and water lover. I have been addicted to fishing since I was a child, and it is all my father’s fault. My most fond childhood memories are ones of me and my family offshore fishing on the Grady White. So much that my mother started to worry I was not going to make many friends because we were always out in the Gulf. I began combining my passion for fishing with creative writing and photography while attending college at the University of Houston. I am very humbled by this opportunity to write for Texas Fish & Game Magazine and will work hard to supply you with quality content to enjoy. So, let’s start with where my head is currently at: tarpon. Built big and bad, tarpon will literally fight for their own life until their death. They have been on planet earth for over 100 million years and can live to be around 80 years old. No wonder this prehistoric fish is spoken about so highly and with so much game. Out of all the fish I heard about growing up, tarpon was the one that intrigued me the most. My great aunt, Bea Milsapps, won the Deep Sea Round Up (originally called the Tarpon Roundup) with two huge silver kings back in 1959. I’ve read numerous articles about people’s strenuous battles with tarpon and even stayed at the Tarpon Inn in Port Aransas, Texas where hand sized scales dating back to the ’30s decorate the lobby walls. From the old salts at the docks to my father’s fishing buddies, everyone respects the king. I got my first glimpse into the world of the almighty tarpon by fishing off South Padre Island, Texas last summer with Capt. Brian Barrera. It was one of those days where everything aligned. Calm, green seas with pelicans diving into huge visible bait balls off the beach.

We set out perfect-sized menhaden drifting off the back of the boat. It was deliriously hot, and all you could hear was the ocean slapping up against the hull of the boat. The silence was quickly interrupted by what sounded like a boulder being dumped into the water followed by screaming drag. A 180-pound poon inhaled one of the baits and took off charging like a bull that saw red. Capt. Barrera started up the motor and chased down the fish with the boat as I reeled in fast as possible to catch up with it. This monster took me out to deeper water and then back to the sand bar about four times. There was a chance or two where I got to stare at the tarpon by the boat. My lord! I was in total awe. My adrenalinewas at an all-time high, I could feel the slack in the line which meant the fish was about to jump. Before I knew it, the monster came blasting out of the water violently shaking its enormous head and broke my thick leader. I sat on the cooler for what felt like an hour in pure silence. I was happy, sad, excited, tired and mad all at the same time. About two hours later, with the same set up, we jumped five more 150+ pounders. After an incredible yet heartbreaking day, I completely understood why anglers become obsessed and downright crazy for chasing big tarpon. The roller coaster of highs and lows that these silver kings sent me on, left me wanting more. Shortly after that trip, I caught a juvenile tarpon that helped take the pain away. But I would be lying if I didn’t say that I have replayed that first jump in my head over and over again. Summer into fall is the time for chasing big, migratory tarpon. Knowing what to expect this time around, tarpon season could not get here fast enough. T E X A S

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Capt. Brian Barrera wins a hard fought tarpon battle.

Capt. Barrera and I recently had the day off and the winds were light, so we decided to check out the jetty. We slow-cruised past the tip and saw several rolling tarpon. There were tons of crabs and schooled up finger mullet swimming along with the tide. We cast our 1-ounce D.O.A. Baitbusters out and let them sink down below the big schools of bait followed by a steady retrieve. We were surrounded by feeding poons. It just so happened that I had decided to get my camera out when Capt. Brian hooked up to a 30 pounder. Silver as all get out, this tarpon put on an awesome spectacle for us as I snapped the shutter. Putting in blood, sweat and tears, Capt. Brian Barrera has been chasing and studying tarpon for years. These fish can do a number on your mental state. When Brian hooks up to one, it is incredible to see him reap the rewards of all his hard work. No matter the size, catching a Texas tarpon is an accomplishment, and the chase makes it all that much more rewarding.

« Email Kelly Groce at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

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HE KEY DEER (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) is the smallest whitetail subspecies topping out at 60 pounds and living exclusively in their namesake islands on the Florida coast. Seeing a herd of Key deer on my honeymoon in 1999 was a special moment that fulfilled a childhood dream born out of a fascination with all things wildlife—especially the rare and unusual. Seeing them last July during a Florida fishing expedition was just as exciting. I would love to share photos of the massive (by Key deer standards) buck from that expedition, but they were destroyed along with many others when Hurricane Ike ravaged my hometown in

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2008. Just as those photos washed away with storm surge, a series of hurricanes have played havoc on Key deer. Most recently, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) officials, Hurricane Irma in 2017 killed 21 deer with an additional dozen killed in the chaotic aftermath. With the latest estimates showing only 949, that hurts. For perspective, I have hunted on a single 5,000 acre low-fence Texas ranch with more whitetails than that. Additionally, an old foe last seen in the U.S. more than 30 years ago, hit the Keys hard in 2016. But Texans came to the rescue. “Screwworms infested the population, which is spread across more than 20 islands. It led to 135 Key deer |

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deaths, including 83 that were euthanized to reduce the risk of further infection,” said Dr. Roel Lopez. “This was a significant blow to a species, which is uniquely located in that area.” Doctor Lopez is director and coprincipal investigator for the Key deer study, San Antonio, a project of Texas A&M University (TAMU). TAMU, along with various agencies including USFWS, alleviated the crisis by preventive treatment and fly eradication efforts. This included feed stations lined with anti-parasitic medications and releasing 60 million sterile male screwworms to mate with wild female flies and curb reproduction. That is a big effort for a little deer, but there is much love for them among

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those who understand their delicate existence. A single disease outbreak or storm could literally wipe out the population. Then again, the species has proven resilient. The screwworms mainly took out mature males and researchers believe there are enough young bucks to replace them. At the three-year mark of the outbreak things are looking up. In the 1950s their population was down to 50 when the Boone & Crockett Club (B&C) donated $5,000 to hire a game warden named Jack C. Watson to protect them from poachers. Eventually, this action and his efforts were heralded as saving the species altogether. This action of the B&C is virtually PHOTOS: CHESTER MOORE

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unknown outside of the club itself and a few people in the Keys. I found it out while doing some serious research on the species a few years ago. This is literally a case where hunters stepped in and saved a species outright. The photos you see in this article are from my July 2021 expedition to the Keys. They show both the beauty of the deer and the fragility of their existence. The Key deer will most likely survive, but it’s up to those who love and respect these diminutive creatures to keep a watchful eye on them and ensure there is always a place for them among the ever-increasing human population of the region. I can think of no other endangered animal that spends such a huge amount of its time around civilization. T E X A S

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This species is symbolic of the future for many species. They only can continue to exist in the shadow of man, and it is up to man to make that possible. I wrote this article to celebrate how a much-heralded Texas institution saved these animals and to tell the story of B&C’s role in their survival. I am also doing it to reach out to all you hunterconservationists reading this article. If you can think of creative ways to help these deer or raise funds for existing projects, email me at chester@ chestermoore.com. Having hunters involved in the Key deer’s future is a personal goal, and it’s something I believe would help the species dramatically.

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TEXAS WHITETAILS by LARRY WEISHUHN :: TF&G Whitetail Deer Editor

Season of Painted Leaves

OOLER MORNINGS… In the air you can feel a change, almost taste it. The “Season of the Painted Leaves” is upon us! If you do not love September and October, I truly feel sorry for you. With September comes dove season in Texas, the first hunt of the fall for most of us. Like many of you, I will be looking to add a few of these tasty flying morsels to our larder. While hunting doves, I will also scout for whitetails; checking for fresh rubs and scrapes, looking for tracks, and clearing shooting lanes around my ground blinds. While others are sitting on a field or around a waterhole waiting for doves, I’ll slip way to a place where there is little shooting to scout for deer. September is the ideal time to start getting ready for the coming hunting season in terms of bows and arrows, crossbows and the firearms you and I will use once we get into the deer seasons. As many of you are aware I am not a bowhunter, although years ago I was and took my fair share of deer and other game with arrows. Only recently I have started hunting with a crossbow. Not being a dyed-in-the-wool archery hunter, I appreciate being able to hunt during the archery season (here in Texas) with a crossbow. During the Texas archery season, I can take an antlerless deer or doe without special permits on my property west of Houston. While hunting a doe I can also look for that special buck. What that special buck will be, as I write this in early July, I am not yet certain. It will all depend upon what shows up in my scouting, or on my daughter’s and son-in-law’s trail cameras. We left several near legal and some legal bucks last season on

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From the author’s point of view, a big part of hunting is getting as close to the animal as possible before pulling the trigger

on the property I own and lease for hunting. This year, they should be pretty nice deer The property is in a one-buck county with antler restrictions. I might add that antler restrictions have done a great job of getting some bucks into older age classes. In October, many properties under the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s Manage Lands Deer Permit system become available to be hunted with firearms. I have several short trips set up to hunt during this special season. I dearly love this because deer taken on these properties do not require a tag from one’s license, and they do not count against your annual deer bag limit. Over the years I have done a fair amount of hunting with handguns. This fall I plan once again to hunt with a handgun. Back during the late summer, I procured a Taurus Raging Hunter revolver chambered in .454 Casull, a nicely powerful and accurate handgun round. |

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My Taurus is topped with a Trijicon SRO red-dot sight and shoots extremely well with Hornady’s 200-grain Mono-Flex Handgun Hunter ammo. I plan to use this combination on several hunts. Hunting with a handgun means I’ll limit my shots to essentially 100-yards or less. To me, a big part of hunting means trying to get as close to the animal as possible before pulling the trigger. Take a bit of time in September to be sure you are dialed in with your archery equipment or firearms. Take care of what remains on your “honey-do” list and then get ready for whitetail season. Do not forget to invite those in your household and maybe even a neighbor to head to the deer woods with you this fall.

Email Larry Weishuhn at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com PHOTO: LARRY WEISHUHN

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Five Fish/Hunt Combinations to Amp Up Your Fall AST AND BLAST’ IS A PHRASE OFTEN USED TO SELL DUCK and coastal fishing combo hunts, which are among the most exciting things a Texas outdoor lover can do. Taking a limit of teal, gadwall and widgeon in the morning and chasing specks and reds in the evening is super fun. The cast and blast concept is all about maximizing outdoor opportunities, which Texas has plenty of, especially during the fall and early winter. The following is a look at some unorthodox cast and blast combos that might just have you trying a new one out every season. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 

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

& GAME 34  FISH HOTSHOTS Trophy Photos from TF&G Readers

& GAME 36  FISH FORECAST CENTER SALTWATER

Reported by Capt. Eddie Hernandez, Capt. Derek York, Capt. Mark Talasek, Capt. Mac Gable, Capt. Joey Farah and Capt. Gerad Meritt

& GAME 46  FISH FORECAST CENTER FRESHWATER

Reported by TF&G Staff

54  SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK Tides and SoLunar Data

COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

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SPECIAL NILGAI AND SNOOK: The Lower Coast not only has the most diverse fishery in the state, but also highly biodiverse wildlife. From ocelots to javelinas, this area has critters many other parts of the state do not. That includes the free-ranging population of nilgai antelope. Public draw hunts are an option on Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, but most nilgai hunts are with outfitters on the Kendy and King Ranches. These big India imports have some of the finest tasting meat in the animal kingdom. Although they took a hit in some areas from last year’s freeze, hunting options are still available in 2021. Take your cast and blast to the next

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SECTION

Take Cast & Blast to the next level with nilgai and snook.

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Lake Livingston, and along the bridge and deep brush piles of Lake Conroe.

Catch a bass and bag some doves.

level by snook fishing in Lower Laguna Madre and the Brownsville Ship Channel. The snook here can be plentiful and they grow big. Imagine catching a 30-inch snook on a topwater in the evening and bagging a big nilgai bull in the morning. Does it get better than that?

fishing action in the Chicken Coop area of Toledo Bend, at various deep holes in

LATE DOVES AND LARGEMOUTH: Doves get little love in the late season in East Texas, but some properties have plenty of birds and little pressure. This year’s late season kicks off December 17 in the central and north zones. This coincides with overlooked bass action. Tak-

WOOD DUCKS AND CRAPPIE: The wood duck action in the Piney Woods is hot and heavy virtually every winter. Water will not be an issue this year so bottoms will be full and offer plenty of places to score on fast-flying, beautiful wood ducks. Targeting woodies on acorn flats early in the morning is a great option. Calling them as they start migrating back toward roosts from feeding grounds in the evening can also be fun. That gives you plenty of time to score on the superb crappie

Hunt woodies and crappie in the Piney Woods.

PHOTOS: TOP LEFT, CANSTOCK; TOP RIGHT, PHIL LOWE; BOTTOM, ANNETTE SHAFF

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SECTION

ing doves in the morning and fishing the sunny midday and afternoon period, can equal exciting times in the woods and on the water. Pick your lake for fun action but O.H. Ivie could still be hot coming up. There is

always action around Sam Rayburn, Lake O’ The Pines, Ray Roberts and Fork. SANDHILL CRANES AND WALLEYE OR SMALLMOUTH: Yes, this is real, and it’s in Texas.

Head to the Panhandle for walleye and sandhill cranes.

