Texas Fish & Game May-June 2022

May/June 2022 | $4.99

Offshore: Join the Party!

New Regs for Texas Hunters

Holy Crappie!

A Panfish Trophy Quest

Gear Up for Family Fishing

Real Outdoors Woman: Passion Turns to Purpose

The Right Rigs for a Coastal Grand Slam

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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

All the News that Fits

PUBLISHERS

CHESTER MOORE

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EDITOR IN CHIEF

E WERE THRILLED WHEN WE UNWRAPPED OUR NEW TOY A FEW years ago. We were like a brood of budding race car drivers who got go-carts for Christmas and immediately began re-engineering them to compete on the Formula 1 circuit.

The toy we refer to is our email newsletter, THE FISH & GAME REPORT. This new vehicle opened a new dimension to our world of outdoor publishing. That world had been governed for decades by the limitations of producing and distributing a physical object to deliver the actual products of our creative energies.

What we make here at the Texas Fish & Game Publishing Company is information.

Specialized information that helps anglers and hunters get more out of their outdoors experiences.

Throughout our history, we’ve been frustrated by two inherent limitations dictated by nature itself: Space and time. Space, in the form of the paper-and-ink-based medium on which we make our product; time in the form of the unavoidable schedule of manufacturing and delivering that product.

Meanwhile, we had a front row seat to witness the The Fish & Game Report is delivered three times a week. breathtaking advances that computers brought to publishing and every other aspect of modern life. When Apple gave us Desktop Publishing with the MacIntosh computer in the mid-nineteen eighties, it revolutionized the “front end” of our business.

Unfortunately, the back end, where ink is pressed onto paper and finished magazines are loaded onto delivery trucks, is still pretty much the same technology as that of the nineteen seventies... or, from the standpoint of printing and delivery fundamentals, the EIGHTEEN-seventies.

It frustrated us to see our pages crisply displayed on hi-res computer screens that ink-onpaper reproductions just couldn’t compete with. It also frustrated us that once we sent an issue to the printer, it was locked. Frozen in time. And by the time our issues hit subscriber mailboxes, other events might have happened and would have to wait weeks before we could report them.

When the Internet exploded onto the scene, it brought with it web pages, video streaming and email. Two decades into it, we’ve gone all-in. Our website allows us to report on events almost in real time. Our digital editions enable us to pack much more—and much more dynamic—content into them than we can get into the ink-on-paper editions. Plus, they are available instantly upon release—without the wait for the mailman, or a trip to Academy to buy a copy.

Then, there is THE FISH & GAME REPORT, mentioned above. This is the game changer.

Three days a week, we report on the news, important issues, and events that are important to anglers and hunters in Texas (and beyond). We see this vehicle as the centerpiece of our future.

We’ll always devote great care and effort to the print version of Texas Fish & Game. That’s our legacy. But THE FISH & GAME REPORT is our future. And we are committed to building on its potential. Within a few weeks we will release an upgraded version. We’re re-organizing it and reinforcing our mission to bring you the best outdoors content possible. More current reports on the issues that affect your fishing and hunting. More how-to articles and videos to improve your experiences. More interesting stories to keep you entertained.

If you haven’t subscribed already, go to FishGame.com and hit the Newsletter button on the top menu. The future is here, and for us, it was worth the wait.

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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 GRANT GISEL 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 DIGITAL CONTRIBUTOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR

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May/June 2022 | Vol. 39 • No. 1

FEATURE ARTICLES

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JOIN THE PARTY! It’s time to head offshore for heart-pounding action with everything from red snapper to tuna.

by Chester Moore

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COVER STORY HIGH STAKES TAG CCA’s S.T.A.R. Tournament kicks off and tagged redfish are the hot ticket.

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ALSO...

NEW REGS FOR TEXAS HUNTERS

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COLUMNS Editor’s Notes

Doggett at Large

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by JOE DOGGETT

Texas Freshwater

by MATT WILLIAMS

Going Coastal

by KELLY GROCE

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Texas Whitetails

SPECIAL: Dream Trips for Mom & Dad Fish & Game Forecast Center: Saltwater

Letters

from TF&G Readers

by LARRY WEISHUHN

Bass University

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by PETE ROBBINS

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Selecting the right rigs for a Coastal Grand Slam: redfish, speckled trout and flounder in a single trip.

FAMILY FISHING Most anglers’ best memories are those spent with family. The best way to guarantee a happy family fishing trip is to gear up right.

CHAMPION OUTDOORS Another inspiring story of a woman in the outdoors.

by Jennifer MacNaughton

TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION

by CHESTER MOORE

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by Matt Williams

by TF&G Staff

TPWD has announced new regulations for the 2022-23 hunting season.

by TFG Staff

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GRAND SLAM

Texas has a host of lakes that not only produce lots of crappie, but are also known for kicking out big crappie.

by TF&G Staff

by TFG Staff

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Fish & Game Forecast Center: Freshwater Sportsman’s Daybook

Fish & Game Photos

by TF&G Readers

Outdoor Directory

Guides, Outfitters & More

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LETTERS to the Editor Turkey Coverage

Amber Borel caught this nice redfish while fishing on Sabine Lake. Redfish are doing great from Sabine to Lower Laguna Madre.

I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUTout to the awesome turkey coverage you’ve been doing. It seems like the Texas outdoors community does little on turkeys, but you guys go super in-depth on that and so much more. It’s appreciated.

I especially liked the story you did on the new Pineywoods GPS research.

Killer stuff!

Jason Phillips KUDOS ON A GREAT STORY ON THE LSU/TPWD study on turkeys in East Texas.

It was cool to see you guys on the front lines of that one and for pretty much everything else related to turkeys in Texas.

I also liked the photos you ran of the white and smoke turkeys.

Keep up the good work!

Kale Johnson DO YOU THINK THERE ARE MERriam’s turkeys in the Trans-Pecos? I mean there are some just across the border in New Mexico.

Randy Murphy Editor: it’s great to see so much positive feedback on the turkey issue. In terms of Merriam’s in the Trans Pecos, they are there but no one is sure of numbers, etc. I have heard reliable reports of Merriam’s turkeys in the Guadalupe Mountains.

Redfish Question With trout seemingly more susceptible to freeze kills, do you ever see the day where the state allows us to keep more redfish?

Maybe four a day? give anglers more redfish, but the public overwhelmingly commented against it.

I don’t see anything coming in the near future but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Redfish are abundant and doing well in all

Mary Landry Editor: The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department a little over a decade ago tried to 6

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Texas bay systems which is an incredible thing to see.

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Email your comments to: editor@fishgame.com PHOTO COURTESY AMBER BOREL

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EDITOR’S Notes

by CHESTER MOORE, JR. :: TF&G Editor-in-Chief

Waves of Unusual Size

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NEXPECTED OR “ROGUE waves” are one of, if not the most frightening thing an angler or boater can encounter.

Waves of dangerous heights catch people offguard each year and unfortunately kill people in Texas and other areas of the Gulf Coast.

Texas Fish & Game has learned of a couple of areas in Galveston Bay as well as other locations where large waves from a combination of shipping traffic, currents, and wind sometimes cause dangerous situations.

Have you ever encountered one of these “rogue” waves in a bay or channel in Texas?

If so email me at chester@chestermoore.com.

We would love to hear your story. We want to share a special investigative story in the July/ August issue as well as a series of follow-ups in the Fish & Game report e-newsletter.

From what we have uncovered so far, this issue is large, widespread, and has impacted a lot of people along the Texas Gulf Coast.

For example, reader Chris Polnick recently shared this harrowing encounter with us.

“Across from the dike quite a few years back, a buddy and I were doing some night fishing. We were out at the end of the small jetty. The waters were calm. We were out there a few hours, and I estimated the water line at the time to be at least three feet below the top of the jetty. Suddenly, a wave hit the jetty and the water pulled way back off the rocks and wave number two was enough to splash us,” he said.

Polnick said as the water pulled even further back from the second wave, the duo had just enough time to grab what they could before the third wave washed across the top of the jetty, “Luckily for us, we were able to maintain our footing. Much higher and we would have been

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of the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee’s website,” he said.

As far as coastal stories go, this is in my opinion on par with the award-winning great whites of the Gulf Coast series of articles we have published. It is deeply interesting.

What’s coming in the next issue will be a truly unique look at situations too many anglers find themselves in more frequently than I even thought.

pushed off the jetty for sure. We lost some tackle boxes, a rod, and a few other items. You don’t think much about a life jacket on the jetty, but we came real close to needing one that night!”

After posting an article at fishgame.com asking for rogue wave stories, I got an email from David Clark, the Recreational Boater Safety Representative for the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee in the Houston- Galveston area.

He is also Chairman of a Working Group that was formed in early 2021 to increase recreational boater awareness of the waves generated by ships transiting the Houston Ship Channel.

“We designed signage that will be placed at the boat ramps and other locations around the Galveston Bay Complex. The signs are being manufactured now and installation should begin in May. Currently, 5”x7” cards of the sign graphic are being displayed, along with other boating safety literature, at bait shops, marinas, fishing tackle stores, etc., in the area. The signs will have a QR code that directs people to the Recreational Boater Resources area F I S H

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And a personal encounter with one of these rogue waves in the Sabine system is what inspired a look into the issue.

The story hopes to raise awareness and save lives.

And it might just send cold shivers down your spine.

Some of these stories are pretty intense.

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DOGGETT at Large

by JOE DOGGETT :: TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Wade with Caution

standard measure.

Chest waders are necessary for cold-water destinations. Even in July or August, a river in Alaska can be a poor place for wet wading. For that matter, so is the tailwater below a big dam in the Lower 48. The release from the bottom depths can be shockingly cold.

Again, buy the best within your budget. The top-end breathable materials are durable, flexible, and easy to patch. A cheaper option is old-school neoprene, but this spongy material is heavy and hot on a mild day—or during a long hike.

A wide belt cinched tight should be mandatory. The belt won’t keep you dry following a dunking, but the watertight integrity is much improved.

Another smart accessory is a wading staff— especially for older anglers burdened with oxenlike reflexes. In heavy water, that third anchor can spare you a bad fall. It also serves as a walking stick when an arduous hike is necessary.

A collapsible aluminum staff that folds into a trim belt sheath is a great choice. You can shake the four hollow sections loose and secure a tight fit by pulling and locking the connecting elastic cord. The assembled shaft is about five feet in length and fitted with a comfortable handle.

This compact rig sounds complicated, but the drill is fast, easy and, in my experience, reliable.

Dragging a wooden stick around all day gets old.

The idea in treacherous water is to jab the staff at a slight up-current angle. Make certain it has a solid bite before advancing.

Be wary of moving hastily through shallow shoreline water. The lack of depth breeds false security. In a freestone river of jumbled rocks, stones and boulders, any number of slick traps can await a careless step. The upside of a shallow tumble is that you won’t drown. The downside is that the lack of cushioning increases the chances of a hazardous injury.

Be especially cautious in strong knee-deep current. The powerful energy is piling right into the break of your legs, easy to trigger a careless tumble.

Thigh deep is safer. Waist deep is doable, but over an uncertain bottom, it demands upgraded caution. Anything over waist deep gets sketchy— no way in heavy water.

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NLESS ANCESTRY.COM can trace your lineage directly to Tarzan or Wonder Woman, my advice is to be very cautious when you attempt to wade any unfamiliar river.

The combination of variable depth, jumbled bottom, and powerful current can be a bad mix for even a veteran angler—not to mention a rookie. A single misstep in moving water can trigger a seriously soggy and potentially dangerous situation.

I stress this because the summer season is approaching, and some TF&G readers will be aiming for high-country angling destinations.

Most will be fly fishing.

I have waded rivers around the world—as close as Houston’s Buffalo Bayou, as distant as Alaska, Argentina and Iceland. So, I feel qualified to offer a few tips.

Most important is a pair of no-nonsense wading boots. Most boots intended for freshwater are lace-ups, constructed of nylon, opposed to neoprene booties, often used in saltwater. Quality products might cost several hundred dollars, but with reasonable care, they last for years.

Less-expensive options are available, but the point is to obtain the best that fits your budget as well as your feet. Boots are no place to skimp.

The new gear provides superior ankle support and foot traction.

Soles of felt or hard rubber are available. Felt soles are excellent over slippery stones, but might not be permitted, depending on the state or country where you plan to fish. This absorbent material can retain noxious aquatic vegetation.

Screw-in metal cleats or studs on rubber soles offer improved grip, but cleats might damage a float plane pontoon or an aluminum skiff—not mention a rubber raft. Know before you go.

When you select boots, make certain they are large enough to accommodate a liner sock and a heavy wool sock. Going up one shoe size is the 8

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To cast a dry fly or an indicator/nymph setup, you wade upstream to achieve a drag-free drift.

On the other hand, you swing a streamer by shuffling downstream. Either way, the savvy wader easing from the bank into position, should angle into the current. Pushing straight into the flow invites a you-against-the-river fiasco.

When quitting a deeper wade, the experienced angler aims slightly downstream. Let the momentum of the flow work in concert with your steps.

Pay attention to the river level. If it abruptly starts rising—such as after a heavy overnight rain or an upriver dam release in a tailwater stream— aim for the rescue bank. A sure tip that a major flush of H2O is about to happen is that water clarity starts to deteriorate, or numerous twigs and leaves go bobbling past.

If the bottom starts inching deeper, say from waist-deep to chest-deep, maintain the downstream angle as you aim for the bank—but avoid skittish, tentative steps. Rather, charge with aggressive, bounding strides.

Contact with the treacherous bottom is minimal, and the river is with you. It acts as a booster—assuming a giant boulder isn’t lurking ahead.

Extending a fly rod horizontally into the downstream current allows it to bend and flex in resistance to the flow. This can be a great stabilizer like the outrigger on a Waikiki canoe.

This works! I’m amazed at how many veteran river waders never use this simple tactic. The rod won’t snap.

Regardless, stalling and trying to turn back can court a panicky tumble. Now you are bucking an overwhelming force.

If you lose your footing, and a dunking is certain, strive to stay calm. If necessary, float feet first to block any contact with a boulder or log.

Salvation is close. At least you have no stingrays or sharks to worry about.

For those this side of Tarzan, a bear on the bank might be a different issue.

 Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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HE FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF SUMMER isn’t until June 21, but when May rolls around, one of the Texas coast’s most treasured pursuits begins to kick into gear.

Offshore fishing is available to anglers yearround, but as warm water pelagics begin to show up, conditions tend to get a little more stable for popular species.

We thought we would kick off the offshore fishing season with some tips on how to catch a variety of species ranging from near-shore dwellers to bluewater specialists.

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RED SNAPPER Red snapper are the most popular offshore fish due to their abundance fairly close to shore and how darn good they taste.

For trophy-sized snappers like those that would win in the CCA STAR tournament offshore division, the wrecks and rocks that can be found away from heavily pressured oil rigs are the best.

These “hard spots” may require a little extra effort to find, but more often than not, they produce big snappers. Snapper are not drawn to big structure only. The smaller well heads, rocks and tiny reefs hold good numbers of fish, too. Since these areas are not pressured as much as the rigs in this area,

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you tend to find more big fish there.

Anchor up-current from a given piece of structure and fall back across it. The preferred method when fishing these areas is to use a typical bottom rig with either squid or a Spanish sardine rigged on two circle hooks.

A lot of times, you’ll have a strong current, and you need to get the bait down to the structure. When you’re fishing rigs, you’ve got a little more leeway, but presenting a bait five feet in one direction or another can make all the difference in the world.

KING MACKEREL Speaking of the STAR tournament, one of the most com-

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petitive categories is often king mackerel. These big, silver fish fight like crazy and are abundant around rigs, weedlines and especially behind shrimp boats.

TF&G Boating Editor Lenny Rudow recommends trolling spoons for big kings. “Always include a mix of different color spoons,” he said. “Silver and gold are the standard fare, but it’s amazing how a spoon dressed with a strip of red, green, or blue reflective tape can turn out to be the uber-hot spoon on any given day.

“Also remember that while reflective finishes are best on sunny days, in low-light conditions dull or matte finish spoons will often catch more fish.”

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Large circle hooks rigged on steel leaders are the most popular terminal tackle for bagging sharks. Sharks can cut a line with their teeth, but also with their skin, which is sharp in its own right. One quick slap of the tail can cut even heavy-duty line with no problem.

For targeting blacktips and spinners, a highly effective chumming method involves bringing along a bucketful of small menhaden, grabbing a handful and squeezing. Some of them will float, others will sink quickly and others sink slowly.

This creates a feeding frenzy, that can allow you to sight cast to sharks with cut bait. The ideal setup for this kind of fishing is having one bait on the bottom for species such as bull sharks and a couple of free lines to get the species that feed in the upper level of the water column.

Big rigs far from shore become tuna magnets at night. PHOTO: DEREK YORK

“When you get a strike, have your crew immediately grab all the rods that aren’t rigged with planers, and jig them,” Rudow added. “Planer rods are already bent under enough stress that jigging them doesn’t have much effect.”

The added action will often draw additional hits, turning single hook-ups into multiples.

LING (COBIA) This time of year, a big bonus for anglers fishing around the rigs is the ling that are starting to show up in good numbers. Ling are also part of the offshore category for the CCA STAR tournament.

Locating these unusual fish is no problem.

They are suckers for structure in Gulf waters.

They can often be found hanging around oil platforms, stand pipes, jetties and buoys.

One of the best tactics for locating ling around structure is to rev up their motors.

Take a paddle and pound the water’s surface to get the attention of the fish.

If you want to catch ling, try the standard summer fishing protocol—throw a handful of cut pogeys overboard. Live crab or fresh cut bait hanging from circle hooks is a great setup.

Crabs in particular are extremely good baits for ling. Almost every ling I have ever cleaned or seen cleaned had a belly full of crabs.

Rods loaded with artificials should also be kept within reach since ling don’t mind biting on plastic. Soft plastics such as curl-tailed grubs or imitation ribbonfish are good baits for ling.

Offshore fishing is fun, but always remember to pay strict attention to ever-changing weather conditions and be prepared for the worst. Keep your life preserver on and be ready to send an emergency signal if something bad happens.

The Gulf of Mexico is tons of fun, but is no place to be caught unprepared.

TUNA Texas has some great tuna fishing for anglers fishing the big floating rigs up to 200 miles offshore out of Galveston and Port Aransas. Rudow suggests you should troll the usual pelagic offerings such as rigged ballyhoo and feathers during the daylight hours.

“Keep a hefty spinning rod rigged and ready with a large popper in case you spot fish busting on the surface,” he said.

“When darkness falls, set up a drift in areas that had action or where bait is on the meter. Toss handfuls of fish chunks over the side, while drifting back baits on circle hooks,” Rudow advised. “As the boat drifts, a crewmember should be armed with a longhandled dip net and tasked with scooping up flying fish. They’re often attracted right up to the boat by your artificial lights. A live flying fish is prime yellowfin bait.”

He also said not to forget that yellowfins are schooling fish, and where there’s one, there’s more—often, lots more.

“To catch multiples instead of singles, assign someone the task of maintaining the flow of chunks at all times—especially when there’s a fish on the line,” Rudow said. “That way, the moment you gaff the fish you might hook another—or go bold. Drift a bait back while there’s a fish on the line to shoot for a double.”

SHARKS Sharks are super abundant offshore, especially in the early summer period.

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SK ANY PANFISH JUNKIE AND THEY are sure to agree that crappie are only where you find them. They are school fish by nature. Find one crappie and others are likely to be nearby.

Come May, there could still be some fish spawning in shallow water in the backs of major and secondary creeks or pockets on your favorite crappie lake. Just know they probably won’t be there for much longer.

As a rule, now is a time of transition for crappie. It’s a time when the spawn starts to wind down, and fish begin a gradual shift toward deeper water where they will spend the summer, fall and winter.

