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www.fishgame.com Published by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. TEXAS FISH & GAME is the largest independent, familyowned outdoor publication in America. Owned by Ron and Stephanie Ward and Roy and Ardia Neves.
ROY NEVES PUBLISHER
DON ZAIDLE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CHESTER
MOORE
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
C O N T R I B U T O R S
MATT WILLIAMS • BOB HOOD • TED NUGENT • LOU MARULLO • REAVIS WORTHAM • JOE DOGGETT • KENDAL HEMPHILL • DOUG PIKE • CAPT. MIKE HOLMES • LENNY RUDOW • GREG BERLOCHER • STEVE LAMASCUS • PATRICK LEMIRE • PAUL BRADSHAW • HERMAN BRUNE • WAYNE C. WATSON • WALLY MARSHALL • BARRY ST. CLAIR • JIMMY D. MOORE • CALIXTO GONZALES • MARI HENRY • TOM BEHRENS •
FRESHWATER EDITOR HUNTING EDITOR BOWHUNTING EDITOR ASSOC. BOWHUNTING EDITOR HUMOR EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR SENIOR OFFSHORE EDITOR ASSOC. OFFSHORE EDITOR BOATING EDITOR KAYAKING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR SALTWATER RIGS EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR LEGAL AFFAIRS EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR NORTH HOTSPOTS EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR TROPHY QUEST COORDINATOR
P R O D U C T I O N
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• GRAPHIC ARTIST
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SAMANTHA MAYS REGIONAL ADVERTISING
COORDINATOR
MICHELLE WARD ADMINISTRATOR TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: dhruzek@fishgame.com Email new orders to: dhruzek@fishgame.com Email subscription questions to: dhruzek@fishgame.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX 77267-9946 and at additional mailing offices.
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JULY 2008 • Volume XXIV • NO.3
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WADING WITH SHARKS Statistically, you’re more likely to get in a car wreck on the way to the beach than you are to get bit by a shark. Still, do we really want to know what we’re wade-fishing with?
by Chester Moore
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THESE HONORED DEAD In this historically significant month of July, we honor those Texans who have sacrificed their own lives in the past year in Afghanistan and Iraq for freedom, liberty and indpendence from despotic, tyrannical governments.
by Don Zaidle
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5 SUMMER BASS STRATEGIES
ON THE COVERS: C O A S T A L : Skark! The Texas coast is alive with shark activity, and while this does present a real (albiet statistically remote) danger, their presence also offers surf and pier anglers a shot at heartpounding action when you find one on the right end of your line.
Photo by Chester Moore
Spring and fall are no-brainer periods for finding bass. In spring, they move into shallow water to spawn; in fall they gather in schools to feed. Here are five proven techniques to make summer bassing more productive when the fish are harder to find.
by Barry St. Clair
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COASTAL BEND SAILFISH The smallest billfish in Texas waters is the sailfish, which is a prize catch by anyone’s measure, but is curiously targeted by few fishermen. With deep water closer to shore, along with more close-in reefs, most sail catches occur off the Coastal Bend.
by Capt. Mike Holmes
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Photo by Grady Allen
DEER OF THE COASTAL BEND
ALSO IN JULY:
East of U.S. Highways 77 and 281, which connect the Rio Grande Valley to all points north and east, the terrain, the hunting and the deer are different from the rest of South Texas.
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by Calixto Gonzales 4
I N L A N D / N O R T H : The bass action on Texas lakes may slow a bit in the heat, but there are still many opportunities for wide-open largemouth action
GUIDE AND OUTFITTERS Selecting the best guide, outfitter, or lodge .
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JULY 2008 • Volume XXIV • NO.3
COLUMNS 12 Editor’s Notes
48 Texas Freshwater
TF&G First
Falcon Tournament Bass Mortality
by DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief
by MATT WILLIAMS TF&G Freshwater Editor
20 Chester’s Notes
50 TF&G Test Pilot
Put “Conservation” Back In “Conservative” Part 1
Triton 20X2, Hydra-Sports, Nautic Star 2200 Tourn.
by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor
DEPARTMENTS 8
YOUR LETTERS
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BIG BAGS &
by LENNY RUDOW TF&G Boating Editor
22 Commentary
56 Texas Deer Hunting
Tyranny With Manners
Curing the Summertime Blues
by KENDAL HEMPHILL TF&G Commentator
CATCHES
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TF&G REPORT
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TROPHY QUEST
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TFG ON
by PAUL BRADSHAW TF&G Contributing Editor
24 Doggett at Large
66 Texas Offshore
Top 10 Players — Round Two
Good News, Bad News, Worse News
by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor
by CAPT. MIKE HOLMES TF&G Associate Offshore Editor
32 Texas Saltwater
CAMPUS
Burns & Band-Aids
by CALIXTO GONZALES TF&G Saltwater Editor
40 Texas Bowhunter 70 Open Season
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To Serve the Beast
Delbert’s Psychedelic Dream Coat
by TED NUGENT TF&G Bowhunting Editor
by REAVIS WORTHAM TF&G Humor Editor
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WINGS OVER TEXAS
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TF&G FIRST, MAY 2008
ANTI-HUNTING TEXTBOOK First, I would like to say that I am a lifelong outdoorsman. I am first and foremost a conservationist. The absolute solemn obligation of everyone who uses the outdoors is the preservation, for future generations, of the resources that we enjoy. Regarding the May issue TF&G Report story, “Anti-hunting Textbook Raises Eyebrows,” about a textbook for second graders, in my opinion it incorrectly refers to the book as “anti-hunting.” Maybe the fact that in 20 years of publication they’ve never had anyone raise this issue indicates that some of us hunters can be just as reactionary as the PETA nutcases. Surely, in all that time a great many hunters have read this book with their kids. It seems borderline paranoia to construe as anti hunting a simple statement to the effect that without people’s help, many animals will die. Substituting the word “poacher” for “hunter” in a book for second graders sounds like a good idea until you realize that few if any second graders know what the word “poacher” means. Maybe they could say “bad people” instead because, let’s face it, while all people certainly aren’t poachers, all poachers are people. Some of the absolute worst people, too. Let’s not forget that many of our precious resources have been used and abused to the point of virtual elimination through legal means. The Grand Banks cod fishery comes immediately to mind. I have taught both of my boys to hunt and fish and to respect the outdoors. We have a standing rule whenever we are in the field: Always carry out one more item than you carried in. Before they were ready to learn to fire a rifle or a shotgun, or cast a bait-caster or spinning rod, or walk five miles in South 8
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Texas brush hunting quail, they were old enough to learn the fact that they are stewards of the land. In this day and age, it is absolutely true that without people’s help, many animals will and do die. If that weren’t true, there would be no need for organizations like Duck’s Unlimited, NWTF, and others. Teaching kids to respect and cherish all the outdoors including game and non-game species should always be the first lesson. I believe that is the spirit of the message in this book. Once they learn that, then you better get ready to pick out a lot of backlashes and buy a lot of shotgun shells. C. Keith Lloyd Via email
THE NWTF KERFUFFLE I really enjoyed Don Zaidle’s May issue Editor’s Notes on the NWTF management shakeup; he hit the nail on the head. I think the CEO of a non-profit wildlife organization should not have a salary so high it takes away from the goal of the organization. Take some of that money and spend it reintroducing turkeys to The Big Thicket of Texas. There have been some re-introduced in some areas in southeast Texas, but I live in The Big Thicket and have yet to hear a gobble. My area is perfect turkey habitat. How about it, NWTF? Give me a call. You can have all the access you want to my land. Show me some turkeys. Bob Smith Thicket, Texas
LOVIN’ THE HOOD I wanted to thank Mr. Bob Hood for his April column article concerning the Ithaca model 66. Reading it brought back many fine memories of a Christmas morning way back in 1971. I still remember that morning, &
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and many great outings with my father and my Ithaca 20-gauge. Somewhere along my young adult years, I decided that I needed to trade it for something better. I have regretted that trade for the last 25 years. This year, I found an identical Model 66, and it has found an honored place in the gun safe. I still wish I had my original one, but the one thing I know is that this one isn’t going anywhere. Thanks again for the memories. Tracy Sears Via email I wanted to thank you Bob Hood for the great article in Texas Fish & Game for April, “Turkey Hunting Myths & Misconceptions.” We’ve appreciated the turkey notoriety and loved his writing. It is tough to find a copy of the April issue left here in Victoria, as everyone has been buying them up. Bob is a great writer and knows how to make a story come alive. As hunting luck goes, I haven’t got a bird this season yet. We’ve had a great time with a three- and five-year-old in a blind with us, and they loved having a jake come peek in the window one afternoon. We’ve also been busy introducing new folks to the sport of turkey hunting. It usually is more fun to guide someone to getting their first turkey. Bob’s love for the outdoors is apparent and he did a super job bringing attention to our favorite bird. Cherylnn R. Dry Victoria, TX
FLOUNDERING FLOUNDER I was really not very shocked by the numbers Chester Moore cited in his April Chester’s Notes column. I have been telling all my buddies for years now that the flounder was in trouble. The problem is that it’s just not a very glamorous fish. It does not blow up on a topwater lure and strip line against the drag. There are very few tourna-
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ments around in which you can win big money or a boat for catching one. I will be 40 years old in just a few months, and I have lived in League City my whole life. I have been fishing the bay systems around Galveston since the early 1970s, starting with my dad and now with my kids, and the flounder has always held a special place deep inside me. My son has taken up the same passion for the outdoors that I have always had, and he really enjoys the four or five gigging trips that we can fit in (between baseball, work, etc.) each summer. I know that things get distorted over time, and things always seem like they were better 10 or 20 years ago, but I sure do remember the flounder being a much easier target in my younger days. It was not all that long ago that we almost always caught a few flounder by accident on each trip while we were trout fishing. Now it is very rare. I remember when the “flounder run” was a no-brainer. If you got within two miles of any pass, it was a quick limit. When I am talking to my son, I feel like one of those “old salts” that were here fishing back in the golden years, who always loved to talk about how great it used to be “back in the day.” The bottom line is that we have to do something to help this fishery out of trouble. I would support cutting bag limits or making flounder a game fish to protect them from commercial fishing. Make the shrimpers throw them back when they catch them in their nets. I would oppose any legislation that keeps us from gigging. I would be happy to give up the 10-fish limit and go to five or even three, but some of my best and youngest memories are with a gig in my hand. My son loves it, too. All of you guys at the magazine keep up the good work and keep fighting the good fight. I believe the redfish was in much worse shape before we turned it around, so there is hope for the flounder, but I think we need to act quickly.
LOG ON TO THE ALL NEW TF&G WEBSITE www.FishGame.com BLOGS by Editor Don Zaidle, Exec. Editor Chester Moore, Gun Editor Steve LaMascus, and Fishing Editor Paul Bradshaw. ZAIDLE
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BRADSHAW
ARTICLE ARCHIVES The Current Issue — every word published with additional material and photos. Plus 7 years-worth of back issues (with MORE ISSUES added every week).
EMAG ARCHIVES Digital versions of the CURRENT ISSUE , with special features not possible in the printed version. Plus, 3 years of back issues (with MORE ISSUES added every week).
TIDE FORECASTS Now you can get TIDE and SOLUNAR data for the entire TEXAS COAST, for ANY DATE through the year 2030.
AND MUCH MORE.
AND COMING SOON:
Pat Taylor Via email
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VIDEO HOW-TO’S AND LIVEACTION VIDEO FEATURES. PLUS: UPLOAD YOUR OWN OUTDOOR VIDEOS. 2 0 0 8 /
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Editors Notes
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TF&G FIRST
TF&G First
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N AUGUST 2001, I WROTE IN THIS SPACE THAT, as far as I know, this is the only magazine in existence to receive from a reader a letter of appreciation for its advertising content. In 1998, Mr. Ray Oliver of Pottsboro, Texas, wrote thanking us for running a Blue Wave boat ad. Upon seeing it, he and his wife of 51 years, Jessie, went to the Blue Wave plant in Checotah, Oklahoma, and received a personal tour conducted owners Pam and Roger Parks. Suitably impressed, the Olivers ordered a customized Classic 165 on the spot. I had not thought much about that “first” until recently, when executive editor Chester Moore and I were discussing an upcoming issue of the magazine. We noted a couple of press releases that gave us a collective case of the Hairy Eyeball. Didn’t we report something on this back when? This isn’t news; we did it first. Ensuing brainstorming and research revealed that Texas Fish & Game has a compelling, consistent history of “firsts.” In 2000, we were the first outdoors print magazine to report the breakthrough in aquaculture that made possible the current TPWD flounder-stocking program. We were the first in the Texas market to debunk popular internet and email frauds (November 2004, alleged world record whitetail; August 2005, alligator with a deer in its jaws). Even though it was not published, TF&G was the first to “predict” by inquiry the spate of lawsuits against the firearms industry; After the tobacco lawsuit verdict in 1999, we contacted several Second Amendment organizations and asked if it established a precedent anti-gun groups might follow. All said “no” so we did not carry the question to publication—our mistake. Daily newspapers strive to “scoop” com12
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petitors and be first-to-print with breaking stories. That is almost impossible for magazines due to comparatively long lead and production times, but we have done it a few times. We were the first magazine to report the full story of the “Bullis Buck” in January 2005. And in June 2007, we were the first print magazine in any genre to report on a joint ACLU/TSRA study into Texas prosecutors applying their own interpretations to a new concealed handgun law. In addition to many other one-shot firsts, TF&G has pioneered a number of firsts unique in the industry. We were and remain: • First (and only) to publish an accurate monthly fishing forecast (as opposed to a “fishing report” of what was biting last week or last month). Texas Hotspots provides specific locations (including GPS coordinates), recommended baits, and species-specific tips from professional guides at fresh- and saltwater venues throughout the state. • First (and only) to provide access information for bank-fishing to benefit boatless anglers. • First in Texas to sign to our staff famed outdoorsman, rocker, and Second Amendment advocate Ted Nugent, whose influence ripples throughout the hunting, shooting, fishing, and trapping industries. • First (and only) to provide magazines to Texas schools, which use them as wildlife conservation teaching tools. • First (and, to our knowledge, only) magazine in our market to have one of its staff recognized by the Texas legislature for conservation work. In 2004, Texas State Representative Mike Hamilton presented Chester Moore with a certificate of recognition for his “Project: Flounder Future” initiative. The certificate reads: “The State of Texas House of Representatives salutes Chester Moore and his Project: Flounder Future, in his work to enhance the Texas Flounder Fishery.” • First (and only) to publish a photograph of one of its staff in scuba gear inside a display tank at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center with the then-world record blue catfish, “Splash.” Clearly, the concept of “first” entails &
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much more than just first-to-print. We take pride in being first (as in “best”) at what we do: provide the information, news, and instruction Texas outdoorsmen want and need, and surveys tell us that readers look to us first for that information. After general staff consultation, we realized that being first is more than a “concept” or “program” or “initiative”; it is a paradigm built on the standard of striving to be the best—of being first. We wanted to somehow convey to the reader the “first” nature of our content, an assurance that we are on the job and committed to producing the best information available. We came up with TF&G First. At the beginning of this column and throughout this issue is a TF&G First icon. Any time you see it, you are reading a “first”—first-to-print, a follow-up to a previous first-to-print (in which case the icon will include the date of first publication), an industry-first initiative, the first in-depth coverage of a “hot” issue, or the first coverage of a “civilian” issue in an outdoors magazine as it relates to sportsmen. The purpose of TF&G First is not editorial chest-thumping, but to convey the value, importance, and relevance of what you are reading, and to reinforce our commitment to providing our readers with the best—the first—information available. Sometimes, the stories we investigate or cover first come to us from readers. To encourage that, we have created a communication network convenient for readers to contact us with tips and information. Those with internet access can email tips and story ideas to TFGfirst@fishgame.com. By phone, dial 1-800-750-4670. We are excited about TF&G First. We believe it gives us incentive to work even harder for our readers, and enhances the value of what we do. I think you will like the results.
E-mail Don Zaidle at editor@fishgame.com
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TF&G FIRST
New Homeland Security & TSA Rules Impact Coastal Guides
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.W.I.C. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS A coastal fishing guide and do not know what that stands for, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise in the near future. TWIC stands for “Transportation Worker Identification Credential,” and effective April 15, 2009, it will be required for all holders of U.S. Coast Guard
(USCG)-issued licenses. That includes fishing guides, party boat captains, and charter operators regulated by the USCG, as
by Mike Holmes and Chester Moore well as port workers, truck drivers, and others in the maritime industry, possibly affect-
ing up to 2 million people nationwide. “Right now, TWIC will be a requirement of anyone with a Coast Guard-issued license and, yes, that does include charter boat captains with a ‘six-pack’ license,” said Sarah Hayes of the USCG office in Houston. A TWIC will be required of anyone with “unescorted access” to “secure” areas of a port, port facility, or a vessel, and will be
BIG BAGS & CATCHES
JACK CREVALLES—Port O’ Conner
STRIPER—Lake Texoma
REDFISH—Fort Travis
Greg Fiebrich, brother David and nephew Tyler all hooked jack crevalles at the same time while fishing for bull reds at POC Jetty. Brother Tim Fiebrich took the picture. These were the first trophy bull reds and jacks that the family has landed.
Tom Boyer of Buck Feeders in Dallas took his friend Curtis Bowman on a striper fishing trip below the dam on Lake Texoma in the Red River and he caught the 26-pounder
John A. Le Vrier of Houston, Texas, caught this 36-inch, 36-pound bull redfish at Fort Travis and Bolivar. John was fishing with cut squid bait on his 6-foot, 6-inch Shakespeare rod, 5500C Abu Garcia reel, and 17-pound Spiderwire line.
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swiped through a card reader at the entry point to these areas. USCG Commander Peter Gautier said there has been some confusion and controversy over TWIC in certain sectors, but it has been mandated by law and will be enforced: “Fishing guides, for example, might be wondering why they have to operate under TWIC, but it is part of a larger picture of national security and is mandated by law.” Implemented under the Marine Transportation Security Act (MTSA) at the behest of the federal Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)—the same agency that oversees airport security— TWIC will come in the form of a biometric card with the holder’s photograph and fingerprint on the outside, and a chip on the inside containing the results of a mandatory FBI background check. The TWIC requirement is designed to weed out persons with certain criminal convictions, certain aliens, and those with known terrorist ties or tendencies. Anyone with a conviction or waiting trial for acts of treason, sedition, or murder, and some firearms violations (among others on a long list) are permanently ineligible for a TWIC. Those convicted of offenses such as drug violations, robbery, identity fraud, money laundering, and rape will be temporary ineligible. Those needing a TWIC will have to apply, submit to fingerprinting and a security background check, and pay a fee ranging up to $135. Fees are less for those who have recently renewed their Merchant Marine Document (MMD) or otherwise gone through a qualifying background check. ID required when applying can be simply a USCG-issued MMD, or two of several other forms of ID, including driver’s license, Social Security card, or other governmentissued photo ID. “We are working on ways to try and make things easier,” Gautier said. “For example, we might implement a mail-in renewal process at some point after people have done their initial fingerprinting, background check, and have been certified.” Many questions regarding TWIC are not covered in published USCG or TSA information, including why a licensed small boat-
for-hire operator, such as fishing guides, are required to have one; whether crew on larger fishing boats, such as deckhands, are required; the definition of “secured area” on an 18-foot bay skiff or similar small vessel; and what the penalties are for non-compliance. The non-compliance issue could be very simple, because without a TWIC after the implementation date, an MMD is no longer valid. Because the state of Texas requires a valid Coast Guard license before it will issue a saltwater fishing guide license, the operator
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TWIC is designed to weed out persons with criminal convictions, certain aliens and those with terrorist ties.
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without a TWIC is without a captain’s license or a guide license. Operating as a guide without these licenses is not only a violation, it also voids most commercial insurance policies and means federal charter boat fishing permits are no longer being used in a legal manner. According to a document authored by Admiralty and Maritime Attorney, Kenneth Gale Hawkes of Miami, Florida, there could be many areas in which he and his colleagues might be involved in cases resulting from TWIC, and most problems seem to result from the delays in implementation beyond congressional mandates. The vague nature of the statues as they involve recreational for-hire fishing vessels and their operators might be another problem area. “First, the most obvious and probably most frequent type of case one is most likely to encounter as the TWIC process matures is the denial or revocation of a client’s credential. If a client has been denied a TWIC, there are two possible courses of action.” Hawkes wrote. “One would be to appeal the decision, and the other would be to request
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a waiver, if the grounds for the denial are such that a waiver may be appropriate. In revocation instances, appealing the decision by challenging the factual grounds for revocation would be the appropriate action. “Second, it must be remembered that the Coast Guard has the authority to fine a vessel or facility operator $32,500 per violation of the MTSA per day for as long as a violation continues, close the facility, or delay the vessel, or both.” Most of these large fines will likely be levied against merchant vessels and largescale operations. At time of this writing, there was no information available on what kind of fines a fishing guide might face if found not enrolled in TWIC beyond the deadline. A growing controversy with TWIC involves what kind of card reader will be used. The current regulations require a card reader aboard the vessel so that TWIC
licensees can swipe the card for identification purposes before entering a secure area. Therefore, boat operators—regardless of vessel size—can expect to be required to carry a card reader aboard their vessels. However, the marine industry has maintained that most such devices will not function very long in a saltwater environment. TWIC implementation was originally mandated for September 25, 2008, but card reader issues and other problems prompted federal officials to postpone the compliance date until next April. All federal and state law enforcement agencies are authorized to check and enforce TWIC compliance, and the USCG might use a portable card reader to verify card authenticity. A state game warden that checks for a guide license will almost certainly ask to see a TWIC, at least during the overlap period when a license issued prior to the implementation date would remain valid.
According to published TSA information, the only permanent TWIC enrollment facilities in Texas are in Beaumont and Brownsville, but there is a temporary enrollment center now open in the Brazos Mall in Lake Jackson. Actual enrollment is performed under contract by Lockheed-Martin, so employees of these centers cannot answer detailed questions about TWIC. According to TSA, 93,469 TWIC cards had been issued as of May 13, 2008.
Fired NWTF Execs Sue Board Barely a month after their abrupt firings, two senior National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) executives are suing their former employer. (See Editor’s Notes, May 2008.) The complaints were filed April 24 in South Carolina’s Court of Common Pleas by former chief operating officer Carl Brown and former vice president Dick Rosenlieb. Both men allege in separate lawsuits that their March 25 firings were part of “a well orchestrated smear campaign” waged by NWTF’s governing board and a Floridabased consulting group hired by the board. NWTF, its board, and NWTF employees have refused to answer questions about the firings, which triggered the resignation a day later by chief executive officer Rob Keck, who spent 30 years with the organization. In a news release, board president Peggy Anne Vallery characterized the shakeup as a “brief inward focus” and said a recent audit found no wrongdoings. Her prepared statement made no mention of the reason for the firings, but the complaints filed by Brown and Rosenlieb offer more details about the nature of the allegations that led to their dismissal.
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According to Rosenlieb’s complaint, board members falsely claimed that he accepted a free or discounted African safari trip from an outfitter NWTF does business with, in violation of NWTF’s internal business policies. Rosenlieb, a 19-year NWTF employee, denied those allegations. “Plaintiff Rosenlieb and his wife did not accept any discount or free goods from any company or individual that does or is seeking to do business with the NWTF in relation to [a] safari trip or any other matter,” the lawsuit states, further claiming that such statements were libelous and slanderous. Brown, a 27-year employee, said in his complaint that the board relied on a report from a hired Florida consultant, The Krizner Group, to level allegations that he falsified NWTF membership records. “These board members and outside counsel falsely accused Brown and others of fraud in connection with reporting of the number of members of the NWTF,” the complaint states. Brown’s complaint said the NWTF had
a “longstanding practice” of assigning “donated” memberships to the identities of expired members, and no fraud or manipulation was involved. The complaint further states that the 550,000-member NWTF receives much of its $67 million in annual funding from revenues generated at about 2300 banquets
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each year, at which attendees buy tickets or groups of tickets. Each attendee who buys a ticket receives an adult membership, but sometimes benefactors purchase multiple tickets, leaving “memberships” for which no
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names are available. Those “donated” memberships are assigned to names of expired members. The process, Brown’s complaint states, “started years ago and resulted in a youth membership of over 225,000 kids and 20,000 disabled memberships.” Brown contends Keck was opposed to the firings, which were first proposed in a October 26, 2007 board meeting at NWTF Edgefield, South Carolina, headquarters. At that time, Keck said he would resign rather than be forced to fire Brown and Rosenlieb, the lawsuit said. Six months later, Keck resigned the day after both men were fired by the board. Both plaintiffs are seeking jury trials and unspecified actual and punitive damages. NWTF attorney Rick Morgan of Columbia, South Carolina, said NWTF is preparing its response to the lawsuits, but declined to discuss any details of the dispute. The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Richard Harpootlian and James Griffin, also of Columbia. —Rob Pavey
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Put “Conservation” Back In “Conservative” Part One
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N A PERFECT WORLD, POLITICS AND THE GREAT outdoors would be mutually exclusive. It would be wonderful if all we had to discuss around the campfire were eightpoint bucks, pintail drakes, and tailing redfish. The reality is that politics permeate every detail of the outdoors these days, and with a major election year at hand, it deserves serious discussion on these pages. Most hunters and anglers in the great state of Texas are conservatives. Some vote Democrat while the majority undoubtedly support Republican candidates, but at the core value system of those who actively pursue hunting, fishing, and trapping is “conservatism.” I mean a genuine affinity for conservative values such as limited government, the right to keep and bear arms, reigning in activist judges, a strong national defense, low taxes, and property rights, among others. Politics is a funny thing, however, and when it comes election time, members of the sporting public cast their ballots in ways fellow outdoors lovers cannot understand. Take the angler who votes for a Democrat gubernatorial candidate who is a typical taxand-spend liberal, but supports clean water regulations. Then there is the hunter who supports this candidate’s Republican opposition who is admittedly a little polluterfriendly, but strictly opposes any tinkering with gun and hunting rights. Sound familiar? If it does, you are not alone, as voting for candidates almost always requires looking over differences in values or even holding one’s nose at the ballot box 20
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while voting for what is seemingly the lesser of two evils. Conservatism embodies conservation or the wise use of resources, while liberalism is more in tune with preservation, which means the non-use of resources, and with it, ties to animal rights and extremist environmental groups. Most conservatives have foregone the negatives of some of today’s Republican Party politicians, such as loosening clean water and air standards, easing up on wetlands protection, and other issues because of their support for individual rights like those detailed in the Second Amendment. When it comes down to the wire, most conservatives will err on the side of rights when such choices are necessary. Americans are rights-driven people and often make hard choices in the electorate due to self-evident ideals set by our forefathers. Conversely, there are those considering themselves independents or moderates that would fall in line with conservative politicians if they would address conservation of wildlife habitat and environmental quality. To me, it is about conservatism not “republicanism,” and if an independent or Democrat candidate has the right conservative values, I would have no problem voting for them. Right now, there are so-called conservative politicians running around promoting large, wasteful reservoirs in the eastern third of the state that would destroy highly endangered hardwood bottomlands. In the recent debate over the Fastrill reservoir site, which has been designated part of the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge, I have heard these politicians spewing rhetoric about state’s rights and the federal government (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) over&
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stepping their bounds. Who do they think runs and funds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers? Oh, that’s right, the federal government; and the Corps, by the way, is the major player in reservoir construction. Other reservoirs will be run by local government water authorities with land taken out of private hands. The point is, some government agency will own land designated for reservoirs one way or the other, and as I wrote a few months ago, at least if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gets hold of it, as in the case of the Fastrill site, the natural wonders of the bottomlands would not be lost forever. Time after time, conservative politicians slap their loyal sporting constituents in the face, invoking the hypocritical “limited government” ploy. A prime example is a conversation I recently had with an elected official about the farm bill and how the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is essential to waterfowl and a host of other wildlife. His response was that CRP is a wasteful subsidy program that should be discarded with other government waste. My reply to him was I will support ending CRP the day Washington ends corporate welfare, funding terrorist states abroad, and paying for studies like the one that found that cattle passing gas is the cause of the hole in the ozone layer. A politician who genuinely fights for limited government has my respect, even when they want to cut things I support. However, one who only cuts thing that do not affect Wall Street is dishonest, disingenuous, and representative of the mindset of both parties in Washington and Austin right now. It is time for conservation and conservatism to line up as one—right now. In the next issue, I will outline a “Contract for Conservation” that, if enacted by members of either party, would give me confidence that party is bridging the gap between conservative and conservation; and that, my friends, has been a long time coming.
E-mail Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com
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Tyranny With Manners F
AMOUS—OR INFAMOUS—QUOTES HAVE always held a certain fascination for me. We come across quotes every day in books, magazines, newspapers, on television and the internet. Quotes are, I think, the punctuation of literary life. They add context, perspective, credence, and spice. And they never die. Recently, while reading Norman Maclean’s account of the famous Mann Gulch fire of 1949, entitled “Young Men and Fire,” I ran across a couple of quotes that made more sense than just about anything else I’ve heard or read in a long time. Both are evidently original with Maclean. One gives voice to a thought most of us have probably had at one time or another in our lives, especially recently, but it offers no solutions. Maclean wrote: “A mystery of the universe is how it has managed to survive with so much volunteer help.” That statement could be used in connection with PETA, the Humane Society, Greenpeace, and several other organizations I could name, including the U.S. Congress. The other quote is an explanation of why we sometimes persist in ridiculous endeavors and erroneous beliefs, in spite of overwhelming evidence that tells us we are mistaken. It explains why some still believe gun control can reduce crime, why our government gets bigger every year, and why immigration and health care reform are such Gordian Knots: “Coming to recognize you are wrong is like 22
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coming to recognize you are sick. You feel bad long before you admit you have any of the symptoms and certainly long before you are willing to take your medicine.” When I decided to write a few words about the life of Charlton Heston, and started reviewing some of the information I have about him, that quote came to mind. For most of his life, Heston tried to get people to take their medicine, with mixed results. He was probably the most unpopular popular man in America, maybe the world. The term “actor” has become a bad word in America, but Heston was an actor from the old school of such as Errol Flynn, Rory Calhoun, Gary Cooper, and Jimmy Stewart. Those guys were hunters and patriots. They did not spend their time running down their fellow man and mouthing about things they knew nothing about, the way some actors do
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Quotes are, I think, the punctuation of literary life.
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today. Neither did Heston. Not that he was a quiet guy. Heston was anything but quiet, and what he said made sense, but it usually wasn’t what people wanted to hear. He flanked Martin Luther King in the civil rights march in Washington D.C. in 1963, and continued to make unpopular waves for the rest of his life. He challenged authority when he thought it was necessary, regardless of the consequences to himself. A good example of that was when he walked into a stockholders meeting at Time/Warner during the mid 1990s and protested a CD by Ice T called Cop Killer. The company cancelled Ice T’s contract, which cost them a lot of money. Heston was ostracized by Time/Warner, which cost him &
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money, too, but it was the right thing to do. Depending on your age, you might remember Heston as Moses in “The Ten Commandments,” or in the title role in “Ben-Hur,” or as Col. George Taylor in “Planet of the Apes.” But I remember him as the guy who stood at the podium at the 2000 NRA convention, holding a flintlock rifle over his head, and saying, “From my cold, dead hands, Mr. Gore!” Political cartoonists have denigrated Heston since his death because of that quote, offering parodies depicting coffins that will not close because of a hand permanently gripping a rifle. They seem to think that means Heston lost. What it means, though, is that he won. Even so, that is not my favorite Heston quote. He was called a racist for saying black people and white people should have the same rights. He was called a homophobe for saying heterosexuals and homosexuals should be treated the same. He was called anti-Semite for saying that bashing innocent gun owners was like bashing innocent Jews. Heston said, “Political correctness is tyranny with manners.” As important as the Second Amendment to our constitution is, as passionate as he was about protecting our right to arms, Heston realized that America’s enemies are after more than our guns—they want to tell us what to think. Once they can do that, through political correctness, even the Second Amendment will not protect the rest of our rights. Find a copy of one of the cartoons showing Heston’s arm sticking out of a casket holding onto a rifle. Put in on your refrigerator or bulletin board as a reminder that we have rights in America that no other country has. At least, we do now. Soon it will be too late to take our medicine.