Captio

The Panhandle region offers some killer opportunities at hunting sandhill cranes. These giant birds are often called the “ribeye of the sky” for their delicious breast meat. They are abundant in the region, and Lake Meredith, 45 miles northeast of Amarillo offers surprisingly good walleye fishing that’s comparable to many lakes in the native range of walleyes. According to officials with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. “The walleye population in the reservoir is maintained through natural reproduction with high quality fishing available in the spring. Meredith Reservoir also has an excellent smallmouth bass population.” The peak walleye fishing is April 32

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PHOTOS: SANDHILL CRANE, LARRY DITTO; WALLEYE, CHESTER MOORE:

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through June, but fish can be caught there year-round. Smallmouth action is solid on warm winter days as well. BLUE CATS AND BOARS: Some of the best blue catfish action in Texas is during the winter, with the lakes

in the eastern third of the state all holding impressive fish. Whether you’re rod and reel fishing or pursuing on trotlines, catching 30- to 40-pound blues is not uncommon. The smaller ones are better to eat and are plentiful on lakes such as Tawakoni, Ray Hubbard, Buchanan, Travis and Livingston. The surrounding woodlands around any of these lakes are loaded with feral hogs. Outfitters and day leases offer solid options, although reaching out to friends with deer leases in the late season might get you a better chance at bagging a boar.

Blue cats and wild boars in East Texas.

you can’t enjoy yourself talking up these cast and blast challenges, something’s wrong. You’ll just need to spend more

The cool thing about this cast and blast is you can fish all day if you like and hunt hogs at night. For those new to Texas— Yes that’s legal! Hunting and fishing is all about fun. If

time in the great outdoors to get it fixed.

Caption

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The NATIONAL

Prepping For Public Land Bowhunting

News of TEXAS

available through all license vendors. Most areas receive little pressure during bow season and have great potential for deer hunting. Be on the lookout for units designated as archery only. Some of these areas are stacked with mature bucks that have figured out it’s safer to dodge archers than rifle-toting hunters on adjacent private leases. Four national forests provide hundreds of thousands of acres of hunting. Some of them are managed by Texas Parks & Wildlife through their Wildlife Management Area (WMA) program. These also may be hunted by public land permit holders. All hunters and those accompanying them must wear daylight fluorescent orange when hunting, except when hunting fur-bearing or predatory animals at night or turkey or migratory birds. A minimum of 400 square inches of fluorescent orange must be visible (144

THE ARCHERY-ONLY SEASON FOR whitetailed deer in Texas provides a great opportunity to get into the woods before hunting pressure skyrockets. Veteran hunters know that once gunfire sounds in the woods, deer act differently. So, although bowhunting is extremely challenging, it has the advantage of contending for less pressured deer. Public lands in East Texas offer incredible opportunities to score on a whitetail. In many cases, virtually no one will be in the woods with you. Here are some facts, figures and tips for public land bowhunting in Texas: There is plenty of public land for bowhunters in the eastern third of the state for those who buy a $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit. The permits are

square inches on both the chest and back, and a daylight fluorescent orange cap or hat.) All those camping or hunting in the Angelina, Davy Crockett, Sabine or Sam Houston National Forest or the Caddo National Grasslands must camp in designated campsites or developed recreation areas during the general gun season. Hunters using the WMAs within the national forests must have the annual hunting permit to hunt deer, turkey, small game, waterfowl and feral hogs. Wildlife management areas in the national forests and grasslands in Texas include the Alabama Creek WMA in the Davy Crockett National Forest, Bannister WMA in the Angelina National Forest, Caddo WMA in the Caddo National Grassland and the Moore Plantation WMA in the Sabine National Forest. The entire Sam Houston National Forest is a WMA. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Official

KING MACKEREL

WHITETAIL

Corpus Christi

Medina

Nina Garrett caught and released this king mackerel on an offshore trip out of Packery Channel near Corpus Christi. She let the kingﬁsh go, but kept a nice red snapper she caught on the same trip, and that was dinner.

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Fifteen-year-old Abbey Caudill got her ﬁrst ten-point buck while hunting the family lease near Medina. She used her own .270 to bring down the big deer.

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Hunting Guide and the Public Hunting Lands Map Booklet, regulations vary in different locations. The annual booklets are issued to individuals who obtain a WMA permit, and the booklets list rules for national forest lands within the WMAs. Baiting is illegal on public lands in Texas unless designated in the specific case of some public draw hunts in state parks. That means public land bowhunters need to have a good understanding of natural foods. The Texas Agricultural Extension Service based out of Texas A&M University said it is important for hunters to know that whitetailed deer are ruminants like cows, but their diet selection is radically different. “Cattle are grass-roughage eaters, have a relatively large rumen relative to body size, and depend heavily on grasses for their diet. White-tailed deer are concentrate selectors, which means their diet must be higher in nutritive value and more rapidly degraded in the rumen. Therefore, white-tailed deer rely primarily on forbs and browse (leaves and twigs of woody plants), which are usually higher in crude protein and digestibility than grasses. Grasses comprise only a very small part of the overall diet of the white-tailed deer. Most rutting activity in East Texas happens from October 21 to January 5 according to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department officials. Peak breeding dates were November 22 in the northern portion and November 12 in the southern part of the Piney Woods. TF&G Hunting Editor and master bowhunter education instructor Lou Marullo said the number one mistake he sees young hunters make in regard to shooting is not practicing with broadheads. “It is extremely rare to find a bow that shoots with field points exactly like it would with broadheads of the same grain,” Marullo said. “All you have to do is look at the physical differences and see that there are some serious aerodynamic differences. A number of broadhead makers claim their products match up to field points, but there are simply too many variables. “It’s an absolute must to get out there and shoot with broadheads before going hunting. Even if you are just off an inch or two that could mean the difference between taking a big buck and suffering the heartache of losing an animal,” Marullo said. “For shooting broadheads at a target, there are many options on the market nowadays. However, I am old-fashioned in this regard,” he said. In my opinion, the most

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versatile and practical bow targets on the market are 3-D targets. I have owned Delta and Mackenzie 3-D deer targets and have found they will last for years, if you treat them right. “When it comes to shooting broadheads, I have found 3-D targets with the removable core or vitals to be the best option although there are some good ones out there that are specific for broadheads as well.” Snakes are out in force during October and can be found in South Texas in particu-

lar, throughout the entire deer season. Be cautious walking over deadfalls and use extreme caution while blood-trailing deer at night. Copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes tend to be more active after hours. Timber rattlesnake numbers in the Piney Woods seem to be on the rise so don’t balk at the idea of rattlers on your lease. —TF&G Staff Report

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Fall Brings Relief After a Grueling Summer other season rivals the fall when it comes to sheer numbers and the overall quality of the Big Three. I would have to agree with them because it is what I would pick if I were forced to choose just one. The marsh and bayous are constantly being purged as shrimp and baitfish continue to pour into the bay with every cold front. As a result, the mouths of the bayous, shorelines and open bay are all excellent places to locate fish. Flounders will set up ambush points in the bayous at S curves and points near the mouth on outgoing tides. Trout and redfish will also take advantage of these areas as the tide leads their next meal towards deeper water. Fishing the mouths of any bayou or cut on the eastern bank of Sabine Lake can lead to success. If you’ve got tidal movement and bait present, the odds of you catching fish increase greatly. These areas hold bait yearround, but they seem to really step it up a notch in the CAPT. HERNANDEZ fall. Throwing GHGSEddie@gmail.com top-waters

SABINE Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

T CAN BE ARGUED, QUITE CONvincingly I might add, that the fall fishing season is the best time to consistently bag solid numbers of trout, reds and flounders along Texas’s vast coastline. It’s a time of year when significant seasonal changes bring much anticipated cooler temperatures. The prey and predators alike seem to be rejuvenated after a long, grueling summer. Here on Texas’s northernmost bay system many people are convinced that no

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early, then plastics once the sun gets up should keep you on the fish. It’s hard for flounders to resist the wobble of a curltailed grub, tipped with fresh shrimp and dragged slowly along the bottom. Trout and redfish usually prefer it worked just a little faster. Use a 1/8-ounce or ¼- ounce lead head and bounce it off the bottom or swim it back to the boat. The open bay should be wide open with big flocks of birds leading anglers to schools of trout and reds. Shrimp are making their way out of the marsh. The fish have them corralled and pushed to the surface where the gulls—and hopefully you—will be waiting. The big bulls have also invaded the surf and jetties as they come in close to spawn future generations. Break out the big rods, catch some mullet, and you shouldn’t have to wait too long before the reels start singing. Set your drag and come see us here on Sabine this fall.

• • •

GALVESTON Reported by CAPT. DEREK YORK

LTHOUGH SUMMERTIME IS finally coming to an end and the kids are back in school, the fishing and the temps remain hot on Galveston Bay. This is one of my favorite times of year to fish here in the Galveston Bay complex. The beginning of the transition into Fall means a lot of things for those of us who love being outdoors! Dove season is upon us, archery deer season is right around the corner and the running of the Bulls, Bull Redfish that is, has begun and in the year will only get better the later we get. If you are wanting to catch a lot of big hard fighting fish, the fall redfish run is where it’s at. CAPT. YORK These spotstalkerﬁshing@yahoo.com fish are eas-

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Matagorda

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

East Matagorda Bay

ily targeted around the Galveston jetties and the nearshore waters in the Gulf. My favorite way to catch these fish is using artificial lures on a lighter setup. When we are fishing multiple people on the boat, I prefer using larger spinning gear fishing on the bottom with cut mullet. This can produce some fast-paced action with multiple people hooked up at the same time. One day we boated over 50 fish at the Galveston jetties. We stopped because we ran out of bait! There are several other species that are highly popular in the Galveston Bay area in the Fall and the Southern Flounder is at the top of the list, along with Spotted Seatrout and Sheepshead. This is shaping up to be another great year for catching Flounder and with those first few “cold” fronts we will probably see them start the transition from the marsh to the passes. I usually target the larger drains that feed directly into the main bay system. West Bay and the south shoreline of East Bay are great places to target flounder this time of year. Even with all this talk about redfish and flounder, the Spotted Seatrout fishing is still going strong. We should be in for another great Fall fishing for trout as they transition from the flats and mid-bay reefs to the marshes. Working feeding birds is also a great way to stay on the fish as bait is pushed up to the surface by hungry trout. And remember, sometimes those bigger fish are deeper in the water column waiting for that easier meal. Sheepshead round out my favorites list for this time of year to target. I always target these fish around structure like rocks, pilings and bulkheads. Some of my favorite places to try from a boat are the Galveston jetties, Clear Lake and in West Galveston Bay near North and South Deer Islands. The Texas City Dike is a great place to target them from the shoreline. Regardless of what you are targeting, this time of year is great to be on the water fishing. Less pressure and cooler temps are a welcome sight after a very busy summer on the Texas coast. So, get out and enjoy it while you can!

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West Matagorda Bay 9

A B

of f l Gu xico Me

2 3

COLORADO RIVER

AS IT EMPTIES INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO, THE COLORADO RIVER SEPARATES Matagorda Bay into East and West. Selected HOTSPOTS and facilities are shown in the table below, and on the map above. SPECKLED TROUT KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

St. Mary’s Bayou

Jetties

Matagorda surf

REDFISH

St. Mary’s

Three Mile Reef

Zipprian’s Bayou

FLOUNDER

Middle Channel

Three Mile Cut

Parker’s Cut

WADEFISHING 1

Northwest Pocket

Three Mile

FACILITIES

KEY FACILITY NAME

A B

GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 28 39.786, W 95 57.432 N28 35.666, W95 59.000 N 28 35.569, W 95 59.268

MirroLure 52; scattered and solid shell on bottom; AprOct; dawn-am, dusk-night

N 28 39.621, W 95 56.667 N 28 38.568, W 95 56.229 N 28 36.019, W 95 59.912

Live Shrimp under pop-n cork, crab, drift the area; MarMay, Aug-Nov; dawn-midday

N 28 38.335, W 95 58.716 N 28 38.483, W 95 55.583 N 28 37.050, W 95 58.826

Live ﬁnger mullet or mud minnows with slip sinker; Mar-Sep, dawn-am, dusk-night

N 28 40.992, W 95 56.311 N 28 38.642, W 95 55.534

Redﬁsh, trout; ﬂounder, topwaters, live bait; Jan-Mar; Nov-Dec, avoid midday

Live bait; soft plastics, Gulp!; ﬁsh deep... avoid rough water days.; Jun-Aug; all day Live bait, plastics; ﬁsh third bar, watch for birds. Mild days only!; Jun-Aug; all day

Live Shrimp under pop-n cork, crab, drift the area; MarOct; dawn thru afternoon Live shrimp under popping cork, cast and wait; Spring, Fall, avoid midday

Live finger mullet, fish bottom using slip sinker; MarMay, Sep-Nov; dawn-morn. Mud minnows on flounder rig, anchor fish bottom; May-Sep, dawn-am, dusk-night

Redﬁsh, trout; use topwaters, soft plastics, live bait; Aug-Nov; dawn-morn., dusk-night

LOCATION

PHONE

N 28 37.664, 4532 FM 2031 W 95 58.241 N 28 36.063, Matagorda Bay Nature Park 6430 FM 2031 W 95 58.643 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS 2021 Rawlings Bait Camp

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979-863-2603

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1/2 oz. lead head…bounce it off the shell. The sound helps draw the ﬁsh.