Texas is home to two species of crappie — black crappie and white crappie. Blacks are most prevalent in East Texas reservoirs, where the water is generally clear and somewhat acidic. White crappie can be found in lakes statewide, but tend to thrive in more turbid reservoirs with some color to the water.

As size goes, it is not uncommon for both species to grow beyond two pounds, although bigger fish are more abundant on some lakes than others.

Texas’s state records for both species have stood for a while. Toledo Bend along the Texas/Louisiana border produced the state’s biggest black crappie, a four-pounder recorded in December 2002.

The state record white crappie has been in place even longer. It’s a 4.56-pounder caught from Navarro Mills in Central Texas way back in February 1968.

There’s a passel of good crappie lakes in Texas.

However, some tend to produce better fishing—and bigger bites—than others do.

The advent of forward-facing sonar technology such as Garmin LiveScope, Lowrance ActiveTarget and Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging has made it easier to exploit these fish than ever before. One student of forward-facing sonar recently told me “Only a fool would go crappie fishing without it.”

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Forward-facing sonar is different from traditional sonar. It uses a special transducer that mounts to the trolling motor shaft or an independent pole. Anglers can slip quietly along as the transducer scans the water column all around the boat. High resolution imagery relays to the electronics screen in real time.

One of the main benefits is it boosts the chances of seeing inherently spooky fish before they know you’re around. Another is it helps you make precise bait presentations.

More important, you can see how fish react to baits.

Lake Fork crappie fishing guide Gary Paris is a big fan of the technology for a couple reasons.

“First off it helps eliminate a lot of unproductive water very quickly,” he said. “If LiveScope isn’t showing you any fish, there is no sense in fishing there. You just keep looking until you find them.”

Second, Paris pointed out that crappie fishing is all about bait presentation at the proper depth. LiveScope makes it possible to tune in quickly and make adjustments on the fly.

“If you know the depth where the fish are,

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it helps keep the bait right in their faces 100 percent of the time because you can see it,” he said. “That isn’t possible with traditional sonar. If the fish move, you just stay with them.”

Lake Fork ranks among Texas’s best lakes with abundant populations of black and white crappie. Paris considers a 2 1/2 pounder to be a “slab,” but bigger ones are not uncommon.

In early May, he always looks offshore to find post-spawn schools in water ranging 20 to 55 feet deep. He uses LiveScope and a 1/8-ounce jig to bird dog fish that are typically suspended 12 to 17 feet down around old timber or brush piles.

Paris says he frequently catches black and white crappie in the same areas, but the whites tend to suspend slightly deeper. He added that it is not uncommon find large schools of black crappie suspended away from cover in wide-open water. Forward sonar is essential for homing in on these fish, which are often unmolested.

Lakes Toledo Bend, Lake O’ the Pines, Palestine and Cedar Creek are three other East Texas lakes that get top billing for big

white and black crappie. In Central Texas, lakes Granger, Buchanan, Mexia, Limestone and Aquilla are worth a look.

On T-Bend, fishing guide Stephen Johnston looks for there to be still lots of fish spawning at the south end of the lake in May. He will key on major and secondary creeks as well as points. With no grass in the lake and water levels low, underwater stumps and lay downs should be holding fish to be caught on Roadrunners, tube jigs and hair jigs under a cork.

Once June rolls around, the fish will transition to deeper water, Johnston says. Most will set up around brush piles, big timber, and natural laydowns in 15 to 22 feet of water.

They can be caught on dunking shiners or casting jigs, and forward-facing sonar is a plus.

Fishing guides Ricky Vandergriff and Jason Barber say similar patterns will be in play on lakes Palestine and Cedar Creek. On Palestine, Vandergriff likes to use LiveScope to target schools around flooded timber.

Along the Neches River, non-LiveScopers should look for brush piles in water ranging from 16 to 20 feet, or target bridge cross

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PHOTO: MATT WILLIAMS

Texas has a lot of good crappie lakes producing big numbers, and big fish.

members. Small shiners and jigs can be equally effective, but Vandergriff prefers jigs the most. Tipping jigs with a Berkley Crappie Nibbles will help at times, Vandergriff said.

Barber says brush piles will be holding mixtures of black and white crappie on Cedar Creek, but deeper boat docks in five- to twelve-feet of water may be the better bet for blacks. Barber prefers using a jig fishing technique called “shooting” to get at fish attracted to docks by shade and forage. His favorite set up is a 1/16-ounce hair jig matched with

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a 6½-foot medium spinning outfit and sixpound high-vis line that helps to detect subtle strikes.

TPWD fisheries biologist Marcos DeJesus spent years overseeing Central Texas lakes before relocating to Tyler to accept a regional director gig. He says Granger and Buchanan were his favorite crappie lakes. While both maintain good populations of white crappie, Granger is the stronger of the two.

“Sizes aren’t as big as northeast Texas, but one- to two-pound fish are common,” he said.

The biologist says the best fishing from late spring through summer usually goes down around brush piles in water ranging from eight to fifteen feet.

TPWD fisheries biologist John Tibbs oversees several lakes in the Waco district.

He ranks Aquilla, Mexia and Limestone as the best for numbers and quality of white crappie.

Tibbs says most of the fish move offshore and suspend around timber and brush after the spawn winds down. Anglers with forward-facing sonar will have an advantage over those who don’t.

“Limestone has quite a bit of submerged timber on the main lake that is deep enough for crappie to use,” Tibbs said. “But Aquilla and especially Mexia anglers will need to look for isolated brush piles and other submerged habitat.”

Tibbs added that all three reservoirs are capable of growing crappie upwards of two pounds, but generally the larger crappie will top out in the one- to two-pound range.

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EDFISH, SPECKLED trout, and flounder are the top sportfish along the Texas Coast.

Catching all three in a day is often called the “Grand Slam” or sometimes the “Texas Trifecta”. Either way, it’s a celebration of great fishing in some very productive bays, estuaries, surf, and jetty systems.

Anglers pay keen attention to detail on the lures they use for these three species, but not as many give equal attention to rod choices. Pairing the right lure with the right rod for the right species can make a world of difference.

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Here’s our breakdown of top choices for combining all three key elements of fishing gear.

REDFISH Of the three species, redfish are the bullies.

They pull hard seemingly from birth to breeding age, and they get much, much bigger than specks and flounder.

Although most areas outside of Venice, Louisiana have historically had few bull reds in the bays, that has changed. Oversized reds are seemingly showing up everywhere along the Texas Coast.

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Don’t Forget Surf Fishing!

ST. CROIX’S ALL-NEW TECH-FORWARD SEAGE SURF SERIES includes 12 two-piece spinning rods, handcrafted for unparalleled strength and durability in a slim and lightweight design.

Seage models range from 7 to 12 feet with medium-light to heavy power. They retail between $210 and $380 with a 15-year warranty.

In addition to slim, lightweight performance, extreme strength, and rock-solid durability, surf anglers will notice an all-new handle design on new Seage surf rods comprised of X-Flock-covered, slim-diameter handles and Winn® comfortfocused foregrips which are minimalistic, sleek, and techforward.

X-Flock is essentially a textured shrink tube that St. Croix forms directly over the blank. This gives the handle a slim profile with a very grippy and tacky feel, combined with slight compression for added comfort.

The 12 distinct models in the all-new Seage Series lineup

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same lure, the seven-foot, six-inch heavy/ fast action spinning rod is a better choice.

St. Croix pro, Steve Lassard fishes out of a Hobie kayak in the marshes of southeastern Louisiana where we previously mentioned super big reds are abundant.

He said swimming jigs and grubs are a top choice. “I’m usually power fishing with ½- to 1-ounce Owner saltwater jigs and six-to-eight-inch grubs,” Lassard said. “My go-to setup is a St. Croix Mojo Inshore or Triumph Inshore seven-foot, heavy-power, fast action spinning rod with 50-pound braid.,” For sight casting, St. Croix, Texas pro, Joseph Sanderson likes a seven-foot, medium power, fast action rod.

“Specifically, St. Croix’s Mojo Inshore with a 2500-3000 size spinning reel spooled with 20-30-pound braid is just the ticket,” Sanderson said. “I’m fishing shallow in clear water, so I’m throwing super light baits that are subtle and land softly.”

For catching big bull redfish in deeper water along jetty systems, Mojo Inshore spinning rods are the go-to choice.

Rigged with a heavy jigging spoon and fished vertically along the deep holes at the rocks, the seven-foot heavy/fast action is perfect for giving more than adequate backbone and a rod worthy of working a spoon.

If you plan to cast along jetties, with the 20

cover the most popular lengths, powers, and actions, as well as some new configurations surf anglers were specifically requesting.

Some of the seven-foot to nine-foot models were engineered and delivered to meet the unique needs of the Western coastal markets. Surf anglers there have been asking for new rods, better suited for smaller species, lighter lures, and fishing closer to the beach.

In Texas that translates to sand trout, croakers, and whiting which are popular, especially in fall and winter.

These smaller two-piece models give anglers the 50/50 splits they requested. At the other end of the spectrum, the new Seage Series also includes a 12-foot heavy power model that’s capable of bombing a full one-pound payload beyond the bar. Longer Seage two-piece models feature angler-preferred 60/40 or 70/30 offsets.

SPECKLED TROUT Speckled trout can require a little more subtle approach, and there are many favorite rod and lure styles. Although most agree on some real backbone for reds, anglers opt for everything from soft to stiff for specks.

Redfin Charters and St. Croix pro staff member, Capt. Justin Carter loves fishing for big trout with top-waters and suspending twitch baits along with jigs and swimbait combos.

Depending on the size of his jig, he’s fishing seven-foot, light power and seven-foot, six-inch, medium-light power, fast action Mojo Inshore spinning rods. He switches

Spinning rods allow coastal anglers to throw long distances even in windy conditions which are common on the coast.

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St. Croix’s Triumph series gives anglers numerous options for working a variety of lures.

to the seven-foot, six-inch, medium power Mojo Inshore when throwing spinnerbaits or top-waters.

Perhaps the most effective overall method of catching speckled trout is using soft plastics under popping corks. It’s nothing fancy, but it often outfishes everything else, especially when drifting over seagrass flats or fishing under feeding gulls.

A seven-foot, six-inch medium-heavy Mojo Inshore spinning rod is perfect for this application and also has enough backbone to bring in the likely bycatch of redfish and big gafftops.

FLOUNDER Flounder fishing is often thought of as a pursuit for the fall where you only fish live finger mullet or mud minnows. In reality, savvy anglers know flounder can be caught year-round. With no restrictions on fall

Rod for this application.

“You are making short casts when flounder fishing, targeting eddies around bayou mouths, docks, and stands of cane. A shorter, heavier rod helps get a good hookset on those fish,” he said.

If the barometric pressure is high, and the flounder are scattered, he switches over to something lighter.

“I will miss a few hooksets due to lighter gear,” Moore said, “but I catch more fish going with a two-inch curltail, or shad fished on 10-pound fluorocarbon line when the bite is soft.

“I might be making longer casts as well trying to find fish, so the seven-foot medium-light fashion action St. Croix Triumph Inshore spinning rod from St. Croix is a great choice,” he said.

harvest, more anglers are turning to spring and summertime for their flounder fishing action.

Texas Fish & Game Editor-In-Chief Chester Moore literally wrote the book on flounder (Flounder Fever) and has taught hundreds of classes on flounder fishing over the years.

He has several recommendations for flounder.

“I fish with curl-tailed grubs three to four inches, often tipped with a small piece of shrimp. When the conditions are on, and the bite is on, I want something that can get good hook penetration.

Flounder have a very bony mouth,” Moore said, “and many anglers miss them on hookset, so I use a medium-heavy spinning rod with 30-pound braided line.” He suggests the six-foot, six-inch mediumheavy, fast action Mojo Inshore Spinning

CONSERVATION ETHIC St. Croix and Texas Fish & Game support a conservation ethic for all fishing, but especially down on the coast where there are some major issues.

Releasing speckled trout after the 2021 freeze is not mandatory, but it goes a long way in helping the fishery recover. Letting flounder go to produce more of their kind is also important for the future of the fishery.

It’s our observation that anglers who pay the most attention to their gear and take their fishing seriously, also take their conservation seriously.

Spending time on the coast is always a blessing. Knowing you’re fishing with the right gear can give you the confidence to catch more fish and release those you don’t intend to bring home to the family.

Flounder have an extremely bony mouth so the optimal rod for them is something with some backbone.

 PHOTOS: TOP, ST. CROIX ROD; BOTTOM, CHESTER MOORE

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Texas FRESHWATER

by MATT WILLIAMS :: TF&G Freshwater Editor

Eye See You

column. It’s even deadlier on large schools of sport fish such as crappie.

Simply put, the fish can run but they can’t hide from persistent anglers willing to put in the time to learn the ropes. Think of it as video game fishing, only this is the real deal. No wonder the young guys who grew up playing Donkey Kong on their cell phones are so quick to catch on.

Glen Webb of Bethel, Oklahoma, has played a few video games. He likes fooling around with forward-facing sonar even more.

Apparently, the 32-year-old angler is pretty handy with it, too. In 2021, he claims he used the technology to win 11 of the 12 tournaments he entered on his home lake, Broken Bow Reservoir.

More recently, Webb brought his Garmin LiveScope to Sam Rayburn on 10 through12 February. There, he used it to catch 14 pre-spawn bass weighing 63 pounds,12 ounces in the Toyota Series Southwestern Division bass tournament.

Webb topped a field of heavy hitting locals in his first pro-level event and banked $54,000.

A week earlier he tied for third in the Brandon Belt team event and won $18,750. Webb claims the intel provided by his forward-facing sonar was a huge factor in both events.

“Every fish I weighed in during the Toyota tournament I saw with my forward-facing sonar,” he said, “and I saw them all eat the bait. It’s a really valuable tool. You are definitely at a disadvantage if you don’t have it.”

Webb caught a 6.90-pounder on an Alabama rig the second day, but it didn’t come easy. He said the bass knocked slack in his lure twice without getting hooked before swimming off the opposite direction.

The angler used LiveScope to keep an eye on the fish as he followed it with his trolling motor and eventually sealed the deal.

“I chased her for probably 100 yards,” he said.

“Once she finally settled down and stopped, I was able to get her to bite again.”

Webb wasn’t the only Toyota competitor to use forward-facing sonar to their advantage. Just about every angler in the Top 10 said they relied on the technology to catch a percentage of their fish.

Todd Driscoll of Brookeland didn’t compete in the Toyota Series event, but he is well-versed on the ins and outs of using forward-facing tech-

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T’S NO SECRET THAT FORWARDfacing sonar is all the rage these days in the fishing world. Pros and recreational anglers alike are relying on real-time technology such as Garmin Panoptix LiveScope, Lowrance ActiveTarget and Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging to sniff out fish and catch them like never before.

Anyone who has found success with the forward-facing concept it will agree that it’s a significant improvement over conventional down scan and side-scan sonar introduced more than a decade ago.

Traditional sonar requires boat movement using the outboard engine to function properly.

Though still effective, spooking fish is an inherent risk with the droning sound of a motor or the shade of a boat passing overhead.

Forward-facing sonar is different. It works using a special transducer that mounts to the trolling motor or an independent pole. Likewise, anglers can slip quietly along as the transducer scans the water column. High-res imagery relays to the electronics screen in real time.

The beauty of the technology runs deep. One of the main benefits is it boosts the chances of seeing fish without blowing your cover.

Another is it helps anglers make precise bait presentations to fish and, more important, see how they react to baits. You can even pinpoint grass lines, channels, brush piles and other key structure from a considerable distance away to make every cast count.

If a fish or a school of shad swims by, you see them without delay. Violent strikes on moving baits are frequently witnessed in real time.

Other times, a fish will charge the bait, but won’t eat it. It’s not uncommon to see fish tuck tail and run for no apparent reason. This is really cool stuff that can be addictive in a sense.

Used correctly, the technology can be deadly on individual fish that are suspended in the water 22

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nology. Driscoll is a TPWD fisheries biologist and hardcore angler who does some technical work for Garmin on the side. He has been a student of LiveScope technology since it was introduced in 2018.

Learning to interpret what you are looking at is a major hurdle to success, Driscoll says.

“It makes you much more efficient on the water — no more hedging bets and guessing where the sweet spots are. Learn to use it and you won’t waste a single cast all day long.”

The biologist cautions that using LiveScope to fish for bass can be a double-edged sword.

“It gets my heart rate up every time I see a fish tracking my bait and racing to eat it,” Driscoll said. “But it’s equally frustrating to see a group of fish track a lure for 15 feet and never eat it.

“Seeing how far bass can detect an artificial lure, and how quickly they can get to it, has been one of biggest surprises to me,” he said. “It’s not uncommon for a bass to race to a lure from 10-plus feet away. I’ve seen it happen over and over.”

Effective as forward-facing sonar can be in bass fishing arenas, Lake Fork fishing guide Gary Paris believes it’s even deadlier for targeting crappie.

“There’s no doubt about it,” Paris said.

Crappie typically run in large schools. They are prone to hang out around brush piles, timber, bridges and other structure, often at suspended depths. Paris says forward-facing sonar is a great tool for exploiting these fish for two reasons.

“First off it helps eliminate a lot of unproductive water very quickly,” he said. “If LiveScope isn’t showing you any fish, there is no sense in fishing there. You just keep looking until you find them.”

Second, Paris pointed out that crappie fishing is all about bait presentation at the proper depth.

LiveScope makes it possible to tune in quickly and make adjustments on the fly.

“If you know what depth the fish are,” he said, “it helps keep the bait right in their faces 100 percent of the time because you can see it. That isn’t possible with traditional sonar. If the fish move, you just stay with them.”

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Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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SK ANY FISHERMEN ABOUT THEIR MOST TREASURED fishing moments and most will share childhood memories at the beach, at a lake, or on a pier with their family.

Sure, they’re proud to show you their bull redfish, tarpon or big catfish photos, but family fishing time is next-level special.

Although any time with the family at the beach, on a pier, or on the water is fun, it’s really fun when you catch fish.

And a big part of that is having the right gear.

We have put together a list of gear that will help families maximize their precious time together and lead to more family fish photos to share on social media.

MONOFILAMENT CAST NET Cast nets can save anglers lots of money in catching live bait and cut bait for storing.

They are also lots of fun, and it’s a skill kids can easily be taught. This net comes with a ⅜-inch mesh size, environmentally friendly weights, and is designed to open easily and sink quickly.

That means more mullet, mud minnows, or shad for the bait bucket.

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FOLDING NET Nets are a necessity for family fishing, and this is a great one for shore and wadefishing. This one measures 13 inches by 10 inches by 23 inches opened and 14

WATERPROOF DUFFEL The Calcutta Keeper Dry Duffel bag offers all the functionality of a regular duffel, but with the added feature of being 100 percent waterproof to protect your valuables from the elements. It’s a great place to keep cell phones, wallets, purses, and other valuables while the family is fishing.

It is lightweight and made of 840D TPU

inches. collapsed It’s nineinches deep so it’s not going to hold an alligator gar or bull redfish, but it’s more than adequate for most of the catfish, perch and croakers caught on family fishing trips.

SPINCAST COMBOS Spincast combos are an important part of family fishing, especially for younger children or inexpe-

material, so it is abrasion-resistant and durable. The external mesh pocket provides easy access for small items and allows you to keep wet and dry gear separate. The duffel has four strong webbing loops on the sides to allow you to attach it to vehicles, boats, etc.

PACK COOLERS The pack series of coolers are easy and comfortable to carry. Instead of lugging out a heavy plastic cooler for a short surf fishing trip, this is a comfortable and affordable option.

Built with a no-sweat design, your drinks and ice will stay cold thanks to thick insulation.

