August 2011 by Texas Fish & Game

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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.

ROY NEVES PUBLISHER

DON ZAIDLE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CHESTER MOORE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

C O N T R I B U T O R S

JOE DOGGETT DOUG PIKE TED NUGENT BOB HOOD MATT WILLIAMS CALIXTO GONZALES LENNY RUDOW STEVE LAMASCUS LOU MARULLO KENDAL HEMPHILL REAVIS WORTHAM TOM BEHRENS GREG BERLOCHER PAUL BRADSHAW CAPT. MIKE HOLMES LISA MOORE JOHN GISEL

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SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR EDITOR AT LARGE HUNTING EDITOR FRESHWATER EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR BOATING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR BOWHUNTING EDITOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR HUMOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR WEBSITE CONTENT MANAGER

A D V E R T I S I N G

ARDIA NEVES VICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR SHEILA NELSON • MARKETING MANAGER VIGA HALL • MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE 1745 GREENS ROAD, HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE 281/227-3001 • FAX 281/227-3002

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DENNISE CHAVEZ ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: dhruzek@fishgame.com Email new orders to: dhruzek@fishgame.com Email subscription questions to: dhruzek@fishgame.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX 77267-9946 and at additional mailing offices.

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FEATURES

by Paul Bradshaw

CROSSING THE LINE FOR ANTELOPE

On the plains that straddle the Texas-New Mexico line just northeast of El Paso, you can still find the old-time style of antelope hunting Kit Carson once pursued.

With widespread GPS use, many mariners don’t know the first thing about navigation beyond placing a cursor on a waypoint and pressing “go.” How does your knowledge of navigation stack up?

by Lenny Rudow

GETTING THE LAY OF THE BAY

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What descends from the heavens is responsible for some of the best dove-hunting areas you will ever find. STORY:

THE COLOR CHANGE

If you’re an angler with a kaleidescope of hues filling your tacklebox, you’ll appreciate this look at how the use of color to attract fish (and fishermen) has evolved over the years. STORY:

by Reavis Wortham

A chapter excerpt from the top-selling TF&G book “Saltwater Strategies: Pat Murray’s No-Nonsense Guide to Coastal Fishing.”

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YOU CAN LEAD A DOVE TO WATER...

SALTWATER NAVIGATION QUIZ

www.FishGame.com

by Pat Murray

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ON THE COVERS:

by Bob Hood

by John Felsher

You can call them sand bass, white bass, silver bass, streakers... it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that these compact game fish are plentiful, fun to catch, and not bad on the table.

TER MOORE PHOTO: CHES

SAND BASS SUMMER

HOOD PHOTO: BOB

AUGUST 2011 • Volume XXVII • NO. 4

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COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS AUGUST 2011 • Volume XXVII • NO. 4

COLUMNS 10 Editor’s Notes Heard Around the House III

Giving Outdoors

Bass, Texas Style

by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Pike On the Edge Air-Headed Lesiglation

by DOUG PIKE TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

TexasWild The Summer Solstice

On with the Off Season by BOB HOOD TF&G Hunting Editor

39 Texas Saltwater Sport of Kings

by CALIXTO GONZALES TF&G Saltwater Editor

43 Texas Freshwater

12 TF&G REPORT 12 BIG BAGS & CATCHES

28 NEW! TEXAS

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

40 TRUE GREEN

56 Open Season

Crying Over Spilt Milk

by KENDAL HEMPHILL TF&G Politcal Commentator 2 0 1 1

Hunt Texas

8 LETTERS

by MATT WILLIAMS TF&G Freshwater Editor

19 Commentary

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DEPARTMENTS

Selecting a Fishing Guide

by TED NUGENT TF&G Editor At Large

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by LOU MARULLO TF&G Bowhunting Editor

Chester’s Notes

16 Doggett at Large

You Stink

by DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief

by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

20 Texas Bowhunting

T E X A S

The Guide

by REAVIS WORTHAM TF&G Humor Editor F I S H

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www.FishGame.com

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Letters to the Editor TF&G Newsletter

Doug Chappell Via Email

Changing the World I VERY MUCH ENJOYED THE ARTICLE ON Changing the World in the June Fish & Game magazine. Now that Gore has been found to be a scoundrel and a liar who received accolades on global warming, what can he be criminally charged with. Surely such a charade cannot go unpunished even if he was the Vice President at one time.

Darrel Baily Via Email

Guns at School RECENTLY READ YOUR EDITORIAL SUPPORTing the carrying of guns in colleges. I must admit that it is a lame argument, heard over and over again by the NRA proponents. Guns exist for one reason and one reason only – to kill things. Unfortunately they mostly kill people. The more guns, the more dead people. Your argument fits within the Texas mindset of “shoot first and ask questions later.” Unfortunately, our history shows that we have been the most violent society, or nearly so, in the history of the world. People who think that guns will be the salvation for a people who don’t know how to resolve differences outside of violence, continue to perpetuate the myth of violence. I understand that for us Texans it seems always easier to just shoot the person rather than engage in any rational resolution. After all, it’s that much easier and takes less time. It is my hope and prayer that some day we will realize the ultimate purpose of guns: 8 |

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Your argument fits the Texas mindset of ‘shoot first and ask questions later.’

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JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE newsletter every day... Really enjoy it and look forward to it daily. You make me think and cause me to do research. Thanks again.

Grow up and get past the “violence solves everything” attitude. Thanks for your time and consideration. Peter Christian Olsen Via Email I understand your concerns. But violence is not a ‘myth,’ and those who choose to commit crimes are already armed. Our college campuses already have plenty of guns, but most of them are in the hands of those who are most likely to just decide to start shooting people at random. The only way to counter the situation is to allow honest people to arm themselves against the threat. The facts prove this out. Just before the Virginia Tech shooting, in which 31 people died, there was a shooting on another Virginia campus. Two students ran to their vehicles off campus, came back and shot the guy. He only managed to shoot 3 people. If not for those two guys with guns in their cars, he would have shot many more. His intentions were clear. And if those two guys had been allowed to carry their guns on campus, he might have been stopped before he’d shot even those three. The facts bear me out, and I take strong objection to your “Texans shoot first and ask questions later” stance. This is simply not true, or else there would be far more shootings here.

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—Kendal Hemphill F I S H

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Who in the *#*!!? Introduced Sand Bass in Lake Fork? UNTIL RECENTLY THERE WERE NO SAND bass in Fork, for years known as the best black bass lake in Texas. A few years ago I started catching several 2-3 lb sandies per trip. This year smaller sandies are everywhere and obviously multiplying fast. They will obviously change the fish balance in Fork. Were they purposely introduced in Fork? If so, by whom? I’m sure there are some people who enjoy catching them, but there are some of us who would like to see the person who introduced them hung by his private parts & caned. To some of us introducing sandies to Fork is like stocking our lakes with more water turkeys. Why risk changing the fish balance in a great lake? Prior to the 1999 fish kill at Fork, it was common to be able to catch numerous 1-1.5 lb yellow bass which are great to eat & easy to fillet. No streak of red, gamey meat in them like in a sand bass. When you found the yellow bass, you usually found large black bass around them. Black bass eat smaller yellow bass. There are not as many big yellow bass now & when you find them, you catch a lot of small sandies. We hope & pray that the introduction of sandies into Fork won’t screw up a great black & yellow bass lake.

Paul Folzenlogen Longview, Texas

Send Comments and Letters to: Editor, Texas Fish & Game 1745 Greens RD Houston, Texas 77032 Email us at Editor@fishgame.com

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Editor’s Notes by Don Zaidle | TF&G Editor-in-Chief

Heard Around the House III

acquiescence to such interests, I hereby submit the following utterances and attendant circumstances (where applicable) for your consumption.

PPARENT INTEREST (BY PERSONS OTHER than members of the local sheriff ’s department and possibly the Department of Homeland Security) in the goings-on around the Zaidle household is something of a puzzle. Why the mundane activities of an ordinary rural household would spark such interest is beyond me. Nevertheless, in acknowledgement of and

“I made that for the dogs.” “What was in it?” after a thoughtful pause. (exchange with wife after eating what I thought was brown gravy simmering on the stove)

“You cannot ride the cow, Haylee! Now, come on in the house!” (grandson to my protesting two-year-old great-granddaughter)

“Does this holster make my butt look big?” “Dammit! That has sentimental value!”

(to grandson who used an old bait bucket to drain the oil from his truck) “I think you better come down here.” (cell phone call from one of my grandsons down in the pasture, immediately following a rather large explosion) “Pop, will you help me trap another ’coon? I used up the other one.” “I needed it for the deer feeder.” (grandson explaining why the battery is missing from my pickup) “Cool! Can I shoot it?” (grandson to one of his friends who said he just got a new “RPG”— meaning “Role-Playing Game” not “Rocket-Propelled Grenade”)

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“Who put this gun barrel in the oven?!” (wife upon finding a bake-on gun finish in progress)

In the “if... /... you might be...” genre: Your family’s clothes shopping habits includes coordinating colors with blued, stainless steel, and Parkerized handgun finishes. You refer to handgun leather as “fashion accessories.” You account an item’s worth in terms of equivalent value in ammunition, duck decoys, or dog food. You have multiple redundant spare keys for your gun safes and ammo cabinets, but only one set of truck keys. You have more equivalent money in taxidermy than in your retirement account. You keep a roll of toilet paper instead of a tissue box in your pickup. You have established a return-deposit system for loaned guns, shooting accessories, fishing tackle, tools, and hunting dogs. You have ever stopped to pick up a household appliance from the roadside. You have ever bought your wife a Marble’s brass compass to wear as jewelry. When shopping for any item for any purpose, you consult the Brownell’s, Cabela’s, and Academy catalogs first. You have ever expressed frustration that the Brownell’s, Cabela’s, and Academy catalogs do not have “Wedding Anniversary”, “Mother’s Day”, or “House Warming” sections. You know someone who registered at Cabela’s, Academy, or Tractor Supply for their wedding. You schedule family activities around hunting seasons, the date of the Cabela’s sale, or the Outdoor Channel lineup. You know someone who took their girlfriend hog-hunting or to run a trotline as a “date.” You know someone whose girlfriend can out-shoot and out-fish them. You have ever pop-riveted a machete to a clay pigeon trap. You have ever examined someone’s genitals for injury at a shooting range. You have ever fenced in your backyard to allow cattle access in lieu of mowing. You have ever had to clean cow manure off your porch. “Cleaning up the yard” involves remov-

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ing animal carcasses or portions thereof left there by your dogs or grandchildren. You have more than one household appliance on your porch; bonus points if at least one is a freezer containing animal and fish carcasses. You have ever been called in for a parentteacher conference over what your child or grandchild brought to school for show-andtell. One of your children or grandchildren

has ever gotten into a fistfight over gun makes or models, rifle calibers, shotgun gauges, ballistics, lure colors, or the proper way to skin a deer or hog. Your children or grandchildren use the word “rut” to describe their dating conquests.

E-mail Don Zaidle at DZaidle@fishgame.com.

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PHOTO: THE WICHITA EAGLE

The TF&G Report

Case Closed? SOME MAY HAVE PERCEIVED IT AS ONE OF the most awesome displays of trophy class whitetail buck mounts ever witnessed in one place. Kansas outdoors writer Michael Pearce claims the scene was more appalling than anything else. “If you had seen that display you would have spent half the time saying ‘wow’ and half the time crying,” Pearce said. “There were some bucks in that display that were much better in quality than anything I have ever seen. Some of them were gaggers — several over 200 inches.” Pearce, the outdoors editor of The Wichita Eagle, was at a Wichita, Kansas news conference June 21, hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. At the news conference, the mounted heads and antlers of more than 100 whitetail bucks were displayed — all of them seized as evidence in what

More than 100 illegal trophy mounts with evidence tags were on display during the Butler press conference.

authorities are calling one of the largest deer poaching investigations of all time, the case referred to as U.S. vs. Butler. “Butler” in this case references two East Texas brothers from Martinsville, James Bobby Butler and Marlin Jackson Butler. In late June, both men were sentenced to prison time and ordered to pay healthy fines in a federal court after pleading guilty on felony

charges of conspiracy and wildlife trafficking. James Butler also pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice. The two men were named in a 23-count felony indictment connecting them to a long string of illegal deer hunting activity in Kansas between 2005 and 2008. According to court documents, the brothers operated a guiding service and hunting camp called Camp Lone Star in Comanche

B IG B AGS&CATCHES

Lewis Garcia of Corpus Christi caught and released this 33-inch snook at Mustang Island State Park. He caught the trophy snook on live shrimp.

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Cameron Fourrier, age 7, shows off his first “trophy” buck. Cameron had a great hunt on opening morning in Refugio County. His guide and outfitter was Dad, Jody Fourrier.

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Andrew Chilkiewicz bagged this feral hog on Knowlton's Laguna Vista Ranch near San Antonio. The tusked beast weighed 250 pounds.

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County, Kan. There, prosecutors say they sold guided hunts to non-resident hunters for the purpose of illegally hunting and killing white-tailed deer and mule deer. The hunts reportedly sold for $2,500 to $5,500 each. Initially, the case involved the poaching of deer by as many as 60 clients. The indictment states that clients guided by the Butlers and other CLS guides were directed, permitted and encouraged to engage in a variety of illegal hunting practices, including hunting without a valid license or permit, hunting with invalid permits, hunting with illegal equipment, exceeding the bag limit, night hunting or “spotlighting” and improper tagging of deer. Additionally, the indictment charged that the brothers arranged for the transport of deer that had been killed illegally, or parts of the deer, particularly the antlers, across state lines. That led to felony charges under the Lacey Act, a federal law making it illegal to knowingly transport and sell, in interstate commerce, any wildlife taken or possessed in violation of state law or regulation. In March, the brothers pleaded guilty to helping clients kill 25 whitetail bucks illegally. James Butler pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, one substantive Lacey Act count and one count of obstruction of justice for instructing an employee to dispose of some deer mounts before investigators arrived. Marlin Butler pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and one Lacey Act count. John Brooks, a special agent with the USFWS, called the Butler case the biggest law enforcement investigation of its kind in Kansas history, and one largest ever in the United States. “We are hopeful that this sends a message that this type of thing will not be tolerated,” Brooks said. U.S. Senior District Judge Wesley Brown followed the plea agreement and sentenced James Butler, 42, to 41 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $50,000 in fines and restitution for his part in the crimes, but not before hearing testimony from several character witnesses who testified on his behalf. Marlin Butler, 36, appeared in the same courtroom on June 24 and he, too, was sentenced according to the plea deal guidelines. Butler received 27 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $20,000 in fines

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and restitution. Both men also will serve three years on supervised release after the prison terms are served. Conditions of supervised release include no hunting, fishing or guiding. According to Jim Cross, public affairs officer with the U.S. Attorney’s office, it could take as long as six months before the case goes before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colo. In the meantime, plenty of people are wondering if additional

charges may come down the pike against others involved in the Butler’s tangled web. Some are probably lying awake at night worrying about it. I asked Brooks that very question. He didn’t confirm it, but he didn’t deny it, either. “This investigation is still open,” Brooks said. “Other than that, I have no comment.” —Matt Williams

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Chester’s Notes by Chester Moore | TF&G Executive Editor

Giving Outdoors EOPLE LIKE GERALD BURLEIGH INSPIRE me. The veteran outdoor photographer and frequent Texas Fish & Game contributor and I have been friends since the early 90s and while his work is impressive, it will not be his legacy. Sure awards, accolades, magazines covers and cool assignments like following yours truly into a rattlesnake den keep his life inter-

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esting but they are not what brings him joy. Giving to others does. Just before writing this column, I took two families fishing at Burleigh’s beautiful ponds and both of them caught lots of fish ranging from gigantic bream to largemouth bass and even a three-pound mullet. Burleigh and his wife Sheila have been allowing families to fish on their property for decades and in the process have seen an incredible impact on others. “I have my third generation of families in the community coming to fish here and it always brings a smile to my face to see them catch fish and enjoy time together in the great outdoors.” One of these anglers told me Sheila was his schoolteacher and used the pond to influence him to stay off the streets.

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“As long as I did good in school and didn’t get in trouble, they let me fish there. Now I take my kids out there and still enjoy it as much as ever,” he said. After Hurricane Ike caused damage to one of the ponds and structures built around it, Burleigh did massive reconstruction with the goal of making it super family friendly. “We built a bridge from the bank to a little island, stocked it with more bass and hybrid perch and set up a feeding system for the fish. The fish have grown and already thrilled a lot of young anglers.” The Burleighs have spent significant time and money maintaining the pond, stocking and putting in the bridge that is fully lit for night fishing in the heat of summer. Yet, they continue to give and are an example of the kind of people it will take to

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grow our sport and make an impact in our communities. Not all of us have ponds or the ability to do these kinds of projects but we can all give fishing to someone. A good way to help someone in these trying economic times is to buy him or her a fishing license. With the dollar diving, inflation rising and incomes shrinking, purchasing a fishing license can be a difficult choice. If you can do this for someone it can make a major impact on his or her lives and also allow you to spend quality time with someone who shares your love of the outdoors. Facilitating family fishing trips for friends without the resources to do so can be a big help. For someone who will fish a few times a year and wants to treat their kids with a

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It was not because they showered these boys with gifts or took them to Disney every summer. They simply welcomed them into our home and valued them. Everyone wants to be valued but sadly so many have no idea of their worth in life. There is no peer pressure for boys on the pond nor is there unrealistic expectations of a girl’s beauty. Fish don’t care what we look like or how hip we are, so entering their realm can be a great place of solitude for the

young and the young at heart. It is possible to find a peace there and in your giving that goes beyond understanding. There is value to giving fishing that cannot be measured on a scale and that lasts when other things fade away.

E-mail Chester Moore at CMoore@fishgame.com.

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A good way to help someone in these trying economic times is to buy him or her a fishing license.

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trip, it makes a big difference if the kids actually catch something. If you are like me and spend much time on the water, chances are you know locations where they can catch bunches of bream, catfish, crappie, croaker or drum. Scout these places in advance and dedicate a day to tending to the kids fishing. You might have to set the hook on a few, cast out their line, bait their hooks and take off the fish but a really good fishing trip can change someone’s life. And beyond the fishing itself, investing time in someone can have impact greater than you can imagine. Two of my friends who I have known since second grade, spent the bulk of their youth around my home. One of them to this day refers to them as “Mom” and “Pop” and the other has told me he loves them as much as anyone on the planet. T E X A S

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Doggett at Large by Joe Doggett | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Bass, Texas Style

It also is an excellent choice for the newcomer. First, with the hook point turned back into the soft plastic lure body, the offering is virtually snagless amid “hard” cover such as logs, stickups. and reeds. The weighted “worm” is relatively easy to cast; the compact lead bullet sinker provides a positive payload for tentative lobs. Conversely, other effective bass lures demand a higher skill level for smooth deliveries. Air-resistant payloads such as tandembladed spinnerbaits and balsa thin-minnow

HE ROD TIP BOUNCED AND THE LINE came tight, angling to the left along the reed-rimmed shoreline. Liz Coulter lowered the rod, reeling to keep pace, and struck hard to the open side of the johnboat. A two-pound largemouth bass promptly jumped, showing an open mouth, flared gills and the flapping plastic worm pinned in the corner of the jaw. The hooked bass fell back, pulled hard, then jumped again. Rickey Morris nudged the stern-mounted electric trolling motor, maneuvering to deeper water. “Good job,” he said. “You did that exactly right.” “It’s about time,” Liz laughed. “I didn’t do so well on the first two strikes. Or ‘taps,’ or whatever you call them.” We were fishing a small lake Liz Coulter used near Morris’ home south of Texas-rigged plastic Houston. The bass plodded to catch first bass. close and I reached with thumb and curled index for the classic “lip grab.” I held the chunky green and gold fish aloft. “Congratulations; your first bass.” We snapped several photos then released the fish. It flashed away, diving into the clear floating/diving plugs are among the worst. For example, during the same session, I green. Coulter is an avid saltwater angler, but attempted to wham a thin-minnow plug into that recent foray was her first for largemouth the gusting southeast wind and — well, the bass. She was wielding a 6 1/2-foot two- backlash easily was among the top 10 in my handed rod and a free-spool casting reel, 50-year fishing career. Maybe the top five. and handled the casting tackle with growing The spool was absolutely buried amid confidence as Morris eased the 12-foot alu- exploded monofilament. One look and I started snipping with line clippers. It was minum boat along the shoreline. The lure of choice was a crawfish-type brutal, especially with semi-pro credentials soft plastic rigged snagless “Texas style” on riding on the effort. Also an advantage, the pace is slow with a 4/0 worm hook below a 1/4-ounce bullettype slip sinker. The same setup, with vari- a bottom-bumping weighted plastic. You ous modifications, has been used a jillion don’t wear yourself out with chunk-andtimes in the lakes and ponds of southeast wind. And, on the sluggish days of summer, Texas — and it remains a killer for summer allowing the bait to dawdle in a “fishy” spot gives lurking bass plenty of opportunity to bass.

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seize the moment. Finally, bass absolutely love soft-plastic baits. The strikes usually are confident and fish tend to hang onto (even attempt to swallow) the lure. The hit typically transmits as a “tap” or “bump” then the line comes tight as the fish moves off with the chewy plastic in its mouth. This deliberate tempo gives the angler time to react. The single drawback at the beginner level for fishing bottom-bumping Texas-rigged plastics is the violent hook-set required to set the barb. Remember, the hook point is pressed back into the soft body of the lure to keep it from snagging as it bounces and flutters over the bottom contours. Also, the line in deeper water encounters more water resistance as the angler raises the rod on the strike. Liz missed the first two fish simply by not hitting back hard enough. The bass were there but she failed to reach them with a soft reaction. No question — bass are more difficult to hook on Texas-rigged worms than on fast-moving plugs with exposed trebles. On the latter, the solid contact is automatic. But the tuned angler willing to pay attention can make the adjustments. During our two-hour late-afternoon session, Coulter caught six bass to three pounds. Her skill level increased markedly as she understood the drill. I caught four bass. Of course, I was in the center seat and forfeiting most of the “ice cream” water. Well, that sounds good. Rickey caught two but he was driving the boat and, way back in the stern, fishing seriously used water. Needless to say, in a desperate game of catch-up, I was giving him few uncontested shoreline shots. Come to think of it, even with solid contact on the hook-set, I jumped off a “solid 5.” So did — well, never mind about her. But, regardless of experience and on large water or small, the angler using a snagless soft plastic has taken a major step forward in catching summer bass. E-mail Joe Doggett at JDoggett@fishgame.com PHOTO: JOE DOGGETT

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Pike on the Edge by Doug Pike | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Air-Headed Legislation UST WHEN YOU THINK CALIFORNIA IS running low on oddball ideas, you find out its tank is much nearer full than empty. This past spring, I ran across the story of California Senate Bill 798, authored by state Sen. Kevin De Leon, whose district includes Los Angeles and several workingclass suburbs surrounding that metropolis. SB 798 flagged at the committee level in late June but was not scrapped altogether – which it should have been before its original ink dried. Hopefully, this bill as written never will make it to the governor’s desk. Before we look at SB 798 directly, understand that I have no quarrel with California or with most Californians. I have good friends who live and work in that state. The tall, slender state (has it had “work” to look so good at its age?) boasts nearly perfect climate, 20-pound bass, good waterfowling, exceptional golf courses and quality surf, but on the other hand has virtually no inshore fishing, marginal deer hunting compared to ours and year-around ice water lapping onto its craggy coastline. Great place to visit, as the adage goes… Back to SB 798. If ever signed into law, it would require the exteriors of all air-powered guns sold statewide to be painted bright yellow, blue, orange, pink or purple. Or, they could be clear, but I’m not sure anyone would be interested in seeing how a BB gun works. A clear washing machine could be amusing for a cycle or two, or maybe even a copy machine so you could see where it had jammed, but “Thanks, no thanks” to seethrough air guns. This is yet another case of people thinking they’re doing something to make kids safer when such a law actually could have

PHOTO: DMITRY NAUMOV, BIGSTOCK

the opposite effect. Local law enforcement organizations in De Leon’s district, at least at “official spokesperson” levels, favored the bill. None of them and none of us want a BB gun-waving child to be mistakenly perceived as pointing the real thing at anyone. That scenario could end – and has ended in the past – tragically. Unfortunately, painting guns pink or chartreuse or purple does nothing to prevent them from being mistaken for actual firearms. There already are brightly colored guns in law-abiding Americans’ hands, matter of fact. Offered primarily in pink by manufacturers looking to entice women buyers, handguns and shotguns have been available

Air guns should be treated as the real weapons that they are.

in fashionable “ladies” models for years. And what’s to stop a criminal from applying two bucks worth of spray paint to a 9mm in hopes of gaining a half-second edge in a gunfight with law enforcement? On the other side, standing against SB 798, are the National Rifle Association, more than a dozen sportsmen’s and shooters’ groups, and me. They/we oppose the concept, however well intended, because it sends the erroneous message to kids that pellet guns and BB guns aren’t real. Anyone who owns a typical Texas assortment of firearms should acknowledge also that the BB and pellet guns we owned over the years were, in fact, quite real. You could ask a few rabbits and squirrels and rats… but they’re dead. A well placed BB or pelT E X A S

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let is lethal to small game and, if fired in the wrong direction, can put out a friend’s eye or break a tooth or cause other serious bodily harm to a person. Modern air rifles and pistols are quite powerful and accurate. As such, they deserve the same respect afforded rimfire and centerfire guns. If you want a child to respect guns, you don’t make his or her first real one look like it’s an accessory from Malibu Barbie’s beach house. Swimming-pool squirt guns are purple and orange and yellow and pink. Any gun that can kill anything should look and feel as real as possible. I’ll be teaching my young son about firearms soon, and I’m glad he will learn about them here in Texas, where a Daisy Red Ryder – millions have been sold nationally since their introduction in 1939 – still has a wooden stock and blued-steel barrel. Children, especially boys, are fascinated by guns. If there are no toy guns in the house, kids still know how to point an index finger, drop the thumb hammer and make do. What they learn early about guns dictates their attitude toward firearms as adults. If De Leon’s bill ultimately gains traction and passes, the first real gun a So-Cal youngster owns could look like something you’d win for earning 500 tickets playing Skee-Ball at Chuck E. Cheese. At that point, in the child’s mind, it becomes OK to aim one orange gun at other kids around the pool, but not OK to aim another orange gun at anyone. The message is confusing at best and lays groundwork for dangerous mistakes. I applaud Senator De Leon’s intentions but would ask, if I lived in California, that he consider either revising or withdrawing his bill. Air rifles are real. They should not look like toys.

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E-mail Doug Pike at DPike@fishgame.com |

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Ted’s TexasWild by Ted Nugent | TF&G Editor at Large the military, overall right wing politics and my totally defiant stand against the stereotypical numbnut rock-n-roll sheep like perversions of substance abuse and irresponsible, criminal behavior. If one were to list the number of interviews I have conducted in the past 45 plus years, it would number in the many tens of thousands, substantially increasing all the time.

HE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR WENT BY in a flash. There is no doubt that time flies when you’re having fun, as they say. My killer band of incredible musicians and I were jamming like animals possessed all day long in preparation for our “I Still Believe” tour across North America, oblivious to clocks, planetary alignment, schedules or any outside influences whatsoever. It is good to be consumed by the things that you love. And though the driving forces of my gravity defying musical career have a ferocious life of their own, and for all practical purposes own the day all summer long, my hunting lifestyle represents an equally powerful dynamic even as the music defines my annual three months of summertime rock-n-roll adventure. You may have noticed that I have a bit of an attitude about life, particularly life in America in this day and age of bizarre political correctness and ugly rampant corruption and abuse of power in the United States Government everywhere we look. I have always lived life to the fullest, pushing myself to enjoy each and every day in the most positive way imaginable. I refer to my passionate life approach as “wallpapercarpetbomb”, meaning simply that I take things, and push myself, to the limit, never settling for mediocre, half way or feeble by any stretch of the imagination. Listen to my music. That says it all. Since the early years of my Amboy Dukes band back in the 1960s, the media has relentlessly sought me out for interviews on the radio, television and in print. They have incessantly expressed a fascination with my passion for hunting, guns, law and order,

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Bring it. Carpetbomb like you mean it.

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From international BBC, to Satellite “King of all Media” Howard Stern, CNN, FOX News, NBC, CBS, ABC, every talk, news, sports, comedy, rock, country, gospel, religious radio show on the planet, I literally wallpaper and carpetbomb truth, logic and The American Way on numerous media interviews each and every week throughout the year. It is my way of counterpunching the insanity of dishonest media and academia that otherwise controls the information channels of the world. I wallpaper and carpetbomb. It’s my job. Those sad souls still oblivious to the horrors of the culture war raging on in America and around the world will be further confused by my writing about this in our favorite hunting magazine. For them there is little hope, but for most Americans, especially the real Americans living the rugged, individual outdoor lifestyle, I just wanted to share with you all, that from my gungho activism point of reference, I am increasingly confident that the war can be won, but only if those who are aware of the battlelines increase their individual engagement by doing some wallpaper and carpetbombing of their own. There is never a wrong time to promote

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hunting, fishing, trapping, Second Amendment rights, self-evident truths and utilitarian logic. I have found that waiting for the subjects to come up on their own is waiting too long. Bring it. Get it on. Wallpaper. Carpetbomb like you mean it. During those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, I am throttling onward to earn my sacred hunting season by fighting with all my might, each and every day, with every imaginable resource at my disposal to annihilate the enemy. To expose the evil cruelty of antihunters, anti-gun nuts, animal right’s loons day in, day out. What was originally thought to be an unfathomable act, has become a necessary duty, and in these days of unprecedented target rich environments, crushing the enemy has actually elevated to a joyful endeavor. Never compromise. Give no quarter. Do not back down. Do not waste your time trying to be nice. Simply bombard them with truth, logic, science, and the tsunami of evidence that irrefutably supports our beliefs on these glorious American lifestyle issues. By the time you read this, I should be trading my guitars in for weapon of mass backstrap procurement, and I will joyfully and vigorously go afield knowing that I worked hard to clear the way for the most wonderful, exciting hunting season of my life. In my wake are wounded, hurt, gravely aggravated idiots who will remain wounded, hurt and aggravated just knowing I am out there doing what I love most, and there ain’t a damn thing they can do about it. Good hunting, good fishing, good trapping, good shooting, good living my American BloodBrothers. Happy season of harvest forever. E-mail Ted Nugent at TNugent@fishgame.com.

On the Web For more Ted Nugent writings, visit www.tednugent.com

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Commentary by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Political Commentator

OR EVERY ACTION THERE IS AN EQUAL and opposite government program. In any area of human interaction in the United States, if Big Brother is not involved, he wants to be. And he will mess things up, every time. Whenever a particular good or service can be provided to the people by the private sector, the government can provide the same good or service, at ten times the cost, and ten percent of the quality. Our vast bureaucracy already tells us what types of guns we can own, how we are allowed to educate our children, and what we can and cannot say to other people. We are even required to wear seatbelts when we drive our own cars. Soon we will be told what doctors we can visit, and what medical procedures we are allowed to have done on our own bodies. The extent of our government’s desire to rule every aspect of our lives was brilliantly illustrated about eighteen months ago when the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality received a complaint that some hunters in Limestone County, Texas, were defecating in the woods. The TCEQ wrote a letter to Limestone County Judge Daniel Burkeen about the complaint. That letter, and Judge Burkeen’s reply, received a large amount of publicity, some of it in the Texas Fish & Game blog section. Many were surprised to learn that, according to the TCEQ, outhouses are strictly prohibited in Texas. And you thought America was a free country. After reading the outhouse report on the TF&G blog, a reader named Dennis Voulgaris sent me an article written by Mike Adams for Natural News about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and milk. It

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If you think the FDA is going to stop when America’s milk consumption is curtailed to FDA satisfaction, think again. Venison will be next.

