February 2009 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 and Stephanie Ward and Roy and 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

MATT WILLIAMS • BOB HOOD • TED NUGENT • LOU MARULLO • REAVIS WORTHAM • JOE DOGGETT • KENDAL HEMPHILL • DOUG PIKE • CAPT. MIKE HOLMES • LENNY RUDOW • GREG BERLOCHER • STEVE LAMASCUS • PATRICK LEMIRE • PAUL BRADSHAW • HERMAN BRUNE • WAYNE C. WATSON • JIMMY D. MOORE • CALIXTO GONZALES • TOM BEHRENS •

FRESHWATER EDITOR HUNTING EDITOR EDITOR AT LARGE BOWHUNTING EDITOR HUMOR EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR SENIOR OFFSHORE EDITOR ASSOC. OFFSHORE EDITOR BOATING EDITOR KAYAKING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR SALTWATER RIGS EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR LEGAL AFFAIRS EDITOR NORTH HOTSPOTS EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR TROPHY QUEST COORDINATOR

P R O D U C T I O N

JIMMY BORNE ART DIRECTOR

LINDSAY WHITMAN YEATES GRAPHIC DESIGNER

A D V E R T I S I N G

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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.

MEMBER AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS

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FEBRUARY 2009 • Volume XXIV • NO.10

THE BIG FREEZE

The Texas coast has enjoyed 20 consecutive winters without a fish-killing hard freeze. Whether it’s evidence of global warming or just a run of luck, what happens if it ends? How would today’s fisheries cope?

by Doug Pike

MUDBUGS TO WATERDOGS Live baits that drive bass wild. Mother Nature’s brand of bait can work wonders — sometimes when nothing else works at all.

by Matt Williams SEEKING REFUGE

Texas’ vast coastal shoreline is dotted with more National Wildlife Refuges than any other coastal state except Florida. All NWRs are premier destinations for hiking, bird watching, photography, and fishing. Especially fishing.

by Calixto Gonzales

UNIVERSAL LURES For the bass angler who occasionally heads to the coast to chase reds and trout, there is no need to stock up on new tackle just for the trip. There are baits that catch fish anytime, anywhere, and you probably have them in your tackle box right now.

ON THE COVERS: COASTAL: It has been more than two decades since a frigid scene like this has been captured on film along the Texas Coast.

Photo by Chester Moore INLAND/NORTH: Crawfish, waterdogs, shiners and other deadly live baits are discussed in our feature story on page 28.

Photo by Grady Allen

ALSO IN FEBRUARY:

by Paul Bradshaw

MORE THAN ONE WHITETAIL A whitetail is not just a whitetail. From the big woods of Canada to the rainforests of South America, 17 unique subspecies of America’s most popular game animal have been identified. Texas’ herd of 4 million deer consists of four of these subspecies.

by Chester Moore 4

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LEARNING FROM A CATFISH MASTER Another look into our 25th Anniversary Archives. by Russell Tinsley

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FEBRUARY 2009 • Volume XXIV • NO.10

COLUMNS 10 Editor’s Notes

Winning Hearts, Minds, & Money

53 Texas Guns & Gear Ruger’s New Magnums

by DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief

14 Chester’s Notes

Join the Flounder Revolution!

by STEVE LAMASCUS TF&G Firearms Editor

58 Hunt Texas

“Management” and “Hunting”

by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

16 Commentary

Do You Need Freedom?

by BOB HOOD TF&G Hunting Editor

Sharks & Shin Water

Talking Yourself Out Of It by DOUG PIKE TF&G Offshore Editor

Catch What’s Biting

by CALIXTO GONZALES TF&G Saltwater Editor

Attackaflat 230; Triton 18 Explorer

by TED NUGENT TF&G Editor-at-Large

48 Texas Freshwater New Fishing Regs Coming

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BIG BAGS & CATCHES

TROPHY QUEST

TRUE GREEN

TF&G ON CAMPUS

by LENNY RUDOW TF&G Boating Editor

63 Open Season The Food Chain

by MATT WILLIAMS TF&G Freshwater Editor

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62 TF&G Test Pilot

Texas Proghorn Safari

YOUR LETTERS

60 Texas Saltwater

by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

20 TexasWild

59 Texas Offshore

by KENDAL HEMPHILL TF&G Commentator

18 Doggett at Large

DEPARTMENTS

T E X A S

by REAVIS WORTHAM TF&G Humor Editor

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TRUE GREEN; NO-SPIN CONSERVATION COVERAGE The other night, my friend came over with a copy of your January issue to give me because he knew I have an interest in conservation. I will be honest and say I rarely read outdoors magazines, but will definitely be checking out yours every month. Your True Green section is really great. I was so surprised to see everything from widgeon troubles to jaguars and fire ants with quail. I am aware of your executive editor Chester Moore because he is so known in conservation circles, but haven’t read much of his or any other outdoor writers work in a long time. I really appreciated his approach to these kinds of stories and the straight skinny on the issues. There seems to be an integrity to his writing that I appreciate. To editor-in-chief Don Zaidle who wrote about the meaning of True Green, your words are great and I almost fell off my seat about the sushi costume for Halloween. Keep up the good work—please! Stan Kirby Via email

CHESTER KUDOS It has not always been easy being a lady angler and hunter, which is why I am writing. Over the years, I have found Chester Moore’s articles to be very helpful in not only teaching me how to do the right things in the field, but also inspiring me to keep going. He never “talks down” to readers and always pushes us to keep going for our dreams. Everyone I know that reads your magazine talks about the huge mark he has made on your magazine in the last couple of years or so, really giving us coastal people something to cheer about, but he has made a bigger mark on me personally. Thank you so much and also thank you 8

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for being a resource I can get real outdoor news without a spin that comes with the mainstream media or in some other outdoors magazines. Kirsten Fields Corpus Christi, TX

TPWD GAFFES As a long-time reader of Texas Fish & Game magazine, I am aware of how much you guys dislike the misaligned decisions and regulations placed on us by fat cat commissioners of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission. After last year’s fiasco of creating a carp sanctuary, taking catfish off the legal bowfishing list (based on not enough participation), as well as the deletion of the minimum draw weight for archery hunting whitetail deer, they are at it again. This year, they want to regulate alligator gar away from some rod and reel anglers and all of the bowfishing community by creating a season or a one-gar-per-day over 7 feet minimum length. This is all based on emotions, and not even remotely on sound scientific evidence. From what I gather, the only current information they have was from a Mrs. Ferrara in Louisiana. Now, this is exactly the tactics used last year by us, the CAG (Carp Anglers Group), only in reverse. Last year, we offered tons of out of state information about the invasiveness of the common carp, but were shot down based on Texas being a totally different habitat. Well, this year they are relying on “other” states’ data. Does anyone else smell something funny? Anyway, one of our stances this year— and we will stand up and be counted this year—is that we are being regulated without representation of science. It seems that it’s always the underdogs of the sporting world that get kicked around and we are tire of it. Tony Reeves Via email F i s h

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TPWD has proposed many new regulations for deer season next year. Most are good, but one is very bad. The bad proposal is to open the entire month of October as a Youth Rifle season. There are several reasons this is not a good thing. To begin with, it is unfair for the bowhunters, who require stealth and quietness. Second, here is East Texas, when the rifles begin to go off, the deer go nocturnal and get extremely skittish, making it hard on the rest of the hunters who patiently wait for opening day of the regular season. Third, youth season is abused by unscrupulous parents who take their kid, but do the shooting themselves. Fourth, this proposal will not expand the target group of hunters. I understand the proposal is intended to increase hunting opportunity to youth and adults, and by lengthening the season, the target group is not increased. Mom and Dad just need to do like my dad did with me, and I did with my children: They need to just take the kids with them when they go hunting. I don’t have a problem with the current youth weekend just prior to opening of the regular season, but to open it the whole month of October is not fair to the rest of us. If the parents don’t think they can take the kids with them in the regular season, expand the late youth season, with opportunities for antlerless and spikes, but don’t make them bad for the rest of the hunting public. Chick Collins Orange, TX

E-mail your comments to Editor in Chief Don Zaidle at editor@fishgame.com; or you can write us at: Letters to the Editor Texas Fish & Game 1745 Greens Rd Houston TX 77032

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Winning Hearts, Minds, & Money N JANUARY WE LAUNCHED OUR TRUE GREEN imitative, dedicated to the proposition that True Green is conservation, not environmentalism, and thus to cut through the spin-doctoring, bull cookies, and lies that the environmental movement passes off as “green.” A column published in this space February 2004 illustrates the nature of the bilge water pumped as “environmentally critical.” Here is an excerpt: In late 2003, this magazine forged a liaison with one of the oldest and most active conservation organizations in the nation, Ducks Unlimited. One of the primary thrusts of this great organization centers on the assessment, inventory, and regulation of the single most pervasive organic chemical in the natural environment, dihydrogen monoxide. Dihydrogen monoxide, or DHMO, is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring chemical, variously known in industry and medicine as dihydrogen oxide, hydrogen hydroxide, hydronium hydroxide, and hydric acid. Its basis is the unstable radical hydroxide, which appears in a number of caustic, explosive, and poisonous compounds such as sulfuric acid, nitroglycerine, and ethyl alcohol. According to information gathered from the United States Environmental Assessment Center (www.dhmo.org), DHMO is a known causative component in thousands of deaths annually, and a major contributor to billions of dollars in damage to property and the environment. Some of the known perils include: • death due to accidental inhalation, even in small quantities • prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage, including loss of appendages and death • a major component of acid rain

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• causes severe burns in gaseous form • major cause of soil erosion • promotes corrosion and oxidation in many metals • contamination of electrical systems often causes short-circuits • exposure decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes • found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumors and lesions • associated with killer tornadoes in the U.S. Midwest and elsewhere Despite its dangerous qualities, DHMO is widely used: • as an industrial solvent and coolant • in nuclear power plants • by the U.S. Navy in propulsion systems • in biological and chemical weapons manufacture • as a fire suppressant and retardant • in abortion clinics • as a major ingredient in home-brewed bombs • in animal research laboratories • in pesticide production and distribution • food products, including jarred baby food and baby formula, soups, carbonated beverages, and “all-natural” fruit juices • cough medicines and other liquid pharmaceuticals • spray-on oven cleaners • shampoos, shaving creams, deodorants, and other personal grooming products • bathtub bubble products marketed to children • as a preservative in grocery store fresh produce sections • the production of beer by all the major brewers • in restaurant coffee Government’s role in the use of DHMO is shocking. The federal government, State of Texas in general, and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department in particular are very active in the use, promotion, and propagation of DHMO, yet distribution of the information contained here is virtually non-existent. If you recall your high school chemistry, you already know the foregoing is a sham—junk science: “dihydrogen monoxide” contains two F i s h

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hydrogen atoms and one oxygen—H20, water. This is a classic example of the kind of scare tactics environmentalists employ to sway public opinion. They have used this technique to “prove” their cases for global warming, ozone depletion, deforestation, the oil shortage, and that 40,000 thousand species become extinct every year; to predict that that 60 million Americans would die of starvation in the 1980s (didn’t happen), and that half of all species on the planet would be extinct by 2000 (didn’t happen). Expect to see a lot more such sensationalist hype over the next couple of years as environmentalists ramp up the rhetoric to compensate for philosophical and monetary losses due to the economic downturn. The average Joe becomes far less dedicated to spend his time— or money—on dubious causes when under pressure to make his mortgage payment and keep food on the table. He is far more likely to continue driving his paid-for “polluting gas guzzler” than to invest in a new “green” vehicle. Propagandist religious leader Al Gore and his disciples will grow more shrill and alarmist in the coming months. Gore’s ox will receive the most grievous goring since he chairs Generation Investment Management, a Londonbased company with offices in Washington, D.C., that buys and sells “carbon credits.” (When Gore buys “carbon credits,” he buys them from himself.) If you want the truth about the environment, conservation, and the true state of all things outdoors, forget Fox, CNN, the New York Times, Dallas Morning News, and the rest of the gullible and ignorant “mainstream” media. Look to Ducks Unlimited, the Coastal Conservation Association, and other reputable conservation organizations, whose only axe to grind is conservation, not preservation or “carbon credits.” And for the latest, most accurate reporting from these organizations and other sources, look here, in this magazine, to get the real, full story on what is True Green.

E-mail Don Zaidle at editor@fishgame.com

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Fish Story With a Familiar Ring E

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without thinking twice. Richardson’s phone rang repeatedly as reporters around the country scrambled to get their own version of the miraculous ring recovery. “It got pretty wild; to the point that I finally quit answering or returning phone calls,” Richardson said. “I did all kinds of

PHOTO BY BARRY ST. CLAIR

VERYBODY LOVES A GOOD FISH STORY, BUT some are almost too big to believe. In late November, the AP newswire carried a story picked up by newspapers and broadcasters across the country about a man who claimed he caught an 8-pound bass at Sam Rayburn Reservoir that spit out a 1987 class ring that bore the name of Joe Richardson. The angler reportedly tracked Richardson down over the internet and contacted him by cell phone at his home in Buna the same day. Hours later, the men met in a Dairy Queen parking lot and Richardson got back the blue-stoned ring he said he accidentally dropped in the lake while on a fishing trip at Sam Rayburn 21 years ago. He had received the ring as a gift from his mother just two weeks earlier, following his graduation from Universal Tech Institute in Houston. TF&G editors were skeptical of the tale, seeing many unanswered questions in the mainstream media coverage, so we launched our own investigation. “[Mom] told me the ring was a loose fit and warned me not to wear it until I had it resized, but I didn’t listen,” Joe Richardson told us. “I was standing on the bow of my friend’s boat when I felt it slip off my finger. The ring hit the side of the boat then ‘plop,’ it fell in the water near Needmore Point. The water was too deep to dive for it, so I thought, well I’ll never see that again.” Richardson said one of his co-workers contacted a local television station about the recovery of the ring, and the story mushroomed from there. Overnight, the tale found its way into the mainstream media, which in turn took the bait and ran with it

and explain that I would respect his request for anonymity if he would agree to answer a few questions. “Will do,” Richardson said. “It should be interesting if he’ll talk. I’m not much of a fisherman. I was so shocked by the whole deal that I didn’t even think to ask him what he caught it on. I’d be curious to know what went on out there myself.” My phone rang hours later. “It’s about the ring,” the voice said. “I’m the guy who caught the fish. I understand you are doing a magazine story.” It took some persuasion, but the caller eventually agreed to allow us to use his name. What follows is a recount of what happened that day at Sam Rayburn,

Joe Richardson’s 1987 class ring, recovered under still mysterious circumstances from the bottom of Sam Rayburn Reservoir after 21 years. radio and television interviews over the phone. I was even contacted by Good Morning America and the Early Show.” Interestingly, none of the news items contained details about how the bass was caught, the bait used to catch it, or the fate of ring-bearing bass itself. More importantly, there was no mention of the angler’s name who reeled in the fish on that fateful Friday afternoon following Thanksgiving Day. “He said he wanted to remain anonymous,” Richardson said. Hoping to gather more details, I asked Richardson if he could contact the angler F i s h

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according to Randall Koch of Vidor: Koch, 29, said he and his brother, Juston, 27, were on leave over the Thanksgiving holiday from the U.S. Army. The men drove to Sam Rayburn the day after Thanksgiving to see their father’s lake property and elected to wet a hook for a few hours before returning home. They were accompanied in the boat by Tom Watterson, a friend their father, Randy. Koch said he was dragging a black/blue Texas rig lizard across bottom in a small cove in 8 feet of water near Needmore Point when he felt something heavy on the end of the

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line. He set the hook and eventually subdued the big bass. “I reached down to lip the fish and it jerked out of my hand as soon as I got it in the boat,” Koch said. “The hooked popped out of its mouth when it landed in the floorboard and it started flouncing around. That’s when Tom dove on top of it. “I was sitting there drinking beer when the fish hit the floor and I jumped on it,” Watterson said. “That’s when I saw something laying in the floor beside the fish with a big green or blue head on it. At first, I thought it was some kind of toy or something. We looked closer and discovered it was a ring.” Koch said they cleaned the ring with OFF! insect repellent to see if it had any identifying marks. That was when they found Joe Richardson’s name engraved on the inside of the band. Naturally, the men were puzzled by what had just happened. “I couldn’t believe it and I can’t really explain it,” Koch said. “We didn’t actually see the ring come out of the fish’s mouth, but how else could it have gotten into the boat? “We’ve thought about it 100,000 times. Maybe the fish scooped it up when it hit the

lizard. Maybe the hook grabbed the ring off the bottom about the same time I set the hook. Maybe the fish had swallowed the ring and spit it up when it hit the floorboard. I don’t know. But what I do know is I have never been scuba diving and I don’t own a metal detector. If I did have a metal detector, I sure wouldn’t have been fishing around the bottom of the lake with it.” Koch said his brother used his iPhone to conduct an internet search for phone numbers of Joe Richardsons in the area. He said the fourth or fifth phone call put them in touch with the man they were looking for. “When he started asking questions about the ring and if I’d lost one at Sam Rayburn, I honestly thought it was some kind of prank,” Richardson said. “He described the ring perfectly and said he had it in the palm of his hand, looking at it. Even then, I was still skeptical. In fact, I was skeptical about the whole deal all day long until they showed up in the Dairy Queen parking lot later that night and handed me a ring I had not seen in 21 years. Randall told me that just seeing the look on my face made it all worthwhile.” It would have been nice had Koch been able to produce a picture of the fish to go

BASS—Lakes of Danbury Top Photo: John Rust (left), Jim Thompson (Owner, Lakes of Danbury), Phil Kreutzer (right), hooked this beautiful bass at Lakes of Danbury.

along with the ring, but he couldn’t. In all the excitement, he failed to take a photograph of the biggest bass of his angling career alongside his once-in-a-lifetime find. When Richardson’s wife, Lisa, inquired about the whereabouts of the bass, the Richardson’s said the Koch brothers told them they had dropped the fish off at a taxidermy shop while in route to Buna. Interestingly, when I asked about the fish, Randall Koch said he had released the fish back into the lake. “I guess they misunderstood us,” Koch said. “We joked with them about taking it to the taxidermist, but I really didn’t want to kill the fish. I thought about having the bass mounted, but I really didn’t have the money to pay for it and I really didn’t have any place to keep it if I did.” No one knows for certain exactly how Joe Richardson’s 1987 graduation ring found its way into Koch’s bass boat 21 years after Richardson dropped it into Sam Rayburn Reservoir. But the ring does. Problem is, the ring is not talking. —Matt Williams

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Join the Flounder Revolution! HE FLOUNDER REVOLUTION HAS BEGUN. At no point has there been more attention paid to the plight of Paralicthys lethiostima, the southern flounder, and in my opinion, it is about time. Since 1996, I have written more than 200 articles for magazines and newspapers, conducted nearly 100 seminars, and made dozens of radio appearances to raise awareness of flounder conservation problems, which have been ongoing for decades. It has been a longstanding dream of mine to see flounder populations restored to their former glories, and we are on the verge of making that happen. At the time of this writing, officials with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) were mulling over a variety of flounder regulation changes that should be out for public comment by now. A flounder fishery closure during the fall run would be the most proactive measure to help the fishery, by allowing mature females to make it to Gulf spawning grounds. Proposals have ranged from October-December to the more likely scenario of a November only closure. While some in other publications and at TPWD scoping meetings along the coast have called for an all-out ban on anyone retaining flounder during a closure, I disagree. I support the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) stance on banning gigging only during any closure and letting the hook and line fishery continue. Flounder migrating along shorelines and through passes in the fall are easy targets for giggers, and they are nearly all spawning-age females. Current TPWD statistics show giggers are getting far more fish per trip than rod and reel anglers are, with around 4.4 per trip versus 1.3 respectively.

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I liken the current situation to TPWD allowing anglers to use spear guns and bowfishing gear for largemouth bass during the spawn. Bedding bass would be easy pickings for anglers in shallow draft boats with lights, wouldn’t they? As ludicrous as it might seem, the only difference between the above scenario and the status quo gigging situation is largemouth populations are at record highs and flounder are at record lows. Think about that for a second. It is imperative any closure would include commercial flounder fishing efforts, whether it is from giggers or shrimpers. Last year, 92 commercial finfish license holders reported taking slightly less flounder than the combined catch of 800,000 recreational saltwater anglers did. Allowing so few to have such an enormous impact is unacceptable in a fishery down as much as the flounder fishery. Recreational gigging, on the other hand, is a unique situation fostered by a respect for tradition in our state. By utilizing some sort of seasonal gigging closure, we will eliminate a great vulnerability of the species but still allow this long-standing custom to continue most of the year. We are looking at an across the board bag limit cut as well. By cutting the recreational limit to five which is likely what will happen, we would still allows rod and reel anglers and giggers alike plenty of opportunity, and that would help ensuing population increases to boom instead of ending up in an ice chest. In my opinion, any recreational limit cut, of course, has to coincide with an equal cut from 60 to 30 fish in the commercial sector. We are at the beginning of what I believe is a bright future for the Texas flounder fishery, but we must act now. Last year, we saw a spike in flounder numbers, causing some to believe a true comeback was happening. Is this due to F i s h

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cooler Gulf temperatures, as TPWD theorizes, or the cutting of the flounder possession limit from 20 to 10 two years ago, which has had a great effect on gigging efforts? Either way, TPWD data show we had increases before, yet flounder numbers continue to fall far below the long-term average, and are down more than 50 percent since 1982. The current increase is exciting, but we need to look at this through the prism of history, not just the latest anecdotal evidence. We are entering a time of deep controversy, but none of us, me included, should take our eye off the resource and the great pleasure it brings so many of us. That should be the core of all decisions. Besides adopting strong new regulations, we should continue forging ahead with TPWD flounder stocking experiments, and ensure through our support flounder stocking is taken to the levels of TPWD’s work with trout and reds. On that front, perhaps it is time to look at ways to fully fund a flounder-stocking program. Last fall, seeing anglers come together to catch live flounder for broodstock at Lutes Marine on Chocolate Bayou and at Marine Fueling at Sabine Lake showed me that when it comes to true conservation, the anglers of Texas are tops. This has all been a long time coming, but we are about to enter into a new era of inland saltwater fishing when the “Big 3” (reds, specks, and flounder) will be on a more even playing field. We are not at the top of the mountain with flounder yet, but for the first time, it is visible and highly inspiring. No matter what the regulation changes are, the fishery will benefit, and that is very good news despite my or your grumblings about the details. There is a revolution coming to the Texas coast, and it has flounder written all over it. To join in, go to www.flounderrevolution.com and learn how you can make a real difference for this important issue.

E-mail Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com

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Do You Need Freedom? URING THE PAST FEW MONTHS, I HAVE received cards, letters, and emails from readers who believe my stance concerning the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is extreme. These messages have all been polite and sensible, and have come from people who are obviously not the “granola” types found in some parts of the country. In other words, they are not fruits, nuts, and flakes. They are normal folks. My stance on 2A is that it guarantees the right of every citizen to own fully automatic, military style guns, without the necessity of permits or registration. If 2A does not do that, then it does not serve the purpose our founding fathers said they put it in there for— to protect us from tyranny in government. If we do not have the right to the same personal weapons our military—and every other government military—uses, we will not be able to defend ourselves if it becomes necessary. The letters I have received mostly expressed a reluctance to believe we will ever need to protect ourselves from our government. The question in every missive is basically the same: “Why do we need those kinds of guns?” These people are sincere, and deserve an honest, sincere answer. First of all, whether we need these guns is irrelevant. According to my editor, Don Zaidle, you do not need a car that will run 80 miles per hour. Should the government then ban any vehicle that will go that fast? You also do not need more than one flush toilet, one pair of socks, one fork. Need is not the ques-

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tion, but I submit that there is a definite need for these guns, and a recent incident in El Paso, Texas, illustrates my assertion. Bill (not his real name) moved to El Paso in 1999. He is an FBI agent, working out of the large field office there. Bill owns a f a i r number of guns, 34 of which he bought at a particular gun store in El Paso. He keeps detailed records on his personal firearms in a notebook, listing when and where he bought each gun, and when and to whom he sold them, if applicable. Several months ago, Bill received a call from Tom (not his real name), an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, asking for information about a particular pistol Bill had owned. Bill told Tom he would be glad to cooperate, and that he had sold the gun in question to a local deputy sheriff some time ago. Tom asked to meet Bill at his home, and Bill agreed. When Tom showed up at Bill’s house he presented Bill with a search warrant, and proceeded to collect every firearm in Bill’s home. He confiscated all of Bill’s guns and still has them. BATF had visited the gun store Bill frequented in El Paso, and obtained records on all the guns Bill had bought there. Bill was charged with gun running, and with buying and selling guns without a Federal Firearms License. It seems the pistol Bill had sold to the deputy sheriff ended up being used, by someone else, to commit a crime. Because of that, Bill was determined to be at fault. The fact that Bill had legally bought the gun, and then legally sold it to the deputy sheriff, did not matter to BATF. Bill is trying to get his personal guns back, and has obtained assistance from the NRA. F i s h

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Hopefully, he will be successful, eventually, but there is no guarantee of that. He might just be out of luck. Now, if an FBI agent, who had not broken any laws, and who cooperated fully with his “brother” government agency, can have his guns taken from his home and held indefinitely, why is it unreasonable to believe our government would do the same to any of us? Do you still believe we will never have a need to protect ourselves from a tyrannical government? I might also point out that the guns taken from Bill were not just “assault weapons,” and none were illegal for any citizen to own. In nineteenth century America, when fence cutting was a problem, laws were passed prohibiting citizens from carrying wire-cutting pliers on their person. The story goes that a cowboy came to town and was arrested because he had such pliers sticking out of his back pocket. The cowboy protested, saying he had not cut any fences. The sheriff replied, “Maybe you haven’t, but you’ve got the equipment for it.” “In that case,” the cowboy said, “you might as well arrest me for rape. I’ve got the equipment for it.” Does the average American citizen need military-style assault weapons? Maybe not, right now. The question is, when the time comes that we do need them, will we have them? The answer depends on you.

E-mail Kendal Hemphill at commentary@fishgame.com

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Sharks & Shin Water HE 5-POUND EVERGLADES SNOOK STRUCK hard, jumped high, and ran hard—an exciting encounter while wading with a plug rod in thigh-deep water. As the struggle slowed, I raised the rod and glided the fish closer, preparing for a clean handgrab. The snook was plodding on the surface, several feet from my poised hand. Fellow wader Ronnie Sellers was up the beach, by the old logs, and Mike Sellers was down the beach, off the shell bar, but Peter Benchley was nowhere in sight. You guessed it. A 7-foot bull shark exploded through the dark water and onto the snook. The blunt snout and wide dorsal fin surged up and, with an audible clop! of jaws, the shark cut the fish cleanly behind the gills. Spray and blood showered the surface and the momentum of the attack carried the shark past the rod tip into “my” water. Then, with a heavy boil, the bull shark was gone. I felt the turning wash against my legs; then only the severed head of the snook remained. It trailed from the line, pulsing blood, as I backpedaled into ankle-deep water. That close-quarters drill occurred last summer during a trip with guide Ward Michaels to Chokoluskee, Florida. It was one of the most unnerving shark encounters I have experienced in more than 40 years of coastal wading. The previous chart-topper occurred off Louisiana’s Chandeleur Islands six or eight years ago. I was wading in waist-deep water and towing a 15-foot cord stringer with several speckled trout tethered under the cork on the far end. A blacktip of similar size grabbed a trout and literally yanked me backward before I could release the cord from my wading belt.

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But at least that shark was “way over there” in clear water off the end of the long stringer. The Everglades shark was close enough to create a major disaster in a horrible case of mistaken identity. I do not wish to be an alarmist. I freely agree that virtually all inshore sharks (blacktips, lemons, bulls, etc.) encountered by anglers in the Gulf of Mexico are keying on hooked or strung fish. Most incidents (especially in Texas) are with small “ankle snappers” in the 3- to 4-foot range, although larger sharks do prowl the surf and bays. Proximity to a major free-flowing channel or pass encourages the likelihood of sharks on the tide. I had at least two first-hand reports last summer from bay waders of trout-swiping encounters with big sharks: one in Galveston Bay, one in Matagorda Bay. Nothing but large splashes occurred, but proximity in waist-deep water puts a different spin on statistics. As inshore currents again warm into spring, shark sightings will increase. Several issues should be stressed as you reach for a wading belt and a fishing rod: • Summer is shark season in the Gulf of Mexico. For whatever reasons, warm water encourages sharks to move shallow. I don’t think I am making this up. I know veteran pluggers who simply will not—no way, no how—wade the Chandeleur Islands during July and August. • The successful wader is trolling for sharks. The heavy -laden stringer of trout, or the redfish rolling and splashing on the end of a line, beckons any opportunistic shark in the area. You are doing a grand job of attracting rather than repelling the “Grayfin Express” whenever the rod bends and a fish struggles. • Summer waders covet the “dawn patrol” because the low light and cooler conditions encourage shallow-water activity. This pattern is absolutely true. But what is good for the speckled trout also favors the lemon shark, the bull shark, and so on. The low-light periods of dawn and dusk are prime times for predatory encounters in waist-deep water during the hot-weather months. • Nearness to the beach or bank does not necessarily reduce the likelihood of seeing a F i s h

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shark; in fact, some shorelines create favorable circumstances for aggressive predation. This especially is true if the bottom drops away quickly, such as along the edge of a channel. The big fish can rush from the cushion of depth and herd or trap frantic baitfish against the shelving bottom. The Everglades encounter was a classic example. I was standing thigh-deep within 20 yards of the white, shell-studded beach of a small mangrove key. Tidal currents flowing around the corner gouged a deeper trench— an excellent area to find big fish waiting to feed. • The sobering truth is that the shark keying on your wounded fish can be in full attack mode. If it comes in fast and hot, flying all its flags and leading with open jaws, it is an entirely different predator than the shark observed cruising or loafing 50 yards away. For example, my bull shark was not to be denied, and this aggressive attitude occurring at scant yards puts you in a precarious situation. I don’t care what the nearest chamber of commerce statistics claim, you have crossed a dangerous line. Repeat, the shark wants the fish, not you, but that is slim consolation if you are tangled up in trout. The likely circumstances of low light and murky water visibility only conspire to confuse the issue. On the subject of poor visibility, here’s a final observation: I don’t care if your family crest has Tarzan on one escutcheon and Wonder Woman on the other, you will jump violently when a sizeable shark roars from nowhere and grabs a point-blank fish. This involuntary reaction of feet and legs stirs bottom silt and sand, churning the water and perhaps creating the suggestion of additional frantic prey. With blood on the tide and turbulence in the water, I am honestly amazed that more waders are not mistakenly struck while playing, grabbing, or stringing fish. Most sharks must have keen abilities to discern fish from “foul.” Either that, or angels spend an inordinate amount of time flying low along Gulf Coast beaches. E-mail Joe Doggett at doggett@fishgame.com

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Texas Pronghorn Safari ARFA. WHAT A COOL WORD. WHAT A COOL place. Such great people. What a neat language. I can just about hear some of my favorite Texbonics now, like, “We be fixin’ to cook up a mess-o-vittles when we seen ya comin’. We might oughta wanna et us some grub round this here campfire tonight, podna.” Then again, maybe not. All I can say is, here in the wilds of West Texas, I was in the heart of real America with a bunch of my huntin’ buddies, and we were bowhunting pronghorns, eating killer mesquite grilled steaks, Glocking many wild jackrabbits, and laughing all night long, feelin’ no pain. I don’t know how freemen could possibly have more fun without getting into trouble. The clean air was hot but pleasant, the mountains and desert were beautiful, the people wonderful, and the spirit oh so wild. I think I was hopelessly drunk on freedom again. It was glorious. Scott Thrash is a diehard American hunter of the highest order, and with his DeerTexas.com hunting operation, he has discovered some great adventures for his BloodBrothers to enjoy in the great Republic of Texas and beyond. On the sprawling McGuire ranch, with hunting operations run most efficiently by retired U.S. Border Patrol hero Wayne Weimers and his wife, I think we had just landed in pronghorn antelope heaven. Unique to so many remote, working ranches in this grand state, the wildlife, for some unknown reason, is more relaxed and less spooky than their species counterparts found elsewhere across the United States. I have never seen pronghorn antelope so calm and tolerant of human activity in my life, and I have hunted this hi-

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strung prairie speedster in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota, and New Mexico. Typically, with their amazing radar-like eyesight, they see you coming from miles away and skedaddle long before a hunter is in long-range rifle position. Intensify this challenging hunt by limiting yourself to the bow and arrow, and we’re looking deep into the eyes of Mr. Impossible, I am here to tell you. So be it. Who wants wrapped chicken? Nobody I know, that’s for damn sure. I ambled through the eternal sea of cactus and sage, ever watchful for the various deadly snakes that seemed to be everywhere. Cottontails, jackrabbits, and coveys of blue quail exploded every few steps as we headed to our Mossy Oak Double Bull ground blind out in the middle of nowhere. Sitting on the open desertscape between a huge water tank and a small water trough, this would be our ambush headquarters for the day. Pronghorns need water in this desolate region, so the traditional waterhole set would surely be productive for this old bowhunter. On our way in this morning, scattered groups of the beige- and cream-colored big game beauties could be seen here and there in every direction, and we were giddy with anticipation, as usual. The Double Bull ground blind is perfect for pronghorn ambushing. Even without any ground vegetation to assist in concealment, these animals apparently pay it no mind after a few days of assimilation. Of course, whether in Africa or British Columbia, all game approaches water ultra alert and cautious, but with proper concealment, along with wind and noise considerations, they will come in. There are no creatures on earth quite like America’s pronghorn. Neither antelope nor goat, this beautiful critter is indigenous only to North America, and owns a genus of its own. A dainty yet sturdy animal, they stand much like a small deer, but have huge eyeballs planted well on the sides of their heads for optimal ocular radar. Their beautiful coat is handsome; light beige meets cream, with a cool convergence of the two colors forming a perfect and distinctive juncture right at the F i s h

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point of the shoulder, creating a natural aiming point for the hunter. How cool is that? Both males and females have horns, but the females’ remain quite small, only attaining a length of 3-4 inches, while the heavy black horns of a mature male can go 20 inches or better. These days, a quality trophy pronghorn in the 14- to 16-inch range is considered a dandy, although some lucky hunters still take home some monster 18inchers each year. I have arrowed some in the 15-inch range, and rifle killed a couple of 17-inchers in Montana. On this hunt, my first bowhunt after an amazing 100 concert rock-out tour for the year, I would be more than happy to get a crack at any decent buck broadside in good archery range. I was pronghorn huntin’ baby, and the trophy book was the furthest thing from my mind. The first pronghorns to arrive at the water tank were mostly females and young. They wandered right in with just occasional hesitation to scan their surroundings. As usual, the black-faced older males hung back, watching for danger as the small herd mingled about before us. After a while, three large bucks began to walk toward us, and we readied for the moment of truth. The largest male took a few sips of water from the far side of the trough, quartering slightly toward us. As he walked slowly away on a good angle, I drew back my bow as gracefully as possible, and the mystical flight of my arching arrow at 37 yards was a thing to behold, striking the handsome creature square in the shoulder with a lovely thwack!, pitching him fanny over teakettle. All four feet were sticking straight up in the air, and he was down for the count. Rejoiceful celebration went on into the Texas desert night back at camp, with many a fine pronghorn hanging in the cool fall air. The pronghorns and other critters were out there with us, and the night went on forever.

E-mail Ted Nugent at bowhunting@fishgame.com

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by Doug Pike

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hink of winter northers as Mother N a t u r e standing at the Arctic Circle and trying with deep, icy breaths to snuff a series of candles along the Gulf Coast. The task is nearly impossible—nearly, but not entirely, and her rare successes cause devastating damage. In my memory are stored recollections of three severe freezes during which nature extinguished not only the warm lights of coastal resources up my way, around Galveston and Freeport, but also some that burned as far south as Port Isabel. There are “ice-in-the-dog’s-bowl” freezes, barely noticeable to coastal Texans, except that they drive us into long pants for a few days. And then there are “pipe-splitting, bridge-sanding, kill-a-few-million-fish” freezes such as this coast experienced most recently once in the winter of 1983, and twice—a one-two punch of frigid daggers— in 1989. During that 1983 stunner, mercury slipped quickly beneath the freezing mark at Port Arthur and remained there for more than three consecutive days. Large areas of hard ice and slush formed on our bays, and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department pegged the event’s freeze-related kill at 11 million fish. Most of the dead were mullet and menhaden—forage fish caught off guard by the sudden drop and rendered helpless before they could react—but the swift and persistent chill consumed plenty of speckled trout and other game fishes. “It was terrible,” summarized Mark Fisher, science director for the TPWD laboratory at Rockport and an expert on coastal freeze events. “There were lots of dead fish. And the season after, our surveys showed declines in practically everything. There just wasn’t much left.” Six years later, in 1989, nature dealt a wretched pair of death cards to the Texas coast. The first was recorded in February. As the blustery front passed, air temperatures at Corpus Christi plummeted almost 18 degrees Celsius in seven hours and remained below freezing for a day and a half. From Matagorda to Lower Laguna Madre, more than 6 million fish died. In December the same year, only three days before Christmas, nearly all of Texas was gripped by sub-freezing air that lingered 24

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An angler holds one of the thousands of game fishes killed by the 1983 freeze. along the upper coast right into the holiday. At Port Mansfield, water temperature— water temperature—flagged to nearly 2 degrees C below the freezing mark. Another 14 million fish, including nearly every species on hand during the cold months, died during that event. The following spring, said Fisher, “anglers stayed away in droves,” and justifiably so. The average recreational fisherman had trouble finding a single trout after the 1983 freeze. In 1990, some fishermen refused to believe any trout were left at all. Pro guides knew where to look after both of those dreadful winters and had short but good runs of trout fishing; briefly, they thought damage to the stocks might have been less severe than biologists reported. “During the ‘83 freeze,” said James Plaag of Silver King Adventures, “we threw orange and gold MirrOlures out at the Galveston jetties and caught the heck out of fish. We actually did okay in the spring of 1984, too; that was the year everybody discovered all those trout on the east shoreline of Trinity Bay. There were lots of them. Lots of fishermen, too. Some days it seemed like there were 100 guys lined up, everybody catching fish. I think we caught them all, too, because in 1985, you couldn’t catch a cold.” Plaag and a long list of guides who were F i s h

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just seeing some spotted light at the end of the dark tunnel caused by the 1983 freeze recall the spring of 1990 as being even worse. The all-day efforts of guides and their clients barely produced two fish per man. Interest in paying to chase non-existent trout quickly dried up. “That’s when we went to tarpon fishing,” Plaag said. Two major freezes in one year. Nothing of that magnitude was on the books before 1989, no winter in which such deep cold put the coast in such a choke hold once, released the pressure for summer, then squeezed even tighter again before the calendar could flip. Gradual cooling kills fewer fish than those plunging, sucker-punch fronts that crash the coast during an otherwise mild spell. Given warning, fish retreat from exposed flats before temperatures fall to critical levels. For speckled trout, that number is around 45 degrees Fahrenheit. If caught in water that cold, speckled trout die. Redfish are a little tougher, but also have a better chance if the freeze comes on slowly and gives time to bail from the shallows. “The severity of any freeze depends on how fast it comes through,” said Lance Robinson, who oversees the TPWD laboratory and office in LaMarque. “Worst is one of those ‘blue northers’ that comes through overnight and drops temperatures 30 or 40 degrees [F].” Severe Arctic fronts pack an additional weapon guaranteed to maximize death among fish: strong north wind. Those same gusts that deliver sub-freezing air also push a foot or three of water out of a bay system in short order. Escape routes are eliminated by the unexpected drop; fish trapped at insufficient depth have virtually no chance. Smaller finfish species are more susceptible to cold-related mortality than larger ones, but none of Texas’ native marine fisheries is immune to a deep chill. Port Mansfield guide Terry Neal and I surveyed the damage there after the first 1989 freeze and counted dozens of big, dead trout belly-up on the tide. The longest, if memory serves so many years afterward, crowded 34 inches and was plump as an autumn pumpkin. Of increasing interest in recent years, to both scientists and fishermen, are Texas’ expanding and increasing populations of fat snook and gray snapper. Responding favorably to almost 20 years of warm winters, both fish have been documented recently as far north and east as Galveston and Sabine Pass. The numbers are through the roof in PHOTO BY DOUG PIKE

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extreme South Texas. Neither would fare well if a major cold front smacked them anywhere along the expanded range. Far less cold tolerant, said Fisher, these two would be “goners” if water temperatures dropped below 50 degrees F. That is a relatively easy mark to hit along the upper coast. Three or four chilly, cloudy days in the dead of winter, and 50-degree water stares these fish right in their faces, spelling almost certain doom for any snook or snapper unable to find deep holes in which to ride out the chill. Thermal refuge is vital insurance against winter cold, and Neal was excited that the main channel at Port Mansfield was dredged this past fall. Equally important, the local marina was scheduled to be scoured of silt that has stacked on its bottom in recent years. If cold comes, fish will find and concentrate in those and similar areas along the entire coast. Deep water protects cold-stunned fish from the elements, but not from opportunistic fishermen. Not sportsmen, mind you, but scofflaws who would “shoot” fish while they idle helplessly in these deep barrels. During all three freezes in the 1980s,

there were reports of people snagging big trout in harbors along the coast. Fair-practice fishing where game fishes are stacked during winter is one thing. Dropping large treble hooks and raking them into the sides of trout so cold they cannot react is another. Fortunately, in 2006, TPWD was granted authority during a major winter weather event to shut down fishing in designated deep-water refuges. Unfortunately, that authority can be exercised only if temperatures drop below the freezing mark for three consecutive days. Fortunately, to date, TPWD has not yet faced the need to swing that protective hammer. Two decades of mild winters also have enabled most of Texas’ popular inshore fisheries to flourish. “Our stocks are in good shape now, except for flounder,” said Lance Robinson. Trout and redfish numbers are excellent by recent counts, but flounder stocks hover at less than 50 percent of their historic levels. A freeze could rock the flatfish’s recovery on its heels. “Resiliency is more greatly impacted in species that are already down,” said Robinson. “It puts the fishery that much deeper in the hole.”

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Of concern also to biologists is a sort of “Happy Days” trend among species that traditionally winter in the Gulf, such as flounder, to linger longer in the bays. Twenty winters without a hard freeze means there are no flounder or trout in the populations that ever experienced one. The farther they are from deep water should a severe winter weather episode strike, the greater the odds they will not reach safety before being rendered unable to extract oxygen from the water. In other words, those fish will die. Some people call 20 consecutive winters without a fish-killing freeze clear evidence of global warming. Others call it pure luck. Either way, it has been an incredibly favorable ride for Texas coastal fisheries and fishermen, one that none of us wants to see end. Should this winter produce a fish-killing freeze, don’t form a mob and march up my driveway carrying torches and axes. Neither my words nor I hold influence over nature. Blame the editor; it was his idea.

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Live Baits That Drive Bass Wild

by Matt Williams

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF USFWS

Anglers have used crawfish for bait as long as there have been anglers. The crustaceans are dynamite for largemouth bass.

do not use live bait to fish for bass, but plenty folks do. Plain and simple, Mother Nature’s brand of bait can work wonders—sometimes, when nothing else will. Perhaps no one knows that better than professional angler Scott Martin of Clewiston, Florida. Martin is the son of world famous bass pro Roland Martin. When not competing in bass tournaments, the 33-year-old angler spends close to 150 days per year guiding on Lake Okeechobee, known to some as the “Live Bait Capital of the World.” “Live bait is pretty much a way of life around here,” Martin said. “We use big shiners year-round and catch lots of fish that you probably would not be able to catch any other way. It is a great choice when you have kids or anyone else who just wants to catch fish, but might not be skilled enough to catch them other ways. Not only is live bait productive, it’s fun.” Lake Fork guide Gary Paris of Quitman agreed. Though he doesn’t use live bait himself, he occasionally stashes a few black salties in the bait box for summertime clients who might not have much success otherwise. A member of the carp family, the black salty has produced a number of bass larger than 8 30

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Waterdogs (salamanders) were highly popular bass bait in the 1970s and 80s. pounds for Paris’ novice clients. “It can be hard for a novice to catch much when the bite gets tough,” Paris said. “You can ruin a 10-year-old boy by letting him bake in sun all day and not catching anything. But let him catch big bass one after another and he’ll be hooked for life. That’s what fishing is all about.” Catching fish is what live bait is all about. Here’s a crash course on live bait and a few fishing tactics that will work for you:

Shiners, Black Salties, & Perch Hook & Float: Many of us grew up with this tactic. The cork suspends the bait off bottom and indicates the strike when it disappears. Martin’s preferred float is a F i s h

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small party balloon inflated slightly larger than a golf ball. The balloon is more pliable than plastic or Styrofoam, so it is less prone to snag on reeds, grass, or stumps. Rig the bait on a Kahle or Octopus-style circle hook with no weight to restrict the bait’s movement. The design of the hook reduces the chances of deep hooking fish. Best hook size can range from 4/0 to 7/0, depending on bait size. Martin hooks the bait through the back, near the anal fin, or through the nose depending on how he wants the bait to act. A baitfish hooked through the back or anal area tends to move away from pressure; a nose-hooked bait is prone to swim downward. When a strike occurs causing the float to disappear, Martin gathers any slack line quickly, points the rod tip directly at the fish, and sets the hook hard. Try to wait no longer than 3-4 seconds before setting the hook. Martin offered several more hook and bobber tips for spring: • Make sure the boat is tied or anchored securely at both ends; fish upwind from the target structure or cover, and let the bait do the work.

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• Suspend the baits relatively close to the surface—4 feet or less. • Target grassy points, reeds, creek channels, and other avenues that connect deep water to shallow. • Create a spread using 3-4 rods. If you don’t get bit in 20 minutes, move to a different area. • Use a heavy-action rod and braided line. Martin recommends a round reel with a built-in “clicker.” Make sure the clicker is released to prevent rods from getting jerked overboard. Sinker Rig: This is basically a dropshot rig with a 1-foot leader that protrudes off the main line about 2 feet above a 3/4ounce bell sinker. You can build it using a three-way swivel or by tying two overhand knots to make a double-line leader above the weight. The beauty of the sinker rig is it holds the bait stationary on windy days and restricts it to swimming in a tight circle. Adjust the float so it stands erect when the weight is on bottom. Free-line or Drift Rig: Free-lining means the bait is allowed to drift naturally in the water column. It works well as a search bait along grass edges or over flats. Paris likes to add a 3/8-ounce slip sinker and a Carolina keeper to hold the bait down in the water column when drifting over deeper structure.

Crawfish California big bass guru Mike Long has used live crawfish (a.k.a. “mudbugs”) to fool three giants weighing upward of 17 pounds and several others in the 16-pound class. He rigs his crawdads weightless using a No. 6 Owner bait hook. He hooks the bait through the beak and adds a drop of Super Glue where the point protrudes for added strength. Slow and easy is the key when fishing with live crawfish. Long fishes the bait on a spinning outfit with the reel bail open. He holds the line between his index finger and thumb and moves the crawfish very slowly across points, humps, and shallow flats with deep-water access. “You can keep real good contact with what is going on that way,” he said. “When you get a bite, close the bail, take up the slack, and let them have it.” Long also is believer in liquid crawfish scents. “It creates a trail the fish can follow

right to the bait,” he said. “I call it the `barbecue effect.’ If my neighbor is having a barbecue, I can tell what he’s got on the grill without ever going over there.”

Waterdogs One look at this wicked looking critter and it is easy to understand why big bass hate them so much. The waterdog, which typically measures 5-7 inches in length, is the larval stage of the salamander. Used as bait, it can be effective when fished slowly across the bottom like a plastic worm, but it really shines when tossed onto active spawning beds in the shallows. Rigging a ‘dog for the hunt is simple: Hook it through the lips, bottom to top, with the point protruding between the eyes. It is best to use a wide gap hook with a wire weed guard to reduce snagging. If you don’t have a weedless hook available, you can make one by Texas-rigging a 3-inch piece of a plastic worm onto the hook. You can also rig the ‘dog behind a rubber-skirt jig. It is worth noting that at least 14 bass weighing more than 13 pounds entered into the Budweiser ShareLunker program were caught on waterdogs.

Live Bait Connections Waterdogs are seasonal in Texas and availability can vary from one year to the next. You can have them shipped directly to your doorstep for around $3 apiece through Doug Waddell, a bait supplier and former fishing guide on Fayette County Lake. Minimum order is 50 baits (www.livewaterdogs.com, 979-966-7333). Lake Fork Country Store in Yantis (903383-7686) carries waterdogs from late winter through spring. The bait shop also has large golden shiners. Black salties are available through a number of bait dealers statewide, or you can order them direct through I.F. Anderson Farm in Lone Oak, Arkansas (www.blacksalty.com, 877-467-2589). Minimum order is 5 pounds, $85. Anderson’s also carries large golden shiners and other live bait, including crawfish in season.

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Refuges offer many miles of productive, readily accessible wade-fishing shoreline.

here is everybody?” I asked Captain Jimmy Martinez as he eased his boat off plane along the desolate shoreline. “The regular spots,” he said as he pulled a packet of small ballyhoo (“greenbacks”) from a small red cooler he had stowed under the Shallowsport’s console. “Everyone runs to Gaswells or Three Islands during the fall. No one fishes around the refuge. We have this spot all to ourselves.” Martinez cut a ballyhoo in half and broke off its rostrum (bill). He passed it over to me and said, “Stick the hook through the jaw and out the head, and fish it like a topwater.” I followed orders and whipped a cast over past a small gut that showed as slightly greener water than the surrounding shallows. The bait skipped and darted as I worked it back to the boat. As it passed over the gut, I saw a silver flash and a swirl where my ‘hoo had been. I leaned back and heard my reel give up a few inches of line with a loud zzzt! That was my cue that I had hooked a nice fish. I turned to let Martinez know I was hooked up, but he was occupied with a bent rod of 34

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his own. After an intense few minutes, Martinez slipped the net under two stout 21inch specks that could have been littermates. “Let them go to the other spots,” Martinez said. “They don’t know what they’re missing.”