It’s welded with a waterproof inner liner so water will stay on the inside to prevent it from leaking through.

Strong woven nylon carrying straps and handles make for convenient transport.

Whether you plan a day on the beach, a road trip, tailgating, or to visit your favorite fishing spot, the pack cooler is there to keep your beverages cold.

rienced anglers who rarely get on the water.

These two Proton spincast combos are built around distinctive, extra tough, stainless steel reel bodies. These South Bend classics come in two rod lengths and actions with a 20- or 40-size reel.

The five-foot, six-inch rod has reel size 20; action, medium; lure weight, 3/16 to 1/2 ounce.

The seven-foot rod has reel size 40; action, medium-heavy; lure weight, ½ to 3 ounces.

TACKLE BOX KITS These tackle boxes come with everything you need to get started fishing. One-, two-, and three-tray kits are loaded with hooks, lures, bobbers, and other tackle necessities. The deluxe tackle kit is one big tray with 137 pieces to get you going.

These are a “can’t miss” for family fishing.

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As an added cool bonus, there’s a Ready2Fish flyfishing combo that’s a great and affordable option to get started in the fun and challenging pursuit of flyfishing.

BREAM POLES Whether you’re catching bream off the dock at your favorite lake or catching croakers, these extendable poles are lots of fun.

Think of a factorymade cane pole that extends up to 16 feet in four sections with the Crappie Stalker Bream Pole. For kids that can’t cast, these are a perfect choice.

PIER & SURF COMBOS These factory-matched Sea Striker combos pair the right rod with the right reel, so you don’t have to. The rods feature comfortable foam grips, and the ball bearing reel system provides smooth operation.

The graphite spool comes filled with a high-

visibility monofilament line. A twist-free line roller reduces line twists, which is a big help on a family fishing day.

The seven-foot rod has medium-light action; reel size, 50; line weight, 10- to 25-pound; lure weight,1/2- to 2-ounces, in two pieces.

The eight-foot rod has medium action; reel size, 50; line weight, 10- to 25-pounds.

SURF, PIER AND BEACH CART Easily haul all of your fishing gear or beach gear to

JUST ADD BAIT COMBOS (Ready2Fish) As the name implies, these spinning combos are rigged up and ready to go. Just add bait, and it’s casting time. |

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the water’s edge. This versatile cart features seven durable PVC rod and accessory holders and has the capability to hold up to a 54 quart. cooler. Galvanized steel construction with a tough powder-coat finish protects the cart from the elements. 11-inch by 4-inch pneumatic wheels allow for easy rolling.

DELUXE SAND SPIKE A sand spike rod holder is a crucial component of family bank fishing trips. This is truly a deluxe sand spike and accessory holder. The PVC head features a built-in

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bait cup, knife holder, and cutting board.

The sharply angled aluminum stake allows easy entry into the sand.

CRAB NET Crabbing Supplies Deluxe Crab Net with Harness, 12-ounce Crab Line Weight 48 pounds Crab Line (Danielson) Crabbing is tons of fun, and blue crabs are superabundant along the Gulf Coast. These supplies will give you all you need but the bait, for a successful crab boil ingredient-catching operation.

Crabbing is also a great way to keep kids’ attention focused during surf and bay beach fishing trips. On top of that, crabs can be great bait for redfish, black drum, and sheepsheads.

Memories created on the water can give young people a wholesome pursuit they can enjoy for their entire lives. Even if they end

up playing pro football or baseball, the fun would only last into their 30s. However, some 100-year-olds still fish.

No doubt those centenarians still smile when they think back to those early, fun family fishing expeditions. Make the memories extra memorable with the right gear, not only to go fishing, but to help your family actually catch fish.

Calcuttaoutdoors.com offers one-stop family fishing shopping with multiple brands ranging across numerous affordable price ranges.

In just a single order, you can get geared up for summer fishing, whether you hit the lake, surf, or somewhere in between.

Also, if you need virtually any kind of other fishing gear, whether it’s expertlevel bass gear from Matzuo, or pelagic offshore terminal tackle, it’s also available and easy to find at calcuttaoutdoors.com.

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HE 2022 CCA-TEXAS STATE OF Texas Anglers Rodeo (STAR) runs May 28 to September 5.

This is the chief membership drive for CCATexas, and it spans the entire Texas Gulf Coast.

It offers members the chance to win more than $1,000,000 in prizes and scholarships.

Fishing categories include two “Catch, Clip & Release” tagged redfish divisions in which winners receive complete boat and truck combos and boats.

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It also includes an Offshore Division for dorado, ling, kingfish and red snappers that are weighed in to win a Hoffpauir Polaris UTV. Tagged redfish are the most pursued prize. STAR Assistant Director Dylan Sassman said last year revealed some important lessons for the organization and anglers.

“We always give the advice of fishing popular spots, easy to access areas and places where they have been caught in the past,” Sassman said. “With this year‘s new tournament format, we were able to learn even more about catching these highly sought-after fish to share with Texas anglers.

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Tagged redfish are the most pursued prizes in the STAR tournament.

The inshore division includes heaviest gafftop, sheepshead and black drum.

“Even though most tagged redfish are caught not far from where they’re released, we noticed a pattern among the majority of tagged redfish that were caught.”

He said no matter whether it was caught on the Louisiana border, mid-coast, or the Rio Grande valley, all but a few fish were caught on the windward side of the bay.

“The few that weren’t caught on windward shorelines were caught in bayous or drains with moving water,” Sassman added.

“When the wind lays and the temperature starts to rise, fish will seek these areas out not only for feeding potential, but the presence of cooler water with more dissolved oxygen.”

He said perhaps the most important takeaway from the 2021 expanded tagged redfish catches is that you never know when that one fishing trip, or one more cast, is going to be the fish of a lifetime.

“Whether it was fishing while limping a broken boat motor back to the dock, breaking away for a couple hours to fish, or simply going out on the water just to relax and maybe catch a fish after work, you never know what that next cast may have in store.”

For more information on the STAR tournament, vist startournament.org.

Offshore division has prizes for heaviest snapper, ling, kingfish and dorado.

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Going COASTAL

by KELLY GROCE :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Rolling with the Tarpon

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RIFTING OVER GIN-CLEAR flats as far as the eye can see is truly remarkable. It’s something that the Lower Laguna Madre is notorious for. The odds of catching a trophy speckled trout or stumbling upon a 100+ herd of redfish is highly attainable on this one-of-a-kind Texas resource.

When I became a full-time resident here on South Padre Island, I quickly learned that this area is the ultimate playground for anglers, offering even more than the alluring flats. When it comes to the number of species and different styles of fishing you can do in a relatively close area, South Texas offers an abundance of options.

For some fisherman, the flats are it. You will find them day in after day out drifting, wading, etc. You can’t really blame them for being stuck in their ways, it’s a good one to be stuck in.

Bud Rowland caught the state record speckled trout (16 pounds, 34 inches) here on the flats during the month of May, so I don’t blame any angler that is seeking big trout for sticking to their guns. On the contrary, I’m chomping at the bit to step beyond the flats and as we like to say “peek our head out” at the jetties.

May and June are transitional months where we will begin to see the first signs of migratory tarpon. The sight of a 30- to 60-pound tarpon rolling at the jetties becomes a regular occurrence during these months.

The hair stood up on my arm as I wrote that last sentence. The countdown for the arrival of tarpon started as soon as they left for warmer water late last year. As the water continues to heat up and the bait begins to flood PHOTO: KELLY GROCE

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Capt. Brian Barrera brings a healthy tarpon alongside the boat.

sharp-fanged fish get fired up during transitional months. They will demolish a Heddon Super Spook Jr. or a Shimano Current Sniper topwater. Watching their predatory strike is extremely pleasing to the eye.

The Lower Laguna Madre is a unique fishery offering anglers plenty of diversity. And diversity is key for keeping us sharp—and most important—continually learning. The opportunity to chase after these amazing species in our waters is what keeps me thanking my lucky stars that I’m a South Texas angler.

in, the big tarpon will follow.

The state’s premier tarpon fishing guide, Capt. Brian Barrera, had a great kick-off to his tarpon season last year. He landed four fish in the 100- to 150-pound range in early June.

The rest of his season would be one for the record book as he, landed more than 60 tarpon between May and December.

Aside from the finest speckled trout and tarpon fishing along the coast, anglers can also enjoy catching mangrove snappers on topwaters, snook on jigs along mangroves, and bull reds on bottom rigs at the jetties. Another option is live baiting nearshore wrecks for red snappers, ling and groupers.

A new favorite for me is targeting mangrove snappers on topwater plugs. These T E X A S

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 Email Kelly Groce at ContactUs@fishgame.com |

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HEN RECALLING my youth, the most positive memories from childhood involve the outdoors. As I grew into adulthood, I often returned to local lakes, parks and hiking trails to reconnect with myself.

Every moment I was able to spend in nature only grew my passion for the outdoor lifestyle. I longed for more, not just for my own family, but also to serve the 32

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community.

In 2016 I made a commitment to get certified through Texas Parks and Wildlife and began a youth outdoor fishing program. In the past six years my children and I have grown our program to include archery, camping and basic camping and day trip adventures.

Connecting with our youth and grounding them to nature has grown my passion even more. It has built a stronger bond between me and my own children. |

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I find myself looking for any opportunity to get outdoors and bring as many families with me as I can. We have adopted a mindset of tackle boxes over x-boxes.

We love seeing our families go hours without reaching for electronics.

Unplugging from the cyber-driven world, and plugging into each other is priceless. Creating these opportunities to share the love of the outdoors has become my mission and purpose.

As I find myself reminiscing about long INSET PHOTO: JENNIFER MACNAUGHTON

4/8/22 6:22 PM

summer days at the lake as a child, fishing and playing along river banks, I feel even more compelled to pass this love to the next generation.

The connection of one’s soul to Earth is not easily explained, but overwhelming to experience. The common bond across generations and connecting to something bigger than me continue to drive my passion.

On a personal level, the water is where I connect the most. There is a certain BACKGROUND PHOTO: ADOBE

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peace and calmness that comes over me when I enter the water.

Usually by kayak, sometimes by boat, and occasionally on a wade, I take any opportunity to cast a line. There is a deep connection, and unspoken healing I experience when I am fishing Generationally, I come from a long line of fishermen. I feel that connection to my ancestry. I feel well, balanced and real when I am out on the water.

We all have that in us, some of us T E X A S

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spend a lifetime searching for it. The IT for me is my passion turned to purpose.

The love for the outdoors and the desire to share it with community, family and friends is my driving passion.

I am one step closer to being whole with every cast. The truth is we never really know when our next trip will be our last.

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THE TEXAS PARKS AND Wildlife Commission approved hunting regulations for the 2022-23 season at its March public meeting in Austin.

Commissioners adopted the following modifications and clarifications to the 2022-23 Statewide Hunting Proclamation: • Establish mandatory buck and antlerless white-tailed deer harvest reporting in Collin, Dallas, Grayson and Rockwall counties during white-tailed deer season.

• Modify the definitions of “buck deer” and “antlerless deer.”

• Modify the proof of sex requirements for harvested buck deer.

• Create definitions for two types of commercial cold storage facilities.

• Modify tagging and proof of sex requirements, log procedures and destination regulations for commercial cold storage facilities.

• Expand mule deer antler restric-

• Combine the separate merganser and duck daily bag limits into a single aggregate daily bag limit of six per day.

• Reauthorize the requirement to possess a Federal Sandhill Crane

tions to an additional 21 counties in the Panhandle.

• Extend the general mule deer season in 15 southwestern Panhandle counties from nine to 16 days and add a special archery season.

• Establish a mule deer antler restriction in Terrell County within the TransPecos.

• Establish a veterans and active-duty special waterfowl hunting season to occur concurrently during youth-only season in all duck zones.

• Modify the West Zone for goose hunting to open a week earlier than current goose hunting regulations.

• Remove the daily bag limit restriction (two) on hooded mergansers.

Hunting Permit while hunting that species due to an administrative error.

• Close the turkey season east of IH-35 in Ellis County to support ongoing restocking efforts along the Trinity River.

Hunters hitting the field in the upcoming season should make note of these changes and follow all regulations set for species, tagging, bag limits, counties, season dates and means and methods.

Hunters can check the Outdoor Annual for complete and updated regulations. Information currently in the Outdoor Annual reflects last season’s information.

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Young Mule Deer Buck: Mule deer regulations are changing in a large part of their range in Texas.

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Texas WHITETAILS

by LARRY WEISHUHN :: TF&G Whitetail Deer Editor

My 2021 Hunting Season, and What I Learned

my own place but also ranches in Clay and Throckmorton Counties.

What else did I learn or reaffirm?

Hunting is fun, regardless whether I am pulling the trigger, or not. It might be a rifle and Hornady ammo and topped with a Trijicon

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HANK GOODNESS THE most recent whitetail hunting season is over! Did I really just write that?

My recently past whitetail season was most interesting.

I hunted my place west of Houston, ranches near Ozona, Iraan, Colorado City, Breckenridge and others in between. I took two eight-points, an old 10-point and one doe. Thanks to MDLPs, I normally take several bucks and does to fill my freezer and those of friends who can no longer hunt but are dependent upon me providing venison.

Every fall I rattle in numerous bucks, including for our weekly tv show, A Sportsman’s Life on CarbonTV.com, and Trijicon’s World of Sports Afield”. This past fall I rattled in 15 bucks. For the first time in years, I did not shoot a rattled-in buck.

I did pass on several bucks, mostly youngsters, but also two good Hill Country bucks later shot by other hunters. Those bucks were the biggest either had ever taken.

I’m really glad I passed on them.

I hunted my place when I could. I did not see a whitetail during legal shooting hours until forty minutes remaining in the hunting season, then merely two does and fawn. I was ecstatic!

I had a devil of a time seeing deer, for reasons even as a wildlife biologist with over 60 years hunting experience, I find hard to explain. What did I learn? Will I do things differently during this coming hunting season?

I will again follow my own advice. Hunt smart, hunt all day and do not look for excuses not to go hunting. I will however, hunt my own place during the October archery season. That’s when several legal bucks appeared on camera. Because of busiPHOTO: LARRY WEISHUHN

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Weishuhn hunted hard for whitetails in 2021 and was beginning to wonder if would be able to find a mature buck...

variable, or a Taurus Raging Bull handgun topped with a Trijicon SRO sight.

It’s the time spent with friends and family. It’s time spent sitting around a campfire in deer camp preparing a meal and telling stories. It’s also continuing to learn from the deer and their habitat. Regardless of how the coming season goes, I am expecting great things, I will have fun and continue to learn.

ness and hunts in other states, I did not hunt my property during October. I hunt longer and more often during November, December, and January.

I will plant my fall food plots of triticale and winter peas, staggered so there will be forage starting early October through January. Back in February I fertilized specific youpon and green briar (Smilax) bushes in the interior of my hunting area.

Throughout the summer I will use TRHP Outdoors’ Curiosity Scent at select sites.

I will be doing more late-summer scouting where I will hunt this fall, including T E X A S

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Email Larry Weishuhn at ContactUs@fishgame.com |

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REAMS ARE IMPORTANT. Dreams are something to look forward to and strive toward. In our increasingly chaotic times, that’s something everyone needs in their life. For outdoor lovers, many amazing dreams can come true with a little saving, planning and travel.

There may be no better way to honor your mom or dad on their special day than making their all-time outdoor dream happen.

We’ve put together a list of outdoor dream expeditions that 36

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range from very affordable, to not so much—but in our opinion, they are within the realm of possibility for anyone reading this publication.

It might take saving a year or two, if not sooner. Either way, these dream adventures are guaranteed to make Mom or Dad very happy.

HILL COUNTRY AXIS DEER Axis deer, which are known as chital in their native India and Pakistan, are arguably the world’s most beautiful deer, and they are increasingly abundant in the Texas Hill Country.

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ILLUSTRATION: TF&G

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DREAM TRIPS 36  SPECIAL: FOR MOM & DAD Reported by TF&G Staff

& GAME 44  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 54  FISH FORECAST CENTER FRESHWATER

Reported by TF&G Staff

62  SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK Tides and SoLunar Data

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Hunting opportunities for this exotic species abound. From high-fenced trophy hunts to free-ranging hunts on low-fenced land, Even better, they just happen to be one of the tastiest wild creatures on the planet.

TARPON The silver king is on just about every coastal angler’s dream list, and they are abundant along the Gulf Coast. Guides offer Texas tarpon trips at South Padre, Port Mansfield and in the Galveston area with fish also caught around Port O’Connor and Port Aransas.

These beautiful, tail-walking brutes are often the catch of a lifetime and will make

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A tarpon trip is on just about every coastal angler’s dream list.

a memory no fishermen would ever forget.

Here’s a hint on tarpon. Getting them to bite is challenging, but it’s even more

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challenging to get one into the boat. These fish are notorious for making a few jumps before saying “bye bye.” So, if you book a

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Caption

guide, consider booking two days. A couple of days will give you a lot more leeway and more time on the water—which beats more time in the office.

ELK Probably no hunter reading this would not want to take an elk. They are perhaps the most regal animals on the planet. They are abundant in Texas thanks to efforts of fish and game agencies and groups such as

Elk are actually abundant in Texas thanks to efforts by Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and other groups.

the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

An elk hunt ain’t easy, so make sure Mom or Dad are fit enough to handle the hard parts. Consult with an outfitter to get a realistic look at what a hunt requires.

If you can’t afford a bull, how about taking them on a cow elk hunt. The meat is incredible, and a chance to get into elk country can be just as exhilarating as actuPHOTO: ADOBE

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ally taking one.

NILGAI AND SNOOK COMBO The Lower Coast not only has the most diverse fishery in the state, but also has highly biodiverse wildlife. From ocelots to javelinas, this area has things many other parts of the state don’t. That includes a free-ranging population of nilgai antelope.

Public draw hunts are an option on Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, but most nilgai hunts are done on the Kenedy and King Ranches.

These big Indian imports have some of the finest tasting meat in the animal kingdom. Although they took a hit in some

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areas because of last year’s freeze, hunting options are still available in 2022.

Take your cast and blast to the next level by snook fishing in Lower Laguna Madre and the Brownsville Ship Chan-

nel. 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?

CHASING RAINBOWS Every angler should give flyfishing a shot. It’s challenging, but it’s also super exciting. Catching beautiful rainbow trout is one of the most exciting things a freshwater angler can do.

You don’t have to travel far from anywhere in Texas to find rainbows.

Texas has a great fishery below the tailrace at Canyon Lake. The river below Beaver’s Bend Dam in Oklahoma is a short drive for most Texans (in Texas terms), and it has a killer fishery.

Arkansas also has some great fisheries not only for rainbows, but brown trout as well in the White River. The Little Red River is also really good there.

These are affordable trips that will take you into beautiful places in pursuit of even more beautiful fish.

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MOUNTAIN PHOTO SAFARI More Texans hunt in Colorado than in any other state.

Hunting isn’t the only awesome outdoor opportunity in Colorado.

Wildlife photography is lots of fun and is a whole lot cheaper than hunting. We recommend visiting beautiful Estes Park

Maybe the best thing you could give your parents is to go with them on their expedition. Time with family is great, but time with family in the great outdoors is next-level special.

Why not spend time with them with a rod in hand or glassing the mountains in pursuit of game?

That’s a win-win for everyone.

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Colorado and going on a photo safari in Rocky Mountain National Park.

This enormous park is home to bighorn sheep, moose, a huge herd of elk, mule deer, Merriam’s turkeys, marmots, pikas and much, much more. It’s one of the most underrated wildlife photography locations in the country, and it also has some great trout streams.

Mount Evans is a couple of hours away.

It offers a rare opportunity during summer months to photograph mountain goats.