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Crying Over Spilt Milk

seems the FDA doesn’t like raw milk, and doesn’t believe Americans should be allowed to possess it. They even recently passed a ban on interstate sales of raw milk. The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund filed suit against the FDA over this ban, and the FDA issued an official dismissal notice to the Iowa District court where the suit was filed. In the dismissal the FDA made it clear that we don’t have the right to eat or drink what we want, but only

what the FDA says we can. In its own words, the FDA said, “There is no ‘deeply rooted’ historical tradition of unfettered access to foods of all kinds,” and that “Plaintiffs’ assertion of a ‘fundamental right to their own bodily and physical health, which includes what foods they do and do not choose to consume for themselves and their families’ is similarly unavailing because plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to obtain any food they wish.” Now, I grew up drinking raw milk. My grandparents ran a dairy for a while, and I remember drinking milk the cow didn’t even know was missing yet. So far as I know it never hurt anyone, but even if it did that’s none of the FDA’s business. I can’t find a T E X A S

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place anywhere in the U.S. constitution where the FDA has a right to tell us what we can and can’t eat, or even a place where it says the government has a right to establish the FDA. But it’s there, and it’s big, and it’s watching you, right down to what you eat and drink. And if you think the FDA is going to stop when America’s milk consumption is curtailed to FDA satisfaction, you should think again. Venison will be next, in an attempt to stop hunting altogether. Ranchers will be banned from eating their own beef, pork, mutton, and whatever else they raise. Because we have no ‘fundamental right’ to any food not approved by our government. But government doesn’t think it’s doing its job unless it intrudes into our lives, preferably in the most inconvenient manner possible. The Environmental Protection Agency proved that recently, when it decided to horn in on the milk issue even further than the FDA. The EPA is the governmental agency responsible for overseeing cleanup of oil spills, such as the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Since milk contains a little oil, the EPA decided recently to force farmers to file emergency management plans to deal with spilt milk, complete with outlines of how they will train first responders and build containment facilities for such accidents. The farmers will have to spend time and money on these plans, and those costs will likely be passed on to the American consumer in the long run. That’s you. And you will also foot the bill for the extra EPA employees hired to administer the program, inspect the farms and reporst, and prosecute those who don’t comply. This is how our government creates jobs. As Thomas Jefferson said, “A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have.” It seems to be time to cry over spilt milk.

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E-mail Kendal Hemphill at KHemphill@fishgame.com. |

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Texas Bowhunting by Lou Marullo | TF&G Bowhunting Editor

You Stink! OME MIGHT CONSIDER ME AN “OVER the top” kind of guy when it comes to scent control, and they may be right. If that means that I have a lot of respect for the nose of a whitetail, then they would most definitely be right. I have said this before but it is worth repeating. Deer are a curious animal. While bow hunting, if you make a little noise, and you may still get the shot. If you move just a little, you still might get a shot off, but if the slightest breeze carries your human scent to

the nostrils of that deer…you will soon find out why they are called whitetails! Consider a dog for a moment. We all know how sensitive a dog’s nose is. In some States, they use dogs to track a wounded deer. It is said that a dog can smell human fingerprints up to a week old! Now I ask your indulgence while I get a little technical. A dog has approximately 220 million olfactory receptors. Compare this fact to a deer, which has 297 million olfactory receptors! Finally, to put things into perspective, a human has about 5 million olfactory receptors. Are you getting the picture here? As far as I am concerned, it is amazing we even get close to a deer after reading those facts! A deer is able to wind human presence up to 10 days after any human activity has

stopped. That fact alone is incredible to me. It is something you should remember when it comes time to check those cameras we put in the woods to assist in our scouting efforts. It is also a good reason why any tree stands we plan to hunt out of should be in place well before the season. With all that technical information you can see why I might go a little “over the top” to control my human scent. There is no way to totally eliminate our odor. As a matter of fact…we really stink in the deer woods! There are plenty of products that will boast they eliminate human odor, and some of them are very good at taking care of most of it… but not 100%. With the nose of a deer, you need to take other precautions as well as any spray that you might use. As far as clothing goes, carbon products

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seem to work adequately, but silver ion fabric is much better. The only hunting clothing that I know that uses this technology is Medalist. There may be others, but I am not aware of them. I have used Medalist camo and have had success. I believe in the product. So, what can we do as hunters to avoid giving ourselves away? There are many things, some of which you will do and others you will say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;That it is a little ridiculousâ&#x20AC;?, but I am here to tell you that if you want Mr. Big, then you should do all in your power to avoid letting him know that you are hunting him. Walking to and from your stand should seem like it is a natural thing to keep your scent down to a minimum. Not everyone would agree. Most are careful while they go to their stand, but few take precautions after they are done hunting for the day. If you have a stream or low river that is near your stand you should take advantage of it for as long as you can. If you can walk to your stand using these waterways, you will confuse the deer as to which way you suddenly

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went. The water will also help wash away any scent you may have inadvertently picked up on your boots. Mr. Big just might give you an opportunity to bring home a nice trophy if he is unaware of your presence. I make sure I keep myself clean especially before every hunt. Remember to shower with a scent-free soap and do not forget your hair! Human hair will hold a scent for a long time and you should take precautions against that. Hunters Specialties carries a variety of great products that really do help in keeping your human scent to a minimum. Check out their web site and see all that they offer. It might be laundry soap or field wipes (my personal favorite). Whatever it is, I am sure that Hunters Specialties will carry the product you are looking for. It is a good idea to store your hunting clothes in a scent-free bag after they have been washed. A plastic bag is all you will need. I go a step further and visit the area I plan on hunting. I then scrape with my rubber boots or rubber gloves all the leaves, dirt and debris from that particular area and put it all in the plastic bag. Then I put my

clothes in the bag. By the time I am ready to wear them, I smell just like the area I am in. It works. Believe me. I do not change into my outer hunting clothes until I arrive at my hunting location. Then and only then do I change into my actual hunting apparel. Cover scents are just that, cover scents and they help to cover any human odor. Understand this fact: It will not completely destroy your human scent. Nothing will. That is why you must go out of your way to take these precautions and attempt to destroy as much of your odor as humanly possible. It is not easy, but it is well worth the trouble. There are many things that you can do to help avoid being detected by whitetails. I have only touched upon a few. Talk to other hunters. Use your common sense. Think about everything you touch and what you are doing in the whitetail living room and you will be more successful this season.

E-mail Lou Marullo at Lmarullo@fishgame.com

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IF YOU NEVER HAVE BELIEVED

that the powers from above have anything to with your dove hunting success, look up again. What descends from the clouds as rain eventually helps form streams, lakes, pond and even small holes of muddy water that create some of the best dove hunting areas you ever will find. Sitting in a dove field on a hot September day is one way to shoot the fast-flying and acrobatic little gray birds, but hunting them from the shade of a willow tree overlooking a stock tank or other water source is my cup of tea. The daily life of a dove generally involves three things: flying from a roost to feed, finding

water, and returning to a roost. If you were to add a fourth activity, it would be lounging in trees near food or water. The best time to hunt over water is during the late-afternoon hours. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because many doves feed first during the morning and mid-day hours and then head to water before going to their roosts.

by Bob Hood

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In fact, some commercial dove hunting outfits in Texas that do not have sunflower or grain fields for dove hunting offer only lateafternoon hunts over stock tanks, and the hunting generally is very good. Doves prefer to water at ground level at ponds, lakes, water troughs, irrigated canals and mud holes located between their feeding and roosting sites. They rarely will go to water in an area where vegetation near the water is thick and where predators may be prowling. Water edges void of vegetation are

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preferred, thus it is relatively easy to decide where to set up Dove prefer their for them. water from ground When rainfalls have been level sources. good prior to or during dove season, the birds will be more scattered at watering sites because of the abundance of water. The best bet is to find a stock tank or other water source that is close to a grain field where the birds congregate during the morning hours or close to a flyway the birds use when leaving the fields and heading back

to a roost. During drought conditions, finding ideal watering areas for doves is made even easier for the hunter simply because the choices of where to hunt near water are limited. Ponds and stock tanks that have almost dried up as well as shallow creeks and tributaries of lakes where the receding water has left the banks bone dry can provide some great dove hunting even during times when the landscape is stressed. Because dove hunting has become more important to rural landowners and managers through leasing dove hunting privileges, some landowners annually blade around the edges of their stock tanks to make them more attractive to doves seeking water. The practice also benefits many other non-game birds and animals by giving them places to drink and watch for snakes and other predators at the same time. The way doves approach watering sites is similar to the way they approach fields, especially during the hunting season when the sounds of shotguns being fired and the sights of hunters in fields have raised a precaution PHOTOS: BOB HOOD

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flag among them. Rather than A colorful kiskadee flying in and landing on the joins a dove at a ground as they do when not watering hole. threatened, many doves will fly to a tree, fence or highline nearby where they can survey things before flying down to the ground and walking to the edge of the water to drink. The doves’ precautionary tendencies, however, can be used against them by hunters who have scouted the area before the hunt to learn where these staging areas are located. Dead trees without vegetation to impede the doves’ view of the watering site and fence lines with short grass around them are ideal places to set up. Many hunters also have learned the advantages of using decoys, both during drought and non-drought periods. The more modern dove decoys with moving wings work exceptionally well when placed over bare ground next to water but the simple clip-on decoys also are exceptionally attractive to doves when placed in dead trees or on the top strands of barbed wire fences near stock tanks and other water sources. I even have heard of some hunters using fishing rods to place decoys in high, out-ofreach places in trees by tying the line to the decoy, casting it over a high limb and then gradually lowering the decoy so that it appears to be standing on a limb. When ready to leave they simply reel the decoy back over the limb. This may seem like a lot of trouble to go through and too much extra gear to take along to use to deceive a dove but consider this: the rod and reel, along with a top-water lure such as a Zara Spook, can come in handy on calm days when you are trying to retrieve a downed dove in the middle of a stock tank before the turtles get it. I carry my tackle with me whenever hunting both doves and ducks over stock tanks and have “caught” many downed birds with the topwater lure. Hunting over water can be fun and exciting but requires extra safety precautions, too. Shot pellets will ricochet off water just as they will off rocks, fence wires and other hard objects. If you are hunting close to the water, make sure you know at all times where fellow hunters, livestock and other animals are located, and keep your shots up over the water in a safe direction and not down or parallel to it.

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Texas Department of Defense

You must to be able to shoot well before you can shoot well and quickly. You do need to practice sight alignment and trigger control. You must first have a firm grasp of the basics before you can move on to the more difficult aspects of shooting. You do need to practice your two-hand shooting at 25 yards, sometimes. However, what you need to practice most is what may save your life if you are accosted by an armed thug. I think that one of the things that needs to be taught more than any other — and the accumulated statistics of gunfights proves this to be correct — is getting the gun out of the holster and putting two shots on the target, center mass, in the shortest possible time. This is point shooting, shooting without the use of the sights, or just using the front sight to get on the target. These things include hip shooting, the one hand point, the two-hand point-shoulder, and shooting from awkward positions such as on your back, shooting between your legs(be danged careful when you practice this and other such

positions or you may shoot yourself. If you have any qualms, at all, just don’t do it!). The chances are, when you need that gun hanging on your belt, it will be dark and in a situation over which you have little or no control. If this is true, you need to practice from odd and awkward positions. And, if you have access to a range where you can do so, practice in low light situations. Parking a car so that the headlights barely illuminate the target is a good way to do it. It is also possible that your strong arm or hand may be injured, requiring you to shoot with your weak hand or not all. During the infamous 1986 Miami Shootout, two of the surviving FBI agents were wounded in the right hand, so don’t think it doesn’t happen. Statistics on the average range of a gunfight vary depending on who is doing the data crunching, but it will almost certainly be less than 10 yards, and probably at less than 7. The FBI says it is 10 feet, but there are other studies that claim it is more like 20 feet. Either way it is likely to be an up close and very personal encounter.

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What Do You Need to Practice? HEN YOU GO TO THE SHOOTING range, what do you practice? Do you practice marksmanship? Do you practice the old basics of sight alignment and trigger control? Do you practice shooting slow-fire with a 2hand grip at 25 yards? Do you need to do all of the above? Is there even more to it than this? The correct answer is the last; there really is more to it than we can tell you in such a short article. So we will be adding to and expanding upon various aspects of selfdefense and shooting as we go along. You do need to practice marksmanship.

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listened. We are offering the highest quality product at competitive prices, all backed by the high level of service Brownells customers have come to expect,” said company President Pete Brownell. Competitive retail pricing plus the qualifying Brownells dealer discount, quick shipping, and Brownells exclusive 100% guarantee and free expert tech help all still apply. Customers can load up all the goodies they need for their latest gun proj-

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It will, almost assuredly, be sudden and unexpected. Data shows that, statistically, the person who gets the first hit (assuming he is using a sufficiently powerful firearm) will usually win. This means that speed is essential. However, pure speed, without accuracy, is wasted. I think it was Wyatt Earp who said, “Take your time, but do it in a hurry.” This is very, very good advice. Do not try to be faster than you are, because the result will be a miss or a dropped gun. Instead, make sure of that first shot, but do so as quickly as you possibly can. I firmly believe that all practice should involve drawing the gun from the holster. That is how you are going to start when your life is threatened, so that is the way you should practice. If you begin practicing your draw at a speed that allows you to do it correctly every time, your speed will increase with practice. Eventually, if you practice enough, and if you practice the proper techniques, you will be drawing and firing as quickly as Doc Westwood, the neighborhood quick draw artist. If you practice doing it the

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Shooting from the hip, or the “speed rock.”

wrong way, trying to be as fast as you can, all you learn are bad habits. Start right, stay right. Only perfect practice makes perfect. Dry-fire practice: Dry-fire is when you practice your shooting with an empty gun. I strongly recommend this as a way to

improve both your trigger control and your draw. However, it is imperative that you are ten times more careful to make certain the gun is unloaded during this practice, than it is any other time. Over 90% of the accidental discharges (ADs) I have ever heard of happened during dry-fire practice. I know of clocks, speedometers, windshields, car doors, mounted pheasants, television sets, expensive uniform jackets, trailer houses, and, yes, even living people, that were perforated when an unloaded gun mysteriously got loaded during dry-fire practice. I cannot stress this too strongly. If you are going to dry-fire, check that gun, check it again, and then check it the third time – then put all the loaded ammunition away so that you cannot get to it without getting up and going into another room. Never, ever, ever point the gun at anything you do not want to kill, even or especially during dry-fire practice. Then when you are finished, or when you are interrupted by anything, put the gun away, and put it away where you cannot possibly pick it up again,

PHOTO: STEVE LAMASCUS

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until you have gone through the check it, check it again, check it the third time routine, all over again. All your attention needs to be on your practice. When that is not possible, do not do it. Your practice needs to be structured, not random. Figure out what you are going to practice and then do it. If you are going out to plink, go plink; but if you are going out to practice, do so in a manner that teaches you the important things you need to learn. Do not mix plinking and practice; they are not interchangeable. There are many good books on the market that will give you a good regimen to follow. I will not try to tell you how many shots you need to shoot in each phase of your practice, because your needs are certainly different than mine. I will, however, give you a few hints. Start your practice with a few shots of slow fire. Concentrate on your basics of sight alignment and trigger control. Then, if you can, depending on your range and how many people are around, get close. Go to the 3-yard line and practice a few series of draw and hit from the hip. Try to shoot with the gun over the holster or just in front, rather than extended. Jeff Cooper used to call this the speed rock, and that is as good a name as any. Next is the 7-yard line. From here do a series of draw and fire moves with two hands, at point-shoulder, with the gun extended in both hands, but without aligning the sights. Here you may find that using the

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Texas Department of Defense

The author demonstrates the two-hand point-shoulder stance.

front sight only will help you put the bullets where they belong. Don’t worry if the shots are not all in the Xring. You are just trying to get them center mass. Still at the 7, do some one-arm points , again from the holster. Draw, point the gun, with the weak hand and arm across your chest, and fire without aligning the sights. Then switch and do the same with the weak hand. Should you ever need to shoot with your weak hand, you will most likely not have the use of your strong hand, so practice with the weak hand should be one-handed. Last, go to the barricade at either 15 or 25 yards, and practice from both sides, including some slow fire with the weak hand. Again, do it from the holster.

That’s it. If you want to do more that’s fine. Any practice that does not reinforce bad habits will make you a better shot. After you have done these things, if you want to stand there and shoot teensy-weensy groups using the sights and firing slow fire at 10 yards, hop to it. It probably won’t do you a bit of good in a gunfight, but I guess it won’t hurt either. Clint Smith, whose teaching I greatly respect, makes the point very succinctly. He says: “If you’re not shooting, you should be loading. If you’re not loading, you should be moving. If you’re not moving, someone’s going to cut your head off and put it on a stick.”

ered. Use any or all of the fields and the Ammo Advisor filters the selection based on the shopper’s criteria. The selection fields are populated with all the top brands in the calibers shooters use most. Of course, customers can always just head straight for their favorite brands without going through the Ammo Advisor. Everything you need to build, customize and now shoot firearms is available at brownells.com. At Brownells everything is guaranteed, period… forever, 100%, with no

restocking fees. Founded in 1939, the company supplies more than 35,000 firearms parts, accessories, gunsmithing tools and ammunition to armorers, gunsmiths, and shooters worldwide. Brownells provides free tech help and there’s no minimum to order or small order fees. To place an order, or for more information, call 800-741-0015 or visit www.brownells.com.

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—Staff Report

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Hunt Texas by Bob Hood | TF&G Hunting Editor

On with the Off Season FF-SEASON TO MANY OF US ISN’T REALly an off season. It is a period of just a few months between seasons to ready plans and strategies for what’s ahead when fall arrives. If you don’t do it now, chances are you will regret it later. How many times have you opened the deer season with feeder problems, or how many times have you tried walking along a fence line, beside a game trail or simply tried to find an area to park your four-wheeler, Jeep or truck and discovered areas so overgrown with bushes and tree limbs that you can’t get to your destination without making so much noise that every animal in the area is alerted by your excessive noise? If you had planned ahead of time and done a little work during the summer months, you could have cleared some of the limbs with a pair of shears or limb saw to remove the new growth and open up areas you could slip through quietly. Plus, a little diesel fuel applied to the fresh-cut growth would save you a lot of time in the future. It all is about preparation. Sighting in a rifle, pattering a shotgun, reading camouflage clothing, maintaining vehicles and going over regular gear are certainly high priorities but so is taking care of other considerations that will help you become more successful once the hunting seasons are under way. Adding a solar battery-recharging panel to your feeder may not be a priority item to some hunters but it is a wise consideration. A dead or low battery can take the life out of your timer unit as well as the motor. Hunters who hunt over electronic game feeders share a common problem with predators such as raccoons and squirrels. I have seen numerous attempts made to guard feeder spinners from these predators, most of

PHOTO: TEXAS FISH & GAME

which have failed. Feeder legs coated with grease, lined with sharp carpet strips, covered with funnels and four-inch loose tubes of PVC may work in some instances but not in all. Predator-proof cages work well at times but some often give way to the weight of animals such as raccoons and do not protect the corn on the spinner from high winds or if not in a fenced enclosure being bumped off by hogs or livestock.

Visions of things to

The best come. varmint-wind protector for an electronic game feeder I have seen, and used, is the Eliminator made by Ultramatic Feeders which is a spinner that can be used to replace the spinner on any 12-volt feeder unit with a ¼-inch diamT E X A S

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eter motor shaft. The Eliminator fits snugly against the funnel, drops down when the unit is activated, then returns against the funnel. Karl Harman, owner of Ultramatic Feeders, came up with the idea for the Eliminator two years ago and said the response he has gotten from both hunters and wildlife managers has been like a firestorm. “It prevents raccoons, squirrels and birds from being able to get to the corn plus it makes it impossible for the wind to blow corn off the spinner plate or being bumped off by hogs and other animals,” Harman said. “And with the price of corn rising like it is today, that means a lot for the hunter.” Regardless what predator-wind control system you use, now is the time to get it done so you don’t have spend time and add your human scent to your feeder location once the season opens. And that holds true for trimming brush, limbs, clearing rocks and other unwanted items around places you plan to hunt. Regardless how great a stalker you think you are, you can’t slip into an area quietly if you have rocks in your path or limbs from bushes and trees over the trail. Clear them now and you will be glad you did when the season opens. New growth around tripod stands or across openings, fence rows, field entrances and other places where you plan to hunt should be cleared now, not a week or two before the season opens when the deer are in their fall-winter patterns. But before you head to your hunting camp to do some pre-season work, remember this is summertime and that means extra precautions are in order to avoid rattlesnakes, copperheads and stinging insects such as yellow jackets and wasps. If you haven’t been to your hunting blind since the end of last season, make sure you have a can of flying insect spray handy. And proceed with caution.

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E-mail Bob Hood at BHood@fishgame.com. |

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You can call them Sand Bass, White Bass, Silver Bass, Streakers... it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that these compact game fish are plentiful, fun to catch, and aren’t bad on the table. BY PAUL BRADSHAW T E X A S

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STANDING ON THE BOW OF YOUR BOAT, the thought crosses your mind that the rest of the state is probably sitting inside an air conditioned building right now, and you feel sorry for them. The temperature is hovering in the low 90’s and the sun has only been up for about an hour. Just about the time you start to wonder what a heat stroke feels like the water starts to boil 100 yards to your right and it’s not from the heat. White bass are chasing schools of shad to the surface, devouring any that stray too far from the group, and that’s exactly what you are waiting for. It’s going to be a good day. White bass, sand bass, sandy, silver bass, streaker, whatever you choose to call it, this somewhat undersized game fish readily bites, pulls like a train, and isn’t bad table fare making it more fun to catch than just about any fish in Texas. Around my part of the state, the average angler only chases white bass in the early spring when they are running up stream to spawn and stack up in

river bends. For shore bound anglers or those with small boats - it really is hard to beat this time of year for fast action. However, for fishermen willing to sweat a little bit, the hottest part of the summer can also have some outstanding action out in the middle of local lakes. I’m not even going to pretend that I know 34 |

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a lot about summer time sand bass fishing but lucky for you I do know a couple anglers that do. Royce and Adam Simmons are a father/son guiding duo (Gone Fishing Guide Service), that spend around 300 days a year putting clients on fish on Richland Chambers so when they talk about fish with stripes I tend to listen. According to Adam, one of the most

White bass generally get pressured only in the spring, which makes them prime targets for a summer angling attack.

important tools they carry on summer sand bass trips isn’t fishing equipment at all but rather a good pair of binoculars, “to spot fish busting the surface (chasing shad) on shoreline points and shallow water flats throughout the lake.” This may appear overly sim-

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ple (and reek of common sense) but there is no better way to know exactly where fish are than to see them. Even if you are not seeing any schooling action on the surface, the binoculars come in handy when trying to spot birds feeding on shad near the surface. Look for birds that are diving hard and actively feeding because there will be a school of shad beneath them being driven up

by feeding white bass. When you find a school of fish, that’s when the real fun starts. “Once we find these schools of fish, we usually try to keep it simple to catch them,” Adam shared. “We keep close-faced (spin-cast) reels in the boat and tie on a Rat-L-Trap for some cast and reel action. For those who are not as comfortPHOTO: DOUG STAMM

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able with casting, we tie on a one ounce slab (RSR lure in chartreuse or silver glitter) and drop it down below the schooling fish to catch them down deeper chasing shad.” One word of advice on the tackle you use, spend a few more dollars on some quality equipment. I’ve seen reels strip gears and spit out their guts after fights with a couple hundred fish so don’t pick a fight with a school of sand bass unless you’re prepared. If you are have an itch to catch some fish on topwater baits in the dead of summer, then white bass will be more than willing to cooperate because as the temperature heats up so does the surface action. “As the summer progresses and the temperature cranks up even more, these schools of topwater fish chasing shad tend to get more expansive in size,” Adam passed along. “The action can be nonstop, with wave after wave of acres of schooling sandies moving through on main lake areas chasing and devouring shad schools as they go.” There are countless topwater baits out there that sand bass will hit but Adam and Royce prefer propeller type over everything else. Specifically they like to throw Heddon

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Tiny Torpedoes and the discontinued Bill Lewis Rat-L-Top (you can still find them places like e-bay). When reeled steadily the props on these baits make a large wake that attracts the sand bass, and their relatively short length make them easier for the sandies to get in their mouth. Throw them around the school and more often than not you’ll reel it back in with a sand bass hanging on one of the trebles. Keep in mind that there is no shade on the lake and this time of year and breezes are few and far between so get on the water at dawn and dusk to reduce sun exposure and heat exhaustion. It just happens that these are the best times to catch schooling activity as well. Schooling white bass aren’t as skittish as other species but if you run up on top of them with the outboard or get too close they will go down and stay down. Plus there are some days when no matter how much you glass or how much you pray, they just do not want to come to the top for some reason. On days like this you have to rely on your electronics to find the fish. Bait fish tend to congregate around

humps and main lake points and the white bass follow them using this structure to corral their meals. Slowly cruise these areas looking for schools of bass hugging the bottom with the bait hanging above them. To catch these, try vertically jigging by dropping a jigging spoon over the side of the boat and bouncing it through them. As Adam points out, “Less is often more when trying to jig these fish off the bottom. Use a simple slow repetitive raise and drop of the rod tip.” Don’t yank the spoon up off the bottom and let it flutter down on a slack line. Stay slow and steady with a methodical jigging technique, keeping contact with the bait at all times so you can feel the strike. White bass are one of the more popular species in the state due to their voracious appetite and willingness to hit topwater baits with reckless abandon but chasing them in the summer is not for the timid. Be prepared to sweat, a lot, to literally get into some of the hottest fishing action of the year.

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How the Use of Color to Attract Fish (and Fishermen) Has Evolved by Reavis Z. Wortham SO HERE IN THIS WEIRD WORLD FULL of oddities, you are reading an article on lure colors, written by a guy who is clinically color blind. Because of that, art was difficult in elementary school. Trees are brown, and the sky is usually orange. My grades were poor in that class. 36 |

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Even today, when people hear that I’m color blind, will invariably point to the nearest article of clothing and ask, “So what color is this?” “I don’t know. I’m color blind! How can I tell you what color I’m seeing!!!???” I was pretty good back in the good old days when fishing lures were painted with primary colors. Even electric colors (neon blues, oranges, purples, reds and greens) are usually pretty clear in this addled brain. But when I first saw an Electric Chicken, synapses began to misfire and a friend found me standing almost comatose in the fishing lure aisle of our community sporting goods store. “What’s wrong with you?” “Marketers want me to fish with an Electric Chicken. At first I thought it was a chicken part that required batteries, now I find it’s a specific lure, and I can’t tell what color it is.” I wept and held it up. “I have enough trouble with chartreuse, so how can I decide which lure to use when I don’t even know if this is a color or a menu item?” For other dinosaurs like me, the Electric Chicken is not a type of lure, but a lure bejeweled with laminated layers of color. The bottom of this particular bait was chartreuse (there it is again that color somewhere between green and yellow that looks as if it was inspired by the essence of a baby’s diaper). In the olden days I used it as the main crayon for grass in my elementary landscapes because it was labeled Yellow/Green, which made sense to me at the time. The top was violet. Scientifically designed, this combination of chartreuse and violet was created in direct response to these complementary colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel, which was invented back in the 1600s by Sir Issac Newton. Gads. Violet. We called it purple way back when. Memories slammed me with the impact of a hockey puck spanked by Wayne Gretsky when I recalled a specific period of time in 1974, a liquour named Green Chartreuse was marketed and used in a popular college drink called Swampwater. Brrrr. All these weird colors came into being in the mid-1970s when scientists huddled up with lure manufacturers to market new lures based on a fish’s reaction to the color spectrum. You’re probably wondering where strange lure names and colors come from, names like 38 |

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Opening Night, Space Guppy, Blue-Fusion and Pearl-Minnie. T.J. Stallings, product manager for Road Runner Lures, named the original Electric Chicken and said the catchy names usually come from anglers. Squirrely tags for lures are much easier to remember than stock numbers, and are easier to describe to those of similar interests when fish for some reason ignore everything in the tackle box except that “green lure that is yellow on the bottom with speckles on the side.” Instead we can say “They’re biting a Neon Baby Squirt.” Manufacturers also use names and colors to entice the anglers themselves, much like anglers use these lures to catch fish.. How can you pass up Chicken on a Chain, or Fire Tier, or even Frog’s Breath? C’mon, we’re all kids at heart and we love to recite unusual names that make people grin and ask you to repeat what you just said. Marketing gear-heads and techno-wizards understand human psychology. Get your clientele hooked on different gadgets for fishing, and you have a built-in addiction. It doesn’t take long to get thousands of anglers hung up on lure colors. An advertisement with a bikini clad model holding a Morning Glory lure can easily inspire the shopper to purchase a variety of extra lures so they can

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easily choose from a larger range of colors when the fish are being persnickety. Despite sound scientific explanations about why certain colors work better in a variety of water or weather conditions, many of the colors and names are simply designed to give customers a variety of choices. If chartreuse works pretty good, what harm is there in buying two or three different similar colors and sizes, “just in case.” I’ve fished with people who spend more changing and tying on these red herrings, than keeping said lures in the water. Just last week, I fished all day with a red worm while my fishing partner tied on a virtual catalog of worms that he thought might entice a strike. Now we have Blakemore’s Burnt Chicken. Won’t Raw Chicken be far behind? “The Burnt Chicken color was born from necessity,” Stallings says. “I was fishing a Crappiemasters Tournament on Florida’s Lake Monroe when the winds picked up. The waters grew even darker and you know the rule “darker lure colors for darker conditions” that’s when the idea for the “burnt” version came to mind.” Don’t get me wrong. Fish may see color differently than humans, because the color receptors in their eyes are different than our own. Scientists have determined it is likely that specific species of fish see specific colors, and beyond those colors, they see shades of grey. Meaning that sometimes, you’re catching fish not because of the color you chose from the rack or your tackle box, but from the shape or silhouette that simply angered the fish, or looked like something good to eat. According to an article by Dr Greg Vinall, professional aquatic scientist and an avid maker of wooden fishing lures, “Water, even very clear water, absorbs light very quickly - and it absorbs some wavelengths faster than others. This means that the wavelengths of light that are available deep in the water are more limited than those at the surface. The deeper we dive, the fewer colors we will be able to see, until everything goes blue and finally black.” Blue and black, perfect colors for a color blind angler. But for the rest of you, grab yourself a Bubblegum Hogsbreath and get to fishing. Fade to blue. Fade to black.

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Texas Saltwater by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor

HE JETTIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HARD ON me, and not just on my knees whenever I stepped on a slick patch of wet algae. I have lost tackle stores of lures, terminal rigs, and hooks. Quarts of shrimp have been picked off my hooks by pinfish, toadfish, and toy-sized mangrove snapper that beat trout and redfish to them. A tarpon once swallowed a hooked Spanish Mackerel I was reeling in and tortured me over the course of three hours before finally breaking off and leaving me a sunburned, exhausted mess (to add insult to injury, my brand-new, shiny Ambassadeur 6500-C3 exploded when the 200 yards of poonstretched 20 pound mono contracted and crushed the spool). Even so, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced the heartbreak one angler experienced. I met him one morning as he was headed to the end of the Brazos-Santiago Jetties on South Padre Island. He was decked out in a long sleeved shirt, shorts, hiking shoes and hard-plastic kneepads (why didn’t I ever think of that?) He was carrying a 12-foot long Ugly Stick surf rod matched with a Penn 9500 SS loaded with braided line, a gaff, and a billy club. He had a 1-ounce lipless crankbait rigged on a wire leader affixed to his line, and had a box loaded with similar lures. “I’m going down to the end to see if I can get a king,” he answered when I asked the obvious question. “A drinking buddy told me they hang around the end of the rocks and seem partial to these big chrome Rat L Traps.” We chatted for a few more minutes before he started on the long march to the jetty tip, and I went back to casting for my trout. Forty-five minutes and four trout later, I met him as he was coming back. He had an

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empty reel and a sheepish grin on his face. “I hooked into a big fish on the first cast,” he said without being asked. “Three hundred yards of 50-pound braid gone in 45 seconds. He never even slowed down.” When the dog-days of August lay down the summer winds, and clean, clear gulf water close to Texas beaches, most fishermen begin to think about big surf running trout and rampaging schools of Spanish mackerel all lurking around the jetties up and down the Texas Coast. Some think about the sharks of Kong-like proportions that prowl up and down the surf guts, but few seem to

think about the seashore’s potential to produce some exciting big game fishing to the shore bound or bay boat-equipped angler. One of the most glamorous is the kingfish. The kingfish that will be referred to here is the mackerel not the whiting, whose proper name is the Gulf Kingfish (obviously, someone at the American Fisheries Society has a very inflated opinion of the whiting to grant a beer-and-peanuts fish with a champagne-and-caviar name). These pelagic tyrants cruise within casting distance of ambition fishermen who seek an audience. As that intrepid angler that was spooled illustrated, kingfish love shiny, noisy objects. Lipless crankbaits such as the Magnum Rat-L-Trap are very attractive. Patterns such as the black-back/gold sides or blue black/chrome sides are the most popular choices, but the venerable red head/white body pattern has accounted for more than its share of kings. T E X A S

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One school teacher that I work with has discovered and swears by the Sebile Magic Swimmer in a smoke pattern. He makes as long a cast as he can seaward and reels it back as quickly as he can. The multi-jointed action of the lure has an action that radiates vibrations that kings key on and target. He claims that some of the strikes he has had were spectacular, especially when a 15pound king goes airborne. Anglers who have no wish to wear themselves out flinging and burning plugs back to the rocks should can still get in on the fun by stopping at a bait shop such as Quick Stop (956-943-1159) and picking up a bag of fresh ribbon fish or ballyhoo. Rig them on the standard three-hook kingfish rig and casting it out into the eddies beyond the breakers. Allow the current to take the unweighted bait out to where the lunkers lurk. Conventional reels can be on freespool with a thumb on the spool (be sure to wrap the tip of your thumb with athletic tape to prevent a painful line burn if a kingfish strikes). Spinning reels with a bait feeder level, such as those marketed by Shimano and Okuma are ideal for this application. If you don’t have such a reel, leave the bail open and slowly feed line out, keeping the your index finger on the line above the spool. Naturally, a high-capacity reel spooled with as much line as possible is a must. If a big king takes your offering and starts to greyhound for the horizon, you are in no position to follow to prevent him from spooling you. Braided line offers the solution of high volume and high tensile strength to offset the limited mobility offered by a jetty tip. Surf rods with high parabolic functions, such as the Ugly Stik series, offer the shock absorption needed to snub a kingfish before he bolts with three football fields worth of line. Even so, the right fish can still be impossible to stop and strip your reel spool down to the bare metal. Royalty can be that way.