Granting Sanctuary Texas vast coastal shoreline is dotted with more National Wildlife Refuges than any other coastal state except Florida. These large plots of land are administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which focuses on management of fauna both unique and mundane. Ocelots and jaguarundi, for example, are wards to the government at Laguna Atascosa. All NWRs are premier destinations for hiking, bird watching, wildlife photography, and even fishing. In fact, the websites of all the coastal wildlife refuges mention fishing as a recreational option for visitors; if you listen to some anglers, especially fishing. “Laguna Atascosa is right along the shoreline south of the Arroyo Colorado,” Martinez (956-551-9581) said. “When the tide is flowing out of the Arroyo, you have plenty of redfish and trout that hang out along there and feed on baitfish and shrimp that get pushed out. F i s h

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“I’ve seen days where the inside of Horse Island [near the mouth of Arroyo] was just full of herds of redfish feeding. If you go farther, around Stover Cove or Cullen’s Bay, you find some great trout fishing.” Farther North, the refuge fishing is equally spectacular. “Anahuac is a great spot to fish,” said Galveston’s Captain Steve Hillman (409256-7937), referring to the shoreline of the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. “It’s growing more and more popular (among fishermen).” “The refuge shoreline is good for trout and redfish,” Hillman continued. “There’s good structure near the refuge. There’s mud and shell, good guts, and depth changes. It holds lots of bait in the winter, especially mullet.”

Undeveloped Thinking Several other areas of the Galveston Bay complex feature bottom composition and structure similar to the Anahuac NWR area, so it is not very unique in that respect. What sets it apart from several other fishing spots is lack of commercial development. The feature that recommends fishing spots along NWRs is remoteness. The area Martinez and I fished was so solitary it was PHOTO BY GRADY ALLEN

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hard to believe that we were within a 20minute run from Port Isabel or South Padre Island, and a 10-minute run from Arroyo City. The only company we had during the three hours we fished the area was a coyote patrolling the shoreline for a meal. This solitude translates into a lack of fishing pressure, which is a welcome change to many fishermen. “Fishing Anahuac is not like the south side of West Bay, where you’re fishing with a backdrop of commercial development,” said Hillman. “It is not heavily populated, and doesn’t get as much fishing pressure or boat traffic.” The lack of pressure means that Hillman and his clients can effectively wade-fish the entire shoreline. “Hands down, wading is the best way to fish the shoreline,” Hillman said. “You can driftfish, but it is easier to wade up to a gut and fish it thoroughly than trying to set up drift after drift over it. “Not only that, but the lesser boat traffic means that you don’t have to worry about some knucklehead running through, which is a common bane that waders in more populated areas cope with.”

The lack of boat traffic also translates into more pristine fishing conditions. NWR shorelines display fewer marks of civilization. Bottoms are not scarred by props from shallow-running boaters, for example. Fish are not rendered skittish by fishermen whipping the water into a lather, then roaring off to find a more productive spot. “Fishing is less stressful when you hit the refuge,” said Martinez.

Staying Consistent Many proven techniques are effective fishing around NWRs. Hillman prefers fishing with subsurface baits such as the MirrOlure Series 51, Catch 2000, or Catch 5. All three are most effective when fished slowly, which encourages anglers to be more thorough in their presentations. Hillman considers them ideal for wade-fishermen for that very reason. “Plastic worms will also work,” Hillman said. “The trick is to use a small jighead, about 1/16-ounce, and fish it carefully and thoroughly. Patterns such as Texas Roach have been successful along Anahuac, where

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the water is slightly off-color the year around. Martinez believes in matching your lure or bait to what the fish are feeding on. “Everything I use resembles live bait,” Martinez said. “If they are hitting mullet, then I will use mullet, or a lure that matches the size and color. If they are feeding on ballyhoo, then I use ballyhoo, or my lure will match the body shape and action of a ballyhoo. It’s all about matching the hatch.” Another important key is not overworking a refuge shoreline, according to Martinez. The very quality that makes these areas effective (their unspoiled nature) is the novelty that should be most protected. “Don’t fish these spots every single day,” he said. “Keep them for special occasions. If you don’t put heavy pressure on these areas, then they’ll stay consistent for a long time. They won’t turn into every other spot, with a ton of boats and fishermen on them.” The last thing any fisherman wants is a refuge from the refuge.

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an cannot live by bass alone. Sometimes, you just have to smell a little salt air and wade through knee-deep water chasing redfish or trout. At least I do, anyway. The only problem is that I live over 200 miles from the coast, and my tackle box is loaded with soft plastics and hard baits designed to catch bass, not reds. While my location puts a damper on my saltwater excursions, the lures in my tackle box do not; because, amongst the assorted soft and hard plastic baits is a collection of lures that not only put bass in the boat, but reds on the stringer. There are baits that catch any fish, anytime, anywhere, and you probably have most of them in your tackle box right now. So, if you are looking for an excuse to buy more tackle for a saltwater trip, either stop reading right now—or whatever you do, don’t let your wife see this. I’m a soft plastics kind of guy. It is a rare occasion when I do not have a rod in my hand with a worm, crawfish, or soft jerkbait on the other end. While these baits might sound bass specific, that last one works just as well on reds and speckled trout. This point was driven home recently while at work. I happened to be wearing a jacket that worn on a trip to Padre Island National Seashore, and in the pocket was a package of Flukes I had long since forgotten about. As I pulled one out to examine it, a co-worker walked up and said, “I used that same color last week to tear up the bass on Rayburn.” I didn’t tell him I was using it to catch reds hundreds of miles away; some secrets I keep to myself. While most bass anglers fish a soft jerkbait weightless, many saltwater anglers combine it with a small jighead. Both methods are deadly. Some anglers are set on fishing a specific color bait, but I feel any color will work—as 38

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long as it is some form of Watermelon with the tail dipped in chartreuse dye. A technique used by both fresh- and saltwater anglers with soft jerkbaits is the donothing method of dead-sticking the bait on the bottom. This method is effective for both lethargic bass in clear water and while sightcasting to redfish grubbing the bottom. Since this isn’t a visually active technique, it is best to use a spray-on scent or a bait along the lines of Berkley Gulp! Swim Shad, which releases its own scent to attract fish. This is especially true along the Texas coast, where the water tends to the murky side. “Swimbait” is the buzzword of prominence in bass fishing circles these days. You’ll be hard pressed to find a recreational angler who doesn’t have one tied on at all times, and I have one fishing buddy with an entire tackle box dedicated to them. From Fork to Amistad, bass anglers across the state are using swimbaits to probe structure in both shallow and deep water, and the results have been impressive. Recently, saltwater anglers joined the fray, and both recreational and tournament participants such as those on the Redfish Cup tour. Redfish in the marshes spend their days chasing crab, shrimp, and s m a l l baitfishes for a living, but big reds that hang out in deeper water around jetties are more actively predatory, with a lot of their diets consisting of big horse mullet. Throwing an oversized swimbait around jetties is a good way to latch into a red stretching the tape beyond 28 inches—sometimes well beyond. There is not a bass angler alive who doesn’t love watching a fish destroy a topwater lure. Well, most of us do, anyway. Until recently, my wife thought only idiots used topwater baits, then she caught a bass on one and finally saw what all the fuss was about. F i s h

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Bass anglers have learned over the years that a good topwater bite is hard to beat. Along those same lines, the classic picture of a saltwater angler along the Texas coast is one of a fisherman wading through kneedeep water casting a topwater plug along a grassline. So, a topwater bait is another tool that can crossover from fresh- to saltwater. One of my favorite topwater baits for bass is the Sebile Slim Stick, which resembles a boomerang with treble hooks. The oddly designed Slim Stick is a “walking” bait that twitches back and forth when on the move, but rests with the tail down and nose up when stopped—resembling a mullet on the surface and making it effective for saltwater species. The simple spoon (a hunk of contoured metal with hook attached) is easily the most universal artificial bait in existence. Spoons are staples for everything from Canadian lake trout to Texas redfish. I keep a few in my tackle box that I originally purchased for chasing shallow-water reds, but I have used them to take everything from jack crevalle in a kayak in the surf to bass over main lake points. I have even tipped them with worms to swim through grass for bass. The traditional gold spoon isn’t just for redfish anymore. Many bass guides have started using spoons to put their clients on deep-water fish in cold months, and one Lake Fork guide I know uses flutter spoons (more commonly associated with off-shore saltwater angling) to entice big bass into biting. He gets some odd stares at the boat ramp when asked what he caught them on. Living in Texas is great. We have the best of both worlds, with world-class bass and saltwater action right at our doorsteps—and the best part is, we can use just one tackle box of lures to catch 10pound bass and 30-inch speckled trout.

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TF&G FIRST

PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE

Sabine Lake Dodges Ecological Disaster

he Sabine Lake area dodged a bullet when a large oil spill was spotted on the lake. In the early morning hours of 18 November, a tug ran into a natural gas wellhead that extended 6 feet above the water surface. The discharge at 5000 PSI was a combination of natural gas and condensate (light oil). The oil quickly emulsified with the saltwater. “It looked bad, a lot worse than it really was, mainly because it was emulsified, which magnifies it three or four times,” said J.T. Ewing, Region 1 Director, Oil Spill Prevention

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and Response, Texas General Land Office. “This is a 65 gravity crude, a light crude. Normally, we would have expected this to burn off just from the sunlight, probably overnight. However, since it was mixed with saltwater and it emulsified, it took a lot longer and it stayed a lot more persistent in the water.” According to Jerry Mambretti, TPWD Region 1 biologist for Sabine Lake, there was no ecological impact. “We did not see any signs or receive any reports of wildlife impact on the Texas side. We had a Parks and Wildlife Kills and Spills Team at the site. We had a report of three dead mullet, but they were all floating together; it looked like somebody just dumped them out of their bait bucket.” “We didn’t find any impact on fish or wildlife,” said Steven Mitchell, a member of the Kills and Spills Team. “We looked around for birds, fish, any impact, and found nothing related to the spill. The sheen was degrading pretty quick. There might be something that we can go back and look at later, but as of right now, it doesn’t look like there is going to be any damage.” Dan Chapman of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality reported that damage to the ecology was minimal on the Louisiana side of the lake. “We had one little slip that oil got into, and was quickly picked up.” The question came up whether the accident was just another part of the aftereffects of Hurricane Ike. “It could be Ike related, but we don’t know,” said Ewing. “Ike could have knocked over the light on the wellhead and the barge did not see it, or the barge might not have seen the light, and hit it; who knows. The Coast Guard is handling the investigation.” Ballard Exploration, the operator of the well, quickly shut off the spill. Garner Environmental coordinated the recovery of the oil. “We had 55 personnel, 14 response boats, two deck barges, five skimming vessels, and at one time 2400 feet of oil containment boom involved in the cleanup,” said Ewing. Cleanup was completed on 25 November 25 on the Texas side, and the 26 November on the Louisiana side. —Tom Behrens

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PHOTO COURTESY OF USGS

Circle Hooks Aid Conservation Catch Rates F YOU WANT TO CATCH MORE FISH and greatly reduce hooking mortality of the fish you release, use circle hooks. The point of using any kind of fishing gear is to catch more fish, and that is exactly what circle hooks do. Studies comparing circle and conventional J-style hooks in the Atlantic commercial and recreational tuna fisheries found higher rates of “hook and hold” and a higher frequency of hooking fish in the jaw rather than in the throat when using circle hooks. The Striped Bass Advisory Panel issued a report stating the hooks have great conservation benefits, reducing mortality and increasing success rate in a rare case where sportsmen can have their cake and eat it too. Circle hooks are simply more efficient when used properly. A Maryland study on striped bass and circle hooks showed only 0.8 percent of stripers died when caught on circle hooks, whereas 9.1 percent died after release when caught on J-style hooks. Another study conducted on billfish showed that circle hooks are 21 times less likely to cause fish to bleed or to hook them in the gills or throat. Circle hooks are now required for red snapper fishing in Texas state waters in the Gulf of Mexico due to their proven fish saving benefits. —CM

TF&G FIRST MAY 2006

Common Salvinia Threatens Fish, Duck Habitat OU SEE THIS, CHESTER? THIS USED TO BE one of the best timber holes in East Texas and always held mallards, gadwall, widgeon, and teal. Now, it’s good for nothing.” Those words came from Roger Bacon, an avid waterfowler and guide who has seen the spread of common salvinia on B.A. Steinhagen (Dam B) and Toledo Bend reservoirs affect access to duck hunting and fishing in a profound way. The hole described above is on Dam B and is one of many on that lake and throughout East Texas ravaged by common salvinia. This fast-growing import from Brazil grows in thick mats, and in prime growing season proliferates like wildfire. It chokes out all sunlight and kills off submergent vegetation in the process, which in turn

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causes major problems for fish and other aquatic organisms. Last year, the discovery of its close cousin, giant salvinia, a noxious aquatic plant, on Sam Rayburn and Lake Palestine caused quite a stir in the media, even gaining attention beyond outdoors pages in Texas. However, the common variety rarely gets mentioned, and right now it is covering far more wildlife and fish habitat in East Texas. To show you how bad common salvinia can get, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, in Lacassine Bayou, in southwestern Louisiana, these plants completely blanket a waterway measuring 12 miles long and 120 yards wide. There is some hope in the battle against salvinia, and it comes in the form of a simple aquatic weevil. The Louisiana Continued on page 42 T E X A S

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TRUE GREEN CONTINUED... Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Inland Fisheries Division is distributing a Florida strain of weevils throughout the state to fight against aquatic invasive weeds. “Other parts of the world, also suffering from the take over of these noxious weeds, have seen much relief after the introduction and establishment of these tiny insects,” said LDWF Biologist Rachel Walley. Salvinia, whether common, or giant represents the single greatest threat to freshwater fish and waterfowl habitat in Texas. It has the potential to ruin fisheries and wintering waterfowl habitat anywhere it ends up. Right now, it is mainly an East Texas problem, but it will not be long before other regions of the state have to deal with it as well. It is illegal to possess or transport salvinia of any kind. Possession or transport of salvinia or other prohibited aquatic vegetation in Texas is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 per plant. Information on how to identify giant salvinia can be found at salvinia.er.usgs.gov. Anyone finding suspected salvinia in a public water body should contact Howard Elder at 409-384-9965 or Rick Ott at 903-5662161 As part of a special conservation project, TF&G will run frequent photo updates on these pages and video clips at fishgame.com to illustrate the spread of salvinia, show this problem is growing at a rapid rate, and will not just go away if we ignore it. —Chester Moore

PHOTO COURTESY OF USFWS

Continued from page 41

Predator Control Benefits Mule Deer PREDATOR CONTROL STUDY CONDUCTED AT the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area showed that adult mule deer numbers increased 55 percent under heavy predator control, while adult mule deer numbers declined by 33 percent in Big Bend National Park where predators were not controlled. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologists found fawn survival rates were higher in the study area where predators were controlled. Research in Brewster County indicated predation responsible for about 41 percent of all mortalities of radio-telemetered mule deer. What animals are causing the greatest mortality? Most likely cougars. Data on cougar populations and predation is sketchy in Texas, but research in Colorado shows the impact of the big cats. Currently, Colorado has around

300,000 mule deer, which is only half of what it had just 50 years ago. One study showed the average cougar killed around 50 deer a year. With a cougar population topping 3000, the cats are taking more than 150,000 mulies annually, three times the hunter harvest. A cooperative study between Texas Tech University and the Arizona Game and Fish Department shows that as mule deer decline the big cats start giving more attention to other game. “Our results suggest that recent increases in cougar predation in most areas of Arizona may be responsible for declining bighorn sheep numbers. Recent population declines in mule deer, the primary prey of cougars, may be responsible for recent increases of cougar predations on bighorn sheep in Arizona and other areas of western North America.” —Staff Reports

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOFT TOUCH FISHING

Nyon Bags Save Tournament Bass Nylon-reinforced bags have become the standard for B.A.S.S. tournaments. Punching small holes in the bags will allow water to exchange while in the life-support tanks in the waiting line. In lieu of holes, some bags now have mesh tops or sides that allow even greater water flow. One new design uses a mesh inner bag and a solid vinyl outer shell. The solid bag holds water while the angler walks to the weigh-in line, where they pull the mesh liner bag out and submerge it in the life support tank, thereby allowing a free exchange of fresh water. This reduces handling as well because the fish do not have to be transferred from one type of bag to another for weighing. —Staff Reports

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PHOTO COURTESY OF USFWS

TRUE GREEN

DU Official Joins Coastal Advisory Commission USACE: Wetlands Need Congressional Action GUIDANCE DOCUMENT RELEASED IN December from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers on wetlands jurisdiction does not address a delayed permitting process, and highlights the need for a legislative solution to the regulatory quagmire that has followed in the wake of the Rapanos vs. United States Supreme Court decision, according to Ducks Unlimited. DU supports proposals in Congress that would clarify and restore protections over isolated wetlands. “While this new guidance purports to clarify several of the outstanding issues with the earlier guidance, it does not address the permitting delays for landowners and added costs to taxpayers,” said DU Director of Conservation Operations, Scott Yaich. “The confusion that stemmed from the original guidance and that will continue to hamper landowners and local officials reinforces the need to accomplish protection for the nation’s waters through Congressional action.” The latest guidance does not clarify protections for geographically isolated wetlands such as prairie potholes and playa lakes. These areas, which are critical for waterfowl nesting and migration, were covered under the original Clean Water Act of 1972, but later Supreme Court cases and subsequent guidance stripped protections from them. Most ducks that breed in the United States are reared on isolated wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern Great Plains. “Without clear protections for these areas, many of North America’s waterfowl populations will be at risk,” said Yaich. “This will also negatively affect the $76 billion that sportsmen contribute to the economy—especially rural economies—every year.”

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N DECEMBER, LOUISIANA GOVERNOR BOBBY Jindal announced appointments to the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Coastal Protection, Restoration, and Conservation including Ken Babcock, the senior director of conservation for Ducks Unlimited, Inc. He will serve as one of the two representatives from the conservation community. “This is an important position for DU and clearly recognizes the amount of effort and emphasis DU commits to this important landscape,” Babcock said. DU committed $15 million to restore wetlands in coastal Louisiana through its ongoing Wetlands for Tomorrow campaign. DU has a 71-year history of wetland restoration continent-wide. It began focusing on coastal restoration in Louisiana in 1985 and has enhanced nearly 60,000 acres of coastal habitats in the state since that time. DU’s coastal projects not only benefit wildlife, but also improve water quality and lessen the impact of hurricanes. “Historically, the Gulf Coast has wintered upwards of 13 million ducks and 1.5 million geese. That is why this area is among DU’s highest priorities,” said Babcock. Today, natural and human-induced changes have severely compromised the region’s ability to support valuable seafood, oil, and natural gas industries, and decreased the area’s ability to withstand storm surges and other hurricane-related damage. Louisiana alone has lost over 1 million acres of coastal wetlands that were among the most productive in North America. Coastal marsh loss also jeopardizes habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife “This is not a local problem,” Babcock said. “The area is vital for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people continent-wide. Without quality habitat on the wintering grounds, waterfowl returning to the prairies to breed won’t have the resources required for success. Migratory songbirds depend on the coastal marshes for rest and refueling before

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and after crossing the Gulf of Mexico. Similarly, the seafood and energy industries that serve people nationwide depend on the health of the coastal marshes.” Because of that far-reaching value and the scale of the problem, DU pushes important public policy efforts, builds and maintains diverse partnerships, and continually strives to increase awareness of the significance of the Louisiana coast to people nationwide, all in addition to on-the-ground conservation work. “Sitting on the Governor’s Advisory Commission is one more opportunity for DU to put our wetland conservation expertise to use in the effort to stem the tide of coastal wetland loss, and I am honored to represent DU in such a way” Babcock said. “DU appreciates Governor Jindal’s leadership on the coastal restoration problem, and we look forward to working with him and the rest of the Advisory Commission on this important issue.” The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Coastal Protection, Restoration, and Conservation serves to advise the governor on the status of Louisiana’s coastal protection and restoration program. Additionally, the commission strives to foster cooperation between federal, state, and local agencies, conservation organizations, and the private sector relative to coastal protection and restoration activities. With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with more than 12 million acres conserved. In Louisiana alone, one million acres of coastal marsh have disappeared in the last half-century, and an additional 500,000 acres are projected to be lost by 2050. This loss continues at an incredible rate. An area the size of a football field is lost every 38 minutes totaling 25-30 square miles each year. —Staff Reports

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HE MOST COMPREHENSIVE GEOLOGICAL review ever undertaken of the upper U.S. Gulf Coast suggests that a combination of rising seas and dammed rivers could flood large swaths of wetlands this century in one or more bays from Alabama to Texas. The findings, presented at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Houston, Texas, stem from bay floor sediment samples, radiocarbon tests, and seismic surveys compiled over 30 years. “In terms of sea-level increases and river sediments flowing into the bays, we’re rapidly approaching a time when bays will face conditions they last saw in the Holocene Epoch, from about 9600 until 7000 years ago,” said lead researcher John Anderson, the W. Maurice Ewing Professor in Oceanography and professor of Earth science at Rice University. “That period was marked by dramatic and rapid flooding events in each of these bays—events that saw some bays increase their size by as much as one-third over a period of 100 or 200 years.” Anderson said the magnitude of flooding seen in bays during the Holocene—the geological epoch that began 10,000 years ago—would be noticeable and apparent, even on a year-to-year timescale. “If you lived at the head of Galveston Bay, near Anahuac, you could see the bay head move northward by as much as the length of a football field each year,” Anderson said. Anderson and colleagues, including Antonio Rodriguez of the University of North Carolina at Chappell Hill, compiled their research in a new 146-page monograph published by the GSA, Response of Upper Gulf Coast Estuaries to Holocene Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise. Their findings stemmed from an analysis of 30 years of data from Galveston,

Matagorda, and Corpus Christi bays in Texas; Mobile Bay in Alabama; Calcasieu Bay in Louisiana; and Sabine Lake on the Texas-Louisiana border. “There is no question that sea levels are rising in this region at a rate today that approaches what we saw in the Holocene,” Anderson said. He said the Holocene was also marked by alternating wet and dry periods upstream, particularly in Central and West Texas. There was significantly less sediment flowing into the bays during the dry periods, and the researchers found that the most dramatic flooding events occurred when less sediment was flowing into the bays at the same time that sea levels were rising faster than 4 millimeters per year. Anderson said that is a particularly troubling finding because several recent studies have confirmed that the rate of sea-level rise along the Gulf Coast has doubled in the past century, to a current rate of about 3 millimeters per year. At the same time, the installation of dams upstream has slashed the amount of sediment flowing into every southern U.S. bay. “Our research paints a pretty clear picture of what happened in these bays the last time they encountered the circumstances that we expect to see during the coming century,” Anderson said. “Our hope is that policymakers will take note of the potential danger and take steps to help alleviate it.” Anderson said it doesn’t make environmental sense to keep a navigation channel open between the lower Trinity River and upper Galveston Bay because the channel diverts the sediment that is flowing into the bay, preventing it from replenishing the upper bay wetlands near Anahuac. “Now that we’re aware of the dangers, there are clearly things we can do to try and avoid them,” he said.

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Gulf Coast Bays Vulnerable To Flooding

SCOTUS Denies Sonar-Whale Claims HE US SUPREME COURT HAS REMOVED restrictions on the navy’s use of sonar in training exercises near California. The ruling is a defeat for environmentalists that claim the sonar can kill whales and other mammals. President George W Bush intervened in the long-running dispute, citing national security interests. In its 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court said the Navy needed to conduct realistic training exercises to respond to potential threats. The court did not deal with the merits of the claims put forward by environmentalists. It said, rather, that federal courts abused their discretion by ordering the Navy to limit sonar use in some cases and to turn it off altogether in others. In reinstating the use of sonar, the top U.S. court rejected a lower federal judge’s injunction that had required the Navy to take various precautions during submarinehunting exercises. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said overall public interest was “strongly in favor of the Navy.” “The most serious possible injury would be harm to an unknown number of the marine mammals,” Roberts wrote. “In contrast, forcing the Navy to deploy an inadequately trained anti-submarine force jeopardizes the safety of the fleet.”

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New Fishing Regs Coming AST NOVEMBER, THE TEXAS PARKS & Wildlife Department unveiled a laundry list of potential regulation changes that could begin impacting the way some Texas sportsmen do business in the woods and on the water as early as Fall 2009. Though the list weighed heavily on deer hunting, there were a handful of possible freshwater fishing regulation changes in the mix with ties to blue catfish limits on lakes Richland-Chambers, Waco, and Lewisville; largemouth bass limits at Ray Roberts; and alligator gar statewide. The department announced it would host a series of hearings around the state in December and January to allow for public comment on the possible regulation changes before actual proposals were made. If you have something to say about one or more of the changes, you had best get to it. The TPW Commission will finalize any decisions on proposed changes during public hearings set for March 24-25 in Austin. What follows is a list of the possible regulation changes gleaned from a November 10 TPWD report, along with an explanation for each by Phil Durocher, TPWD director of inland fisheries:

• Blue Cat Slot Limit: Calls for a 30- to 45-inch slot length limit on blue cat caught from three of the state’s most popular catfish fisheries—Richland Chambers Reservoir near Corsicana, Lake Lewisville near Dallas, and Lake Waco. The limit would protect blue catfish measuring 30-45 inches and allow anglers to retain only one fish greater than 45 inches per day. Anglers could still keep 25 fish per day between 12 and 30 inches in length. 48

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Durocher said the department is looking at the slot limit as a way to protect older ageclass fish from harvest and to ultimately enhance rod and reel angling opportunities for trophy class cats. “Fishing for trophy catfish is becoming more and more popular these days,” he said. “These big fish are very valuable and we would like to do some experimental work on a few lakes to try to promote the trophy fishing concept.” Durocher hinted that the slot limit might expand to other Texas lakes in the future if it proves successful on R-C, Lewisville, and Waco.

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The Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. unveiled a laundry list of potential regulation changes.

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“I’m not saying it is going to be a statewide thing, because we don’t have the big blue cat everywhere,” Durocher said. “But if it works out on these lakes the way we think it will, we might consider placing the limit on some other lakes around the state with good potential to produce trophy blue catfish.” • Alligator Gar, Tags or Length Limits: TPWD is considering two options as means of offering protection for super-size alligator gar while at the same time allowing for utilization of the resource with limited harvest of trophy-class fish. (1) Create a tag issuance system that would limit the size and/or number of alligator gar an angler could harvest in one year. (2) Set a minimum length limit of 7 feet and a daily bag limit of one per angler. According to Durocher, there are only F i s h

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two states left in union—Texas and Louisiana—that maintain abundant populations of large alligator gar. The biologist said the Texas alligator gar population is considerably better than that found in Louisiana, where heavy commercial fishing pressure appears to have taken its toll. “People come to Texas from all over the world for the opportunity to take a big alligator gar, and we want to make sure these fish are here to stay,” Durocher said. “At this point, I don’t know what the limit will be, but we are going to do something to limit the take of the big ones.” • Ray Roberts Bass, from Slot Limit to Statewide five-fish, 14-inch Minimum: TPWD is considering the removal of the five-fish, 14- to 24-inch slot limit on Lake Ray Roberts and replacing it with the more tournament-friendly five-fish, 14-inch rule. Durocher said the slot limit was placed on Roberts more than a decade ago in hopes that it would lead to a buildup in the trophy largemouth bass fishery, similar to that of Lake Fork, but so far, it just hasn’t panned out. “The people around the lake have worked with us on the slot, but now they are frustrated because it doesn’t seem to be working out the way we had hoped it would,” Durocher said. “There is no reason to keep something in place if it is not doing what you need it to do.” It is believed that switching to the more lenient statewide limit will make the lake much more attractive for organized bass tournaments. This could mean a significant increase in angler traffic and serious boost to the local economy. Organized tournaments typically steer clear of lakes with restrictive slot limits. To comment on any of the possible regulation changes, contact Ken Kurzawski at ken.kurzawski@tpwd.state.tx.us, or 512389-4591.

E-mail Matt Williams at freshwater@fishgame.com

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T IS UNUSUAL FOR LAVACA BAY TO BE mentioned in any fishing report, magazine, or online forum. Though it serves as a liquid border between the budding streets of Port Lavaca and Point Comfort, the bay is a ghost town among all coastal bays. All too many are familiar with Lavaca Bay’s history as “home to what is arguably the worst environmental disaster on the Texas Gulf Coast.” In the late 1960s, the Alcoa aluminum factory located on the northeast side of the bay expelled enough mercury-filled wastewater into Lavaca Bay to contaminate 64 square miles; estimates put the figure at 67 pounds of mercury per day. In 1970, the practice was discontinued, and in 1988, retaining fish from the waters was outlawed due to health risks. The small amount of Lavaca Bay anglers quickly dispersed elsewhere. Things changed in 1994 when Lavaca Bay became a Superfund site. Over $100 million in extensive cleanup efforts and restoration put life back into the bay for future anglers. Along with 11 acres of oyster reefs and over 70 acres of marsh furnished, more than 700 acres of prairie became permanently preserved. Much to the likes of locals, three lighted piers and boat ramps made for a much-awaited get-well present.

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Despite the fact that the bay’s conditions have made a big comeback, fishermen have not. And few are aware of such prime fishing potential that remains untapped and abandoned. Bill Balboa is no stranger to Lavaca Bay. He has been the area’s TPWD biologist for more than 11 years. According to Balboa, the cleanup efforts and renovations were successful. “The mercury is now contained to a very small area adjacent to Alcoa,” he said. In the small area surrounding Alcoa, the taking of finfishes and crabs for consumption is still banned. Health warning signs currently dot the perimeter of the contaminated area. Cox Bay, Keller Bay, and the rest of Lavaca Bay are free of restrictions and open to fishing and the possession of fish. Balboa

by Kyle Tomek is confident that Lavaca Bay is healthy and duly supports growing numbers of speckled trout and redfish. “It is doing as well as it ever has,” he said. “The Lavaca River provides plenty of the essential freshwater that we all know coastal bays need.” When compared to neighboring middle coast bays, Lavaca is a slight oddball. West Matagorda Bay and Port O’Connor supply A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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miles of shoreline fishing and an abundance of sand, grass, guts, and Gulf tide. Contrarily, mud and oyster shell reefs compose most of Lavaca Bay. Its thick trees, grassy bluffs, and spoil islands are a drastic change from the salt grass landscape lining the coastal bend. Matagorda and Port O’Connor’s easy wades grab a lot of attention from the weekend warrior crowds. Weekend anglers in Lavaca are surprised to hear the whine of another outboard. “The fishing pressure is wonderful; it just doesn’t exist here,” said Captain Dwayne Newbern. For the last 11 years, Newbern has fished and guided anglers in Lavaca Bay and surrounding waters. Convenient for Captain Dwayne is his Edna, Texas, home. Twenty minutes is all it takes from his back door to the fishing grounds. Tactically, the biggest factor influencing Newbern’s fishing in Lavaca Bay is water clarity. This is typical in a mud-bottomed bay like Lavaca, where average water depth is 4 feet. High winds strongly impact water clarity. “Most of the fish I catch are between the bridge and the Lavaca River,” Newbern said. “On windy days, I must adapt to catch fish. This means I’m sometimes limited to the shoreline areas or the Lavaca River. “When the water is calm, I really like fishG a m e / F E B R U A R Y

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In This Issue

COVER STORY • Lavaca—The True Forgotten Bay | BY KYLE TOMEK

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: ROCKPORT TO PORT ARANSAS • The Language of Fishing | BY CAPT. MAC GABLE

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: LOWER COAST • Deep Thoughts | BY CALIXTO GONZALES SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times | BY TF&G STAFF

HOW-TO SECTION

PHOTO BY KYLE TOMEK

HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots | BY CALIXTO GONZALES & JD MOORE

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: UPPER COAST • Whitecaps? No Problem! | BY CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: GALVESTON COMPLEX • Go Slow for Best Action | BY CAPT. MIKE HOLMES

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: MATAGORDA & MID COAST • Chilly Fish Move Slower | BY BINK GRIMES

ing along the Highway 35 bridge. There is a lot of riprap, logs, and concrete along the bridge that attract a lot of fish.” This overpass, connecting Point Comfort and Port Lavaca, is where Newbern and his father experienced one of their most memorable outings together. “The day’s weather was awful,” he said. “The wind was blowing so hard that the bay looked completely muddy.” Using a trolling motor along the structure, the duo tied on small 1/4-ounce D.O.A. Terror Eyez soft plastics: “We allowed them to float with the current and we absolutely slammed fish!” Newbern and his father did not expect such success in the location during high winds, but Newbern is no longer hesitant try the bridge in less than perfect conditions. As Newbern stated, many reefs and C2

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BOWHUNTING TECH • Hog Hunt Challenge | BY LOU MARULLO

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SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS • Trailer Baits | BY PATRICK LEMIRE

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FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • Bottom-Bouncing with a Walking Weight | BY PAUL BRADSHAW

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TEXAS BOATING • LORAN: Old Navigation Made New | BY LENNY RUDOW

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TEXAS KAYAKING • Danger Lurks in the Water | BY GREG BERLOCHER

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TOURNAMENT NEWS • Richest Fantasy Fishing Game $10 Million Richer | BY MATT WILLIAMS

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WILDERNESS TRAILS • The Bet | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE

underwater structures exist along the bridge, including the remains of old fishing piers. During seasonal changes, the location serves as a transition zone for fish moving to and from the rivers and creeks on the upper end of the bay. From the end of the Lavaca River to the bridge, bird activity is a dead giveaway of schooling fish. For locals, Garcitas Creek and the Lavaca River are winter hotspots when trout stack in the river. Newbern focuses nearly all of his effort during the colder months along edges and drop-offs of the Lavaca River. “I use the trolling motor and cast soft-plastics along the river banks just as I do along the bridge.” Wade-fishermen have numerous shoreline and shell reef choices. Newbern swears by one reef in particular, located on the south end of the west shoreline pier. The big reef hangs just below the water on a normal tide. “It makes for a great wade, but I usually find the fish somewhere between the reef and the bridge riprap using my trolling motor.” Tournament angler and retired biologist Mike Weixelman has fished Lavaca Bay since the 1970s. Weixelman typically wades Lavaca, but said drifting is an ideal way to locate numbers of fish. “There is a lot of deep shell undiscovered around Gallinripper Reef,” he said. “With a F i s h

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GEARING UP SECTION

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TEXAS TESTED • Abu Garcia; Berkley FireLine | BY TF&G STAFF NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New from Top Outdoor Manufacturers | BY TF&G STAFF INDUSTRY INSIDER • Daiwa; Texas Marine of Beaumont | BY TF&G STAFF SHOOT THIS! • Uberti Winchester | BY STEVE LAMASCUS FISH THIS! • Shimano Symetre Spinning Reel | BY GREG BERLOCHER

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE

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TROPHY FEVER • Trophy Hunting Experiences | BY TF&G READERS HUNTING TALES • Confidence Means More Distance | BY LOU MARULLO NEWS FROM THE COAST • Trinity Bay: Post-Ike Status | BY TOM BEHRENS TEXAS TASTED • Award Winning Venison Chili | BY BRYAN SLAVEN DISCOVER THE OUTDOORS • Classifieds | BY TF&G STAFF PHOTO ALBUM • Your Action Photos | BY TF&G STAFF

popping cork and deep-rigged Berkley Gulp!, you can surely find fish.” The nearby spoil islands along the Port Lavaca Ship Channel are very reliable for anglers seeking similar results. “I can remember surveying a guy from Magnolia, Texas, when I worked as a biologist for Lavaca Bay,” Weixelman said. “For months, he arrived at the dock with limits of trout and redfish. I eventually learned that he was wading the spoil islands along the ship channel.” Mud and shell structure prevails on the upper end of the bay. Weixelman deems the west bank along Garcitas Creek as the most underutilized area in the entire bay. “No one fishes it, and I have caught many redfish on the reefs.” Weixelman can prove that he knows where to find big speckled trout in fall to early winter: “Years ago, I helped a friend win a Troutmasters Tournament in Lavaca Bay. Wade the shoreline from Mud Point to Rhodes Point. It’s loaded with 3- to 5-pound trout.” Is Lavaca Bay Texas’ true “forgotten bay”? Or has it been the best-kept secret all along?

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by Calixto Gonzales, South Zone Fishing Editor & JD Moore, North Zone Fishing Editor

Sheepshead on Shrimp LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: New Causeway GPS: N26 5.206, W97 11.039

SPECIES: sheepshead BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Late winter is sheepshead time. Fish live or fresh shrimp around causeway pilings on split shot rigs. These guys are notorious baitstealers, so a smaller hook is the way to go. Some fishermen use a No. 2 long-shank hook like the Eagle Claw 066N to zap them, but a more effective hook might be a 1/0 LazerSharp L7226 Octopus-style hook. The short shank and wide gap has a higher hook-up ratio, and they seem to lodge in the corner of the sheepie’s mouth. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Port Isabel Turning Basin GPS: N26 3.761, N97 9.482 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait; Gulp! Shrimp in Glow, soft plastics in Glow/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Like it says in this month’s “Hotspots Focus,” trout will seek out the basin’s deeper water during a cold snap. Fish the edges of the drop-off early, when trout are sulking down deep and out of the cold. If the sun comes out and begins to warm the shallows, tie on a Mauler rig and fish live shrimp or plastic tails round pilings and rocks. The point of the Turning Basin’s intersection with the Port Isabel Channel is another good spot to focus on. C4

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LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Color Change GPS: N26 7.500, W97 14.000 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait; Gulp! Shrimp in Glow, New Penny; gold spinnerbaits with red/white tail CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Fish just inside the color change between clear and sandy water. The off-colored water retains warmth more effectively and offers cover for predators. You can work live shrimp or Gulp! tails under a popping or Alameda float. Fish slowly and deliberately. These trout might not be as aggressive as in spring, but they are there. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Wildlife Refuge GPS: N26 10.244, W97 18.155 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp; topwaters early; soft plastics CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Fish the mud/sand transitions in deeper water along the shoreline. Trout will mingle in the warmer water. Redfish will be prowling shallower water. Crummy weather doesn’t seem to bother the spottails, which will forage in the dirty water kicked up by a north wind. On calmer days, try topwaters fished slowly along the shoreline. If the water is too messy or nothing is biting, back off and switch to tails or bait on a popping cork rig. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay Channel GPS: N26 2.961, W97 11.031 SPECIES: black drum, sheepshead BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: The channel that feeds into South Bay becomes a productive spot for both drum and sheepshead. You can fish live or fresh shrimp under a popping cork, on a split-shot rig, or on a bottom rig. Any of the three will work. The key is to have your bait in the water. Drum F i s h

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will run between 14 and 22 inches, with a few brutes near the 30-inch limit. If the drum aren’t there, the sheepshead will be. Fish the channel edges for the convict fish. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Marker 63 GPS: N26 14.343, W97 16.482 SPECIES: redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait; Gulp! Shrimp in New Penny; soft plastics in red/white, New Penny, Rootbeer; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Fish the flats just west of the Marker. Trout and redfish hang out around the potholes in 3-4 feet of water. The traditional live bait and soft plastics work well, but a hidden gem is a 1/4-ounce gold weedless spoon with a red trailer. If the sky is cloudy, or the water off-colored, switch to a chartreuse or Glow trailer. Fish it with as slow a retrieve as you can. With a light, fast tip, you should feel the wobble of the spoon. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Cullen Channel GPS: N26 15.759, W97 17.273 SPECIES: flounder, black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp, finger mullet; Gulp! Shad or shrimp tails CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: flounder are usually incidental catches for fishermen targeting trout or redfish. A sharp angler can target them after a series of mild days by fishing the edges of the main channel into Cullen Bay. Live shrimp or finger mullet on a fish-finder rig, or a scented tail on a round jighead produce well. Use a strong, sensitive rod and low stretch mono or braided line to detect the bumps. Fat black drum will also pop a shrimp they happen upon. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Fishing Shack pilings GPS: N26 15.756, W97 20.591 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp, crab chunks

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CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Hurricane Dolly mauled a lot of the fishing shacks that lined the ICW, but the areas are still very productive. Anchor up near where a set of pilings marks where a shack used to be, or where on might still be standing, and toss a live shrimp or fresh shrimp out on a fishfinder or split-shot rig toward the edge of the ICW. If the current is pulling hard, you might want to go with the heavier weight of the former. Put the rod in a holder, sit back, relax, and wait. It won’t take long.

Corky Takes Trout LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: East Kleberg Point GPS: N27 16.300, W97 30.426

SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corkies and soft plastics in Plum, Mardi Gras, Rootbeer, Rootbeer/red flake CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Fishing stays pretty consistent in Baffin through February. Fish the rocks that are off the point in deeper water. Fish Corkies and eel-style soft plastics on light (1/16-ounce) jigheads. The lighter weights will facilitate slower fishing, which is the recommended strategy for winter trout.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Center Reef GPS: N27 16.206 , W97 34.362 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corkies and soft plastics in Plum, Mardi Gras, Rootbeer, Rootbeer/red flake CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Trout prefer to forage around areas that can provide cover. Fish the deeper edges of the reef with soft plastics and Corkies. The operative word is “slow.” These big trout will not be interested in chasing bait that will make them work for their meals. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Penescal Rocks GPS: N27 15.852, W97 25.436 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corkies and soft plastics in Plum, Mardi Gras, Rootbeer, Rootbeer/red flake CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Strategies stay pretty consistent throughout Baffin in February. Slow retrieves with sub-surface lures is the best way to go. Don’t be afraid to use live bait if the trout are being finicky. Sometimes, trout want meat. Who are we to deny them? LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Kleberg Point GPS: N27 17.005, W97 36.944 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: If the trout and redfish are in a non-

cooperative mood because of snotty weather, the average fishermen has two choices: (1) he can pack it in and stop at the fish monger who sells “fresh” fish and shrimp on the side of US 77 in Rivera, or (2) head over to Kleberg Point and fish the deeper water for black drum. If you choose the latter, try live shrimp underneath a popping cork or on a fish-finder rig. Fresh shrimp will be effective too, but the bigger fish seem to like live stuff. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline GPS: N27 25.402, W96 2.075 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp/popping cork; soft plastics in Plum, Mardi Gras, Rootbeer, Rootbeer/red flake CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: The King Ranch shoreline is always good for decent fishing throughout the year. Wade depth breaks and guts for best results. Flats that are adjacent to the ICW will also hold fish that like having their backs to deep water for a quick escape. Live shrimp under an Old Bayside float is a good combination. Grinders can also opt to throw eel-style artificials on 1/16- to 1/8-ounce jigheads. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Crash Channels GPS: N27 38.562, W97 17.620 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish, flounder BEST BAITS: live shrimp, live mullet; soft plastics in Plum, Mardi Gras, Rootbeer, Rootbeer/red flake CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: The points and depth breaks on these side channels are always good for a few

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fish, even when the weather turns sour. Live bait maximizes your opportunity to latch into a Texas Slam. If lures are your thing, shad tails in chartreuse patterns fished near deep water should work just as well. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Humble Channel GPS: N27 39.153, W96 15.664 SPECIES: Black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp, crab chunks CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: If you aren’t concerned with catching some fish for the table and just want to have your tackle and shoulders tested, then try latching onto one of the big uglies that cruise the Humble in winter. These black drum can weigh north of 40 pounds, and that is more than enough for anyone. Large “hand-picked” live shrimp or fresh table shrimp are excellent baits on fish-finder rigs. Day in and day out, however, a chunk of fresh crab is tough to beat. That is candy to a nasty, mossy-backed drum.

Causeway Mixed Bag LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Causeway Reef GPS: N29 46.596, W93 34.586

SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Red Shad, Morning Glory, Black/chartreuse; topwaters in Bone CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, www.fishsabinelake.com TIPS: Trout and redfish will be moving all over Sabine lake during early spring tearing into the new hatches of baitfish and shrimp. Structure such as Causeway Reef, South reef, and other shoals are good points of reference to fish. A bright soft plastic on a 1/4-ounce head is very effective for both trout and redfish. “Dredge” the reef by working near the bottom of the perimeter with a hopping retrieve. C6

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Watch for birds, because fish will come up on a school of bait. LOCATION : Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Neches River Mouth GPS: N29 58.250, W93 51.210 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: suspending plugs in Bone, chartreuse patterns; soft plastic in chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, www.fishsabinelake.com TIPS: Actually, the entire northern stretch where the Sabine and Neches rivers dump into Sabine are good areas to fish in March. The flats around the mouth of both rivers hold predators that are cruising around looking for a meal. You can fool them with a Corky, Catch 2000, or Catch 5 that sits suspended in the mid-to-lower depths. Be selective. If the water is in the 55-degree range, a very, very, very slow Corky is a good choice. If the water is beginning to warm, then the hard baits become effective. LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: East Pass GPS: N29 58.920, W93 48.940 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Red Shad, Morning Glory, Black/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, www.fishsabinelake.com TIPS: East Pass will continue to produce until warm weather chases off winter’s icy breath. As cold fronts roll in with greater frequency, the trout will hold closer to deeper, warmer water for greater lengths of time. Fish plastics on 1/4-ounce ball or dredge-style jigheads. Fish near the bottom to locate trout that have their nose in the mud. LOCATION: East Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Anahuac Wildlife Refuge Shoreline GPS: N29 33.573, W94 32.266 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Super Spooks, Brown Devil Eyes in Pearl, Limetreuse, chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 409256-7937, www.hillmanguideservice.com TIPS: Fish slowly and methodically along the Refuge shoreline to locate speckled trout that are cruising the area. A big topwater that mimics a medium-medium large mullet is effective early. Work soft plastics such as Brown’s Lures’ Devil Eye around depth breaks and guts. Soft plastics should be fished on a light jighead F i s h

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(1/16- to 1/8-ounce) to keep it high in the water column, even a slow retrieve. High-visibility colors are a very good bet. If the day has been warm, and there is an incoming tide, late afternoon can be a very good time to fish. LOCATION: East Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef GPS: N29 28.783, W94 43.784 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: MirrOlure 51 series in silver, white patterns, or natural mullet; brown Devil Eyes in similar patterns, Glow/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 409256-7937, www.hillmanguideservice.com TIPS: The shoals around Hanna’s provide excellent wintertime wade-fishing for the hardy angler. Speckled trout will respond to both twitchbaits and plastics that mimic shad and mullet in shape and size. High-visibility patterns such as Glow/chartreuse and Pearl/chartreuse are most effective.

Pumped Crappie LOCATION: Delta Lake HOTSPOT: The Pumping Station (bank access) GPS: N26 25.100, W97 57.220

SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: live minnows; crappie jigs in white, chartreuse; Roostertail spinners in white, yellow CONTACT: Delta Lake Tackle, 956-2623385 TIPS: Crappie begin staging for the spawn sooner in the more temperate Rio Grande Valley than up north. Fish the deeper water around the pumping station, or the reeds along the shoreline just south of it with live minnows or crappie jigs under a teardrop float. Fishing the channel with a small spinner is another option. Work it slowly and with a light touch. LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: River above Anzalduas Dam GPS: N26 25.100, W97 57.220 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: plastic worms in red, Watermelon, Grape; flipping tubes

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CONTACT: Anzalduas State Park, 956-5199550 TIPS: The bass fishing on the Rio Grande below Falcon Lake is very underrated. There are opportunities for excellent fishing along the brush and stickups that trace the shoreline. Look for gravel or riprap and work just as you would any pre-spawn situation. Be careful not to fish the Mexican side of the boundary. The Federales frown on that. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Falcon Lake State Park GPS: N26 34.918, W99 9.028 SPECIES: catfishes BEST BAITS: live or cut shad; prepared baits CONTACT: Park Office, 956-848-5327 TIPS: Summer rains have raised the lake levels back full status, a point where fishing has improved for the shorebound angler. Catfish are in good numbers along the shoreline. Fish near stickups and brush in deeper water. Live threadfin shad and chunks of gizzard shad work well. So do punch baits and cheese baits. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Tiger Island GPS: N26 41.428, W99 7.779 SPECIES: catfishes

BEST BAITS: cut shad, mackerel, prepared baits CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956-7654866 TIPS: There are lots of catfish lurking around the trunks of the flooded timber in this area. Look for cormorant nests and fish underneath them with a 3/0 long-shank hook, a split shot, and a float 2 feet up the line. Toss up against the tree trunk or in a clearing and wait.

Aquilla Whites LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Snake Island, Triplett Point, dam GPS: N31 55.215, W97 12.891

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SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse slab CONTACT: Randy Routh, Cell 817-8225539, WWW.teamredneck.net TIPS: Take your binoculars and check the lake for working birds. Use Chartreuse slabs and cast and retrieve, letting them stop and flutter, or watch your graph for what appears to be a Christmas tree. This is a sure sign of feeding whites. Use same pattern on Triplett Point and along the dam. When you find the whites, mark with your buoy and drop and lift slabs through the school. BANK ACCESS: Tailrace Fishing Pier, white bass on jigs fished in outlet

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: jigs, Shimmy Shaker, plastic worms, spinnerbaits. CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Largemouth will be good in the back of main lake creeks such as Chaney, Dale, Burch, and White Oak. Fish slowly and cover the water thoroughly for best results. BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at Minnow Bucket Bait Stand, crappie, largemouth bass

Pirky Stripers

the working birds. Concentrate on humps and drop offs and main lake points. Early morning is best. If the birds are working, throw a large topwater lure like a chrome Zara Spook. Use same pattern at Paradise Point and around Shaw Island. BANK ACCESS: Thunderbird Resort, catfish, largemouth, crappie, white bass

Hubbard Crappie LOCATION: Lake Hubbard Creek HOTSPOT: Mouth of Hubbard Creek GPS: N32 46.452, W99 03.903

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Beaver Creek GPS: N30 51.888, W98 24.921

Shaken Largemouths LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Chaney Creek GPS: N32 47.848, W95 33.603

SPECIES: stripped bass BEST BAITS: live shad on a Carolina rig; Pirk Minnows, crankbaits CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: The stripers are on their annual migration up into the Colorado River. Watch for

SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: live minnows, 1/8-ounce crappie jigs in chartreuse/white, chartreuse/black, pink/white, red/chartreuse CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-227-4931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: It is no secret that Hubbard Creek is a great crappie lake. Crappie will be moving up the creek to spawn with the full moon in February, so get ready to fill your boat. Fish along the flooded brush from the mouth of the creek and work your way back to Peeler Park. Take a long rod and drop a jig or minnow right down the middle of the cover in depths of 38 feet. BANK ACCESS: Fishing piers are located near most of the boat ramps; largemouth bass, white crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, white bass, freshwater drum

Contact South Regional Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales by email at cgonzales@fishgame.com Contact North Regional Fishing Editor JD Moore by email at hotspotsnorth@fishgame.com

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Whitecaps? No Problem! HE AROMA OF FRESHLY BREWED COFFEE wakes you up before the alarm. The thought of a great day on the water brings you to your feet. While enjoying your first cup, you check today’s forecast (just like you did 30 times yesterday): Southeast winds at 5 to 10 mph and a strong incoming tide all morning, then switching around noon. Awesome! The butterflies are beginning to wake up in your stomach—perfect conditions for fishing Sabine Lake in February. Pour your second cup and step outside only to be knocked sideways by the real forecast—southeast winds 20-25 mph. Sometimes, the brutal realization hits you then, and other times, it is as you drive down Hwy 82 South and notice the smokestacks are flat-lining at the refineries. Either way, the sensation in your stomach changes from excitement to worry. What are we going to do now? We practically guaranteed limits. We killed them yesterday. But that was then. In my 30-plus years of fishing Sabine Lake, I have found myself in

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this predicament so many times that I have almost come to expect it. The good news is that Sabine Lake is laid out perfectly for southeast winds. That is, if you plan on fishing the Louisiana shoreline. Being protected by that east bank and knowing the success we have had on very windy days keeps us optimistic and excited. The game plan remains the same: We run the shoreline in search of bait. We find nervous water and our Red Shad or Morning Glory Old BaySide 4-inch Shadlyns and Catch 2000s join the mullet at the swimming party. Working them very slowly in the cool shallow water, we feel confident that the next “thump” will be that 8-pounder. We work the mouths of Madame Johnson and Willow Bayous on our quest for those yellowmouthed sows.