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Transitioning Quickly Into Summer fun sport fish of summer to prepare for the invasion of ecosystems coast wide.

Bait of all kinds are plentiful, and the fish are getting into attack mode. All the fish catching ingredients are beginning to come together as lighter winds will prevail, allowing you to fish some of the places you haven’t been able to in recent months.

The predominant southerly flow and strong tides will move the pretty water and predator forage throughout the system.

Here on Texas’s uppermost coast, summertime saltwater specialists have been chomping at the bit for a taste of some good old Gulf of Mexico angling action.

Although summer is not quite upon us yet, it is close enough. A lot of folks here on Sabine will take advantage of the summerlike conditions and hit the jetties and surf.

Speckled trout have found their way to the beachfront.

If you can catch a calm morning with green water, you should be able to locate them. Any sign of jittery finger mullet or skipping shrimp CAPT. HERNANDEZ should mean GHGSEddie@gmail.com you’re in a

SABINE Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

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HERE’S SOMETHING EXTRA special about the months of May and June for coastal saltwater fishing. It’s a magical transition between mostly consistent, but somewhat unpredictable spring, and flat out, full-throttle, sunburned and salt-sprayed summer.

This is a two-month span of comfortable, fishable air and water temperatures. Water temps will consistently be above 70 degrees and weather patterns are beginning to stabilize, thus giving the green light to all the

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good starting spot.

Giving them a variety of baits to choose from will help your chances, but usually light-colored soft plastics on ¼-ounce lead heads will do the job. It’s hard for them to resist a glow, White Ice or chartreuse Cocahoe Minnow, Zoom Super Fluke or Down South Lure.

It’s also wise to keep a couple of topwaters and gold and silver Johnson Sprite Silver Minnows handy as well. The jetties should also start to come alive during the second half of May with real nice boxes of trout and reds being mixed in.

If you can get your hands on a couple of quarts of live shrimp you should do real well fishing the rock piles and washouts.

You can’t go wrong by rigging with a Kahle or small treble hook about three feet under a popping cork, free-lined, or with a splitshot about 18 inches above the hook.

If live shrimp is not an option for you, similar results can be achieved with live finger mullet or shad. Just make sure you have your cast net, and you shouldn’t have any problem finding bait in the channel or along the jetties.

Soft plastics worked fairly deep along the rocks will also work well on trout and reds.

Put them on a ¼-ounce lead head and let them get down there a bit, to see what happens. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

With summer just around the corner, now is the time to get it jump started.

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School’s Out GALVESTON Reported by CAPT. DEREK YORK

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CHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMmer, and the fishing is heating up.

This time of year is one of my favorites as everyone is anticipating summer. With the kids getting out of school, what better time to get out on the water and enjoy Galveston Bay? Although there are so many species to chase in the bay, this time of year also really kicks off some of the best nearshore fishing in the Gulf. Large schools of jack creval-

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HOTSPOTLIGHT 3

les busting the surface, sharks of all sizes, cobias and tripletails showing up in larger numbers all mean greater CAPT. YORK options for spotstalkerfishing@yahoo.com those that know what to look for when out on the bay or nearshore Gulf.

These species are more common in the gulf waters, but they do venture into the bay. Jacks can be seen schooling all over the lower part of the bay, especially near the Texas City dike and around the causeway.

These fish are such a blast to catch and normally will hit about anything you throw to them. When I’m out on the water, I try to keep at least one heavier spinning setup rigged with a big soft plastic or a popping cork and live bait rig.

Cobias and tripletails can also be found in the bay, usually near some type of structure such as the gas wells near Bolivar. You can also find them around crab trap floats and other floating debris.

Tripletails are such an amazing species owing to their color changing capabilities and are often mistaken for trash on the surface. So be ready and always be on the lookout for these unexpected visitors to our area.

Sharks are much more abundant in our bay than most people realize, but they play a valuable role in our ecosystem here keeping species in check. With bull sharks being the most common, the blacktip, spinner and bonnethead sharks are here in good numbers during our warmer months.

They can provide a lot of action if you want to catch one of these toothy critters.

These species can be found all over our bay system and can be targeted multiple ways.

Typically, I fish with two to four lines out for sharks. Two will usually be floated out with balloons and a rig of live or dead bait. The other two are soaked on the bottom or freelined.

With so many sharks in the bay, most wade fishermen will tell you they can be a nuisance. If you keep fish, try to use a lon-

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EAST MATAGORDA BAY IS SITUATED EAST OF WHERE THE COLORADO RIVER EMPties into the Gulf of Mexico. Selected HOTSPOTS are shown in the table below, and on the map.

SPECKLED TROUT KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

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Halfmoon Shoal

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Boggy Cut

REDFISH

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Lake Austin

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Chinquapin Reef

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Eidelbach Flats

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Catchall Basin Flats

FLOUNDER

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Boggy Flat

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Third Cut

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Live Oak Bay Cut

BLACK DRUM Chinquapin Landing

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SHEEPSHEAD Dressing Point

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GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 28 43.371, W 95 46.228 N 28 44.043, W 95 49.658

Pink Skitterwalk tops, soft plastics, wade or drift; AprOct, morn thru afternoon

N 28 46.390, W 95 46.240 N 28 43.994, W 95 47.954 N 28 41.875, W 95 47.370 N 28 42.881, W 95 45.214

Shrimp under pop-n cork, drift w caution, very shallow; Apr-Sep; midday thru afternoon

N 28 44.029, W 95 49.116 N 28 44.241, W 95 48.576 N 28 44.834, W 95 44.931

Flounder Pounder, mullet, good gigging when wading; May-Sept; midday-afternoon

N 28 44.957, W 95 46.034

live shrimp or crab on a bottom rig, anchor till found; Apr-Sep, midday

N 28 43.772, W 95 45.562

Live shrimp or crab under pop-n cork, anchor; AprSep; midday thru afternoon

Shrimp with pop-n cork, fish cut edges with moving tide; Spring, Fall; morn.-afternoon

Topwaters, Soft plastics bouncing near bottom, drift; Aug-Nov; morn-midday, dusk Gold spoons, crab, mullet, drift until found then anchor; Apr-Sep; dawn thru midday Soft plastics, live Shrimp under pop-n cork, drift; SeptNov; dawn thru midday

Mud minnows, finger mullet, best with moving tides; Sep-Nov; dawn-am, dusk-night Mud minnows, finger mullet, best with moving tides; Spring, Fall; avoid midday

N 28 41.452, Redfish, trout; use topwaters, soft plastics, live bait; dawn-morn, dusk-night W 95 48.627 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS 2022

Oyster Farm Drain

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Give me a call for your next fishing trip in Matagorda. (979) 479-1397.

UPPER COAST

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ger stringer or one of the new fish bags. This might help you save some of your filets.

The trout and redfish bite this time of year is usually wide open. Quality catches come from all of the reef systems in the bay.

Top-waters, artificials and live bait all work well this time of year. So,, get out on the bay or gulf and go catch some memories.

And make sure to take a kid fishing.

UPPER COAST HOTSPOTS

back in the water ASAP will definitely lower the mortality rate. Doing your part will help the fisheries rebound.

Fishing has been pretty steady, but trout numbers are not what we have been used to in the past. Yet numbers are increasing.

Redfish have continued to be our staple, and wade fishing grass beds in west bay is productive. Soft plastic imitating a glass minnow is irresistible.

Top waters are sure to get a blowup.

Focus on bait in thigh deep water and be sure to have a long stringer if you’re not catching and releasing. There are some hungry sharks looking for an easy meal.

Back lakes continue to hold limits of redfish. Live shrimp under a cork or mullet on the bottom will always get a pull.

Drifting deep shell in east bay is hit and miss when the wind lays down, but if the surf is calm, it’s a no brainer. Get in it. It will make a beginner look like a pro.

Flounder gigging has been on fire, and numbers have remained consistent. It’s a great way to beat the heat and fill up the freezer.

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The New Trout Reality MATAGORDA Reported by CAPT. MARK TALASEK

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PECKLED TROUT NUMBERS have declined due to the freeze last year. Trout bag limits have been lowered to three per angler.

Slot length raised from 17 inches to 23 inches.

Many more fish are going to be returned to the water. As we adjust to the new trout regulations, there are a few techniques we can practice when releasing.

CAPT. TALASEK Catch MarkTalasek@sbcglobal.net and release is always recommended. If a fish needs measuring, be as delicate as possible. Try to minimize touching the fish if possible.

Slime provides a protective barrier and handling or letting them flop on your boat removes the slime. Hold the line and grab the hook with some pliers, then shake the fish over the water and release.

Time is a major factor. Getting the fish

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LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Ladies Pass GPS: N 29 28.471, W 94 43.251 (29.4745, -94.7209)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics SOURCE: Capt. Kevin Roberts 281-796-4647 TIPS: Focus on the bait, not the spot where you have caught fish before.

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Trinity Bay Wells GPS: N 29 41.677, W 94 47.325 (29.6946, -94.7888)

Redfish have been a staple for Matagorda anglers in the wake of last year’s freeze.

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PHOTO: MARK TALASEK

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Gold Spoon SOURCE: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 gofishgalveston.com TIPS: A gold spoon, 1/4 or 1/2 oz. works well around the wells.

LOCATION: Galveston Upper Bay HOTSPOT: Burnet Bay GPS: N 29 46.11, W 95 3.048 (29.7685, -95.0508)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics SOURCE: Capt. Kevin Roberts 281-796-4647 kmr668@yahoo.com TIPS: Productive colors in the soft plastics are plum/ chartreuse, chicken-of-the-sea, and chartreuse/glitter.

It really depends on what the water conditions are as to what color works best.

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: Snake Island GPS: N 29 9.565, W 95 2.215 (29.1594, -95.0369)

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: Campbell Reef GPS: N 29 21, W 94 52.325 (29.3500, -94.8721)

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Mitchells Cut GPS: N 28 45.123, W 95 39.453 (28.7521, -95.6576)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Croakers SOURCE: Capt. Kevin Roberts 281-796-4647 TIPS: Fish croakers when the water heats up, free line with a split shot. Drag bottom and wait for a bite.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastics SOURCE: Capt. Garrett Frazier 409-354-3865 TIPS: The main thing to look for is bait activity along the shoreline. Don’t jump out of the boat unless you can see bait activity.

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

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

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastics SOURCE: Capt. Garrett Frazier 409-354-3865 TIPS: Consistent winds out of the southeast should put the south shoreline in a protected area.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastics SOURCE: Capt. Garrett Frazier 409-354-3865 TIPS: May is good for wadefishing, focusing on the south shoreline of Matagorda West Bay, focusing on drains. Cottons and Greens…a lot of flats and grass beds, with drains that run between the grass beds.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Boiler Bayou GPS: N 28 38.685, W 95 54.067 (28.6448, -95.9011) SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastics SOURCE: Capt. Kevin Roberts 281-796-4647 TIPS: Fishing mid bay reefs, don’t cut the reef in half; go from one end of the reef to the other end of the reef, then idle back around the reef and set up to drift the reef again.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic Shrimp Tails SOURCE: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 www.MatagordaFishing.com TIPS: If you like to throw artificials, start off at daylight throwing topwaters and switch to plastics with no heavier than an 1/8 oz. lead head. Black is always a good color, also Chicken-on-a-Chain.

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

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LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: South Causeway Reef GPS: N 29 47.221, W 93 55.919 (29.7870, -93.9320)

409-721-5467 www.goldenhookguide.com TIPS: Drift the channel cut with live shrimp under a popping cork.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork SOURCE: Capt. Eddie Hernandez

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The Weird, Wonderful, and Slimy Truth health and sustainability of the Rockport bay systems.

It was, and still is, a big concern. A few of us were amazed more focus was not given to the biodiversity that makes these bays unique. A key player in this ecosystem is the ecological powerhouse, Crassostrea virginica, the oyster.

The phone rang. It was a retired game warden, one who has helped me over the years and whom I consider a friend.

To my giddy amazement, he wanted to talk about oysters. Over the course of the next few days, he shared with me a new focus and interest being driven by some special folks.

These people include, but are not limited to, game wardens, TPWD, doctors, biologists, fishing guides, CCA, Flatsworthy, concerned sportsmen, and environmental groups.

I will cut through scientific brio and go right to the issue: the over harvest and poor use of the bycatch of the oyster. The scientific and politiCAPT. GABLE cal spin words ContactUs@Fishgame.com are numerous:

ROCKPORT AREA Reported by CAPT. MAC GABLE

This article is a collection of data points and research that has been circulating the past few years. I was asked to write the article in hopes it will heighten awareness.

A

FEW YEARS AGO, I WROTE an article about one of the seldom seen marvels of our bays. At that time there were just a few lone voices crying in the wilderness about the 48

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clutch, repurpose, reuse, triploid oysters, vertical relief, intertidal, community composition, recruitment, biomass, hydrologically, baffle effect, closure matrix, to name a few.

Don’t get lost in these words like I did when I researched the latest scientific data.

The issue, the justification for the issue, and the resolution of the issue, however, strategically involve some of these words.

The numbers speak for themselves: 76 million pounds of oysters were harvested from Texas bays last season. That’s 761,605 sacks. 621,340 sacks came directly from bays supporting Rockport or 81.6 percent. That’s 3.68 miles of oyster reef a foot deep and 50 feet wide. The delectable portion of an oyster is only 10 percent of an oyster’s weight, which begs the question “What happens to the rest of it?” Or in this case, the shell.

Well, it can be repurposed some say... hmmm. “Repurpose” in this case means trinkets, wind chimes, jewelry, wall decorations, ground for roads, fertilizer, or feral hog attractant, just to mention a few.

It can be reused for its original purpose, which is a home for oysters and the foothold for future oysters or the other 300 aquatic species that utilize oyster reefs. “Reuse” is not “repurpose” or vice versa. The truth is, very little oyster shell is returned to our bays. It is sold, consumed by industrial profits.

I can tell you that a lot of people would have us strung up by our Buster Browns if you or I dug up 300 to 400 tons of material off the bottom of the bay and used it for profit or for personal use.

Oyster fishermen are very transient. The improvement of boats and new technology allows mobility in mass fleets that no longer remain close to their home base. Some oyster boats traversing Rockport waters come from the east coast or even foreign countries.

Harvesters and consumers are knowledgeable about this delectable crustacean, but not about the reefs they create and their impact on the health of our bays and fisheries.

Scott Mcleod spent much of his adult life as a game warden on the Rockport bay systems, and he can attest, as I can, to the decline of our oyster reefs. Many experts believe 85 to 90 percent of our oyster reefs have been lost. Large oyster reefs can be 1,000 years old, but it takes just a few years of over-harvesting to compromise their ability to regenerate.

The height of a reef is key to its ability to grow and reproduce. The higher the spat

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(juvenile oyster) is in the water column, the faster it grows and reproduces. As anyone who has fished Rockport bays in the past 10 years would agree, seeing the tops of oyster reefs at high tide is getting to be a rare sight.

Migratory birds use the tops of these reefs to feed and cannot do this if the reef top is too deep. I can’t remember the last time I saw a whooper on top of a mid-bay oyster reef.

A high vertical relief (height of the reef) protects our shorelines, mitigates wave action and changes the hydrology (water movement) creating underwater barriers or protective biological jetties during storms. The silt from large storms can easily cover reefs with low vertical relief.

A healthy unharvested oyster reef has an economic value of $20,000 per acre. A harvested one is $880 per acre. To restore an oyster reef costs $600,000.

Oyster fishermen and harvesters are NOT the boogey men. They are hardworking folks who run their business by a set of rules handed down by the state. As the reefs diminish, the need to follow these rules often are outweighed by the need to make a living.

These rules are applied and monitored by the TPWD, and in my estimation they have applied these rules consistently and equitably.

However, the rules need more teeth—we are losing our reefs! When we enjoy oysters as table fare, keep in mind that the oyster on your plate is 25 times more valuable on a reef.

The resolution is multifaceted. Support Bill HB51 and its future. Update the current matrix which allows for closures when harvesting criteria are met to include a quantitative quota to every harvest area.

Return the bycatch shell to the reefs they came from as soon as possible. This is not sterile aggregate, but rather a biological creation that is a great foundation for many forms of aquatic life.

What if we do nothing? There are currently two precedents that could predict our future. Hurricanes devastated Louisiana the past 20 years, leaving oyster reefs covered with mud silt and debris.

Many perished, forcing oyster boats to seek their livelihood in Texas. The loss of these reefs had devastating impacts on fisheries. The loss of protection these reefs afforded the shoreline has been felt in recent storms.

Some experts believe restoring oyster reefs could be a viable answer to Louisiana’s rapidly disappearing shoreline.

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Espiritu Santo Bay 6

HOTSPOTLIGHT

ESPIRITU SANTO BAY

ESPIRITU BAY RUNS ALONG MATAGORDA ISLAND, BETWEEN PORT O’CONNOR and San Antonio Bay. Selected HOTSPOTS are shown in the table below, and on the map.

SPECKLED TROUT KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

1

Bayucos Shoreline

2

City Slicker Flats

3

Coast Guard Flats

4

Bayucos Shoreline

5

Big Pocket

6

Matagorda Island Shoreline

REDFISH

7

Saluria Bayou

8

Coast Guard Flats

9

Whitaker’s Flat

FLOUNDER

10

Teller Point

11

Saluria Bayou

12

Oil Well Cut

13

Fish Pond

WADEFISHING 1 2

GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 28 23.647, W 96 26.619 N 28 24.283, W 96 24.148 N 28 29.687, W 96 27.101 N 28 23.171, W 96 27.191 N 28 22.174, W 96 26.124 N 28 20.569, W 96 26.733

Topwaters, Bull Minnows, wade shoreline with moving tides; Spring, Fall, dawn-afternoon

N 28 24.010, W 96 24.992 N 28 22.451, W 96 24.100 N 28 22.571, W 96 26.311

Live croaker, great cool weather spot, fish deep water; Jan-Mar, Oct-Dec, avoid dawn

N 28 23.760, W 96 26.307 N 28 23.778, W 96 25.472 N 28 23.280, W 96 25.576 N 28 21.805, W 96 24.029

Anchor/wade mouth on outgoing or incoming tide; MarJun, Sep-Nov, all day

Wade close to dropoff, cast to sandpockerts and grass; May-Sep, dawn-am, dusk-night Soft plastics under Maulers; wade shoreline in 2-4’ water.; Apr-Nov, dawn-morn, aftn-night Topwaters, Bull Minnows, wade shoreline with moving tides; Spring, Fall; dawn-afternoon Wade shorelines near dropoffs, drift middle deeper water; Jan-Nov; dawn-am, aftn-night Live shrimp under cork, wade shore early, go deep late; Spr, Fall; avoid midday, night

Topwaters, spoons, wade shoreline casting to sand pockets; Mar-Nov, all day bone/chartreuse topwaters, wade shoreline keying on guts; Jan-Nov; all day

Anchor, fish btm. of 3-4’ shelf on either side of bayou; Apr-Nov, all day live shrimp under cork, anchor on either side of cut; Nov-Feb, avoid midday, aftn Finger mullet, wade/Anchor in mouth on outgoing tide; Apr-Jun, Sep-Nov, all day

N 28 23.416, Shrimp, wade shoreline with moving tide, watch bait ; Mar-May, Oct-Dec; avoid midday, night W 96 27.129 N 28 25.262, Shrimp, best fished wading. Wade flats early, deep Coast Guard Flats later; Mar-May, Oct-Dec; dawn, morn, aftn.

W 96 24.293 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS 2022 Bayucos Shoreline

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MIDDLE COAST The over-harvest of Chesapeake Bay destroyed 3/4 of the oyster reefs in that area.

Its financial impact is in excess of 4 billion dollars. Restorations have been in the tens of millions of dollars with no end in sight.