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DU Recognized for Coastal Conservation Efforts IN THE DARK DAYS OF THE SUMMER OF 2010, AS THE NATION’S WORST ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER POURED OIL INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO, DUCKS UNLIMITED, USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE AND THE NATIONAL FISH AND

Fish and Wildlife Foundation to DU. Rice agriculture along the Gulf Coast is especially good for ducks because of the rattoon, or second crop, rice. These agricultural habitats are important for waterfowl now and will be even more so in the future as coastal marshes continue to disap-

WILDLIFE FOUNDATION CAME TOGETHER IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE

pear. Unfortunately, in recent decades rice agriculture has declined more than 50 percent along the Gulf Coast. When agricultural land along the Gulf Coast is abandoned, it often converts to undesirable species like non-native, invasive Chinese Tallow trees. Waterfowl don’t find the food resources they need in these converted landscapes, and it is costly to reclaim them. “We are dealing with a besieged way of life in a besieged landscape,” DU CEO Dale Hall said. “Rice producers are losing their lands, and waterfowl are losing vital habitat as these producers go under.” DU’s initial goal was to provide 20,000 acres of wetland habitat on lands along the Gulf Coast. Landowner interest in the program was much higher than expected, and through the partnerships with NRCS and NFWF, DU was able to enhance more than 80,000 acres. Though the worst-case scenario of heavily-oiled interior marsh did not materialize, the habitat provided through the program was vitally important to waterfowl and other migratory birds. MBHI habitat was the only water on the drought-stricken landscape in many places. “Even in the absence of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, had the resources been available, DU would have taken these actions to address the dramatic shortfall in waterfowl foraging habitat due to continued MBHI-enrolled acreage like the flooded, fallow rice fields in mid-picture provided important habitat for migrating shorebirds, wading birds and waterfowl.

HABITAT FOR THE MILLIONS OF MIGRATORY BIRDS SOON TO BE WINGING THEIR WAY TO THE GULF COAST. The oil spill presented a potentially lethal combination of an immediate disaster adding to the chronic crisis of disappearing coastal habitats. Recognizing that the rice prairies of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana were the perfect location to address both these issues, DU worked with the NRCS and private landowners to deliver habitat through the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative. This effort was catalyzed by a $2.5-million grant from the National 40 |

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West Galveston Gets $50k for Marsh Restoration ADDING TO AN ALREADY IMPRESSIVE LIST OF OFFSHORE ARTIFICIAL REEFING AND HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS, THE CCA TEXAS HABITAT TODAY FOR FISH TOMORROW (HTFT) PROGRAM HAS ANNOUNCED IT IS FUNDING $50,000 TOWARD AN AMBITIOUS MARSH RESTORATION PROJECT IN WEST GALVESTON BAY.

Waterfowl like these pintails heavily utilized the habitats along the Gulf Coast flooded through the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative last fall.

coastal erosion,” Hall said. “Conserving Gulf Coast wetlands was one of DU’s top priorities long before the disaster, and while most headlines are now gone, conserving the coast will remain a cornerstone of DU’s efforts in North America.” In May, Ducks Unlimited was awarded the NRCS’s highest conservation honor for its exceptional work with the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative. The award serves as a way for NRCS to honor organizations or individuals whose partnership efforts significantly contribute to America’s enduring legacy of conservation. “Ducks Unlimited has dedicated countless hours and hard work to ensure our Continued on page 42

CCA Texas is joining with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Phase I of the Bird Island Cove project, which will deploy 4,400 linear feet of geo-textile tubing and directly restore almost 57 acres of marsh habitat in West Galveston Bay. “Wetlands loss is a major concern in Texas, as it is in all coastal states,” said Jay Gardner, chairman of the CCA Texas HTFT program. “We are very proud to be in a position to work with other organizations and with state agencies to begin the monumental task of creating, restoring and conserving these habitats that are so important to our marine resources.” The Galveston Bay complex has experienced greater wetlands loss than almost anywhere else in the state. Between 1950 and 1985, the system lost an estimated 20 percent of its wetlands and 70 percent of its seagrass. Based on historical information, most of the damage has occurred in West Galveston Bay and recent aerial research indicates that marsh habitat continues to disappear T E X A S

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at a rapid rate. “These habitats are at the very core of a healthy marine system and it is critical to not only stop losing wetlands, but also start to rebuild them where they have disappeared,” said Robby Byers, executive director of CCA Texas. “This type of restoration project is essential if we are going to continue to enjoy the incredible marine resources we have in this state. CCA members see this as a direct means of giving something back to the resource and ensuring a healthy future for all types of marine life.” Phase I of the project has an estimated cost of $1.3 million and the $50,000 from CCA Texas will be leveraged for up to three times that amount in matching grant dollars. The geo-textile tubes will act as a breakwater to set the stage for the restoration of intertidal marsh complex. Dredge material will then be pumped into the protected area to raise the elevation and create different types of habitat, including salt flats and salt marsh. When fully completed, the project is expected to benefit almost 250 acres of intertidal marsh habitat that will be used by all types of fish, birds and shellfish. “There is a considerable amount of engineering and construction that goes into a project like this, but the method has a proven track record of

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GREEN Study Confirms Louisiana Coastal Land Loss COASTAL LOUISIANA HAS LOST MORE THAN 1.2 MILLION ACRES IN THE PAST 78 YEARS, ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY BY THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY NATIONAL WETLANDS RESEARCH CENTER. THE STUDY ANALYZED WETLAND CHANGES FROM 1932 TO 2010 AND PROVIDES A MORE ACCURATE PICTURE THAN PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE. “This more detailed analysis provides off the source of land-building sediment vital information for conservation planresponsible for forming and sustaining ning,” Bob Dew, DU manager of consercoastal marshes. vation programs in Louisiana, said. “We But there is hope. have a clearer picture of which areas are in The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers greatest need of restoration efforts, and diverts 30 percent of the Mississippi River which areas are most likely to contribute to through the Atchafalaya River system, and future land gains.” its delta is growing. Ducks Unlimited’s coastal habitat proThe Atchafalaya and Wax Lake Deltas grams have restored more than 100,000 have grown significantly since the 1970s acres in Louisiana, including marsh in proving land building is still possible when areas like the Barataria and Terrebonne freshwater and sediments are allowed to basins – two of the areas undergoing the flow into adjacent wetlands. greatest wetland loss, according to the “Ducks Unlimited has long advocated study. for sustainable ecosystem restoration of the “By understanding land change on the Mississippi River Delta by reconnecting Louisiana coast, decision makers can make the river to its marshes,” Dew said. “This informed choices about how to actively study further demonstrates the strength of manage the land to help reduce future that solution.” loss,” Phil Turnipseed, USGS National The Gulf Coast winters 40 percent of Wetlands Research Center director, said. “We can’t manage what we don’t measure.” Louisiana land loss accounts for nearly 90 percent of the total coastal marsh loss in Continued from page 41 the contiguous U.S. Much of the land loss success in previous projects at is caused by depriving the marshes within Snake Island Cove, Carancahua the Mississippi River Delta of sediment. Dams, levees and channels along the MisCove, Jumbile Cove and others,” sissippi River and its tributaries have cut

DU Recognized Continued from page 41 nation’s wetlands and waterfowl habitats are protected,” NRCS Chief Dave White said. “Their involvement with conservation efforts, such

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the continent’s waterfowl population and boasts some of the best waterfowl hunting in the country. For that reason, coastal restoration is a top priority for Ducks Unlimited. “We know we’ve already lost 1.2 million acres of this important area, which is home to the largest population of wintering waterfowl in North America. We have a duty to address this national scale catastrophe, a duty to our children and their children,” Dew said. “The loss of Gulf Coast habitat is one of the most significant threats to waterfowl on the continent, and everyone has a stake in the outcome.” Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. —Andrea Cooper TG

CCA Restoration

said Byers. “West Galveston Bay is a particular area of concern, but we are committed to turning the tide on habitat loss there and restoring it to its full potential.” —Staff Report TG

as the MBHI, have not only helped waterfowl and other wildlife thrive, but also ensure our nation’s lands and natural resources will be able to be enjoyed by future generations.” “Ducks Unlimited is honored to receive this award and we appreciate the opportunity to work with the

NRCS,” DU President John Newman said. “Ducks Unlimited has been privileged to work with the NRCS on the MBHI and looks forward to expanding this partnership in the years to come.” —Andrea Cooper TG

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Texas Freshwater by Matt Williams | TF&G Freshwater Editor

HAVE SHARED THE CASTING DECK WITH A passel of fishing guides over the years. One of the best spoke very limited English, but he knew the bottom of Lake Baccarac like the palm of his hand. His name was Juan. Juan didn’t say much unless spoken to, except for when there was a promising fishing hole nearby. I quickly learned to listen when the young Mexican guide uttered something from his post at the transom of 17-foot aluminum rig. “Cast…. punta, grande piscado!” he barked in an excited tone. My Spanish skills are pretty weak, but I caught Juan’s drift. “Punta” means point. “Grande piscado” means big fish. With a nine pounder, two sevens and a half dozen sixes already under my belt, I didn’t hesitate about following his instructions. I lofted a Rapala DT16 crankbait towards the nearby rocky point and let it hunt. Amazingly, bait travelled only a short distance before an even bigger bass jumped all over it. The digital scale read 10 pounds. In contrast, one of the very worst guides I have ever fished with talked way too much. I won’t mention the guy’s name, but will say he had one of those overly abrasive personalities and knew far more dull jokes than good fishing holes. We caught a few bass that day, but they were hardly worth the beating me and my camera gear took as the result of his inability to run a bass boat in choppy water. I haven’t fished with the guide since. Nor would I recommend him to my worst enemy. Case in point: Fishing guides are no different than other contractors who perform a service for a fee. Not all of them are created equal. Some are top shelf. Others are not.

• Avoid Blue Light Specials: The best guides on a particular body of water usually charge the same rate, or real close to

“

I haven’t fished with the guide since. Nor would I recommend him to my worst enemy.

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Selecting a Fishing Guide

I’ve learned a lot from good fishing guides. Some lessons have been simple ones, such as how to tie a new knot or build a drop-shot rig; others more complex, such as how to make sense of all those buttons on the face of a GPS chartplotter, or how to sink a brush pile to attract crappie. Here some tidbits of advice and questions to ask to make sure you don’t get foul hooked when you hire a guide for a day:

it. Be wary of a guide who undercuts the rest of the field by a significant margin just to lure you their direction. The guide business is just like any other. You typically get what you pay for. • Experience is a Virtue: Making a living as a full-time fishing guide is one thing. Sustaining it for an extended period of time is something else. A guide who has been in the business for 10 years is obviously doing something right. That’s not to say a guide with less experience cannot do a good job. However, it would be wise to check with some previous customers before sending a deposit. A guide who refuses to provide references may have some skeletons in the closet.

their pay on half or full day rates. Find out those rates and plan your trip accordingly. Full day rates are generally based on an eight-hour day with a maximum number of clients. Bass guides usually prefer no more than two people, but a multi-species guide with a bigger rig may be able to accommodate more. Regardless, don’t expect a guide to work overtime or take on an extra angler • Ask Questions: Asking questions ahead of time is one of the best ways to prevent surprises from popping up later. Does the guide provide tackle, baits and other gear? Does he have insurance and a Texas guide license? What type and year model of boat does he run? • Listen Up: If a bass guide tells you to be sure and bring a generous supply of watermelon/red Zoom Flukes, don’t show up with a few packages of black/neon Senkos expecting them to substitute. The same holds for fishing tackle. If a guide indicates you need will need bait casting gear, it would be wise to leave the spinning gear at home. Furthermore, make the guide aware of your fishing skills ahead of time. If you or someone else in the party cannot throw a baitcasting reel, or has other special needs, tell the guide in advance so he or she can make arrangements. • Species Specific: Some guides specialize in catching one species, whereas others branch out to cover multiple species and broaden their customer base. If you want to fish strictly for bass, it might be wise to hire a guide who specializes in bass fishing. The same goes for crappie, catfish and stripers. That’s not to say a multi-species guide can’t cover all the bases. I know a few that do it well, all of them veterans with more than 20 years of experience on their home waters.

E-mail Matt Williams at MWilliams@fishgame.com.

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Karen Lutto shows off a pronghorn antelope she shot with a Knight Revolution muzzleloading rifle on the plains of southern New Mexico. T E X A S

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IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY, legendary mountain man Kit Carson roamed the New Mexico plains hunting pronghorn antelope and other species. Except for a few roads and an infrequent ranch house dominated by a satellite disk, Carson would certainly recognize the grass and sagebrush of the Alamo Mesa along the Texas-New Mexico line northeast of El Paso. Here, Game Management Units 28 and 29 east of Fort Bliss hold some of the best antelope habitat in the Land of Enchantment. “We have some good antelope hunting in Units 28 and 29,” said Ryan McBee of the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish in Roswell. “The 2010 season was really good with a 100 percent success rate in Unit 28 and about a 90 percent rate in Unit 29. We’re anticipating another good season in 2011.” Units 28 and 29 only allow muzzleloader hunting. The 2011 Unit 28 season

about drawing permits. We usually bag a total of about 30 animals a year and some in Texas.” Jones houses his clients in a teepee camp to recapture the spirit of a 19th century hunt -- with a few modern twists. In each teepee, clients sleep on bunks stretched along the inside perimeter over a “carpet” of buffalo, deer, fox and coyote skins. However, the camp does offer some

Karen Lutto and Steve Jones of Backcountry Hunts Guide Service use a camouflaged net to stalk a pronghorn antelope across the plains of southern New Mexico.

runs Sept. 3-4, followed by the Unit 29 season on Sept. 9-12. Each year, sportsmen kill about 15 to 20 antelope in Unit 28 and 30 to 35 animals in Unit 29. “We hunt with muzzleloaders in southeast New Mexico on the Texas-New Mexico line about 90 minutes from the El Paso airport,” said Steve Jones of Backcountry Hunts guide service in Carlsbad. “We hunt with centerfire rifles and bows elsewhere in New Mexico and Texas. Most of our hunts are guaranteed landowner hunts, so we don’t have to worry 46 |

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modern conveniences, such as a shower, portable toilet and electrical power generator. Back in Carson’s day, millions of antelope roamed the endless Great Plains. By 1910, habitat loss and unrestricted hunting reduced the population to fewer than 13,000 nationwide. However, with proper game management, pronghorns rebounded in the 20th century and now commonly race across much of their original range. “Antelope are doing well in New Mexico,” said Julie Cummings of the

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NMDGF in Santa Fe. The northeast and southeast quadrants of the state have the densest populations. During the past two or three years, we’ve seen decreasing numbers in the southwest quadrant.” After waking to the sizzle and smell of frying bacon, hunters head across the prairies “mounted” in pickups. Where Carson squinted steely-eyed into the prairie glare, modern sportsmen scan the horizon

Karen Lutto takes aim at a pronghorn antelope while Steve Jones of Backcountry Hunts Guide Service watches through his binoculars.

with highpower binoculars. “Pronghorn hunting is mostly about spotting animals at long distances and stalking,” said Karen Lutto of Boerne, Texas, who represents Steiner and Burris optical companies. “When hunting pronghorns, sportsmen must do a lot of glassing so they need good optics. Sportsmen also need to get in shape and do a lot of walking if they plan to keep up with the animals.” In good antelope country, sportsmen frequently see dozens of animals each day. PHOTOS: JOHN FELSHER

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Plan Early for Cross-Border Antelope Hunts BEFORE MAKING AN ANTELOPE HUNT across the state line, sportsmen must obtain permits in one of two ways. The state distributes antelope tags to landowners and holds a lottery for public tags. The state allocates up to 22 percent of the public tags for non-residents. This does not include landowner tags. Sportsmen must apply for a lottery permit by March with lucky sportsmen notified by June. To apply for a lottery tag costs non-residents $290. In addition, sportsmen hunting on public land must pay $4 for a Habitat Management and Access Validation. Those hunting on U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management land must buy a $5 Habitat Stamp. “If someone is unsuccessful in drawing a permit, they can try to obtain one from a landowner participating in the antelope private land use program,” explained Julie Cummings of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in Santa Fe. Knowing they can outrace anything in North America not hitting all eight cylinders, pronghorns don’t hide. Their white rumps stick out against the tan and green

John N. Felsher takes aim at a pronghorn antelope with a Knight Revolution muzzleloading rifle.

prairie grass. Across the featureless prairies, antelope also see hunters. With phenomenal eyesight and speed unmatched by anything except cheetahs, pronghorns don’t fear what they can see, but never let anything come too close. To get within range, sportsmen should select an animal they think they can stalk. Try to pick out a lone buck or a small herd near a ridge or ravine. Ambush animals coming to a waterhole or intercept them along feeding routes. In sparse cover, sportsmen may need to

“Sportsmen who contract with landowners to use their tags are almost guaranteed a hunt.” People who plan to use an All-Terrain Vehicle on public land must also register it with the state or obtain a permit. For information on ATV registration, see www.B4uRide.com or call (505) 476-8140. For New Mexico hunting regulations, see www.wildlife.state.nm.us/publications/documents/rib/2011/201 1-2012_Big_Game_RIB_Optimized2.pdf. For license and permit information, see www.wildlife.state.nm.us/recreation/hunting/index.htm. Send an e-mail to the NMDGF at ispa@state.nm.us or call (505) 476-8000. —John Felsher

make their own concealment. Draping a camouflaged net over a person or holding up a burlap “shield” can break up a human outline and eliminate body shine. Try to

approach from behind and downwind. When the animal looks down, advance a few steps and stop. Avoid making unnatural sounds. The animal might see the “bush” moving, but may not spook since it doesn’t look like a human or a predator they can’t outrun. “Stalking an antelope is a big part of the fun,” Jones said. “If people just try to walk up on antelope, they’ll never get close enough for a shot. With their excellent eyesight, antelope see an object moving closer toward them, but they don’t know what it is.” T E X A S

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Once in range, use a tripod or crossed shooting sticks to make a steady shot, killing an animal quickly and humanely. A good laser rangefinder also makes an excel-

Bryce M. Towsley shows off a pronghorn antelope he shot with a Knight Revolution muzzleloading rifle.

lent addition to the equipment list. Stalking antelope provides a rewarding experience for introducing big game hunting to novice sportsmen since they usually see many animals. For booking trips with Backcountry Hunts, call (575) 887-6178 or (575) 361-1053. On line, see www.backcountryhunts.com.

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BY TF&G BOATING EDITOR

Lenny Rudow T E X A S

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GETING LOST ON THE ROAD is a minor inconvenience, but getting lost on the water is a serious problem. And unfortunately, with the wide-spread GPS use we have these days, many mariners don’t know the first thing about navigation beyond placing a cursor on a waypoint and pressing “go”.

1. The screen suddenly goes blank on your GPS chartplotter, a puff of black smoke comes out the back, and you’re out of cell range—looks like you’ll be finding your way back home the old fashioned way. Luckily, you’re smart enough to have the most reliable navigational tool known to mankind on your boat: a compass.You also know that due to declination (the difference between geographic north and magnetic north) in the waters off the Texas coast your compass will read ______ degrees off. A. Between 0 and 2 B. Between 2 and 5 C. Between 5 and 10 D. It won’t be off at all; this is a trick question because Texas is almost in geographic alignment with the poles.

A. B.

True False

4.You have the correct course set for home, but to keep track of your approximate position, you’ll make use of a technique known as: A. B. C. D.

Reckoning Live Reckoning Dead Reckoning You reckon it really doesn’t matter.

5. In order to use this technique, in addition to the boat’s compass you need three tools. They are: A. A chart, a watch, and a handbearing compass. B. A watch, a hand-bearing compass, and a speedometer C. A chart, parallel rules, and a speedometer. D. A chart, a watch, and a speedometer.

A. East B. West C. North D. None of the above, because the answer to question 1 was “D.”

6. Suddenly, a squall pops up. A terrifying bolt of lightning flashes from the sky, and strikes your boat—directly on the helm. When you recover from the shock, you see that your compass has been blasted to bits. Luckily, you know how to build a rudimentary compass out of items you have onboard.You will gather the following things, to make it:

3. It’s a good thing your information is current, because compass declination changes with time. Is this true, or false?

A. A life jacket, two stainless-steel screws, a glass jar, and fishing reel with brass gears inside.

D) This is a type of GPS receiver.

8. C) At noon, regardless of the season, your shadow will always fall in a north-south orientation. the handle of the Little Dipper. 2 0 1 1

bailing wire on the water’s surface. The needle will naturally align itself in a north-south orientation. Note: Wait for the squall to pass first, because this will only work in conditions calm enough that the water in the bucket doesn’t slosh around too much.

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B) The North Star is the last star on

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2. Being such a savvy mariner, you also know that the direction of declination is:

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B. A glass jar, a galvanized nail, a fishing reel with brass gears inside, and a pair of binoculars. C. A piece of steel bailing wire, a section of monofilament fishing line, a plastic bucket, and a digital camera. D. A plastic bucket, a piece of bailing wire, a stereo speaker, and a life jacket. 7. It’s working, but suddenly a rogue wave smashes the boat and your homemade compass flies overboard. Unfortunately, you no longer have enough of the tools you need to make another. Soon it grows dark out—but this is a good thing, since you know a bit about celestial navigation.You’ll find the North Star, and use it to verify you’re on the right course. To find the North Star, which constellation will you locate? A. B. C. D.

The Big Dipper. The Little Dipper. Orion’s Belt. The USS Constellation.

8.You’ve made some headway but you’re still not within sight of land as the sun peaks over the horizon. Luckily, you know how to use the sun to determine direction. At what time of day is this a reliable system, regardless of the time of year? A. Sunrise. B. Sunset. C. Noon. D. None; the sun’s position changes too much with seasonality.

er; fill it with water. The bailing wire (any metal that rusts will work) is your needle, but you’ll need to magnetize it; do so by breaking open the stereo speaker so its magnets are exposed, and rub the wire along the magnet several times, in the same direction. Then rip open the life jacket and get a small piece of foam. Use it to float the

You say that’s not you? You think you can navigate like a modern day Ahab? Then prove it – take our Texas Fish & Game saltwater navigation quiz, and find out if your skills make the grade.

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Flip the Page for the Correct Answers

10. It’s dusk and you think you should be very close to land. Wait – what’s that on the horizon? You see a regularly occult-

Perfect score - GPS? You don’t need no stinkin’ GPS! 7 – 9 correct – It may take a while, but eventually you’ll get home. 5 – 6 correct – It may take you months to get home. Under 5 correct – You’re forever lost at sea.

2. A)

LOP. Bearing. Isogonic. Multiplexing.

A. Goes on and off, and is light longer than it’s dark. B. Goes on and off, and is dark longer than its light. C. Goes on and off, for an even amount of time. D. One that was placed by devil-worshipers.

3. A) Shifts in the magnetic pole cause declination to vary by differing amounts, depending on location. In Houston, for example, it varies about seven minutes (a bit more than a tenth of a degree) each year.

A. B. C. D.

ing light, which may be seen on buoys and lighthouses. Victory! A regularly occulting light is one that:

D) The plastic bucket is your contain-

5. D) When dead-reckoning, you use the watch and speedo to determine how far you’ve travelled in a given amount of time, and mark it on the chart. 4.

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1. ANSWER, B): In Galveston it’s 2 degrees, 53 minutes, and in Corpus Christi it’s 4 degrees, 24 minutes (a minute is 1/60th of a degree)

9. As you navigate your way home, you think back to your younger days, when you learned the basics of navigation before GPS even existed. Which term does NOT cross your mind?

ANSWERS

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GETTING A GLOBAL VIEW OF BAY systems, fish patterns, and angling techniques is the hardest part of becoming a better angler. It is so easy to become entrenched in the minutia of selecting the right lure color or learning recycled GPS numbers as though they were the secret combination to become a better fisherman. All the little details help make up the big picture, but it is often those very details that cloud our vision of the big picture and make it harder to become a better angler—the “forest for the trees” syndrome. The Zen of fishing is found in that overview or big picture of the lay of the bay and the cycles that drive it. People will ask a consistently successful angler, “How did you know to go there at that time?” The answer is usually frustratingly cryptic: “I just had a feeling.” That feeling is often what makes someone successful in whatever he or she does, but as in all pursuits, that feeling is rarely found in the little things. It is gleaned from a greater vision of all the details and an ability to connect the dots and form a picture. There is a great expression in hunting: “Aim big, hit big.” It is no different in fishing. Look at the big picture and allow your focus to expand. You will have a much greater knowledge to draw from and subsequently, a larger target for your aim.

nest for many species, and often present a rebalancing of the food chain. An apex predator in the bay may be nothing more than an easy meal in the Gulf. These two sides of the bay present two drastically different aspects of the bay’s life cycle. The estuary is the beginning while the Gulf marks an end or passage. For a bay species, the body of the bay is the arena for the majority of its life. Almost all bay species play the careful balancing game between bay and Gulf. Many, including flounder and redfish, spawn almost exclusively in the Gulf, while trout spawn in the bay, marsh and Gulf. Yet, all three species travel the road between the two extremes in following the call to spawn and the need to pursue food. The Lay of the Bay Pelagic and semi-migratory species of the beachfront and Gulf Many bays and bay systems are laid out in a very similar pattern. depend on outflow from the bay to provide forage species. Without Always remember that marsh and estuary are the heart of not only a constant cycling of menhaden, shrimp, mullet, and countless other the bay system but also the larger marine ecosystem finfish and crustaceans into the Gulf, ocean predaMurray’s in general. Estuary areas anchor the bay and are tors’ buffet table would be empty. Marsh provides generally in the farthest reaches of a bay complex. For life to the bay; the bay funnels it to the Gulf. book, now in example, the heart of the Galveston Bay complex Understanding this general pattern allows you to see its third comes from the Trinity River mouth, the marsh of the why game fish are in certain areas at certain times of north shoreline of East Bay, and the limited marsh of the year and, perhaps more importantly, why they printing, is the tertiary bays that border the west end of West are not. part of Texas Bay. These complexes of cord grass, mud pools and Every spring, speckled trout flow into the bays to winding canals blend the essential nutrients from meet the early hatch of baitfish as they are flushed Fish & Game’s from marsh to the bay. Trout seek this food supply freshwater inflow with the brine of the bay. This “Saltwater union creates a brackish filter for all upland elements as well as look for the proper balance of salinity, curas they enter the bay system. The marsh helps balrent flow and protective habitat for spawning. This Strategies” ance the salinity, creates breeding ground for the base push from the Gulf fills the bays with schools of series. of the bay ecosystem’s feeding cycle, and creates crittrout that make up the year’s bay population of fish. ical habitat for everything from predators to forage Fish that stream in on spring tides take up resispecies. It is the nursery. dence in the bay through summer until low tides, These areas can have many variations in layout, dropping temperatures and autumn chill purges but are always ripe with rich mud, off-color water shrimp, shad and other marsh creatures into the and deep canals bordered by shallow mud flats. This Gulf. is the Eden of the bay. Through the year, trout generally work deeper Visualize the body of the bay expanding from this back into the bay pursuing baitfish and seeking base. Although every bay varies in specific layout, lower salinity. The marshes fill with fish concurrentmost bays and bay systems eventually empty into the ly with mid-bay reefs and flats. This process conGulf. A Gulf pass is the harshest environment in this cludes when the transition to fall empties a majority system. It is typified by strong currents, deep water, of the bay’s biomass and resets the whole system to hard bottom structure, and high salinity. Passes and reload next spring. Remember, though, that these cuts from Gulf to bay mark the launch pad from the general patterns are loaded with exceptions. T E X A S

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After years of tagging fish for Fish Trackers Inc., I was able to find anomalies in almost every pattern. The cliché “never say never” is cliché for a reason. In the mid1990s, I caught and tagged a 15-inch redfish in Galveston’s Green’s Lake. The lake is a very small, almost isolated body of water. Although the lake has consistent numbers of large redfish in it, I believe there is a constant exchange between the bay and lake during low tides and cold conditions. I would also surmise that as redfish get to spawning size, they hear the calling to head to a pass for spawning and leave the sanctuary of the lake. I received a return on that redfish tag years later. The fish had grown to spawning size and was caught—guess where— Green’s Lake. Did that fish spend its entire life in that lake? Or did it filter back and forth and get recaptured in a favorite feeding spot? It is hard to say, but it clearly indicates a repetition in redfish behavior that rivals salmon, and may show that fish are not as transient as they are sometimes thought to be. I had a curious tag return in the early1990s after tagging a 15-inch trout at Shell Island in the middle of Galveston’s West Bay in early March. That fish was recaptured a few months later in the Gulf. Instead of coming from the marsh or the Gulf to feed on spring brown shrimp and eventually settling down to summer in the bay, I have to believe that fish never slowed down and simply followed the shrimp onto the beachfront. That gives some clue as to why West Bay fishing may be slow through the middle of summer. The most surprising tag return and pattern breaker I encountered was a trout I tagged on a beachfront pier at Freeport. It was recaptured months later from the exact same pier. I still cannot imagine that beachfront trout are not constantly on the move. Miles and miles of bars and guts, ripping tides, and large predators add up to transient fish. Either the structure of the pier pilings or coincidence found that fish sedentary in a moving environment. Anyone who has waded the surf knows that those fish are constantly on the run. This one was not.

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fish activity, water clarity, wind, barometric pressure, salinity, cloud cover, and a host of other variables can affect feeding patterns on any given day. If your only exposure to the bay is from 5:00 A.M. until noon, you greatly reduce the odds for conditions aligning in your favor. Granted, it is hard to fish a 12 or 14 hour day, but in tough times, it can make all the difference. Remember, tenacity can often make up for lack of experience. And to gain experience, you have to be on the water.

tide will push fish out of bayou mouths to shorelines and off shorelines to mid-bay structure. This creates great ambush situations for anglers. When the tide rises significantly, it pushes fish onto shorelines and into back lakes and estuaries. It creates new submerged areas by flooding previously dry bay bottom. This, in turn, creates a pattern for anglers to target. Never let tide make you cancel a trip. Use it to your advantage and ignore any bad side effects.

Tides

Moon Madness

It is axiomatic that tide movement, velocity and direction play a significant role in the activity of all parts of bay ecosystems. From the movement of shrimp larvae deep in the marsh to trout chasing menhaden on an oyster reef, tide matters. I admit that I have spent the majority of my fishing life trying to downplay the importance of tide movement. My point has always been that if you have a chance to go fishing, do not let sun, moon or tide stop you from going or wilt your confidence. I still believe this, but there are some simple rules that can be used to your advantage when addressing tide charts. The closer you are to a pass, the more important tide movement is. It is very logical. In a remote back bay that gets tide movement in seasons and not hours, tide has very little effect. But for a population of fish that is congregating and feeding in close proximity to a pass or area that is subject to constant and extreme tidal movement, it is going to play into their feeding patterns. From the broader perspective, think about how tide can move incredible numbers of fish into or out of a bay. The south shoreline of Rockport’s Mesquite Bay can change dramatically in a single flood tide. As tide swells into the bay, it can bring large numbers of fish from neighboring Gulf and bay waters. The same is true in reverse. With the staggeringly quick, harsh tide drops of winter, Galveston’s West Bay can go from limits of trout every day to nothing. The tide is that significant. Although these are extreme examples, they can be used to see general patterns. As the tide falls, it pushes baitfish, game fish and everything else away from the marsh to the nearest pass. This can be exacerbated by strong winds augmenting the flow. In normal tide situations, this same pattern happens with far less extreme results. A falling

Like the tide, the moon is something you will never control. You can use it to your advantage, or ignore it if it works against you. There is no doubt that a big, bright full moon allows fish to feed at night. The positive is that it also brings a decent mid-day bite and almost always creates significant tide movement. A new moon can equally create greater tide flow, but even this seemingly insurmountable tide-moving force can be overcome by a strong wind. A harsh wind can negate the strongest lunar influence. It is natural to want to avoid full moon periods because of the increased likelihood of night feeding, but this also presents opportunity. If you are sure the fish are feeding at night, then it is a sure bet you should fish at night. Play the moon when you are scheduling a trip far in advance, but never cancel one because of the moon.