Plan B It is no secret that wintertime fishing can be very productive for trophy trout, but at the same time, it can also be very tedious. You have to be able to cope with fishing for hours for one or two big fish. We give this as much time as we want before going to Plan B. Plan B is what has been gnawing at me since we rounded Blue Buck Point coming from the Causeway. Plan B is often Plan A when the pretty water is white-capping with that stiff southeast wind. Instead of trolling down the shoreline or hitting the mouths, try

making long drifts off the shoreline. We start in about 2 feet of water and drift out away from the bank. My fishing log won’t allow me to fish Sabine Lake in February without giving this a shot, and it’s better in whitecaps: Drifting fast without a drift sock then using the power pole or anchor when you hit the “sweet spot.” When the sonar says 4 feet, I start getting excited. In almost all my records, that magic zone is between 4 and 5-1/2 feet of water. Make long casts with the drift and let your Assassin and 1/4-ounce leadhead sink about 2 feet. Give it a couple of pops before cranking down and doing it again. The bite is a little strange because it is not your typical “thump.” Usually, your line gets tight and you feel a steadily increasing tension. It is not going to hurt anything by setting the hook, so when you feel anything out of the ordinary, stick ‘em. Swings are free. Another thing I have noticed is the hookset-to-fish landed ratio is very high. There are very few lost fish. They don’t thump it real hard, they inhale it. (Don’t forget the needle-nose pliers.) This time of year, we don’t catch many throwbacks. These are solid trout, running 19-23 inches. When you get in the zone, there are lots of them. If you come up empty on a drift, all you have to do is move down a few hundred yards and do it again. You are going to cover a lot of water quickly because of the speed of the drift, so you are not wasting a lot of time searching. Hopefully, your time will be spent in that sweet spot flipping 22-inch trout into the boat. Just remember that when the weatherman throws you a curve ball on Sabine Lake in February, don’t let it get you down. Try Plan B. Be confident that every cast will produce a fish and you will have much more success. Above all, enjoy your coffee and your day on the water—and be safe, whitecaps or not.

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Go Slow for Best Action EBRUARY IS A SLOW MONTH FOR BAY fishing on the upper coast. If we are to have really cold weather, this might be the month for it. With north winds come low tides, which limit boat travel and can keep shore-based anglers from reaching deeper water beyond the soft mud flats the low water exposes. Unless an angler chooses a sail line (a technique involving a float with a sail on it that is pushed by a brisk northerly breeze into deeper water, trailing a multi-hook line set up like a trotline), fishing times can be tough. Many species of bay fishes are much less active in cooler weather. For plug casters who pick and choose warm days on the edge

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of a reef, this can be an advantage. The sow trout that might only eat once a week in cold weather will want a large offering that imitates a mullet, sand trout, or croaker, and might really blow up on a big topwater. Live versions of these same baitfishes are also good. It is slow fishing, but sometimes very good fishing. Traditional winter “holes” such as Offatt’s Bayou on Galveston often pay off even in the foulest winter weather— if you can brave the cold and have the patience to fish slow and deep. The one species apt to be more active this month and early in March is the black drum on its annual migration into the bay from the Gulf. Big drum are not aggressive fighters like the bull red, but they do get big. Quartered crab is the top drum bait, which could be a problem this year if bait camps are not back on line. Crab tend to bury in the mud during cold weather and wait it out, making them more difficult for anglers to catch for themselves. Lacking a dock and crab traps of your own, other baits will work, although sea bobs, sea lice, and

others might also be difficult to find without bait camp shrimp boats plying the waters. Cut mullet and squid will work in a pinch (especially large mullet heads), and while fresh is better, frozen baits will work. The Texas City Dike pier might not be an option this year for drum fishermen, but the jetties, rock groins, and any remaining or repaired beachfront piers are viable options. Boat anglers have it easier, being able to fish the Texas City channel as well as the jetties and inside San Luis Pass. Mostly, February can be a great time to explore during low tides for changes the hurricane caused. New hotspots can be located, and former hotspots examined to see if they are still a good choice to fish when the water warms and the tides come back clear and green. 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.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Galveston South Jetty ALTERNATE SPOT: San Luis Pass Pier, if open. The road from the Pass to Surfside was heavily damaged during Ike, so the pier was only accessible via the toll bridge from Galveston. As of presstime, plans are to construct a temporary road of crushed concrete until funding can be obtained to rebuild the road properly. SPECIES: The spawning run of big black drum, also sheepshead and scattered panfishes. BEST BAITS: For drum and sheepshead, crab and sea bobs are best, but even large dead shrimp will provide action. Smaller panfishes like cut squid and cut bait from any bait species. BEST TIMES: Unless you are a glutton for punishment, a warm, sunny day is worth waiting for, preferably with some tidal movement. A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Chilly Fish Move Slower EBRUARY IS NOT MY FAVORITE MONTH. THE blusters of winter cut right through a quad-layered jacket. However, there are fish to be caught. Here are a few winter haunts:

Matagorda: Rivers adjacent to bays on the middle coast are also strong winter players during the daytime hours. Yet, often they are overlooked because anglers are not patient to fish slower and methodically bounce their shad or shrimp imitations along the bottom. River fishing is like taking a page out of the bass angler’s playbook. As the sun comes out

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and heats up during the day, the fish move close to the bank and hang on the drop-offs. Troll or drift in the deep and launch topwaters, buzzbaits, or crankbaits toward the shallows or any structure present (broken limbs, stumps, grass). Patience is a virtue. A 1/4-ounce jighead keeps the bait on the bottom. Firetiger, Salt & Pepper, Pumpkinseed/chartreuse, Morning Glory, Plum, and Glow/chartreuse are the colors of choice. In East Matagorda Bay, mid-bay reefs are the ticket. With light winds, Raymond Shoals, Five- Mile Drift, Cleveland Reef, and Tripod Reef hold specks and reds. Best bets for success are Bass Assassins, Trout Killers, Stanley Wedgetails, and Sand Eels. A DOA Shrimp under a popping cork is deadly, too. In West Matagorda Bay, the lower the tide the better for redfish. Waders work the guts of Green’s Bayou, Cotton’s Bayou, and Middle Grounds to find hordes of redfish willing to hit gold spoons and soft plastics. Port O’Connor: In Espiritu Santo Bay and San Antonio Bay, mid-bay reefs are the ticket, as long as oyster farmers have not drug

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Edge of the Intracoastal SPECIES: trout, redfish, black drum BAITS: Gulp! baits, DOA Shrimp, finger mullet their cages on the shell that day. The mouths of Contee Lake and Pringle Lake are good on a falling tide. Corkies, Catch 2000s, and soft plastics are best bets for success. A Carolinarigged finger mullet seldom is turned down, either. Obviously, with water temperatures in the upper 40s and lower 50s and lower than low tides persisting, shorelines are often barren. Some shorelines that are waist to belly deep during normal tides are reduced to mud flats or ankle-deep water in the winter. Where do the fish go? They head to the deepest part of the bay and find structure—mud and shell. Why shell? With water almost nonexistent on the shorelines, baitfishes have no other alternative but to find shelter and refuge from predatory specks on the only structure available, deep shell. Rockport: California Hole adjacent to Estes Flats is a rallying point for herds of redfish. As the name implies, the hole is deep and allows chilly fish a chance to warm in the deeper water. Cracked crab and cut mullet are the baits of choice. Nearby, the Lydia Ann Channel is a thoroughfare leading to the Gulf of Mexico in which trout and reds cruise to and fro. The flats adjacent to the channel, namely Super Flats, harbors an undulating bottom that is perfect structure for winter fishes. For pluggers, a sunny afternoon session produces large trout. Live-baiters toss shad, mullet, or shrimp, if they can find it. Slow, slow, and slower. That is the rate of retrieve for chilly fish. Sleep a bit later and let the sun come up and warm the brine. Your bones will thank you for it. Contact: Bink Grimes, www.binkgrimesoutdoors.com.

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The Language of Fishing O

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gentlemen replied, “You know what that is! It’s a Road Runner with hairy twisted foxtail as a trailer. Damn good trout rig!” Due to space, I cannot list all colorful names that describe fishing, and while to the newcomer they may seem a little weird, to fishing veterans they are poetry in the fishing language. By the way, none of us know all the terms much less what they are, so ask questions, do your research and feel free to email me or call me if I can help.

“

What language was that and do they teach it in school?

“

KAY, AFTER A FEW EMAILS AND SOME phone calls, I was compelled to write this column. My dear mother-in-law, Elda, after reading one of my columns said, “Mac, it seems well written, but I gotta tell you, some of the things you wrote about I had never heard of.” “What is an Electric Chicken,” asked one lady while I was helping a friend at his newly owned bait stand (The Krazy Cajun Bait Stand, 361-758-0612 close to Conn Brown boat ramp). Other questions included: “Capt Mac, I couldn’t help but overhear you guys talking. What language was that and do they teach it in school?” “What’s a Silver Slab and is it served with a Shad Belly?” “Morning Glory must be a hidden code for the time of day the fish bite, right?” “That guide right there named Randy says he has a deep runner; are support hose used by a lot of guides?” Now, let’s be honest: You have to admit that whoever came up with some of these names probably isn’t flying the space shuttle or performing brain surgery, but be warned—these off-the-wall, off-the-shelf, under-the-counter, and-through-the-backwoods-hallow names that describe baits, rigs, and fishing apparatus in general are the holy grail of great fishermen, salt- or freshwater. True story: After putting this column together, I was in Wal-Mart and two big ol’ boys were huddled over a copy of this magazine. One said, “Bo, what the devil is that?” After what seemed minutes, the other

THE BANK BITE

ST. CHARLES BAY: Target the deeper water with mud bottoms around mid-day. Boy Scout Hole and Cow Chip are good areas to try. A bubble cork with a Berkley Gulp! Crab or Shrimp is the ticket. COPANO BAY: Target the sand pockets off of the south shoreline close to the airport, as this will hold reds and some nice trout. Throw shad type lures in Electric Chicken, Bone, or Electric Grey. ARANSAS BAY: Long Reef close to the ICW is a good place for a lot of action using a popping cork and shrimp around mid-day. The key here is to cast to shell edges and not raise the dead with the rattle, but rather a subtle twitch for just the slightest hint of noise from the cork. Free-lined shrimp is F i s h

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Think deep water 6-8 feet deep early morning, and the best place for that is the St. Charles/Aransas Bay cut. Live shrimp or fresh dead peeled and free-lined into the channel is a good bet for reds and trout this time of year. This place is best fished during the week due to high traffic on the weekends. A deep running Rat-LTrap works well here. Do not wade too far into the channel, as this area has very strong tidal currents. good here as well. As the water warms, pull out the cut bait (mullet, sardines, and menhaden) for reds. CARLOS BAY: A lot of people wade this bay, but I’ve found drifting in a boat is more productive for trout and reds this time of year. Soft plastics (Kelly shrimp tails, and sand eels in Green Tomato and Rootbeer fished slowly is the right approach. Fresh dead shrimp peeled when fished close to the shell will produce some nice black drum. MESQUITE BAY: The key to this bay is to wait until the water temperature heats up, usually around 1 p.m. Use cut bait on a Carolina rig; skipjack or menhaden is the preferred bait for red action. Nice reds will be running the dark mud bottoms close to shell reefs; think shallow and warm water. AYRES BAY: The northwest shoreline is a prime place for wading action. Topwater lures like the Super Spook in Bone and red/white fished early morning through midday will produce keeper trout and reds. If you can find live shrimp, then take a floating bait bucket with you and free-line into the sand pockets.

Contact: Capt. Mac Gable, Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601

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Deep Thoughts T’S ALWAYS THE SAME TUNE: THE FISHING IS lousy in February. Water temperatures are too cold. The weather is inconsistent. Tides are too low. There’s no bait. The fish disappear. There are plenty of reasons anglers can cite for staying home in a nice warm bed. Savvy and hardy fishermen need only one reason to tiptoe out of that snug house and out into the dark February early morning—

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speckled trout, and lots of them. Fishing can be quite good during the shortest month of the year. In fact, if you’re willing to put in the effort, you can have quite the memorable trip to Lower Laguna Madre. Speckled trout are poikilothermic, or cold-blooded. They rely on environmental factors for thermoregulation. A late winter cold front (the sort that blows in just in time for the weekend) can lower water temperature on the flats and keep them in the mid50s to low 60s for days. This is slightly below the specks’ comfort zone, and they move off to find more moderate temperatures. The key is deeper water, which retains warmer temperatures. Trout seek out these

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THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Coast Guard Station GPS: N26 4.360, W97 10.031 SPECIES: sheepshead TIP: Fish shrimp/popping cork rigs along the channel edge. depths as a haven against chill. Fishermen don’t have to venture too far from Port Isabel or Padre Island to find these deep holes. A good starting point is the Port Isabel Turning Basin, which is at the back of the Port Isabel Navigation channel. This large, man-made basin provides ideal cold-weather habitat for speckled trout. The greater depths (up to 30 feet) afford both cover and warmth for specks. The narrow band of shallows that belt the basin from the industrial docks around to the channel point offers an area for fish to forage within easy distance of the drop-off. Shrimp and baitfishes prefer the security and warmth of deeper water, too, so they provide the needed protein that keeps trout fat and happy. Fishermen should ease toward shore until they mark the depth break from the deep water to the flat (electronics prove their worth in this strategy). When you locate the drop-off, anchor on the shallow side and start working both the shallows and the edge. If you have company in the boat, one angler can fish the shallows with a popping cork rig while another fishes the edge without the float. Usually, trout will hold deeper on cooler days, but will move up on the shallow flats as the weather starts to warm. (“Shallow” is a relative term; the fish will usually be cruising around in 3-4 feet of water.) Live shrimp might be hard to find after a cold snap, but some bait shops will have a few quarts on hand. A regular popping cork rig with a 24-inch leader will work well.

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White Sands Marina (956-943-6161) sells pre-rigged popping corks that come with No. 4 treble hooks. I usually snip them off and tie on a 1/0 VMC or Owner flounder hook; the short shank seems to enable the hook to mostly stick in the corner of a fish’s mouth. A free-line rig with a 1/8-ounce split shot rig is ideal when fishing the drop-off. You can toss to the edge of the drop-off and let the bait fall back toward you, or cast into the shallows and ease the bait off the edge. If bait is difficult to find, artificials will work as well. The 3-inch Gulp! Shrimp has carved a permanent—and smelly—niche in coastal tackle boxes. What recommends this lure is not just its scented composition, but also its versatility. The same popping cork rig that works so well with live bait will also work with a Gulp! rigged on a 1/8-ounce jighead. Take the cork off, and you can fish the same jig in deeper water. Some anglers will fish a Gulp! on the same free-line rig with a split shot in “do nothing” fashion. The most popular colors in deeper water seem to be any of the Glow patterns; it makes sense because the relative opacity of the bait best mimics a white shrimp, which is the most common species in LLM during the winter. If you are fishing on the tail end of a cold front, an effective strategy for fishing the Turning Basin is also one of my favorites. I fish in the deeper water with a Texas-rigged Strike King Zero or Senko in Pearl or Ivory with a 1/4-ounce split shot 12 inches in front of it. I cast parallel to the shoreline in deep water and simply let the bait fall slowly to the bottom. Both the Zero and Senko have a natural wiggle that can get the most negative minded trout to strike. Pay attention! The strikes are very subtle, but a mouse-like tap once turned into a fat 24incher. These speckled trout can be vulnerable to getting hammered when concentrating in deeper water. In response to this reality, TPWD has imposed emergency regulations that go into effect when temperatures reach below freezing for more than two days. Even if the cold weather is short term, it wouldn’t hurt to practice some moderation and move off these fish after a while. Remember, a nice warm bed and hot meal are waiting for you at home! Contact: Calixto Gonzales by email at cgonzales@fishgame.com. A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Tides and Prime Times for FEBRUARY 2009 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

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.

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.

T15 T16

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

T14 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

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.

T20

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

T21

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE Add or subtract the time shown at the right of 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

T22 T23

View TIDE PREDICTIONS for all Texas Coastal Tide Stations and DATES at...

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KEY PLACE T12 Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay T13 Gilchrist, East Bay T14 Jamaica Beach, W. Bay T15 Alligator Point, W. Bay T16 Christmas Pt T17 Galveston Pleasure Pier

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

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

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

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

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

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

T9 T8

T3 T2 T1

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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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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

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for FEBRUARY 2009

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Sunrise: 7:08a Moonrise: 7:56a

Set: 5:51p Set: 7:20p

Sunrise: 7:08a Moonrise: 8:27a

Set: 5:51p Set: 8:16p

Sunrise: 7:07a Moonrise: 8:56a

Set: 5:52p Set: 9:11p

Sunrise: 7:07a Moonrise: 9:25a

AM Minor: 5:45a

PM Minor: 6:07p

AM Minor: 6:32a

PM Minor: 6:53p

AM Minor: 7:19a

PM Minor: 7:40p

AM Major: 11:30a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 12:21a

PM Major: 12:42p

AM Major: 1:08a

PM Major: 1:29p

Moon Overhead: 1:35p 6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 3:00p

Moon Overhead: 2:18p

12a

12p

12a

12p

FRIDAY

= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r te r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarter = Best Day

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

FEB 1

Set: 5:53p Sunrise: 7:06a Set: 10:08p Moonrise: 9:55a

Set: 5:54p Sunrise: 7:06a Set: 5:55p Set: 11:07p Moonrise: 10:28a Set: None

AM Minor: 8:07a

PM Minor: 8:28p

AM Minor: 8:56a

PM Minor: 9:18p

AM Minor: 9:46a

PM Minor: 10:10p

AM Minor: 10:39a

PM Minor: 11:06p

AM Major: 1:56a

PM Major: 2:17p

AM Major: 2:44a

PM Major: 3:07p

AM Major: 3:34a

PM Major: 3:58p

AM Major: 4:26a

PM Major: 4:52p

Moon Overhead: 3:43p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:16p

Moon Overhead: 4:27p

12a

12p

Sunrise: 7:05a Set: 5:56p Moonrise: 11:07a Set: 12:11a

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

12a

Moon Overhead: 6:08p 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 1:14a +2.0

Moon Underfoot: 1:57a

BEST:

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 4:05a

Moon Underfoot: 4:51a

Moon Underfoot: 5:41a +2.0

BEST:

1:15-3:20 PM

2:10-4:00 PM

2:50-4:45 PM

3:35-5:30 PM

4:40-6:20 PM TIDE LEVELS

12:25-2:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:21a

TIDE LEVELS

11:20AM-2:00PM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 2:39a

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

2:04 AM 10:08 AM 6:05 PM 10:17 PM

0.91 ft -0.59 ft 0.90 ft 0.70 ft

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

2:54 AM 10:36 AM 6:20 PM 10:54 PM

0.87 ft -0.49 ft 0.88 ft 0.59 ft

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

3:47 AM 11:04 AM 6:35 PM 11:32 PM

0.81 ft High Tide: 4:49 AM 0.74 ft Low Tide: -0.36 ft Low Tide: 11:33 AM -0.19 ft High Tide: 0.84 ft High Tide: 6:48 PM 0.80 ft Low Tide: 0.45 ft High Tide:

12:12 AM 6:04 AM 12:04 PM 6:54 PM

0.28 ft 0.67 ft 0.03 ft 0.76 ft

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

12:56 AM 7:36 AM 12:36 PM 6:51 PM

0.09 ft 0.63 ft 0.27 ft 0.75 ft

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

1:47 AM 9:31 AM 1:06 PM 6:34 PM

-0.12 ft 0.66 ft 0.53 ft 0.80 ft

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE LE VEL GRAPH: Yellow: Daylight Tab: Peak Fishing Period Green: Falling Tide Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

12a

BEST:

7:05-9:40 PM

12p

SOLUNAR AC TIVIT Y: 12a

AM/PM Timeline Light Blue: Nighttime

MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.)

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the 12a Sky

Moon Overhead: 8:50a

Gold Fish: Best Time Blue Fish: Good Time

AM/PM Timeline

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

12p

MOON PHASE SYMBOLS MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)

12a

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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

F i s h

= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = L a s t Q u a r te r = B es t Da y

G a m e / F E B R U A R Y

2 0 0 9

•

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+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

Sunrise: 7:05a Set: 5:57p Moonrise: 11:52a Set: 1:17a

Sunrise: 7:04a Set: 5:58p Moonrise: 12:45p Set: 2:25a

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Sunrise: 7:03a Moonrise: 1:47p

Set: 5:58p Set: 3:32a

Sunrise: 7:03a Moonrise: 2:55p

Set: 5:59p Set: 4:34a

Sunrise: 7:02a Moonrise: 4:07p

Set: 6:00p Set: 5:29a

Sunrise: 7:01a Moonrise: 5:19p

Set: 6:01p Set: 6:18a

Sunrise: 7:01a Moonrise: 6:28p

Set: 6:02p Set: 6:59a

AM Minor: 11:34a

PM Minor: ——-

AM Minor: 12:00a

PM Minor: 12:31p

AM Minor: 12:57a

PM Minor: 1:29p

AM Minor: 1:54a

PM Minor: 2:26p

AM Minor: 2:51a

PM Minor: 3:22p

AM Minor: 3:48a

PM Minor: 4:17p

AM Minor: 4:43a

PM Minor: 5:10p

AM Major: 5:20a

PM Major: 5:49p

AM Major: 6:16a

PM Major: 6:46p

AM Major: 7:13a

PM Major: 7:45p

AM Major: 8:10a

PM Major: 8:42p

AM Major: 9:07a

PM Major: 9:38p

AM Major: 10:02a

PM Major: 10:32p

AM Major: 10:57a

PM Major: 11:24p

Moon Overhead: 7:06p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:11p

Moon Overhead: 8:07p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:15p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: None

Moon Overhead: 11:16p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:13a 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for FEBRUARY 2009

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 6:36a +2.0

-1.0

BEST:

5:35-7:20 PM

6:30-8:25 PM

7:20-9:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 9:43a BEST:

8:25-10:40 PM

Moon Underfoot: 10:46a BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 11:45a BEST:

9:20-11:45 PM

10:15-11:59 PM

Moon Underfoot: 12:40p +2.0

BEST:

4:30-6:30 AM

TIDE LEVELS

Moon Underfoot: 8:39a

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 7:36a

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

C20

2:45 AM 11:57 AM 1:23 PM 6:08 PM

-0.33 ft Low Tide: 3:51 AM 0.77 ft High Tide: 5:48 PM 0.77 ft 0.90 ft

• F E B R U A R Y

-0.53 ft Low Tide: 5:01 AM 1.02 ft High Tide: 4:55 PM

2 0 0 9 /

T E X A S

-0.72 ft Low Tide: 6:10 AM 1.12 ft High Tide: 4:05 PM

F i s h

-0.88 ft Low Tide: 1.18 ft High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

G a m e / A L M A N A C

7:13 AM 4:22 PM 9:22 PM 10:29 PM

-0.99 ft Low Tide: 8:10 AM 1.18 ft High Tide: 4:42 PM 1.07 ft Low Tide: 8:58 PM 1.07 ft

-1.03 ft High Tide: 12:43 AM 1.07 ft 1.12 ft Low Tide: 9:03 AM -0.97 ft 0.95 ft High Tide: 5:02 PM 1.04 ft

+1.0

-1.0

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Page C22

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

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Sunrise: 7:00a Moonrise: 7:34p

Set: 6:03p Set: 7:36a

Sunrise: 6:59a Moonrise: 8:36p

Set: 6:03p Set: 8:09a

Sunrise: 6:58a Moonrise: 9:37p

Set: 6:04p Set: 8:41a

AM Minor: 5:37a

PM Minor: 6:02p

AM Minor: 6:30a

PM Minor: 6:54p

AM Minor: 7:23a

PM Minor: 7:46p

AM Minor: 8:15a

PM Minor: 8:38p

AM Minor: 9:07a

PM Minor: 9:30p

AM Minor: 9:58a

PM Minor: 10:22p

AM Minor: 10:49a

PM Minor: 11:13p

AM Major: 11:50a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 12:18a

PM Major: 12:42p

AM Major: 1:11a

PM Major: 1:34p

AM Major: 2:03a

PM Major: 2:27p

AM Major: 2:55a

PM Major: 3:19p

AM Major: 3:46a

PM Major: 4:10p

AM Major: 4:36a

PM Major: 5:01p

Moon Overhead: 1:06a

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:42a

Moon Overhead: 1:55a 12a

12p

Sunrise: 6:57a Set: 6:05p Moonrise: 10:37p Set: 9:13a

12a

12p

Sunrise: 6:57a Set: 6:06p Moonrise: 11:37p Set: 9:47a

SUNDAY

Moon Overhead: 3:28a 12a

12p

Sunrise: 6:56a Set: 6:07p Sunrise: 6:55a Set: 6:07p Moonrise: NoMoon Set: 10:23a Moonrise: 12:36a Set: 11:02a

Moon Overhead: 5:02a

Moon Overhead: 4:15a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:51a 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times for FEBRUARY 2009

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 1:31p +2.0

BEST:

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 3:52p

BEST:

12:50-3:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 5:26p

Moon Underfoot: 6:16p +2.0

BEST:

1:50-3:45 AM

2:35-4:40 AM

3:25-5:20 AM

4:15-6:05 AM

TIDE LEVELS

12:10-2:20 AM

Moon Underfoot: 4:38p

TIDE LEVELS

Moon Underfoot: 3:05p

BEST:

12:01-1:30 AM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 2:19p

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

C22

2:08 AM 9:52 AM 5:21 PM 10:08 PM

1.06 ft -0.82 ft 0.95 ft 0.54 ft

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

• F E B R U A R Y

3:25 AM 10:38 AM 5:40 PM 10:52 PM

1.02 ft -0.58 ft 0.87 ft 0.30 ft

2 0 0 9 /

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

T E X A S

4:39 AM 11:21 AM 5:58 PM 11:39 PM

0.95 ft High Tide: 5:55 AM 0.87 ft -0.29 ft Low Tide: 12:01 PM 0.02 ft 0.82 ft High Tide: 6:14 PM 0.78 ft 0.08 ft

F i s h

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

G a m e / A L M A N A C

12:29 AM 7:16 AM 12:38 PM 6:28 PM

-0.10 ft 0.80 ft 0.32 ft 0.78 ft

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

1:21 AM 8:50 AM 1:08 PM 6:34 PM

-0.23 ft 0.77 ft 0.57 ft 0.79 ft

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

2:19 AM 10:59 AM 1:06 PM 6:05 PM

-0.31 ft 0.79 ft 0.77 ft 0.83 ft

+1.0

-1.0

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Tides and Prime Times for FEBRUARY 2009 MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

16 SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Set: 6:08p Sunrise: 6:53a Set: 11:46a Moonrise: 2:27a

Set: 6:09p Sunrise: 6:52a Set: 12:34p Moonrise: 3:17a

Set: 6:10p Set: 1:26p

Sunrise: 6:51a Moonrise: 4:04a

Set: 6:10p Set: 2:21p

Sunrise: 6:50a Moonrise: 4:45a

Set: 6:11p Set: 3:18p

Sunrise: 6:49a Moonrise: 5:23a

Set: 6:12p Set: 4:15p

Sunrise: 6:48a Moonrise: 5:57a

Set: 6:12p Set: 5:13p

AM Minor: 11:38a

PM Minor: ——-

AM Minor: 12:01a

PM Minor: 12:26p

AM Minor: 12:47a

PM Minor: 1:12p

AM Minor: 1:33a

PM Minor: 1:57p

AM Minor: 2:17a

PM Minor: 2:41p

AM Minor: 3:00a

PM Minor: 3:23p

AM Minor: 3:42a

PM Minor: 4:04p

AM Major: 5:25a

PM Major: 5:50p

AM Major: 6:13a

PM Major: 6:39p

AM Major: 7:00a

PM Major: 7:25p

AM Major: 7:45a

PM Major: 8:10p

AM Major: 8:29a

PM Major: 8:53p

AM Major: 9:11a

PM Major: 9:35p

AM Major: 9:53a

PM Major: 10:16p

Moon Overhead: 6:41a

12a

FRIDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 8:21a

Moon Overhead: 7:31a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:11a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:47a

Moon Overhead: 10:00a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 11:32a 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 6:54a Moonrise: 1:33a

THURSDAY

= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r te r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarter = Best Day

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 7:06p

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 9:35p

Moon Underfoot: 10:23p

BEST:

5:15-6:55 AM

6:00-7:50 AM

6:45-8:40 AM

1:15-3:20 AM

2:00-4:10 AM

Moon Underfoot: 11:10p BEST:

8:55AM-:12:20PM

Moon Underfoot: 11:54p +2.0

BEST:

9:40-11:55 AM TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 8:46p

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 7:56p

Low Tide: 3:25 AM High Tide: 4:00 PM

-0.34 ft Low Tide: 4:38 AM 0.93 ft High Tide: 4:08 PM

-0.37 ft Low Tide: 5:48 AM 1.00 ft High Tide: 4:34 PM

-0.39 ft Low Tide: 6:48 AM 1.03 ft High Tide: 4:52 PM

-0.42 ft Low Tide: 1.03 ft High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

7:35 AM 4:46 PM 9:24 PM 11:28 PM

-0.43 ft Low Tide: 8:14 AM 1.00 ft High Tide: 4:33 PM 0.92 ft Low Tide: 8:51 PM 0.94 ft

-0.42 ft High Tide: 12:42 AM 0.96 ft Low Tide: 8:46 AM 0.87 ft High Tide: 4:32 PM Low Tide: 8:53 PM

0.97 ft -0.39 ft 0.95 ft 0.78 ft

+1.0

-1.0

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Page C24

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

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 6:47a Moonrise: 6:28a

Set: 6:13p Set: 6:09p

Sunrise: 6:46a Moonrise: 6:58a

Set: 6:14p Set: 7:06p

Sunrise: 6:45a Moonrise: 7:27a

Set: 6:15p Set: 8:03p

Sunrise: 6:44a Moonrise: 7:58a

Set: 6:15p Set: 9:02p

Sunrise: 6:43a Moonrise: 8:30a

AM Minor: 4:24a

PM Minor: 4:46p

AM Minor: 5:08a

PM Minor: 5:29p

AM Minor: 5:53a

PM Minor: 6:14p

AM Minor: 6:40a

PM Minor: 7:03p

AM Major: 10:35a

PM Major: 10:57p

AM Major: 10:53a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 11:38a

PM Major: 12:03p

AM Major: 12:29a

PM Major: 12:52p

Moon Overhead: 12:16p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:41p

Moon Overhead: 12:58p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:26p

SATURDAY

12a

12p

MAR 1

Set: 6:16p Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 10:04p Moonrise: 9:07a

Set: 6:17p Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 11:09p Moonrise: 9:49a

Set: 6:17p Set: None

AM Minor: 7:32a

PM Minor: 7:55p

AM Minor: 8:27a

PM Minor: 8:52p

AM Minor: 9:25a

PM Minor: 9:53p

AM Major: 1:20a

PM Major: 1:44p

AM Major: 2:14a

PM Major: 2:40p

AM Major: 3:11a

PM Major: 3:39p

Moon Overhead: 4:04p

Moon Overhead: 3:13p 12a

SUNDAY

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:00p 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times for FEBRUARY 2009

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: None +2.0

BEST:

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 2:03a

BEST:

12:00-2:10 PM

12:40-2:50 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:38a

Moon Underfoot: 4:32a +2.0

BEST:

1:25-3:30 PM

2:25-4:20 PM

3:20-5:30 PM

TIDE LEVELS

10:40AM-1:15PM

Moon Underfoot: 2:49a

TIDE LEVELS

Moon Underfoot: 1:20a

BEST:

10:15AM-12:30PM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 12:37a

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

C24

1:40 AM 9:15 AM 4:40 PM 9:15 PM

0.99 ft -0.33 ft 0.93 ft 0.66 ft

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

• F E B R U A R Y

2:35 AM 9:43 AM 4:51 PM 9:44 PM

0.99 ft -0.23 ft 0.92 ft 0.52 ft

2 0 0 9 /

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

T E X A S

3:30 AM 10:12 AM 5:03 PM 10:17 PM

0.99 ft -0.09 ft 0.90 ft 0.36 ft

F i s h

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

4:28 AM 10:43 AM 5:13 PM 10:52 PM

0.99 ft 0.08 ft 0.88 ft 0.18 ft

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

G a m e / A L M A N A C

5:31 AM 11:16 AM 5:18 PM 11:31 PM

0.98 ft 0.29 ft 0.87 ft 0.00 ft

High Tide: 6:44 AM 0.98 ft Low Tide: 11:50 AM 0.52 ft High Tide: 5:15 PM 0.89 ft

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

12:16 AM 8:10 AM 12:23 PM 5:01 PM

-0.17 ft 0.99 ft 0.76 ft 0.96 ft

+1.0

-1.0

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10:19 AM

Abu Garcia STX10— Lighty Mighty IGHT TACKLE COASTAL ANGLERS NEED A REEL that’s smooth, dependable, and stands up to both fresh- and saltwater use, yet weighs as little as possible and can toss lines thin enough to use with 1/16-ounce lures. That’s a tall order, because most reels small enough to do the job are made for use in ponds and lakes, so they quickly disintegrate when used in the corrosive marine environment. It’s also why you will be pleased to discover that Abu Garcia has introduced a downsized version of its new Soron spinning reels, the STX10, which is built with the same HPCR (high precision corrosion resistant) bearings as its bigger brothers. The rest of the STX10 (like the entire Soron line) is also designed for life in the brine. Gears are made from heavy-duty corrosion-resistant brass, and the body, rotor, and bail arm are made of X-Craftic, a corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy. Bonus feature: This aluminum alloy also makes for a lightweight reel, and the STX10 comes in at a mere 8.2 ounces. The gear ratio is a whopping 5.1:1, which means that every revolution of the crank retrieves 2 feet of line, well above average for a reel of this size. Larger sizes in the Soron line also outcrank the competition, with gear ratios between 4.8 and 5.1:1. These reels also make life easier for braid anglers, because

Page C25

the “Superline” spools will not let modern braids spin around the

spool the way it does on some reels. That eliminates the need to back your braid with a shot of monofilament. I tested the Soron by spooling up with 125 yards of 12-pound-test/6-pound diameter line and casting jigs in the shallows. The drag worked well on the redfish that attacked my offering, proving both smooth and beefy enough to crank down and apply some heat. And, after a full day of saltwater use, I made sure I didn’t even rinse the reel off. The next week, I had the opportunity to give it a real abuse test: 20knot winds made the bay frothy and rough, and the reel took gallons of spray as I cruised to my hotspots. Again, after a full day fishing, I didn’t rinse it off. Three weeks later, the Soron still doesn’t show a hint of corrosion, earning it a big salty thumbs-up for light tackle use in the brine. Contact: Abu Garcia, 800-2284272, www.abu-garcia.com —Lenny Rudow •••

Dig- & Knot-Free FireLine Braid

Berkley has a new FireLine that improves upon what was already the greatest line advancement anglers have seen in decades. The new FireLine Braid features “Radial Construction,” which forms a rounder line. Rounder lines lay onto the spool more uniformly and do not spill over from one coil on top of another. This prevents the line from digging in, and after spooling up three different reels with this stuff and using it for several months, I haven’t had a single problem in this regard. Wind knots are also definitely reduced. So far, I have had exactly one using the FireLine Braid, while in the past, I would have expected at least three or four by now. This is particularly impressive when you consider that I spent a good deal of that time casting light topwater poppers, which are particularly prone to causing tangles because the line goes slack then taunt then slack again as you retrieve it. One thing about the new FireLine hasn’t changed a bit: There is almost zero stretch in this line, and when a fish so much as sniffs at your lure, you can feel it from a mile away. There is also no increase in line diameter, and if anything, it is even thinner compared to mono. The 15pound-test diameter, for example, compares to 4-pound monofilament; 40-pound FireLine Braid is the same size as 10-pound mono; 80-pound spools like 15-pound. Contact: Pure Fishing USA, 800-2375539, berkley@purefishing.com, www.Berkley-fishing.com —LR

If you are sick and tired of braid digging into the spool and impossible wind knots, A L M A N A C / T E X A S

F i s h

G a m e / F E B R U A R Y

2 0 0 9

•

C25

ALMANAC C.qxd:ALMANAC C

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rivals the best tied flies, and made to tackle Fishskin Bucktail Teaser the toughest fish, even offshore species like dolphin and tuna. The Fishskin Bucktail Teaser comes in 3” and 3-3/4” lengths on 3/0 and 5/0 stainless hooks. The teasers can also be used to change out the hooks on your favorite plugs and poppers to make them even more productive. If you fish with teasers already know they are effective, but unless you’ve fished the remarkable Fishskin Bucktail Teaser you don’t know just how effective they can really be. Step up to the hottest teaser ever offered, quality made to last. For more information on the complete line ProFishCo products go to www.profishco.com, or email them at info@profishco.com C26

• F E B R U A R Y

2 0 0 9 /

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New 500 Series SportPort Docking Systems After several years of design development and testing, SportPort announces the release of their latest and greatest docking system. “These new products incorporate all the changes and improvements we’ve been dreaming of for some time. Many of the features came from suggestions from our customer and dealer base. We’re just trying to give people what they want” said Dave Rueckert, President of SportPort The new system provides modularity and flexibility unequaled in prior models. SportPort customers can now add extra walk space and even access piers basically any way they want. The new 500 Series with foam-core technology is the only modular and unsinkable system in the world. (114) The modular design is the standard in the industry. It allows your system to change with your needs by simply reconfiguring the components to accommodate a multitude of vessel sizes and types. The system can be configured to accommodate Personal Watercraft, kayaks, canoes, Outboards, I/O’s, even rowing shells. The large foam cored panels provide

excellent stability under foot. All components are made of 100% noncorrosive materials for a long and useful life. Contact: SportPort Docking Systems, Inc. Phone: 888-WHY-WORK Email: info@sportport.com Web: www.sportport.com.

Smart Strike Series This Striker is the perfect companion to the Commando Friction Call arsenal. The Smart Strike II and III has a composite tip for all weather use on a friction Smart Striker call and includes a built-in Locator call that produces the voice of a hawk scream or a peacock, but may also be used in the same cadence as a crow. You won’t find this with any other game call company, this patent pending product made from aluminum turned on our CNC equipment will not be prone to breaking or cracking which

Waterproof Striker Tip

SportPort 500 Docking System

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Locator Call Reed can happen with plastic or wooden locator calls. Pick up this product and you will be “commanding the wild” with the multi functional Smart Strike Series. Contact your local hunting products retail store for this product and other fine Commando Hunting Products, or go to www.commandthewild.com.

Anglers Hooked on Beast Owner’s new Beast Hooks with TwistLock Centering-Pin Spring (CPS) are designed for weedless-style rigging of larger plastics like big swimbaits, flukes, tubes and creature baits. With its TwistLOCK Centering-Pin Spring (CPS - patent pending) attached to the hook eye, baits can be permanently secured rigged perfect everytime! Quick-drop shank below eye allows for rigging fat-headed baits, and maximum gap allows for improved hook sets because of better bait clearance. The non-movable weight attached (5130W) not only helps to sink or swim a rigged bait down into the strike zone, but because the weight is positioned so low on the shank, it provides a keel effect. As a result, when rigging large Owner Beast swimbaits with TwistLOCK weedless-style, plastics swim naturally (as opposed to rolling or flipping where weights are inserted inside soft baits). Ideal for both fresh and saltwater fishing, features include a TwistLOCK Centering-Pin Spring (CPS - patent pending) attached to the hook eye, maximum gap, a XXX-strong forged

OWNER MODEL # 5130W-024 5130W-046 5130W-068 5130W-080 5130-141 5130-161 5130-181 5130-201

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shank, Super Needle Point, and black chrome finish. Contact: Owner American Corporation, 3199-B Airport Loop Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Phone: (714) 668-9011 Fax: (714) 668-9133. Web: www.ownerhooks.com

MC Saltwater Tackles Texas Offshore MC Saltwater Tackle is a Texas-based small business that hand-crafts offshore fishing leaders from the highest quality components available today. We offer a wide variety of line types and tests, hooks, weights, and connections so you can choose the perfect rig for your fishing needs. With our high quality components and our attention to detail you can rest assured that you will be able to bring up that fish of

MC Saltwater offshore leaders

a lifetime. Like fishing for beeliners and bringing up a monster grouper or fishing for amberjack and bringing up a huge shark. Our wind-ons and topshots were developed to bring down the cost of custom tuna tackle withAMERICAN BEAST HOOK SELECTION: out compromisDESCRIPTION SIZE Qty SRP ing quality. The Weighted Beast w/ Twistlock 4/0 - 1/8oz. 3 8.00 reef donkey, Weighted Beast w/ Twistlock 6/0 - 1/4oz. 3 10.00 Tequila shot, and Weighted Beast w/ Twistlock 8/0 - 3/8oz. 3 10.00 monster shark Weighted Beast w/ Twistlock 10/0 - 1/2oz. 2 11.00 leaders were Beast w/ Twistlock 4/0 3 7.00 added to our Beast w/ Twistlock 6/0 3 9.00 arsenal this sumBeast w/ Twistlock 8/0 3 9.00 mer based on Beast w/ Twistlock 10/0 2 10.00 specific cusA L M A N A C / T E X A S

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tomers needs. So if you do not see what you need on our webpage, give us a call and we can custom make any leader according to your specifications. When everything is on the line, remember that the leader in leaders is mcsaltwatertackle.com, where the products are made by fishermen for fishermen. For more information – visit: www.mcsaltwatertackle.com or call 832605-4183.

Mossberg Takes On Mother Nature Mossberg’s J.I.C. (Just In Case) features the venerable 500 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, with an 18.5” cylinder-bore barrel, brass bead front sight, 3” chamber, synthetic pistol grip and forend, and sling swivel studs. The “Case” is an impact resistant, floating tube. The resealable top makes it airtight and waterproof (to a depth of 40 feet); and a nylon carrying strap makes it portable. The J.I.C. Sandstorm™ features a desert camo finish on gun and carrying tube. It is joined by the blued J.I.C. Cruiser, and the J.I.C. Mariner, with Mossberg’s proprietary Marinecote™ finish. J.I.C.™ Sandstorm® kit includes: 500® 12 gauge pump-action, 6-round capacity, 18-1/2” barrel, bead sight, desert camo metal finish; Floating desert camo synthetic carrying-tube with nylon shoulder strap (Tube includes a heavy-duty synthetic seal, factory tested to be airMossberg tight JIC Sandstorm and waterproof to a minimum of 17psi or 40’ when properly installed); Gun lock; Swivel studs; Owner’s manual. For more details on the JIC or the complete line of commercial, special purpose, law enforcement and military shotguns, rifles and accessories, please call your local Mossberg dealer or visit us online at www.mossberg.com.

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ference between the two reels is the 100 fast. The Plus has 11 ball bearings. “It also SHA can accommodate has what we call a swept handle design heavier lines, giving which reduces reel wobble and increasgreater line capacity. A es cranking power,” said Malkin. magnesium body From HVF (high volume accounts for the light fiber) to SVF (super volume weight. fiber), matching up the new In inshore saltwater Daiwa reels is easy with the AIWA CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY reels, Daiwa’s focus in new Daiwa rods. Team Daiwa by introducing several new products. 2009 is four different Zillion rods are available in different Some of the new products include coastal open-face spinning lengths and actions. The Steez Fle-XTeam Daiwa Zillion, Steez, and reels. “They are pretty much bullet Lite bass rods combine the elements of Megaforce Plus ultra high-speed bait-casting proof,” said Malkin. “Totally corrofiberglass with super high volume Now: reels. The Coastal 2500-4000 spinning reels, sion resistant, aluminum bodied graphite. The Saltist Boat Rods are Coastal Inshore very durable composite rods. and the new levelwind Saltist reels are new reels, with seven corrosion resistant 2500 Spinning additions in the saltwater reel line. ball bearings, plus a roller bearing. Daiwa introduces for 2009 three Reel New are the Team Daiwa Zillion high- All reels have digital gearing making new saltwater lures: the Daiwa Salt speed special edition bait-casting reels, for a super smooth, powerful retrieve Minnow, Daiwa Chugger Minnow, referred to as “hyper speed.” with no wobble.” and Daiwa Salt Pro Minnow, all described as Team Daiwa Zillion hyper speed reels All Coastal spinning reels have a 5.3:1 jerkbaits. “They have 3-D eyes, realistic scale have the world’s fastest gear ratio—7.3:1— retrieve. patterns, and great actions,” said Malkin. for any compact bait-cast fishing reels. It is priThe big news for 2009 in the Saltist reel The lures can be tied onto the new Daiwa marily a bass reel, but because it has 11 corline is that all new models are casting lines—Megaforce Distance for optirosion resistant ball bearings, it is also a level wind. “We have had our mum casting, or the abrasion resistant great reel for inshore saltwater, especially conventional Saltist reels for several Megaforce Tough. for Texas anglers fishing for speckled trout years, but the new models are level winds, To store and organize your new lures, and redfish. six new models ranging from a 20 Daiwa introduces a new lineup of soft tackle The advantage of the 7.3:1 size to a 50 size,” said Malkin. bags, the Tierra Cay Tackle Organizer series. retrieve for the angler is the ability “There is a variety of gear “We offer the whole gamut now. Not only to cover a lot of water very quickratios; a slower 4.9:1 to a great rods and reels, but also lures and accesly. “It rips in 32 inches of line high speed 6.1:1 and sories,” said Malkin. with each turn of the handle,” 6.4:1. Contact: Daiwa, 562-802-9589, said Marc Malkin, CommunicaThe Megaforce Reels www.daiwa.com tions Manager for Daiwa. “It also are now available in a high—Tom Behrens pays off when you have a fish coming speed model. The Megaforce Then: fast toward the boat. You can keep is a unique reel design that Daiwa’s “Type 1” up with it, take line in fast, and keep employs a thumb activated Reel pressure on the fish.” twitching bar. An angler can OW CAN YOU TELL IF A COMPANY IS AS GOOD On the other end of the speed incrementally work a jig or worm as its advertising said it is? Does its spectrum is the new Zillion 4.9:1 cranking along the bottom with one hand. Press comadvertising seem to make sense and reel—great for working high torque lures such pletely down on the bar, and it cranks in 7 really tell you something about the as deep-diving crank- and jerkbaits. It has inches of line; push slightly on the thumb bar, company and its products or services? many of the same features as the 7.3:1 high- and you can vary the pickup distance of line. Several questions provide clues to makspeed version, but a slower, higher power When you are ready to set the hook, there is ing a decision about a company. How long retrieve. no slack. has it been in business? How long has its New in the Steez reel line are the magneThe new Megaforce Plus Ultra Speed employees been working there? How many sium bodied 103 SHA and 100 SHA, both also features a high speed 7.1:1 retrieve; the industry awards has the company won? boasting a high-speed ratio of 7.1:1. The dif- best of both worlds, extremely slow and ultra Texas Marine, with four locations in

Daiwa’s 50th

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF TEXAS MARINE OF BEAUMONT

Southeast Texas, has positive answers to all of the above questions. Mike Hebert started the company 28 years ago on a corner in Beaumont with just himself, two employees, and three boats. The company has grown to four locations, still has the original location in Beaumont, plus locations in Conroe, Seabrook, and League City. Robert Stokes, VP of Sales, and Phil Stark, Director of Service, have worked for Texas Marine for close to 20 years. Employees have the chance to purchase stock in the dealership, which builds cohesiveness in the company; if employees want a good return on their stock, they had better be good at whatever they do in their jobs. Texas Marine has been one of the top 100 boat dealers in the United States for the last four years in a row, as certified by Marine Retailers Association of America. In 2007, it was the No. 1 dealer in Texas for Yamaha Outboards and one of Ranger Boats top 10 dealers in the United States. It has won the Ranger 5-Star Award, which is given only to Ranger dealers that meet the

highest customer satisfaction levels. One of the company ’s most coveted awards is the 2006 Southeast Texas Better Business Bureau Torch Award in the Large Business classification. The Torch Award is given for marketplace ethics and service to the customer. “This award means a lot to us because it’s recognition by the Better Business Bureau and our peers,” said Hebert. Texas Marine is known as the fisherman’s headquarters. “We have been called that before because

we have Ranger, which makes bass boats and some really great saltwater bay boats; plus Stratos, Nautic Star, and Blue Wave,” said Hebert. “We have been the No. 1 Blue Wave and Nautic Star dealer in the nation for many years.” Hebert said he learned a long time ago to take care of his customers: “Give them a good quality product that they are going to be satisfied with, and take care of them when they need support or help. They are going to come back for their second, third, or fourth boat, and they are going to be our friends. “There are not many boat dealers around that have been in business for 28

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Uberti Winchester NE OF THE FIRST MOVIES I CAN EVER remember seeing was “Winchester ‘73” starring Jimmy Stewart. It was a rather dark movie for that time (filmed in 1950), dealing with one brother trailing down another brother for killing their father. The movie revolved around a “1 of 1000” Winchester Model 73 that Jimmy Stewart’s character won in a shooting contest. The bad brother stole it and then lost it in a poker game. It went through the hands of a low-life gun trader, an Indian chief, a cavalry trooper, a cowardly dude, and a crazy outlaw before the final showdown. Of course, Jimmy won, got his gun back, and the girl too. I have wanted a Winchester ‘73 ever since. Unfortunately, the Winchester ‘73 and the short WCF (Winchester Center Fire) series of cartridges were pretty much extinct for many years. The rifles became collector’s items and too expensive for me to own, much less shoot. The cartridges for the .38-40 and .44-40 were hard to find, but the .32-20 was

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still seen occasionally, usually in an old Winchester Model 92. Recently, the WCF cartridges have seen a rebirth and Cowboy Action Shooting is the reason. CAS is one of the fastest growing of the shooting sports. It is fast paced, lots of fun, and allows the romantically inclined to step back into the era of the Lone Ranger and Matt Dillon— the “Golden Days of Yesteryear” when men were men, women were all pure and virtuous, and the good guys always won. I’m all for it! Since the advent of CAS, a number of manufacturers have heeded the call for modern versions of the old rifles and handguns. Where a few years ago there were none, there is now a huge selection available. You can expect to see a few more covered here in the coming months. I recently received an Uberti-made Winchester Model 73 in .44 WCF that is such a gun, and it is gorgeous. The blue is deep and dark, the wood high quality and well fitted to the metal. The action is smooth and feeds

flawlessly. The receiver is color case-hardened, contrasting vividly with the bluing. I filled the tubular magazine with Winchester .44-40 ammo, put on my white hat, and took a stroll down Main Street to my range. I tacked up an old pistol silhouette target I had left over from my Border Patrol days, paced off 25 yards, and fired five fast shots at the target, center mass. The rifle worked flawlessly and all the shots went to point of aim, right in the center of Black Bart’s chest. Backing off another 25 yards, I shot another five-shot group, again center, again a nice small group. At 100 yards, I had to raise the sights a couple of notches, but the groups were still nice and tight, about 4 inches center-to-center. That is about as good as I can shoot an old open sight. I have been playing with the Uberti Model 73 now for a couple of months. I have found it to be a well-built, very accurate, very handsome reproduction that is true to the era. Comparing it to photos of the real thing, I can’t see any significant difference. I have decided that an old-timer so armed wasn’t at much disadvantage at all. —Steve LaMascus

INDUSTRY INSIDER Continued from Page C29 years. We are proud of that, not because we are smarter, but because our customers keep us in business, keep coming back. I think my No. 1 customer is on his fourteenth boat he has bought from me.” Having four locations all selling the same boats is a plus for the customer. Hebert explained that a dealer with only one location limits what is available to prospective boat buyers. Four locations stock four times the inventory of a single location dealer. “People love to see selection; they like C30

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to have 5 or 10 of the same model to choose from,” said Hebert. “They may want a different color or different option, different size motor. That’s an advantage we have when they come to us versus maybe a stand-alone dealer. If we don’t have it in one store, we may have what they want in one of our other three stores. “A lot of people have already looked, planned, surfed the internet, studied the boats, and know as much about the boat as we do when they come in. Once they made the decision to buy, they want it right then. Because of the size of our service department, we can get their boat ready and F i s h

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deliver immediately. We take them to the water and show them how to use their new boat. They don’t have to wait a month or two for the boat to be built.” Texas Marine sells more than just fishing boats. They also sell pontoon boats, pleasure boats by Chaparral and Yamaha, offshore boats by Robalo, and even big cruisers. “No matter if you are looking for a 16foot fishing boat or a 50-foot offshore boat, we have you covered from A to Z.” Contact: Texas Marine, www.texasmarine.com —TB

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A Trio of Firsts HERE DID THE SEASONS GO? ONLY yesterday, I was bundling them in camo “Smurf ” clothing to lead them into the “wilderness” of the Texas Hill Country to teach them how to

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pitch a tent, build a fire, bait a hook, and gut a deer. So what if they were only 5 or 6 years old? They needed to know this stuff in case Global Warming struck Kerrville and threatened HEB. Their momma’s had traveled this same path many years ago before braces, boys, and college. I can still hear their footsteps in the crunch of fall leaves and the whisper of a fading north wind. It’s opening day of deer season. I’m sitting in a ground blind with a 14-year-old old grandson, who is clutching his bow tightly enough to leave imprints, and swiveling his head like early warning radar. It’s his first bowhunt. He’s already practiced drawing three times, and it’s not even daylight. “Don’t want to get stiff, Pappaw,” he said.