UPPER COAST

MATAGORDA

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Artiﬁcial Reef GPS: N 29 30.733, W 94 39.9 (29.5122, -94.6650)

Reported by CAPT. MARK TALASEK

S I WRITE THIS REPORT, mid-summer temperatures are hitting the upper 90s—the opposite end of the spectrum from the frigid temperatures of last winter. Our estuaries are recovering well from the freeze. West Matagorda is in better shape. It has direct access to deeper waters of CAPT. TALASEK the Gulf of MarkTalasek@sbcglobal.net Mexico. It also reaches 18-foot depths in the center for fish to retreat. East Matagorda doesn’t have that luxury only seeing seven feet on the depth finder. Access is limited to Mitchell’s cut on the east end and the long stretch of the Colorado River from the west side. Most all species had to replenish from one of these inlets. It just took a little more time. However, we are seeing better numbers from East Bay as well as the bigger trout it’s known for. We have been using live bait under a popping cork over deeper shell when conditions allow. The shoreline has coughed up larger trout in wade-fishing with artificials. It’s going to be interesting to see what kind of a shrimp crop we have for the fall. We hope the bird action will return to the usual East Bay standards. Strong winds have blown us to West Bay on most of my trips. Shrimp under a popping cork drifting grass beds has produced limits of trout for those wanting to stay in the boat. Wadefishing along the shoreline has been equally productive. Flounder-gigging numbers have been very good. Numbers of flat fish have replenished the bay. Overall, Matagorda fishing has been good—maybe not as well in East Bay, but it is getting better every day. To book your 38

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next trip to Matagorda, call Captain Mark Talasek 979 479-1397.

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UPPER COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Carancahua Bay HOTSPOT: Pipeline GPS: N 28 42.6, W 96 23.816 (28.7100, -96.3969)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics SOURCE: Capt. Glenn Boyd 409-789-6225 www.boydsguideservice.com TIPS: Capt. Boyd’s favorite color in soft plastics is something having chartreuse in it. LOCATION: Keller Bay HOTSPOT: Mud Reef GPS: N 28 36.467, W 96 28.059 (28.6078, -96.4677)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Pink Skitter Walk topwater bait SOURCE: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Capt. Countz likes to wade fish in October for redfish. The redfish, a lot of times, can be found schooling in October. The tides are usually a little bit better, and he can get the boat in closer to the shoreline. LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Old Pilings GPS: N 29 25.06, W 94 48.48 (29.4177, -94.8080)

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Chinquapin Reef GPS: N 28 43.994, W 95 47.954 (28.7332, -95.7992)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics SOURCE: Capt. Glenn Boyd 409-789-6225 www.boydsguideservice.com TIPS: Paddle tail soft plastics with either a 3/8 or |

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SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Pink Skitter Walk topwater bait SOURCE: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 www.matagordaﬁshing.com TIPS: Topwater action early in the morning, working some of the drains, scattered shell along the shorelines.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout & Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 

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

UPPER COAST  CONTINUED FROM PAGE

SOURCE: Capt. Kendall Kersh 979-248-1871 www.puresaltadventures.com TIPS: Shrimp migration begins in September which in turn causes the ﬁsh to school up and the birds to start working. LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Shell Island GPS: N 28 37.533, W 96 3.515 (28.6256, -96.0586)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Pink Skitter Walk topwater bait SOURCE: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Watch for the shorebirds concentrating in one area. They are usually following redfish, blowing them up into the grass.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics with jig heads SOURCE: Capt. Eddie Hernandez 409-673-3100 www.goldenhookguide.com TIPS: The birds are working shrimp with trout under them. Any of the bigger bayous are good places to check during October.

••

Breaking the Ice with the Generation of Less ROCKPORT AREA Reported by CAPT. MAC GABLE

HE FISHING TRIP WAS booked by a mom and dad for their 15-year-old son. I was told they had desperately tried to get their only child away from social media and into the outdoors. The all-day outing was an attempt to accomplish the same. Most parental fishing trips were a family affair. This trip, the parents preferred not to go for reasons that later became obvious. The thought occurred to me I was going to be babysitting this 15-year-old young man, so I quizzed CAPT. GABLE the mom a bit ContactUs@Fishgame.com and asked the

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operative question: “Does your son want to go fishing?” “Yes, he does, he just doesn’t know it yet,” she replied. You can lead a horse to water but can’t make it drink was my first thought. A day on the water was not going to cure many years of bad parenting was another thought bouncing around in my reluctant brain. My passion for more than 30 years—and |

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what has kept me going as a guide—was the opportunity to introduce folks to fishing. I always looked forward to those trips. A solo client was a blessing after many days of back-to-back trips with four or more people, so I focused on those thoughts and reserved the day on my calendar. At the bait stand the morning of the trip, my favorite bait stand operator asked why I was getting shrimp. “The bite is on mud minnows, finger mullet and croaker” he advised. “Quart of shrimp please,” I responded. “Just a quart!???” “It’s a solo client—just one person.” “Well, I hope they like hamburgers because they won’t be eating fish tonight,” he retorted. “It’s so uplifting, these brief exchanges with an all-knowing man of wisdom such as yourself.” “I should come by more often,” I replied. He handed me the five-gallon bucket full of shrimp, then grumpily told me to get my own live well water. I chuckled. The young man was not hard to find on the dark dock as I backed my Haynie (boat) into the water. His neck was bent at a 90-degree angle, and his face was lit up like a horror movie character as he stared at his cell phone. I docked the boat and introduced myself. I gave my usual safety spiel and told him to

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come aboard. “It’s dark,” he quipped. “Do you know where you’re going?” “Only if I can see,” I jokingly said. He didn’t seem amused, just alarmed. The ride out, he was again transfixed on his phone. I was enjoying the cool morning and the smell and feel of the bay. It truly is soulcleansing for me. The tranquility was then interrupted as the young man stood on shaky legs and shouted, “I lost the cell signal!” “Where we are going there is no signal,” I calmly replied. He looked pale, like a deer in the headlights. “How do I know where I am? How can I communicate? I’m at a critical point in Minecraft and have to be connected!” His panic level now at hyperventilation stage, I was fearful he might demand to go back. To calm the moment, I showed him my Garmin GPS and told him between it and his boat captain, he could forever know where he was, and we were going to communicate the old fashioned way, by talking about fishing. “I need a Red Bull,” he quipped. “I hope you brought some,” I said. “I didn’t bring anything,” he exclaimed. “I have water, Gatorade, coffee, and maybe a Coke.” “Get me a Coke” he said. “Ice chest’s in the back, help yourself” I replied. I eased into a small sand reef that had been holding black drum. “Where are we?” “Vision Reef,” I told him. “I don’t see anything.” “It’s there, let me show you.” I showed him on the Garmin. “Man, so all these spots on here are where you fish?” “Yep.” “Who put the spots on the map?” he queried. “I did.” “That’s a lot of spots!” “About a thousand,” I said. He seemed impressed. I grabbed a rod, hooked a shrimp, and the casting lessons began. “I can’t do that,” he said. “Will you cast for me?” “I can’t, I have a bad shoulder, so it’s going to be up to you.”

B 6

Corpus Christi Bay

Gulf of Mexico

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

CORPUS CHRISTI CHANNEL THE CORPUS CHRISTI SHIP CHANNEL ENTERS THE GULF OF MEXICO AT PORT Aransas and provides a wealth of ﬁshing opportunites. Selected HOTSPOTS and facilities are shown in the table below, and on the map above. SPECKLED TROUT KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

East Flats

REDFISH Brown & Root Flats

FLOUNDER

East Flounder Shoreline

Point of Aransas Channel

Ship Channel Banks

Mustang Beach Channel

Mustang Point/ Ship Channel

SHEEPSHEAD

Jetties

Fina Docks

WADEFISHING 1

Morris & Cummings Cut

East Flats

FACILITIES

KEY FACILITY NAME

A B C

GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 27 48.991, W 97 07.139

Piggy perch, shrimp, ﬁsh outside dropoff and guts; Mar-Jun; Sep-Dec, dawn-midday

N 27 51.236, W 97 06.172

Bright spoons, use shallow drift boat, sight cast tails; May-Nov, morning-afternoon

N 27 51.110, W 97 03.280 N 27 51.007, W 97 03.772 N 27 50.389, W 97 05.359 N 27 49.969, W 97 06.421 N 27 49.444, W 97 08.211

Live shrimp, freeline, drag on bottom sand, 1-6’ depth; Jan-Feb, Nov-Dec, aftn-night

N 27 50.289, W 97 02.614 N 27 50.713, W 97 03.653

Live shrimp under pop-n cork, ﬁsh end of jetties; FebApr, morn thru midday

N 27 50.572, W 97 07.746 N 27 48.991, W 97 07.139

Redﬁsh, trout, live bait, best with E or SE wind; Mar.Nov; dawn thru dusk

Wade at night With lights, makes for great gigging; Mar-Dec, night Live shrimp, anchor & fan cast, drag bait on bottom ; Jan-Feb, Nov-Dec, aftn-night Live mud minnows, shrimp, ﬁsh bottom during tides; Sep-Nov, dawn, dusk thru night Live mullet, shrimp, ﬁsh dropoffs and channel edges; Jan-Feb, Oct-Dec, all day

Live or Dead shrimp on C-rig, anchor around pilings; Dec-Mar, morn-midday

Redﬁsh, trout, live bait, best with SE or light N wind; Mar.-Nov.; dawn thru afternoon

LOCATION

PHONE

N 27 50.327, TPWD Public Boat Ramp J.C. Barr Blvd, off SH 361 W 97 04.088 N 27 50.344, Woody’s Sports Center 136 W Cotter Ave, Port Aransas W 97 03.745 N 27 49.020, Surfside RV & Resort 1820 S.11th St, Port Aransas W 97 04.228 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS 2021

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F I S H

361-749-4111 361-749-5252 361-749-2208

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Live bait is always the go-to with croakers the mainstay for the past three to four months. My live well always has two kinds, and often, three types of bait, so keep an open mind. Experimentation is the key to success.

MIDDLE COAST “I’m going to mess up!” “For sure” I replied, “but that’s OK. You won’t hurt anything, just do what I showed you.” After about 10 casts he was getting the hang of it. “See the spot where the waves are breaking? That’s where you need to be to catch fish.” “I can’t throw that far,” he said. “Yes, you can, remember it’s technique not strength, and you’ll know when you get it.” Suddenly, “Oh, Wow! Look, I did it!” “Good job, now slowly move the cork away from the reef by reeling in. Now stop.” The cork disappeared, and the fun was beginning. “What do I do? Help me!” “Lift the rod up, then reel as the rod goes down.” After five minutes of drag pulling, the fish was now beside the boat, then netted and at his feet. “Oh my God!” he said, “he’s huge!” I helped him hold the 24-inch drum. I took a few pictures with my cell phone, then shook his hand and congratulated him. “Is that what you use a cell phone for?” “Yep, and minecrap.” He laughed. “Minecraft,” he corrected me. We both laughed. The ice was now broken, and I knew the black drum was not the only thing that had been hooked. One fish elevated me from zero to hero in his eyes, the questions stopped, and focused listening began. Three more fish later, and I told him, “You’re one fish away from a limit. “I’ve never caught a fish in my life, and now I might catch my limit!” he beamed with a smile from ear to ear. Communication channels now open, he told me about school and his girlfriend and that he worked. “Your boss let you off to fish huh?” “No, I just took off,” he said. “You could lose your job” I said. “I don’t care, I’ll just stay home. My parents make lots of money,” he stated. “I know that’s probably not right, but I’ll never have as much as my parents. Kids these days just accept they will have less.” “Reel up,” I said. “Where are we going to fish now?” 42

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COPANO BAY: My go-to is live shrimp on the grass edges near Turtle Pen area. Finger mullet is good free-lined at the mouth of Copano Creek. “Nowhere, it’s time to head back to the dock.” “Um, wait a minute, I thought the trip was all day?” “Yeah, it’s supposed to be, but you caught some fish, and your mom already paid me, so who cares?” He sat silently as I headed in the direction of the dock. I could tell his mind was busy churning through the early morning activity and conversation. He then raised his hand as if in school, so I throttled back. He stood staring at me trying to form the right words. I poured a cup of coffee as we drifted along. “I don’t think you’re being fair to my parents. They paid for a full day, and I would like to fish a full day,” he said. “I didn’t think it mattered to you after what you shared with me. They have lots of money, and the way you apparently treat others, like your employer, so me cutting the trip short should be no big deal. Right?” “I see the point,” he said, as he looked down, ashamed. “I would like to continue fishing if you don’t mind.” “I think I can be persuaded to do that. By the way, we’re back in cell phone range if there are any calls you need to make, it’s still early morning.” He smiled. “Yes, I think I’ll call work, and let my mom and dad know I limited out!” “Great, I might know where some reds and maybe a few trout are, that are hungry for shrimp.” “Can I have a Coke?” he asked as he dialed the phone. “You know where the ice chest is,” I said. He grinned and shook his head.

ST. CHARLES BAY: Drifts across the mouth of Cavasso Creek can produce keeper trout. New Penny Jerk Shad is the ticket or a free-lined live shrimp. ARANSAS BAY: Grass beds near the north shoreline are a great spot for trout, using a free-lined croaker. Jaybird Reef is a good spot for trout and black drum using a live shrimp under a popping cork. The mouth of Dunham Bay is a good spot for reds, using finger mullet on a light Carolina rig. CARLOS BAY: Wades down Cedar Reef are productive for trout and reds. Freelined croaker is best. Keep bait off the bottom as this is a heavy shell area. Early morning drifts across Carlos Lake is the ticket for nice trout using free-lined croakers. MESQUITE BAY: The reefs on the west open bay side of the cove are good for an occasional flounder and black drum using live shrimp jigged across the bottom. Wades near the mouth of Cedar Bayou can be good for trout and reds using live shrimp or croakers. AYERS BAY: The southwest shoreline near the fish huts is a good spot for reds using finger mullet on a light Carolina Rig. On a north wind, Ayers Reef is the go-to spot for trout and reds on a popping cork and shrimp. Mud minnows work well here free-lined.