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The Big Picture Having an overview of the bay, fish patterns and the conditions that drive them is critical for consistent success. I love the intensity of Bassmaster anglers. The stories of Rick Clunn camping at lakeside before a tournament to get “climatized” to the bass fascinate me. You would have to call him a nut if he did not win so many tournaments. I would never suggest climatizing in the local marsh before your next coastal fishing trip. But when you lay out a game plan for the day, try looking with a broader vision at the climate and conditions that impact the fish. It can pay huge dividends.

The Texas Fish & Game book, “Pat Murray’s No-Nonsense Guide to Coastal Fishing” is available online at www.FishGame.com or by calling 1-800-4678. Audio and eBook versions will be available soon.

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Open Season by Reavis Wortham | TF&G Humor Editor

The Guide EET ME AT THE MARINA AFTER lunch, say around one on Monday?” I sighed into the phone. “I have a full time job. I can’t get off so easily.” The Guide made a frustrated noise in my ear. “Uh. I like to fish during the week when the crowds are down. How about two in the afternoon?” I spoke slowly, lest he misunderstand again. “I…have…a…job. I can’t fish during the day.” “It’s crowded on the weekends.” “That’s because people like me have to work. The weekends are all we get.” “But I want you to come fish with me. I can show you how I catch bass with a safety pin and some clothesline.” “I’m sure it works for you, but I can’t be there during the day.” Guide thought for a long time. “All right. I’ll see you at four on Monday, then.” Before I could answer, he hung up. I checked my calendar, found that I actually could make it on that date because the boss was out of town and wouldn’t know if I was gone. Unfortunately, on that date four days later, a huge storm blew in and dumped enough water to cause certain devout people to consider the immediate construction of large boats. He called me that afternoon after the power came back on at my house. “It was a good thing you didn’t come out here. The fishing was terrible in this weather.” “You didn’t actually fish during that hurricane, did you?” “Well, I didn’t go out in a boat. Instead I sat inside the boat slips and tried for crappie. You know, they don’t like it when the barometer does strange things, so things slowed down after the storm passed.” “They don’t like to bite when the barometer is bouncing like a yo-yo.” “Something like that. But really fish like

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falling barometers. That’s when they bite the best. I learned a lot about that by watching my pet crappie.” I couldn’t resist being drawn into the conversation. “You’re telling me you kept a crappie for a pet?” “Sure.” “Did you name it?” “Yep. Livingston. I had a five hundred gallon tank in my living room and he lived in there with some other fish. You know, five hundred gallons is pretty large for just one crappie.” “Of course.”

“I learned to tell when the barometer was rising, by looking at him, because that’s when he leaned over with his head against the glass, like I did back in college on Monday mornings. Anyway, the rising barometer seemed to make his head want to explode, so I couldn’t get him to eat anything then.” “How did we get on this topic?” “You wanted to fish with me.” “Actually, you called and asked me to go with you. You said, ‘hello, I’m a guide and I wanted a famous outdoor writer to go fishing with me.” “Oh, anyway, let’s try for next Monday at noon.” “Have you forgotten our last conversation?” He cleared his throat. “Probably. I was hit by lightning once while I was fishing in a thunderstorm and…what we were talking about?” “Meeting me on Saturday afternoon, around four, to fish for crappie.” “Right. See you there.”

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Another cold front blew through, bringing rain and an easterly wind. Since the old men taught me to fish according to the weather (fish bite the least when the wind is from the east), I knew the thirty-mile-anhour winds were going to make for a bad fishing day. “The fish didn’t bite good today at all,” Guide told me on the phone. “I get it. You were fishing in the wind.” “Yep. You didn’t miss anything. Did you forget to come out?” “Probably. How bout next week?” “Any time you want. How about you just show up at the marina. That’s how I do it. I fish every day, sometimes all day long, with clients or without. Sometimes the fishing is good, sometimes bad.” I couldn’t resist. “What does your crappie say about how his kinfolk are going to bite today?” “Oh, the one in my living room tank? I don’t have him anymore. He died.” “I’m afraid to ask.” “Just bellied up. I fried him up, though. Tasted pretty good.” “I don’t want to know. Did you get another one?” “Naw, it seems to bother other crappie when I drop a lure in every now and then.” “That shouldn’t make any difference. Just floating a lure in an aquarium shouldn’t be a problem.” “Oh, I didn’t just float it. Every now and then I’d get bored watching television, and I’d just pick up a rod from beside the couch and make a few casts. I got pretty good with the flyrod, too.” We both got quiet for a long while. “You’re not married, are you?” I asked. “Nope.” “Figures.” “See you after lunch on Monday!” Sigh. “Sure, maybe they won’t notice I’m not there,” I said and marked the date on my calendar, just in case the weather was right for fishing. E-mail Reavis Wortham at RWortham@fishgame.com. PHOTO: PICSFIVE, BIGSTOCK

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PHOTO: GRADY ALLEN

NOW THAT THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS has run out (at least I hope so for my Dad’s sake), I can tell this story. Back in 1979 sitting on the tailgate of his blue Ford pickup, I watched him battle and land a 196-pound alligator garfish. Having recently watched “Moby Dick” starring Gregory Peck, I dubbed the beast “Moby,” an appropriate title since big garfish were the white whales of sorts to our family. The risky part of the story is that Dad used a three-pound largemouth bass for bait. Running out of mullet he threw his cast net, caught only the bass, put it on a shark-sized hook and hoped for the best. The results spoke for themselves. For many anglers in Southeast Texas, alligator garfish have been one of the most sought after species for decades. Now the rest of the state is turning their attention to this powerful, mysteri-

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ous fish that is the largest freshwater species in Texas and second only to the white sturgeon throughout North America. A buzz about gar started to grow as photos of Trinity River guide Kirk Kirkland’s huge catches circulated on the Internet. Then “River Monsters” debuted on Animal Planet. During the first season the show garnered the network’s highest ratings ever and one of the most talked about episodes involved host Jeremy Wade catching the Trinity’s monster gar. “I loved fishing for the alligator garfish in Texas. Your state is one of the last places you have a chance to catch those in any kind of numbers,” Wade said. Unlike many of the giant fish he has pursued, gar proved frustrating in the strike department. “Most of the really big fish take the bait and run with it. It may be really hard to locate them but once the fish takes the bait they are off with it. The garfish would peck on a bite for a while and sometimes run as far as 100 yards before you can set the hook. That made it quite challenging,” Wade said. Comparing gar to other giant fish from around the world is difficult according to Wade. “Each of the species is unique in its own way so its kind of F I S H

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In This Issue

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• Glamour

BY CHESTER MOORE

FISHING FORECAST SECTION

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TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots | BY TOM BEHRENS, CALIXTO GONZALES, & BOB HOOD

HOTSPOTS FOCUS: UPPER COAST • Late Summer Action | BY CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

HOTSPOTS FOCUS: GALVESTON • Transition Waters | BY CAPT. MIKE HOLMES

hard compare but the alligator garfish definitely ranks high in among the “river monsters” out there. They are a true challenge and of course grow to impressive sizes. They also can put up a spectacular fight,” he said. That is quite an endorsement from someone who has fished everywhere from the Amazon to India. As noted in a 2010 edition of TF&G Wade said he recently learned of Texas’ most to restrict gar harvest and said it was a positive move in the right direction. “You can’t just kill off all of the big fish in the rivers without consequences. Most of the rivers of the world have very little fish left in them due to unrestricted harvest. I was glad to see Texas work toward gar conservation because it has a unique resource that is worth keeping around.” In 2009, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials did indeed enact a new gar regulation that allows only one alligator gar of any size to be taken per day by anglers or bow-fishers. Anglers may keep only one, and bow-fishers may shoot only one fish per day. "A management strategy that ensures sustainability while allowing all types of anglers to continue to utilize the fishery is the goal," said Dave Buckmeier, a TPWD fisheries biologist 58 |

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: ROCKPORT • Tid Bits | BY CAPT. MAC GABLE HOTSPOTS FOCUS: LOWER COAST • August Rocks | BY

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SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides & Prime Times | BY TF&G

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TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • Pick of the Litter | BY STEVE LAMASCUS

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TEXAS BOATING • Controlling Destiny - by Direction | BY LENNY RUDOW

TEXAS KAYAKING • Coastal Kayak Adventure | BY GREG BERLOCHER

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TEXAS TASTED • Texas Wagon Wheels | BY BRYAN SLAVEN

FISHING TALES • What the Heck is a Flourocarbon Anyway? | BY CHESTER MOORE

SALTWATER TALES • Don’t Check THAT Hose | BY DAVE

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OUTDOOR CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY • Guides, Gear and More | BY TF&G STAFF

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studying alligator gar populations. Buckmeier is leading several studies designed to provide information about key population characteristics, including population size, growth, recruitment and habitat needs according to a TPWD report written by Larry Hodge. "Texas is fortunate to have the best remaining trophy alligator gar fishery in the world, and we want to make sure it is available to future generations,” he said. Gar reproduce slowly and for that reason TPWD believes it is vital to protect the fishery from overharvest. "Alligator gar mature between 10 to 14 years of age and are thought to spawn in flooded backwater areas," Buckmeier said. "Because spawning is linked to seasonal flooding, successful spawns may be infrequent." Spawning in shallow, flooded areas makes them vulnerable to overharvest and also puts them in danger from reservoir building and increased municipal and industrial water demands which can but the flow in various ecosystems. Texas is the last state with a healthy gar population and anglers from around the world are coming here to catch their very own “river monster”. While the Congo’s tiger fish are out

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PAUL’S TIPS • Qualifying Your Quiver | BY PAUL BRADSHAW

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INDUSTRY INSIDER • Family Fishing Clinic | BY TF&G STAFF

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FISH AND GAME GEAR • Hot New Outdoor Gear | BY TF&G

of reach to most anglers and trips to South America to catch payara and other wild species get less appealing with each edition of the evening news, gar are a unique species that are safe to pursue and that are being managed correctly. That is not so far many of the large freshwater fish around the world. When I was 16-years-old a friend of ours from England came down to visit for the summer and we took him gar fishing. He was a year older than me and his only fishing experience was “catching sardines in the English Channel.” His first gar was only a couple of feet long but he thought it was something special. Then when he saw me catch a four-footer, his mind was blown. There is something about gar with their toothy mouth and armored body that creates a mystique that draws people in. Like it or not, gar have stepped up to a new level in terms of respect in the angling world. They will never replace the largemouth bass in the hearts of most inland anglers but they certainly have a larger following than ever. And yes my Dad still fishes for gar although he has not used a bass for bait since that fateful day.

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GPS COORDINATES are provided in two formats: “Decimal Degrees” (degrees.degrees) and “Degrees and Minutes” sometimes called “GPS Format” (degrees minutes.minutes). Examples (for Downtown Austin): Decimal Degrees: N30.2777, W97.7379; Degrees and Minutes: N30 16.6662, W97 44.2739. Consult your manual for information specific to your GPS device.

UPPER GULF COAST

Specks, Specks and More Specks by TOM BEHRENS tbehrens@fishgame.com

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Three Beacons GPS: N28 40.158, W95 53.05398 (28.669300, -95.884233) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: 1/8-ounce leadhead jigs with Norton Black Magic, Chicken on a Chain, or Tequila Sand Eels CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: With calm winds, wade the midbay reefs. LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Oyster Farm GPS: N28 41.54202, W95 48.58398 (28.692367, -95.809733) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: 1/8-ounce leadhead jigs with Norton Black Magic, Chicken on a Chain, or Tequila Sand Eels CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: Fish the grass beds. LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Galveston Beachfront GPS: N29 21.71664, W94 46.09998 (29.361944, -94.768333) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Plum/chartreuse soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman, 409256-7937 TIPS: Have a “donut” float basket for your fish. Area is known for small shark that will still your catch. 60 |

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LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: East Jetty GPS: N29 40.287, W93 49.72002 (29.671450, -93.828667) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Rat Tail baits, the Big Nasty 5î Voodoo Shad, and the Zoom Super Fluke Jr. CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins, 409-782018 or 409-673-9211 TIPS: The Jetties always produce at this time of the year. Make sure you have a Louisiana fishing license. LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Coffee Ground Cove GPS: N29 57.75702, W93 46.33098 (29.962617, -93.772183) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Super Fluke Jr.; Rat Tail baits, 5” Voodoo Shad and Zoom CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins, 409-782018 or 409-673-9211 TIPS: Look for birds working bait.

CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: Let the leadhead bounce off the shell. LOCATION: Gulf of Mexico HOTSPOT: Beachfront GPS: N28 55.39824, W95 18.99624 (28.923304, -95.316604) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics and silver spoons CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman, 409256-7937 TIPS: Surfside beach continues to produce early in the day. The jetties is also a good place to for speckled trout.

MIDDLE GULF COAST

Spooning Reds at the Land Cut by TOM BEHRENS tbehrens@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Louisiana Point GPS: N29 41.27298, W93 49.68198 (29.687883, -93.828033) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Catch 2000, Catch 5 CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins, 409-782018 or 409-673-9211 TIPS: Fish early in the morning when they trout are up on the flats feeding.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Land Cut GPS: N27 0.51978, W97 26.8491 (27.008663, -97.447485) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: 3/4-ounce gold spoons CONTACT: Capt. Jon Fails, 361-9490133 TIPS: Early, check the flats for big schools of redfish.

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Gas Well Pads GPS: N28 31.26498, W96 19.73802 (28.521083, -96.328967) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Double rigs - leadhead jig with a worm and a hook with a shrimp

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Shamrock Cove GPS: N27 44.95098, W97 10.00002 (27.749183, -97.166667) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live finger mullet CONTACT: Capt. Jon Fails, 361-949-

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0133 TIPS: Early, wade the bay front. LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Rahal Bayou GPS: N28 18.36996, W96 32.91 (28.306166, -96.548500) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Mann’s Waker CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin, 361785-2686 TIPS: When you have floating grass, the Waker is perfect. The lure runs about twoinches below the surface. LOCATION: Mesquite Bay HOTSPOT: Bray Cove GPS: N28 8.52, W96 48.61002 (28.142000, -96.810167) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Texas Tackle Factory Flats Minnows in Roach/chartreuse CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin, 361785-2686 TIPS: Look for stained water. LOCATION: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Panther Reef Cut GPS: N28 15.37998, W96 42.99996 (28.256333, -96.716666)

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SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Texas Tackle Factory Little Dummy in black/chartreuse CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin, 361785-2686 TIPS: The key is finding the bait. Concentrate on oyster shell bottoms. LOCATION: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Dagger Point Reef GPS: N28 16.923, W96 47.53902 (28.282050, -96.792317) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Chartreuse colored Corkys; Texas Tackle Factory East Beast with 1/4 or 1/8-ounce leadheads CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin, 361785-2686 TIPS: Fish the drop-offs from the reef. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Yarborough Pass GPS: N27 12.2361, W97 21.96576 (27.203935, -97.366096) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: 3/4-ounce gold spoons CONTACT: Capt. Jon Fails, 361-9490133 TIPS: Water temps drop-off a few degrees in the shallow flats the first couple

of hours—pole or drift for fish. LOCATION: Gulf of Mexico HOTSPOT: Second Chain of Reefs GPS: N28 10.77996, W96 49.08 (28.179666, -96.818000) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Texas Tackle Factory East Beast soft plastics with a 1/8-ounce jighead CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin, 361785-2686 TIPS: Concentrate on reef points, looking for bait activity; also good spot to use live croaker as bait.

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South Jetty Snook and Tarpon by CALIXTO GONZALES cgonzales@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Brazos-Santiago Pass HOTSPOT: South Jetty Tip GPS: N26 3.8802, W97 8.71002 (26.064670, -97.145167) SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: Logic Baits Tandems or Wiggly Jiggly in Pearl/chartreuse, wounded mullet, clear/glitter CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956561-4535 TIPS: Fish the outside of the jetty on an outgoing tide, and the inside of the point on the incoming tide. Electronics are helpful to determine if the fish are down near the bottom or suspended. A live finger mullet or cocktail-sized shrimp works, too. LOCATION: Brazos-Santiago Pass HOTSPOT: South Jetty Tip GPS: N26 3.8802, W97 8.71002 (26.064670, -97.145167) SPECIES: tarpon BEST BAITS: Logic Baits Tandems or Wiggly Jiggly in Pearl/chartreuse, wounded mullet, clear/glitter CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956561-4535

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TIPS: Keep an eye out for rolling tarpon on calm ”Dog Day” mornings. Large poons cruise within casting distance of rock hoppers this time of year. A 5” Tandem rig or large swimbait in mullet pattern is a great bait to throw.

CONTACT: Captain Mike Knox, 956243-0039 TIPS: Fish around the south ends of these humps as the month goes on. Trout will be working south and looking to fill their appetites as they move along.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: High School Shoreline GPS: N26 4.83, W97 14.86998 (26.080500, -97.247833) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters early, soft plastics in chartreuse patterns, fresh ballyhoo CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 986-551-9581 TIPS: Fish east of the sand bar in deeper water. If the breeze is up, watch for a color change to form a bit further off the shoreline. Drift with the wind with either soft plastics or a skipped 5” ballyhoo.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Century Point GPS: N26 37.983, W97 26.148 (26.633050, -97.435800)

SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker; Soft baits in Pearl/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse, purple/chartreuse Topwaters in baby trout, mullet, Bone CONTACT: Captain Steven Devries, 956289-3631 TIPS: Century remains a productive area in August Fish near shore along the weedline early in the morning. As the wind picks up later in the day, fish deeper water

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: East Shoreline GPS: N26 28.3902, W97 16.377 (26.473170, -97.272950) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics in red/white, cut ballyhoo, live shrimp CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956-551-9581 TIPS: Trout spread out over the grass and sand. Grass is a bit sparser than in past years, but trout will hold over patches. Fish clear water where available. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Marker 97 GPS: N26 9.24198, W97 14.57298 (26.154033, -97.242883) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters early, soft plastics in chartreuse patterns, finger mullet CONTACT: Captain Mike Knox, 956243-0039 TIPS: Fish around the spoils for larger trout. Fish up on the mud and sand early, then back off and fish the ICW drop-off with soft plastics and live bait on a freeline. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Spoils GPS: N26 6.54942, W97 13.05 (26.109157, -97.217500) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters early, soft plastics in chartreuse patterns, finger mullet T F & G

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with live bait and soft plastics. LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N26 27.64002, W97 22.24992 (26.460667, -97.370832) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Soft baits in Pearl/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse, purple/chartreuse, gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Steven Devries, 956289-3631 TIPS: Fish slowly and closer to the spoils for redfish action. Use gold spoons over grass along with soft plastics. Use weedless hooks in the even of floating grass. LOCATION: South Bay HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N26 1.7145, W97 10.7298 (26.028575, -97.178830) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live Bait, Logic Tandems, soft plastics in Pearl CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956561-4535 TIPS: Large trout lurk in sand and grass early in the morning. Long casts and a stealthy approach are the order of the day. If there is a breeze, you can fish more aggressively with popping corks or even topwaters. LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: Gaswell Flats GPS: N26 13.81098, W97 15.42198

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(26.230183, -97.257033) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, cut bait, gold spoons, tandem rigs in black/glow, glow/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956943-3474 TIPS: Redfish begin schooling and getting ready for their fall migration. Look for larger schools to form this time of year. Drift to intercept them and throw soft plastics.

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Livingston’s Lumpy Stripers by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: The Lump GPS: N30 41.337, W95 2.067 (30.688950, -95.034450) SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: 1 1/8-ounce jigging slabs CONTACT: David S. Cox, dave@palmettoguideservice.com, 936291-9602, palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Drop a slab down to the bottom and pop your rod three or four times to make the slab jump on and off the bottom. Feel for a strike as the slab falls. Give a soft hook set when you feel pressure. Bank access is available at Beacon Bay Marina. LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Stumpy Slough GPS: N32 43.8081, W94 5.68698 (32.730135, -94.094783) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Soft plastic frogs, Flukes, Senkos, buzz baits CONTACT: Paul Keith, caddoguide@att.net, 318-455-3437, caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish this area during the earlymorning hours with top-water lures and

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slow-sinking weightless soft plastics. Target the areas that have both lily pads and grass. LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Caney Creek Channel GPS: N30 26.9868, W95 36.26388 (30.449780, -95.604398) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Primos dip bait CONTACT: Richard Tatsch, admin@fishdudetx.com, 936-291-1277, fishdudetx.com TIPS: Locate stumps along the channel in 20-25 feet of water. Chum one-half bag of cattle cubes in two locations. Wrap small piece of sponge around a treble hook, dip it in the bait and lower the hook to the bottom over chum. Jig it slowly off the bottom. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Five Fingers GPS: N32 50.550, W95 34.350 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: soft plastic creature baits on a Carolina rig in watermelon colors CONTACT: Gene Snider, 903-383-7668 TIPS: Old roadbeds are excellent spots to find concentrations of quality-sized bass in the summer months on Fork. Those in water 20-30 feet deep are ideal to probe with a Carolina rig. Work the edges and the top of the structure. Optionally, try a 3/4-ounce tail spinner in shad colors and work it just fast enough to turn the blade, maintaining occasional contact with the bottom. LOCATION: Lake O’ the Pines HOTSPOT: Lakeside Park GPS: N32 45.000, W94 30.780 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: soft plastics in black, blue, plum; dark-colored jig-and-pig CONTACT: Marion Howard, 903-6651401 TIPS: Summer pattern fishing on LOP equates fishing structure in 10-12 feet of water. The lower end of the lake offers prime locations. Brushy points are ideal spots to probe the depths with a jig or Texas- or Carolina-rigged soft-plastics. Barge Point is another good spot to dance

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a jig for a big old sassy she-mouth. LOCATION: Toledo Bend Res. HOTSPOT: Green Willow Point GPS: N31 21.62586, W93 38.74086 (31.360431, -93.645681) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: topwater lures, Rat-LTraps, spoons, tail-spinners CONTACT: Greg Crafts, gregcrafts@yahoo.com, 936-368-7151, toledobendguide.com TIPS: The white bass will school early and late on the main lake points. Black bass also may be mixed in with the white bass. Once you locate them they likely will school in the same area around the same time each day. LOCATION: Toledo Bend South HOTSPOT: Big Sandy Flats Cornfield GPS: N31 13.977, W93 42.951 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: heavy jigs dressed with pumpkinseed-colored plastic; Chug Bugs, Pop-R’s with white hair tails CONTACT: Jim Morris, Cypress Creek Marina, 409-579-3485 TIPS: Early and late concentrate on the edges and open water areas of the grassbeds for some titillating topwater action. When it gets bright, change tactics and go to a 5/8- to 1-ounce jig in crawfish colors. Work the transition zones where vegetation ends and deeper water begins. Cuts and channels with vegetated edges are prime places.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Belton Out the Bass by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Lake Belton HOTSPOT: Back of Cedar Creek GPS: N31 9.88098, W97 27.48396 (31.164683, -97.458066) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Deep-diving crankbaits, Carolina-rigged soft plastics CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, T F & G

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Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com, 254-368-7411, HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: This creek has abundant shad typically holding over shoulders of the creek channel. Fish a deep-diving crankbait on light line in the upper end to scrape these shoulders. Once fish are located, fish a Carolina rig to thoroughly cover the area. LOCATION: Lake Bridgeport HOTSPOT: Windy Point GPS: N33 13.175, W97 50.367 SPECIES: hybrid stripers BEST BAITS: live shad; topwaters; DD 22 in blue/black or firetiger CONTACT: Keith Bunch, 940-683-4858 TIPS: Hybrids will be active on top at first light on points near the dam. Toss them a topwater lure and hold on. Zara Spook Puppies are a good choice. Try to position the boat so fish move toward it. Hybrids are easily spooked by motor noise. Later in the day, use a Carolina rig with live shad and fish deep around the points on breaklines. Optionally, try cranking down a DD 22 in the 20-foot depth range.

Fish straight down with 1-oz. egg sinker. The fish will be just above the structure. LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Res. HOTSPOT: Gibbons Creek-Hog Creek Intersection GPS: N30 37.51746, W96 4.06212 (30.625291, -96.067702) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, cut bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk,

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Res. HOTSPOT: Dam Riprap GPS: N32 10.84146, W96 4.27572 (32.180691, -96.071262) SPECIES: hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: DD-22s, Rat-L-Traps CONTACT: Jason Barber, kingcreekadventures@yahoo.com, 903887-7896, kingcreekadventures.com TIPS: Troll DD-22s parallel to the face of the dam in 15-30 feet of water at 1000 r.p.m. Until you get a strike, then throw out a marker and repeat trolling through the same area. Keep a Rat-L-Trap handy for possible schooling activity. LOCATION: Fayette County Res. HOTSPOT: Fite’s Ridge GPS: N29 55.50312, W96 44.40678 (29.925052, -96.740113) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, worms, punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, weldon_edna@hotmail.com, 979-2293103, FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: The water is 50-60 feet deep with a quick drop to 70 feet close by. There is timber and a submerged pond on the bottom. A good anchor a long rope is needed.

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weldon_edna@hotmail.com, 979-2293101, FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: Use a Santee-rig, 1 or 2-oz. sinker, four-foot leader, 3-0 or 4-0 Kahle or circle hook and small cork. Place the cork one-foot above the hook, weight and swivel. Drift in 18-20 feet of water at 1/2 m.p.h. Use a drift sock if needed. LOCATION: Lake Grapevine HOTSPOT: Meadowmere Park GPS: N32 59.351, W97 08.460 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: No. 13 Pet Spoon trolled behind a Hellbender; Lead Baby slabs CONTACT: Omar Cotter, 817-937-8755 TIPS: Troll across the edges of points and sandbars in 15-20 feet of water with a Hellbender-Pet combo. Lots of eager fish will be the result. A Pet Spoon on a 2-foot leader tied behind a Hellbender crankbait is one of the most effective means of catching suspended white bass in the summer. It will take other species, too, including largemouth bass, catfish, and hybrid stripers. LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Triplet Point GPS: N31 54.84978, W97 12.88818 (31.914163, -97.214803) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Tail Hummers, Rat-LTraps CONTACT: Randy Routh, teamredneck01@hotmail.com, 817-8225539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Look for white bass chasing schools of shad off the point during the early-morning and late-evening hours. Expect to catch quick limits of fish on some days. LOCATION: Lake Cooper HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps GPS: N33 19.6185, W95 38.65104 (33.326975, -95.644184) SPECIES: hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: Large spoons, slabs, 4-inch Sassy Shads CONTACT: Tony Parker, tawakonifihing@yahoo.com, 903-3481619, tonyparkerfishing.com TIPS: The hybrids are chasing gizzard 66 |

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shad on all of the main-lake humps and points. Watch for big shad jumping out of the water or fish blowing up on shad. Use large spoons or 4-inch Sassy Shads. The best depths are 10-17 feet.

bottom in this area near Cobb Creek. Also fish brush and grass along the channel in the upper end of Flat Creek.

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Power Plant Point GPS: N33 2.28888, W96 31.446 (33.038148, -96.524100) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Small or medium minnows, black-chartreuse 1/8-ounce jigs CONTACT: Billy Kilpatrick, straightlineguide@yahoo.com, 214-2327847, straightlineguide.com TIPS: The fish are holding in 15 to 25 feet of water. Fish minnows or jigs just above structure with medium to light-action rods and 10-pound test line. The area around the island, pump stations and 100 yards off the face of the dam also hold fish. LOCATION: Lake Lewisville HOTSPOT: Old Lake Dallas Channel GPS: N33 7.4016, W96 59.7306 (33.123360, -96.995510) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Fresh shad CONTACT: Bobby Kubin, bobby@bobby-catfishing.com, 817-4552894, bobby-catfishing.com TIPS: Drift the river channel at 10-25 feet. Use a Santee-Cooper rig with oneounce weight, 36-inch leader and 3 to 5-0 circle hook. Coat shad with Dead Red Blood Spray as an attractant. Drift at 1/2 m.p.h. using a wind sock or trolling motor when needed. LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Rocky Banks GPS: N32 8.66178, W95 29.00244 (32.144363, -95.483374) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Small crankbaits, Shimmy Shakers, Carolina-rigged, French Frys, Mr. Twister Thunder Worm, buzzbaits CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, ricky@rickysguideservice.com, 903-5617299, rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Bass will be in shallow water early and late. Fish the brush along the rocky

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LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Robertson Park GPS: N32 52.215, W96 30.755 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: topwater lures, tail spinners CONTACT: John Varner, 214-384-5801 TIPS: Look for schooling action early in 5-16 feet of water along the shorelines. Later in the morning, fish will relocate to deeper water and suspend on structure. Find them with sonar and then burn a slab through the school to get bit. Heath Point or the mouth of Yankee Creek are good places to find them during the day. LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Indian Creek GPS: N32 28.757, W96 58.511 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: plastic frogs, buzzbaits CONTACT: Mark McManaway, 214207-8276 TIPS: Frog fishing is a fun and exciting way to tease bucketmouth bass out from under the grassbeds in August on Ray Roberts. Toss a weedless plastic frog onto vegetation in the creeks and hop or swim it slowly. Feel the tension build. Bass cannot resist. If they turn down their noses at frogs, try a buzzbait along the edges of the grass. White or chartreuse colors are good choices. LOCATION: Richland-Chambers Res. HOTSPOT: Post Oak Creek GPS: N31 55.26876, W96 23.4267 (31.921146, -96.390445) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Kicker Bait Ribbon Tail Worm, Zara Spook, Yellow Magic CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, steve@steveschmidtsbigbass.com, 682518-, 8252, schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: Fish boulders on the point before you go into Post Oak Creek. Fish a Carolina rig, 18-24-inch leader, 5-0 hook, 1/2 or 3/4-oz. Affordable Tungsten weight. Put your boat in 15-18 feet of water and cast to the point. Make long casts with the top-

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waters. LOCATION: Richland-Chambers Res. HOTSPOT: Windsock Point GPS: N31 56.42784, W96 7.1991 (31.940464, -96.119985) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Clear Tiny Torpedoes, chrome-blue 1/4-oz; Rat-L-Traps CONTACT: Royce and Adam Simmons, royce@gonefishing.biz, 903-389-4117, www.gonefishing.biz TIPS: Early-morning and late-evening are the best times to find acres of schooling white bass here. Look for them from Ferguson Point to Windsock Point. This is an awesome time to take kids fishing or adults who think they are kids. LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Nails Creek Point GPS: N30 17.70012, W96 39.21696 (30.295002, -96.653616) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, worms, punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk,

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weldon_edna@hotmail.com, 979-2293103, FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: Use a slip cork or Carolina rig with 3/4-oz. egg sinker, No.4 treble or 1-0 Kahle hook. Fish around the rocks on the point. Tight-lining is good when fishing out past the rocks. Drifting jug lines southwest down the bank also works well. LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Lake HOTSPOT: Timbered Shoreline GPS: N31 2.12478, W97 34.75896 (31.035413, -97.579316) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Topwater lures, jigworm, Texas-rigged soft plastics CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com, 254-368-7411, HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Fish topwaters up through 9 a.m. Use Bass Assassin-style soft plastics and Zara Spook style lures to match forage size. After the topwater bite dies go with Watermelon-seed or Smoke, blue-red flake soft plastics around emergent or submerged

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timber. LOCATION: Richland-Chambers Reservoir HOTSPOT: Ferguson Point GPS: N31 57.728, W96 09.183 SPECIES: white bass, hybrid stripers BEST BAITS: Glitter slabs in white or chrome; small topwaters CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117 TIPS: Whites and hybrids will school by the acre in the early morning. Tiny Torpedoes are an effective and fun way to catch them until your arms get tired. Later in the day, use a slab and fish deep-water dropoffs. Bounce a slab gently off the bottom and maintain good contact on the drop. Most strikes occur when the lure flutters down. LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni HOTSPOT: Tall Man Reach to the dam GPS: N32 51.590, W95 54.891 SPECIES: hybrid stripers, white bass BEST BAITS: slabs, Sassy Shads, topwa-

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ters CONTACT: Joe Read, 903-896-1380 TIPS: Hybrids, whites, and stripers will push shad onto the flats at Tall Man at first light to sunup and feed close to or on the surface. Slabs, Sassy Shads, and topwaters will take fish during brief but exciting frenzies. When the light gets strong, they will move to the humps and edges of the many small, submerged points in the area. Look for them to suspend in 25-35 feet of water. Slip a slab to them vertically to generate hook-ups. LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Juniper Point GPS: N33 51.89202, W96 49.88298 (33.864867, -96.831383) SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: Pencil Poppers, Chug Bugs, Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey, bigfish@striperexpress.com, 877-7864477, striperexpress.com TIPS: Big fish are on the flats in August. Fish topwater lures early then switch to Sassy Shads at mid-morning. Target flats at 20 feet deep along edges of channels. Later in the month, look for seagulls to locate feeding stripers here and at the islands. LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Alberta Creek GPS: N33 57.097, W96 36.001 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: pencil poppers, Chug Bugs; 1- to 2-ounce slabs in chrome or chartreuse/white CONTACT: Bill Carey, bigfish@striperexpress.com, 877-7864477, striperexpress.com TIPS: Best topwater action is the first two hours of daylight. Look for the splashes of feeding fish on calm mornings. Fish will go deep when the sun gets strong, and then it is slab time. Drop a slab vertically and then rip it up through the suspended stripers. Ten to 15-pound fish are now common on Big T and the odds for catching a 20-pounder are good. LOCATION: Lake Whitney 68 |

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HOTSPOT: Railroad Bed GPS: N31 54.83298, W97 21.09996 (31.913883, -97.351666) SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: White jigs with trailers CONTACT: Randy Routh, teamredneck01@hotmail.com, 817-8225539, teamredneck.net TIPS: Drag white on white jigs and trailers along the roadbed in 19-22 feet of water by trolling or down-rigging. The mouth of Little Rocky Creek near the dam also produces lots of fish on artificial lures during August.