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Special Hunting Section

That same morning, another grandson, Ben age nine, was hunting with his daddy a few canyons over. We didn’t hear any shots from their direction. After getting Peyton’s deer loaded, we went to pick them up. Sure enough, they had seen only cows and one deer. Seeing Peyton’s doe, Ben said, “I want to hunt where you were this morning.” “Okay,” was all Peyton said with a shrug, and the stage was set for another “first.” After a nutritious lunch of Spam sandwiches, popcorn balls, and cheese, we went back to swap areas. And swap we did. All afternoon, we counted cows and spent qual-

ity time sweating in a nylon blind. I looked for deer while Peyton chased cows and explored how far he could stretch out before tipping over the blind. That point was somewhere shorter than he was, so that left him lying in a semi-fetal position looking out the opening with one eye. Short of meeting a suicidal deer, it wasn’t likely we were going to be celebrating another hunting moment. Just as well, for he wasn’t staying “limber” enough to draw his bow, anyway. About then, I heard a shot from Blind 3, where Ben was hunting. It didn’t take much to get Peyton to pack up and go check on Ben. On our way, we heard another shot. Blind 3 again. This was getting interesting. When we drove around the bend, there was Ben jumping in the air waving both arms in the headlights. He was pointing at something on the ground.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JERRY WRIGHT

I was already stiff and praying for daylight. Before long, the soft glow of morning light began to creep over the tops of mixed cedar, mesquite, and oaks, painting the grassy opening a faint gray. Darkness grudgingly gave way to shadows, shadows to light. “I see something,” he whispered. “It’s just a cow,” I said. “Oh,” was his dejected answer. “Hey,” I said. “I see one, no, two doe’s to my left. Don’t move.” The deer cautiously crossed, stopping on the other side of the clearing. “One’s turning and heading our way,” I whispered. “Where are they? I can’t see anything but right in front,” he said. “Get ready,” I said. “One’s going to walk right in front of the blind, about 15 yards.” He drew back on faith, aimed at nothing but the opening, and waited. Sure enough, the doe walked right in front of the blind and stopped. I didn’t even have time to say, “Shoot.” He’d already shot. “I hit her! I hit her!” he said. “Yeah, looked like a perfect heart shot and your arrow went clean through,” I said. His grin was something to behold, framed by the reflections off the labors of a happy orthodontist. He couldn’t believe it. His first bowhunt and he had actually gotten a deer! He had to start calling what were—at the time—his friends at 7 a.m.

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Special Hunting Section “Well, tell us all about it,” I said getting out of the truck. “Pappaw! Pappaw! Come look!” he said. Taking my hand, he led me to a clump of dead oaks. A pretty seven-point buck lay there. “I shot him in the neck, he dropped right down!” Mark, his dad, was grinning and said, “When the buck stepped out, Ben said, ‘He’s huge! Shoot him daddy!’ I just handed over the .243 and his eyes got wide as saucers,” Mark said. “He started breathing like a bellows and shaking like a dog getting his back scratched. “I thought I heard two shots,” I said. “You did,” Mark said. “He shot a doe earlier. Shot it in the neck, too!” Another “first.” All week, I got grief from two other grandchildren who wanted their turn. So, Friday after school, we headed out, stopping at Buc-ee’s long enough to potty and pick up some jerky. Dark-thirty a.m. found Adrienne, age 14, and me sitting in Blind 3, waiting for daylight. “When it’s light enough to barely see like

Trophy Fever now,” I said, “you only want to tickle the horns to check what’s close. Like this...” I lightly struck the horns together and gave them a twist or two. “Pappaw, Pappaw,” she whispered. “There’s a deer!” A doe was coming to investigate. I figured that doe probably had a buck close by and quickly looked behind her. Sure enough, the tips of horns were coming out of the brush. “Quick, get your gun up!” I said. The eight-pointer came out fast and stood right behind a bush. She couldn’t get a shot. “Don’t shoot,” I said. “When he moves, I’ll stop him.” The buck stood there frozen what seemed like forever, staring us down. Then it turned toward the brush. I let out a loud, Braaaah! It froze and she shot. Another “first” happened. “Pappaw,” she said, her eyes shining with tears of joy and smiling like a mule eating briars. “That was just awesome!” And it was. •••

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Backyard Trophy Hog Hunt N TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2008, I NOTICED that my backyard was torn up as if someone tilled up a 50x50-foot area. Upon further inspection and to my disbelief, I noticed signs that it could be the work of hogs (tracks and droppings). I called some friends to locate some traps. By that afternoon, the traps were out and baited with corn. For the next couple of days, more of my

by Robbie Rossi, TFG Reader

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Special Hunting Section

Trophy Fever

Hog dogs chased down the marauding porker. The chain-link fence in the background borders Jefferson County Airport.

The socialized hog made a mess of the author’s backyard.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROBBIE ROSSI

Left to right is Clint Oliver, Kane Simon, Robbie Rossi III, and the author, Robbie Rossi, Jr., with the captured marauder. ing across the street into a neighbor’s garden. Since she had not gone into the trap and was still eating my yard instead of the corn, I decided it was time to take her. I called some friends to bring their dogs. My buddies with some dogs and I went on the hunt about 4:30 p.m., and before dark, we had her tied up—a black sow about 130 pounds. This was been one exiting week Hog Hunting in Beauxart Garden. —TF&G Reader, Robbie Rossi

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Hog Hunt Challenge UST BECAUSE DEER SEASON IS OVER DOES NOT hunting season is done—at least, not in the Lone Star State. In every ecological region, there is a vast overabundance of feral hogs (see “Backyard Trophy Hog Hunt” elsewhere in this section). The challenge of harvesting one of those bad boys by bow is the ultimate high. Here is an animal that can and will chase you down with nothing but pain in its eyes, and the pain is intended for you. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Recently, my good friend TF&G executive editor Chester Moore took me hunting with outfitter Brian Palmer, who operates a fantastic operation in the Pineywoods of East Texas. When you arrive at Brian’s property, he leads you into what looks like Jurassic Park. I had to laugh because I thought to myself: Once that gate is locked, there is no way in or out! It sure gave me an eerie feeling when I heard the lock clang shut. Brian accompanied me on my hunt, and I could not have been more pleased. He knows where the hogs like to hide, and often challenged me to what seemed to be impossible shots. Hunting a hog with a bow is not like hunting a whitetail deer. For a good ethical harvest, you need to wait until the pig presents a shot where he is quartering away from you. A broadside shot would be good on any other animal, but these beasts (at least the boars) have a protective “shield” around their vitals. This shield is a by-product of the many battles that a hog encounters. A layer of gristle and scar tissue gets to be so thick that an arrow will not make good penetration through the hard surface of this “shield.”

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Although their eyesight is poor, hogs’ sense of smell more than makes up for it. They are masters of hiding in some thick spots so that it takes a trained eye to locate them. This is when I really needed Brian’s help, and he seemed to enjoy the hunt as much as I did. At the end of the trip, we ended up taking three hogs—and a couple of them almost took us. Chester and I had such a great time that we decided to hunt hogs near his home in Southeast Texas. To be honest, I wanted to stay with Brian, but Chester assured me the new surroundings would bring new challenges. He also hinted a bit that we might see a pig or two, and certainly did not let me down. On this hunt, I decided to try a Lumenok on the end of my arrow to see how it would work at dusk. A Lumenok (www.lumenok.net) is a lighted nock and really does help with determining exactly where your shot placement was. This is a huge plus when it comes time to track an animal as dangerous as these wild swine. I had an opportunity to take a nice hog while Chester filmed the hunt. As the 450pound beast approached our site, the danger appeared more real with every closing yard.

Chester was on the ground and in a blind when the big boar approached to within less than 10 yards. I remained at full draw as I waited for the perfect shot. Finally, the big hog made the mistake of quartering away from me, and I let my arrow fly. After the well-placed shot, we watched carefully as the big boy left the area. If you have ever blood-trailed a normal size pig, you understand the danger involved. Now, compound that feeling when you have to track a dangerous animal of this size. It is an indescribable feeling one gets when his adrenaline combines with raw fear of the unknown. Now that is way cool. I really do love the challenge that hunting with a bow brings. Every time I go out with bow in hand, I find new adventure that will be printed on my memory to relive over and over. If you ever want to give hunting hogs with a bow a chance, then I can recommend a few places. You will not be disappointed. Just plan to be safe and always hunt hogs with a friend… just in case. E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com.

TROPHY FEVER PHOTOS

RED STAG—NORTH TEXAS

TURKEY—WHEELER, TEXAS

Phil Perrin of Houston, Texas, took this trophy Landon Tabor, age 12, of Duluth, Georgia, red stag with a .270 Remington 700 at a private bagged his first gobbler in Wheeler, Texas. The ranch in north Texas. The triple-crowned 6x6 turkey had an 8-inch beard and 1/2-inch spurs. was over 300 pounds, field dressed. A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Shimano Symetre Spinning Reel LTHOUGH TEXAS IS HARDCORE BAIT-CASTing country, I have several spinning outfits tucked in the quiver with my level winds. I look at fishing tackle the way a carpenter looks at his tools: Which one is the best for the job? You can drive a nail with a Crescent wrench, but it is more efficient to use a hammer; same with fishing reels. Spinning tackle is a great option for making long casts with light payloads or

by Greg Berlocher casting directly into a gusting breeze. Level winds? Did someone say “bird’s nest”? In fairness, spinning tackle is not immune to tangles—at least until now. Shimano’s new Symetre spinning reels are equipped with the company’s Propulsion Line Management System, which virtually eliminate line tangles. Conventional spinning reels are known for line twist, which causes loops to form. When a loop is reeled onto the spool and buried under several turns of line, it is a problem waiting to happen. A cast or two later, line streaking off the spool gets tangled in the loop and the resulting hairballs can be so bad they require a veterinarian. Shimano has taken multiple steps to virtually eliminate line twist. It starts with a specially designed spool. The spool is elongated and features a special lip that reduces friction and allows line to flow off in smaller loops. This reduced line slap on the stripper guide minimizes line twist. The power roller integrated into the bail also helps reduces twist. The Symetre spool oscillates in a special pattern, allowing line to apply in layers C36

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rather than randomly piling it onto the spool. The layered line not only reduces line twist, it allows for smoother and longer casts. Keep in mind that Shimano does not say that Symetre reels reduce all line twist, but virtually all line twist. This is a nice way of saying that their reels cannot overcome operator error. If you continue reeling when a fish is taking out drag, you will add a severe twist to the line. When you hear the reel sing, stop reeling and enjoy the music. Large spinner baits go round and round when retrieve too fast; slow it down a bit and line twist will not be a problem. In addition to the line management system, the Symetre has a number of other nice features. Four ball bearings and one roller bearing push the reel up the performance curve. Shielded anti-rust bearings prevent saltwater, grit, and grime from invading, thereby allowing the reel to maintain its silky smooth personality. I particularly like the maintenance port, which allows quick access to the drive train. F i s h

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No need to disassemble the reel to lubricate it. Simply open the port, add a few drops of lubricant, and close. The SY2500 that I tested holds 120 yards of 10-pound-test line and is equipped with a 6.2:1 gear ratio. The other reels in the group, The 500, 1000, 3000, and 5000 have slightly lower gear ratios. I found the 2500’s fast ratio just right for dancing gold spoons over grass beds in shin-deep water. The fast line pick-up also made it easy to keep slack out of the line when I was drift-fishing at a moderate clip. I liked every thing about the Symetre except the reel handle. The Symetre is equipped with a T-shaped handle, which is standard on many spinning reels, especially large surf-casting reels. T-handles give y o u something solid to grip, which is important when you are fighting a large fish in wet or cold conditions, but for a reel designed for 6- to 10pound-test, I would prefer something other than a T-handle. A better option in my opinion would be a flat, paddle-style handle easily gripped between thumb and index finger. If you have shied away from spinning tackle because of the tangles, I would highly recommend the Symetre spinning reel. With proper maintenance and care, you could get a decade or more of dependable service from this reel. Email Greg Berlocher at fishthis@fishgame.com. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHIMANO

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Trailer Baits Y FIRST USE OF TRAILER BAITS WAS IN 1961. There were two basic implementations. First were pieces of wooden broom handle cut to about 5 inches long with a long screw eye in each squared-off end. It had about 6-8 inches of mono connected to a 1/4ounce silver spoon or yellow bucktail-dressed treble hook. That one worked well when specks were chasing shrimp to the surface. The trailer setup was a 1/4-ounce silver, Mr. Champ, hook removed, trailed by a yellow bucktail-dressed treble hook. This was a hot setup for me when fishing for flounder on the Galveston beachfront, working between the legs of the pier or parallel to those old wooden groins, and bouncing it off the washout bottom. The flounder would see the flash and puff of sand and then nail the dressed treble. The point is that the trailer fishing method has been around a long time, long before 1961. A topwater lure seems to work best when the rear treble is removed and the trailer connection tied to the vacant eye. With a heavier, sinking lure, this combo has the appearance of the smaller trailer following at a safe distance. The trailer’s freedom of movement comes partially from its relatively light weight, like a flag waving in the breeze. Poppers call in an assortment of predators from a distance with their surface commotion. Whether it’s a strip bait, glob of squid, whole squid, baitfish, or leadhead jig, it has a good chance of getting bit. Naturally, wire comes into play when kingfish or wahoo are involved. A distance between the popper and trailer of 2 feet is a good one. Regardless of the connector link material,

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loop connections are important to give the trailer presentation maximum freedom of movement. Kingfish and wahoo really respond to a big Krocodile spoon with a dressed hook trailing and virtually skipped across the surface. After floating back, let your presentation sit at about 100 feet out, giving periodic rod tip twitches to activate the popper. Work it back a bit, and then let it drift out again. When fished from a rod holder “long” with the reel in gear, you have one of the best combinations working—the boat’s movement from wave action and a premier hook setter (the rod holder). At any time when the popper is at rest, the strip bait will sink a bit and respond to popper movement from rod tip twitches, making the bait strip rise erratically. Be especially careful when your trailer bait is at or very near the surface. A predator striking from below pushes a pressure wave ahead of it, which might blow your hooked trailer out of the water. You can’t set a hook on a blowup. You must feel the weight of the fish on the hook. Premature hook setting could have everything coming back at you. When fishing the mid-depths to the bottom, treble hook trailers might cause hang-up F i s h

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problems if structure is around. A much better choice is a “J” or circle hook. When targeting reef fish at any depth in federal waters and using natural bait, circle hooks are mandated by NMFS regulations. Fishing the mid-depths to the bottom is best done with a light or floating trailer behind a spoon or other sinking lure. I always remove the spoon hook and tie the trailer leader onto the split ring or the spoon itself. The trailer can be a floater or a piece of Styrofoam inside a strip bait. When casting any presentation with a trailer and bait combination, it’s important to slow your cast just before the lure and trailer enter the water, straightening it all out away from you immediately before entry. As in most fishing situations, it’s the combination that counts. Surface lures or deep runners with a baited trailer will put fish in the boat, whether you are fishing offshore, near shore, or in the bays.

E-mail Patrick Lemire at saltrigs@fishgame.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK LEMIRE

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Bottom-Bouncing with a Walking Weight IVING IN TEXAS GIVES US THE PERCEPTION that the fishing universe revolves around the Lone Star state (as it should). Texas is the birthplace of the plastic worm as well as the home of worldclass reservoirs such as Fork, Rayburn, and Amistad. Heck, the most popular method for fishing a plastic worm is even named after our state. However, every now and then something innovative comes from north of the Red River. The bottom bouncer, or walking weight, was developed and embraced by northerners to catch walleye and yellow perch, but serves equally well in our warmer waters to catch catfish, crappie, or any species near the bottom of the lake. Unless you have made at trip north to pursue walleye, odds are you have never seen or heard of the bottom-bouncing rig, at least not the one I am writing about. The key to a bottom bouncer is in the weight used to get the bait down deep, which is anything but traditional. When we think of a weight, we commonly imagine a bell, egg, bullet, or split shot weight, but a bottom bouncer is slightly more complex than a molded hunk of lead with a hole in the middle. A bottom bouncer begins with a thin but stiff wire bent in the shape of a 7. On the end of the horizontal section of the wire (top of the 7) is a snap swivel. On the middle of the vertical leg of the wire is a molded piece of lead. This vertical leg sets this weight apart, keeping the bait near, but not on, the bottom. Rigging a bottom bouncer is straightforward: Start by tying your main line to the bend of the wire. On the barrel swivel, tie a short leader using monofilament that is lighter than your main line. I prefer to go with a main line between 15 and 17 pounds

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and a leader made from 12; this way, if the hook gets snagged, the leader will break before the main line so you do not lose your entire rig. The length of the leader is really the anglerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice, but somewhere around 3 feet is typical. The hook you choose to tie on the end of the leader depends on the bait you are using,

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and potentially the user of the rig. If you have kids fishing using cut bait or worms, a circle hook might be your best bet since the user does not have to set the hook. I was raised with J-hooks and still have to remind myself not to set the hook while using circles, but for anglers just getting into fishing, a circle hook is a great tool.

While our angling brethren to the north use this rig to chase walleye, it can be used around Texas to drift for catfish. Traditionally, we use a Carolina or three-way rig to drift for cats, but in areas where there is a lot of cover, these setups snag quite easily. The advantage of a bottom bouncer is that it allows the bait to be fished near the bottom, but the rigidity of the wire keeps the bait up

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Regardless of all these facts, soon you will be hearing about a “new” navigational tool called E-LORAN (for “Enhanced LORAN”). And even though the government is sinking millions into the system, believe it or not, E-LORAN makes a heck of a lot of sense. Of course, the powers that be will not take on this project just for us. No, as usual, the marine world is merely a peripheral beneficiary to greater concerns—in this case, the greatest concern of all: national security. Check out this Annual Defense Department Report to Congress, subsection, Military Power of the People’s Republic of China, which was submitted to Congress on 25 May 2007: China acquired jammers from the Ukraine in the late 1990s, which are capable of jamming GPS, and since then the country has probably developed its own jammers. China now has the capability to jam the Global Positioning System, widely used by the military to guide precision weapons. Nine months later, a statement from the Department of Homeland Security had the answer to this problem. And, good news for boaters: Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will begin implementing an independent national positioning, navigation, and timing system that compliments the Global Positioning System in the event of outage or disruption of services. The enhanced LORAN, or E-LORAN, system will be a land-based, independent system and

LORAN: Old Navigation Made New EMEMBER LORAN? SURE YOU DO. BEFORE GPS became widely available, LOng Range Aid to Navigation was the top form of electronic navigation for boaters. It was also pretty darn inaccurate. In fact, it could place you as much as a quarter-mile from your target. Even in areas of good coverage you couldn’t count on it to get you much closer than 1/10 of a mile from where you wanted to be. That’s a far cry from GPS 2- to 7-meter accuracy—with an average 95 percent accuracy to about 3 meters. But what if modern technology allowed great improvements to LORAN? What if it could bring you within 8 to 20 meters of your target, every time? The bigger question might be: Why the heck should you care? After all, GPS is already up and running, probably is on your boat, and maybe even in your car right now; it provides accuracy that simply can’t be beat.

will mitigate any safety, security, or economic effects of a GPS outage or disruption. If you doubt the government’s intelligence on this matter (how dare you, you unpatriotic questioner of authority), you might be interested to know that two severe solar eruptions in December 2006 knocked out large numbers of GPS receivers. One of these bursts of solar radiation produced 20,000 times more radio emissions than the entire rest of the sun. That was potent enough to “confuse” GPS receivers over the entire sunlit side of Earth. Even land-based WAAS (wide area augmentation signals that help GPS become even more accurate than it would be purely with satellite), which are notably stronger than those beamed down from GPS satellites, were affected. These flares were not predicted and caught scientists by surprise. The next solar maximum flares, which are forecast for 2011 and 2012, are expected to be 10 times as intense and last much longer than the 2006 flares. Experts say that they could cause signal drops of over 90 percent for several hours at a time. People can even knock out GPS by accident, as happened in Moss Harbor, California. Six years ago, boaters coming and going from Moss Harbor experienced flummoxed GPS readings, which made no sense at all. These problems were localized, so authorities knew it was not due to solar flares or another worldwide natural prob-

FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS Continued from Page C39 above the grass, sticks, or rocks that litter the lake bed. While it is not always the best method to use while drifting, it definitely has its place and should be added to your bag of tricks. The key to successfully drifting with a bottom bouncer is finding the right size weight that matches the speed you want to drift. Use too heavy a weight while moving C40

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slowly, and it will just lie on its side dragging along the bottom and hanging up on everything it touches. Use too light a weight while moving too fast, and it will drift too high above the bottom at a level that might not have fish. When you have the weight and drift speed just right (which will take some practice), the weight will bounce along the bottom (hence the name), hopping on the end of the vertical wire. You will be able to F i s h

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tell if the speed is right by watching your rod tip. If the rod tip is bouncing in a rhythmic manner, you have everything just right.

E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com.

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lem. The U.S. Coast Guard investigated, and eventually located a boat with a UHF antenna that had a built-in pre-amp, which was wired to an AC/DC adaptor that constantly fed power to the antenna. Unbeknownst to the boat owner, the antenna constantly beamed out a jamming signal that ruined GPS reception up to 2000 feet away. E-LORAN, on the other hand, is a much tougher critter. Unlike GPS signals, which are vulnerable to jamming because they operates at high frequency with a low power level, E-LORAN signals beam over a low frequency at a very high power level. That makes them far harder to jam or interrupt. In fact, E-LORAN signals can even be picked up by boaters in rivers and gorges with high cliff-like walls, which usually block out GPS signals. While there might not be too many places like this for us to go boating in Texas, this is another good argument for E-LORAN supporters, particularly because EMS personnel can use it in areas like these where hikers, kayakers, or whitewater river rafters might be in need of rescue. There are multiple potential causes of GPS outages or loss of signal, and ELORAN is the perfect answer to this problem. Back to the original question: Why should you, personally, care about ELORAN? Because we’ve all become quite dependant on our GPS units. In fact, many boats leave the showroom floor without even a compass at the dash, as the assumption is made that GPS will be the user’s preferred form of navigation. And with modern chart plotters and their excellent mapping data, even fewer people have paper charts onboard these days. So, we’re more dependant then ever on GPS, and if it goes out unexpectedly, there will be a lot of boaters on the water who will be unable to navigate back to port—maybe for days at a time. Get E-LORAN on your boat and you will have a constant back-up to your navigational system and GPS in general. Unfortunately, for the time being this might be tougher than it sounds. LORAN suffers from a dusty image, and marine electronics manufacturers have not exactly jumped on the E-LORAN bandwagon. In fact, I spoke with representatives from several of the largest electronics companies and was told they had no plans to market any E-

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LORAN products in the immediate future. Fortunately, there are some exceptions. Si-Tex (www.si-tex.com) currently offers an E—LORAN Integrated GPS/LORAN Receiver Sensor. This antenna is slightly larger and heavier than a regular GPS antennae, but still not much larger than a 16-ounce soda bottle. It allows you to use latitude/longitude or TDs while navigating, and will interface with the Si-Tex Colormax series, Si-Tex Trawlplots, and Explorer Plus or P-Sea charting software. If you have any other brand of electronics on your boat, you are out of luck unless it is NMEA 0183 compliant. In that case, you will be interested to discover a company called Crossrate. New to the field of marine navigation equipment, Crossrate designed the eLGPS 1110 antenna (www.crossrate.com). This antenna is a bit smaller than the Si-Tex model, but weight is identical. Crossrate claims 99.9999 percent accuracy, heading outputs within 1 degree whether moving or stationary, and WAAS compatibility. In the future, Crossrate plans to introduce a NMEA 2000 compatible model. Note that both of these models incorporate both GPS and LORAN receivers, so your boat does not have to sprout a bunch of extra antennae to get in on E-LORAN. They also pull down both forms of navigation data at the same time, so as long as the GPS system is up and running, that’s what you’ll be navigating by. It is only in case of an outage that E-LORAN will take over. Unless, that is, you want it to; don’t forget that LORAN has always and still does offer better repeatability then GPS. In other words, while it might not be as good at putting you on a new target, once you have a waypoint programmed in, it’ll always take you back to the exact same spot. That’s why LORAN has a cultish core of followers among wreck fishermen to this day. For that reason alone, some boaters will decide that it is time to invest in a new electronics system—or is it an old one…

E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com.

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Danger Lurks in the Water UMANS HAVE AN INFINITE FASCINATION with water. An overwhelming percentage of our country’s population lives near a coastline. Those that live inland crave locations near lakes, rivers, and streams.

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We enjoy looking at the water, playing in it, and fishing in it. Kayaking has grown at a tremendous clip, attracting anglers, health gurus, and people who just like fooling around in the water. Perhaps kayaking’s biggest downfall is that it looks fun, which dulls people’s senses. Don Zaidle, Texas Fish & Game editorin-chief, forwarded to me a news story recently about a kayaker that drowned. I am sad to report that it happens all too frequently. Two years ago, I set up an alert system in a well-known search engine and I receive an email notification every day about news events pertaining to kayaking. Some of the alerts brought unwanted news—one more drowning. Based on statistics kept by the American

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Canoe Association, the incidents of death per 1000 kayak outings are lower than many other outdoor activities. While the sport is very safe, I believe it could be safer. I have studied news stories from each of these tragic deaths and can report that only a handful of kayak anglers have been killed; the rest were recreational boaters. There are several common themes found in every single news story about a death involving a kayak over the last two years. An overwhelming number of stories have these words in their headline: Lone Kayaker Found Dead. Get the point? The buddy system works—use it whenever you go on the water. Another common theme is inclement weather or extreme tides. In the Northeast, 5-foot tidal variations are common, and the rushing water can push a kayaker into heavy seas or rips, where they swamp. Texas does not have extreme tides, but we do have extreme weather. Never head out in a kayak when storm conditions threaten, like when a strong cold front is expected to push through. Several beach goers met their demise after imbibing too many adult beverages and went for a paddle. Alcohol and kayaks do not mix. A few paddlers were found extremely far from shore; for whatever reason, they did not know their own limits. Regardless of venue or cause of death, I did not read a single story with a headline that read: Kayaker Wearing Personal Flotation Device Found Dead. I wonder if any of the perished had life insurance. I wonder if they buckled their seat belts when they got in a car, or strapped their children into a car seat. Why take all of those precautions and then fail to wear a PFD? PFDs save lives. They might not be 100 percent foolproof, but you can be sure the chances of you drowning go up exponentially when you are not wearing one. You are wagering with the devil every time you go afloat and do not wear a PFD. Lack of proper training accounted for many of the drownings I read about. Most of

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the paddlers exceeded their capabilities and got into trouble. Once in harm’s way, they did not know how to correct a serious situation and it turned fatal. Kayakers are at the greatest risk of getting hypothermia this month. Capsizing your kayak in frigid water is a potentially deadly event. Learning how to re-enter a capsized kayak is a skill that can save your life. These skills, and others, are taught at kayak classes given by certified American Canoe Association instructors. Is your life worth the $75 tuition? Keep in mind that you can suffer hypothermia even in shallow water. One winter afternoon, my brother and sister-inlaw were returning to the ramp at Flour Bluff when they came across a gentleman who had grounded his boat. The norther several days before had driven lots of water from the bay and the old man’s boat was stuck, high and dry. He had been struggling mightily for a while and was soaked to the skin when my brother stopped to help. No matter how much they pulled, the boat would not budge. The sun was going down and my brother offered to give the gentle-

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man a lift to the ramp, as the tide would not be rising for a full day. The signs of hypothermia were kicking in and the gentleman was becoming incoherent. Recognizing the signs, my brother and sisterin-law practically forced the man into their boat and took him back to the ramp, where he finally warmed up after an hour. If chance hadn’t brought them together, the man would have died from hypothermia in less than a foot of water, a few minutes from the boat ramp.

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Make no mistake; kayaking is lots of fun, but don’t let the fun factor overrule good judgment. Danger lurks in the water. Never go kayaking alone. Never exceed your limitations. Don’t drink and paddle. Invest in some basic kayak training. And always wear your PFD. Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com.

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Confidence Means More Distance F YOU CHOOSE TO CARRY A BOW IN THE WOODS, ask yourself: What is my maximum accuracy range? Many archers feel limited to 25 or 30 yards, the distance they can shoot at indoor ranges or in their backyards. Consequently, they practice repeatedly at that same distance without challenging themselves to reach out farther. It is a myth that taking shots beyond 30 yards is unethical and undoable, and it proba-

by Lou Marullo bly started during the early years of the modern archery movement. Back when I wore a younger man’s clothes, bows featured little in the way of technology. You had a stick and string and that was it. Consequently, bows could not shoot much more than 30 yards and have enough power to do the job. Today, however, the bows practically shoot themselves and have more than enough energy to harvest a deer beyond such limiting standards. To be an ethical hunter, one must determine his maximum accuracy range and practice until the arrow groups are as tight as they are at 20 yards. You see, the ability to shoot farther does not give everyone a license to let arrows fling aimlessly with the hope of a good shot. It means that you, as an ethical hunter, need to take the time to practice or refrain from taking those longer shots altogether. Where you hunt will determine if you can even take such a shot. If hunting in a thick area, for example, with only a few shots cleared C44

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out, then you cannot take the chance of a long shot. I will never understand the people that tell their friends, “I thought I could weave an arrow through that.” Simply put, if the buck of your dreams is near your cleared shot and refuses to get closer, try calling it into range instead of making a “hail Mary” shot. If, on the other hand, you on the edge of an oat field, you might consider the longer shots. This is where common sense should prevail, as every shot is unique and dependent upon many factors, not the least of which is your confidence. On a different note, I feel that by practicing your shots at a greater distance, you will be able to determine if your bow is properly tuned and shooting at the best of its ability. A number of arrows at 20 yards might group fine, but using the same form, you might find that you have a problem the farther you shoot. It is much less forgiving if you shoot a 50yard shot and you have the slightest problem with your grip, release, or whatever. If you are shooting to the left or right, it will be magnified by the time your arrow travels 50 yards. I have found that if I practice at 50 or even 60 yards, it might take me longer to group my arrows, but after finally shooting until I am satisfied with the results, I sometimes find that I need to move my sight a bit. At this distance, you want to only “bump” your sight in whatever direction is needed. You do not want to move it much at all. Less is more in this situation. Again, the slightest move will be enhanced greatly at 50 yards. F i s h

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Another advantage of going well beyond your normal shooting distance is that it seems much easier to group arrows at lesser distances. You will find that a 20-yard shot that once was difficult now is almost a “gimme.” Try it for yourself. Shoot at 50 then move up to 40. It will be easier for you now. Try 30 then 20. Believe me, you will be amazed at how much your shooting ability will improve. And after you have set your pins correctly at that 50-yard marker, your bow will be so accurate at all the distances in between that you will not believe how much you have improved. It really is all a head game. When it comes to good form (which is required for a good shot), a 50-yard shot should be no more difficult than that 20-yard shot. How many times have you heard in any sport that if you visualize the shot, it will happen? Crazy as that sounds, it is true to some extent and bowhunting is another sport in that category. See the shot before it actually happens. I cannot tell you how many times I have shot the deer of my dreams while still being in my dreams. The point here is that I am familiar with the area I am hunting and I cannot help but think about it at night when I retire. I can visualize the deer coming down the exact trail I planned on, and I can see myself pull the arrow back. Then, in my head, I watch as the arrows seems to make an exaggerated slow motion arc as it spins toward the deer. Practicing in your yard is completely different from an actual hunting situation. While in your yard, you are comfortable, no worries, no problem. Just concentrate on the shot. The woods are no place for on-the-job training. You must already be confident with your shooting ability to be successful. When you are successful, you have to tell the story of how you pre-planned to harvest that animal, and repeat it often to whoever will listen. I usually start the story with “There I was…” And I have told those stories so many times, that my wife has decided to put that on my tombstone: Lou Marullo—There he was…

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Trinity Bay: Post-Ike Status HE AFTEREFFECTS OF HURRICANE IKE WILL continue to make news long after Ike’s departure. One of the consequences is the effect of the storm surge on upper Trinity Bay, one of the three bays of the Galveston Bay complex. The upper end of the bay is home to the Trinity, Old, and Lost rivers; has a mix of both salt- and freshwater marshes, and freshwater ponds and lakes. Interstate 10 crosses the bay at its far north end. The storm surge at the Army Corps of Engineers office at the Wallisville Lake Project, a couple of miles below I-10, reached 15 feet; depths north of I-10 reached as high as 12 feet. Even though the surge breached the highway, the elevated super highway served as a barrier to the acres and acres of debris washed up by the surging water. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) personnel estimate it will take a long time to clean up the mess. Tanks, fuel cans, appliances, Styrofoam, and building material are just some the items stacked up along the bay’s northern reaches. Natural organic debris that is not interfering with recreational activities such as boating, hiking, and fishing will probably be left as-is. Casualties on both the natural landscape and manmade features are numerous. The USACE navigation lock on the Trinity River is out of commission, as is the saltwater barrier dam because of water intrusion into the electrical controls and components. Saltwater intrusion into marshes and waterways not accustomed to the salt resulted in a brownout of vegetation, and fish kills. Lake

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Oil Platform ROV Films Strange Squid A video camera aboard a Shell Oil remotely operated vehicle (ROV) captured images of a mysterious squid that looks like an escapee from one of the Alien movies. The ROV, in use at Shell’s Perdido drilling site about 200 miles out from Houston, Texas, filmed the odd creature, a Magnapinna “big fin” squid at a depth near 1-1/2 miles down. (Perdido is one of the deepest oil and gas drilling sites in the world.) Although ROVs have filmed Magnapinna squid a dozen or so times in the Gulf and elsewhere, the unusual creatures remain largely a mystery to ocean scientists. To view the original video from which this photo was derived, visit the National Geographic website (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/index.html) Anahuac, normally an independent freshwater lake along the bay, is now a saltwater lake. The freshwater fish populations no longer exist.

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Richest Fantasy Fishing Game $10 Million Richer LW FANTASY FISHING, THE WORLD’S largest and richest fantasy sports game, announced it is substantially increasing its prize pool from $7.3 million in 2008 to $10 million in cash and prizes in 2009 with a guaranteed $1 million cash winner, plus six guaranteed $100,000 cash winners. Additionally, FLW Fantasy Fishing is offering a $3 million cash exacta and a $5 million cash exacta, plus over 2500 other prizes including new Ranger boats, a Chevy SUV, four-wheelers, and hundreds or thousands of dollars in free cash cards and Wal-Mart gift cards. FLW’s Player’s Advantage membership is the unique tool that offers many advantages to its members, which include the all-important winning edge statistics that players will need, including the history and statistics of all

the competing anglers, up-to-date information on the tournament fisheries, weather conditions at and before tournament time, the hometown favorites and their records, who fishes better in the various weather conditions, plus many more tips about the potential favorites to win each tournament. For individuals 18 years and older who wish to play the $10 million FLW Fantasy Fishing game in 2009 and want assistance in picking the teams, Player’s Advantage will be offering them the pundits’ picks, which will allow them to basically push a button that will give them what is called the “Quick Pick.” Additionally, they will receive mobile updates, expert blogs, and access to FLW Live to watch the weigh-ins as they happen for all four days during each of the seven tournaments.

“FLW Fantasy Fishing is something we have worked tirelessly on and have sincerely enjoyed sharing the excitement of the players and the extraordinary growth that we have experienced in our inaugural year,” said FLW Outdoors Chairman, Irwin Jacobs. “Our inaugural season in 2008 was such an incredible success that, frankly, it ran participation off the charts. We wanted FLW Fantasy Fishing to have another year of even greater growth in 2009, so we decided to offer an additional $3 million in cash, plus enhanced features and tools such as Player’s Advantage for a total cost of the unbelievable price of only $10 for the entire 2009 FLW Fantasy Fishing season. In 2008, Player’s Advantage proved to be the invaluable advantage to its members by winning four times more often than those who weren’t Player’s Advantage members. The FLW Fantasy Fishing game has positively transformed many individuals’ and their families’ lives from around the world. Visit fantasyfishing.com to see and hear directly from last year’s Fantasy Fishing winners how their lives were changed in 2008 by playing the richest fantasy sports game in the world.”

NEWS FROM THE COAST Continued from Page C45 clean with rainwater inflow from Turtle Bayou. Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on the way you look at it—the weather since the storm has been Chamber of Commerce weather: bright blue skies with very little rain. The Chambers-Liberty County Navigation District has the ability to pump freshwater into the lake, but like many other mechanical items, the pumps are not working because of the storm. Once repairs and restoration is completed, it will be a matter of priorities as to what ranks at the top of the “to do” list. Pumping that much water costs money. That is not to say it will not be done, but other things might C46

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take priority. The best prospects for quick restoration are in heavy winter rainfall. Replenishment of the freshwater fish species will occur naturally over time, or TPWD might restock the lake. A good result is that the bountiful harvest of debris is not blocking navigation in the bay or most of the sloughs feeding the Trinity, Old, and Lost rivers. You might be running a slough, make several turns, and encounter no obstructions; but on another bend a massive debris jam awaits you. The best advice to anglers and hunters is be observant and ready to change your game plan when necessary. Another good result of the storm surge is that the water hyacinth that was an ongoing problem for USACE is gone. F i s h

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Whether it was a result of moving water or saltwater, the result is the same. Waterfowl hunting in the marshes around the bay seem to be producing good numbers of ducks. On a recent hunt, 18 birds were reported taken from the area around the Wallisville Project. On the negative side, rice farmers are faced with the problem of saltwater intrusion into their growing fields, ruining their harvest for this year. The hunting might not be good in some of the browned out marshes, but the birds will be relocating to freshwater ponds in nearby rice fields not affected by the tidal surge. —Tom Behrens

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In 2008, FLW Fantasy Fishing’s inaugural year, it crowned fantasy sports historical first $1 million cash winner Michael Thompson. Additionally there were seven $100,000 cash winners during the seven FLW Tour tournaments along with over 4000 additional prizes ranging from a $39,565 Chevy Silverado to a $51,495 Ranger Z19 bass boat to hundreds of thousands of cash cards from Wal-Mart to BP gas cards. “FLW Fantasy Fishing obviously changed mine and my family’s life forever in the most positive way,” said Thompson, who recently purchased his dream house on 40 acres in Minnesota thanks in large part to his FLW Fantasy Fishing Player’s Advantage membership. “I can’t wait for the 2009 season to begin as I have already signed up for Player’s Advantage and recruited many more of my family and friends to also play the game. The prizes being offered by FLW Fantasy Fishing are unbelievable and to think that someone again will win a guaranteed $1 million in cash, or possibly $3- or even $5 million in cash is truly amazing, if not remarkable. Playing the world’s richest and largest fantasy sports game not only offers tremendous prizes but also improves relationships and camaraderie among family and friends who can and will enjoy playing Fantasy Fishing together.” There is an additional new game to Fantasy Fishing in 2009, The $3 Million Power Hook in the Forrest Wood Cup Championship. FLW Fantasy Fishing will be offering this amazing additional guaranteed cash prize of $3 million in cash to any individual who selects the first through fifth place anglers in their exact winning positions at the Forrest Wood Cup Championship, which begins on 30 July and concludes on 2 August 2009. There will be only 77 professional anglers competing in the Forrest Wood Cup whereas in all of the other six FLW Tour qualifying events there will be approximately 150 professional anglers. Participants will also have the opportunity to win an additional guaranteed $5 million in cash in the “Rank 7 Exacta Bonus Game” for any player who selects the first through seventh top finishers in any one of the FLW Tour qualifying events in 2009 in their exact winning positions. Another new addition and very exciting opportunity to win thousands of dollars in cash for those playing Fantasy Fishing in 2009, will be a newly-developed referral pro-

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gram allowing participants to earn back $2 in cash for every $10 Player’s Advantage membership they are responsible for referring and signing up. Basically, participants earn 20 percent cash payback for all Player’s Advantage cash memberships they register. If an individual signs up five players, they will receive their own Player’s Advantage for free. If they register 100 Player’s Advantage members, they will receive $200 in cash. If they sign up 1,000 members, they will receive $2000 in cash. Or imagine for being responsible for registering 10,000 people and earning $20,000 in cash. There are no limits to the amount one can earn in recruiting Player’s Advantage members. All recruiting cash due to those individuals will be paid within 30 days upon conclusion of the Forrest Wood Cup Championship on 2 August 2009. “Record numbers of people in the world of fantasy sports enjoyed playing Fantasy Fishing in 2008; however, millions of people stood on the sidelines watching as FLW Fantasy Fishing awarded $1 million in cash to Michael Thompson, plus $100,000 in cash each to seven individuals for playing and winning a fantasy sport,” said Jacobs. “Just as Fantasy Fishing is the greatest fishing game on earth, we have now developed the Fantasy Fishing referral program to get everyone involved and participating. We are looking forward to rewarding those that generate interest in our game, getting more people involved in our sport and having the time of their life playing Fantasy Fishing with their families and friends. FLW Fantasy Fishing continues to be the leader around the world for the richest fantasy game offering $10 million in cash and prizes in 2009. Fantasy Fishing permanently changed the landscape of fantasy sports in 2008 with the offering of $7.3 million in cash

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and prizes and attracting players from more than 123 countries throughout the world. But now in 2009, FLW Fantasy Fishing is going to top that by offering an unbelievable $10 million in cash and prizes to many families and individuals that will no doubt make their dreams come true. To register now for Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit www.fantasyfishing.com. —Staff Reports

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The Bet OB MARSHALL WILDERNESS, MONTANA — My horse plodded up the mountain trail and I swayed dozing in the saddle. Seven droopy-headed mules followed, loaded with hay bales. Behind them trooped the young Okie wrangler with his string of six. My clothes were caked with dirt and sweat. I couldn’t remember my last bath. I had coffee for breakfast, a chew of tobacco for lunch, and would probably miss supper. I slept under a tree, drank from the creek, and spent every waking minute under the open sky. Every day, I would look at the clouds and try to see beyond them. I tried to see through the deep blue yonder and into heaven. Then I’d laugh at my own jokes, spit a stream of brown juice at a handy target, and cuss at the mules. Life was great. “Hey!” the Okie said. My lazy afternoon nap was ruined. The human voice in the wilderness grated on my nerves. His whiny Oklahoma accent earned him the nickname “Puppy” and I was always scared he’d pee on me. “What?” I answered grumpily. “How many elk are you going to kill on the first hunt?” he asked. “Well, I’ve got two hunters—I guess I’ll kill two elk.” “You want to bet on it?” “What’s the bet?” “If you kill two elk, I owe you two cases of beer. If you don’t kill two elk, you owe me one case of beer.” “Okay, that sounds like a tame little bet,” I said before I realized the irksome mentality of such a wager. He didn’t want to bet who could do better. He only wanted to bet against me. I growled. “Hey! You want to sweeten the pot?” I shouted. “What else?” he asked.

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I described what I thought would be an appropriate bet. His mouth dropped open and he started stuttering and shaking his head. “Well, I just thought I’d see if you were a real gambling man,” I said. Then I sniggered at my arrogance and studied my freight. I knew the hunting in this neck of the woods was tough. Nevertheless, the first hunt would be fun. Dave Weishuhn and Matt Mikulenka were coming from Texas and we were promised a spike camp to ourselves. The other guides would be in the main camp with six more hunters. The sun burned my face and arms and I worried about hunting elk in the heat. Then I turned again and looked back at the Okie. Damn, I would hate owing him a case of beer, but that night winter eased into the Rocky Mountains. A misty, drizzly cold front settled the dust and seeped chilling dampness into our bones. One week later, it was still raining when the boys from Ellinger, Texas, made themselves at home in the Strawberry Creek camp. Jim Tyrrell, who has since become manager of the Dallas Gun Club, hired on to guide, but wound up as our cook. The camp was in a small alpine meadow, pocketed by peaks reaching to the Continental Divide. There were three canvas wall tents and a kitchen tent set at the edge of the creek. Beside it was the crew tent Jim and I shared, and 10 steps farther was the hunters’ tent. I had set a flagpole and the Texas flag snapped in the westerly wind. Dave, a big strapping German boy, puttered around exploring and asking questions. Every word out of his mouth was hooked to a joke, and I decided to be careful with my explanations. Matt was satisfied to make his nest in the guest tent, watch Jim make supper, and help feed the livestock. He was the quieter of the two and eased about grinning and inspecting the accommodations. The first morning was damp and cold and we rode up the mountain behind camp. F i s h

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Elk were bugling in several directions, but some local hunters were also in the forest. We spent too much valuable first-morning time dodging them. The fog and drizzle finally chased us to cover. We tucked ourselves into a clump of spruce, built a fire, and waited. Over the next few days, I noticed a trend. It was raining harder, but every evening it slacked off and the overcast would break. If a hunter sat in the right spot, he could catch critters coming out to browse before dark. The third evening, Dave got lucky. While Matt and I watched from a nearby ridge, he dumped a good mule deer buck. The next morning, I packed the deer to camp and ran into the Okie. “You know that doesn’t count on our bet,” he said. “I know, we only bet on elk.” He rode off and left me sitting on my horse grumbling. Meanwhile, the Texans voted to stay out of the rain. I packed the deer back down the mountain, hung it on the meat pole, put up my saddle, and heard dominos shaking in the cook tent. It was nice to have a touch of home in the Montana mountains. I stuck my head through the tent flap and Dave greeted me. “Sit down and play before I wear the spots off these things,” he said. “He’s been shuffling those rocks and pretending he was at Hobo Inn ever since you left,” said Matt. I sat down and a beer-joint game of threehanded moon commenced. Dave, who is also an executive banker in Roundtop, had every German and Czech domino-playing cliché memorized. It was also evident he considered himself an expert. Over the course of the day, we reminisced old times and I gave domino lessons. That night the weather broke. The next morning was clear and cold. We rode up the mountain and tied our horses at the edge of a high basin. I led as we crept along the ridge, suddenly spotted elk,

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and dropped to the ground. Three hundred yards farther was a bedded herd. Dave rested his rifle over a rock and peered through his scope. “Do you see a bull?” I asked. “Yeah.” “Do you have a shot?” There was a long quiet moment. A couple of the cows stood up, then he squeezed the trigger. The bull thrashed and lunged to its feet. Dave shot again and the bull tumbled, rolled off the ridge, and over a short cliff. My work as a mule packer began and soon my friend had enough meat for the winter and a 6x7 rack to hang in his office. Now it was Matt’s turn. The last day of the hunt was sunny and bright. We traipsed to my favorite lookout points and glassed. We listened for bugles in all the likely hideouts. Nothing. By late afternoon, we were sitting on a log watching the sunset. “Well, it’s been great, but I’m worn out. Let’s call it a hunt,” said Matt. “Yeah, but let’s move one more time. If we’re going to quit, I want to sit in a spot where I can see a lot of country,” I said. We both looked at the sun as it descended behind a giant rock outcropping. As if on cue, an elk silhouetted itself against the golden orb. “What’s that?” he said. “I’m not sure, but I think I see horns.” We squinted and the animal disappeared. “Will you help me get it?” he asked. “Yeah, but come on, we have to hurry. There’s another basin on the other side of that rock. It’s going to be a hard climb and we have to get there fast.” We took off at a quick pace and I concentrated on what I had seen. It was a spike bull. There was a good chance there were more elk in the basin. We stayed in the timber and scrambled up the next ridge, ducked below the skyline and moved to the outcropping. Daylight was fading, but I slowed to a crawl as we tiptoed through the loose rocks to peek over the mountain. Below us was a group of cows with a 5x5 bull standing exposed between some scattered pines. It was standing straight away, offering only a spine shot. Matt rested his rifle over a boulder. I watched the bull and said a little prayer. The blast made me flinch, but the bull never moved. It only turned its head and looked around.