• • •

• • • I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR, because it’s an anything goes as far as baits, lures, rigging and weather. There is no magic approach or formula that fits. |

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CORPUS CHRISTI BAY Reported by JOEY FARAH

ATE SUMMER PATTERNS here along the Texas Coastal Bend can offer some great fishing for anglers in boats, and on foot. Hot and steamy mornings usually give way to mid-day breezes with afternoon gusts. Tropical events can raise tide levels and scatter fish, but this is normal. Large masses of bait and gamefish will rise along with these tides and move out CAPT. FARAH toward the jfarah@yahoo.com Gulf Passes in preparation for their Fall and Winter spawning. Starting in our northern regions of Corpus Christi Bay, head toward the oil and gas wells on those calm mornings. Fish live shrimp on the bottom, free-lined with a small split shot under a cork. This will yield lots of sand trout, specks, small sharks, and always lots of action from gafftops. The large Islands in Corpus Christi Bay will be great live bait fishing along the deepwater sides. Live croakers will bring trout and reds. Cast up shallow along the beaches where you find grass growing in knee-deep water. The shallow inner flats behind these islands are full of grassy flats and scattered sand pockets for wade fishermen and shallow water drifters. The stretch of road between Port Aransas and North Padre offers a large amount of public access to some great shallow water wade fishing. Explore the trails that lead west from the highway, slipping in on foot and in kayaks. Shallow water fishing here should start with topwater plugs at sunrise. Then move toward large gold weedless spoons as the sun comes up. When you are in less than knee deep water, cast only when you see a fish. Sight casting is much like stalking, quiet steps hoping to see a gamefish before they

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see you. Making a planned cast in front of a feeding fish, then watching it eat the bait is so exciting. My choice for ultra-shallow water casting is the 3-inch, ¼-ounce DOA Shrimp. I always have a natural color, a dark, and a bright version of the same lure, so that I have all spectrums of color covered. To our south, I’ll drift-fish in my Ultra Shallow Water Dargel Scout, teaching my

guests to see gamefish in shallow water and catch big reds and trout on lures. We will be in the flats east of Baffin Bay in The Meadows, and Nine Mile Hole. Always bring a small bit of dead shrimp to use for the thousands of black drums you will find digging for grass shrimp and crabs back in those shallow flats. When the tides rise, move over sand bars and shorelines against where gamefish can round bait up.

8/16/21 4:57 PM

MIDDLE COAST As tides roll out, these shallow flats will drain into the side of the ICW Canal. This will be a highway for activity in late summer. The main channel contains lots of current, deep cool water, and traveling schools of bait. Fishing the edge of the channel with soft plastics in the morning when winds are slack is great fun. Night-time movements leave gamefish to rest in the grass flats adjacent to the channel. This often holds a large percent of the action as well. Making small drifts or wades along the spoil islands south of Bird Island Basin will put you right into the fish. The beaches here are long and full of late summer fish. Look toward the jetty areas for groups of redfish to be had on live finger mullet, and small sharks on large pieces of cut mullet. Sunrise and sunset are magic on the beach for fat speckled trout on topwater lures. After the sun comes out switch to DOA Terror Eyes soft plastics. These baits are perfect for surf fishing and imitating the tiny gulf minnows that are all over the surf. You never know what you will hook in the surf, I always use a good length of fluorocarbon leader in the 30- to 40-lb range. Spanish mackerel are quick to bite through light line. As we transition toward fall, large groups of redfish, including 38- to 50-inch bull reds will gather in schools to chase shad and mullet along the King Ranch shoreline. Hooking into one of these beasts is a lifetime memory. Majestic monster redfish should always be released. They are more than 12 years old and some are into their 20s. We have just begun to recover from the winter fish kills of the spring freeze. This is going to take more than a few seasons. So, remember that a sport fisherman doesn’t kill everything he catches.

MIDDLE COAST HOTSPOTS

• • •

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: East Flats GPS: N 27 49.135, W 97 6.266 (27.8189, -97.1044)

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

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Bone color One Knocker topwater bait SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas www.FishGame.com/FishGameGear TIPS: You won’t get the real heavy trout in October. If you want big ﬁsh, target reds.

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas www.FishGame.com/FishGameGear TIPS: All the flats should produce fish at this time of the year.

LOCATION: Nueces Bay HOTSPOT: Nueces Bay GPS: N 27 51.035, W 97 25.966 (27.8506, -97.4328)

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Spoils along the Intracoastal GPS: N 27 33.684, W 97 16.759 (27.5614, -97.2793)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Bone color One Knocker topwater bait SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas www.FishGame.com/FishGameGear TIPS: On windy afternoons, tuck in behind the islands and work the guts that have water moving through them.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout & Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Shrimp under a popping cork or free lining live croaker SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas www.FishGame.com/FishGameGear TIPS: Fish along the edges of sand or grass drop offs in waist deep water using free lined live croaker.

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

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout & Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Cut Bait, Live Mullet or a gold spoon SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas www.FishGame.com/FishGameGear TIPS: Free line around the islands with a piggy perch.

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8/16/21 4:57 PM

A Special Time of Year for Lower Coast Fishing

ISHING THIS TIME OF YEAR tends to be special. I am still fishing my normal rocks, but adding in a lot of shorelines and grass flats. I tend to venture out to the Laguna Madre and fish through the cuts and off the edge of the spoil islands.

lining live croaker SOURCE: Capt. Carlos Garcia 956-433-6094 TIPS: September starts the migration of redﬁsh moving up shallow. Look for school of reds.

Reported by CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

When fishing these areas, I am looking for bait fish and birds working the waters. When looking at birds anywhere, you must remember that birds diving down under water and flying away does not necessarily mean good bait fish. This is a mistake I have seen fishermen make quite often. You need to wait and watch them to make sure they continuously dive down in the same areas. One thing I like to do when fishing a shoreline or grass line is make sure there is not too much bait. In my opinion, when this happens, the fish can be CAPT. MERRITT more selective geradmerritt@gmail.com in what they are going to eat. Therefore they do not necessarily need what you are throwing at them. I am still using croakers this time of year when I can find them, and they seem to work just fine in attracting the fish. The trick is remembering that you do not want oversized bait. When the live bait I am using is on the larger side, I will have to let the fish run with the croaker a little longer. When a trout hits on a croaker, they bite it from the side and will need to turn it headfirst to eat it. My hook placement on the croaker is almost always in the tail, so an average sized trout may take a little time to get the hook into its mouth when I use a bigger bait. In south Texas, it seems the February freeze did take a toll on our fish population, but numbers are coming back in stride. Make every cast count and do not get discouraged. 46

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LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Holly Beach GPS: N 26 4.83, W 97 14.87 (26.0805, -97.2478)

Keep in mind the old tricks of the trade you have learned over the years, and you should do fine. Do not be afraid to move spots looking for some of the same signs. There are certainly days where we may move 10 or 15 times looking for fish, hoping they will cooperate. I always tell my customers when we are fishing to use what they like, whether it is live or artificial bait. If you need to go to plastic, throw it. A lot of fishing is about having the confidence in what you are doing. It makes all the difference being able to feel a bite or in the way you are working the bait, no matter what you happen to be throwing.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout & Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Topwater artiﬁcials or soft plastic tails SOURCE: Capt. Carlos Garcia 956-433-6094 TIPS: If you prefer to free line live shrimp, rig with a split shot and treble hook. Let it glide into the current. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Stover Point GPS: N 26 12.191, W 97 17.702 (26.2032, -97.2950)

• • •

LOWER COAST HOTSPOTS

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

SPECIES: Speckled Trout & Redfish BEST BAITS: Topwater artificials or soft plastic tails SOURCE: Capt. Carlos Garcia 956-433-6094 TIPS: Redfish lures: topwaters, soft plastics, something with a nice red glitter in it.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout & Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Shrimp under a popping cork or free |

T E X A S

F I S H

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Cullen Bay Channel GPS: N 26 15.812, W 97 17.166

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(26.2635, -97.2861)

1 1

2 3 4

SPECIES: Speckled Trout & Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Topwater artiﬁcials or soft plastic tails SOURCE: Capt. Carlos Garcia 956-433-6094 TIPS: Super Spook in bone white with a jerky retrieve, walking the dog.

5 13

14 LOCATION: Port Mansﬁeld HOTSPOT: Rincon de San Jose Shoreline GPS: N 26 47.384, W 97 28.459 (26.7897, -97.4743)

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

PORT MANSFIELD SOUTH

SOME OF THE BEST FISHING IN THE PORT MANSFIELD AREA IS FOUND AROUND “The Saucer” and between El Sauz Island and Josephine Island. Selected HOTSPOTS are shown in the table below, and on the map. SPECKLED TROUT KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

GPS

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Live Mullet, Soft Plastics SOURCE: Capt. Carlos Garcia 956-433-6094 TIPS: Fish from the boat or wade, doesn’t really matter that much how you are fishing. The fish are hungry, and they are ready to feed.

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 26 30.913, Bone, chartreuse Topwaters, start S of barge & drift to it up ; Apr-May, Oct-Nov, dawn-midday W 97 24.787 N 26 30.407, Topwaters, soft plastics or live shrimp, drift ; Year East of Bennie’s 2 Around W 97 22.974 N 26 29.674, Topwaters, soft plastics or live shrimp, drift ; Year Lower West Bay 3 Around W 97 24.081 N 26 29.850, Topwaters, plastics, cast onto sand & retrieve across Sand Bar N of Bennie’s Shack 4 grass; Mar-May, Oct-Dec, dawn-morn W 97 23.500 N 26 29.018, Topwaters or soft plastics, freeline and drift; Aug-Nov The Saucer 5 W 97 22.572 N 26 28.852, Live shrimp under cork, fish color changes, potholes; The Saucer Center 6 All Year, dawn thru midday W 97 22.093 N 26 28.134, Drift or anchor using live baits or topwaters; May-Aug, The Saucer 7 dawn thru afternoon W 97 23.677 N 26 27.640, Live shrimp, piggy perch, red/wht. plastics, work drops; ICW at Marker 173 8 Jul-Nov, dawn thru afternoon W 97 22.250 REDFISH N 26 30.299, Bull Minnow, 101/4 oz. spoons, chart Topwaters, drift Green Island Shore 9 island; All year, all day W 97 24.215’ N 26 30.663, 101/4 oz. silver spoons, Top Dogs, all colors, drift; All Bar Across from Bennie’s 10 year, all day W 97 22.651 N 26 34.025, Live or dead bait, artificials, very heavy schooling; East Cut Jetties 11 Sep-Nov, all day W 97 16.173 FLOUNDER N 26 30.590, Gigging at night under lights; Sep-Feb, all day The Targets 12 W 97 24.603 N 26 29.369, Cast into gut, work lure slow, feel hit, 10 secs set hook; Bennie’s Shack 13 May-Oct, dawn thru morning W 97 23.324 N 26 27.640, Finger mullet, root beer plastics, anchor fish dropoffs; Spoils @ ICW Marker 173 14 Jul-Nov, morning thru midday W 97 22.250 WADEFISHING N 26 31.410, Trout, soft plastics & topwaters, wade shallow spoils; 1 The 150 Spoils March thru May W 97 24.068 N 26 28.149, Trout & redfish; freeline live bait, soft plastics, topwa2 Saucer South of Mansfield ters; March thru November W 97 23.874 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS 2021

The Target Area

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LOCATION: South Bay HOTSPOT: East Table Top GPS: N 26 1.431, W 97 11.089 (26.0239, -97.1848)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Live Mullet, Soft Plastics SOURCE: Capt. Carlos Garcia 956-433-6094 TIPS: It doesn’t matter if you fish the flats, deep, shallow, the jetties…every place you will find oversize redfish … small schools of five to six oversized redfish coming in to deposit their eggs.

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8/16/21 4:57 PM

Hungry Largemouth Prepare for Winter Crappie fishing throughout the east should be excellent this time of year. Jigs, shiners and Roadrunners are sure bets.

• • •

EAST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Lake Bob Sandlin HOTSPOT: Bob Sandlin Dam GPS: N 33 4.069, W 95 0.204 (33.0678, -95.0034)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Pop’rs, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits SOURCE: Richard Tatsch 936-661-7920 www.ﬁshdudetx.com TIPS: Baits like Pop’rs and buzzbaits will work well on overcast days. If you’re on the water this time of year immediately after a cold front (up to the 3rd day after) and it is at daylight or an overcast day locate the rip rap rock around the lake and start with a small single blade spinner bait at the rocks. Retrieve it at a fast rate so the bait is waking the surface. The next thing to try would be a Pop’r topwater lure. Work this bait in the same areas and alternate between the spinnerbait to determine which they want on that particular day. Another tried and true method is the Bass Assassin shad. Rig them using a barrel swivel and about a 10-inch leader to keep my line from twisting. Then depending on what you want the bait to do or how fast you want to work it will determine the hook size you use. If you want it on the surface, rig with a 2/0 or 3/0 hook. If you want it deeper, use a 5/0 hook. Work it with an erratic fast twitching action. LOCATION: Lake Chapman/Cooper HOTSPOT: Granny’s Ridge GPS: N 33 19.066 , W 95 40.827 (33.3178, -95.6805)

Reported by TF&G STAFF

ARGEMOUTH BASS WILL begin to feed on shad and other prey in preparation for the cold weather when they will begin to selectively feed. On Toledo Bend, bass will begin schooling on the southern end of the lake. Fish early, from before dawn to about 8:30. If you locate a schooling area, it should be dependable all through the month. Catfish action should be good on most lakes in the morning and late evening. Bottom fishing in six to twenty feet with prepared bait, chum and Carolina-rigged worms should produce all day.