Restoration is not the preferred choice.

Managing sustainable commercial harvest is.

It’s sad those at the top of the food chain (we humans) seem to always overlook the importance of those at the bottom (such as the oyster). Ignoring the seldom seen importance of our oyster reefs is a huge mistake.

Get involved! The CCA is a great place for data on this subject. Attend public meetings offered by TPWD and provide input in person or online.

A special Thank You to Scott Mcleod for his tireless work and passion to protect one of The Last Great Oyster Reefs on our planet!

Open the Gates CORPUS CHRISTI BAY Reported by JOEY FARAH

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PEN THE GATES OF SUMmer, folks. Fishing here in the Coastal Bend is flaming hot!

Changes to our trout populations after the freeze of 2021 have pushed a new slot and bag limit on speckled trout.

Although trout are numerous, we are trying to build back a spectacular fishery.

Live bait fishing for trout with croakers has become a summertime tradition over the last 20 years. It’s still a very productive way to get into easy action, but those baits are expensive. To freeline a live croaker in the Laguna Madre, you need to find an open sand pocket in the flats and anchor up, then throw it into the open sand.

Fishing the sides of the ICW canal, is a great place to catch fish after the morning rush of boat traffic. In Baffin Bay, fish the sand pockets along the shallow shorelines and the large rock formations out in the deeper water.

Remember that all trout over 23 inches are to be released quickly to avoid stressing them.

To bring diverse species CAPT. FARAH to hand, we jfarah@yahoo.com use artificial

COPANO BAY: The mouth of Mission Bay is good for reds and black drum. Freelined live shrimp is best here on a high tide.

ST CHARLES BAY: The mouth of Cavasso creek is holding trout. Use live croakers or mudminnows free-lined.

ARANSAS BAY: Long Reef is a good spot for trout using free-lined croakers. The bite here is best in early morning. Reds can be caught in early morning as well.

DUNHAM BAY: The back of Dunham Bay next to the salt grasses is a good spot for reds using finger mullet on a light Carolina rig. High tide is best.

CARLOS BAY: Drifts across Carlos Lake are producing keeper trout using a popping cork with Berkley Gulp shrimp.

MESQUITE BAY: The best spot is the mouth of Cedar Bayou. Wades in this area can produce keeper trout and reds. Use croakers or finger mullet as bait. Berkley jerk shad is also a good choice in morning glory and new penny colors.

AYERS BAY: Second Chain is the spot for reds. Cut mullet or menhaden free-lined is the best choice early morning with a falling tide.

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lures year-round. On any given cast, you can hook a trout, redfish, flounder, or black drum, but I have solid game plans to target a gamefish species.

First light will find me tickling topwater lures along the shallow flats of the south shoreline of Baffin Bay. Explosive strikes will stop your heart and find you holding your biggest trout to date for a quick picture and a release. Shallow water redfish will blow up on a topwater as well, especially at dawn.

Drifting out toward the drop off on the south shore, you will find schools of trout where the grass flats fall off into the deeper water. Wade or drift with a DOA three-inch Cal Shad. Glow/chartreuse is an all-time favorite.

Long drifts across the flats in the Laguna Madre will provide unlimited shallow sand pocket targets to throw soft plastics into.

Redfish and trout will hide in the grass, watching the open sand, and waiting for your lure. DOA five-inch swim baits mimic a shad perfectly.

Rig this with a ¼-ounce jig head and you will hook into great action as you present this bait along the flats adjacent to the Intracoastal Canal.

Look for redfish to be closer to the shoreline and spoil areas that line the ICW canal. Soft plastics under a popping cork can sound off some great action as well, adding vibration and surface action to entice gamefish to strike.

I drift fish the ultra shallows, casting to redfish and trout, and watch these predators explode on our baits in only a foot of water.

Many times, we see schools of fish before we make the cast.

There are miles and miles of untouched water on the east side of Baffin Bay and Nine Mile Hole that are some of the best shallow water fishing in the world. As the sun rises, the ability to see into the water becomes your best tool.

Sight casting to redfish is very exciting. A light 1/16-ounce Owner Sled Head, rigged with a Super Model Down South Lure soft plastic is completely weedless and is a bait they can’t pass up.

Live shrimp under a popping cork is still a great way to catch all species of fish in these break open days of summer fishing. Match your length of drop to the water depth, keeping the shrimp just above the

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Backwater Fishing. Come experience the best fishing and fun in Texas!

• • •

MIDDLE COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Boat Hole GPS: N 27 41.281, W 97 15.126 (27.6880, -97.2521)

This overslot trout was released from the flats along the northern side of Baffin Bay.

bottom. Always use a small split shot a few inches above the hook to keep the bait from jumping out of the water and away from the fish. Drift or anchor over rock piles in Baffin Bay for summer black drum and trout.

The shallow muddy bottoms are where

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SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Croaker, gold spoons, and/or soft plastics SOURCE: Capt. Paul Braly 361-533-0982 fishfinderguideservice.com

you will find the redfish in the Badlands.

Drifts with shrimp and popping corks around the spoil islands along the ICW in the Laguna Madre will keep you in the action your entire day. Follow all of our hookups on Facebook at Joey Farah’s

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we start throwing nothing but croaker.

MIDDLE COAST

LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Contee Lake GPS: N 28 17.779, W 96 33.157 (28.2963, -96.5526)

TIPS: Color doesn’t really matter. If it goes by a redfish, he will eat it. Get out early, or fish into the evening.

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Pot Holes/Grass GPS: N 27 49.721, W 97 14.338 (27.8287, -97.2390) SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Croaker SOURCE: Capt. Billy Freudensprung 979-997-2264 TIPS: Check out the back lakes in June. When the hardheads and gaftops start showing up, that’s when

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Croaker SOURCE: Capt. Billy Freudensprung 979-997-2264

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Croaker SOURCE: Capt. Paul Braly 361-533-0982 fishfinderguideservice.com TIPS: There are a bunch of sand guts that run through there that will hold trout.

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Shamrock Cove GPS: N 27 46.018, W 97 9.239 (27.7670, -97.1540)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Croaker SOURCE: Capt. Paul Braly 361-533-0982 fishfinderguideservice.com TIPS: Look for slicks or bait fish activity and you can expect to catch some good trout LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Pringle Lake GPS: N 26 18.925, W 96 31.151 (26.3154, -96.5192)

This beautiful Baffin Bay Speck was caught and released along the south shore with a DOA Cal Shad.

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www.rfguideservice.com

TIPS: Pop the croaker every now and then, kind of wait about 10-15 seconds, give the croaker a little pop, make him start moving around. A lot of times little movements like that will get the trout’s attention.

TIPS: Use a Flapp’n Shad in plum or Key Lime color with 1/4 oz. jig head. In June the trout are aggressive.

Try to get deep in the water for the deeper fish.

LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Super Flats GPS: N 27 54.669, W 97 2.196 (27.9112, -97.0366)

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Natural Cut GPS: N 27 35.519, W 97 17.516 (27.5920, -97.2919)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live croaker SOURCE: Capt. Jack McParland 361-290-6302 TIPS: Park and throw live croaker, free lined in a sand/grass pothole.

LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Stedman’s Reef GPS: N 27 52.982, W 97 7.483 (27.8830, -97.1247)

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: East Flats GPS: N 27 24.958, W 97 20.627 (27.4160, -97.3438)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Croaker SOURCE: Capt. Paul Braly 361-533-0982 fishfinderguideservice.com TIPS: Anchor up and throw croaker, just keep bumping around until you find the right fish.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Croaker SOURCE: Capt. Paul Braly 361-533-0982 fishfinderguideservice.com TIPS: Pop the croaker every 30-40 seconds, bounce it off the bottom. This method works well for redfish as well.

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Croaker, live mullet, or perch SOURCE: Capt. Jack McParland 361-290-6302 www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Fish the outer edges of breaks and grass LOCATION: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Chicken Foot Reef GPS: N 28 15.925, W 96 47.346 (28.2654, -96.7891)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Flapp’n Shad soft plastics SOURCE: Capt. Brandon Kendrick 936-671-3477 T E X A S

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Summer Brings Out the True Sport of Fishing BAFFIN BAY Reported by CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

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ET’S TALK ABOUT FISHING the early months of summer, May and June. This is one of my favorite times of the year. Croaker season is just beginning and the challenge of determining where the fish are located that are willing to feed on small croakers brings out the true sport of fishing.

I start the search by picking one of my favorite rock structures and check to see what is feeding in that area. After rock structures, I will stop at a variety of shorelines where I target grass lines and drop offs using different fishing techniques. Some of these procedures include throwing bait from shallow to deep water and vice versa. A few other methods are targeting potholes in the grasses, watching for birds working, and oil slicks.

It is imperative to rememCAPT. MERRITT ber trout are geradmerritt@gmail.com ambush hunters. Paying attention to where you hook your croaker at these drop offs is key. It can help your fishing as well as hurt it.

If I find that fish are biting when I throw to the deep side of a drop off, I hook through the nose of a croaker. If you hook through the tail and can’t get a good hook set, you can move the hook up the body and get the hook into the fish’s mouth quicker.

Hook size is another thing to consider.

The hook needs to be matched to the bait. If the bait is a bit small, a smaller hook may be required. I fish a number five or possibly a number six in May and the first part of June if the bait crop is smaller than desired.

Keep in mind that when you fish with croakers, a trout will hit it broadside and turn

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SOURCE: Capt. Burt Grayson, Dos Gringos Charters 956-455-2503 TIPS: Try fishing water that has a little “bit of dirt.”

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

the head into its mouth before swallowing.

This can take time, so you will have to give some line to the fish to allow this to happen.

Depending on the size and health of your bait, you may have to attach weight to the line to keep the bait under the water’s surface.

To do this, I attach either split shot, clampon weights, or a slip weight, while I keep in mind that the speed of the current needs to be factored in.

This is a perfect time of year to get out and explore everything Baffin Bay has to offer. I hope you can take advantage of these methods to enjoy saltwater fishing with your friends and family.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp under a popping cork SOURCE: Capt. Burt Grayson, Dos Gringos Charters 956-455-2503 TIPS: Drift with braid line when the bait is a distance from the boat. You don’t want that stretch in the line.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N 26 0.405, W 97 16.465 (26.0068, -97.2744)

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LOWER COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado HOTSPOT: Three Islands GPS: N 26 16.282, W 97 17.702 (26.2714, -97.2950)

SPECIES: Mangrove Snapper BEST BAITS: Live shrimp SOURCE: Capt. Burt Grayson, Dos Gringos Charters 956-455-2503 TIPS: Find structure, a place with rip-rap coming down into the water. Use a very small slip shot weight, or a torpedo weight at line end, then 18 inches to two feet of 25-30 lb. leader line with a circle hook.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Marker 2 GPS: N 27 5.898, W 97 26.604

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics |

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f Gulf oo Mexic

Lower Laguna Madre

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(27.0983, -97.4434)

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1 SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork SOURCE: Capt. Burt Grayson, Dos Gringos Charters 956-455-2503 TIPS: Drift with live shrimp under a poppi9ng cork.

A Mansfield Mauler or Styrofoam cork that is weighted and designed to rattle.

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South Bay

HOTSPOTLIGHT

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: North Jetty GPS: N 26 33.893, W 97 16.498 (26.5649, -97.2750)

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PORT ISABEL

THE LOWER LAGUNA MADRE BETWEEN PORT ISABEL AND SOUTH PADRE ISLAND is one of the richest fisheries on the Gulf Coast. Selected HOTSPOTS are shown in the table below, and on the map.

SPECKLED TROUT KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

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Turning Basin

2

Mesquite Flats

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South Bay Channels

REDFISH

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Del Mar Beach

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South Bay East Table Top

FLOUNDER

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Edge of Intracoastal

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Railbed

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South Bay Pass

SNOOK

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South Side of Bridge

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North of Jetties

11

Mexequita Flats

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Mangroves in South Bay

WADEFISHING 1

New Causeway (N or S side)

2

Coast Guard Sta. (S. side)

FACILITIES KEY

FACILITY NAME

A

Isla Blanca Park

B

GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 26 03.761, W 97 09.482 N 26 03.668, W 97 11.409 N 26 02.435, W 97 11.011

Live shrimp, shad tails, fish dropoffs after cold front; Jan-Mar, Dec, morning-midday

N 26 03.388, W 97 08.961 N 26 01.431, W 97 11.089

Live/cut mullet, fish 1st / 2nd gut, cast parallel to shore; Jun-Oct, dawn thru midday

N 26 05.128, W 97 12.287 N 26 03.830, W 97 09.920 N 26 02.889, W 97 11.031

Jig minnow slowly off btm. count 5 before setting hook; Jun-Aug, Oct, dawn-am, dusk-ngt

N 26 04.677, W 97 12.287 N 26 04.143, W 97 09.081 N 26 03.414, W 97 11.773 N 26 02.420, W 97 10.476

Live shrimp, 3” Gulp shrimp, bounce off bottom slowly; May-Jun, Sep-Oct, dawn, dusk

N 26 05.088, W 97 10.353 N 26 04.360, W 97 10.031

Trout, redfish, snook & flounder, live bait, soft plastics; May thru November

GPS

LOCATION

Live shrimp, pinfish, red/wht. plastics, drift the area; All Year, dawn thru dusk

Live finger mullet, 3-4” topwaters, wade or drift; MarNov, morning thru afternoon

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Rocky Slough GPS: N 27 10.639, W 97 26.445 (27.1773, -97.4408)

Mud minnows, finger mullet, fish bed stones on btm.; Jun-Sep, morning thru midday Anchor @ edge of channel pt. look for wht. poles ; JulNov, avoid afternoon

Finger mullet, shrimp, fish rocks with moving tides; May-Nov, morning-afternoon Soft plastics w 118/4 oz. jig heads, anchor or drift flats; May-Nov, morning-afternoon Live bait w cork, work top slow, work plastics quickly; May-Jun, Sep-Oct, dawn, dusk

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Kelly Wiggler soft plastics SOURCE: Capt. Burt Grayson, Dos Gringos Charters 956-455-2503 TIPS: Anything with a chartreuse tail. A bone/ diamond works real well for wading. In a Salt Water Assassin, try the 10W40. Other colors are Root Beer/ chartreuse or a red/chartreuse on a 1/4 oz. jig head.

Trout, redfish, snook, flounder & sheepshead, live bait; May thru November PHONE

N 26 04.522, 33714 State Park Rd 100 W 97 09.772 N 26 04.734, Pirates Landing 110 N. Garcia W 97 12.402 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS 2022

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork SOURCE: Capt. Burt Grayson, Dos Gringos Charters 956-455-2503 TIPS: Don’t need a separate leader, just use Fire Line braided, in 8 or 10 pound test, tied directly to the hook.

Mansfield Mauler, 118/4 oz. jig head, drift with wind; Apr-Oct, dawn, dusk

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Post-Spawn Fish Head for Creeks, Points BEST BAITS: Shad cranks, spoons, fish with flow direction SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Shad cranks, spoons, fish with flow direction; Dawn, morning

SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers BEST BAITS: Live shad and Storm Swim shad SOURCE: Richard Tatsch 936)291-1277 www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: The hybrid stripers are in full swing now and this is the time to catch trophy fish and possibly lake record Hybrids. They will be all around the lake on submerged points and humps. The use of electronics is a necessity! Find the schools of shad and you will find the Hybrids. They will range in water from 16 to 28 feet. Find the depth the baitfish are in, and you will find fish. As the weather heats up the early morning bite will be best. Live shad is the bait of choice, but the swim shad will work if you can control the depth.

LOCATION: Lake Cooper/Chapman HOTSPOT: Finely Branch Creek GPS: N 33 17.402, W 95 41.223 (33.2900, -95.6871)

LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Bird Island Area GPS: N 32 40.6206, W 94 5.0219 (32.6770, -94.0837)

Reported by TF&G STAFF

EAST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: V&M wild thang 8.5 worm in colors of black/blue or Blue Flex. Frogs and buzzbaits in the grass and pads.

SOURCE: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 www.caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish large worms around the cypress trees in 3-5 ft. of water while fishing the frogs and buzzbaits in the same areas.

LOCATION: Lake Bob Sandlin HOTSPOT: Cypress Flume GPS: N 33 3.297, W 95 3.297 (33.0550, -95.0550)

LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 26.994, W 95 35.376 (30.4499, -95.5896)

SPECIES: White Bass

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, swim baits SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 903-593-5077 TIPS: Fish red/shad plastics or watermelon swimbaits. You’ll want to work the banks. Dawn through afternoon.

LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Main Lake Creeks GPS: N 32 56.2319, W 95 38.796 (32.9372, -95.6466)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Popping Frog in white, Yellow Magic

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HOTSPOTLIGHT: CURRENT LAKE LEVELS LAKE

EAST TEXAS

CAPACITY AC. FT. Addicks -n.a.B A Steinhagen 69,186 Barker -n.a.Bob Sandlin 192,417 Bonham 11,027 Caddo 29,898 Coleto Creek 31,040 Conroe 410,988 Crook 9,195 Cypress Springs 66,756 Fork 605,061 Houston 130,147 Houston County 17,113 Jacksonville 25,670 Jim Chapman 260,332 Lake O’ the Pines 241,363 Livingston 1,741,867 Monticello 34,740 Murvaul 38,285 Nacogdoches 39,522 Palestine 367,303 Pat Mayse 113,683 Sam Rayburn 2,857,077 Striker 16,934 Sulphur Springs 17,747 Toledo Bend 2,236,450 Wright Patman 310,382 As of 4/7/2022

CURRENT AC. FT. -n.a.67,259 -n.a.187,119 10,038 29,898 28,207 410,988 9,195 60,155 458,936 129,246 17,113 25,670 217,605 241,363 1,741,867 28,617 38,285 38,913 367,303 111,046 2,672,578 16,934 11,922 2,099,900 292,311

% FULL -n.a.97% -n.a.97% 91% 100% 91% 100% 100% 90% 76% 99% 100% 100% 84% 100% 100% 82% 100% 99% 100% 98% 94% 100% 67% 94% 94%

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topwater lure, and Wacky Worm in Watermelon Red SOURCE: Doug Shampine 940-902-3855 www.lakeforktrophybass.com TIPS: Bass fishing in May on Lake Fork is my favorite month to fish. The top water bite is outstanding in May. The female bass are now in post spawn and are feeding up after not eating while they were spawning.

You will find them in the shallow areas close to the spawning areas. Also, the lily pads are growing along with the hydrilla which provides ambush cover for these big females. Burch, Running, Coffee, and Big Mustang Creeks will be places to check out for these big bass to be feeding.

LOCATION: Lake Houston HOTSPOT: Railroad Bridge GPS: N 29 59.19, W 95 7.87 (29.9865, -95.1312)

 SEE INSET

12 miles north of Paris

LAKE PAT MAYSE LOCATION: In Lamar County 12 miles north of Paris on Sanders Creek, a tributary of the Red River SURFACE AREA: 5,940 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 55 feet IMPOUNDED: 1967

for largemouth bass, crappie and catfish. Many of these coves also have margins of submerged and emergent vegetation. Rip rap on the dam provides opportunities for all species throughout the year.

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LARGEMOUTH BASS ARE POPULAR IN this reservoir. Spotted bass provide additional action, but they don’t get very big. White bass provide an additional fishery, especially in the open water areas. Crappie fishing is generally good, especially in the lake’s abundant standing timber. Channel catfish dominate and provide excellent sport fishing.

The upper third of Pat Mayse Lake, upstream from Lamar Point, is heavily timbered with numerous coves and cuts which provide excellent habitat

 INSET

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Live minnows or jigs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Use spider rigs.

LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: The Lump GPS: N 30 41.172, W 95 5.658 (30.6862, -95.0943)

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Jigging White Slabs, trolled Pet Spoons on downrigger and Tsunami Zombie Eye Jigs (1 oz pink/silver glow).

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

EAST TEXAS SOURCE: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Fish the slope of the drop off and jig the slabs and Tsunami Zombie Eyes right off the bottom. Feel for strikes on the falling jig.

LOCATION: Lake Murvaul HOTSPOT: Riter Point GPS: N 32 2.349, W 94 25.758 (32.0392, -94.4293)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 903-938-1007 TIPS: Drop shot minnows at grasslines. Avoid afternoon.

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn HOTSPOT: Norris Creek GPS: N 31 08.319, W 94 08.251 (31.1387, -94.1375)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Graph the fish around this point; dawn, morning, dusk, dawn, morning, dusk

LOCATION: Lake Wright Patman HOTSPOT: Rochelle Creek GPS: N 33 20.054, W 94 13.426 (33.3342, -94.2238)

LOCATION: Lake Nacogdoches HOTSPOT: Anderson Point GPS: N 31 37.411, W 94 48.952 (31.6235, -94.8159)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, Roadrunners SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Slow roll live minnows or Roadrunners over grass. Dawn to late morning, dusk, and night.

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn HOTSPOT: Back of Pophers Creek GPS: N 31 11.893, W 94 23.527 (31.1982, -94.3921)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Jigs, soft plastics SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 409-698-9114 TIPS: This is a good spawning area. Use your electronics to find brush piles. Avoid midday.

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SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Punchbait, shad SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 903-938-1007 Fish with Carolina-rigged punchbait or shad and work in about 6-15 feet of water. Action good all day.

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LOCATION: Lake O the Pines HOTSPOT: Big Cypress at Cedar Springs GPS: N 32 50.863, W 94 41.863 (32.8477, -94.6977)

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows (shiners) and jigs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: May is the month the Crappie will be moving off the beds and following the creeks back to their main lake haunts. If you drop some brush or locate some natural cover along the creek channels the Crappie will hold in these areas before heading back to the main lake. Straight-line shiners or jigs over the cover.

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Frogs, plastics SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Run frogs over the acres of lily pads in this area. Dawn to late morning and dusk are best times.

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Fish Early Mornings, Late Afternoons SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits and Topwater Baits in natural colors SOURCE: Henry Niemiec 254-368-0294 TIPS: Now is the time to plan your trips in the early morning or late afternoon. Bass will move into the shallow water to feed when the sun goes down and move back to deeper water when it comes back up.

Look for shorelines with stickups or larger rocks in the water. The backs of coves are great starting points for this time of the year. If you have been bitten by the top water bug, this is the time of the year for some great top water action!

Reported by TF&G STAFF

CENTRAL TEXAS HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Upper Half of Main Lake GPS: N 30 50.4, W 98 24.4919 (30.8400, -98.4082)

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Mid-Lake Humps GPS: N 32 18.288, W 96 9.636 (32.3048, -96.1606)

LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: Lake Austin Marina GPS: N 30 18.068, W 97 46.947 (30.3011, -97.7825)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, soft plastics SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Spinnerbaits, soft plastic worms; all day; March-July, all day LOCATION: Belton Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 8.49, W 97 28.8359 (31.1415, -97.4806)

SPECIES: Striped Bass and White Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad SOURCE: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: White Bass and Striper fishing is excellent.

Concentrate on 30 to 45 feet depths near ridges and humps. If you have a breeze, drop your anchor. If not, try drifting and fish 24 feet down.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Guadalupe River Mouth Area GPS: N 29 53.5379, W 98 18.216 (29.8923, -98.3036)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs with minnows, small crankbaits, small spinnerbaits

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SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: There may be a small number of crappie that have not spawned, but most will be scattered following intermediate travel routes exiting the river, creeks, and shallow water in search of their deeper summer habitat. Black crappie usually do not migrate as far from spawning grounds as white crappie. More white crappie will be caught in the main lake during the summer, while black crappie will seek the deeper depths of the river. This area has lots of standing timber the river channel. Fish just off the main river channel and look for suspended fish.

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs SOURCE: Jason Barber 903-603-2047 www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: Fish mid-lake humps and points with slabs hopped along the bottom in 8’ to 16’, LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 43.4759, W 97 11.334 (28.7246, -97.1889)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

4/21/22 2:23 PM

LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Brush Piles GPS: N 30 42.09, W 97 21.0839 (30.7015, -97.3514)

CENTRAL TEXAS BEST BAITS: Topwater lures, weightless watermelon lizards, pearl white or watermelon flukes, white spinnerbaits SOURCE: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-960-0566 TIPS: Stay focused in the backs of creeks that have a lot of fry and fish topwaters early morning. Then find clear water during the afternoon and pitch white spinners during windy day. If no wind, throw pearl white or watermelon flukes. Just let it sink real slow.

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: Dam GPS: N 32 52.546, W 97 27.991 (32.875775, -97.466522)

LOCATION: Lake Corpus Christi HOTSPOT: Main Islands GPS: N 28 8.886, W 97 54.279 (28.1481, -97.9047)

SPECIES: Channel catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait SOURCE: Kolby Kuhn, Final Cast Guide Service 817-243-5858 kolbymkuhn@gmail.com TIPS: The channel catfish will be spawning this month. Good places to catch them are near rocky banks such as the dam. Use a slip cork rig with punch bait out in front of the rocks to catch them. Focus on shallow water in stained water areas and move deeper in clear water areas. Try different depths between 1 and 10 feet of water until you start getting bites.

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Live minnows, crappie jigs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Hit willow trees in 7-14’, look for brush marked w jugs; all day; Apr thru Oct, all day LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: Deep water hump GPS: N 32 53.281, W 97 29.684 (32.88801, -97.49474)

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

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

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 33 2.9099, W 96 31.7099 (33.0485, -96.5285)

SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Slabs SOURCE: Kolby Kuhn, Final Cast Guide Service 817-243-5858 kolbymkuhn@gmail.com TIPS: After the spawn, the white bass will be feeding heavily on shad around main lake humps. Focus on fishing 20-30 feet of water vertical jigging slabs. As the water warms up later in May, move to the shallow part of the same structure or fish the 15-20 foot range.

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs and Minnows SOURCE: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Use jigs tipped with Berkley Crappie Nibbles or minnows. Remember, dead minnows will usually catch the largest crappie. Fish vertically over the brush and hold the bait very still. Wait for the thump and you are in business.

LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: State Park Brush Pile GPS: N 32 37.746, W 96 59.265 (32.6291, -96.9878)

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

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows and black and chartreuse or white and chartreuse 1/16 ounce jigs SOURCE: Carey Thorn

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CURRENT LAKE LEVELS

CENTRAL TEXAS

LAKE

CAPACITY AC. FT. Aquilla 43,243 Arlington 40,157 Athens 29,503 Austin 23,972 Bardwell 46,122 Belton 435,225 Benbrook 85,648 Buchanan 860,607 Canyon 378,781 Cedar Creek 644,686 Choke Canyon 662,820 Corpus Christi 256,062 Eagle Mountain 179,880 Georgetown 36,823 Gibbons Creek 25,721 Granger 51,822 Grapevine 163,064 Halbert 6,033 Hubert H Moss 24,058 Inks 13,962 Joe Pool 175,800 Lavon 406,388 Lewisville 563,228 Limestone 203,780 Lyndon B Johnson 115,249 Marble Falls 6,901 Martin 75,726 Medina 254,823 Mountain Creek 22,850 Navarro Mills 49,827 New Terrell City 8,583 Ray Hubbard 439,559 Ray Roberts 788,167 Richland-Chamb. 1,087,839 Somerville 150,293 Stillhouse Hollow 227,771 Tawakoni 871,685 Texana 159,566 Texoma 1,243,801 Travis 1,113,348 Tyler 72,073 Waco 189,418 Waxahachie 10,780 Weatherford 17,812 Whitney 553,344 Worth 24,419 As of 4/7/2022

CURRENT AC. FT. 37,329 37,735 29,503 22,665 45,778 393,349 67,699 754,138 368,738 599,034 269,246 176,567 154,155 27,746 23,255 51,822 161,683 5,362 23,982 13,686 162,444 394,106 544,226 203,780 111,310 6,869 75,677 53,869 22,850 42,630 7,786 433,124 778,279 996,797 150,293 205,204 815,601 156,182 1,192,944 750,529 72,073 151,387 8,825 14,227 502,943 18,186

% FULL 86% 94% 100% 95% 99% 90% 79% 88% 97% 93% 41% 69% 86% 75% 90% 100% 99% 89% 100% 98% 92% 97% 97% 100% 97% 100% 100% 21% 100% 86% 91% 99% 99% 92% 100% 90% 94% 98% 96% 67% 100% 80% 82% 80% 91% 75%

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 INSET

 SEE INSET

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

LAKE WORTH LOCATION: On the West Fork of the Trinity River, entirely within the Fort Worth city limits SURFACE AREA: 3,489 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 22 feet IMPOUNDED: 1914

sumption advisory recommends not eating catfish from the lake. Crappie are caught near reed beds and under docks.

The lake also has largemouth and white bass, but not in great numbers.

White bass fishing is best during the spawning run, up river. Largemouth congregate along rocky shorelines and around boat houses.

WHITE CRAPPIE AND CATFISH ARE the most abundant fish species found in Lake Worth. Blue catfish in excess of 40 pounds are common, but a con-

469-528-0210 whitebassfishingtexas.com TIPS: If the gates are closed, dependent on the rain this month, look for crappie anywhere from 1 to 10 feet of water. In 7 to 10 you’ll find your females, and shallower you should find your males. Fish with minnows under a cork or long rod with black and chartreuse or white and chartreuse 1/16 ounce jig head.

GPS: N 33 7.554, W 96 55.654 (33.1259, -96.9276)

LOCATION: Lake Lewisville HOTSPOT: Hackberry Creek

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Shad RatLTraps T E X A S

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SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Fish the creek channel, vary your retrieve; dawn, dusk

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TIPS: Fish are still spawning. Fish shallows along the bank or structure. Use Kahle hook for shad or a #6 treble hook for punch bait. Consider using a slip cork to prevent unwanted hookups.

CENTRAL TEXAS LOCATION: Lake Limestone HOTSPOT: Bridge Pilings GPS: N 31 26.375, W 96 22.746 (31.4396, -96.3791)

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

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Carolina rig punchbait or shad SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Work in about 6 to 15 feet of water; all day

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Fish bridge pilings and shadows; all day

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits and Topwater Baits in natural colors SOURCE: Henry Niemiec 254-368-0294 TIPS: Look for matted grass around the flats and the timber around the back side of the island. Work around the timber on the shady side and along the edges and through the grass. This is the time of the year for some great top water action.

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

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N 32 13.5, W 95 29.2499 (32.2250, -95.4875)

SPECIES: White Bass and Hybrid Striper BEST BAITS: Slabs SOURCE: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: The hybrid stripers and white bass will be feeding aggressively in the main lake area all month long. Silver RSR Slabs fished in 20’-30’ water off the 309 Flats will result in lots of white bass action and the occasional large hybrid. Look for the gulls to help locate the baitfish that the whites are feeding on.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Deep diver crankbaits in shad pattern, Carolina rig in Watermelon Red and the Big Eye jig in Watermelon Red or candy color.

SOURCE: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Post-spawn bass will be moving away from spawning grounds and the male bass will be in the shallows with the fry that are left. Work main lake points for the larger bass. Fish the first drop off from the shore in the 10 to 16 foot range. Best areas are points near the dam. Fish as slow as you can.

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Yegua Park Shoreline GPS: N 30 17.76, W 96 32.784 (30.2960, -96.5464)

LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: The Dam GPS: N 32 48.024, W 96 29.845 (32.8004, -96.4974)

LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni HOTSPOT: Fish Cove GPS: N 32 52.659, W 95 55.534 (32.877652, -95.92556)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, live bait SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Use bright soft plastics when windy, natural when not; dawn, morning, dusk LOCATION: Lake Texana HOTSPOT: Mustang Creek Bridge GPS: N 29 1.445, W 96 30.3 (29.0241, -96.5050)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait or shad SOURCE: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 www.fishtales-guideservice.com

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Fish live minnows under cork, white crappie jigs; all day

and will strike on artificial lures and live bait. Cast Pencil Poppers and Big Chug Bugs on the shallow banks early in the mornings. After the top water bite, switch to 1oz. White Glo Sassy Shad jigs or live shad.

Work the jigs on main lake ledges to 30’ depths. Drift or anchor with live shad on the same ledges.

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

LOCATION: Lake Waco HOTSPOT: Old Highway 6 North GPS: N 31 33.096, W 97 13.82 (31.5516, -97.2303)

SPECIES: Striped Bass and White Bass BEST BAITS: Sassy Shad jigs, top water plugs, live shad CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 www.striperexpress.com TIPS: Large schools of post spawn fish are hungry

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SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear TIPS: Work shallow blue/silver crankbaits on submerged roadbed; morning thru afternoon

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

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live threadfin shad SOURCE: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Stripers, coming off the spawn, are gorging and making for some awesome action. Live bait (threadfin shad) works best. Rigging up on a Carolina rig and fishing straight down around 18’ just off ledges and edges at Whitney hump and other main lake points and humps is the key. Watch your graph along these edges and humps and if your screen lights up with big balls of bait, the stripers aren’t far behind.

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4/21/22 2:23 PM

Action Heats Up in May and June for All Species

LOCATION: Fort Phantom Hill Res. HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 36.501, W 99 41.011 (32.608351, -99.68351)

LOCATION: Lake Clyde HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 18.851, W 99 28.466 (32.314186, -99.474426)

SPECIES: Channel catfish BEST BAITS: Cut shad, punchbait SOURCE: Lance Benson, Texas Parks & Wildlife 325-692-0921 TIPS: June at Clyde Lake in Callahan County has historically been a great month for channel catfish.

Fishing from the bank using cut shad or punch bait can produce some exceptional channel catfish.

Fishing at night is always an option to escape the heat and crowds. Clyde Lake has nice facilities and campsites for overnight stays. There is a small entrance fee to enter the facility.

Reported by DEAN HEFFNER

WEST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

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

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M A Y / J U N E

TexasOutdoorNation-2205-DIG.indd 64

LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Lower End GPS: N 32 22.659, W 97 42.009 (32.37765, -97.70015)

LOCATION: Lake Falcon HOTSPOT: Little Tiger Hardwoods GPS: N 26 41.428, W 99 07.779 (26.6905, -99.1297)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Bass Jigs (white), 1/4 oz. or 3/8 oz. shaky head with a blue fleck worm or Senko type worm, Texas rigged worms SOURCE: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 TIPS: The bass will start moving out of the backs of the creeks to the channel edges, and on humps and flats at the mouths of the creeks. Check out the mouth of Big Grape, Rocky, Little Grape, and Ince Cove.

64

SPECIES: White and hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: Poppers, small spinners SOURCE: Lance Benson, Texas Parks & Wildlife 325-692-0921 TIPS: May is great for white bass and hybrid striped bass. On windy days, rocky points and exposed rocks offer some fast and furious action. Any type of small, bladed baits fished near rocks should be rewarded.

Don’t be surprised to have a limit of white bass in a short amount of time. Early morning top water bites can be outstanding near rocks. Small chopper baits and popper style baits tend to work extremely well.

2 0 2 2

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut bait SOURCE: Robert Amaya, Robert’s Fishing Tackle 956-765-1442 www.robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Work cut bait in and around trees on bottom rigs. Dawn to dusk.

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T E X A S

F I S H

&

SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, Willow shaped Slabs, bucktail jigs with a curly tail SOURCE: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 254-396-4855 TIPS: Downrigging jigs near channel ledges near baitfish can help locate active fish. Live shad on a Carolina rig fished 15 to 25 feet down is hard to beat.

LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Twin Humps near town GPS: N 32 26.404, W 97 46.977 (32.440067, -97.78295)

G A M E ®

4/21/22 2:23 PM

HOTSPOTLIGHT: CURRENT LAKE LEVELS LAKE

WEST TEXAS

CAPACITY AC. FT. Abilene 7,900 Alan Henry 96,207 Amistad 1,840,849 Amon G Carter 19,266 Arrowhead 230,359 Brady Creek 28,808 Bridgeport 366,236 Brownwood 130,868 Champion Creek 41,580 Cherokee 40,094 Cisco 29,003 Coleman 38,075 Colorado City 30,758 E V Spence 517,272 Elephant Butte 1,960,900 Falcon 1,551,007 Fort Phantom Hill 70,030 Graham 45,288 Granbury 132,949 Greenbelt 59,968 Hords Creek 8,109 Hubbard Creek 313,298 J B Thomas 199,931 Kemp 245,307 Kickapoo 86,345 Leon 27,762 Lost Creek 11,950 Mackenzie 46,450 Meredith 500,000 Millers Creek 26,768 Mineral Wells 5,273 Nasworthy 9,615 Natural Dam 9,615 Nocona 21,444 N. Fork Buffalo Cr. 15,400 O C Fisher 115,742 O H Ivie 554,340 Oak Creek 39,210 Palo Duro 61,066 Palo Pinto 26,766 Pat Cleburne 26,008 Possum Kingdom 538,139 Proctor 54,762 Red Bluff 151,110 Squaw Creek 151,250 Stamford 51,570 Sweetwater 12,267 Twin Buttes 182,454 White River 29,880 As of 4/7/2022

CURRENT AC. FT. 5,263 82,699 855,153 18,321 192,419 15,631 315,857 114,463 28,091 40,094 24,605 34,237 21,623 121,091 243,322 320,528 62,608 37,450 131,241 9,588 3,243 264,765 72,764 204,414 63,525 22,894 11,455 3,410 169,576 21,828 4,894 8,631 8,631 17,242 11,493 6,473 286,293 25,671 327 24,654 19,308 507,661 45,982 111,479 145,847 41,678 9,589 91,684 4,967

% FULL 67% 86% 47% 95% 84% 54% 86% 88% 68% 100% 85% 90% 70% 23% 12% 21% 89% 83% 99% 16% 40% 85% 36% 83% 74% 83% 96% 7% 34% 82% 93% 90% 90% 80% 75% 6% 52% 66% 1% 92% 74% 94% 84% 74% 96% 81% 78% 50% 17%

•

On the southwest side of San Angelo

LAKE NASWORTHY LOCATION: On the Concho River, in San Angelo SURFACE AREA: 1,380 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 29 feet IMPOUNDED: 1930

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department assisted local partners in the installation of PVC fish attracting structures at selected sites within the lake. The four attractor locations are marked on the map above with this symbol: The main species sought on Nasworthy are catfish, white bass, crappie and largemouth bass. There is a 14-18 slot limit on largemouth bass for this lake.

LAKE NASWORTHY IS AN OLD, SHALlow reservoir. The main structure on Nasworthy is mud banks, but there are a few areas of rip-rap and rocky structure. Bulrushes and alligator weed provide shoreline cover.

•

BEST BAITS: Live shad, jigs SOURCE: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 Fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: The weather is finally settled, and the fish are biting. Live shad is the ticket in May, but you can troll, downrig, or throw lures this time of year. Look for the fish to be on the breaklines. They travel up and down them like natural highways. We like to troll jigs with Mister Twister curly tails. When we were kids, my granddad would tie a RatLTrap on one of our lines and a crankbait on the other and troll us around until we got a double on. That’s when he would shut the motor off and proclaim, “This is where we’re fishing today!”

Sure enough, we would catch fish all day right there with minnows we’d netted that morning.

summer pattern and are excellent on small minnows fished near deeper structure. Look for scattered fish around bridge pilings and try a variety of depths to get the bite.