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“Damn, I pulled it,” Matt said. He jacked another cartridge into the chamber, then held his breath and squeezed. His second shot was true and the bull never took a step. The next day, we headed to the trailhead. I was riding straight and proud. My mules were loaded heavy with a mule deer buck and two bull elk. My hunters would go back to Texas telling grand stories about hunting in the Montana wilderness. Best of all, I won my bet with the Okie.

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I had a little room to brag about never betting a man at his own game. My gloating was cut short because when the other six hunters arrived—they got skunked.

E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com.

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have it, I was in a deer stand again, and tried to recite the recipe again. Well, I did okay, but knew it was a few ingredients short. He somehow found the old one on a CD, and with barely enough time to get the ingredients together, make it to the cookoff, and prepare the chili, Jason pulled off the unexpected. He looked around and saw all of the other cooks, who had been slaving away since the wee hours working on their version of the winning batch, and knew he had to get busy. He made that chili in about 21/2 hours and reclaimed the trophy. Good story, but if you have the time, this recipe could probably use about 4 to 5 hours of your time to do it justice. I hope you enjoy it! (Yields approximately 2 gallons.) C50

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PHOTO BY JIM OLIVE

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3 pounds coarse ground chuck 3 pounds cubed beef stew meat or venison (I like to use top of round roast or backstrap) 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded & minced 1 jalapeno pepper, with seeds, minced 4 poblano peppers, chopped & seeded 1 large red bell pepper, chopped 1 large green bell pepper, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 bulb chopped garlic 3 dried ancho chilies, seeded 2 dried seeded chili arbols (cayenne; these are optional) 3 dried seeded chili (red new Mexico) 5 Tbs standard chili powder 1 Tbs cocoa powder 2 Tbs cumin 1 tsp black pepper 2 Tbs Texas Gourmet’s Sweet Chipotle Season All 1 Tbs beef base 2 Tbs brown sugar 2 cups water or beer 28 ounces chopped tomatoes (canned) 29 ounces canned kidney beans (pour off juice first; use the beans only if you like them; I like the balance it gives to the chili’s flavor)

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water to be able to move the paste to the pot with the meat. Bring to a good simmer and cover. Cook for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, then add the beans if desired; salt and black pepper to your liking. Add a couple Tbs of brown sugar at this time.

Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com.

Sauté the onion, jalapeno, poblano, bell peppers, and garlic in olive oil then add the meats to brown them. After the meats are browned, add the liquid, spices, and tomatoes. After seeding the dried peppers (ancho chilies, chili arbols, and red chilies), place them in 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a low boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, then use a slotted spoon place the softened chilies in a blender with a small amount of the water. Cover, and blend into a paste. Add enough S P O N S O R E D BY:

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Dickey an d West Texa August s Hunting a Mule Deer nd Anglin g Quality Review

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Bill Reeg Redfish ch -in 43 ce Hillman Guide Servi

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Shannon and Tom Mason and Dad Redfish Redfish Charters

kson with grandson Jac Captain Hugo Ford se) lea Re & tch Black Drum (Ca rvice Hugo Ford Guide Se

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ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

SPOTLIGHT: SOUTH TEXAS FISHING & HUNTING

TEXAS HUNTING

South Texas Fishing & Hunting offers quality outdoor adventures all over the globe. Our specialty is light tackle fishing trips to the South Texas. We are the only outfitter providing kayak trips on the Lower Laguna Madre using Freedom Hawk Kayak Expedition 14 kayaks. Kayak fishing in South Texas is a fishing adventure not soon forgotten. Miles and miles of clear water only 2-1/2 ft. deep, is ahead of you…your biggest responsibility is to scan the water in search of redfish, trout, flounder and more. Hunting in South Texas is one of our personal passions. We have access to wild south Texas properties. Our scouts visit the properties regularly collecting data which will allow us to determine the best properties and the best times, for the best hunts. Dove Hunts: Our consulting staff consists of experienced wingshooters and property owners with intimate knowledge of the birds, their movements and the best locations for the best possible hunts given the conditions. Duck Hunting: Our duck hunts take place at either private ponds or on the Lower Laguna Madre. The hunts typically begin and end in Arroyo City. We do our best to go where the birds are. Hunt for exotics, nilgai, pig, javelina, and deer on one of our south Texas ranches. Hunters can expect wild country, wild animals and professional guides. Deep in south Texas if it does not bite you, it will sting you. The terrain is tougher and the animals are more elusive. Do you have what it takes to hunt wild south Texas? We offer a variety of hunts, so please contact us and let us know what you would like to do. And more! We enjoy hosting groups to the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Over the years we have put together a number of custom surfing and fishing adventures for groups of up to 20. South Texas Fishing is the exclusive US reservations office for Casa Redonda Island Retreat, where we offer light tackle fishing for bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook, barracuda, sharks, snapper and more. Casa Redonda is located in the Yucatan on the island of Punta Pajaros. The most popular trips are the kayak fishing trips for tarpon and snook in the back country lagoons of Laguna Santa Rosa. Nobody knows this island better, nobody. Go to www.YucatanFishing.com to see all the details. We also offer accommodations and all-inclusive services for groups of fishermen and hunters. Our waterfront lodge in Arroyo City sleeps up to 26 adults comfortably, and our Ranch House sleeps up to 8 adults comfortably. We would be happy to organize and host your next group event. — South Texas Fishing & Hunting A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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REDFISH—CALAVERAS LAKE, TEXAS

HYBRID STRIPERS—DECKER LAKE, TEXAS

L-R Kolten Rathburn, Bruce Rathburn and Trenten Rathburn caught this 15.8-pound, 33-inch redfish at Calaveras Lake in San Antonio. The red had a girth of 20 inches.

L-R Eric Abernathy, age 11, and Brett Abernathy, age 8, of Austin, Texas, caught over 20 hybrid stripers while fishing with their dad, Charles Abernathy in Decker Lake. They were fishing with live shad in 22-foot water. Most of their catches were released.

TROUT—GALVESTON, TEXAS

SPECKLED TROUT—COPANO BAY, TEXAS

Tricia Yarotsky, age 4, of Houston, Texas, caught Mary Atiee of San Antonio, Texas, was very proud this 20-inch trout in Cold Pass in Galveston on a of this 22-inch speckled trout that she caught off croaker. a private pier in Copano Bay while on vacation with her son Michael.

SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO: C54

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TF&G PHOTO ALBUM 1745 Greens Road Houston, Texas 77032 OR BY EMAIL: photos@fishgame.com

RED SNAPPER—OFFSHORE GALVESTON, TEXAS Adam Farris, age 5, of Bellaire, Texas, caught this 9-pound red snapper while fishing with his dad Jon Farris at the HI-157 oil platform, 17 miles out of Galveston.

PLEASE INCLUDE NAME, HOMETOWN, WHEN & WHERE CAUGHT, SIZE AND WEIGHT

Note: All non-digital photos submitted become the property of Texas Fish & Game and will not be returned. TF&G makes no guarantee when or if any submitted photo will be published. F i s h

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CATFISH—LIVE OAK, TEXAS

REDFISH—LAGUNA MADRE, TEXAS

BASS—LAKE SAM RAYBURN, TEXAS

Kennedy Massey of Live Oak, Texas, caught her first fish at the Live Oak public park during National Junior Fishing Day. The catfish weighed 1.5 pounds and was 12 inches. Photo taken by her proud father.

Jordan Wright, age 15, of Houston, Texas, caught his first redfish while fishing the southern Laguna Madre flats with his dad and a guide, Captain Bode. They caught several trout, along with this 27-1/2-inch red, on ballyhoo under popping cork.

Two-year-old Michael Marks of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, caught his first bass on a night crawler while fishing with his PaPa and “B” on Lake Sam Rayburn. The fish weighed approximately 2 pounds.

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F YOU CHOOSE TO CARRY A BOW IN THE WOODS, ask yourself: What is my maximum accuracy range? Many archers feel limited to 25 or 30 yards, the distance they can shoot at indoor ranges or in their backyards. Consequently, they practice repeatedly at that same distance without challenging themselves to reach out farther. It is a myth that taking shots beyond 30 yards is unethical and undoable, and it probably started during the early years of the modern archery movement. Back when I wore a younger man’s clothes, bows featured little in the way of technology. You had a stick and string and that was it. Consequently, bows could not shoot much more than 30 yards and have enough power to do the job. Today, however, the bows practically shoot themselves and have more than enough energy to harvest a deer beyond such limiting standards. To be an ethical hunter, one must determine his maximum accuracy range and practice until the arrow groups are as tight as they are at 20 yards. You see, the ability to shoot farther does not give everyone a

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license to let arrows fling aimlessly with the hope of a good shot. It means that you, as an ethical hunter, need to take the time to practice or refrain from taking those longer shots altogether. Where you hunt will determine if you can even take such a shot. If hunting in a thick area, for example, with only a few shots cleared out, then you cannot take the chance of a long shot. I will never understand the people that tell their friends, “I thought I

by Lou Marullo could weave an arrow through that.” Simply put, if the buck of your dreams is near your cleared shot and refuses to get closer, try calling it into range instead of making a “hail Mary” shot. If, on the other hand, you on the edge of an oat field, you might consider the longer shots. This is where common sense should prevail, as every shot is unique and dependent upon many factors, not the least of which is your confidence. On a different note, I feel that by practicing your shots at a greater distance, you will be able to determine if your bow is A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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properly tuned and shooting at the best of its ability. A number of arrows at 20 yards might group fine, but using the same form, you might find that you have a problem the farther you shoot. It is much less forgiving if you shoot a 50yard shot and you have the slightest problem with your grip, release, or whatever. If you are shooting to the left or right, it will be magnified by the time your arrow travels 50 yards. I have found that if I practice at 50 or even 60 yards, it might take me longer to group my arrows, but after finally shooting until I am satisfied with the results, I sometimes find that I need to move my sight a bit. At this distance, you want to only “bump” your sight in whatever direction is needed. You do not want to move it much at all. Less is more in this situation. Again, the slightest move will be enhanced greatly at 50 yards. Another advantage of going well beyond your normal shooting distance is that it seems much easier to group arrows at lesser distances. You will find that a 20-yard shot that once was difficult now is almost a “gimme.” Try it for yourself. Shoot at 50 G a m e ® / F E B R U A R Y

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In This Issue

I24 I26 I28 I34

NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New from Top Outdoor Manufacturers | BY TF&G STAFF

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION

INDUSTRY INSIDER • Daiwa; Texas Marine of Beaumont | BY TF&G STAFF

I29 I42 I43 I45 I46

SHOOT THIS! • Uberti Winchester | BY STEVE LAMASCUS FISH THIS! • Shimano Symetre Spinning Reel | BY GREG BERLOCHER

HOW-TO SECTION

COVER STORY • Confidence Means Longer Distance | BY LOU MARULLO

HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

Fishing Spots | BY CALIXTO GONZALES

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TEXAS BOATING • LORAN: Old Navigation Made New | BY LENNY RUDOW

I40 I44

TEXAS KAYAKING • Danger Lurks in the Water | BY GREG BERLOCHER

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WILDERNESS TRAILS • The Bet | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE

SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS • Trailer Baits | BY PATRICK LEMIRE

Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times |

GEARING UP SECTION TEXAS TESTED • Abu Garcia; Berkley FireLine | BY TF&G STAFF

then move up to 40. It will be easier for you now. Try 30 then 20. Believe me, you will be amazed at how much your shooting ability will improve. And after you have set your pins correctly at that 50-yard marker, your bow will be so accurate at all the distances in between that you will not believe how much you have improved. It really is all a head game. When it

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comes to good form (which is required for a good shot), a 50-yard shot should be no more difficult than that 20-yard shot. How many times have you heard in any sport that if you visualize the shot, it will happen? Crazy as that sounds, it is true to some extent and bowhunting is another sport in that category. See the shot before it actually happens. I cannot tell you how many times I

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have shot the deer of my dreams while still being in my dreams. The point here is that I am familiar with the area I am hunting and I cannot help but think about it at night when I retire. I can visualize the deer coming down the exact trail I planned on, and I can see myself pull the arrow back. Then, in my head, I watch as the arrows seems to make an exaggerated slow motion arc as it spins toward the deer. Practicing in your yard is completely different from an actual hunting situation. While in your yard, you are comfortable, no worries, no problem. Just concentrate on the shot. The woods are no place for on-the-job training. You must already be confident with your shooting ability to be successful. When you are successful, you have to tell the story of how you pre-planned to harvest that animal, and repeat it often to whoever will listen. I usually start the story with “There I was…” And I have told those stories so many times, that my wife has decided to put that on my tombstone: Lou Marullo—There he was…

The more you practice at greater ranges, the more accurate—and confident—you become at all ranges. I2

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by Calixto Gonzales, South Zone Fishing Editor & JD Moore, North Zone Fishing Editor

and rocks. The point of the Turning Basin’s intersection with the Port Isabel Channel is another good spot to focus on.

Sheepshead on Shrimp LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: New Causeway GPS: N26 5.206, W97 11.039

SPECIES: sheepshead BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Late winter is sheepshead time. Fish live or fresh shrimp around causeway pilings on split shot rigs. These guys are notorious bait-stealers, so a smaller hook is the way to go. Some fishermen use a No. 2 long-shank hook like the Eagle Claw 066N to zap them, but a more effective hook might be a 1/0 LazerSharp L7226 Octopus-style hook. The short shank and wide gap has a higher hook-up ratio, and they seem to lodge in the corner of the sheepie’s mouth. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Port Isabel Turning Basin GPS: N26 3.761, N97 9.482 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait; Gulp! Shrimp in Glow, soft plastics in Glow/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Like it says in this month’s “Hotspots Focus,” trout will seek out the basin’s deeper water during a cold snap. Fish the edges of the drop-off early, when trout are sulking down deep and out of the cold. If the sun comes out and begins to warm the shallows, tie on a Mauler rig and fish live shrimp or plastic tails round pilings I4

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Calixto

BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: The channel that feeds into South Bay becomes a productive spot for both drum and sheepshead. You can fish live or fresh shrimp under a popping cork, on a split-shot rig, or on a bottom rig. Any of the three will work. The key is to have your bait in the water. Drum will run between 14 and 22 inches, with a few brutes near the 30inch limit. If the drum aren’t there, the sheepshead will be. Fish the channel edges for the convict fish. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Marker 63 GPS: N26 14.343, W97 16.482 SPECIES: redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait; Gulp! Shrimp in New Penny; soft plastics in red/white, New Penny, Rootbeer; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Fish the flats just west of the Marker. Trout and redfish hang out around the potholes in 3-4 feet of water. The traditional live bait and soft plastics work well, but a hidden gem is a 1/4-ounce gold weedless spoon with a red trailer. If the sky is cloudy, or the water off-colored, switch to a chartreuse or Glow trailer. Fish it with as slow a retrieve as you can. With a light, fast tip, you should feel the wobble of the spoon. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Cullen Channel GPS: N26 15.759, W97 17.273 SPECIES: flounder, black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp, finger mullet; Gulp! Shad or shrimp tails CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: flounder are usually incidental catches for fishermen targeting trout or red-

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fish. A sharp angler can target them after a series of mild days by fishing the edges of the main channel into Cullen Bay. Live shrimp or finger mullet on a fish-finder rig, or a scented tail on a round jighead produce well. Use a strong, sensitive rod and low stretch mono or braided line to detect the bumps. Fat black drum will also pop a shrimp they happen upon. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Fishing Shack pilings GPS: N26 15.756, W97 20.591 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp, crab chunks CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Hurricane Dolly mauled a lot of the fishing shacks that lined the ICW, but the areas are still very productive. Anchor up near where a set of pilings marks where a shack used to be, or where on might still be standing, and toss a live shrimp or fresh shrimp out on a fish-finder or split-shot rig toward the edge of the ICW. If the current is pulling hard, you might want to go with the heavier weight of the former. Put the rod in a holder, sit back, relax, and wait. It won’t take long.

Corky Takes Trout LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: East Kleberg Point GPS: N27 16.300, W97 30.426 SPECIES: speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Corkies and soft plastics in Plum, Mardi Gras, Rootbeer, Rootbeer/red flake

CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Fishing stays pretty consistent in Baffin through February. Fish the rocks that are off the point in deeper water. Fish Corkies and eel-style soft plastics on light (1/16-ounce) jigheads. The lighter weights will facilitate slower fishing, which is the recommended strategy for winter trout. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Center Reef GPS: N27 16.206 , W97 34.362 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corkies and soft plastics in Plum, Mardi Gras, Rootbeer, Rootbeer/red flake CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Trout prefer to forage around areas that can provide cover. Fish the deeper edges of the reef with soft plastics and Corkies. The operative word is “slow.” These big trout will not be interested in chasing bait that will make them work for their meals. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Penescal Rocks

GPS: N27 15.852, W97 25.436 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corkies and soft plastics in Plum, Mardi Gras, Rootbeer, Rootbeer/red flake CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Strategies stay pretty consistent throughout Baffin in February. Slow retrieves with sub-surface lures is the best way to go. Don’t be afraid to use live bait if the trout are being finicky. Sometimes, trout want meat. Who are we to deny them? LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Kleberg Point GPS: N27 17.005, W97 36.944 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: If the trout and redfish are in a noncooperative mood because of snotty weather, the average fishermen has two choices: (1) he can pack it in and stop at the fish monger who sells “fresh” fish and shrimp on the side of US 77 in Rivera, or (2) head over to Kleberg Point and fish the deeper water for black drum. If you choose the latter, try live shrimp underneath a popping cork or on a fish-finder rig. Fresh shrimp will be effective too, but the bigger fish seem to like live stuff. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline GPS: N27 25.402, W96 2.075 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish

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BEST BAITS: live shrimp/popping cork; soft plastics in Plum, Mardi Gras, Rootbeer, Rootbeer/red flake CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: The King Ranch shoreline is always good for decent fishing throughout the year. Wade depth breaks and guts for best results. Flats that are adjacent to the ICW will also hold fish that like having their backs to deep water for a quick escape. Live shrimp under an Old Bayside float is a good combination. Grinders can also opt to throw eel-style artificials on 1/16- to 1/8-ounce jigheads. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Crash Channels GPS: N27 38.562, W97 17.620 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish, flounder BEST BAITS: live shrimp, live mullet; soft plastics in Plum, Mardi Gras, Rootbeer, Rootbeer/red flake CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: The points and depth breaks on these side channels are always good for a few fish, even when the weather turns sour. Live bait maximizes your opportunity to latch into a Texas Slam. If lures are your thing, shad tails in chartreuse patterns fished near deep water should work just as well. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Humble Channel GPS: N27 39.153, W96 15.664 SPECIES: Black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp, crab chunks CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: If you aren’t concerned with catching some fish for the table and just want to have your tackle and shoulders tested, then try latching onto one of the big uglies that cruise the Humble in winter. These black drum can weigh north of 40 pounds, and that is more than enough for anyone. Large “hand-picked” live shrimp or fresh table shrimp are excellent baits on fish-finder rigs. Day in and day out, however, a chunk of fresh crab is tough to beat. That is candy to a nasty, mossy-backed drum. I6

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Causeway Mixed Bag LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Causeway Reef GPS: N29 46.596, W93 34.586 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish

BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Red Shad, Morning Glory, Black/chartreuse; topwaters in Bone CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, www.fishsabinelake.com TIPS: Trout and redfish will be moving all over Sabine lake during early spring tearing into the new hatches of baitfish and shrimp. Structure such as Causeway Reef, South reef, and other shoals are good points of reference to fish. A bright soft plastic on a 1/4ounce head is very effective for both trout and redfish. “Dredge” the reef by working near the bottom of the perimeter with a hopping retrieve. Watch for birds, because fish will come up on a school of bait. LOCATION : Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Neches River Mouth GPS: N29 58.250, W93 51.210 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: suspending plugs in Bone, chartreuse patterns; soft plastic in chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, www.fishsabinelake.com TIPS: Actually, the entire northern stretch where the Sabine and Neches rivers dump into Sabine are good areas to fish in March. The flats around the mouth of both rivers hold predators that are cruising around looking for a meal. You can fool them with a Corky, Catch 2000, or Catch 5 that sits suspended in the mid-to-lower depths. Be selective. If the water is in the 55-degree range, a very, very, very slow Corky is a good choice. If the water is beginning to warm, then the hard baits become effective. F i s h

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LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: East Pass GPS: N29 58.920, W93 48.940 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Red Shad, Morning Glory, Black/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, www.fishsabinelake.com TIPS: East Pass will continue to produce until warm weather chases off winter’s icy breath. As cold fronts roll in with greater frequency, the trout will hold closer to deeper, warmer water for greater lengths of time. Fish plastics on 1/4-ounce ball or dredgestyle jigheads. Fish near the bottom to locate trout that have their nose in the mud. LOCATION: East Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Anahuac Wildlife Refuge Shoreline GPS: N29 33.573, W94 32.266 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Super Spooks, Brown Devil Eyes in Pearl, Limetreuse, chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 409256-7937, www.hillmanguideservice.com TIPS: Fish slowly and methodically along the Refuge shoreline to locate speckled trout that are cruising the area. A big topwater that mimics a medium-medium large mullet is effective early. Work soft plastics such as Brown’s Lures’ Devil Eye around depth breaks and guts. Soft plastics should be fished on a light jighead (1/16- to 1/8ounce) to keep it high in the water column, even a slow retrieve. High-visibility colors are a very good bet. If the day has been warm, and there is an incoming tide, late afternoon can be a very good time to fish. LOCATION: East Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef GPS: N29 28.783, W94 43.784 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: MirrOlure 51 series in silver, white patterns, or natural mullet; brown Devil Eyes in similar patterns, Glow/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 409256-7937, www.hillmanguideservice.com TIPS: The shoals around Hanna’s provide

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excellent wintertime wade-fishing for the hardy angler. Speckled trout will respond to both twitchbaits and plastics that mimic shad and mullet in shape and size. High-visibility patterns such as Glow/chartreuse and Pearl/chartreuse are most effective.

Pumped Crappie LOCATION: Delta Lake HOTSPOT: The Pumping Station (bank access) GPS: N26 25.100, W97 57.220 SPECIES: crappie

BEST BAITS: live minnows; crappie jigs in white, chartreuse; Roostertail spinners in white, yellow CONTACT: Delta Lake Tackle, 956-2623385 TIPS: Crappie begin staging for the spawn sooner in the more temperate Rio Grande Valley than up north. Fish the deeper water around the pumping station, or the reeds along the shoreline just south of it with live minnows or crappie jigs under a teardrop float. Fishing the channel with a small spinner is another option. Work it slowly and with a light touch. LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: River above Anzalduas Dam GPS: N26 25.100, W97 57.220 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: plastic worms in red, Watermelon, Grape; flipping tubes CONTACT: Anzalduas State Park, 956519-9550 TIPS: The bass fishing on the Rio Grande below Falcon Lake is very underrated. There are opportunities for excellent fishing along the brush and stickups that trace the shoreline. Look for gravel or riprap and work just as you would any pre-spawn situation. Be careful not to fish the Mexican side of the boundary. The Federales frown on that.

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LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Falcon Lake State Park GPS: N26 34.918, W99 9.028 SPECIES: catfishes BEST BAITS: live or cut shad; prepared baits CONTACT: Park Office, 956-848-5327 TIPS: Summer rains have raised the lake levels back full status, a point where fishing has improved for the shorebound angler. Catfish are in good numbers along the shoreline. Fish near stickups and brush in deeper water. Live threadfin shad and chunks of gizzard shad work well. So do punch baits and cheese baits. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Tiger Island GPS: N26 41.428, W99 7.779 SPECIES: catfishes BEST BAITS: cut shad, mackerel, prepared baits CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956-7654866 TIPS: There are lots of catfish lurking around the trunks of the flooded timber in this area. Look for cormorant nests and fish underneath them with a 3/0 long-shank hook, a split shot, and a float 2 feet up the line. Toss up against the tree trunk or in a clearing and wait.

Aquilla Whites LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Snake Island, Triplett Point, dam GPS: N31 55.215, W97 12.891 SPECIES: white bass

BEST BAITS: chartreuse slab CONTACT: Randy Routh, Cell 817-8225539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Take your binoculars and check the lake for working birds. Use Chartreuse slabs and cast and retrieve, letting them stop and flutter, or watch your graph for what appears to be a Christmas tree. This is a sure sign of F i s h

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feeding whites. Use same pattern on Triplett Point and along the dam. When you find the whites, mark with your buoy and drop and lift slabs through the school. BANK ACCESS: Tailrace Fishing Pier, white bass on jigs fished in outlet LOCATION: Lake Belton HOTSPOT: Stafford Cove GPS: N31 09.580, W97 27.571 SPECIES: largemouth and smallmouth bass BEST BAITS: black hair jig with pork eel trailer CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLine GuideService.com TIPS: Hover over deep water and cast shallow. Keep jig and pig on a tight line as it falls and watch line for a light “tick” indicating a strike. BANK ACCESS: Temple Lake Park, largemouth, catfish, white bass LOCATION: Fayette County Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Rocks GPS: N29 55.050, W96 44.550 SPECIES: catfishes BEST BAITS: shad or stink bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: February can have some warm days. Fish the rocks along the dam at varied depths. This is a power plant lake where the water is warm, even in winter and spawn will start to some extent in February. Use a slip cork and don’t be afraid to try in 18 feet of water along the dam. Some big channel cats roam these rocks, as well as yellow cats. Fish a No. 4 treble hook for channels fished straight down; No. 3 Kahle for live or cut bait for yellow cats. BANK ACCESS: Junkyard Cove, largemouth bass LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Discharge Point GPS: N30 38.267, W96 03.160 SPECIES: catfishes BEST BAITS: shad or stink bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: February can have some warm days. This is a power plant lake where the water is warm, even in winter. Fish getting ready

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to spawn will migrate to the warmer water at the discharge. It is a great area for channel and blue cats, along with the chance of hooking a nice yellow cat. Use strong tackle, especially the leader, just in case you get a big one to bite. Use Punch bait for eating size blues and channels, or use fresh or live shad and perch for larger fish. Use a Carolina rig with No. 4 treble for stink bait or No. 4 Kahle for fresh and live bait. BANK ACCESS: Hwy 175 Bridge east; cast lures for bass, minnows for crappie LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: Hidden Creek GPS: N32 34.868, W97 02.213 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: jigging spoons; drop-shot and Texas-rigged 10-inch worms CONTACT: Randy Maxwell, 817-3132878, www.getagripguide.com TIPS: In February, I start looking at the long points and creek bends leading to the better spawning areas. Joe Pool flows northeast so the spawn is totally different from other lakes. On the Mountain Creek arm, there are three points in a row before the

bridge that the creek channel almost touches along the NW shore. These are good places to start your search for the big females that are beginning to stage for the spawn. BANK ACCESS: Crappie Dock, crappie with live minnows LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Old Folks Playground GPS: N32 15.839 W95 29.508 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: spinnerbait; Texas rigged

Senko type lure in Junebug or Watermelon CONTACT: Don Mattern, 903-478-2633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: Run the east bank down from the Villages Marina until you get to the metal pipeline toward the Neches River. Take a right and follow the first half of the pipeline down until you come to an island. Tilt your motor up and motor around the island to the right, then curving hit the island. Run down to the end. It will dead in into the land. Turn left and go 1/2 mile to a narrow entrance on

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the right. Enter through this narrow passageway into Old Folks Playground. Slow roll a spinnerbait over the hydrilla for some great action. If the bass are not chasing, change to a Texas rigged Senko type lure in Junebug or Watermelon and work slowly over the grass. Hold on! BANK ACCESS: Dam Park, largemouth bass, crappie, fish pockets and rock wall LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Kickapoo Creek GPS: N32 17.349, W95 29,923 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: spinnerbaits, jigs, Shimmy Shakers, Texas-rigged worms CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Bass will be along the creek channels such as Flat and Kickapoo creeks and the Neches River. Fish the bends with jig and pig and a plastic worm as noted above. Toward the end of February, you will find some of your larger bass beginning to move onto their beds. Fish slow for best results. BANK ACCESS: Dam Park, largemouth bass, crappie, fish pockets and rock wall LOCATION: Richland Chambers Reservoir HOTSPOT: Main Lake Hump GPS: N31 57.530, W96 18.119 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: 1-ounce silver or chartreuse slab CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: If you get a couple of sunny, warm days in February, hit the lake using a 1ounce silver or chartreuse slab on light line and head for the main lake humps and Roadbeds to catch some magnum white bass. The majority of fish will be holding in 30-35 feet of water. They will be hugging the bottom and will want the slab moved ever so slowly. These are lethargic winter fish and they barely hit when feeding. The bite is almost like a crappie bite and you often have nothing more than a slight “tick” on the end of the line. When in doubt, set the hook. These are some of the largest whites you’ll catch all year, as they’re ready for the spring spawn. BANK ACCESS: Midway Landing, fish I10

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shoreline on either side of boat ramp, also fish the cove shoreline to left of ramp when entering lake, largemouth bass, white bass LOCATION: Richland Chambers Reservoir HOTSPOT: Elm Creek GPS: N32 04.426, W96 17.310 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: jigs; slow rolled spinnerbait with big Colorado blades CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 682-518-8252, www.schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: The weather is still cold, but the bite is pretty good. Larger fish will start moving around in a pre-spawn pattern, but as the cold spells come and go, the fish move in and out from the shallows. However, they won’t move far. Take your jig or spinnerbait and work the sunny side of the creeks first. This water warms the fastest. Also look in Big Cedar, Tree Top, and Wood Creeks. They all have lots of timber and a few docks and will be very good if the lake is at normal pool. You will find the better fish coming in on the north of the lake. Pay close attention to where you run north of the 2859 Bridge. BANK ACCESS: Midway Landing, fish shoreline on either side of boat ramp, also fish the cove shoreline to left of ramp when entering lake, largemouth bass, white bass LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Deer Island GPS: N30 17.901, W96 35.311 SPECIES: catfishes BEST BAITS: shad or stinkbait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: February can have some warm days. Fish the island in 3-5 feet of water on the sunny side, or where the wind is blowing into the island. When sun is higher, the water warms and baitfish as well as catfish will frequent the area. Use a slip cork or tight line on bottom. If there are stumps in the 3- to 5-foot area that is another plus. BANK ACCESS: Big Creek Marina, most species LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Timbered Cove GPS: N31 00.379, W97 38.148 SPECIES: largemouth bass F i s h

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BEST BAITS: purple jig and pig with black trailer CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLine GuideService.com TIPS: Fish tight to timber adjacent to the cove channel centerline. BANK ACCESS: Stillhouse Park, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, smallmouth bass LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Slick ‘Em Slough GPS: N33 51.354, W96 52.690 SPECIES: striped and white bass BEST BAITS: Road Runner and Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, www.striperexpress.com TIPS: February is structure-fishing time. This time of the year we run routes, focusing on main lake points, mouths of creeks, humps, and ditches. A 1- ounce Road Runner tipped with a 7-inch soft plastic worm is deadly on large fish. These rogue stripers hold tight on structure and ambush bait as it passes by. A 7-foot medium-heavy Castaway rod spooled with 20-pound-test line is a must for fighting the feisty linesides. The cold water is very favorable to stripers. We call it trophy time on Texoma, as fish will often tip the scales at 20 pounds and better. BANK ACCESS: The oil wells and the Texas Flats. White bass, shad will work best off the banks, jigs if the seagulls are working near you. LOCATION: Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Outlet Point GPS: N31 34.267, W96 56.913 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, jig and pig, Carolina-rigged Tequila Sunrise 8inch worm CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, 354-7442104, rayado@earthlink.net TIPS: Run spinnerbaits along reed edges just under the surface. Throw a buzzbait into deep pockets. Work jig and pig in holes. This is a power plant lake and if power is being generated the water will be warm. Use the buzzbait in warm water; spinnerbait and jig and pig or Carolina rig if water is cool. BANK ACCESS: East Levee, night fishing for

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catfish on stinkbait, chicken guts, turn left just past the levee and park in old picnic area, dress warmly. LOCATION: Lake Waco HOTSPOT: South Bosque River GPS: N31 29.306, W97 16.181 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: shallow running crankbaits; spinnerbaits; small Rat-L-Trap CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, 254-7442104, rayado@earthlink.net TIPS: Fishing is best from mid-February through mid-March. Spawning runs up the rivers result in dense concentrations of fish. Crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, and other small, shallow-running lures work well for these schooling fish. Retrieve them just under the surface. Be prepared for lightening quick strikes. Even small whites fight awfully hard and you’ll think you’ve hooked a much larger fish. BANK ACCESS: Reynolds Creek Park. There’s a special use bank fishing area here where you can park and fish along the bank for largemouth and white bass.

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Deep Hump GPS: N31 53.804, W97 21.923 SPECIES: stripped bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse slabs, cut shad CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Work slabs early then back and use cut shad on target areas like Deep Hump or February Hump as I call it. Use chartreuse slabs and drop to bottom and lift and let flutter down, keeping tight line as slab falls. After the sun comes up and the slab bite slows, I move to Whitney Hump, anchoring near in the deep water. Use cut shad here Make long casts and fan out your bait along the hump. The stripers are moving up out of deeper water onto the hump to feed. Use your “clicker” on your reel and let them run a ways with the bait, then stick ‘em! BANK ACCESS: Loafer’s Bend shoreline, striped bass, white, largemouth and smallmouth bass

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Shaken Largemouths LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Chaney Creek GPS: N32 47.848, W95 33.603

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LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Glade Creek GPS: N32 55.028, W95 31.950 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: jerkbaits, flukes, tube baits, small crankbaits CONTACT: Michael Rogge, www.lake-forkguides.com TIPS: Work shallow along secondary points and the backs of creeks as the water starts to warm. You can use the same pattern in Elm and Lake Fork creeks and Oil Well Bay. BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at Minnow Bucket Bait Stand, crappie, largemouth bass LOCATION: Sam Rayburn Reservoir HOTSPOT: Mouth of Caney Creek GPS: N31 07.606, W94 15.582 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: lipless crankbaits in crawfish and shad patterns CONTACT: Don Mattern, 903-478-2633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: At the mouth of Caney Creek is an island to the right when facing toward the lake. Behind the island is a huge hydrilla bed that runs behind the island makes a

bend and goes all the way down into a small cove. Start at the island point at the main lake and follow the edge casting along the edge, ripping the lipless crankbait through the hydrilla. This area has produced bass up to 8 pounds. BANK ACCESS: Powell Park Marina Fishing Pier, largemouth bass, catfish, white and striped bass

Pirky Buchanan Stripers LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Beaver Creek GPS: N30 51.888, W98 24.921

SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: live shad on a Carolina rig; Pirk Minnows, crankbaits CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: The stripers are on their annual

migration up into the Colorado River. Watch for the working birds. Concentrate on humps and drop offs and main lake points. Early morning is best. If the birds are working, throw a large topwater lure like a chrome Zara Spook. Use same pattern at Paradise Point and around Shaw Island. BANK ACCESS: Thunderbird Resort, catfish, largemouth, crappie, white bass LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOTS: Turkey Cove GPS: N29 51.846, W98 13.152 SPECIES: smallmouth bass BEST BAITS: Itsy Bitsy black and blue jig with a small Paca Craw as a trailer; JDC red grubs on Tru Tungsten 1/8-ounce jighead; Bama Bug finesse worm with Shakey or Darter head. CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Fish the main lake points and bluff edges around Turkey Cove and Tom’s Creek in 6-15 feet of water. Change baits frequently if not producing. BANK ACCESS: Potters Creek Park, largemouth bass, stripers, catfish LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: Brush Piles & River Channel (GPS respectively) GPS: N30 41.136, W97 21.107 / N30 41.145, W97 20.686 SPECIES: crappie and white bass BEST BAITS: (crappie) 1/16-ounce chartreuse Jigum Jig; (white bass) 1/4-ounce Blue Fox Flash inline spinnerbaits CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, 512-3657761, www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: For white bass, fish Blue Fox Flash spinner in areas up river where you see shad working. For crappie, fish brush piles 10-20 feet deep. Hold jig right over the top of the brush using very little action. Adding a little Berkley Crappie Nibble to the jig tip will also help quicken the action. BANK ACCESS: Wilson Fox Fishing Dock, crappie on live minnows fished straight down off dock. LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Colorado River boat docks GPS: N30 40.212, W98 26.482

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SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Texas-rigged finesse worms in Watermelon Candy or Green Pumpkin Candy; Watermelon Whacky Sticks and Smoke tubes on 1/8-ounce ball jighead CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Target docks located near deeper water in the Colorado River arm. This area usually remains clear, so shallow to midrange crankbaits are also good choices. Work the dock walls along the bank. This area also produces some nice sized bass. BANK ACCESS: Robin Hood Park, catfish, largemouth bass

Hubbard Creek Crappie LOCATION: Lake Hubbard Creek HOTSPOT: Mouth of Hubbard Creek GPS: N32 46.452, W99 03.903

SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: live minnows, 1/8-ounce crappie jigs in chartreuse/white, chartreuse/black, pink/white, red/chartreuse CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-2274931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: It is no secret that Hubbard Creek is a great crappie lake. Crappie will be moving up the creek to spawn with the full moon in February, so get ready to fill your boat. Fish along the flooded brush from the mouth of the creek and work your way back to Peeler Park. Take a long rod and drop a jig or minnow right down the middle of the cover in depths of 3-8 feet. BANK ACCESS: Fishing piers are located near most of the boat ramps; largemouth bass, white crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, white bass, freshwater drum LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Costello Cut GPS: N32 54.373, W98 27.887 SPECIES: striped and hybrid bass BEST BAITS: slab with 1/4-ounce jig about 18 inches above slab CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-779-2597, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: It is still winter, but you have the

gulls for eyes and the fish are still stacking up at the north end of the lake, waiting for the first smell/taste of fresh water coming downstream. Then they move to their spawning grounds. Hop the slab along the bottom. Slabs are also great to cast long distances if the birds put you on fish. With this approach, you can back off the fish and stay on them longer without spooking them. BANK ACCESS: Willow Beach RV Park, privately owned, ask for permission to fish, largemouth, crappie, striped and white bass LOCATION: Twin Buttes Reservoir HOTSPOT: Flats of Middle Concho River GPS: N31 22.094, W99 03.903 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, crankbaits, and jigs CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-2274931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: The bass will be in pre spawn staging along the flats next to the old river channel. On warm, sunny days, throw a red crawfish colored Rat-L-Trap into the salt cedars and mesquite trees in 2-6 feet of water. Make sure to bang it into the brush, rip it out, and let it fall a couple of feet, then start retrieving. Hop a green Strike King Football jig with Green Pumpkin and Ragetail Craw trailer down the sloping banks to 20 feet along the closest point to shallow water. Most strikes will come 8-12 feet deep. BANK ACCESS: Twin Buttes Marina Picnic & Camping Area, largemouth bass, striped bass, walleye, white bass, catfish.

Contact South Regional Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales by email at cgonzales@fishgame.com Contact North Regional Fishing Editor JD Moore by email at hotspotsnorth@fishgame.com

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Tides and Prime Times for FEBRUARY 2009 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

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.

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.

T15 T16

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

T14 T18

T19

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.

T20

T21

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE Add or subtract the time shown at the right of 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

T22 T23

View TIDE PREDICTIONS for all Texas Coastal Tide Stations and DATES at...

www.FishGame.com • F E B R U A R Y

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KEY PLACE T12 Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay T13 Gilchrist, East Bay T14 Jamaica Beach, W. Bay T15 Alligator Point, W. Bay T16 Christmas Pt T17 Galveston Pleasure Pier

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

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

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

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

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

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T9 T8

T3 T2 T1

T E X A S

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G a m e ® / 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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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

MONDAY SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times for FEBRUARY 2009

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Set: 5:51p Set: 7:20p

Sunrise: 7:08a Moonrise: 8:27a

Set: 5:51p Set: 8:16p

Sunrise: 7:07a Moonrise: 8:56a

Set: 5:52p Set: 9:11p

Sunrise: 7:07a Moonrise: 9:25a

AM Minor: 5:45a

PM Minor: 6:07p

AM Minor: 6:32a

PM Minor: 6:53p

AM Minor: 7:19a

PM Minor: 7:40p

AM Major: 11:30a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 12:21a

PM Major: 12:42p

AM Major: 1:08a

PM Major: 1:29p

12p

Moon Overhead: 3:00p

Moon Overhead: 2:18p

12a

12p

12a

12p

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:08a Moonrise: 7:56a

Moon Overhead: 1:35p

12a

= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r te r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarter = Best Day

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

FEB 1

Set: 5:53p Sunrise: 7:06a Set: 10:08p Moonrise: 9:55a

Set: 5:54p Sunrise: 7:06a Set: 5:55p Set: 11:07p Moonrise: 10:28a Set: None

AM Minor: 8:07a

PM Minor: 8:28p

AM Minor: 8:56a

PM Minor: 9:18p

AM Minor: 9:46a

PM Minor: 10:10p

AM Minor: 10:39a

PM Minor: 11:06p

AM Major: 1:56a

PM Major: 2:17p

AM Major: 2:44a

PM Major: 3:07p

AM Major: 3:34a

PM Major: 3:58p

AM Major: 4:26a

PM Major: 4:52p

Moon Overhead: 3:43p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:16p

Moon Overhead: 4:27p

12a

12p

Sunrise: 7:05a Set: 5:56p Moonrise: 11:07a Set: 12:11a

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:08p 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 1:14a +2.0

Moon Underfoot: 1:57a

BEST:

-1.0

12:25-2:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:21a

Moon Underfoot: 4:05a

Moon Underfoot: 4:51a

Moon Underfoot: 5:41a +2.0

BEST:

1:15-3:20 PM

2:10-4:00 PM

2:50-4:45 PM

3:35-5:30 PM

4:40-6:20 PM

TIDE LEVELS

11:20AM-2:00PM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 2:39a

+1.0

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

2:04 AM 10:08 AM 6:05 PM 10:17 PM

0.91 ft -0.59 ft 0.90 ft 0.70 ft

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

2:54 AM 10:36 AM 6:20 PM 10:54 PM

0.87 ft -0.49 ft 0.88 ft 0.59 ft

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

3:47 AM 11:04 AM 6:35 PM 11:32 PM

0.81 ft High Tide: 4:49 AM 0.74 ft Low Tide: -0.36 ft Low Tide: 11:33 AM -0.19 ft High Tide: 0.84 ft High Tide: 6:48 PM 0.80 ft Low Tide: 0.45 ft High Tide:

12:12 AM 6:04 AM 12:04 PM 6:54 PM

0.28 ft 0.67 ft 0.03 ft 0.76 ft

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

12:56 AM 7:36 AM 12:36 PM 6:51 PM

0.09 ft 0.63 ft 0.27 ft 0.75 ft

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

1:47 AM 9:31 AM 1:06 PM 6:34 PM

-0.12 ft 0.66 ft 0.53 ft 0.80 ft

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE LE VEL GRAPH: Yellow: Daylight Tab: Peak Fishing Period Green: Falling Tide Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

12a

BEST:

7:05-9:40 PM

12p

SOLUNAR AC TIVIT Y: 12a

AM/PM Timeline Light Blue: Nighttime

MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.)