E-mail Kendal Hemphill at commentary@fishgame.com
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Top 10 Players— Round 2 T
HE COLUMN THAT GENERATED THE MOST feedback during my first year as a contributing editor to this magazine was “Top 10 Brush Country Players” (January, 2008). I listed nine non-game animals native to South Texas that enrich the outdoor experience, and asked readers to supply the tenth. If memory serves, the most popular nominee was the roadrunner, followed by the armadillo and horned lizard. Regardless of choice, I was gratified at the response. It supported the fact that most hunters appreciate the wild things in the wild places—all wild things, not just the ones we hunt. Continuing this theme during the summer fishing season, I now offer my “Top 10 Coastal Players.” Keep in mind the list is not open to the marquee sport fishes; it recognizes the non-game animals. 10. Blue crab: The clacking, waving flurry of an irritable blue crab scuttling across a grass flat or sliding through the tide wash always brings a sense of order. The blue crab belongs there; it is a statement that the ecosystem is in balance. Sadly, blue crab are not as common as when we “boomers” were kids with crab lines and dip nets. Commercial pressures have taken their toll. Each time I see a big one with great blue-ribbed pincers, I stop and watch for a moment. 9. Mullet: Mullet are the most visible of all inshore finfishes. You see them free-jumping and splashing and, at times, rafting with goggle eyes and gulping mouths in great mindless schools drifting across the green tides. The massed presence of mullet is an exclamation mark of rich water, an excellent 24
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indicator that opportunistic and aggressive predators are close. Many “old salts” refuse to fish unless the baitfish are showing. 8. Laughing gull: The raucous cry of the wheeling, hovering black-headed gull is the theme song for launch ramps and fishing piers all along the Texas coast. How stale these sites would be without the clamor overhead. Best of all, laughing gulls are excellent at locating fish—especially speckled trout. When a school of feeding specks drives frantic bait to the surface, the aerial scouts can mark the action from incredible distance. “Working birds” have saved many trips. And the laughing gull in full summer dress is a dapper gentleman; he looks as if he knows something you don’t—which he most likely does. 7. Skimmer: The red-legged skimmers, unlike the obnoxious gulls, prefer the solitude of salt grass and tidal flats. The name is derived from the pleasing manner in which they fly low to hunt, raking the surface in search of small baitfishes. Long, thin wings allow the skimmers to execute graceful maneuvers on the gusting Gulf wind. You see them skulking on the sand in ragged ranks, always with the long, pointy peaks turned into the wind. This usually occurs during a long wade, far removed from other traffic, which is reason enough to appreciate the graceful, racy skimmer. 6. Stingray: I loathe stingrays the way some people freak out over snakes. But the bottom-hugging “male flounder” certainly helps define the coastal fishing experience. During the warm-water months, they are most plentiful over soft mud and grass bottom. If you wade the back bays, you learn early to shuffle your feet. The sandy-brown ovals snugged on bottom are highly visible in shallow water, and once you bump a few, you develop an acute case of “stingray consciousness.” Some waders wear armor while others trust to fate; either way, the stingray is a bold reminder that playing outdoors is not always without price. 5. Roseate spoonbill: The bold, pink spoonbill with its ridiculous spatulated bill always turns heads. You don’t have to be a card-carrying bird watcher to appreciate such a bold sighting. You pause and stare. &
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Every time. If you don’t, go back to your video games. Spoonbills are fairly common but shy and retiring. Like the skimmers, they prefer the secluded salt-grass bays and marshes. Unlike the gulls, they are silent; at least, if they make a noise, I have yet to hear it (of course, two out of three driftwood stumps have better hearing than I, so that pronouncement might not be valid). 4. Portuguese man-of-war: The man-ofwar, like the stingray, is not something you want to cozy up to, but the drifting pink-andpurple baubles are a recurring part of the Texas coast. They show most often on the warming tides of spring. Capistrano gets its swallows and Hinckley gets its buzzards and, well, Galveston gets its jellyfish—count on it, waves of them each spring in the surf, but don’t get too close. By the way, meat tenderizer on the wound does work. 3. Brown pelican: Thirty years ago, brown pelicans were virtually unknown on the upper Gulf coast. They were native to the Pacific ports, but they (like the frigates) drifted north and east and now sightings are common along Texas beaches. Brown pelicans have much more class than the grumpy white ones. They frequent docks and piers and walk about with flustering wings, giant pouches, and great webbed feet, always on the watch for a handout. In the air, they can glide and dive with uncommon excellence. 2. Dolphin: The so-called “porpoise” is, in fact, a bottlenose dolphin. Regardless of name, what a fine fellow he is—sleek and graceful, with the sly grin of a winner. Porpoises love to have fun, often jumping swells and playing in packs in proximity to humans. The nearness of porpoises can be good or bad. Feeding porpoises can chase baitfishes and trout from the area, but the big mammals are said to keep inshore sharks away. Regardless, the sight of several rolling, blowing porpoises is an uplifting experience for anyone who spends quality time on the privileged water of the Texas coast. Well, that’s nine. One remains. Pick me another winner. E-mail Joe Doggett at doggett@fishgame.com
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ou don’t want to see what’s swimming around you at the beach—it would scare you to death.” Those are the words of Bruce Green, a former petroleum industry helicopter pilot who spent years flying workers to oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. “In the summer months, we would almost always see a few sharks when the water was clear, and some of them were huge,” Green told me. “I remember once flying over Bolivar and seeing a couple of people chestdeep in the surf, casting away, and just beyond the next sandbar was a shark that had to have been between 12 and 14 feet long. I have seen quite a few really big ones around the rigs over the years, but that one took the prize. It was scary-big and made me reconsider ever wade-fishing out there.” The fact of the matter is that any time someone enters the Texas coastal surf, they are exposing themselves to sharks. While statisticians will say you have a better chance of being struck by lightning or killed in a car wreck on the way to the beach, that is no consolation to the unfortunate individual who feels the razor-sharp teeth of one of these apex predators sink into their flesh. Texas coastal waters are shark rich with species ranging from docile to deadly lurking within casting distance of shore. The sharks most common in the surf zone are Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip, spinner, and bonnethead. Atlantic sharpnose are small, fast swimmers that many anglers call “sand sharks.” They represent the bulk of the shark harvest off some piers, but are not big enough to pose a true threat to humans. Bonnetheads, dubbed “baby hammerheads” by many, are close cousins to the gigantic denizens of the deep, but do not grow any larger than 4 feet in length; most measure between 18 and 36 inches. They are very common in the surf and sometimes gather in large schools, but are not threatening to humans entering their zone. Blacktip and spinner sharks are virtual twins that even some diehard shark anglers have a hard time telling apart. Both sport black markings on their fins and are extremely acrobatic when hooked, with the spinner often breaching the water in an energetic, graceful twisting motion. If you were to ask anglers if these species were dangerous, most 28
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would answer with a resounding “No” since they are not in the lexicon of deadly sharks. In fact, the Discovery Channel produced a highly rated program about the top 10 most dangerous sharks and neither made the list, while both the oceanic whitetip and shortfin mako did. Those species rank far below both the blacktip and spinner in terms of unprovoked attacks on humans according to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) at the Florida Museum of Natural History. ISAF data show blacktips are responsible for 28 unprovoked attacks and 13 provoked attacks (think feeding, harassing, etc.). Spinners have been responsible for 15 unprovoked attacks, and one on the provoked side. For comparison, the oceanic whitetip committed five unprovoked and three provoked attacks, while the shortfin mako dished out 8 unprovoked attacks and 15 provoked. In Discovery’s defense, its list featured numerous factors, including fatalities, size, and likelihood to encounter humans, which would obviously put species like the great white above many other known attackers, but in terms of raw attack data, blacktips and spinners deserve our respect. They are also species humans are likely to encounter in shallow water along beaches, where fishermen tote stringers of speckled trout and other sport fishes, not to mention the scores of swimmers. It is also possible blacktips and spinners are responsible for more attacks than ISAF can accurately list. “Positive identification of attacking sharks is very difficult, since victims rarely make adequate observations of the attacker during the ‘heat’ of the interaction,” according to George H. Burgess of ISAF. “Tooth remains are seldom found in wounds, and diagnostic characters for many requiem sharks (including blacktips and spinners) are difficult to discern even by trained professionals. “Realistically, almost any shark in the right size range, roughly 6 feet (1.8 meters) or greater, is a potential threat to humans because, even if a bite is not intended as a directed feeding attempt on a human, the power of the jaw and tooth morphology can lead to injury.” While that opens the door for many species, some are certainly more dangerous than others. Enter the bull shark. Bulls can top 10 feet in length and are &
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Sharks on the Texas coast range from docile to deadly. Wade or don’t wade? most likely the real culprit behind the 1916 New Jersey “Matawan Creek” attacks that inspired the best-selling novel and blockbuster film, “Jaws.” Bull sharks are unique in that they can live in totally freshwater and often hang out in the mouths of coastal rivers and on the northern ends of bay systems. Where other sharks would die, bull sharks thrive. Just last year, angler Randall Rickerson broke the Texas bull shark record with a 515-pound, 108-inch monster caught in Aransas Bay near several popular wadefishing locales. Bulls are responsible for 77 known attacks, 23 of which were fatal, earning the species the dubious honor of the highest proportion of fatal attacks of any species. ISAF also lists 25 provoked hits on humans and five on boats. These sharks have the highest levels of testosterone of any known animal, including elephants and whales, which contributes to their aggressive behavior. Garnering its name from the faint stripes that line its body, the tiger shark has more in common with its namesake than coloration. According to the 1961 book, Dangerous Creatures of the World’s Oceans, tiger sharks like the feared cats of the Asian jungles are bona fide man-eaters. “Tiger sharks kill a greater proportion of their human victims than do great whites,” the book says. “Whereas whites often spit PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE
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out their prey after they realize it’s not a seal or some other natural prey, the tiger shark will be quite happy with eating a person and in fact seem to relish it.” ISAF officials list 88 unprovoked attacks by tiger sharks, with 28 of those fatal. These big, dangerous sharks rarely enter waters along the surf zone, but are present, especially along the South Padre Island Seashore, and occasionally along Galveston Island and in the Bolivar area. Helicopter pilot Green’s sighting described at the beginning of this story well could have been a tiger. There is great dispute among shark experts about the size potential for the species. Most texts list tigers as growing up to 18 feet in length and weighing more than a ton. In other references, figures are all over the board for size, including one I found that claimed, “Tiger sharks range in size from 8.8 to 24 feet long. The largest found weighed 6800 pounds.” That figure seems a bit high, as the International Game Fish Association lists a 1780-pounder caught by Walter Maxwell off the coast of South Carolina in 1964 as the largest caught by an
angler. That’s far shy of the claim, but still massive for an oceanic predator. Fans of the movie “Jaws” will remember the scene where actors Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider’s characters dissect a big tiger shark caught by an angler seeking the reward for the man-eater that had terrorized a seaside community. They pulled out a mackerel, a small tuna, and a Louisiana license plate that read, “Sportsman’s Paradise.” That was a very accurate portrayal of the tiger shark’s eating habits. It is the garbage collector of the ocean and will eat anything. Some of the tiger’s favorite prey items include sea turtle, mackerel, stingray, lobster, crab, and oceanic birds. In parts of their range where sea snakes are present, the aquatic snakes represent a large part of the diet of juvenile tigers. Lemon sharks are another occasional predator of humans, coming in at No. 13 on the ISAF’s attack list with nine unprovoked and 13 provoked attacks. There are some huge lemon sharks in Texas waters, as the state record 470-pounder illustrates, but they do not seem to be overly abundant anywhere.
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Scarcity seems to be a growing problem with large sharks. While these supremely efficient predators occasionally attack people, they are not mindless killing machines, but nonetheless face wholesale slaughter at the hands of humans as “dangerous.” Commercial long-lining in the Gulf and Atlantic and gill netting operations in Mexican waters are pushing some shark species toward extinction. While most of the species profiled in this story seem to be relatively abundant, they are susceptible to overharvest. Most species reach sexual maturity at around 10 years of age and only produce a few young each year, so they have a difficult time bouncing back from overharvest. That might be good news to some, since the idea of a shark attack lurks among our worst nightmares. However, when looking at the important role of sharks in terms of ocean ecology, it is alarming. Sharks maintain balance among forage species and stave off disease outbreaks, and are therefore a crucial link in the food chain—even if humans occasionally show up on the menu.
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Burns & Band-Aids
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Y GRANDFATHER HAD A LARGE BANDAGE on his chin. Just like any curious nine-year-old, I walked up to him, pointed at the oversized Curad, and asked, “What’s that, Papa Gane?” “Oh, the doctor had to take a mole off my chin.” “Why?” “It was cancer.” I didn’t quite understand what this word “cancer” meant, although I’d heard mentioned on television when John Wayne died, so I asked, “How did you get it?” “I was out in the sun too much,” he answered. I have been paranoid about sunlight ever since, and with good reason. With my fair skin, it wouldn’t take too many sunburns to set me up for the entire solar shop of horrors: skin cancer, sunburn, dehydration, heat prostration (hyperthermia), cataracts, macular degeneration. If I don’t use my cap, sunblock, or sunglasses judiciously, it could all be mine. Fishermen should be keenly aware of the sun’s harmful effects. The rush of a hot bite or the excitement of zipping around the bay running after birds can distract you from reapplying sun block (or even applying it in the first place), or maybe your cap blows off enroute to your honey hole. The result can be a nasty sunburn that leaves your skin bright red and stinging, and later dry, itchy, and peeling. If a fisherman doesn’t take the correct precautions, a good day can turn lousy pretty quickly. The ultraviolet components of sunlight do the dirty work. Ultraviolet A (UVA) is the least dangerous, and UVB the most; it causes a variety of conditions involving the skin and eyes. (UVC is truly the most danger32
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ous, but it is filtered by Earth’s atmosphere so is not a concern except to astronauts and SR71 pilots.) In general, the medical community considers ultraviolet radiation an environmental carcinogen and “a major concern for human health.” (See “Toxic Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation on the Skin”; Toxicology and Pharmacology, 3/2004.) UVB irradiation causes sunburns. Even something as ordinary as a suntan can be dangerous. Both are the body’s reaction to injury to the skin. Moreover, UVB can distort DNA molecules, which can lead to cellular mutations that might develop into cancerous growths. It is important to note that tanning is not necessarily a precaution against sunburn. I’m dismayed at how many times I’ve heard someone, especially a young person bound for Spring Break or summer vacation, say that once they get a good sunburn, they will be safe from burning again; it simply isn’t so. Sunburn is acute trauma to the skin. It may vary from a simple pinking of the skin to the severe almost-crimson burns that most fair-skinned individuals suffer after a very long day on the water with little or no sunblock. Such severe sunburns sometimes lead to blistering of the skin and the need for real medical attention. I suffered a pretty nasty sunburn once at a concert in the Cotton Bowl; I was literally bedridden for two days. The body releases melanin to protect the skin from further damage. This can also occur days after sunburn, as UVB stimulates the body to produce more melanin as a defensive to prevent further damage to the deeper, more vulnerable layers of skin. “Ultraviolet light damages a skin’s DNA,” said Dr. Mark Carruth, a dermatologist affiliated with the Skin Cancer Foundation. “The [darkening of a tan] is a response to injury.” As mentioned, many people believe that a tan protects from sunburns, so they continue to expose themselves to solar radiation without protection. At the very least, they eventually end up with skin that has the moisture and texture of beef jerky. At worst, they end &
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up visiting a dermatologist and an oncologist, in that order. The irony of it all is that it is very easy to protect yourself from sunburn. Sun protection is big business in the outdoors industry; there are so many different brands and grades of sun block that it makes your head spin. The most important factor is to find a sunblock that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. These are lotions or creams that contain compounds such as zinc oxide (the white stuff lifeguards cover their noses with), titanium dioxide, octocrylene, Mexoryl (generically known as ecamsule), and avobenzone. These ingredients are as important as the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of a lotion. According to Dr. Carruth, an SPF of about 30 is sufficient for most outdoor enthusiasts, although there are blocks with SPF ratings as high as 60, but those are usually for people especially photosensitive due to a medical condition. Once you have your sunblock, don’t scrimp on application. It is unnecessary to use half the bottle; about two tablespoons of sunblock should cover your arms and legs to a thickness sufficient to be effective against UVA and UVB radiation. Be sure to apply it at least 30 minutes before you step outside (maybe when you’re gassing the truck and buying a breakfast taco). Re-apply every three hours or so to replace any that gets rubbed or washed off. In addition to sunblocking lotions, there is sun protective clothing. What makes these preferable to most fishermen is that there is no residue to rub off on lures or bait, no bottle or tube that can leak all over a tacklebox or camera bag, and the clothing can be washed and reused. The important thing is that sensitive skin of an absent-minded fisherman is protected from the harmful rays of an unforgiving sun—ensuring that the only need for Band-Aids on your face will be due to your buddy’s careless back cast.
E-mail Calixto Gonzales cgonzales@fishgame.com
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by Don Zaidle n the July 2007 edition, we published a list of Texas-born soldiers who had died in the on-going conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. We prefaced that list with a recitation of precedents that bears repeating: On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress of what later became The United States of America adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring the 13 American colonies independent from the tyrannical British government. Preceding and succeeding battles aggregated the War of Independence, in which many good American men fought and died for freedom, liberty, and sovereign independence. Most of their names are forever lost and forgotten. CONTINUED ON PAGE 34
BACKGROUD TEXAS FLAG PHOTO BY DON ZAIDLE/ IWO JIMA PHOTO COURTESY OF USGS
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The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria led to the “July crisis” that precipitated World War I. Many good American men fought and died for freedom, liberty, and independence from despotic, tyrannical governments. Many of their names are forever lost and forgotten. On July 7, 1937, Japan launched an attack against China near Beijing, igniting the Asian War that spilled into the rest of the world, that with simultaneous German aggression became World War II. Many good American men fought and died for freedom, liberty, and independence from despotic, tyrannical governments. Few of their names are lost, but many are forgotten. On July 27, 1953, a cease-fire heralded the end of the Korean War, precipitated three years prior by communist aggression bankrolled by the Soviet Union. Many good American men fought and died for freedom, liberty, and independence from despotic, tyrannical governments. Few of their names are lost, but many are forgotten. On July 27, 1964, 5000 additional military advisors deployed to the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), bringing U.S. troop levels to 21,000. Shortly thereafter, North Vietnamese sappers attacked the U.S. destroyer Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin, leading to the escalation of American involvement that became the Vietnam War. Many good American men fought and died for freedom, liberty, and independence from despotic, tyrannical governments. Few of their names are lost, and most enshrined on “The Wall” Vietnam War memorial. On October 7, 2001, U.S.-led coalition forces launched strikes against terrorist-held locations in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom in response to terrorist attacks against the United States. On 20 March 2003, coalition forces engaged Iraqi troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom to end dictator Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people from despotic, tyrannical rule. Many good American men have fought and died in both war arenas, defending freedom, liberty, and independence from tyrannical rule. The total of honored dead in on-going Afghanistan and Iraq operations are not yet known, but their names will not be lost to posterity or soon forgotten. In this historically significant month of July 2008, we strive 34
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to ensure that their sacrifices do not go unheralded. The entire list of names from throughout the U.S. is too extensive to reproduce here, but below is a list of the names, service ranks, and hometowns of the known honored dead of the past year up to April 2008 who hailed from Texas. May we forever honor the memory and legacy of each one. Adair, James Lee - SPC - Carthage; Alvarez, Conrad - SGT - Big Spring; Austin, Alan Jerome - PFC - Houston; Block, Kamisha Jane - SPC - Vidor; Bostick, Thomas Gordon, Jr - MAJ Llano; Bradshaw, Anthony Mitchell CPL - San Antonio; Brisky, Dustin Ryan - CPL - Round Rock; Brookshire, Sid William - MAJ - Houston; Brown, Jason Logan - SSG - Magnolia; Burkett, Donald Allen - SPC - Comanche; Burks, Peter H - 2LT - Dallas; Butler, Rhett Allen - CPL - Fort Worth; Campos, Adrian Montoya - AN - El Paso; Campos, Juan Francisco - SSG Mcallen; Candelo, Steven Ivan - CPL Houston; Cannon, Mark Russell - PO3 Lubbock; Cole, Timothy Bruce, Jr - SSG - Missouri City; Collins, Ryan Daniel CPL - Vernon; Craig, Clay Allen - SSG - Mesquite; Cuellar, Bacilio Emilio SGT - Odessa; Cunningham, Timothy Wayne - 1LT - Alvin; Davis, Chris SGT - Lubbock; Davis, Michael Warner CPL - San Marcos; Domino, Chadrick Omar - SGT - Ennis; Duckworth, Eric Thomas - SSG - Plano; Edwards, William Lawrence - SPC - Houston; Endsley, Zachary Ryan - CPL - Spring; Engstrom, Andrew Travis - PFC Slaton; Ezell, Lawrence David - SFC Portland; Franklin, Jermaine Donnell SPC - Arlington; Garrison, Benjamin Joseph - SPC - Houston; Guyton, Larry Isaiah - PFC - Brenham; Harris, Joseph Graham - PFC - Sugar Land; Hartley, Jeffery Lee - SSG - Hempstead; Higdon, Kristopher Allan - SSG - Odessa; Hilbert, Thomas Layton - CPL - Venus; Inman, Rowdy J - CPT - Panorama Village; Jackson, Dustin Cody - SPC Arlington; Jaurigue, Michael James CPL - Texas City; Jeffries, Gary Wayne - SSG - Roscoe; Johnson, Rodney Jerrone - SPC - Houston; Jones, Roy Lee, III - PFC - Houston; Joshua, Ron Joseph, Jr - PFC - Austin; Kelsey, &
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Samuel Edbert - SGT - Troup; Kitowski, Charles Bernard, III - SGT - Farmers Branch; Laforest, Mathew Philip - CPL - Austin; Long, Braden Joseph - SPC Sherman; Lopez, Juan Manuel, Jr - CPL - San Antonio; Mack, Kenneth Nathaniel - MSGT - Fort Worth; Malone, Jimy Mac - SSG - Wills Point; Markham, Jonathan Allan - SGT - Bedford; Martinez, Anselmo, III - SGT Robstown; Mccants, Marquis Jermaine CPL - San Antonio; Mccloud, Christopher Michael - PFC - Malakoff; Mccormick, David Phillip - CPL Fresno; Mcintosh, Scott Alexander CPL - Houston; Mckinney, Jeffrey Ray 1SG - Garland; Mclead, Garrett Ian SGT - Rockport; Mcrae, James Heath CPL - Springtown; Medlicott, Matthew Sauer - LCPL - Houston; Milledge, Joseph Bradley - SGT - Point Blank; Molina, Joshua Alexander - CPL Houston; Monschke, Justin Shane - SFC - Krum; Mora, Omar Leonardo - SGT Texas City; Morris, Matthew Troy - SPC - Cedar Park; Nguyen, Dan Hong - CPL - Sugar Land; Nichols, Jeffrey Franklin SPC - Granite Shoals; Norman, Michael Allen - CPT - Killeen; Obrien, William David - CPL - Rice; Olguin, Randell SGT - Ralls; Paredes, Javier Gonzalo CPL - San Antonio; Perez, Orlando Antonio - SPC - Houston; Ray, Jeremy E - 1LT - Houston; Romero, Joshua Glen CPL - Crowley; Rubio, Hernandez Jose Abraham - CPL - Mission; Salinas, Eric Domingo - SPC - Houston; Santos, Fernando - SSG - San Antonio; Sauceda, Oscar, Jr - PV2 - Del Rio; Smitherman, Brandon William - CPL Conroe; Soto, Danny Richard - SGT Houston; Stock, John Christian - SSGT Longview; Stone, Mark Allen - SGT Buchanan Dam; Strong, Johnny Ray LCPL - Waco; Tousha, Shaun Paul SGT - Hull; Twitty, Bobby Lee - LCPL - Bedias; Unruh, Gregory Daniel - SGT - Dickinson; Villarreal, Emmanuel LCPL - Eagle Pass; Wakeman, Dustin Scott - SGT - Fort Worth; Walker, Aaron James - SPC - Harker Heights; Warford, William Troy, III - CPL - Temple; West, Christopher John Lee - CPL - Arlington; West, Kile Grant - 1LT - Pasadena; Willis, Tracy Clint - SPC - Marshall
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by Barry St. Clair
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ntire books—nay, libraries—have been written about the great green monsters with mouths the size of a full moon, the largemouth bass. Yet, bass fishermen can never get enough ink, especially when it comes to tome and treatises on catching more or larger fish. That is a good thing from a fishing writer’s perspective: It gives our lives meaning, and provides no end of fodder whereby to keep cranky editors happy. Then, too, because we get to see and do so much bass fishing, and get to fish with and talk to so many people who get to see and do so much bass fishing, the things we write about are actually helpful. Bass move into shallow water to spawn in spring and are more accessible to anglers. After spawning, they scatter toward deeper water and become more difficult to locate; it can take a lot of time to find hungry fish. That is when things are not so rosy. As summer progresses toward fall, bass gather into schools and begin to feed voraciously, and again become easier to locate and more accessible. Find a school of hungry fish and success is just about guaranteed. Here are five proven summer techniques to help ensure you stay on the rosy side of bassing:
to deep water. Try fishing a topwater over the tops of submerged vegetation early in the morning and late in the evening. These are times when bass are most likely to be in the thick stuff waiting in ambush. During the day, another productive approach is a lipless crankbait retrieved over submerged grass just fast enough to occasionally tick the top of the growth. If the hooks pick up some vegetation, rip the lure through the water quickly by raising the rod tip couple of feet. This will usually dislodge the fouling weeds and jumpstart bass into striking a potential meal that is just about to get away. Pay special attention to small feeder creeks entering the main tributary. These spots provide ideal ambush locations for bass. If they won’t hit a topwater or crankbait, go with a plastic worm worked along the edges of the weed line. If the water has enough depth under the vegetation, bass will move to the bottom
under the cover as water temperatures on the surface rise. To reach them, a tungsten jig or heavily weighted plastic creature bait that can punch through the surface plants is ideal for attracting their interest. Another means of getting them to bite is a drop-shot rig with a Senko or finesse worm rigged whacky style. Get the lure down through holes or along the edges of open areas along creek channels and just bump it occasionally without moving it out of the area. It will entice even the most reluctant bass to take a look. If a flat area adjacent to a creek channel contains a stump field, hit the stumps with a crankbait or drop a jig or worm on the shady side of fishy-looking spots. Stealth and short casts get strikes and increase the chances of landing fish in thick, woody cover. Go deep and vertical over structure. When the surface water gets hot, large fish go to deep-water structure. Jigging a
Find creek channels with water depths of 1218 feet and floating vegetation along the breakline. By late summer, aquatic vegetation is at maximum growth, and mats or clumps of the stuff make ideal habitat for largemouth bass. Aquatic plants provide shade, ambush cover, oxygen, and hideouts for prey species. All of these elements attract weed-loving largemouth bass. The key to finding spots that hold bass in late summer is to fish areas of vegetation close to creek channels, which provide easy escape
Even in summer, you can find bass shallow and take them on topwaters.
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spoon or slab vertically for fish suspended close to the bottom is a sure way to get a lure into the strike zone. If bass seem reluctant to hit, tie a loop in the main line a foot or two above the slab and attach a small curly-tailed jig in white or chartreuse color. This combination is often too much to resist, and if the bite is on, it is not unusual to catch active fish two at a time. While many anglers find this type of fishing tedious, it has the distinction of keeping a lure in front of bass holding on deep-water structure. The longer a lure can stay in the zone, the more likely it will get bit. Another excellent enticer for bottom-hugging bass is a bulky dark-colored jig. Work the structure slowly. Small hops, twitches, and slithers will create enough disturbance to attract bass. The soft, bulky body looking very much like a crawfish will do the rest. Use heavy tackle to fight the thick stuff and the bass. Fishing in heavy vegetation or timber requires strong line. Monofilament is easily abraded and has too much stretch to horse bass out of the thick stuff. A much better bet is one of the braided super-lines; the low stretch and small diameter makes them ideal for winching bass out of weeds and timber jungles. Spool up with at least 50-pound-test on a heavy action 6.5- to 7-foot rod. This combination allows getting control of hooked fish before it can bury up in the weeds or wrap line around a tree. If it does get stuck, odds are better than even you can pull it free. Thin diameter super-lines also make it easier to get lures down deep and will cut through weeds much better than monofilament. Rigging heavy is ideal when plastic frog fishing in late summer. Hopping frogs over the top of thick surface plants is one of the joys of bass fishing, and an excellent way to stay young at heart. No other type of topwater strike is as thrilling as watching a bucketmouth explode on a frog among the lily pads. Cast a frog to the shoreline edge and work it back over and through floating vegetation Be prepared for strikes that range from subtle as a minnow dimple to as explosive as dropping a bowling ball off a stepladder. It is not unusual to see bass leap from the water and dive bomb a frog from above. Remember not to set the hook until the weight of the fish is felt, then sock it to ‘em. Frog fishing in late summer is exciting stuff.
Slow down and fish likely areas thoroughly. In the hustle-bustle world we live in, it is easy to have that hurry-up lifestyle creep into how we approach fishing. After a couple of casts with no strikes, many bass fishermen fire up the big motor and roar off to another spot. That sort of fishing might work in tournaments, but the average bass angler would do better to slow down and fish likely areas thoroughly. No one can fish an entire lake in a short amount of time and expect much. Pick a spot with features that attract bass— food, cover, and good escape routes. Fish the area quietly and thoroughly. Use different lures to probe the entire water column until a fish is caught. Then go back over the area using the lure and technique that was productive. If the area looks fishy but nothing seems to be biting, move to another spot and then come back later in the day. Concentrate on main and secondary points. One of the best times to use crankbaits for bass is when lake surface temperatures start cooling off in late summer. Cold fronts once
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again become part of the fishing equation. Baitfishes start to move from deep water back to the mouths of creeks, and largemouth bass will be right behind them, taking advantage of the gathering masses to put on weight before winter sets in. Small to medium-sized crankbaits worked along the edges of main lake points can be a sure fire way to connect with bass looking for an easy meal. Start at the mouth of a main lake point and fish any cover or structure in water 4-12 feet in depth. Gradually work up into the creek and the secondary points. Fish fast-action lures with a tight wiggle and a lot of color, and keep moving until willing fish are located. Many times, bass will be heavily concentrated on the drop-offs on main and secondary spits of land in late summer, and putting a shad-imitating lure in front of them is the ticket to the party. Find the fish, give them what they want, and reap the benefits. It sounds simple, and it can be; late summer bass fishing does not have to be complicated. All it really amounts to is a game of hide and seek.
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To Serve the Beast
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Y AMAZING BAND OF SNARLING, LAUGHing, gifted virtuosos were throttling me yet again into hopeless, sweaty submission. And I liked it. After all, if you are going to jam with Uncle Ted on such universally appreciated, deeply emotional love songs such as “Wango Tango”, “Stranglehold”, “Fred Bear”, and “Love Grenade”, you had best be world-class dangerous on your instrument, brimming over with heart and soul—and it helps to have the stamina of an angry stallion. Check, check, and double check. We were rocking like men possessed and all was good. Giddy-up. There is no doubt that Mick Brown on the thunder drums and Greg Smith on the T-Rex bass guitar give it all they got no matter who they perform for or with, but I have first-hand, reliable, eye-witnessed testimony regarding their impetuous delivery of severely over the top sonic bombast whenever we rehearse for upcoming NugeMusic gitdowns. You see, just outside the studio windows of both our Michigan and Texas rehearsal chambers of horrors, there smolders a beautiful, large, black grilling system that, like my bandmates themselves, seems to have a continuous plume of smoke swirling up from its depths. Where there is smoke, there is fire, baby—and we got nonstop flameage erupting from all fronts during any and all Nugent maneuvers, I assure you. For you see, my band and professional touring crew simply crave the daily rituals of sacred flesh treatment on the grill, and there is no more inspiring motivation on Earth 40
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“Whackmaster” Nugent and wife Shemane co-authored Kill It & Grill It, a collection of their favorite recipes and tales of beasts in deadly dance. than a full-on Uncle Ted venison BloodBrother grilling orgy. Meat for the masses, I always say, and my boys love it. Everyone paying attention has certainly figured out the self-evident truth that wild venison is surely the unequaled, supreme health food rocket fuel from God of all times. There is quite literally no better food on Earth—none healthier, none more organic, and certainly none more nutritious or more enjoyable to procure, handle, prepare, and eat. This is a fact. &
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Over the last 40-plus years, most of my musical cohorts have either never tasted wild game meat before, or worse, had experienced improperly handled game flesh and responded unfavorably. I am afraid this is usually the case. Though the Nugent family, and all the hunting families we know, learned how to properly kill, process, handle, and cook venison a long time ago, sadly, many people still have not learned the basics. We who so cherish this sacred renewable protein must do all we can to teach upgrade to all who would
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Nugent in half-naked primitive warrior mode, performing a ritual of beast and fire. Note the ever-present Glock (or is it a Kimber?) on his hip. benefit from the ultra simple rituals that guarantee the greatest meals ever. Of course, a clean kill is essential, hence the gung-ho dedication to be the deadliest, most accurate “reasoning predator” we can be. Once the animal is down, it is critically important to continue the spiritual aspects of our aboriginal ancestors by showing respect to the creature as the gift from God that it surely is. A moment of silence and prayer goes a long way in teaching this respect to our children and friends. Plus, it helps to calm us down for the essential knife work in the field under usually less than ideal conditions. A careful and efficient yet speedy gutting procedure must be adhered to in order to completely remove all innards and any meat tainting body fluids as quickly as possible. With nearby water or grasses, a thorough cleaning of the body cavity is vital for the goal of delicious meat. Transporting the cleaned carcass back to camp or home, covered to keep dirt and debris off the carcass, where the removal of the skin expedites the cooling and the beginning of the enzyme breakdown process. If a walk-in cooler is not available, quartering or
even boning the meat for placement into a refrigerator or in large ice chests is very important for optimal palatability. Removing all the cartilage, fat, and silver-colored membrane tissue is critical because venison fat is not sweet like domestic beef fat. Clean, cold, and aged are the Big Three for yummy venison. Remember that. After the aging process, where ideally a week to 10 days at 33-40 degrees will adequately tenderize this sacred flesh, reducing the cuts into family sized portions is not that difficult a task. A qualified local professional butcher can help show you the fundamentals, and the butchering process is quite gratifying for an individual. Freezing meal-sized packages properly labeled is the final process other than cooking and consuming. For the most part, cooking and grilling venison like you would beef or lamb is about right, except for the fact that without decent palatable fat, the meat tends to dry out quicker. We make it a point to either marinade the meat overnight in a bath of Vernor’s Ginger Ale and olive oil, or simply add some pork fat during the cooking procedure. Bacon wrapped backstrap is heaven T E X A S
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on Earth. Singed but pink inside is key. We have many tried and true delicious recipes in our book, Kill It & Grill It, but let your imagination be your guide. This fine day of intense rock and roll jamming, we had the phenomenal filet mignon backstraps from a big axis stag, and as they singed delightfully on both sides, my band and crew dug in like starving dogs, an entire half of a deer gone in a flash. Smothered in red, green, and gold peppers, big slabs of white onion, a puddle of Old West BBQ sauce topping the whole deal off, and I swear when we picked up our instruments after the dinner break, the music grew horns and took on a life of its own. I am sure it was the spirit of the beast as brought full circle by its primal gift of protein for the hunter and his friends. Venison Rock. There’s nothing like it. For autographed copies of Kill It & Grill It, visit tednugent.com or call 800-3434868.
