January 2013 by Texas Fish & Game

Digital Edition

www.FishGame.com TF&G in School: WILDLIFE

EDUCATION

JANUARY 2013 | VOL. XXIX • NO. 9 | $3.95

JOE DOGGET:

Salt Legacy Zebra Mussels: ARE TEXAS LAKES DOOMED?

The Mosquito Fleet OFFSHORE IN SMALL BOATS

Navigating without... GPS, CHARTS OR COMPASS

Gun Practice:

THE DRY FIRE DILEMMA

Texas Winter

Crappie

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Coastal Edition

www.FishGame.com TF&G in School: WILDLIFE

EDUCATION

JANUARY 2013 | VOL. XXIX • NO. 9 | $3.95

TEXAS WINTER

Crappie

The Mosquito Fleet OFFSHORE IN SMALL BOATS

Navigating without...

GPS, CHARTS OR COMPASS

Zebra Mussels:

ARE TEXAS LAKES DOOMED?

Gun Practice:

THE DRY FIRE DILEMMA

JoeDoggett:

Salt Legacy

What We have Lost, What We have gained

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www.FishGame.com Published by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. Texas Fish & Game is the largest independent, family-owned outdoor publication in America. Owned by Ron & Stephanie Ward and Roy & Ardia Neves.

Roy Neves PUBLISHER

Don Zaidle EDITOR-in-chief

Chester moore Executive EDITOR

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

Joe Doggett Doug Pike Ted Nugent Bob Hood Matt Williams Calixto Gonzales Lenny Rudow Steve LaMascus Lou Marullo Kendal Hemphill Reavis Wortham Greg Berlocher Paul Bradshaw Capt. Mike Holmes Dustin Ellermann Lisa Moore John Gisel

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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

A D VE R T I S IN G

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CONTENTS FEATURES

january 2013 • Volume XXIX • NO. 9

Zebra Mussels in texas Fisheries Just how much of a threat do these fast-reproducing invasive bivalves pose to Texas fisheres?

COASTAL cover: Salt Legacy A look back at the past 50 years of inshore saltwater fishing in Texas. What we have lost, and what we have gained.

STORY:

by Chester Moore

the dry fire Dilemma

Story and Cover Photo by Joe Doggett

Does expert-recommended dry-fire practice damage your firearms? And how do you avoid the damage and still use this helpful training tactic?

by Steve LaMascus

The Mosquito Fleet

Making the offshore hop in small boats. With advances in boating technology, it’s not just for daredevils anymore.

by Calixto Gonzales

inland/north cover: Texas Winter Crappie As the late crappie fishing legend used to say, “crappie are only where you will find them.” And during winter months, that means looking for them in deep water.

STORY:

a Star to steer her by

You have no GPS, no compass, no chart, and it’s a dark, cloudy night. Can you find your way home? Here are a few old-old-school techniques you will want to add to your skillset.

Story by Matt Williams Cover Photo Composite by Texas Fish & Game

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CONTENTS COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS

january 2013 • Volume XXIX • NO. 9

COLUMNS

DEPARTMENTS

Editor’s Notes 10 Advice by DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief

8 letters 12 TF&G Report 12 big bags &

Texas Freshwater Chester’s Wild Life 25 14 Rigged for Aquatic

34 texas dept. of

for Idiots

Oddities

Rat-L-Traps

by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

by matt Williams TF&G Freshwater Editor

Doggett at Large 16 The Urban Trout

Hunt Texas 29 Memories of

by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

by bob hood TF&G Hunting Editor

Pike on the Edge 18 The Lost

Texas Bow Hunting 37 What Has Happened

to Hunting?

by Doug Pike TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

by LOU MARULLO TF&G Bow Hunting Editor

TexasWild 20 Tres Hombres Triple

Texas Saltwater 43 Well

Rustler

Prairie

Header Trifecta

by Calixto Gonzales TF&G Saltwater Editor

Open Season 48 His ‘n’

by Kendal Hemphill TF&G Politcal Commentator

by reavis wortham TF&G Humor Editor

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Hers

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38 True green

Digital:

NEW Mobile Editions:

Grounded

Commentary 21 Free

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defense

Seasons Past

by Ted nugent TF&G Editor At Large

Dog

catches

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Now: u iPad u iPhone Soon: u Android u Kindle Fire FREE to Subscribers. See your Device App Store, or visit:

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Letters to the Editor Hunters are the Future I read Bob Hood’s column in the December issue, and it was great! I just yesterday wrote a paper for one of my classes on the same subject (I’m majoring in biology). My favorite part of the article had to be, “you aren’t likely too see any members of PETA or similar groups helping build or set up wood duck nesting boxes or building water-gathering sources for desert big horn sheep.” Amen to that! The way I look at it, we as hunters spend most of our time in the field, so why would we want to damage the wildlife and habitat we spend countless hours and days in.

Tyler Newk Via email

Audie Murphy & Roy Benevides I enjoyed reading Kendal Hemphill’s “No Greater Gift” column in the December issue; both men, Audie Murphy and Roy Benevides, are true hero’s. I have read the book on Roy Benevides several times. While I was still working, I had the pleasure of taking a flight from Houston to Los Angles with Mr. Benevides aboard. He was then a civilian but I recognized him from pictures. The seat was empty between us and I soon had a discussion with him. He was a true American hero and certainly deserved all the awards and then some.

Ron Anderson Via email

TF&G Newsletter I just signed up for this newsletter. It is absolutely great. The articles are right up my alley. I am glad I subscribed.

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Editor’s Note: The Texas Fish & Game contains daily email outdoor news updates, staff blog updates, breaking news bulletins, and exclusive web content available only to TF&G Newsletter subscribers. In addition, subscribers are eligible for quarterly prize drawings for rifles, shotguns, boating gear, custom knives, and more. To sign up, visit fishgame.com and click “Newsletter” on the navigation menu. —Don Zaidle

A Warning for Anglers I really enjoy your magazine and the articles on a variety of subjects. I read it from cover to cover each month. Just a word of warning to my fellow fishermen who may have a compromised immune system (mine was Lymphoma). In August while fishing on the San Bernard River near Brazoria, I was bitten on the ankle, through a wet sock, by a horsefly, which transferred the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria into my bloodstream. Almost immediately, my leg began to swell and blisters began forming. They continued forming all the way up to the knee. Within 40 hours the doctors didn’t think I would survive, but by the Grace of God and the wisdom He gave the doctors in how to treat me, I survived. I was in the hospital for 67 days receiving wound care and skin grafts. I am now out of the hospital but still receiving wound care on my leg. During the first few days, I was put on life support, my kidneys began to fail, and I had to have 24-hour dialysis. They were talking about removing my leg from below the knee. Still, today, the doctors are amazed that I haven’t lost my leg. Statistics show that 50 percent of people who have a compromised immune system and contract the Vibro Bacteria die within 48 hours. I want to warn my fellow fishermen who may have a compromised immune system: If you get salt- or lake-water in an open wound and the area starts to swell, get to the doctor

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immediately. Your life may depend on it. Joe Carriere Via email

Thanks for the Photo I just wanted to thank you guys for publishing Kennedy’s picture in the October issue “Big Bags and Catches.” My 7-year-old son was looking through the magazine (mostly looking for “cool guns and stuff,” as he put it) and he was the first to see her picture. It was quite exciting for all of us to see it. I’ve been a reader of your magazine since somewhere in the mid to late 1980s and have always felt that it really is the premier hunting and fishing publication out there. It is a total bonus that you guys target the stuff that I do, that is hunting and fishing in and around Texas. Your content sets you apart from the competition. There are other magazines that claim to be state oriented, but I am of the belief that many of their articles are general in nature and are cut/pasted to fit whatever state it is published for. You have always delivered solid information, stories, and commentary that are current and relevant to the state. Although I have not lived in Texas for quite a few years, I still consider Texas home. I live in Oklahoma, but my outdoor pursuits are right on the border and often along the Texas coast. Kennedy was absolutely thrilled to find her picture and write-up near the front of the issue. I know that when I was her age, I would have been over the top ecstatic to see my picture in Texas Fish & Game. I believe this is something that she will treasure. Kevin Martin Via email Mail: EDITOR, 1745 Greens Rd. Houston TX 77032 Email: editor@FishGame.com

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

Advice for Idiots

he longer I live, an unfortunate truth becomes increasingly evident: the world is full of idiots. Idiots fall into several classes I have identified and compiled into a far from comprehensive list. The list grows almost daily, but a few enduring entries include: - local idiots (a.k.a. “village idiots”) - politicians (most of them; a few standout statesmen provide contrast) - animal people (place inordinate value on animals in general and domestic animals in particular) - environment people (know nothing about conservation or resource management, and villanize everything human) - religious zealots (think their beliefs trump morality, right and wrong, and every other brand of beliefs) - sue-happy people (think everything that happens is someone else’s fault and sue accordingly; bereft of any sense of personal responsibility) - mainstream media reporters and personalities (think themselves superior but are among the most ignorant, arrogant, and condescending segment of the population; closely related to politicians) I adopted “ignorance is curable, stupid is forever” as a personal catchphrase to illustrate that a bit of information often can remedy incorrect notions and misunderstandings, but the congenitally stupid are beyond hope of redemption. To the former end, I hereby offer a few words of advice and time-tested wisdom that, if adopted by the applicable, would go far to ameliorate ignorance, notwithstanding the enduring nature of idiocy: Don’t let kids operate ATVs. Kids lack the necessary self-discipline, coordination, and motor skills. If you let your child operate an ATV, don’t whine, reassign blame, or

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sue the manufacturer when Junior gets hurt or killed; it is your fault and no one else’s. Don’t recycle paper or plastic. It uses more energy than it saves, costs more than producing the materials from scratch, and (for paper and cardboard) removes incentive to plant trees--a renewable resource. Do recycle aluminum. It is energy efficient, costs less than mining and processing the raw materials--and you get paid for your efforts. Don’t assign value to a fish or animal based on its size or the proportions of its antlers. Whoever caught or killed the fish/ animal did not have a damned thing to do with its development. Do value each catch and kill equally as a gift of sustenance provided by Nature. Don’t try to force your ethics onto others by weight of law. Ethics are the personal rules individuals follow when no one is looking, and are not universal. Force-feeding personal ethics by law or fiat is equivalent to forcing religion. Do share your ethical concerns with others who are disposed to listen, but remember your guaranteed right to free speech does not include a right to be heard. Don’t use words whose meanings or pronunciations you do not understand. e.g.: writing “Faux News” makes you look like an idiot; it is pronounced “foh” not “fawks.” A few special notes for media idiots: - Trappers catch things; hunters kill things. - “12-gauge” is not a “caliber.” - A “silencer” does not work on revolvers. - A “silencer” is not a silencer, but a “suppressor.” - A gun collection is not an “arsenal.” - Not all firearms are semi-automatic. - A revolver is not a semi-automatic. - A semiautomatic handgun is not a “service revolver.” - Semi-automatic firearms are not capable of “high rates of fire” except when using “trick fire” techniques few shooters ever master, and are nonetheless useless for any practical application. - An “assault weapon” is any weapon

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used by a person to assault another person. e.g.: chain, baseball bat, kitchen knife, rock, stick, fist, frozen squirrel (no joke, really happened), etc. - It is not illegal to own or possess any kind of firearm or accessory, although some require payment of a federal tax and background check to possess legally. - A graphic of an AR15 or Glock is not an appropriate backdrop for a report on rape, burglary, theft, embezzlement, or any other crime in which firearms had no role-“gun” does not equal “crime” nor vice-versa. - Gun control legislation is not “crime legislation.” - The local dogcatcher, and animal rights extremist organizations such as the Humane Society and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, are not legitimate sources for animal-related questions or sound bites, nor are their representatives “animal experts.” - Arrested suspects are not “held on bond” but held in lieu of bond and released on bond. The idiot/ignorant ratio among politicians is difficult to pin down, but it is quite easy to mark them for yourself by simply reading or listening to their words: - U.S. Representative Fred Upton declaring, “The more daylight we have, the less electricity we use. It is that simple,” clearly oblivious to the obvious fact you cannot manufacture daylight. - U.S. Senator Ted Stevens, who was in charge of the committee that oversees the internet, demonstrating his ignorance/idiocy with, “...an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o’clock in the morning on Friday. I got it yesterday [Tuesday]. Why? Because it got tangled up with all these things going on the internet … It’s a series of tubes…those tubes can be filled.” Deliver us from idiots.

Email Don Zaidle at DZaidle@fishgame.com

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The TF&G Report Roadkill Trophy Buck in Burnet County What goes on or maybe doesn’t go on in a whitetail buck’s mind during the rutting season is something we will never know for sure but we all know deer’s desire to breed sometimes can be so strong that their normally extremely keen senses of caution are thrown to the wind and result in their demise. Such apparently was the case for a huge and very old Burnet County buck a day before the

2012-2013 hunting season opened this year when the rut already was in full swing. Burnet County game wardens Ronnie Langford and Braxton Harris said a huge 10-point buck that apparently was chasing a doe was hit and killed by a vehicle in the highly-residential area of U.S. Highway 281 between the Wal-Mart and Lowe’s stores in Marble Falls that neared Boone and Crocket Club records book minimum standards. Harris said the condition of the buck indicated it likely was killed on Oct. 31. “We took the buck to a taxidermist in Burnet where it was measured at 167-7/8 points gross and 162-1/8 net,” Langford said. “It also was aged to be 7-1/2 years old.”

Langford and Harris said they did not know where the mounted head will eventually be displayed but the Burnet County courthouse and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offices in the Hill Country town have been mentioned. Numerous deer are struck by vehicles every year in Texas, especially during the rutting season in Burnet, Lampasas, San Saba and surrounding counties. “You always know when the rutting season is in full swing by the number of deer that begin showing up dead along the highways and roads,” Langford said. Not many vehiclestruck bucks are found dead along the road-

Big Bags&Catches

Whitetail

Catfish

Whitetail

Uvalde

Angelina River

Charlotte, Texas

10-year-old Olivia Ermis from El Campo shot this 14-point buck while hunting with her dad in Uvalde. The deer scored 155 B&C. This was her second season to hunt.

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Jessica Simons of Kirbyville caught this catfish at Angelina River. This was a Record Fish for the Angelina River. Received the Big Fish Award and the Water Body Record

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Sara Beth Eaton shot this huge buck on the Lone Star Whitetail Ranch in Charlotte, Texas.

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Photo: TPWD

become habituated to easy meals, Evans said. “This cannot be overstated,” he said. “The saying ‘a fed bear is a dead bear’ is absolutely true. If a bear becomes habituated and food-conditioned, there is little we can do to save it. It will likely have to be destroyed.” TPWD is asking for people to report all bear sightings. If a bear is causing a nuisance, TPWD will work with residents to secure attractants and may attempt to haze the bear. In extreme situations, the bear may be relocated. Biologists are also available to give talks and educational programs on living with bears. Since black bears are a threatened species in Texas, they cannot be legally hunted or harmed. If you see a bear, please report it to Jonah Evans at 432-837-2051 x228. This 10-point buck was the victim of hit and run roadkill incident a day before opening day of this year’s gun season.

ways, however, with strong physical evidence nearby pointing to the rutting season as having played a part. The Marble Falls buck was an exception. “We found a big doe that also had been struck and killed by a vehicle lying on the ground about 15 feet from the buck,” Langford said. “We don’t know for sure, but it appears both the buck and the doe were struck at the same time, possibly by the same vehicle.” —Bob Hood

Texas Black Bear Activity Increases Black bear activity in the Hill Country and South Texas along the Rio Grande from Del Rio to below Laredo is increasing, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists. Though historically it has been very rare for bears to be sighted south or east of Val Verde County, so far in 2012 there have been a dozen such sightings. “This is likely a result of a growing

number of bears in Mexico dispersing and searching for food after severe droughts and wildfires,” said TPWD biologist Jonah Evans of Alpine, the department’s bear coordinator. “Whether these sightings signify a permanent recolonization of Central and South Texas remains to be seen.” While black bears are native to all of Texas, in the early 1900’s, heavy hunting and trapping completely eliminated them from the state. Currently, the only established breeding populations are in the Big Bend area of West Texas. “Black bears are generally not a risk to humans,” Evans said. “But they can become a nuisance if they gain a taste for human food, pet food, or trash. We’ve recently received several reports of bears tipping over and damaging deer feeders and a few raiding trash cans along the border.” Evans said the department’s goal is for people and bears to coexist peacefully. “By eliminating food rewards, we eliminate most of the problems,” he said. “Many communities in bear country have effectively adapted to live with bears, but it takes everyone working together and doing their part.” The most effective strategy is for residents along the border to secure their trash, bird feeders, and pet food, so bears don’t T e x a S

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Chester’s Wild Life by Chester Moore | TF&G Executive Editor

Aquatic Oddities

“T

he fishing stops until I get a picture of THAT!” Just as those words left my mouth, a pink bottle-nosed dolphin breached the tea-colored waters of Lake Calcasieu in Southwest Louisiana. Yes, it was pink, Pepto-Bismol pink in fact. The school of redfish we were on seemed insignificant as an opportunity to photograph these ultra rare creature presented itself. Dubbed “Pinky” by locals, it had been photographed by several Calcasieu fishing guides over a few year span and I could not have been more excited to get my chance. The beautiful creature is the only known albino adult bottle-nosed dolphin on the planet and is a brilliant reminder that some of nature’s greatest mysteries inhabit our waterways. When I was around five years old my father, Chester Moore, Sr., had his own mysterious aquatic encounter. While fishing with a friend on Conway Bayou on the Louisiana side of the Sabine River, a gigantic grey-colored creature surfaced next to their aluminum boat and inspired them to head home. He immediately called a local game warden and was shocked to find out a manatee had been seen in that very location a few days earlier. This was in the days before multiple television networks dedicated to animals and of course no Internet, so this sighting came as a shock to the system. Recently a manatee was captured on video near Lake Calcasieu and in the last few years there have been sightings near Port Mansfield (where there are manatee warning signs in the harbor) and Corpus Christi. According to the wildlife officials at Louisiana State University (LSU), manatees are a marine mammal of the order Sirenia, derived from the Latin word “siren”

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or “mermaid”. Many people believe that sailors mistook manatees for the mythological mermaid. Manatees have a body form similar to a seal, but they are much larger, reaching 13 ft in length. Manatee can live to be 50 years old. The average manatee is 10 ft long and weighs roughly 1000 lbs. Females are usually larger than males. According to LSU officials, manatees spend 6 to 8 hrs a day in shallow water grazing grass beds consuming roughly 100 lbs of food each day which equals 4 to 9 percent of body weight. “They can hold their breath for up to 20

A huge head surfaced out past the rig. At first it looked like images of the Loch Ness Monster or some other sea serpent but then a distinctive tear drop-shaped body rose and revealed a leatherback sea turtle. This was not just any leatherback but a huge specimen that was at least seven feet long, perhaps larger. These are not common sights on the Texas coast, particularly only three miles from shore. It swam around for a couple of minutes and then dove back under never to be seen again by us. Turtles can live for incredibly long periods and I cannot help but wonder what that great creature had seen over the years. How

“Pinky” is an albino bottle-nosed dolphin living in Lake Calcasieu, Louisiana. It is the only known one of its kind in the world.

minutes and have been known to sprint for short distances at 15 mph. Manatees will communicate through sound, sight, taste, and touch. Manatees can hear very well even though they do not have external ear lobes.” My wife, Lisa, and I have snorkeled with manatees on two occasions in Florida’s Crystal River and we were amazed at how friendly these giants can be. It was sad to see the prop scars lining their back but interesting to know Florida is the epicenter of the U.S. population and certain individuals travel up and down the Intracoastal Waterway and end up in Texas and Louisiana. A few years back my friend Bill Killian and I were fishing at one of the nearshore gas platforms out of Sabine Pass on a super hot and perfectly calm day. High barometric pressure gave the fish a good case of lockjaw but things did not stay dull for long.

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many boat hulls had it swam under? How many brushes with tiger and bull sharks did it have through the years? Fascinating, isn’t it? Texas is blessed with hundreds of miles of coastline and thousands of miles of rivers as well as hundreds of reservoirs. There are still mysteries to uncover below the surface. If you have any unusual aquatic encounters or photos and videos you have captured, please send them to cmoore@fishgame. com. We will use them in a future story at fishgame.com that will celebrate the wonders of the underwater world.

Catch Chester on the radio Fridays, 6pm on 560 KLVI Beaumont, (www.klvi.com) Email him at CMoore@fishgame.com Photo Chester Moore

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

The Urban Trout Rustler

he light spinning rod flexed and a wisp of spiraling four-pound-test monofilament arched above the open water. I feathered the drop with a ready index and the tiny Super Duper spoon landed with a soft plop. The gold lure settled several feet then began a wobbling, fluttering retrieve. A smart smack dipped the rod tip and a 10-inch rainbow trout jumped. The little fish scurried right and left, sawing the line across the calm surface, then jumped again. I paced along the shoreline, pumping and reeling, then flipped the flapping trout onto the bank. As rainbows go, it wasn’t much. But it was the first of a five-fish limit I caught last winter from an urban pond 30 minutes from my home in Houston. And, you know what? The trip was fun. I am an Urban Trout Rustler (UTR), a five- or six-year veteran of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s put-and-take rainbow trout program. The project, which primarily targets urban ponds across the state, begins in November and, for practical purposes, runs through February. It is a winter fishery mainly because the cold-water trout cannot tolerate summer heat-at least in the urban ponds. Approximately 100 sites are used and about 200,000 hatchery-reared trout are released. The numbers vary from year to year,

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but that’s close. To repeat, the daily limit is five. No size limits are imposed. Most of the rainbows are between 8 and 10 inches in length. An honest foot-longer is exceptional (select smaller ponds are marked for staggered releases of 12- to 15-inch trout). The crown jewel of the state’s rainbow trout program is, of course, the Guadalupe River below the Canyon Reservoir Dam. The “Guad” stockings started in the late ‘60s and the tailrace is a legitimate trout fishery with carry-over populations. And certainly larger fish. But that’s a different story; as a certified UTR, I am concerned with the quick and easy neighborhood potential. The sites in the southern tier of the state usually are stocked during January and February (to insure cold water). This is putand-take fishing; it’s supposed to be easy. The goal is for the public to utilize (read, “pan-cook”) as many of the tasty trout as possible. The banks and docks of urban ponds are open, making them excellent sites for family-type outings. Water clarity can vary and I vastly prefer clear-green venues to mud holes. Regardless of venue, the small hatchery trout are gullible and hungry. Hatchery officials normally do not feed the fish for a day or so prior to trucking; this is not so much to make them easier to catch, but to clear their systems to keep the tank transport water from polluting during the long hauls. So, the trout hit the water ready to eat. The stocking schedules vary, but one thing is constant: The first two weeks or so (weather permitting) get the best of it. Worthwhile fishing might last a month or more but the “ice cream” action occurs following the arrival of the truck. The exact spot of the release can be excellent for a day or two, then the fish disperse. They often move in schools (probably a throwback to the massed rearing ponds). If action slows, the savvy UTR scouts for telltale signs of concentrated activity. The rainbows often are surface-oriented, occasionally riffling, swirling, even free jumping. A gang of greedy cormorant birds also can point

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the way. Pay attention and don’t be reluctant to relocate. Yesterday’s hot bank can be today’s old news. Also a tip, afternoons can be good on cooler days, expanding the window for an after-work or after-school session. Various tackle options are available--but all are (or should be) on the light side. Not only is light gear most effective, it allows the typical trout to fluster and bounce around for a few moments. The go-to bait for kids and beginners (or anyone who wants to maximize potential on a slow day) is one of the small scentimpregnated egg- or nugget-type morsels you buy in a jar. Berkley Fishing Tackle makes some of the best products. Whole kernel corn also works, especially when soaked in vanilla extract. Spool a spinning or spin-cast rig with 4- to 6-pound mono and a small (No. 10 or 8) short-shank single hook and a small pinch of weight, cast out, and wait for a bump. Incidentally, the split-shot rig seems more effective than a cork, especially in deeper water off a pier. Being a world-class pro (Sure, Old Timer, have another two fingers of aged rum), I prefer lures in green water with decent sub-surface visibility. Frankly, I prefer a light spinning outfit to a fly rod. A 4- or 5-weight fly rod is excellent, especially when the trout are ganging near the surface or cruising along shallow banks; the best offering probably is a small, sparse nymph-type wet fly with a bit of sparkle. Use the smallest in-line spinners and spoons you can find. If you need more payload for casting distance, add a pinch of split shot about 18 inches up the line. The annual rainbow trout stocking program is a great opportunity for quick and productive fishing trips, and during a time of year when other angling opportunities can be limited. Hit it right, keep things in perspective, and have fun on the water. Email Joe Doggett at JDoggett@fishgame.com Photo: Joe Doggett

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

his past October, on the way back to Houston from San Antonio, I made a deliberate, serpentine detour through much of the prairie on which I hunted waterfowl through the final quarter of the past century. From the first turn off I-10 around Brookshire, it was obvious that something was missing. The farther I drove, the clearer it became that, in fact, most of that prairie was gone. Not that long ago, the region supported vast farms that grew hundreds of square miles of mostly rice with the occasional quarter or half section of soybeans, corn, peanuts, and maybe a little winter wheat when weather turned too cold to grow much else. Today, for a variety of reasons, most of those farms have been divided and subdivided and dissected into lots, which is an oxymoronic term; if you own a lot, as real estate, you don’t really own a lot. Primary crops along those same back roads now are concrete, shingles, cedar fences and swing sets. Oh, and the farmers aren’t really farmers. They’re just people who dragged the city to the country. They’re not to blame any more than was I for moving to the suburbs. They, too, wanted to breathe fresh(er) air in the morning-- which is farcical, really, if you also measure air quality along the highway between anywhere out there and a downtown office. They wanted to see the occasional wild animal, which I still do despite the sprawl because I know when and where to look. The drive’s a beast, as it is from any quadrant of this swelling city in which the population has tripled since I draped my last plastic rag over rice stubble, but it’s worth every minute of every commute to live where there are still more trees than homes. That’s the case on the prairie west of

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Houston, too, where I hunted, but make no mistake that much was sacrificed so that those tens of thousands of people could live out there. Gone, forever, are tens of thousands of acres of premier waterfowl habitat that supported a couple million ducks and geese and as many or more other birds, plus some better-than-average whitetails, loads of doves, a few decent pockets of quail, and beaucoup rabbits, possums and enough rodents to support some of the fattest red-tailed hawks on the planet.

Gone are pre-dawn drives up a memorable county road along which the first electric light bulb – on the front porch of a farm worker’s trailer--was a good six miles north of the main highway. Gone are the caravans of hunters following guides from a half-dozen character-filled starting points to “birdy” fields scouted the previous afternoon. Gone are the sky-blacking flocks of geese that, on the right morning, might lift off six or eight roosts simultaneously as you wallowed in cold mud and wondered how many of those birds might come your way. Personally, I recall fields in which there might be 30,000, 40,000, or more snow geese shoulder-to-shoulder in aggressive competition for waste grain. And ducks spooking off their rest ponds at the sight of a hungry bald eagle, then fleeing in synchronized flight like schools of sardines dodging tuna.

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And isolated prairie flats--places we guides kept to and for ourselves--where two or three of us could hunt (without clients) and strap a couple of greenheads each. Not that we didn’t have fantastic hunts with those paying customers. I was out there when mallard hens were valued at 100 points toward a 100-point daily bag (which wasn’t much fun), and I was there when pintails (drakes or hens) were 10-point ducks against the same tab. Goose limits varied over the years, as well, but we could always take plenty. My personal best, all over decoys at close range, was 72. Most of us had plenty 20and 30-goose shoots each season, and my 6-dozen wasn’t the most ever hauled to town by the men with whom I hunted. We worked under different limits almost every year, too. A lot of those guys would swear off waterfowl hunting when they read a new season’s rules then be first to the breakfast buffet on opening day. Hunting was great fun whatever the limits, which are necessary and fluid to maintain healthy populations and rebuild the ones that need help. That has not changed, and it should not. How we hunt has changed. There were no ATVs while I guided. If you wanted something in the middle of a muddy field, you threw it over your back (or that of a client) and walked. Now, everything and everyone goes onto a trailer and gets hauled to the sweet spot, then we hide the machine in a corner just before shooting time. I like this way much better. Where we hunt has changed more than how. We’ve moved south and west and east and, to intercept short-stopping geese, far north. The birds go where they must to find food and escape winter, and hunters follow the birds. Same as always. Progress happens. The older I get, the more I wish it didn’t happen so quickly.

Email Doug Pike at DPike@fishgame.com

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Ted’s TexasWild by Ted Nugent | TF&G Editor-at-Large

Tres Hombres Triple Header Trifecta

t must be known by now that it is the ever-mystical flight of the arrow that turns me on the most. It doesn’t even really matter what I am shooting at, a trophy stag, a little doe, groundhog, squirrel, or clump of dirt, I just love a pretty arrow hitting what I’m aiming at. Loud, grinding, soulful, guitarnoize; tight bands; Mrs. Nugent in the gyro-fest of Zumba bombast; happy children and grandchildren; confused liberals; over-thetop horsepower; victory over evil; and a good BBQ campfire all qualify as major turn-ons for my ultimate quality of life, for sure. But, here and now in the dynamic throngs of The Hunting Season, I am astounded that I can even type these words I am so over-arrowed at this point. With 60-plus seasons under my well-notched belt, 2012/13 will go down as a total backstrap orgy of unprecedented joy and celebration for me. And as I shall write about and share with you all in the upcoming months, some mighty beasts have been felled with some mighty pretty arrows in the last 90 days, so far. September, October, and November have been a nonstop predatory party at both my Texas and Michigan deer camps. I missed only two days of hunting, one due to torrential downpours and the other to a very special day dedicated to raise money for a young gal with terminal cancer. Not much else could pull me away from my tree stands. It was a cold dank morning when VidCamDude Kris Helms and I decided to take advantage of the strong south wind by rowing across Lake Nuge for a whitetail ambush try on the big ridge. The quiet row across the foggy, still waters already had us going and would substantially add to the completeness of this late October bowhunt. It was in the air!