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the 12a Sky

Moon Overhead: 8:50a

Gold Fish: Best Time Blue Fish: Good Time

AM/PM Timeline

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

12p

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

MOON PHASE SYMBOLS MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)

12a

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

F i s h

= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = L a s t Q u a r te r = B es t Da y

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= 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

Sunrise: 7:05a Set: 5:57p Moonrise: 11:52a Set: 1:17a

Sunrise: 7:04a Set: 5:58p Moonrise: 12:45p Set: 2:25a

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Sunrise: 7:03a Moonrise: 1:47p

Set: 5:58p Set: 3:32a

Sunrise: 7:03a Moonrise: 2:55p

Set: 5:59p Set: 4:34a

Sunrise: 7:02a Moonrise: 4:07p

Set: 6:00p Set: 5:29a

Sunrise: 7:01a Moonrise: 5:19p

Set: 6:01p Set: 6:18a

Sunrise: 7:01a Moonrise: 6:28p

Set: 6:02p Set: 6:59a

AM Minor: 11:34a

PM Minor: ——-

AM Minor: 12:00a

PM Minor: 12:31p

AM Minor: 12:57a

PM Minor: 1:29p

AM Minor: 1:54a

PM Minor: 2:26p

AM Minor: 2:51a

PM Minor: 3:22p

AM Minor: 3:48a

PM Minor: 4:17p

AM Minor: 4:43a

PM Minor: 5:10p

AM Major: 5:20a

PM Major: 5:49p

AM Major: 6:16a

PM Major: 6:46p

AM Major: 7:13a

PM Major: 7:45p

AM Major: 8:10a

PM Major: 8:42p

AM Major: 9:07a

PM Major: 9:38p

AM Major: 10:02a

PM Major: 10:32p

AM Major: 10:57a

PM Major: 11:24p

Moon Overhead: 7:06p

12a

WEDNESDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:11p

Moon Overhead: 8:07p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:15p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: None

Moon Overhead: 11:16p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:13a 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for FEBRUARY 2009

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 6:36a

-1.0

BEST:

5:35-7:20 PM

6:30-8:25 PM

7:20-9:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 9:43a BEST:

8:25-10:40 PM

Moon Underfoot: 10:46a BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 11:45a BEST:

9:20-11:45 PM

10:15-11:59 PM

Moon Underfoot: 12:40p +2.0

BEST:

4:30-6:30 AM TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 8:39a

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 7:36a

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

2:45 AM 11:57 AM 1:23 PM 6:08 PM

-0.33 ft Low Tide: 3:51 AM 0.77 ft High Tide: 5:48 PM 0.77 ft 0.90 ft

-0.53 ft Low Tide: 5:01 AM 1.02 ft High Tide: 4:55 PM

-0.72 ft Low Tide: 6:10 AM 1.12 ft High Tide: 4:05 PM

-0.88 ft Low Tide: 1.18 ft High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

7:13 AM 4:22 PM 9:22 PM 10:29 PM

-0.99 ft Low Tide: 8:10 AM 1.18 ft High Tide: 4:42 PM 1.07 ft Low Tide: 8:58 PM 1.07 ft

-1.03 ft High Tide: 12:43 AM 1.07 ft 1.12 ft Low Tide: 9:03 AM -0.97 ft 0.95 ft High Tide: 5:02 PM 1.04 ft

+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

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Sunrise: 7:00a Moonrise: 7:34p

Set: 6:03p Set: 7:36a

Sunrise: 6:59a Moonrise: 8:36p

Set: 6:03p Set: 8:09a

Sunrise: 6:58a Moonrise: 9:37p

Set: 6:04p Set: 8:41a

AM Minor: 5:37a

PM Minor: 6:02p

AM Minor: 6:30a

PM Minor: 6:54p

AM Minor: 7:23a

PM Minor: 7:46p

AM Minor: 8:15a

PM Minor: 8:38p

AM Minor: 9:07a

PM Minor: 9:30p

AM Minor: 9:58a

PM Minor: 10:22p

AM Minor: 10:49a

PM Minor: 11:13p

AM Major: 11:50a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 12:18a

PM Major: 12:42p

AM Major: 1:11a

PM Major: 1:34p

AM Major: 2:03a

PM Major: 2:27p

AM Major: 2:55a

PM Major: 3:19p

AM Major: 3:46a

PM Major: 4:10p

AM Major: 4:36a

PM Major: 5:01p

Moon Overhead: 1:06a

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:42a

Moon Overhead: 1:55a 12a

12p

Sunrise: 6:57a Set: 6:05p Moonrise: 10:37p Set: 9:13a

12a

12p

Sunrise: 6:57a Set: 6:06p Moonrise: 11:37p Set: 9:47a

SUNDAY

Moon Overhead: 3:28a 12a

12p

Sunrise: 6:56a Set: 6:07p Sunrise: 6:55a Set: 6:07p Moonrise: NoMoon Set: 10:23a Moonrise: 12:36a Set: 11:02a

Moon Overhead: 5:02a

Moon Overhead: 4:15a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:51a 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times for FEBRUARY 2009

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 1:31p +2.0

BEST:

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 3:52p

BEST:

12:50-3:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 5:26p

Moon Underfoot: 6:16p +2.0

BEST:

1:50-3:45 AM

2:35-4:40 AM

3:25-5:20 AM

4:15-6:05 AM

TIDE LEVELS

12:10-2:20 AM

Moon Underfoot: 4:38p

TIDE LEVELS

Moon Underfoot: 3:05p

BEST:

12:01-1:30 AM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 2:19p

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

I20

2:08 AM 9:52 AM 5:21 PM 10:08 PM

1.06 ft -0.82 ft 0.95 ft 0.54 ft

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

• F E B R U A R Y

3:25 AM 10:38 AM 5:40 PM 10:52 PM

1.02 ft -0.58 ft 0.87 ft 0.30 ft

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

T E X A S

4:39 AM 11:21 AM 5:58 PM 11:39 PM

0.95 ft High Tide: 5:55 AM 0.87 ft -0.29 ft Low Tide: 12:01 PM 0.02 ft 0.82 ft High Tide: 6:14 PM 0.78 ft 0.08 ft

F i s h

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

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

12:29 AM 7:16 AM 12:38 PM 6:28 PM

-0.10 ft 0.80 ft 0.32 ft 0.78 ft

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

1:21 AM 8:50 AM 1:08 PM 6:34 PM

-0.23 ft 0.77 ft 0.57 ft 0.79 ft

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

2:19 AM 10:59 AM 1:06 PM 6:05 PM

-0.31 ft 0.79 ft 0.77 ft 0.83 ft

+1.0

-1.0

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Tides and Prime Times for FEBRUARY 2009 MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

16 SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Set: 6:08p Sunrise: 6:53a Set: 11:46a Moonrise: 2:27a

Set: 6:09p Sunrise: 6:52a Set: 12:34p Moonrise: 3:17a

Set: 6:10p Set: 1:26p

Sunrise: 6:51a Moonrise: 4:04a

Set: 6:10p Set: 2:21p

Sunrise: 6:50a Moonrise: 4:45a

Set: 6:11p Set: 3:18p

Sunrise: 6:49a Moonrise: 5:23a

Set: 6:12p Set: 4:15p

Sunrise: 6:48a Moonrise: 5:57a

Set: 6:12p Set: 5:13p

AM Minor: 11:38a

PM Minor: ——-

AM Minor: 12:01a

PM Minor: 12:26p

AM Minor: 12:47a

PM Minor: 1:12p

AM Minor: 1:33a

PM Minor: 1:57p

AM Minor: 2:17a

PM Minor: 2:41p

AM Minor: 3:00a

PM Minor: 3:23p

AM Minor: 3:42a

PM Minor: 4:04p

AM Major: 5:25a

PM Major: 5:50p

AM Major: 6:13a

PM Major: 6:39p

AM Major: 7:00a

PM Major: 7:25p

AM Major: 7:45a

PM Major: 8:10p

AM Major: 8:29a

PM Major: 8:53p

AM Major: 9:11a

PM Major: 9:35p

AM Major: 9:53a

PM Major: 10:16p

Moon Overhead: 6:41a

12a

FRIDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 8:21a

Moon Overhead: 7:31a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:11a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:47a

Moon Overhead: 10:00a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 11:32a 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 6:54a Moonrise: 1:33a

THURSDAY

= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r te r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarter = Best Day

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 7:06p

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 9:35p

Moon Underfoot: 10:23p

BEST:

5:15-6:55 AM

6:00-7:50 AM

6:45-8:40 AM

1:15-3:20 AM

2:00-4:10 AM

Moon Underfoot: 11:10p BEST:

8:55AM-:12:20PM

Moon Underfoot: 11:54p +2.0

BEST:

9:40-11:55 AM TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 8:46p

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 7:56p

Low Tide: 3:25 AM High Tide: 4:00 PM

-0.34 ft Low Tide: 4:38 AM 0.93 ft High Tide: 4:08 PM

-0.37 ft Low Tide: 5:48 AM 1.00 ft High Tide: 4:34 PM

-0.39 ft Low Tide: 6:48 AM 1.03 ft High Tide: 4:52 PM

-0.42 ft Low Tide: 1.03 ft High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

7:35 AM 4:46 PM 9:24 PM 11:28 PM

-0.43 ft Low Tide: 8:14 AM 1.00 ft High Tide: 4:33 PM 0.92 ft Low Tide: 8:51 PM 0.94 ft

-0.42 ft High Tide: 12:42 AM 0.96 ft Low Tide: 8:46 AM 0.87 ft High Tide: 4:32 PM Low Tide: 8:53 PM

0.97 ft -0.39 ft 0.95 ft 0.78 ft

+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

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 6:47a Moonrise: 6:28a

Set: 6:13p Set: 6:09p

Sunrise: 6:46a Moonrise: 6:58a

Set: 6:14p Set: 7:06p

Sunrise: 6:45a Moonrise: 7:27a

Set: 6:15p Set: 8:03p

Sunrise: 6:44a Moonrise: 7:58a

Set: 6:15p Set: 9:02p

Sunrise: 6:43a Moonrise: 8:30a

AM Minor: 4:24a

PM Minor: 4:46p

AM Minor: 5:08a

PM Minor: 5:29p

AM Minor: 5:53a

PM Minor: 6:14p

AM Minor: 6:40a

PM Minor: 7:03p

AM Major: 10:35a

PM Major: 10:57p

AM Major: 10:53a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 11:38a

PM Major: 12:03p

AM Major: 12:29a

PM Major: 12:52p

Moon Overhead: 12:16p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:41p

Moon Overhead: 12:58p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:26p

SATURDAY

12a

12p

MAR 1

Set: 6:16p Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 10:04p Moonrise: 9:07a

Set: 6:17p Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 11:09p Moonrise: 9:49a

Set: 6:17p Set: None

AM Minor: 7:32a

PM Minor: 7:55p

AM Minor: 8:27a

PM Minor: 8:52p

AM Minor: 9:25a

PM Minor: 9:53p

AM Major: 1:20a

PM Major: 1:44p

AM Major: 2:14a

PM Major: 2:40p

AM Major: 3:11a

PM Major: 3:39p

Moon Overhead: 4:04p

Moon Overhead: 3:13p 12a

SUNDAY

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:00p 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times for FEBRUARY 2009

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: None +2.0

BEST:

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 2:03a

BEST:

12:00-2:10 PM

12:40-2:50 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:38a

Moon Underfoot: 4:32a +2.0

BEST:

1:25-3:30 PM

2:25-4:20 PM

3:20-5:30 PM

TIDE LEVELS

10:40AM-1:15PM

Moon Underfoot: 2:49a

TIDE LEVELS

Moon Underfoot: 1:20a

BEST:

10:15AM-12:30PM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 12:37a

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

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1:40 AM 9:15 AM 4:40 PM 9:15 PM

0.99 ft -0.33 ft 0.93 ft 0.66 ft

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

• F E B R U A R Y

2:35 AM 9:43 AM 4:51 PM 9:44 PM

0.99 ft -0.23 ft 0.92 ft 0.52 ft

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

T E X A S

3:30 AM 10:12 AM 5:03 PM 10:17 PM

0.99 ft -0.09 ft 0.90 ft 0.36 ft

F i s h

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

4:28 AM 10:43 AM 5:13 PM 10:52 PM

0.99 ft 0.08 ft 0.88 ft 0.18 ft

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

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5:31 AM 11:16 AM 5:18 PM 11:31 PM

0.98 ft 0.29 ft 0.87 ft 0.00 ft

High Tide: 6:44 AM 0.98 ft Low Tide: 11:50 AM 0.52 ft High Tide: 5:15 PM 0.89 ft

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

12:16 AM 8:10 AM 12:23 PM 5:01 PM

-0.17 ft 0.99 ft 0.76 ft 0.96 ft

+1.0

-1.0

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the “Superline” spools will not let modern braids spin around the

Dig- & Knot-Free FireLine Braid

If you are sick and tired of braid digging into the spool and impossible wind knots, A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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standard that rivals the best tied flies, and made Fishskin Bucktail Teaser to tackle the toughest fish, even offshore species like dolphin and tuna. The Fishskin Bucktail Teaser comes in 3” and 3-3/4” lengths on 3/0 and 5/0 stainless hooks. The teasers can also be used to change out the hooks on your favorite plugs and poppers to make them even more productive. If you fish with teasers already know they are effective, but unless you’ve fished the remarkable Fishskin Bucktail Teaser you don’t know just how effective they can really be. Step up to the hottest teaser ever offered, quality made to last. For more information on the complete line ProFishCo products go to www.profishco.com, or email them at info@profishco.com I24

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Waterproof Striker Tip

SportPort 500 Docking System

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OWNER MODEL # 5130W-024 5130W-046 5130W-068 5130W-080 5130-141 5130-161 5130-181 5130-201

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MC Saltwater offshore leaders

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Daiwa’s 50th

Texas Marine

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAIWA

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF TEXAS MARINE OF BEAUMONT

Southeast Texas, has positive answers to all of the above questions. Mike Hebert started the company 28 years ago on a corner

Wave and Nautic Star dealer in the nation for many years.” Hebert said he learned a long time ago to take care of his customers: “Give them a

in Beaumont with just himself, two employees, and three boats. The company has grown to four locations, still has the original location in Beaumont, plus locations in Conroe, Seabrook, and League City. Robert Stokes, VP of Sales, and Phil Stark, Director of Service, have worked for Texas Marine for close to 20 years. Employees have the chance to purchase stock in the dealership, which builds cohesiveness in the company; if employees want a good return on their stock, they had better be good at whatever they do in their jobs. Texas Marine has been one of the top 100 boat dealers in the United States for the last four years in a row, as certified by Marine Retailers Association of America. In 2007, it was the No. 1 dealer in Texas for Yamaha Outboards and one of Ranger Boats top 10 dealers in the United States. It has won the Ranger 5-Star Award, which is given only to Ranger dealers that meet the highest customer satisfaction levels. One of the company’s most coveted awards is the 2006 Southeast Texas Better Business Bureau Torch Award in the Large Business classification. The Torch Award is given for marketplace ethics and service to the customer. “This award means a lot to us because it’s recognition by the Better Business Bureau and our peers,” said Hebert. Texas Marine is known as the fisherman’s headquarters. “We have been called that before because we have Ranger, which makes bass boats and some really great saltwater bay boats; plus Stratos, Nautic Star, and Blue Wave,” said Hebert. “We have been the No. 1 Blue

good quality product that they are going to be satisfied with, and take care of them when they need support or help. They are going to come back for their second, third, or fourth boat, and they are going to be our friends. “There are not many boat dealers around that have been in business for 28 years. We are proud of that, not because we

Continued on Page I-28

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INDUSTRY INSIDER Continued from Page I-27 are smarter, but because our customers keep us in business, keep coming back. I think my No. 1 customer is on his fourteenth boat he has bought from me.” Having four locations all selling the same boats is a plus for the customer. Hebert explained that a dealer with only one location limits what is available to prospective boat buyers. Four locations stock four times the inventory of a single location dealer. “People love to see selection; they like to have 5 or 10 of the same model to I28

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choose from,” said Hebert. “They may want a different color or different option, different size motor. That’s an advantage we have when they come to us versus maybe a stand-alone dealer. If we don’t have it in one store, we may have what they want in one of our other three stores. “A lot of people have already looked, planned, surfed the internet, studied the boats, and know as much about the boat as we do when they come in. Once they made the decision to buy, they want it right then. Because of the size of our service department, we can get their boat ready and deliver immediately. We take them to the F i s h

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water and show them how to use their new boat. They don’t have to wait a month or two for the boat to be built.” Texas Marine sells more than just fishing boats. They also sell pontoon boats, pleasure boats by Chaparral and Yamaha, offshore boats by Robalo, and even big cruisers. “No matter if you are looking for a 16foot fishing boat or a 50-foot offshore boat, we have you covered from A to Z.” Contact: Texas Marine, www.texasmarine.com —TB

PHOTO COURTESY OF UBERTI

1/2/09

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A Trio of Firsts HERE DID THE SEASONS GO? ONLY yesterday, I was bundling them in camo “Smurf ” clothing to lead them into the “wilderness” of the Texas Hill Country to teach them how to

by Jerry Wright, TFG Reader

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A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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PHOTO COURTESY OF JERRY WRIGHT

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Special Hunting Section

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JERRY WRIGHT

Trophy Fever

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A L M A N A C / T E X A S

F i s h

by Robbie Rossi, TFG Reader

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Special Hunting Section

Trophy Fever

Hog dogs chased down the marauding porker. The chain-link fence in the background borders Jefferson County Airport.

The socialized hog made a mess of the author’s backyard.

Left to right is Clint Oliver, Kane Simon, Robbie Rossi III, and the author, Robbie Rossi, Jr., with the captured marauder.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROBBIE ROSSI

yard was rooted up and none of the corn had been eaten. On the third day, I got curious, went out on my patio about 9:30 p.m., and shined a spotlight, and there she was— a big black hog. For the next five days, it was like our evening entertainment. My wife, kids, neighbors, friends, and I would sit on the patio and watch this hog tear up our backyard, hoping that one night she would go into the trap. By Monday 10 November, she had rooted up an area 75x100 feet’ and was venturing across the street into a neighbor’s garden. Since she had not gone into the trap and was still eating my yard instead of the corn, I decided it was time to take her. I called some friends to bring their dogs. My buddies with some dogs and I went on the hunt about 4:30 p.m., and before dark, we had her tied up—a black sow about 130 pounds. This was been one exiting week Hog Hunting in Beauxart Garden. —TF&G Reader, Robbie Rossi

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TROPHY FEVER PHOTOS

RED STAG—NORTH TEXAS

TURKEY—WHEELER, TEXAS

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The trailer’s freedom of movement comes partially from its relatively light weight, like a flag waving in the breeze. Poppers call in an assortment of predators from a distance with their surface commotion. Whether it’s a strip bait, glob of squid, whole squid, baitfish, or leadhead jig, it has a good chance of getting bit. Naturally, wire comes into play when kingfish or wahoo are involved. A distance between the popper and trailer of 2 feet is a good one. Regardless of the connector link material, loop connections are important to give the trailer presentation maximum freedom of movement. Kingfish and wahoo really respond to a big Krocodile spoon with a dressed hook trailing and virtually skipped across the surface. After floating back, let your presentation sit at about 100 feet out, giving periodic rod tip twitches to activate the popper. Work it back a bit, and then let it drift out again. When fished from a rod holder “long” with the reel in gear, you have one of the best combinations working—the boat’s movement from wave action and a premier hook setter (the rod holder). At any time when the popper is at rest, the strip bait will sink a bit and

respond to popper movement from rod tip twitches, making the bait strip rise erratically. Be especially careful when your trailer bait is at or very near the surface. A predator striking from below pushes a pressure wave ahead of it, which might blow your hooked trailer out of the water. You can’t set a hook on a blowup. You must feel the weight of the fish on the hook. Premature hook setting could have everything coming back at you. When fishing the mid-depths to the bottom, treble hook trailers might cause hang-up problems if structure is around. A much better choice is a “J” or circle hook. When targeting reef fish at any depth in federal waters and using natural bait, circle hooks are mandated by NMFS regulations. Fishing the mid-depths to the bottom is best done with a light or floating trailer behind a spoon or other sinking lure. I always remove the spoon hook and tie the trailer leader onto the split ring or the spoon itself. The trailer can be a floater or a piece of Styrofoam inside a strip bait. When casting any presentation with a trailer and bait combination, it’s important to slow your cast just before the lure and trailer enter the water, straightening it all out away from you immediately before entry. As in most fishing situations, it’s the combination that counts. Surface lures or deep runners with a baited trailer will put fish in the boat, whether you are fishing offshore, near shore, or in the bays. E-mail Patrick Lemire at saltrigs@fishgame.com.

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ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK LEMIRE

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ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL BRADSHAW

and a leader made from 12; this way, if the hook gets snagged, the leader will break before the main line so you do not lose your entire rig. The length of the leader is really the angler’s choice, but somewhere around 3 feet is typical. The hook you choose to tie on the end of the leader depends on the bait you are using,

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS Continued from Page I-37 above the grass, sticks, or rocks that litter the lake bed. While it is not always the best method to use while drifting, it definitely has its place and should be added to your bag of tricks. The key to successfully drifting with a bottom bouncer is finding the right size weight that matches the speed you want to drift. Use too heavy a weight while moving I38

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tell if the speed is right by watching your rod tip. If the rod tip is bouncing in a rhythmic manner, you have everything just right.

E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com.

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E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com.

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5-foot tidal variations are common, and the rushing water can push a kayaker into heavy seas or rips, where they swamp. Texas does not have extreme tides, but we do have extreme weather. Never head out in a kayak when storm conditions threaten, like when a strong cold front is expected to push through. Several beach goers met their demise after imbibing too many adult beverages and went for a paddle. Alcohol and kayaks do not mix. A few paddlers were found extremely far from shore; for whatever reason, they did not know their own limits. Regardless of venue or cause of death, I did not read a single story with a headline that read: Kayaker Wearing Personal Flotation Device Found Dead. I wonder if any of the perished had life insurance. I wonder if they buckled their seat belts when they got in a car, or strapped their children into a car seat. Why take all of those precautions and then fail to wear a PFD? PFDs save lives. They might not be 100 percent foolproof, but you can be sure the chances of you drowning go up exponentially when you are not wearing one. You are wagering with the devil every time you go afloat and do not wear a PFD. Lack of proper training accounted for many of the drownings I read about. Most of the paddlers exceeded their capabilities and got into trouble. Once in harm’s way, they did not know how to correct a serious situation and it turned fatal. Kayakers are at the greatest risk of getting hypothermia this month. Capsizing your kayak in frigid water is a potentially deadly event. Learning how to re-enter a capsized kayak is a skill that can save your life. These skills, and others, are taught at kayak classes given by certified American Canoe Association instructors. Is your life worth the $75 tuition? Keep in mind that you can suffer hypothermia even in shallow water. One winter afternoon, my brother and sister-inlaw were returning to the ramp at Flour Bluff when they came across a gentleman who had grounded his boat. The norther several days before had driven lots of water from the bay and the old man’s boat was stuck, high and dry. He had been struggling mightily for a while and was soaked to the skin when my brother stopped to help. No matter how much they pulled, the boat would not budge. The sun was going down

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and my brother offered to give the gentleman a lift to the ramp, as the tide would not be rising for a full day. The signs of hypothermia were kicking in and the gentleman was becoming incoherent. Recognizing the signs, my brother and sisterin-law practically forced the man into their boat and took him back to the ramp, where he finally warmed up after an hour. If chance hadn’t brought them together, the man would have died from hypothermia in less than a foot of water, a few minutes from the boat ramp.

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Roland on Redfish UMMER SATURDAY AFTERNOON WAS ALL about Superstation WTBS to me. After I had cleaned up from my morning fishing excursion to the local golf course, I would flop down on my bed with a bolognaand-cheese sandwich and a Fanta Red and watch the afternoon program on Ted Turner’s pride and joy. The Atlanta Braves usually stunk, but sometimes I would get to see closer

by Calixto Gonzales Gene Garber and his funky half-turn throwing style (I still remember him striking out Pete Rose to end Charlie Hustle’s famous hitting streak at 44). When the game was over, and just before the two hours of Georgia Championship Wrestling, I had half an hour of respite. Roland Martin was about to take me fishing. It would not be hyperbole to say that an entire generation of anglers has grown up on Roland Martin. Whether it was on WTBS or the Outdoor Life Network (now Versus), fishermen from all over the country have tuned in weekly for close to three decades to learn the how, what, and why of fishing from the ninetime Bass Angler’s Sportsman Society (BASS) Angler of the Year. Every week, Martin would take his viewers with him to myriad fishing locales, both exotic and local. Usually, he was fishing for the ever-ubiquitous largemouth bass, but sometimes he plied the Big Briny for saltier customers such as tuna, billfish, grouper, or his current love, redfish. Many of Martin’s most ardent fans would be surprised to find the man, who alongside Ray Scott was the de facto face of BASS through the 1970s, 80s and 90s, is an enthusiastic saltwater angler. “I fish for saltwater species, too,” said MarI42

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tin one evening after a practice day for a Panama city Beach, Florida, redfish tournament. “I love it. It presents a different set of challenges. Redfish are pretty cool. There’s no fish more representative of saltwater angling than the redfish.” After retiring from bass tournament fishing in November 2005, Martin turned his attentions to the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup series, which he has fished for the past three years. His experience from his 35-year run in bass tournaments (which included 25 Bassmaster Classic starts) has helped him in the transition. “Redfish and bass work on very strict patterns,” said Martin. “Redfish are structureoriented fish—like bass—and they look for ambush points to use to strike at prey. They focus on rocks, docks, and breaklines, just like bass do. “Pattern fishermen can identify the same sort of conditions that affect redfish that affect river and estuary bass. Tidal flow and water temperature affect both fish. In most cases, you will find redfish in shallower water, and they school more, but they stick to their habits that you can figure out.” The lures that Martin uses for redfish are not much different from the old standards that bass fishermen use. The 1/4- to 1/2-ounce gold and copper Johnson spoons are as big a deal among bass anglers as they are among redfish hunters. “The soft plastics we use for redfish are similar to a plastic worm,” Martin said. “You can even fish them in similar styles. I’ve used Texas-rigged soft plastics for redfish.” The biggest difference that Martin sees between a bass and a redfish is the general toughness of the saltwater species. “Oh, a redfish tears up tackle more than a bass,” Martin said. “A 5-pound redfish is tougher than a similar-sized bass, and they dog it out a lot more. They’ll run off with your bait if you let them.” The one similarity between bass and redfish that stands out to Martin is the efficacy of crankbaits for both fishes. “I’ve caught a lot of reds on crankbaits,” F i s h

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Martin said. “A deep crankbait on light line covers a lot of water in an area, and redfish will take them. I’ve seen a big redfish come from a long way off to hit a crankbait. That’s really something to see.” The redfish’s aggressive nature and innate toughness means that they can do a real number on a crankbait’s hardware. To offset this, Martin switches out the split rings and hooks on his redfish cranks with stronger saltwatergrade hardware. “I switch out the 2X trebles on my plugs with 4X hooks so they last longer,” Martin said. “Still, I’ve had some oversized reds tear the hooks off some of my plugs.” Equally important to Martin’s success with redfish is the use of leaders. Whether using braid or monofilament, he considers the use of stronger leaders essential to his success. He attaches them directly to his main line, sans swivel. Thus, a solid background in knot tying is essential. Martin has been using the Bimini twist for years, even when he was fishing for bass. He remembered using 6-pound tackle in a bass tournament once. He tied a short Bimini onto the line. The double line—and thus the added strength—of the knot came in very handy when he landed a big bass on the fairy wand tackle. “I use about the same size Bimini twist for redfish,” he said. “Then I fasten the leader to the double line, and that gives me a strong connection.” Martin conceded that largemouth bass will always be his first love, since “redfish are restricted to about 10 percent of the country,” whereas bass are found throughout the U.S. and the world. Reds, though, have a special place in his heart. “Redfish are exciting fish,” he said. “Once my tournament partner and I came up on a school of big redfish, and we each hooked into big 10- and 15-pound fish cast after cast. We were jumping around the boat, fighting those fish, giggling like schoolgirls. “I’ve had some exciting moments with redfish. Like I said, they’re pretty cool.”

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Trinity Bay: Post-Ike HE AFTEREFFECTS OF HURRICANE IKE WILL continue to make news long after Ike’s departure. One of the consequences is the effect of the storm surge on upper Trinity Bay, one of the three bays of the Galveston Bay complex. The upper end of the bay is home to the Trinity, Old, and Lost rivers; has a mix of both salt- and freshwater marshes, and freshwater ponds and lakes. Interstate 10 crosses the bay at its far north end. The storm surge at the Army Corps of Engineers office at the Wallisville Lake Project, a couple of miles below I-10, reached 15 feet; depths north of I-10 reached as high as 12 feet. Even though the surge breached the highway, the elevated super highway served as a barrier to the acres and acres of debris washed up by the surging water. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) personnel estimate it will take a long time to clean up the mess. Tanks, fuel cans, appliances, Styrofoam, and building material are just some the items stacked up along the bay’s northern reaches. Natural organic debris that is not interfering with recreational activities such as boating, hiking, and fishing will probably be left as-is. Casualties on both the natural landscape and manmade features are numerous. The USACE navigation lock on the Trinity River is out of commission, as is the saltwater barrier dam because of water intrusion into the electrical controls and components. Saltwater intrusion into marshes and waterways not accustomed to the salt resulted in a brownout of vegetation, and fish kills. Lake Anahuac, normally an independent freshwater lake along the bay, is now a saltwater lake. The freshwater fish populations no longer exist. Anahuac will probably remain that way

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until natural forces wash the impoundment clean with rainwater inflow from Turtle Bayou. Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on the way you look at it—the weather since the storm has been Chamber of Commerce weather: bright blue skies with

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very little rain. The Chambers-Liberty County Navigation District has the ability to pump freshwater into the lake, but like many other mechanical items, the pumps are not working because

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The Importance of Water Temperature N EARLY SPRING, FISHING CAN REALLY TRY your patience. There are so many factors to deal with that can make or break a good fishing day. Of course, the weather is the No. 1 factor. More severe weather fronts come through in early spring than any other time. The biggest challenges you face are staying in the warmest water and having patience. Looking for the warmest water is my first priority, as this is generally the area where fish are going to turn on first. I constantly monitor my Raymarine DS600X, looking for just one or two degrees difference, as this is all that it takes to turn fish on. I believe the temperature gauge is the most important piece of equipment in early spring. A good friend of mine, Dr. Loren Hill,

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did a study on fish behavior. He put bass and baitfishes in a huge tank that he could regulate the water temperature by one degree at a time. He could also manipulate the bass into moving, feeding frenzy, or dormancy simply by going up or down with the water temperature. The thing that I was intrigued by was how at a certain temperature the baitfishes would get active, the bass would move out of a dormant state, and one or two degree higher temperature the feed was on. Just that slight change— and it wasn’t much—made all the difference. If I am on the water, I want to be thinking, Where is the sun hitting the water the most during the day, because that should be the warmest water as a rule. Now let’s say for two or three days you have been catching a lot of fish on the east side of the lake and the water has been the warmest there. Then, the wind switches to the east; it can blow the warmer water to the west side of the lake, turning the fish on. I have seen it happen many times. Another key item: You have the area picked where you scouted the day before and caught fish. You go there first thing, spend two hours fishing without a bite, and decide to leave. Big mistake. In the spring, you have to remember the water temperature is going to rise and make for better fishing as the day goes on. I know many tournaments that have been won by guys sticking it out until the fish

turned on, and a lot of times, that could be afternoon fishing. The other thing you want to remember is to fish slowly. When you think you are fishing slowly, you probably need to slow down even more. This is not the time to have your MotorGuide on high 36. Turn your DuraAmp down to a crawl and cover the area slowly. Whether you are fishing a Lazer Eye Bass Pro Shops’ spinnerbait, Zoom plastic on a Carolina rig, or a Nitro crankbait, fish it slowly, then try it a little bit slower. Another key place to look on some lakes and rivers is at hot water discharges; these can be awesome fishing spots. In the early spring when fishing is just turning on, keep your baits small, as you will get a lot more bites. Now is when I am going to use a Zoom finesse worm or centipede with a 1/0 or 2/0 Mustad hook, sprayed with Jack’s Juice in crayfish scent. I also like to use a small crankbait and small spinnerbait. I like to fish with 8- to 10-pound Bass Pro Shops fluorocarbon line. Again, I am going to go allout and fish as slowly as possible. I bet there is not a fisherman out there that hasn’t stopped to go to the bathroom and got a bite while their lure was sitting still, and usually this happens in early spring, telling us to slow down.

NEWS FROM THE COAST Continued from Page I-43 of the storm. Once repairs and restoration is completed, it will be a matter of priorities as to what ranks at the top of the “to do” list. Pumping that much water costs money. That is not to say it will not be done, but other things might take priority. The best prospects for quick restoration are in heavy winter rainfall. Replenishment of the freshwater fish species will occur naturally over time, or TPWD might restock the lake. A good result is that the bountiful harvest of debris is not blocking navigation in the I44

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bay or most of the sloughs feeding the Trinity, Old, and Lost rivers. You might be running a slough, make several turns, and encounter no obstructions; but on another bend a massive debris jam awaits you. The best advice to anglers and hunters is be observant and ready to change your game plan when necessary. Another good result of the storm surge is that the water hyacinth that was an ongoing problem for USACE is gone. Whether it was a result of moving water or saltwater, the result is the same. Waterfowl hunting in the marshes around F i s h

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the bay seem to be producing good numbers of ducks. On a recent hunt, 18 birds were reported taken from the area around the Wallisville Project. On the negative side, rice farmers are faced with the problem of saltwater intrusion into their growing fields, ruining their harvest for this year. The hunting might not be good in some of the browned out marshes, but the birds will be relocating to freshwater ponds in nearby rice fields not affected by the tidal surge. —Tom Behrens

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Lavaca: The Forgotten Bay T IS UNUSUAL FOR LAVACA BAY TO BE mentioned in any fishing report, magazine, or online forum. Though it serves as a liquid border between the budding streets of Port Lavaca and Point Comfort, the bay is a ghost town among all coastal bays. All too many are familiar with Lavaca Bay’s history as “home to what is arguably the worst environmental disaster on the Texas Gulf Coast.” In the late 1960s, the Alcoa aluminum factory located on the northeast side of the bay expelled enough mercury-filled wastewater into Lavaca Bay to contaminate 64 square miles; estimates put the figure at 67 pounds of mercury per day. In 1970, the practice was discontinued, and in 1988, retaining fish from the waters was outlawed due to health risks. The small amount of Lavaca Bay anglers quickly dispersed elsewhere. Things changed in 1994 when Lavaca Bay became a Superfund site. Over $100 million in extensive cleanup efforts and restoration put life back into the bay for future anglers. Along with 11 acres of oyster reefs and over 70 acres of marsh furnished, more than 700 acres of prairie became permanently preserved. Three lighted piers and boat ramps made a much-awaited get-well present. Despite the fact that the bay’s conditions have made a big comeback, fishermen have not. And few are aware of such prime fishing potential that remains untapped. Bill Balboa is no stranger to Lavaca Bay. He has been the area’s TPWD biologist for more than 11 years. According to Balboa, the cleanup and renovations were successful.

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“The mercury is now contained to a very small area adjacent to Alcoa,” he said. In the small area surrounding Alcoa, the taking of finfishes and crabs for consumption is still banned. Health warning signs currently dot the perimeter of the contaminated area. Cox Bay, Keller Bay, and the rest of Lavaca Bay are free of restrictions and open to fishing and the possession of fish. Balboa is confident that Lavaca Bay is healthy and duly supports growing numbers of speckled trout and redfish. “It is doing as well as it ever has,” he said. “The Lavaca River provides plenty of the essential freshwater that we all know coastal bays need.” When compared to neighboring middle coast bays, Lavaca is a slight oddball. West Matagorda Bay and Port O’Connor supply miles of shoreline fishing and an abundance of sand, grass, guts, and Gulf tide. Contrarily, mud and oyster shell reefs compose most of Lavaca Bay. Its thick trees, grassy bluffs, and spoil islands are a drastic change from the salt grass landscape lining the coastal bend. Matagorda and Port O’Connor’s easy wades grab a lot of attention from the weekend warrior crowds. Weekend anglers in Lavaca are surprised to hear another outboard. “The fishing pressure is wonderful; it just doesn’t exist here,” said Captain Dwayne Newbern. For the last 11 years, Newbern has fished and guided anglers in Lavaca Bay and surrounding waters. Tactically, the biggest factor influencing Newbern’s fishing in Lavaca Bay is water clarity. This is typical in a mud-bottomed bay like Lavaca, where average water depth is 4 feet. High winds strongly impact water clarity. “Most of the fish I catch are between the bridge and the Lavaca River,” Newbern said. “On windy days, I must adapt to catch fish. This means I’m sometimes limited to the shoreline areas or the Lavaca River. “When the water is calm, I really like fishing along the Highway 35 bridge. There is a lot of riprap, logs, and concrete along the bridge that attract a lot of fish.” This overpass, connecting Point Comfort A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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and Port Lavaca, is where Newbern and his father experienced one of their most memorable outings together. “The day’s weather was awful,” he said. “The wind was blowing so hard that the bay looked completely muddy.” Using a trolling motor along the structure, the duo tied on small 1/4-ounce D.O.A. Terror Eyez soft plastics: “We allowed them to float with the current and we absolutely slammed fish!” Newbern and his father did not expect such success in the location during high winds, but Newbern is no longer hesitant try the bridge in less than perfect conditions. As Newbern stated, many reefs and underwater structures exist along the bridge, including the remains of old fishing piers. During seasonal changes, the location serves as a transition zone for fish moving to and from the rivers and creeks on the upper end of the bay. From the end of the Lavaca River to the bridge, bird activity is a dead giveaway of schooling fish. For locals, Garcitas Creek and the Lavaca River are winter hotspots when trout stack in the river. Newbern focuses nearly all of his effort during the colder months along edges and drop-offs of the Lavaca River. “I use the trolling motor and cast soft-plastics along the river banks just as I do along the bridge.” Wade-fishermen have numerous shoreline and shell reef choices. Newbern swears by one reef in particular, located on the south end of the west shoreline pier. The big reef hangs just below the water on a normal tide. “It makes for a great wade, but I usually find the fish somewhere between the reef and the bridge riprap using my trolling motor.” Tournament angler and retired biologist Mike Weixelman has fished Lavaca Bay since the 1970s. Weixelman typically wades Lavaca, but said drifting is an ideal way to locate numbers of fish. “There is a lot of deep shell undiscovered around Gallinripper Reef,” he said. “With a popping cork and deep-rigged Berkley Gulp!, you can surely find fish.”

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tant winning edge statistics that players will need, including the history and statistics of all the competing anglers, up-to-date information on the tournament fisheries, weather conditions at and before tournament time, the hometown favorites and their records, who fishes better in the various weather conditions, plus many more tips about the potential favorites to win each tournament. For individuals 18 years and older who wish to play the $10 million FLW Fantasy Fishing game in 2009 and want assistance in picking the teams, Player’s Advantage will be offering them the pundits’ picks, which will allow them to basically push a button that will give them what is called the “Quick Pick.” Additionally, they will receive mobile updates,

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expert blogs, and access to FLW Live to watch the weigh-ins as they happen for all four days during each of the seven tournaments. “FLW Fantasy Fishing is something we have worked tirelessly on and have sincerely enjoyed sharing the excitement of the players and the extraordinary growth that we have experienced in our inaugural year,” said FLW Outdoors Chairman, Irwin Jacobs. “Our inaugural season in 2008 was such an incredible success that, frankly, it ran participation off the charts. We wanted FLW Fantasy Fishing to have another year of even greater growth in 2009, so we decided to offer an additional $3 million in cash, plus enhanced features and tools such as Player’s Advantage for a total cost of the unbelievable price of only $10 for the entire 2009 FLW Fantasy Fishing season. In 2008, Player’s Advantage proved to be the invaluable advantage to its members by winning four times more often than those who weren’t Player’s Advantage members. The FLW Fantasy Fishing game has positively transformed many individuals’ and their families’ lives from around the world. Visit fantasyfishing.com to see and hear directly from last year’s Fantasy Fishing winners how their lives were changed in 2008 by playing the richest fantasy sports game in the world.” In 2008, FLW Fantasy Fishing’s inaugural year, it crowned fantasy sports historical first $1 million cash winner Michael Thompson. Additionally there were seven $100,000 cash winners during the seven FLW Tour tournaments along with over 4000 additional prizes ranging from a $39,565 Chevy Silverado to a $51,495 Ranger Z19 bass boat to hundreds of thousands of cash cards from Wal-Mart to BP gas cards. “FLW Fantasy Fishing obviously changed mine and my family’s life forever in the most positive way,” said Thompson, who recently purchased his dream house on 40 acres in Minnesota thanks in large part to his FLW Fantasy Fishing Player’s Advantage membership. “I can’t wait for the 2009 season to begin as I have already signed up for Player’s

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Advantage and recruited many more of my family and friends to also play the game. The prizes being offered by FLW Fantasy Fishing are unbelievable and to think that someone again will win a guaranteed $1 million in cash, or possibly $3- or even $5 million in cash is truly amazing, if not remarkable. Playing the world’s richest and largest fantasy sports game not only offers tremendous prizes but also improves relationships and camaraderie among family and friends who can and will enjoy playing Fantasy Fishing together.” There is an additional new game to Fantasy Fishing in 2009, The $3 Million Power Hook in the Forrest Wood Cup Championship. FLW Fantasy Fishing will be offering this amazing additional guaranteed cash prize of $3 million in cash to any individual who selects the first through fifth place anglers in their exact winning positions at the Forrest Wood Cup Championship, which begins on 30 July and concludes on 2 August 2009. There will be only 77 professional anglers competing in the Forrest Wood Cup whereas in all of the other six FLW Tour qualifying events there will be approximately 150 professional anglers. Participants will also have the opportunity to win an additional guaranteed $5 million in cash in the “Rank 7 Exacta Bonus Game” for any player who selects the first through seventh top finishers in any one of the FLW Tour qualifying events in 2009 in their exact winning positions. Another new addition and very exciting opportunity to win thousands of dollars in cash for those playing Fantasy Fishing in 2009, will be a newly-developed referral program allowing participants to earn back $2 in cash for every $10 Player’s Advantage mem-

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bership they are responsible for referring and signing up. Basically, participants earn 20 percent cash payback for all Player’s Advantage cash memberships they register. If an individual signs up five players, they will receive their own Player’s Advantage for free. If they register 100 Player’s Advantage members, they will receive $200 in cash. If they sign up 1,000 members, they will receive $2000 in cash. Or imagine for being responsible for registering 10,000 people and earning $20,000 in cash. There are no limits to the amount one can earn in recruiting Player’s Advantage members. All recruiting cash due to those individuals will be paid within 30 days upon conclusion of the Forrest Wood Cup Championship on 2 August 2009. “Record numbers of people in the world of fantasy sports enjoyed playing Fantasy Fishing in 2008; however, millions of people stood on the sidelines watching as FLW Fantasy Fishing awarded $1 million in cash to Michael Thompson, plus $100,000 in cash each to seven individuals for playing and winning a fantasy sport,” said Jacobs. “Just as Fantasy Fishing is the greatest fishing game on earth, we have now developed the Fantasy Fishing referral program to get everyone involved and participating. We are looking forward to rewarding those that generate interest in our game, getting more people involved in our sport and having the time of their life playing Fantasy Fishing with families and friends. FLW Fantasy Fishing continues to be the leader around the world for the richest fantasy game offering $10 million in cash and prizes in 2009. Fantasy Fishing permanently changed the landscape of fantasy sports in 2008 with the offering of $7.3 million in cash

SALTWATER TALES Continued from Page I-45 The nearby spoil islands along the Port Lavaca Ship Channel are very reliable for anglers seeking similar results. “I can remember surveying a guy from Magnolia, Texas, when I worked as a biologist for Lavaca Bay,” Weixelman said. “For months, he arrived at the dock with limits of trout and redfish. I eventually learned that he was wading the spoil islands along the ship channel.” Mud and shell structure prevails on the upper end of the bay. Weixelman deems the west bank along Garcitas Creek as the most

underutilized area in the entire bay. “No one fishes it, and I have caught many redfish on the reefs.” Weixelman can prove that he knows where to find big speckled trout in fall to early winter: “Years ago, I helped a friend win a Troutmasters Tournament in Lavaca Bay. Wade the shoreline from Mud Point to Rhodes Point. It’s loaded with 3- to 5pound trout.” Is Lavaca Bay Texas’ true “forgotten bay”? Or has it been the best-kept secret all along? —by Kyle Tomek

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The Bet B

OB MARSHALL WILDERNESS, MONTANA — My horse plodded up the mountain trail and I swayed dozing in the saddle. Seven droopy-headed mules followed, loaded with hay bales. Behind them trooped the young Okie wrangler with his string of six. My clothes were caked with dirt and sweat. I couldn’t remember my last bath. I had coffee for breakfast, a chew of tobacco for lunch, and would probably miss supper. I slept under a tree, drank from the creek, and spent every waking minute under the open sky. Every day, I would look at the clouds and try to see beyond them. I tried to see through the deep blue yonder and into heaven. Then I’d laugh at my own jokes, spit a stream of brown juice at a handy target, and cuss at the mules. Life was great. “Hey!” the Okie said. My lazy afternoon nap was ruined. The human voice in the wilderness grated on my nerves. His whiny Oklahoma accent earned him the nickname “Puppy” and I was always scared he’d pee on me. “What?” I answered grumpily. “How many elk are you going to kill on the first hunt?” he asked. “Well, I’ve got two hunters—I guess I’ll kill two elk.” “You want to bet on it?” “What’s the bet?” “If you kill two elk, I owe you two cases of beer. If you don’t kill two elk, you owe me one case of beer.” “Okay, that sounds like a tame little bet,” I said before I realized the irksome mentality of such a wager. He didn’t want to bet who could do better. He only wanted to bet against me. I growled. “Hey! You want to sweeten the pot?” I shouted. “What else?” he asked.

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I had a little room to brag about never betting a man at his own game. My gloating was cut short because when the other six hunters arrived—they got skunked.

E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com.

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He called me again a few weeks ago; his computer had crashed and he needed the recipe again. Sure enough, as luck would have it, I was in a deer stand again, and tried to recite the recipe again. Well, I did okay, but knew it was a few ingredients short. He somehow found the old one on a CD, and with barely enough time to

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get the ingredients together, make it to the cook-off, and prepare the chili, Jason pulled off the unexpected. He looked around and saw all of the other cooks, who had been slaving away since the wee hours working on their version of the winning batch, and knew he had to get busy. He made that chili in about 2-1/2 hours and reclaimed the trophy. Good story, but if you have the time, this recipe could probably use about 4 to 5 hours of your time to do it justice. I hope you enjoy it! (Yields approximately 2 gallons.) 3 pounds coarse ground chuck

PHOTO BY JIM OLIVE

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S P O N S O R E D BY:

3 pounds cubed beef stew meat or venison (I like to use top of round roast or backstrap) 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded & minced 1 jalapeno pepper, with seeds, minced 4 poblano peppers, chopped & seeded 1 large red bell pepper, chopped 1 large green bell pepper, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 bulb chopped garlic 3 dried ancho chilies, seeded 2 dried seeded chili arbols (cayenne; these are optional) 3 dried seeded chili (red new Mexico) 5 Tbs standard chili powder 1 Tbs cocoa powder 2 Tbs cumin 1 tsp black pepper 2 Tbs Texas Gourmet’s Sweet Chipotle Season All 1 Tbs beef base 2 Tbs brown sugar 2 cups water or beer 28 ounces chopped tomatoes (canned) 29 ounces canned kidney beans (pour off juice first; use the beans only if you like them; I like the balance it gives to the chili’s flavor)

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Bring to a good simmer and cover. Cook for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, then add the beans if desired; salt and black pepper to your liking. Add a couple Tbs of brown sugar at this time.

Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com.

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Dickey an d West Texa August s Hunting a Mule Deer nd Anglin g Quality Review

TEXAS SALTWATER

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Bill Reeg Redfish ch -in 43 ce Hillman Guide Servi

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SPOTLIGHT: SOUTH TEXAS FISHING & HUNTING

TEXAS HUNTING

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REDFISH—CALAVERAS LAKE, TEXAS

HYBRID STRIPERS—DECKER LAKE, TEXAS

L-R Kolten Rathburn, Bruce Rathburn and Trenten Rathburn caught this 15.8-pound, 33-inch redfish at Calaveras Lake in San Antonio. The red had a girth of 20 inches.

TROUT—GALVESTON, TEXAS

SPECKLED TROUT—COPANO BAY, TEXAS

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TF&G PHOTO ALBUM

SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO:

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PLEASE INCLUDE NAME, HOMETOWN, WHEN & WHERE CAUGHT, SIZE AND WEIGHT

Note: All non-digital photos submitted become the property of Texas Fish & Game and will not be returned. TF&G makes no guarantee when or if any submitted photo will be published. &

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CATFISH—LIVE OAK, TEXAS

REDFISH—LAGUNA MADRE, TEXAS

BASS—LAKE SAM RAYBURN, TEXAS

Two-year-old Michael Marks of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, caught his first bass on a night crawler while fishing with his PaPa and “B” on Lake Sam Rayburn. The fish weighed approximately 2 pounds.

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PHOTO BY GRADY ALLEN

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In This Issue GEARING UP SECTION

N11 N12 N14 N16 N20

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION

N17 N28 N30

TROPHY FEVER • Trophy Hunting Experiences | BY TF&G READERS

N31

PHOTO ALBUM • Your Action Photos | BY TF&G STAFF

DISCOVER THE OUTDOORS • Classifieds | BY TF&G STAFF TEXAS TASTED • Award Winning Venison Chili | BY BRYAN SLAVEN

SHOOT THIS! • Uberti Winchester | BY STEVE LAMASCUS FISH THIS! • Shimano Symetre | BY GREG BERLOCHER

HOW-TO SECTION

COVER STORY • Confidence Means Longer Distance | BY LOU MARULLO

HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times | BY TF&G STAFF

TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots | BY CALIXTO GONZALES & JD MOORE

N18

BOWHUNTING TECH • Hog Hunt Challenge | BY LOU MARULLO

N22

TEXAS BOATING • LORAN: Old Navigation Made New | BY LENNY RUDOW

N24

FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • Bottom-Bouncing with a Walking Weight | BY PAUL BRADSHAW

N26

WILDERNESS TRAILS • The Bet | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE

The more you practice at greater ranges, the more accurate—and confident—you become at all ranges.