E-mail Ted Nugent at bowhunting@fishgame.com &
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•by Capt. Mike Holmes
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The acrobatics of a sailfish caught purposely or serendipitously is sure to stimulate the endocrine system of any angler. everal fish species on the Texas coast go overlooked or underutilized by fishermen. Bonito (properly “little tunny”) are the smallest of the true tunas, and considered a premier light tackle game fish in other areas, but thought of mostly as bait or a nuisance by Texas anglers. Most surf and offshore anglers disdain the bruising jack crevalle, ironically because it fights too hard, wasting fishing time that could be spent catching better-eating fish that more easily succumb to the fish box. The key seems to be table qualities, as we in the northwestern Gulf still rank our sport fish by how well they eat. Blackfin and yellowfin tuna were once in this category; that was before Texans discovered fish cooking methods other than deep-frying. 44
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The exceptions to all this are billfishes, pretty much the only group of fish pursued only for their fighting abilities and the glamour that comes with catching them. Almost no one kills a mighty blue marlin, except in a big money kill tournament. White marlin are smaller and not as common, so are seldom boated, either. Swordfish might be the exception, since they are prized as a food fish, but catching swords is a specialized niche in a specialized game; not many practice it, so not many swords are caught here. The smallest billfish commonly found in Texas waters, and the one even most nonfishermen recognize by name and probably on sight, is the misunderstood sailfish. I call sailfish “misunderstood” because almost no fishermen in Texas waters actively target them, even though they are almost universally considered a prize catch. Marlin fishermen make long runs to deep water and fish oil production platforms, natural bottom &
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formations rising from 100 fathom-plus depths, or troll weedlines and current rips. Sailfish, however, are reef fish, preferring relatively shallow water. Marlin fishermen catch sailfish because they hang around the artificial reef systems created by deep-water platforms and floaters, but never in great numbers, and many marlin seekers consider time spent on a sail as wasted effort. Sails also apparently spawn in these areas; the captain of a crew boat once showed me a baby sail caught in a cast net near a temporary platform (that later became the Tequila rig) near the 100Fathom Drop off of Freeport, and I know of several less than a foot long caught by anglers trolling for kings. Texas fishermen hoping to catch big numbers of sails in the past headed for Mazatlan or Cozumel, and now the hotspots are Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. In these areas, Pacific sails, which are larger than the PHOTO BY JOE RICHARD
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Atlantic version, are often found in large schools chasing bait close to shore, and can be taken on light conventional tackle, spinning gear, or fly rods. Yet, most of these same fishermen ignore the chance of good sailfish action in their home waters. Most sails are caught off Texas by accident rather than intent, and the majority is taken by kingfish anglers in shallow waters close to shore. Because the ports of the Coastal Bend and down to the Mexican border have been traditionally more sport and tourist oriented, sailfish effort and catches are probably more likely than on the upper coast. Although the water is deeper closer to shore the farther south we travel, there are more close-in reefs and bottom formations to attract and hold sails. One of the biggest Texas sails I’ve ever seen was taken many years ago out of Matagorda by a first-time offshore angler, drifting a large mullet between two anchored shrimp boats maybe 25 miles offshore in hopes of hooking a ling or king. Another nice sail I know of was hooked and finally boated by a 12-year-old angler
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using a Garcia 5000 reel and fishing barely five miles off San Luis Pass. I have seen sails free-jumping over rocky bottom areas like Little Campeche off Freeport, and I have hooked them on “meat baits” around platforms on the 100-fathom curve. A good friend of mine, Jerry Montgomery of Katy, once “caught” a sail with his marker buoy. They had marked a wreck and noticed a sailfish attacking the bright orange Styrofoam buoy with its bill. By the time got to the marker, the sail had tangled in the rope and drowned. Some charter captains at least think about directed sailfish trips, and most would probably agree to give it a try. Capt. Randle Hall (www.Geauxdeepcharters.com) out of Port Mansfield has caught quite a few sails while after other game, and considers them one answer to the tighter restrictions on snapper and other species. Capt. Hall has made pilgrimage to Florida to fish with sailfish expert Ray Rosher, studying the kite fishing techniques used in that area. I have been told another charter operation in Port Isabel has been targeting sails with good results. It
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might require some research to find a captain willing to hunt for sails all day, but it doesn’t cost anything to ask. Anyone with a seaworthy center console or walk-around cuddy and is tired of the snapper snafu can gear up for sailfish on their own, providing the weather offshore cooperates. Weedlines and platforms are the most visible structure that might attract “spindle beaks”, and any bottom formations or wrecks might pay off to a directed sailfish expedition. Clear water is best, but “kingfish green” will do. Water depth should be no more than 100 feet, and structures with good bottom relief are best. Concentrations of bait on the surface should always be investigated, and if you are lucky enough to spot a sail free-jumping, it marks an area on which to concentrate. Off Port Aransas, Hospital Rock and the Bakers would be good spots, even though the deeper water surrounding the East Breaks has been known to draw sails. Out of Mansfield and Port Isabel, the inshore reefs
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are the places to begin. From Matagorda, work near shrimp boats and rigs first. Launching from Freeport, the 90-foot curve that most of the “Tenneco” rigs are located on is good, also the 32’s. Galveston has the shallowest water along the Texas coast, but that is not a drawback for sails. The Heald Bank and the area around the old Buccaneer Field are good prospecting grounds. Sails in Texas waters run around 50 pounds normally, although bigger fish are out there, so most kingfish tackle will get the job done when trolling. This is fish does its fighting in the air and on the surface, wearing itself out with spine-tingling jumps. Although sails are taken each year on drifted dead baits around rigs and shrimpers, a directed effort should be more productive when trolling. The time honored feather jig has taken a lot of sailfish, also naked ballyhoo skipped from an outrigger. Smaller versions of marlin lures are good, and even full-size billfish plugs will attract sails while discouraging kings and bonito somewhat. I prefer the flat-nosed versions,
which leave a long bubble trail and “pop” the surface on a regular basis; the Moldcraft Lil’ Hooker is a top choice. Probably the lure with the most potential is a blue and white Islander with a ballyhoo trailer. A plastic ballyhoo will work and last longer than the real thing, and in a pinch, a cigar minnow or mullet will do as a trailer. Any of the Islander knock-offs with the same type of nylon skirt should work, including the version just introduced by Texas-based Snapper Slapper. A wire leader is not necessary, but to keep that bill off the main line, use a 10-foot length of heavier mono or fluorocarbon leader; 100-pound-test should do. If using natural baits, give circle hooks careful consideration; they can also be used on artificials with some creative rigging. Sails are never so numerous off our coast to allow the bait-and-switch fly rod techniques popular in Mexico and Central America, and even a lucky angler who works hard at it will not catch as many sails in a season as some good captains down there can in a day. In the past, I have hooked white
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marlin while chumming around a rig and drifting dead bait, so a sail should be no pickier; if trolling has not paid off this could be a good method to try. Heading offshore for sailfish adds a little more “romance” to a trip. It amounts to billfishing without the expense of a long run for marlin, or a fortune tied up in heavy tackle and costly lures. If the sails do not cooperate that day, something certainly will, and a few kings and dolphin are always welcome for the dinner table. By using lures designed for blue-water gamesters, there is also a better chance of getting the attention of a wahoo or bull dolphin, as both species will wander inshore in the same areas sails prefer. If you do connect with a sailfish, release it carefully. Any taxidermist can make a sailfish mount from his stock molds, a photograph, and measurements of your fish. A sailfish caught while actually fishing for sailfish is a very special thing, and should be treated as such.
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Falcon Tournament Bass Mortality
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VER SINCE ESPN AND BASSMASTER ELITE Series descended on Lake Falcon earlier this year, the internet has been abuzz with chatter about the hordes of big fish caught during a four-day event that produced record-busting catches across the board. One competitor labeled the Lone Star Shootout a “freak show” because of the abnormal number of lunker bass brought to the scales. All told, 109 Elite Series pros and coanglers weighed in more than 10,500 pounds of bass during a tournament that saw the former BASS all-time weight record of 122 pounds, 14 ounces shattered half a dozen times. Included in the mix were hundreds of bass weighing upward of 5 pounds, and a 13.2-pounder caught early during the opening round. The 13-pounder was officially entered in the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department ShareLunker program, but died before it could be transported to program headquarters in Athens. It is believed the big bass died due to stress-related problems after being caught from deep water and then placed in a livewell so packed with large fish that the aeration system could not handle the load. Warm water pressing 80 degrees in temperature was believed to complicate matters even more. Sadly, the ShareLunker was not the only fish to go belly up in the wake of a big bass
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parade rivaled by none other before it. Post-tournament reports on the Lone Star Shootout confirmed that 158 of the bass hauled to the scales died before they could be released back into the lake. Some were pronounced DOA. Others died while on board two BASS live release barges, which carried as much as 750 gallons of oxygen-enriched water meant to revive stressed fish. The live release system normally works well, but Falcon’s bountiful population of big bass combined with the conditions to create unforeseen problems. Citing one dead bass as one too many, conservation-minded BASS rethought its strategy when it headed up the road the following week to another Texas heavy hitter, Lake Amistad. Anticipating another big bass parade under similar conditions, Elite Series tournament director Trip Weldon elected to cut the co-angler limit to three fish per day while leaving the pro limit at five. The idea was that fewer bass in a livewell would help reduce the potential for mortality. While the Battle on the Border at Amistad did not turn out to be the freak show the Falcon Shootout was, well above average catches were brought to the scales—and only handful of mortalities recorded. That poses an obvious question: Would the number of casualties at Falcon have been less had the daily limit been reduced? Randy Myers thinks it would have helped to a degree. Myers is the TPWD fisheries biologist who oversees Falcon, Amistad, and host of other South Texas fisheries. He and his staff attended the daily weigh-ins at Falcon and offered assistance to BASS staffers in caring for fish after they came across the scales. Myers thinks overcrowded livewells were only part of the reason for the mortality rate. The biologist said water temperatures pushing 80 degrees certainly played a role. Perhaps an even more significant contributor was the fact many of the fish were caught from depths beyond 25 feet. According to Myers, bass caught from &
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water deeper than 20 feet and placed in a livewell for an extended period sometimes experience difficulties adjusting to the change in scenery. There is more pressure in deep water. A fish’s swim bladder compensates for the increased pressure in deep water by slowly inflating, using air fed through its bloodstream. This allows the fish to maintain its balance and not struggle to stay at that depth. Just the opposite occurs in a fish that gradually swims into the shallows. The air bladder gradually deflates, thus allowing the fish to function properly. Problems can occur when a fish is reeled in quickly from deep water and placed in a livewell. Its swim bladder cannot adjust quickly enough to compensate for the sudden change in pressure. According to Myers, these fish will often exhaust themselves trying to relocate to a comfort zone they cannot find in a livewell that is only 20 inches deep. “If you catch a fish in deep water and throw it back immediately, it will often swim back down perfectly,” Myers said. “But if you hold that fish for a while, it constantly struggles to go down, fighting the buoyancy. After a while, it gets to the point of exhaustion and goes belly up.” Although TPWD does not advocate the procedure, Myers said “fizzing” can be an effective way to help alleviate a distended swim bladder. Fizzing involves using a hypodermic needle to pierce the swim bladder and manually bleed excess gases. It can be performed by inserting a needle through the side of the fish or through the mouth. Correct needle placement is critical. “Fizzing can definitely help if it is done correctly by someone who is experienced,” Myers said. “Saltwater fishermen do it a lot when they catch red snapper out of deep water. A lot of tournament anglers are doing it, too. The sooner you can deflate a distended swim bladder, the better the chance the fish has to survive.” E-mail Matt Williams at freshwater@fishgame.com
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Triton 20X2
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OU LOVE BASSING AT THE LAKE JUST AS much as you dig chasing redfish in the bay, but there’s only room for one trailer in the driveway. Whatcha gonna do? Get a Triton 20X2. This rig combines a bassboat hull and layout with salty-style nonskid decking, to create a crossover fishing-machine that’s ready to rock in just about any circumstances. Warning: Although this boat is meant to be fished in both salt and freshwater conditions, it still runs like a professional-grade
pod with a trim switch for the main motor and a second depth finder screen. There’s also a pair of pedestal seat mounting plates, a 12-rig rod box under the port foredeck, open stowage to starboard, a compartment sized to hold 9 big Plano tackle boxes, and a 12-pack cooler under the step. What else do you need to stow? Live shrimp destined for a hook, or big bass heading for the weigh-ins? No problem. The 20X2 has an air-injected live-release well in the aft deck. Wait—I know what you’re wondering— can a bassboat design run safely through open saltwater conditions? Luckily (sort of), we tested this boat as a strong front pushed through, and the weatherman told us there was a 20-knot wind with gusts to 30-knots.
TRITON 20X2 Category: Bass/saltwater crossover Length:
20 ft. 6 in.
Beam: 94 in.
bass boat; on our test Despite the condiHull: V-bottom drive, we rocketed tions, LMC Marine Max HP: 250 Draft: 10 in. past 70-mph and the Center brought us a Capacity: N/A rev-limiter kicked in, 20X2 from their website: www.tritonboats.com because we were Houston location slightly under-propped. Tweak it out, and and launched it into a lake that was riled up this should be a 75-mph-plus boat. into two-foot waves. But even at high Whether you tilt more towards the bay or speeds, the Triton took it like a champ. The the bass, you need to note the bow design on fully-finished, RTM molded hatches dog this boat, because it’ll help you catch more down tightly (eliminating rattles and vibrafish. Not only is the foot control for the 24- tions); the seats don’t bottom-out (so your V MotorGuide trolling motor recessed, so butt never finds the fiberglass underneath you can run the boat hours at a time without the padding); and the console pod design getting leg cramps, the bow also houses a lets you lock your legs in or stretch them out, 50
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whichever is best for the moment—whether you’re on the reservoir, or on the hunt for redfish.
HydraSports Bay Bolt 23
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NE SLAM OF A DECK HATCH IS ALL IT TAKES to spook a trophy-winning redfish, tailing in the shallows. But that will never happen in a Hydra-Sports Bay Bolt 23, because the oversized gasassist struts, perfectly-fitted RTM lids, and thick gaskets make sure that hatches close with a whoosh instead of a thud. A simple touch? Sure it is, but one that gives you an indication of how important fishing is to the Hydra-Sports team. Here’s another: the livewell is baby blue inside. That coloration helps calm your baits, so they swim in circles instead of smashing against the sides. Lively bait means more bites, and in this case, that means Hydra-Sports owners have a leg up on the competition. You want even more ways to get ahead on the tournament trail? No problem: check out the stowage compartment in the foredeck, which is fitted to hold a 5-gallon bucket (with your cast net inside, of course). Now look at the onboard tackle stowagethere are six boxes in the transom, so you can stop lugging that tacklebox back and forth after every trip. Rods stow in the foredeck rod box, or in the eight vertical rod racks built into the console. Surprise: those forward rod boxes lock, so you won’t have to worry about expensive gear stowed onboard, when you leave the boat. There are also four gunwale-mounted rodholders
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and our test boat’s T-top had holders angled out to the sides as well, so this is one bay boat that can troll a full spread of lines. If you want to troll outside the inlet, the Bay Bolt can handle that, too: with a 77-gallon fuel tank, a broad 8-foot, 10-inch beam, and a good amount of freeboard forward, this is one bay boat that’s well-suited to jaunts into open waters. You’ll enjoy the cruise, too, thanks to a comfortable leaning post and backrest. Construction goes well beyond the norm for modern fiberglass boats, with strengthgiving features like a poured-ceramic transom, Kevlar-reinforced stringers, steel-reinforced hoses, and methacrylate structural adhesives. You can feel the result in the ride: hopping over the chop the Bay Bolt 23 runs without vibrations, bangs, or slams. It runs fast, too, and rigged with a 250-hp Yamaha outboard we zipped beyond 50 mph without a problem. That means you won’t only catch more fish, you’ll be the first one to reach them, too.
HYDRA SPORTS BAY BOLT 23 Category: Bay Boat Length:
22 ft. 11 in.
Beam: 8 ft. 10 in.
on top, and all the and a timer. Even Hull: Moderate V-bottom cavities are pumped more impressive Max HP: 300 Draft: 10 in. full of foam. The hull than the livewell Capacity: 7 people/990-lbs and deck fit together capacity is the 28website: www.hydrasports.com perfectly, since the rod (yes, twentymolds for this boat were built with a com- eight) stowage capacity. There are six vertiputer-controlled five-axis router. That means cal holders on the console, four in the leanthat when you start running for those distant ing post, two flush-mounts in the gunwales, hotspots you won’t feel the vibrations or hear six horizontal racks under the gunwales (and
Nautic Star 2200 Tournament
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AVE YOU EVER WISHED FOR MORE FISHING room? Of course you have! And this is one way the Nautic Star 2200 Tournament gets you more boat for the buck: it carries its full beam all the way to the bow of the boat, providing a biggerthan-expected casting deck, extra cockpit space, and a gobs of integrated foredeck stowage. Plus, the wide bow throws spray off and away from the boat while running— even though we tested the Nautic Star in a two-foot chop, we stayed dry and comfy the entire time. Pouncing over those waves, I also noticed the boat felt rock-solid underfoot. Credit goes to the way Nautic Star builds this boat; one-piece foam-filled fiberglass stringers are fiberglassed into the hull, the deck is glassed
NAUTIC STAR 2200 TOURNAMENT Category: Bay Boat Length:
22 ft.
Beam: 102 in.
the rattles that are the insets are flush Hull: V-bottom common on other with the deck, so Max HP: 250 Draft: 13 in. boats. they aren’t the toeCapacity: 8 persons/1,200 pounds Once you find stubbers you’ll find website: www.nauticstarboats.com those tailing reds or on some competisplashing specks, you’ll notice how that tors), and locking rod boxes in the foredeck beam-forward jumbo foredeck has room for with removable rod rack inserts that hold 10 two anglers to stand and cast. Need a fresh rigs. Even for a serious tournament guy, that bait? No problem—there’s a 20-gallon should be plenty of room for all your gear, all lighted, aerated livewell close by, under the your anglers, and all your bait-wish granted! console seat. The aft deck is roomy, too, and houses your main livewell, a lighted 37-gallon well that’s rigged with an aerator, light, T E X A S
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Curing the Summertime Blues
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outside, there are a lot of things that can be done around the deer camp to cure the summertime blues. The biggest decision that just about every deer hunter makes isn’t what type of rifle to use, whether to wear cover scent, or picking camouflage that doesn’t make their butt look big. The choice that you should spend the most time contemplating is stand placement, because if you don’t put your stand where the deer want to be, then the rest of the deci-
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I find myself sitting in font of the TV at night flipping between three different outdoor channels…
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’VE GOT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU: UNLIKE A LOT of folks out there I don’t think about deer hunting all the time, mostly because occasionally I have to sleep. The rest of the time, I try to appease my thoughts about chasing whitetails by flipping for bass or taking my kids squirrel hunting or—heaven forbid—actually working (that’s always my last choice). Even when I’m doing these things, I’m silently daydreaming about where to place a stand or thinking about what I could have done differently to get closer to those two bucks I stalked last season for two hours, and then missed with my pistol as one busted me 50 yards away. Let me tell you, ending the season with a missed shot makes for a long off-season. It’s hard to put it behind you when the next time you can go hunting is nine months away. This time of year, the deer hunting daydreams seem to get worse. I find myself sitting in front of the television at night flipping between three different outdoor channels while oiling my guns and tuning my grunt call. Don’t act like you’ve never done it. My wife isn’t really happy about either activity, but she prefers both over me walking around the house with a set of rattling antlers asking her which cadence sounds more like bucks fighting, or sitting in my chair snapping my fingers trying to figure out how my ear muffs know to shut-off when they detect a sharp sound. It is when I start taking her window shades down and trying to turn them into portable deer blinds (yes I have actually tried it) that she finally kicks me out of the house. Really, my expulsion is not a moment too soon because it gives me the opportunity to do a little scouting and getting a head start on activities that I usually wait until the last minute to do. Even though it’s 100 degrees
sions don’t really matter. The dead of summer is a great time to get into the woods and look around to see not only where the deer are, but it also it gives you an opportunity to see how the natural foliage obstructs your view or can help hide your stands. Ever try to tell the difference between a red oak and white oak by just looking at the bark in the fall after the leaves have fallen? I’m horrible at it, but in the summer, when the leaves are full, I suddenly become an arborist and can tell the difference between the two at a glance, which helps me decide which ones I’ll sit under in a few months. Summer is also a great time to get out and see what survived the winter and how many bucks you have hanging around your place. Game cameras are nice, but I prefer to get &
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out and see the bucks that are walking around. Bucks are slightly less skittish this time of year since they haven’t been shot at for a few months, but don’t expect them to be out frolicking at midday. Just like in hunting season, spend some time around feeding areas at dusk and dawn for the most deer sightings. Whitetails are animals of habit and will often travel the same paths and feed in the same areas day after day (or until the food source runs out), so patterning them in the summer is relatively simple. While these patterns will change before the season rolls around, it at least gives and idea of where to start looking for them once the weather cools. This is also a good time to start preparing areas where you intend to plant fall food plots and placing feeders, even if you do not intend to fill them for a few months. Correct food plot preparation begins with testing the soil to see if it is suited for growing your intended crop. You can just go out and plant anything anywhere and it will grow, but to get the most out of your food plot, you need to test the soil to determine what elements are missing, or which ones you have too much of. A soil sample kit can be picked up from your county extension agent and costs less than $20 to have completed. I know, deer season seems like it is years away, but in reality you have less than three months to be prepared for archery season. There are stands to set, feeders to fill, and deer to be patterned. Besides, your wife is tired of you sulking around the house. Get out of the air conditioning and get into the woods—your wife can thank me later.
E-mail Paul Bradshaw at deerhunting@fishgame.com
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ALTWATER AND LARGEMOUTH BASS FISHING are not normally associated. However, if you talk to the right people, they will tell you that under the right conditions, largemouth bass fishing can be quite good in many of the same places where you find redfish and speckled trout. The Sabine River from the I-10 crossing downward to the Gulf is a prime fishing location that doesn’t get much ink. Natural conditions, such as lack of rainfall or Gulf storm surges, affect how far the saltwater moves up the river; heavy rainfall upriver above I-10 can freshen the water content considerably. Naturally, the more freshwater makes it way down the river, the better for the bass fishing, but the mixing together of saltwater and freshwater doesn’t necessarily mess up bass fishing. You just need to know how to fish the situation. First, some background information on how saltwater and freshwater can cohabitate. Basic chemistry tells us that saltwater is heavier than freshwater; saltwater will sink to the bottom. “During low flow times, it layers out; saltwater on the bottom and freshwater on the top,” said Jack Tatum with the Sabine River Authority. “In the summertime, when you get
PHOTO BY GRADY ALLEN
normal low flow periods and not a whole lot of freshwater coming down, a saltwater wedge will thicken and actually come up all the way to the surface, and then move upstream because there is little resistance. If you have a huge amount of freshwater coming in, it will push the saltwater back down toward the Gulf.”
by Tom Behrens Water at the surface, or within up to 5 feet, will be freshwater. So, to say that a river has freshwater and saltwater in it is true; in some areas, it will be mixed. However, under normal conditions, they will not mix. Whether the freshwater and saltwater is in separate layers or mixed together is important in learning how to find bass and what lures and techniques will work. The Sabine River becomes more salty at different times of the year, said Frank Moore, a local angler who fishes for bass in the Sabine: “If we don’t have a lot of rain, we get a lot of salt. Sometimes the bass retreat farther back up the river. However, 95 percent of the time, you can throw whatever lure and catch anything from bass to redfish all in the same location.” A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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If you were to try to determine a dividing line between salt- and freshwater, it would strictly depend on Nature. On the Neches River, a saltwater barrier dam located above I-10 just below the Big Thicket National Preserve restricts how far saltwater can encroach upriver. The Sabine has no restriction device. Fishing guide Capt. Dickie Colburn, who fishes for largemouth bass and redfish in the Sabine River, refers to the river bass as “swamp strain bass.” “The bass get short and thick. Probably if they lived to a 100 years old, they wouldn’t get over 15 inches long. They are just real wide. We had a stocking program a few years back where they brought in some Florida strain bass, and every so often you will see somebody bringing in a 9-pound-plus bass; 5- to 7-pound bass have become more common in the last few years. “I think Sabine River fishermen are better. You don’t have as many people sitting there with a cork and minnow; when they can’t go to Rayburn or Toledo, local guys hone their skills on river bass.” Tatum agrees with Colburn that the bass are small, the most common size being in the 1- to 2-pound range. &
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In This Issue C1
COVER STORY • Salty Bass | BY TOM BEHRENS
HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION
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TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots | BY CALIXTO GONZALES & JD MOORE
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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: UPPER COAST • Upper Coast Hot Stuff | BY CAPT. SKIP JAMES
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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: GALVESTON COMPLEX • Have a Safe Summer Inshore | BY CAPT. MIKE HOLMES
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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: MATAGORDA & MID COAST • Too Many Choices | BY BINK GRIMES
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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: ROCKPORT TO PORT ARANSAS • Teach a Girl to Fish… | BY CAPT. MAC GABLE
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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: CORPUS TO BAFFIN BAYS • Water for the Thirsty Fisherman | BY CAPT. JIM ONDERDONK
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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: LOWER COAST • Tarpon Summer | BY CALIXTO GONZALES SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times | BY TF&G STAFF
GEARING UP SECTION
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TEXAS TESTED • Chaos; Panoptx; and more | BY TF&G STAFF
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NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New From Top Outdoor Manufacturers | BY TF&G STAFF
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INDUSTRY INSIDER • LMC Marine; Magic Swimmer | BY TF&G STAFF
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SHOOT THIS • CZ 550 American Safari Magnum | BY STEVE LAMASCUS
HOW-TO SECTION
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TEXAS BOATING • Going Overboard | BY LENNY RUDOW SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS • Leashed Ling | BY PATRICK LEMIRE FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • All-around Catfish Rig | BY PAUL BRADSHAW TEXAS KAYAKING • Yakking It Up | BY GREG BERLOCHER MISTER CRAPPIE • Hotter-n-Hell | BY WALLY MARSHALL REDFISH TRAILS • Man Meets Manatee | BY DR. TOMMY LOMONTE HUNT TEXAS • McKenzie’s Buck | BY BOB HOOD TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • Loading Data: Fact or Fiction? | BY STEVE LAMASCUS WOO’S CORNER • More Summer Strategies | BY WOO DAVES WILDERNESS TRAILS • Le Manquant Donkey | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE
“They are feisty—they really fight, fight stronger than our bass up on our lakes,” Tatum said. “I guess they have a tougher time at surviving.” Largemouth bass can be found along the fringes of the Sabine, or up in the bayous, swamps, and marshes that feed off the river.
“The river or the bayous are the places to fish when weather conditions prohibit fishing on Lake Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend,” said Colburn. “You can get up in the miles of channels and trails and be protected from the wind. We catch a lot of fish out of the river itself, fishing lily pads, grass, laydowns, bulk-
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SPECIAL HUNTING SECTION • Trophy Fever | BY TF&G STAFF TOURNAMENT INSIDER • Cats for Cash | BY MATT WILLIAMS CONSERVATION WATCH • Woods vs. Water | BY PAUL BRADSHAW NEWS FROM THE COAST • Coast Guard Issues LNG Rules | BY TF&G STAFF CHESTER IN THE FIELD • All in a Day’s Work | BY CHESTER MOORE INSIDE CCA TEXAS • CCA Battles Fish Pirates | BY TF&G STAFF GURLZ PAGE • But, What About Me? | BY MARI HENRY AFIELD WITH BARRY • Doodlesock Bass | BY BARRY ST. CLAIR TEXAS TASTED • Shrimp Kebabs | BY BRYAN SLAVEN DISCOVER THE OUTDOORS • Classifieds | BY TF&G STAFF PHOTO ALBUM • Your Action Photos | BY TF&G STAFF
heads; there’s a lot of structure on the river itself to fish.” Adams and Cow Bayous on the Texas side of the River are popular among Sabine River bass anglers. Black Bayou is popular on the Louisiana side. As you get closer to I-10, both of the bayous wind through nothing but cypress trees. It is a swamp, not a marsh. Once you get below Highway 87 south of the interstate, it turns into a marsh setting with more grass and cane. “The bite itself changes as you get south; you almost fish completely different than you do at the other end,” said Colburn. “The bass chase the shrimp and shad just like a redfish will. You are a lot of the time trying to mimic a shad as opposed to throwing a plastic worm or pitching a jig.” Tatum said on the Louisiana side of the river, you can launch and travel down the Intracoastal Waterway and hit Black Bayou: “There is an oilfield back in there with a number of channels that I used to fish. There are also a number of natural prongs that branch off Black Bayou and into the marshes. If you get into the Green Bayou prong, you get into the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge.” Sabine National Wildlife Refuge goes
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from the eastern shore of Sabine Lake all the way to Calcasieu Lake in Louisiana. “That used to be fabulous bass fishing,” said Tatum. “In recent years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the area, started managing it for producing food for ducks. They regulate the level of freshwater in there and have grown a lot more vegetation; the fishing has suffered. We used to go in there and it would be easy to catch a 100 bass in a day.” Frank Moore said the bass prefer darker colored lures because the water stays stained at the mouth of Adams Bayou and Burton’s Ditch. Because the water stays fresher at the surface, he catches a lot of fish shallow. In the summer months, he looks for bass off points with drop-offs up to 8 feet deep. “Most of the time, I catch all my fish on crankbaits,” said Moore. “I use any crankbait that will dive anywhere from 4-6 feet, matching whatever baitfish are present. It seems like
the fish around here bite more aggressive whenever you’re fishing a lure that is pretty much the same size as whatever the hatch is. If the baitfishes are real small, I go to a little Bomber crankbait. In brackish water, we have a lot of mullet, finger mullet anywhere from 2 to 6 inches long. Then I throw a Rogue 4-6 inches long.” Colburn said when fishing the river, make sure you have some topwater baits along such as Tiny Torpedoes and Zoom Ribbits: “We fish a lot of small spinnerbaits. Most of the time, it will be a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce, and more often then not, it will be a single spinner blade. We pitch a lot of tube jigs and regular jigs. I think the guys who consistently catch the better fish pitch a tube jig, a regular craw worm, or a jig with a small trailer on the back of it. They pick structure apart. “Also, with the river you have the tide factor—very critical. You have to find areas that break up moving water a little bit. The fish
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are hunting structure that will divert the flow. “Bass will hit on a slack tide, but by far the best bite is on the tide change. Fish the mouth of one the bayous or marshes when the tide is coming out. The bait is coming out of the marsh with it, and that brings the bass. “In the marshes, topwaters, spoons, and the frog work great. Also, people fish a lot of soft plastics. Most of our backwaters are no deeper than 2-1/2 to 3 feet deep. The best backwater is on the Louisiana side of the river, so it is best to have both states’ licenses.” Sabine River “swamp strain bass” can provide a lot of action. The best fishing is going to be in freshwater pockets up in the swamps, marshes, or in the river. However, at times bass can be caught right along with redfish in brackish water.
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by Calixto Gonzales, South Zone Fishing Editor & JD Moore, North Zone Fishing Editor
Bull Minnows Jerk Trout
results. If you are feeling ambitions, flick a live finger mullet in the same area. You never know when a 5 or 6 pound fish might try and yank your rod out of your hands.
LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Mexequita flats GPS: N26 3.666, W97 10.613 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish
BEST BAITS: gold spoons; soft plastics in red and white CONTACT: Captain Luke Bonura, 956-4572101 TIPS: Speckled trout and redfish roam this broad flat between the old Queen Isabella Causeway and the ICW. Fish the area on high tide (low tide makes this place a parking lot). Gold spoons are the old standby, but a DOA Shrimp or Norton’s Bull Minnow fished under a Cajun Thunder around the potholes is also very effective. Give the cork good jerk, and listen for the “click” when the bait has settled back underneath it before repeating.
LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brazos Santiago Pass (bank access via Boca Chica jetties) GPS: N26 4.080, W97 9.280 SPECIES: tarpon, snook BEST BAITS: finger mullet, live pinfish; soft plastics in chartreuse, smoke, Rat-L-Traps in blue/chrome, black back/gold CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Tarpon join linesides in the deeper hole close to the end of the jetties, where they hang near the bottom waiting for something tasty to happen by. Most fishermen prefer casting from the head of the hole with a freelined or lightly weighted bait. They allow the presentation to naturally flow with the current. A large bucktail sweetened with a bait or a noisy crankbait are good choices if the fish are active. A 14-20 pound class rod is a good choice here.
LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: New Causeway GPS: N26 8.290, W97 9.770 SPECIES: mangrove snapper BEST BAITS: live shrimp, live finger mullet CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: The stalwart parent with boatload of children might want to avoid running north to Parts Unknown to catch a couple of trout. Fish in the shade of the Causeway for some chunky, feisty mangrove snapper. They are plentiful, cooperative, and children love them. Free line a shrimp next to the pilings for best
LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Drum Boats GPS: N26 10.713, W97 11.107 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live bait; topwaters; soft plastics in red/white, New Penny CONTACT: Captain Luke Bonura, 956-4572101 TIPS: Sight fishermen can target prowling herds of reds when the water is clear in this area. It takes a cautious approach to get into position to toss a lightly (1/8th ounce) soft plastic in front of one of these schools of marauders. Watch for tails or disturbed water. If the late morning and afternoon wind has the water agitated, then you can fish live bait or soft plastics underneath a popping cork while prospecting for these same fish.
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LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N26 28.134, W97 23.667 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp; Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger; soft plastics in chartreuse patterns; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: The Saucer is always good for speckled trout during the teeth of summer. Start in shallow water early in the day, and move back deeper as the sun rises. If the wind begins to pick up around mid morning, then watch either for a color change to form, or look for potholes to fish around. Trout use these to ambush prey. Live shrimp under a popping cork, or a Gulp! Shrimp under same are good choices for this area. Don’ be afraid to fish with a Gold Spoon if the opportunity presents itself. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Peyton’s Bay GPS: N26 24.528, W97 21.703 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp/popping cork; topwaters; gold spoons, red spinnerbaits; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, Pearl/red CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: If you want to go pick a fight with a slot redfish, then take a bearing on Peyton’s. Pods of redfish can be located in the shallow waters of the area all summer. Fish the northernmost edge on line with the yellow house that is visible during part of the drift, and work gold spinnerbaits or spoons. Live bait under a popping cork works well, too. Watch for the terns, though. Those little breeders will dive-bomb a live shrimp and steal him off your hook first chance they have. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Convention Center Shoreline (bank access)
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GPS: N26 8.290, W97 21.703 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, finger mullet; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, Pearl/red CONTACT: Captain Luke Bonura, 956-4572101 TIPS: The meandering grass flats that stretch north of the Convention Center is a great spot for shorebound waders and kayakers to fish. Trout will hide around the edges of the many potholes you will find around this area, and redfish always make an early-morning appearance. Boaters can travel a little farther east and fish the first color change for trout that will lurk along grasslines. Live bait is always successful, but plastics in the classic red/white and Peal are also good. The best bait has always seemed to be the Norton’s Bull Minnow on a 1/8-ounce jighead. LOCATION: Padre Island Shoreline HOTSPOT: North of Access 5 GPS: N26 14.000, W97 16.830 SPECIES: tarpon BEST BAITS: topwaters in Bone, Bone/chrome, MirrOlure 51MR in green/silver/white CONTACT: Quick Stop, 956-943-1159 TIPS: Tarpon hunters can cruise up and down the beach and watch the clear surf
breakers. Pods of 20-40 pound fish swim up and down parallel to the beach in search of forage. The sun illuminates the clear water, and their shadows are easily visible to the sharp eye. When you spot some tarpon working, pull over, hop out, and start fan casting. If a tarpon sees your plug, he is going to take it usually. Trout and redfish rods add an exciting dimension to this type of fishing, but tie on a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader (YoZuri Pink fluorocarbon material is a good choice) to prevent poons from chafing off your favorite plugs. LOCATION: Laguna Madre @ Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: East of Marker 151 GPS: N26 31.890, W97 23.260 SPECIES: redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: Gulp! Jerk Shads in Limetreuse, Pearl; soft plastics in red/white, Firetiger CONTACT: Captain Terry Neal, 956-9442556, www.terrynealcharters.com TIPS: Wade or drift the deep potholes in the area with soft plastics, or your favorite redfish lures to find pods of reds cruising the flats in this area. If you can locate the depth break, wade parallel to it and cast along the break. Watch for trout chasing bait along the grasslines.
Dipping from the Well LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Deep Wells GPS: N27 44.764, W97 27 11.141 SPECIES: speckled trout
BEST BAITS: live croaker, live shrimp CONTACT: Captain Tim Duncan, 361-9492115, 361-834-6305 TIPS: The days turn really calm and really warm on Corpus Christi Bay in July, and the fishing pace slows down accordingly, but not the action. You can find some very good fishing around the deep wells while using live bait. Free-line your bait with the current and pay attention for the telltale “tap.” Shell pads that surround abandoned wellhead work just as well, but you need to use your electronics to find them. LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Lydia Ann Channel GPS: N28 51.736, W97 3.298 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker, live shrimp CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361-7279227, 361-463-7700 TIPS: Trout will go deeper in the summer to escape the surface heat of July. Use live croaker or shrimp around the channel edges and depth breaks in Lydia Ann Channel. Fish up and down the channel until you locate fish; they tend to school up in certain areas, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t locate them at first. LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Mud Island GPS: N27 56.360, W97 1.250 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: Gulp! or live shrimp/float, live croaker, Gulp! Swimming Shad CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361-7279227, 361-463-7700
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TIPS: Fish the drop-offs, where trout and redfish will be moving up and down . If the tide is up in the morning, then the fish will be up in the shallows working. As the day stretches on, fish will back off into deeper water to take advantage of the more moderate temperatures. Work a jig or live shrimp under a popping cork slowly to maximize a fish’s opportunity to key in on the bait and zap it.
TIPS: The North end of St. Charles becomes an excellent choice as summer rumbles along. Trout stack up on the drop-offs along the spoils and reefs, and redfish roam on the shallows and bars. Live shrimp, mullet, or pinfish under a popping cork always work. Topwaters early in the morning can cause blowups that get the heart pumping. Fish soft plastics under the same floats.
LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Pelican Island GPS: N28 11430, W96 92.50 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, croaker; small topwaters, gold spoons; soft plastics in Avocado/chartreuse, Motor Oil/chartreuse, Pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361-7279227, 361-463-7700 TIPS: Again, fish drop-offs with live bait for best results. Work live bait under a popping cork, or on a free-line rig if you are using baitfish. Watch for some bait activity early in the morning and focus on the general areas. When you are fishing deeper water, keep a soft touch. That mouse-tap could be a big fish.
Boat Cut Reds
LOCATION: Rockport/Fulton HOTSPOT: Surf Front (bank access) GPS: N27 94.850, W96 94.78 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp/popping cork, topwaters; gold spoons; soft plastics in Avocado/chartreuse, Motor Oil/chartreuse, Pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361-7279227, 361-463-7700 TIPS: Action along the surf begins to pick up for trout and redfish during July. Shorebound anglers and kayakers can partake of the bounty. Watch for diving birds to cue you in on where fish might be active. Start by fishing the wade gut and slowly work your way out to deeper water. Topwaters work well early but move to deeper running baits through midmorning. LOCATION: Rockport HOTSPOT: St. Charles Bay GPS: N28 11.761, W96 56.097 SPECIES: redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: topwaters and soft plastics in dark patterns; live bait CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361-7279227, 361-463-7700
LOCATION: Sabine Pass HOTSPOT: Boat Cut GPS: 40.398, W93 49.516 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish
BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Glow/chartreuse, Pearl/chartreuse, Green Tomato, Strawberry/white CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: The jetties are the place to be in July. You will find some big trout lurking in the deeper holes, especially around the boat cut. Watch for current breaks and eddies. Fish with soft plastics on larger (1/4- to 3/8ounce) jigheads. A fish-finder is always helpful in this type of fishing. Braided line doesn’t hurt, either, because of the added sensitivity. A novel way to fish is by “strolling,” using a guided drift over the holes while your lines remain vertical in the water column. A trolling motor helps keep your drift on a specific line, and your lure ticks along the bottom like an unsuspecting baitfish. LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: East Pass GPS: N29 58.920, W93 47.135 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: soft plastics in chartreuse, Glow/chartreuse, Pearl/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: Fish the deeper water and near the bottom for good numbers of speckled trout. “Glowing” soft plastics are good choices because they tend to stand out a bit more and capture the fish’s attention. Swim lures in the current, or cast it around and under nervous bait. Use larger (1/4-ounce) jighead for betA L M A N A C / T E X A S
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ter control in the current. Be sure to get a Louisiana license if you are going to cross into Cajun territory (three day permits are available for a nominal fee). LOCATION: Sabine Pass HOTSPOT: Louisiana Beachfront GPS: N29 41.482, W93 42.325 SPECIES: tripletail BEST BAITS: live bait CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: This is something a little different. Tripletail start appearing in the Gulf around the beachfront in July. This isn’t a trip where you go out, catch a limit, and head home. It’s more of a hunt. Watch for these fish to be floating on the surface around structure or floating debris and then sight-cast a live shrimp at the. The fish will zero in on your bait and smash it, and then a real fight is on. Again, this is graduate level fishing where patience is a virtue. You might only have three or four shots at a fish during the day, but the payoff is worth it. LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Jetties GPS: N28 35.666, W95 59.000 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live bait; soft plastics in chartreuse patterns, Plum/chartreuse; Gulp! baits CONTACT: Captain Mark Talasek, 979-2440044, 979-479-1397 TIPS: The jetties are always good for trout and redfish, especially the deeper holes during the heat of July. Fish will be holding in deeper, or near the rocks where current eddies push bait down and past them for easy pickings. Live bait is always good, as are soft plastics and Gulp! tails in high-vis colors. Use a 1/4-ounce jighead with lures, and freeline live baits with as little weight as possible to prevent snags. Pick your days. A rough day can be trouble. LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Matagorda surf GPS: N28 59.25, W95 98.74453 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait, soft plastics CONTACT: Captain Mark Talasek, 979-2440044, 979-479-1397 TIPS: Soft southeasterlies and green water to the beach create “cupcake” conditions for fishermen seeking surf-running trout. Experienced fishermen anchor beyond the third bar and fish the guts for the fat dime-silver specks &
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that roam the beachfront in July. Watch for diving birds or flitting bait to tip you off to the presence of fish. As with the jetties, be smart and pick a mild day. Keep your weather radio on, too. You never know when a summer squall might pop up and you need to head for cover.
Rollin’ on the River for Bass LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: Salineno GPS: N26 30.590, W99 7.040 SPECIES: largemouth bass
BEST BAITS: plastic worms in red, Watermelon, Grape; in-line spinners CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956-7654866 TIPS: This is a kayaker’s dream situation: When Falcon Dam’s turbines aren’t running, water levels around Zapata, Roma, and Rio
Grande City drop off dramatically. Big boats can’t get past the stretches of shin- and ankledeep water. Bass end up holding in some deeper pools. Fish around deadfalls and along the shoreline with plastic worms and spinners such as the Mepps Aglia or the Shyster. Yellow and white are the best choices. LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: Fronton Island Point GPS: N26 39.930, W99 5.940 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: cut shad, prepared baits CONTACT: Texas Parks and Wildlife, www.tpwd.state.tx.us TIPS: The downriver point of Fronton Island creates a hole that blue and channel catfish hold tight to when the power is off at the Dam. Again, this is a yakker-friendly spot. Fish cut or prepared baits on a short (6 inches) Carolina rig. The shorter leader will more effectively keep you out of the snags that are littered around the bottom. Some locals call this area Los Sopilotes (the Buzzards) after the dozens of the bald uglies that roost in the trees. Don’t let them unnerve you. They aren’t making plans. LOCATION: Rio Grande River
HOTSPOT: River above Anzalduas Dam GPS: N26 25.100, W97 57.220 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: plastic worms in black, Black Grape; willow leaf spinnerbaits in chartreuse/white, white CONTACT: Anzalduas State Park, 956-5199550 TIPS: Rio Grande River bass fishing is good enough that local tournaments are held here year around. The action reaches a peak during July. Look for anything that can provide some cover for bass such as stickups, overhangs, docks, and boat house. If you see a wash that flows into the river, fish deeper water where the point is. Bass will key in on that spot. These are river bass, so they put up a surprisingly stout fight for smaller fish. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Little Tiger GPS: N26 41.428, W99 7.779 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: prepared baits, cut bait, night crawlers CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956-7654866 TIPS: Catfishing is hot business in the summer. The fishing is good, but the temperature can get up into the hundreds during the day. Take plenty of water and your Bimini top, and you’ll be ok. Then you can focus on fishing the hardwoods around the creekbed with cut shad or a dipbait for the literally thousands of catfish that swim around in this area. Falcon is as good a catfish lake as it is a bass lake; maybe better. Reap the bounty.
Rip ‘Traps for Bass at Riprap LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Dam Riprap GPS: N31 53.584, W97 12.682 SPECIES: white bass
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BEST BAITS: Tail Hummers, Rat-L-Traps, small crankbaits CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-295-6115, teamredneck01@hotmail.com TIPS: Make long casts along riprap using the above baits, early and late. Schooling action will usually be early morning. After the sun rises, work the bubbler. It holds fish all day. Use Little George or Kastmaster spoons and cast into bubbles. Let fall for a count of three and make medium speed retrieve. BANK ACCESS: Tailrace Fishing Pier, largemouth bass, white bass
Cats Not Strangers at Granger LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: The Road Bed GPS: N30 42.119, W97 20.907 SPECIES: crappie, white bass, catfish
BEST BAITS: 1/32-ounce chartreuse Marabou jigs, white slab spoons, Zote Soap CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, 512-365-7761, crappie1@hotmail.com TIPS: For white bass, fish slab spoons on top of sunken roadbeds and ridges in areas where you see shad working. Use your sonar to find the fish and then jig the slab spoon off the bottom by hopping it 2-3 feet off the bottom. For crappie fish brush piles in 8-15 feet of water. Hold Jigs right over the tops of brush piles, using very little action. Tip the jig with a Berkley Crappie Nibble. This gives the jig scent and the crappie bite better. Color doesn’t matter. For catfish, put juglines out in the main lake all along the dam and bait with Zote Soap. The soap works better now, because the gar will strip off any cut bait or shad very quickly this time of year. BANK ACCESS: Wilson Fox Fishing Dock
DD22 Fits Fork Bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Chigger Ridge GPS: N32 54.306, W95 40.189
SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: DD22 crankbaits in shad colors, Carolina rigs, Ring Fry CONTACT: Rick Carter, 903-765-3474, www.Flwpro.com TIPS: Work the north end of the ridge. Ring Fry on 3-foot leaders Carolina rigged work well. Fish the DD22 in the early morning. You can also throw a Zara Spook right on top of the ridge. Lake Fork is producing big bass in good numbers as evidenced by numerous lunkers caught during the Toyota Bass Classic in April. BANK ACCESS: Fork Public Park, catfish, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Main Lake Point GPS: N32 49.447, W95 32.719 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Spinner Bugs, Carolina rigs with Baby Brush Hogs in Watermelon Candy, Watermelon Red, Green Pumpkin; drop-shot with Finesse Worms; jigging spoons CONTACT: Michael Rogge, www.lake-forkguides.com TIPS: Work the point thoroughly, changing lures frequently until you start getting action. Work back and forth across and up and down the points. BANK ACCESS: Fork Public Park, catfish, largemouth bass. Contact South Regional Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales by email at hotspotssouth@fishgame.com Contact North Regional Fishing Editor JD Moore by email at hotspotsnorth@fishgame.com
For MORE HOTSPOT listings, go to our website and click CURRENT ISSUE ARTICLES
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Upper Coast Hot Stuff
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HE SUMMER MONTHS ARE MY CUSTOMERS’ favorite time to fish Sabine—everything is biting. The action is fast and very predictable. It’s not uncommon to chase birds for specks in the morning until around 10:00 a.m., then fish schooling reds the rest of the day. If you haven’t seen the reds school in Sabine, you’re missing quite a spectacle of nature. Imagine 50100 slot reds all on top chasing summer-size pogy. Last year, one of my customers saw a school and declared, “There’s a school of bonita!” No, we don’t have bonita in the bay, but lots of untapped schools of reds. Here are a few tips on how you can catch both specks and reds in July on Sabine. For specks, simply cruise the middle portion of the bay, stopping every now and then to glass for birds. Specifically, draw a line from Blue Buck Point to the Pleasure Island Yacht Club. Then draw a straight line from Garrison’s Ridge to the Pleasure Island Yacht Club. Stay in that triangle. Throw a 1/4-ounce leadhead rigged with a 5-inch Old Bayside Shadlyn, chartreuse in color. Another proven presentation is an Old Bayside Extreme Poppin Cork with a 1/8ounce jighead rigged with a straight tail plastic. Once you get on the right school, simply drop a buoy or hit your GPS. You’ll want to go back through that zone a couple of times, fishing the bottom with a 3/8-ounce leadhead and a 4-inch Glow and chartreuse curl tail grub. Not all the trout are up; there C10
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are always specks working the bottom under schoolers. Reds are hot. The hotter the weather, the better the red fishing. Over the years, we have caught countless reds in July in the middle of the bay in the heat of the day. Once the specks quit their morning bite, we immediately move two miles east in front of the north embankment wall. This is the best redfish zone, period. There is no trick to catching them. Of course, you have to sneak
Beaumont businessman Travis Brisco with a Sabine red (top) and a speck. up on them slowly with the trolling motor. Always approach from the upwind side if there is any wind. These massive pods of reds generally school when the lake is flat and dead calm. You can throw topwater lures such as a MirrOlure Top Dog or She Dog, or you can throw any plastic you have in your tackle box. It makes no difference what your &
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offering is—July reds on Sabine Lake are suicidal. We prefer throwing plastic with a single hook just because one hook is much easier to take out of the fish’s mouth. The key to successfully boxing a limit of reds is to keep your eyes on the water looking for the school. When you hit them, you typically pluck three or four out before the school sounds. Sit still in the boat and wait as long as 30 minutes for that school or another to come up and begin chasing pogy. The most important aspect of redfishing in July on Sabine is making sure your gear is ready. Stiff 7-foot rods and 20-pound-test is a must or you’ll be fighting one fish for 15 minutes on 10-pound-test. The trick is to maximize the return on your time. When you get into to them, lay on the heat. Of course, both our jetty system and the short rigs are great choices during the summer months. Just make sure you check the weather before running to the rocks or the rigs. Incidentally, for you guys who haven’t been over here in a while, we have a major LNG pipeline project stretching across the bay. You bet the pipeline project is marked, but be careful if you are running in the dark, and always wear your kill switch. Contact: Skip James 409-886-5341, jjames@gt.rr.com.
THE BANK BITE HOTSPOT: Humphreys Fishing Pier LOCATION: Hwy. 82 at the end of Pleasure Island SPECIES: speckle trout LURES/BAITS: Mr. Twister Exude 21/2-inch Fan Tail Shrimp BEST TIMES: Nighttime PHOTOS BY CAPT. SKIP JAMES
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Have a Safe Summer Inshore
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ULY WILL SEE A PEAK NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON the bays and in the surf, both in boats and wading the edges. Be careful! In early spring, San Luis Pass claimed another victim when a young girl swimming ended up drowned. Last year, a boy lost his life at the mouth of the Brazos River. These tragic accidents will probably be repeated, because people just don’t seem to understand the power—and danger—of moving water. San Luis Pass, Rollover Pass, and the sandbars inside the Galveston jetties are perhaps the most notorious spots for waders to get in trouble, but just about anywhere that
land meets water is an accident waiting to happen—if we don’t pay attention and follow common sense safety measures. In areas of strong incoming or outgoing currents from the Gulf, moving water in either direction can pull a wade-fisherman into trouble as easily as a swimmer, as there will be “holes” inside otherwise protected waters deep enough to take you under—especially an angler wearing waders. Although tidal movement does create peak fish feeding periods, the sensible thing to do is make a long cast from ankle deep water, or dry sand. Current is pretty obvious even if you don’t watch the tide schedule; it isn’t necessary to wade in waist deep to test it. When I surf-fished every weekend, we wore chest waders in cool weather, and I often pushed it by wearing a slicker top bungeed around my waist to get just a little deeper, trying to reach the next sandbar. I was lucky to have not stepped in a hole and filled the waders, but I was also careful, watched the water, and backed out if the current was excessive or the water suddenly too deep.
THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Bay side of Galveston Island State Park ALTERNATE SPOT: Bay side of San Luis Pass SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish, panfish, flounder BAITS: live shrimp and artificials for trout, finger mullet live or cut for reds, finger mullet or mud minnows for flounder, small jigs for whiting and croaker BEST TIMES: Peak high tide, but don’t rule out a strong falling tide. Holes can be scooped out between sandbars in the surf by strong currents. Sometimes, you can gauge where they are by watching the waves and where they break, but it only takes one foot sliding off the edge to be fatal. One occasion I still remember happened on a day of very heavy surf, when I was fighting my way to the bar to cast baits for bull reds. It was warm enough to wade in shorts and tennis shoes, and I had to “bounce” on one leg to keep my head above water in the calm of the gut, then was hit with waves breaking over my head going up the slope of the bar. On my third or fourth trip out to cast, I saw a young boy standing on the bar several yards down, as if he hadn’t a care in the world. To make sure the kid hadn’t been born out there, I walked to where he was and followed him to shore. There was a “bridge” across the gut there, allowing him easy access to the spots I had been struggling to reach. Had he wandered more in my direction, however, he probably wasn’t a strong enough swimmer to get back to a safe depth. Our bays are relatively shallow, but contain holes, channels, and areas of very soft mud that will not support a man’s weight. Unless the water is very clear, many of these death traps are unseen until someone steps off into them.
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Too Many Choices
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ERE’S HOPING JULY 2008 IS NOT LIKE JULY of 2007. Rain, rain, rain was the norm a year ago, pushing freshwater to the most remote locations along the middle coast. Who would have thought Cotton’s Bayou would be too fresh to fish? Who would have thought the Hump was too fresh to fish? Who would have thought the surf would be so unreliable?
I hope we do not have to ponder these predicaments for another 100 years. Here are a few July suggestions: Hang out at the passes. July fish use jetties and passes as thoroughfares in and out of the bays; and, the strongest tides occur around these inlets. San Luis Pass is a great locale and most anything eats a natural bait. Pluggers work the drop-offs for trout in the swift current or fish the beach side when seas are less than two feet. Don’t be surprised if a kingfish shows on a green tide. The mouth of the Colorado River in Matagorda is rapidly shoaling which allows waders to work near the jetty rocks. Waders need to fish it at the beginning of the incoming tide and throw large topwaters or slow-
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THE BANK BITE HOTSPOT: Mitchell’s Cut LOCATION: Sargent BAITS: MirrOlures, live shrimp, live finger mullet SPECIES: trout, redfish, Spanish mackerel, sand trout, gafftop, shark sinking MirrOlures. Pass Cavallo in Port O’Connor is another potent spot. Fish swim the deep channel and saunter to the flats on the incoming tides; and, there are plenty of nearby flats. City Slickers, Coast Guard Flats, the Cedars, the Hump and the J-Hook all have thick, grassy bottoms.
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Teach a Girl to Fish...
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Y 4:30 A.M. ALARM CAME EARLY AS I WAS up to meet three students from Texas A&M that had an unusual break in their classes and wanted to catch some fish. I was nursing a pretty bad cold and my wife wished that I would call off the trip, but once out of bed, I would be much better on the water in my 23-foot Haynie bay boat. A contrary wind had blown so hard the last two days that the few hairs I had left on my head were pretty well gone, but this morning the wind rolled around to the east and was about 8 to 10 knots. My bait man, Gerald, told me, “Wind from the east and fish bite the least. Have a good day, Cap’n Mac!” The three young adults showed up right on time (Bob, Jan, and Greg) and seemed very reluctant to get on my boat. After what seemed an eternity, I said, “You guys about ready? ” Then Bob, the husband of Jan, said, “Captain Mac, we have a problem. We had your guide fee, but we didn’t figure gas to get here from College Station and we’re a little short.” In as kind of a tone as I could muster, I said, “Well, give me the numbers.” “We are $30 short,” Bob said. I said, “No, you are $60 short. How were you planning on getting back to campus? It’s a long push!” Bob said, “Yes, sir, I see what you mean.” Then I said, “I have a live well full of bait and want to go catch some fish. How about you?” There were three spots on that particular day that would hold keeper fish, and two were being fished by other guide buddies, so
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it was going to be a long boat ride to spot number three, Cedar Bayou. We pulled in at Cedar and I set the anchor so the Haynie was sitting sideways to the structure. The two young men were experienced anglers. Jan had never fished and was locked onto my every word. The two guys already had their lines in the water while I was coaching Jan on technique. She was patient and an excellent angling student. She whispered to me, “Captain Mac, if I don’t catch at least one fish, I will never hear the end of it from my husband and his best friend.” “Jan, the trick here is the current,” I told her. “It’s in the middle of the water column about 3 feet down, not at the surface and not at the bottom. I want you to cast, let the Carolina rig sink to the bottom, where it should stay put. If it moves, count to three and just reel in; don’t jerk or set the hook.” In less than an hour, it was Jan, 10 trout and two reds, and her husband and Greg, zero. After one more red, her husband finally said, “Captain Mac, what are we doing wrong?” “Well, I am a little busy tying rigs,” I said. “So, Jan, would you mind explaining it to them?” She said, “Sure,” with a big smile and they were all ears. With a mixed bag of more than 50 fish in the box, we headed back to my home on St. Charles Bay. On the way, the students shared with me that they were paying their own way through college and were very excited that now they would have food to eat for the remainder of the school year. Jan gave me a big hug, and with big tears in her eyes, she thanked me for the food. Tears came to my eyes and I had to turn away and blow my nose; that darn head cold seemed to be affecting my eyes. Women truly make excellent anglers because most listen and absorb data, and are detail fanatics (a must for productive fishing). Most have no preconceived notions that they know it all. Us men could learn a &
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Northwest Shoreline of St. Charles Bay SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: cut menhaden on a Carolina rig BEST TIMES: Moving tide. thing or two from that. Jan proved it’s the little things that often count when fishing, as well as in life. The hot month of July is the prime time for early morning and late evening fishing. Medium size croaker are the key to good numbers of trout. I like cut bait (sardines, menhaden, mullet, or jumbo peeled shrimp) in the evenings for big reds. Think “water temperature” this month and seek those thermoclines that offer cooler water. Use a temperature gauge that you can lower over the side of the boat to get temperatures at different depths. You will be amazed at what you learn. Use Rattlin’ Shads that run deep and reel until they hit bottom, then let them drift up. Your hits should come on the drift upward. Copano Bay: I like Lap Reef and Smith Channel this time of year, working shallow to deeper water with live bait, and early mornings with crankbaits. Aransas Bay: Midweek, fish the channel between St. Charles Bay and Aransas Bay with the heads off as fresh as you can get menhaden. The key here is to find the deepest water of the channel and exactly where it tapers to shallow water. Carlos Bay: Early morning numbers of trout will be transitioning to deeper water from Cedar lake. Drift live shrimp to find trout, then set your position and switch to croaker. Mesquite Bay: Focus on Rattlesnake Point, and reefs and points off of Brays cove. This is fairly shallow water, so fish out from the structure about 50 to 75 yards and
Continued on Page C16
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Water for the Thirsty Fisherman
J
ULY IS HERE AND IT IS HOTTER THAT THE DEVIL’S den. While you are fishing this time of year, the most important thing to remember is water—for yourself. Drink plenty of it to avoid dehydration. You should have at least four bottles of water for each person in your fishing party. Remember that when the Texas sun hits the water, shallow water will heat up faster. You should start fishing the shallows early in the morning, and than as the shallow water
temperatures start to rise, move out to deeper water. The warmer the water gets the less oxygen it will hold, and the trout will move out to cooler water. This month, my arsenal will consist of a Core reel spooled with 30-pound Power Pro mounted on a 6-foot, 8-inch Cumera rod. My tackle box will have plenty of Rootbeer Sea Devils, 1/16-ounce screw lock jigheads, a few trusty topwaters in Bone and pink—and I never leave home with out my gold-colored spoons. If redfish is your game, try the flats around Pita Island. Most of this area can be driftfished. Don’t pass up Night Hawk Bay; good stringers of trout and reds will be caught here. For trout, look no farther than Emmord’s Hole. Fish the drop-off, grassy bottoms, and potholes. Game fish will be holding here, waiting to ambush baitfishes. Watch for trout slicks, bait activity, and working birds.
THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Packery Channel Jetty SPECIES: redfish, trout BEST BAITS: free-lined shrimp or finger mullet BEST TIMES: during any tidal movement Moving on down Baffin way, stop at the Meadows. This area can be wade-fished or drifted. Redfish can be seen tailing up shallow on the grass and sand transition lines. Try the Tide Gauge Bar. This is one of my favorite places to wade-fish. You want to work the outside of the bar. Last but not least, drift-fish Penascal Rincon. There are tons of rocks here, mostly out in the deeper, cooler water. You will find good size trout here. Contact: Capt. Jim “Donk” Onderdonk, 361-774-7710, www.pocolocolodge.com
HOTSPOTS FOCUS: GALVESTON COMPLEX Continued from Page C12 Even boaters drown every year on the bays, for various reasons. Always carry the required number and type of life jackets, know how to use them, and keep them easily accessible to everyone on board. Always
make sure the boat and all equipment are up to the task of a day on the water, have a working VHF radio as well as a cell phone, and make sure someone on shore knows where you plan to go, and when you should be expected back. Get your name in the papers for your
exceptional catches, not from a tragedy on the water. 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.
HOTSPOTS FOCUS: MATAGORDA & MID COAST Continued from Page C13 Cast to a pothole with Bass Assassins, Trout Killers, Norton Sand Eels, or topwaters and expect lots of action. Key in on rafts of mullet and menhaden riding the tide from the Gulf. Calm days usually send most anglers to the surf, leaving the bays barren. It is a tough call, but reefs in East Matagorda Bay hold large trout during the summer. Most of the reefs are surrounded by deep water, and trout use the tides to fall on and off the shell. The same holds true for San Antonio
Bay. Again, winds must be light to allow for clarity, but once you get there, there are over 100 reefs to fish. Waders toss topwaters and plastics; boaters are deadly with a feisty croaker. “If you go to the surf, you are going to get your fish. If you stay in the bay and work the shell, you will get your fish,” said guide T.J. Christenson of Bay Flats Lodge. Never forget about the grass beds and reefs in Mesquite, Ayres, and Carlos Bays. They are sometimes the forgotten bays due to their median point from Rockport and Seadrift. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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“There are pieces of shell down there that hold fish everyday,” said guide Rhett Price. “Most of my clients are boat anglers, so croaker are a no-brainer. I would love to be able to wade these small reefs and watch a topwater go to work.” Again, calm winds and a high barometer lull the Gulf into a placid sea of green foam. When the surf is flat, every other established hotspot in the bay is a potential player. It is a tough choice, but the possibilities are endless. Contact: Bink Grimes, www.binkgrimesoutdoors.com &
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Tarpon Summer
J
ULY CAN BE A FEAST OR FAMINE MONTH ON Lower Laguna Madre. If there has been a long stretch blazing hot weather, the fishing might tail off as the flats become too warm for even redfish and everything backs into deeper water my midmorning. Every marine critter in the area seems to take a pause as they ramp up to the full moon of the month when the crab migration swings online and the action picks up. Some fishermen in the know, however, take the opportunity to head out to the Brazos Santiago Pass and have a go at the tarpon that seem to be rolling everywhere this time of year. For years, tarpon were one of the mainstay sportfish of LLM, ingrained in the cultural identity of the communities of Port Isabel and South Padre Island. The Texas International Fishing Tournament and the annual Tarpon Rodeo focused more on industrial-size poons and less on “food fish” such as trout and redfish. The numbers dropped off precipitously up and down the coast after World War II, but over the past
two decades, the silvery fish have been so successful in coming back that Jeremy Ebert of Deer Park broke the state tarpon record on 4 October 2006 with a 210-pound, 11ounce behemoth. He hooked and landed the huge tarpon while soaking menhaden for redfish in the surf off the Galveston fishing pier.
“
There are some big fish rolling out there, waiting for the stalwart angler to have a go.