PANHANDLE

Possum Stripers Go to Hell’s LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Res. HOTSPOT: Hell’s Gate GPS: N32 51.03642, W98 28.12962 (32.850607, -98.468827) SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: One-ounce bucktail jigs with trailers CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: Down-rig one-ounce whitetail jigs with yellow trailers from Hell’s Gate to the dam and along Broadway between the mouths of Caddo and Cedar creeks. Cover as much area as possible. The best times are during cloudy evenings and at night. LOCATION: OH Ivie Res. HOTSPOT: Main Lake Grassbeds GPS: N31 32.62308, W99 39.82548 (31.543718, -99.663758) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plastic worms, grubs, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Dave Caudle, fishinwithdave@aol.com, 325-365-1020, fishinwithdave.com TIPS: The early-morning bite will be the best. Slow-roll spinnerbaits or fish plastic F I S H

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LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Res. HOTSPOT: Kiowa Trail GPS: N32 54.66504, W98 28.30482 (32.911084, -98.471747) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, deep-diving crankbaits, live shad CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: Topwater lures, Little Georges and Slabs are still working for white bass. Look for schooling activity during the early-morning and late-evening hours, especially on cloudy days. Catfish action also is good at the mouth of the Brazos River upstream.

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worms on Carolina rigs around the grass beds. Once the sun gets up, concentrate on the rocky breaks and fish slow.

Think Inside the Box for Bass by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Box Canyon GPS: N29 31.4325, W101 10.209 (29.523875, -101.170150) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Texas-rigged plastic worms, Senkos, crawdad-colored medium-diving crankbaits CONTACT: Larry Scruggs, Amistad Lodge and Adventures, fisherofmenlrs@hotmail.com, 210-7891645 TIPS: Fish the backs of the pockets with crankbaits and plastic worms early and then move out to the points and edges of hydrilla beds from late-morning until midday. Return to the backs of the coves during the late-evening hours for more active fish.

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HOTSPOT: California Creek GPS: N29 32.964 W101 00.902 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: drop-shot rigs with finesse worms in watermelon, green pumpkin CONTACT: Ray Hansleman, 830-7741857, 830-317-9942 TIPS: Bass will be out into the 25-foot depth range and feeding on bluegill. Fish the grassy areas and target any irregular features such as dips, cuts, humps, or ridges that meet that depth requirement. The edges of vegetation are particularly productive spots. Another lure option is the Reaction Innovation Sweet Beaver softplastic paddle tail on a Texas rig, fished slowly in the same areas.

HILL COUNTRY

Dam Those Canyon Bass by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N29 51.84306, W98 11.88822 (29.864051, -98.198137) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Shaky Head, Carolina-rig Flukes, Texas-rigged Senkos CONTACT: KC’s Bassin’ Guide Service, kandie@gvtc.com, 210-823-2153 TIPS: Fish the point near the drop-off slowly. Work the shallows early and work out to deeper water. Best colors are Watermelon-red, blue fleck, Junebug and Watermelon candy. I prefer Castaway Cammo rods in Heavy weight 7-foot rods for Carolina rigs. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Rocky Point GPS: N30 48.332, W98 23.868 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: live shad; white jigs; 1ounce Rat-L-Traps in blue/chrome CONTACT: Rick Ransom, 325-3791340 TIPS: Stripers will be cruising the ends of points in deep water and along the river channel early. They especially like to hang out in the flooded timber along the channel T F & G

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edges. Drop Carolina-rigged shad to tempt them, or slow troll a 1-ounce white bucktail jig just above the treetops. Early in the day, try a 1-ounce ‘Trap along the rocks on main lake points in 20-25 feet of water. LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: Main Lake Open Waters GPS: N30 42.20802, W97 21.10962 (30.703467, -97.351827) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: 1/16-ounce Stanley Wedge Tail Minnows CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, crappie1@hotmail.com, 512-365-7761, www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Use a sonar to locate water 7-15 feet deep. Fish jigs vertically in man-made plastic trees or brush if you can’t locate the plastic trees. Swim the jigs past the structure. Try different depths for suspended fish. Also watch for schooling white bass. LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Dam Area, Honeymoon Camp side GPS: N30 33.593, W98 20.485 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: blue and white Terminator buzzbait; Chug-Bug; creature baits CONTACT: Jim Files, 830-833-5688 TIPS: Look for laydowns and trees on the sloping flats. Bass will be laid up in them. Buzz the edges or bloop and burble a topwater in 4-8 feet in the morning. Later in the day, move out to the first dropoff and work a Carolina rig with a softplastic creature tube bait.

fishhook0823@aol.com, 210-573-1230, sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: The warmer water temperatures are keeping the channel catfish in deeper water along the edges of the creek channel. Target 15 to 22 feet. Use soured maize to chum two to three areas 30 minutes before fishing. The morning action will be best. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Siesta Shores Coves GPS: N26 51.63138, W99 15.6111 (26.860523, -99.260185) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plunker-type topwater lures, 11-inch plastic worms, deep-diving crankbaits CONTACT: Robert Amaya, robertsfishntackle@gmail.com, 956-7651442, robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Use topwater lures early near the shoreline and then after mid-morning fish the outside edges of the submerged brush with Texas-rigged plastic worms and deepdiving crankbaits at 12 to 18 feet deep. LOCATION: Choke Canyon HOTSPOT: Mason Point GPS: N28 28.794, W98 19.152 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: black, blue, dark grape plastic worms and lizards; jig-and-pig CONTACT: Bill Flannery, 830-596-9128 TIPS: Bass don’t disappear just because it’s August in Three Rivers. Fish early and late to avoid the intense South Texas heat. Fish the drops along the shoreline contours with Texas-rigged plastics. A jig and pork trailer will draw bigger bass.

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS

Calaveras Cats Converge on Cove by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Lake Calaveras HOTSPOT: Corvina Cove GPS: N29 17.2557, W98 19.70952 (29.287595, -98.328492) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait, cut shad CONTACT: Steve Nixon,

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On the Web Find Hundreds of Fishing Hotspots on Lakes and Bays al across Texas, with our new Interactive Web App: www.FishGame.com/hotspots

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Late Summer Action S WE EASE INTO AUGUST, I FIND myself realizing, and having a hard time believing, that the end is in sight. All of those wonderful summer fishing destinations and patterns will be giving way in the not too distant future to Autumn and the transition that comes with it. A lot of people, myself included, are now spoiled by beautiful green water, abundant sunshine, temperatures near 100 degrees, light winds, salt spray and the Gulf of Mexico. Don’t go running for the antidepressants

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just yet though, because I have good news. There is still quite a bit of summer left. August is late summer, which means that it is indeed, still summer. If you need to be reminded, just step out of the air conditioning for a second. This should erase any doubt you may have. Since it is still summer (actually the hottest month) we are still on those good ole summer patterns. One of our favorite things to do for big trout and some pretty hefty numbers is to throw topwaters in the SabineNeches ship channel. There’s about a two-hour window early in the morning and before sunset when the trout can’t resist the zigzag and sound of a topwater plug. Walking the dog over shell in 2 to 7 feet of water is your ticket to success. Fishing green water with good tidal movement is essential if you want something to brag about at the end of the day. Concentrating on areas that are holding bait will also obviously up the odds in your favor. The entire stretch of shoreline from the

LNG plant to Louisiana Point is second to none when it comes to attracting and holding bait and fish. The ever-changing bottom contour with depths fluctuating, coupled with good tides from either direction is the reason. Throw in pretty water and favorable winds, and you should be exactly where you need to be in August on Sabine. Rapala’s Skitterwalk with its tight, easy to work pattern, or the high pitch of MirOlure’s She Dog are “go to” choices for us when it comes to selecting a topwater plug that the fish can’t ignore. You may want to experiment with different colors, but black with a chartreuse head, pink/silver, bone and pearl all have proven track records. Once the sun gets up, switch to soft plastics like Flounder Pounder’s CT Shad or Mullet or Old Bayside 4” Shadlyn. Great color choices are chartreuse, grape, glow or glow/chartreuse. Bounce them off the bottom on a 1/4 oz. lead head or put them about 20 inches under a Cajun Thunder and you should be in business. All of your favorite summertime haunts should be producing nice boxes of fish and will for the next several weeks. So don’t fret it. There’s still plenty of time to get out and take advantage of some awesome late summer action before we slowly begin to make the transition to some fantastic fall fishing.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Walter Umphrey State Park on Pleasure Island (New lighted fishing pier) BAITS/LURES: Live shrimp, shad, finger mullet, speck rigs and soft plastics BEST TIMES: Nights under the lights with moving tide SPECIES: Speckled Trout, redfish, flounder and black drum

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“

Transition Waters E OFTEN THINK OF FISH AND fishing either of the freshwater variety, confined to the lakes and streams found well inland – or saltwater, from the back bays to well offshore. While this can make things easier to classify, there is a third level of salinity. Brackish water areas are not quite as salty as the bays or open oceans; yet contain more salt than is suitable for consumption by Humans, animals, or most plants. Even more interesting, there are areas of most coastal streams that might be salty on a high tide, fresh on a very low tide, and brackish in between. Larger rivers generally have enough flow in all but the driest of seasons to maintain an “either, or” rating with little brackish water, but slower moving creeks and tidal bayous only flow during periods of high rainfall and runoff, or with the rise and fall of the tides. These streams will usually have a section that is brackish more often than not. Because the fresh and saltwater habitats overlap, so will the type of fish. Brackish bayous commonly have freshwater species such as blue catfish and black bass sharing their range with redfish, flounder, and some speckled trout. As long as they are given time to adapt, many salt water species can tolerate, even thrive in fresh waters – as proven by stocking programs of redfish in inland lakes. On the other hand blue cats have been found in the middle of Texas bay systems. In the greater Galveston area, bayous such as Chocolate and Bastrop contain the best examples of brackish water habitat, yet the demarcation between fresh and salt is prone to movement. Old timers who grew up fishing Chocolate Bayou have told me of

Because fresh and saltwater habitats overlap, so will the type of fish.

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stretches of the stream where they caught black bass and crappie on a low tide, reds and flounder when it was high – sometimes in the same day. In the 20+ years I lived on Chocolate near the Liverpool bridge and fished a lot from that part of the stream to the upper reaches nearer Hwy 35, I caught plenty of blue and yellow catfish on trotlines and throw lines, lots of crabs in traps off my dock, and saw redfish tailing in the shallows. The crab traps would also capture an occa-

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sional black bass, and very often big mullet. Skipjacks would come in schools chasing small minnows, headed upstream, and once my neighbor brought over a 24” baby tarpon he had caught for me to identify. Large alligator gar roamed this stretch of the bayou, providing me with big fish opportunities in my backyard. Even the major rivers sometimes have saltwater fish some distance upstream. The Brazos River above Freeport was once known as a tarpon hotspot, and is a prime area for speckled trout on cold winter tides. Saltwater species are caught in the Trinity River at least as far upstream as the IH-10 bridge at times. Most Texas rivers and coastal bayous will have a salt water barrier at some point upstream from the bay or Gulf to limit saltwater intrusion into areas used for crop irrigation and municipal water systems, and these can be prime fishing spots – on either side. In CONTINUED Louisiana, the Mississippi has been SEE PAGE 72

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Boiling Brine and Low Tides HEARD A RADIO HEAD SAY WE HAVE not seen the hottest part of the summer. How can it get any hotter than August? West winds, normally a July thing, push dry, blistering air off the Mexican desert and give us the stifling, arid days we have

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endured the past two summers; and, these west winds suck water out of the bays, draining tides from the shorelines and boiling what is left. With tides low and water temperatures feeling like bath water, a change in fishing tactics is in order. “The water is hot and most of the trout leave the shorelines in East Bay,” said Matagorda pro Bill Pustejovsky. “Best fish in East Bay right now are in the middle, but you have to have the right winds to wade the reefs.” Though winds do dip below 10 knots during August, weak tides often do not allow East Matagorda Bay to clear, especially when water temperatures are in the

upper 80s and tides are two feet below normal. I am not trying to paint a bleak picture, just trying to make sense of it all. East

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Matagorda is a unique estuary and I have learned its quirks during the past 15 years. “That’s how it goes in the summer,” said

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FROM PAGE 71 known to contain saltwater “wedges” along the bottom in dry years sufficient to support bull sharks as far inland as Baton Rouge. With August being normally a hot and dry month on the upper Texas coast, getting out of the sun on a tree-lined bayou or hitting the larger rivers early and late can pay off in comfort and ease of fishing – and might yield an interesting mixed catch.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Chocolate Bayou, the county park at Liverpool and the boat ramp area at FM 2004, depending on the tide. ALTERNATE SPOT: The county park on 72 |

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Pustejovsky. “As hot as the water is, it takes the bay a little longer to clear. It (bay) will get green again, and when it does the fish turn on.” Guide Ken Marshall said trout continue to eat in off-colored water, but you just have to throw live shrimp at them. “Sometimes it is not the fastest fishing in the world, but do manage to catch some nice boxes of fish,” said Marshall. “Fish slick late in the morning and we get behind them and drift.” Again, live shrimp is the ticket, but plastics like Bass Assassins’ Chicken on a Chain, TTF East Beast Flats Minnows and Norton’s Black Magic take fish as well. “I think the low tides congregate the fish on the deep shell,” said Marshall. “Find some streaky water with bait and you will probably find fish. Most of the fish we catch come in less than eight inches of visibility.” Port O’Connor guide Lynn Smith said his August hangout is usually somewhere around Pass Cavallo in West Matagorda Bay. “Somewhere around the pass is the place to be, especially with the weak tides often see,” said Smith. “Tides are going to be strongest around the pass.” The surf often gets as flat as a duck pond on windless day. Work the tides. Fish tight to the beach on the incoming tide and a cast

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from the first gut on the outgoing tide. Watch where bait and birds are in the water column and adjust. Drink plenty of water. It’s hot out there.

SPECIES: Speckled trout, redfish, sand trout BAITS: Live shrimp, croakers, menhaden Capt. Bink Grimes owns and operates Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay (www.matagordasunriselodge.com). Contact him at BGrimes@fishgame.com

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW), under the big Matagorda bridge

FOCUS Bastrop Bayou below 2004, the boat ramp area on FM 2004. SPECIES: On a high tide, speckled trout and redfish are possible. More common might be flounder, croaker and sand trout. Extended low tides or rainwater runoff will bring blue catfish and alligator gar. BEST BAITS: Live or dead shrimp, small baitfish like mullet and mud minnows. BEST TIMES: For saltwater species, dry weather and high tides are best. For catfish, black bass, or gar, low tides or periods after moderate to heavy rainfall. Capt. Mike Holmes runs tarpon, shark, and bluewater trips on a classic 31 Bertram. To book a trip, call 979-415-0535. Email him at mholmes@fishgame.com. T F & G

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HIS MONTH I WANT TO ANSWER A LOT of the inquiries I have gotten over the past year. As more anglers discover the gift of our bay systems it seems appropriate to offer these “Tid Bits” of fishing information with the hope that they might help new anglers, and even the old salts, as they venture into our saltwater wonderland. These are things that I have learned by trial and error as well as by seeking the advice of those that I have come to respect over the years. It is important to note that some of these ideas have come from everyday weekend warriors who simply love to fish.

Boats — there is no perfect boat for fishing the bays. If one can run in four inches of water it’s probably going to beat you sterile in rough water. I have ridden in them all and as a guide I try to find a happy medium between shallow performance and a smooth, dry ride. As I mature (get older) a smoother, drier ride seems to be more important to me. Currently I run a Haynie Big Foot that will run in 8 to 10 inches of water, float in 12 inches and get up on plane in 12 to 14 inches without beating my prop up. It takes the rough water very well, can take the day to day pounding that guides require, has plenty of room and can be custom ordered to fit your needs. Haynie boats are offered and owned/built by Chris Coulter at Chris’s Marine in Aransas Pass, Texas. Boats like cars and trucks boil down to personal preference and have too many optional amenities to examine here, however it has been my experience that a lot of unhappy boat owners took someone else’s word for performance and never requested test ride of the boat. If, when asked, a seller will not take you for a ride in the boat that is for sale, I’d walk away and never look back. Failing to get to know your boat is A U G U S T

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often an underlying problem with boat performance.

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Motors — I run a 175 Mercury Optimax XSPRO for several reasons, two of which are fuel economy and transom weight. Each boat is different in its ability to displace water and on my boat I have found that if I stay around 430 pounds in motor weight my boat plains better and comes out of the hole better in shallow situations. To go up to a 200 hp would add another 70 to 100 pounds to the back of my boat, creating a deeper draft which can create lower unit and prop hazards where I fish. The V6 175/150 block has been around since Moby Dick was a minnow and is the most reliable engine I have ever run. At 4100 RPM it sips gas and cruises my 23-foot Haynie at 32 m.p.h. Top end is around 42 m.p.h. My old motor, a 175 Black Maxx that I sold to some friends, is 15-plus years old, has thousands of hours on it, and is still a reliable motor for my friends. Reels — I have a wide variety of reels from $300-plus Shimanos to $19 Mitchell Avocets. For guiding, the spinning reels seem to hold up better in saltwater. One reel that I have been impressed with over the last four years is the TICA Libra reel. The Libra is light, rugged and can handle 40plus inch reds consistently. If money is an issue the, Mitchell Avocet line of reels is a good value for what you get. I use these reels for wade fishing and when washed and oiled regularly, they hold remarkably well. Rods — Medium light to medium is the stiffness I prefer in a 7 foot rod. I like a longer handle — from the reel seat to the butt of the handle — as it allows for better leverage in casting. If you have the price of a Falcon, their medium to medium heavy is one the best rods I have ever fished with. Rod/Reel Combo — Never buy a rod without putting the reel on the rod ... bal-

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ance and weight are key factors, and can make all the difference in how well you feel at the end of a big casting day. Most believe the rod and reel should balance evenly when set on a single finger just in front of the reel face. May I offer a different opinion here? Think about the angle you mostly keep the rod at when fishing — 10 o’clock on the dial. Now what motion do you use when you set the hook? The rod is usually threefourths of the day at a 10 o’clock angle. When setting the hook the rood goes back to say 12 to 2 o’clock, with the reel pivoting downward in direct line with your body. If you can visualize that, I recommend and prefer a rod reel combo that is very slightly heavier weighted towards the butt (reel) end of the rod. This matches the natural position the rod is in while fishing. This is especially true for wading fishing. Give it a try. Your arms, shoulders and neck will love you for it at the end of a heavy day of casting. I wash and oil my rods and reels after every use. Hooks — Match the gap of the hook (distance between the shank and the point) to the bait. A common mistake is too small a hook which allows the fish to steal the bait while bypassing the point. There is a science to this: to tell if a hook is the right size, drag the baited hook gently between your thumb and index finger. If you hook yourself the hook-to-bait size is pretty close, if not, use a smaller bait or the next larger size hook. Also think about the size of the mouth of the fish you are after and try to match to that (reds and trout have a pivot built into their jaws and can ingest larger baits). Black drum — and sheepshead — have smaller mouths requiring smaller hooks and bait. Note that sheepshead have powerful jaws that can crush hooks made with thin wire; small heavy-wired hook is best. Line — I have hooked and landed thousands of fish using 12-pound Berkley Trilene Big Game line. It holds up well to

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abrasions and is only around $8.00 for 1200 yards. For my guide business I use braided line like Powerpro and FINS, as it holds up better and requires less line changing, which is more convenient but not necessarily more economical. Fireline is too stiff for my liking; however it does tend to soften as you use it and is some of the strongest braided line I have used. Fluorocarbon breaks too easily once nicked, which is a frequent occurrence on the oyster shell where I fish, so I use it only in certain situations. Bait — The fresher the better, so take good care of the bait between the time you get it at the bait stand or from your cast net and when you put it on the hook. Use the best bubbler you can find and change out the water often. MAJOR TIDBIT here: when recirculating your water from the bay into your live well Don’t Run Your Motor! The exhaust that is expelled from your motor is only a few feet from your intake to your live well on a lot of boats and can make your baits lethargic or just out right kill most everything in the live well. Lures — I use almost exclusively scented lures like Berkley Gulp these days. I even dip Bass Assassins in scents when using them. For soft plastics, the Jerk Shad and the Sand Eel are some of my favorites. For colors, electric grape in the winter is my favorite. In spring new penny and salt and pepper with a chartreuse tail is what I use, in summer morning glory and electric chicken work best. My favorite top water is a Super Spook in bone/white with red white and mullet colored silver a close second. Obviously I use a lot more than just these but when forced to narrow it down this is it. Hot Tip: the Berkeley Gulp crab in its variety of colors has caught me a lot of nice trout — YES I DID SAY TROUT — in very late fall/early spring. If you catch a trout that time of year check the stomach contents, small crabs are a staple for them.

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molecules of the structure to slow down, which, in turn, causes the molecules to draw closer together. My measuring marks for fish are 1/2-inch long for all species. Washing the boat — Yes, I do this after every trip and I run my motor with fresh water for several minutes as well. Boat wax — Johnson’s paste wax and floor wax works well for me on my boat. It is harder to polish but holds up really well and is affordable. Try a small test strip before waxing the whole boat. Boat two-stroke oil — I use Mercury Two-Stoke Premium Plus and never use chain-store brands. Use what the manufacturer recommends; it does make a difference. Sun Screen — Use it as well as a hat and cover up your legs and arms if you’re going to spend a lot of time on the water. I use Neutrogena with helioplex. My Dad died of Melanoma. It’s one of the fastestspreading cancers one can get and is the number-one cause of death for skin related cancers. The primary symptom of any skin cancer is usually a mole, sore, lump, or growth on the skin. Any change in appearance of a pigmented skin sore over time is a warning sign. Also, watch for any bleeding

from a skin growth. One of my pet peeves — Please don’t run down the road at highway speeds with your rods in the rod holders while trailering your boat. It is brutal on your rods, it makes them an easy target for theft if you stop, and I’ve picked up a lot rods (and nets) off the highway that have bounced or blown out.

August Hotspot Report COPANO BAY — It’s still very hot so I like the early morning / late evening for the best fishing. New Combs Bend is hard to beat this time of year for reds. If the wind allows, throwing cut bait is the ticket here. Cut mullet and sardines on a free line are good for slot reds and a few oversized. Midbay Lap Reef is good for trout using croaker or soft plastics in morning glory and chartreuse colors. High tide is preferred fishing off the top of the reef. ARANSAS BAY — Grass Island Reef is good for trout using free lined shrimp. Be careful not to move the shrimp too much here but rather a twitching action to keep the bait moving allowing it to work through the grass. On high tide CONTINUED the shoreline off of SEE PAGE 76 Goose Island is a

Do fish shrink on ice — Test this yourself. Put a 17-inch trout on ice then remeasure it when you get to the cleaning station after a day’s fishing. I’ve seen up to 1/2 inch shrinkage with 1/4- to 3/8-inch pretty normal. Ice water as opposed to block ice increases this shrinkage phenomenon. Virtually everything shrinks when it gets colder because the cold causes the movement of the T F & G

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August Rocks

O WHAT’S A BODY TO DO IF HE wants to get in on some good August fishing action on the Lower Texas Coast, but he doesn’t own a

boat. As the song says, ya gotta rock! As in jetties rocks. Some of the most underrated summer fishing in South Texas takes place along either side of the Brazos Santiago Jetties that bookend the pass by the same name which feeds in and out of Lower Laguna Madre. These jetties systems are accessible from land (the north jetties from South Padre Island, and the south jetties from Brownsville via SH 4, and then turning left onto Brazos Island (known locally as Boca

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Chica Beach) and offer excellent fishing for everything from the most popular species (speckled trout, redfish, flounder, tarlk and snook), mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, and even Kingfish for the properly equipped (See “Sport of Kings” for details). Certainly, the most sought-after quarries of the dedicated rock-hopper are speckled trout and redfish. Both fish can be caught from the jetties on the same trip; however, different techniques are called for. Speckled trout will be usually holding closer to the rocks and patrolling up and down the gut that runs parallel to the jetties (this is especially true on the north jetties, where prevailing currents create gentler eddies and currents that, on an outgoing tide, push water and bait against the surf-side of the rocks). Redfish will be prowling the surf away from the jetties and in the guts that intersect them. The key to fishing the jetties is catching the “cupcake” conditions that prevail start-

ing in late July and hold through August. An incoming tide and soft Southeast breezes that send clean water in from the

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Gulf, lay swells down make early mornings magical off the rocks. A fisherman can do well throwing live bait under a noisy float such as an Alameda float or Cajun Thunder near the rocks for trout (and mangrove snapper, which almost become a nuisance with

ROCKPORT FOCUS good place for reds using mud minnows FROM PG. 75 or finger mullet free lined or on a light Carolina rig. On high tide fish closer into the shoreline that is riddled with small grass and shell beds. CONTINUED

Cedar Reef is still a good place for reds. Use mud minnows free lined or on a Carolina rig. Fresh dead shrimp is good for black drum here as well, fished on the bottom.

ST. CHARLES BAY — Merle Dietrich Point is a good place to drift fish using top waters working the top of the grass that frequent this area. Multiple drifts will produce some nice red action. Super Spook Jr. in black with a chartreuse head on high tide is the lure of choice. The back water of Cavasso Creek is good for reds and trout using a rattle cork and shrimp. Bass Assassins in black and gold work here as well; use a fast retrieve.

MESQUITE BAY — Belden Dugout is good for reds and some trout using free lined croaker. Flounder action has been good in Brays Cove using white grubs on a light jig head. Drag the grub just fast enough for good tail action on the grub then stop it. At the first tap tap set the hook. Don’t wait or the flounder will spit it out. The cut from Mesquite into the ICW is a good place for black drum and reds using cut menhaden or cut mullet. Rig your line according to the current getting the bait on the bottom.

CARLOS BAY — The east shoreline of

AYERS BAY — East shoreline is good for

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flounder and black drum using live shrimp. The shell that is just off of this shoreline has been holding keeper trout as well with mud minnows being the preferred bait. The North End of the LBJ causeway is

THE BANK BITE a good wade using live croaker which can be picked up at Sea Gun Bait just a few hundred yards from the shoreline. Wade out and cast 360 degrees and work the area under the bridge really well. Good reds and trout frequent this area, but move slow and drag your feet as this is a known stingray hole.

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their abundance), or on a Carolina rig out in the surf for redfish; the bait bucket, however, isn’t necessary, and might even be a nuisance for the fast-moving rock hopper. A box filled with topwaters such as the Storm Chug Bug or PRADCO’s Heddon Pop’R, a few 1/8th ounce jigheads, a ½ ounce silver spoon or two, and a collection of your favorite plastic tails in red/white, or chartreuse patterns (by the way, weighted worm hooks such as the Eagle Claw Trokar are helpful to mitigate snagging on the rocks) is perfect to keep you mobile. Start an early morning expedition on the jetties by casting back towards the corner where the rocks meet the beach and work the lure back along the bottom. Trout should be there, but there may also be a few big flounder waiting in ambush. From those casts, expand out into the guts and cast parallel to the beach to see if the are redfish. It doesn’t hurt to take a few wire leaders in your tackle box. This time of year, there are schools of Spanish mackerel that tear into bait balls in front of the jetties. They aren’t discriminating, and can clean you out of tackle in a hurry. On the South jetties, the surf is a bit rougher, and the rocks are not laid as smoothly, but the presence of snook in the suds more than makes up for the tougher work. These fish will also attack the same trout and redfish lures with abandon, only they offer some gill-rattling jumps for your thrills. The question always comes up about the sort of tackle needed for the jetties. Honestly, your traditional inshore 10-12 pound tackle is enough, but if you hook into a big red or snook, you are going to be in trouble. Upping slightly to 14-17 pound tackle is a safer be to handle just about anything that swims the suds around the pink granite, and it gives you a little more power in reserve if Mr. Big comes calling. If you are going to walk all the way to the end of the jetties to take a shot at a kingfish or something else really big, you may want to upgrade to a surf rod and high-capacity reel. You could hook into a smoker, and if you don’t have at least 300 yards of 20 pound line, you may be waving bye-bye in less than a minute. Then again, you may be doing that anyway if one of the true monsters that sometimes shows up around the jetties. Kingfish, sharks, tarpon, giant bull redfish, and other surfing hoods know no mercy. T F & G

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Then you may not be rocking, but crying the blues.

THE BANK BITE LOCATIION: Padre Island Shoreline, North Side of Causeway HOTSPOT: Left side, immediately after crossing. SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redfish

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LURES/BAITS: Live shrimp or soft plastics under a Mauler or Popping Cork, topwaters early. BEST TIMES: Early morning, late afternoon, especially with a rising tide. Wade out towards boat channel, fish dropoffs.

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AUGUST 2011

Tides and Prime Times

MONDAY

TUESDAY PRIME TIME

High Tide: 6:54 am 1.39ft. Low Tide: 12:07 pm 0.83ft. High Tide: 5:23 pm 1.24ft.

Sunrise: 6:53a Moonrise: 8:58a AM Minor: 7:32a PM Minor: 7:58p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 8:32p Set: 9:44p AM Major: 1:19a PM Major: 1:45p 3:24p 2:59a

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 4:15 am Low Tide: 7:11 pm

1.50ft. -0.41ft.

Sunrise: 6:57a Moonrise: 4:34p AM Minor: 1:40a PM Minor: 2:08p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 6:32 am 1.27ft. Low Tide: 11:57 am 0.77ft. High Tide: 5:41 pm 1.24ft.

Sunrise: 7:02a Moonrise: 9:12p AM Minor: 7:13a PM Minor: 7:34p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

Set: 8:20p Set: 8:45a AM Major: 1:03a PM Major: 1:24p 2:40a 3:01p

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 6:06 am Low Tide: 5:35 pm

1.44ft. 0.19ft.

Sunrise: 7:06a Moonrise: 12:40a AM Minor: 12:23a PM Minor: 12:47p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

5:24 am 10:46 am 4:46 pm 11:09 pm

Sunrise: 7:10a Moonrise: 7:44a AM Minor: 6:07a PM Minor: 6:33p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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Set: 8:27p Set: 2:01a AM Major: 7:54a PM Major: 8:23p 9:45p 9:17a

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

5:30 — 7:30 PM

9:30 — 11:30 PM

Set: 8:13p Set: 3:03p AM Major: 6:35a PM Major: 7:00p 7:51a 8:16p

PRIME TIME 1.48ft. 0.80ft. 1.53ft. 0.36ft.

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Set: 8:05p Set: 8:16p AM Major: ----PM Major: 12:46p 2:04p 1:38a

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12:06 am 7:15 am 12:55 pm 6:47 pm

0.03ft. 1.33ft. 0.59ft. 1.18ft.

Sunrise: 6:54a Moonrise: 10:03a AM Minor: 8:29a PM Minor: 8:54p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

WEDNESDAY PRIME TIME

8:30 — 10:30 AM

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

1.54ft. -0.42ft.

Sunrise: 6:58a Moonrise: 5:28p AM Minor: 2:31a PM Minor: 2:59p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

12:02 am 6:47 am 12:31 pm 6:43 pm

3:30 — 5:30 PM

0.39ft. 1.24ft. 0.65ft. 1.19ft.

PRIME TIME

8:30 — 10:30 PM

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

23 1.49ft. 0.10ft.

Sunrise: 7:07a Moonrise: 1:29a AM Minor: 1:11a PM Minor: 1:37p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

5:42 am 11:31 am 6:01 pm 11:53 pm

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Sunrise: 7:12a Moonrise: 10:00a AM Minor: 8:00a PM Minor: 8:27p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 8:04p Set: 8:53p AM Major: 12:49a PM Major: 1:15p 2:56p 2:30a

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

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5:30 — 7:30 PM

Set: 8:24p Set: 4:56a AM Major: 10:22a PM Major: 10:48p None 12:00p 0.79ft. 1.24ft. 0.45ft. 1.13ft.