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T E X A S

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

PHOTO BY GRADY ALLEN

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Tides and Solunar Table for FEBRUARY 2009 MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

SYMBOL KEY

First Quarter

New Moon

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

PRIME TIME 2:45 AM 11:57 AM 1:23 PM 6:08 PM

Sunrise: 7:28a Moonrise: 11:23a AM Minor: 10:59a PM Minor: 11:25p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

-0.33 ft 0.77 ft 0.77 ft 0.90 ft

5:35 — 7:20 PM

Set: 6:12p Set: 12:35a AM Major: 4:46a PM Major: 5:12p 6:29p 6:02a

PRIME TIME 2:08 AM 9:52 AM 5:21 PM 10:08 PM

Sunrise: 7:23a Moonrise: 6:47p AM Minor: 5:03a PM Minor: 5:30p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.06 ft -0.82 ft 12:01 — 1:30 0.95 ft AM 0.54 ft

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 3:25 AM High Tide: 4:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:17a Moonrise: 1:01a AM Minor: 11:08a PM Minor: 11:33p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

5:15 — 6:55 AM

Set: 6:25p Set: 11:18a AM Major: 4:56a PM Major: 5:21p 6:11a 6:36p

PRIME TIME 1:40 AM 9:15 AM 4:40 PM 9:15 PM

Sunrise: 7:10a Moonrise: 6:20a AM Minor: 4:02a PM Minor: 4:24p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

-0.34 ft 0.93 ft

0.99 ft -0.33 ft 0.93 ft 0.66 ft

10:15AM — 12:30PM

3 -0.53 ft 1.02 ft

Sunrise: 7:27a Moonrise: 12:07p AM Minor: 11:54a PM Minor: ——Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

6:30 — 8:25 PM

Set: 6:13p Set: 1:42a AM Major: 5:40a PM Major: 6:08p 7:26p 6:57a 1.02 ft -0.58 ft 12:10 — 2:20 0.87 ft AM 0.30 ft

Set: 6:19p Set: 7:57a AM Major: ——PM Major: 12:09p 1:27a 1:52p

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 4:38 AM High Tide: 4:08 PM

-0.37 ft 1.00 ft

Sunrise: 7:16a Moonrise: 1:59a AM Minor: 11:58a PM Minor: ——Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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Good Day

PRIME TIME

3:25 AM 10:38 AM 5:40 PM 10:52 PM

Sunrise: 7:22a Moonrise: 7:53p AM Minor: 5:57a PM Minor: 6:22p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 3:51 AM High Tide: 5:48 PM

Set: 6:30p Set: 5:31p AM Major: 10:13a PM Major: 10:35p 11:52a None

• F E B R U A R Y

Last Quarter

Full Moon

Set: 6:19p Set: 7:22a AM Major: 11:16a PM Major: 11:43p 12:34a 1:01p

Set: 6:25p Set: 12:01p AM Major: 5:45a PM Major: 6:10p 7:01a 7:26p

PRIME TIME

2:35 AM 9:43 AM 4:51 PM 9:44 PM

0.99 ft -0.23 ft 0.92 ft 0.52 ft

Sunrise: 7:09a Moonrise: 6:50a AM Minor: 4:44a PM Minor: 5:06p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

T E X A S

6:00 — 7:50 AM

10:40AM — 1:15PM

Set: 6:31p Set: 6:28p AM Major: 10:55a PM Major: 11:17p 12:36p 12:14a

F i s h

PRIME TIME

BEST DAYS

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 5:01 AM High Tide: 4:55 PM

-0.72 ft 1.12 ft

Sunrise: 7:27a Moonrise: 1:00p AM Minor: 12:20a PM Minor: 12:51p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 6:14p Set: 2:51a AM Major: 6:35a PM Major: 7:06p 8:28p 7:57a

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

PRIME TIME 4:39 AM 11:21 AM 5:58 PM 11:39 PM

0.95 ft -0.29 ft 12:50 — 3:00 0.82 ft AM 0.08 ft

Sunrise: 7:21a Moonrise: 8:57p AM Minor: 6:50a PM Minor: 7:14p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 6:20p Set: 8:30a AM Major: 12:38a PM Major: 1:02p 2:16a 2:39p

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 5:48 AM High Tide: 4:34 PM

-0.39 ft 1.03 ft

Sunrise: 7:15a Moonrise: 2:53a AM Minor: 12:20a PM Minor: 12:46p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

6:45 — 8:40 AM

Set: 6:26p Set: 12:49p AM Major: 6:33a PM Major: 6:58p 7:51a 8:16p

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

7:20 — 9:30 PM

PRIME TIME 3:30 AM 10:12 AM 5:03 PM 10:17 PM

0.99 ft -0.09 ft 12:00 — 2:10 0.90 ft PM 0.36 ft

Sunrise: 7:08a Moonrise: 7:19a AM Minor: 5:27a PM Minor: 5:49p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

Set: 6:32p Set: 7:26p AM Major: 11:13a PM Major: ——1:19p 12:57a

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 6:10 AM High Tide: 4:05 PM

-0.88 ft 1.18 ft 8:25 — 10:40

PM Sunrise: 7:26a Moonrise: 2:01p AM Minor: 1:16a PM Minor: 1:48p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 6:15p Set: 3:58a AM Major: 7:32a PM Major: 8:04p 9:32p 9:00a

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 5:55 AM 0.87 ft Low Tide: 12:01 PM 0.02 ft High Tide: 6:14 PM 0.78 ft

Sunrise: 7:20a Moonrise: 9:59p AM Minor: 7:42a PM Minor: 8:06p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 6:21p Set: 9:00a AM Major: 1:31a PM Major: 1:54p 3:03a 3:26p

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 6:48 AM High Tide: 4:52 PM

Sunrise: 7:14a Moonrise: 3:44a AM Minor: 1:07a PM Minor: 1:32p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

1:50 — 3:45 AM

-0.42 ft 1.03 ft

1:15 — 3:20 AM

Set: 6:27p Set: 1:41p AM Major: 7:20a PM Major: 7:45p 8:42a 9:07p

PRIME TIME 4:28 AM 10:43 AM 5:13 PM 10:52 PM

0.99 ft 0.08 ft 12:40 — 2:50 0.88 ft PM 0.18 ft

Sunrise: 7:07a Moonrise: 7:47a AM Minor: 6:12a PM Minor: 6:34p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 6:33p Set: 8:24p AM Major: 12:01a PM Major: 12:23p 2:02p 1:40a

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Tides and Solunar Table for FEBRUARY 2009 FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

FEB 1 Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

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

PRIME TIME 7:13 AM 4:22 PM 9:22 PM 10:29 PM

Sunrise: 7:25a Moonrise: 3:10p AM Minor: 2:14a PM Minor: 2:46p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

-0.99 ft 1.18 ft 9:20 — 11:45 1.07 ft PM 1.07 ft

Set: 6:16p Set: 5:00a AM Major: 8:30a PM Major: 9:02p 10:35p 10:04a

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

PRIME TIME 12:29 AM 7:16 AM 12:38 PM 6:28 PM

Sunrise: 7:20a Moonrise: 11:00p AM Minor: 8:35a PM Minor: 8:58p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

-0.10 ft 0.80 ft 0.32 ft 0.78 ft

Set: 6:22p Set: 9:31a AM Major: 2:23a PM Major: 2:46p 3:49a 4:12p

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

PRIME TIME 7:35 AM 4:46 PM 9:24 PM 11:28 PM

Sunrise: 7:13a Moonrise: 4:29a AM Minor: 1:52a PM Minor: 2:17p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

-0.43 ft 1.00 ft 0.92 ft 0.94 ft

2:00 — 4:10 AM

Set: 6:28p Set: 2:36p AM Major: 8:05a PM Major: 8:29p 9:31a 9:56p

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

2:35 — 4:40 AM

PRIME TIME 5:31 AM 11:16 AM 5:18 PM 11:31 PM

Sunrise: 7:06a Moonrise: 8:16a AM Minor: 7:00a PM Minor: 7:22p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

0.98 ft 0.29 ft 0.87 ft 0.00 ft

1:25 — 3:30 PM

Set: 6:33p Set: 9:24p AM Major: 12:49a PM Major: 1:11p 2:46p 2:24a

Sunrise: 7:29a Moonrise: 10:46a AM Minor: 10:06a PM Minor: 10:30p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 8:10 AM High Tide: 4:42 PM Low Tide: 8:58 PM

Sunrise: 7:24a Moonrise: 4:23p AM Minor: 3:11a PM Minor: 3:42p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

-1.03 ft 1.12 ft 10:15 — 11:59 0.95 ft PM

Set: 6:17p Set: 5:55a AM Major: 9:27a PM Major: 9:58p 11:37p 11:06a

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

PRIME TIME

1:47 AM 9:31 AM 1:06 PM 6:34 PM

1:21 AM 8:50 AM 1:08 PM 6:34 PM

Sunrise: 7:19a Moonrise: None AM Minor: 9:27a PM Minor: 9:50p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Low Tide: 8:14 AM High Tide: 4:33 PM Low Tide: 8:51 PM

Sunrise: 7:12a Moonrise: 5:10a AM Minor: 2:36a PM Minor: 3:01p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

-0.23 ft 0.77 ft 0.57 ft 0.79 ft

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

8:55AM — :12:20PM

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

1.07 ft -0.97 ft 1.04 ft 0.77 ft

2:19 AM 10:59 AM 1:06 PM 6:05 PM

Set: 6:18p Set: 6:42a AM Major: 10:22a PM Major: 10:51p None 12:06p -0.31 ft 0.79 ft 0.77 ft 0.83 ft

4:15 — 6:05 AM

Set: 6:24p Set: 10:39a AM Major: 4:06a PM Major: 4:30p 5:23a 5:47p

PRIME TIME 12:42 AM 8:46 AM 4:32 PM 8:53 PM

Sunrise: 7:11a Moonrise: 5:47a AM Minor: 3:19a PM Minor: 3:43p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

0.97 ft -0.39 ft 9:40 — 11:55 0.95 ft AM 0.78 ft

Set: 6:30p Set: 4:32p AM Major: 9:31a PM Major: 9:54p 11:07a 11:30p

PRIME TIME

2:25 — 4:20 PM

Set: 6:34p Set: 10:28p AM Major: 1:39a PM Major: 2:03p 3:34p 3:10a

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

4:30 — 6:30 AM

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 7:18a Moonrise: 12:01a AM Minor: 10:18a PM Minor: 10:42p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME

Set: 6:11p Set: None AM Major: 3:54a PM Major: 4:18p 5:36p 5:11a

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 6:44 AM 0.98 ft Low Tide: 11:50 AM 0.52 ft High Tide: 5:15 PM 0.89 ft

Sunrise: 7:04a Moonrise: 8:48a AM Minor: 7:51a PM Minor: 8:15p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

3:25 — 5:20 AM

4:40 — 6:20 PM

PRIME TIME 12:43 AM 9:03 AM 5:02 PM 9:27 PM

Sunrise: 7:24a Moonrise: 5:36p AM Minor: 4:08a PM Minor: 4:37p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 6:29p Set: 3:34p AM Major: 8:48a PM Major: 9:13p 10:20a 10:44p

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

PRIME TIME

Set: 6:23p Set: 10:04a AM Major: 3:15a PM Major: 3:38p 4:35a 4:59p -0.42 ft 0.96 ft 0.87 ft

-0.12 ft 0.66 ft 0.53 ft 0.80 ft

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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)

G a m e ® / F E B R U A R Y

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

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by JD Moore, North Zone Fishing Editor & Calixto Gonzales, South Zone Fishing Editor

Aquilla Whites LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Snake Island, Triplett Point, dam GPS: N31 55.215, W97 12.891

SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse slab CONTACT: Randy Routh, Cell 817-8225539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Take your binoculars and check the lake for working birds. Use Chartreuse slabs and cast and retrieve, letting them stop and flutter, or watch your graph for what appears to be a Christmas tree. This is a sure sign of feeding whites. Use same pattern on Triplett Point and along the dam. When you find the whites, mark with your buoy and drop and lift slabs through the school. BANK ACCESS: Tailrace Fishing Pier, white bass on jigs fished in outlet LOCATION: Lake Belton HOTSPOT: Stafford Cove GPS: N31 09.580, W97 27.571 SPECIES: largemouth and smallmouth bass BEST BAITS: black hair jig with pork eel trailer CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLine GuideService.com TIPS: Hover over deep water and cast shallow. Keep jig and pig on a tight line as it falls and watch line for a light “tick” indicating a strike. BANK ACCESS: Temple Lake Park, largemouth, catfish, white bass LOCATION: Fayette County Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Rocks GPS: N29 55.050, W96 44.550 SPECIES: catfishes BEST BAITS: shad or stink bait N6

• F E B R U A R Y

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T E X A S

CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: February can have some warm days. Fish the rocks along the dam at varied depths. This is a power plant lake where the water is warm, even in winter and spawn will start to some extent in February. Use a slip cork and don’t be afraid to try in 18 feet of water along the dam. Some big channel cats roam these rocks, as well as yellow cats. Fish a No. 4 treble hook for channels fished straight down; No. 3 Kahle for live or cut bait for yellow cats. BANK ACCESS: Junkyard Cove, largemouth bass LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Discharge Point GPS: N30 38.267, W96 03.160 SPECIES: catfishes BEST BAITS: shad or stink bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: February can have some warm days. This is a power plant lake where the water is warm, even in winter. Fish getting ready to spawn will migrate to the warmer water at the discharge. It is a great area for channel and blue cats, along with the chance of hooking a nice yellow cat. Use strong tackle, especially the leader, just in case you get a big one to bite. Use Punch bait for eating size blues and channels, or use fresh or live shad and perch for larger fish. Use a Carolina rig with No. 4 treble for stink bait or No. 4 Kahle for fresh and live bait. BANK ACCESS: Hwy 175 Bridge east; cast lures for bass, minnows for crappie LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: Hidden Creek GPS: N32 34.868, W97 02.213 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: jigging spoons; drop-shot and Texas-rigged 10-inch worms CONTACT: Randy Maxwell, 817-313-2878, www.getagripguide.com TIPS: In February, I start looking at the long F i s h

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

JD MOORE

CALIXTO GONZALES

points and creek bends leading to the better spawning areas. Joe Pool flows northeast so the spawn is totally different from other lakes. On the Mountain Creek arm, there are three points in a row before the bridge that the creek channel almost touches along the NW shore. These are good places to start your search for the big females that are beginning to stage for the spawn. BANK ACCESS: Crappie Dock, crappie with live minnows LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Old Folks Playground GPS: N32 15.839 W95 29.508 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: spinnerbait; Texas rigged Senko type lure in Junebug or Watermelon CONTACT: Don Mattern, 903-478-2633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: Run the east bank down from the Villages Marina until you get to the metal pipeline toward the Neches River. Take a right and follow the first half of the pipeline down until you come to an island. Tilt your motor up and motor around the island to the right, then curving hit the island. Run down to the end. It will dead in into the land. Turn left and go 1/2 mile to a narrow entrance on the right. Enter through this narrow passageway into Old Folks Playground. Slow roll a spinnerbait over the hydrilla for some great action. If the bass are not chasing, change to a Texas rigged Senko type lure in Junebug or Watermelon and work slowly over the grass. Hold on! BANK ACCESS: Dam Park, largemouth bass, crappie, fish pockets and rock wall LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Kickapoo Creek GPS: N32 17.349, W95 29,923 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: spinnerbaits, jigs, Shimmy Shakers, Texas-rigged worms CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-561-7299, www.rickysguideservice.com

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ALL GPS COORDINATES VERIFIED BY

TIPS: Bass will be along the creek channels such as Flat and Kickapoo creeks and the Neches River. Fish the bends with jig and pig and a plastic worm as noted above. Toward the end of February, you will find some of your larger bass beginning to move onto their beds. Fish slow for best results. BANK ACCESS: Dam Park, largemouth bass, crappie, fish pockets and rock wall LOCATION: Richland Chambers Reservoir HOTSPOT: Main Lake Hump GPS: N31 57.530, W96 18.119 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: 1-ounce silver or chartreuse slab CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-389-4117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: If you get a couple of sunny, warm days in February, hit the lake using a 1-ounce silver or chartreuse slab on light line and head for the main lake humps and Roadbeds to catch some magnum white bass. The majority of fish will be holding in 30-35 feet of water. They will be hugging the bottom and will want the slab moved ever so slowly. These are lethargic winter fish and they barely hit when feeding. The bite is almost like a crappie bite and you often have nothing more than a slight “tick” on the end of the line. When in doubt, set the hook. These are some of the largest whites you’ll catch all year, as they’re ready for the spring spawn. BANK ACCESS: Midway Landing, fish shoreline on either side of boat ramp, also fish the cove shoreline to left of ramp when entering lake, largemouth bass, white bass

BEST BAITS: purple jig and pig, black trailer CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLine GuideService.com TIPS: Fish tight to timber adjacent to the cove channel centerline. BANK ACCESS: Stillhouse Park, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, smallmouth bass LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Slick ‘Em Slough GPS: N33 51.354, W96 52.690 SPECIES: striped and white bass BEST BAITS: Road Runner and Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, www.striperexpress.com TIPS: February is structure-fishing time. This time of the year we run routes, focusing on main lake points, mouths of creeks, humps, and ditches. A 1- ounce Road Runner tipped with a 7inch soft plastic worm is deadly on large fish. These rogue stripers hold tight on structure and ambush bait as it passes by. A 7-foot mediumheavy Castaway rod spooled with 20-pound-test line is a must for fighting the feisty linesides. The cold water is very favorable to stripers. We call it trophy time on Texoma, as fish will often tip the scales at 20 pounds and better.

BANK ACCESS: The oil wells and the Texas Flats. White bass, shad will work best off the banks, jigs if the seagulls are working near you. LOCATION: Lake Waco HOTSPOT: South Bosque River GPS: N31 29.306, W97 16.181 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: shallow running crankbaits; spinnerbaits; small Rat-L-Trap CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, 254-744-2104, rayado@earthlink.net TIPS: Fishing is best from mid-February through mid-March. Spawning runs up the rivers result in dense concentrations of fish. Crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, and other small, shallow-running lures work well for these schooling fish. Retrieve them just under the surface. Be prepared for lightening quick strikes. Even small whites fight awfully hard and you’ll think you’ve hooked a much larger fish. BANK ACCESS: Reynolds Creek Park. There’s a special use bank fishing area here where you can park your vehicle and fish along the bank for largemouth and white bass. LOCATION: Lake Whitney

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Deer Island GPS: N30 17.901, W96 35.311 SPECIES: catfishes BEST BAITS: shad or stinkbait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: February can have some warm days. Fish the island in 3-5 feet of water on the sunny side, or where the wind is blowing into the island. When sun is higher, the water warms and baitfish as well as catfish will frequent the area. Use a slip cork or tight line on bottom. If there are stumps in the 3- to 5-foot area that is another plus. BANK ACCESS: Big Creek Marina, most species LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Timbered Cove GPS: N31 00.379, W97 38.148 SPECIES: largemouth bass A L M A N A C / T E X A S

F i s h

G a m e ® / F E B R U A R Y

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HOTSPOT: Deep Hump GPS: N31 53.804, W97 21.923 SPECIES: stripped bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse slabs, cut shad CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Work slabs early then back and use cut shad on target areas like Deep Hump or February Hump as I call it. Use chartreuse slabs and drop to bottom and lift and let flutter down, keeping tight line as slab falls. After the sun comes up and the slab bite slows, I move to Whitney Hump, anchoring near in the deep water. Use cut shad here Make long casts and fan out your bait along the hump. The stripers are moving up out of deeper water onto the hump to feed. Use your “clicker” on your reel and let them run a ways with the bait, then stick ‘em! BANK ACCESS: Loafer’s Bend shoreline, striped bass, white, largemouth and smallmouth bass

Shaken Bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Chaney Creek GPS: N32 47.848, W95 33.603

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: jigs, Shimmy Shaker, plastic worms, spinnerbaits. CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-561-7299, www.rickysguideservice.com

TIPS: Largemouth will be good in the back of main lake creeks such as Chaney, Dale, Burch, and White Oak. Fish slowly and cover the water thoroughly for best results. BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at Minnow Bucket Bait Stand, crappie, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Glade Creek GPS: N32 55.028, W95 31.950 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: jerkbaits, flukes, tube baits, small crankbaits CONTACT: Michael Rogge, www.lake-forkguides.com TIPS: Work shallow along secondary points and the backs of creeks as the water starts to warm. You can use the same pattern in Elm and Lake Fork creeks and Oil Well Bay. BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at Minnow Bucket Bait Stand, crappie, largemouth bass LOCATION: Sam Rayburn Reservoir HOTSPOT: Mouth of Caney Creek GPS: N31 07.606, W94 15.582 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: lipless crankbaits in crawfish and shad patterns CONTACT: Don Mattern, 903-478-2633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: At the mouth of Caney Creek is an island to the right when facing toward the lake. Behind the island is a huge hydrilla bed that runs behind the island makes a bend and goes all the way down into a small cove. Start at the island point at the main lake and follow the edge casting along the edge, ripping the lipless crankbait through the hydrilla. This area has produced bass up to 8 pounds. BANK ACCESS: Powell Park Marina Fishing Pier, largemouth bass, catfish, white and striped bass

Pirky Stripers LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Beaver Creek GPS: N30 51.888, W98 24.921 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: live shad on a Carolina rig; Pirk Minnows, crankbaits CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-823N8

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2153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: The stripers are on their annual migration up into the Colorado River. Watch for the working birds. Concentrate on humps and drop offs and main lake points. Early morning is best. If the birds are working, throw a large topwater lure like a chrome Zara Spook. Use same pattern at Paradise Point and around Shaw Island. BANK ACCESS: Thunderbird Resort, catfish, largemouth, crappie, white bass LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOTS: Turkey Cove GPS: N29 51.846, W98 13.152 SPECIES: smallmouth bass BEST BAITS: Itsy Bitsy black and blue jig with a small Paca Craw as a trailer; JDC red grubs on Tru Tungsten 1/8-ounce jighead; Bama Bug finesse worm with Shakey or Darter head. CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Fish the main lake points and bluff edges around Turkey Cove and Tom’s Creek in 6-15 feet of water. Change baits frequently if not producing. BANK ACCESS: Potters Creek Park, largemouth bass, stripers, catfish LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: Brush Piles & River Channel (GPS respectively) GPS: N30 41.136, W97 21.107 / N30 41.145, W97 20.686 SPECIES: crappie and white bass BEST BAITS: (crappie) 1/16-ounce chartreuse Jigum Jig; (white bass) 1/4-ounce Blue Fox Flash inline spinnerbaits CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, 512-365-7761, www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: For white bass, fish Blue Fox Flash spinner in areas up river where you see shad working. For crappie, fish brush piles 10-20 feet deep.

Hold jig right over the top of the brush using very little action. Adding a little Berkley Crappie Nibble to the jig tip will also help quicken the action. BANK ACCESS: Wilson Fox Fishing Dock,

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crappie on live minnows fished straight down off dock. LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Colorado River boat docks GPS: N30 40.212, W98 26.482 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Texas-rigged finesse worms in Watermelon Candy or Green Pumpkin Candy; Watermelon Whacky Sticks and Smoke tubes on 1/8-ounce ball jighead CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Target docks located near deeper water in the Colorado River arm. This area usually remains clear, so shallow to midrange crankbaits are also good choices. Work the dock walls along the bank. This area also produces some nice sized bass. BANK ACCESS: Robin Hood Park, catfish, largemouth bass

Hubbard Crappie LOCATION: Lake Hubbard Creek HOTSPOT: Mouth of Hubbard Creek

GPS: N32 46.452, W99 03.903 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: live minnows, 1/8-ounce crappie jigs in chartreuse/white, chartreuse/black, pink/white, red/chartreuse CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-227-4931, bram4@suddenlink.net

TIPS: It is no secret that Hubbard Creek is a great crappie lake. Crappie will be moving up the creek to spawn with the full moon in February, so get ready to fill your boat. Fish along the flooded brush from the mouth of the creek and work your way back to Peeler Park. Take a long rod and drop a jig or minnow right down the middle of the cover in depths of 3-8 feet. BANK ACCESS: Fishing piers are located near most of the boat ramps; largemouth bass, white crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, white bass, freshwater drum

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LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Costello Cut GPS: N32 54.373, W98 27.887 SPECIES: striped and hybrid bass BEST BAITS: slab with 1/4-ounce jig about 18 inches above slab CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-779-2597, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: It is still winter, but you have the gulls for eyes and the fish are still stacking up at the north end of the lake, waiting for the first smell/taste of fresh water coming downstream. Then they move to their spawning grounds. Hop the slab along the bottom. Slabs are also great to cast long distances if the birds put you on fish. With this approach, you can back off the fish and stay on them longer without spooking them. BANK ACCESS: Willow Beach RV Park, privately owned, ask for permission to fish, largemouth, crappie, striped and white bass LOCATION: Twin Buttes Reservoir HOTSPOT: Flats of Middle Concho River GPS: N31 22.094, W99 03.903 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, crankbaits, and jigs CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-227-4931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: The bass will be in pre spawn staging along the flats next to the old river channel. On warm, sunny days, throw a red crawfish colored Rat-L-Trap into the salt cedars and mesquite trees in 2-6 feet of water. Make sure to bang it into the brush, rip it out, and let it fall a couple of feet, then start retrieving. Hop a green Strike King Football jig with Green Pumpkin and Ragetail Craw trailer down the sloping banks to 20 feet along the closest point to shallow water. Most strikes will come 8-12 feet deep. BANK ACCESS: Twin Buttes Marina Picnic & Camping Area, largemouth bass, striped bass, walleye, white bass, catfish.

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Corky Takes Trout LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: East Kleberg Point GPS: N27 16.300, W97 30.426

SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corkies and soft plastics in Plum, Mardi Gras, Rootbeer, Rootbeer/red flake CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Fishing stays pretty consistent in Baffin through February. Fish the rocks that are off the point in deeper water. Fish Corkies and eelstyle soft plastics on light (1/16-ounce) jigheads. The lighter weights will facilitate slower fishing, which is the recommended strategy for winter trout.

Causeway Catch LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Causeway Reef GPS: N29 46.596, W93 34.586

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: New Causeway GPS: N26 5.206, W97 11.039 SPECIES: sheepshead BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp N10

CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Late winter is sheepshead time. Fish live or fresh shrimp around causeway pilings on split shot rigs. These guys are notorious bait-stealers, so a smaller hook is the way to go. Some fishermen use a No. 2 long-shank hook like the Eagle Claw 066N to zap them, but a more effective hook might be a 1/0 LazerSharp L7226 Octopus-style hook. The short shank and wide gap has a higher hook-up ratio, and they seem to lodge in the corner of the sheepie’s mouth.

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Pumped Crappie LOCATION: Delta Lake HOTSPOT: The Pumping Station (bank access) GPS: N26 25.100, W97 57.220

SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: live minnows; crappie jigs in white, chartreuse; Roostertail spinners in white, yellow CONTACT: Delta Lake Tackle, 956-262-3385 TIPS: Crappie begin staging for the spawn sooner in the more temperate Rio Grande Valley than up north. Fish the deeper water around the pumping station, or the reeds along the shoreline just south of it with live minnows or crappie jigs under a teardrop float. Fishing the channel with a small spinner is another option. Work it slowly and with a light touch.

Contact North Regional Fishing Editor JD Moore by email at hotspotsnorth@fishgame.com Contact South Regional Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales by email at cgonzales@fishgame.com.

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revolution of the crank retrieves 2 feet of line, well above average for a reel of this size. Larger sizes in the Soron line also out-crank the competition, with gear ratios between 4.8 and 5.1:1. These reels also make life easier for braid anglers, because the “Superline” spools will not let modern braids spin around the spool the way it does on some reels. That eliminates the need to back your braid with a shot of monofilament. I tested the Soron by spooling up with 125 yards of 12-pound-test/6-pound diameter line and casting jigs in the shallows. The drag worked well on the redfish that attacked my offering, proving both smooth and beefy enough to crank down and apply some heat. And, after a full day of saltwater use, I made sure I didn’t even rinse the reel off. The next week, I had the opportunity to give it a real abuse test: 20-knot winds made the bay frothy and rough, and the reel took gallons of spray as I cruised to my hotspots. Again, after a full day fishing, I didn’t rinse it off. Three weeks later, the Soron still doesn’t show a hint of corrosion, earning it a big salty thumbs-up for light tackle use in the brine. Contact: Abu Garcia, 800-228-4272, www.abu-garcia.com —Lenny Rudow •••

Dig- & Knot-Free FireLine Braid

upon what was already the greatest line advancement anglers have seen in decades. The new FireLine Braid features “Radial Construction,” which forms a rounder line. Rounder lines lay onto the spool more uniformly and do not spill over from one coil on top of another. This prevents the line from digging in, and after spooling up three different reels with this stuff and using it for several months, I haven’t had a single problem in this regard. Wind knots are also definitely reduced. So far, I have had exactly one using the FireLine Braid, while in the past, I would have expected at least three or four by now. This is particularly impressive when you consider that I spent a good deal of that time casting light topwater poppers, which are particularly prone to causing tangles because the line goes slack then taunt then slack again as you retrieve it. One thing about the new FireLine hasn’t changed a bit: There is almost zero stretch in this line, and when a fish so much as sniffs at your lure, you can feel it from a mile away. There is also no increase in line diameter, and if anything, it is even thinner compared to mono. The 15-pound-test diameter, for example, compares to 4-pound monofilament; 40-pound FireLine Braid is the same size as 10-pound mono; 80-pound spools like 15-pound. Contact: Pure Fishing USA, 800-2375539, berkley@purefishing.com, www.Berkley-fishing.com —LR

If you are sick and tired of braid digging into the spool and impossible wind knots, Berkley has a new FireLine that improves A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Fishskin Bucktail Teasers The Fishskin Bucktail Teaser combines the highest quality components and materials into an effective lure that gamefish just can’t resist. ProFish started with a premium stainless steel hook and dress it with the finest, American bucktail and feathers, added proprietary Fishskin Holographic and Glo strips to Mylar and tinsel material to provide flash that predators can’t ignore. The sum of the components is the finest teaser you can buy, built to a standard that Fishskin Bucktail Teaser rivals the best tied flies, and made to tackle the toughest fish, even offshore species like dolphin and tuna. The Fishskin Bucktail Teaser comes in 3” and 3-3/4” lengths on 3/0 and 5/0 stainless hooks. The teasers can also be used to change out the hooks on your favorite plugs and poppers to make them even more productive. If you fish with teasers already know they are effective, but unless you’ve fished the remarkable Fishskin Bucktail Teaser you don’t know just how effective they can really be. Step up to the hottest teaser ever offered, quality made to last. For more information on the complete line ProFishCo products go to www.profishco.com, or email them at info@profishco.com

New 500 Series SportPort Docking After several years of design development and testing, SportPort announces the release of their latest and greatest docking system. N12

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“These new products incorporate all the changes and improvements we’ve been dreaming of for some time. Many of the features came from suggestions from our customer and dealer base. We’re just trying to give people what they want” said Dave Rueckert, President of SportPort The new system provides modularity and flexibility unequaled in prior models. SportPort customers can now add extra walk space

SportPort 500 Docking System

and even access piers basically any way they want. The new 500 Series with foam-core technology is the only modular and unsinkable system in the world. (114) The modular design is the standard in the industry. It allows your system to change with your needs by simply reconfiguring the components to accommodate a multitude of vessel sizes and types. The system can be configured to accommodate Personal Watercraft, kayaks, canoes, Outboards, I/O’s, even rowing shells. The large foam cored panels provide excellent stability under foot. All components are made of 100% noncorrosive materials for a long and useful life. Contact: SportPort Docking Systems, Inc. Phone: 888-WHY-WORK Email: info@sportport.com Web: www.sportport.com.

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Smart Strike Series This Striker is the perfect companion to the Commando Friction Call arsenal. The Smart Strike II and III has a composite tip for all weather use on a friction call and includes a built-in Locator call that produces the voice of a hawk scream or a peacock, but may also be used in the same cadence as a crow. You won’t find this with any other game call company, this patent pending product made from aluminum turned on our CNC equipment will not be prone to breaking or cracking which can happen with plastic or wooden locator calls. Pick up this product and you will be “commanding the wild” with the multi functional Smart Strike Series. Contact your local hunting products retail store for this product and other fine Commando Hunting Products, or go to www.commandthewild.com.

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you will be able to bring up that fish MODEL # DESCRIPTION SIZE Qty SRP of a lifetime. Like 5130W-024 Weighted Beast w/ Twistlock 4/0 - 1/8oz. 3 8.00 fishing for beelin5130W-046 Weighted Beast w/ Twistlock 6/0 - 1/4oz. 3 10.00 ers and bringing 5130W-068 Weighted Beast w/ Twistlock 8/0 - 3/8oz. 3 10.00 up a monster 5130W-080 Weighted Beast w/ Twistlock 10/0 - 1/2oz. 2 11.00 grouper or fishing 5130-141 Beast w/ Twistlock 4/0 3 7.00 for amberjack and 5130-161 Beast w/ Twistlock 6/0 3 9.00 bringing up a 5130-181 Beast w/ Twistlock 8/0 3 9.00 huge shark. Our 5130-201 Beast w/ Twistlock 10/0 2 10.00 wind-ons and tophook sets because of better bait clearance. shots were developed to bring down the cost of The non-movable weight attached (5130W) custom tuna tackle without compromising not only helps to sink or swim a rigged bait quality. The reef donkey, Tequila shot, and down into the strike zone, but because the monster shark leaders were added to our arseweight is positioned so low on the shank, it nal this summer based on specific customers provides a keel effect. As a result, when rig- needs. So if you do not see what you need on ging large swimbaits weedless-style, plastics our webpage, give us a call and we can custom swim naturally (as opposed to rolling or flip- make any leader according to your specificaping where weights are inserted inside soft tions. baits). Ideal for both fresh and saltwater fishWhen everything is on the line, remember ing, features include a TwistLOCK Center- that the leader in leaders is mcsaltwatertacking-Pin Spring (CPS - patent pending) le.com, where the products are made by fishattached to the hook eye, maximum gap, a ermen for fishermen. XXX-strong forged shank, Super Needle For more information – visit: Point, and black chrome finish. www.mcsaltwatertackle.com or call 832-605Contact: Owner American Corporation, 4183. 3199-B Airport Loop Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Phone: (714) 668-9011 Fax: (714) 668-9133. Web: www.ownerhooks.com

OWNER AMERICAN BEAST HOOK SELECTION:

MC Saltwater offshore leaders

includes a heavy-duty synthetic seal, factory tested to be air-tight and waterproof to a minimum of 17psi or 40’ when properly installed); Gun lock; Swivel studs; Owner’s manual. For more details on the JIC or the complete line of commercial, special purpose, law enforcement and military shotguns, rifles and accessories, please call your local Mossberg dealer or visit us online at www.mossberg.com.

Mossberg Takes On Mother Nature

Mossberg’s J.I.C. (Just In Case) features the venerable 500 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, with an 18.5” cylinder-bore barrel, brass bead front sight, 3” chamber, synthetic pistol grip and forend, and sling swivel studs. The “Case” is an impact resistant, floating tube. The resealable top makes it airtight and waterproof (to a depth of 40 feet); and a nylon carrying strap makes it portable. The J.I.C. Sandstorm™ features a desert camo Mossberg JIC finish Sandstorm o n gun and carrying tube. It is joined by the blued J.I.C. Cruiser, and the J.I.C. Mariner, with Mossberg’s proprietary Marinecote™ finish. J.I.C.™ Sandstorm® kit includes: 500® 12 gauge pump-action, 6-round capacity, 18-1/2” barrel, bead sight, desert camo metal finish; Floating desert camo synthetic carrying-tube with nylon shoulder strap (Tube A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Daiwa’s 50th

Texas Marine

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAIWA

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF TEXAS MARINE OF BEAUMONT

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INDUSTRY INSIDER Continued from Page N15 years. We are proud of that, not because we are smarter, but because our customers keep us in business, keep coming back. I think my No. 1 customer is on his fourteenth boat he has bought from me.” Having four locations all selling the same boats is a plus for the customer. Hebert explained that a dealer with only one location limits what is available to prospective boat buyers. Four locations stock four times the inventory of a single location dealer. “People love to see selection; they like N16

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PHOTO COURTESY OF UBERTI

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROBBIE ROSSI

by Robbie Rossi, TFG Reader that afternoon, the traps were out and baited with corn. For the next couple of days, more of my yard was rooted up and none of the corn had been eaten. On the third day, I got curious, went out on my patio about 9:30 p.m., and shined a spotlight, and there she was— a big black hog. For the next five days, it was like our

The socialized hog made a mess of the author’s backyard.

Left to right is Clint Oliver, Kane Simon, Robbie Rossi III, and the author, Robbie Rossi, Jr., with the captured marauder. evening entertainment. My wife, kids, neighbors, friends, and I would sit on the patio and watch this hog tear up our backyard, hoping that one night she would go into the trap. By Monday 10 November, she had rooted up an area 75x100 feet’ and was venturing across the street into a neighbor’s garden. Since she had not gone into the trap and was still eating my yard instead of the corn, I decided it was time to take her.

I called some friends to bring their dogs. My buddies with some dogs and I went on the hunt about 4:30 p.m., and before dark, we had her tied up—a black sow about 130 pounds. This was been one exiting week Hog Hunting in Beauxart Garden. —TF&G Reader, Robbie Rossi

Hog dogs chased down the marauding porker. The chain-link fence in the background borders Jefferson County Airport.

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to laugh because I thought to myself: Once that gate is locked, there is no way in or out! It sure gave me an eerie feeling when I heard the lock clang shut. Brian accompanied me on my hunt, and I could not have been more pleased. He knows where the hogs like to hide, and often challenged me to what seemed to be impossible shots. Hunting a hog with a bow is not like hunting a whitetail deer. For a good ethical harvest, you need to wait until the pig presents a shot where he is quartering away from you. A broadside shot would be good on any other animal, but these beasts (at least the boars) have a protective “shield” around their vitals. This shield is a by-product of the many battles that a hog encounters amongst its brethren. A layer of gristle and scar tissue gets to be so thick that an arrow will not make good penetration through the hard surface of this “shield.” Although their eyesight is poor, hogs’ sense of smell more than makes up for it. They are masters of hiding in some of the thickest spots so that it takes a trained eye to locate them. This is when I really needed Brian’s

TROPHY FEVER PHOTOS

RED STAG—NORTH TEXAS

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help, and he seemed to enjoy the hunt as much as I did. At the end of the trip, we ended up taking three hogs—and a couple of them almost took us. Chester and I had such a great time that we decided to hunt hogs near his home in Southeast Texas. To be honest, I wanted to stay with Brian, but Chester assured me the new surroundings would bring new challenges. He also hinted a bit that we might see a pig or two, and certainly did not let me down. On this hunt, I decided to try a Lumenok on the end of my arrow to see how it would work at dusk. A Lumenok (www.lumenok.net) is a lighted nock and really does help with determining exactly where your shot placement was. This is a huge plus when it comes time to track an animal as dangerous as these wild swine. I had an opportunity to take a nice hog while Chester filmed the hunt. As the 450pound beast approached our site, the danger appeared more real with every closing yard. Chester was on the ground and in a blind when the big boar approached to within less than 10 yards. I remained at full draw as I waited for the perfect shot. Finally, the big hog made the mistake of quartering away from me, and I let my arrow fly. After the well-placed shot, we watched carefully as the big boy left the area. If you have ever blood-trailed a normal size pig, you understand the danger involved. Now, compound that feeling when you have to track a dangerous animal of this size. It is an indescribable feeling one gets when his adrenaline combines with raw fear of the unknown. Now that is way cool. I really do love the challenge that hunting with a bow brings. Every time I go out with bow in hand, I find new adventure that will be printed on my memory to relive over and over. If you ever want to give hunting hogs with a bow a chance, then I can recommend a few places. Believe me, you will not be disappointed. Just plan to be safe and always hunt hogs with a friend… just in case. E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com.

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Shimano Symetre Although Texas is hardcore bait-casting country, I have several spinning outfits tucked in the quiver with my level winds. I look at fishing tackle the way a carpenter looks at his tools: Which one is the best for the job? You can drive a nail with a Crescent wrench, but it is more efficient to use a hammer; same with fishing reels. Spinning tackle is a great option for making long casts with light payloads or casting directly into a gusting breeze. Level winds? Did someone say “bird’s nest”? In fairness, spinning tackle is not immune to tangles—at least until now. Shimano’s new Symetre spinning reels are equipped with the company’s Propulsion Line Management System, which virtually eliminate line tangles. Conventional spinning reels are known for line twist, which causes loops to form. When a loop is reeled onto the spool and buried under several turns of line, it is a problem waiting to happen. A cast or two later, line streaking off the spool gets tangled in the loop and the resulting hairballs can be

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so bad they require a veterinarian. Shimano has taken multiple steps to virtually eliminate line twist. It starts with a specially designed spool. The spool is elongated and features a special lip that reduces friction and allows line to flow off in smaller loops. This reduced line slap on the stripper guide minimizes line twist. The power roller integrated into the bail also helps reduces twist. The Symetre spool oscillates in a special pattern, allowing line to apply in layers rather than randomly piling it onto the spool. The layered line not only reduces line twist, it allows for smoother and longer casts. Keep in mind that Shimano does not say that Symetre reels reduce all line twist, but virtually all line twist. This is a nice way of saying that their reels cannot overcome operator error. If you continue reeling when a fish is taking out drag, you will add a severe twist to the line. When you hear the reel sing, stop reeling and enjoy the music. Large spinner baits go round and round when retrieve too fast; slow it down a bit and line twist will not be a problem. In addition to the line management system, the Symetre has a number of other nice

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features. Four ball bearings and one roller bearing push the reel up the performance curve. Shielded antirust bearings prevent saltwater, grit, and grime from invading, thereby allowing the reel to maintain its silky smooth personality. I particularly like the maintenance port, which allows quick access to the drive train. No need to disassemble the reel to lubricate it. Simply open the port, add a few drops of lubricant, and close. The SY2500 that I tested holds 120 yards of 10-pound-test line and is equipped with a 6.2:1 gear ratio. The other reels in the group, The 500, 1000, 3000, and 5000 have slightly lower gear ratios. I found the 2500’s fast ratio just right for dancing gold spoons over grass beds in shin-deep water. The fast line pick-up also made it easy to keep slack out of the line when I was drift-fishing at a moderate clip. I liked every thing about the Symetre except the reel handle. The Symetre is equipped with a T-shaped handle, which is standard on many spinning reels, especially large surf-casting reels. T-handles give you something solid to grip, which is important when you are fighting a large fish in wet or cold conditions, but for a reel designed for 6- to 10-pound-test, I would prefer something other than a T-handle. A better option in my opinion would be a flat, paddle-style handle easily gripped between thumb and index finger. If you have shied away from spinning tackle because of the tangles, I would highly recommend the Symetre spinning reel. With proper maintenance and care, you could get a decade or more of dependable service from this reel. —Greg Berlocher

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHIMANO

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technology allowed great improvements to LORAN? What if it could bring you within 8 to 20 meters of your target, every time? The bigger question might be: Why the heck should you care? After all, GPS is already up and running, probably is on your boat, and maybe even in your car right now; it provides accuracy that simply can’t be beat. Regardless of all these facts, soon you will be hearing about a “new” navigational tool called E-LORAN (for “Enhanced LORAN”). And even though the government is sinking millions into the system, believe it or not, E-LORAN makes a heck of a lot of sense. Of course, the powers that be will not take on this project just for us. No, as usual, the marine world is merely a peripheral beneficiary to greater concerns—in this case, the greatest concern of all: national security. Check out this Annual Defense Department Report to Congress, subsection, Military Power of the People’s Republic of China, which was submitted to Congress on 25

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May 2007: China acquired jammers from the Ukraine in the late 1990s, which are capable of jamming GPS, and since then the country has probably developed its own jammers. China now has the capability to jam the Global Positioning System, widely used by the military to guide precision weapons. Nine months later, a statement from the Department of Homeland Security had the answer to this problem. And, good news for boaters: Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will begin implementing an independent national positioning, navigation, and timing system that compliments the Global Positioning System in the event of outage or disruption of services. The enhanced LORAN, or E-LORAN, system will be a land-based, independent system and will mitigate any safety, security, or economic effects of a GPS outage or disruption. If you doubt the government’s intelligence on this matter (how dare you, you unpatriotic questioner of authority), you might be interested to know that two severe solar eruptions in December 2006 knocked out large numbers of GPS receivers. One of these bursts of solar radiation produced 20,000 times more radio emissions than the entire rest of the sun. That was potent enough to “confuse” GPS receivers over the entire sunlit side of Earth. Even land-based WAAS (wide area augmentation signals that help GPS become even more accurate than it would be purely with satellite), which are notably stronger than those beamed down from GPS satellites, were affected. These flares were not predicted and caught scientists by surprise. The next solar maximum flares, which are forecast for 2011 and 2012, are expected to be 10 times as intense and last much longer than the 2006 flares. Experts say that they could cause signal drops of over 90 percent for several hours at a time. People can even knock out GPS by accident, as happened in Moss Harbor, California. Six years ago, boaters coming and going from Moss Harbor experienced flum-

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moxed GPS readings, which made no sense at all. These problems were localized, so authorities knew it was not due to solar flares or another worldwide natural problem. The U.S. Coast Guard investigated, and eventually located a boat with a UHF antenna that had a built-in pre-amp, which was wired to an AC/DC adaptor that constantly fed power to the antenna. Unbeknownst to the boat owner, the antenna constantly beamed out a jamming signal that ruined GPS reception up to 2000 feet away. E-LORAN, on the other hand, is a much tougher critter. Unlike GPS signals, which are vulnerable to jamming because they operates at high frequency with a low power level, E-LORAN signals beam over a low frequency at a very high power level. That makes them far harder to jam or interrupt. In fact, E-LORAN signals can even be picked up by boaters in rivers and gorges with high cliff-like walls, which usually block out GPS signals. While there might not be too many places like this for us to go boating in Texas, this is another good argument for E-LORAN supporters, particularly because EMS personnel can use it in areas like these where hikers, kayakers, or whitewater river rafters might be in need of rescue. There are multiple potential causes of GPS outages or loss of signal, and ELORAN is the perfect answer to this problem. Back to the original question: Why should you, personally, care about ELORAN? Because we’ve all become quite dependant on our GPS units. In fact, many boats leave the showroom floor without even a compass at the dash, as the assumption is made that GPS will be the user’s preferred form of navigation. And with modern chart plotters and their excellent mapping data, even fewer people have paper charts onboard these days. So, we’re more dependant then ever on GPS, and if it goes out unexpectedly, there will be a lot of boaters on the water who will be unable to navigate back to port—maybe for days at a time. Get E-LORAN on your boat and you will have a constant back-up to your navigational system and GPS in general. Unfortunately, for the time being this might be tougher than it sounds. LORAN suffers from a dusty image, and marine electronics manufacturers have not exactly jumped on

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the E-LORAN bandwagon. In fact, I spoke with representatives from several of the largest electronics companies and was told they had no plans to market any ELORAN products in the immediate future. Fortunately, there are some exceptions. Si-Tex (www.si-tex.com) currently offers an E—LORAN Integrated GPS/LORAN Receiver Sensor. This antenna is slightly larger and heavier than a regular GPS antennae, but still not much larger than a 16-ounce soda bottle. It allows

you to use latitude/longitude or TDs while navigating, and will interface with the Si-Tex Colormax series, Si-Tex Trawlplots, and Explorer Plus or P-Sea charting software. If you have any other brand of electronics on your boat, you are out of luck unless it is NMEA 0183 compliant. In that case, you will be interested to discover a company called Crossrate. New to the field of marine navigation

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of the Red River. The bottom bouncer, or walking weight, was developed and embraced by northerners to catch walleye and yellow perch, but serves equally well in our warmer waters to catch catfish, crappie, or any species near the bottom of the lake. Unless you have made at trip north to pursue walleye, odds are you have never seen or heard of the bottom-bouncing rig, at least not the one I am writing about. The

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key to a bottom bouncer is in the weight used to get the bait down deep, which is anything but traditional. When we think of a weight, we commonly imagine a bell, egg, bullet, or split shot weight, but a bottom bouncer is slightly more complex than a molded hunk of lead with a hole in the middle. A bottom bouncer begins with a thin but stiff wire bent in the shape of a 7. On the end of the horizontal section of the wire (top of the 7) is a snap swivel. On the middle of the vertical leg of the wire is a molded piece of lead. This vertical leg sets this weight apart, keeping the bait near, but not on, the bottom. Rigging a bottom bouncer is straightforward: Start by tying your main line to the bend of the wire. On the barrel swivel, tie a

ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL BRADSHAW

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short leader using monofilament that is lighter than your main line. I prefer to go with a main line between 15 and 17 pounds and a leader made from 12; this way, if the hook gets snagged, the leader will break before the main line so you do not lose your entire rig. The length of the leader is really the angler’s choice, but somewhere around 3 feet is typical. The hook you choose to tie on the end of the leader depends on the bait you are using, and potentially the user of the rig. If you have kids fishing using cut bait or worms, a circle hook might be your best bet since the user does not have to set the hook. I was raised with J-hooks and still have to remind myself not to set the hook while using circles, but for anglers just getting into fishing, a circle hook is a great tool. While our angling brethren to the north use this rig to chase walleye, it can be used around Texas to drift for catfish. Traditionally, we use a Carolina or three-way rig to drift for cats, but in areas where there is a lot of cover, these setups snag quite easily. The advantage of a bottom bouncer is that it allows the bait to be fished near the bottom,

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but the rigidity of the wire keeps the bait up above the grass, sticks, or rocks that litter the lake bed. While it is not always the best method to use

while drifting, it definitely has its place and should be added to your bag of tricks. The key to successfully drifting with a bottom bouncer is finding the right size weight that matches the speed you want to drift. Use too heavy a weight while moving slowly, and it will just lie on its side dragging along the bottom and hanging up on every-

thing it touches. Use too light a weight while moving too fast, and it will drift too high above the bottom at a level that might not have fish. When you have the weight and drift speed just right (which will take some practice), the weight will bounce along the bottom (hence the name), hopping on the end of the vertical wire. You will be able to tell if the speed is right by watching your rod tip. If the rod tip is bouncing in a rhythmic manner, you have everything just right.

E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com.

TEXAS BOATING Continued from Page N23 equipment, Crossrate designed the eLGPS 1110 antenna (www.crossrate.com). This antenna is a bit smaller than the Si-Tex model, but weight is identical. Crossrate claims 99.9999 percent accuracy, heading outputs within 1 degree whether moving or stationary, and WAAS compatibility. In the future, Crossrate plans to introduce a NMEA 2000 compatible model. Note that both of these models incorporate both GPS and LORAN receivers, so your boat does not have to sprout a bunch of extra antennae to get in on E-LORAN. They also pull down both forms of navigation data at the same time, so as long as the GPS system is up

and running, that’s what you’ll be navigating by. It is only in case of an outage that E-LORAN will take over. Unless, that is, you want it to; don’t forget that LORAN has always and still does offer better repeatability then GPS. In other words, while it might not be as good at putting you on a new target, once you have a waypoint programmed in, it’ll always take you back to the exact same spot. That’s why LORAN has a cultish core of followers among wreck fishermen to this day. For that reason alone, some boaters will decide that it is time to invest in a new electronics system—or is it an old one… E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com.

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appropriate bet. His mouth dropped open and he started stuttering and shaking his head. “Well, I just thought I’d see if you were a real gambling man,” I said. Then I sniggered at my arrogance and studied my freight. I knew the hunting in this neck of the woods was tough. Nevertheless, the first hunt would be fun. Dave Weishuhn and Matt Mikulenka were coming from Texas and we were promised a spike camp to ourselves. The other guides would be in the main camp with six more hunters. The sun burned my face and arms and I worried about hunting elk in the heat. Then I turned again and looked back at the Okie. Damn, I would hate owing him a case of beer, but that night winter eased into the Rocky Mountains. A misty, drizzly cold front settled the dust and seeped chilling dampness into our bones. One week later, it was still raining when the boys from Ellinger, Texas, made themselves at home in the Strawberry Creek camp. Jim Tyrrell, who has since become manager of the Dallas Gun Club, hired on to guide, but wound up as our cook. The camp was in a small alpine meadow, pocketed by peaks reaching to the Continental Divide. There were three canvas wall tents and a kitchen tent set at the edge of the creek. Beside it was the crew tent Jim and I shared, and 10 steps farther was the hunters’ tent. I had set a flagpole and the Texas flag snapped in the westerly wind. Dave, a big strapping German boy, puttered around exploring and asking questions. Every word out of his mouth was hooked to a joke, and I decided to be careful with my explanations. Matt was satisfied to make his nest in the guest tent, watch Jim make supper, and help feed the livestock. He was the quieter of the two and eased about grinning and inspecting the accommodations. The first morning was damp and cold and we rode up the mountain behind camp. Elk were bugling in several directions, but F i s h

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some local hunters were also in the forest. We spent too much valuable first-morning time dodging them. The fog and drizzle finally chased us to cover. We tucked ourselves into a clump of spruce, built a fire, and waited. Over the next few days, I noticed a trend. It was raining harder, but every evening it slacked off and the overcast would break. If a hunter sat in the right spot, he could catch critters coming out to browse before dark. The third evening, Dave got lucky. While Matt and I watched from a nearby ridge, he dumped a good mule deer buck. The next morning, I packed the deer to camp and ran into the Okie. “You know that doesn’t count on our bet,” he said. “I know, we only bet on elk.” He rode off and left me sitting on my horse grumbling. Meanwhile, the Texans voted to stay out of the rain. I packed the deer back down the mountain, hung it on the meat pole, put up my saddle, and heard dominos shaking in the cook tent. It was nice to have a touch of home in the Montana mountains. I stuck my head through the tent flap and Dave greeted me. “Sit down and play before I wear the spots off these things,” he said. “He’s been shuffling those rocks and pretending he was at Hobo Inn ever since you left,” said Matt. I sat down and a beer-joint game of threehanded moon commenced. Dave, who is also an executive banker in Roundtop, had every German and Czech domino-playing cliché memorized. It was also evident he considered himself an expert. Over the course of the day, we reminisced old times and I gave domino lessons. That night the weather broke. The next morning was clear and cold. We rode up the mountain and tied our horses at the edge of a high basin. I led as we crept along the ridge, suddenly spotted elk, and dropped to the ground. Three hundred

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yards farther was a bedded herd. Dave rested his rifle over a rock and peered through his scope. “Do you see a bull?” I asked. “Yeah.” “Do you have a shot?” There was a long quiet moment. A couple of the cows stood up, then he squeezed the trigger. The bull thrashed and lunged to its feet. Dave shot again and the bull tumbled, rolled off the ridge, and over a short cliff. My work as a mule packer began and soon my friend had enough meat for the winter and a 6x7 rack to hang in his office. Now it was Matt’s turn. The last day of the hunt was sunny and bright. We traipsed to my favorite lookout points and glassed. We listened for bugles in all the likely hideouts. Nothing. By late afternoon, we were sitting on a log watching the sunset. “Well, it’s been great, but I’m worn out. Let’s call it a hunt,” said Matt. “Yeah, but let’s move one more time. If we’re going to quit, I want to sit in a spot where I can see a lot of country,” I said. We both looked at the sun as it descended behind a giant rock outcropping. As if on

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cue, an elk silhouetted itself against the golden orb. “What’s that?” he said. “I’m not sure, but I think I see horns.” We squinted and the animal disappeared. “Will you help me get it?” he asked. “Yeah, but come on, we have to hurry. There’s another basin on the other side of that rock. It’s going to be a hard climb and we have to get there fast.” We took off at a quick pace and I concentrated on what I had seen. It was a spike bull. There was a good chance there were more elk in the basin. We stayed in the timber and scrambled up the next ridge, ducked below the skyline and moved to the outcropping. Daylight was fading, but I slowed to a crawl as we tiptoed through the loose rocks to peek over the mountain. Below us was a group of cows with a 5x5 bull standing exposed between some scattered pines. It was standing straight away, offering only a spine shot. Matt rested his rifle over a boulder. I watched the bull and said a little prayer. The blast made me flinch, but the bull

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never moved. It only turned its head and looked around. “Damn, I pulled it,” Matt said. He jacked another cartridge into the chamber, then held his breath and squeezed. His second shot was true and the bull never took a step. The next day, we headed to the trailhead. I was riding straight and proud. My mules were loaded heavy with a mule deer buck and two bull elk. My hunters would go back to Texas telling grand stories about hunting in the Montana wilderness. Best of all, I won my bet with the Okie. I had a little room to brag about never betting a man at his own game. My gloating was cut short because when the other six hunters arrived—they got skunked.

E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com.