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A virtual silent approach to our double tree-stand further increased our dreamy expectations that this hunch was right on the money. We fastened our Safety System harnesses, fired up the SpiritWild vidcam, nocked an arrow, and slightly squirmed to get our bodies in the perfect comfortable position for the patient waiting game. A dog barked and a train whistled off in the distance. The yelping, honking geese could be heard before shooting light. It took my entire wherewithal to remain somewhat calm for the umpteenth time with my bow in hand. I mean, come on. I’ve been doing this my whole life, hundreds of days a year, every year forever. Relax, already, Mr. WhackMaster! Not a prayer. Then it happened. Shapes materialized in the forested bowl to the southwest as a trio of deer emerged from the shadows below our food plot. Kris and I snapped to attention, bow and camera lifted into readiness. The three does made their way to a huge old choke cherry tree and began to eat the tiny purple berries and spit out the pits. I had never seen this happen before and learned yet another lesson in unpredictable deer habits. The lead doe now stepped into range when she abruptly pivoted as she approached the trailcam we had strapped to the tree days before. The camera must have made some kind of noise causing her to abandon the main trail and skirt the edge of the marsh grass. Now all three deer were on alert and the shot would be over 30 yards instead of 20. As the biggest doe entered a window in the brush, I came to full draw, let out a quiet bleat, and sent my arrow when the 30-yard pin touched her chest. At the THWACK!, I knew I had drilled

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her nicely and the other two deer jumped and stopped to watch the hit doe scramble into the thicket. In under two seconds, I had another arrow on the string ad as the second doe tiptoed to look at the bloody arrow I repeated the same move and drilled her nicely as well. Doe number two exploded into the same puckerbrush as doe number one and now doe number three jumped back another 30 yards to our right, head bobbing, trying to figure the whole deal out. Between her head bobs I was able to extract arrow number three from my quiver, nock it, and as she slowly sauntered back toward the woods from which she originally came, I again let out a slight bleat, causing her to turn, and at 35 yards my third arrow in less than a minute caught her right in the crease for a lovely heart shot. She bolted 20 yards, looked around for a second or two, then tipped over, stone dead like her other two pals. I looked at Kris and he at me, with smiles as broad as the Grand Canyon. The most exciting moment in a long bowhunting life had just taken place, and we both knew it. The season was already three weeks old, no one had hunted this area yet, and with everything else in our favor, like our silent approach and setup, my dead silent Martin bow, the non-pressured deer were in a rare state of vulnerability, their guard temporarily down. We tracked, filmed, photographed, loaded, gutted, skinned, and hung each deer to complete the greatest, most fulfilling morning of deer hunting in my life. Three for three pretty much as fast as a guy can load and shoot a bow, aiming small and missing small for a trifecta of bowhunting heaven.

Email Ted Nugent at TNugent@fishgame.com

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Commentary by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Political Commentator

he was 18 months old when she came to live with us, and that’s really all I expected her to do. Live with us. Be our dog. Tie us down so we had to arrange for her care when we were gone, make messes for us to clean up, and cost us money for her food and medical care. I thought she was just a dog. I was wrong. Diva had her own plans. She didn’t just become our dog. We became her people, her family, her life. She didn’t just love us. She lived for us. She had no thought of herself, only a burning desire to please us, to spend time with us, to make our lives better. She didn’t just move into our home. She moved into our hearts. Bred specifically to be a police dog, Diva was a German Shepherd who inherited above average intelligence from her pedigreed parents. She was infused with exceptional aptitude, strength, and spirit through the bloodlines of her ancestors. Her poise and presence were evident to all who knew her, attributable to superior genetics. But she had a heart that could only have come from God. Diva passed her obedience and narcotics training with flying colors, but when it came time to teach her to attack, she fell short. She had all the tools, the powerful muscles and the strong jaws and the sharp teeth, she just couldn’t bring herself to bite people. Eager to please, she would go through the motions, and then look up at her cop/ owner/trainer as if to say, “I know, I didn’t bite hard, but maybe he just needs a friend. If he had a dog to pet, he’d probably be all right.” Diva’s owner didn’t want to break her heart by forcing her to be vicious, and he wanted her to have a good home with chil-

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We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare, and love we can spare. In return they give us their all.

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dren to love her, so he gave her to my family. I often wonder if he realized what a gift she was. Someone once said, “We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare, and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It’s the best deal man has ever made.” I already knew that when Diva came to live with us, but I didn’t realize that some dogs have far more all to give than others. She was the most generous giver I’ve ever known.

Diva took obedience to a level I’d never imagined. Imbued with the typical predator/ prey instinct normal in all dogs, she loved to chase cats. She would sit on the back porch at my mother’s house, where we would tell her to ‘stay,’ and she would watch the neighbor’s cats parading ten feet away, her ears up, her claws scratching for traction, but she wouldn’t attack. She ached to go after the cats, but her desire to please us was stronger than her desire to please herself. Never happy to be left out of anything, Diva often jumped into our vehicles while we tried to pack for a trip. During summers, when the top and doors were removed from my Jeep, she would hop in, climb into the backseat, and lie down, just in case I decided to go somewhere. She loved us so much that she actually became physically ill when we left her at home. T e x a S

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For eight years Diva was part of our family, and a constant companion to my wife. She was always cheerful, always attentive, and always ready, whether for adventure or just a belly rub. When we got up from a chair, she got up, too. She didn’t go off and lie down somewhere by herself, ever. She always stayed within sight of at least one of us if she could, day and night, for eight years. More than that, Diva was tuned in to our emotions, our moods, as if she were telepathic. She was keenly sensitive to our state of mind, and always seemed to know when we needed to be forced to go outside and play, or if we just needed a hug. She knew us. Diva was not just a dog. She was joy with a wagging tail, sunshine with sharp teeth, empathy with fur. She was hope with a dripping tongue, dedication with pointed ears, friendship with paws. She was love with a collar. She was happy and playful that last evening, November 27, 2012, until about nine o’clock. She started to act droopy and sad, a sure sign she wasn’t feeling well. We tried to make her comfortable, but she was no better the next morning, so we took her to the vet. That afternoon he called and said she must have had a tumor that burst, and she was gone. Will Rogers once said, “If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” Now I know why he said that. When Diva was at ‘stay,’ or if she was waiting to be allowed to eat, or waiting to be allowed to go through a door, our command to turn her loose was ‘free dog.’ I like to think that somewhere, in a beautiful meadow filled with sunshine and shadetrees, our beloved Diva is truly free.

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Email Kendal Hemphill at KHemphill@fishgame.com

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Are Texas Fisheries Doomed? by Chester Moore

It was the clearest water I had ever

seen. Nothing compared to it. Not the islands of the Pacific nor the famously pristine waters of Cozumel, Mexico, where I dived in search of sharks, moray eels, and host of a tropical fishes. This was in an unusual location for such clarity: Skaneatles Lake (pronounced “Skinny Atlas”---I kid you not) in west-central New York. Fishing in 50 feet of water, I could see the bottom and pick out yellow perch, smallmouth bass, and huge carp. For someone who fishes the stained Sabine River and loves sight-fishing, this was a novelty; but to locals it has a dark undertone. The clarity is the result of zebra mussels. Zebra mussels are a bivalve with two asymmetrical shells connected by a ligament called a hinge. Originating from Eastern Europe, they hitchhiked onto commercial vessels and landed in the Great Lakes in 1988. They are now present in 29 states and, as you have probably concluded, Texas is now one of them. According to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) employees, zebra mussels latch onto any hard surface in water, including rocks, rope, pipes, and even other bivalves. By multiplying so quickly and attaching to hard surfaces, zebra mussels can shut down a city’s water supply by colonizing inside pipelines. They can filter out an aquatic ecosystem of its smallest nutrients, leading to declines in the fish population. They can also sink buoys and docks and damage boats, and other structures in the water. They were found in Lake Texoma four years ago, and last summer verified in Lake Ray Roberts. “Unfortunately, from an environmental and economic standpoint, this is very bad news,” said TPWD Executive Director

Carter Smith. “For a host of reasons, the implications of this discovery are substantial to Texas waters and their future use and management. We intend to continue working with our partners to do everything reasonably possible to try and prevent the further spread of this harmful invasive species.” TPWD hoped the Texoma situation was isolated, but the Ray Roberts finding shocked them. “This is the first confirmed reservoir on the Trinity River Basin to have an established population of zebra mussels,” said Brian VanZee, TPWD regional Inland Fisheries director. “The ones that have been found are only 1/8- to 1/4-inch in size, so that means they were likely spawned earlier this year.” Tests conducted in October 2011 found low levels of zebra mussel DNA in six North Texas lakes: Eagle Mountain, Lewisville, Ray Roberts, Arrowhead, Bridgeport, and Caddo. Wildlife workers said the find last fall shows that those lakes had some exposure to the mussels, but not enough to allow the creatures to become established. Since Texas is new to the zebra mussel fight, we wanted to give you a look at what experts around the country have to say about their impact and how they are spread.

Impacting Native Mussels Perhaps the most well documented impacts are to native mussels, which are an T e x a S

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important food source for species like blue catfish. Zebra mussels anchor by the thousands to native mussels, making it impossible for the natives to function, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). As many as 10,000 zebra mussels have attached to a single native mussel. Natives have all but disappeared in Lake St. Clair and the western basin of Lake Erie.

Water Clarity Zebra mussels are filtering the Great Lakes at an amazing rate, making the lake very clear according to USGS: “Most people assume that this increased visibility in the water must mean the water is ‘cleaner.’ Not true. All they have done is filter out all the algae, which normally would be food for native microscopic organisms.” Interestingly, the USGS Great Lakes regional branch reports some positive impacts: “As the lakes clear, the brighter light levels cause aquatic plants to increase in number and size. This increased plant growth can be beneficial to some fishes such as northern pike and to yellow perch.” Studies so far have shown no significant negative impact on fish populations in zebra mussel lakes. Most of the studies have been conducted in northern waters, so the jury is still out on how it might affect largemouth bass, for example, in Texas waters.

Spreading the Disease According to TPWD, one zebra mussel can produce 30,000 to 1 million offspring in just one year. Zebra mussels grow quickly and in some cases can become sexually mature in 3-12 months, living for two to three years. TPWD asks boaters to clean their boat or trailer of all vegetation, mud, and algae, then to drain all water from motors, livewells,

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bilge, and other sources of water retention. In addition, it wants boaters to let boats and boating equipment dry for about a week between uses in different water bodies, as anything that retains water has the potential to host the larvae. Wildlife departments in the north are considering another source of spreading, waterfowlers. “After hunting, take a few minutes to clean plants and mud and drain water from duck boats, decoys, decoy lines, waders, and push poles,” said Christine Herwig, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invasive species specialist. “It’s the key to avoiding the spread of aquatic invasive species in waterfowl habitat.” DNR recommends that waterfowl hunters switch to elliptical, bulb-shaped, or strap decoy anchors and should also drain water from boats and equipment. Waterfowl hunters should remember that

Zebra mussels hitching a ride.

they must cut cattails or other plants above the water line when using them as camouflage for boats or blinds. Retrievers are even being targeted as a potential source of spread, but there has no verification as of yet. Officials in Kansas say waterfowl and wading birds do not transport zebra mussels, but New Hampshire’s Department of Environmental Services contradicts this and

Cities and Even TPWD Violate Law to Spread Mussels In October 2012, reports dis-

closed that the City of Sherman, Texas, has been pumping water out of zebra mussel-infested Lake Texoma from across the Oklahoma side of the border--which actually puts the city in violation of the Federal Lacey Act that prohibits transporting invasive species across state lines. A July 2011 report by Dallas TV station WFAA disclosed that the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department signed off on a plan to pump zebra mussel-infested water from Lake Texoma to Lake Lavon, contributing to the spread of the destructive invasive species. According to the WFAA report: In November 2010, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) decided it would pump zebra-mussel infested water from Lake Texoma to Lake Lavon so it could meet demand for its 1.5 million water users. Experts said doing that would spread the infestation into Lavon and other lakes, but filtering the zebra mussels out was just too expensive. “Best case, you’re probably talking about $50 to $60 million,” said 24 |

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Jim Parks, executive director of the NTMWD. “Worst case, you’re probably talking about in excess of $100 million.” [WFAA] News 8 learned the Water District asked Texas Parks and Wildlife to bless its plan to pump zebra mussel infested waters from Texoma to Lavon. Despite the state’s mission to protect lakes and rivers, Parks and Wildlife agreed. In e-mails obtained by News 8, Parks and Wildlife executive director Carter Smith wrote, “We will need to respect that decision.” “We’re in a tight spot here, but candidly don’t see any other reasonable and practicable alternatives,” he added. In a phone interview with News 8, Smith said he was balancing the needs of the water utility with the needs of protecting wildlife. Another WFAA report from December 2011 disclosed that NTMWD was not notified of the presence of zebra mussels in Texoma until three months after they were first discovered.

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also gives some other offbeat potential hosts: “Adult and juvenile mussels are transported by waterfowl and by attachment to boat hulls, crayfish, and turtles.” In some cases, the infestation has spread by cities pumping water from infested lakes (see sidebar for details). In terms of economic impact, zebra mussels are brutal. Several billion dollars have been spent fighting them and cleaning them off pipes and other facets of industry. The impact on the environment is certainly powerful as well, but the jury is still out on how it will affect Texas waters in the long run. We wanted to give you a look at the phenomenon you would probably find nowhere else and let you know we will be keeping a watchful eye on this foreign invader.

gist with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, made the first public report of a zebra mussel discovered in Lake Texoma. “One zebra mussel, on one cable, on one boathouse,” he recalled. On April 15, 2009, Hysmith gave written notice of his find to several state and federal agencies. But a News 8 investigation found no written notification was provided to the most important agency, The North Texas Municipal Water District. What’s so important about them? They were pumping huge volumes of water from Texoma to Lake Lavon. When was NTMWD first notified? “It was in late July of 2009,” said Mike Rickman, assistant general manger of the water district. E-mail records obtained by News 8 show the precise date was July 23–three months after zebra mussels were discovered in Lake Texoma. In that time frame, the water utility pumped more than 3.7 billion gallons of water out of Texoma ... and into Lavon. —Don Zaidle

Photo: TPWD

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Texas Freshwater by Matt Williams | TF&G Freshwater Editor

Rigged for Rat-LTraps

here is an old saying among Sam Rayburn bass tournament junkies that goes something like this: “Come January, you had better be throwing a lipless crankbait like a Rat-LTrap. Otherwise, you run the high risk of being made to look like a fool at the weigh-in by someone who did.” I don’t ante up for many tournaments, but I do keep close tabs on the final scores at this storied bass lake in eastern Texas. Judging from past results dating back nearly two decades, the lipless crankbait is the wintertime rule rather than the cold weather exception in these parts. True. Other baits will fool ‘Rayburn bass this time of year. But day-in and day-out, none of them produce the consistently good results that this one does. Perhaps no one knows that better than Ann Wilson of Jasper. Wilson has owned a popular tackle shop since 1986. She has sold truck loads o f the rattling baits. To hear her tell it, the interest in fishing lipless crankbaits began as somewhat of craze on Sam Rayburn. Before long, many anglers began to view as more of a necessity than a fad. “Around the late 1980s is when it all got started over here,” Wilson said. “Guys started catching fish on it and started to become sort of a fad. Today it is more of a mode the fishermen get in. When the ‘Trap bite

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turns over here, the word spreads fast. It’s something that the fishermen have learned to anticipate every year. It actually starts in November and peaks in January and February. That’s when those big pre-spawn fish start gravitating towards the shallows.” As good as the wintertime ‘Trap bite on Sam Rayburn, it is hardly the only lake across region where it shines. Several other lakes witness the phenomenon when water temperatures start taking a downward turn. Toledo Bend is one. Lake Nacogdoches is another. Lake O’ Pines lunkers also have an affinity for rattling baits. While those lakes are entirely different in shape and size, one thing they share in common with ‘Rayburn is they have plenty of hydrilla in skinny water. Pre-spawn bass love the green stuff. So much that they will rarely leave it, even when

found in close proximity to a channel drain or ditch are ideal. • The Right Rod/Reel: A good outfit for ‘Trap fishing will include a medium/ heavy or heavy action rod equipped with a high speed ratio (7.0:1 or faster) baitcaster spooled with no-stretch fluorocarbon line. The stiff rod enables you to snap or rip the bait free if it connects with the grass. Meanwhile, the fast reel keeps the lure moving quickly enough to keep it “clipping” the grass without much effort. • Size Matters: Lipless cranks come in assorted weights. The most popular for fishing around grass are 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 ounce. The best lure size can vary with size of the open water window. The narrower the window, the lighter the lure and vice versa. • Color Codes: Red gets a lot of attention during the pre-spawn, but isn’t the only one that will work. Some of my favorites are bone, gold/black back, bleeding shiner and brown eye.

water temperatures plummet into the upper 40s. Learning to fish a ‘Trap around shallow grass isn’t rocket science. In fact, it is really pretty easy once you understand the basics. Here are some proven tips to get you started: • The Right Stuff: Hydrilla goes dormant during the winter months. It typically gets “knocked back” in cold weather, creating window of open water between the top of the grass and the surface. Wintering coots and rising water levels also can contribute to the process. Submerged grassbeds with a 2-5 foot window are typically best. Clumps of grass T e x a S

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• Choices, Choices: As the Rat-L-Trap gained popularity, other lure manufacturers joined in the party in hopes of grabbing a piece of the consumer pie. Some good ones to check out are the Strike King Red Eye, Yozuri Rattlin’ Vibe, Seblie Flat Shad, XCalibur One Knocker and Livingston Pro Ripper. Each makes its own distinctive sound, which at times can make big difference in how many bites you will get over the course of the day.

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Email Matt Williams at mwilliams@fishgame.com Email Matt Williams at mwilliams@fishgame.com |

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I was sitting here in my office. It was hot, too

hot to do any of the range work I needed to do, so I was working on some articles that would be due in a few weeks. It would be a nice change to get them in ahead of deadline and keep Herr Zaidle from having to send me another nastygram (I got one anyway; shucks). I was contemplating just the right way to get some deeply philosophical thought recorded in cyberspace when I heard a “pop” from the den. My son-in-law, Wacy Taylor, and my daughter, Allison, were sitting in the den watching TV. Wacy had his Model 66 Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum and was doing some dry-fire practice. The “pop” wasn’t very loud and I thought Wacy had put a primer in a cartridge case and popped it, trying to frighten Allie or me. Then I looked around the corner to see Wacy sitting on the couch, white as a freshly bleached sheet, with a look of sheer terror on his face. He said, “Oh, my God, Steve, I am sooo sorry! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” Sorry, Wacy, but it has to be told: You see, Wacy was dry-firing while watching TV. He removed the ammo from his revolver, laid it on a TV tray next to him, and began snapping the gun, aiming at a mounted pheasant flying up the wall above the TV. Somewhere, somehow, the gun got reloaded and the pheasant became the victim of an accidental discharge (AD). The bullet went through the wall of the den, into the bathroom, and out through the bathroom ceiling, lodging somewhere between there and the roof. I must say, however, it was a danged fine shot. Wacy hit the pheasant’s head dead center. I must also point out that the gun was pointed in a direction where no people were in danger. I gathered the headless remains of my pheasant from the floor, and now use it for tying trout and panfish flies. Dry-firing is the best practice you can do for learning how to control the trigger and sights. Snapping the gun on an empty chamber while keeping the sights perfectly aligned will show any little flinch, tick, or bobble. If you do not have a perfect let-off, the sights move. Simple. You should, assuming the sights will allow it, be able to set a coin on top of the front sight and snap the gun with26 |

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out dislodging the coin. I used to do this for hours on end when I was first trying to learn to shoot a handgun. The--THE--most important thing to remember when dry-firing is to remove the ammunition from the vicinity while you practice. Unload the gun, take the ammunition to another room, preferably put it in the gun safe or a drawer, then return to your practice in the other room. When you are finished, go get the ammo, reload the gun, and put it up. Do not do any dry-firing when ammunition is within your reach. Period. Not all guns should be dry-fired. My Grandpa LaMascus always told me that a .22 could not be dry-fired because the firing pin would indent the rear of the barrel and cause the gun to fail to feed or fail to fire. I personally had never seen this until just recently. A few months ago, I received Browning’s superb little 1911-22. It is an exact replica of the 1911 .45 ACP that has been the epitome of the personal defense gun for the last hundred years, except that it is lighter and about 3/4 the size of the original. I shot the gun, a lot, and was truly enamored with it. It shot very well, and I thought (and still think) that it would make a perfect “kit gun.” It rode on my belt with almost no weight at all, and was small enough that it would have fit in the bottom of a tackle box with room to spare. When I had pretty much finished my range work with the gun I decided to find out what the actual trigger pull was. I took the gun into my office, removed all the ammo, put it up, and started testing the trigger pull with my Lyman electronic trigger pull gauge. In all, I pulled the trigger about a dozen times with the gun empty. When I was finished, I reloaded the gun and went out to shoot it again. When I pulled

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back the slide to chamber a round, the gun jammed. I tried time after time to chamber a round and it simply would not function. I checked the magazine and it looked fine. I checked everything I could think of. No soap. I was cleaning the gun for the third time when I noticed the bright mark in the metal on the rear of the barrel. On closer inspection, I found that the firing pin had peened the chamber face. Some of the metal displaced by the firing pin had intruded into the chamber, preventing the cartridge from chambering. This was a pre-production gun. I informed Browning of this defect, but I do not know what they did about it. The moral: Find out if it is okay to dryfire your weapon before you start, not after the gun is damaged. This is almost exclusive to rimfire cartridges, but some centerfire weapons should not be dry-fired. Most guns that have inertia firing pins are safe to dry-fire, but not all of them, and “safe” is a relative term in that stress damage from dry-firing can be cumulative in some designs and not manifest immediately. For example, the 1911 inertia firing pin is quite robust, but repeated hammering of the pin on an empty chamber transfers all of the energy to the pin and its retractor spring-energy normally expended in deforming the primer. The result is over-compression of the spring and shock stress on the firing pin. Free-floating firing pins are rare in handguns. In fact, I cannot recall ever seeing one. You see them mostly in semi-auto rifles such as AR-15 and AK-47 variants. These pins are not restrained in any way and literally “rattle around” inside the bolt pin tunnel. PhotO: STEVE LAMASUS

12/6/12 3:32 PM

The authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Browning Buckmark .22 bears a scar (the vertical mark above the chamber) from dry-firing with a rectangular firing pin and flat chamber face.

Does expert-recommended dry-fire practice damage firearms? by steve lamascus T e x a S

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Size 6 plastic drywall anchors make inexpensive and effective .22 rimfire snap caps.

The pin will protrude from the bolt face under gravity, and “jump out” slightly under inertia when the bolt slams home under the impetus of the recoil spring, causing the pin to slightly dimple the primer of the chambered round without igniting it. Free-floating pins are typically very light weight and usually stamped, and thus lack sufficient mass to retain enough momentum to ignite the primer with bolt-travel inertial alone. If you are unaware of this quirk, finding an indented primer in a chambered but unfired round can be perplexing if not downright worrisome. Wherever you find them, it’s best to not dry-fire guns with free-floating pins on an empty chamber. Some rimfire guns are more forgiving than others due to the design of the firing pin or striker and chamber face. Rimfire firing pins come in two basic flavors: flat and round. Round pins are most common on higher quality and older guns-of which the latter are often higher quality than newer versions of the same model. It’s largely a matter of manufacturers looking to cut production costs by using stamped rather than forged or machined parts, hence stamped and thus flat, rectangular pins. The smooth edges of a round, machined, rimfire firing-pin head is less likely to damage the chamber face (or itself) than are the sharp, square edges of stamped pins. Note it is less likely, not guaranteed. A recessed chamber face is another feature common to better quality and older rimfire models, and goes far to prevent firing pin damage. A recessed chamber face is primarily intended to surround the head of a .22 cartridge and thus reinforce the thin rim metal. Manufacturers determined this is not really necessary for the low gas pressures 28 |

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A small bit of plastic (in this case cut from a milk jug lid) wedged into the rear of the slide on this 1911 acts as a shock absorber/hammer block to facilitate worry-free dry-fire practice.

Many older and better quality rimfire guns, such as this vintage High Standard “Sport King,” feature round, machined firing pins, which are better suited for dry-fire practice.

of rimfire ammunition, so abandoned this costly machining step to produce flat-faced chambers. When present, that same chamber face recess provides a buffer zone for the firing pin, so long as its protrusion from the bolt face is not greater than the depth of the recess. The combination of a round firing pin and recessed chamber face provides nearoptimum protection against dry-fire pin damage in a rimfire gun. A flat, rectangular pin and flat chamber face is the worst combination. If your gun is not dry-fire safe, devices called “snap caps” allow dry-fire without fear of damage. Snap caps are made for most of the common rifle calibers and shotgun gauges. Snap caps are merely devices that cushion the blow of the firing pin in the same way it is cushioned by a live primer. They come

in several different forms, from spring-loaded gadgets to simple plastic casts. Pachmayr makes snap caps for .22 rimfires. Purchasing multiple snap caps to load up the chambers of a rimfire revolver can get rather pricey. A cheap but effective alternative is as near as the hardware store. Size 6 plastic drywall anchors are just about right to fit most .22 rimfire chambers. A handful costs only a couple of bucks. Since brands differ slightly in shape and overall size, you might have to shave a bit off the sides to get a proper fit if your hardware merchant does not stock the exact size. Along the same lines, a simple hammer block/shock absorber placed between the hammer and firing pin of compatible firearms eliminates the need for snap caps. I cut a small plastic rectangle from a milk jug lid and wedge it into the rear of the slide on a 1911, then dry-fire to heart’s content without worries. Obviously, this doesn’t work with hammerless and striker-fire guns. Snap caps also make great training aids for handgun shooters. Used as duds and loaded into the magazine along with live ammo, snap caps give the shooter and CHL holder a way to practice gun-clearing drills without having to handload dummy rounds, and the snap caps are easy to differentiate from the live ammo. Dry-fire practice is one of the most useful things going for the shooter. If done correctly, it is safe. If done incorrectly, it can be deadly. Just learn from my pheasant’s second demise, and keep the ammo as far away as possible while dry-firing.

Recessed cylinder chambers on this older Smith & Wesson model 17 help prevent dry-fire damage. Note the powder buildup in the recesses--the only drawback to this design. This model also has a round, inertia firing pin.

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PhotoS: DON ZAIDLE

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Hunt Texas by Bob Hood | TF&G Hunting Editor

Memories of Seasons Past

nother deer season has gone, but has any deer season actually gone once the curtain closes on its calendar? Absolutely not if you are truly passionate about what you put into the season rather than what you took out if it. I opened the 2012-2013 deer season in Lampasas County with two close friends who, like myself, are fortunate to have the opportunity of sharing hunting experiences by writing about them: long-time outdoor writers John Gill of Dallas and Luke Clayton of Combine. Gill writes outdoor articles for the San Angelo Standard Times and other publications. Clayton writes for numerous Texas newspapers and magazines and hosts a weekly radio outdoors program. As we sat in front of a fireplace the night before opening day, it didn’t take much prodding to get us to begin reminiscing about past opening weekends. A quick calculation of our ages and our first years of going deer hunting revealed that the three of us have more than 150 years of deer hunting experiences. And--my!--what changes have we seen over all those years of hunting whitetail deer! Our journey of memories that night carried us from the piney woods of East Texas and the rocky edges of the desert mountains in far West Texas to the beautiful cedars and oak hills and draws of the Edwards Plateau, through the Cross Timbers and blackland prairies, portions of the Panhandle plains and to the thorny South Texas Brush Country and coastal plains. Yes, we have been fortunate to hunt such a diverse range of whitetail deer habitat, but just as fortunate have we been to meet an

equally large number of hunters with diverse hunting methods, expectations, and philosophies from across the state. As the flames in the fireplace grew, so did our discussions of our many individual hunts. There were the long-range kill shots, close encounters with aggressive hogs and frightened javelinas, serious hunting accidents, below freezing temperatures, landowner-hunter relationships, tracking wounded animals, pattering deer by their behavior, and finding arrowheads. On the lighter side were hunters’ pranks such as painting the toenails of unsuspecting hunters red as they slept, or changing the time on their watches and alarm clocks so they arrived at their blinds two hours before sunrise. We talked about monster bucks that got away and some that didn’t. There were the best camp cooks and the worst camp cooks, along with those who brought frozen pizzas or other pre-cooked meals to camp so they wouldn’t have to cook at all. An example of the latter was a hunter who made a stew in his crock pot at home and then froze it in a plastic butter container to bring to the lease to be warmed up for a quick evening meal. Sadly, when he opened it at camp, we discovered he had brought only one big container of butter. Each of us recalled the first deer we shot. Clayton said he began hunting deer at age 11 on his family’s Red River County farm with a .410 shotgun loaded with rifle slugs. “There weren’t many deer in those parts back then, but there were enough to stir a young boy’s mind, Clayton said. “ It wasn’t until four years later when I shot my first deer with an old Winchester lever action.” Like others who have shot numerous deer over so many years, Clayton can recall with detail what that first deer was doing, what the weather was like, how he learned to gut it, the congratulations he got from his hunting buddies and much more. “You just never forget those things,” agreed Gill, “just like you don’t forget the camps we had in those days. Today, you hardly hear about anyone staying in T e x a S

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tents, boiling coffee over wood fires, using Coleman fuel lanterns as their only source for light and hunting deer simply by sitting on the ground with their back to a tree or walking a draw or canyon and chunking rocks into them to get the deer moving. “I’m not saying no one hunts that way anymore. Some do. It’s just that the majority of hunters today have hunting cabins, stay in motels, or hunt from hunting lodges instead of out of tents. And most of them either hunt from high-rise box blinds, tripods and other manufactured blinds near electronic feeders or by riding around in their 4-wheelers, Jeeps, pickups or other vehicles. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that if that is your preference, but it just shows you how much things have changed over the years.” One change that has not been good is the level of experience many of today’s new hunters bring with them to their first hunting camps. Sadly, a gap has developed in what once was largely a family affair where hunting skills, sportsmanship, conservation and appreciation for the land and wildlife was planted in the minds of new hunters by their fathers, uncles and other family members and close friends. Those of us who grew up hunting on a family farm, ranch, or dairy probably did not realize how fortunate we were at the time. We do now and we encourage all adult hunters to put something back. Sharing the adventures of past deer hunting camps with fellow hunters around a fireplace as the embers begin to glow is fun, but hearing about a young boy or girl who has just bagged their first deer with a father or other family member is truly inspirational. That is what keeps the flames rising.

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Thanks to a legacy of conservation, the next dawn still swells with promise for coastal anglers.

Joe Doggett, left, and David Boyles show big strings of redfish in the prelimit days.

what we have lost, what we have gained by joe Doggett 30 |

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Redfish caught by rod and reel were used as spawners in TPWD’s marine hatchery program, early ‘80s.

The span of 50 years has

substance. It sounds definitive, comprehensive. In this case, it pretty much encompasses the modern evolution of inshore saltwater fishing in Texas. And, not coincidental to this discussion, I have been actively fishing the bays and beachfronts for approximately one-half century. My first speckled trout was caught on a live shrimp under a popping cork during the spring of 1961. The upside to this connection is that I have first-hand experience during the five decades of change; the downside is — well, look in the mirror, Old Timer. I do not presume to be the end-all authority on this complex issue, but for 35 of those years (‘72 through ‘07) I was a fulltime outdoor writer for the Houston Chronicle. That desk was in great position to monitor the ebb and flow of coastal fishing. The on-going and often-simmering gumbo of information and opinion was provided by pro-class anglers, top fishing guides, casual weekenders, commercial fishermen, tackle “reps,” marina and bait camp operators, marine boat dealers, state politicians, and TPWD biologists.