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SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Liver, worms on C-rig, anchor, chum & tightline SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshandgamegear TIPS: Liver, worms on C-rig, anchor, chum & tightline; morning, night.

LOCATION: Lake Houston HOTSPOT: Luce Bayou GPS: N 30 2.671, W 95 7.106 (30.0445, -95.1184)

LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 26.208, W 95 36.654 (30.4368, -95.6109)

T E X A S

F I S H

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 903-593-5077 Fishgame.com/ﬁshandgamegear TIPS: Fish black Carolina rigged crankbaits. Look for the hump and work that. Dawn through afternoon.

G A M E ®

8/16/21 4:57 PM

 SEE INSET Located 3 miles southwest of Jacksonville

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 268,566 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 231,496 As of 8/6/2021

CURRENT AC. FT. -n.a.62,152 -n.a.190,909 9,978 29,898 31,040 405,061 8,696 66,143 589,607 130,147 17,113 25,670 256,434 268,566 1,741,867 29,270 38,285 38,612 367,303 112,952 2,857,077 16,934 14,913 2,071,232 231,496

% FULL -n.a.90% -n.a.99% 91% 100% 100% 99% 95% 99% 97% 100% 100% 100% 99% 100% 100% 84% 100% 98% 100% 99% 100% 100% 84% 93% 100%

 INSET

e ille k La onv ks c Ja

• HOTSPOTLIGHT:

LAKE JACKSONVILLE SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Shiners, jigs or Roadrunners, freeline or trolling SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshandgamegear TIPS: Shiners, jigs or Roadrunners, freeline or trolling LOCATION: Lake Nacogdoches HOTSPOT: Hayter Area GPS: N 31 37.980, W 94 48.288 (31.6330, -94.8048)

LOCATION: 3 miles southwest of Jacksonville off US 79 SURFACE AREA: 1,320 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 62 feet IMPOUNDED: 1957

larly abundant but are usually well above the 10-inch minimum length. The catﬁsh population is limited by largemouth bass predation and catch rates can be low. Angling success is best on deep structure, brush piles, and around lighted piers.

JACKSONVILLE HAS PRODUCED largemouth bass in excess of 15 pounds. Spotted bass are also present in this lake. Crappie are not particu-

•

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, jigs, soft plastics SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 409-698-9114 TIPS: Work timber and hydrilla. Avoid midday. LOCATION: Lake O the Pines HOTSPOT: Blue Hole GPS: N 32 47.613, W 94 36.433 (32.7936, -94.6072) T E X A S

TexasOutdoorNation-ISSUU-2109.indd 49

F I S H

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Shrimp, dough bait G A M E ®

S E P / O C T

2 0 2 1

8/16/21 4:57 PM

Fishgame.com/ﬁshandgamegear TIPS: There will be some schooling activity with top water lures and Rat-L-Traps below the bridge. There may be some good action early on main points—5:30 until 8:30 am and then it’s over. There will be lots of big schools offshore, including some giants, but you need to know and trust your electronics. If you ﬁnd one of those schools they should be dependable all month. Try a Texas rig 10-inch worm, heavy football jigs and crankbaits that will run to 20+ feet deep.

EAST TEXAS SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 903-938-1007 TIPS: Use bottom rigs. This spot is good all day. LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn HOTSPOT: Alligator Area GPS: N 31 16.652, W 94 20.939 (31.2775, -94.3490) LOCATION: Lake Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: Pendleton Bridge Area and South GPS: N 31 26.754, W 93 45.234 (31.4459, -93.7539)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, jigs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshandgamegear TIPS: Fish pockets, points & humps. Dawn to late morning, dusk.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Top water lures, Rat-L-Traps, Texas rigged 10-inch worms, heavy football jigs, crankbaits SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

LOCATION: Lake Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: 2x4 Hole GPS: N 31 46.6848, W 93 49.986 (31.7781, -93.8331)

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slab spoons, tail spinners and RatL-Traps SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: The fish will start feeding heavy bulking up in anticipation for the coming winter season. The White bass will start migrating to the north end main lake river channel sand bars. Concentrate on the inside river channel bends. Use your electronics to locate the baitfish. There will usually be plenty of schooling activity in these areas. LOCATION: Lake Wright Patman HOTSPOT: Atlanta State Park GPS: N 33 14.534, W 94 13.919 (33.2422, -94.2320)

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Punchbait, shad SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 903-938-1007 TIPS: Fish with Carolina-rigged punchbait or shad and work in about 6-20 feet of water. Action good all day.

••

TexasOutdoorNation-ISSUU-2109.indd 50

•••

8/16/21 4:57 PM

Weather and Football Make Fall Fishing Better

ORE STABLE WEATHER and less fishing traffic make this time of year great for anglers who aren’t hunting or holed up watching football.

Reported by TF&G STAFF

Crappie on most north central lakes will most likely be in 10 to 20 feet of water on submerged timber and brush. Fish jigs in white and chartreuse and black and chartreuse on the 1/16 oz. hook with 6 to 8-pound mono. Brush piles along banks are always solid producers. Largemouth bass will be in shallower water early in the mornings. Look for them in one to five feet of water. As the sun gets higher, they will start moving back out to deeper water. White bass are still in a summer pattern in September, and can be found chasing bait. Best action happens early in the morning and later in the day. Striped bass on Texoma and Whitney are slipping into the shallows early, then heading for deeper water as the temperature rises with the sun.

humps. Drop slabs down and bounce off bottom making contact with bait as it falls. Carry binoculars and glass the lake occasionally watching for the herons and cranes that land on the water. The white bass push the bait to the surface and the cranes will drop down and feed. Keep a good distance and make long casts with slabs or tail spinners. LOCATION: Bachman Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake or Bridge Area GPS: N 32 51.1859, W 96 52.014 (32.8531, -96.8669)

• • •

CENTRAL TEXAS HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Deep Humps GPS: N 31 54.204, W97 12.18 (31.9034, -97.2030)

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: 1oz Chartreuse slabs, Tail Spinners SOURCE: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Watch your graph along the humps and you will see the White Bass stacked up on the edges of the

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Bass: spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps | Crappie: minnows and jigs SOURCE: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 whitebassfishingtexas.com TIPS: For bass, throw spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps along the weed lines. Crappie are under the bridge this time of year. Minnows and jigs are your best bets. LOCATION: Lake Belton HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 8.3459, W 97 31.932 (31.1391, -97.5322)

T E X A S

F I S H

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS

CENTRAL TEXAS

LAKE

CAPACITY CURRENT % (Acre Feet) FULL Aquilla 43,243 43,243 100% Arlington 40,157 38,912 97% Athens 29,503 29,503 100% Austin 23,972 22,772 95% Bardwell 46,122 46,122 100% Belton 435,225 435,225 100% Benbrook 85,648 79,884 93% Buchanan 816,904 792,910 97% Canyon 378,781 361,579 96% Cedar Creek 644,686 641,743 100% Choke Canyon 662,820 330,673 50% Corpus Christi 256,062 235,843 92% Eagle Mountain 179,880 170,795 95% Georgetown 36,823 32,504 88% Gibbons Creek 25,721 20,900 81% Granger 51,822 51,822 100% Grapevine 163,064 163,064 100% Halbert 6,033 5,334 88% Hubert H Moss 24,058 23,692 99% Inks 13,962 12,930 93% Joe Pool 175,800 175,800 100% Lavon 406,388 394,514 97% Lewisville 563,228 561,338 100% Limestone 203,780 203,036 100% Lyndon B Johnson 115,249 110,575 96% Marble Falls 6,901 6,869 100% Martin 75,726 73,857 98% Medina 254,823 87,038 34% Mountain Creek 22,850 22,850 100% Nasworthy 9,615 8,073 84% Navarro Mills 49,827 49,827 100% New Terrell City 8,583 8,583 100% Ray Hubbard 439,559 434,981 99% Ray Roberts 788,167 787,883 100% Richland-Chamb. 1,087,839 1,087,839 100% Somerville 150,293 150,293 100% Stillhouse Hollow 227,771 227,771 100% Tawakoni 871,685 869,836 100% Texana 159,566 158,831 100% Texoma 1,243,801 1,243,801 100% Travis 1,113,348 862,614 78% Tyler 72,073 72,073 100% Waco 189,418 188,205 99% Waxahachie 10,780 10,360 96% Weatherford 17,812 17,283 97% Whitney 553,344 530,946 96% Worth 24,419 21,582 88% As of 8/6/2021

(Acre Feet)

•

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits or spinnerbaits in a white

G A M E ® |

S E P / O C T

2 0 2 1

8/16/21 4:57 PM

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

or sexy-shad color SOURCE: Henry Niemiec 254-368-0294 TIPS: The resent flooding in Central Texas has been both good and bad for fishing on Lake Belton. The good news is that the floodwaters have put a great deal of brush in the water, which provides plenty of food and cover for both bait fish and small bass. The bad news is that it has also washed up plenty of food from the flooded shoreline. Fish can still be caught and many are positioning themselves on the outside of the flooded brush for an easy meal. Crankbaits or spinnerbaits in a white or sexy-shad color, worked from the shoreline out have been the best producer. The downside is you will have to cover a lot of water to get a bite, but the upside to that is when you do hold on, the fish are big and healthy.

Lake on gt n i l r A

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Mid-Lake to Dam Area GPS: N 30 45.006, W 98 25.458 (30.7501, -98.4243) Lake Arlington is located off I-20 in Arlington

LAKE ARLINGTON LOCATION: Just north of I-20 off Arkansas Lane in Arlington SURFACE AREA: 1,939 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 51 feet IMPOUNDED: 1957 LARGEMOUTH BASS IS EXCELLENT IN this reservoir. White bass, white crappie and channel catﬁsh are also popular with anglers. Stocking of hybrid striped bass has been discontinued. Lake Arlington does not have much

TexasOutdoorNation-ISSUU-2109.indd 52

cover or structure, however the hot water discharge area near the tailrace is a strong fish attraction. Several areas of the lake contain stump fields (noted by buoys) and these provide habitat. Bass may be found in areas of water willow and button bush. Bass fishing is good all year, with bigger fish caught in winter.

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut Shad CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: Catfish prospects are good this time of year just about anywhere on the lake. Anchor 40; - 50’ on rod and reel or fish jugs in 30’.

• 8/16/21 4:57 PM

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

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Whopper Plopper CONTACT: Capt. Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures 210-573-1230 capt.steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: October is top water time on Canyon Lake. Fish the point from 20 to 50 foot deep and look for schools surface feeding in this area.

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps GPS: N 32 18.8099, W 96 10.068 (32.3135, -96.1678)

SPECIES: Hybrid Striper BEST BAITS: Deep diving lures SOURCE: Jason Barber 903-603-2047 www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: Troll main lake humps in 16’ to 24’ of water with deep divers until you locate fish then target that area repeatedly. LOCATION: Lake Eagle Mountain HOTSPOT: Fort Worth Boat Club Point GPS: N 32 53.460, W 97 29.167 (32.891004, -97.486117)

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SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: crankbaits, lipless crankbaits SOURCE: Kolby Kuhn, Final Cast Guide Service 817-243-5858 TIPS: The White Bass are still in a summer pattern moving fast throughout the water column chasing bait. Early in the morning or late in the day, look for fish near the surface of the water. Casting a small lipless crankbait will trigger a reaction bite to catch these fish. During the afternoon, trolling small deep diving crankbaits with light line will catch fish that are deeper in the water column. Fish will be cruising around structure such as humps and points and even in open water from the surface up to about 20 feet deep. The key right now is to use lures that cover a lot of water because the fish are on the move.

8/16/21 4:57 PM

CENTRAL TEXAS LOCATION: Fayette County Reservoir HOTSPOT: South East Trees GPS: N 29 54.978, W 96 42.9659 (29.9163, -96.7161)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/32 oz. marabou jig tipped with a Berkley Crappie Nibble SOURCE: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: September is the very best time is to catch crappie at Granger Lake. The crappie have been feeding on shad all summer and gain about a quarter inch in length every 20 days (according to TP&W biologists). Fish that were just short in July will all be keepers in September. The best bait is a 1/32 oz. marabou jig tipped with a Berkley Crappie Nibble. Be sure to tie the jig using a loop knot. This makes a big difference in your catch rate. Fish brush or plastic trees in 4 to 15 feet of water.

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait SOURCE: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: The trees are close to the old roadbed here. Water temperatures are still warm, so fish close to the bottom. Use chum in 10-12 feet of water. Slip cork or tight line is preferred here. LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Eagle Point South GPS: N 30 37.92, W 96 2.7899 (30.6320, -96.0465)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass & Crappie BEST BAITS: Bass: Creature baits in sexy shad color | Crappie: Jigs in white/chartreuse and black/ chartreuse SOURCE: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 whitebassﬁshingtexas.com TIPS: Black bass will be very shallow early in the mornings and can usually be found in 1 to 5 feet of water. As the sun comes up, they gradually make their way back out to 12 to 20 foot. Creature baits and the color “sexy shad” by KVD is usually to go to color. Find boat ramps and rip rap as they are a concrete/ rock ﬁsh—that is what they hold to, structure-wise. LOCATION: Lake Lewisville HOTSPOT: 17’ Hump East of Old Spillway GPS: N 33 6.911, W 96 59.301 (33.1152, -96.9884)

LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: Joe Pool Marina Crappie Barge GPS: N 32 37.618, W 96 59.119 (32.6270, -96.9853) SPECIES: Hybrid Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad on bottom rigs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshandgamegear TIPS: Live shad on bottom rigs; all day.