High Tide: 4:22 am Low Tide: 8:12 pm

Sunrise: 7:08a Moonrise: 3:22a AM Minor: 2:48a PM Minor: 3:15p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

8:30 — 10:30 AM

Set: 8:03p Set: 9:33p AM Major: 1:47a PM Major: 2:14p 3:50p 3:23a

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Set: 8:17p Set: 11:25a AM Major: 3:22a PM Major: 3:43p 4:45a 5:07p

PRIME TIME

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PRIME TIME 12:49 am 7:11 am 1:50 pm 9:11 pm

Sunrise: 7:04a Moonrise: 10:43p AM Minor: 9:32a PM Minor: 9:54p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

3:00 — 4:00 PM

11:00A — 1:00 P

PRIME TIME 5:30 am 10:34 am 1:31 pm 9:47 pm

Sunrise: 6:59a Moonrise: 6:59p AM Minor: 4:10a PM Minor: 4:35p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME

Set: 8:11p Set: 4:47p AM Major: 8:13a PM Major: 8:40p 9:36a 10:03p

High Tide: 6:00 am 1.44ft. Low Tide: 12:19 pm 0.30ft. High Tide: 7:21 pm 1.52ft.

7:30 — 9:30 AM

5:00 — 7:00 PM

0.62ft. 1.27ft. 0.12ft. 1.14ft.

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

PRIME TIME 1.53ft. 0.01ft.

PRIME TIME 1:31 am 7:50 am 2:46 pm 10:08 pm

Sunrise: 6:55a Moonrise: 12:16p AM Minor: 10:24a PM Minor: 10:51p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 8:18p Set: 10:32a AM Major: 2:35a PM Major: 2:56p 4:03a 4:24p

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 7:11a Moonrise: 8:52a AM Minor: 7:02a PM Minor: 7:28p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

0.60ft. 1.23ft. 0.54ft. 1.15ft.

Sunrise: 7:08a Moonrise: 2:23a AM Minor: 1:59a PM Minor: 2:26p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 8:12p Set: 3:56p AM Major: 7:24a PM Major: 7:50p 8:42a 9:09p

1.45ft. 0.54ft. 1.53ft. 0.63ft.

12:27 am 7:01 am 1:08 pm 7:51 pm

High Tide: 4:35 am Low Tide: 7:25 pm

1:30 — 3:30 PM

9:30 — 11:30 PM

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

Set: 8:25p Set: 3:56a AM Major: 9:35a PM Major: 10:02p 11:35p 11:08a

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 6:06 am Low Tide: 6:33 pm

1.53ft. 1.35ft. 1.36ft. -0.38ft.

Sunrise: 7:03a Moonrise: 10:11p AM Minor: 8:45a PM Minor: 9:06p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 8:19p Set: 9:38a AM Major: 1:49a PM Major: 2:09p 3:22a 3:43p

PRIME TIME 5:09 am 10:42 am 11:58 am 9:02 pm

Sunrise: 6:59a Moonrise: 6:17p AM Minor: 3:21a PM Minor: 3:48p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 8:26p Set: 2:57a AM Major: 8:45a PM Major: 9:14p 10:41p 10:13a

Sunrise: 7:03a Moonrise: 9:41p AM Minor: 7:59a PM Minor: 8:19p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

PRIME TIME

Set: 8:31p Set: 10:57p AM Major: 3:13a PM Major: 3:39p 5:07p 4:41a

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 4:44 am Low Tide: 8:10 pm

0.31ft. 1.29ft. 0.35ft. 1.13ft.

Sunrise: 6:54a Moonrise: 11:09a AM Minor: 9:26a PM Minor: 9:52p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 8:32p Set: 10:20p AM Major: 2:16a PM Major: 2:41p 4:15p 3:50a

12:49 am 7:34 am 1:48 pm 8:21 pm

THURSDAY

PRIME TIME 1.56ft. -0.05ft.

3:30 — 4:30 PM

Set: 8:10p Set: 5:35p AM Major: 9:02a PM Major: 9:29p 10:30a 10:58p

PRIME TIME

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Tides and Prime Times

FRIDAY

5 Low Tide: 2:12 am High Tide: 8:03 am Low Tide: 3:49 pm

0.92ft. 1.29ft. -0.08ft.

Sunrise: 6:56a Moonrise: 1:23p AM Minor: 11:22a PM Minor: 11:49p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

12:00 — 2:00 PM

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

Set: 8:29p Set: None AM Major: 5:08a PM Major: 5:36p 6:54p 6:27a

1.41ft. 1.17ft. 1.34ft. -0.16ft.

6:30 — 8:30 PM

Set: 8:23p Set: 5:55a AM Major: 11:08a PM Major: 11:33p 12:25a 12:49p

PRIME TIME 1:08 am 7:11 am 2:37 pm 10:53 pm

0.97ft. 1.25ft. 0.38ft. 1.15ft.

Sunrise: 7:04a Moonrise: 11:18p AM Minor: 10:20a PM Minor: 10:42p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

11:00A — 1:00P

Set: 8:16p Set: 12:19p AM Major: 4:09a PM Major: 4:31p 5:28a 5:51p

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

PRIME TIME

5:46 am 10:44 am 2:41 pm 10:28 pm

Sunrise: 7:00a Moonrise: 7:37p AM Minor: 4:56a PM Minor: 5:21p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

SATURDAY

PRIME TIME 4:33 am 9:11 am 12:52 pm 8:57 pm

1.57ft. 1.38ft. 1.46ft. -0.05ft.

Sunrise: 7:09a Moonrise: 4:25a AM Minor: 3:37a PM Minor: 4:04p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

4:30 — 6:30 PM

Set: 8:08p Set: 6:19p AM Major: 9:50a PM Major: 10:17p 11:25a 11:52p

12:16 am 2:51 am 8:07 am 4:57 pm

Sunrise: 6:56a Moonrise: 2:30p AM Minor: ----PM Minor: 12:19p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

1.22ft. 1.18ft. 1.33ft. -0.23ft.

PRIME TIME

8:30 — 10:30 PM

High Tide: 6:28 am Low Tide: 6:06 pm

Set: 8:28p Set: 12:20a AM Major: 6:05a PM Major: 6:33p 7:50p 7:22a

PRIME TIME

6:02 am 11:02 am 3:44 pm 11:03 pm

Sunrise: 7:01a Moonrise: 8:11p AM Minor: 5:42a PM Minor: 6:05p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.35ft. 1.05ft. 1.32ft. 0.00ft.

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Set: 8:22p Set: 6:54a AM Major: 11:54a PM Major: ----1:13a 1:36p

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 1:15 am High Tide: 6:48 am Low Tide: 3:31 pm

1.12ft. 1.30ft. 0.33ft.

Sunrise: 7:05a Moonrise: 11:57p AM Minor: 11:09a PM Minor: 11:32p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

SUNDAY

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Set: 8:15p Set: 1:14p AM Major: 4:57a PM Major: 5:20p 6:14a 6:37p

PRIME TIME

4:48 am 9:31 am 2:17 pm 9:41 pm

1.55ft. 1.24ft. 1.49ft. 0.01ft.

Sunrise: 7:09a Moonrise: 5:31a AM Minor: 4:26a PM Minor: 4:52p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

5:30 — 7:30 PM

Set: 8:07p Set: 7:00p AM Major: 10:39a PM Major: 11:06p 12:19p None

PRIME TIME

PRIME TIME 1.39ft. -0.34ft.

Sunrise: 6:57a Moonrise: 3:34p AM Minor: 12:46a PM Minor: 1:15p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 8:28p Set: 1:08a AM Major: 7:00a PM Major: 7:29p 8:48p 8:19a

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

PRIME TIME

6:17 am 11:27 am 4:43 pm 11:34 pm

1.30ft. 0.91ft. 1.28ft. 0.19ft.

Sunrise: 7:01a Moonrise: 8:42p AM Minor: 6:28a PM Minor: 6:49p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

7:30 — 9:30 PM

Set: 8:21p Set: 7:50a AM Major: 12:17a PM Major: 12:38p 1:58a 2:19p

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 6:13 am Low Tide: 4:32 pm

1.37ft. 0.26ft.

Sunrise: 7:06a Moonrise: None AM Minor: 11:58a PM Minor: ----Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

2:00 — 4:00 PM

8:30 — 10:30 PM

Set: 8:14p Set: 2:09p AM Major: 5:46a PM Major: 6:10p 7:01a 7:25p

PRIME TIME

5:06 am 10:05 am 3:33 pm 10:25 pm

1.52ft. 1.04ft. 1.52ft. 0.15ft.

Sunrise: 7:10a Moonrise: 6:37a AM Minor: 5:15a PM Minor: 5:42p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME

6:00 — 8:00 PM

Set: 8:06p Set: 7:38p AM Major: 11:28a PM Major: 11:55p 1:12p 12:45a

PRIME TIME

SYMBOL KEY

New Moon

First Quarter

T F & G

Full Moon

PRIME TIME

Last Quarter Good Day

A L M A N A C

T E X A S

F I S H

BEST DAYS

G A M E ®

TIDE STATION CORRECTION TABLE (Adjust High & Low Tide times listed in the Calendar by the amounts below for each keyed location)

NOT FOR NAVIGATION PLACE SABINE BANK LIGHTHOUSE (29.47° N, 93.72° W) SABINE PASS JETTY (29.65° N, 93.83° W) SABINE PASS (29.73° N, 93.87°W) MESQUITE PT, SABINE PASS (29.77° N, 93.9° W) GALV. BAY, SO. JETTY (29.34° N, 94.7° W) PORT BOLIVAR (29.36° N, 94.77° W) TX CITY TURNING BASIN (29.38° N, 94.88° W) EAGLE POINT (29.5° N, 94.91° W) CLEAR LAKE (29.56° N, 95.06° W) MORGANS POINT (29.68° N, 94.98° W) ROUND PT, TRINITY BAY (29.71° N, 94.69° W) PT. BARROW, TRIN. BAY (29.74° N, 94.83° W) GILCHRIST, E. BAY (29.52° N, 94.48° W) JAMAICA BCH., W. BAY (29.2° N, 94.98° W) ALLIGATOR PT., W. BAY (29.17° N, 94.13° W) CHRISTMAS PT, CHR. BAY (29.08° N, 94.17° W) GALV. PLEASURE PIER (29.29° N, 94.79° W) SAN LUIS PASS (29.08° N, 95.12° W) FREEPORT HARBOR (28.95° N, 95.31° W) PASS CAVALLO (28.37° N, 96.4° W) ARANSAS PASS (27.84° N, 97.05° W) PADRE ISL.(SO. END) (26.07° N, 97.16° W) PORT ISABEL (26.06° N, 97.22° W)

A U G U S T

HIGH

LOW

-1:46

-1:31

-1:26

-1:31

-1:00

-1:15

-0:04

-0:25

-0:39

-1:05

+0:14

-0:06

+0:33

+0:41

+3:54

+4:15

+6:05

+6:40

+10:21

+5:19

+10:39

+5:15

+5:48

+4:43

+3:16

+4:18

+2:38

+3:31

+2:39

+2:33

+2:32

+2:31

-1:06

-0.09

-0:44

-1:02

0:00

-1:20

-0:03

-1:31

-0:24

-1:45

+1:02

-0:42

2 0 1 1

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Tides and Prime Times

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

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

T12

T11

T10

T3 T2 T1

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

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on many wildlife species.

T13 T7

T6 T5 T17

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

T14

T15 T16

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

T18

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

T19

SOLAR & LUNAR ACTIVITY: Sunrise: 6:34a Sunset: 7:51p

T20

PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month.

AM Minor: 9:11a AM Major: 2:57a PM Minor: 9:40p PM Major: 3:25p Moonrise:9:27a Moon Set: None Moon Overhead:

T21

TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below.

PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.

4:55p

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

KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

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

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

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

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

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

KEY T12 T13 T14 T15 T16 T17

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

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

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

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE GRAPH: Yellow: Daylight

12a

Tab: Peak Fishing Period

12p

12a

Green: Falling Tide

AM/PM Timeline Light Blue: Nighttime

BEST:

7:05-9:40 PM

Gold Fish: Best Time

Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

Blue Fish: Good Time

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY: MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.) Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the Sky 12a

AM/PM Timeline

80 |

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)

Moon Overhead: 8:50a 6a

12p

12a

Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p A U G U S T

2 0 1 1

PLACE San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor Pass Cavallo Aransas Pass Padre Island (So. End) Port Isabel

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

T F & G

A L M A N A C

HIGH -0.09 -0:44 0:00 -0:03 -0:24 +1:02

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

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7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

TUESDAY

1 Set: 8:11p Set: 9:25p

Sunrise: 6:38a Moonrise: 9:44a

AM Minor: 7:14a

PM Minor: 7:39p

AM Major: 1:01a

PM Major: 1:26p

Moon Overhead: 3:05p 12p

WEDNESDAY

Sunrise: 6:38a Moonrise: 8:39a

Tides and Prime Times for AUGUST 2011

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Set: 8:08p Set: None

Sunrise: 6:41a Moonrise: 2:07p

AM Minor: 8:10a

PM Minor: 8:36p

AM Minor: 9:08a

PM Minor: 9:33p

AM Minor: 10:06a

PM Minor: 10:32p

AM Minor: 11:04a

PM Minor: 11:31p

AM Major: 1:58a

PM Major: 2:23p

AM Major: 2:55a

PM Major: 3:21p

AM Major: 3:53a

PM Major: 4:19p

AM Major: 4:50a

PM Major: 5:17p

Moon Overhead: 4:48p

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:40p 12a

12p

12a

Set: 8:07p Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 12:05a Moonrise: 3:10p

Set: 8:06p Set: 12:53a

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:01p

AM Minor: 12:28p

PM Minor: 12:56p

AM Major: 5:47a

PM Major: 6:15p

AM Major: 6:42a

PM Major: 7:11p

Moon Overhead: 7:31p

Moon Overhead: 6:35p 12a

SUNDAY

Set: 8:09p Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 8:10p Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 8:09p Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 10:02p Moonrise: 10:49a Set: 10:40p Moonrise: 11:55a Set: 11:21p Moonrise: 1:01p

Moon Overhead: 3:56p 12a

THURSDAY

= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = Last Quarter = Best Day

12p

Moon Overhead: 8:29p 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 2:40a +2.0

-1.0

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 PM 8:30 — 10:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 6:07a

BEST:

9:30 — 11:30 PM

BEST:

11:00A — 1:00 P

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 7:03a

Moon Underfoot: 8:00a

BEST:

+2.0

BEST:

8:30 — 10:30 PM

2:00 — 4:00 PM

T I D E

L E V E L S

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 5:14a

L E V E L S

Moon Underfoot: 4:22a

T I D E

+1.0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 3:31a

High Tide: 6:54 am 1.39ft. Low Tide: 12:07 pm 0.83ft. High Tide: 5:23 pm 1.24ft.

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

12:06 am 7:15 am 12:55 pm 6:47 pm

T F & G

0.03ft. 1.33ft. 0.59ft. 1.18ft.

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

12:49 am 7:34 am 1:48 pm 8:21 pm

A L M A N A C

0.31ft. 1.29ft. 0.35ft. 1.13ft.

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

T E X A S

1:31 am 7:50 am 2:46 pm 10:08 pm

0.62ft. 1.27ft. 0.12ft. 1.14ft.

F I S H

Low Tide: 2:12 am High Tide: 8:03 am Low Tide: 3:49 pm

0.92ft. High Tide: 12:16 am 1.29ft. Low Tide: 2:51 am -0.08ft. High Tide: 8:07 am Low Tide: 4:57 pm

G A M E ®

1.22ft. High Tide: 6:28 am 1.18ft. Low Tide: 6:06 pm 1.33ft. -0.23ft.

A U G U S T

2 0 1 1

1.39ft. -0.34ft.

+1.0

-1.0

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7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Sunrise: 6:42a Moonrise: 4:10p

Set: 8:05p Set: 1:46a

Sunrise: 6:43a Moonrise: 5:05p

Set: 8:05p Set: 2:42a

Sunrise: 6:43a Moonrise: 5:54p

Set: 8:04p Set: 3:41a

Sunrise: 6:44a Moonrise: 6:37p

Set: 8:03p Set: 4:40a

Sunrise: 6:44a Moonrise: 7:16p

Set: 8:02p Set: 5:39a

Sunrise: 6:45a Moonrise: 7:50p

Set: 8:01p Set: 6:37a

Sunrise: 6:46a Moonrise: 8:22p

Set: 8:00p Set: 7:32a

AM Minor: 1:21a

PM Minor: 1:50p

AM Minor: 2:13a

PM Minor: 2:41p

AM Minor: 3:03a

PM Minor: 3:30p

AM Minor: 3:51a

PM Minor: 4:17p

AM Minor: 4:38a

PM Minor: 5:02p

AM Minor: 5:24a

PM Minor: 5:47p

AM Minor: 6:09a

PM Minor: 6:31p

AM Major: 7:36a

PM Major: 8:04p

AM Major: 8:27a

PM Major: 8:55p

AM Major: 9:16a

PM Major: 9:43p

AM Major: 10:04a

PM Major: 10:30p

AM Major: 10:50a

PM Major: 11:14p

AM Major: 11:35a

PM Major: 11:58p

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:20p

Moon Overhead: 9:26p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 11:16p

Moon Overhead: 10:22p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: None 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:54a

Moon Overhead: 12:06a 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for AUGUST 2011

Moon Overhead: 1:39a 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 8:58a +2.0

-1.0

L E V E L S

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 11:41a

BEST:

3:30 — 5:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 12:30p

BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 1:17p

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 2:00p

BEST:

6:30 — 8:30 PM

+2.0

BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

7:30 — 9:30 PM

T I D E

L E V E L S

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 10:49a

T I D E

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 9:54a

High Tide: 4:15 am Low Tide: 7:11 pm

82 |

1.50ft. High Tide: 4:44 am -0.41ft. Low Tide: 8:10 pm

A U G U S T

2 0 1 1

1.54ft. High Tide: -0.42ft. Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

5:09 am 10:42 am 11:58 am 9:02 pm

T E X A S

1.53ft. 1.35ft. 1.36ft. -0.38ft.

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

F I S H

5:30 am 10:34 am 1:31 pm 9:47 pm

1.48ft. 1.28ft. 1.35ft. -0.30ft.

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

G A M E ®

5:46 am 10:44 am 2:41 pm 10:28 pm

1.41ft. 1.17ft. 1.34ft. -0.16ft.

T F & G

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

6:02 am 11:02 am 3:44 pm 11:03 pm

1.35ft. 1.05ft. 1.32ft. 0.00ft.

A L M A N A C

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

6:17 am 11:27 am 4:43 pm 11:34 pm

1.30ft. 0.91ft. 1.28ft. 0.19ft.

+1.0

-1.0

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7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Sunrise: 6:46a Moonrise: 8:53p

Set: 7:59p Set: 8:26a

Sunrise: 6:47a Moonrise: 9:23p

Set: 7:58p Set: 9:19a

Sunrise: 6:47a Moonrise: 9:54p

AM Minor: 6:55a

PM Minor: 7:16p

AM Minor: 7:40a

PM Minor: 8:01p

AM Major: 12:44p

PM Major: 1:05p

AM Major: 1:30a

PM Major: 1:51p

Moon Overhead: 2:22a

12a

12p

12a

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Set: 7:57p Sunrise: 6:48a Set: 7:55p Sunrise: 6:49a Set: 7:56p Sunrise: 6:48a Set: 7:54p Sunrise: 6:49a Set: 10:11a Moonrise: 10:27p Set: 11:04a Moonrise: 11:02p Set: 11:57a Moonrise: 11:41p Set: 12:51p Moonrise: None

Set: 7:53p Set: 1:46p

AM Minor: 8:27a

PM Minor: 8:48p

AM Minor: 9:14a

PM Minor: 9:35p

AM Minor: 10:02a

PM Minor: 10:24p

AM Minor: 10:51a

PM Minor: 11:14p

AM Minor: 11:40a

PM Minor: -----

AM Major: 2:17a

PM Major: 2:37p

AM Major: 3:03a

PM Major: 3:25p

AM Major: 3:51a

PM Major: 4:13p

AM Major: 4:39a

PM Major: 5:02p

AM Major: 5:27a

PM Major: 5:52p

Moon Overhead: 3:44a

Moon Overhead: 3:03a 12a

THURSDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 4:26a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:55a

Moon Overhead: 5:09a 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for AUGUST 2011

Moon Overhead: 6:42a 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 2:42p +2.0

-1.0

BEST:

L E V E L S

8:00 — 10:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 4:48p

BEST:

8:30 — 10:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 5:32p

BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 PM

BEST:

10:00A — 12:00P

11:00A — 1:00P

Moon Underfoot: 6:18p BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 7:06p +2.0

BEST:

8:30 — 10:30 PM

T I D E

L E V E L S

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 4:05p

T I D E

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 3:24p

High Tide: 6:32 am 1.27ft. Low Tide: 11:57 am 0.77ft. High Tide: 5:41 pm 1.24ft.

84 |

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

A U G U S T

12:02 am 6:47 am 12:31 pm 6:43 pm

2 0 1 1

0.39ft. 1.24ft. 0.65ft. 1.19ft.

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

12:27 am 7:01 am 1:08 pm 7:51 pm

T E X A S

0.60ft. 1.23ft. 0.54ft. 1.15ft.

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

F I S H

12:49 am 7:11 am 1:50 pm 9:11 pm

0.79ft. 1.24ft. 0.45ft. 1.13ft.

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

G A M E ®

1:08 am 7:11 am 2:37 pm 10:53 pm

0.97ft. 1.25ft. 0.38ft. 1.15ft.

T F & G

Low Tide: 1:15 am High Tide: 6:48 am Low Tide: 3:31 pm

1.12ft. 1.30ft. 0.33ft.

A L M A N A C

High Tide: 6:13 am Low Tide: 4:32 pm

1.37ft. 0.26ft.

+1.0

-1.0

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Tides and Prime Times for AUGUST 2011 TUESDAY

22 Sunrise: 6:50a Set: 7:52p Moonrise: 12:25a Set: 2:40p

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Sunrise: 6:51a Moonrise: 1:14a

Set: 7:51p Set: 3:33p

Sunrise: 6:51a Moonrise: 2:08a

Set: 7:50p Set: 4:24p

Sunrise: 6:52a Moonrise: 3:07a

Set: 7:49p Set: 5:12p

Sunrise: 6:52a Moonrise: 4:09a

Set: 7:48p Set: 5:57p

Sunrise: 6:53a Moonrise: 5:14a

Set: 7:47p Set: 6:39p

Sunrise: 6:53a Moonrise: 6:20a

Set: 7:46p Set: 7:18p

AM Minor: 12:05p

PM Minor: 12:29p

AM Minor: 12:52p

PM Minor: 1:19p

AM Minor: 1:41a

PM Minor: 2:08p

AM Minor: 2:30a

PM Minor: 2:57p

AM Minor: 3:18a

PM Minor: 3:45p

AM Minor: 4:07a

PM Minor: 4:34p

AM Minor: 4:57a

PM Minor: 5:23p

AM Major: 6:16a

PM Major: 6:42p

AM Major: 7:05a

PM Major: 7:32p

AM Major: 7:54a

PM Major: 8:21p

AM Major: 8:43a

PM Major: 9:11p

AM Major: 9:32a

PM Major: 9:59p

AM Major: 10:20a

PM Major: 10:47p

AM Major: 11:10a

PM Major: 11:36p

Moon Overhead: 7:32a

12a

WEDNESDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:17a

Moon Overhead: 8:23a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:11a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:00p

Moon Overhead: 11:06a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:52p 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = Last Quarter = Best Day

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 7:57p +2.0

-1.0

BEST:

1:30 — 3:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 11:33p

BEST:

3:00 — 4:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: None

BEST:

3:30 — 4:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 12:26a

BEST:

4:30 — 6:30 PM

+2.0

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 PM

6:00 — 8:00 PM

T I D E

L E V E L S

BEST:

9:30 — 11:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 10:39p

L E V E L S

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 9:44p

T I D E

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 8:50p

High Tide: 6:06 am Low Tide: 5:35 pm

1.44ft. 0.19ft.

High Tide: 6:06 am Low Tide: 6:33 pm

T F & G

1.49ft. 0.10ft.

High Tide: 4:35 am Low Tide: 7:25 pm

A L M A N A C

1.53ft. 0.01ft.

High Tide: 4:22 am Low Tide: 8:12 pm

T E X A S

1.56ft. High Tide: -0.05ft. Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

F I S H

4:33 am 9:11 am 12:52 pm 8:57 pm

1.57ft. 1.38ft. 1.46ft. -0.05ft.

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

G A M E ®

4:48 am 9:31 am 2:17 pm 9:41 pm

1.55ft. 1.24ft. 1.49ft. 0.01ft.

A U G U S T

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

5:06 am 10:05 am 3:33 pm 10:25 pm

2 0 1 1

1.52ft. 1.04ft. 1.52ft. 0.15ft.

+1.0

-1.0

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Sunrise: 6:54a Moonrise: 7:26a

Set: 7:45p Set: 7:57p

Sunrise: 6:54a Moonrise: 8:32a

Set: 7:44p Set: 8:36p

Sunrise: 6:55a Moonrise: 9:40a

Set: 7:43p Set: 9:17p

AM Minor: 5:49a

PM Minor: 6:15p

AM Minor: 6:44a

PM Minor: 7:10p

AM Minor: 7:42a

PM Minor: 8:09p

AM Minor: 8:43a

PM Minor: 9:11p

AM Minor: 9:46a

PM Minor: 10:15p

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:28p

AM Major: 12:30p

PM Major: 12:57p

AM Major: 1:28a

PM Major: 1:55p

AM Major: 2:29a

PM Major: 2:57p

AM Major: 3:32a

PM Major: 4:00p

Moon Overhead: 1:45p

12a

12p

12a

12p

12a

12p

Set: 7:40p Sunrise: 6:56a Sunrise: 6:55a Set: 7:42p Sunrise: 6:56a Moonrise: 10:48a Set: 10:01p Moonrise: 11:56a Set: 10:49p Moonrise: 1:02p

Moon Overhead: 3:31p

Moon Overhead: 2:37p

Moon Overhead: 4:27p 12a

12p

12a

Set: 7:39p Sunrise: 6:57a Set: 11:42p Moonrise: 2:05p

Set: 7:38p Set: None

AM Minor: 10:49a

PM Minor: 11:18p

AM Minor: 11:50a

PM Minor: -----

AM Major: 4:34a

PM Major: 5:04p

AM Major: 5:35a

PM Major: 6:04p

Moon Overhead: 6:23p

Moon Overhead: 5:24p 12a

SUNDAY

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for AUGUST 2011

Moon Overhead: 7:21p 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 1:19a +2.0

-1.0

BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM 7:30 — 9:30 AM

L E V E L S

Moon Underfoot: 3:59a

Moon Underfoot: 4:55a

BEST:

8:30 — 10:30 AM

BEST:

10:00A — 12:00P

5:00 — 7:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 5:54a BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 6:52a +2.0

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 PM

T I D E

L E V E L S

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 3:04a

T I D E

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 2:11a

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

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5:24 am 10:46 am 4:46 pm 11:09 pm

1.48ft. 0.80ft. 1.53ft. 0.36ft.

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

A U G U S T

5:42 am 11:31 am 6:01 pm 11:53 pm

2 0 1 1

1.45ft. 0.54ft. 1.53ft. 0.63ft.

High Tide: 6:00 am 1.44ft. Low Tide: 12:19 pm 0.30ft. High Tide: 7:21 pm 1.52ft. Sep

T E X A S

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

F I S H

12:37 am 6:17 am 1:13 pm 8:49 pm

0.92ft. 1.46ft. 0.11ft. 1.51ft.

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

G A M E ®

1:21 am 6:30 am 2:12 pm 10:32 pm

1.19ft. Low Tide: 2:07 am 1.49ft. High Tide: 6:35 am -0.02ft. Low Tide: 3:19 pm 1.53ft.

T F & G

1.41ft. High Tide: 12:42 am 1.53ft. Low Tide: 3:11 am -0.08ft. High Tide: 5:23 am Low Tide: 4:33 pm

A L M A N A C

1.59ft. 1.57ft. 1.58ft. -0.10ft.

+1.0

-1.0

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360 Hunting 360 HUNTING MAKES THE NEW AND highly effective Four Headed Whitetail Deer Hunting decoy. This decoy is a musthave for all bow hunters. Setting up in just seconds, its design provides a realistic

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three-dimensional effect that is visible from 360 degrees. Light and easy to carry, it folds for storage and transport. The decoy is weatherproof, requires no stakes, poles or hangers and is very stable an durable while in use. Best of all, it presents a natural, relaxed feeding posture.

Four Headed Whitetail Decoy

The people who own and operate 360 Hunting, LLC are hunters. In the company’s home state of South Carolina, the deer season runs from August 15 to January 1 each year. With such a long deer season, they spend over 100 days each year in pursuit of the Whitetail Deer. While there is no limit on the number of bucks a hunter can take, they practice Quality Deer Management. The development of their products comes from a desire and a need to improve on the products that are available to hunters. The Four Headed Decoy was developed over several years of trial and error. They wanted to eliminate all the reasons we didn't use existing decoys. We will continue to develop better products that offer a good value to our customers. Learn more about this committed, innovative company and their products at www.360hunting.com, or call them at 843562-6379. —Staff Report

Ammunition to Go AMMUNITION TO GO, 6360 FM 50 IN Brenham, began in 1998 with four cases of ammunition, warehoused in a two car garage. Jason and Jennifer Smith bought the business in 2008. Instead of a brick and mortar store, the Smith’s recognized the growing presence of the Internet in everyone’s lives. Why not provide ammunition for hunters, sportsmen, and law enforcement officers through web based shopping? Jason estimates that 90 percent of his sales come from the internet and major gun shows. Ammunition to Go recently added 88 |

A U G U S T

2 0 1 1

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

T F & G

A L M A N A C

PHOTO: 360 HUNTING, LLC

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3,000 square feet of warehouse space. Smith estimates Ammunition to Go has a total space of around 16,000 square feet. In addition to factory ammunition, customers can order custom loads. “When an order is placed on our website, www.ammunitiontogo.com, we get it

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AMMUNITION TO GO

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packaged up and out to our customers as quickly as possible,” says Jason. If you can’t find what you are looking for on their website ammunitiontogo.com, please e-mail the company at Sales@ammunitiontogo.com or call at 979-277-9676 and Jason or a member of

Ammunition To Go sells ammo and supplies online.

his staff will do what they can to special order it for you. —Staff Report

Barnett Outdoors

PHOTO: BARNETT OUTDOORS

BARNETT MAKES CROSSBOWS. THEY also may slingshots, but what they are known for is the many superior quality crossbows that they manufacture. For over 50 years Barnett has been making crossbows. The quality of their product is best demonstrated by the fact that they have sold over a million crossbows. The website www.barnettcrossbows.com says it best: “Our engineers have created our latest range of crossbows based on the changing needs and desires of today’s hunters. Lightweight, Adjustable and Powerful, Barnett has brought crossbow tech-

Barnett Crossbows are engineered for the changing needs of today’s hunters.

nology to the height it stands at today. We are committed to delivering high quality performance products with unparalleled 90 |

A U G U S T

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T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

T F & G

A L M A N A C

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service and value for all that use the Barnett Range. Barnett Outdoors not only produces the finest quality crossbows in the world, but is the leading international producer of youth archery and slingshot products.” Barnett invented the self-cocking crossbow; they also made the first compound crossbow; and today Barnett is continuing to lead the industry in innovation. If you want a crossbow, buy a Barnett.

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Soldiers, lawmen, sport shooters and hunters rely on Black Hills Ammo.

—by Steve LaMascus

Cedarflage Camouflage

—by Steve LaMascus

Black Hills Ammunition BLACK HILLS AMMUNITION BEGAN LIFE 30 years ago. The idea was to make high grade ammunition at affordable prices. Since then the idea has been carried into the fields of sports, law enforcement, and war around the world. Black Hills supplies all the match 5.56 ammunition for the U.S. Military's Service

Combined with the above, that is a lot to say about any company. Try their products. You will be satisfied with the results. Visit www.black-hills.com

Rifle Teams, as well as whatever specialty ammunition is needed for specific military operations. On top of their military contracts they make new .223, .308, .300 Winchester Magnum, .338 Lapua, and .338 Norma Magnum ammo for the civilian market, supply ammunition to many of the police forces across the nation, and load Cowboy Action ammunition in more different calibers than any other company. The quality of Black Hills, both new and remanufactured, is unquestioned.