The 52M MirrOlure was a go-to lure for big specks in waist- to chest-deep water during the ‘60s and ‘70s.

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ing the ‘60s but overall commercial pressure was light. And sport fishing traffic was a mere fraction of what it is today. Lots of specks and reds were within easy reach and great expanses of seldom-fished water beckoned for the salty “corps of discovery.” For example, I first drove from Houston to Port O’Connor during the spring of ‘67. Two school friends and I trailered an 18-foot center console. I recall the place was almost deserted. And we “killed ‘em” two days straight on live shrimp at the Rudy Grigar, big jetties. the “Plugger,” was Port O’Connor seemed like a one of the classic frontier. Port Mansfield? Where’s coastal fishermen that? during the ‘60s and Major improvements in boats ‘70s. added to the potential. Hulls were constructed of fiberglass rather than wood, and outboard motors were gaining in Here are a few recollections on where horsepower and reliability. You could turn we were and a few observations on where the key on a 50- or 75-horse Mercury or we’re going: Johnson and zip from PO’C all the way to The ‘60s were a golden era for inshore Pringle Lake, even Panther Point. fishing. We had free-spool reels, hollow Bottom line: Tackle and boats were fiberglass rods, and monofilament lines, all improving and tremendous opportunities major advancements in performance over the were available during the ‘60s. Crowds cerdirect-drive reels, bamboo rods, and braided tainly existed, especially at easily accessible lines of the early- to mid-’50s. venues such as the Galveston Jetties, but this The Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5000 was the last of a naive time when, as we all casting reel was the gold standard — well, knew, the bounty of the Gulf was endless. make that the red standard. The anodized The decade of the ‘70s was the most “Red Reel” dominated the entire decade. pivotal period in the modern history of our It actually was introduced from Sweden to coastal fishing. During that short span we the U.S. market during the mid-’50s, but went from the “endless bounty/no limit” did not gain cult-status popularity until the mindset to realistic sport fishing limits on early ‘60s. specks and reds, and the first laws protectI submit that the Ambassadeur 5000 was ing those primary species from commercial the most significant single advancement in harvest and sale. the modern history of coastal fishing. It was, Incidentally, the concept of a 20-trout, admittedly, a bit of a clunker compared to 10-red daily sport limit (‘79) might sound today’s fast-lane models, but all subsequent preposterous now, but it looked pretty procasting reels were spawned from this original gressive against the days when a good fishing concept. trip the Galveston Jetties or the Trinity Bay I purchased my first 5000 during the wells was measured by how many 48-quart spring of ‘64 for the ruinous price of Igloos you could fill. approximately $45. And I was not alone; Commercial pressure was on a dramatic by the end of the decade Texas was the top increase, with gill nets, beach seines, and market in the world for Ambassadeur reels. trotlines literally strangling the coastal finPopular coastal lures during the ‘60s were fish resource. The inshore fishery was on spoons (Dixie, Johnson, Tony Accetta) and the path to ruin but conservation efforts by hard-plastic sub-surface plugs (MirrOlure, anglers and legislators reversed the trend. Bingo, Hump). Few anglers north of the The movement started in Houston in Laguna Madre put much stock in topwater the winter of ‘77. Following a small gathplugs, and nobody on the coast seriously ering several months prior, a group of 40 used soft plastics. The latter stance was fishermen met at Rudy Grigar’s Pro Tackle remarkably short-sighted, since soft-plastic Shop and signed a petition forming the Gulf worms were killers on the bass lakes. Coast Conservation Association. My signaCommercial fishing was unregulated dur32 |

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ture is on that list (as reproduced on page 30 of CCA’s Change of Tides book). Space does not permit a blow-by-blow account of the sport/commercial “Redfish Wars” that raged during the next five or six years but, trust me, the coastal fishing that flourishes today was directly spawned by that commitment. The ‘70s witnessed two major advancements in tackle. The first was the graphite rod — first successfully marketed by Fenwick’s HMG (High Modulus Graphite) series. The hollow fiberglass blanks, which effectively ruled since the Eisenhower administration, were dead. The second was the wildly successful spread of soft-plastic shrimp “tails.” The first to reach Texas during the early ‘70s was the Tout Tail by Boone Bait Co. of Winter Haven, Fla. Within a few years, Texas lure manufacturers were offering a kaleidoscope of tweaked tails but, giving credit where it’s due, Boone started the Gulf Coast craze. It’s enough to say that among many old salts “Tout” became a generic term for all soft plastics. A growing emphasis on conservation marked the ‘80s. The early decade saw the construction of GCCA-funded marine fish hatcheries, and red drum were successfully spawned, reared and released by TPWD biologists. Sport limits were cut from 20/10 to 10/5, with a “slot limit” on redfish to protect mature spawners. And commercial fishing for reds and specks effectively was finished in state waters. These were major advancements that helped reverse the serious decline of fishing. Stocks of reds and specks all along the coast rebounded — and none-too-soon. Two major freeze kills rocked the ‘80s — the first (and worst) during the winter of ‘82-’83, the second during the winter of ‘88-’89. More emphasis also was placed on the environment. Stiffer water-quality regulations were implemented; for example, the Houston Ship Channel no longer caught fire and the “tar balls” of high-tide goo common along Gulf beaches all but disappeared. And anglers increasingly became “shallow minded.” Bay flats along the middle and lower coast saw significant increases in fishing pressure. The focus on shin- to kneedeep water was fueled by the shallow-draft South Texas scooters and a growing influx of Florida-type flats skiffs. Push poles and/ Photos: Joe Doggett

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or electric trolling motors became standard equipment for the “skinny water” boaters. Not coincidentally, topwater fishing exploded for specks and reds all along the coast. Zigzagging “dogwalkers” and floating/diving “broken backs” were go-to plugs for anglers that only a few years earlier never had seriously chunked a floater. Fly fishing on the flats really took off — another story entirely, but one that certainly marked the decade. The ‘90s were a time of plenty. Standout tackle innovations were the gel-spun “superbraid” lines and slow-sinking, soft-plastic plugs (originated by Paul Brown’s Corky). Impressive numbers of large specks were showing in all primary bay systems, and Baffin Bay was back on the map in a big way, yielding numerous double-digit sows. No major fish kills during the decade certainly helped. But sophisticated fishing pressure probably hurt. Unfortunately, anglers were getting too good. Better tackle, better boats, better electronics (GPS, for sure) simply made the average fisherman superior at locating

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and “no prop” zones continue to improve habitat and resource. A significant trend to paddle power, mainly tricked kayaks, reduced the footprint along many bayshores. The daily trout limit was cut from 10 to five in the vulnerable Unregulated lower Laguna Madre region. beach seining for speckled trout was Sport fishing pressure continrampant during the ues to grow and, increasingly, early ‘70s at places shallow fish have no place to hide. But most saltwater anglers and catching quality fish. The such as the Bolivar Pocket. recognize the needs for restraint increased use of live croakers and, well, play by the rules. for big trout added to the drain. A On-going surveys by TPWD biologists given bay system can produce only so many confirm healthy stocks of the major inshore trophy-class specks. Growing numbers of anglers began sport species in bay complexes all along the embracing the concept of catch-and-release coast. Barring a catastrophic environmental on larger fish. And the state wisely placed disaster, the future looks positive. We don’t the one-fish daily limit on trout longer than have the open horizons of 50 years ago but 25 inches. The daily redfish limit was cut to we’re doing a fine job of protecting what three (20-to-28 inches) and the minimum remains. Most important, one thing is as real now trout length was raised to 15 inches. Recent years have seen additional push as it was one-half century ago. And that is for environmental protection. Programs such the sparkling promise of the next green tide. as bay shrimper buy-outs, abandoned crab trap clean-ups, sea grass restoration projects,

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Texas Department of Defense Handgun Grips

n years past pistol grips, or stocks as they are sometimes known, were not integral with the handgun frame. The shooter, if he was unhappy with the grips that came on the gun, could either buy or make a set of grips that suited his individual taste. The types of grips seen on handguns at shooting matches were limited only by the weirdness of the shooter’s taste. What kind of stocks that are needed by the average shooter is generally determined by the handgun he carries and the size of his hands. Bill Jordan—you will hear his name a lot in these columns—had hands the size of a normal tennis racket. Size 13 gloves were too small for his gigantic paws. He had to have special grips made for his revolvers that put his hand farther from the trigger. They had a thick strip of

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wood between his hand and the back strap. On the other hand (no pun intended) I have hands that are just on the large size of normal, so the standard Smith & Wesson target grips that leave the back strap bare fit my hands like the proverbial glove. With so many handguns today having high-capacity double-stack magazines and the wide

grips to go with it, it is necessary for the buyer to decide whether or not it fits his hands before he spends his hard-earned rupees. If you have small hands and buy a big double-stack handgun, like one of the big Glocks, you will never be able to shoot the gun as well as you could if you had purchased a single-stack gun such as the standard 1911, or like my little Kahr P-9. If you don’t have any

To get on the right path for choosing an optic, you must have decided on a primary use. An AR15 that will be used for long-range varmint hunting will need a different optic than one outfitted for home defense. But since most folks enjoy shooting at less than 300 yards and the primary purpose is for defense and plinking, we will leave the high-powered lenses out of this article. Before you start looking you will need to know your budget for optics. Rule of thumb has become that quality optics cost equal or more than your rifle. One can go the cheap route with a $30 generic Chinese-made special, but never

trust your life to that on a defensive rifle. If you go that route, it is imperative that you have back up iron sights that cowitness for when it fails. Dependable high quality optics usually run in the $400-$1,200 price range. I won’t say any of the optics listed here are “better than the other” because they all have different features and in the long run it boils down to user preference. The first decision is if you want magnification or not. Lots of folks like to put a standard scope on their defensive carbine because it makes them feel

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experience in these things, I pray thee, take along someone who does, to advise you on your purchase. For purposes of concealed carry, I generally use a Colt Lightweight Commander or a Kimber Pro Carry, both short-barreled versions of the 1911. Both came with the standard thickness rubber grips, which I immediately changed. First, I usually donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like rubber grips because they tend to stick to my clothing, which is not a good thing when I am trying to clear the gun for action. Second, on a 1911-type gun I generally prefer thinner grips. They are better for concealed carry and I believe they position my hand better for trigger control. Oh, yeah, did I mention that I do not like checkering on most of my handgun grips? I generally prefer smooth grips, always have, and I have never found that to be a problem. Even in the middle of a South Texas summer when I was sweating a gallon an hour, or when I was caught outside on a rainy day, I have had no problem with slick grips. Furthermore, I find the extremely sharp checkering so common on the grips and front straps of modern combat handguns to be uncomfortable. In years past the majority of handgun masters seemed to prefer smooth grips. I do not know when or why that changed. Some type of figure on the grips is fine, but too much and too sharp can be a disadvantage. Grips for concealed carry are very different from target grips. The big Smith & Wesson target grips that I loved on my duty revolver are singularly ill-suited for concealed carry. They are great for shooting, but poor for hiding, so we have to find an alternative. There are plenty of good concealed carry grips for revolvers. In fact, the last revolver I bought from Smith & Wesson was a Model 29 .44 Magnum and it came with what used to be known as Roper grips, which are thinner and more easily concealed than the target grips. Sometimes, when I have been in the brush and then find myself headed to town for some reason, I carry this big revolver concealed in an El Paso Saddlery Street Combat holster. With a slightly oversized tee-shirt or just a shirt with the tails out, it conceals quite well. And if on one of these occasions I happen run into Godzilla on the streets of Brackettville, I will be properly armed. Better for concealed carry are revolvers that have rounded butts and grips that fit

the outline of the frame. This or some kind of rubber grip like those by Pachmayr or Hogue are normally what you will find on the smaller J-Frame revolvers. Some of the semi-autos are now beginning to come with replaceable rubber or plastic backstraps that allow the shooter to better fit the gun to his hand. The last Glock I tested had these devices. Since the gun fit me from the start, I admit that I did not try them to see how they worked, but I

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know several people who have either bought or been issued such a gun, which did not fit them properly as received, and they tell me they work like a charm. Since the main issue here is the distance between the backstrap and the trigger, these replaceable backstraps are a wonderful idea. Still, there is only so much you can do to one of the big autos with a magazine that holds two rows of big cartridges, so try it out at the store before you buy it.

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Texas Department of Defense The truth is that you will probably never need the 12 to 18 rounds that these big handguns hold—FBI stats say the average number of rounds fired in a gunfight is 3— so if they are too large for your hand, you can feel safe, well reasonably safe in buying

a smaller gun with a single-stack magazine or a revolver that holds less ammo. If you are smart you will carry a spare magazine or speedloader anyway, so you should have between 10 and 14 rounds on your person. And it is better to have a smaller capacity

weapon that you can shoot well than one you can’t handle that holds a bunch of ammo. ‑—Steve LaMascus

Tactical Optics

fiber optics, or both. This gives you full illumination dependability is almost any lighting condition without the concern of electronics failure. A red dot would be your Aimpoint line. The Aimpoint Micro is very useful and streamlined and with an amazing battery life of 5 years on a single watch battery. And finally there are holographic models by EOTech that will give the user a projected pattern reticle with a fast circle reticle surrounding a 1 MOA dot and a larger sight window.

have set for your rifle. Decide on a mounting option before your purchase to ensure compatibility. Some optics will need a special mount to be at the proper height for your rifle, others might come ready right out of the factory. If you wish to co-witness with your iron sights, they will need to know the specific height you desire. Switching out optics is also an option if you wish to run your rifle for two different scenarios. LaRue Tactical makes amazing quick

t Continued from page 34 good to shoot small groups on paper at 100 yards, but practically speaking it’s unnecessary. A non-magnifying 1X optic is the fastest for target acquisition. If you can decide on a fixed 1X, or an optic that has an adjustable zoom like a 1-4X or 1-6X, or even yet there are magnifiers by Aimpoint and EOTech with flip down mounts so you can have the best of both worlds and switch back and forth on a whim. The only downside to an optic with adjustable magnification is that it is not parallax free as true 1X sights are and your eye relief must be correctly maintained on the rifle. After deciding on your magnification preference, you’ll want to decide on reticle type. Laser etched reticles like traditional scopes have are dependable and have features like mil-dots or balt Continued from page xx listic drop compensators, but are nearly useless in low light situations unless they have an illumination feature. One that I am most familiar with is the Meopta ZD 1-4X 22 which I use for 3 Gun. The electronic illumination feature is great because I can turn is up high during the day and practically have a 1X red dot for speed and acquisition, then lower the illumination at low light for a bright aiming point even at long ranges with the 4X power and ballistic drop compensating reticle. Then Trijicon ACOG series features a laser-etched delta reticle that is illuminated by radioactive “Tritium”,

The EOTech XPS3 (top), Trijicon RMR (right), Meopta 1-4X ZD (bottom) and Aimpoint Micro (left) are all quality illuminated optics with different shapes and features. Ultimately it will boil down to user preference.

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Size will also need to be considered. Newer smaller sights such as the Trijicon RMR weigh in at 1 oz. and have reached the compactness to make pistol mounting very feasible. The Aimpoint Micro is just 3 oz., the EOTech reaches 8oz and a magnified illuminated scope such as the Meopta will reach up to 18 oz. The size you choose will depend on the field of view you wish to keep through the optic and size and weight requirements you

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detachable mounts that return to zero with a flick of a lever. After all is said and done, the three rules for optics can be summarized into quality, magnification and preference. Buy quality and it will never let you down. Don’t be over magnified for your scenario. Try out as many optics as you can and purchase your favorite. You won’t regret it. —Dustin Ellermann Photo: Cody Conway

12/11/12 9:57 AM

Texas Bowhunting by Lou Marullo | TF&G Bowhunting Editor

What Has Happened to Hunting? squeezed the night away, I noticed that both of my safety straps that help lock my stand in place were missing. Shaken, I slowly and carefully climbed back to the safety of the ground. I could not believe it. Some hunter had stolen my safety straps. Some hunter put me in danger and the sad thing was that it was done intentionally.

“ All in all, I would have to say that I have had better opening days.

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sually, my column is all about bow hunting, as well it should. However, this month my column will be about hunting in general. Actually, this will be more about the hunters who go afield every year. I am sure that after this read more than a few may be a little upset. I can only hope that they are not upset with me for telling the truth. For the last 30 years or so I have taught the bowhunting safety classes in my state. Indeed, I have been responsible for thousands of hunters being legal to bow hunt game. The very first subject I talk about in class is ethics. This is a word that has the utmost respect from me. The subject takes at least one hour out of the class and I will not apologize for that. To me, it is that important. I ask the students what the word “ethics” means to them and they all seem to know the general meaning of the word but basically it means what you do when no one can see you. As you can guess, bow hunting to me is super- important. I cherish every minute I am able to leave the pavement for a few hours and enjoy the peace and quiet that bow hunting provides. Opening day is like Christmas morning for me as well as many hunters out there. As hunters we just want to have a relaxing hunt and enjoy our surroundings. If a whitetail shows up, you have the bonus plan. Opening day for me came very early. Dark thirty in the morning found me approaching my stand. After safely securing myself in my morning perch, I noticed it did not feel right. The stand was not as comfortable and it was moving right to left. Not something you want to deal with at 18 feet in the air. As the sun began to rise and daylight

Although the land I had permission to hunt was clearly posted, the trespasser could not have cared any less. His four-wheeler ran the posted sign right over. Once safe on the ground, I decided to check out the videos on my trail cam that was located nearby, or used to be anyway. My $200 Primo’s trail cam was stolen as well. When I installed the camera, I thought I took every precaution necessary to keep honest people honest. I purchased a steel security box that was made for this camera. Two 6-inch lag bolts held this steel trap to a tree. I then placed the camera with my 32 MB card in the steel box and closed it, locked it with a Master lock and then strapped it to the tree T e x a S

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with a separate steel cable lock. You would think that my efforts were over the top. You would be wrong. The thief that decided to make the camera his had to go and get a crowbar and then spend considerable time to pry it free from the tree. All in all, I would have to say that I have had better opening days. The irony of this is the fact that I probably gave the thief his bow hunting certificate. After a quick tally of what I had invested in the camera, I decided I was out about $300. It is not the money that bothers me so much. It is the fact that this thief took my class and listened to me preach about hunting ethics and how we should act when no one can see us. I even devoted a section on finding stands and cameras that belong to other hunters. Interestingly enough, all the students that have ever heard my speech on ethics all agreed that it is unethical to steal cameras and stands. I would have to assume that my thief must have had a bathroom break during that time. My first thought that came to me was to stop teaching the bow classes all together. Why should I continue to volunteer my time and energy simply to give unethical people the right to be in the same hunting family as I belong? My wife convinced me to keep teaching the young kids how to be safe while bow hunting. I realized that she was right and now that I have cooled down a little I will schedule another class soon. I need to stress the fact that I know it is not all hunters, but it is enough to give our “family” a bad name. Ethics, how we act and what we do when no one can see us. Says a lot about who we are as a person, would you not agree? Hunt safe, be ethical and have fun out there.

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Email Lou Marullo at LMarullo@fishgame.com |

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12/11/12 10:14 AM

TRUE GREEN CCA Funds Sportfishing Science Center

Prairie Chicken Poses Threat to Texas Oil Biz

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and about one-quarter of its gas. Protecting the lesser prairie-chicken “could drive ranching families and energy producers out of business,” said Representative Randy Neugebauer, whose district in East-Central Texas is a large agricultural area. —Staff Report «TG

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a plan to consider having the lesser prairie chicken listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Lawmakers in major oil and gas producing districts immediately cried foul. “A listing will have permanent economic consequences for the people of Texas who live and work in the Permian Basin and the Texas Panhandle,” said Representative Michael Conaway. Conaway’s West Texas district produces much of Lesser prairie chicken the state’s oil

Coastal Conservation Association Texas recently pledged $500,000 toward the creation of a Sportfishing Research Center within the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. This unique research center holds promise to address many of the key scientific issues facing the ecosystems that support Gulf of Mexico sportfishing. Dr. Greg Stunz, Endowed Chair for Fisheries and Ocean Health at HRI, will direct the Center’s operations. Stunz has a long history in the marine science community and was CCA’s first marine science scholarship recipient. “This research center is unique in a number of ways, and truly there is nothing like it in the western Gulf,” said Larry McKinney, executive director for HRI. “The timing for the creation of the center is perfect. With such pressing issues as the role of Gulf passes on bay ecosystems and the impact of diminishing Gulf habitat, recreational anglers need a center that can tackle these multi-decade concerns.” CCA Texas and HRI have partnered on a number of ground-breaking projects including Dr. Stunz’s spotted seatrout catch-and-release study and efforts to reopen Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough. —Staff Report «TG

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12/10/12 4:16 PM

TRUE GREEN Ag Service Warns of Invasive Stinkbug tion the bug was found, and the plant or place where it was found. Ree said speci-

—Staff Report «TG

photo: USDA

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologists are urging travelers to be wary of a new species of unwelcome sixlegged hitchhikers--the brown marmorated stinkbug. The invasive pest is originally from Asia and is found in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea. It was spotted in Pennsylvania in 1998 and has spread from there. The bug likes to hitchhike on RVs and travel trailers.

mens should be put in something like a pill bottle (preferably dead) and sent to Kira Metz, Minnie Belle Heep Building 216D, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-2475. The specimens could also be sent to any AgriLife Extension agent, but those will also be confirmed by Metz.

Brown marmorated stinkbug

“So far, we’ve only had one confirmed in Texas, said Bill Ree, AgriLife Extension entomologist at College Station. “That single find last November at Corpus Christi was from a pest control operator investigating a stink bug infestation in a trailer or RV that had been moved to Corpus from Pennsylvania. “That’s why we want the public, pest control operators and those in the landscape industry to be aware that we really want to know about possible sites before they escalate as they have elsewhere.” The bug can cause lasting foul smells in homes and other confines, plus cause major damage to a wide variety of crops and plants. Entomologists are asking all Texans to report and submit suspected samples so they can confirm if and where the insects may be taking up residence in the state. Samples should include the name and contact information of the sender, the loca-

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Making the Offshore Hop in Small Boats by calixto gonzales

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has grown as more anglers are deciding to test the limits of both their equipment and seamanship by running into the near Gulf— and sometimes further out—for greater fishing opportunities.

Old Practice, New Technologies

It’s not the sort of phone call you

expect. Scooter McGee got a phone call from a friend of his who had a fishing report. The middle late summer weather and steady Southeasterly flow had pushed blue water clear up to the Mansfield Pass and the kingfish were on the prowl. Everyone was running their flats and bay boats out one or two miles off the East Cut and latching into the toothy speedsters on drifted ribbonfish and trolled Rapalas. Scooter’s son, then-16 year old Mason was out there, and he’d shown off a big king he’d landed. “He was out there in our 16-foot tunnel hull,” Scooter said, shaking his head at the memory. Fortunately, Mason wasn’t alone on the Big Briny when he made his jaunt in the

Little Boat That Could, so there were other boats around if something happened. Most of that company consisted of other bay and flats center console boats. Over the years, the numbers of the “mosquito fleet” T e x a S

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There is nothing new about running a relatively small (under 25 feet) bay boat out into the Gulf of Mexico when there are offshore species in close and conditions permit. Texas anglers have been doing it for years. Dargel Boats owner/builder Cleve Ford recounted once coming upon an oil and gas rig in Federal Waters and encountering three fishermen in a 12-foot jonboat, but that is an extreme example. If the days are calm enough, many an angler and his buddies will venture out a few miles to load the cooler with something other than the usual spotted suspects. “A lot of fishermen these days are looking for a versatile boat that can run both shallow and go offshore,” said Jeff Dean, also with Dargel. “Fishermen want to be able to make quick runs out jetty passes and fish these spots, and make a quick run back home. Dean also added that other species such as kingfish and migrating schools of tarpon—a species that has made a significant comeback along the Texas Coast in recent years—make the need for a boat that can handle reasonable seas (1 to 3 foot ideally, 2 to 4 if necessary and 4-6 if the weather suddenly comes up), while still capable of running shallow in Texas bays and backwaters if offshore conditions force a change of plans. Hull designs such as Dargel’s HDX KAT and the Blue Wave Pure Bay are examples of modern bay boats that accommodate these needs. “The new boats and new technology have changed things tremendously,” said Penn Reels’ Mark Davis, longtime host of Penn’s Big Water Adventures. “Anglers who used to be able to go offshore 20 days a year can now go 80, 100 days a year offshore.” Though there is no such thing as a true shallow/offshore hybrid, there are qualities in certain center console designs that lend them to dual-purpose us, added Davis. Wider beams mean more water displacement, which translates into a more stable and safer fishing platform. But perhaps the biggest difference both Ford, Dean,

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and Davis all state, is the technology in outboards.

Sipping Instead of Guzzling Davis uses a 24 foot Blue Wave Pure Bay powered by a Suzuki 250 four-stroke outboard. The boat is outfitted with a gas tank with 85-gallon capacity, and Davis has found it to be more than adequate for offshore use, as a recent trip for tapings in Port Mansfield proved. “We ran out of the jetties and 18 miles offshore three days in a row,” Davis said, “all on one tank of gas.” Four stroke technology and a lighter payload due the single motor nature of a smaller center console translates to better fuel economy. Ford stated that he and his crew have been able to venture and troll as far as the deep sea canyons 52 miles offshore in a 25 HDX KAT with 300 Suzuki four stroke on 120 gallons of gas, a sketchy feat in a large offshore boat with double or triple outboards. The heavier payload of more

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motors powering a larger boat means gas guzzling, not sipping. That sort of fuel economy translates to decent range for bay boats outfitted with more typical 25 or 30 gallon tanks and outfitted with reliable motors. The key word, of course is reliable. “I wouldn’t even dream of making a run offshore if I didn’t have absolute faith in my outboard,” added Dean. Even then, both Dean and Ford advise to leave the engine on idle and running, even while anchored over structure or drifting for pelagic. The most potential for trouble with an outboard is when turning it on or off, Ford says.

Plan, Plan, and Then Plan Some More The biggest issue for any angler thinking of making plans to make a jaunt offshore should always be safety. Besides obvious precautions such as making sure the gas tank is full, the outboard is in tip-top working order, PFD’s and other safety equipment

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are on board, anglers should take extra precautions to ensure a safe trip. “No matter how long you are going to be out, you should file a float plan with someone,” said Ford. “Let someone know where you plan on fishing and an appointed time they should expect you back. If you end up overdue, then someone knows where to start looking for you.” Davis adds that an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) device should always be on board every boat heading offshore. There are different types, ranging from those that are manually activated to others that will set off if submerged for more than a few seconds. Once tripped off, an EPIRB will transmit a signal that will allow rescue personnel to make a fix on your location and home in. Watch for a Saltwater column on EPIRBs in a future issue of TF&G. The key to being part of the Mosquito Fleet is to come buzzing back home after every trip, not getting swatted.

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12/11/12 10:32 AM

Texas Saltwater by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor

here is an old adage among mariners from the days of whaling that he who chooses the sea as an enemy has chosen a bitter foe, but he who accepts it as his friend shall find its treasures opened before him. How apropos an idea when you consider the state off offshore fishing in the Gulf of Mexico during winter. As Captain Richard Bailey is quoted in a feature elsewhere in this month’s issue, you have to choose your days to fish offshore in the cold months. Cold fronts bring strong northwest winds that make the Gulf a dark, rough, whitecap-covered mess that even tanker captains hate venturing into, especially if the wind is blowing against an incoming tide. The 20- to 30-knot southeasterly gusts that precede one of these same northers aren’t much good, either. It is easier to stay inshore, or better still, at home and think about better days that come in spring. However, the angler who shows a little patience, watches the weather, and finds a stretch of mild days where the Gulf settles down and flattens out, can run out of the jetties and find some topnotch fishing for the larger representatives of various species of grouper, known collectively as ground fish. “That’s hardcore fishing,” said Captain Frank Vasquez. “You’re fishing in deep water (over 200 feet) for some big fish.” These aren’t the friendly, accommodating 2- and 3-pouind strawberry grouper that you may encounter on a quick run to the short rigs for red snapper. These aren’t even the sharp-dressed and coveted gag grouper that have become the prize quarry as deep-water jigging makes inroads to the Texas Gulf Coast. These aren’t even the more exotic snowy, yellow, yellow-edge, or rick hind grouper you find deep-dropping around the continental shelf with electric reels. The big fish

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These aren’t the friendly 2- and 3-pound strawberry grouper you encounter on a quick run to the short rigs.

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Well Grounded

Vasquez is referring to are Warsaw grouper and its rockmate farther north on the coast, the black grouper. These big, surly bruisers sulk over deep-water rocks and rigs and can snap 100-pound line and break heavy boat rods. These fish are akin to reeling a small car up a steep grade when you hook one. We’re talking about fish that are not for the faint of heart or weak-backed. If you are going out to fetch the king of ground fish, you had better be well heeled.

“The Warsaw start moving into the rigs around February and March,” said Bailey. “They come in to start feeding on the hardtails (blue runners) that start collecting around the rigs in 175 feet of water and deeper.” The big grouper sit under the rigs with their faces into the strong currents that flow through the rigs and feed on runners and other prey fish that happen by. Schools of blue runners tend to hand out in the mid depths and closer to the surface, so it is conceivable that ‘saws move up and hunt their meals, but it has yet to be an observed activity. In any event, the grouper are under the rigs. The barnacle-encrusted legs, jagged pieces of pipes, drilling equipment, and anything else that might have fallen overboard by makes these beasts an iffy proposition T e x a S

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at best, and impossible without the proper equipment and preparation. You can always try what Penn’s Mark Davis, host of Penn’s Big Water Adventures, calls his “ultimate ground fish rig”, an International 12 VSX lever drag reel paired to a CARJG200C56 Jigging Rod and spooled with 150 pound Spiderwire Stealth Braid. The reel is capable of an impressive 35 pounds of drag. I’ve had the rig in my hands, and for a powerful rod, it is light, functional, and easy to use. The heavy tackle is necessary to bull a large grouper out from underneath the rig. The usual strategy is to set the boat up current of the rig and send a big bait down, put the rod in a rod holder, and wait for the bite. Once the fish takes the bait, torque down the drag to maximum while the captain puts the boat into gear; you pull the fish away from the snags and into open water. Once the fish is clear of the rig, you can grab the rod handle and settle into the fight in earnest. Bait is simple enough. Grouper have moved to the rigs to feed on blue runners. Bailey recommended sending a Sabiki or small spoon down to the schools of hardtails that hold in the mid depths and catch a few for live bait. Even better is a small vermillion snapper, but those are a bit harder to come by. If neither the hardtails nor vermilions are cooperating, a large finfish such as horse mullet or chunk of bonito will do in a pinch. The only concern with bloody bait such as mullet or bonito is that sharks eat them with great relish as well. “You’ll know when you latch into the man in the grey suit,” Bailey said. “At first they fight like a big grouper but they start swimming away from the rig. That’s when you know you have a shark.” If you can avoid the shark and latch into one of the biggest of Texas ground fish, you’ll understand what it means to be friends with the sea. It can be a mixed blessing.