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Punch Bait, crawfish SOURCE: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: This creek runs through this area. Use tight lines, setting on the bottom. Chum close to the boat. Also, cast out away from the boat with extra rods. All breeds of cats frequent this area.

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows SOURCE: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 whitebassﬁshingtexas.com TIPS: Fish live minnows on a bobber, hit in, out and round the brush.

LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Submerged Structure GPS: N 30 42.3779, W 97 20.8979 (30.7063, -97.3483)

S E P / O C T

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2 0 2 1

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points and Submerged Timber and Brush GPS: N 33 4.4519, W 96 27.57 (33.0742, -96.4595)

T E X A S

F I S H

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Cherokee Point GPS: N 32 4.908, W 95 25.278 (32.0818, -95.4213)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Bass: Mister Twister Comida Worm | Crappie: jigs SOURCE: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201

G A M E ®

8/16/21 4:57 PM

www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Bass ﬁshing should be good on points near the dam on Carolina rigs using the Mister Twister Comida Worm. Fish slow, covering this point very well. Crappie very good on jigs under the 155 Bridge. Fish 20 feet or so deep.

freeliners; September-October, mid-day LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: North Island and Tabletop GPS: N 33 52.068, W 96 41.67 (33.8678, -96.6945)

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Brush Pile GPS: N 33 24.127, W 97 5.314 (33.4021, -97.0886) folks prefer to fish around the Highway 287 bridge columns and avoid the heat but most of the more serious crappie fishermen find and fish brush piles. The crappie prefer structure and brush piles attract bait fish as well. While some fishermen fish with crappie jigs, most prefer small minnows tight lined on light line. SPECIES: Crappie and White bass BEST BAITS: Minnows, 3/4-1oz slabs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Still feels like summer out there but the cool nights are starting to lower the water temps. White bass are still good. Not seeing as much topwater as the past months but starting to see some big schools off the main lake points in 20-40 foot of water. Once you find them, jigging slabs off the bottom can make quick work of filling a cooler. The crappie bite is good, still catching quite a few smaller fish but the keeper/ throwback ratio has been getting better with the occasional big fish. Look for these fish holding close to brush piles in 25-30 foot of water. Smaller piles that aren’t getting as much pressure are producing more keepers than some of the other popular piles. Jigs are working but the quality of fish seems to be better on minnows. LOCATION: Lake Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: Highway 287 Bridge GPS: N 32 0.3179, W 96 12.5279 (32.0053, -96.2088)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Small minnows, crappie jigs SOURCE: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 www.goneﬁshin.biz TIPS: The late summer and early fall can be some of the very best crappie ﬁshing of the entire year. Some

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

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

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait, cut shad SOURCE: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 www.ﬁshtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Water is deep here as it drops off the rock ledge. Chum the edge of drop-off. Fish straight down with tight line near the bottom. LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni HOTSPOT: Wrist Point GPS: N 32 52.521, W 96 0.061 (32.8754, -96.0010)

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

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Cut shad, use jugline for bottom rigs for freeliners SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshandgamegear TIPS: Cut shad, use jugline for bottom rigs for

T E X A S

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SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Top water plugs, Sassy Shad jigs SOURCE: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 www.striperexpress.com TIPS: The big fish are on the banks early mornings in October. Cast Pencil Poppers and big Chug Bugs for vicious strikes in shallow water. Mid-morning change your lures to 4 inches. Sassy Shad jigs on a 1 oz. jig head. Favorite colors are white glow and chartreuse fleck. Keep your eyes on the seagulls. They can locate schools of stripers roaming open water. Live shad fishing is also an excellent way to catch stripers. Locate the fish on the ledges, anchor up and place your bait 3 turns off the bottom. Best depth is 30 feet.

F I S H

G A M E ®

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S E P / O C T

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8/16/21 4:57 PM

The Water’s Still Hot, But So Is the Fishing SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Shaky head jigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, topwater lures SOURCE: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 www.lakealanhenry.com/fishing-guides.html TIPS: In October, as the cold fronts start coming in, the bass will begin moving into all the creeks on the lake. On Lake Alan Henry, fall is one of the best fishing times on the lake. Not much boat traffic and the bass will be fattening up for the winter. LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Main Lake Flats GPS: N 29 29.218, W 101 06.676 (29.4870, -101.1113)

type top water baits work very well for enticing strikes. Fishing at night also allows ﬁshermen to escape the hot summer days. Weightless stick worm baits are also a great option. LOCATION: Lake Falcon HOTSPOT: North Arroyo Veleno GPS: N 26 54.794, W 99 13.398 (26.9132, -99.2233)

Reported by DEAN HEFFNER

EST TEXAS LAKES ARE still hot, but water temperatures are starting to cool down and fish are getting ready to migrate. On striper lakes, such as Possum Kingdom, they are still catching fish downrigging with jigs and Mister Twister curly tails on a fast troll. Fish are best early and late. Stick with basic colors. Crappie are still in 20 to 40 feet of water with minnows and/jigs fished suspended and better at night with a green light. Catfish are great anywhere, just fish the 20-foot breakline. Anything will work for channel cats, but if you want the blues, fish with shad or cut shad for the best bite.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits SOURCE: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 TIPS: Use big crankbaits on grass edges early, ﬁsh points later. Avoid midday, night. LOCATION: Lake Cisco HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 26.497, W 99 00.092 (32.441616, -99.001537)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, soft plastics, crankbaits SOURCE: Robert Amaya, Robert’s Fishing Tackle 956-765-1442 TIPS: Fish spinners near brush, ﬂip plastics, crankbaits on deep points. Dawn through afternoon, dusk. LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Decordova Area on the Lower Ends GPS: N 32 25.269, W 97 41.402 (32 25.269, -97 41.402)

•••

WEST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Little Grape Creek GPS: N 33 2.754, W 101 3.6659 (33.0459, -101.0611)

S E P / O C T

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SPECIES: White Bass and Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, stick worms SOURCE: Lance Benson, TPWD Inland FisheriesAbilene 325-692-0921 TIPS: Lake Cisco has several lighted boat docks that can be ﬁshed at night for white bass and largemouth bass. The lights attract smaller bait ﬁsh therefore attracting feeding white bass and largemouth. Popper 2 0 2 1

T E X A S

F I S H

BEST BAITS: Texas Rigged Soft plastics, Spinner baits or lipless crankbaits SOURCE: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 254-396-4855 TIPS: Look for shaded docks and stick ups with some deeper water close by. Work main lake points and creek channels. Early top water bite is possible.

G A M E ®

8/16/21 4:57 PM

Lake Kirby is located east of US 84 in Abilene

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS LAKE

WEST TEXAS

As of 8/6/2021

Abilene Alan Henry Amistad Amon G Carter Arrowhead Brady Creek Bridgeport Brownwood Champion Creek Cherokee Cisco Coleman Colorado City E V Spence Elephant Butte Falcon Fort Phantom Hill Graham Granbury Greenbelt Hords Creek Hubbard Creek J B Thomas Kemp Kickapoo Leon Lost Creek Mackenzie Meredith Millers Creek Mineral Wells Natural Dam Nocona N. Fork Buffalo Cr. O C Fisher O H Ivie Oak Creek Palo Duro Palo Pinto Pat Cleburne Possum Kingdom Proctor Red Bluff Squaw Creek Stamford Sweetwater Twin Buttes White River

CAPACITY

(Acre Feet)

7,900 96,207 1,840,849 19,266 230,359 28,808 366,236 130,868 41,580 40,094 29,003 38,075 30,758 517,272 179,880 1,551,007 70,030 45,288 132,949 59,968 8,109 313,298 199,931 245,307 86,345 27,762 11,950 46,450 500,000 26,768 5,273 54,560 21,444 15,400 115,742 554,340 39,210 61,066 26,766 26,008 538,139 54,762 151,110 151,250 51,570 12,267 182,454 29,880

CURRENT

(Acre Feet)

7,686 96,151 965,000 19,266 221,891 17,967 353,390 126,296 31,432 40,094 27,555 33,317 25,510 146,435 170,795 397,466 70,030 44,157 132,378 11,592 3,874 305,824 95,702 245,307 75,505 26,535 11,681 3,981 193,075 26,768 5,093 26,398 21,124 14,970 5,929 320,494 30,709 998 26,072 25,354 538,139 54,578 104,628 151,250 51,570 10,765 89,459 7,796

% FULL 97% 100% 52% 100% 96% 62% 97% 97% 76% 100% 95% 88% 83% 28% 95% 26% 100% 98% 100% 19% 48% 98% 48% 100% 87% 96% 98% 9% 39% 100% 97% 48% 99% 97% 5% 58% 78% 2% 97% 98% 100% 100% 69% 100% 100% 88% 49% 26%

•

Lake Kirby

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

LAKE KIRBY LOCATION: On the south side of Abilene, east of US 84 SURFACE AREA: 740 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 16 feet IMPOUNDED: 1928

trate off shore, while channel cats can be caught in the shorline vegetation. Crappie ﬁshing is good, with minnows, jigs and worms working in the many willows in and around the lake. Kirby’s bass ﬁshing is only fair.

CATFISHING IS EXCELLENT ON LAKE Kirby. Blue catﬁsh tend to concen-

•

LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Gaines Bend GPS: N 32 52.689, W98 28.001 (32.8781, -98.4667)

topwaters SOURCE: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 Fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Bass love free swimming shad or perch, but jigs & pigs and worms are the staple this time of year. But don’t forget topwaters; bass are suckers for that bait.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: live shad, perch, plastic worms, T E X A S

TexasOutdoorNation-ISSUU-2109.indd 57

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8/16/21 4:57 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK SEP/OCT 2021

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

Moon Underfoot

Day’s Best Day’s 2nd Score Best Score

Best Day Overall

MOON PHASES

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

S E P / O C T

TexasOutdoorNation-ISSUU-2109.indd 58

2 0 2 1

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

8/16/21 4:58 PM

SEP/OCT 2021

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

30 »

High Tide: 4:33a Low Tide: 5:17p

1.44 ft. 0.29 ft.

TUESDAY

High Tide: 4:22a Low Tide: 6:19p

1.53 ft. 0.24 ft.

WEDNESDAY

Sep 1

High Tide: 4:26a Low Tide: 7:14p

1.59 ft. 0.19 ft.

THURSDAY

High Tide: 4:35a Low Tide: 8:01p

FRIDAY

1.63 ft. 0.13 ft.

High Tide: 4:47a Low Tide: 8:43p

SATURDAY

1.64 ft. 0.09 ft.

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

FEET

5:03a 10:28a 1:11p 9:21p

SUNDAY

5«

1.65 ft. 1.44 ft. 1.47 ft. 0.08 ft.

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

5:20a 10:14a 2:24p 9:59p

1.65 ft. 1.36 ft. 1.51 ft. 0.11 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12:30 — 2:30 pm Sunrise: 6:55a Sunset: 7:43p Moonrise: 12:11a Moon Set: 2:23p

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 6:01a PM Minor: 12:13p PM Major: 6:24p

Moon Overhead: 7:15a Moon Underfoot: 7:39p

12p

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 pm Sunrise: 6:55a Sunset: 7:42p Moonrise: 12:51a Moon Set: 3:18p

AM Minor: 12:35a AM Major: 6:47a PM Minor: 1:00p PM Major: 7:12p

Moon Overhead: 8:03a Moon Underfoot: 8:28p

TexasOutdoorNation-ISSUU-2109.indd 59

12a

12p

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 pm Sunrise: 6:56a Sunset: 7:41p Moonrise: 1:37a Moon Set: 4:12p

AM Minor: 1:21a AM Major: 7:34a PM Minor: 1:47p PM Major: 8:00p

Moon Overhead: 8:54a Moon Underfoot: 9:19p

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

3:00 — 5:00 pm Sunrise: 6:56a Sunset: 7:40p Moonrise: 2:27a Moon Set: 5:02p

AM Minor: 2:08a AM Major: 8:21a PM Minor: 2:34p PM Major: 8:47p

Moon Overhead: 9:45a Moon Underfoot: 10:12p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

4:00 — 6:00 pm Sunrise: 6:57a Sunset: 7:39p Moonrise: 3:23a Moon Set: 5:50p

AM Minor: 2:55a AM Major: 9:08a PM Minor: 3:21p PM Major: 9:34p

Moon Overhead: 10:38a Moon Underfoot: 11:04p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 6:57a Sunset: 7:37p Moonrise: 4:22a Moon Set: 6:33p

AM Minor: 3:42a AM Major: 9:55a PM Minor: 4:08p PM Major: 10:21p Moon Overhead: 11:30a Moon Underfoot: 11:56p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

11:30A — 1:30P Sunrise: 6:58a Sunset: 7:36p Moonrise: 5:24a Moon Set: 7:12p

AM Minor: 4:29a AM Major: 10:42a PM Minor: 4:55p PM Major: 11:07p Moon Overhead: 12:22p Moon Underfoot: None

8/16/21 4:58 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

TUESDAY

Sep 6 l FEET

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

5:38a 10:33a 3:30p 10:37p

7«

1.62 ft. 1.23 ft. 1.53 ft. 0.20 ft.

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

5:56a 11:03a 4:37p 11:16p

1.58 ft. 1.06 ft. 1.54 ft. 0.37 ft.

WEDNESDAY

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

6:12a 11:39a 5:48p 11:56p

1.53 ft. 0.85 ft. 1.54 ft. 0.60 ft.