“
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Several years ago, Port Isabel tarpon aficionado Larry Haines hooked into a tarpon estimated at 220 pounds. He fought the monster from the Boca Chica jetties and Captain Randy Rodgers’ skiff for more than eight hours before succumbing to heat prostration. Had Captain Rodgers not broken off the fish and gotten Haines back to
Jim’s Pier on Padre Island, and thence to medical attention, the story would have ended badly. There are some big fish rolling out there, waiting for the stalwart angler to have a go. A properly equipped fisherman has a shot at one of the tarpon that cruises Brazos Santiago Pass. Early in the morning, you can actually see pods rolling along the Boca Chica side of the Brazos Santiago jetties (N26 6.41, W97 15.160). These tarpon are not necessarily feeding, but they will take a swipe at a topwater or 3/4-ounce gold or chrome Rat-L-Trap. Live baiters can try an oversized shrimp, 6-inch finger mullet, or palm-sized pinfish fished under a balloon. If you are shorebound, equip with a largecapacity spinning or casting reel and a 71/2- to 8-foot medium/medium-heavy rod; these fish can wreak havoc on lesser tackle. As the day progresses, focus on the deeper hole at the end of the jetty (N26 6.460, W97 14.620). Some tarpon (and a few snook) will still be holding in the cooler depths, waiting for the current to push something edible by their noses. Again, a live shrimp or baitfish fished deeper in the water column will not last long. Lure fishermen should look to an oldie but goodie: the MirrOlure Series 65M twitchbait in red head/white body. The 65M features the same action as the more popular 51MR, but the heavier weight allows the lure to fish
HOTSPOTS FOCUS: CORPUS TO BAFFIN BAYS Continued from Page C14 fish during a falling tide. Try live finger mullet and mud minnows on a fish-finder rig, or free-lined if the wind permits. Ayers Bay: This reef will be fished a lot, but if you must fish there, let the south wind drift you into the reefs on the north edge. Again, watch the water temperature if you can. The cooler water will hold trout, and shallower water reds. Popping corks with live shrimp or a Chubby Darter C16
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lure have produced well here. Bank Beaters: Make the wade to the channel between St. Charles and Aransas Bay. You can access this area via Goose Island State Park. Fish as you wade from the end of the pier to the channel, casting from the top of the reef off to deeper water. A bucket of live shrimp or a Sassy Shad in grey and white is a good bet. If you are using a kayak, work your way through the channel and fish the Aransas Bay side into the reefs that run back north-northwest to &
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
the pier head. The St. Charles Bay channel is not a good place to be before the sun comes up or after it goes down. This is the only access in and out of St. Charles Bay for boats, and is fairly narrow. So, for safety reasons, please don’t linger in the channel. Contact: Capt. Mac Gable, Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601
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THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Isla Blanca Park Surf (N26 8.250, W97 10.090) SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish TIPS: Fish shell areas with live bait or soft plastics. deeper in the water column; rock walkers can also make longer casts with the 1.25ounce plug. Fly-fishermen should not shy away from trying for these kings of the granite. A 9- to 10-weight fly rod with plenty of backing should work well in most applications. The most popular fly is a white monster called the Tarpon Bunny, which seems to be stiff mojo for tarpon of all sizes. For more information on how to properly equip for jetty tarpon, contact Larry Haines at The Shop (956-943-1775). Schools of smaller tarpon are always roaming the surf beginning in July. When southeasterly winds push clear water all the way up to the beach, you can actually see the pods of tarpon cruising through the waves or in the guts during high tide. The great thing about these fish is that they are perfect opponents for the typically equipped surf-fisherman chasing trout and redfish. A 40-pound tarpon is great fun on a 7-1/2-foot trout rod loaded with 12- to 15pound line. You can fight him from the shore, and if the fish starts a greyhound run parallel to the beach, you can hoof it keep up with him. These beach-combing tarpon will strike the same lures and flies that work for trout and redfish. If you target poons specifically, patterns that include white or red seem to work best, and noisy plugs are very effective. Don’t be surprised if one of these junior thugs sucks down a shrimp under a popping cork. These fish are not very discriminating; Jeremy Ebert’s fish demonstrated they will even take cut bait. It may not seem appropriate behavior for so cosmopolitan a fish as the tarpon to slurp down a chunk of cut mullet, but you will be hard pressed to find a fisherman that will complain. Contact: Calixto Gonzales by email at hotspotssouth@fishgame.com A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2008 USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR
The following pages contain TIDE and SOLUNAR predictions for Galveston Channel (29.3166° N, 94.88° W).
T12
T4
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
T13 T7
T6 T17
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the lower color boxes of the Calendar pages. Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE below to adjust times for points East and West of Galveston Channel.
T15 T16
T5
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on a wide variety of wildlife species.
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. PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month.
T20
PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.
T21
TIDE CORRECTION TABLE Add or subtract the time shown at the right
of the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.
KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6
PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty Port Bolivar
HIGH -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14
LOW -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06
KEY PLACE HIGH Galveston Channel/Bays T7 Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +3:54 T8 Eagle Point +6:05 T9 Clear Lake +10:21 T10 Morgans Point T11 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39
T22 T23
View TIDE PREDICTIONS for all Texas Coastal Tide Stations and DATES at... 2 0 0 8 /
T E X A S
LOW +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15
KEY PLACE T12 Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay T13 Gilchrist, East Bay T14 Jamaica Beach, W. Bay T15 Alligator Point, W. Bay T16 Christmas Pt T17 Galveston Pleasure Pier
HIGH +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -1:06
LOW +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:33 +2:31 -1:06
KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23
PLACE San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor Pass Cavallo Aransas Pass Padre Island (So. End) Port Isabel
SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:
NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION
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TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below.
AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours.
T14 T18
T19
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T3 T2 T1
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HIGH -0.09 -0:44 0:00 -0:03 -0:24 +1:02
LOW -0.09 -1:02 -1:20 -1:31 -1:45 -0:42
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Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2008
NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION
MONDAY
TUESDAY
Jul 1
2
z
FRIDAY
3
Set: 8:18p Set: 6:12p
Sunrise: 6:19a Moonrise: 4:26a
Set: 8:18p Set: 7:21p
Sunrise: 6:20a Moonrise: 5:32a
Set: 8:18p Set: 8:22p
Sunrise: 6:20a Moonrise: 6:44a
Set: 8:18p Set: 9:15p
Sunrise: 6:20a Moonrise: 7:56a
AM Minor: 2:57a
PM Minor: 3:28p
AM Minor: 3:55a
PM Minor: 4:28p
AM Minor: 4:57a
PM Minor: 5:30p
AM Minor: 6:01a
PM Minor: 6:33p
AM Major: 9:13a
PM Major: 9:44p
AM Major: 10:11a
PM Major: 10:44p
AM Major: 11:13a
PM Major: 11:46p
AM Major: ——-
PM Major: 12:17p
6a
12p
Moon Overhead: 12:59p
Moon Overhead: 11:53a
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 2:03p 12a
6a
12p
SATURDAY
4
Sunrise: 6:19a Moonrise: 3:28a
Moon Overhead: 10:48a
12a
THURSDAY
5
12a
6
Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 10:00p Moonrise: 9:06a
Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:18p Set: 10:38p Moonrise: 10:11a Set: 11:11p
AM Minor: 7:05a
PM Minor: 7:34p
AM Minor: 8:07a
PM Minor: 8:33p
AM Minor: 9:04a
PM Minor: 9:29p
AM Major: 12:51a
PM Major: 1:20p
AM Major: 1:54a
PM Major: 2:20p
AM Major: 2:52a
PM Major: 3:17p
Moon Overhead: 3:56p
Moon Overhead: 3:02p
6p
SUNDAY
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 4:45p 12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
Jun 30
WEDNESDAY
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 11:20p +2.0
BEST:
Moon Underfoot: None BEST:
3:20-5:45 PM
Moon Underfoot: 12:26a BEST:
10:05AM-12:05PM
11:10AM-1:15pm
Moon Underfoot: 1:31a
Moon Underfoot: 2:33a
BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 3:30a
BEST:
12:10-2:20 PM
BEST:
1:15-3:10 PM
Moon Underfoot: 4:21a +2.0
BEST:
2:10-4:05 PM
3:10-5:05 PM
+1.0
TIDE LEVELS
TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
0
-1.0
0
High Tide: 5:04 am Low Tide: 8:40 pm
1.62 ft High Tide: 5:55 am -0.79 ft Low Tide: 9:35 pm
1.70 ft High Tide: 6:41 am 1.71 ft High Tide: -0.89 ft Low Tide: 10:30 pm -0.90 ft Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
7:22 am 12:12 pm 1:58 pm 11:22 pm
1.65 ft High Tide: 7:57 am 1.55 ft 1.46 ft Low Tide: 12:38 pm 1.33 ft 1.47 ft High Tide: 3:35 pm 1.38 ft -0.81 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:13 am 8:26 am 1:24 pm 5:04 pm
-0.62 ft 1.43 ft 1.14 ft 1.25 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
1:01 am 8:52 am 2:19 pm 6:36 pm
-0.35 ft 1.32 ft 0.92 ft 1.10 ft
KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE LE VEL GRAPH: Yellow: Daylight Tab: Peak Fishing Period Green: Falling Tide Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score
12a
6a
BEST:
7:05-9:40 PM
12p
6p
SOLUNAR AC TIVIT Y: 12a
AM/PM Timeline Light Blue: Nighttime
MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.)
AM Minor: 1:20a
PM Minor: 1:45p
AM Major: 7:32a
PM Major: 7:57p
Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the 12a Sky
Moon Overhead: 8:50a
Gold Fish: Best Time Blue Fish: Good Time
AM/PM Timeline
Moon Underfoot: 9:15p
6a
12p
6p
MOON PHASE SYMBOLS
MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)
12a
Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)
A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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z {
&
= New Moon = Fi rst Quarter = Full Moon = L a s t Q u a r te r = Best Da y
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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION
z z
BEST:
= Peak Fishing 7:45-9:40 AM Period = FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS
MONDAY
TUESDAY
7
Sunrise: 6:23a Moonrise: 1:06p
THURSDAY
9
FRIDAY
10
SATURDAY
11
SUNDAY
12
13
Set: 8:17p Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 12:10a Moonrise: 2:02p
Set: 8:17p Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 12:39a Moonrise: 2:58p
Set: 8:17p Set: 1:09a
Sunrise: 6:24a Moonrise: 3:55p
Set: 8:17p Set: 1:42a
Sunrise: 6:25a Moonrise: 4:51p
Set: 8:16p Set: 2:19a
AM Minor: 9:57a
PM Minor: 10:20p
AM Minor: 10:46a
PM Minor: 11:08p
AM Minor: 11:31a
PM Minor: 11:52p
AM Minor: ——-
PM Minor: 12:14p
AM Minor: 12:34a
PM Minor: 12:56p
AM Minor: 1:15a
PM Minor: 1:38p
AM Minor: 1:57a
PM Minor: 2:21p
AM Major: 3:46a
PM Major: 4:09p
AM Major: 4:35a
PM Major: 4:57p
AM Major: 5:21a
PM Major: 5:42p
AM Major: 6:04a
PM Major: 6:25p
AM Major: 6:45a
PM Major: 7:07p
AM Major: 7:27a
PM Major: 7:50p
AM Major: 8:09a
PM Major: 8:33p
Moon Overhead: 5:30p 6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 6:55p
Moon Overhead: 6:13p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 7:38p 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 9:09p
Moon Overhead: 8:23p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 9:57p 12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
WEDNESDAY
8
Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:17p Moonrise: 11:12a Set: 11:41p Moonrise: 12:09p Set: None
12a
Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2008
Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score
= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r t e r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarte r = B es t Da y
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 5:08a +2.0
BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 5:52a BEST:
3:40-6:15 AM
Moon Underfoot: 6:34a BEST:
4:30-6:10 AM
Moon Underfoot: 7:16a BEST:
5:15-6:50 AM
Moon Underfoot: 8:00a BEST:
6:15-7:50 PM
7:00-8:35 PM
Moon Underfoot: 8:46a BEST:
7:45-9:20 PM
Moon Underfoot: 9:33a +2.0
BEST:
8:25-10:15 PM
+1.0
TIDE LEVELS
TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
0
-1.0
0
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
1:47 am 9:13 am 3:17 pm 8:17 pm
-0.04 ft 1.22 ft 0.68 ft 0.97 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
2:31 am 9:32 am 4:14 pm 10:11 pm
0.30 ft 1.15 ft 0.44 ft 0.91 ft
Low Tide: 3:12 am High Tide: 9:45 am Low Tide: 5:07 pm
0.62 ft 1.11 ft 0.23 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
12:24 am 3:53 am 9:50 am 5:56 pm
0.97 ft 0.90 ft 1.10 ft 0.05 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:00 am 7:45 am 9:20 am 6:43 pm
1.13 ft High Tide: 4:59 am 1.12 ft Low Tide: 7:27 pm 1.12 ft -0.09 ft
1.29 ft High Tide: 5:33 am -0.19 ft Low Tide: 8:10 pm
1.38 ft -0.26 ft
-1.0
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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:
7:45-9:40 AM
= Peak Fishing Period
= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS
MONDAY
TUESDAY
14
WEDNESDAY
15
THURSDAY
1 6
FRIDAY
1 7
SATURDAY
{ 18
SUNDAY
1 9
2 0
Sunrise: 6:25a Moonrise: 5:46p
Set: 8:16p Set: 3:01a
Sunrise: 6:26a Moonrise: 6:38p
Set: 8:16p Set: 3:49a
Sunrise: 6:26a Moonrise: 7:25p
Set: 8:15p Set: 4:41a
Sunrise: 6:27a Moonrise: 8:09p
Set: 8:15p Set: 5:37a
Sunrise: 6:27a Moonrise: 8:47p
Set: 8:15p Set: 6:36a
Sunrise: 6:28a Moonrise: 9:22p
Set: 8:14p Set: 7:36a
Sunrise: 6:28a Moonrise: 9:54p
Set: 8:14p Set: 8:35a
AM Minor: 2:40a
PM Minor: 3:05p
AM Minor: 3:25a
PM Minor: 3:51p
AM Minor: 4:12a
PM Minor: 4:38p
AM Minor: 5:01a
PM Minor: 5:26p
AM Minor: 5:50a
PM Minor: 6:15p
AM Minor: 6:40a
PM Minor: 7:04p
AM Minor: 7:30a
PM Minor: 7:53p
AM Major: 8:53a
PM Major: 9:18p
AM Major: 9:38a
PM Major: 10:04p
AM Major: 10:25a
PM Major: 10:51p
AM Major: 11:13a
PM Major: 11:39p
AM Major: ——-
PM Major: 12:03p
AM Major: 12:28a
PM Major: 12:52p
AM Major: 1:19a
PM Major: 1:42p
Moon Overhead: 10:48p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: None
Moon Overhead: 11:39p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 12:30a 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 2:09a
Moon Overhead: 1:20a 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 2:55a 12a
6a
12p
6p
FEET
12a
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 10:22a +2.0
BEST:
3:00-6:45 PM
Moon Underfoot: 11:13a BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 12:04p BEST:
3:45-7:20 PM
Moon Underfoot: 12:55p BEST:
4:30-7:45 PM
5:20-8:30 PM
Moon Underfoot: 1:45p BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 2:32p BEST:
11:45AM-2:00 PM
12:45-2:50 PM
Moon Underfoot: 3:18p BEST:
+2.0
1:10-3:15 AM
+1.0
TIDE LEVELS
TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
0
-1.0
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2008
Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score
0
High Tide: 6:01 am Low Tide: 8:51 pm
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1.42 ft High Tide: 6:22 am -0.30 ft Low Tide: 9:29 pm
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1.43 ft High Tide: 6:37 am 1.43 ft High Tide: 6:53 am 1.42 ft High Tide: -0.33 ft Low Tide: 10:04 pm -0.34 ft Low Tide: 10:37 pm -0.34 ft Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
T E X A S
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7:11 am 12:03 pm 2:03 pm 11:09 pm
1.41 ft 1.26 ft 1.27 ft -0.30 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
7:30 am 12:16 pm 3:11 pm 11:40 pm
1.40 ft High Tide: 7:50 am 1.37 ft 1.18 ft Low Tide: 12:46 pm 1.07 ft 1.22 ft High Tide: 4:20 pm 1.14 ft -0.22 ft
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z z
Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2008 MONDAY
21
22
THURSDAY
23
Set: 8:12p Sunrise: 6:31a Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:13p Sunrise: 6:30a Moonrise: 10:53p Set: 10:31a Moonrise: 11:24p Set: 11:30a Moonrise: None
FRIDAY
24
SATURDAY
25
Set: 8:12p Sunrise: 6:31a Set: 12:31p Moonrise: None
Set: 8:11p Set: 1:36p
SUNDAY
26
Sunrise: 6:32a Set: 8:11p Moonrise: 12:35a Set: 2:44p
27
Sunrise: 6:32a Moonrise: 1:20a
Set: 8:10p Set: 3:54p
AM Minor: 8:20a
PM Minor: 8:42p
AM Minor: 9:09a
PM Minor: 9:31p
AM Minor: 9:59a
PM Minor: 10:21p
AM Minor: 10:49a
PM Minor: 11:13p
AM Minor: 11:40a
PM Minor: ——-
AM Minor: 12:09a
PM Minor: 12:33p
AM Minor: 12:58a
PM Minor: 1:28p
AM Major: 2:09a
PM Major: 2:31p
AM Major: 2:59a
PM Major: 3:20p
AM Major: 3:48a
PM Major: 4:10p
AM Major: 4:37a
PM Major: 5:01p
AM Major: 5:28a
PM Major: 5:53p
AM Major: 6:20a
PM Major: 6:47p
AM Major: 7:13a
PM Major: 7:43p
Moon Overhead: 3:40a
12a
WEDNESDAY
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 5:08a
Moon Overhead: 4:24a 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 5:53a 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 7:36a
Moon Overhead: 6:42a 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 8:34a 12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:13p Moonrise: 10:24p Set: 9:33a
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
TUESDAY
= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r t e r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarte r = B es t Da y
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 4:02p +2.0
BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 4:46p BEST:
2:00-3:55 AM
Moon Underfoot: 5:30p BEST:
2:45-4:30 AM
Moon Underfoot: 6:17p BEST:
3:40-5:30 AM
Moon Underfoot: 7:08p
Moon Underfoot: 8:04p
BEST:
4:25-6:10 AM
BEST:
5:20-7:00 AM
Moon Underfoot: 9:05p +2.0
BEST:
6:35-8:20 PM
7:35-9:20 PM
+1.0
TIDE LEVELS
TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
0
-1.0
0
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:12 am 8:07 am 1:22 pm 5:41 pm
-0.08 ft 1.32 ft 0.91 ft 1.05 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:45 am 8:20 am 2:01 pm 7:19 pm
0.11 ft 1.26 ft 0.71 ft 0.97 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
1:19 am 8:27 am 2:45 pm 9:14 pm
0.36 ft 1.21 ft 0.47 ft 0.95 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
1:54 am 8:26 am 3:35 pm 11:25 pm
0.65 ft 1.19 ft 0.21 ft 1.03 ft
Low Tide: 2:28 am High Tide: 8:11 am Low Tide: 4:31 pm
A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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0.95 ft High Tide: 2:15 am 1.23 ft Low Tide: 2:34 am -0.05 ft High Tide: 7:37 am Low Tide: 5:32 pm
&
1.22 ft High Tide: 6:47 am 1.22 ft Low Tide: 6:35 pm 1.33 ft -0.29 ft
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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION
z z
BEST:
= Peak Fishing 7:45-9:40 AM Period = FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS
TUESDAY
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29
THURSDAY
30
FRIDAY
3 1
SATURDAY
z Aug 1
SUNDAY
2
3
Sunrise: 6:33a Moonrise: 2:12a
Set: 8:10p Set: 5:02p
Sunrise: 6:33a Moonrise: 3:13a
Set: 8:09p Set: 6:06p
Sunrise: 6:34a Moonrise: 4:21a
Set: 8:08p Set: 7:02p
Sunrise: 6:35a Moonrise: 5:32a
Set: 8:08p Set: 7:50p
Sunrise: 6:35a Moonrise: 6:43a
Set: 8:07p Set: 8:31p
Sunrise: 6:36a Moonrise: 7:51a
Set: 8:06p Set: 9:06p
Sunrise: 6:36a Moonrise: 8:54a
Set: 8:06p Set: 9:38p
AM Minor: 1:53a
PM Minor: 2:25p
AM Minor: 2:50a
PM Minor: 3:22p
AM Minor: 3:48a
PM Minor: 4:19p
AM Minor: 4:46a
PM Minor: 5:16p
AM Minor: 5:43a
PM Minor: 6:11p
AM Minor: 6:39a
PM Minor: 7:04p
AM Minor: 7:32a
PM Minor: 7:56p
AM Major: 8:09a
PM Major: 8:41p
AM Major: 9:06a
PM Major: 9:38p
AM Major: 10:04a
PM Major: 10:35p
AM Major: 11:01a
PM Major: 11:31p
AM Major: 11:57a
PM Major: ——-
AM Major: 12:26a
PM Major: 12:51p
AM Major: 1:20a
PM Major: 1:44p
Moon Overhead: 9:36a
12a
WEDNESDAY
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 11:44a
Moon Overhead: 10:40a 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 12:45p 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 2:33p
Moon Overhead: 1:41p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 3:20p 12a
6a
12p
6p
FEET
+2.0
12a
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 10:08p BEST:
8:00-9:50 AM
Moon Underfoot: 11:12p BEST:
8:55-11:00 AM
Moon Underfoot: None BEST:
9:50AM-12:10PM
Moon Underfoot: 12:15a BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 1:13a BEST:
10:50AM-1:05PM
Moon Underfoot: 2:07a BEST:
11:45AM-2:00PM
12:35-2:50 PM
Moon Underfoot: 2:57a BEST:
+2.0
1:30-3:45 PM
+1.0
TIDE LEVELS
TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
0
-1.0
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
MONDAY
Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2008
Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score
= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r t e r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarte r = B es t Da y
0
High Tide: 5:06 am Low Tide: 7:38 pm
1.60 ft High Tide: 5:28 am -0.65 ft Low Tide: 8:37 pm
1.66 ft High Tide: 5:55 am -0.74 ft Low Tide: 9:33 pm
1.65 ft High Tide: -0.74 ft Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
6:19 am 10:52 am 1:38 pm 10:25 pm
1.59 ft 1.42 ft 1.46 ft -0.65 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
6:40 am 11:11 am 3:10 pm 11:12 pm
1.49 ft 1.26 ft 1.41 ft -0.47 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
7:00 am 11:48 am 4:29 pm 11:57 pm
1.39 ft High Tide: 7:19 am 1.30 ft 1.05 ft Low Tide: 12:31 pm 0.83 ft 1.34 ft High Tide: 5:47 pm 1.24 ft -0.22 ft
-1.0
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Trolling with Chaos Are you sick of heavy pool-cue trolling rods? Sure, they’re tiring to use, but you need to rig up with heavyweights if you want to pull heavy tackle and have a shot at big fish, right? No way— not according to Chaos, which has developed a new line of graphite/glass composite rods that look and feel like peashooters but have the punch of a bazooka. The new Chaos line includes 6-foot, 6-inch and 7-foot models in both spinning and conventional versions. The amazing part: Even though they look and feel like a rod that would traditionally be rated for 17- to 20-pound test, they’re rated for 30 to 60, 60 to 80, and 80 to 100 pounds. I didn’t believe it at first, but when I spooled up with 60-pound braid (these rods were developed specifically for braid, which allows the angler a much higher pound-test than monofilament of the same diameter) and hooked into a 30-pound yellowfin tuna, I discovered these rods are for real. It felt like it had the same backbone and lifting power as a traditional 30- to 60-pound-class rod, at half the weight and diameter. I found these rods ideal for speed-jigging, and unlike some rods intended for this use, the Chaos doesn’t ever bottom-out or reach the end of its arc. While the tip offers some fast-action play, the mid section blends into an aft section that has a ton of backbone. C26
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The 30-pound fish, for example, didn’t cause any bend in the rod beyond the lowest guide. The grips are foam, guides are the double-foot style lined with silicon-carbide inserts, and the reel seat is gold and black anodized aluminum. Wraps around the guides are gold over black, and the wraps near the base are criss-crossed. The butt also has a gimbal so you can use this rod with a harness, or cap it with the rubber end-piece and fish it without one. Chaos rods aren’t ridiculously expensive. Priced at $199, they certainly beat the price of most other rods rated for this weight class. Contact: Chaos Fishing, 877-547-8066, www.chaosrods.com —Lenny Rudow
7Eye Panoptx Windproof Shades If you fish from a high-speed bass boat, kingfish tournament rig, or a powerful bay boat, then you’ve probably experienced some unique problems: bugs or particles whooshing into your eyes, sunglass lenses being sucked out of the frames, or sunglasses being blown completely off your head and overboard are a few that affect most lightning-fast boaters at one time or another. Panoptx has come up with a unique solution to these problems, with the Orbital Seal eyecup.
These foam and plastic inserts (which are removable on most models) form a face-fitting seal 360-degrees around each eye, essentially turning the sunglasses into a pair of mini-goggles. Since air &
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
can’t get in around the frames, the glasses won’t be blown off your head and the lenses won’t be sucked out by a negative-pressure zone behind the frames. I tested a pair of the Whirlwind model and found the eyecups surprisingly comfortable and 100-percent effective. Blasting across a reservoir at 70-plus mph in a bass boat, they stayed put and protected my peepers so well I didn’t even have to squint. Foam-filtered vents allow airflow behind the frames, so fogging isn’t an issue. Popping the insert on and off the frames takes zero effort, thanks to a couple of tabs that fit into slots in the frames. Of course, the design won’t help much if the glasses’ optics aren’t up to snuff. Fortunately, the Whirlwinds are polarized, SPF 100, and are designed to bring out different colors and shades in the water. The NXT lenses are tough, too—so tough, they come with a lifetime guarantee against breakage. They’re made with a water shedding coating so you won’t have to slow down and wipe them off every time a little spray comes over the bow. Frames are available in Dark Tortoise and Gray Tortoise, and lenses come in copper (best for bringing out color differences in the shallows,) dark tan (also good for bringing out different colors, these lenses grow darker as they’re exposed to more sunlight,) and gray (best for looking deep into blue offshore waters). Eyewear like this doesn’t come cheap, and these sunglasses range from $125 to $250. But if you want serious eye protection while running at highway speeds and you don’t want to put on a helmet or switch between glasses and goggles, the Whirlwinds are a great option.
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Contact: 7Eye, www.7eye.com —LR
Page C27
925-484-0292,
Purosol Marine Optic Cleaner Sick and tired of looking through smudged LCD screens and fingerprinted scopes? Me, too, but you can’t simply wipe down delicate, optically coated surfaces like these with household cleaners and a rag. You’ve never seen a cleaner designed specifically for these surfaces? I hadn’t either until Origin Laboratories came out with Purosol Sports/Marine optics molecular lens and screen cleaner. This enzyme-based cleaner breaks down organic salts, dirt, and grime on a molecular level. It has no ammonia, solvents, or alcohol, which can harm some optically coated surfaces by eating away at the anti-glare coatings, and is non-toxic. To test it, I kept a bottle in the glove box of my 28-foot McKee Craft Express project boat this season, and regularly used it to wipe down the screen on a Northstar fishfinder/GPS. It took off the fingerprints and salty crust with ease, and the screen still looks like it did when the unit originally came out of the box. It also did the trick for cleaning up my binoculars, camera lenses, and sunglasses. The formula neutralizes static, too, so the surfaces stayed dust-free longer than usual. Contact: Origin Laboratories, 626-5681100, www.purosol.com —LR
really work better than other lotions? Ask the Navy Seals—they choose to use it. Pro TEC 30+ (with an SPF of 30, which means you can remain in the sun 30 times longer than you could if unprotected) has micronized titanium dioxide, which blocks out both UVA and UVB rays. It’s waterproof and sweatproof, and includes moisturizers to keep your skin in top shape. It doesn’t have any fillers, and there are no barrier-type ingredients (such as mineral oil, talc, or beeswax) that you find in some competing products, which can cause clogging of the pores and imbalance in the skin. When we tried it out, we found that it did an excellent job and kept our skin from feeling dried out and scorched, even after full days on the bay. The only gripe I have is
that it takes a long time to wipe on, and remains white unless you really rub it around for a while. It’s also pretty expensive at $19.95 for 8 ounces. Still, the stuff was impressive enough that it’s worth the extra cost and effort. My kids spent hours dipnetting critters on a sandbar, and I never had to worry about them getting fried in the mid-day sun. Plus, we never had any problem with burning eyes or skin irritation. Unlike most suntan lotions, the Pro TEC doesn’t make your fingers feel slimy for the rest of the day, and the company offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. Contact: Pro2H Products, 800-3973725, www.pro2hproducts.com —LR
Pro TEC 30+ Sunscreen Are all suntan lotions of the same SPF equal? No, and if you put in long hours in the sun, you already know this to be true. The sun takes a serious toll on your skin, and Pro TEC 30+ is designed to provide the protection you need. But, does the stuff A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Bob Builds a Jackplate for All Boats Engineers at Bob’s Machine Shop have developed a product that all boaters can use. With a maximum engine rating of 40 hp, BMS’s hydraulic kicker jackplate provides slow-speed power for cruisers, auxiliary power for sailboats and trolling power for fishermen. Sailboat skippers will appreciate the jackplate’s ability to reduce engine drag while under sail. For economy, powerboaters can fire up their kicker for no-wake zones, slow cruising or when navigating shallow backwaters. And, the jack provides anglers with the option of using just one motor for trolling and main power. The kicker jack is built with 6061 T-6 aircraft-grade aluminum to ensure high strength with minimal weight. All of Bob’s Machine’s hydraulic jackplate motors are mounted inside the boat for long life and easy maintenance. An optional wireless control kit allows
Husky Gear Box Husky Liners is proud to introduce its newest product line: the Husky Gear Box for full size pickups. Applications include part #09001, 2007-08 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab; #09011, 2007-08 Silverado Extended Cab; #09201, 2004-08 Ford F150 Super Crew; #09401, 2002-08 Dodge Ram Quad Cab. Custom fit design to specifically fit your pickups area underneath the rear seat. Large capacity, removable dividers help keep you organized, store all those items you just can’t keep contained. The Gear Box is constructed of heavy duty co-extruded mateC28
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Nomor-Clog, Like a Bypass for Your Cooler
The Nomor-Clog is a unique new product that will prevent your cooler drain form ever being blocked, guaranteed under normal use. Like numerous others, the inventor, a native Southeast Texan and avid outdoorsman, became frustrated with his cooler drain clogging while processing his game.
Kicker Jack from Bob’s Machine Shop the skipper to operate the jackplate remotely with a small key fob from anywhere on the boat. Retail price of Bob Machine Shop’s patent pending, hydraulic kicker jackplate is $1,199. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty on the structure. Contact Bob’s Machine Shop at 4314 Raleigh St. Tampa, FL 33619. Phone: 813-247-7040; Fax: 813-247-7041; info@bobsmachine.com; www.bobsmachine.com. rial with a slip resistant outer layer and a tough and rugged inner layer. Rubberized non-slippery surface minimizes cargo shifting, available in black color. Easy to install and made in the USA.
No matter what you have in your cooler, it won’t clog the drain with Nomor-Clog installed.
Visit the Husky Liner website at www.huskyliners.com for a current application listing and information on our many other products. Contact: Winfield Consumer Products, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Winfield, KS 67156 Phone: 800344-8759.
Husky Gear Box custom fits Chevy, Ford and Dodge trucks
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After extensive experimentation with different applications, the Nomor-Clog was conceived. No more digging through an ice clod cooler to unstop your drain just to have it stop up again immediately. There are 28 million fisherman, 14 million hunters, 43 million tent campers, and over 6 million overnight hikers in the US that will benefit from our new product, not to mention individuals that just want to have a trouble free cooler. The Nomor-Clog is made of the same food safe plastic that your cooler drain is made from, and is very simple to install. . It is a two part device that attaches using the existing drain assembly included in all Igloo, Rubbermaid, and Coleman draining coolers. Though made for easy removal for cleaning, the Nomor-Clog locks tight and stays put even while being transported. The Nomor-Clog is your cooler drain solution! Email address: nomor-clogman@windstream.net Website: www.nomor-clog.com.
New Walker’s Game Ear Hears in High Definition
With an ergonomic design, the BTE fits comfortably behind either ear and can be used with or without eyeglasses. Weighing less than 1/4 ounce, you hardly notice it is there. The replaceable foam earpiece eliminates wind noise and protects the ear from loud sounds. It works in concert with the Sound-Activated Compression (SAC) cirWalker’s, the shooting and hunting cuitry to give you a Noise Reduction Rating industry pioneer in hearing protection, con- of 29db, protecting your hearing from muzzle blast. Walker’s Game Ear HD tinues to expand their line of increases hearing up to 7 times and units while enhancing sound has 48 dB of power with a pre-set clarity through the use of high frequency response circuit. This Digital Technology. is a Digital High Definition unit The HD circuitry prowith emphasis on high frequency vides a higher quality sounds, which are the sounds of distortion-free we need to hear sound to your ears when we are in while decreasing cirWalker’s the woods. cuit noise. With Game Ear II HD For more inforincreased sensitivity, goes digital. mation on these better hearing and more and other Walkaccurate sounds are reproduced. There are several models er’s products, go to their website: available from the digital BTE (behind the www.walkersgameear.com. ear) Game Ear HD to the Power Muffs Digital Quad.
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New SportPort Dock Adjusts to Your Needs
Don’t be Sidelined by Dead Batteries
SportPort Docking Systems, Inc. announces the release of the 500 Series Docking System. After several years of design development and testing, SportPort announces the release of their latest and greatest docking system. “These new products incorporate all the changes and improvements we’ve been dreaming of for some time. Many of the features came from suggestions from our customer base. We’re just trying to give people what they want” said Dave Rueckert, President of SportPort The new system provides modularity and flexibility unequaled in prior models. SportPort customers can now add extra walk space and even access piers basically any way they want. The 500 Series System claims to be the only unsinkable modular system on the market due to its foam-core technology.