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Email Cal Gonzales at cgonzales@fishgame.com |

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12/11/12 10:34 AM

You have no GPS, no compass, no chart, and

it’s a dark, cloudy night – can you find your way home? In this day and age, navigation has become so darn easy that most of us have forgotten how to do it without electronics. The rest of us never learned. Gizmos like Chartplotters and GPS-equipped cell phones lead us along to our destinations with ease, giving us a false-confidence that will surely be shattered sooner or later.

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You think those electronic devices are infallible? That they’ll never let us down? Not likely. In fact, according to the Department Of Defense several nations including China, Russia, and North Korea, currently have the technology to jam GPS signals at will. And in 2009, GPS outages were reported along with air-traffic controller equipment disruption, pager interference, ATM malfunctions, and cell phone blackouts in New Jersey. The cause was eventually discovered to be a truck driver using a home-brewed jammer to avoid paying tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike. Even nature has the ability to bring our satellite-based navigational know-how to a halt; several times in the past sunspots have interfered with GPS signals, knocking out the system in one part of the globe or another for hours at a time. And with the peak in sunspot activity predicted for 2013, there’s a good chance your GPS screen could let you down. Or, maybe you’ll just drop your cell phone overboard right before your chartplotter goes on the fritz. So, what are you going to do if and when one of these things happens? How will you get home? Even if you know how to navigate by starlight, what will you do if heavy cloud cover keeps you in the dark?

Situational Awareness The very best navigational tool you have onboard is your eyes. Unfortunately, most of us have become so accustomed to setting waypoints and staring at LCD screens that we often fail to bother to really look around—and more importantly, know what we’re looking at. Along most Texas coastlines, be it on the Gulf or along a lake, there are artificial lights within view when the sun goes down. Radio and cell towers, oil rigs, bridges, and buildings all give us something to focus on, and navigate by. The question is, do you know what is where? When the sun goes down, will you realize that the dull yellow light off to starboard is the one you want to head for, not the bright one that’s actually two miles farther away? In other words, your situational awareness can make the difference between finding the boat ramp, and running into a deserted marsh. Every time you leave a dock or launch your boat, you should take a close look around and take note of those light-providing features you might need in

order to return home. How can you know where you’re going, if you don’t know where you are in the first place? You can’t. Unfortunately, taking a fix, which allows you to pin down your exact location on a chart, is another important task that many modern boaters don’t know how to do. Using a compass, you can take bearing to a visible and significant landmark such as a tower, point of land, or river mouth. On the chart, use the compass rose to make a line that runs down the same bearing, through the landmark. Choose at least two other landmarks, make the bearing lines for these on the same chart, and the three lines will intersect at your position.

Road Construction Not so fast, you newly-minted navigators. We mentioned up-front that you might not even have a compass. What then? Basic navigation and survival skills demand that you know how to make one. Making a compass is a lot simpler than most people realize, and although it may not be as accurate as the real deal, it will at least put you on the right path. All you need to do is magnetize a small, straight piece of ferrous metal. A needle is ideal but in a pinch you can straighten out a fish hook. To magnetize it, stroke the dull end 100 times in the same direction against a magnet, which you can find on most boats in the stereo or VHF speakers. Forget that the old wife’s tale about stroking it against wool or silk to build up a static charge; this won’t actually help the needle point to the north. Then rest it on or push it through the center of a round piece of cork or foam, which you can find on the grip of any fishing rod. A small foam plate will also do the trick. Float the contraption in a bowl or bucket of water, and the pointy end of the needle will rotate to north. A compass is, of course, of limited value if you don’t have a chart. Especially if you need to navigate around an unlighted point of land, or shallow flats that you know stand in the way. And since we’re preparing for the worst, now we’re going to assume we don’t have that chart. Maybe it got blown overboard, you’re on a friend’s boat and he never bothered with paper charts thanks that false-confidence we were talking about earlier, or perhaps you just plain forgot it. The bottom line is, you’re going to have to make one. But instead of just drawing a bunch of lines from memory, you need to first draw equally-spaced horizontal and vertical lines; T e x a S

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essentially, give it meridians. Then reconstruct the shoreline or channel as best you can, using the lines to measure distance. If you think there’s a straight stretch of shoreline for three miles, for example, use each line to measure out quarter of a mile and then draw the shoreline through 12 lines. Now, you’re ready for dead reckoning. First, identify your approximate position on the chart. Let’s say you need to travel along that shoreline for two of the three miles, and then turn 90-degrees to starboard to enter the creek you departed from. Use your compass to find the direction you need to travel in, then take note of your speed and the exact time. With some quick basic math, you’ll know how far you’ve traveled during any period of time and can judge when to make that turn to starboard. Let’s say that since it’s dark out and you’re feeling your way along, you keep speed down to eight miles an hour. That means it’ll take you 15 minutes to get to the point at which you need to make your turn, mark your position every five minutes to keep track of your location in case you need to stop or alter speed, and when you reach that third mark, use your make-shift compass to get the direction of your turn correct. If there’s a strong current or wind, don’t forget to take that into account. Now your situational awareness comes into play again. If you paid attention to the location of the tallest structures on the horizon when you left, looking at the lights you now see on the horizon will help you judge your course.

Homeward Bound Used on their own, no one of these techniques is likely to get you home. Far off lights can be confusing on the water at night, distances are very hard to judge, and it’s easy to forget what’s what after a long day on the water. A home-made compass isn’t going to be nearly as easy to use as the real thing, and both fixes and directions of travel are probably going to be a bit off. A home-made chart, naturally, is bound to be inaccurate. But when you put all of these together, you’ll have a fair shot at reaching your destination. And when the chartplotter won’t work or your cell phone fell into the drink, that’s what’s going to matter the most—in fact, it may be the only thing that matters at all.

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12/11/12 10:37 AM

Crappie fishing newbie’s may not

remember the late Curtis Rushing. But I remember him well. Better yet, I remember what he told me as we ate breakfast and sipped hot coffee at the Minnow Bucket by matt williams Restaurant before a morning of wintertime crappie fishing at Lake Fork. “Crappie are only where you find them,” Rushing said. “During winter months, you can pretty much bet they’ll be deep on this lake. They also tend to suspend a lot, but not always. One day they may be glued to the bottom and the next they might be holding 10 cranks off bottom.

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Rushing passed away since that chilly winter day in the early 1990s, but his name remains as legendary around the region as Lake Fork itself. When it came to finding and catching crappie, many equated the guide to a staunch bird dog with a nose so keen he could sniff a papermouth out of a bar ditch. “I remember hearing about him back when I was just a kid,” says fishing guide Gary Paris of Quitman. “Not only did he know how to find crappie, but he could catch them, often when nobody else could.” As good as Rushing was at locating and catching slab crappie, he may have been even better and reading the fish and waiting them out. “Curtis would wear you down hanging around one stump if he thought the fish were there,” said Lake Fork guide Andrew Hawkins. “He was one of the most patient fishermen I have ever met. That’s one of the most important things I learned from him -- sometimes you have to be real patient to catch crappie.” Toledo Bend fishing guide Stephen Johnston didn’t argue that point. Of all the fish swimming in freshwater, Johnston said crappie may be the most finicky of the bunch. “They can turn on and off just like a light switch,” says Johnston. “You can do things to make a bass bite, but you can’t make a crappie bite. When they turn off, they’re off. They’ll feed periodically throughout the day, but you’ve got to do things just right to catch ‘em.” Johnston offered up a number of good fishing tips crappie fishermen can use to boost their chances with wintertime slabs. Here they are in random order:

The Electronic Fisherman Johnston says a good electronic unit is an essential tool when targeting crappie in deep water. Just think of your electronics like your eyes beneath the water. It will tell you if fish are there, and how deep they are holding in the water column, regardless if they are relating to underwater channels, points or bridge pilings. While the depth ranges and locations at which the crappie will be positioned can vary from one lake to the next, one thing that never changes is the magnetic attraction crappie have for shad. “Shad are the main key,” Johnston said. “The main thing I look for are clouds of bait

where the crappie are suspended just below them. Good electronics will help you zero in on these types of places.” As earlier mentioned, electronics also reveal crucial information about the depth the fish are holding. This will tell you how far below the surface you will need to position the bait to maximize the chances of getting bit. “If the fish are suspended at 22 feet, that’s how deep you need to fish,” Johnston said. “If you suspend the bait too high in the water column it will be right in amongst the shad, and that’s not good. If you drop it too deep you’ll be below the fish. Crappie are real lethargic in cold water they usually won’t swim down to get a bait.” Johnston says many of the shad will begin dying off at some point after the water temperature dips into the 50s. It’s a slowbut-gradual process that provides crappie with easy meals. “The just lay right below the shad and pick them off one by one as they die and come fluttering down,” Johnston said.

Minnows or Jigs Live shiners and assorted jigs ranging from 1/32-ounce to 1/4-ounce rule in crappie fishing arenas. Johnston says he likes to catch them on jig whenever possible, but he typically has the best luck on minnows during the winter months on T-Bend. “I’ve never had much luck getting them to bite a jig that time of year,” Johnston said. “Minnows are the ticket. It is real important that you use the medium and small sizes. They won’t hit the big shiners very well.” Two lakes where anglers score some fat winter crappie on heavy jigs are Lake O’ The Pines and Fork. Most will drop their jigs vertical next to boat and use the trolling motor to move the bait slowly along channel breaks, points and other likely areas. The idea is to cover water until you locate roving schools of fish.

The Right Minnow Rig Johnston builds his minnow rig using a 2/0 Aberdeen hook with a 3/16 ounce smash weight attached about five inches above the hook to give the shiner some wiggle room. He prefers to use a braided line no heavier than eight-pound test. He said heavier lines will catch in the wind causing the bait to move around too much. “It’s also good idea mark your line at five foot intervals (beginning at the rod tip) T e x a S

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No-Cull Crappie Crappie anglers need to be

aware of a special “no cull” rule in effect on crappie caught from Lake Fork and Lake O’ the Pines between Dec. 1 and Feb. 28. The regulation was implemented several years ago, because of the high incidence of delayed mortality in fish pulled from deep water. Anglers are required to keep every crappie they catch up to a legal limit of 25 fish. — Matt Williams using a colored marker,” he said. “That way you always know exactly how deep you are fishing.”

Anchor or Not? Since crappie are prone to rove with the bait, Johnston says he prefers not to anchor in open water whenever the wind allows for it. Instead, he uses the trolling motor in combination with his electronics to stay on top of the crappie and shad as they move around. Fishing around bridge pilings is a different story. “A lot of guys will tie off at the bow and wait for the fish to move in and out,” he said. “It’s a good idea to anchor the back of the boat using a heavy claw anchor if you tie off at a bridge. Otherwise, the guy in the back of the boat will constantly have his bait moving around.”

Dress For the Occasion Winter crappie is fishing fun. Freezing your butt off isn’t. It is a good idea to dress in several layers of clothing beginning with thermal underwear. Layering provides good insulation and allows you to remove clothing to keep your body comfortable as temperatures gradually warm over the course of the day. It is also real important to wear a good toboggan and gloves. Johnston protects his hands with a pair of thin-wall batting gloves. He sticks a peel off hand warmer to the top of each hand before putting them on. This keeps his hands toasty so he can feel subtle bites. “I also wear a wool scarf to protect my neck, mouth and nose,” he said. “If you aren’t comfortable out there it’s not enjoyable. Plus, you can’t concentrate on what you are doing. If you can’t concentrate, you aren’t going to catch very many fish.”

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Open Season by Reavis Wortham | TF&G Humor Editor

His ‘n’ Hers

andra didn’t want to hunt. The closest she wanted to get to wild game was the brace of quail beside her wild rice in one of those high-end Dallas restaurants. They were house-sitting for some relatives in good deer country when her husband decided to kill a buck by himself. When Daniel offered to take her along, she smiled, declined, and poured herself another glass of deep-root red wine. Unfortunately Daniel wasn’t a very experienced hunter. He’d taken a few deer in the past, but it was always with friends who assisted in the dirty work. But as his limited experience expanded, he began to fancy himself a Great White Hunter. Since game was so plentiful, the first part of his plan proved reasonably easy. He waited in a tree stand until a nine-point buck walked out, and hammered him. Then came the hard part, and the essence of this narrative I heard while at a party at their house one evening. I was positioned between the parties of unintentionally (or maybe intentionally) segregated men and women, and heard the conversation in stereo. The following demonstrates the validity of John Gray’s ten-year-old hypothesis. Men and women are from different planets.

Daniel: I knew she wanted to help me with the buck, and I killed it so close to the house that I didn’t even field dress it. Sandra: I was just curled up on the couch with a good cozy mystery, and he wanted me to get out in the cold to mess with that dead animal. Daniel: He was a beautiful ten point and I knew he’d look good on the wall. Sandra: It was a disgusting corpse. He stank. I think he peed on himself because I almost gagged when we were unloading it from the jeep. Daniel: I tried to explain he was in rut. 48 |

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Sandra: That’s men for you. Rut, toilet seats, you figure it out. Daniel: Sandra was sure acting funny. She didn’t seem to want to help at all. She even argued it wasn’t a nine point, that one of the points was just a nub, but I explained how it’s classed as a point if you can hang a ring from it. Sandra: I was about to offer to hang my wedding ring on one little bitty pointything and go home to mama before we were finished. I swear, he was so excited about shooting that deer, and all he could talk about is how good it would look on the wall. Daniel: You’re not going to believe this. After we drove into the barn she ran inside the house and came back out with plastic bread wrappers rubber-banded on both hands so she wouldn’t have to touch the deer. Sandra: He wanted me to hold the deer’s legs apart while he cut its belly open. Daniel: She mumbled some woman thing about needing stirrups on a table, but I didn’t know what that meant. We were trying to clean a deer and she kept giggling and frowning. Sandra: The deer was already cold and stiff. I was supposed to hold his back legs apart while he worked, but we kept getting in each other’s way. Every time I let go they snapped back together. Daniel: You know what she did then? She went back into the house and came out with a bungee cord and a pair of pantyhose. She bungee-corded one back leg to the jeep’s steering wheel and the other to the bumper. It looked like something most states consider illegal. Sandra: He didn’t know what to do. He kept ordering me around and then when I did what he said, he’d get mad and tell me I wasn’t doing it right. Daniel: She wasn’t doing anything right. She couldn’t hold onto a thing with those bread bags on her hands and she wasn’t dressed appropriately, either. She kept shivering there in a cotton warm-up suit with a denim shirt over her shoulders. Of course she was cold, it was twenty degrees.

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Sandra: I’m surprised he didn’t complain about my necklace. Daniel: And she was wearing this stupid dangly necklace that belonged in one of those fancy restaurants where they serve baked quail or something. It kept hanging in front of her face and she couldn’t work because it was in the way. Sandra: The worst part was when he started taking the organs out. I’ve never seen anything like that, but I don’t think he was comfortable with it, either, because he kept making gagging noises. Daniel: She started giggling again when I got a tickle in my throat and couldn’t get it out. Those things happen at the worst times. The she rolled her eyes and made a suggestion she should have made a lot earlier. Sandra: I was trying not to see what he was doing, so I looked up and hanging from the rafters was a block and tackle. Then I remembered Grandad used it to hang deer in his barn so he could clean them. Daniel: How was I supposed to know he had that stuff? Sandra: So then he used the bungee cord and hose to raise to tie he deer onto the block and tackle, but the pantyhose broke and the deer fell and snapped off both of his antlers when he landed on his head. Daniel: She stomped out after the buck fell. She said I was yelling at her. I was just mad about the antlers breaking off and besides, the stupid hose probably had a runner in them that weakened the whole thing. It was her fault we don’t have a ten-point mount above the fireplace. Sandra: Was not. It was a two-point after everything broke off, so I went inside to finish my wine. Daniel: Women just don’t know the first thing about hunting.

Email Reavis Wortham at rwortham@fishgame.com

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Digital Edition

Wildlife Education Photos: Chester Moore

For two decades, Texas Fish & Game has provided magazines to wildlife and agriculture classes in public schools throughout the Lone Star State. Now we are taking things to a new level by providing free weekly videos, articles, photos and lesson ideas to teachers in an e-newsletter format. The content matches state required teaching objectives and comes with quizzes, lessons plans and various other assignment ideas. “We have an opportunity to reach school children and educators with the in-depth, teaching oriented information Texas Fish & Game has provided since 1984,” said Executive Editor Chester Moore. T F & G

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“We are all excited to offer this service to help teachers who often have limited resources and students who can benefit from our unique and far-reaching wildlife, fisheries and conservation content.” The idea was first conceived by TF&G Publisher Roy Neves when he wanted to find a way to give more to Texas students. F i s h

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TF&G ALMANAC Table of Contents

texas guns & gear • Guns, Gear and the Gadgets in the Field | by steve lamascus

GEARING UP SECTION

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COVER STORY • Wildlife Education | by chester moore

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texas boating • Is your Life Worth $1,000? | by lenny rudow texas kayaking • Death by Kayakinig | by greg berlocher paul’s tips • Hunting Late Season Educated Ducks | by paul bradshaw

“We have this unique magazine and all of this content that is not just fishing and hunting but conservation, biology and even Texas history. I thought it would be great to put something together that gave information to all educators that wanted to tap into our resources. We love what we do at TF&G and are excited to give a little back.” During the 2012 ICAST Show in Orlando a conversation Neves and his wife Ardia (who is director of advertising and a co-owner with Roy) and Moore got it kick-started. “Children are extremely important to my wife Lisa and I. And I have been on my own doing wildlife education projects with schools since I was 20 years old so I was fired up at the potential for this project. The idea was to start small and then build from there and so far the response has been strong,” Moore said. Each Monday educators who sign up for the newsletter are sent a newsletter with links to a variety of stories and videos. The teachers are given a link to a special blog for their eyes only with the lessons and answers. “What we’re trying to do is supplement what the teachers are doing in the classroom. My wife has been a teacher for 17 50 |

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FISHING FORECAST SECTION

HOW-TO SECTION

texas tested • Mercury, Ram, Grate Chef | by TF&G staff industry insider • Sportsman Boats, Uncle Norm’s Marine Products | by TF&G staff fish and game gear• Hot New Outdoor Gear | by TF&G staff sporting tales• A Boat Show Shopper’s Guide | by TF&G staff

hotspots focus: upper coast • Best of Both Worlds | by capt. eddie hernandez hotspots focus: galveston • A New Year Looms, With a Decent Start | by capt. mike

hotspots focus: lower coast • Fish of a Different Stripe | by calixto gonzales

Texas Hotspots • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots | by calixto gonzales, bob hood & george knighten

sportsman’s daybook • Tides & Prime Times | by TF&G staff

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION

texas tasted • Zaidle’s Wild Hog Breakfast Sausage | by don

OUTDOOR CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY • Guides, Gear and More | by TF&G staff tf&g Photos • Your Action Photos | by TF&G readers

zaidle

holmes

hotspots focus: matagorda • Key on Peak Tides | by

hotspots focus: rockport • Embrace the Chill! | by capt.

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years so I know firsthand what the demands are versus the resources and this is our way of adding to that. Some teachers are using it for extra credit work while others are playing the videos to start class while still others are making full lessons from the newsletters. It is quite exciting,” Moore said. A typical newsletter consists of a video of the week, wildlife management story, fisheries story and then a strange and unique wildlife story. “The best response has actually been to the stranger stories on things like the intelligence of king cobras and the mangy coyotes people are calling chupacabras. As someone into that kind of thing I can see why. It is fun but they way we are framing it gives plenty of facts and the latest research,” Moore said. TF&G Editor-In-Chief Don Zaidle said the daily e-mail newsletter has helped provide much fodder for the education project. “We work super hard to put out a truly interesting newsletter and I am always sending Chester over stories that might be of interest to students and teachers. If there is one thing we do well at TF&G it is look deeper into outdoors issues than many others and that is why this education project is so exciting. It allows us to take it directly to

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www.FishGame.com the students of Texas,” Zaidle said. TF&G knows education is not just about public schools although that has been where the bulk of the effort has been put in the past. “We are totally open to working with educators in private schools and home schools. In fact, we have numerous home school providers already subscribing to the newsletter by word of mouth,” Moore said. An event earlier into his career inspired his desire to educate children about wildlife. “I could not have been six months into my career and read a report about Texas school children that when asked if the whitetail deer was an endangered species said ‘yes’. Actually a majority of them said this which shocked me considering Texas is home to the largest deer herd in the world.” Moore said he found out there were many wildlife-educated children in Texas through various wildlife and Ag classes but inner city kids in particular were lacking. “In 2013 we are going to reach more into inner city schools and to biology and life science teachers and all across the board really. We will also be expanding greatly the number of videos we have and adding CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

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Texas Boating by Lenny Rudow | TF&G Boating Editor

Is your Life Worth $1,000?

here’s nothing wrong with being a tightwad—and I say that as a guy who recycled used tissues into toilet paper, until my wife made me stop. But when it comes to a person’s own life, no matter how cheap someone is, they’d spend every penny they own to save it. So, why does it seem so tough to get people to lay out a few bucks for boating safety gear? Especially when a measly thousand bucks is all it takes to turn your old tub into an ubersafe watercraft. Wait a sec – can you really get all of the fancy safety gear you see in boating supply stores for a grand? Of course not. If you run a 20-something center console, you could probably spend more than the boat itself is worth on safety gear alone, if you really tried. But with a carefully spent $1,000, the safety margin you can give yourself is huge. If you would be 100-percent safer with an unlimited budget, then that one grand will get you 95-percent of the way there. Let’s start off with the simple stuff: LIFE JACKETS. You can spend $20 for one of

the blocky orange ones which will make you legal, shove it into a locker, and hope you’ll never need it. Or, you could spend $150 to get an inflatable life belt or suspender-style life jacket. These are so comfortable you can wear one at all times—you’ll forget you even have it on—yet in the case of an emergency you won’t need to use precious seconds to get it out of storage, put it on, and adjust the straps. Big spenders can spring for another $50, to get a model with a hydrostatic trigger which auto-inflates upon submersion. You don’t trust those inflatables? No problem. There are plenty of high-quality vests and jackets made these days which are 100 times more comfortable than the life jackets we grew up with. Another option is to get a “float-coat,” which has the floatation built right into the fabric. The point is simply to spend enough extra cash to get a PFD which you’re comfortable wearing, so that you’ll actually wear it. Pop quiz: How many gallons per hour does your boat’s BILGE PUMP evacuate? Quick now, give me an answer. Surely, you’ve familiarized yourself with the one thing that can keep your boat afloat if you’re taking on water, right? No? Well then, consider this: A half-inch hole one foot below the waterline will let in water at the rate of 300 gallons per hour (GPH). Many inexpensive boats are rigged with a single 500-GPH pump. When the “head” (the distance the pump has to lift the water to the outflow) is three feet, the real-world

capacity of that 500-GPH pump is around 350-GPH. In other words, if you get a halfinch hole in your hull, that pump can barely keep up. And a one-inch hole? You’re going down. Adding a second pump doesn’t merely double the capacity to remove water from your boat, it also serves as a back-up in case that single pump fails—something any serious mariner would consider a must-have. A 500-GPH pump costs about $35. Add in another $10 for hose, clamps, and wires. This is not a big expenditure, folks. So if some extra cash is burning a hole in your pocket, spend $100 instead and get a pair of 1,000-GPH pumps. Upgrade the old one as you add the second, and you’ll have quadrupled your water-pumping power. *Emergency pump tip: If you need to magically produce some bilge-pumping power in an emergency, close off the seacock for your raw water washdown. Then pull off the intake hose, shove it down into the bilge, and put the end of the washdown hose over the side. GPS is more than a nav tool. It’s also a safety device. And we’re not talking about the unit at your helm. Sure, you use that one on a daily basis, but sooner or later it’s bound to fail. This is not a question of if, but of when. So the real question is, do you have a back-up unit onboard that can lead you home? An inexpensive handheld GPS can be found for as little as $100, so there’s

Cover story: wild ed t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50 .mp3 downloads and podcast options to the newsletter in the coming months. We know we are just at the beginning stages but believe there is great hope to bless the teachers and students of Texas with the resources we have,” Moore said. As noted earlier feedback to the program 52 |

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has been strong and has inspired TF&G to work even harder to get unique content for the students of Texas. “Roy Neves and Ardia Neves have put their full support behind the project and are making sure all resources are available to aid the students,” Moore said. “Wildlife and creating the next generation of wildlife stewards is important to us

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and we look forward to working with teachers to help them help their students.” Any educator who covers any subject that deals with wildlife, fisheries and outdoors education can sign up by emailing cmoore@fishgame.com. —TF&G Staff Report

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Texas Boating really no excuse for not having one onboard. Break out another $10 and buy a spare set of lithium batteries for it, so you have backup batteries as well. Another must-have is COMMUNICATIONS GEAR. Most of us have a VHF onboard, but do you also carry a spare handheld? That’s a good move, and a handheld VHF can be had for a mere $100. But remember that the handheld is only good for a mile or two of range. And if you’re deep in the back country or far outside of the inlet, that kind of range is more or less meaningless. So plan to spend

a few hundred dollars more—which will keep you in touch with the rest of the world at a moment’s notice. For a price of $99.99 (plus a $99/year activation fee) you can get a SPOT satellite messenger which essentially gets you a world-wide 911 button. Anywhere, anytime, hit the button and the local emergency services are notified of your exact position (via GPS) and your need for help. In 2012 alone, triggered SPOT units resulted in close to 500 rescues. A different option for more advanced satellite messaging is the DeLorme inReach. This unit can handle two-way texting, on

top of providing you with a world-wide panic button. Using Bluetooth it interfaces with your cell phone (both Apple and Android platforms). Then you use the keyboard on your cell to tap out messages of up to 160 characters. When you hit send, the phone bounces the text to the inReach, which then bounces it to the Iridium satellite constellation. And it works in the opposite direction, too, so you can receive texts as well. In an emergency you can effectively communicate with rescuers, and when I tested out the inReach, I found it so easy to use that in a matter of minutes I was communicating with people onshore from 50 miles out in the ocean. The unit goes for $250, and $10 a month buys the activation and service. Coverage is global, so it doesn’t matter if you’re in the mountains, the marsh, or the middle of the ocean—this pocket-sized device will keep you linked in with the rest of the world. Shocking but true. One item of imperative importance is not even required by USCG or state regs—a basic FIRST AID KIT. It’s hard to imagine why this isn’t on their list, since a relatively simple wound can prove fatal if you have no way to treat it. $25 will get that basic kit, but those who take their safety seriously will spend closer to $100 to get a well-stocked kit that’s packed in a watertight bag or box. Now say you’ve decided on creating the biggest safety margin possible, and bought the most expensive of all these options. Let’s take stock: We’ve spent $200 for an uber-comfortable PFD with a hydrostatic release; $120 on bilge pumps and hoses to quadruple our pumping power; $110 on a back-up GPS and spare batteries; $100 on a handheld VHF; $350 for a two-way satellite messenger with global coverage and a year’s activation; and $100 on a first-aid kit. That comes to $980. Is your life worth it?

E-mail Lenny Rudow at LRudow@fishgame.com Get more boating tips in LENNY RUDOW’s Texas Boating Blog at www.Fishgame.com/blogs 54 |

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Texas Kayaking by Greg Berlocher | TF&G Kayaking Editor

Death by Kayaking

he church was in full dress this morning. Deep purple cloths embroidered with gold thread adorned the pulpit and lectern while urns and sprays of lilies, roses and carnations were arranged between the two. The thin wisp of clouds that had delayed the dawn had retreated, leaving bright bluebird skies. The morning sunshine awakened the stained glass windows in the church and different hues of blue, red and green gave off a radiant glow. The colored glass diffused most of the sun’s intensity but several shafts of light penetrated the colored veneer, spotlighting the polished walnut casket at the front of the church. In twenty minutes, a young woman and her young children would be seated just a few feet away in the first pew. Her dark glasses wouldn’t be able to hide the tears or the anguish of becoming a widow and single mother of two. Outside the church, three men wearing dark suits adorned with red boutonnieres stood together in a tight huddle. The trio’s body language betrayed their emotions. Their mood was somber and lacked the jovial nature when the four of them, now three, normally got together. They didn’t know what to say but stood close in close proximity as a way to support one another in their mutual loss – a silly one because it could have been prevented. “Pam wanted to read his obituary at work but she couldn’t remember how to spell Jabczynski so she typed in “drowned kayaker” into her search engine,” said Bert, the tallest of the three friends. “What she saw was pretty sobering.” “She was expecting to find the newspaper story about Frank’s death but she found T F & G

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She found page after page of stories about kayak accidents and fatalities.

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page after page of unhappy stories about kayak accidents and fatalities – and all of them were from this year. One fellow died because he capsized in rough conditions and drowned when he couldn’t get back in the kayak. Another died when he capsized and succumbed to hypothermia. Another died of a heart attack when he took a kayak excursion during a Caribbean cruise.” “Well, at least we don’t have to worry about heart problems for a while,” said Mutt, the shortest one of the group who was known to his fishing buddies by his nickname. “True, but what about your uncle, or his buddy Joe? They aren’t spring chickens any more. Do you remember how red in the face Joe was after our last fishing trip? We need to make sure they don’t over do things,” replied Bert. “Kayaking is a very safe sport overall but accidents do happen. Pam put her foot down and let me know that I can’t go on another fishing trip with you guys until I take a safety course. I looked online last night and the American Canoe Association has all types of classes we can take,” Bert continued. “Well, I don’t know,” said the third angler. “It seems like a lot of work to me. How long does it take? And how much does a course cost?” “They have all sorts of classes. I am

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going to take the Introductory to Kayaking class. It takes six to eight hours,” said Bert. “Why the introductory class?” asked Number Three. “I have been paddling with you guys for five years,” Bert responded, “and I was a bit put off by the title of the course, but once I read the syllabus I realized that the course teaches you how to recover if you capsize. I don’t know how to do that. Do you guys?” “Not really,” Mutt admitted. “The kayak shop never mentioned that there are safety classes available. I got the feeling that they just wanted to sell me stuff.” “But you still haven’t told us how much a safety class costs,” said Number Three. “Most of the courses cost about a hundred bucks. That’s not much money in the grand scheme of things. About 8 spools of monofilament,” said Bert. “Or a fill up,” Mutt added quickly. Silence enveloped the friend’s huddle, each of the anglers pondering the cost of a safety class in their mind and wishing they could spend it now to bring their friend back “I am going to really miss fishing with Frank. He was a great friend. He died way too early,” Mutt concluded. “Guys, I have to admit I am going to have a really hard time with this,” Bert said to his friends with resigned confidence. His angling buddies nodded and stared at their shoes, doing their best to avoid eye contact in order to minimize the risk of seeing a good friend cry. The funeral director standing at the front door of the church signaled the pallbearers to assemble inside the church, saying simply, “Gentlemen, it’s time.” One by one, the three friends made their way into the church to bid farewell to their fishing companion.