ONE OF THE PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED by the average Texas hunter is the choice of camouflage. When he or she goes to the local sporting-goods store to buy new camo, he is offered a choice of patterns intended for the East or North. There are big, bold patterns of pine trees, maple leaves, snow, and other things that are scarce or missing in Texas. No more! Meet Cedarflage. In 2010, well known Texas hunter and outfitter, Steve Elmore, introduced Cedarflage. Cedarflage is intended for hunting the cedar environments of West Central Texas,

PHOTO: BLACK HILLS AMMUNITION

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the famous, deer choked, Edwards Plateau, also known as the Texas Hill Country. However, the pattern is such that it is effective in multiple environments. Finally a camouflage that is intended for Texas hunters to use in Texas environments. Texas is the foremost deer state in

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PHOTO: CEDARFLAGE

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the Union, it is only reasonable that it have a State camouflage. Visit cedarflagecamo.com or call 877901-111. —by Steve LaMascus

Cedarflage is made to blend with Texas.

Chas-Mac, Inc.

PHOTO: CHAS-MAC, INC.

CHAS-MAC, INC. HAS BEEN A LEADER IN the blind and feeder industry since 1983. The company is based in Houston and in their three decades of service has earned a reputation of quality by standing behind every product they sell. The goal of owners Charles and Elaine Reneau is help their customers enjoy more hunting success. Chas Mac’s product lines include Custom Plywood Deer Blinds, Redneck Fiberglass Blinds and Dillon Fiberglass Blinds, Chas-Mac Series 150 Towers. Chas-Mac sells a wide selection of tower and hanging feeders (for deer, turkey and fish) along with timers and accessories. And they offer tripods, including the Chas-Mac “Boss” 10-foot tripods as well as a bowhunting tripod. Tripod accessories include swivel

Chas-Mac sells a wide seleciton of towers, blinds and feeders.

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A U G U S T

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T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

T F & G

A L M A N A C

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seats, camo covers and tripod roof tops. Check out their website at www.chasmac.com or call 713-461-9163. —Staff Report

Coveralls

PHOTO: COVERALLS

SO NOW THAT YOU BOUGHT YOURSELF that “big boy” toy you have been wanting for years, are you going to just leave it in your driveway or in your garage unprotected? I don’t think so! Welcome to Coveralls! A company that started out small but has followed customer demand over the years and now has expanded their product line immensely. What started out as a cover for motorcycle seats, now has a cover for your jeep, Scooter, and boat as well as other things around your house that you may need covered! Let’s not forget all the expensive electronics you may have. Coveralls makes fitted waterproof covers for motorcycles, boats, Jeeps and more.

These Coveralls that are made in the good old U.S.A. are Waterproof (not water resistant) UV proof, extremely durable, lightweight and a whopping 95% heat reflective! Built tough to last. The people at Coveralls say that covers are meant for one reason…to protect your investment and I totally agree with them. Check out the website at www.coveralls.biz —by Lou Marullo

Work Sharp/Darex DAREX IS A COMPANY THAT HAS BEEN around and has been proven to be one of the premier companies when it comes to keeping things sharp. Most people think of knives when they want to sharpen something, but Darex does not stop there. Their

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technology also sharpens drill bits and axes…just about anything that needs to have a sharp edge on it. This hand held tool uses a highly abrasive belt to sharpen the steel edge of your hunting knife. It also will sharpen a curved knife, a gutting knife and even a thin filet knife. Pre-selected angles are included in this device to insure a perfect edge needed for razor sharp performance. The same technology that is used to

Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener.

PHOTO: DAREX

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sharpen a brand new knife before it gets to the stores is now available for home use to re-sharpen your blade or tools. For more information, check them out on the web at www.worksharptools.com. —by Lou Marullo

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HallMark Cutlery

HallMark Cutlery has added the revered Robert Klaas name to its line of knives.

HALLMARK CUTLERY NOW OFFERS quality cutlery in the old world tradition of the revered Robert Klaas brand. This extensive selection of favored, time-honored patterns represents superior attention to

detail. Each knife is hand assembled with the utmost attention to fit and finish and offers the satisfying “walk and talk” as a hallmark of the cutler’s art. The Robert Klaas factory, located in Solingen, Germany, has been in the same family since 1834. Among the many design choices are pocketknives, folders, lockbacks and fixed blades to satisfy any knife collector. Selected hunting knife patterns and fisherman knives round out offerings for the outdoor sportsman. HallMark Cutlery may be a new name to the marketplace, but it represents the Hall family’s thirty years of domestic and international experience in cutlery design, manufacturing, sourcing, distribution, licensing and marketing. Visit www.hallmarkcutlery.com —Staff Report

Hi-Point Firearms HI-POINT FIREARMS…TOUGH, RELIABLE and affordable. They say it and they mean it. If you ever were interested in purchasing a firearm that you can depend on, then look no further. Hi-Point Firearms is the answer. Not only do they manufacture high quality firearms, but a large array of accessories to go along with your new firearm are available as well. They offer a line of handguns that have a comfortable grip, which will feel good in anybody’s hand. Their rifles offer the same 94 |

A U G U S T

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T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

T F & G

A L M A N A C

PHOTO: HALLMARK CUTLERY

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PHOTO: MKS

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Hi-Point handguns are designed for a comfortable grip.

pistol grip. Recoil is minimal and that is an important factor to consider. Combine all that with a lifetime warranty and you have yourself a firearm that means business If you are in the market for a persuasive handgun or an assault rifle, then I strongly suggest you check out their website www.hi-pointfirearms.com. Here, you will be able to check out their entire line of firearms. I guarantee you will be impressed. —by Lou Marullo

Howard Leight

PHOTO: HOWARD LEIGHT

DAMAGE TO THE HEARING AND EYESIGHT from the effects of firearms discharges is a real risk that every hunter and shooter must take seriously. For more than 40 years, Howard Leight has been a leading manufacturer of devices that effectively protect shooters from these potential injuries. For hearing protection, the company makes ear plugs, passive earmuffs and electronic ear muffs. Realizing that “one size does not fit all,” their single-use corded and uncorded earplugs come in a variety of unique shapes and styles, designed to maximize attenuation and comfort. The LeightHearing loss from gunfire is 100% preventable.

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ning Series passive earmuffs provide Air Flow Control technology that improves overall attenuation without increasing the size or weight of the earmuff, and Noise Reduction Ratings from 23 to 30. Meanwhile, Howard Leight’s Electronic Earmuff, the Impact Sport, amplifies low-level sounds and conversation while reducing harmful noise above 82 decibles. Howard Leight’s Sharp-Shooter protective eyewear come in a wide variety of

lens tints while offering 99.9% UVA/UVB protection and meeting US Military ballistic tests for impact. Lenses come with anti-fog coating and the wraparound design provides uncompromised vision and protection. Frames come in a variety of colors. For more information, check out www.howardleightshootingsports.com. —Staff Report

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Hunter's Specialties HUNTER'S SPECIALTIES IS THE WORLD'S largest producer of quality hunting accessories. During the SHOT show in Las

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Vegas this last winter, HS was presented with the 2011 Cabella Lifetime Business Achievement Award, a prestigious award created in 2006 by the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and its Outdoor Business Council, and given each year to“companies that demonstrate the same passion and commit-

ment to protecting America's outdoor heritage as the Cabela family has shown. Hunter's Specialties is a conglomerate of many subsidiary companies, such as Johnny Stewart Wildlife Calls, HS Strut, Vita-Rack, Wayne Carlton calls, and other manufacturers of high quality outdoor products. Hunter's Specialties products cover the outdoor spectrum. Whether you need products relating to archery, firearms, big game, predators, or camping and other outdoor activities, Hunter's Specialties has what you need. Visit hunterspec.com —by Steve LaMascus

KT Coolers

KT Coolers are made in Yoakum, Texas.

96 |

A U G U S T

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T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

T F & G

A L M A N A C

PHOTO: KT COOLERS

TEXAS IS HOT, SOMETIMES EVEN IN deer season. One of the things that seems to be missing on most of the deer leases in Texas is sufficient storage space for the venison. Many times the only storage is a dirty ice chest with a couple of gallon milk jugs full of frozen stock tank water. This in no way adds to the culinary quality of the venison when it arrives on your dinner table. If you are a member of a deer lease, or if you are an outfitter who has the best interest of your hunters at heart, there is a way to remedy this. KT Coolers of Yoakum, Texas, has a variety of walk-in coolers designed especially for the Texas hunter, but with so many different uses we can't possibly name them all here.

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KT Coolers offers several different designs, ranging from standard models with self-contained cooling systems to custom refrigerated trailers. Check out the KT Coolers (ktcoolers.com). They will make meat storage a breeze, even on the hottest Texas days.

Outdoor Logics

—by Steve LaMascus

Lansky Sharpeners LIVING UP TO THEIR CLAIM TO BE “AN edge above the rest,” keeps Lansky Sharpeners on a never-ending quest to provide new and innovative blade sharpeners for the outdoors, kitchen and shop. In the outdoors, they make a product that will put a sharp edge on anything. They make a Broadhead Arrow Sharpener, with wrench, and a variety of sharpeners for fish hooks including the Diamond Pocket Stone to the Folding Diamond Fish Hook Sharpener, Multi-Groove Fish Hook

Lansky Sharpeners can put an edge on just about anything.

Sharpener and Pocket Arkansas Stone. They make specialized sharpeners for camp tools such as hatchets and shovels, and of course many different types of sharpeners for the wide variety of knives used in the outdoors, from filet, folding, skinning, caping, gutting and other fixed blade hunting knives. On their website, www.lansky.com, you will find the entire selection, as well as parts and accessories and helpful tips on how to sharpen anything. —Staff Report

OUTDOOR LOGICS HAS INTRODUCED A new item for an idea that has been around for years. Feeders have become a common sight wherever hunters roam. The problem with a lot of the tripod stands that the feeders hang from is the fact that they simply are not as stable as one might think. I have been on hunts where the hogs in the area have damaged these tripod stands so bad that they are tipped over and bent out of shape. Outdoor Logics has come up with the answer. Their Portable Limb is simple braket that straps to any tree and can hold up to a whopping 250 pounds! It also comes in a camo pattern so it will not shine and spook Outdoor Logics’ any game. Portable Limb. Now you can

PHOTO: OUTDOOR LOGICS

PHOTO: LANSKY SHARPENERS

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hang your feeder and not worry about what the hogs or a strong wind may do. The many different uses for this all metal bracket is as big as your imagination. Check it out at Outdoorlogics.com —by Lou Marullo

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Paloma Pachanga IF YOU WANTED TO FIND A PLACE TO hunt doves and lots of them, then Paloma Pachanga is the answer. Located about 40 minutes west of San Antonio right on highway 90 is where you

will find Weaver Farms and along with it…dove heaven! Their website claims that they have over 300 acres of crops including Milo, Corn and sunflowers making it ideal habitat for mourning doves. Brett Conger of Paloma Pachanga reminds us that Weaver Farms is smack dab in the middle of a major migratory flight path and he promises a great hunt. They offer hunts for individuals as well as group hunts and specialize in corporate hunt packages that even include a nice meal along with drinks. I think that makes for a fine afternoon of excellent hunting. So bring a friend or better yet, convince the boss that the company needs a relaxing day hunting doves! You can find more information at www.palomapachanga.com —by Lou Marullo

Plano Molding IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING AT ALL TO DO with the outdoors, then you know the name “Plano”. They make anything from fishing tackle boxes to cases for both your gun and your bow. I can personally attest for the bow cases. I own two myself and have traveled many miles and my bow cases have endured many baggage handlers. These rugged cases are built to last. As a matter of fact, I would bet that if you looked hard enough, your father probably has one somewhere that he still uses. A quality company that builds quality products. After all, would you trust that expensive rifle with anybody else? You could pay up to $800 for a new bow. Make sure it stays protected from the elements. Plano makes fishing tackle boxes in a variety of sizes. You might need a large one for yourself or a smaller one for that little fisherman in the family. Either way, Plano has you covered. For more information contact them at www.planomoulding.com

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WHEN YOU HEAR THE NAME QUALITY Marine Service, you might think it is a company that only sells boats and fishing gear. You would be wrong. Quality Marine Service not only has a huge line of watercrafts available, but they also have many types of four wheelers. Located in Onalaska, Texas this company has made sure that if you want fun in the sun or a vehicle to help drag your deer (or your tree stands) look no further. Although Polaris is very popular among

Quality Marine carries Polaris ATVs.

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the four wheelers, Quality Marine Service also carries Tracker, Sun tracker, Nitro, Tahoe and Mako boats as well as Yamaha Waverunners for the young and not so young at heart. If it is built for fun in the outdoors and has a motor…then Quality Marine Service has it and it is waiting for you! For further information, contact them at www.qualitymarineservice.com —by Lou Marullo

Randolph Engineering NOTHING CAN RUIN A GOOD HUNT LIKE missing your shot simply because of the sun’s glare. As hunters, we strive to make a clean, humane shot. That is why a nice pair of shooter glasses is so important to the conscientious hunter out there. Randolph Engineering has been in the sunglass business since 1972 and has proven themselves to be one of the best in

the field. Not only do they make exceptional shooter glasses, but they also have quality sunglasses that would be the Randolph quality shooting eyewear. envy of anyone who saw you in them! If you are one of those hunters who need prescription lenses, then Randolph Engineering is worth taking a look at. They offer a large line of different styles that are available. Regardless of what you do outdoors, protect your vision with quality glasses from Randolph Engineering. Contact them at www.randolphusa.com —by Lou Marullo

Raw Ranch Hunts IF YOUR LEASE LAST YEAR DID NOT PROduce what you expected last year, then

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maybe you should think about some different hunting ground. With Worsham Real Estate, your dream hunt could come true sooner than you may think. This real estate agency has been in business for many years and offers property for both the hunter and the individual look-

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ing for a new home. Worsham Real Estate company covers property in McMullen, Kerr, Terrell and Concho counties. Along with some very reasonable home listings, they also have prime hunting property for sale. Worsham Real Estate also has a spin-

off company called Raw Ranch Hunts. All hunts are 2 ½ days long and are reasonably priced. You can choose different packages. Most Raw Ranch Hunts. include a B&C buck with 2 does. Lodging and meals are also included with the hunt. Check it out at www.worshamrealestate.com/rawhunts —by Lou Marullo

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ANY WATERFOWL HUNTER OUT THERE worth his salt will be interested in the Texas Quack Smacker company. Originally a Texas based company, Texas Quack Smacker now has migrated to different areas of the country. They even have expanded their business to other countries. I guess you can say wherever the ducks are, so is Texas Quack Smacker! This company really has the duck hunters in mind. They not only offer cool looking t-shirts, but they also have a wide variety of different duck calls. By different, I mean not only in sound…but color as well, making it much easier for the caller to see at a glance which call he intends to Talking smack. use. Their t-shirts are designed for men and women and they also carry a children’s line for that little hunter or huntress in the blind. Hats will be available very soon. Visit www.texasquacksmacker.com

—by Lou Marullo

Texas Original Pits YOUR HUNTING SEASON WAS A SUCcessful one and all your friends know it… time for a party! Nothing taste better than 100 |

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some fresh venison on the barbeque…and nothing is better than a good old-fashioned Texas Barbeque! Texas Original Pits is the only name you need to know for a sure fire delicious BBQ. This company offers a wide variety of grills, smokers, and fire pits for that after dinner get together. With so many different choices, you will find one that will fit anybody’s budget. Texas Original Pits also offers to fabricate your personal dream fire pit. You gotta love their slogan…”Made by Texans, For Texans…cause every Texan needs a pit.” Find them at texasoriginalpits.com —by Lou Marullo

The Great Texas Gun Company THE GREAT TEXAS GUN COMPANY. Don’t let that name fool you. They not

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only specialize in the sale of different guns, but they also carry a wide variety of other

outdoor products that every Texas hunter would use.

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interested in and if that isn’t enough, knives and a shooting section is also found at the Great Texas Gun Company. Find them at www.txgunco.com Great Texas Guns... and much more.

—by Lou Marullo

Their website explains in detail all the many different hunting items for sale. Ammunition from dummy ammo to shotgun along with rifle and handgun ammunition are available. Their archery department offers Bows, crossbows, broadheads; you name it and the Great Texas Gun Company carries it! They also carry a full line of hunting clothing ranging from gloves to t-shirts. Their hunting line comes in both camo and hunter orange. Move to their Hunting page and you will find everything you need in the field. They also carry a reloading section, an area that features any optics you might be

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The 40-gallon Trophy Hunter Feeder from Wildgame Innovations.

Wildgame Innovations WILDGAME INNOVATIONS HAS introduced the Trophy Hunter Feeder. This durable 40 gallon poly barrel has a 300 lb. capacity to help you feed for months at a time. The Trophy Hunter is made up of 3 pieces which makes it super easy to assemble. Powered by a 6 volt battery, the digital timer is rather easy to program and is protected by a metal housing. The Trophy Hunter Feeder is designed to help you see more deer this season with the 40 Gal-

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lon Trophy Hunter from Wildgame Innovations. Check it out at www.wildgameinnovations.com. —Staff Report

Wulf Outdoors WULF OUTDOOR SPORTS IS ONE OF those shops that caters to anything and everything outdoors. Founded in 2004 by opening their first store in Center Texas, business was so good that a second store

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for years to come. Find them at www.wulfoutdoorsports.com

Wulf Outdoor Sports

was added two years later in Athens, Texas. Not only is this hunting heaven a store that caters to hunting products, but the owner, Fred Wulf, cares so much for the community that he made sure his stores include the local hunters and fishermen in contests throughout the year. Nice touch. If you need a firearm, ammunition, clothing, fishing gear, optics and so much more…this store has it all. And with competitive prices to match, Wulf Outdoors should be checked out before purchasing any outdoor gear that you may need. If you are thinking of an off road vehicle, Wulf Outdoor Sports also features a Bad Boy Buggie line as well as Kawasaki ATV’s. They also have a complete parts department that will keep you in the field

—by Lou Marullo

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Ande introduces Ghost GHOST, LIKE ITS NAME, IS PRACTICALLY invisible to fish. Ghost is smooth and easy to cast. Ghost is ultra-sensitive and strong for tough fishing xonditions. Like all Ande line, Ghost comes with high abrasion

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of conventional cameras, and offering many special features. It's the DTC 500, a reliable tool for the observation and management of game in any terrain. In keeping with Minox tradition, this new wildlife camera delivers the highest precision performance in the smallest possible space. With 8 megapixel image resolution and infrared flash, it produces sharp

such key features as an integrated 2-1/2” true-color TFT monitor. It also has video capability, up to 60 seconds, to capture the movements of animals in the wild. With a flash range of 50 feet, it delivers pin-sharp images even in low-light conditions. It has an extremely short shutter lag of just one second, and a battery life over six months, so it's a reliable performer in the field. Yet it weighs only 12.9 ounces. Retail price, $349. For more information: (866) 4693080 Email: usa@minox.com, www.minox.com/usa.

Ande Ande’s new Ghost is practically invisible.

resistance, excellent knot strength and is super soft. Ande has provided great line to anglers the world over, for all fishing conditions, at a reasonable price, for over 55 years. The company has worked tirelessly to back up its reputation as “best line in the world.” Ande, “The Line of champions.” For more information, contact Ande, 5409 Australian Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida 33407 Phone: 561-842-2474, Web: www.andemonofilament.com.

Minox Wildlife Camera AS WILDLIFE CAMERAS BECOME MORE and more popular with hunters and gamekeepers, Minox has introduced a new, very compact model, much smaller than the size 104 |

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color images (daytime) and black-andwhite at night. The versatile DTC 500 documents details of each shot, including date, time, temperature and moon phase, all stored on an SD card that can be transferred to a computer or television via USB port. The robust, weatherproof plastic body prevents penetration of water, dust, cold and heat. And it Robust, compact comes with a camera captures secure mounting sharp images. strap. The Minox Minox DTC DTC 500, which is only 6”x4-1/2”x2-5/8”, offers

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HUNTERS AND FISHERMEN TRUST THE Repel brand of insect repellents for mosquito protection that’s as tough as they are. New Repel Natural Insect Repellent offers the effective results that sportsmen have come to expect from Repel brand in a DEET-free formula that’s designed specifically for them and their families. Made with geraniol, a natural active ingredient derived from geranium oil, Repel Natural Insect Repellent uses the natural repellent properties of the geranium to repel mosquitoes and other nuisance pests for hours. The liquid pump spray is safe to use around children and pets, so you can use it on the entire family to keep biting insects from getting between you and the great outdoors. For outdoor enthusiasts exposed to the toughest conditions, Repel Sportsmen Max Formula insect repellents are available in lotion, aerosol, spray pump and pen-size pump forms to make applicaT F & G

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tion easy, no matter your activity or terrain. Formulated with 40% DEET, this line offers effective, long-lasting protection against mosquitoes and other biting insects. You can trust Repel brand to Formulated withkeep the bugs out DEET. away while you play. Repel prodRepel Natural ucts are available in sporting goods. To learn more, go to www.repel.com or find them on Facebook.

PHOTO: STEALTH CAM

TRIAD: 3-in-1 Camera Versatility STEALTH CAM, THE LEADER IN SCOUTING camera innovation raises the bar again with it’s new TRIAD Technology. Scouting cameras have evolved rapidly over the last several years with more & more users demanding enhanced features from their cameras. Stealth Cam answers the call by introducing TRIAD Technology. TRIAD Technology enabled Stealth Cams deliver the ultimate in versatility by incorporating three cameras in one; TRIAD technology: allowing the Hi-res stills, video, user to chose from time lapse. one of three differStealth Cam ent digital scouting formats. • Hi-Res still images: The basis upon which scouting cameras were designed, today’s Stealth Cam’s shoot high-resolution T F & G

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still images (day & night) with unmatched clarity and detail. Coupled with Burst Mode (multiple exposures per triggering) – the sill image function is still the mainstay for most camera users • Video: Growing ever more popular, Stealth Cam’s ability to shoot high quality video with audio brings a whole new dimension to scouting by giving the user a true glimpse into the animals behavior and vocalizations. • Time Lapse: The option to set the camera to take images at predetermined intervals over a selected time periods (day or night) is the cornerstone behind Stealth Cam’s Time Lapse function. TRIAD Technology is available now in the new Archer’s Choice camera and will be integrated into a number of new Stealth Cam models in late 2011/early 2012.

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Spare the Rods INTRODUCING THE RODSMAN, THE fishing rod holder that clamps to the side rail of most pick-up trucks and carries 6 rods and reels safely and securely. The Rodsman advantage is that it holds

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your rods and reels above most of the other equipment you take with you on a fishing trip. i.e., ice chest, tackle boxes etc. The tail gate will open and close without having

to move the rods or worry about breaking a rod when closing the tail gate. Simply Hold 6 rods above clamp The Rodsman on by hand, no tools needed, your pickup bed. load your rods and go The Rodsman fishing. Best of all it is proudly made in the USA—right here in Texas. For more information, visit www.rodsman.com.

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Clinic Brings Families Closer to Fishing

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some place for families to spend time together and this is our way of reaching out to the community. At TF&G FTU we want everyone from the landbound angler to the kayaker to those who fish offshore to have the best information available,” she said. Darin Rosenblad, Orange won the Top Down Power Flusher. David Trove of Houston won a saltwater fishing trip with George Knighten’s Guide Service. Rex Richards won a guided fishing trip with Capt. Scott Null. TF&G would like to thank all of its Brian Treadway sponsors, volunteers along with the Galveanswers flounder ston Bay Foundation and Coastal Conserfishing questions. vation Association. Also thanks to Top Seminars Down Power Flusher, Gulf Coast Fishing Rod Holders, Capt. Scott Null, Capt. George Knighten and Billy Mills for proFoundation, Bryan Treadway, TF&G viding products and services for the day’s Executive Editor Chester Moore and giveaways. Capt. Scott Null. Most of all we want to thank all the TF&G owner and advertising director readers who took the time to come out and Ardia Neves said seeing families enjoying help make the event a success. time together learning about the outdoors was “heartwarming”. “We all know the outdoors is a wholeFishing Tackle Unlimited hosted the event.

ON SAT. JUNE 25, TEXAS FISH & GAME held its second Family Fishing Clinic at Fishing Tackle (FTU) Unlimited in Houston. The goal of the event was to expose family members from kids to grandparents to information that could help them better access and utilize fishing resources and to be better stewards of them. Nearly 100 kids went through a passport program that saw them learn fish identification, proper casting skills and pollution prevention (courtesy of the Galveston Bay Foundation). They also visited with Mt. Houston Marine to learn proper boating safety and got to spend time in their boats. Upon completion they presented their stamped booklet for a spinning rod and reel combo courtesy of FTU, a mini tackle box courtesy of Plano and filled with lures courtesy of Texas Rattlin’ Rig, Stanley Lures and Easy 2 Hook. The seminar room was a hub of activity with seminars from the Galveston Bay

Mt. Houston Marine showed off their top models.

Galveston Bay Foundation shared conservation tips.

Boat Show

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Broadband 3G

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WHEN LOWRANCE’S BROADBAND radar was introduced, I didn’t see how it could be any better for small boat applications. Though its range is limited to 24 nautical miles, the use of changes in frequency versus the traditional timing of pulse returns provided amazing close-range detail and target separation, fantastic target discrimination, eliminated the need for bang suppression (that blank circle in the center of the radar screen, which wipes out returns that are close to the boat) and packed all these features into a small, lightweight dome. But now Lowrance has

Broadband 3G, and after mounting the new-and-improved 16-pound, 18-inch radome on my T-top, I’m more impressed than ever. The new 3G system doubles the RF transmission power, which results in a 30percent increase in range and target detection. Yet it’s still putting out a meager amount of power compared to a traditional pulse radar—in fact, it’s less than 1/10th of a cell phone’s transmission—so it draws less juice and presents less of a microwave hazard. But the thing I like the most after running with 3G is the zero-time warm-up. When you switch from stand-by mode to 108 |

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transmit, the unit requires literally no time at all to warm up. That’s made it completely painless to shift from chartplotter/fishfinder screens to radar and back, without having to wait two minutes or so for the radar to warm up every time. The system also supports chart overlay, display networking, MARPA, and True Motion display features. The dome draws 19 watts when transmitting and two when in standby mode, has a 5.2-degree beam width, is rated waterproof to IPX6 standards, and comes with a two-year parts and labor warranty. Another thing I absolutely loved about putting on 3G

Minn Kota Bares Its Talon

MINN KOTA HAS BEEN BUILDING workhorse trolling motors, battery chargers and other high quality accessories for fresh and saltwater fishin’ rigs for years. So when I heard the Racine, Wis., outfit had expanded its line-up to include an all-electric shallow water anchoring system capable of holding a bass or bay boat still in water as deep as nearly 8 1/2 feet, with the simple push of a button, I had to check one out. After six months of extensive field testing in all sorts of fishing situations, it is plain to see why the Talon captured Best of Show in the Marine Category at the ICAST 2010 show held in Las Vegas, Nev. Personally, I would almost feel naked out there without one. The Talon mounts directly to the transom, to a jack plate or New 3G doubles between the outboard and tranRF power. was how som using assorted brackets easy it was to available for the port or starLowrance install. This is a board sides. A quick release true plug-and-play dome, as bracket allows for easy height and angle long as you have a Lowrance HDS unit. adjustments, or removal when not use. It All I had to do was mount the dome on wires directly to your cranking battery for the T-top, run the cable, plug it in, and clean, reliable electrical operation. boom—the unit was up and running. The Talon functions using a wireless remote HDS recognized its presence automatical(comes with two), or you can use the butly, and added a radar screen to the menu ton on the unit itself. Once activated, a tree without any effort on my part whatsocable-driven motor quietly and quickly ever. Surprise: it’s also less expensive than deploys a telescopic fiberglass spike vertitraditional radar, with a list cost of $1,699 cally towards bottom. and a real-world price tag of about $1,300. Once the spike reaches bottom, an Check it out at www.lowrance.com. auto-drive function bumps it deeper with three successive hits so it holds your boat —Lenny Rudow securely. A built-in “rough water mode” and “wave absorption” feature enhance the holding power in especially big wind.

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The benefits? I found many. For starters, Talon allows you to keep the boat still when you need to. Used correctly, it will actually help you catch more fish. Guys who sight fish for spawning bass or tailing reds will love it, because it enables you to maintain good position without fighting the trolling motor and running the risk of spooking fish. I have found it be especially helpful when drifting over shallow grass flats. If I catch a fish ahead of the boat, I can stop the boat immediately and milk the spot instead of drifting over it prematurely. You can also use it to hold the boat in brush, matted vegetation, while retying baits or when you leave your rig at a wind blown boat ramp. The 33-pound unit is available in two sizes — six feet, four inches and eight feet, four inches and two colors — silver/black and silver/white. It sells for $1,299 and $1,449, respectfully. minnkotamotors.com. —Matt Williams

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Suzuki 15 THE 15 HP OUTBOARD ON MY JON BOAT was having more and more issues, so I decided it was time to replace it with a new Suzuki DF 15 four-stroke. This little eggbeater is an in-line-two, with an 18.4 cubic inch displacement, single overhead cam, two valves per cylinder, a 2.08:1 gear reduction, and a choice of 15” and 20” shaft lengths. There’s even a 12-volt, sixamp alternator, a feature you don’t always see on small, manually-started engines. It weighs in at 97 pounds, which is less than competing four-stroke 15s’, which range from 104 pounds to 114 pounds. Both tiller and remote steering, and manual or electric starting, are available on the DF 15. But, who needs remote steering or electric starting on a 14’ duck hunting rig? Not me, so I opted for the tiller arm and a pull cord and haven’t regretted it for a moment. Not only is the boat easy to control, the DF 15 has a tension adjustment which allows me to decide how hard T F & G

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or easy it is to turn the tiller. It’s also outfitted with a digital capacitor discharge ignition system, which automatically adjusts ignition timing according to RPM. That’s part of the reason why the DF 15 gets a three-star CARB “ultra low” emissions rating. So far I’ve found it easy to pull-start, and it usually fires after just two or three yanks on the cord. It’s notably quieter than my old 15 (which was also a four-stroke) and hasn’t stalled yet while idling or on quick decel-

what options you get; you can see them all at www.suzukimarine.com. —LR

Leupold’s ‘Vendetta’

LEUOPOLD HAS INTRODUCED SOMEthing to the bowhunting world that will soon be on the wish list of every bow in America. I’m talking about their new range finder called the “Vendetta”. I have had the opportunity to give this a try on my Bowtech and I can tell you that it is my new American Express card of the woods. I will never leave home without it! This lightweight range finder attaches to your bow just above your bow sight. Once this new Vendetta is installed and calibrated according to the directions that come with it, it works like a charm. I love it! I have tried it at many different targets, and have not missed yet. It is amazing how it works erations. One and how accurate it is. I have taken shots surprise feature at targets as far as 50 yards and this range I’ve found valufinder is spot on. No more guessable is the work! Suzuki DF 15 clasp that Now when you see the game you are secures the cowl. New Four-stroke hunting work your way…it simply is 15 HP outboard It’s easy to pop a press of a button to turn it on and has many options. open and closed another to let you know how far your one-handed, target is. It eliminates all the movement unlike some, and needed with the hand held range finder inspecting the models. Misjudging the distance to anyengine while thing you are shooting at is now a thing of bobbing around in the past. the middle of the Estimating range is much easier in the river is a piece of woods. You have all the trees and shrubs cake. around to help you see what 10 yards from On my 14’ Polar you looks like. It is not as easy if you are Craft aluminum jon hunting the edge of a field. When there is boat, it’ll pop on plane nothing to look at that will help you estiand cruise along at around mate distance, a once in a lifetime opportu15-mph at three-quarter throttle, and widenity for a trophy buck could slip by. This open, hits 20-mph. Even with four fullrange finder from Leupold has given grown men onboard, it has the oomph to bowhunters the answer. What a great find, get onto plane (though speeds are naturally from a quality company. reduced). The DF 15 is a hair more expensive than some other outboard of this —Lou Marullo size, and real-world pricing runs from about $2,300 to $3,000 depending on T E X A S

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Pick of the Litter HE .22-250 WAS FIRST WILDCATTED, probably, sometime in the 1930s. It was, and is, simply the .250 Savage (.250-3000) necked down to .224 caliber. During the mid-thirties such shooting giants as Harvey Donaldson, Grosvenor Wotkyns, and J.E. Gebby worked on various versions of the cartridge. Gebby named his version the .22 Varminter and obtained a copyright on the name. Wotkyns' version

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was called the .22 Wotkyns Original Swift. Other shooters, to get around the legal aspects, simply called the cartridge the .22250. It is generally agreed that J. Bushnell Smith and J.E. Gebby developed the current configuration in about 1937. When Winchester was testing, prior to introducing the Winchester .220 Swift in 1935, they first used the .250 Savage cartridge, but before final production began, decided on the stronger and slightly larger 6mm Lee Navy case as the parent. For the next 20 years, until the introduction of the .222 Remington, the .22/250 was the most popular wildcat out there and some feel it was the most popular .22 caliber – period. It was so popular with discriminating shoot-

The author’s “new” .22-250 performed quite well for its age.

ers that in 1963 Group Shot Browning began to chamber for it while it was still a wildcat! Then 2 years later it became a legitimate factory cartridge, when introduced by Remington in 1965. It is a crying shame that it took that long, because the .22-250 is one of, if not the best ever, .22 calibers. During the early days of bench rest competition, the .22-250 was one of the most popular accuracy cartridges in a game where more diminutive cartridges generally rule. It displayed its surprising ability to produce tiny groups and won match after match, going head to head with such greats as the .219 Donaldson Wasp. Another of its great assets is its versatility and flexibility. It has the ability to shoot well with loads of widely different velocity levels. The .220 Swift is generally considered to be at its best with full-power loads; the .22-250 on the other hand shoots extremely well with low-end loads that match the little .22 Hornet, or with screaming high velocity loads that come close to .220 Swift levels. It will also handle a huge range of bullet weights from 40 grains to the heavyweights of 70 grains and more, and perform its tricks with any number of powders from the slowest to the fastest. Generally, the .22-250 performs best on 110 |

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varmints with bullets of 55 to 60 grains. I prefer 55-grain bullets for almost every use, but I do not recommend using the .22-250 on any game larger than predators. For deer, if you feel you must use it, I strongly suggest either one of the tough bullets like the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw or the Nosler Partition, or at least the heavier bullets of 70 grains or more. When I first started shooting the .22250, in the early 1970s, I was amazed at its accuracy, its flat trajectory, and its effects on such game as jackrabbits, which simply disintegrate when hit with one of the high velocity bombs. I tinkered with the lighter bullets, such as 45-grain bullets intended for the .22 Hornet, but found them less than satisfactory. The lightly built Hornet bullets, pushed to near 4000 feet per second, didn't even get to 100 yards, burning up en route and leaving a trail of blue smoke. The lightweight bullets that would withstand the velocity were truly dramatic on small game, but sometimes failed on the bigger, tougher animals like coyotes. I finally decided that the best of all were the original 55-grain bul-

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lets, with the 52- and 53-grain hollow points also doing reasonably well. Among modern bullets the Sierra BlitzKing, Nosler Ballistic Tip, Hornady V-Max, Berger Match Varmint, Speer TNT, and several others are great choices. As for powders, the mid-range powders like H380, IMR-4064, IMR-4320, and Reloader 15 all work great. I just traded for an older Remington Model 700 in .22-250. After I got it cleaned up (and that took some effort, believe me) I loaded some 55-grain Sierra BlitzKings over H380 and the new IMR 8208 XBR and headed for the range. To say that I was happy with my new/old gun would be an understatement of historic proportions. I shot 20 rounds getting the gun properly sighted in and shooting test groups. The last two groups I shot, using 37.5 grains of H380 (a mild load) and the 55grain Sierra BlitzKing bullets measured .40â&#x20AC;? and .29â&#x20AC;?. I was amazed. I think part of the equation is that bullets have been dramatically improved over the last 10 years. Even rifles that once dis-

played mediocre accuracy now shoot very well, and you can thank the bullet industry. Today Nosler Ballistic Tips, Sierra BlitzKings, and Hornady V-Maxes are all as accurate as the best bench rest bullets of just a few years ago, and many .22-250s out there will give you all you can hold for with any of them. If you are a varmint hunter and are wondering what caliber you should choose for your new predator rifle, the .22-250 is the pick of the litter. If you are going to shoot high volume, as prairie dogs hunters often do, you might consider one of the smaller .22s, such as a .222 or .223 (and, then again, you might not), simply to save a bit of barrel steel, but there is no .22 caliber out there that will beat the 75-year old .22-250 for coyotes and bobcats, and for long-range sniping at animals like woodchucks and rock chucks. Nothing. Period.