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Dickey an d West Texa August s Hunting a Mule Deer nd Anglin g Quality Review

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Bill Reeg Redfish ch -in 43 ce Hillman Guide Servi

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Shannon and Tom Mason and Dad Redfish Redfish Charters

kson with grandson Jac Captain Hugo Ford se) lea Re & tch Black Drum (Ca rvice Hugo Ford Guide Se

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SPOTLIGHT: SOUTH TEXAS FISHING & HUNTING

TEXAS HUNTING

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Award Winning Venison Chili HAVE USED THIS RECIPE SEVERAL TIMES AND have always enjoyed it. A good friend of mine, Jason Jobe, called me last year (while I was in a deer stand), looking for a chili recipe for a cook-off. I whispered the whole recipe to him, and then he proceeded to go out and win the cook-off. He called me again a few weeks ago; his computer had crashed and he needed the recipe again. Sure enough, as luck would have it, I was in a deer stand again, and tried to recite the recipe again. Well, I did okay, but knew it was a few ingredients short. He somehow found the old one on a CD, and with barely enough time to get the ingredients together, make it to the cook-off, and prepare the chili, Jason pulled off the unexpected. He looked around and saw all of the other cooks, who had been slaving away since the wee hours working on their version of the winning batch, and knew he had to get busy. He made that chili in about 2-1/2 hours and reclaimed the trophy. Good story,

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but if you have the time, this recipe could probably use about 4 to 5 hours of your time to do it justice. I hope you enjoy it! (Yields approximately 2 gallons.) 3 pounds coarse ground chuck 3 pounds cubed beef stew meat or venison (I like to use top of round roast or backstrap) 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded & minced 1 jalapeno pepper, with seeds, minced 4 poblano peppers, chopped & seeded 1 large red bell pepper, chopped 1 large green bell pepper, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 bulb chopped garlic 3 dried ancho chilies, seeded 2 dried seeded chili arbols (cayenne; these are optional) 3 dried seeded chili (red new Mexico) 5 Tbs standard chili powder 1 Tbs cocoa powder 2 Tbs cumin 1 tsp black pepper 2 Tbs Texas Gourmet’s Sweet Chipotle Season All 1 Tbs beef base 2 Tbs brown sugar 2 cups water or beer F i s h

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28 ounces chopped tomatoes (canned) 29 ounces canned kidney beans (pour off juice first; use the beans only if you like them; I like the balance it gives to the chili’s flavor) Sauté the onion, jalapeno, poblano, bell peppers, and garlic in olive oil then add the meats to brown them. After the meats are browned, add the liquid, spices, and tomatoes. After seeding the dried peppers (ancho chilies, chili arbols, and red chilies), place them in 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a low boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, then use a slotted spoon place the softened chilies in a blender with a small amount of the water. Cover, and blend into a paste. Add enough water to be able to move the paste to the pot with the meat. Bring to a good simmer and cover. Cook for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, then add the beans if desired; salt and black pepper to your liking. Add a couple Tbs of brown sugar at this time. Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com. PHOTO BY JIM OLIVE

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TROUT—GALVESTON, TEXAS

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SPECKLED TROUT—COPANO BAY, TEXAS

RED SNAPPER—OFFSHORE GALVESTON, TEXAS

Adam Farris, age 5, of Bellaire, Texas, caught this 9-pound red snapper while fishing with his dad Jon Farris at the HI-157 oil platform, 17 miles out of Galveston.

REDFISH—CALAVERAS LAKE, TEXAS

HYBRID STRIPERS—DECKER LAKE, TEXAS

L-R Kolten Rathburn, Bruce Rathburn and Trenten Rathburn caught this 15.8-pound, 33-inch redfish at Calaveras Lake in San Antonio. The red had a girth of 20 inches.

CATFISH—LIVE OAK, TEXAS

REDFISH—LAGUNA MADRE, TEXAS

BASS—LAKE SAM RAYBURN, TEXAS

Two-year-old Michael Marks of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, caught his first bass on a night crawler while fishing with his PaPa and “B” on Lake Sam Rayburn. The fish weighed approximately 2 pounds.

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Cold Bass Fishing HE TEMPERATURE HOVERED AROUND 38 degrees, the wind blew, and it rained the whole day. Most people would rather spend time in front of a warm fireplace than sitting in a bass boat trying their luck for largemouth bass on a day like this. Ralph Morgan, November’s Trophy Quest winner, and his buddy, Rich Destault, drew a Trophy Quest largemouth bass fishing trip with fishing guide Jeff Kirkwood on Lake Fork when the first real cold front dropped down on the Lone Star State. Nonetheless, the fishing action heated up a cold situation.

by Tom Behrens “I’ve fished in colder weather, but I have not fished more miserable weather; it was wet,” said Morgan. “It was raining when we got to Alba, and it was raining when we left Alba, and it didn’t stop while we were there.” The trio originally planned to start their fishing day from Lake Fork Marina at Alba, where they spent the night before courtesy of Trophy Quest, but the wind forced a change of plans. Kirkwood took the trio over to the other

HOW YOU CAN WIN! TEXAS FISH & GAME HAS GIVEN AWAY OVER 200 TROPHY QUEST TRIPS. TROPHY QUEST is free guided hunting or fishing trips within the state of PHOTO BY TOM BEHRENS

Destault, and Kirkwood caught ranged from 2 to 31/2 pounds. Morgan caught a bass immediately after they made their fist stop: “My second cast had a bass on. My partner, Rich, caught five fish, two of them about 4 pounds. Jeff caught several fish, probably five bass, a crappie, and a yellow bass. “Every place the guide took us, within minutes of setting up, we were getting hit. To me, on a day like TQ winner Ralph Morgan with the fruits of a cold day’s labor at Lake Fork. that when it was so blessed miserable, it was obvious he knows his fish, where to side of the lake to launch the boat, trying to find them, and he’s fun to be with. We had get out of the wind and stay warmer. From just a great time the whole day.” there, they worked their way down toward Morgan and Destault have scheduled the dam, fishing the rest of the day and another trip with Kirkwood in April. Hopebreaking only for lunch. fully, it won’t be bad weather and maybe “We stayed dry but our hands...when we Kirkwood can put them on the big fish that were running from one place to another, that he wanted them to catch on this trip. was pretty miserable,” said Morgan. Kirkwood said considering the condiSPECIES: Largemouth bass tions, the fishing wasn’t bad at all. The trio LOCATION: Lake Fork boated 10 fish and missed about half that GUIDE: Jeff Kirkwood, 800-965-0350, many: “They were not bad fish, just not the www.fishinwithjeff.com size I was after.” FOOD & DRINK: Moser’s Restaurant, Kirkwood is accustomed to catching big 903-765-2087 bass. His 13.07-pound bass caught last April made the Budweiser ShareLunker list for 2006-2007. The fish that Morgan,

Texas. The package includes a guided trip for two people, one night's lodging and all food and beverage (non-alcohol). Winners are responsible for all travel expenses getting to and from the destination point. HERE'S HOW YOU WIN! If you are a TF&G subscriber, your name is automatically entered on our monthly Trophy Quest Trip drawing. If you are a subscriber and would like

your name entered 15 more times in our next monthly drawing, simply send us an email with your name, address and phone number* to trophyquest@fishgame.com. You can still win even if you are NOT a subscriber. Simply email us with your name, address, and phone number* to trophyquest@fishgame.com and you're entered in our next drawing. One winner is chosen at random each

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month. The winner must be available to go on one of two previously scheduled dates. If the winner is unable to attend on either dates scheduled for the TROPHY QUEST TRIP, the winner's name will be returned to the pool for future drawings and another winner will be drawn. *Phone numbers will ONLY be used to contact the winners and will not be used for any other purpose.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND PARKS

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by Chester Moore

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whitetail is not just a whitetail. From the big woods of Canada to the rainforests of South America, scientists have identified 17 unique subspecies of America’s most popular game animal. Scoffers might question naming so many varieties of the same basic animal, but upon closer examination, real differences become evident. The Lone Star State’s herd of 4 millionplus whitetail consists of four subspecies ranging from the tiny to Texas-sized. Let’s examine them and learn why our deer herd is the most diverse in the nation. TAXONOMY: Odocoileus virginianus COMMON NAME: Texas whitetail RANGE: These deer are found in western Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, southeastern Colorado, eastern New Mexico, and the northern regions of Mexico. PHYSICAL TRAITS: The Texas whitetail’s body is much smaller than deer in northern herds, but it is the largest of the extreme southern whitetail. The antlers tend to be wide but relatively thin with little mass in comparison to northern and midwestern deer. INTERESTING FACTS: This is the deer seen through most of the state and the one most hunters know. It is a lightly built deer, with mature bucks often sporting tall, basket shaped and light colored antlers. TAXONOMY: Odocoileus virginianus corminis COMMON NAME: Carmen Mountains whitetail RANGE: This deer in the Big Bend region of Texas and is limited to the mountain ranges in Brewster and Presidio counties in Texas, and on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. PHYSICAL TRAITS: These deer are small, just slightly larger than the famous Key deer of Florida. Their antlers tend to correspond to their stature, with bucks typically having basket shaped racks. INTERESTING FACTS: This subspecies gets 52

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plenty of protection from isolation. Most of its range in Texas falls within Big Bend National Park, where hunting is illegal. A few private ranches in Texas offer hunts, although most opportunities are on the Mexican side of the border where, despite their size, the deer command up to $3000 due to their relative rarity. Any integration with other whitetails is blocked by desert country and a herd of mule deer, which are abundant in the region. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) views the Carmen Mountain white-tailed deer population as relatively stable. They note there is some debate concerning the subspecies of white-tailed deer that occurs in the Davis Mountains (pinion-juniper woodlands) at higher elevations. Whether they are the Carmen subspecies or the more common Texas white-tailed deer is open to debate. TAXONOMY: Odocoileus virginianus mcilhennyi COMMON NAME: Avery Island whitetail RANGE: These deer range along the Gulf Coast in Texas and neighboring Louisiana from the Avery Island area into East Texas. PHYSICAL TRAITS: This is a big, robust deer with a dark brown winter coat. Mature bucks tend to have tall racks with heavy mass. INTERESTING FACTS: Hunters in the southeastern Pineywoods region often talk about the “original” East Texas deer and refer to pockets of woods that house good numbers of them. They are referring to this subspecies and regions that have not suffered from hybridization due to stockings and intrusion from other subspecies. TAXONOMY: Odocoileus virginianus macrourus Common name: Kansas whitetail RANGE: This subspecies ranges from Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nebraska, and northern Louisiana into the North Texas regions. PHYSICAL TRAITS: These deer are large with heavy antler beams and generally short brown tines. INTERESTING FACTS: The Kansas whitetail range overlaps with the Avery Island whitetail. Hunters taking deer weighing more than 200 pounds in East and North Texas usualF i s h

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ly have encountered a prime example of the Kansas whitetail.

Hybridization Hybridization often occurs among the various whitetail subspecies, blurring the lines of identification. Much of the interbreeding comes from natural mixing of deer on the fringes of their native habitat, but much has come from deer stocking programs of the past. The Pineywoods for example has a long history of stocking dating back to an 11-deer release in 1938 in Angelina County. Those deer came from South and Central Texas and were Texas whitetail, which over the years have bred with the Avery Island and Kansas varieties. Additionally, where mule deer and whitetailed deer co-exist, as in the Panhandle and Trans-Pecos, some hybridization occurs. A TPWD study in the eastern Trans-Pecos showed that up to 14 percent of deer were muley/whitetail hybrids, although the average occurrence in the region was around 5 percent. These hybrids are often difficult to identify, with the surest indicator of first generation hybrids being the length of the metatarsal gland on the outside of the rear leg. In whitetails, it measures 3/4 of an inch, and in mulies, it is 4 inches; on hybrids, it measures around 2 inches. Interestingly, scientists believe few muley/whitetail hybrids survive because they have erratic escape behavior. Mule deer escape by making bounding leaps, and research has shown that hybrids with as little as 1/8 mule deer cannot do it properly. Most whitetails taken or observed in Texas are simply looked at as “deer” and only broken down into their finite varieties by scientists. For those with a watchful eye and inquisitive spirit, there are several varieties of the state’s top game animal out there. This creates an opportunity for ambitious hunters to take a Texas Deer Slam and a chance to realize the deer in our crosshairs are as diverse as the hunters who pursue them.

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Ruger’s New Magnums UGER HAS ALWAYS HAD A KNACK FOR KNOWing what the public wanted before anyone else did. However, they have also, been one of the more conservative companies, not jumping onto the bandwagon until the band learned the tune. Now, Ruger is competing with other firearms manufacturers in the area of short magnums. I think we needed another short magnum like I need another bum knee, but they seem to be the most popular series of cartridges out there, so Ruger would be silly to ignore the trend. To that end, in cooperation with Hornady, Ruger has introduced the .300 Ruger Compact Magnum and the .338 Ruger Compact Magnum (RCM). Both are based on the idea that a short, fat, sharp-shouldered cartridge case is superior to the longer, slimmer cartridges, and can be chambered in smaller, shorter, lighter guns and still give true magnum performance. For this discussion, we will examine the .300 RCM. The performance standard seems to be a cartridge that produces velocities equivalent to the .300 Winchester Magnum. That was the goal of the .300 Remington Short Action Ultra-Magnum and the .300 Winchester Short Magnum. Both claimed to do what the bigger Winchester did, but in a short case and a short gun. Factory loads do what they claim, but handloads lose the race by a mile. Now we come to the .300 RCM. At first glance, the cartridge is just another short magnum. It is based on the .375 Ruger, which is a non-belted case of the general dimensions of the .404 Jeffery, shortened and strengthened. I am told the RCM cartridges will fit the same shell holder as the belted magnums. Also, since they do not have a rebated rim,

The author took this eight-pointer with a .300 RCM cartridge in a Ruger Hawkeye rifle.

PHOTO BY STEVE LAMASCUS

they feed a bit smoother from magazine to chamber. The .300 RCM is a good-looking cartridge, sort of a .308 on steroids. The rifle, a wooden stocked Ruger Model 77 Hawkeye, is a snub-nosed job with a 20-inch barrel, iron sights, and the wonderful integral scope mounts that Ruger is famous for. It scales 63/4 pounds empty without a scope. Loaded and scoped, it should weigh about 8 pounds. The new LC-6 trigger on my test rifle was a surprise. I have long disliked Ruger triggers, but his one is clean and crisp, and according to my Lyman digital trigger-pull gauge, it breaks at just over 5 pounds. While it could stand to be lighter, it was certainly shootable. With all the looking and fondling done, I mounted a Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10X scope on the Hawkeye and headed to the range to see if the cartridge and rifle could live up to the propaganda. All shooting was with Hornady factory ammunition loaded with Hornady SST bullets in 150, 165, and 180 grains. The first round through the little gun verified that it does kick. While recoil was not terrible, I certainly knew I was shooting a powerful firearm. I would say the felt recoil is a bit more than a 7mm Magnum with 150-grain bullets, and a bit less than a .300 Winchester with 180grain, just about like a, well, like a short .300 magnum. T E X A S

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My first three-shot group rendered the “standard” 2 inches, with other groups running up to 3-1/2 inches. The smallest group was just at 1 inch, and that was with 180grain bullets. But remember that was only one group; most ran 2 inches or slightly larger. One most pleasant surprise was that the cartridge and primers do not show nearly the pressure signs that were obvious on the .300 WSM when I first shot it. Primers on the .300 RCM looked normal in every way, not flattened or cratered. I was actually surprised at the appearance of normal working pressures considering the ballistics this little cartridge achieves. As I write this, I am headed out this afternoon to shoot a deer with the .300 RCM and the Ruger Hawkeye. I feel certain that the rig will get the job done, if I do my part. Note: It worked! I took a nice eight-point buck with the .300 RCM Hawkeye, using a 165-grain Hornady SST load at 110 yards. The bullet shattered the near shoulder, broke the spine, and stopped. Performance was about what I have come to expect from a .3006 or .308 with similar loads. If you are interested in a short .300 magnum, the .300 RCM seems to be a good one.

E-mail Steve LaMascus at guns@fishgame.com.

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25th ANNIVERSARY

Joshua Harris of Temple, with one of 66 catfish caught on a five-hour fishing trip on Lake Calaveras near San Antonio with catfish pro and bait maker Bob Fincher of Nixon.

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TEXAS FISH & GAME MAGAZINE

SPECIAL FEATURE

by Russell Tinsley A young angler gets to study catfish catching with one of the true experts in the field oshua Harris, in his excitement, had reeled in the protesting catfish almost to the tip guide of his rod, yanking the channel cat airborne and swinging it toward the boat. As his uncle reached for the fish, it suddenly flounced free and splashed back into the lake. “That’s all right,” I told the 13-year-old from Temple, as I gave him a pat on the back. “When you are catching more fish than your uncle, he has to resort to some pretty desperate measures, like knocking a cat off your line.” “I never thought about it but that might be a way of getting even,” the uncle admitted with a chuckle. It is easy to laugh about an occasional lost fish when others are being put in the ice chest with regularity. No big deal. But a few minutes later, when it happened the second time, the youngster’s face drew up in a frown. Maybe we weren’t joking about letting the fish get off after all. Catch and release wasn’t our intent. We were out to catch a mess of catfish to eat – and for the fun of catching – thanks to Bob Fincher, the mission was being accomplished big time. And no one was having more fun than Joshua, the nephew of Texas Fish and Game editor, Marvin Spivey. Bob Fincher needs no introduction in South Texas to people who take their catfish fishing seriously. He’s the owner of Bob’s Bait Company on Hwy. 80, five miles south of Nixon and a catfish fisherman of uncommon skill. I believe he could catch catfish out of his kitchen sink. To be sure, he can catch them out of most any lake. He’s proven that to me on numerous occasions. He used to fish for crappie and bass but that was years ago. Today, he’s interested in catfish only. “To really excel at something you have to specialize and dedicate yourself,” he said. As we waited for another bite, Bob kept his eyes riveted to his rod tip, watching intently for any irregular motion to signal a bite, as he answered some of the questions Marvin asked about catching catfish, and while I’d heard all this before, his primer is worth repeating. Foremost is finding a place to fish, which is no problem since most Texans live within a few hours driving distance of a public reservoir. And all our lakes hold catfish, although some have more than others. We were fishing one of the best, Calaveras Lake, just off Anderson Loop, a short drive southT E X A S

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east from downtown San Antonio. This power plant reservoir, along with its nearby sister lake, Braunig, are among Fincher’s favorites. “Braunig has, on the average, fish of better quality, but Calaveras has more eatingsized fish, those weighing about a pound. It’s loaded.” Young Joshua added an exclamation point to what Bob was saying as he hooked into another frisky channel cat. This one he got in the boat, thanks in part perhaps because I grabbed the fish before his uncle Marvin could practice mid-air release. It went into the ice chest with at least 50 others. The surprising thing was, we had anchored in a cove some four hours earlier to escape the wind and we never relocated. We let the catfish come to us. Before we commenced fishing, Bob had chummed around the boat with soured grain. The chum is easy to make. Put some wheat or grain sorghum in a bucket, cover with water, and let the grain set for a few days to ferment. Check the grain daily and add more water if necessary. When you pick a place to fish, chum with about a quart of the soured grain, scattering it like you’d pitch grain to chickens. Make the fish work for the grain, rooting along and eating it kernel by kernel. The chum keeps the cats hanging around, but you don’t want to fill the cats up. With full bellies they lose interest. “If there is one secret to catching catfish, chumming is it,” Bob said. “Chum doesn’t cost much and it makes all the difference in the world. And forget what you’ve heard. You don’t have to chum in advance. I put out the grain when I am ready to fish.” What this means is, you don’t have to run around the lake looking for catfish. The chum does the job for you. Catfish feed by smell and they can scent the chum and come to it from some distance. “Chumming will work on any lake,” Fincher stressed. “And there’s no waste; the grain is biodegradable. Any fish you don’t catch will eat the grain. You are helping the fishery.” I explained to Bob that I had fished with Dave Ross, the legendary Lake Amistad catfish guide, and he does things a bit differently. He chums about three or four spots before fishing. He tries the first spot for about 45 minutes, and if he fails to get action, he moves on to the second spot. Ross said he is going to usually feed cooperative fish at one place or another. Fincher said he agreed with the strategy; baiting or chumming multiple spots is sort of 56

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Best Catfish Spots Picking a top catfish lake is like judging a beauty pageant. There are a lot of choices and you can’t go wrong with any of them. But here is a top dozen: Amistad: This big impoundment on the Mexico border at Del Rio just keeps on producing large numbers of channel cats. It has aged well. Braunig: For its size, only 1,350 acres, this might be the best catfish lake in the state. It is just southeast of San Antonio on 1-37. Buchanan: This old impoundment between Burnet and Llano in the central part of the state is better known for its striper fishing, but it is also a top catfish producer. Calaveras: Located southeast of San Antonio, a short drive from Braunig, this power plant lake is loaded with catfish. Choke Canyon: Coming back after a slump the past couple of years, brushfilled Choke Canyon between Three Rivers and Tilden in South Texas is one of a few lakes in the state with a 14-inch minimum legal length for channel and blue catfish. Most of the cats caught last year were undersized. Falcon: Another big Rio Grande impoundment with a strong catfish population, although the average fish tends to be smallish. There is commercial netting on the Mexico side of the lakes and that removes many catfish before they have a chance to grow to any size. Granger: This lake is not well known outside Central Texas, but the reservoir north of Taylor is a good fishing hole for catfish. Livingston: The Trinity River has long been known for its quality catfish fishing and this large reservoir on the river fits right in. It is a catfish factory. The daily limit is 50 blue or channel cats. It’s that good. O.H. Ivie: This new reservoir northeast of San Angelo is going to make catfish news this year. It has a 14-inch minimum length for channel and blue cats and the catfish are just now growing into keepers and there are a lot of them. Ray Roberts: Another reservoir that is relatively new. The catfish fishing on this Corps of Engineers impoundment near Denton has been good the past couple of years and it hasn’t yet hit its peak. The lake level is down this year while repairs are being made on the dam, but if anything, the lower level has only made the catfish fishing better. Texoma: This big reservoir on the Oklahoma border is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. Better known for its striped bass, it still is one of the best catfish lakes around. Whitney: Another old reservoir, this one northwest of Waco, Whitney continues to be one of, if not the best, all-around fishery in the state, and this includes fishing for catfish. Not only does it have a bunch of channel and blue cats, it has its share of whop-

pers, too.

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an insurance policy. But a problem with this is the inexperienced fisherman might be tempted to change locations should the fishing slow. “If you’re fishing a spot where you’ve caught a few fish and there’s a lull, pitch out another handful or two of sour grain and give the fish a few more minutes,” he said. “The action might pick up again. And if you test all the spots and you’re not getting bites, don’t blame it on the chum, the location, or the bait you’re using. Catfish, like any fish, don’t feed all the time, and if they are not in the mood, you’re not going to catch many, if any, no matter what you do.” Fincher seldom fishes water more than 15 feet deep and he chums near or around some sort of structure: the shallow side of a creek or river channel, along a point, or around rocks. An LCD depthfinder helps when locating structure and establishing depth, but don’t expect it to actually show fish. “Catfish tend to stay right on bottom and, as far as the display is concerned, they are part of the bottom and you can’t tell they are there,” he explained. Other than in the winter, he likes to fish rocks, those that occur naturally in a reservoir or along the riprap of a roadway or the dam. Catfish use crevices in the rocks for spawning. Rocks also provide a food source. Moss and algae form on the rocks and blue and channel cats scavenge the green stuff, especially in the summertime. When fishing rocks, Fincher often uses what he calls “a slip cork.” This is an elongated foam float with a hole through it, allowing it to slide freely up and down the line. Some sort of stop, a piece of monofilament or rubberband, is tied on the line to put the bait at a desired depth below the float. Example: If you want to fish at eight-foot depth, you tie the stop on the main line eight feet above the hook. “A cork lets you actually see a bite and makes catching more fun,” he said, further. “It is something to focus your attention on, something to watch. You just wait for it to go under.” And when you yank, the line pulls freely through the float, eliminating water resistance and providing a direct link with the fish, more leverage to set the hook. Fincher fishes a No. 6 treble hidden in a gob of Bob’s Cheese Bait, which he makes and sells through mail-order. Dave Ross on Amistad buys it five gallons at a time. Bob said, “It is important to have a bait you have confidence in. If the fish are biting,

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you know they will bite that bait. You don’t have to carry along several different baits. It is one less thing to worry about.” Chumming and using a proven bait are only basics, however. Other parts of any successful fishing plan depend on trial and error or common sense. Some places you can cast out a ways and allow the bait to sink to the bottom while in others, such as Choke Canyon with its abundant brush, you almost have to fish vertically, straight down from the boat. And if you are fishing from shore, you need to toss your chum and bait out a little distance. Where and how you fish depends on circumstances. When fishing vertically, Bob anchors his boat at both ends, to prevent it from swinging about. “Any motion makes it that much more difficult to know when you get a bite,” he explained, adding that when fishing at night in the summer, he might even beach his boat and sit in a lawn chair on the bank and cast out to fish, and not very far either since catfish move into shallows near shore to feed in the dark, sometimes in water no more than a foot deep. If fishing vertically from the boat in deeper

About This Article Much has changed—and much has remained the same—since this article first published in the June/July 1994 issue. The author, Russell Tinsley, an icon of Texas outdoor writing and one of the cofounders of this magazine, passed away in September 2005. Likewise, Bob’s Bait & Tackle namesake Bob Fincher is no longer with us. Marvin Spivey, the first editor of this magazine, has moved on to other pursuits. Marvin Barnhill is still in the catfishing business and the namesake of Big Marv’s Bait Company, maker of Big Marv’s Cheese Bait; and Wallace Gee is still in the guiding business at Choke Canyon Reservoir. Meanwhile, Texas catfishing remains largely unchanged. The lakes mentioned are still full of catfish, and the tips, tricks, and techniques presented herein are as effective now as then. —Don Zaidle

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water, Bob lets his bait go down until the line goes limp; then he makes one or two turns of the reel handle to lift it slightly off the bottom. The whole process is not all that complicated, but if you have self-doubts about your ability, hire a guide such as Dave Ross of Angler’s Lodge in Del Rio (Lake Amistad) or Marvin Barnhill of Gillette (lakes Braunig, Calaveras and Choke Canyon) or Wallace Gee of Three Rivers (Choke Canyon) and observe and learn the methods they use to catch catfish. This is one way to get a cram course, where and how. Nothing beats experience, though, and Bob Fincher has had plenty of that. On this late-winter day on Lake Calaveras, he put us in fish and he helped Marvin, Joshua and me catch 66 channel cats in less than five hours of fishing. We stocked our freezers. Now we have to convince Joshua that catfish fishing is not always this good. Maybe it is going to require another trip or two. If so, that’s okay by me. Fishing for catfish with rod and reel is a lot of fun.

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‘Management’ and ‘Hunting’ W

E LIVE IN A WORLD OF MIXED philosophies about how to improve whitetail deer hunting. Of all the factors man has sifted through the screen to find the answers, the largest golden nuggets of success are wise habitat management and wise harvest strategies. That might seem like a no-brainer to many people, but some might be surprised to learn about the many different angles that landowners and wildlife managers have woven into those two nuggets. In the harvest strategy department, some people want all spike deer removed; some who argue spikes are simply yearlings that need time to grow large antlers; some who want any young deer with “spindle-like” antlers shot regardless of their point numbers, height or spread; and others who want any eight-pointer that is 2-1/2 years and older removed from the herd. In the habitat management department, some landowners plant food plots ranging from wheat, oats, soybeans, clovers, turnips, and peas to corn and others. Regardless where I have had the privilege of hunting whitetail deer, I want to learn first if any habitat improvement measures are being implemented, and if so, what they are. I have hunted whitetails in several states throughout the South as well as in Canada, and have learned that what works well in one area might not work in another. Managing for whitetails is not an exact science. Many factors are involved and many landowners have different goals. These might include trying to produce a large number of deer with big racks, trying to produce a 1-to-1 buckdoe ratio, both, or simply wanting a good, healthy herd with a mixture of young bucks and does for the future in balance with a good number of older deer. On many places I have hunted, landowners have sought a 1-to-1 buck-doe ratio as a primary goal. To achieve that goal, does as well 58

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as “inferior” or “cull” bucks must be removed while building or reducing the herd to meet the land’s carrying capacity. One place I have hunted several times in recent years, and have seen just how well habitat management and deer harvest strategies go hand-in-hand to improve not only whitetail deer but other wildlife, including migratory birds, is The Big Woods on the Trinity near Tennessee Colony in Anderson County. The Big Woods encompasses 7500 lowfenced acres of neo-tropical hardwood forests with about 2000 acres of flooded pin oak flats and 5-acre food plots of corn, wheat, millet, and turnips. I have hunted whitetails and feral hogs in the woods, but also have seen the results of what landowner Dr. Bob McFarlane has done for waterfowl and wading birds by providing marsh habitat. To me, providing deer with a wide variety of supplemental food sources to complement a wide range of natural foods is a giant step in not only producing large-bodied animals, but also in setting the stage for more does having twin fawns and subsequent high fawn survival. “We began managing for deer 10 years ago,” Dr. McFarlane said. “We have planted a variety of foods over the years, but plant a lot of wheat now because it is more flood tolerant.” Like many others, Dr. McFarlane wants to produce a large number of bucks with 10-point and larger racks. To help achieve that goal, he urges hunters to shoot any 8-point buck that is 2-1/2 years old or older. “I think a lot of bucks just get that ‘8-point disease’,” Dr. McFarlane said. “We want to produce more 10-point deer, and we certainly have our buck-doe ratio right now at 0.9 to 1.” I have seen many instances where landowners have set harvest rules designed to produce bucks with larger antlers, such as “only shoot bucks with eight points or larger.” I appreciate places like The Big Woods where hunters are encouraged to shoot eight-point bucks, but F i s h

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where that is not a requirement. Many of us do not go deer hunting specifically to harvest a “trophy” deer. We go for the enjoyment of hunting, not just bagging a trophy buck, and that is something that I think all landowners should encompass in the hunting opportunities they offer. Of course, wise management practices such as those at The Big Woods do help provide more hunters with a better chance to bag a big buck, and that’s proof that wise management of habitat and flexible harvest regulations by individual landowners has helped novice and veteran hunters alike in being able to have the type of hunting experience they seek. Last November, I was hunting in a box blind on The Big Woods and saw an eight-pointer crossing an open lane 200 yards or more away. I grabbed my rattling horns and struck them together a few times. The buck froze, stared in my direction, and then turned and began walking toward me. Every few yards, the buck stopped; and when he did, I rattled again. The buck never took his gaze from the direction of the sound of the antlers, and I shot him at 50 yards. He later was aged at 3-1/2 years. He was not a “trophy” buck, but certainly one Dr. McFarlane wanted harvested. And just as important, he was one I wanted to harvest under the thrills and uncertainties involved in rattling. To me, that is what hunting is and should always be about. On that morning, I had enjoyed watching the Big Dipper and all the other stars slowly fade away amid the growing light of dawn; had heard the calls of coyotes and birds as they prepared to approach another day; and felt the excitement and uncertainties of fooling a whitetail buck into coming to me. That’s hunting.

E-mail Bob Hood at hunting@fishgame.com.

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during which blue marlin, swordfish, tuna, dorado, and wahoo have not been caught off this state’s long coastline. And catches during January and February, coldest of the dozen, are not restricted to extreme South Texas (where “bitter cold” means you might consider wearing socks). Marlin are present all winter all around the Gulf Coast. Mostly, they idle now where they prowl in summer, in warm water beyond the 100-fathom curve. Not coincidentally, that also is where you will find what marlin eat— dorado and tuna. Swordfish also can be caught any time weather permits and are favorite targets of my friend, Brett Holden, one of the state’s premier swordie anglers. He and some of Flori-

A clear upside to winter fishing far off the Texas coast, same as on the bays and the lakes, is that deer and waterfowl seasons thin the traffic. Those seasons end in January, but their effects linger into spring, Cold is cold, and it can be quite the deterrent. It is one thing to bundle against a morning on stand along a Brush Country sendero, another altogether to brace for a sixhour run in an open boat. The fish, as so many fishing buddies have told each other as the conversation moved inevitably toward postponing a possible trip, will be there ARLY THIS WINTER, I TALKED MYSELF OUT tomorrow, when it warms up. OF two offshore fishing trips, and now Against a truly bitter forecast, it doesn’t question those decisions. take much to justify hiding beneath the covers. In truth, however, the Texas coast doesIt’s not like I was asked to n’t get that many severely cold auger a hole through the ice or days. Approaching northers bring a cooler to keep the beer and the pressure change they from freezing. We live on the bring generate strong southerGulf Coast, for goodness sakes, ly wind, and passing fronts get not on the shores of Lake Watflags ripping in the opposite wazithinkin, Lake Cantdirection. feelmyfingers, or any of thouOn the second or third day sands more currently frozen behind a cold snap, however, lakes in Wisconsin and Minwater tends to get “right.” nesota and all of Canada. I It is on those sorts of days that don’t get ice fishing. Winter or dropping everything and summer, ice belongs in tumbreaking for the horizon makes blers, in small cubes with their far better sense than grinding edges melted smooth by Scotch out another day behind a desk. or rum or well-aged bourbon. We Texans can fish offshore To reside where liquids turn year-around. Not everyone in to solids every winter holds no this country can do that, at appeal, but “cheers” to those least not unless you count lickwho can bear such extremes. Offshore fishing can be quite good this time of year—if you head far enough away ing ice off your moustache, sitThem living where they do from cold, shallow coastal waters.!!! ting on a bucket, and caring means so many fewer people whether a half-frozen perch cluttering the Gulf on rare, preeats your half-frozen minnow. mium days this season when water falls flat da’s best, incidentally, are working to perfect Next time you talk yourself out of making behind a norther and begs to be unzipped by a daytime strategy that works for swordfish. an offshore fishing trip during the first a propeller. Nearer shore, this is a good time to lower months of a new year, don’t blame the seaOffshore fishing can be quite good this sea- large, live baits and take home-run swings at son. son—provided you put sufficient distance big grouper and amberjack over wrecks and between your stern and a cold, hard coast. rocks. If snapper stocks ever recover sufficientCurrents at the extreme ranges of Texas sport- ly to bring back year-around fishing for them, fishing boats run butter-melting warm. winter is prime for hanging big sows over isoE-mail Doug Pike at There is no month on the calendar, in fact, lated hard spots. offshore@fishgame.com

Talking Yourself Out Of It

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Catch What’s Biting N A RECENT COLUMN, I MENTIONED AN OLD man who was always fishing the Padre Island south jetties whenever I fished there. He always caught fish; never left without his yellow stringer filled with speckled trout, redfish, flounder, mangrove snapper, whiting, sand trout, sheepshead, or Spanish mackerel. He’d catch an occasional snook, and I once saw him latch into a 3-foot tarpon with that old Zebco 888 of his. It was a short fight, and the tarpon won, but he didn’t complain. “Catch what’s biting, my boy,” he once told me as I helped him with a heavy stringer of mangrove snapper. “Do that, and you will never have a bad day fishing.” After all the tips, techniques, and tackle; the new and innovative lures; the braids and fluorocarbons; the red hooks and titanium wire; one old man’s secret to successful fishing boiled down to a simple strategy: catch what’s biting. It might not sound like much imagination or novelty in the old man’s thinking, but there was no arguing with his success. While the rest of us beat the water into foam, the old coot would sit in an old Houston Oilers lawn chair, soaking live mullet or shrimp under the same old cork popping-float, catching fish. I love redfish. I think speckled trout are pretty neat, ditto flounder. No one has a deeper passion for snook than I do. All these fish carry a certain mystique, whether it is a redfish rolling sideways to clobber a topwater, a big trout busting a shrimp underneath the lights, or a big snook jumping clear of the water and rattling its gills before flinging your Corky back across your bow. I’ve expe-

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rience all these moments, and simply remembering them gets my heart fluttering. I also love not getting frustrated when fishing. We all know there are days when, no matter what we do, the fish just don’t cooperate. The redfish disappear off the flats, the trout don’t bite, and the snook shut their overbites tight. You throw bait, lures, jalapenos—anything short of small explosives—and they won’t bite. That is when you break out the Big Book of Profanity and start flipping through the pages. Perhaps I’m not a true sportsman, but I would rather avoid my well-worn copy of that book. Like that old man on the jetties, I would much rather catch something than nothing. I’m not greedy. I don’t need to conquer some state or line-class record beast in hand-to-fin combat to reaffirm my manhood. I’m happy with a few cooperative fish that bite readily and offer some intense moments before coming to the net. If they aren’t edible, or I have plenty of fillets in the freezer, back in the drink they go. Back in March 2007, my wife and I headed out to Laguna Madre for a morning of fishing. It was a classic post-frontal pattern: bluebird skies, no wind, and ultra-low tides. We puttered out to the Queen Isabella Causeway’s deeper pilings and sent live shrimp down to the bottom on 1/2-ounce fish-rigs, reeled them up a foot, and waited. Over the next three hours, we caught over 20 sheepshead, with our double-limit of 10 weighing 42 pounds. While we waited for the fish cleaner at White Sands Marina to fillet our catch, we watched another boat pull dockside. A small boy and his father disembarked and walked over to palaver. “You did alright, huh?” the man asked, as his kid started with wide eyes at the bucket full of convict fish. “We’ve got more than one meal, there,” I answered. “How did you do?” The man smiled. “My boy and I went north and hit all the spots—Gaswells, Cullen, the Drum Boat. We threw every lure I had. I finally got a pretty nice trout in the F i s h

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box just before we came in.” “Yup,” I said, “it’s been a tough couple of days for specks.” “Aw,” he pointed to his nine-year-old, who hadn’t taken his eyes off our fish, “he’s gonna have to learn sooner or later that not catching is also part of fishing.” I didn’t ask, but I always wanted to know why a small child needed to learn a lesson about failure before he learned about success. I’d bet a tackle box full of Gulp! Shrimp that it might be a long time before that kid goes fishing again. It’s simple logic: Why do something you will fail at, when it is so easy to do something you can be good at every time—like Grand Theft Auto? Children especially don’t care about what they catch; they just want to catch something. I guarantee if that man took his son and spent the morning catching sheepshead, Junior would have been bugging his old man about going again during the drive home. The experience of hooking, fighting, and landing a few feisty barnacle crunchers would have made him a fan for life. Then, somewhere down the line when the boy was older, they could try for speckled trout, redfish, or any other more challenging prey. The success of that trip would have sustained that boy through countless water hauls. A good friend of mine who is an ardent bass fisherman altered his fishing style once his daughter was old enough to fish with him. He still bass fishes, and he still goes to Falcon Lake, the premier bass lake in the Southwest, but when his daughter joins him, they fish for catfish. They are easy for his daughter to catch, make her little Shrek rod bend and the reel scream, and are always biting. He says when she’s ready for the challenge of fishing for bass, they’ll make the leap. Until then, they’ll catch what’s biting. I don’t think he wants her to discover the Big Book of Profanity at least until college.

E-mail Calixto Gonzales cgonzales@fishgame.com

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Enthusiasm Builds For FLW College Fishing TARTING LAST MONTH, COLLEGE STUDENTS have an exciting new course to choose from when planning their busy semester schedule—tournament fishing 101. Only in this class, it is not grades students will be angling for, but scholarships, prize money, and national bragging rights. Last month, FLW Outdoors launched the National Guard FLW College Fishing tournament circuit, the most comprehensive, competitive, and lucrative collegiate fishing circuit ever unveiled. And just to make sure that students learn the true value of an outdoor education, FLW Outdoors will award a $100,000 prize package to the eventual collegiate national team champion. That’s enough money to keep a college fishing club loaded with bait and tackle for years to come. “We’re stoked,” said Parker Moran, organizer of the California State UniversityChico fishing club. “I’d love to fish the FLW as a pro, but with my money situation, I can’t. This National Guard tournament circuit is great because they’ll pay us to get there and there’s no entry fee. Whatever we win goes straight back to the club.” FLW Outdoors will provide participating teams with a travel allowance based on the distance they travel to each tournament. Boats are provided. Just get a two-man team together, get to the tournament site, and give it your best cast. “We know a lot of college anglers don’t have boats,” said Kevin Hunt, tournament director. “With us, you just show up and go fishing, and we’ll take care of you.” That will make it possible for the University of Georgia fishing club, which has 15 members but just one boat, to compete. “Not having to tow a boat is big,” said Jason Muhlbauer, club president. “Gas money

would kill us, so that travel allowance is definitely a plus.” Georgia already has competed against Tennessee and Alabama in tournaments sponsored by Auburn University. It qualified for the circuit championship but did not go. “It was in Arkansas, and we couldn’t afford it,” Muhlbauer explained. Hunt said FLW Outdoors’ goal for the college tournaments is to grow the sport of tournament bass fishing and recruit future customers for boats, tackle, and automobiles. The National Guard hopes to attract recruits. “Helping the National Guard grow is a big part of this,” Hunt said. To date, 48 teams have signed up. Based on school location, teams will be placed in one of five divisions: Northern, Southeast, Central, Western, and Texas. (Note that Texas rates a division all its own.) Qualifying tournaments are one-day events that pay $5000 to the winning club and another $5000 to the school’s general scholarship fund. Regional tournaments are three-day events at which the winning club gets $25,000 and the school $25,000. The national championship is a three-day event at which the winning club gets $50,000 and the school $50,000. Qualifying tournaments take place on Saturday and run in conjunction with the final day of FLW Outdoors’ Stren Series tournaments. Pro anglers who don’t qualify for the final round of the Stren tournament will drive the boats for the students competing in the college tournament. The students will determine fishing locations and operate the trolling motor. Each team will consist of two anglers. Tournaments are capped at 40 teams, but if 40 different schools do not sign up, then participating schools can enter more than one team. T E X A S

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“The Western has been our toughest division to fill,” Hunt said. “We have five teams out there so far. In the Central, Southeast, and Texas, we’re doing well, and we’re expecting to get more up north, too.” One of those Northern schools could be the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where student Chris Hunsberger is trying to organize a team. “Six guys have expressed interest so far,” Hunsberger said. “None of us have done anything but ice-fishing tournaments.” The top five teams from each of a division’s four qualifying tournaments advance to a three-day regional. The top five teams from each regional tournament (total of 25 teams) will compete in a three-day championship April 10 at Fort Loudoun-Tellico lakes at Knoxville, Tennessee. The national champions will qualify for the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup and a chance at $1 million. Scoring in all tournaments is determined by the pounds and ounces of each team’s catch. Only largemouth, spotted, redeye, and smallmouth bass can be weighed. The limit is five bass per angler, but only the three biggest can be weighed. Minimum length limit is 12 inches. Hitting that minimum length limit should not be a problem in Texas, where the Texas A&M-Galveston fishing club is anxious to hit the water. “We like how the FLW has set this up,” said Anthony Reed, club president. “It’s great for college students who are just trying to hang in there.” Mansfield University in Pennsylvania plans to have at least two teams at each Northern Division tournament. “It’s great because it gives students at small colleges a chance to compete against bigger schools,” said Christopher Neal of the Mansfield fishing club. “We’ll be there on the Potomac on June 27.” Texas Division tournaments are scheduled for Falcon Lake (held January 17), Sam Rayburn (March 21), Lake Amistad (May 23), and Toledo Bend (October 17).

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Attackaflat 230 HERE’S A CERTAIN BEAUTY TO A BOAT that’s custom built. Specifically, you get exactly what you want in a hand-built boat that simply can’t be matched by the assembly line mentality. That’s the deal when you get an Explorer brand boat, like the new Attackaflat 230, which we tested when LMC Marine brought one from their Houston location to our boat test binge this year. We expected the custom-built quality and uniqueness; what we didn’t expect was the outrageous shallow water abilities. At 23 feet by 9 feet, 4 inches, the Attackaflat is no little shallow water bug like a Florida-style flats boat. It’s a roomy Texas platform that can haul the whole gang to your ankledeep hotspot way out in the backcountry; its running draft is a mere 5 inches. How does Explorer get the boat to run in water too shallow for most turtles to submerge? The boat has a big pocket aft that directs water up to the elevated lower unit, providing a clean flow to the prop at all times. It also has an elevated motor

Attackaflat 230

Category: Custom Texas Flats Boat 23 ft. 0 in.

Hull:

Custom, Pocket Drive

Beam: 9 ft. 4 in.

Max HP:

250

Capacity:

7 people

website:

www.explorerboats.com

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Triton 18 Explorer

ATTACKA FLAT 230 Length:

mount that’s forward of two aft pods that spray-preventing double-radius chines; we extend back on either side. These provide were able to wave-hop through the slop at buoyancy to the stern as power is applied, pre- speeds nearing 50 mph in comfort. Our test venting squat (and the deep-water needs asso- rig had a 115-hp Optimax outboard on the ciated with it) as the boat jumps onto plane. transom, and we shot onto plane in seconds And jump it does. Our test boat was rigged with a Yamaha F225, which provided plenty of off-the-line Triton 18 Explorer oomph! and a rowdy top-end that broke the 50-mph barrier. Handling in turns and while blasting over a chop was much more predictable than it is on many boats of this type, and running from the elevated console position, visibility was excellent TRITON 18 EXPLORER throughout the power band. Category: Bass Boats The Attackaflat is ready to fish Length: 18 ft. 6 in. Beam: 9 1 in. and fish hard, with perks like an inteHull: V-Bottom with Concave Pad grated 60-gallon release well, four rocket Max HP: 115 Draft: 12 in. launchers in the stainless-steel leaning Capacity: 550-lbs post, and six vertical rodholders on the website: www.tritonboats.com console sides. If you want additional livewells, a trolling motor, built-in tackle box, or other specific amenities, remember that without excessive bow rise. Explorer builds boats one at a time so it can Once you reach the honey hole, you’ll customize each vessel to fit each angler— appreciate this boat’s tackle stowage systems. something you just can’t get from an assembly A pair of boxes have ridges molded into the line. sides that are fitted to secure seven Plano tackle boxes. Rods also have a dedicated place to live, in a pair of 7-foot, 2-inch rod boxes that can be fitted with rod racks. A livewell in the aft deck has an 800-gph recirculation pump plus an aerator, to make sure your catch makes the trip back to the scales without any problems. The Triton 18 Explorer also comes with some features that are must-haves for serious anglers, but most other boat builders would charge extra for. There’s a Lowrance X52 AN YOU GET INTO A SERIOUS BASS BOAT FOR fish-finder at the dash, and a 71-pound thrust under $20k? Triton makes it possible MotorGuide electric trolling motor plus with its 18 Explorer, a boat that can put recessed foot controls on the bow. Even an onyou into tournament contention without board two-bank battery charger comes stanbreaking the bank. dard on this boat. And, yes, a custom-fitted When we tested the 18 Explorer, there was trailer is part of the package, too. a serious chop on the lake; but with this boat’s If you want a tournament-ready rig that all-composite Tri-core construction (utilizing costs half as much as some, yet puts you on an the same polyurethane core materials used in even footing with the rest of the competition, high-performance aircraft); a concave hull botthen explore the Triton 18 Explorer. tom pad that grabs, funnels, and compresses air to create a blow-absorbing cushion; and the

Draft: 5 in.

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LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF EXPLORER BOATS; RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY OF TRITON BOATS

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The Food Chain O

UR STORY BEGINS IN A PRIMITIVE CAMPSITE one dark night in 1974, somewhere in the rugged mountains of Big Bend. Inside a bright yellow, twoman nylon tent, college roommates Chuck and Yours Truly huddle in fear as something snuffles around outside. “What is that?” Chuck asked, nervously fondling his flashlight. “Forget that...what was that?” “Well, the first That might have been a raccoon, but your That sounded bigger.” I glanced at the tissue-thin tent wall, expecting it to bulge inward in the shape of a grizzly bear muzzle. “We’re just being a couple of babies.” Rocks rattled outside. “Mama,” Chuck whispered. “Look, we’re civilized humans. For thousands of years our ancestors avoided being lunch because we’re smarter and we have thumbs,” I said, trying to reason the fear away. “What do thumbs have to do with anything?” Chuck asked. “I don’t know. Thumbs just set us apart from animals. We’ll be all right. Just think of this as being on the upper end of the food chain.” “Yeah, I know how the food chain works,” Chuck said. “I’ve seen pictures of the Serengeti with grass as far as you can see and a big watering hole in the distance. But what you don’t see in those pictures are two eyes peeking over the top of the grass like a frog’s eyes in a pond. The things belonging to those eyes are lions...oh, lordy. They’re the upper end of the food chain, not us. Do ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS ARMSTRONG

you think there’s a lion out there...a mountain lion?” “No,” I said. “We’re working ourselves into a lather. I bet it’s nothing.” Something rattled the cooler. Something cried in the darkness. “Did you bring any bear bells?” Chuck asked. “They’re supposed to scare them off.” “You don’t use bear

bells after the bear arrives. A bell now will only help them locate us better. It’ll be like a dinner bell.” “I’d try anything to scare them off.” “That rattling sound won’t work,” I whisT E X A S

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pered. “Stop making that noise.” “I’m not intentionally rattling anything,” Chuck answered. “That’s my teeth chattering.” “Well, stop it.” A footstep crunched not far from the tent. “It sounds like someone’s out there,” Chuck said. My mother’s dire warnings suddenly came to me. “Did

you bring the axe inside the tent?” “No. It’s out there beside the woodpile. Why?” “I think we just gave an axe murderer

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something to work with.” “Axe murderers usually bring their own tools,” Chuck reminded me, repeating the exact words I’d told my mother as a child. “Maybe the axe murderer will use it on the bear out there.” “Maybe the bear will eat the axe murderer.” Something squeaked and then squealed. “Something ate something,” I said, horrified. Chuck rattled and chattered some more. “Look, we’re grown. We’re college students. We survived Mardi Gras.” “Define survived. We both flunked out that semester and then you had to get those shots....” He was right about the grades. While other students worked to achieve the first two letters of the alphabet, my own X, Q, and W didn’t bode well with my dad. “Well, we came back from Louisiana alive.”

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“Barely. You went to sleep driving on the way back and nearly ran us off the road,” Chuck accused. “Why are you bringing that up again?” I asked, annoyed. I didn’t want to be reminded of our near-death experience so close to being killed and eaten in the wilderness. It somehow complicated things. “It’s going to complicate things when the bear eats us and no one knows we’re gone. Did you tell your parents we were coming up here?” “Of course not. They would have said no.” “Then this is all your fault. If you’d told your dad then he would have said no and we wouldn’t be here in the first place.” Something scratched outside. “Wish we had guns,” Chuck said. “I’d prefer a flamethrower at this point.” “Shine your flashlight out there and see what’s going on,” Chuck suggested.

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It sounded like a pretty good idea, so I slowly unzipped the tent and flicked the light on. Although nothing was within range of the beam, the flashlight lit two-dozen sets of eyes shining like coals in the darkness. I slipped back into the tent and put on my shoes. “What are you doing?” Chuck asked. “Getting ready to run,” I answered and laced up the shoes. “You can’t outrun a hungry bear,” he argued. I reached over and kicked him in the ankle. “No, but now I can outrun you, and that’s all I need to know about the food chain.”

E-mail Reavis Wortham at humor@fishgame.com

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