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Paul’s Tips

Hunting Late Season Educated Ducks

few years back I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to hunt ducks and geese in Canada and learned something amazing. Ducks are stupid early in the season. Really. Our guide, who liked to rock out to the Beastie Boys at 4:00 am while driving 100 miles per hour down gravel roads (but that’s a whole different story) owned one dilapidated old spinning wing duck decoy. If, during the middle of a goose hunt, we happened to see a flock of ducks fly by in the distance the guide would get out of his layout blind, stand up holding the spinner up in the air with one hand, and the ducks would come straight to us, no calls, no massive spreads, just a lone man and a hand held decoy. We killed a ton of birds on that trip. That trip happened on the first weekend in September. It’s now January. The birds you see now have been shot at for the last four months in every state and province since they left the nesting grounds. Guess what, the ones that have made it this far are no longer stupid. They’ve seen every decoy spread, blind, and trick in the duck hunter’s book so here are a few late season duck hunting tips to possibly help you put a few more birds on the strap this month. The first tip to fooling late season birds is to put away the massive decoy spreads and go light. I’m talking about a half dozen decoys, maybe a dozen at the most. Puddle ducks aren’t flying in huge flocks this time of year so they don’t expect to see large rafts of 56 |

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their buddies set out in a nice neat J pattern. A few strategically placed decoys will work just as well or better than a few dozen and a lot easier to carry. Usually by this time of year my decoys are looking rough.

The ones that aren’t covered with mud have chipped paint from riding in the back of my truck. The point is they are starting to look less and less life-like and that won’t work on wary birds. Next year, take a half dozen new decoys and set them aside at the beginning of the year and don’t use them until after Christmas. Since it’s too late for that this year, find your best half dozen decoys, clean them up and repaint them as needed. I’m also a fan of using something other than all mallard decoys this time of year. Why? Because everyone and their little sister uses mallard decoys. Try throwing in a few widgeon, pintail, or wood duck decoys to break up the monotony. These decoys also have a little more color to them so they draw more attention. In my mind, one of the biggest keys to making your spread look more life-like is

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motion. Your decoys might look really good sitting there, but they are just sitting there. I have never seen a duck that was sitting absolutely motionless on the water. Real ducks don’t sit still and neither should your fake ones. Unlike early in the season, I’m not a fan of spinning wing decoys this time of year. I think they have been used so much that by the time the ducks get here they have lost their effectiveness and can flare birds more than attract them. Swimmers, on the other hand are very effective. You can pick up a swimmer for around $60 and even adding one will make the rest of the spread move quite a bit. For about $100 you can pick up a remote control spinner, that way if the hunt gets boring you can at least drive it around, or give the controls to your kid to keep them occupied. Or, if you’re really frugal, you can buy a couple inexpensive remote controlled toy boats for about $20 each and mount a decoy on top of them. For the price of $40, a little time, and two destroyed decoys you can have two toys to play with while attracting ducks. Late season duck hunting can be rough, but by using a few good looking and moving decoys you can still take a lot of birds.

illistration by paul bradshaw

by Paul Bradshaw | TF&G Contributing Editor

E-mail Paul Bradshaw at PBradshaw@fishgame.com Get more tips from PAUL BRADSHAW’s Outdoor Blog at www.Fishgame.com/blogs

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Texas Guns by Steve LaMascus | TF&G Shooting Editor

et’s talk for a moment about the stuff a modern hunter takes to the field with him. When I was working as a guide I was continually surprised by the amount of gear a hunter thought he needed to go from the truck to a deer stand. It was normal for the hunter to carry his rifle, at least a box of ammo, a couple of knives, binoculars, spotting scope, compass or GPS, and a

Photo: Steve Lamascus

Guns, Gear, and Gadgets in the Field large backpack full of who knows what. I usually took my binoculars, pocket knife, hunting knife, and an extra jacket, if it was supposed to get cold. If I was doing the hunting I added a rifle and a small ammo pack on my belt. Then came the interesting part. When a nice buck showed itself and I picked up my binoculars to see if it was a shooter, the hunter would often start digging in his pack

Shot on the run at 350 yards.

for his video camera. Listen to me. If the guide grabs his binoculars to look at a buck, you should be grabbing your rifle, not your camera. At the very least you should grab your binoculars to see if the buck is one you would shoot. You may have only a few moments to decide and make the shot, so you need to be ready. Then after the above took place and I had decided the buck was a shooter, the hunter would be digging in his backpack, again, this time looking for his laser rangefinder. Quite often, when we were hunting from a high-rack vehicle, we would find a nice buck; it would be standing, as they sometimes will, trying to decide which way to run; the hunter would be trying to use his rangefinder to determine if the buck was 150 or 200 yards away. In the meantime I would be whispering, “Shoot! Shoot! He’s not gonna stand there all day, shoot!” A lot of deer are lost because of this scenario. 58 |

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Photo: Steve Lamascus

100-yard targets

You as a hunter need to be prepared to take a shot at a second’s notice. If your rifle is properly sighted in, at the right distance, it does not matter if that buck is 150 or even 300 yards away. You only need to use the rangefinder if you have the time and if you think the animal is beyond your pointblank range; point-blank being that distance within which your bullet does not rise or fall more than 4 inches above or below the line of sight. We have discussed this before, but with the ascendancy of the laser rangefinder, I think it needs to be said again. Your rifle, assuming that it is one that shoots a standard size and weight bullet at somewhere between 2700 and 3200 feet per second, should be sighted in for the longest distance that will not cause you to make mid-range misses. With the standard deer rifle of the.243 Winchester, .25-06, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06-class, and that includes almost everything up to the .300 Winchester magnum, such sighting is 3 inches high at 100 yards. This sighting will allow you to hold dead center on a normal buck deer out to a bit beyond 300 yards and kill it, without needing to resort to a rangefinder. With slower cartridges the range will vary, but the idea is still valid. Beyond this point-blank range you need to know the ballistic trajectory of your rifle so you can make allowances. This is when that rangefinder comes in handy. However, in all my years of hunting deer, from the deep brush of South Texas to the mountains and high plains of far West Texas, and several Western states, I can only remember 2 Texas deer and one Wyoming pronghorn that I shot beyond 300 yards. I do, T F & G

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however, remember a number of deer that I shot at considerable and unknown ranges by using the above sighting. While having all these wonderful high-tech gadgets is a good thing, and in many instances they are almost indispensable, they are not always needed or even helpful. In many instances our dependence on them gets in the way and we end up looking and checking when we should be shooting. My advice to you is to take only as much gear as you will need, and be as wellprepared as you can possibly be. There is seldom any need to carry a 40-pound pack from the truck to the deer stand. Most of the time a gun, 8 or 10 rounds of ammo, a

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good binocular, and a well-designed hunting knife, along with appropriate attire and a water bottle, will take care of our needs. First and foremost, sight your gun, carefully, as I have described above, and you are all set. Leave the other stuff in the truck. You can go back for it after the hunt, should you need it. As for cameras, I have found it almost impossible to both hunt and take photos. This has sometimes caused me grief as a writer, since good photos sell a story. Sadly, I have learned over the years that if you try to do both, neither will be done very well. However, as Elmer Keith said, “I always try to let a man scratch his fleas in his own way.”

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E-mail Steve LaMascus at SLamascus@fishgame.com Find more shooting tips in STEVE LaMASCUS’s Texas Guns Blog at www.Fishgame.com/blogs

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Merc Magic I recently spent two days running three different 300-hp Mercury Pro Verado fourstroke outboards on—of all things—pontoon boats. Stop laughing. One of those ‘toons broke an eye-watering 50-mph. And more importantly, running several of the same model outboard on different platforms taught me a few things about them. Lesson #1: Mercury’s DTS (digital throttle and shift) and power steering systems, both of which are standard features with the Pro, are absolutely awesome. Shifting and accelerating are butterysmooth, and there’s no Mercury 300fighting with the throthp Pro Verado tle. Bass boat guys, take note—there’s an available DTS Hot Foot option which lets you choose between using the pedal and the throttle with the press of a button. Meanwhile, running the boat is even more of a pleasure thanks to the automotivestyle power steering. It’s far smoother than standard hydraulics and turning the wheel at all speeds is so easy that you can literally do it with one finger. There’s also zero feedback, so you don’t have to worry about fighting prop torque all day long. Lesson #2: HOLD ON TIGHT when you hit the throttle. One advantage the Verado series has over other fourstrokes is the supercharger, which translates into head-snapping acceleration. It made our pontoons rocket out of the hole, and mid-range acceleration was also red-hot. Again, bass guys will love it. Then again, who wouldn’t? Lesson number three: power doesn’t have to come at the expense of efficiency. At cruising speeds we burned under 10 60 |

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GPH, while getting between 2.5 and 3.0 miles to the gallon. And at wide-open throttle, we never broke 30 GPH. That’s great economy for any outboard boasting 300 horses. Oh yes, and let’s not forget that these engines are as quiet and vibrationfree as other modern four-stroke outboards. One more thing I learned about the Pro Verados: they offer plenty of choices to match your boat. You can get them in the original 4.8” gear case, or a new beefed-up 5.44” version which has strengthened internal components. You can also choose between 20” and 25” shaft lengths. One thing that requires no choosing is the warranty; Mercury gives you a solid three years, standard. For more information, check out www.mercurymarine.com. —Lenny Rudow

Haulin’ Ram My first encounter with a Ram truck came when I moved to a new house, and met my neighbor. He had a Ram with quite a few years on it, and after it turned 150,000 miles, he only used it for hauling his boat. He

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hauled it to Florida, he hauled it to North Carolina, and he hauled it to Maryland, among other places. Recently, that Ram turned 250,000—and he still trailers his boat with it today. If you demand this kind of longevity out of your tow vehicle, you need one that’s built tough, has gobs of towing capacity, and comes equipped with heavy-duty towing accouterments. And the new Ram fits the bill as well as my neighbor’s old one did. The Ram 1500 is rated for up to 9,150 pounds, and even the base model Tradesman can handle over 6,250 pounds, which covers the vast majority of the boats on the water. If you have an even larger fishing machine, up the ante to a Ram 2500 and you can haul 13,600. You want even more towing capacity? The 3500 is rated for 18,550, the 4500 for 18,400, and the 5500 is rated for 18,350 pounds. What about the extras a truck needs for towing? Even the base-model Rams come with a pre-wired seven-pin trailer wire harness and a four-pin connector. They also have heavy-duty and/or auxiliary transmission oil coolers, which are imperative for serious tow vehicles. And Ram’s electric shift-on-demand transfer case ensures you can climb hills and take downgrades with ease. Options you should consider for improved towing include extended mirrors and a receiver hitch, though higher-end models come already equipped with a class IV receiver. You also get electric trailer brake controls, which allow you to

Photos: Mercury Marine; Ram truckss

Texas Tested

Ram 1500 pickup.

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automatically or manually apply the trailer brakes as needed. Of course, you’ll also have to choose your powerplant. Options range from a 4.7L V8 to the 5.7L HEMI to the 6.7L Cummins turbo diesel. The king-daddy is, of course, the 350-hp turbo diesel—which creates 800 lb-ft of torque. With this bad boy under the hood, the tow rating gets boosted up to 22,750. If your boat weighs any more than this, you probably should be towing it with an 18-wheeler and a “Wide Load” escort. Not sure which version of the Ram is right for you and your load? Ram has a towing guide on their web site, at www.ramtrucks.com, that lets you sort out the different models and options by tow weight or load type.

Grate Chef FireStarters

packets. You only need one but I used more just to make sure. I always seem to go over the top. These Firestarters are not only for a good campfire either! You could use them to start your stubborn charcoal as well and have your dinner at a decent hour! What is really nice is that there is no odor that may seem harmful. I used to hate the smell of lighter fluid on my steaks.

Try them…I think you’ll like what you see. For more information reach them at www.gratechef.com. —Lou Marullo

—LR

Photo: Grate Chef

I have finally found a product that works all the time …rain or shine. Made by Grate Chef, these Firestarters work like a charm. I took some camping and was glad I did. What a campsite without a little rain? I thought I’d give these Firestarters a real test on damp wood. I was amazed at

Grate Chef FireStarters

how long they burned and yes, they started a nice fire to keep these old bones warm and dry. Each package contains 6 Firestarter T F & G

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Industry Insider

At a time when most boat manufacturers were hunkered down, slowing production and waiting for the economy to show better signs of recovery, Tommy Hancock and Dale Martin took a major leap of faith. The two boating industry veterans started Sportsman Boats, building 20 to 25 foot Bay and Offshore boats. Boat building is a family tradition for Hancock. His father owned Citation Boats where Tommy worked and where he met Martin. When Hancock’s father sold Citation in 1985, Martin went on to found Key West Boats in Ridgeville, SC. The following year, Hancock founded Sea Pro Boats near Columbia, SC. As Sea Pro grew, it was moved to larger factories, all in his home state of South Carolina, ﬁrst in Chapin in 1991, then to Newberry in 1996. The business prospered, building 17 to 25 foot Bay, Center Console, Walkaround and Dual Console saltwater fishing boats. The boats were so popular that the Brunswick Corporation, parent company of brands like Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Bayliner, and Mercury motors contacted Hancock in early 2004 about buying Sea Pro. “We weren’t looking to sell,” recalls Hancock, “but Brunswick was a great company, the biggest in the industry, with a good growth and acquisition plan.” Sea Pro joined the saltwater boat division of Brunswick in December of 2004. “They had a great plan,” Hancock said. Unfortunately, the economy started downhill, hit Brunswick hard, as it did the entire marine industry, and the Sea Pro line was shut down. After selling Sea Pro, Hancock found 62 |

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Photos: Sportsman Boats

Sportsman Boats and its Dynamic Duo

Sportsman Heritage 229 deep-V center console boat.

the freedom to enjoy himself, spending more time ﬁshing and traveling with his family. Coincidentally, Martin had sold his interest in Key West in 2003. Martin and Hancock had kept in touch, each knowing the other still had a strong interest in building boats again. The “Dynamic Duo” of Hancock and Martin began looking at ways to reenter the marine industry. They conducted market surveys and talked to both dealers and boat manufacturers to determine what was selling and why. “The economy was our biggest concern but we felt that we had seen bottom and there was signs of recovery” said Hancock. These guys, having more than 50 years of combined boat building experience with 70,000 plus happy boat owners to their credit, are arguably the brightest and most experienced in the saltwater fish boat market today and

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undeniably the most successful. They explored the opportunity to buy an existing boat builder but ultimately decided that they didn’t want to buy in to old models with dated designs and old tooling (molds). “Technology has advanced so much,” Hancock explained, “in design as well as in tooling like 5-axis CNC routers that just didn’t exist when we were building boats before.” This new technology is costly but helps us to bring a superior product to market. On September 19, 2011, they took the plunge and launched Sportsman Boats. Their ﬁrst model was the Heritage 229, a 22 ½ foot deep V center console ﬁshing boat. The 229 was followed by the Masters 227, a 22 ½ foot bay boat, the Masters 207, a 20 ½ Dale Martin foot bay boat, the (left) and Tommy Hancock of Sportsman Boats.

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Boat is King, I want to focus on some of the great features found on the “Masters Series” Bay Boats. Along with extreme high quality, no wood construction, great ride and performance the “Masters Series” Bay Boats include 2 aerated livewells plus an aerated release / 3rd livewell that is standard on the 227 and 247 but optional on the 207, large anchor locker, 2 locking rod lockers that will hold 10 rods along with lots of other gear, a very comfortable leaning post, large front and rear casting decks, 5 pull up cleats, easy to clean yacht style nonskid. The ergonomically designed console features Yamaha digital gauges, hydraulic steering, stainless steel steering wheel with turning knob, built in deep footwell, large lockable glove compartment, easy front access to a large storage area inside the console and plenty of room to mount up to a 12” screen GPS / depthfinder just below your line of sight. And then there is “Total Access.” At first glance you see the large rear casting deck but when you raise the center lid it exposes a safe and comfortable ¾ bench seat that is large enough for two adults. Being positioned at center will protect your passengers from the spray, rain and wind that has always been a problem with side jump seats commonly found on other bay boat brands. Raise the stainless gas shock assisted seat bottom to expose a lockable storage compartment not found on other bay boats and is large enough for an average size man to sit in below deck level. There you will realize how massive the storage area is but behind a removable bulkhead, you will also find easy access to the boats livewell, bilge and fuel systems as well as the engine electrical and mechanical cabling. To learn more about Sportsman Boats, you can go on line to: www. sportsmanboatsmfg.com or better yet, go see one at your local Sportsman dealer’s showroom or upcoming Boat Show.

Cop-Boat Tested Performance Uncle Norm’s introduces an improved “Shark Fin,” which is a retractable rudder for inboard jets that improves maneuverability and stability, stops hydroplaning

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in tight turns, reduces response time and provides solid tracking which takes a lot of work off the driver. Uncle Norm’s Marine Products has been working with law enforcement agencies to improve the operation of jet boats operated in the rivers of the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Canada. As a result, the officers have reported having far greater slow speed control when working around other boaters and people in the water. They report much tighter turn rates and a greater steering response when needing to make quick adjustments to avoid logs or other debris. The “Shark Fin” is easily installed to the jet nozzle of Hamilton, American Turbine and Extreme – Marine Power jet pumps. The design is totally passive. Photo: Uncle Norm Marine Products

Heritage 211, a 21 foot deep V center console fishing boat, and most recent, the Masters 247, a 24 ½ foot bay boat. In addition to the five existing models, a Heritage 251 is scheduled to arrive this Spring. There are three additional models that are now on the drawing board that are also planned to be introduced in 2013. “We did a lot of preliminary work in that timeframe – opening the business, producing designs and building molds. It was a lot of hard work but we’re excited!” Hancock said. “Having enough orders has not been a problem, the problem then and now is keeping up with demand and that’s a good problem to have.” The company initially leased 20,000 square feet of space in Summerville, SC. but within three months expanded to 40,000 square feet and today they are in hot pursuit to purchase a much larger facility they will be able to call home. Sportsman built just under 300 boats in 2012 and is projected to build between 550 and 600 boats in 2013. Within weeks of opening they had hired 14 employees, now the workforce has grown to 40 and it is projected to grow to 50 to 55 in 2013. That should enable them to produce Sportsman boats at a pace to meet their projections. Milo Hanckel, owner of Hanckel Marine in Charleston, was a Sea Pro dealer and the ﬁrst dealer for Sportsman. When he ﬁrst learned about the new company, his immediate reaction was: “It’s about time! What took you so long?” He’s enthusiastic, not only about the phenomenal product Sportsman is producing but also because of his admiration of Hancock’s and Martin’s knowledge and integrity in boat building. A dealer network has come together rather quickly with quality dealers from the North East down to Florida and over to Texas. In Texas alone there are eight dealerships carrying Sportsman Boats today and I am sure there is one near you. Look for Sportsman’s full page ad in this magazine which has most of their Texas dealers listed. Sportsman has put together a lineup of high quality Bay and Offshore boats that have features that are fresh, functional and have many things you won’t find with any other brand. There is a mass of outstanding features on the Heritage Series boats but since we are in Texas where the Bay

The Shark Fin retractable ruddor works on both inboard jets and prop engines. It increases turning tightness and stability, and reduces bow rise and cavitation.

Install it and forget it. The fin system is a trailing link design that works with gravity and water pressure. In addition, the trailing link design simply rides up and over an obstacle which protects the nozzle and pump from being damaged from impact the way that other fixed jet boat rudders do. See it in action on the Uncle Norm’s Marine Products You-Tube channel. Similar results are achieved for prop boats. Fins for prop boats add powerful rudder action that tightens turns, quickens response rate, increases stability, reduces bow rise, reduces cavitation, improves the effectiveness of autopilots and reduces wake. For more information, visit the website www.UncleNormsMarineProducts.com.

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Guided Field Sharpener After successfully bringing the Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener to market in 2010, Darex has since been actively listening to their customers and has created a new sharpener that best meets the field sharpening needs of sportsmen and heavy knife users – The Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener 2.2.1. This quality tool is made by Darex LLC in Ashland, Ore.; the same people who brought you the Drill Doctor brand of drill bit sharpeners. Legendary knife maker, Ken Onion said of the Guided Field Sharpener, “ I am impressed with the clever details like the magnetic plate holders, angle guides, round ceramics and strop, all in a small easy to carry package. It is by far the best manual, portable sharpener I have ever used.” “The Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener ($34.95) comes with two diamond plates (coarse and fine), two ceramic rods (coarse, fine and fish hook groove) and even a leather strop,” says Kyle Crawford, Work Sharp product manager. “This tool delivers New guided field professional sharpener from the sharpening growing line Work results with no Sharp Knife & Tool skill required Sharpeners. at a

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very competitive price.” All Work Sharp products are designed, engineered and assembled in Ashland, Ore. Visit www.worksharptools.com for more information.

New Polymers from S&W Smith & Wesson Corp. has announced that four new models have been added to the Company’s premier line of M&P poly-

Four new models have been added to Smith & Wesson’s premier line of M&P polymer pistols.

mer pistols. Based on the popular Pro Series line of competition ready firearms, the new M&P C.O.R.E (Competition Optics Ready Equipment) models offer consumers a specialized platform for adding accessory optics to their personal handguns. Engineered to accept six popular styles of competition based optics, the M&P C.O.R.E models are easily adapted to meet any demand. At the foundation of the new M&P C.O.R.E. resides a specialized mounting platform on the slide of the pistol that can be conveniently changed to match the desired optic. Through

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the use of removable brackets, consumers are able to simply install the corresponding mounting screws to achieve the precise fit and height required. Designed to work in conjunction with the Trijicon RMR, C-More STS, Leupold DeltaPoint, Docter, Insight MRDS and JPoint, the M&P C.O.R.E. offers quick and custom sight installation for the industry’s top aftermarket red-dot sight manufacturers. The new M&P C.O.R.E. models will be available in both 9mm and .40 S&W with either a 4.25 or 5-inch barrel configuration. Engineered as a true competition platform, each model will retain original design features including a polymer frame with a through-hardened stainless steel slide and barrel, ambidextrous operating controls, striker fire action and Melonite finish. For improved handling the M&P C.O.R.E. models feature a new textured interchangeable back strap with prominent stippling. Three patented palmswell grips are supplied with each pistol, providing shooters the ability to tailor the grip size to their personal preference. For more information, visit www.smithwesson.com

Photos: Darex; Smith & Wesson:

Fish and Game Gear

New Fit for DeSantis Pocket Shot Singled out by Gunspec.com as “redefining concealed carry,” the DeSantis A L M A N A C

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Photo: DeSantis:

For more information, visit www.desantisholster. com or Facebook www. facebook.com/DeSantisHolster. You may also email them at sales@ desantisholster.com or speak with a Customer Service Representatives directly at 800-GUNHIDE (800-486-4433). The DeSantis Pocket Shot ready-to-fire holster has “redefined concealed carry.”

Photo: Sportsman Boats:

Pocket Shot is a unique, ready-to-fire solution for your compact auto. This brilliant concealed pocket holster is no larger than a typical smartphone and can easily be disguised as a wallet. When the moment comes, there’s no need to “draw,” as your weapon. The Pocket Shot allows you to fire without physically removing your gun from the holster! Honed from black leather, the #110 is ambidextrous, and fits many of the most popular .380’s and 9mm’s. Style #110 retails for $39.99 and please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. DeSantis Gunhide is a leading holster manufacturer for city, state and federal law enforcement agencies, the U.S. armed forces, as well as hunting/sport shooting organizations around the world. DeSantis delivers a full range of holster products and accessories designed to meet or exceed the needs of its customers.

Sportsman’s Heritage 229 The Heritage 229 is a well built, beautifully laid out 22 1/2’ boat that is very functional, rides and handles well and has a great look. It was the first in the Heritage series, followed by the 211 and there is a 251 due out Spring 2013. A couple of unique features include the “Total Access” Hatch, and an “Any Type” anchor locker. The patent pending “Total Access” Hatch located at the stern, opens to an enormous storage area and also allows for easy access to all boat systems for maintenance. The bow anchor locker is designed to hold in place all types of anchors, Danforth to grappling. Standard features include: a console with lockable head compartment, Yamaha digital gauges, Bluetooth stereo and plenty

of room on the dash for two big screens. The bow includes cushioned seating with backrests and lots of storage. Also there is a very comfortable leaning post, rear bench seat, two livewells, washdown and a dive ladder. Popular options include: T-Top with electronics box, rocket launchers, spreader & courtesy lights, Hardtop with integrated electronics box, spreader & courtesy lights, 4 stereo speakers,& misting system, Freshwater washdown, Colored hull sides, bottom or full hull color, Ski tow bar, Trim Tabs, Taco outriggers and more. Specifications: Length: 22′ 6″, Beam: 8′ 6″, Transom deadrise: 18 degrees, Entry deadrise: 55 degrees, Draft:14″, Dry weight: 2,750 pounds, Fuel capacity: 103 gallons Learn more Sportsman boats at www. sportsmanboatsmfg.com

ONLINE STORE Shop for innovative, new and hard-to-find outdoor gear at

www.FishandGameGear.com

Sportsman Heritage 229

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Hotspots Focus: Upper Coast

by Capt. Eddie Hernandez

Best of Both Worlds

Key on obvious areas trout use as ambush points.

hen it comes to fishing Sabine Lake in January, it’s best not to think of it as wintertime fishing. A more accurate perspective would be to think of it as Southeast Texas wintertime fishing. Winter and Southeast Texas winter can be and often are at opposite ends of the spectrum. We really never know what we’re going to get from day to day. It can be bonechilling and blustery one day and shorts and t-shirt weather the next. There are lots of days here on Texas’ upper most coast when the temperature var-

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ies almost that much in the same day. I call these thirty-eighty days. These are the days that you wake up to lows in the upper 30’s and have sunshine filled afternoons with highs pushing 80 degrees. It’s like having the best of both worlds. Where else can you fish winter patterns in the morning, then switch gears and fish spring like conditions in the afternoon? Break out the waders at daylight on a nice, hard mud bottom, armed with topwaters and slow sinkers and there’s a decent

chance that you’ll get to do battle with your personal best trout then go for numbers as you tempt them with soft plastics while drifting flats and structure in the afternoon. Locate mullet and your odds go way up in either scenario. Sometimes the obvious signs such as nervous water, or actually seeing schools of finger mullet on the surface are not an option, so savy anglers have learned to rely heavily on their sonar to locate pods of baitfish on points, ledges, guts and ridges over mud and shell. Even though it doesn’t always feel like winter, baitfish can be pretty scarce this month, so it is a good idea to use every tool you’ve got available to keep the advantage in you’re favor. Finding baitfish is super critical in the winter months and can be the difference between putting fish in the ice chest or going home empty handed. Key on areas like points, drop offs, ledges and even changes in water color that the trout will use as ambush points. Whether you’re donning the waders on a brisk morning or drifting on a sunny afternoon, if you can find the mullet, there’s a good chance you’ll also find the fish.

the bank bite Location: Mesquite Point, South end of Pleasure Island Species: Redfish, whiting, croaker, black drum Baits/Lures: Fresh dead shrimp, live finger mullet, cut mullet Best Times: Moving tides in the morning

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Hotspots Focus: Galveston

by Capt. Mike Holmes

A New Year Looms, With A Decent Start

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that the new flounder regulations include a daily bag limit of 5 fish of 14” or better per person, and that is also the possession limit. A few of those bull reds might be had this month, also. When I spent all my time surf fishing near San Luis Pass, my records showed at least some catches of big reds in every month of the year, but admittedly January and February were the months with the fewest reds. I have also seen tarpon in the January surf, but that is also not something I’d bet heavily on, either. I have never personally caught a big black drum in the surf in any month, but it does happen – especially off beachfront piers – and January would be the right month for it. Mostly, though, January is the month

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There was evidence of a strong flounder presence in the ICW December.

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o the “natural” world, if not the political side! Hopefully, that area too can see improvement over 2012. Not just addressing the main election of 2012 here but also such strange things as the Sportsmen’s Act of 2012, containing 17 key provisions pushed by hunters, fishermen and conservationists being killed in the US Senate over a measure to increase the price of ducks stamps. It seems the duck stamp issue was supported by waterfowl hunters and related industries, so go figger. Back to OUR world, that of fishing the Texas coast. January will bring some cool weather, but although rains were not torrential in late 2012, there was enough to keep water levels much higher than in recent years and salinity inshore is back where it should be. Fishing will be slow, but that is a normal thing for January on our coast. Deep holes that normally hold fish in cool weather should give up some catches of reds and specks for those with the patience to work lures VERY slowly, or to tend a dead bait over a period of time. Live baits will do better, of course, but can be hard to come by this time of year. There was evidence of a strong flounder presence in the ICW in December, so it could be time to head them off at the passes as they begin their migration to deeper Gulf waters. Of course, some portion of the flounder population remains in the ICW and nearby areas all winter, especially in really mild winters. Shrimpers working the “ditch” for bait shrimp often drag up some really impressive flounder at this time of year, and good catches can be made using even larger cut bait such as we might normally look at for bull reds. Remember

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to visit the boat show, take trips to more southerly climes, plan fishing trips a few months in advance or seek pan-fish like whiting and croaker. For those who do not fear the weather, really cold nights are the

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Hotspots Focus: Matagorda

by Mike Price

Key on Peak Tides

ides in January tend to be low; therefore you should time your fishing trips to correspond to tides at, or approaching, their highest points. Pick days with strong incoming or outgoing tidal currents. Selecting locations to fish that have deep guts will also enhance your chances of coming home with fish when the water is cold. My wife, Janet, and I anchored our

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boat at the point where a bayou with deep guts and shallow oyster reefs met the bay. We launched our kayaks and started paddling into the bayou. The tide was high and incoming. The trout-green 52°F water was promising; it was a cloudy day with a temperature of 65°F and the wind was from the south at 5 to 15 mph. Two guys were coming out of the bayou in their boat as we went in. I asked, “Did you catch any fish.” Their answer was, “A few,” which in fisherman speak means, “A lot.” The redfish were turned on and hit spoons and soft plastic lures and it wasn’t long before we had both limited. Old Gulf Cut leading from the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) into East

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Matagorda Bay, and Mad Island Cut from the ICW into West Matagorda Bay are good spots to anchor and fish from a boat in January. In West Matagorda Bay between Green’s Bayou and Pipeline on the south shore, there are three boat lanes leading to houses. These boat lanes provide deep gut locations to drift fish from a boat and usually hold trout and redfish in the winter. Kayak fisherman can access Parker’s Cut from the road running parallel to the old Colorado River, FM 2031. You launch near the LCRA Nature Center sign, paddle across the river, portage for about 200 yards and then re-launch into Parker’s Cut. The water is about 4 feet deep in the main cove, with several bayous leading into West Matagorda Bay. This area holds both trout and redfish in the winter, but you have to take into consideration the amount of fresh water coming from the Colorado River, which flows into West Matagorda Bay just above Parker’s Cut. If there is too much fresh water, the fish will move west into the bay. January can produce some very cold weather and water. In 2010, Jeff Wiley and I fished one of our favorite bayous after a serious cold spell when the night temperatures dropped into the 20’s. The water temperature in the bays had dropped to dangerously low levels for fish, 44.5°F. Wayne Dodd with Texas Parks and Wildlife told me that a fish kill will take place if the air temperature drops below freezing and stays there for 36 hours. When we launched at Matagorda Harbor, we saw dead mangrove snapper, snook and mullet on the launch ramp. Jeff walked the banks of the bayou and I kayaked. Before I could get around the first bend, Jeff had hooked his first of three redfish. It was 24-inches, red and bronze colored, and had three spots on its tail. The bite was a light tap, and then another, and finally the line moved, signaling a time to set the hook. I caught three redfish as well, but we also saw three redfish that could not A L M A N A C

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Galveston focus stand the cold, floating belly up. Cold water reduces the amount of algae in the bays and this makes the water very clear on light wind days. The clear water gives the fish the advantage of seeing your lure better, and sometimes they will not hit a lure that does not act or look right. To counter that, you may want to use realistic looking and acting lures like the Wedgetail Stanley Mullet or Bass Assassin soft plastics in realistic colors. Many people stay home in January, but fish have to eat too and if you select the right day, time, and place you will have a good day on the water.

the bank bite Where: Colorado River at night under lights Species: speckled trout Baits: Soft plastic shrimp Contact Mike Price at MPrice@fishgame.com

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t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 67 time to be near the Gulf outlets of coastal rivers or other streams fishing under lights for speckled trout. This can be done from piers or boats, and the fishing can be “hot” enough to almost make a person forget the cold. Red snapper fishing beyond the waters of the Gulf under Texas jurisdiction is closed, but either bottom depressions or structure can hold snapper closer to shore usually mixed with good sized Gulf trout – the “common” cousin of the speckled trout, and like the speck, properly classified as a “weakfish.” Redfish will sometimes also be in this mix, so watch those limits! Here’s wishing all of you a good new year from the Holmes family, and many happy returns of the same!

the bank bite Location: Again, deep holes in cold water will be the best spots to seek most

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fish species. The others have gone south for the winter. Species: Speckled trout and redfish CAN be found, with patience and persistence. Black drum are starting to move through the passes as well as flounder. Pan-fish might be found all month. Best Baits: Fish don’t chase bait as much in cooler water, so work even natural baits slowly across the bottom, hoping to encounter a hungry critter with enough energy to whack it. Best Times: Moving water on either side of the peak high tide, and a nice sunny day helps a lot.