For most of us, the inner workings of batteries are a complete mystery. Yet we all depend on these black boxes to start and run our cars, trucks, 4x4s, boats, R/Vs, and campers. More often than not, our batteries do their job – but we have no way to predict when they’re going to stop. The battery most of us use on a daily basis is a starting
The Battery Bug.
battery, which delivers a burst of electricity for a short period of time – hopefully long enough to start the car. An interesting device called the Battery Bug - Starting Battery Monitor (SBM) by Argus Analyzers attaches directly to your car’s starting battery, tests your battery every start, tracks the battery’s decline in health, and sounds an Sport Port 500 Series Docking System. alarm when the battery approaches end-of-life. In other words, it tells you precisely when your battery needs to be replaced – not too early, not too late. At $39, it’s reasonably priced peace of mind. For deep-cycle batteries providing power to run lights, For a complete list of features visit Sport- electronics, and trolling motors, the Argus Port’s newwebsite, www.sportport.com Battery Bug - Deep Cycle Monitor (DCM) or call 888/WHY-WORK (949-9675) continuously tests the battery’s health, and Sportport Docking Systems, Inc., displays battery age and charge level. For 18860 Loxahatchee River, Jupiter, FL the first time ever, the battery’s lifespan is no 33458. longer a mystery. The DCM, which can be C30
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reset and used on multiple batteries, retails for $109 – a sound investment in your battery’s state of health and your state of mind. Don’t let a dying battery put a damper on your summer activities. Visit the Battery Bug website: www.batterybug.com. (401)-398-2959.
Wavewalk Improves a Winning Design Wavewalk has introduced a new, redesigned version of its patented W Fishing Kayak. The new design features a lower and sturdier spray deflector, a preparation for a universal, multi purpose cockpit cover for rough water and weather, and detachable side floatation modules that help prevent overturning as well as facilitate recovery. In addition, the
W KAYAK SPECKS: L = 124” H = 18” W = 25” Weight: 56 lbs Material: Polyethylene Blend Colors: Yellow and Dark Green Price: $1,058 for the F2 model, which is equipped with 2 flush mounted rod holders.
W comes equipped with four internal floatation modules. The W Fishing Kayak offers both paddling and fishing standing in full confidence, even in moving water.
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W kayak fishermen benefit from the ability to switch anytime between four basic ergonomic positions (standing, riding, sitting and kneeling), and numerous intermediary positions. The W can fit more than one passenger, and offers the ability to go over submerged obstacles in shallow water, as well as to launch and beach in extreme water and terrain conditions. Website: www.wavewalk.com Tel: 617-916-2250
Truck Covers USA Gets Down to Work Truck Covers USA introduces the 2008 American Work Cover. With new innovative features & products, Truck Covers USA sets itself apart from the competition. After seeing the number of requests rapidly growing for the American Roll Cover to be modified to fit a particular truck bed along
2008 American Work Cover with an existing toolbox and realizing the niche in the market – research and development began. Two much needed products are now combined for the ideal work truck combination that makes a marriage of the highest product qualities. This multifunctional product was engineered & designed with the work truck and style in mind – a must have for any work truck. Product features include not only the superior construction of the American Roll Cover itself, but a heavyduty galvanized sheet metal sectioned toolbox; rust preventative properties; space saving design; OEM grade locking mechanism like no other; cargo lighting options & 2 sliding trays. The American Work Cover enhances the look of any work truck with
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convenience and ease of use. A truck cover that really works! Truck Covers USA, San Diego, CA Phone: 858-622-9135 www.truckcoversusa.com.
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LMC Marine Adds New Location
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MC MARINE IN HOUSTON CONTINUES TO grow and add new laurels to its reputation. The multi boat dealer is adding a new location close to the coastal waters in Clear Lake. The new location opened June 1, 2008. The new store at 2332 NASA Road 1 has more than 7800 square feet of showroom, plus service and parts areas. You could say the new LMC Marine is close to
saltwater fishing boats in sizes from small runabouts to offshore cruisers. We have a full service department, full sales staff, and Yamaha, Suzuki, and Mercury outboard engines. We are an extension of the north Houston store, the same capabilities, just farther south. “There is a definite demand for the new location. A lot of our sales are down in this area. We are the only Triton, only Explorer, and Bayliner dealer in the area. It’s just a matter of supply and demand.” Williams brings more than seven years of boating sales experience and dealer management to LMC. He worked for Tracker Marine for 7-1/2 years, opening the boat portion of the Bass Pro Shops in Katy, as well as helping set up boat operations in several other new Bass Pro locations. LMC Marine sales and service accomplishments for 2007 include a Sales Excellence Award from Wellcraft; the Number
“We carry just about every model of boat that Triton makes: bass boats, offshore boats, bay boats, aluminum bass boats, and pontoon boats,” said David Christian, owner and general manager for LMC Marine.” One of the biggest changes in the Triton boat line was the revamping of the pontoon boats. Harris Kayot, a high quality pontoon boat manufacturer, and Triton merged in 2007, producing the new Cypress Cay boat line. “Harris had a high end boat, but not a big dealer network,” said Christian. “Triton had a good boat and a large dealer network. Now we have a high end pontoon boat that competes with the Bennington and other boats of this style.” Cypress Cay pontoons by Triton Boats feature a solid fiberglass helm station with built-in cooler, acid-washed pontoons, starboard gates that don’t sacrifice seating
LMC Marine’s new store on NASA Road 1 in Clear Lake.
being a Super Store without officially declaring it. “We have everything in our new location that we have in our north Houston store,” said Jeff Williams, general manager of the Clear Lake location. “We carry everything—Triton bass boats, aluminum boats, pleasure boats, and the Explorer and Triton C32
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One Volume Dealer in the United States for Triton Boats; an Excellence Award from Mercury; and named one of the top 75 dealers for Yamaha in the U.S. The LMC Marine website (www.lmcboats.com) boasts of being the “Largest dealer in the Country” in Triton boats. &
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room, extra-wide four-step boarding ladders, extra-large convertible tops, changing rooms, and porta-potties on most models. “We are also the largest Wellcraft Dealer in Texas,” said Christian. “We are the largest Explorer dealer, and in the last eight months we have picked up the Key West boat line, which has been a great addition, a PHOTO BY JIMMY BORNE
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quality product. You sell it and never have it come back with any problems.” LMC has over 250 boats in stock daily in the two stores and storage areas that LMC maintains. Between the two stores, LMC has over 18,000 square feet of showroom space, 10,000 of it a covered showroom and service area. The company also has an inventory of used boats and motors. Christian, as with many of his employees, are boaters and anglers who know what boaters want and demand. Christian fishes the Redfish Tour, finishing in the top five last year. He, with the help of Triton Boats and Ignition Bass Tournaments, sponsor six Sunday morning bass tournaments at Lake Conroe. “We put together a pretty lucrative program for the anglers,” said Christian. “It’s an every other Sunday team tournament, six total. Typically, the first prize is around $2500, bringing about 80-90 entries per tournament. Because we put together a program with Triton and ourselves, first prize with incentives from Triton and LMC Marine can be in excess of $5000 on every individual tournament.” —Tom Behrens •••
Magic Swimmer Secrets Revealed
“Sometimes they’d come up and take it, other times they’d just give it a good look,” Faircloth explained. “It wasn’t always the bait I caught my fish on, but it sure told me where I should be spending most of my time to catch the winning weight.” Although the tournament was shortened by one day due to high winds, Faircloth’s three-day winning weight was still an impressive 76 pounds, 15 ounces for 15 fish. At the start of the final day, it was Williamson who was in the lead following a previous day catch of five fish totaling 29 pounds, 13 ounces. He was focusing on channel swing-points that had 50-60 feet of water nearby, and relied on wind or cloud cover for his best success. “I couldn’t believe it when the final day was sunny and calm; my fish just weren’t as cooperative under those conditions,” he said. “It had been so phenomenal. If lots of cover, I’d throw more weedless baits. When in the more open water, I’d throw my Magic Swimmer and use a retrieve exactly like Patrick Sebile and I demonstrated so many times in Sebile’s casting tank at the Classic show. It’s a deadly technique that can’t be done with any other kind of swimbait.” He described the technique as involving a slow-rolling retrieve much like that often used for fishing spinnerbaits in deep water. With the rod tip pointed down and reeling slowly, he would then give the bait a sharp
jerk followed immediately by pushing the rod forward to put slack in the line. He explained that the jerk and slack technique causes the bait to turn 180 degrees and “look right at the fish that’s eyeing it.” He said it’s often too much for a bass to resist. For the technique, Williamson prefers to use 15- to 17-pound-test fluorocarbon, and sometimes will add adhesive-type “weights” to the bait’s underside to help it get down a little quicker. Williamson explained that the Magic Swimmer’s shape and three-joint design gives it the most realistic swimming action of anything he’s ever seen: “It can be ‘waked’ on top, slow-rolled into the depths, or ‘burned’ somewhere in between using a high-speed retrieve. However you fish it, it always runs true. That’s a big deal.” Both Williamson and Faircloth used Magic Swimmer model 165 SK, weighing approximately 1.6 ounces and measuring nearly 6 inches in length. “SK” stands for the “slow sinking” property built into all four models of Magic Swimmers. Williamson’s color of choice for Amistad was Perch, while Faircloth went with Natural Shiner and Rainbow Trout. The Magic Swimmer comes in as many as 13 colors, depending on model. The 165 SK retails for around $20. Contact: Sebile USA, 325-437-8103, www.SebileUSA.com
Thousands of anglers who attended the Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Show last February in Greenville, South Carolina, might not have realized it at that time, but they were treated to a fishing lesson that many of the country’s top pros are probably now wishing they had seen as well. Over the course of the show’s three days, lure designer Patrick Sebile and professional bass angler Jason Williamson demonstrated how to fish the Sebile jointed hard swimbait, the Magic Swimmer. That same Magic Swimmer played a role not just in Williamson’s fifth place finish at the recent BASS Elite Series tournament on Lake Amistad, but also in Todd Faircloth’s win of the event. Faircloth made long casts with the Magic Swimmer and held his rod tip high to “wake” the bait while moving quickly across large flats during practice to get the largemouths to show themselves. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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CZ 550 American Safari Magnum
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SELDOM HAVE MUCH USE FOR A MAGNUM RIFLE, much less for a real dangerous game rifle (DGR) like a .375 H&H Magnum. However, no gun collection is complete without such a cannon. You just never know when you might have elephants or brown bears invading your garden. Besides, if we have a DGR, we must expect to go to some faraway place where they are used, right? And historically, Texans have always been some of the most widely traveled hunters in the world. When I was a kid, I remember reading about Herb Klein, the first winner of the Weatherby Award in 1956, and a homegrown Texan. I have a soft spot in my heart for the old .375 H&H. It might be the perfect allaround rifle for everything from deer to elephants. With a 235-grain bullet, it is a super .30-06, shooting flat enough for use on plains game; with a 300-grain solid, it will absolutely plaster elephant or hippo; shooting 270- or 300-grain soft points, it is probably the best medicine in the world for big bears and lions. The .375 was introduced by Holland and Holland in 1912, but it is still just as full of life and just as efficient now as it was then. In a rifle of sufficient weight and good stock design, it is tame enough for most hunters to shoot without flinching, but is powerful enough to knock the sand out of the largest land animal in the world. There C34
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are many cartridges that are more powerful, but few if any with all the positive attributes of the .375 H&H. I recently sold my old Winchester Model 70 .375 to a fellow who wanted it worse than I did. It wasn’t long before I heard that little voice in my head that said I needed another .375—for what, it didn’t say, but it was very insistent. After a couple of weeks of listening to the voice in my head (one of many, I might add), I called CZ and asked for one of their big Mausers in .375. My real intention was to test the gun, do this article, and then send it back, hoping that the little voice would be satisfied with that. I should have known better. When the gun arrived, my first impression was that it was pretty plain. It is a fairly standard square bridge, magnum-action Mauser with a straight-grained walnut stock. The bluing is nice and the metal work and wood-to-metal fit was adequate to quite good. I mounted an Alpen 2-7X scope on the gun and took it to the bench. First, I bore-sighted the gun; not an easy task with a bore the size of a mineshaft. I finally got the scope and bore looking in the same direction, then fired the first shot. Firing a .375 H&H Magnum off a bench rest is never fun. This one, however, surprised me. Recoil was noticeably less than I expected. The stock is extremely well designed and absorbs recoil like a sponge. The comb is wider than usual and acts as a cushion for the cheekbone, which is where these big guns usually hurt me. Also, the stock seems slightly longer than normal, which keeps the scope away from my eye, and it has a very good recoil pad. In addition, the big gun weighs in at around 10 pounds scoped and loaded, which also lessens felt recoil. I really liked the effect. I got the gun sighted in and fired for effect. The first group, with Federal 270grain soft points, measured right at 2 inches. Now 2 inches at 100 yards is not great by modern standards, but it is plenty good &
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enough for a big magnum rifle with a 2-7X scope, shooting factory ammunition. After a dozen rounds, it was consistently grouping 1-1/2 to 2 inches, and I had had enough for one day. Even the best-designed .375 is no fun off a bench and I was getting a headache. Further shooting during the next few weeks with different loads stayed in the 11/2-inch range, which is very good for a rifle of this caliber, especially with me shooting it. I found that this .375 was much gentler than any other I have ever shot. I was impressed with its ability to attenuate recoil. In fact, from off-hand it was quite pleasant to shoot. I liked it so much that I decided to keep it. The CZ 550 .375 has a single set trigger, but the trigger on mine is good enough that I never use the set feature. Also, the safety on this model is like the standard Remington safety, mounted on the right side at the rear of the bolt with “safe” to the rear and “fire” to the front. It also has integral scope mounts milled from the steel of the action, similar to the way Ruger makes integral mounts. I know of no more solid way to mount a scope short of welding it to the gun. It has a set of folding “express sights” arrayed in a row on the barrel. The cosmetic effect is attractive and lends an air of Old World charm, a la Stewart Granger in “King Solomon’s Mines.” Also, you never know when you might need a set of backup sights, and in situations where you are expecting to come face to face with a ton or more of angry quadruped at a distance of a few feet, a gun without a scope sitting on top is quicker to point and shoot like a shotgun. This CZ 550 American Safari Magnum is a well-made, well-designed gun. If you are in the market for a .375, this is a great choice. Retail is right around a thousand dollars, but most gun shops will sell it for a bit less. It is a solid, good-looking, dependable rifle that would be right at home in a safari camp gun rack or a Kodiak bear camp. —Steve LaMascus
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A Different Kind of Trophy
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WENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD GLENN ELLER OF Katy, Texas, has his eye on a trophy—one made of Olympic gold. Eller is headed to the 2008 Beijing Olympics as the only Texas member of the U.S. shooting team in the Double Trap
shotgunning competition. Shooting has been Eller’s passion since he was about eight years old. While at Taylor High School in Katy, he completed his academic requirements by the start of his junior year. He received a work release from Katy ISD so he could train for the Olympics during his junior and senior years,
by Tom Behrens making the 2000 Olympic team and finishing 12th. “I played baseball and football as a youth, but I really loved shooting. I shot sporting clays for many years,” said Eller. His father built a shooting range on the family’s property near New Ulm so they
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could shoot. What really elevated Glenn’s sights was when his family went to the Olympic games to watch a family friend from England shoot. A list of his shooting accomplishments includes four National Championships in Trap shooting in 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2006. On the international side of the sport, he won World Championships in 2003 with a score of 192-200 and a silver medal in 2002 with a score of 188-200. In 2006, a friend talked him into enlisting in the U.S. Army. He is now a member of the Army Marksmanship Team stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Jeff Holguin and Josh Richmond, also members of the Team, qualified for the Olympics, but only Eller and Holguin will make the trip to Beijing;
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Special Hunting Section
Trophy Fever
Richmond will fill the roll of alternate. Holquin and Richmond are not from Texas. “Jeff and Josh earned a slot, but you have to shoot a qualifying score even to be able to participate in the Olympics,” said Dan Carlisle, the team’s shooting coach. “Qualifying slots are earned by winning top honors in a World Championship and a qualifying score of 600-700. There might be as many as four or five World Championship shooting matches in the year leading up to the Olympics. Five or six guys were shooting for those two slots. Jeff and Glenn made the team. Josh is the alternate. “This year, we are shooting well. As a coach, I have been with these boys a lot and I have never seen anything like it; they are shooting so well, 47 out of 50 birds.”
International Style Trap Shooting Olympic trap and skeet shooting follows International style rules. There are two categories of trap shooting: American and International. Most of the shooters from around the world shoot International style, while most U.S. shooters shoot American style. Carlisle likes to cite the following
example: “There are 1 million International style shooters in Italy, and 200 International style shooters in all of the United States. Most American shooters don’t want to shoot it. International trap is harder. “In International style, the targets are a lot faster. In skeet, you shoot doubles in every position; in American skeet, you shoot them on Glenn Eller sharpens four positions versus his trap shooting eight. In Interna- skills at his family tional trap, the clay property. He is birds are doing aiming for a gold about 60-80 miles medal at the 2008 per hour out of the Beijing Olympics. box, and have to travel 72 meters. In American trap, it’s the same height, a 22-degree angle. In International, it is a 45-degree angle, which makes it tougher.
“In American doubles trap, it’s the same pair from every position; in Olympics, there’s three separate pairs, three separate settings. You have to be proficient in every one of the settings. The birds are going different places every time. It is a much easier softer game in American style.” When asked about his shooting strengths and his chances at the 2008 Olympics, Eller said: “Saying what your strengths are is hard. Everyone has their own thing. I’m kind of flying by wire. Once I get everything condensed down into my head and it’s working, I’ve got it. You can’t beat me. When I don’t have it, I am still hanging in, picking up medals. “As far as the Olympics, honestly, shooting is so fickle. We know who the top players are, but it’s really a tough game. Anyone at the Olympics can have their best day and win.” After the 2008 Olympics are over, Eller said he is considering reenlisting for another tour of duty, “for at least another shot at the Olympics.”
Jeff Holguin (left), Glenn Eller, and Josh Richmond, members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Team, will represent the U.S. in Double Traps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. C36
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PHOTOS BY TOM BEHRENS
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Mountain Home Lion
TF&G FIRST
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IM CAPEHEART AND HIS NEIGHBORS IN Mountain Home, Texas, knew they had a problem. Jim was losing deer and suspected that a complete fawn crop was wiped out. His neighbor lost 38 head of sheep and goats. So they called in their first line of defense, the Wildlife Damage Management Service, and went to work on what they thought was a severe coyote problem. The government trapper, Keith Adams, set snares and showed the ranchers how to check them. The Kramer Ranch is 900 acres in the rolling hills on the divide between the Llano and Guadalupe Rivers. The ranch is cordoned by a 9-foot net wire fence, and Capeheart has been manually ridding the property of cedar. “It’s a beautiful place that belonged to my father-in-law,” said Capeheart. “Now, my wife and her two sisters own the ranch and we all pitch in with the work. The ranch is covered with grass and every type of oak tree.” On April 12, Capeheart was making his rounds on horseback, his ridgeback dogs following along. “For awhile, the horses had been acting funny at particular parts of the pasture,” he told me. “We didn’t know what was wrong. We’d been catching some coyotes but didn’t have any idea that there was a mountain lion in the area. “When we saw that there was something in the snare, we first thought it was a deer. But then when we got closer, we saw that it was a lion. We were careful going up to it. The trapper said that they usually climb over high fences, but we figured this cat was chasing something and went under the PHOTOS COURTESY OF JIM CAPEHEART
Comparing the cat’s paw to a man’s hand gives some idea of scale—this was one big tabby. fence. It must have been winded because it didn’t thrash or fight too hard. The snare was set for coyotes and it wasn’t actually set stout enough to hold a mountain lion. “It was a big mature male, and we measured it at 6 feet, 4 inches long. It also weighed between 140 and 160 pounds. The cat was aged at seven years old. “Before we caught the cat, all we’d A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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noticed was the coyote sign. Now, we figure that the cat was killing its game and burying it. Then the coyotes would come along and eat the rest of the kill. This was probably necessitating the cat to kill more often.” Now that this particular mountain lion has been trapped, Capeheart has been getting reports of more lions being seen in the nearby areas around Hunt and Kerrville. “According to the trapper, lions travel in a 40to 70-mile territory. Sometimes their circuits may overlap and there could be confrontations between dominant males. This cat was the first we’ve seen on our ranch in 12 years. But we think there could be other cats around and it’s possible that a younger male might move in to take this male’s place.” There are no seasons on animals listed as predators in Texas. Since this mountain lion was caught by a government trapper, the dead animal became property of the state and will probably be donated to a local university. Capeheart runs about 70 cows on the Kramer Ranch, and said that he noticed no livestock depredation on his property. “I guess it was too easy for the cat to kill deer, sheep, and goats. But the other day we had some rain and I noticed a set of about five tracks in the mud around a water trough. Those tracks looked identical to the ones that we found the lion had made…it made a little chill run down my back.” —Herman W. Brune
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Practice Makes Almost Perfect
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T ONE TIME, MY FRIENDS CONSIDERED ME the biggest procrastinator in the country. My wife thinks I still am, but I have tried to improve in that depart-
ment. I can say one thing for sure: If the opportunity arises, I will be in the woods hunting deer or whatever is in season at the time. That is a commitment I will keep. We all have good intentions to do what needs to be done around the house, as well as in our everyday lives—make sure the oil in the pickup gets changed, have the wife’s car inspected, fix the bathroom sink, practice shooting the bow, sharpen the blades on the lawn mower... Hold it! Back up! Practice shooting the bow? How many of us actually plan a time to practice? As the deer season looms closer, most of us will decide to get the cobwebs off our bows and start shooting. Veteran bowhunters know that when the moment of truth is upon you, the shot needs to be second nature. By that I mean it is something so natural that you need not worry about guessing distances, anchor points, or followthrough. Believe me, you will have enough on your mind trying to concentrate on keeping your eyes off the whole animal and just picking a spot. If you haven’t started practicing yet, it is time to get serious and start shooting. C38
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It is not going to do you much good to practice if you do not have good shooting form. Make sure that you have a veteran bowhunter with you while you shoot, or go to your local bow shop and get some instruction from them. Take it from a procrastinator from way back: If it is something that is not fun, you will not want to do it. Make it fun, but first, make it safe. It is always better to practice with a few bowhunting friends. Spend a few hours together and turn it into a competition. When I wore a younger man’s clothes, I played a game called “pig” with a basketball. Someone would make a shot and the other players would have to follow the exact shot and make it, or take a letter from “pig.” When you spelled “pig,” you were eliminated. Try that with a bow. You will be amazed how many positions one can be in and still shoot a bow. Before too long, you will be proficient on your knees, or with your back to the target and your body twisted around, on one leg. You get the picture. There are plenty of targets with a 12inch circle for the bull’s eye. Remember, the smaller the target, the more you will concentrate on the shot. Blow up a party balloon to about 10 inches. Shoot at that for a while. As you improve, make the balloon smaller and smaller until you are shooting at nothing but a balloon that has no air in it at all. Before long, your bull’s eye will be no larger than a match book cover, and you will be the envy of your friends who do not practice as much as you. It is never a good idea to shoot at the same distance each time you loose an arrow. Even though most of the targets you shoot are set at or near 20 yards, the deer might not know that and decide to be 33 yards away. The point is to shoot unknown distances and get used to visualizing what different yardage looks like. Practice in the woods and in an open field. You will find that without the benefit of trees as points of reference, it is much more difficult to cor&
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rectly estimate the distance of your target. When it comes to the actual hunt, shoot only up to your known accuracy range. This will vary with each individual. For some, the distance might be 10 yards, while for others it is 40 yards. Whatever that number is, stick to it and do not be tempted to take a shot that you have not practiced. For some reason, many novice bowhunters think this is a macho sport. Nothing can be farther from the truth. A bow set at 45 pounds is just as deadly as one set at 70 pounds. It remains a question of what you are comfortable drawing with as little movement as possible. A good measure of this is to sit down and slowly draw your bow. If it is at all difficult, then you should consider taking the weight down a bit. Practice while wearing the clothes you intend to hunt in. It gets hot in Texas and to wear fall clothes in the heat of summer is not practical. However, you should devote some time to shooting while wearing heavier hunting clothes. You will soon discover any flaws in your shooting form and have time to correct them. Success in the field depends on how well prepared you are. One thing is for sure—no matter how much you practice, every once in a while, you will have an off day. That is the reason for the “almost” bit in the title. Hunting would not be much fun if you were successful every time you went afield, but by practicing well before the season, you tip the odds in your favor. E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com. PHOTO BY LOU MARULLO
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HOG—BERGHEIM, TEXAS
DEER—ROBERT LEE, TEXAS
Landry Walthall, age 6, of Whitehouse, Texas, killed his first hog at Owl Spring Ranch in Bergheim, Texas. He took the 250-pound hog with a .22250.
Avery Komarek, of Haslet, Texas, took her first deer at Wildcat Mountain Resort in Robert Lee, Texas, while hunting with her dad, Dale. The deer grossed 117 B/C and weighed 161 pounds before field dressing.
BLACKBUCK—LAMPASAS, TEXAS
BUCK—DOSS, TEXAS
TURKEY—ATASCOSA COUNTY, TEXAS
Garrett Wallis, 11 years old, of Houston, Texas, Trevor Spinn killed his first deer, an 8-point buck, killed this blackbuck at Horseshoe Falls Ranch in in Mason County, north of Doss, Texas. Lampasas, Texas. He shot the blackbuck at 12 5 yards with a .243.
GOT BUCKS? GOT HOGS? GOT TURKEYS? GOT BANDED DUCKS?
If so, we need photos and hunting stories for our new TROPHY FEVER SPECIAL SECTION. Send pics and hunting tales to : TROPHY FEVER SPECIAL SECTION 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032 or by email: photos@fishgame.com.
Logan Alexander, age 11, of Dickinson, Texas, bagged his first spring gobbler in Atascosa County. The turkey sported 1-1/4-inch spurs and had a 10-1/2-inch beard.
PLEASE INCLUDE PHOTO CAPTION: NAME HOMETOWN WHEN & WHERE TAKEN SIZE AND WEIGHT
(Please include “Trophy Fever” in the subject.) A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Going Overboard
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HAVE CAPTAINED BOATS MORE THAN TWO decades for work, play, and even for the government. I have had to pull away from dock in thunderstorms, tidal surges, gale-force winds, you name it. I’ve had two crewmates plucked off the deck by the Coast Guard, transferred passengers and gear from one moving boat to another, and run 50-foot gaps between rock jetties in fog so thick we never even saw them with our eyes. As the years have passed, one thing has become clear: the older I get, the more cautious I become. I don’t push the safety envelope, and I’d rather stay on shore than test my mettle in rough seas—been there, done that, and my back can’t take it these days. Through all of these events and adventures, I never lost a single person over the side. Not once. No men went overboard, and it was a record I was proud of. Now, here is the weird thing: In the past few years, while I have been writing full-time and have not captained a boat for pay, I have had four people go overboard. What gives? How could someone go for so long without a single incident, then in such a short time have it happen multiple times? The answers are not simple, but if you consider them closely, they might help you avoid the same situations. See if you can find the common thread.
He-He-Splash! My first man-overboard was my son, David, who was five years old at the time. Fortunately, we were in utterly perfect, beautiful conditions—no waves, no current, sitting at anchor on a placid bay. He was leaning over the rail, lifting his feet up to get a C40
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better look over the side, violating one of our cardinal rules on the boat: keep your feet on the deck at all times. I growled at him to stop leaning over the side, but guess I didn’t growl firmly enough because he just smiled at me, and giggled twice. Then gravity overcame his five-yearold balancing skills and he somersaulted head-over-heels over the rail and into the water. Splash! I reached over the side, grabbed him by the life jacket, and swung him back onboard before his clothes had even soaked all the way through.
mount. Thrown off-balance, he tumbled over the side. My heart went right into my throat; we don’t have to deal with freezing cold water and hypothermia too often here in Texas, but the river water in Virginia at this time of year was in the lower 40s or upper 30s, and mere minutes in such cold water can easily kill. Luckily, he never let go of the outrigger, and its lines were still attached to the gunwale halyard. After stopping the boat and shifting into neutral, I pulled him to the boat and he was able to reboard.
C-C-C-Cold
Handy Man
The second time I watched a guy go overboard came while testing a boat on the Rappahannock River in Virginia, in late November. It was a wind-free, absolutely beautiful if somewhat chilly day, and by “chilly” I mean snow flurries on and off.
Picture a twin-outboard boat 35 miles off the coast, on the troll for bluefin tuna. The weather is spectacular and the conditions are positively beautiful. We land a nice one, enjoy a round of high-fives, and after the fish is gutted and iced, decide to head back to the inlet. It is fairly late in the day and many of the other boats that were working this school are already running for port. I start plotting the course for home as we putt along, still at trolling speed. While I am hunched over the chartplotter, I hear a big splash, then yells from the crew. One of the guys fell overboard. After stopping the boat’s forward motion, we just sat tight as he swam back to the boat. With a hand from the other guys, he climbed back aboard. Later, he told us he was leaning over the side to wash his hands off in the ocean, and when a boat wake hit the hullside, he simply lost his balance. Have you noticed a common theme yet?
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Gravity overcame his five-year-old balancing skills and he somersaulted over the rail into the water.
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After running our boat test numbers, we decided to spend some time trolling for striper, but first we had to deploy the telescopic outriggers. The boat manufacturer rep, a guy well versed in the ways of the sea, stepped up on the gunwale and grabbed an outrigger to adjust it. Unfortunately, it had been mounted improperly and when he grabbed the rigger, it slid right out of the &
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Seaweed Survivor A neighbor and his seven-year-old son have joined my family for a day of fishing. We have been blessed with sunny skies, a dead wind, glassy-calm seas, and plenty of bites. We were sitting at anchor, catching snapper off a wreck, but the bite slowed
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down to almost nothing as the tide changed. The kids started to get bored, and my neighbor’s son busied himself by scooping bits of seaweed out of the water with a dip net. One particularly attractive chunk of seaweed floated past just out of reach, so the boy stretched out to scoop it. He overextended himself and fell right over the side. Luckily, his father was no more than a foot away, so he simply reached over and hoisted the boy back onto the boat. What is the common thread? One factor was constant in each of these events: The conditions were stellar—no wind, no waves, and the evidence shows that this leads people to be a little less careful. In three out of the four events, the people who fell overboard were intentionally leaning over the side in the first place. In the other situation, it was calm enough that an experienced mariner felt able to stand up on the gunwale while the boat was moving. Who hasn’t been lulled into a false sense of security at one time or another? We are all guilty of it, but as captain, you have to recognize when this is happening. Ask yourself: Are people holding on to grab rails? Are
they paying attention to incoming waves or boat wakes? Do they take their time when they are using a knife to cut bait? Are they stretching out and reaching over the side without taking appropriate precautions? If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” then you have to step in and fill the safety gap. Mention how a boat wake can suddenly catch you off guard, and ask people to hold on as they move about. If you see someone stretching over the side to wash their hands, ask another crewmember to “spot” him and be prepared to grab his belt if he loses his balance. And remember: the nicer it is, the more likely a boater is to become overconfident or even careless. There is another lesson in these manoverboard situations: In the first and fourth case, the “man” was a boy. Instructing children to not lean over the side does not necessarily solve the problem, as I found out first-hand. Of course, both of these children were wearing life jackets. Have you ever thought this was a rule you can afford to neglect? Then you had better think again. Kids are more likely to go overboard simply because they have not fully developed their
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sense of balance. On top of that, they naturally want to lean over the side and look at or into the water. If you have kids aboard and they start to get bored, or you see them starting to lean over the gunwales, there is an easy solution: distract them. Fill the livewell or place a fivegallon bucket on the deck, and drop in something that they can entertain themselves with. Minnows, shrimp, crab (watch the pincers!) or even seaweed or seashells will keep them too busy to even think about leaning over the side. One final bit of knowledge that we can distill from these overboard events: Don’t think for a moment that it will never happen to you. I went for decades without a man overboard, then in a few years encountered a string of them. If you think that since it hasn’t happened to you it probably never will, better think again, Cap’n. And remember: Never let down your guard, especially when the water is glassy calm and beautiful. E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com
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Leashed Ling
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HIS IS A NEAR-SURFACE PRESSURE application that also works in some deeper situations. Near the surface to, say, 30 feet down, is the ling’s strike area. I came up with this pressure application in May of 1994; at the time, it just seemed the natural thing to do. It brought a 78-pound ling to the gaff about a minute after the hookup, and I have since used it on numerous occasions over the years on many ling from 35 to 65 pounds. Before getting into the fight tactic, I would like to emphasize the importance of a properly set, smooth operating drag. A setting that is about 30 percent of the line’s rated strength is a good number to shoot for. Set the drag using a securely anchored,
accurate scale, line loaded reel on the rod, line through the guides, and tied to the scale with the rod loaded at about a 70degree angle. Before getting into the line pressure reversal procedure, here are a few clarifications of some of the terms used: “Short stroking” is just what it sounds like, short rod strokes are designed to move the fish toward you just a bit, therefore the half turn of the reel handle. With faster fish movement toward you, make more turns of the reels handle. The “Arc Swing” is a very fast, shallow, 20-degree angle left or right motion of your rod. During the entire fight, including the “arc swings,” the rod never comes fully out of compression; the rod is always loaded from slightly to all you can put on it. Immediately after that hookup at (1) on the illustration, apply right side, horizontal
rod pressure using that 30 percent of line’s rated strength. The ling will come to near the surface, usually at an early point in the pulling. As the ling passes in front of you at (2), immediately “arc swing” switch to a left side horizontal pull. With each side pull, you should be gaining line. Start with “short stroking” rod pumps and half turns of your reel handle. The vast majority of the time the ling will respond, turn, and start swimming opposite to the pull, all the while coming closer to the boat. At (3), reverse the side pressure to the right;
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ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK LEMIRE
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All-around Catfish Rig
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T NEVER FAILS THAT IN THE HEAT OF THE summer, our thoughts turn to catfish. Even though the second most popular game fish in the state readily bites yearround, we seem to forget about whiskerfish
until the kids are out of school and the mercury is hovering around the century mark. Right now, some eclectic anglers are putting away their bass plugs and grabbing stinkbait, and perhaps wondering what is the best method for presenting it to hungry cats. There is one simple rig that can be used to fish for catfish from the bank, while drifting, or even in heavy currents, and all it takes is a simple change in the sinker. Most have heard of the Carolina or fishfinder rig. It consists of a slip weight on the main line followed by a barrel swivel attached to a short leader and hook. This rig with one small change can be used just about anywhere and with any bait. The first step is to tie the main line to a barrel swivel with a Palomar knot without first sliding in a sinker. Instead of clipping the tag end of the line short, leave it long. In fact, tie it so that the tag end is at least a foot long. In most cases, this tag end of the line is pointless, but in this rig, it is a vital eleILLUSTRATION BY PAUL BRADSHAW
ment and is what helps to make it so versatile. To the other end of the swivel, tie on a 2to 3-foot monofilament leader. Make the leader from line with a slightly lower breaking strength than your main line. This weaker leader will break before the main line, so if you get hung, you lose only the leader and not the entire rig. On the other end of the leader, tie on a hook. If I am using cut bait, I prefer a circle or Kahle hook. For night crawlers, I use a standard J-hook, and a treble for dough-type bait.