E-mail Steve LaMascus at SLamascus@fishgame.com

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Controlling Destiny – by Direction T’S NOT OFTEN I GO WAKEBOARDING (as in, never), but after three or four years the incessant begging of 11 yearolds will eventually get to you. So one evening last week when my sons asked me for the 11 millionth time if we could go wakeboarding, instead of responding with the usual “that’s a waste of perfectly good fishing time,” I said yes. I should have known it would be a mistake. For those who have enough common sense to avoid swapping in their rods and reels for giving rides: to get the rider up and out of the hole, you have to start from a dead stop and throw the throttle down to wideopen as quickly as possible. This jerks the rider out of the water, so they can skim over-

top of it and thus scare the bejesus out of every finned critter within 100 yards. When I attempted to perform this maneuver, however, my boat shot off to starboard in an uncontrolled turn. I spun the wheel to port, yet the boat kept digging in to starboard; I spun the wheel farther, noted a distinct lack of resistance, and the wheel never stopped spinning. Somehow, the gearing in my helm had come unbuttoned. And judging by the crunchy, metal-on-metal feeling, the damage was catastrophic. We were not only stranded and unable to steer, we were stranded and unable to steer (shudder) without a single fishing rod onboard. As I jury-rigged the boat for our return trip, I tried to look at the bright side of things: I wouldn’t need to

think of a topic for this month’s Texas Boating column—here’s a run-down on how to control your boat when your steering system fails.

Twin Engines This is a best-case scenario for losing your steering. With twins, you can simply rev up one engine or the other as necessary, to get the boat moving to port or starboard. But there are a few details you should be aware of. First off, note that the less space there is between your outboards, the less steering response you’ll get from the throttles. Don’t be shy about pouring on the coals, to get the boat pointing where you

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Don’t be shy about pouring on the coals, to get the boat pointing where you want it.

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want it. Secondly, if your steering system fails completely you may find your outboards swinging back and forth freely, which makes it impossible to steer with the throttles. In this case, tilt your drives up and center them manually. Then run a mooring line from a stern cleat, wrap it around the lower unit of the engines just above the anti-ventilation plate several times, then run it back up to the stern cleat on the other side of the boat. With the rope in place, tilt your motors back down while constantly checking the tension on the rope. Obviously you want it tight, but not so tight you damage the lower unit or break the line. The taunt ropes will 112 |

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keep your engines more or less centered, allowing you to steer with the throttles.

Single Outboard If the engine is small enough, you may be able to simply steer it manually, leaning over and grabbing each side of the cowl. Remember that most props are right-handed, so the engine will naturally kick itself over to starboard; if you get more than 90-degrees offcourse, it’s often easier to simply allow the boat to make a circle before straightening it up than it is to counter-steer to port. With a larger outboard, you’ll probably have to go back to centering and lashing the motor, and steer using an alternate method. On relatively small bay or flats boats you can usually accomplish this by standing as far aft as possible, lowering a paddle into the water, holding on tight, and using the resistance to bring the bow around. Another method that works is tying a rope to a five-gallon bucket and using its drag to steer. Keep it centered when the boat’s going straight, and slide it back and forth between the port and starboard cleats as necessary, to turn the boat. Obviously, you’ll want to keep the speeds slow when using either of these methods.

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isn’t necessary). But you should always inspect the rudder post, first. Look in the bilge, and you might be pleasantly surprised to find that the top of the rudder post is hexagonal or squared. Many are, just to allow you to slap on a wrench or pipe in case of steering loss. Of course, using this procedure requires two people to be onboard, so one can remain above-decks and shout out steering instructions.

Should you lose your steering, one of these methods should make it possible for you to limp home under your own power. Of course prevention is the best method of all; check your linkages, cables, and/or hydraulic lines regularly, and whatever you do, don’t waste perfectly good fishing time by going wakeboarding. E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com

Stern Drives Most stern drive boats can be steered using the above method, but they also offer an additional method. To take advantage of it, you’ll need to have a set of ratchets or a very large adjustable crescent wrench onboard, and a two foot or longer PVC or lead pipe. Most stern drives have a top cap nut centered on top of the drive unit, which provides you with a place to “grab” the outdrive in an emergency. (These nuts aren’t removed often and in most cases are locked down tight, but if it comes loose, obviously, stop what you’re doing and tighten it down). Find the socket or wrench that fits it, put the pipe over its end to extend it and gain some leverage, and steer from the rear. Again, keep your speed down to minimize stress.

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Qualifying Your Quiver ROM A TOOL THAT STARTED OUT simply as a stick and a string, the modern bow has turned into a fairly complicated piece of machinery with new models (with new innovative technology) introduced yearly. All these little tweaks and advancements have increased the efficiency of today’s bows, making archers more effective than ever before, and have also allowed more hunters to pick up a bow each fall. However, even with the increased ease of use due to technological advances, bows are still much more difficult to use than a rifle

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and require a lot more effort to master. That’s why I’m bringing this up in August instead of October. If you haven’t been shooting you need to start now. Tuning a bow is a time consuming elaborate process and there really is no way for me to cover everything from nock placement, sites, arrow rests, strings, etc… in a single column so for arguments sake I’m going to assume your bow is tuned and ready to shoot. With the bow part out of the way let’s spend some time concentrating on the arrows and how you can maximize their accuracy because, after all, this is the part that does the business on the animal you are hunting. There are tons of archery shops across the state that will build custom arrows to your exact specifications but I’m an off-theshelf kind of guy. I want to know that if all my arrows are stolen by a pack of rabid chipmunks that I can walk into any sporting goods store and find the arrows that I’m currently using.

I assume most archers buy standard arrows as well so there are a few things you need to know about them. The expression “straight as an arrow” is a relative term because some arrows are straighter than others. Just like some arrows weigh more than others and bend more than others even when their supposed to be exactly alike. In a manufacturing environment it is impossible to make every arrow the same. You can get close, but not exact. Believe it or not, these small differences that you cannot see or feel can affect where the arrow impacts, especially if you’re trying to reach out beyond 30

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The expression ‘straight as an arrow’ is a relative term.

“ yards to take a deer. They won’t drive your arrow off target by a few feet, but only a few inches and in bow hunting that might as well be a mile. The good news is there is a way to live with these differences but it will take a little work on your part. Start out by taking the brand new half dozen arrows you just bought and number them between one and six. Now, take these six arrows and use them to sight in your bow until you are happy with the pattern you are getting. After you get it sighted in the work begins. Take your arrow marked number one and pattern it individually. At ten yards, shoot it at the bulls-eye one time. Go see where it hit, measuring the distance and direction from the center of the bulls-eye (ex: half inch 114 |

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shots, but not precisely where you are aiming. Now, instead of knowing that all six arrows will shoot a four inch group at 30 yards, you know that the first three shoot a one in group and the others are adequate for short shots. The three that pattern together in the bulls-eye should be in your quiver every time you get in the stand. When you move away from field tips and start practicing with broadheads, it would be wise to repeat the patterning process for

each individual arrow again. Even broadheads that are the same weight as your field tips can cause the arrows to fly differently. Remember how all arrows are slightly different, the same goes for broadheads.

E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com

ILLISTRATION BY PAUL BRADSHAW

left). Move back to the ten yard mark and repeat the process again (shoot once, mark spot) and after about ten shots you should begin to see a pattern. Move back to 20 yards and repeat the whole process again. After you have the first arrow patterned, move onto the arrow marked two and go through the entire process again. Repeat this for all the arrows and you’ll have a good feel for where each one hits. From my own experience here’s what I’ve seen from a half dozen arrows. Typically, you’ll have three

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that hit within a quarter inch of each other even out as far as 30 yards. The other three will be fairly accurate but hit a few inches away from the core group of three, still kill T F & G

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PHOTO: IOFOTO, BIGSTOCK PHOTO

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Coastal Kayak Adventure S A COASTAL KAYAK ADVENTURE IN your future? If you are a Boy Scout or a scout leader, the answer may be yes. The South Texas Council of Boy Scouts of America, with headquarters in Corpus Christi, launched a high adventure kayak trek three years ago and the program has gained statewide popularity in just a few years. A trek is part of a week at summer camp and is aimed at older scouts who have already earned a large number of merit badges but still enjoy attending summer camps. Based on its popularity, the kayak

trek will become a stand-alone program in 2012. Marty Sepulveda, Assistant Scout Exec-

Boy Scouts from all over the state will join an annual “high adventure” kayak trek along the Texas coast.

Kayak Trek utive with South Texas Council, explained the program, saying: “Four years ago we wanted to expand our summer camp experience and decided to use our great coastline as a resource. We have easy access and kayaking is an easy way to get close to nature.” The council hires Slow Ride Guide Service of Aransas Pass as the outfitter for the trek and they provide kayaks, paddling gear and take care of all logistics. The owner, Dean “Slow Ride” Thomas, is not only an expert with kayaks, he is also a Scoutmaster. “Scouts on the high adventure kayak trek arrive at Camp Kawakawa outside Mathis on Sunday along with their troop,” said Sepulveda. “They spend the first night at camp. Sunday night, before we head to the coast, we do a shake down with the scouts, going over everyone’s personal gear and reviewing personal needs they may not have prepared for. On Monday morning, everyone’s camping and fishing gear is loaded

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into vans and the scouts and their leaders are transported 60 miles to the coast.” Thomas’ outfitters will meet the new arrivals at the shoreline and the adventure begins. After a thorough safety orientation, tents and personal gear is loaded into a center console and transported to the primitive camping area on an island. Scouts are also given an overview on saltwater fishing and the proper use of different lures. Once the orientation is complete, the scouts and outfitters fish their way to the camp site which is two miles away. Upon arrival, scouts set up tents and spend more time learning about life on a barrier island, including tutorials about safety risks on land and in the water. Thomas, who guides kayak anglers in nearby waters year round, was enthusiastic about the fishing opportunities. “There is fantastic wade fishing just 50 yards in front of your tent and tailing reds root around in the flats on the back side of the island. The last group of scouts caught over 50 trout one morning,” he said. Thomas’s outfitters live on the island with the scouts and Thomas visits the campsite every day, bringing fresh water, ice, and rations. Monday night’s meal is packed in but scouts cook fish they catch the other nights; based on reports I have heard, no one went hungry. During their stay, scouts must contend with high heat, sand, and insects. Taking good care of your skin is stressed and campers are encouraged to wear hats and long sleeve shirts to avoid sun burns. Everyone gets a small ration of fresh water to rinse off every day but baby powder showers at night help keep sand and grit out of sleeping bags. Summer weather varies greatly each year but a coastal breeze can typically be counted on to keep things bearable on the island. The last several years the scouts have erected a makeshift shelter out of driftwood and castoff lumber, topping it with a heavy tarpaulin. The tarp provides welcome shade during the heat of the day and provides a place for everyone to huddle should a passing rain cloud decide to dampen the festivities. Scouts spend a total of three days and two nights on the island before fishing their way back to the launch site where they are transported back to Camp Kawakawa. “When the scouts get back to the launch T F & G

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site everyone is very tired. They are all hot and stinky but they love the adventure of getting completely way from civilization. We poll the scouts about their experience and all have recommended it to other boys,” Sepulveda concluded. The success of South Texas Council’s kayak trek is spreading. Over 60% of all the participants hailed from outside the council, including scouts form Houston, Ft. Worth and Ft. Davis. To learn more about South

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Texas Council’s 2012 kayak trek, contact Marty Sepulveda at 361-814-4300, Extension 18.

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Greg Berlocher can be reached for question or comment at kayak@fishgame.com.

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Texas Wagon Wheels DEVELOPED THIS RECIPE SEVERAL years ago for a catering job requesting an interesting chicken dish. It was on a ranch so I thought the name was appropriate but had to make them look as cool as they tasted. I love asparagus, so it just worked out right. When you make these, be sure and make several more than needed for dinner, carefully cut the toothpicks down close and wrap them in Saran Wrap and freeze in a gallon freezer bag until ready to thaw and cook. This dish takes a little time to prepare, but the results and compliments you get will make the time well worth the effort!

Texas Wagon Wheels Serves 4 4 Boneless/skinless Chicken Breasts 2 Slices of Provolone Cheese - round cut in half 12 Stalks Asparagus - thin stalks, skinned & steamed 12 Slices Thin sliced Bacon - laid out on a cookie sheet, lightly sprinkled with dried Basil Leaf and black pepper 2 cored, seeded, & chopped jalapenos 1 Onion finely chopped 2 Jalapenos- seeded and finely chopped 1 cored Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped 2 Roma Tomatoes, cored, seeded & chopped well 118 |

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1/2 Stick of Butter 1 Box round toothpicks

Baste 2 T honey 3 T Soy Sauce 1 T Dijon Mustard 2 t Sesame Seeds 1 t Dried Basil Leaf 3 T TXG Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly 3 Minced Cloves of Garlic 2 T Olive Oil 3 T Lemon Juice 1/2 t Black Pepper 1 Cup dry white wine Place all basting ingredients in a sauce pot, bring to a light boil, stirring well, until ingredients and flavors are well mixed (approx. 4 - 5 minutes). Remove from heat.

Preparation: Place chicken breast on a cutting board covered with saran wrap. Put a sheet of wax paper over the breast, then cover with

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another piece of saran wrap. Pound lightly with lightly stipple faced mallet until breast spreads and flattens out slightly. Be sure not to break holes through the breasts. After flattening each breast, place into bowl of icy cold water. Place chopped onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, & roma tomatoes into skillet with a half stick of butter, saute until softened but not brown, remove from heat and reserve for recipe. Place a breast flat on the cleaned cutting board. Put a half piece of provolone onto breast. Spread small amount of onion, tomato, & pepper mixture over cheese. (approx. half tablespoon) Place three asparagus on cheese, closest end towards you with heads not exposed past the ends. Carefully roll mixture away from you into a roll. Carefully starting from one side, wrap the roll with a slice of bacon, you will need two pieces to finish. Use toothpicks to seal and hold roll together. Roll tightly. Cut any excess from edges of roll (asparagus or cheese, then stretch a final piece of bacon long ways around the wrap to cover and seal both ends and pick shut. (This will prevent the cheese from running out T F & G

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the sides.) Cooking Instructions: On a well heated grill at medium high to high setting either charcoal or gas, place rolls indirectly over the flames. Brush with the baste and then cover. Turn every five minutes and baste again. After about 20-25 minutes the bacon should be browning. Move closer to flame for the final few minutes but watch carefully and keep turning to keep from over browning. Remove from fire. Cover the rolls loosely with foil to rest them for 8 to 10 minutes. Be sure to remove all of the toothpicks used in cooking. Slice into three quarter inch circles and then arrange on plate. Heat remaining baste to a boil, remove from heat and spoon over the wagon wheels . Serve while still warm with The Texas Gourmet’s recipe for Yellow Squash Casserole.

Yellow Squash Casserole Serves 4 to 6

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JOIN THE TEXAS GOURMET FANCLUB on Facebook, at http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=152165096156. Come and share your favorite recipes, restaurants, and hangouts. The Texas Gourmet is waiting on you!

Ingredients: 5 to 6 yellow squash- (or combination of yellow and zucchini squash) - sliced into ¼” round slices 1White or yellow sweet onionchopped 2¾ stick of unsalted butter- ( or 6 T. Margarine) 3t. Olive oil 1 – sleeve- Ritz crackers- crushed fine 2 eggs – beaten ½ t Beau Monde (spice found in the spice section of your favorite grocery store) ¾ cup – milk 1 cup- mozzarella- grated ½ t. black pepper 19 x 9 Pyrex baking dish PreparationSauté onion in butter until clear Add squash, season with Beau Monde

Seasoning and blk. Pepper Sauté until softened, remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl, add Ritz cracker crumbs, eggs, milk, olive oil, mozzarella cheese, stir well to combine Place in a greased 9 x 9 baking dish, and bake in a preheated oven @ 325 degrees uncovered for 40 minutes or until golden brown Serve hot! It’s real good!

Email Bryan Slaven, “The Texas Gourmet,” at texas-tasted@fishgame.com

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What the Heck is

Flourocarbon Anyway? BY CHESTER MOORE

PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

Pro Michael Iaconelli is a flourocarbon fanatic because of its many fish-catching properties

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IT WAS EASY TO FIND THE BASS in the gin clear water. As they moved from a deep trough onto a shallow flat to feed, getting bait in front of them was easy. Getting them to take it was another issue. No matter what you presented them, the fish would swim up, look closely and then swim off. That was with monofilament line.

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with shrimp) to a “shrimp” color, which is clear with a very slight brown tint and tiny red flakes. It looks like a natural shrimp pattern in the water. This setup produced lots of fish. The braided line/obtrusive color combination was tried again but it did not work until the water clarity declined. Fluorocarbon also has the advantage of being more “sensitive” than monofilament line.

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Responding to the situation, I grabbed a spinning reel spooled with 6-pound Stren Fluorocast (fluorocarbon) and caught my biggest bass of 2011 (up to that point), an eight-pounder that showed no hesitation to strike. It was as if a red flag was taken away. Did the fluorocarbon make that much of a difference? I believe so, but before we get into why we need to ask an important question. What the heck is fluorocarbon? Flurocarbon is a material code name for PVDF, a blend of fluoride and carbon. There are all kinds of fluorocarbons use in various industrial capacities but the kind anglers use is pad. “The reason most anglers use fluorocarbon is because of its visibility. It has the same reflective properties as water so in essence the only thing a fish can see on the line is reflections,” said Clay Norris of Pure Fishing. I have seen this not only in super clear freshwater lakes but also on the coast when clear tides move in. Last October my father and I fished an area and started catching flounder immediately. The tide was coming in strong and the visibility was about a foot. Within 30 minutes clear water from the Sabine-Neches Ship Channel moved in and the bite shut off. I mean went to nothing. As the clear water moved in and shifted the visibility to four feet (crystal clear) the bite shut off. That is until we moved toward the “murk” line. When we cast into the murk line the fish bit and as we moved down with the murkier water we kept catching fish. I could physically see fish on the bottom and they had nothing to do with biting but they fed aggressively in the pocket of murkier water. For two weeks the water in the channel near stayed super clear so I went from fishing moss green-colored 50 lb Spider Wire to 15 lb Stren Fluorocast. I also changed from using pink-colored Twister Tails (tipped

“If you pull on fluorocarbon it has similar stretch to mono but it doesn’t soak up water. Mono has more stretch when it is wet, so that makes a big difference,” Norris said. “We think is the reason why fluorocarbon feels more sensitive is because we think the material is denser and transmits vibration like a hard cable. Secondly, the line sinks so there is less bow or slack in the line and it keeps better contact with the rod shaft so you can feel more vibrations.” Bassmaster Elite Series pro and 2003 Bassmaster Classic Champion Michael Iaconelli is a big proponent of “finesse” fishing and said fluorocarbon is a big part of that. “Finesse fishing is all about the approach and presentation. You slow things down and give them a more lifelike approach,” Iaconelli said. In his new book Finesse Fishing with Michael Iaconelli he addresses his finesse concept at length and discusses the advantage of fluorocarbon. T E X A S

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“Fluorocarbon definitely has its advantages. A lot of times using tube jigs or a small worms on pressured fish in conjunction with fluorocarbon line can be a game changer, especially in clear water conditions,” he said. The first fluorocarbon to hit the market came from Japanese company Seaguar who are still a leading seller of the product. Berkley came out with Vanish in 2000 and since then there have been six upgrades. “We have come a long way since the first Vanish came out. The technology has gotten better and anglers are feeling more comfortable with it,” Norris said. Fluorocarbon is a little more “moody” than monofilament or braid and can cause problems for anglers not used to using it. “Pay attention to have it is coming off the spook and make sure it is going onto your reel the same way on a spinning rod. It doesn’t really matter on a casting reel,” Norris said. Iaconelli recommends anglers spray line condition on a handkerchief, grip it around their line and reel through it as it goes onto the spool. “That can make a big difference in how the line performs,” he said. I have been using this technique with Ardent Line Butter when spooling onto my reels and have found it does indeed make a profound difference and so can knots. Norris recommends an improved clinch knot because while fluorocarbon is abrasion resistant it is prone to line on line friction. It might seem as if using fluorocarbon requires a lot of extra work and in fact more effort is involved but the fact is it can help anglers catch more fish, especially the big ones. Most big fish are skittish and especially those found in clear water. Anything that gives anglers an edge is worth trying and I know for a fact fluorocarbon falls into the category.

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Don’t Check THAT Hose FTER SEVERAL WEEKS STRAIGHT OF business travel involving airports, hotels and laptops the siren song of milder temperature and wind was too much to resist. I got up and pointed my truck towards the boat shed instead of the Gulf Freeway and launched my center console under the Kemah Bridge. With clear water and active bait, I was expecting a productive day along the Kemah and Seabrook Flats.

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Having run through most of my plastic offerings in the tackle box with no bumps I tossed a scented plastic shrimp tail underneath a popping cork a very large fish hit it and took off. Realizing I was about to spool my spinning reel I attempted to turn the monster, only to hear the plastic cork rattles, signaling that my box bending adversary had cut the line. Bad Omen #1. After an hour of frantic casting and an increasing south breeze, I decided to head back to the launch. Being a Friday afternoon the launch traffic was picking up and I squeezed into the left ramp, tied up and backed the trailer down. After driving the boat onto the trailer I climbed off the front of the boat and as I reached for the winch handle and noticed it was gonzo! Between launching and loading my boat some gremlin had absconded with the critical component, forcing me to dig through a couple of tool boxes to find a wrench that could snug up the boat on the trailer. Bad Omen #2. I pulled up the boat and parked under

the bridge to fasten the straps and secure the boat for the trip home. Part of that process involves lifting the lower unit via the trim switch on the side of the outboard and flipping the transom lock. As I reached for the lock I noticed a brownish hose with black spots: PHOTOS: DAVE ROGERS

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After my heart quit racing I deducted that during my efforts to improvise a trailer winch handle a cottonmouth water moccasin, attracted by the warmth of the lower unit, decided to hitch a ride. Bad Omen # 3. My only consolation was that hopefully things would get better since I’ve heard bad things come in threes. I tried to coax it off the boat with a rod tip, only to drive him into the lower unit housing through the gaps alongside the brace at the top of the lower unit. After I few feeble attempts to get him out, I decided to head to the boat shed, figuring a motor flush would do the trick. 122 |

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After hooking up the hose and running the motor for 10 minutes my nemesis poked his head out and I unsuccessfully attempted to snag the serpent with my hook retrieval tool, causing the critter to retreat back into the lower unit. I backed the boat into the shed and with two beers left in the ice chest I plopped into a lawn chair to wait him out. With no appearance by the reptilian hitchhiker my enthusiasm waned and I concocted a plan worthy of NCIS. I stuffed 2 paper towels into the gaps where the cottonmouth entered his hiding place, thinking that any escape would dislodge the towels. The next morning I went back to the shed and as I lifted the roll-up door a lizard scurried out over my shoe, inspiring a high jump Carl Lewis would be proud of. I then walked slowly around the boat searching for the elusive snake. The right side towel was still in place but as I looked down I saw the other paper towel on the ground, signaling an escape. I searched the well in the back of the boat but it was empty. When I had checked the ground thor-

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oughly, I peeked into the bottom floor of the boat:

This unwanted ship’s mate curled around some bungee cords and obviously was unfazed by the 10 minute motor flush the day before. With the cooler temperatures I noticed the snake was pretty lethargic and I snagged it and got it out of the boat. But the warm ground seemed to revive it and it informed me that it was not happy, reminding me why it is called a cottonmouth:

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While I am normally a proponent of conservation and considered returning my new friend to the boat launch, after a short deliberation I went in a different direction. I guess after all the deceptive lures I’ve used to trick fish, a water moccasin has the right to camouflage itself as a fuel hose to catch its dinner. I’m just glad that I didn’t have to pay a lot of money at the shop to dig out a snake from my lower unit. Unless it was a female... — Dave Rogers

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TEXAS SALTWATER

GALVESTON

ROCKPORT

WWW.FISHGAME.COM

Byron and Byron Catfish San Antonio Fishing Guides

VISIT OUR NEW ON-LINE STORE @

TEXAS SALTWATER MIDDLE COAST

BAFFIN BAY

FISHANDGAMEGEAR.COM

TEXAS HUNTING

CORPUS CHRISTI

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Garrett Black Drum North Padre Boating Adventures

William, Chelsey, and Hayden Rockport Red Runner

Marine Lance Corporal Ron Sullivan 27 7/8 in. 7 lb. 7 oz. Redfish North Padre Boating Adventures

TEXAS FRESHWATER

LAKE TEXOMA

LAKE AMISTAD

EAST TEXAS

WWW.FISHGAME.COM

SOUTH TEXAS FOR ADVERTISING RATES AND INFORMATION CALL 281.869.5519

SPOTLIGHT: STRIPER EXPRESS “Welcome To Striper Express!” is the greeting you’ll receive the minute you board one of the Striper Express boats. For owners and pro-guides Bill and Chris Carey, friendliness and professionalism are not just words; they are a way of life. For the past 28 years, Striper Express Guide Service has been offering first class fishing for striped bass on Lake Texoma. “We Sell Fun!“ states the father and son team. Our slogan is, “Every Trip is an Adventure!” They specialize in group outings, meetings and events. Striper Express offers companies large and small a way to recharge and refocus with employees and key clients. Whether a daycation or a conference, you can count on a unique outdoor adventure that your group can drive to and be excited to attend. Lake Texoma boasts twice the state limit for striped bass at 10 fish per person. The lake is located on the Texas-Oklahoma border just 75 miles north of Dallas. This 90,000 acre impoundment is a fisherman’s dream come true. We asked Bill and Chris what are their most memorable moments and without hesitation they both stated, “It’s the Kids! They are our future fishermen!” If you would like to book a guided fishing trip on Lake Texoma, call Bill or Chris Carey at Striper Express Guide Service. You can get in on the “striper success”, too. Please call: 903786-9279 or visit their website at www.striperexpress.com.

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BLACK DRUM Port O’Connor

LARGEMOUTH BASS | Lovelady REDFISH

Taylor Schneider of Cypress caught this 7pound, 24-inch largemouth on an ultralite rod with 6-pound test and a spinnerbait. She was fishing on her grandparents’ farm pond in Lovelady, Texas.

Indianola Shayna Spencer of Thorndale caught this 37-inch redfish while fishing at Indianola. The bull red was her first redfish.

Gage Eller, age 11, landed this Black Drum with a little help from his uncle Dan. Gage was fishing from Grandad George Eller’s boat at Port O’Connor.

AXIS BUCK Kendall County

TRIPLE TAIL

Ty Chism of Liberty Hill shot this free range gold medal axis buck with a .223 at 85 yards, in Kendall County. It scored 135 and dressed out at 210 pounds.

Palacios

SPECKLED TROUT Arroyo City Sofia Coronado, age 9, of Edinburg, Texas with a 17inch speckled trout she caught under the lights at Arroy City.

Alvin and Sid Kubala of Granger caught this pair of 20plus-pound triple tail out of Palacios. They were fishing with guide Louis Rich.

GAFFTOP Galveston Jackson Polk, 3,of Allen, Texas shows off the gafftop sail catfish that he caught with the help of his Papaw, Wes Pyfer, near the Pelican Island Bridge in Galveston.

RED SNAPPER | Port Aransas Vic Ostrum of Wisconsin caught some nice red snapper while fishing offshore out of Port Aransas with his brothers-in-law from Texas and Louisiana.

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BLACK DRUM | Galveston 15 year old Adrian Garza caught this 27-inch black drum in Galveston fishing with his dad Juan Garza.

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MAIL TO: TFG PHOTOS 1745 Greens Rd, Houston TX 77032 NOTE: Print photos can not be returned.

EMAIL: photos@FishGame.com For best results, send MED to HIGH quality JPEG digital files only, please.

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

SPECKLED TROUT | Corpus Christi BLUE GILL

Taylor Atkinson, age 9, of Kenedy caught this 29inch trout under the JFK Causeway. The speck weighed 7-pounds, 2-ounces.

Private Pond Allison Ormand, age 7, of Austin holds a bluegill that she caught, kissed, and released at her aunt’s and uncle’s pond near Fruitdale.

REDFISH | San Luis Pass Enrique Isais caught this 28-inch, 11-pound redfish while fishing at San Luis pass.

RED SNAPPER South Padre Bernard Stone sent this photo of his 8year-granddaughter Caitlyn, with her very first red snapper, caught at South Padre Island.

WHITETAIL DOE Red River County Katelyn Burger, 11, harvested this large doe on a doe and spike hunt at Nonnie Stringfellow WMA. She used an AR .223 with a 64-grain bullet at 127 yards.

REDFISH | San Bernard River Laura Harris of Brazoria caught this 35-1/2-inch , 14-1/2-pound redfish in the San Bernard River. It was her biggest fish ever.

WHITE BASS Lake Livingston RED SNAPPER | Gulf of Mexico Hunter Behnke caught this red snapper in state water at 8 Mile Rock, using mullet as bait.

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SPECKLED TROUT | Galveston Bay

Five-year-old Faith Foster catches a nice white bass on Lake Livingston, all by her self.

Ira Borchardt of Garland caught a limit of speckled trout, including these two fine specimens, while fishing at Galveston Bay.

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