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.

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Hotspots Focus: Rockport

by Capt. Mac Gable

Embrace The Chill!

any believe there are better months to fish than January. The cold grey wet days are not for the weak at heart and the plentiful live bait days of summer are long gone. If one can find bait, it’s usually mud minnows or almost comatose live shrimp. For bait chunkers cut bait usually rules the day and then the long slow soak of baits is in order. The feeding frenzies of the warmer months are like a long lost day gone by. As one fishes these cold days, one wonders how those up north brave such conditions. Those prank bait chunkers (artificial) that were true to their game and stuck it out through the warmer months watching live bait anglers load the fish cleaning stations

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with limits of fish now have the advantage. Their patience through the hot days of summer is an exercise and education that can’t be taught or read from books. Hard or soft lures, top waters, deep runners or poppers, texture, color, action, retrieval speed, line weight, leader material, ah yes, the science of artificial fishing. These, just to mention a few, are second nature to the angler that has plied their artificial trade through live bait season. I love to wade fish this time of year. The shallow, cold gin-clear bay water reveals its secrets as only one that wades will discover. Unlike fresh water lakes, our bays change, grow and decline from season to season. Sand bars moved by weather and tidal flows can appear and disappear in weeks just ask those that have replaced lower units (I’ve been across that spot a hundred times and never hit a thing. Now that same spot boogers my lower unit.) Shell reefs are constantly expanding when left alone or can decline rapidly when over harvested. Those

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that wade in the colder months can see these changes or, better yet, feel the changes with the soles of your waders as I do. Shell, soft sand, hard sand, black mud, soft mud, or killer’s mud, the knowledge of these elements can pay huge dividends on days when one struggles to find fish. Every year I discover new areas and learn why some of my old areas did not produce fish the previous year. Construction areas, like new bridges, new spoil areas or dredging activities, are another area that deserves a close look for two reasons. First, these new areas may hold unknown underwater obstructions that can exact an expensive toll on you or your boat or fishing gear. Second, these areas also often offer new habitat for fish. Don’t overlook these areas as opportunities for some really hot fishing action, especially as the colder days of winter give way to inevitably warmer days. For my money I like artificial this time of year. Soft plastics in glow or electric grape are hard to beat day in and day out. Top waters this time of year have not been as effective over the years. The lack of bay bait and the absence of insects I believe make top water a better choice for late March and early April. A secret this time of year is the flounder bite that normally would be almost nonexistent in our area. Low water levels often create large bodies of water in the back eddies of bay systems that become landlocked, trapping some nice flounder. If you discover some of these areas, soft plastics or scented artificial baits in pumpkin or white and yellow are very effective. A mistake often made when fishing these cold days is a delayed hook set. Don’t confuse slow retrieves with lethargic hook sets. Often a bite will feel like the smallest vibration, similar to a lure or bait bumping a protruding oyster shell. If you delay the hook set you more than likely will miss the fish especially when fishing with artificial. Have you ever accidently taken a bite of real-life-looking decorative fruit (YES, I HAVE) and your immediate thought or A L M A N A C

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reaction is, “Get that outta my mouth?” Well, while other much more sensitive senses are at play with our scaly friends, the reaction is much the same, even with baits like scented Berkley Gulp. The bite will be a light tap and if you allow the time, the fish will quickly discover it’s not the real thing and spit it out. Rule of thumb: Two taps in the summer months set the hook, the slightest tap in winter set the hook. Short bites are a different game. You pull the lure in and it’s bitten off just short of the hook. In my experience for winter fishing a second bite will not ensue. Simply take the soft plastic off and cut/bite off the head shortening the lure and feed it back on the hook. If you make it too short, you won’t get the right action from the tail like with grubs and jerk shad type baits. No tail vibration equals no bites, so there is a bit of a science here. Just play with it and you’ll get the hang of what works. Again, not my favorite for this time of year, hard lures like Super Spooks, Rattle Traps, and Mirrolures etc. They can be effective but work best when winter days hover above average temperatures especially for five or more days. The lack of bait in the bays cause the fish to feed off the bottom churning up the limited number of shrimp and crab locked tight to the bottom due to the cold temperatures. While the drum family is known for this, it is also something trout will do as well when times get hard. In areas where there is a lot of oyster shell, this can and does cause sensitive mouths and lips on fish that frequent these abrasive-type bottom areas. So softer lures and baits are usually the ticket. Take a look at a black drum or red the next time you catch one in January and examine the lips. Often they look like red bloodshot eyes. It goes without saying, they prefer something soft. So if the holidays leave you with housetossis but the cold days of this month just don’t look inviting for a fishing outing, suck it up, get your neoprene waders out and that left over bag of soft plastics and put some fresh gas through the outboard that’s been sitting up for months. Fill a thermos with your favorite coffee and hit the water to discover new areas. And YES, catch some fish. After all, anybody can catch’em on Blue Bird days. Besides, coffee just seems to taste better after a long nice cold wade.

mouth and inlets of Swan Lake. It is best to wade fish or fish from a shallow draft boat, as it’s very shallow. Mud minnows on a light Carolina rig works well here. The deeper water transition off of Black Point is good for black drum using peeled shrimp free lined or on a fish finder rig. Shell Bank Reef is still holding some trout with free lined live shrimp the preferred bait. Aransas Bay — Dead Man Island is good for black drum using peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig. Get your bait as close to the shell as possible and be patient allowing the drum to take the bait for a few seconds before lightly setting the hook (drum have soft mouths so Herculeses’ hook sets are not necessary). The deep edges of the mouth of Turtle Bayou are good for reds and trout using mud minnows and or live shrimp. Free lining is best here or a very light Carolina rig with tidal movement. St Charles Bay — The mouth of East Pocket is good for reds using Berkley Gulp Shrimp in new penny colors or DOA shrimp. Twin Creeks is good for black drum and a few keeper reds using free lined live shrimp. The mouth of McHugh Bayou is good for reds using cut mullet (the fresher the better) on a fish finder rig. Carols Bay — The east cove of Cedar Reef is good for trout using sand eels in brown and golden flakes. The west shoreline near Bludworth Island is a good wade

for reds using new penny Jerk Shad. Cedar Dugout is good for trout and reds using deep running red and bone lures like rattle traps or super spooks. Mesquite Bay — Some flounder in Brays Cove drifting using white grubs jigs tipped with pieces of squid or shrimp. With a north wind Third Chain is good for reds free lined using cut mullet and or menhaden. The deeper water reefs east of the mouth of Cedar Bayou are good for trout using DOA shrimp in glow. Ayers Bay — Ayers Dugout is good for reds and trout using a live shrimp under a silent cork. Second Chain is holding some black drum as well as the shoreline of Rattlesnake Island. Peeled shrimp is the right bait here free lined or on a light Carolina rig.

the bank bite A long wade from the north end of LBJ causeway to Newcomb Point is good for reds and trout using Berkley Jerk shad in new penny or nuclear chicken glow. Contact Capt. Mac Gable at Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601

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Hotspots Focus: Lower Coast

by Calixto Gonzales

Fish of a Different Stripe

anuary is one of those months comparable to a .500-level sports team. There are great days where everything goes right, and then there are days where you should have stayed in bed. The weather can be very unstable, with the wind turning from the Southeast to the Northwest almost instantly as Canadian fronts barrel down from the North. You can have some simply gorgeous days with light winds and trout green water, and within a matter of hours the wind could howl from the North and the waters of Lower Laguna Madre can turn into the color of Nestle Quik. Redfish and trout are hard to locate in water that turns murky with the slightest whiff of a norther, and when the weather moderates and high pressure settles in, the fish that are cruising the air-clear flats are colt-skittish and hard to get in casting range. Flounder are literally nowhere to be found, and black drum are in the middle of their two migrations. The water is too cold for mangrove snapper and the surf too rough too often for pompano and whiting. As one can guess, you can just forget about snook and tarpon. Nope, the first month of the year is not the time to expect fish-a-minute action. Hope’s not lost for fishermen hoping to get on the water in January, however. There are fish that will cooperate, even if the wind is coming from the wrong direction. There are some hard fighters out there that offer some top-notch table fare for anglers hoping to put a few fillets in the oven (for related details, see the feature “Cold Comfort” and this month’s Saltwater column, “Well

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Grounded,” elsewhere in this issue). Sheepshead are a plentiful Lower Laguna Madre species that make their presence felt in winter and they never got the memo about how bad the fishing is supposed to be. Few fish are more capable of turning a winter’s day fishing from bust to boon as quickly as these barred, stout fish with the funny teeth can. They readily bite the simplest of rigs, fight hard, and provide the patient fish cleaner with white, flaky fillets that are an culinary delight when fried or baked with a bit of lemon pepper and little else for seasoning. They grow big too, with several 6-8 pounders caught every year and a couple over ten pounds annually brought to net for added excitement. The last two state records, including the current record, a 15 ½ brute, were caught off of a South Padre Island fishing pier. Shorebound anglers have as much a chance to latch into a few convict fish as easily any other angler. Sheepshead start aggregating in good numbers and congregate around pilings and jetties after the first serious cold front in November and stick around until the water begins to warm in late April. In January, sheepshead are feeding aggressively to build up mass to convert to eggs later in March, and the numbers of fish available to fishermen jumps exponentially. The fact that they are feeding heavily makes them relatively easy to coax into hitting a baited hook. The great part of the winter sheepshead run is the easy-access nature of the fishery. On days when the weather permits, all a fisherman needs to do is head to the Brazos Santiago Jetties on South Padre Island with some live or fresh shrimp, usually the latter. Live bugs are hard to come by when strong fronts encourage them to bury themselves deeper into mud than trawl nets can reach. Use a reasonably stout spinning or conventional outfit with 15 pound line to catch a quick limit of five sheepies over 15-inches long. The easiest rig involves a #2 Longshank hook three feet under a popping cork, with a #3 split-shot sinker six inches above

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the hook to hold everything down. Toss the rig up against the rocks and wait. The float holds the bait above the rocks and also indicates when a sheep is grazing on your bait. Boaters also have an easy time of it when they search for sheep. The Queen Isabella Causeway is loaded with them. Anchor up underneath the Causeway and allow your boat to drift within 10 feet of the pilings. Free-lining a live shrimp up against the pilings is all it takes. Again, you will want to use stout tackle for this application, because there are some big fish down there, and you want to force them away from the pilings and into open water as soon as you can. Another productive spot for January sheepshead is the Port Isabel Turning Basin. The docks and rip-rap hold sheepshead. The pilings of the large dock along the south end of the channel is a popular spot. The loading dock near the old cement factory just of that is another spot. Both are accessible by boat only, but are worth some investigation. Don’t be surprised if you latch into some chunky mangrove snapper, too. If there is a stretch of mild weather that warms water temperatures, Mangroves break out of the mullygrubs and feed a little more actively. They’ll hold higher in the water column than sheepshead, but they’ll take the same baits as the sheepshead will. If there is not around a set of pilings, move on to other ones. You should locate some sheepshead with a minimal of effort. Once you do, hang on, because these fish will give you the full measure before coming to the boat.

the bank bite Location: South Jetties Species: Sheepshead, whiting. Tips: Use live or fresh shrimp on a bottom rig; float rig near the rocks. Contact Calixto Gonzales at CGonzales@fishgame.com A L M A N A C

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409-790-8107 captgreg@saltwaterassault.net TIPS: Work soft plastics or mirro-lures over the deeper shell. Live shrimp if you can get it will work well.

UPPER GULF COAST

Pick Jack’s Pocket for Speckled Trout by GEORGE KNIGHTEN gtkphoto@yahoo.com

LOCATION: Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Jacks Pocket GPS: N29 46.25148, W94 44.06514 (29.770858, -94.734419) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Top dogs, Bass Assassins, mirro-lure Provoker, live shrimp under a cork CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 gtkphoto@yahoo.com galvestonbayguideservice.net TIPS: Good wading in the flats on the top end. may also be some bird action left. LOCATION: Christmas Bay HOTSPOT: North Shoreline GPS: N29 3.6288, W95 12.18372 (29.060480, -95.203062) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Top Dogs, Bass Assassins, Corkys CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 gtkphoto@yahoo.com galvestonbayguideservice.net TIPS: Can be waded or drifted depending on the wind. Very protected in a north wind. LOCATION: East Galveston HOTSPOT: Anahuac Wildlife Refuge GPS: N29 34.32672, W94 33.65736 (29.572112, -94.560956) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Top Dogs, Corkys, Bass Assins, mirro-lures T F & G

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

CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 gtkphoto@yahoo.com galvestonbayguideservice.net TIPS: Great wade-fishing spot for large trout. Protected from the north winds you get this time of year. topwaters or slow sinkers like the Corky will work well. Also the original 51 MRS mirro-lures work very well. LOCATION: East Galveston HOTSPOT: Blacks Shoreline GPS: N29 31.08528, W94 31.89606 (29.518088, -94.531601) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Top Dogs, Corkys, BassAssins, mirro-lure CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 gtkphoto@yahoo.com galvestonbayguideservice.net TIPS: Good wade-fishing spot. Slow sinkers like the Corky or work soft plastic lures like Mirro-lures Provoker or Bass Assassins. Mullet imitation lures will produce large trout. LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Greens Cut GPS: N29 15.74634, W94 58.37142 (29.262439, -94.972857) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Bass Assassins, live shrimp, mirro-lure provoker CONTACT: Capt. Greg Francis

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LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Jones Bay GPS: N29 18.13596, W94 56.13378 (29.302266, -94.935563) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: or live shrimp under a cork CONTACT: Capt. Thomas Barlow, 281-827-6815 texxan2000@yahoo.com TIPS: Drift or wade the shell islands and surrounding shell. Work areas with active bait. Look for slicks. LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Campbell’s Reefs GPS: N29 19.50558, W94 53.4018 (29.325093, -94.890030) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Soft plastic lures, Bass Assassins CONTACT: Capt. Greg Francis 409-790-8107 captgreg@saltwaterassault.net TIPS: Drift or wade the shell humps along the shoreline, look for active bait. LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Offatts Bayou Long Reef GPS: N29 16.7976, W94 51.6123 (29.279960, -94.860205) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Soft plastic or live bait CONTACT: Capt. Thomas Barlow 281-827-6815 Notoriosguideservice.com TIPS: Very coarse shell. If you let your lure go to the bottom you may hang up, use 1/8 leadhead. This is a ridge of shell very close to deep water, good winter spot. LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Chocolate Bay

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Texas Hotspots GPS: N29 11.17116, W95 7.43514 (29.186186, -95.123919) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastic lures, Bass Assassins CONTACT: Capt. Greg Francis 409-790-8107 captgreg@saltwaterassault.net TIPS: Drift the shell reefs in the middle of the bay. The water gets very clear in the winter, you should be able to spot the shell humps. Go slow use caution, some of the reefs are very shallow.

MIDDLE GULF COAST

Rockport Reds Under Quarantine by GEORGE KNIGHTEN gtkphoto@yahoo.com

LOCATION: Rockport HOTSPOT: Quarantine Area GPS: N27 52.51686, W97 3.00648 (27.875281, -97.050108) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Dead shrimp, live or Cut Mullet CONTACT: Capt. Charlie Newton 361-729-8220 TIPS: Use a 1-ounce egg sinker on a drop line with dead shrimp, cut or live mullet. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: ICW GPS: N27 31.167, W97 19.293 (27.51945, -97.32155) SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, gold spoons; soft plastics in Avocado/chartreuse, Motor Oil/chartreuse, Pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Fish deeper water after a cold front for trout that will be holding in warmer water. Redfish will be up on the flats as 74 |

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the day warms up. Live shrimp or a soft plastic on a light jighead should work for the trout. A gold spoon or a soft plastic/ Mauler combo are effective for redfish. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Crash Channels GPS: N 27 38.503, W 97 16.758 (27.641717, -97.279301) SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish, flounder

BEST BAITS: live shrimp/popping cork, soft plastics in Plum/chartreuse, Limetreuse, Rootbeer/red flake CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Use your trolling motor to fish around the points and drop-offs of the crash channels north and south of the JFK Causeway. Cast from shallow to deep. Hop soft plastics along the bottom with a 1/4-ounce jighead. There might also be some flounder, so be aware of any soft tap.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: King Ranch N. of Point of Rocks GPS: N27 21.106, W97 23.433 (27.351767, -97.39055) SPECIES: redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Plum/chartreuse, Limetreuse, Rootbeer/red flake. Live shrimp CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Look for grasslines in deeper (4-foot) water and swim jigs along them. Darker colors are the order of the season, with Plum and Rootbeer patterns moving to the front of the list of lure choices. If the fish are being finicky, switch over to live shrimp under a popping cork. That might get their attention. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Humble Channel GPS: N 27 38.619 W 97 16.555 (27.643656, -97.27591) SPECIES: flounder BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Plum/char-

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treuse, Limetreuse, Rootbeer/red flake; live shrimp, finger mullet CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: The channel presents one of winter’s best flounder bets. Live shrimp or finger mullet should be worked slowly on the bottom. A little used, but extremely effective, strategy is the ping your shrimp or mullet on a Road Runner bucktail and swim it along the bottom very slowly. The blade gives off just enough vibration to get a flatty’s attention.

LOWER GULF COAST

Land at the Airport for Laguna Reds by CALIXTO GONZALES cgonzales@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Airport Cove GPS: N26 10.425, W97 17.89398 (26.173750, -97.298233) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live bait, cut bait; Soft plastics in mullet, gold spoons/red teasers CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956-551-9581 TIPS: Watch for tailing reds and mudboils. Use live shrimp or cut bait on bottom rigs or popping corks while drifting. Gold spoons work great on sunny days. Use a red bucktail or plastic tail for added attraction. Slow topwaters work early on warm days. LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado HOTSPOT: Rattlesnake Cove GPS: N26 19.32198, W97 19.56 (26.322033, -97.326000) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters, gold spoons, cut ballyhoo or mullet, live shrimp or piggy perch under a popping cork, Gulp! shrimp under popping cork CONTACT: Captain Richard Lopez, A L M A N A C

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956-207-4715 TIPS: Watch for mud boils. Fish hang out over mud or chilly days to take advantage of the heat retained from the sun. Fish shallow water late morning and mid day. Use topwaters and gold spoons if fish are active bait if fish are sluggish. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: The Shacks GPS: N26 23.93202, W97 20.59098 (26.398867, -97.343183) SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp, Gulp! shrimp in New Penning, Rootbeer CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956-551-9581 TIPS: Schools of slot-sized black drum are active when other fish aren’t. Anchor near abandoned pilings and fish with live or fresh shrimp on split shot rigs near bottom or slowly drag a Gulp! Shrimp on a 1/2-ounce head. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Bayside Drive GPS: N26 10.22598, W97 18.012 (26.170433, -97.300200) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, cut ballyhoo, soft plastics in Salt/Pepper, clear/red flake, gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956-551-9581 TIPS: Fish closer to shore with a prevailing wind. Watch for cruising fish. Back off and fish deeper water as the day continues, or on cooler days. Bait is best, but soft plastics and Corkies are also effective. Use darker colors over mud. LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Land Cut GPS: N26 49.56402, W97 28.12902 (26.826067, -97.468817) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Catch 5ís in Smoke, pinfish patterns; Soft plastics in red/white, Bone-chartreuse, gold or chrome spoons CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu, 979942-0165 TIPS: Fish the eddie near the gut on an outgoing tide. Watch for nervous bait as a key to busy fish. Suspending plugs such as the Catch Series are tough lures to beat. Fish the points as the tide peters out. T F & G

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LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Big Oaks GPS: N26 42.55638, W97 27.98472 (26.709273, -97.466412) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Pearl/red, strawberry/white, topwaters in Bone, chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu, 979942-0165 TIPS: Fish deeper water for redfish. Intercept them with gold spoons or soft plastics fished along the weedlines. Waders should walk parallel to the shoreline from the point northward. LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Bennie’s Shack GPS: N26 27.65202, W97 24.732 (26.460867, -97.412200) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters in Bone, chrome/blue, 1/4-1/2-ounce gold spoons, soft plastics in red/white, fire tiger CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu, 979942-0165 TIPS: The muddy cove is good for redfish. Topwaters are still effective. Fish soft plastics in deeper water during the day and late afternoon. LOCATION: South Bay HOTSPOT: Mouth of South Bay GPS: N26 2.583, W97 11.073 (26.043050, -97.184550) SPECIES: flounder BEST BAITS: live shrimp, mud minnows, live finger mullet, soft plastics in dark colors CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956-551-9581 TIPS: Fish the deep edges of the mouth. Use a split shot rig with a #2 Khale hook or VMC flounder hook. If the tide is moving in or out, switch to a 1/2-ounce egg sinker. Use a 1/4-3/8 ounce ball or-football head jig to bounce soft plastics off bottom. LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: Holly Beach GPS: N26 8.29098, W97 17.004 (26.138183, -97.283400) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Cut mullet, cut ballyhoo, Gulp! shrimp in Rootbeer/Gold and New Penny

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Texas Hotspots CONTACT: Captain Richard Cadengo, 956-434-2521 TIPS: Fish the shallows near the Texaco channel on mild days with cut bait. If weather has been warm use the same cut bait or soft plastics under a noisy float to attract aggressive fish. Fish slower on cloudy or cooler days.

PINEY WOODS

Crappie Crowd Toledo Brushpiles by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: Main Lake River Ledges GPS: N31 44.80596, W93 49.07598 (31.746766, -93.817933) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Shiners, jigs CONTACT: Greg Crafts, gregcrafts@yahoo.com, 936-368-7151, toledobendguide.com TIPS: January means great crappie action at Toledo Bend. Crappie will be bunched up on natural and man-made brush tops along the old river channel shelves and ledges. They will move deeper as the temps drop. Fish vertically. LOCATION: Caddo HOTSPOT: Big Cypress Channel GPS: N32 43.02366, W94 7.11324 (32.717061, -94.118554) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: swimbaits, RAT-l-traps, plastic worms CONTACT: Paul Keith, caddoguide1@att.net, 318-455-3437, caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish the edges of the river channel where the grass edges and lily pad stems are located. Warm weather will pull the fish up on the edges of the channel and on colder days the fish will stay out deeper. LOCATION: Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake 76 |

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GPS: N30 24.09162, W95 36.09396 (30.401527, -95.601566) SPECIES: hybrid striper BEST BAITS: Live shad, Storm Swim Shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch, admin@fishdudetx.com, 936-2911277, fishdudetx.com TIPS: Vary your depths you fish the lures because the fish may be at 20 feet one day and 40 feet the next. It all depends where the schools of shad are located. Find the shad and you will find the hybrids. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: SRA Point GPS: N32 49.053, W95 31.831 (32.81755, -95.530517) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: hair jigs and live minnows CONTACT: Mike Rogge, 903-383-3406, www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: Crappie will still be out on the main lake humps in front of Little Boy Point, SRA Point, Chaney Point, and Bird Island. Fish jigs and minnows on a slip bobber, testing the depth until fish are found. Then tighten the bobber and have fun. LOCATION: Livingston HOTSPOT: River Channel Dropoff GPS: N30 45.38646, W95 6 (30.756441, -95.100000) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Buffalo, carp, tilapia CONTACT: David S. Cox, dave@palmettoguideservice.com, 936291-9602, palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Big blue and flathead catfish prowl here. Use scaled and filleted tilapia, buffalo or carp rigged on Carolina rigs with 1/2 to 1-ounce egg sinkers. Drift the bait on the bottom in 12 feet of water near the 45-foot drop-off into the river channel. LOCATION: Lake O the Pines HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N32 45.17766, W94 30.03174 (32.752961, -94.500529) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: crankbaits, plastic worms, Rat-L-Traps

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CONTACT: Sonny Kopech, 903-5928221, Marion.Kopech@HDSupply.com TIPS: Work parallel to the of the dam, casting ahead of the boat and use a medium retrieve with crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps for bass feeding along the dam. Four-inch Rattlesnake worms on a Carolina rig with 1/4-ounce Wedge Head weights also work well here.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Dead Fish Cove is Anything But by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Fayette County HOTSPOT: Dead Fish Cove GPS: N29 56.0946, W96 43.03074 (29.934910, -96.717179) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: shad, cut bait, punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, weldon_edna@hotmail.com, 979-2293103, FishTalesGuideService.com TIPS: The cove blocks north winds on cool days and warms during the day when south winds blow. Use a Carolina rig 1n 8-10 feet of water with one-foot leader. Anchor, chum the area and fish tight line if moss is not thick on bottom, slip cork otherwise. LOCATION: Cedar Creek HOTSPOT: The Dam GPS: N32 11.0022, W96 4.80744 (32.183370, -96.080124) SPECIES: hybrid striper BEST BAITS: Bass Assassins, Flukes, soft plastics on jigheads CONTACT: Jason Barber, kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com, 903603-2047, www.kingcreekadventures.com TIPS: Begin in front of the dam. Lower baits near the bottom, place rods in rod holders and fish very slowly drifting or with trolling motor.

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LOCATION: Cooper HOTSPOT: Dam Brushpile GPS: N33 20.37996, W95 38.7438 (33.339666, -95.645730) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Crappie jigs CONTACT: Tony Parker, tawakonifishing@yahoo.com,903-3481619, tawakonifishing.com TIPS: Use your sonar unit to find the brush in this area and other brush piles on the lower end of the lake marked on various lake maps. Anchor over the brush pile and fish the jigs vertically. Black-chartreuse is one of the best colors. LOCATION: Lavon HOTSPOT: Mallard Park GPS: N33 3.07692, W96 26.08506 (33.051282, -96.434751) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: cut shad CONTACT: Billy Kilpatrick, straightlineguide@yahoo.com, 214232-7847, straightlineguide.com TIPS: Blue catfish up to 15-20-pounds are on the prowl, feeding in the windy coves. Use cut shad on heavy-action rods and heavy line. Fish the shad off the bottom. LOCATION: Lavon HOTSPOT: Face of the Dam GPS: N33 2.07828, W96 27.99558 (33.034638, -96.466593) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: live minnows, jigs CONTACT: Billy Kilpatrick, straightlineguide@yahoo.com, 214232-7847, straightlineguide.com TIPS: The water has begun a major cool down and the fish have migrated to the south end of the lake along the dam. They are suspended 3-8 feet off the bottom in 22-30 feet of water. Use a sonar to locate structure, spider rig rods with minnows and jigs.