Okay, so where is the weight? This is where that tag end of the line we didn’t trim comes into play. The free-floating tag end is used to connect the weight, and depending on which type of weight is used, you can use this rig for various methods of catfishing. A popular method for anglers in boats is to drift at night. If you use this rig for drift-
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ing, instead of tying a single weight on the end of the tag line, crimp on a few bullet weights. The faster you are drifting, the more weights are needed. These weights will slide along the bottom, and if the weights hang in brush, the split shot will slide off the end of the line, reducing breakoffs. For bank fishing, tie on a pyramid weight and you can cast way out into likely spots before putting the rod in a holder. If you are after river cats in a swift current, use a flat, no-roll sinker to hold the bait in place. Catfish get very big, pull hard, and often live in places unfriendly to fishing lines. Due to this, you need to use heavy line. Start with 20-pound monofilament and go up from there. Serious catfish anglers use braided lines in the 50- to 80-pound range. E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com
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Yakking It Up
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HE ROCKPORT-FULTON CHAMBER OF Commerce holds a love fest called “Spring Fling” every year for outdoor writers. During the two-day event, writers get to sample the outstanding fishing, food, and hospitality of the Coastal Bend. Alan Ray Moers proposed the idea to the chamber 25 years ago, and four writers attended the inaugural event; 25 outdoor writers attended this year’s event. Rockport has always held a special place in my heart. My family made their first trip in 1958 when I was just a pup. I have logged multiple trips per year since. My child bride quickly fell in love with Rockport 28 years ago, and my sons often dream of living there. The fishing and friendliness hasn’t changed in half a decade, but the type of
boats we fish from has. Kayaks are now a mainstream alternative to center consoles. With gas averaging $3.50 per gallon, I am getting quite a few more emails about recommendations as to what kayak to buy. Anecdotal evidence of kayaking’s rise in popularity was not hard to find. Cars ferrying plastic boats around Rockport were everywhere. This year’s Spring Fling featured a large number of vendors showing off their wares, and those catering to kayakers were conspicuous by their numbers. Bill Brigman, owner of Yak-Gear, was on hand showing off his line of kayak accessories. Kayakers are notorious for customizing their hulls, drilling holes, adding accessories, even jerry-rigging harnesses and rigging. Brigman, a devoted kayak angler, realized that many kayakers had to scrounge around hardware stores to come up with all the parts to customize their boats, so he launched Yak-Gear. Now, kayakers can buy simple kits with everything for a particular job. For instance, if you want to add some pad eyes to your hull, Yak-Gear has a pad eye kit complete with eyes and the right type of fasteners.
Yak-Gear started with a small line of paddle leashes and fastener kits, but now offers a wide range of great accessories to trick out your kayak, including: a pontoon system so you can stand up in your kayak and cast a fly rod, anchor trolley systems, and stake-out poles. Yak-Gear products are available at most kayak shops and Academy stores. Roy Sanders loves to sight-cast to cruising trout and tailing reds in skinny water. Sanders is also an avid surfer. Blending his two passions, he developed the Flatstalker. This unique craft looks like a surfboard on steroids. The long, flat hull provides enough buoyancy to hold two people, and the removable seat, which doubles as an ice chest/storage compartment, is sturdy enough to stand on, giving you some height advantage to help spot distance fish. The Flatstalker can be propelled several ways. It comes with an extra long paddle. The extra length is needed because you are sitting on an elevated seat rather than at water level as with traditional kayaks. The paddle can also be used as a push pole. The Flatstalker also has a bracket on the stern for an electric trolling motor, should you wish to
SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS Continued from Page C42 at this point you should be getting more than a reel handle turn per rod pump. (4) is left pressure, (5) is right pressure, (6) left, (7) your ling should be coming to the gaff or very near to it, below you at boatside; the gaff or gaffs had best be ready to strike. Missing this gaffing opportunity usually changes the fight to a deeper and long one. If you coax the ling back to the near surface area, try to start the line pressure reversal again. How much pressure you put on the ling, how it reacts to this pressure and how far away from you the hookup was made are all factors in how many of these rod pressure reversals you will have to make. C44
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Maximum side pressure immediately after the hookup and its numerous reversals seem to disorient a ling and cause it to act as if it doesn’t realize it has been hooked. When initially on the gaff, step back, put the reel on the clicker and out of gear (star drag), or to free-spool (lever drag). If your ling comes off the gaff for any reason, now it runs off against the clicker, not a short line that either breaks or pulls the hook. The reel is then put back into gear and off the clicker and the fight is back on, usually for a while. This procedure has saved numerous sizeable fish of a variety of species for me over the years. Any “green” ling, regardless of size, is a danger on the gaff or in the boat. While they do not have teeth, they do have 5-7 &
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sharp spines ahead of their soft dorsal fin that will lay you open like a series of scalpels. Their erratic thrashing around of their bodies will and has knocked fishermen down, broken legs, destroyed tackle, etc. The best place for any ling brought aboard is for it to be immediately landed in a fish box and the lid closed. Remember that if your ling is more important than a long fight that you might lose, this ling trick is the way to go.
E-mail Patrick Lemire at saltrigs@fishgame.com
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traverse large distances. The electric power option is a nice feature for “seasoned” outdoors folks and those with shoulder problems. Woodee Rods USA has introduced a rod to their line specifically designed for kayak anglers. The new rod tapes 3 inches past 6 feet. When you tangle with a big fish in a kayak for the first time, you quickly learn that a 7-foot rod is a hindrance. Long rods must be pointed skyward to bring a fish close to hand, making the tips prone to break during the last few seconds of a spirited tugof-war. Woodee’s new kayak rod casts like cannon, propelling jigheads and plugs with authority into pumping coastal breezes. The new kayak rod is light in the hand, and comes in both casting and spinning models. In addition to great birding trips, Rockport Birding and Kayak Adventures ferries kayakers to remote paddling destinations, like the backside of St. Joseph Island. Captain Tommy Moore pilots The Skimmer, a custom shallow-draft vessel than can slide into 2.5 feet of water—quite an accomplishment for a boat that can carry up to 45 passengers. Passengers can sit topside and
enjoy the breeze, or sit inside to avoid getting wet if seas are sloppy. The boat will rendezvous with the kayakers at a specified time for the trip back to Fulton Harbor. Captain Moore and his team rent out single and tandem kayaks. Probably the best example of kayaking’s popularity is the conversation I had with Captain Jack Culberson, owner of Four Alarm Guide Service, and his wife Cathy at dinner during Spring Fling. I had the pleasure of fishing with Captain Jack for two
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days and caught lots of trout and redfish. A retired fire chief turned fishing guide, Culberson sheepishly admitted that he and Cathy were now down to five kayaks after owning eight at one point. Although Culberson operates a 23-foot Haynie, during his free time he and his family love to paddle over pristine grass flats, casting to trout and redfish. Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com
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Hotter-nHell
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HEN IT’S 110 IN THE SHADE, IT’S TIME to go crappie fishing in Texas. Yep, partner, you read me right—the hotter the better. For many years here in Texas, I have been crappie fishing in the hottest part of the day, usually wouldn’t go to the lake until about 9 a.m., get on the water at 10 a.m., and have a limit of 25 Texas Slabs by 1:30 p.m. In my early years, I went to lakes like Lavon. Lake Lavon has a lot of standing timber in the lake after 50 years, and is still well known as one of the most productive crappie lakes in Texas. Lavon still has a natural shoreline, which is mainly hard clay, and most of the time the lake is stained.
Muddy, stained lakes seem to produce lots of crappies year after year. For the last two years, Lavon has been going dry because of drought conditions; it has been as low as 18 feet in 2006. This year, the spring rains has been a lifesaver for Lavon and all the surrounding counties. As of this writing, Lavon is about 1 foot low, and the crappie are doing outstanding. The last two years, there has been no pressure put on the crappie at Lake Lavon because the anglers couldn’t launch their boats. Right now is the perfect time to target summertime patterns for Texas slabs. There is a couple of techniques I would use to tackle summer slabs, and that is fishing standing timber and locating brush piles in 10 to 20 feet of water. Start fishing the standing timber about midway back in the coves and out toward the mouths of the coves. Look for timber that has a lot of limbs; they provide a lot of cover and, most of all, shade, which is the No. 1 cover for any type of game fish. A lot of folks stay away from real brushy standing
timber because they are afraid of too many hang-ups. Well, if your not getting hung up, you are not in the right spot, anyway. I drop my trolling motor down, pick up my Wally Marshall 9-foot Pro Series rod rigged with 8-pound Mr. Crappie Hi-Vis line, and a handful of 1/8-ounce Pro Series Road Runner heads with the white and chartreuse Crappie Thunder body. Road Runner Crappie Thunders have a real slow fall, and summertime crappie can’t stand it when you pull up to that bois de arc tree, get over on the shady side right next to trunk of the tree, and slowly drop your bait down. Summertime crappie love to suspend in this standing timber. Slowly drop your Road Runner down right next to the trunk of that horse apple tree, and all of a sudden, you feel a big thump on your pole; now the fun begins. You have to keep steady pressure, keeping the crappie’s head coming up toward the surface of the water. If not, the crappie will get his big slab sides turned sideways and hang you up around one of those limbs. The 9-foot rod gives you the ability to reach all the way in to the trunk of the tree without bumping all the limbs and maybe spooking all the fish away. I never tie up to a tree to fish it. I use my trolling motor to go all around the tree until I hit that sweet spot. All trees that hold crappie always have a sweet spot where crappie love to hang out at a certain depth. Early in the morning, just when the sun is peeking over the trees, I start out fishing a little bit shallower, like 6 to 8 feet, because when the crappie start feeding heavy in the mornings, they will come up to feed while suspending on the vertical structures. When the sun starts to get high in the sky, crappie will move back down into their comfort zone just out of reach of the hot Texas sun, usually down about 10 to 12 feet on standing timber. When you try this technique over and over again, you will be able to pull up to a
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Man Meets Manatee
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HE FIRST STOP ON THE REDFISH CUP KICKED off this year from Punta Gorda, Florida, approximately 100 miles south of Tampa on the Gulf coast with Charlotte Harbor on the northwest side. This area has more than 120 miles of sparkling clear water and everybody there loves fishing. The community is also very welcoming, and most Redfish Cup anglers have a special place in their hearts for this town. In August 2004, while we were fishing another Cup event in Chalmette, Louisiana, Hurricane Charley, a Category 4, came through the city of Punta Gorda, causing massive destruction. Many of the Florida anglers that kept a close eye on the storm from Louisiana were forced to cut the tournament short to return home. Charley ended up being the most destructive tropical system to hit Florida since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Ironically, the next year, Hurricane Katrina hit Chalmette. In 2005, the Cup was pounded by storms and hurricanes. Tournaments had to be rescheduled and relocated. It was almost a curse to have a tournament come to your area; it seemed that the hurricanes were following the Cup. Fortunately, for the 2008 season, the curse appears to have been lifted and the Cup has brought great weather (light winds, calm seas, and sunshine) to the newly rebuilt fishing community of Punta Gorda. The Redfish Cup has made Punta Gorda one of the permanent stops on the tour each year. Unlike Texas, this area has crystal clear water and unbelievably heavy boat traffic. There appears to be a lot of fishing presPHOTO COURTESY OF USFWS
sure, and trying to boat-fish on artificial lures can be very difficult. Along with tons of rules and regulations that we are not accustomed to in Texas, the No. 1 rule in Florida is the manatee zones. Tournament anglers that violate any of the rules are immediately disqualified, as well as subject to fines. Many are not too fond of the manatee zones, because they restrict boat traffic to 25 mph in the channels and only idle speed outside the channels. So, to idle for a mile or more to a fishing area cuts tremendously into your fishing time. But, after a few close encounters with these sea mammals, I have a new respect for manatee zones. Manatees are large aquatic mammals closely related to elephants. The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weighs about 1000 pounds. They are slow movers, as you can imagine, and slow to reproduce. Adult manatees mature at 6-9 years of age and bear one offspring every 25 years. Their numbers are dangerously low. They are the gentle giants of the sea and have been protected since 1967. Most human-related manatee mortalities occur from collisions with watercraft. They are unable to submerge fast enough to avoid oncoming boat traffic and blades from boat propellers that can inflict fatal lacerations on their backs and tails. Manatees are herbivorous and feed on vegetation, often in the A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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warm shallow estuarine waters that happen to be the same habitat redfish are fond of, so man meets manatees frequently. You have not experienced anything like a wrinkled head and face with whiskers on its snout, mounted to a 1000-pound body, coming up to the surface as you are drifting the shallows looking for redfish. It expels a giant breath of air and looks at you like you are a dead cat discovered unexpectedly on the sofa. I cannot believe the old sailors thought these things were mermaids. The challenges and experiences that Punta Gorda, Florida, provide Jim and me, as well as the other teams not native to Florida, makes us better anglers. You know what they say: “When you stop learning, you are dead.” Well, we are far from dead and have an appetite for more. Jim and I want to congratulate our friends from Texas, Captain Ray Malone of Friendswood, and Captain Jon Loring, Jr., of Bacliff for putting a Texas team in the top five this year in Punta Gorda. Traditionally, Texas teams have not fared well here, but Ray and Jon broke through and had an outstanding performance. Congratulations, guys. E-mail Tommy Lomonte at tlomonte@fishgame.com. Visit his website, www.DrRedfish.com. &
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Cats for Cash
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OU CAN HAVE THOSE FLASHY BASS RIGS, $15 topwater lures, and lordly largemouths. When summertime rolls around, I take a beat-up flatbottom rig and a gallon tub of Danny King’s Punch Bait and have just as much fun. If I’m lucky, I might even catch a fat cat big enough to reel in a chunk of change in the upcoming Sealy
by Matt Williams Outdoors (SO) Big Catfish Splash tournament slated for July 12-13 on Lake Fork. The Big Catfish Splash is patterned after Sealy’s popular big bass tournament format.
The event is family-oriented and gives amateur anglers of all ages the chance to win cash, boats, and other prizes for reeling in whiskered fish. This year’s tournament, hosted by the Lake Fork Area Chamber of Commerce, is offering an advertised payback of $60,000 in cash and prizes, including $24,000 in hourly paychecks over two days of competition. The angler who weighs in the heaviest cat each hour wins $500, $400 for second, $300 for third, and so on. Additionally, there will be five overall prizes awarded, including a 2008 Mercury-powered Triton aluminum boat for first, $2500 for second, $2000 for third, $1500 for fourth and $1000 for fifth. There also will be an open drawing for a boat following the final weighin. Currently in its fifth season, the Lake Fork Big Catfish Splash has grown from a meager 300-plus competitors in 2004 to nearly 900 entries in 2007. The event has
been so well received that organizer Bob Sealy decided to launch a second event on Toledo Bend in cooperation with the Sabine Parish Tourism Commission. The tournament is scheduled for August 9-10 out of Cypress Bend Park in Many, Louisiana. The entry fee for each event is affordable—$60 per person for one day, $100 for two. For more info, check out Sealy’s website: www.sealyoutdoors.com or call 888-6982591. As mentioned, SO is the organizer of the popular McDonald’s Big Bass Splash tournament circuit. Open only to amateur anglers, the big bass tournaments have paid out more than $20 million in cash and prizes to fishermen over the last two decades, and donated more than $3 million to charities. Those numbers will take a quantum leap next April, when SO hosts its 25th Annual McDonald’s Big Bass Splash event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
MISTER CRAPPIE Continued from Page C46 tree and without any doubt know exactly where to drop your line to pull out a Texas slab. If the standing timber on your lake gets a lot of pressure and the size of your crappie starts to get smaller, then it’s time to start fishing brush piles located mainly in the same depths as the standing timber. Not everyone knows where your brush piles are, but they can see that standing timber. To find brush piles or build your own would be the most productive way to locate crappie on a regular basis. One day, do not take your fishing rods to the lake or just leave them in your rod box. Turn on your GPS and take off on your favorite lake just to find brush or brush piles that other people have put into the lake to attract crappie. You would be amazed how many structures you can find C48
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in just one day. Not all brush piles will have crappie on them, but if they are in the right spot and certain water conditions, they could move to that brush on any given day. Mark some spots, go back the next day, and fish the ones you marked. Then you can make your selections on which ones to keep and which to throw away. It’s hard to beat summertime crappie fishing on brush piles because when you pull over that pile, you can actually see the crappie suspended over the brush on your depth finder. I use a Lowrance X-26 on my dash and a 332 Lowrance on the trolling motor; both have GPS. When I find a brush pile that looks like it has fish on it, I toss out a buoy marker—not on top of the brush pile, but out to the side where it won’t prevent me from fishing certain spots on the brush. I just use the marker to keep me lined up with the brush pile. &
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If the brush is about 15 feet from the surface and I see fish at 10 feet, that is the depth I start fishing because the crappie that are up higher than the brush are the most active fish in the area. Once you start catching the crappie at 10 feet and they slow down, drop it on down to the brush and pick up several more that might be holding tight to the brush. Making and putting out your own brush will make you a more consistent crappie fisherman. Make sure this year that you put out a lot of brush piles, and then contact me at www.mrcrappie.com so I can test them out for you. E-mail Wally Marshall at mrcrappie@fishgame.com. Visit his website at www.mrcrappie.com
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Sealy recently announced that the 2009 big bass tournament would feature a $1 million payback, the largest in the history of amateur fishing tournaments. The angler who catches the heaviest bass of the threeday event wins a prize package valued at $250,000. Hourly paybacks will range from $2500 for first place down to $500 for the 12th largest bass of each hour, more than double the three-day entry fee of $200. “We’re hoping to break every record we have ever set at this tournament,” Sealy said. “We drew 6600 competitors at our 10th annual event, which had a guaranteed $200,000 payback. With $1 million on the line, this one should be even bigger.”
BASS Pros in the White House BASS pros Alton Jones of Waco and Judy Wong of Many, Louisiana, knew that winning their respective league championships would do wonders for their careers. What the newly crowned BASS champions didn’t realize is their most recent victories
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHITEHOUSE
Alton Jones, left, and Judy Wong, right, met with President Bush in the Oval Office. would earn them an invitation to visit one-onone with the country’s biggest fish. Jones, the winner of the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, and Wong, winner of Women’s Bassmaster Championship, traveled with their families and BASS general manager Tom Ricks to Washington, D.C., on March 25, where they spent an hour in the Oval Office of the White House speaking with President George W. Bush. According to Wong, meeting the President was a lifetime experience. “It was very exciting and a huge honor,” Wong said in a BASS press release. “When we learned that the President had cleared his schedule to spend extra time with us, we were elated. It’s a memory I’ll never forget.”
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Jones was so overwhelmed by the opportunity that he wrote a blog about the experience for the BASS website, www.bassmaster.com. Here are some excerpts: “It probably sounds ridiculous to hear it, but for that hour I felt like we were just hanging out with George W. Bush. Yes, it was impossible to go very long without thinking, ‘Hey, I’m sitting here with the leader of the free world!’ but the experience was so cool, so unexpected, and so intimate that it really felt like a group of friends sitting around and talking about anything and everything. “I think one of the President’s gifts is that he makes those around him feel truly important. We all came out of that office feeling good and important and knowing that we were capable of making a real difference. It was very special. “I’ll never forget some of the things he said to my children. He talked about the decisions they would face in life and how taking the easy way out would be tempting, even when they knew it wasn’t best. He said, ‘Popularity lasts a moment, but principles last a lifetime’.”
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McKenzie’s Buck
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S THE TV SHOWS HOSTED RESPECTIVELY BY Art Linkletter and Bill Cosby proclaimed, kids say the darndest things. If you pay attention to them, you might discover what I have learned over the years: Never just look at a young person, see them. I do not know McKenzie Keetch, but I know how she feels; how appreciative she is of her father who began teaching her how to
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fish and hunt at age four; and now, five years later, how nine-year-old McKenzie views her future as a hunter. McKenzie has had a special hunt, and I know there are many other young hunters who share the same after-the-hunt feelings of shooting their first duck, bagging their first turkey, deer, hog, squirrel, or any of the other renewable natural resources we are privileged to hunt. Not long ago, McKenzie sent me a letter expressing her appreciation for the success she achieved last deer season in Texas, and her excitement about going after even larger big game in the future. All this, keep in mind, is from a nine-year-old girl whose future as a hunter is as bright as a sunrise on a Texas prairie.
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McKenzie’s story is about her first real deer hunt. One can only imagine how her excitement is shared by countless other young hunters for deer and other game. McKenzie has experienced the true dedication that comes from a father’s desire and guidance to create a new hunter. It has involved his purchasing of a rifle for her, and then teaching her how to use it safely and effectively. It is a desire that is as great to McKenzie as it is for the privilege of hunting itself. “Everyone pretty much agrees or tells me that I am one lucky girl,” McKenzie wrote. “The first time I went fishing, I was four. I caught a 7-pound catfish and a 4-1/2-pound bass on my Snoopy rod.” Last season, McKenzie’s dad, Bob Keetch, decided she was old enough to shoot a deer. “I have been deer hunting before, but it was always just to go with Dad,” McKenzie said. “We had been talking about the season for a while, but Dad’s always busy, so the weekend came and we weren’t completely ready.” Bob had decided now was the time for his daughter to have her chance at actually hunting. The pair went to a local sporting goods store, which also had an indoor shooting range to sight in rifles purchased by its customers. Bob picked out a Remington Model 700 .243, and after it was sighted in, McKenzie, to the astonishment of the range officer, placed three shots in a 1-1/2-inch group. “We drove from Fort Worth to Blackwell that night,” McKenzie said. “It took nearly four hours. I was so excited and ended up staying up way too late watching the hunting channel on the motel TV. “That first morning we only saw one doe. I was excited, but I was so tired and was paying the price for staying up too late. After lunch and a nap, we went out for our afternoon hunt. This was definitely more exciting. I wasn’t as tired and we didn’t have to wait for it to get light. A doe and three
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yearlings spent about 45 minutes around our feeder. This was the first time I had ever gotten to really observe deer behavior. I sat so still when the deer were looking in our direction, and didn’t realize how intense it can be. My body was sore from tensing up the whole time. When the doe lowered her head and stared in one direction, I noticed my daddy started looking that way, too. “Soon, the doe and yearlings ran off as a buck with tall white horns appeared in the brush. He was really moving, staying in the trees and never gave us an opportunity to shoot him. But this hunt was a lot more exciting than the morning; I had seen my first buck!” McKenzie said she stayed up longer that night than the night before, “playing the banker for the friendly poker game,” and took a sleeping bag to the blind and rested some while waiting for daylight. Then, just as dawn opened the new day, a big buck walked out of the bushes. “He was huge,” McKenzie said. “As I raised the gun up, every muscle in my body was shaking. I have now learned that this is called ‘buck fever’.”
Remembering what her father had taught her, McKenzie squeezed the trigger slowly until her rifle fired. The shot was true and her first buck, a 10-pointer, was on the ground. A day earlier, one of the men in the hunting group had given McKenzie a camouflage cap, which she now calls her “lucky hunting hat.” “Some of the men asked me if I was going to let my dad hang him on his office wall, and I said, ‘No way! He is going on my bedroom wall’,” McKenzie said. “I told my daddy that on a scale of 1 to 100, this trip was way over 100.” Even at age nine, McKenzie’s sights are aimed at bigger hunting experiences. “When August gets here and we get to go pick up my mount, it will hang over my bed and always remind me of how much fun it is to hunt with your dad,” McKenzie said. “I am already talking to him about taking me elk hunting. I always tell my daddy that I want to get a Grand Slam of sheep. Hopefully, I will get to send you similar stories of great hunting experiences.” I hope she will. I also hope many more youngsters not only have the opportunity to
McKenzie Keetch
return home from a hunting trip with their father or mother with a story of success, but also with a story of their appreciation for the wildlife, the camaraderie with other hunters, and the exciting opportunities we all share as hunters. E-mail Bob Hood at hunting@fishgame.com.
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Loading Data: Fact or Fiction?
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HAVE BEEN DOING SOME LOAD DEVELOPMENT with a new rifle in the wildcat caliber .30-338 Magnum (.338 Winchester Magnum necked down to .308 caliber). Looking for a place to begin working up a long-range mule deer load, I dug out all the loading manuals and started studying what type of powder would be best, and at what charge to begin. The more I studied, the more confused I became. For instance, one manual said the maximum load for a 165-grain bullet with H4831 was 72.5 grains, which was supposed to produce 3100 fps on the .30-338. That same manual also gave a load listing for the .308 Norma, with a notation that the two cartridges were for all intents and purposes identical. However, the maximum load listed for the same bullet in the .308 Norma Magnum was 78.5 grains of Hodgdon 4831. This load, too, was supposed to produce 3100 fps. If the cartridges are identical, why is there 6 grains difference in the maximum loads, using the same powder and bullets? See why I was confused? One of the reasons for the difference, I discovered, is that the barrel length used for developing data for the .30-338 in the first manual was 28.5 inches. Well for cryin’ out loud! Who in the world uses a 28.5-inch barrel? I have never seen a barrel that long on an American sporting rifle. The longest that comes on a standard factory rifle is 26 inches, although there is a 28-inch barrel offered for the Thompson-Center ProHunter, and 24 inches is standard on most C52
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magnum rifles, or was until just recently. Actually, the 28.5-inch barrel is seen only on rifles designed for 1000-yard target matches. I can tell you for a fact that there is no way you are going to get 3100 fps out of a .30-338 or a .308 Norma Magnum with a 165-grain bullet and 72.5 grains of H4831 in a 24-inch barrel, and probably not even with a 28.5-inch barrel. According to my Oehler Model 35P chronograph, I finally broke 3000 fps (just barely) in my 25-inch barrel with 73.5 grains. The maximum in my rifle is 77.5 grains of H4831, 165-grain Nosler AccuBond bullets, in Winchester cases with CCI 250 primers. Velocity with this load is 3160 fps at 10 feet.
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Not all rifles are the same, especially when dealing with wildcats like the .30-338.
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This is one of the reasons handloaders are so skeptical of reloading data these days. Not only is it sometimes conservative to the ultimate degree, but the equipment used to check the velocities and work up the loads is nothing at all like what the guy trying to use the data owns. If I were to accept that particular manual’s maximum listed load as factual, I would have a .30-caliber magnum that I thought was getting 3100 fps that in reality would produce the velocity of a good .30-06 load. At one time, the loading data for the .243 was obtained from a rifle with a 26inch barrel, while the majority of factory rifles in that caliber had 22-inch barrels. What this brought about was the myth that &
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the .243 Winchester was a high-speed, long-range rifle. That fact was that the little .243 was huffing and puffing to get 3000 fps with a 100-grain bullet, and many factory loads produce closer to 2800 than 3000. Not all reloading manuals are so conservative; some are very accurate. I was recently loading for a new .308. I looked up the data in one of my manuals and found starting and maximum loads. Chronographed velocities coincided almost exactly with the published data, and signs of over-pressure came just before I reached the listed maximum. At the listed maximum, there was an obvious extractor mark on the back of the case, a definite sign that the pressure was too high. I now shoot a load in my .308 that is a grain below the maximum listed in that particular manual, and velocity is right in line with what the book says. Not all rifles are the same, especially when dealing with wildcats like the .30-338. Barrels differ, chambers are cut differently, some have long throats, and some have short throats. You never know what you are dealing with. Be safe—be ultra-cautious. Morals: Never trust the data in any single manual. Always compare at least two manuals before you start loading. Buy the manual—if there is one—published by the manufacturer of the bullets you intend to use. Start low and work up slowly. Learn to read pressure signs on primers and cases. Buy a good chronograph and use it to learn the truth about what your rifle is actually doing. Don’t mix brands of brass. Notice: Reloading data presented herein is for illustration only and should not be used without verifying against component manufacturer data. Neither the author nor Texas Fish & Game magazine is responsible for the use of any data contained in this article. E-mail Steve LaMascus at guns@fishgame.com
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More Summer Strategies
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OT WEATHER HAS ARRIVED AND NOW IS the time to look for schooling bass. The place to find them is on underwater structure. You need to keep your eyes glued to your Raymarine unit more in the next 60 days than you have all year. Not only is a good map handy, but knowledge of the water you are fishing is very valuable, whether it is a lake, river, or pond. Knowing where the deeper stumps, brush piles, deep points, humps, or ledges are located is a major key to catching summer bass. A lot of the places you noticed in the early year while watching your Raymarine depth finder probably have fish on them, now that the shallow water action is over. Go back and check those places looking especially for baitfish. If the bait is there, the bass are around close. But I have caught a lot of fish out of brush, off stumps and ledges that didn’t show much baitfish activity. So, if it’s a likely looking spot, don’t pass it up. I have my deep-diving XPS Lazer Eye Nitro crankbait tied on one rod, a Texasrigged Old Monster Zoom worm on another, and a Carolina rig ready to roll on a third. One other lure you want to have ready at all times is Bass Pro Shops’ Slim Dog. Many times, you will have a bass blow up on top and you can fire it to the spot and hook up. What I like to do with the crankbait is to start out in about 20 feet of water and throw past the drop or hump as far as I can, then put my MotorGuide on “high 36” and let out about 80 yards of line. I then crank it in on a steady medium retrieve. This way, you get the bait to the maximum depth before you get to the structure and you cover a lot of water. This is called “strolling” a bait and it is a very effective way to cover lots of water.
If I’m fishing the worm, I go with two different weights. I like a 5/8-ounce Tru-Tungsten weight for covering underwater structures and getting a feel for what is down there. If I’m catching fish, I will go with a 1/8-ounce weight to fish slower. A lot of times, changing weights can make a difference. When I’m fishing the big worm, this is one time I will go to a bigger hook than usual with either a 4/0 or 5/0 Mustad Ultra Point. This is also a Carolina riggers time to shine, as you can use a variety of Zoom baits, from a small Centipede, 7-inch Mag11, Old Monster, or Baby Brush Hog to a Big Brush Hog. You can also cover a lot of water making fan casts. You can also use your Lindy No-Snagg Rattlin’ weight as your underwater fingers, feeling for stumps, brush, rocks, etc. If you hit something that feels good, be sure to mark it with
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your depthfinder, even if you don’t catch a fish this time; plan for a future return visit. I have found many good holes over the years with this method. Bass love structure, and at the right times, it will produce. If you catch a fish or two with one of these methods and you don’t get any more bites, go back over the same areas with the other methods; at times, a different bait will turn other fish on. I even run a heavy 1-1/2or 2-ounce spinnerbait through an area if I caught fish there. Many times, bass will watch lures go by until something sets them off, and then they will all bite. So, if you are in an area that feels good, give it time. Another thing I always depend on is current. If you see a water discharge or get around a bridge and see current going by the pylons, this will bunch up baitfish, which attract bass. While watching your depthfinder, you can back off from the pylons around a100 yards or so and find a school of fish, especially if there is a little drop or bend in the area.