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Broadway GPS: N 32 52.734, W 98 31.899 (32.878900, -98.531650)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Small minnows, small crappie jigs in blue ice or electric chicken colors SOURCE: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 254-396-4855 TIPS: The Texas heat is here, and most of the fishing is reserved for early and late. Crappie are in their

T E X A S

TexasOutdoorNation-2205-DIG.indd 65

••

SPECIES: Striped & hybrid striped bass F I S H

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G A M E ®

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M A Y / J U N E

•••

2 0 2 2

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4/21/22 2:23 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MAY/JUNE 2022

Tides and Prime Times The following pages contain TIDE and SOLUNAR predictions for our Base Point, Galveston Channel (N 29.317, W 94.88) Tidal movement and the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on many fish and game species.

AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets.

These phases last 1 to 2 hours.

TIDE CONVERSION TABLE HIGH

SABINE AREA T1 Sabine Bank Lighthouse

LOW

KEY

PLACE

HIGH

LOW

KEY

PLACE

HIGH

T8

Eagle Point

+3:54 +4:15

T17

Galveston Pleasure Pier

-1:06 -1:06

T9

Clear Lake

+6:05 +6:40

T18

San Luis Pass

-0.09 -0.09

T2

Sabine Pass Jetty

-1:26 -1:31

T10

Morgans Point

+10:21 +5:19

T3

Sabine Pass

-1:00 -1:15

T11

Round Pt, Trinity Bay

+10:39 +5:15

T12

Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay

+5:48 +4:43

T20

Pass Cavallo

0:00

-0:04 -0:25

T13

Gilchrist, East Bay

+3:16 +4:18

T21

Aransas Pass

-0:03 -1:31

LOWER COAST T22 Padre Island (So. End)

-0:24 -1:45

GALVESTON BAY AREA T4 Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass T5

Galveston Bay, S. Jetty

-0:39 -1:05

T14

Jamaica Beach, W. Bay

+2:38 +3:31

T6

Port Bolivar

+0:14 -0:06

T15

Alligator Point, W. Bay

+2:39 +2:33

T7

Texas City Turning Basin

+0:33 +0:41

T16

Christmas Pt

+2:32 +2:31

MONDAY

25

Low Tide: 6:59a High Tide: 2:41p Low Tide: 8:46p

TUESDAY

26

0.08ft.

1.44ft.

0.99ft.

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

FEET

12:59a 8:05a 2:57p 8:59p

27

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

2:28a 9:03a 3:11p 9:21p

28

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

3:41a 9:56a 3:21p 9:47p

12a

Sunrise: 7:31a Sunset: 6:33p Moonrise: 3:55a Moon Set: 4:46p

AM Minor: 2:45a AM Major: 8:57a PM Minor: 3:09p PM Major: 9:21p

Austin

Port Arthur

Houston San Antonio

Galveston Port O’Connor

Freeport

Aransas Pass



Corpus Christi

BASE POINT: GALVESTON CHANNEL (N 29.317, W 94.880)

-1:20 Port Isabel

+1:02 -0:42

THURSDAY

1.31ft.

0.47ft.

1.27ft.

0.52ft.

6p

Dallas

-0:44 -1:02

Port Isabel

T23

WEDNESDAY

1.23ft.

0.26ft.

1.34ft.

0.76ft.

Fort Worth

LOW

-1:46 -1:31

UPPER MIDDLE COAST T19 Freeport Harbor

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 10:25a Moon Underfoot: 10:49p

TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the White Area MONDAY at the top of the Calendar Pages. You can use the Nov 1 High Tide: 2:36a 1.63 ft.

CONVERSION TABLE below to make adjustments. Low Tide: 8:33a 1.03 ft.

High Tide: 2:05p 1.46 ft.

It is keyed to 23 other tide stations along the Texas Low Tide: 8:10p 0.71 ft.

Coast (see these map icons: T1 ). Adjust low and high tide times, plus or minus in minutes, from the times given for the Base Point at Galveston Channel.

While tides are not a direct factor in FRESHWATER FISHING, SoLunar Activity still accounts for increased feeding activity in freshwater species. It is also a prime factor in the movement and feeding habits of game species.

6a

10:00a — 12:00p

Lubbock

SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE

PEAK TIMES: Our Forecast Calendar uses both Tide and SoLunar projections to predict the best fishing times and days. Generally, if a SoLunar Period (Major/Minor) falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset, fishing conditions should be better. On certain days where Tidal Activity is stronger, the best fishing times may fall ouside the normal SoLunar range.

PLACE

12a

Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE on the map below to adjust times for points East and West of our Base Point at Galveston Channel.

Amarillo

(See Instructions for reading the Graphs on the opposite page)

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.

KEY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the Green Boxes on the Calendar pages. Moon Overhead and Underfoot times are given in the SoLunar Box and illustrated on the Fishing Graph.

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

FRIDAY

29 

1.40ft.

0.68ft.

1.23ft.

0.30ft.

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

4:46a 10:46a 3:30p 10:15p

SATURDAY

30 

1.48ft.

0.88ft.

1.22ft.

0.13ft.

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

5:45a 11:36a 3:35p 10:45p

SUNDAY

May 1 

1.55ft.

1.06ft.

1.23ft.

0.01ft.

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

6:40a 12:29p 3:29p 11:17p

1.59ft.

1.20ft.

1.26ft.

-0.06ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

8:30 — 10:30 AM Sunrise: 6:42a Sunset: 7:50p Moonrise: 3:58a Moon Set: 3:09p

AM Minor: 1:58a AM Major: 8:10a PM Minor: 2:23p PM Major: 8:35p

Moon Overhead: 9:30a Moon Underfoot: 9:55p

66

|

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

9:30 — 11:30 AM Sunrise: 6:41a Sunset: 7:51p Moonrise: 4:33a Moon Set: 4:10p

AM Minor: 2:42a AM Major: 8:54a PM Minor: 3:05p PM Major: 9:17p

Moon Overhead: 10:18a Moon Underfoot: 10:41p

M A Y / J U N E

TexasOutdoorNation-2205-DIG.indd 66

2 0 2 2

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 3:22a AM Major: 9:34a PM Minor: 3:45p PM Major: 9:56p

6p

12a

11:00A — 1:00P

AM Minor: 4:01a AM Major: 10:12a PM Minor: 4:23p PM Major: 10:33p

T E X A S

Moon Overhead: 11:47a Moon Underfoot: None

F I S H

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:40a Sunset: 7:52p Moonrise: 5:34a Moon Set: 6:06p

Moon Overhead: 11:03a Moon Underfoot: 11:25p

|

12p

BEST TIME

10:00A — 12:00P Sunrise: 6:40a Sunset: 7:51p Moonrise: 5:05a Moon Set: 5:09p

6a

&

11:30A — 1:30P Sunrise: 6:39a Sunset: 7:53p Moonrise: 6:04a Moon Set: 7:02p

AM Minor: 4:40a AM Major: 10:51a PM Minor: 5:02p PM Major: 11:13p Moon Overhead: 12:30p Moon Underfoot: 12:08a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

12:30 — 2:30 PM Sunrise: 6:38a Sunset: 7:53p Moonrise: 6:35a Moon Set: 7:59p

AM Minor: 5:22a AM Major: 11:33a PM Minor: 5:44p PM Major: 11:55p Moon Overhead: 1:13p Moon Underfoot: 12:51a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 PM Sunrise: 6:37a Sunset: 7:54p Moonrise: 7:07a Moon Set: 8:57p

AM Minor: 6:07a AM Major: 11:51a PM Minor: 6:30p PM Major: 12:18p Moon Overhead: 1:59p Moon Underfoot: 1:36a

G A M E ®

4/21/22 2:23 PM

MAY/JUNE 2022

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

2 FEET

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

7:35a 2:04p 2:21p 11:52p

1.60ft.

1.31ft.

1.31ft.

-0.07ft.

TUESDAY

3

High Tide: 8:31a

1.59ft.

WEDNESDAY

4

Low Tide: 12:30a High Tide: 9:33a

THURSDAY

5

-0.03ft.

1.56ft.

Low Tide: 1:13a High Tide: 10:44a

FRIDAY

6

0.03ft.

1.53ft.

Low Tide: 2:02a High Tide: 11:57a

SATURDAY

7

0.11ft.

1.51ft.

Low Tide: 2:56a High Tide: 12:50p

SUNDAY

8

0.19ft.

1.49ft.

Low Tide: 3:55a High Tide: 1:19p

0.27ft.

1.47ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

7:30 — 9:30 PM Sunrise: 6:36a Sunset: 7:55p Moonrise: 7:43a Moon Set: 9:55p

AM Minor: 6:56a AM Major: 12:44a PM Minor: 7:19p PM Major: 1:07p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

8:00 — 10:00 PM

AM Minor: 7:48a AM Major: 1:35a PM Minor: 8:12p PM Major: 2:00p

8:30 — 10:30 PM

0.35ft.

1.43ft.

10

Low Tide: 5:56a High Tide: 1:50p Low Tide: 8:17p

0.44ft.

1.39ft.

0.98ft.

FEET

12:38a 6:54a 2:02p 8:06p

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

10:00P — 12:00A

12p

6p

12a

6a

10:30P — 12:30A

6p

12a

5:30 — 7:30 PM Sunrise: 6:31a Sunset: 7:58p Moonrise: 12:39p Moon Set: 2:03a

AM Minor: 11:26a AM Major: 5:13a PM Minor: 11:50p PM Major: 5:38p

Moon Overhead: 6:06p Moon Underfoot: 5:41a

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:32a Sunset: 7:58p Moonrise: 11:42a Moon Set: 1:21a

AM Minor: 10:33a AM Major: 4:20a PM Minor: 10:57p PM Major: 4:45p

Moon Overhead: 5:16p Moon Underfoot: 4:51a

6a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:33a Sunset: 7:57p Moonrise: 10:47a Moon Set: 12:36a

AM Minor: 9:38a AM Major: 3:25a PM Minor: 10:03p PM Major: 3:50p

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 6:04a PM Minor: 12:16p PM Major: 6:28p

Moon Overhead: 6:55p Moon Underfoot: 6:30a

Moon Overhead: 7:43p Moon Underfoot: 7:19a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

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

12a

9:30 — 11:30 PM

Moon Overhead: 4:25p Moon Underfoot: 4:00a

11

6p

Sunrise: 6:34a Sunset: 7:57p Moonrise: 9:55a Moon Set: None

AM Minor: 8:42a AM Major: 2:30a PM Minor: 9:07p PM Major: 2:55p

TUESDAY

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:34a Sunset: 7:56p Moonrise: 9:07a Moon Set: 11:45p

Moon Overhead: 3:35p Moon Underfoot: 3:11a

MONDAY

6a

BEST TIME

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

READING THE GRAPH

Low Tide: 4:56a High Tide: 1:37p

6p

Sunrise: 6:35a Sunset: 7:55p Moonrise: 8:23a Moon Set: 10:52p

Moon Overhead: 2:46p Moon Underfoot: 2:22a

9

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

12

1.13ft.

0.55ft.

1.34ft.

0.77ft.

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



2:04a 7:51a 2:11p 8:24p

 = New Moon  = Full Moon = First Quarter   = Last Quarter  = Good Day by Moon Phase

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

13

1.25ft.

0.70ft.

1.30ft.

0.50ft.

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

3:16a 8:49a 2:18p 8:55p

SATURDAY

14 

1.40ft.

0.87ft.

1.28ft.

0.21ft.

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

4:23a 9:47a 2:23p 9:32p

SUNDAY

15 

1.56ft.

1.05ft.

1.30ft.

-0.08ft.

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

5:27a 10:48a 2:24p 10:14p

1.71ft.

1.23ft.

1.35ft.

-0.32ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

1:30 — 3:30 AM Sunrise: 6:31a Sunset: 7:59p Moonrise: 1:37p Moon Set: 2:40a

AM Minor: 12:40a AM Major: 6:52a PM Minor: 1:03p PM Major: 7:15p Moon Overhead: 8:29p Moon Underfoot: 8:06a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 AM Sunrise: 6:30a Sunset: 8:00p Moonrise: 2:36p Moon Set: 3:14a

AM Minor: 1:24a AM Major: 7:36a PM Minor: 1:47p PM Major: 7:59p

Moon Overhead: 9:14p Moon Underfoot: 8:52a

12a

6a

12p

6p

9:00 — 11:00 PM Sunrise: 6:29a Sunset: 8:00p Moonrise: 3:35p Moon Set: 3:46a

AM Minor: 2:06a AM Major: 8:17a PM Minor: 2:28p PM Major: 8:40p

Moon Overhead: 10:00p Moon Underfoot: 9:37a

T E X A S

TexasOutdoorNation-2205-DIG.indd 67

12a

BEST TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

10:00P — 12:00A

6p

12a

10:30P — 12:30A Sunrise: 6:28a Sunset: 8:02p Moonrise: 5:37p Moon Set: 4:48a

AM Minor: 2:46a AM Major: 8:57a PM Minor: 3:08p PM Major: 9:20p

AM Minor: 3:25a AM Major: 9:37a PM Minor: 3:49p PM Major: 10:01p

Moon Overhead: 10:45p Moon Underfoot: 10:22a

&

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:29a Sunset: 8:01p Moonrise: 4:35p Moon Set: 4:17a

F I S H

6a

Moon Overhead: 11:33p Moon Underfoot: 11:09a

G A M E ®

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6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 6:27a Sunset: 8:02p Moonrise: 6:43p Moon Set: 5:22a

6p

12a

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 6:27a Sunset: 8:03p Moonrise: 7:53p Moon Set: 6:00a

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

AM Minor: 4:56a AM Major: 11:10a PM Minor: 5:24p PM Major: 11:38p

Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:59a M A Y / J U N E

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 12:25a Moon Underfoot: 12:53p

2 0 2 2

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67

4/21/22 2:23 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

16  FEET

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

6:31a 11:54a 2:20p 11:01p

TUESDAY

17 

1.82ft.

1.40ft.

1.43ft.

-0.49ft.

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

1.87ft.

-0.57ft.

WEDNESDAY

18 

High Tide: 8:47a

THURSDAY

19

1.86ft.

Low Tide: 12:49a High Tide: 9:58a

FRIDAY

20

-0.56ft.

1.82ft.

Low Tide: 1:49a High Tide: 11:04a

SATURDAY

21

-0.46ft.

1.74ft.

Low Tide: 2:54a High Tide: 11:57a

SUNDAY

22

-0.29ft.

1.64ft.

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

4:04a 12:34p 7:44p 9:33p

-0.07ft.

1.53ft.

1.09ft.

1.10ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

12:30 — 2:30 AM Sunrise: 6:26a Sunset: 8:04p Moonrise: 9:06p Moon Set: 6:44a

AM Minor: 5:52a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:22p PM Major: 12:07p

FEET

6a

12p

6p

12a

0.17ft.

1.41ft.

0.85ft.

1.08ft.

AM Minor: 6:55a AM Major: 12:39a PM Minor: 7:26p PM Major: 1:11p

8:00 — 10:00 PM

Low Tide: 6:32a High Tide: 1:19p Low Tide: 8:00p

0.43ft.

1.31ft.

0.59ft.

1:44a 7:44a 1:33p 8:26p

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

10:00P — 12:00A

12p

6p

12a

6a

5:30 — 7:30 AM

6p

12a

11:30P — 1:30A Sunrise: 6:23a Sunset: 8:07p Moonrise: 1:59a Moon Set: 1:02p

AM Minor: 11:28a AM Major: 5:14a PM Minor: 11:56p PM Major: 5:42p

Moon Overhead: 5:34a Moon Underfoot: 6:04p

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:24a Sunset: 8:07p Moonrise: 1:16a Moon Set: 11:56a

AM Minor: 10:24a AM Major: 4:09a PM Minor: 10:54p PM Major: 4:39p

Moon Overhead: 4:31a Moon Underfoot: 5:03p

6a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:24a Sunset: 8:06p Moonrise: 12:25a Moon Set: 10:47a

AM Minor: 9:15a AM Major: 2:59a PM Minor: 9:47p PM Major: 3:31p

AM Minor: 12:00a AM Major: 6:11a PM Minor: 12:24p PM Major: 6:37p

Moon Overhead: 6:33a Moon Underfoot: 7:01p

Moon Overhead: 7:28a Moon Underfoot: 7:53p

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

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

12a

9:00 — 11:00 PM

Moon Overhead: 3:26a Moon Underfoot: 3:59p

25

6p

Sunrise: 6:25a Sunset: 8:05p Moonrise: None Moon Set: 9:38a

AM Minor: 8:04a AM Major: 1:47a PM Minor: 8:36p PM Major: 2:20p

TUESDAY

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:25a Sunset: 8:05p Moonrise: 11:25p Moon Set: 8:33a

Moon Overhead: 2:22a Moon Underfoot: 2:54p

24

6a

BEST TIME

7:30 — 9:30 PM

MONDAY 5:17a 1:00p 7:39p 11:58p

12a

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

READING THE GRAPH

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

6p

Sunrise: 6:26a Sunset: 8:04p Moonrise: 10:18p Moon Set: 7:34a

Moon Overhead: 1:21a Moon Underfoot: 1:51p

23 

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

26

1.16ft.

0.67ft.

1.24ft.

0.34ft.

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

3:10a 8:56a 1:44p 8:53p



 = New Moon  = Full Moon = First Quarter   = Last Quarter  = Good Day by Moon Phase

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

27

1.29ft.

0.89ft.

1.21ft.

0.12ft.

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

4:21a 10:06a 1:50p 9:22p

SATURDAY

28 

1.41ft.

1.07ft.

1.21ft.

-0.05ft.

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

5:20a 11:21a 1:47p 9:51p

SUNDAY

29 

1.51ft.

1.20ft.

1.23ft.

-0.16ft.

High Tide: 6:12a Low Tide: 10:22p

1.57ft.

-0.22ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

7:30 — 9:30 AM Sunrise: 6:23a Sunset: 8:08p Moonrise: 2:35a Moon Set: 2:05p

AM Minor: 12:50a AM Major: 7:02a PM Minor: 1:14p PM Major: 7:25p Moon Overhead: 8:17a Moon Underfoot: 8:40p

68

|

12p

6p

BEST TIME

8:00 — 10:00 AM Sunrise: 6:22a Sunset: 8:08p Moonrise: 3:08a Moon Set: 3:04p

AM Minor: 1:34a AM Major: 7:45a PM Minor: 1:56p PM Major: 8:08p

Moon Overhead: 9:03a Moon Underfoot: 9:24p

M A Y / J U N E

TexasOutdoorNation-2205-DIG.indd 68

2 0 2 2

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

9:00 — 11:00 AM Sunrise: 6:22a Sunset: 8:09p Moonrise: 3:38a Moon Set: 4:01p

AM Minor: 2:14a AM Major: 8:24a PM Minor: 2:35p PM Major: 8:46p

6p

12a

9:30 — 11:30 AM

6p

12a

10:30A — 12:30P

AM Minor: 3:28a AM Major: 9:39a PM Minor: 3:50p PM Major: 10:00p

Moon Overhead: 10:28a Moon Underfoot: 10:49p

F I S H

12p

Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:10p Moonrise: 4:36a Moon Set: 5:53p

AM Minor: 2:51a AM Major: 9:02a PM Minor: 3:12p PM Major: 9:23p

T E X A S

6a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:22a Sunset: 8:10p Moonrise: 4:07a Moon Set: 4:56p

Moon Overhead: 9:46a Moon Underfoot: 10:07p

|

12p

BEST TIME

&

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

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:11p Moonrise: 5:08a Moon Set: 6:50p

AM Minor: 4:07a AM Major: 10:18a PM Minor: 4:29p PM Major: 10:41p Moon Overhead: 11:55a Moon Underfoot: None

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

6:00 — 8:00 PM Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:11p Moonrise: 5:42a Moon Set: 7:47p

AM Minor: 4:49a AM Major: 11:01a PM Minor: 5:13p PM Major: 11:25p Moon Overhead: 12:42p Moon Underfoot: 12:18a

G A M E ®

4/21/22 2:23 PM

MAY/JUNE 2022

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

30 

High Tide: 6:58a Low Tide: 10:56p

1.60ft.