455-2894, bobby-catfishing.com TIPS: The catfish are in their winter pattern. Anchor on the main-lake humps and channels 30-60 feet deep. Anchor over where you locate schools of shad on your depth finder. Use a Santee-Cooper rig with 2-0z. weight, 24-1nch leader, 5-0 circle hook. LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: Highway 31 Channels GPS: N32 18.24624, W95 27.10728 (32.304104, -95.451788) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Jigs, Football Shakey Heads CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, ricky@rickysguideservice.com, 903561-7299, rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish the backs of the creeks and sloughs here around stumps or brush. Fish very slowly and make several casts in the more productive areas when the water temperatures are in the 40s and 50s. LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: Hwy.155 Bridge Brushpiles GPS: N32 8.80566, W95 28.3278 (32.146761, -95.472130) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Small crappie jigs, small live minnows CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff,

ricky@rickysguideservice.com, 903561-7299, rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Use white-pink or chartreusegreen jigs. Fish the brush piles near the pilings. Also fish the rocks along the face of the dam in 18-25 feet of water with jigs or small minnows. LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: Henderson Point GPS: N32 3.71034, W95 26.40678 (32.061839, -95.440113) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Chicken hearts, night crawlers CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, ricky@rickysguideservice.com, 903561-7299, rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Use your depth finder to locate gradual drop-offs in 14-25 feet of water out from Henderson Point. Drift the chicken hearts or night crawlers along the edges of the drop-offs. LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: Henderson Point GPS: N32 3.71034, W95 26.40678 (32.061839, -95.440113) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Spoons, topwaters CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, ricky@rickysguideservice.com, 903561-7299, rickysguideservice.com

LOCATION: Lewisville HOTSPOT: Main Lake Channels GPS: N33 5.27052, W96 59.1537 (33.087842, -96.985895) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Fresh gizzard shad or threadfin shad CONTACT: Bobby Kubin, bobby@bobby-catfishing.com, 817T F & G

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Texas Hotspots TIPS: Work topwater lures early in the shallows close to the bank and keep a watch for occasional feeding action at the surface. Move out into deeper water after the sun rises and slowly bounce spoons and slabs off the bottom. LOCATION: Somerville HOTSPOT: Rocky Creek Roadbed GPS: N30 18.68646, W96 33.47754 (30.311441, -96.557959) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, worms, stinkbait, chicken livers CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, weldon_edna@hotmail.com, 979-2293103, FishTales-Guide Service.com TIPS: Set out two rods with Carolina rigs using one-ought Kahle hooks and 3/4-ounce weights for cut shad. Fish the northeast side of the marker in 15-18 feet of water. No. 4 treble hooks work best for stinkbait and chicken livers. LOCATION: Tawakoni HOTSPOT: Cedar Cove Hump GPS: N32 51.1461, W95 55.08024 (32.852435, -95.918004) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Sassy Shads, Flukes, Slabs CONTACT: Michael Littlejohn, michaellittlejohn@yahoo.com, tawakoniguideservice.com TIPS: Bounce the lures off the bottom all around this small hump until you get hit, then drop a buoy marker to stay on top of the school of white bass. Keep an eye out for feeding gulls to locate other fish in the area. LOCATION: Texoma HOTSPOT: Soldier’s Creek Area GPS: N33 55.01118, W96 39.681 (33.916853, -96.661350) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: Sassy Shad jigs, Slabs CONTACT: Bill Carey, bigfish@striperexpress.com, 877-7864477, striperexpress.com TIPS: Locate schools of shad along the edges of the channel, especially in the bends, keeping two buoy markers handy. Mark the school with the markers and fish 78 |

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vertically with Sassy Shad jigs and Sabs, Live gizzard shad on Carolina rigs. LOCATION: Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: Windsock Point GPS: N31 56.42784, W96 7.1991 (31.940464, -96.119985) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: 1-ounce Silver Glitter RSR Slabs CONTACT: Royce and Adam Simmons, royce@gonefishing.biz, 903-389-4117, www.gonefishing.biz TIPS: Watch for gulls and pelicans feeding on injured shad at the surface. Concentrate on drop-offs in the Windsock Point area in water 30-40 feet deep. Lower the lures to the bottom and work them up slowly.

PANHANDLE

Drill Oil Well for White Bass by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Oil Well Slough GPS: N32 55.39098, W98 27.90792 (32.923183, -98.465132) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, jigs CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: The white bass, hybrid stripers and stripers are moving up-river toward their spawning grounds. Fish from this area to the mouth of the river. Concentrate on the points and channel drop-offs. LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Old Post Office Slab GPS: N32 54.536, W98 27.252 (32.908933, -98.4542) SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: live minnows, cut bait, slabs, jigs CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-779-

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2597, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: A lot of cold fronts and cold weather are the fare in January, but the fish don’t mind. They have been stacking up at the north end of the lake waiting for the first smell/taste of fresh water coming down stream. This dictates slow fishing. On occasion, you’ll see active fish working under the birds. Then you can pick up the pace.

BIG BEND

Go Out on a Ledge for Amistad Bass by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Amistad HOTSPOT: Arapahoe Ledges GPS: N29 36.36912, W100 57.6816 (29.606152, -100.961360) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Sassy Shad jigs, plastic worms CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl, stan@amistadbass.com, 830-7683648, amistadbass.com TIPS: There are several rock ledges near the channels with stumps here. Fish small jigs or finesse worms on light line on the ledges in 18-25 feet of water and set the hook at the slightest tap. Fish slowly and gradually work deeper as the sun rises.

HILL COUNTRY

Granger Catfish Get Friendly by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Granger HOTSPOT: Friendship Point GPS: N30 42.87636, W97 20.47854 A L M A N A C

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(30.714606, -97.341309) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, cut bait, perch CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, crappie1@hotmail.com, 512-3657761, www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: This is the best time of the year to catch 10-20-pound blue catfish that are feeding on shad dying off from cold winter temperatures and blown to the shorelines. Try various depths. Jug lines also work well this time of the year. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Rocky Point GPS: N30 48.521, W98 23.871 (30.808683, -98.39785) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: 3-inch JDC Drop-shot Worms with Tru-tungsten 1/4-ounce dropshot weights, clear plastic baits like Pumpkinseed or Watermelon. CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, kandie@ gvtc.com, 210-823-2153 TIPS: Work the ledges on the points in 12-25 feet of water hitting main lake and secondary creek points LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Potter’s Creek GPS: N29 54.612, W98 14.1474 (29.910200, -98.235790) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Jigging spoons CONTACT: Steve Nixon, steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com, 210-573-1230, sanantoniofishingguides. com TIPS: Drop the jigging spoons to the bottom and jig them slowly about one-foot up and down at a time. Use your electronics to target the edge of the creek channel. Chartreuse, yellow and chrome are the best colors. LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Turkey Cove GPS: N29 51.846, W98 13.152 (29.8641, -98.2192) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: JDC drop-shot worms, Carolina rigged lizards in Watermelon Candy CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210823-2153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Work the largemouth bass in 12-25 feet using drop-shot rig with 1/4T F & G

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ounce Tru-Tungsten drop-shot weights with JDC 3 drop-shot worms. .. LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Potter Creek Park GPS: N29 54.11682, W98 15.65886 (29.901947, -98.260981) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Bass Kandie Baby Buster finesse worm CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, kandie@ gvtc.com, 210-823-2153 TIPS: Fish the Baby Busters on a dropshot rig with 3/4-ounce Picasso Tungsten weights along the steeper drop-offs. Fish pumpkin, Watermelon or Junebug Baby Busters very slowly and expect light strikes.

thousands of 1- to 3-pound catfish that are swimming among the roots. The bobber isn’t just a strike indicator; it will also keep your bait out of the branches and tangles just waiting to grab your tackle. Use stout tackle to horse these feisty whisker fish out of the water and into your cooler. On a good day, the action is ridiculous.

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS

Pre-Spawn Action on Falcon Creeks by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Pre-Spawn Creeks GPS: N26 49.1766, W99 13.04094 (26.819610, -99.217349) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Jigs, plastic worms, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Robert Amaya, robertsfishntackle@gmail.com, 956765-1442, robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Fish the outside brush and trees along the edges of the creeks with black and blue jigs and large plastic worms or cast white spinnerbaits in the pockets. Carolina-rigged worms also can pay off when worked over submerged brush on the points. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Big Tiger GPS: N26 44.326, W99 8.750 (26.738767, -99.145833) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: cut bait, prepared baits CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956765-4866 TIPS: Fish the flooded brush with cut bait underneath a bobber for the literally

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Tides and Prime Times

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Jan 1

Low Tide: 12:24 am High Tide: 4:13 am Low Tide: 12:01 pm High Tide: 7:58 pm

PRIME TIME 0.74 ft. 0.82 ft. -0.21 ft. 0.99 ft.

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 5:57 am High Tide: 2:32 pm Low Tide: 5:54 pm High Tide: 10:02 pm

-0.54 ft. 0.99 ft. 0.92 ft. 0.99 ft.

1:30 — 3:30 AM

Sunrise: 7:36a Set: 5:49p Moonrise: 3:07a Set: 2:02p AM Minor: 12:57a AM Major: 7:12a PM Minor: 1:26p PM Major: 7:41p Moon Overhead: 8:36a Moon Underfoot: 9:05p

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PRIME TIME

High Tide: 4:45 am 0.86 ft. Low Tide: 11:49 am -0.51 ft. High Tide: 7:07 pm 0.91 ft.

8:00 — 10:00 AM

Sunrise: 7:36a Set: 5:55p Moonrise: 9:26a Set: 9:27p AM Minor: 7:37a AM Major: 1:25a PM Minor: 8:02p PM Major: 1:50p Moon Overhead: 3:24p Moon Underfoot: 2:59a

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 6:40 am High Tide: 4:20 pm Low Tide: 8:40 pm High Tide: 10:24 pm

-0.42 ft. 0.84 ft. 0.79 ft. 0.80 ft.

9:30 — 11:30 AM

Low Tide: 6:52 am High Tide: 3:27 pm Low Tide: 7:33 pm High Tide: 11:00 pm

8:30 — 10:30 AM

Low Tide: 12:42 am High Tide: 5:59 am Low Tide: 12:32 pm High Tide: 7:36 pm

Low Tide: 7:23 am High Tide: 4:25 pm Low Tide: 9:05 pm High Tide: 11:17 pm

Sunrise: 7:34a Set: 6:02p Moonrise: 2:33p Set: 3:55a AM Minor: 1:36a AM Major: 7:48a PM Minor: 2:01p PM Major: 8:13p Moon Overhead: 9:38p Moon Underfoot: 9:14a

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High Tide: 3:22 am Low Tide: 10:35 am High Tide: 6:07 pm Low Tide: 11:01 pm

PRIME TIME 0.84 ft. -0.42 ft. 0.89 ft. 0.48 ft.

7:00 — 9:00 AM

Sunrise: 7:31a Set: 6:08p Moonrise: 7:55p Set: 8:08a AM Minor: 6:07a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:30p PM Major: 12:19p Moon Overhead: 1:36a Moon Underfoot: 1:59p

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High Tide: 4:15 am Low Tide: 11:07 am High Tide: 6:28 pm Low Tide: 11:42 pm

7:30 — 9:30 AM

Sunrise: 7:30a Set: 6:09p Moonrise: 8:52p Set: 8:42a AM Minor: 6:57a AM Major: 12:45a PM Minor: 7:19p PM Major: 1:08p Moon Overhead: 2:22a Moon Underfoot: 2:44p

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Low Tide: 8:01 am High Tide: 4:33 pm Low Tide: 9:05 pm

4:00 — 6:00 AM

PRIME TIME 0.18 ft. 0.63 ft. 0.02 ft. 0.80 ft.

9:30 — 11:30 AM

PRIME TIME -0.52 ft. 0.89 ft. 0.81 ft.

3:00 — 5:00 AM

Sunrise: 7:33a Set: 6:03p Moonrise: 3:22p Set: 4:44a AM Minor: 2:19a AM Major: 8:32a PM Minor: 2:44p PM Major: 8:56p Moon Overhead: 10:27p Moon Underfoot: 10:02a

PRIME TIME 0.79 ft. -0.30 ft. 0.86 ft. 0.35 ft.

PRIME TIME -0.92 ft. 1.16 ft. 0.98 ft.

Sunrise: 7:35a Set: 5:57p Moonrise: 10:38a Set: 11:25p AM Minor: 9:26a AM Major: 3:14a PM Minor: 9:49p PM Major: 3:37p Moon Overhead: 4:58p Moon Underfoot: 4:35a

2:00 — 4:00 AM

Sunrise: 7:34a Set: 6:01p Moonrise: 1:47p Set: 3:03a AM Minor: 12:54a AM Major: 7:06a PM Minor: 1:17p PM Major: 7:29p Moon Overhead: 8:50p Moon Underfoot: 8:26a

Low Tide: 1:43 am High Tide: 7:23 am Low Tide: 1:13 pm High Tide: 8:03 pm

9:00 — 11:00 AM

PRIME TIME -0.48 ft. 0.88 ft. 0.81 ft. 0.83 ft.

9:00 — 11:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:36a Set: 5:51p Moonrise: 5:18a Set: 3:58p AM Minor: 2:44a AM Major: 9:00a PM Minor: 3:16p PM Major: 9:31p Moon Overhead: 10:38a Moon Underfoot: 11:10p

Sunrise: 7:35a Set: 5:56p Moonrise: 10:03a Set: 10:27p AM Minor: 8:33a AM Major: 2:21a PM Minor: 8:57p PM Major: 2:45p Moon Overhead: 4:12p Moon Underfoot: 3:48a

Low Tide: 7:45 am High Tide: 4:13 pm Low Tide: 8:35 pm

2:30 — 4:30 AM

PRIME TIME 0.34 ft. 0.74 ft. -0.24 ft. 0.85 ft.

PRIME TIME 0.61 ft. 0.71 ft. -0.06 ft. 0.94 ft.

Set: 5:45p Sunrise: 7:35a Moonrise: 10:57p Set: 10:40a AM Minor: 9:12a AM Major: 3:01a PM Minor: 9:34p PM Major: 3:23p Moon Overhead: 4:23a Moon Underfoot: 4:45p

Sunrise: 7:36a Set: 5:50p Moonrise: 4:13a Set: 2:57p AM Minor: 1:50a AM Major: 8:05a PM Minor: 2:20p PM Major: 8:35p Moon Overhead: 9:36a Moon Underfoot: 10:07p

Low Tide: 1:15 am High Tide: 5:31 am Low Tide: 12:36 pm High Tide: 8:20 pm

PRIME TIME -0.76 ft. 1.11 ft. 0.98 ft. 1.04 ft.

january 2013

WEDNESDAY

Sunrise: 7:35a Set: 5:45p Moonrise: 10:00p Set: 10:06a AM Minor: 8:21a AM Major: 2:10a PM Minor: 8:44p PM Major: 2:33p Moon Overhead: 3:38a Moon Underfoot: 4:00p

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 5:17 am 0.73 ft. Low Tide: 11:40 am -0.14 ft. High Tide: 6:47 pm 0.82 ft.

8:00 — 10:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:30a Set: 6:09p Moonrise: 9:51p Set: 9:16a AM Minor: 7:48a AM Major: 1:36a PM Minor: 8:11p PM Major: 1:59p Moon Overhead: 3:07a Moon Underfoot: 3:30p

G a m e ®

T F & G

THURSDAY

Low Tide: 2:10 am High Tide: 7:25 am Low Tide: 1:15 pm High Tide: 8:38 pm

PRIME TIME 0.43 ft. 0.61 ft. 0.14 ft. 0.90 ft.

10:00P — 12:00A

Set: 5:46p Sunrise: 7:35a Moonrise: 11:56p Set: 11:14a AM Minor: 10:02a AM Major: 3:50a PM Minor: 10:25p PM Major: 4:14p Moon Overhead: 5:08a Moon Underfoot: 5:32p

10 «

High Tide: 12:09 am Low Tide: 8:38 am High Tide: 4:53 pm Low Tide: 9:21 pm

PRIME TIME 1.06 ft. -1.00 ft. 1.16 ft. 0.92 ft.

5:00 — 7:00 AM

Sunrise: 7:36a Set: 5:51p Moonrise: 6:19a Set: 5:04p AM Minor: 3:42a AM Major: 9:57a PM Minor: 4:13p PM Major: 10:28p Moon Overhead: 11:41a Moon Underfoot: None

Low Tide: 2:47 am High Tide: 9:00 am Low Tide: 1:51 pm High Tide: 8:29 pm

PRIME TIME 0.02 ft. 0.56 ft. 0.28 ft. 0.76 ft.

10:00A — 12:00P

Sunrise: 7:35a Set: 5:57p Moonrise: 11:13a Set: None AM Minor: 10:16a AM Major: 4:04a PM Minor: 10:39p PM Major: 4:27p Moon Overhead: 5:44p Moon Underfoot: 5:21a

High Tide: 12:11 am Low Tide: 8:34 am High Tide: 4:45 pm Low Tide: 9:02 pm

PRIME TIME 0.86 ft. -0.55 ft. 0.90 ft. 0.79 ft.

3:30 — 5:30 AM

Sunrise: 7:33a Set: 6:04p Moonrise: 4:13p Set: 5:30a AM Minor: 3:03a AM Major: 9:15a PM Minor: 3:27p PM Major: 9:39p Moon Overhead: 11:15p Moon Underfoot: 10:51a

Low Tide: 12:27 am High Tide: 6:32 am Low Tide: 12:16 pm High Tide: 7:03 pm

PRIME TIME 0.20 ft. 0.67 ft. 0.06 ft. 0.79 ft.

9:00 — 11:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:29a Set: 6:10p Moonrise: 10:50p Set: 9:52a AM Minor: 8:40a AM Major: 2:28a PM Minor: 9:04p PM Major: 2:52p Moon Overhead: 3:54a Moon Underfoot: 4:18p

A L M A N A C

12/21/12 4:58 PM

Tides and Prime Times

FRIDAY

4»

Low Tide: 3:06 am High Tide: 9:33 am Low Tide: 1:59 pm High Tide: 8:53 pm

SATURDAY PRIME TIME

0.22 ft. 0.60 ft. 0.36 ft. 0.88 ft.

10:00A — 12:00P

january 2013

PRIME TIME

Tide Station Correction Table (Adjust High & Low Tide times listed in the Calendar by the amounts below for each keyed location)

SUNDAY

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 4:04 am High Tide: 11:34 am Low Tide: 2:53 pm High Tide: 9:08 pm

12:00 — 2:00 AM

-0.03 ft. 0.68 ft. 0.58 ft. 0.89 ft.

Low Tide: 5:00 am High Tide: 1:17 pm Low Tide: 4:09 pm High Tide: 9:27 pm

-0.29 ft. 0.84 ft. 0.78 ft. 0.94 ft.

12:30 — 2:30 AM

Sunrise: 7:36a Set: 5:47p Moonrise: None Set: 11:50a AM Minor: 10:52a AM Major: 4:40a PM Minor: 11:16p PM Major: 5:04p Moon Overhead: 5:55a Moon Underfoot: 6:20p

Set: 5:47p Sunrise: 7:36a Moonrise: 12:57a Set: 12:29p AM Minor: 11:43a AM Major: 5:30a PM Minor: ----- PM Major: 5:55p Moon Overhead: 6:45a Moon Underfoot: 7:11p

Set: 5:48p Sunrise: 7:36a Moonrise: 2:01a Set: 1:12p AM Minor: 12:06a AM Major: 6:20a PM Minor: 12:34p PM Major: 6:48p Moon Overhead: 7:39a Moon Underfoot: 8:07p

11 «

12 l

13 «

High Tide: 1:19 am Low Tide: 9:28 am High Tide: 5:30 pm Low Tide: 10:06 pm

PRIME TIME 1.07 ft. -1.00 ft. 1.12 ft. 0.81 ft.

6:00 — 8:00 AM

Sunrise: 7:36a Set: 5:52p Moonrise: 7:15a Set: 6:12p AM Minor: 4:41a AM Major: 10:56a PM Minor: 5:11p PM Major: 11:26p Moon Overhead: 12:41p Moon Underfoot: 12:11a

Low Tide: 3:53 am High Tide: 10:55 am Low Tide: 2:23 pm High Tide: 8:54 pm

PRIME TIME -0.11 ft. 0.56 ft. 0.49 ft. 0.75 ft.

6:00 — 8:00 PM

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 2:27 am Low Tide: 10:17 am High Tide: 6:04 pm Low Tide: 10:54 pm

6:30 — 8:30 AM

1.04 ft. -0.91 ft. 1.06 ft. 0.67 ft.

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 3:35 am Low Tide: 11:04 am High Tide: 6:36 pm Low Tide: 11:46 pm

0.97 ft. -0.74 ft. 0.98 ft. 0.51 ft.

7:30 — 9:30 AM

Sunrise: 7:36a Set: 5:53p Moonrise: 8:04a Set: 7:19p AM Minor: 5:40a AM Major: 11:22a PM Minor: 6:09p PM Major: ----Moon Overhead: 1:39p Moon Underfoot: 1:11a

Sunrise: 7:36a Set: 5:54p Moonrise: 8:47a Set: 8:24p AM Minor: 6:39a AM Major: 12:26a PM Minor: 7:06p PM Major: 12:53p Moon Overhead: 2:33p Moon Underfoot: 2:06a

PRIME TIME

19 º

Low Tide: 4:55 am High Tide: 9:18 pm

-0.23 ft. 0.76 ft.

8:00 — 10:00 AM

Low Tide: 5:51 am High Tide: 4:20 pm Low Tide: 7:23 pm High Tide: 9:44 pm

-0.34 ft. 0.77 ft. 0.76 ft. 0.78 ft.

9:00 — 11:00 AM

Sunrise: 7:35a Set: 5:58p Moonrise: 11:48a Set: 12:21a AM Minor: 11:04a AM Major: 4:52a PM Minor: 11:27p PM Major: 5:15p Moon Overhead: 6:30p Moon Underfoot: 6:07a

Sunrise: 7:35a Set: 5:59p Moonrise: 12:25p Set: 1:16a AM Minor: 11:50a AM Major: 5:38a PM Minor: ----- PM Major: 6:01p Moon Overhead: 7:16p Moon Underfoot: 6:53a

Sunrise: 7:34a Set: 6:00p Moonrise: 1:05p Set: 2:10a AM Minor: 12:11a AM Major: 6:22a PM Minor: 12:34p PM Major: 6:46p Moon Overhead: 8:03p Moon Underfoot: 7:39a

25 «

26 «

27 ¡

High Tide: 1:01 am Low Tide: 9:05 am High Tide: 5:02 pm Low Tide: 9:19 pm

PRIME TIME 0.88 ft. -0.56 ft. 0.91 ft. 0.74 ft.

4:30 — 6:30 AM

Sunrise: 7:32a Set: 6:05p Moonrise: 5:07p Set: 6:14a AM Minor: 3:47a AM Major: 9:59a PM Minor: 4:11p PM Major: 10:23p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:39a

High Tide: 1:47 am Low Tide: 9:35 am High Tide: 5:23 pm Low Tide: 9:48 pm

PRIME TIME 5:00 — 7:00 AM

0.88 ft. -0.54 ft. 0.91 ft. 0.67 ft.

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 2:33 am Low Tide: 10:04 am High Tide: 5:45 pm Low Tide: 10:23 pm

0.87 ft. -0.50 ft. 0.91 ft. 0.59 ft.

5:30 — 7:30 AM

Sunrise: 7:32a Set: 6:06p Moonrise: 6:02p Set: 6:54a AM Minor: 4:33a AM Major: 10:45a PM Minor: 4:56p PM Major: 11:08p Moon Overhead: 12:03a Moon Underfoot: 12:26p

Sunrise: 7:31a Set: 6:07p Moonrise: 6:58p Set: 7:32a AM Minor: 5:19a AM Major: 11:31a PM Minor: 5:43p PM Major: 11:54p Moon Overhead: 12:50a Moon Underfoot: 1:13p

PRIME TIME

SYMBOL KEY

New Moon

First Quarter

T F & G

ALMANAC Digital.indd 81

Full Moon

PRIME TIME

Last Quarter Good Day

A L M A N A C

T e x a S

F i s h

best days

G a m e ®

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)

J A N 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

2 0 1 3

12/21/12 4:58 PM

Sportsman’s Daybook Tides and Prime Times

JANUARY 2013

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.

T9 T8 T7

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.

T6 T17

T15

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

T13 T5

T14

T16

T3 T2 T1

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

T18

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

T19

T20

PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month. PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.

T21

Tide Correction Table

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for Galveston Channel in the calendars.

KEY PLACE T1 Sabine Bank Lighthouse T2 Sabine Pass Jetty T3 Sabine Pass T4 Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass T5 Galveston Bay, S. Jetty T6 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 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39 T11

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

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

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 PLACE San Luis Pass T18 Freeport Harbor T19 Pass Cavallo T20 Aransas Pass T21 Padre Island (So. End) T22 Port Isabel T23

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

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE GRAPH:

Yellow: Daylight

12a

Tab: Peak Fishing Period

12p

12a

Light Blue: Nighttime

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 AM

Green: Falling Tide

Gold Fish: Best Time

Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

Blue Fish: Good Time

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

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY:

12a

AM/PM Timeline

82 |

AM/PM Timeline

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

Moon Overhead: 8:50a 6a

12p

12a

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

J A N U A R Y

ALMANAC Digital.indd 82

2 0 1 3

MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.) Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)

T e x a S

F i s h

G a m e ®

T F & G

A L M A N A C

12/21/12 4:58 PM

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

l = New Moon º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Best Day SUNDAY

= Peak Fishing 7:45-9:40 AM Period BEST:

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

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:30p Moonrise: 8:47p Set: None

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:31p Moonrise: 9:42p Set: 9:46a

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Dec 31

Jan 1

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

»4

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:31p Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:32p Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:33p Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 5:34p Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 5:34p Moonrise: 10:38p Set: 10:21a Moonrise: 11:36p Set: 10:56a Moonrise: None Set: 11:32a Moonrise: 12:36a Set: 12:12p Moonrise: 1:39a Set: 12:57p

AM Minor: 7:13a

PM Minor: 7:36p

AM Minor: 8:03a

PM Minor: 8:26p

AM Minor: 8:54a

PM Minor: 9:16p

AM Minor: 9:44a

PM Minor: 10:07p

AM Minor: 10:34a

PM Minor: 10:58p

AM Minor: 11:25a

PM Minor: 11:50p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:16p

AM Major: 1:01a

PM Major: 1:24p

AM Major: 1:52a

PM Major: 2:15p

AM Major: 2:43a

PM Major: 3:05p

AM Major: 3:32a

PM Major: 3:56p

AM Major: 4:22a

PM Major: 4:46p

AM Major: 5:12a

PM Major: 5:37p

AM Major: 6:02a

PM Major: 6:29p

Moon Overhead: 2:34a 6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 4:04a

Moon Overhead: 3:19a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 4:50a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:27a

Moon Overhead: 5:37a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 7:20a 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

12a

Tides and Prime Times for JANUARY 2013

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

12a

feet

Moon Underfoot: 2:57p

+2.0

BEST:

0 -1.0

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

8:30 — 10:30 AM

Moon Underfoot: 5:13p BEST:

0.74 ft. 0.82 ft. -0.21 ft. 0.99 ft.

T F & G

Low Tide: 1:15 am High Tide: 5:31 am Low Tide: 12:36 pm High Tide: 8:20 pm

0.61 ft. 0.71 ft. -0.06 ft. 0.94 ft.

A L M A N A C

Low Tide: 2:10 am High Tide: 7:25 am Low Tide: 1:15 pm High Tide: 8:38 pm

T e x a S

Moon Underfoot: 6:01p BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 PM 10:00P — 12:00A

High Tide: 3:17 am 0.90 ft. Low Tide: 12:24 am Low Tide: 11:26 am -0.34 ft. High Tide: 4:13 am High Tide: 7:32 pm 1.04 ft. Low Tide: 12:01 pm High Tide: 7:58 pm

ALMANAC Digital.indd 83

Moon Underfoot: 4:27p

BEST:

10:00A — 12:00P

0.43 ft. 0.61 ft. 0.14 ft. 0.90 ft.

0.22 ft. 0.60 ft. 0.36 ft. 0.88 ft.

Low Tide: 4:04 am High Tide: 11:34 am Low Tide: 2:53 pm High Tide: 9:08 pm

G a m e ®

Moon Underfoot: 7:48p

+2.0

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Low Tide: 3:06 am High Tide: 9:33 am Low Tide: 1:59 pm High Tide: 8:53 pm

F i s h

Moon Underfoot: 6:53p

12:30 — 2:30 AM

-0.03 ft. 0.68 ft. 0.58 ft. 0.89 ft.

J A N U A R Y

TIDE LEVELS

8:00 — 10:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 3:42p

Low Tide: 5:00 am High Tide: 1:17 pm Low Tide: 4:09 pm High Tide: 9:27 pm

2 0 1 3

-0.29 ft. 0.84 ft. 0.78 ft. 0.94 ft.

+1.0 0 -1.0

12/21/12 4:59 PM

Sportsman’s Daybook

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 5:35p Moonrise: 2:44a Set: 1:46p

Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 5:36p Moonrise: 3:51a Set: 2:42p

Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 5:37p Moonrise: 4:55a Set: 3:43p

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 5:38p Moonrise: 5:57a Set: 4:49p

Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 5:38p Moonrise: 6:53a Set: 5:56p

« 10

l 11

SATURDAY

« 12

Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 5:39p Moonrise: 7:42a Set: 7:03p

SUNDAY

« 13

Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 5:40p Moonrise: 8:27a Set: 8:07p

AM Minor: 12:39a

PM Minor: 1:08p

AM Minor: 1:31a

PM Minor: 2:02p

AM Minor: 2:26a

PM Minor: 2:58p

AM Minor: 3:24a

PM Minor: 3:55p

AM Minor: 4:22a

PM Minor: 4:53p

AM Minor: 5:22a

PM Minor: 5:51p

AM Minor: 6:21a

PM Minor: 6:48p

AM Major: 6:54a

PM Major: 7:23p

AM Major: 7:47a

PM Major: 8:17p

AM Major: 8:42a

PM Major: 9:13p

AM Major: 9:39a

PM Major: 10:10p

AM Major: 10:37a

PM Major: 11:08p

AM Major: 11:04a

PM Major: -----

AM Major: 12:08a

PM Major: 12:35p

Moon Overhead: 8:17a

12a

WEDNESDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:19a

Moon Overhead: 9:17a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 11:22a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:20p

Moon Overhead: 12:23p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:14p 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for JANUARY 2013

12a

feet

Moon Underfoot: 8:47p

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

BEST:

1:30 — 3:30 AM

2:30 — 4:30 AM

Low Tide: 5:57 am High Tide: 2:32 pm Low Tide: 5:54 pm High Tide: 10:02 pm

84 |

-0.54 ft. 0.99 ft. 0.92 ft. 0.99 ft.

Low Tide: 6:52 am High Tide: 3:27 pm Low Tide: 7:33 pm High Tide: 11:00 pm

J A N U A R Y

ALMANAC Digital.indd 84

2 0 1 3

Moon Underfoot: 10:51p BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 11:52p BEST:

4:00 — 6:00 AM

BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 AM

-0.76 ft. Low Tide: 7:45 am 1.11 ft. High Tide: 4:13 pm 0.98 ft. Low Tide: 8:35 pm 1.04 ft.

-0.92 ft. High Tide: 12:09 am 1.16 ft. Low Tide: 8:38 am 0.98 ft. High Tide: 4:53 pm Low Tide: 9:21 pm

T e x a S

F i s h

Moon Underfoot: None

BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 AM

1.06 ft. -1.00 ft. 1.16 ft. 0.92 ft.

G a m e ®

High Tide: 1:19 am Low Tide: 9:28 am High Tide: 5:30 pm Low Tide: 10:06 pm

T F & G

Moon Underfoot: 12:52a

High Tide: 2:27 am Low Tide: 10:17 am High Tide: 6:04 pm Low Tide: 10:54 pm

+2.0

BEST:

6:30 — 8:30 AM

1.07 ft. -1.00 ft. 1.12 ft. 0.81 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 1:48a 7:30 — 9:30 AM

1.04 ft. -0.91 ft. 1.06 ft. 0.67 ft.

High Tide: 3:35 am Low Tide: 11:04 am High Tide: 6:36 pm Low Tide: 11:46 pm

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 9:48p

0.97 ft. -0.74 ft. 0.98 ft. 0.51 ft.