THURSDAY

9«

High Tide: 6:25a Low Tide: 12:21p High Tide: 7:06p

FRIDAY

1.49 ft. 0.62 ft. 1.54 ft.

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

12:39a 6:34a 1:09p 8:35p

SATURDAY

0.88 ft. 1.46 ft. 0.39 ft. 1.55 ft.

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

1:23a 6:35a 2:02p 10:19p

SUNDAY

1.17 ft. 1.48 ft. 0.20 ft. 1.60 ft.

Low Tide: 2:13a High Tide: 6:15a Low Tide: 3:03p

1.44 ft. 1.55 ft. 0.06 ft. FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM

AM Minor: 6:06a AM Major: 11:50a PM Minor: 6:30p PM Major: 12:18p

Moon Overhead: 1:11p Moon Underfoot: 12:47a

12p

2:00 — 4:00 PM

AM Minor: 6:57a AM Major: 12:45a PM Minor: 7:21p PM Major: 1:09p

14 º

High Tide: 2:21a Low Tide: 5:29p

1.82 ft. -0.08 ft.

High Tide: 3:21a Low Tide: 6:42p

12a

1.88 ft. -0.10 ft.

12p

12a

BEST TIME

2:30 — 4:30 PM

3:30 — 5:30 PM

12a

4:30 — 6:30 PM

12a

5:30 — 7:30 PM Sunrise: 7:01a Sunset: 7:28p Moonrise: 12:57p Moon Set: 11:35p

AM Minor: 9:44a AM Major: 3:30a PM Minor: 10:11p PM Major: 3:57p

Moon Overhead: 4:27p Moon Underfoot: 4:02a

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:01a Sunset: 7:29p Moonrise: 11:48a Moon Set: 10:48p

AM Minor: 8:45a AM Major: 2:33a PM Minor: 9:11p PM Major: 2:58p

Moon Overhead: 3:37p Moon Underfoot: 3:12a

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:00a Sunset: 7:30p Moonrise: 10:41a Moon Set: 10:07p

AM Minor: 7:50a AM Major: 1:37a PM Minor: 8:14p PM Major: 2:02p

AM Minor: 10:44a AM Major: 4:30a PM Minor: 11:12p PM Major: 4:58p

Moon Overhead: 5:21p Moon Underfoot: 4:54a

Moon Overhead: 6:18p Moon Underfoot: 5:49a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

12p

Sunrise: 7:00a Sunset: 7:31p Moonrise: 9:36a Moon Set: 9:30p

Moon Overhead: 2:48p Moon Underfoot: 2:24a

TUESDAY

1.70 ft. 1.66 ft. 1.66 ft. -0.03 ft.

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:59a Sunset: 7:33p Moonrise: 8:33a Moon Set: 8:56p

Moon Overhead: 2:00p Moon Underfoot: 1:36a

MONDAY

FEET

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

READING THE GRAPH

12:22a 3:45a 4:28a 4:13p

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:59a Sunset: 7:34p Moonrise: 7:30a Moon Set: 8:22p

AM Minor: 5:17a AM Major: 11:30a PM Minor: 5:42p PM Major: 11:54p

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

1:00 — 3:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:58a Sunset: 7:35p Moonrise: 6:27a Moon Set: 7:48p

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

High Tide: 3:57a Low Tide: 7:48p

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

1.88 ft. -0.08 ft.

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

4:24a 10:16a 12:22p 8:46p

SATURDAY

1.82 ft. 1.53 ft. 1.55 ft. -0.01 ft.

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

4:44a 10:06a 1:56p 9:36p

SUNDAY

1.73 ft. 1.41 ft. 1.58 ft. 0.12 ft.

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

5:01a 10:18a 3:09p 10:20p

1.64 ft. 1.24 ft. 1.60 ft. 0.30 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

11:30A — 1:30P Sunrise: 7:02a Sunset: 7:27p Moonrise: 2:05p Moon Set: None

12:30 — 2:30 PM

AM Minor: 12:20a AM Major: 6:29a PM Minor: 12:44p PM Major: 7:00p

Moon Overhead: 7:17p Moon Underfoot: 6:47a

Sunrise: 7:02a Sunset: 7:25p Moonrise: 3:09p Moon Set: 12:27a

AM Minor: 11:45a AM Major: 5:30a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 6:00p

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 8:18p Moon Underfoot: 7:47a

S E P / O C T

TexasOutdoorNation-ISSUU-2109.indd 60

2 0 2 1

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 1:12a AM Major: 7:27a PM Minor: 1:42p PM Major: 7:57p

12a

3:30 — 5:30 PM

12a

4:30 — 6:30 PM

AM Minor: 2:58a AM Major: 9:12a PM Minor: 3:26p PM Major: 9:39p

Moon Overhead: 10:15p Moon Underfoot: 9:47a

F I S H

12p

Sunrise: 7:04a Sunset: 7:22p Moonrise: 5:46p Moon Set: 3:33a

AM Minor: 2:07a AM Major: 8:21a PM Minor: 2:36p PM Major: 8:50p

T E X A S

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:03a Sunset: 7:23p Moonrise: 5:01p Moon Set: 2:28a

Moon Overhead: 9:18p Moon Underfoot: 8:48a

12p

BEST TIME

2:30 — 4:30 PM Sunrise: 7:03a Sunset: 7:24p Moonrise: 4:09p Moon Set: 1:26a

Moon Overhead: 11:09p Moon Underfoot: 10:43a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 7:04a Sunset: 7:21p Moonrise: 6:26p Moon Set: 4:37a

AM Minor: 3:47a AM Major: 9:59a PM Minor: 4:12p PM Major: 10:25p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:35a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 7:05a Sunset: 7:19p Moonrise: 7:00p Moon Set: 5:40a

AM Minor: 4:32a AM Major: 10:44a PM Minor: 4:56p PM Major: 11:08p Moon Overhead: 12:00a Moon Underfoot: 12:24p

G A M E ®

8/16/21 4:58 PM

SEP/OCT 2021

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

20 « FEET

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

5:16a 10:39a 4:14p 10:59p

TUESDAY

21 l

1.56 ft. 1.06 ft. 1.61 ft. 0.51 ft.

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

5:30a 11:06a 5:17p 11:35p

1.50 ft. 0.88 ft. 1.61 ft. 0.74 ft.

WEDNESDAY

22 «

High Tide: 5:42a Low Tide: 11:36a High Tide: 6:18p

1.46 ft. 0.72 ft. 1.60 ft.

THURSDAY

23 « Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

12:08a 5:51a 12:09p 7:23p

0.96 ft. 1.44 ft. 0.59 ft. 1.59 ft.

FRIDAY

24 « Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

12:40a 5:54a 12:44p 8:34p

1.17 ft. 1.44 ft. 0.51 ft. 1.59 ft.

SATURDAY

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

1:09a 5:36a 1:24p 9:57p

SUNDAY

1.35 ft. 1.46 ft. 0.46 ft. 1.59 ft.

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

1:34a 4:24a 2:10p 11:47p

1.50 ft. 1.53 ft. 0.45 ft. 1.63 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

1:30 — 3:30 PM

12a

AM Minor: 6:01a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:22p PM Major: 12:12p

Moon Overhead: 12:47a Moon Underfoot: 1:09p

12p

1:30 — 3:30 AM Sunrise: 7:06a Sunset: 7:16p Moonrise: 8:31p Moon Set: 8:32a

AM Minor: 6:46a AM Major: 12:35a PM Minor: 7:07p PM Major: 12:56p

Moon Overhead: 1:31a Moon Underfoot: 1:52p

MONDAY 1.61 ft. 1.62 ft. 0.46 ft.

High Tide: 3:18a Low Tide: 4:10p

1.70 ft. 0.47 ft.

High Tide: 3:10a Low Tide: 5:20p

12a

1.75 ft. 0.46 ft.

12p

12a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 AM

2:30 — 4:30 AM

AM Minor: 8:20a AM Major: 2:09a PM Minor: 8:41p PM Major: 2:31p

Moon Overhead: 2:55a Moon Underfoot: 3:16p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:07a Sunset: 7:13p Moonrise: 9:33p Moon Set: 10:22a

AM Minor: 7:32a AM Major: 1:21a PM Minor: 7:53p PM Major: 1:42p

9:00 — 11:00 AM

12a

9:30 — 11:30 AM

Sunrise: 7:08a Sunset: 7:12p Moonrise: 10:08p Moon Set: 11:17a

Sunrise: 7:08a Sunset: 7:11p Moonrise: 10:46p Moon Set: 12:13p

AM Minor: 9:09a AM Major: 2:58a PM Minor: 9:32p PM Major: 3:20p

Moon Overhead: 3:38a Moon Underfoot: 4:00p

12p

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 10:00a AM Major: 3:48a PM Minor: 10:23p PM Major: 4:11p

Moon Overhead: 4:22a Moon Underfoot: 4:45p

Moon Overhead: 5:08a Moon Underfoot: 5:31p

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

12p

Sunrise: 7:07a Sunset: 7:14p Moonrise: 9:01p Moon Set: 9:26a

Moon Overhead: 2:13a Moon Underfoot: 2:34p

TUESDAY

28 »

BEST TIME

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

READING THE GRAPH

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:06a Sunset: 7:17p Moonrise: 8:01p Moon Set: 7:36a

AM Minor: 5:17a AM Major: 11:28a PM Minor: 5:39p PM Major: 11:50p

Low Tide: 1:46a High Tide: 3:37a Low Tide: 3:05p

12:30 — 2:30 AM

Sunrise: 7:05a Sunset: 7:18p Moonrise: 7:32p Moon Set: 6:39a

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

High Tide: 3:16a Low Tide: 6:24p

1.78 ft. 0.44 ft.

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

Oct 1

High Tide: 3:27a Low Tide: 7:18p

1.79 ft. 0.41 ft.

FEET

SATURDAY

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

3:40a 10:12a 12:07p 8:04p

SUNDAY

1.78 ft. 1.50 ft. 1.51 ft. 0.41 ft.

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

3:54a 9:23a 1:41p 8:47p

1.75 ft. 1.40 ft. 1.57 ft. 0.45 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 7:09a Sunset: 7:10p Moonrise: 11:29p Moon Set: 1:08p

AM Minor: 10:51a AM Major: 4:39a PM Minor: 11:15p PM Major: 5:03p

Moon Overhead: 5:55a Moon Underfoot: 6:20p

12p

BEST TIME

12:30 — 2:30 PM Sunrise: 7:09a Sunset: 7:08p Moonrise: None Moon Set: 2:02p

AM Minor: 11:42a AM Major: 5:30a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 5:55p Moon Overhead: 6:45a Moon Underfoot: 7:10p

12a

12p

BEST TIME

1:30 — 3:30 PM Sunrise: 7:10a Sunset: 7:07p Moonrise: 12:17a Moon Set: 2:53p

AM Minor: 12:09a AM Major: 6:20a PM Minor: 12:33p PM Major: 6:46p

Moon Overhead: 7:35a Moon Underfoot: 8:01p

T E X A S

TexasOutdoorNation-ISSUU-2109.indd 61

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

2:30 — 4:30 PM

3:30 — 5:30 PM Sunrise: 7:11a Sunset: 7:05p Moonrise: 2:07a Moon Set: 4:25p

AM Minor: 12:57a AM Major: 7:09a PM Minor: 1:22p PM Major: 7:35p

AM Minor: 1:44a AM Major: 7:57a PM Minor: 2:10p PM Major: 8:23p

Moon Overhead: 8:27a Moon Underfoot: 8:52p

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:10a Sunset: 7:06p Moonrise: 1:10a Moon Set: 3:41p

F I S H

Moon Overhead: 9:18a Moon Underfoot: 9:44p

G A M E ®

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

9:30 — 11:30 AM Sunrise: 7:11a Sunset: 7:04p Moonrise: 3:07a Moon Set: 5:06p

12a

10:30A — 12:30P Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 7:02p Moonrise: 4:09a Moon Set: 5:43p

AM Minor: 2:31a AM Major: 8:43a PM Minor: 2:56p PM Major: 9:09p

AM Minor: 3:16a AM Major: 9:28a PM Minor: 3:41p PM Major: 9:53p

Moon Overhead: 10:09a Moon Underfoot: 10:35p S E P / O C T

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 11:00a Moon Underfoot: 11:24p

2 0 2 1

8/16/21 4:58 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

4« FEET

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

4:08a 9:29a 2:53p 9:30p

TUESDAY

5«

1.72 ft. 1.22 ft. 1.64 ft. 0.55 ft.

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

4:22a 9:55a 4:01p 10:14p

WEDNESDAY

1.67 ft. 0.98 ft. 1.71 ft. 0.72 ft.

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

4:35a 10:28a 5:10p 10:59p

1.63 ft. 0.72 ft. 1.78 ft. 0.94 ft.

THURSDAY

7« High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:47a 11:07a 6:21p 11:45p

1.61 ft. 0.45 ft. 1.84 ft. 1.19 ft.

FRIDAY

8«

High Tide: 4:55a Low Tide: 11:52a High Tide: 7:38p

SATURDAY

1.61 ft. 0.22 ft. 1.88 ft.

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

12:35a 4:56a 12:41p 9:04p

SUNDAY

1.44 ft. 1.65 ft. 0.06 ft. 1.91 ft.