-0.24ft.

TUESDAY

31 

High Tide: 7:43a Low Tide: 11:32p

1.59ft.

-0.21ft.

WEDNESDAY

Jun 1  High Tide: 8:30a

1.56ft.

THURSDAY

2

Low Tide: 12:10a High Tide: 9:19a

-0.17ft.

1.53ft.

FRIDAY

3

Low Tide: 12:50a High Tide: 10:08a

-0.10ft.

1.50ft.

SATURDAY

4

Low Tide: 1:32a High Tide: 10:51a

-0.02ft.

1.47ft.

SUNDAY

5

Low Tide: 2:14a High Tide: 11:24a

0.08ft.

1.43ft.

FEET

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

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

AM Minor: 5:36a AM Major: 11:48a PM Minor: 6:00p PM Major: 12:12p Moon Overhead: 1:30p Moon Underfoot: 1:06a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

7:00 — 9:00 PM Sunrise: 6:20a Sunset: 8:12p Moonrise: 7:03a Moon Set: 9:39p

AM Minor: 6:26a AM Major: 12:13a PM Minor: 6:51p PM Major: 12:38p Moon Overhead: 2:20p Moon Underfoot: 1:55a

TexasOutdoorNation-2205-DIG.indd 69

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

7:30 — 9:30 PM Sunrise: 6:20a Sunset: 8:13p Moonrise: 7:50a Moon Set: 10:31p

AM Minor: 7:19a AM Major: 1:06a PM Minor: 7:44p PM Major: 1:32p

Moon Overhead: 3:10p Moon Underfoot: 2:45a

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

8:00 — 10:00 PM Sunrise: 6:20a Sunset: 8:13p Moonrise: 8:40a Moon Set: 11:18p

AM Minor: 8:14a AM Major: 2:01a PM Minor: 8:39p PM Major: 2:26p

Moon Overhead: 4:00p Moon Underfoot: 3:35a

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

8:30 — 10:30 PM Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:14p Moonrise: 9:34a Moon Set: None

AM Minor: 9:09a AM Major: 2:56a PM Minor: 9:33p PM Major: 3:21p

Moon Overhead: 4:50p Moon Underfoot: 4:25a

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

9:30 — 11:30 PM Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:14p Moonrise: 10:31a Moon Set: None

AM Minor: 10:02a AM Major: 3:50a PM Minor: 10:26p PM Major: 4:14p

Moon Overhead: 5:38p Moon Underfoot: 5:14a

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

10:30P — 12:30A Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:15p Moonrise: 11:28a Moon Set: 12:39a

AM Minor: 10:54a AM Major: 4:42a PM Minor: 11:17p PM Major: 5:05p

Moon Overhead: 6:24p Moon Underfoot: 6:01a

4/21/22 2:23 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

6

Low Tide: 2:59a High Tide: 11:48a

TUESDAY

7

0.20ft.

1.38ft.

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

FEET

3:47a 12:05p 7:24p 10:55p

0.35ft.

1.32ft.

0.86ft.

0.92ft.

WEDNESDAY

8

Low Tide: 4:42a High Tide: 12:16p Low Tide: 6:55p

0.53ft.

1.26ft.

0.63ft.

THURSDAY

9

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

12:57a 5:46a 12:23p 7:13p

1.02ft.

0.74ft.

1.22ft.

0.34ft.

FRIDAY

10

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

2:28a 7:01a 12:25p 7:45p

SATURDAY

11

1.20ft.

0.95ft.

1.21ft.

0.03ft.

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

3:42a 8:24a 12:23p 8:25p

SUNDAY

12 

1.40ft.

1.15ft.

1.26ft.

-0.27ft.

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

4:47a 9:52a 12:17p 9:11p

1.59ft.

1.31ft.

1.34ft.

-0.54ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

5:00 — 7:00 AM

12a

AM Minor: 12:04a AM Major: 6:17a PM Minor: 12:28p PM Major: 6:39p

Moon Overhead: 7:08p Moon Underfoot: 6:46a

6a

12p

6p

7:30 — 9:30 PM

AM Minor: 12:49a AM Major: 7:00a PM Minor: 1:11p PM Major: 7:22p

TUESDAY

14 

1.73ft.

-0.72ft.

High Tide: 6:48a Low Tide: 10:52p

1.80ft.

-0.82ft.

High Tide: 7:47a Low Tide: 11:46p

6p

12a

6a

1.80ft.

-0.81ft.

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

8:00 — 10:00 PM

9:00 — 11:00 PM

6p

12a

6a

10:00P — 12:00A

6p

12a

10:00A — 12:00P Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:18p Moonrise: 6:40p Moon Set: 4:31a

AM Minor: 2:53a AM Major: 9:06a PM Minor: 3:19p PM Major: 9:32p

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

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:17p Moonrise: 5:29p Moon Set: 3:51a

AM Minor: 2:10a AM Major: 8:22a PM Minor: 2:34p PM Major: 8:46p

Moon Overhead: 9:21p Moon Underfoot: 8:58a

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:17p Moonrise: 4:21p Moon Set: 3:17a

AM Minor: 1:30a AM Major: 7:41a PM Minor: 1:52p PM Major: 8:04p

AM Minor: 3:40a AM Major: 9:54a PM Minor: 4:09p PM Major: 10:23p

Moon Overhead: 11:03p Moon Underfoot: 10:36a

Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:32a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

15 

12p

Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:17p Moonrise: 3:19p Moon Set: 2:45a

Moon Overhead: 8:36p Moon Underfoot: 8:14a

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

MONDAY

6a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:16p Moonrise: 2:19p Moon Set: 2:15a

Moon Overhead: 7:52p Moon Underfoot: 7:30a

READING THE GRAPH

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:16p Moonrise: 1:22p Moon Set: 1:45a

AM Minor: 11:42a AM Major: 5:31a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 5:53p

High Tide: 5:49a Low Tide: 10:00p

6p

12:30 — 2:30 AM

Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:15p Moonrise: 12:25p Moon Set: 1:13a

13 

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

16 

High Tide: 8:43a



1.75ft.

 = New Moon  = Full Moon = First Quarter   = Last Quarter  = Good Day by Moon Phase

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

17

Low Tide: 12:42a High Tide: 9:33a

-0.71ft.

1.65ft.

SATURDAY

18

Low Tide: 1:39a High Tide: 10:16a

-0.51ft.

1.53ft.

FEET

SUNDAY

19

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

2:37a 10:50a 5:26p 8:15p

-0.24ft.

1.40ft.

0.96ft.

1.01ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

5:00 — 7:00 PM Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:18p Moonrise: 7:53p Moon Set: 5:18a

AM Minor: 4:34a AM Major: 10:49a PM Minor: 5:05p PM Major: 11:21p Moon Overhead: 12:02a Moon Underfoot: 12:33p

70

|

12p

6p

BEST TIME

6:00 — 8:00 PM Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:18p Moonrise: 9:05p Moon Set: 6:14a

AM Minor: 5:35a AM Major: 11:51a PM Minor: 6:08p PM Major: ----Moon Overhead: 1:05a Moon Underfoot: 1:38p

M A Y / J U N E

TexasOutdoorNation-2205-DIG.indd 70

2 0 2 2

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

7:00 — 9:00 PM Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:19p Moonrise: 10:10p Moon Set: 7:17a

AM Minor: 6:42a AM Major: 12:26a PM Minor: 7:16p PM Major: 12:59p

6p

8:00 — 10:00 PM

AM Minor: 7:53a AM Major: 1:37a PM Minor: 8:25p PM Major: 2:09p

T E X A S

Moon Overhead: 3:17a Moon Underfoot: 3:49p

F I S H

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:19p Moonrise: 11:07p Moon Set: 8:27a

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

|

12p

BEST TIME

&

9:00 — 11:00 PM Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:19p Moonrise: 11:55p Moon Set: 9:39a

AM Minor: 9:02a AM Major: 2:47a PM Minor: 9:32p PM Major: 3:17p

Moon Overhead: 4:21a Moon Underfoot: 4:50p

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

10:00P — 12:00A Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:20p Moonrise: None Moon Set: 10:49a

AM Minor: 10:07a AM Major: 3:53a PM Minor: 10:35p PM Major: 4:21p

Moon Overhead: 5:19a Moon Underfoot: 5:46p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

5:00 — 7:00 AM Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:20p Moonrise: 12:35a Moon Set: 11:56a

AM Minor: 11:05a AM Major: 4:53a PM Minor: 11:30p PM Major: 5:18p

Moon Overhead: 6:12a Moon Underfoot: 6:37p

G A M E ®

4/21/22 2:23 PM

MAY/JUNE 2022

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

20 FEET

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

3:37a 11:16a 6:01p 10:33p

TUESDAY

21 

0.07ft.

1.29ft.

0.69ft.

0.93ft.

Low Tide: 4:41a High Tide: 11:37a Low Tide: 6:38p

WEDNESDAY

22

0.39ft.

1.20ft.

0.41ft.

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

12:38a 5:58a 11:53a 7:15p

0.98ft.

0.69ft.

1.14ft.

0.16ft.

THURSDAY

23

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

2:29a 7:37a 12:03p 7:51p

1.12ft.

0.93ft.

1.12ft.

-0.05ft.

FRIDAY

24

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

3:58a 9:30a 12:04p 8:25p

SATURDAY

25

1.27ft.

1.09ft.

1.13ft.

-0.20ft.

High Tide: 5:03a Low Tide: 8:58p

SUNDAY

26

1.39ft.

-0.30ft.

High Tide: 5:51a Low Tide: 9:32p

1.46ft.

-0.35ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

6:00 — 8:00 AM

12a

12p

6p

7:30 — 9:30 AM

AM Minor: 1:02a AM Major: 7:13a PM Minor: 1:23p PM Major: 7:34p

Moon Overhead: 7:45a Moon Underfoot: 8:06p

MONDAY

TUESDAY

28 

1.49ft.

-0.37ft.

High Tide: 7:05a Low Tide: 10:43p

29 

High Tide: 7:39a Low Tide: 11:19p

12p

6p

12a

6a

1.46ft.

-0.33ft.

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

8:00 — 10:00 AM

9:00 — 11:00 PM

6p

12a

6a

4:30 — 6:30 PM

6p

12a

5:00 — 7:00 PM Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 4:19a Moon Set: 6:39p

AM Minor: 2:58a AM Major: 9:09a PM Minor: 3:21p PM Major: 9:32p

Moon Overhead: 9:54a Moon Underfoot: 10:16p

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 3:43a Moon Set: 5:42p

AM Minor: 2:19a AM Major: 8:30a PM Minor: 2:41p PM Major: 8:52p

Moon Overhead: 9:10a Moon Underfoot: 9:32p

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:20a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 3:10a Moon Set: 4:45p

AM Minor: 1:41a AM Major: 7:51a PM Minor: 2:02p PM Major: 8:13p

AM Minor: 3:39a AM Major: 9:51a PM Minor: 4:03p PM Major: 10:15p

Moon Overhead: 10:39a Moon Underfoot: 11:03p

Moon Overhead: 11:27a Moon Underfoot: 11:51p

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

1.48ft.

-0.36ft.

6a

Sunrise: 6:20a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 2:40a Moon Set: 3:48p

Moon Overhead: 8:28a Moon Underfoot: 8:49p

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

READING THE GRAPH

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:20a Sunset: 8:20p Moonrise: 2:10a Moon Set: 2:52p

AM Minor: 12:20a AM Major: 6:31a PM Minor: 12:42p PM Major: 6:53p

Moon Overhead: 7:00a Moon Underfoot: 7:23p

6a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:20a Sunset: 8:20p Moonrise: 1:41a Moon Set: 1:56p

AM Minor: 11:57a AM Major: 5:45a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 6:08p

High Tide: 6:30a Low Tide: 10:07p

6p

7:00 — 9:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:19a Sunset: 8:20p Moonrise: 1:09a Moon Set: 12:57p

27 

12p

BEST TIME



Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

30 

High Tide: 8:12a Low Tide: 11:54p

1.44ft.

-0.28ft.

 = New Moon  = Full Moon = First Quarter   = Last Quarter  = Good Day by Moon Phase

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

Jul 1  High Tide: 8:45a

1.41ft.

SATURDAY

2

Low Tide: 12:29a High Tide: 9:15a

SUNDAY

-0.21ft.

1.38ft.

3

Low Tide: 1:03a High Tide: 9:43a

-0.11ft.

1.35ft.

FEET

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

5:30 — 7:30 PM Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 5:00a Moon Set: 7:34p

AM Minor: 4:23a AM Major: 10:36a PM Minor: 4:48p PM Major: 11:01p Moon Overhead: 12:16p Moon Underfoot: None

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

6:00 — 8:00 PM Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 5:46a Moon Set: 8:27p

AM Minor: 5:11a AM Major: 11:24a PM Minor: 5:36p PM Major: 11:49p Moon Overhead: 1:06p Moon Underfoot: 12:41a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

7:00 — 9:00 PM Sunrise: 6:22a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 6:36a Moon Set: 9:16p

AM Minor: 6:01a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:27p PM Major: 12:39p Moon Overhead: 1:56p Moon Underfoot: 1:31a

T E X A S

TexasOutdoorNation-2205-DIG.indd 71

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

7:30 — 9:30 PM

6p

8:00 — 10:00 PM Sunrise: 6:22a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 8:25a Moon Set: 10:40p

AM Minor: 6:53a AM Major: 12:41a PM Minor: 7:18p PM Major: 1:06p

AM Minor: 7:46a AM Major: 1:34a PM Minor: 8:10p PM Major: 1:58p

Moon Overhead: 2:46p Moon Underfoot: 2:22a

&

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:22a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 7:29a Moon Set: 10:00p

F I S H

6a

Moon Overhead: 3:35p Moon Underfoot: 3:11a

G A M E ®

|

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

8:30 — 10:30 PM Sunrise: 6:23a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 9:22a Moon Set: 11:15p

6p

12a

9:30 — 11:30 PM Sunrise: 6:23a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 10:19a Moon Set: 11:47p

AM Minor: 8:38a AM Major: 2:27a PM Minor: 9:02p PM Major: 2:50p

AM Minor: 9:29a AM Major: 3:18a PM Minor: 9:51p PM Major: 3:40p

Moon Overhead: 4:21p Moon Underfoot: 3:58a M A Y / J U N E

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 5:06p Moon Underfoot: 4:44a

2 0 2 2

|

71

4/21/22 2:23 PM

The BASS University

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

Early Summer Cranking

guide clients reeling too slowly, I tell them you can’t reel it faster than a bass can swim.”

A third component to success is finding the right casting angle. Sometimes the fish want the lure coming uphill. Other times they want it heading downhill.

On occasions they want it to hit the targeted cover in a certain fashion. That can change from day to day or hour to hour, and Livesay said that relevant factors include current, baitfish and the positioning of nearby timber. “It’s different on every little spot.”

When he suspects the fish are deeper than 18 feet, he’ll hunt for them in likely spots by idling on his outboard and watching his Humminbird graphs closely. He’s trying to find not just single fish, but schools – preferably big schools – on hard spots or roadbeds.

If they’re not there at all, he certainly won’t stop, and if there’s fewer than 10 bass in a given area, he’s unlikely to slow down. For fish residing on cover and structure shallower than 15 feet deep, he’ll try to use his Humminbird Mega 360 to target them, but this usually requires a little bit more actual casting and retrieving to find out their mood.

“I’ll make three or four casts, and if I see them or they follow the bait back, I’ll keep fishing,” he said. “Otherwise, I’ll keep moving.”

Fortunately, the 6th Sense Deep Divers come with quality hardware, including strong split rings and razor-sharp hooks, so Livesay fishes them straight out of the package. After a day of cranking and grinding through gnarly cover, though, they may get a little bit off kilter.

If the lure is not running true, he knows that he’s losing diving depth and probably missing opportunities, so he’ll carefully tune it to run straight again. On the off chance that he can’t get it perfect, he’ll swap it out for another lure.

Fortunately, his color choices are simple: Chartreuse blue and gizzard shad. “That’s all I throw,” he said plainly.

Befitting his need to reel the crankbaits back as fast as possible, he dotes on a smooth, high-speed reel with sufficient line capacity

L

AST APRIL, LEE LIVESAY SET the bass world on fire by weighing in a four-day catch of 112-05 to win the Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lake Fork. That total included a final day haul of 42-03, an average of more than eight pounds per fish, caught mostly on big topwaters and glide baits.

If that didn’t scare the competition enough, they should be duly frightened by the fact that April isn’t even his favorite time of year on the lake. The Elites will be headed back this year in May. “The good thing about that time of year is that there’s a little bit of everything going on,” he said. “There should still be some fish on beds and a little bit of a shad spawn, and a deep bite as well.”

It’s that deep bite that he loves, and which gives the long time Fork guide a competitive advantage. He knows the key spots to find the biggest groupings of true pigs, and the best angles to approach them from. Indeed, he said that the two biggest hurdles to success as summer approaches are finding the right school or schools and the right angle to approach them.

His key tool?

A crankbait, specifically a 6th Sense C15 or C20.

“They get down quick and stay down,” he said. “Those baits don’t have lift. A lot of fish will follow, follow, follow and then eat at the trolling motor.” The constant bottom-bumping over a long distance is one key to getting bites consistently. Another one is reeling the lure as fast as you can.

“They like it on the bottom going 100 miles per hour,” Livesay said. “When I see my 72

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to hold ample 12-pound test (for the C15) or 15-pound test (for the C20) Sunline fluorocarbon. He mounts the reel on a Halo HFX 7-foot, six-inch medium-heavy cranking rod.

“That length helps you cast long distances,” he explained. “That parabolic action makes it load up good and really make it fly out there, and then when you hook them, it’ll keep them hooked. That’s important because they fish may be hooked in the side of the head or they may jump, and you don’t want to lose them.”

Fortunately for Livesay, even if he loses one or two, he usually knows how to keep the schools fired up. Unfortunately for his competition, they’re usually the biggest schools of the biggest bass on Fork.



Email Pete Robbins at ContactUs@fishgame.com

PHOTO: B.A.S.S.

4/8/22 6:13 PM

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SUNFISH Smithville Five-year-old Bodhi Kellam of Austin caught a stringer of sunfish at a private lake in Smithville while on his first fishing trip with his grandpa, Jerry Fontenot.

LARGEMOUTH BASS Hempstead Four-year-old Henry Ward caught this nice bass while fishing in his grandfather’s pond in Hempstead.

WHITETAIL Rusk County Nine-year-old Grayson Holland took his first eight-point buck while hunting with his mom on opening day in Rusk County.

BLACK DRUM Aransas Bay Nina Garrett caught and released her personal best black drum off Long Reef in Aransas Bay. The drum was 44 inches.

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REDFISH

PEACOCK BASS

East Galveston Bay

Florida

Debbie Perry caught this redfish on her “secret lure,” a 5.5-inch Thumpin’ Mullet.

She released this and several others that were “too big to keep and too beautiful to tag.”

Caden Alexander of Huntington caught this fivepound peacock bass on Lake Osborne in Florida over Christmas vacation.

REDFISH

SPECKLED TROUT

West Matagorda Bay

Galveston

Meredith Touchstone caught this 27-1/2-inch redfish on West Matagorda Bay. It was her first fishing trip in more than 30 years.

Wes Pyfer of Irving shows off a nice Speckled Trout he caught near the docks in the Galveston Channel.

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