+1.0 0 -1.0

A L M A N A C

12/21/12 4:59 PM

ALMANAC Digital.indd 85

12/21/12 4:59 PM

Sportsman’s Daybook

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

THURSDAY

Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 5:42p Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:42p Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:43p Moonrise: 9:44a Set: 10:08p Moonrise: 10:20a Set: 11:05p Moonrise: 10:56a Set: None

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:44p Moonrise: 11:32a Set: None

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

º 19

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:45p Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:46p Moonrise: 12:10p Set: 12:55a Moonrise: 12:50p Set: 1:49a

AM Minor: 7:19a

PM Minor: 7:44p

AM Minor: 8:15a

PM Minor: 8:39p

AM Minor: 9:08a

PM Minor: 9:31p

AM Minor: 9:58a

PM Minor: 10:21p

AM Minor: 10:46a

PM Minor: 11:08p

AM Minor: 11:31a

PM Minor: 11:55p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:16p

AM Major: 1:07a

PM Major: 1:32p

AM Major: 2:03a

PM Major: 2:27p

AM Major: 2:56a

PM Major: 3:19p

AM Major: 3:46a

PM Major: 4:09p

AM Major: 4:34a

PM Major: 4:57p

AM Major: 5:20a

PM Major: 5:43p

AM Major: 6:04a

PM Major: 6:28p

Moon Overhead: 3:05p

12a

WEDNESDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 4:40p

Moon Overhead: 3:53p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:25p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:57p

Moon Overhead: 6:11p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 7:44p 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

« 14

Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 5:41p Moonrise: 9:07a Set: 9:09p

Tides and Prime Times for JANUARY 2013

12a

feet

Moon Underfoot: 2:40a

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 AM

BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 AM

High Tide: 4:45 am 0.86 ft. Low Tide: 12:42 am Low Tide: 11:49 am -0.51 ft. High Tide: 5:59 am High Tide: 7:07 pm 0.91 ft. Low Tide: 12:32 pm High Tide: 7:36 pm

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Moon Underfoot: 4:17a

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BEST:

9:30 — 11:30 AM

0.34 ft. 0.74 ft. -0.24 ft. 0.85 ft.

0.18 ft. 0.63 ft. 0.02 ft. 0.80 ft.

F i s h

Low Tide: 2:47 am High Tide: 9:00 am Low Tide: 1:51 pm High Tide: 8:29 pm

Moon Underfoot: 5:48a BEST:

10:00A — 12:00P

Low Tide: 1:43 am High Tide: 7:23 am Low Tide: 1:13 pm High Tide: 8:03 pm

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Moon Underfoot: 5:03a

Moon Underfoot: 6:34a BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 PM 8:00 — 10:00 AM

0.02 ft. 0.56 ft. 0.28 ft. 0.76 ft.

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Low Tide: 3:53 am High Tide: 10:55 am Low Tide: 2:23 pm High Tide: 8:54 pm

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-0.11 ft. Low Tide: 4:55 am 0.56 ft. High Tide: 9:18 pm 0.49 ft. 0.75 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 7:20a

+2.0

BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 AM

-0.23 ft. Low Tide: 5:51 am 0.76 ft. High Tide: 4:20 pm Low Tide: 7:23 pm High Tide: 9:44 pm

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 3:29a

-0.34 ft. 0.77 ft. 0.76 ft. 0.78 ft.

+1.0 0 -1.0

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Sportsman’s Daybook

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:47p Moonrise: 1:32p Set: 2:41a

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:49p Moonrise: 3:07p Set: 4:21a

Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 5:49p Moonrise: 3:58p Set: 5:08a

Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 5:50p Moonrise: 4:51p Set: 5:52a

Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:48p Moonrise: 2:18p Set: 3:32a

« 25

SATURDAY

« 26

Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 5:51p Moonrise: 5:46p Set: 6:33a

SUNDAY

¡ 27

Sunrise: 7:10a Set: 5:52p Moonrise: 6:42p Set: 7:11a

AM Minor: 12:36a

PM Minor: 12:59p

AM Minor: 1:18a

PM Minor: 1:42p

AM Minor: 2:01a

PM Minor: 2:26p

AM Minor: 2:45a

PM Minor: 3:09p

AM Minor: 3:29a

PM Minor: 3:53p

AM Minor: 4:15a

PM Minor: 4:38p

AM Minor: 5:01a

PM Minor: 5:24p

AM Major: 6:47a

PM Major: 7:11p

AM Major: 7:30a

PM Major: 7:54p

AM Major: 8:13a

PM Major: 8:38p

AM Major: 8:57a

PM Major: 9:21p

AM Major: 9:41a

PM Major: 10:05p

AM Major: 10:26a

PM Major: 10:50p

AM Major: 11:13a

PM Major: 11:36p

Moon Overhead: 8:31p

12a

WEDNESDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:08p

Moon Overhead: 9:20p

12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:56p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: None

Moon Overhead: 11:44p

12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:31a

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for JANUARY 2013

12a

feet

+2.0 TIDE LEVELS

BEST:

-1.0

BEST:

9:30 — 11:30 AM

-0.42 ft. 0.84 ft. 0.79 ft. 0.80 ft.

0.86 ft. -0.55 ft. 0.90 ft. 0.79 ft.

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Sunrise: 7:10a Set: 5:53p Moonrise: 7:37p Set: 7:48a

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 5:54p Moonrise: 8:34p Set: 8:23a

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 5:55p Moonrise: 9:31p Set: 8:58a

Sunrise: 7:08a Set: 5:56p Moonrise: 10:30p Set: 9:34a

High Tide: 1:01 am Low Tide: 9:05 am High Tide: 5:02 pm Low Tide: 9:19 pm

0.88 ft. -0.56 ft. 0.91 ft. 0.74 ft.

5:30 — 7:30 AM

High Tide: 1:47 am Low Tide: 9:35 am High Tide: 5:23 pm Low Tide: 9:48 pm

FRIDAY

0.88 ft. -0.54 ft. 0.91 ft. 0.67 ft.

SATURDAY

Feb 1

High Tide: 2:33 am Low Tide: 10:04 am High Tide: 5:45 pm Low Tide: 10:23 pm

»3

Sunrise: 7:08a Set: 5:56p Sunrise: 7:07a Set: 5:57p Sunrise: 7:06a Set: 5:58p Moonrise: 11:31p Set: 10:12a Moonrise: None Set: 10:54a Moonrise: 12:34a Set: 11:41a

AM Minor: 6:39a

PM Minor: 7:01p

AM Minor: 7:30a

PM Minor: 7:53p

AM Minor: 8:22a

PM Minor: 8:46p

AM Minor: 9:16a

PM Minor: 9:41p

AM Minor: 10:11a

PM Minor: 10:38p

AM Minor: 11:07a

PM Minor: 11:35p

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:01p

AM Major: 12:27a

PM Major: 12:50p

AM Major: 1:18a

PM Major: 1:41p

AM Major: 2:10a

PM Major: 2:34p

AM Major: 3:04a

PM Major: 3:28p

AM Major: 3:58a

PM Major: 4:24p

AM Major: 4:53a

PM Major: 5:21p

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:49a

12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 3:35a

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:15a

Moon Overhead: 4:24a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:09a 12a

12p

12a

feet

Moon Underfoot: 1:40p

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 2:26p

Moon Underfoot: 3:12p

BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 AM

BEST:

7:30 — 9:30 AM

High Tide: 3:22 am Low Tide: 10:35 am High Tide: 6:07 pm Low Tide: 11:01 pm

0.84 ft. -0.42 ft. 0.89 ft. 0.48 ft.

HIGH LOW

KEY PLACE

HIGH LOW

Sabine Bank Lighthouse -1:46

-1:31

Galveston Channel/Bays

Sabine Pass Jetty

-1:26

-1:31

Sabine Pass

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the T4 Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine T5 the adjustment from the time shown for Galves- T6 ton Channel in the calendars.

0.20 ft. 0.67 ft. 0.06 ft. 0.79 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 5:42p

BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 PM

0.79 ft. High Tide: 5:17 am 0.73 ft. Low Tide: 12:27 am -0.30 ft. Low Tide: 11:40 am -0.14 ft. High Tide: 6:32 am 0.86 ft. High Tide: 6:47 pm 0.82 ft. Low Tide: 12:16 pm 0.35 ft. High Tide: 7:03 pm

KEY PLACE

Moon Underfoot: 4:49p

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

High Tide: 4:15 am Low Tide: 11:07 am High Tide: 6:28 pm Low Tide: 11:42 pm

Tide Correction Table

Moon Underfoot: 3:59p

BEST:

0.02 ft. 0.63 ft. 0.29 ft. 0.79 ft.

KEY PLACE

HIGH LOW

-0.16 ft. 0.65 ft. 0.51 ft. 0.82 ft.

Low Tide: 3:21 am High Tide: 11:55 am Low Tide: 2:17 pm High Tide: 7:32 pm

KEY PLACE

HIGH LOW

San Luis Pass

-0.09

+3:16 +4:18

T18 T19

Freeport Harbor

-0:44

-1:02

Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay +5:48 +4:43

Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +0:41

Gilchrist, East Bay

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Low Tide: 2:15 am High Tide: 9:54 am Low Tide: 1:32 pm High Tide: 7:24 pm

T12 T13

-1:00

-1:15

Eagle Point

+3:54 +4:15

T14

Jamaica Beach, W. Bay +2:38 +3:31

T20

Pass Cavallo

0:00

-1:20

Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass -0:04

-0:25

Clear Lake

+6:05 +6:40

T15

Alligator Point, W. Bay +2:39 +2:33

T21

Aransas Pass

-0:03

-1:31

Galveston Bay, S. Jetty -0:39

-1:05

T10 T11

Morgans Point

+10:21 +5:19

T16 T17

Christmas Pt

T22 T23

Padre Island (So. End) -0:24

-1:45

Port Bolivar

+0:14 -0:06

Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39 +5:15

+2:32 +2:31

Galveston Pleasure Pier -1:06

-1:06

+2.0

BEST:

10:00P — 12:00A 5:00 — 7:00 AM

Low Tide: 1:17 am High Tide: 8:05 am Low Tide: 12:53 pm High Tide: 7:15 pm

Moon Underfoot: 6:37p

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

SUNDAY

PM Minor: 6:12p

Moon Overhead: 2:03a

+1.0

-1.0

0.87 ft. -0.50 ft. 0.91 ft. 0.59 ft.

AM Minor: 5:49a

Moon Overhead: 1:17a

+2.0

BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 AM

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Moon Underfoot: 12:54p

BEST:

4:30 — 6:30 AM

-0.52 ft. High Tide: 12:11 am 0.89 ft. Low Tide: 8:34 am 0.81 ft. High Tide: 4:45 pm Low Tide: 9:02 pm

Moon Underfoot: 12:08p

BEST:

3:30 — 5:30 AM

-0.48 ft. Low Tide: 8:01 am 0.88 ft. High Tide: 4:33 pm 0.81 ft. Low Tide: 9:05 pm 0.83 ft.

« 29

Moon Underfoot: 11:20a

BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 AM

Low Tide: 7:23 am High Tide: 4:25 pm Low Tide: 9:05 pm High Tide: 11:17 pm

« 28

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Moon Underfoot: 10:32a

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 AM

Low Tide: 6:40 am High Tide: 4:20 pm Low Tide: 8:40 pm High Tide: 10:24 pm

12a

Moon Underfoot: 9:44a

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 8:55a

Moon Underfoot: 8:08a

Port Isabel

-0.34 ft. 0.75 ft. 0.71 ft. 0.87 ft.

+1.0 0 -1.0

+1:02 -0:42

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION 88 |

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Texas Tasted

Photo: Don Zaidle:

Zaidle’s Wild Hog Breakfast Sausage

t is a bit presumptuous to lay claim to this basic recipe by placing my name on it, but I just finished making up a 10-pound batch and am feeling most pleased with myself. Although no match for the primeval thrill of the hunt, the fun lasts year-round in the preparation and serving of wild game dishes. Since all normal people enjoy a traditional breakfast of pork sausage patties with fried eggs and lightly-browned, buttered toast, this recipe is suitable for all ages and palates. A meat grinder is essential to properly prep this recipe. If you do not have one, get one. If you have a Kitchen Aid or Sunbeam stand mixer, odds are it has a “power takeoff” for accessories, and a meat grinder is one of the available accessories. A handcranked grinder works just as well for small and medium batches--or even big batches if you have kids or grandkids to press into service as grinder-crankers.

Ingredients • 10 lbs feral hog meat (any cut), sliced into 1-inch cubes 3 Tbs iodized sea salt • • 3 Tbs powdered sage 3 Tbs rosemary • • 1 Tbs thyme 1 tsp white pepper • • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper T F & G

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Pre-mix all seasonings then combine with meat in a large mixing bowl or shallow pan. Mix meat and seasonings so all pieces get a thorough coating. If mixture becomes too dough-like, thin with a bit of tap water. Feed seasoned meat cubes through grinder. If you have a sausage-stuffing attachment nozzle, feed into bags. If not, feed into a large bowl then form logs or patties. Wrap logs in wax paper and freeze. Layer individual patties in a freezer-safe container; separate layers with wax paper and freeze. The coolest thing about wild hog sausage is that a 3-inch patty is still a 3-inch patty after frying. Naturally-lean wild pork is the perfect breakfast meat for low-fat dieters and healthy eaters. This sausage does not produce enough grease for frying, so pre-oiling the pan is mandatory. If you prefer your sausage with a bit of fat, add cubed beef suet or pork fat to the mix before mixing and grinding. Other options include adding venison to the meat mix, and adjusting the seasoning to personal tastes. Perform the latter experimentally by grinding one or two pattiesworth at a time, then cook and taste-taste. Adjust seasonings and repeat until you find the desired seasonings mix ratios, then multiply to get the mix number for a 10-pound or larger batch.

Equipment & Supplies

that belonged to my grandmother and an old Oster electric model. If you lack a grinder, models ranging from the simple to the elaborately expensive are available from many sources, including Sears, Cabela’s, and Academy. Materials such as plastic meat bags, edible sausage casings, and even seasoning kits for many types of sausage and other meat preparations are likewise available from a variety of sources, including those above, your local grocer, and myriad on-line sources. Lately, I have ordered bags, hog rings (for clamping bags closed), and other supplies from The Sausage Source (sausagesource.com), an on-line retailer that carries everything you could conceivably need for processing meat, from grinders and seasonings to meat bags, sausage casings, seasonings and kits, utensils such as knives and ladles, and much more. The Sausage Source offers a “Sausage Making Starter Kit” in its “Hunter Favorites” section that includes an electric grinder, seven packages of various sausage mixes (each will season 2 pounds of meat), a “Home Sausage Making” book, 1 package of natural hog casings, a meat thermometer, and complete sausage-making instructions. —Don Zaidle

I have had a couple of meat grinders for years, including an antique hand grinder

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Make sure you get the decision right, when choosing a new boat for you and your family by Lenny Rudow 90 |

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Sporting Tales

A L M A N A C

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Walking around your local boat show this year, you’re going to see hundreds of boats of all different shapes and sizes. Choosing the right one is a daunting task—and considering how much fun could be on your horizon, you surely want to make the best decision. So, which boat is right for your needs? What kind will serve your purposes best? The secret to answering these questions is twofold. First, you need to think about exactly how you’ll use your boat. And second, you need to identify the type of boat that best fits the bill. How you’ll use your boat is a question we can’t help you with, so spend some time thinking about how often you’ll go cruising, how much water skiing or wakeboarding the future will hold, what percentage of the time the boat might be used for fishing, and so on. When it comes to figuring out what type of boat best fits those uses, however, we can lend a hand. Use this guide, and you’ll know everything you need to make the right decisions, as you check out the different boats at the show.

BASS BOATS – Dedicated anglers who pursue largemouth bass—the most popular freshwater gamefish in lakes, reservoirs, and rivers across the country—are going to choose a bass boat. Many of these boats are designed to fit the needs of both casual anglers and tournament fishermen, so they offer high-speed performance, multiple livewells, and elevated casting decks. Every inch of a bass boat is designed with casting, jigging, and flippin’ in mind, so few other types of boats are so highly specified. As a result, you need to remember that if you plan to use your boat for activities other than bass fishing, you’ll probably want to consider some different options. That said, if you’re a dedicated basser, there simply are no other options. Those with bigger budgets will probably want to consider fiberglass versions, which can accommodate larger powerplants and T F & G

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more built-in features. But if money is a concern, don’t hesitate to choose an aluminum bass boat. Their performance may not be quite as spectacular and most don’t have as many bells and whistles as a high-end fiberglass bass boat, but a good aluminum rig will get the job done.

BAY BOATS – Saltwater anglers plying the bays, canals, inlets, and backwaters of the Texas coastline for species like redfish and speckled trout will find bay boats are a prime choice. They offer shallow draft, raised casting decks, and the ability to handle a chop when the wind kicks up. Most also have fishing features like livewells, built-in tackleboxes, and plenty of rodholders. When it comes to inshore fishing these boats are tough to beat, but as is true with many specialty-oriented boats, their design tweaks make them limited in scope, so these shouldn’t be considered ideal for other activities, like watersports or cruising. On the other hand, many bay boats are substantial enough and versatile enough to also take into the Gulf, when the weather allows. CANOES and KAYAKS – Paddlesports enthusiasts, this is your obvious choice. But many other people may want to consider canoes and kayaks since they represent the least expensive way to get into boating. Plus, they can go places other boats can’t, like narrow creeks and shallow ponds. Anglers will discover that there are many new models designed for their favorite sport, which cost a lot less than full-blown fishboats; some even have fishfinders, rodholders, and built-in tackleboxes. Another

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distinct advantage of considering a canoe or kayak is the ability to haul them on a car-top or in a pick-up, without the need for a trailer.

CENTER CONSOLES – These saltwater fishing boats have come a long way since they were first developed, and today, you can find models with head compartments, gobs of comfortable seating, and many builtin accessories. Although on first glimpse it may seem that these boats are purely for angling, don’t be fooled—those that offer the aforementioned accouterments make excellent family boats, as well, though they lack the protection of a cabin. Many center consoles are designed for long runs in open water, so in some cases, you will have to trade off stability to get better wave-handling ability, particularly when it comes to offshore-oriented models. Note the boat’s transom deadrise for an indication. Those with deeper V-s in the 21 to 24 degree range are designed to slice through rough seas, while those with fewer degrees of deadrise usually have better stability but may ride rougher in a head sea. How each model is outfitted also varies quite a bit, and often features that one family member or another wants (you can really use your imagination here, as you’ll see everything from simple extending sunshades to built-in electric grills) will be options that can drive up cost. The bottom line? Center consoles can be used in both fresh and salt water for everything from fishing to towing water-toys, but you have to closely take note of each model’s specific design characteristics and features, and make sure they match up with

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Sporting Tales the way you plan to use your boat.

CRUISERS – Are you one of those people who believe half the fun of visiting somewhere new is the journey? If so, a cruiser can make that voyage both comfortable and exciting. Although these boats can pricey— the sky is the limit—there are plenty of affordable models which are small enough to trailer, yet are large enough for two couples or an entire family to sleep aboard. Most come equipped with all the comforts of home, ranging from entertainment systems with flat-screen TVs to microwave ovens. “Roughing it” is no longer necessary, on most modern cruising powerboats. When considering cruisers, remember that many are outfitted with different powerplants than those you might be used to. While smaller boats and fishing boats commonly rely on outboards, most cruisers have stern-drive powerplants. As is true of most anything on a boat, there are trade-offs involved with having stern drives versus outboards: they tend to be larger, heavier, louder, and take up more room than most modern outboards, but on the other hand, they’re usually based on common engine

blocks and people who are accustomed to working on their own vehicles sometimes prefer them, since they know how to troubleshoot and possibly fix the engines. Also remember that these larger boats, with their larger powerplants, cost more to run than their smaller brethren. Higher mooring fees, maintenance, fuel, and insurance costs should all be expected.

CUDDY CABINS – Boats with small cabins, usually called “cuddy” cabins, provide the minimum accommodations needed for two people to go weekending aboard, or for cruising farther and longer than a runabout allows. Look into one of these if you enjoy camping and long weekend adventures. The cabin also provides some weather protection and a place to rest, though in reality, most boaters find that the cuddy usually becomes a stowage area during day-trips. Most cuddy boats provide some form of MSD (marine sanitation device, often a Porta-pottie), a V-berth, and in some cases, limited cooking abilities. If you have the option of getting a model with all three, it’s a smart move—you may be able to deduct

the interest you pay on the loan from your tax bill, because the boat will qualify as a second home under the tax code.

DUAL CONSOLES – This type of boat serves equally well as a fishing boat or a runabout, and you’ll have no problem finding different models which focus more or less on each activity. They’re a good choice for anglers who might like a center console but want more protection for their passengers, and for families that have both anglers and non-anglers in the mix. Traditionally dual consoles were limited to boats 24’ or less, but in the past few year some super-sized DC’s have hit the market. Today, you can even find dual consoles with cabins and/or fully-enclosed head compartments. INFLATABLES – Although inflatables and RIBs (rigid bottom inflatables) have caught on as recreational boating platforms in some other countries, here at home, they mostly serve those in need of tenders. Inflatables are ideal for transporting gear to and from boats at anchor, can be deflated for easy storage, and can be safely towed from port to port behind many other types

Aluminum or Fiberglass? Several of these types of boats can be found in either aluminum or fiberglass versions. Which is the best for you? To make that decision, you’ll need to look at the traits of each, and the UPs and DOWNs those traits create.

…are lighter than fiberglass. UP: That means they require smaller engines, and thus burn less fuel. That light weight also makes them easier to push free if you run aground, easier to tow, and easier to J A N U A R Y

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DOWN: That lighter weight means you’ll be subject to a faster drift, when the wind blows. Stability in rough seas and wave-handling ability are also hampered by light weight.

UP: Drive into a dock or hit a tree stump, and the boat will probably bounce right off. In the worst case, it will get a dent. DOWN: Dents are hard to fix, and if you do hit something hard enough to dent the boat, repair jobs can be expensive.

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…cost less than fiberglass boats of the same size and type. UP: You’ll leave the boats show with enough money left over to fill the fuel tank all season long. DOWN: There’s a down-side to this trait???

…are tough to damage

Aluminum boats…

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man-handle at the dock.

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fiberglass boats… …look better than aluminum. UP: Although the modern bakedenamel paint jobs found on high-end A L M A N A C

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of boats. They do also provide an alternative to runabouts or skiffs to some degree, though the inflatable collar cuts down on their interior volume, when compared to traditional boats.

PONTOON BOATS – Pontoons have been one of the fastest-growing segments of the marine market for several years, and it’s no wonder: they’re versatile, comfortable, and the entire family can find ways to enjoy them. Take a pontoon out in the morning and it’s a roomy fishing boat. Pull off the dock in the afternoon, and it’s a water skiing boat. Beach it on an island in the evening for the perfect swim—there are few boating activities you can’t do with a pontoon. On top of that awesome versatility, pontoon technology has come a long way recently. More complex hullforms, the addition of a third pontoon (call them “tri-toons”), and advanced outboard engines are a few of the factors that have brought pontoon boat performance far ahead of yester-year. Note, however, that there are still plenty of inexpensive, simple pontoons on the market. While these are great for casual use in protected lakes and rivers, they aren’t the best choice for boaters who intend to venture into open waters. One other consideration to bear in mind: if you’d like to use your boat in both fresh and salt water, make sure aluminums look sharp, most people feel that aluminum boats just don’t look as attractive as gel coated fiberglass. DOWN: Keeping that shiny new look takes work—prepare yourself for weekly wash-downs and monthly wax jobs. …are easy to work with for DIY jobs. UP: If you need to fill holes that were drilled into the dash, relocate accessories that were bolted in place, or close off an open compartment, it’s easy with fiberglass. On an aluminum boat, once a hole has been drilled it’s there to stay.

you’re looking at the appropriate models. Some are constructed for use in both environments, but some are not—be sure to ask the dealer.

PWC – Obviously, PWC’s (personal watercraft) are not an option for those who are looking for a boat that serves multiple purposes and large numbers of people. On the other hand, it’s impossible to deny how much fun it is to go zipping across the lake or bay, jumping wakes on one of these “waterbikes”. Note also that there’s a wide range of PWCs these days, from single-rider high-performance models to “cruising” versions which seat several people, and have enough fuel capacity to cruise for miles at a time. RUNABOUTS and BOWRIDERS – These are do-everything, do-anything boats, which are among the most versatile on the water. Many can be outfitted with accessories ranging from tow bars to livewells, making them adaptable to different activities. Naturally, you shouldn’t expect a runabout to make the best wakeboarding boat nor the best fishing boat on the water. But with the proper equipment, these boats can do a fine job at both jobs. Runabouts serve as starter boats for many families, because of that versatility. structurally solid are visibly different from the rest of the boat. …handle waves and perform better than aluminum, in many cases. UP: This is partially a reflection of weight, but fiberglass also has an advantage here because it’s easier for manufacturers to mold the hull into more complex shapes and forms, such as variable-degree deadrise (the amount of V in the bottom). Such complex shapes are very difficult or altogether impossible to create, when working with aluminum.

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SKI, WAKEBOARD, and TOW BOATS – This genre of boat encompasses another slice of the boating world which is highly specialized. Dedicated ski boats are usually straight inboards which make a minimal wake, while dedicate wakeboard boats often are weighted and outfitted with tabs or other devices to create the maximum wake. Many boats built for general towing watersports are fitted with ballast systems, so the size and shape of the wake they create can be changed to match the rider’s requirements—at the press of a button. As a result of such specialized designs, these boats shouldn’t be considered for allaround uses. On the other hand, if watersports are your passion, then you’ll clearly be best served by choosing one of these types of boats.

SKIFFS are simple boats with few bells and whistles, but for some people, this is exactly what they need. They’re easy to clean, easy to trailer, inexpensive, and versatile. These characteristics make them a great choice for boaters who have limited time and resources, and just want to be able to get out on the water now and again. This also makes skiffs a good choice for people who are hard on their boats, and don’t want to spend a lot of time on maintenance. No, a skiff isn’t going to be the beauty queen in the fleet, but for many of us that’s just not the most important factor to consider. Excerpted from the official buyers guide for the Houston International Boat, Sport and Travel Show produced this year by Texas Fish & Game. The 56th Houston Boat Show runs January 4-13 at the Reliant Center. For information about the show, visit the official website: www.HoustonBoatShows.com

DOWN: The more complex a hull is, the more cost goes up.

DOWN: Gel coat colors are hard to match, and often, repairs that are

It allows you to try your hand at many different forms of boating, until you decide which you like the most. There are also plenty of relatively low-cost runabouts on the market, in both outboard and stern drive configurations. For the first-time boat buyer, runabouts and bowriders are a great way to get out on the water.

—Lenny Rudow T e x a S

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SPOTLIGHT: JUST AD WATER GUIDE SERVICE Hello folks, Captain Jay Nichols here. I operate Just Add Water Guide Service out of Rockport, Texas. I grew up fishing bass tournaments with my father and Matagorda and Galveston with my grandfather. While fishing both types of water, fresh and salt, I learned a great deal through both of my family mentors at a young age. I began fishing bass tournaments at the age of 12 with my dad, Randy Nichols of Humble, Texas. These will always be some of my fondest memories. For this reason I truly enjoy taking families out to catch big redfish. To see the look on a young person’s face matched with the pride in their parents face gives me great pleasure knowing they have just created a memory that will last for eternity. If you like fishing the majestic clear waters that our Rockport areas hold, I would like to invite you on a fishing trip to remember. I specialize in bay fishing, targeting Trophy Trout and Trophy Redfish, along with Black Drum, and Flounder in the shallow flats from Rockport to Baffin Bay. From a group of friends, a day on the water with the family, or a corporate outing, wade fishing, drifting, or anchored, you are sure to have an enjoyable time! Give me a call to book your next adventure today. Let’s Go Fishing! God Bless, Capt. Jay Nichols Call Captain Jay today to book your next trip - 361-813-4120. Also visit his website @ www.jawgs.com.

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Bass

Red snapper

Flounder

Pottsboro

Offshore/Port Aransas

Port Isabel

Isabelle Moeller caught her first bass caught at her Pawpaw’s pond near Pottsboro Texas. She is five years old and has a lot of fun every time she gets to go fishing!

Devary McWha with two red snapper caught about 45 miles out of Port Aransas. Her party was on a 65-foot Viking, “The Cat’s Meow.” They also caught and released a 4.5-foot sand shark and a small black fin tuna.

Dr. Ruben M. Torres Jr. of Brownsville hooked this nice 23-inch flounder in Mexiquito Flats near Port Isabel. It was his first flatfish and he was thrilled to catch it not far from where he grew up.

Amberjack

Speckled Trout

Offshore/Galveston

Galveston

Baffin Bay

Anthony Simon of Sugar Land, caught this 90-pound greater amberjack on a fresh dead pogie, fishing 103 miles out of Galveston. He was fishing with Circle H Outfitters.

Carter Coombes, 7, caught his First keeper trout while visiting his Grandma at Tiki Island near Galveston. He said “it was a real fighter.” He caught it on live shrimp and decided to let it go. His dad was just as excited and proud!

Abundio Dominic Garza caught this beautiful trout in Baffin Bay fishing with cut mullet on bottom. The 31-7/8-inch fish weighed 9 pounds, 1 oz.

Warsaw Grouper Freeport

Carp

Catfish

Lake Conroe

Nine- year-old Matthew Kaptchinskie caught and released this 30-pound carp on Lake Conroe while fishing for catfish. He was fishing with his friend Hunter Maddox.

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Daniel Roberts of Willis caught this 23-pound blue cat on fresh shad, night fishing on Lake Conroe with his dad.

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Capt. Curtis Luchak caught this 126-pound Warsaw grouper 72 miles out of Freeport, aboard the AirbornXpress.

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Bass Turkey

Gordonville

Eden

Atticus Kilcrease, 16, of Gordonville caught this 10 pound bass on his first cast. Atticus, a true sportsman on and off the Whitesboro High School football field, released the fish to possibly be caught another day.

Laura Vogel of Eden shot this gobbler, which weighed over 18 pounds and had a 10-inch beard, on a cold wet day over last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christmas Holiday. This was her very first turkey.

Bass Toledo Bend Calvin Henly caught this 8-pound bass while fishing at Toledo Bend.

Redfish San Antonio Bay Kirsten Mauthe, 17, from Bulverde caught this 27-inch red while wade fishing South Pass reef in San Antonio Bay. Her fish was caught on a root beer/chartreuse Hogie plastic lure.

Flounder Sabine Pass Emma Salvaggio, 7, with two flounder she caught at Sabine Pass with her dad and grandpa. Both fish weighed 4 pounds and were 22 inches.

Whitetail Energy, Texas Drew Cayce of Marble Falls shot this 8-point buck while hunting with his Dad, John Cayce, on the family ranch in Energy, Texas. Grandma Darlene Little said Drew made a near-perfect shoulder shot at 178 yards.

Speckled Trout

Mixed Stringer

South Padre Island

Aransas Bay

Nicole Alvarez of Harlingen caught her largest speckled trout to date and out-fished her boyfriend on while surf fishing on South Padre Island.

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Six-year-old Brady Prukop of Rio Medina caught a nice flounder while his four-year-old brother, Connor Prukop, caught a nice trout while the boys were wade fishing in Aransas Bay.

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