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

1:33a 4:39a 1:37p 10:42p

1.66 ft. 1.72 ft. -0.03 ft. 1.94 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

11:30A — 1:30P

12p

12:30 — 2:30 PM Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 6:59p Moonrise: 7:19a Moon Set: 7:26p

AM Minor: 5:32a AM Major: 11:44a PM Minor: 5:57p PM Major: 12:09p

Moon Overhead: 12:37p Moon Underfoot: 12:13a

MONDAY

High Tide: 12:27a Low Tide: 3:54p

1.97 ft. -0.01 ft.

High Tide: 1:46a Low Tide: 5:13p

12a

1.98 ft. 0.07 ft.

12p

12a

BEST TIME

1:30 — 3:30 PM

2:00 — 4:00 PM

12a

3:00 — 5:00 PM

12a

10:00A — 12:00P Sunrise: 7:16a Sunset: 6:54p Moonrise: 11:54a Moon Set: 10:21p

AM Minor: 8:21a AM Major: 2:07a PM Minor: 8:50p PM Major: 2:36p

Moon Overhead: 3:11p Moon Underfoot: 2:44a

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:15a Sunset: 6:55p Moonrise: 10:44a Moon Set: 9:29p

AM Minor: 7:20a AM Major: 1:06a PM Minor: 7:47p PM Major: 1:33p

Moon Overhead: 2:17p Moon Underfoot: 1:52a

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:15a Sunset: 6:57p Moonrise: 9:33a Moon Set: 8:43p

AM Minor: 6:23a AM Major: 12:10a PM Minor: 6:49p PM Major: 12:36p

AM Minor: 9:27a AM Major: 3:12a PM Minor: 9:57p PM Major: 3:42p

Moon Overhead: 4:09p Moon Underfoot: 3:40a

Moon Overhead: 5:09p Moon Underfoot: 4:39a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

13 º

12p

Sunrise: 7:14a Sunset: 6:58p Moonrise: 8:25a Moon Set: 8:03p

Moon Overhead: 1:26p Moon Underfoot: 1:02a

TUESDAY

-0.05 ft.

BEST TIME

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

READING THE GRAPH

12a

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 4:45a AM Major: 10:57a PM Minor: 5:09p PM Major: 11:21p

Moon Overhead: 11:49a Moon Underfoot: None

2:41p

12a

Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 7:00p Moonrise: 6:15a Moon Set: 6:52p

AM Minor: 4:00a AM Major: 10:12a PM Minor: 4:24p PM Major: 10:37p

Low Tide:

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 7:01p Moonrise: 5:12a Moon Set: 6:18p

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

High Tide: 2:31a Low Tide: 6:29p

1.94 ft. 0.16 ft.

FEET

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

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

2:59a 9:29a 11:31a 7:36p

1.85 ft. 1.46 ft. 1.49 ft. 0.28 ft.

SATURDAY

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

3:20a 9:20a 1:18p 8:33p

SUNDAY

1.75 ft. 1.30 ft. 1.51 ft. 0.43 ft.

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

3:35a 9:31a 2:37p 9:22p

1.65 ft. 1.11 ft. 1.56 ft. 0.62 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

10:30A — 12:30P Sunrise: 7:16a Sunset: 6:53p Moonrise: 1:02p Moon Set: 11:19p

AM Minor: 10:33a AM Major: 4:18a PM Minor: 11:04p PM Major: 4:49p

Moon Overhead: 6:11p Moon Underfoot: 5:40a

12p

BEST TIME

11:30A — 1:00P Sunrise: 7:17a Sunset: 6:52p Moonrise: 2:04p Moon Set: None

AM Minor: 11:38a AM Major: 5:23a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 5:54p Moon Overhead: 7:12p Moon Underfoot: 6:42a

S E P / O C T

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2 0 2 1

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 12:15a AM Major: 6:24a PM Minor: 12:39p PM Major: 6:54p

12a

1:00 — 3:00 PM

3:00 — 5:00 PM

AM Minor: 1:57a AM Major: 8:10a PM Minor: 2:22p PM Major: 8:35p

Moon Overhead: 9:06p Moon Underfoot: 8:39a

F I S H

12p

Sunrise: 7:19a Sunset: 6:49p Moonrise: 4:27p Moon Set: 2:30a

AM Minor: 1:06a AM Major: 7:20a PM Minor: 1:34p PM Major: 7:48p

T E X A S

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:18a Sunset: 6:50p Moonrise: 3:46p Moon Set: 1:26a

Moon Overhead: 8:11p Moon Underfoot: 7:42a

12p

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 7:17a Sunset: 6:51p Moonrise: 2:59p Moon Set: 12:21a

Moon Overhead: 9:57p Moon Underfoot: 9:32a

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

10:30P — 12:30A Sunrise: 7:19a Sunset: 6:48p Moonrise: 5:02p Moon Set: 3:33a

AM Minor: 2:42a AM Major: 8:54a PM Minor: 3:06p PM Major: 9:18p

Moon Overhead: 10:44p Moon Underfoot: 10:21a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 7:20a Sunset: 6:47p Moonrise: 5:33p Moon Set: 4:32a

AM Minor: 3:24a AM Major: 9:35a PM Minor: 3:46p PM Major: 9:57p

Moon Overhead: 11:28p Moon Underfoot: 11:06a

G A M E ®

8/16/21 4:58 PM

SEP/OCT 2021

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

18 FEET

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

3:48a 9:49a 3:44p 10:05p

TUESDAY

19 «

1.58 ft. 0.91 ft. 1.61 ft. 0.81 ft.

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

3:59a 10:11a 4:45p 10:43p

WEDNESDAY

20 «

1.52 ft. 0.71 ft. 1.66 ft. 1.01 ft.

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

4:08a 10:35a 5:41p 11:19p

THURSDAY

21 l

1.50 ft. 0.55 ft. 1.70 ft. 1.19 ft.

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

4:15a 11:03a 6:38p 11:52p

1.49 ft. 0.42 ft. 1.72 ft. 1.35 ft.

FRIDAY

22 «

High Tide: 4:14a Low Tide: 11:33a High Tide: 7:35p

1.50 ft. 0.34 ft. 1.73 ft.

SATURDAY

23 « Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

12:25a 3:55a 12:07p 8:37p

SUNDAY

1.47 ft. 1.53 ft. 0.31 ft. 1.73 ft.

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

12:57a 3:02a 12:44p 9:49p

1.57 ft. 1.59 ft. 0.31 ft. 1.72 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P

12p

12:00 — 2:00 AM

1.65 ft. 1.65 ft. 0.33 ft. 1.72 ft.

Low Tide:

2:17p

Moon Overhead: 12:52a Moon Underfoot: 1:13p

High Tide: 12:47a Low Tide: 3:15p

12a

1.74 ft. 0.40 ft.

12p

12a

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 AM

AM Minor: 6:51a AM Major: 12:40a PM Minor: 7:13p PM Major: 1:02p

Moon Overhead: 1:34a Moon Underfoot: 1:55p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:23a Sunset: 6:42p Moonrise: 8:06p Moon Set: 9:09a

AM Minor: 6:05a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:26p PM Major: 12:15p

7:30 — 9:30 AM Sunrise: 7:24a Sunset: 6:41p Moonrise: 8:43p Moon Set: 10:05a

12a

8:00 — 10:00 AM Sunrise: 7:25a Sunset: 6:40p Moonrise: 9:24p Moon Set: 11:00a

AM Minor: 7:40a AM Major: 1:29a PM Minor: 8:04p PM Major: 1:52p

Moon Overhead: 2:17a Moon Underfoot: 2:39p

12p

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 8:32a AM Major: 2:20a PM Minor: 8:56p PM Major: 2:44p

Moon Overhead: 3:02a Moon Underfoot: 3:26p

Moon Overhead: 3:49a Moon Underfoot: 4:14p

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

0.37 ft.

12p

Sunrise: 7:23a Sunset: 6:43p Moonrise: 7:32p Moon Set: 8:13a

AM Minor: 5:22a AM Major: 11:32a PM Minor: 5:43p PM Major: 11:53p

TUESDAY

12:30 — 2:30 AM

Sunrise: 7:22a Sunset: 6:44p Moonrise: 7:01p Moon Set: 7:18a

Moon Overhead: 12:10a Moon Underfoot: 12:31p

MONDAY

12a

BEST TIME

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

READING THE GRAPH

FEET

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 4:42a AM Major: 10:52a PM Minor: 5:02p PM Major: 11:13p

Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:49a

1:35a 2:21a 1:27p 11:17p

12a

Sunrise: 7:21a Sunset: 6:45p Moonrise: 6:32p Moon Set: 6:24a

AM Minor: 4:03a AM Major: 10:13a PM Minor: 4:24p PM Major: 10:35p

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

11:30P — 1:30A

Sunrise: 7:21a Sunset: 6:46p Moonrise: 6:03p Moon Set: 5:29a

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

28 »

High Tide: 1:31a Low Tide: 4:18p

1.76 ft. 0.43 ft.

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

High Tide: 1:53a Low Tide: 5:21p

1.75 ft. 0.46 ft.

SATURDAY

High Tide: 2:09a Low Tide: 6:21p

SUNDAY

1.73 ft. 0.51 ft.

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

2:23a 8:49a 12:36p 7:17p

1.68 ft. 1.25 ft. 1.36 ft. 0.59 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

9:00 — 11:00 AM Sunrise: 7:25a Sunset: 6:39p Moonrise: 10:10p Moon Set: 11:55a

AM Minor: 9:26a AM Major: 3:14a PM Minor: 9:51p PM Major: 3:39p

Moon Overhead: 4:38a Moon Underfoot: 5:03p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

10:00A — 12:00P Sunrise: 7:26a Sunset: 6:38p Moonrise: 11:01p Moon Set: 12:46p

AM Minor: 10:21a AM Major: 4:08a PM Minor: 10:46p PM Major: 4:33p

Moon Overhead: 5:28a Moon Underfoot: 5:53p

12p

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 7:27a Sunset: 6:37p Moonrise: 11:55p Moon Set: 1:35p

AM Minor: 11:14a AM Major: 5:02a PM Minor: 11:40p PM Major: 5:27p

Moon Overhead: 6:19a Moon Underfoot: 6:44p

T E X A S

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12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM

1:00 — 3:00 AM Sunrise: 7:28a Sunset: 6:35p Moonrise: 12:52a Moon Set: 3:00p

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 5:54a PM Minor: 12:07p PM Major: 6:19p

AM Minor: 12:31a AM Major: 6:44a PM Minor: 12:56p PM Major: 7:09p

Moon Overhead: 7:09a Moon Underfoot: 7:34p

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:28a Sunset: 6:36p Moonrise: None Moon Set: 2:20p

F I S H

Moon Overhead: 7:59a Moon Underfoot: 8:24p

G A M E ®

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 PM Sunrise: 7:29a Sunset: 6:34p Moonrise: 1:52a Moon Set: 3:38p

12a

3:00 — 5:00 PM Sunrise: 7:30a Sunset: 6:34p Moonrise: 2:54a Moon Set: 4:13p

AM Minor: 1:19a AM Major: 7:31a PM Minor: 1:43p PM Major: 7:55p

AM Minor: 2:03a AM Major: 8:15a PM Minor: 2:27p PM Major: 8:39p

Moon Overhead: 8:48a Moon Underfoot: 9:13p S E P / O C T

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 9:37a Moon Underfoot: 10:01p

2 0 2 1

8/16/21 4:58 PM

2109 Outdoor Directory.indd 60

8/9/21 5:23 PM

Outdoor DIRECTORY Guides & Outfitters

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TEXAS FRESHWATER

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LAKE TEXOMA

UPPER TEXAS COAST

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TEXAS SALTWATER UPPER TEXAS COAST

LOWER TEXAS COAST

GET YOUR TF&G APPAREL HERE!

WWW.FISHGAME.COM

ORDER TODAY!!! T E X A S

2109 Outdoor Directory.indd 61

F I S H

G A M E ®

S E P / O C T

2 0 2 1

8/9/21 5:23 PM

WHITETAIL Garrison Hayden Peddy shot his ﬁrst deer while hunting with his dad and brother—both of whom also shot deer from the same stand—on a lease near Garrison.

LARGEMOUTH BASS Private Pond Peyton Jarvis landed this bass at the Jarvis Junction private pond, ﬁshing with a Texas rig. FERAL HOGS Clay County Ava and Parker Shannon shot their ﬁrst hogs while hunting in Clay County. Both shots were over 100 yards and the pigs dropped immediately. The kids cleaned their kills and the next day, put them on a smoker and the family enjoyed the best wild pig they’d ever eaten.

S E P / O C T

2109-Reader Photos.indd 62

2 0 2 1

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

8/9/21 5:23 PM

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

No guarantee can be made as to when, or if, a submitted photo will be published.

LARGEMOUTH BASS Lake Fork Jason Barnett caught this bass while ﬁshing on Lake Fork.

JAVELINA Chaparral WMA Eleven-year-old Wyatt Hunt shot this javelina on a youth-only drawn hunt at the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area. WHITE BASS Big Sandy Creek Weston Keith of Hawkins helped catch these white bass on Big Sandy Creek.

LARGEMOUTH BASS Aledo Will Eggar of Murfreesboro, Tennessee shows off one of the bass he caught on a private pond near Aledo while visiting his grandparents.

T E X A S

2109-Reader Photos.indd 63

F I S H

G A M E ®

S E P / O C T

2 0 2 1

8/9/21 5:23 PM

2109-Reader Photos.indd 64

8/9/21 5:23 PM

C3-Calcutta.indd 3

8/9/21 5:24 PM

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8/9/21 5:24 PM

Texas Fish & Game September/October 2021

Articles inside

Going Coastal

Bass University

Doggett at Large

Texas Freshwater