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Woods vs. Water The debate over reservoir construction
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IVING IN EAST TEXAS, ALTHOUGH THE BUTT of many jokes about rednecks and marrying relatives, has its advantages. The first and foremost is that, while much of the state is arid and covered in scrub brush, we have towering pines, centuries old oaks, an abundance of water, and a lack of concrete. Multiple reservoirs and rivers in the Eastern part of the state provide recreation and drinking water for countless towns throughout the region and beyond. Looking at a map of the eastern part of the state, you see a lot of blue ink. However, in the minds of some, Texas’ current water supply isn’t adequate to handle the state’s estimated population growth over the next five decades, most of which should occur in the already heavily populated metropolitan areas. While this might or might not be true, the solutions being discussed are controversial at best and causing a rift between Texans. The only resolution many can see for future water needs is to build more reservoirs, which worked well (or so we thought) for the past 50 years. In the eyes of those looking to provide drinking water, any drop of water that flows through the state and actually makes it to the Gulf of Mexico is wasted. The problem with this mindset is that new reservoir construction comes at a price, and not just a monetary one. New reservoir construction and hardwood or wetland conservation are mutually exclusive. You can do one or the other, but C54
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not both. Since the number of reservoirs in Texas has more than tripled since the late 1950s, hardwood bottomlands and wetlands have been reduced dramatically to the detriment of wildlife. The obvious question is how to satisfy future water requirements while preserving the landscape in its natural form. Planning for future water requirements is not a new concept. Texas has been doing so for more than 50 years via the Texas Water Development Board, which plans for the entire state and is responsible for constructing the reservoirs we have today. Most recently, Texas was divided into 16 separate regions responsible for looking at their own individual water needs over the next 50 years, and coming up with a plan to meet them. The method most regions are looking at initially follows the same mindset of the last 50 years, with new reservoir construction the primary means of providing more water. Because of this, there have been 19 locations across the state designated as unique reservoir sites. This designation does not automatically mean a lake will be built there, but it does prohibit state and local governments from doing anything with the site to inhibit reservoir construction. While each region is planning for the needs of only its population, it is not limited to looking just in it’s own region to supply those needs. For example, Dallas, which is in Region C, can come up with a solution to build a reservoir in Region D to support its requirements. Although it seems fishy (no pun intended), that is how it has been done for years. Therein lies one of the most hotly debated topics regarding new reservoir construction: Why should the water requirements for a metropolitan area outweigh the rights of landowners in a rural area who want to continue living on, and making a living off of, land that might have been in their families for centuries? Also, why is water for Dallas more important than habitat for wildlife? Marvin Nichols is a designated unique &
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reservoir site still in the planning stages that will provide water to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but it’s proposed construction site is not anywhere near the D/FW Metroplex. Marvin Nichols Reservoir, if completed, will be approximately 150 miles away and formed by damming the Sulphur River. It will flood land in Red River County, et al. It would flood 70,000 privately owned acres, 30,000 of which are hardwood bottoms that will disappear forever. Personally, and not to intentionally offend folks in the D/FW area, but it needs to be said: I don’t care if your 1/64-acre front yard is green all summer, and I dang sure don’t think it is worth damming a river, permanently removing hardwood bottoms, and taking 70,000 acres of land from private citizens just to make sure you can water your St. Augustine and fill your swimming pool. At least not until all other alternatives have been exhausted. I am not alone in this mindset. Myron Hess, manager of the Texas Water Program for the National Wildlife Federation, put it this way: “We’re not against new reservoir construction; we just want to make sure all other options are explored before we just start building lakes.” Hess said there are more alternatives than just supply-side solutions such as new lakes. Most options are on the demand side, such as the conservation and full utilization of current supplies, along with developing other methods of providing clean water. Reducing the amount of water used per person is the most cost effective and quickest solution to satisfy current and future water requirements, and should be examined immediately. Two Texas cities, El Paso and San Antonio, are prime examples of what can be done if a water conservation plan is put together and executed. In 17 years, the residents of San Antonio reduced their water consumption by 30 percent. In 20 years, El Paso attained the same result. If the entire state followed these examples, we would have an excess of water now and not
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need any new reservoirs for 50 years. Along with conservation, full utilization of current water supplies needs scrutiny. Many reservoirs are currently used as municipal water supplies, but not to their full capability. The water held in them is not all accounted for, and until it is, we should not be planning more reservoirs. There are other methods of getting more water, such as purification of wastewater, that have only begun to be explored. Along with Marvin Nichols, another designated reservoir site is the Fastrill Reservoir on the Neches River. The Neches River basin contains some of the last remaining hardwood bottoms in the state, making it key habitat for local wildlife and a prime stop for migratory birds. This one is so controversial that a portion of the Neches was designated a National Wildlife Refuge by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), meaning it cannot be flooded to build a lake. Remember that the unique reservoir designation only limits what local and state governments can do with the property, not private entities or the federal government. Dallas is currently suing USFWS to have the refuge designation removed in order to clear the way for reservoir construction. Governor Perry is on the city’s side, arguing that Fastrill is needed to provide water for Dallas. It is axiomatic that D/FW residents vote, and deer and ducks do not. The impact of reservoir construction extends far beyond locally inundated land, adversely affecting ecologies hundreds of miles away on the Gulf Coast. Freshwater infusion is critical to the health of coastal marshes and estuaries. Reservoir construction, and in turn excessive use of the water held in them, curtails freshwater infusion
and causes irreparable harm along the coast. In 2001, due to drought and excessive water usage hundreds of miles inland, the Rio Grande River dried up. Water flowing in the famed river marking the southern border of the United States, which at one time was the second largest river in the nation, failed to reach the Gulf of Mexico. To ensure that other waterways running through the state do not suffer the same fate, House Bill 3 was passed in an attempt to help preserve our greatest natural resources. As provided in HB3, a water flow study began last November to determine exactly how much water needs to flow in each river to sustain water requirements by individuals and municipalities (for irrigation and drinking), and how much is needed to keep coastal marshes, estuaries, and bays healthy. The second part of that is the most important because, without substantial flows, the bays will literally die. Each section of the state put together a team of stakeholders, individuals, and organizations with a vested interested in the water flows of that region, to determine exactly how much water is needed to continue flowing in the major rivers. These studies will help set formal environmental flow standards to keep the rivers and bays healthy for years to come. The study started with a few rivers in 2007, and will continue into 2009. There is no doubt that the population of Texas will increase significantly over the next few decades, thus increasing water demands. The issues lie in how we satisfy those needs while maintaining fish and wildlife habitat. While new reservoirs might seem an obvious solution, they are also the most damaging, taking away thousands of acres of land that we will never see again. —Paul Bradshaw
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Coast Guard Issues LNG Rules
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HE U.S. COAST GUARD HAS ISSUED A NEW set of directives regarding the LNG facility at Sabine Pass and incoming vessels. The first says that “a temporary Security Zone to include the entire area of the new Sabine Pass (Chenier) LNG
TF&G FIRST ship basin” has been created. “Unless involved in transportation, direct support or logistics of liquefied natural gas operations, no vessel may enter or remain in this zone without the permission of the Captain of the Port [of Port Arthur]. Creation of this Security Zone is necessary to ensure the security and integrity of the facility and to protect the public. The temporary Security Zone is intended to eventually become a permanent Security Zone.”
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A reported in TF&G several times over the past couple of years, additional restrictions apply in the channel when an LNG vessel is going to and from port. For example, on Friday April 11, when the LNG ship Celestine River made its first entrance to port, the channel was shut down to boat traffic for several hours from south of Mesquite Point on the Sabine-Neches Channel to buoys 33 and 34 on the Sabine Bank Channel. These types of closures will become routine in the area with the presence of several LNG facilities in the future, although it is believed there might be more flexibility granted to boats at some point during transit of the vessels. For more information, see the website www.homeport.uscg.mil or call 409-7236500. —Chester Moore
Red Snapper Issue Heats Up (Again) Congressman Nick Lampson (D-22) sponsored a public forum April 25 at the University of Houston Clear Lake Campus with Roy Crabtree of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery’s Management Council (Gulf Council). Attended by approximately 100 people, the meeting subject was red snapper regula-
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tions, which have been a source of controversy for the better part of two decades. Lampson opened the hearing by saying he realizes there are a lot of issues that need to be worked out regarding snapper: “We need to work together to overcome the problems we have with snapper. This is a fishery that affects a lot of people on the Gulf Coast, and we want to make sure we do whatever is possible to get some kind of viable solution on the table.” Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) Commissioner John Parker read a statement from TPWD coastal fisheries director Larry McKinney, noting that Texas is one of the few states to see large growth in the saltwater sector and fishing economy. He then defended TPWD’s decision to not enact federal snapper and shark rules at the behest of the National Marine Fisheries Service. “We have a system in Texas of managing the fishery that is second to none, and I believe we made the right decision to protect Texas interests and the important economy of the fishing community, of which red snapper is an important part of in many areas,” Parker said. Crabtree discussed the mandate the Gulf Council has issued to stop overfishing and rebuild the snapper fishery under strict federal guidelines, some of which are extremely controversial. The meeting was open to public comment and moderated by Jim Smarr, Texas chairman of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA). A number of attendees identified themselves as RFA members and questioned the science behind the current red snapper stock assessment. Tom Hilton asked Crabtree why artificial structures in the Gulf (artificial reefs, rigs, and wrecks) were not surveyed in the assessment, to which Crabtree replied, “They are.” He said that he often sees the misstatement that artificial structures are not part of the equation, but does not understand where it comes form. Several members of the audience spoke up saying they were suspicious of this, and
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brought up other points regarding the science behind snapper regulations. One sticking point according to Smarr is the alleged large stocks of sow snapper living on the mud flats after the long-liners were moved out past the 50-fathom curve. “A proper survey of these areas could make a huge difference in the assessment,” Smarr said. Crabtree countered it would take a number of years of surveys to correctly interpret the data, to which Smarr rejoined that the snapper fishing community along the Gulf simply does not have that kind of time. Several members of the party boat fishing community were on hand and noted the hardships imposed on them by strict snapper regulations. It was pointed out that the only two party boats operating in neighboring Louisiana have been shut down recently due to the restrictions. Lampson called for an advisory panel to be put together of individuals concerned over the issue to try to make sense of a very complex and continually engaging issue. “This is just the beginning of our involvement with this issue,” Lampson said. “I want to work with all parties to do what is best for the resource, the public that enjoys it, and the industry affected by it.” —Chester Moore
later.’ But, whatever it was, they were using the same nest sites...” Bailey became well known for her nature photography and work with the Bridge City school district to introduce kids to the outdoors. My first memory of her dates back to the late 1970s when I was in kindergarten, and she took time one day when my dad and I were there buying bait to explain to me about the monarch butterfly migration, which at the time was pretty significant compared to today.
Many local anglers will remember her and her late husband, Rob, for their honest fishing reports that sometimes did little to drum up business at their bait camp, but gained them major respect among those who knew them. Bailey will be greatly missed. —CM
Conservationist Susan Bailey Dies Susan Bailey, dedicated naturalist and longtime defender of local wildlife, died at her home on the shores of Sabine Lake at the old Rob Bailey’s Fish Camp. Bailey was known throughout the country for her work with the National Audubon Society, protecting the rookeries of roseate spoonbills and other shorebirds on Sydney Island and elsewhere in the Sabine Lake area. In an interview conducted by David Todd from the Conservation History Association a few years ago, she noted the historical significance of what used to take place on Sabine Lake: “Spoonbills was the main thing. We at one point we had the biggest nesting colony in the whole world. We had 600 nests out there two or three years in a row. And then they started having to wait to nest. And somebody said, ‘Well, no they don’t...they can’t just wait to nest. They have to be maturing a little bit A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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available, and some days are spent capturing photos that illustrate stories in this magazine; both can be challenging. I do not consider this part of the job a negative, as it is a challenge I enjoy and take great pride in the pursuit of excellence. I most enjoy days spent afield and the amazing, sometimes creepy things encountered. C58
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This is me diving with “Splash,” the now-deceased former word record blue catfish from Lake Texoma that lived at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center for a couple of years. For an article in this magazine about the legends of giant catfish in Texas reservoirs, I wanted to get an idea of how a cat of record proportions would appear, underwater and thanks to the cooperation of Larry Hodge and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, I got to do that. It was amazing! I fed her several live koi and a rainbow trout. You don’t get to do that in many professions. While taking photos of B several exotic hog species for my forthcoming book, Texas Wild Boars, I visited my buddy Joey Ratliff at the A
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Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. I wanted to check out the camels, and this camel wanted to check me out. It made for a good laugh. If there is a cottonmouth in the C woods, I will find it. I encounter snakes all the time in my work in the field, and this one stuck around long enough for a photo. At least I’m not like Don Zaidle and get bit all the time!
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AM OFTEN ASKED WHAT A DAY IN THE LIFE OF an outdoor writer is like. Well, to be perfectly honest, I can’t tell you what a “typical” day is like—for me or anyone else—because no two days in my life are ever alike, but it is always interesting. Many days are spent in front of a computer conducting research, and talking with people on the phone to bring the readers of this magazine the very best information
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All in a Day’s Work
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CCA Battles Fish Pirates
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CA GENERAL COUNSEL, ROBERT G. HAYES, recently testified before the House Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans, and called on Congress to initiate agreements to control the international markets for seafood to put an end to illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. “There are three distinct areas that need better compliance,” said Hayes. “First, is the continued problem of illegal unreported and unregulated fishing. Second, is the need for regional fishery management organizations to enforce rules against their own members, and third is the need for transparency in the national implementation of adopted conservation measures, such as those that the shark-fining bill addresses.” Hayes urged Congress to initiate international measures for those three scenarios that are enforceable through the imposition of trade measures, including the embargo of all related fishery products from the offending country. “The U.S. must consider the failure of any member country to impose trade measures as an IUU act,” he said. “We as a country have to take these violations seriously and act on them.” International fisheries measures now in place depend on the integrity of the nation states to implement them, and not every nation has the same view of its obligation as the United States does. Hayes encouraged Congress to pass legislation that requires the State Department to verify the implementation of every regional fishery management organization (RFMO) measure by member states. If a member fails to do so, the U.S. could identify the country and eventually impose market measures.
“All of this may sound daunting, but it is the process now in place,” Hayes said. “If Congress wants to make the system work, there must be legislation requiring the U.S. to initiate an international agreement for market controls to ensure compliance with RFMO measures. We have had similar agreements for textiles, coffee, and listed [endangered] species. The application of market controls produces discipline in the exploitation of natural resources. The problems facing our fisheries are more acute and right off our coast, and CCA believes the time has come to take a more proactive approach.” Robert G. Hayes is an alumnus of Boston University (B.S. 1968) and the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University (J.D. 1974). He was a U.S. Army Infantry Lieutenant from 1968-1971. Mr. Hayes was an attorney for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). During that time, he was NOAA’s Southeast Regional Counsel and NMFS Deputy General Counsel for Fisheries. From 1981 to 1984, he was the Director of the NMFS Office of Industry Services. As Director of Industry Services, he was the primary negotiator for the United States on bilateral fishery trade negotiations with Japan, Korea, Spain, France, and Portugal, and a member of the U.S. delegation on the U.S.Japan Sub-cabinet Committee on Trade. Mr. Hayes has been in private practice from 1984 to 2007 and practices in the areas of fisheries, natural resources, energy, and international trade. While in private practice, Mr. Hayes has represented numerous recreational fishing organizations, including the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association, United Sport Fishermen, Congressional Sportsman’s Caucus Foundation, Gulf Coast Conservation Association, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, Future Fisherman Foundation, FishAmerica Foundation, American Sportfishing Association, The Billfish Foundation, Coastal Conservation Association, and the Center for Coastal Conservation. He is presently a U.S. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Commissioner to ICCAT and is a member of the Vermont and District of Columbia Bars.
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Le Manquant Donkey
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OWARD, THE RESIDENT JACKASS, WAS missing. Maybe the errant ass was in another pasture, or maybe somebody had borrowed the lop-eared critter, but loose observation during the short tour around the Brune Ranch noted that Howard was not in attendance. It’s a plaguing dilemma when you consider that your friends might have borrowed your donkey, but it is a common practice apt to happen whenever drinking and politics interrupt a sane day. The stubborn but pleasant beast of burden known for its timely braying, participation in gold prospecting partnerships, and often depicted wearing sombreros and serapes is transitioned into a toothy grinning caricature that draws woeful groans from the foundations of democracy. Yes, donkey-borrowing in an election year might be expected. The asinine needs of a donkey-borrower must be quenched. Howard wasn’t actually a “he,” and Howard didn’t actually belong to me. In truth, the animal’s God-given name is questionable. The ugly third cousin to a mustang belonged to Howard Henson, a native of Weimar, Texas. Howard called his gray linebacked steed “Pecos,” or “Peso,” or “Paco,” or “Taco,” or some such lame moniker. Meanwhile, my other astute compadres and I are infinitely more sensitive to ethnicities and genres. We disapprove of calling your duck-hunting dog “Thibodeaux” or the catfish in your aquarium “Lewinski.” You shouldn’t relate to your mother-in-law’s senile housecat as “Pelosi” or the hamster that lives in the dark under the couch as “Colmes.” So, in our own flash of PC wisdom, we called the donkey Howard. Howard came to live with me when his owner, Howard, decided to sell out and rent in town. His wife, Judy, had convinced him that living 20 miles back in the brush wasn’t C60
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a place to raise a modern-day family. Howard needed a place to live, so the Brune Ranch unrolled the red carpet. Now, Howard wasn’t in sight. It was probably my fault. During my absence while guiding hunters in Wyoming for two months and then in Mexico for another two months, the livestock at the homestead tended to step over the fence and checkout the neighbor’s grass. Inspection of all the trails, openings, and meadows headed to the river bottom yielded no Howard. Miraculously, the rest of the horses seemed to be accounted for, up on all fours, and making a good living. And the local hunters hadn’t made a dent in the deer population. There were deer everywhere, watching me search for Howard. However, I was also seeing the place for the first time in months and was looking for more than an invisible donkey. It was time to rely on my ranch manager Phil Clark. Oilfield welder by day and dancing lothario when the lights get dim, Phil keeps track of everything around my place that shakes its tail. It seemed that a phrase he’d muttered kept echoing in the back of my mind, something about having a special purpose for Howard after hunting season. So, I gave him a call. “Hey, Phil, what are y’all doing?” “We’re out here at Hoelscher’s stuffing sausage and we need some help. Hoelscher says he’s doing some experimenting and he wants you to help with the seasoning. We’re going to make a couple of different batches of dried sausage and Hoelscher says you can put as much pepper in one batch as you want. So, come on out and bring some beer!” What a grand welcome home. Hoelscher’s smokehouse is one of the best backwoods haunts left from our earlier years. It’s one of the few places where old buddies can reminisce about the enjoyed sins of youth, &
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stand in the dusky realms, and feel the nearness of those sins. We can discuss the old timers with their hoop nets, twenty-two’s, and spotlights. We talk about the way practices and ideas have changed and drink Old Crow and Budweiser, chew tobacco and cigars, and spit on the floor. The younger generation comes in for a while, but they don’t stay long. Our talk is too rough and our knives are working too fast. The boys that couldn’t buy an “A” in high school know how to butcher meat, stuff sausage, and converse on the guttural fringes of several languages. English, German, Czech, and Spanish are mistreated equally. Within minutes of my arrival, I am handed a large quarter of meat to de-bone and the months that I’d been gone seem like only stories to tell. “Hoelscher, what is this that I’m de-boning?” “Oh, me and Phil wanted to try something different this year. There was a wetback at the gravel pit that gave me this recipe. He makes tamales and shares with all the guys at work. He can make tamales out of raccoons and almost anything. We give him a little deer, a little hog… but then he left. Phil, look behind you and see if there’s any more garlic in that grocery sack. I’m going to get a fire going in the stove.” “Hey, Herman,” said Phil as he dug through the sack looking for garlic. “Have you heard about the fires? I don’t remember wildfires in Texas.” “Yeah, I heard something, but I don’t know what caused them. I’m curious whether that’s going to be an on-going problem. Look at Southern California. That land is burnt-over sand, but it’s developed with million-dollar homes everywhere. There are people living where folks aren’t meant to live. Now, it’s catching fire all the time. I reckon the same could happen in South Texas or West Texas. Once the water is sucked out of the land, there’s nothing left for it to do but burn. But until civilized man has a different way of measuring progress, we’re just going to keep spoiling whatever we touch. I’m tending toward staying out-
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side the Dallas, Houston, San Antonio triangle these days. There are too many people. Hey, Phil, do you know what kind of meat I’m cutting?” Hoelscher came back from the stove. “Hey, Herman, this is your batch of meat. I want you to do the seasoning.” “Why is this my batch?” “Oh, me and Phil wanted you to show us the way you season with pepper so that you always have to keep a beer in one hand while you’re eating sausage.” “Shoot, boys, that’s when you know you’re eating good sausage. Let me see...” I left my station and went to the table where Hoelscher had been mixing meat. I grabbed the red pepper, popped off the lid, then grabbed the black pepper. Then I began dumping liberally throughout the 60 or so pounds of ground meat. “Hoelscher, this meat looks blue. Did y’all mix this with wild hog?” “Yeah, there’s some wild hog in this.” “What else?” Hoelscher started coughing from the pepper. “You know, I shot one of those blue bulls on the King Ranch this year,” said Phil. Hoelscher cleared his throat. “You know that wetback told me to put lots of garlic in with this meat. Herman, use a double dose of garlic and put in some extra salt. I’ve got some casings soaking and we’ll be ready to stuff as soon as you finish.” Phil was slicing more garlic, glancing around the room, and began talking into the air. “You know, it’s a durn shame they closed those horse-killing plants.” Hoelscher snorted and almost spit up a mouthful of Old Crow. “I just don’t know what’s going to happen. They’ve cratered the horse market and now there will be horses turned out to starve, or folks will have to just take ‘em down behind the barn and shoot ‘em, leave ‘em for the buzzards and coyotes. How are they going to make dog food, or glue, or baseballs? Dad-gummit, you’d think they’d at least feed ‘em to the Frenchmen!” Hoelscher was turning red and having a coughing fit. He must have swallowed something down the wrong pipe. “Yeah,” I agreed. “You know our state senator tried to fix that, but he got so many hateful phone calls that he’s not going to try again. It’s just another instance of urbanized mentality having more votes and a louder voice than the rural common sense does. It’s kind of like the issue about the wolves in Yel-
lowstone or the jackasses that want to shuffle Texas water all over the state… Wait a minute…” Hoelscher stood with his face in the corner laughing, coughing, and wiping tears from his eyes. Phil was lunging from side to side and grinning in gleeful agony. “Hoelscher? What kind of meat is this?” “Come here, Herman, I think you need some Old Crow.” Phil bolted for the door. “Hey, Phil!” I hollered after him.
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“Where’s Howard?” Hoelscher patted me on the shoulder and handed me the jelly jar jigger. “Here, Herman, have a sip.” “Hoelscher, where’s Howard?” “You don’t want to know,” and he glanced at the pile of meat. Three big swallows downed the whiskey. “Oh, damn… Hope he tastes good.” E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com
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But, What About Me?
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ITH TURKEY SEASON OVER, WE NOW head straight into fishing season without missing a step. It is a known fact in our household that a change in seasons is simply a change of activity and equipment. I know the drill and have become a willing participant, bordering on an obsessive participant. The only thing holding me back is my talent, abilities, and adeptness, which clearly do not match my desire. So begins fishing season and the desire to be like the rest of my family. But I am a newbie, a late-to-life angler, relegated to a position of trial and error, constant questioning, perpetual discovery, and eternal perfecting—you know, the one in the boat that irritates the veterans. Speaking of boats, I am still not allowed to drive the boat, although I have been promoted to the one that drives the truck and trailer off the ramp when we launch the boat. Okay, so I am the only other driver around and therefore win by default. Nevertheless, I do a darn good job driving straight ahead while I watch the water drip from the trailer in the rear-view mirror. For a few short minutes, I feel empowered. Look, Mom, no hands! I pinpoint my slot straight ahead and guide that truck and trailer ever so professionally to rest side-byside the other trailers. And so it begins… “David, I can’t get into my side of the bed. Isn’t there somewhere else we could stack the fishing rods?” “Well, I was trying to check all the lines and make sure that they weren’t too old and brittle. I was thinking we would head down
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to Port O’Connor and go fishing this weekend.” “That would be great, but we can’t. Remember, I have to go out of town for that conference on Saturday.” “Okay, well, let’s go next weekend.” “Next weekend, Max has a baseball tournament and we have to meet with the builder about the house.”
“But, Mom!” Max wailed. “I have a day off from school this week, and we have a long weekend. It would be a perfect time to go.” “Man! I hear the redfish are really running hard right now, too,” David added. Let’s see… If I straddle the box of gun &
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shells with my left leg and then hoist myself over the turkey decoy from last weekends hunt, I think I can leap onto my side of the bed. I am whipped. “Sweetie, I don’t mean to complain, but those hooks on the rods are pointed right at eye level when I lay down on the pillow. Do you think we could move them so I could go to sleep?” “Okay, Baby, I guess I can lean them up against the wall until tomorrow morning. But be sure not to move them as I have them in a certain order.” Yeah, yeah. What is wrong with your side of the bed, Buster? “Hey, I know! How about we leave right after Max’s tournament? We could leave by eight that night and be in POC by two in the morning, get a couple of hours sleep, and be on the water by six. Piece of cake.” “Um, nope. No can do. Remember, my client asked us to go to that fundraiser on Saturday night.” “What fundraiser? Is it for husbands to go fishing?” “Ah, Sweetie, I can’t lay down, all those lures are all laid out on top of the bed at the end on my side.” “Well, I was organizing all the lures and bait. Just put one leg on either side of the pile. There is a method to my madness there ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL WATSON
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and I don’t want to move them and start over. You should have enough room.” But, what if I roll over and one of those lures stabs me in the middle of the night? Jeez, rods at my head, lures at my feet. I am surrounded. Who would have ever thought I would be sleeping in a bait shop. “Ouch! David! That stupid crankbait is hanging from the light pull! Who put that there?” “Oops, sorry! I forgot about that one. I was going to rig it up. See, if we were going fishing, that wouldn’t have been there. I would have had it rigged up by now.” “So, Mom, why do you have to go? I mean, why couldn’t David and I go since you are going to be out of town? With the long weekend, it would be perfect.” “Yeah, Buddy!” David said with too much enthusiasm. “Good point. Baby, you don’t mind if we go, do ya? I mean, since you have plans and all, no sense in all of us not going. I mean, we would love for you to go as well, but since you can’t, it kinda makes sense, don’t ya think?” “Well I, I see what you mean, I guess so. So, where would you go? Down to POC
for some bull reds? Gosh, I still have not gotten one of those suckers. But, well, since I have to go to that conference and next weekend we are busy, I guess…” “Great!” David said with more unrestrained enthusiasm. “Max, go get your new Shimano and let’s rig it up. Oh, and could you go on-line and see if you can find out what the tide report is? Excuse me, Baby, got to get that Watermelon Candy crankbait out of that pile. Be careful, your foot is in the way.” Yeah! But who is going to drive the trailer? “Thanks, Mom! You are the best! Don’t worry. We will bring ya back a big red.” You mean one that you caught? Standing out there on the boat sight-fishing for one of those big guys, with the sun gently warming your face, waiting to feel that tug on your line only to reel one of the biggest spotted creatures out of the Gulf? You mean one of those? “Sure, I mean, well, okay then, guys. I guess that settles it.” But, but…what about me? I do not want to be a newbie forever. I have so much to learn and time is a-wasting. I want to go fish-
ing. I want to catch a bull red. No siree! I am not going to be left behind. “You know, I am not sure that I really need to go to that conference. Jeez, once you have been to one conference you have been to them all. Don’t ya think?” “Great, Baby! You are right. After all, a fisherman has to have his priorities straight. Those redfish might not be running so hard next week, and we need to get down there now. So, do you want to use a spinning rod or a bait-caster?” “I want to use the fly rod. I am not getting any younger and I had better get after it. I might be eighty by the time I master this sport, but I am through pussyfooting around. While a newbie, I might as well learn how to cast a fly rod.” “Well, all-rightie then, Baby! That’s my gurl, you go get ‘em.” I might not have been born to be a fisherman, one with years of childhood memories, but by golly, I am going to die a fisherman. E-mail Mari Henry at gurlz@fishgame.com.
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Doodlesock Bass
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AM NIGH-ON THOROUGHLY CONVINCED THAT modern technology has taken a lot of the fun out of fishing for largemouth bass. Anglers spend more on a boat today than most of us spent on our first house— and that is just the beginning: add on several thousand dollars for electronics, custom designed rods made of space-age materials, computer-controlled reels, and fishing lures that can cost up to $100. This has become
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the accepted gauntlet for those who call themselves “bass fishermen,” but it was not always so. There was a time when fishing for bass was simple, effective, cheap, and gloriously fun. It can still be that way; all you have to do is learn how to doodlesock. Doodlesocking is a method for catching bass invented when the luxury of technology was not even a concept. Bass fishing was something whereby to escape the stresses of daily life and put some fish on the dinner table. Today, bass fishing has become impersonal. Anglers use techniques that require long casts and spend more time reeling than fishing. Bass fishing is at its finest when it requires sneaking close along brushy or heavily vegetated shorelines, probing little places too thick to reach by casting, flipping,
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or pitching. This is where old-time techniques such as doodlesocking shine. Since I have mentioned this method several times without explaining what it is, perhaps I should. Explain it. Doddlesocking. The authorship of the term is unknown, but a look at the components hints at probable etymology. One definition of “doodle” is “to scribble idly.” That is an apt description of the application, and the “sock” part of the term most likely derives from the manner in which a bass is actually caught. Basic doodlesocking equipment is a fishing rod at least 10 feet long. Traditionally, doodlesock rods were bamboo or cane, cut from a thicket and allowed to dry. A heavy piece of Dacron line was secured to the length of the rod, employing a series of half-
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hitch knots culminating in a tie-off on the tip with about two feet of line remaining, a lure tied on the terminal end. The technique for using this contraption to catch bass is to sneak up to a likely spot and then “doodle” the lure around in a figure eight motion on the water’s surface, much like scribbling on a piece of paper. The idea is to irritate any resident bass into striking and then “sock” it to them by quickly raising the rod. This tactic works especially well in small pockets of water surrounded by heavy vegetation or timber—typical bass lairs, in other words. My favorite doodlesock lure is a Heddon frog pattern with propeller blades on both ends. Pulled through the water quickly, it makes a double stream of bubbles that drives bass wild. Strikes are explosive and at close range. Bass are not so much interested in eating it but in killing the intruder. This is combat fishing at its finest, and I have many good memories of hand-to-fin contests in the thick stuff. The technique is well suited to ponds, brush-lined creeks, and along heavily vege-
tated shorelines of reservoirs. Backwater sloughs are also good places to doodlesock for bass. It is a simple, almost primordial form of fishing that is appealing to adults who want to put some of the old-fashioned charm back into catching bass. It is an excellent method to stimulate a beginner angler. Just about any type of noisy surface lure can be used, and even modern materials such as graphite composite rods and braided lines. The next time you bemoan the “good old
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days” and how fun, simple, and appealing basic bass fishing used to be, think about gearing up to doodlesock for bass. Don’t forget to take a kid along; the process will fascinate them and is a good reminder of why we go bass fishing anyway—to have fun. E-mail Barry St. Clair at bstclair@fishgame.com.
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Shrimp Kebabs
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HEN YOU HEAR “SHISH KABOB” IN New York City, you might envision some marinated chunks of lamb or beef and some veggies skewered on a miniature sword. If you live near the Texas coast (much preferred), kebab might mean wild caught Gulf shrimp with peppers, onions, mushrooms, and squash impaled on a soaked bamboo skewer. Well, this ain’t New York Fish & Game magazine…
Shrimp Kebabs with Garlic-Butter Baste (serves 4-6) 2 lbs 12- to 15-count shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails attached 1 ea. red and yellow bell pepper, rinsed and cut into 1-1/2-inch squares 2 small zucchini or yellow squash, rinsed and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices 8-12 small white mushrooms, rinsed and stems removed 1 purple onion, peeled and cut into 11/2-inch wide slices 1 pkg. cherry tomatoes, rinsed and destemmed 2 lemons, rinsed and sliced very thin
For the Baste 1 stick butter 3 Tbs olive oil 2 Tbs lemon juice 1/2 cup Chablis white wine 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced 2 Tbs Texas Gourmet’s Sidewinder C66
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Searing Spice 1 Tbs dill weed 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp black pepper Combine above ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and hold for basting the kebabs.
Preparation Soak bamboo skewers in water or season metal skewers with olive oil before using. &
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Build the kebabs starting with onion, then lemon, shrimp, bell pepper, squash, mushroom, shrimp, lemon, tomato, and repeat. Lay on a long platter, brush with the baste, and lightly dust with Sidewinder Spice. Place kebabs on a cleaned, seasoned, preheated grill indirectly over medium-high gas or charcoal fire. Keep covered, turn and baste every 3-5 minutes for approximately 12-15 minutes. Remove to a clean platter and cover with foil until ready to serve with PHOTO BY CADE KINSEY
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Pineapple-Mango Pico de Gallo and Hunter’s Quick Dirty Rice. Bon Appetit.
S P O N S O R E D BY:
Pineapple & Mango Pico de Gallo 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced 1 cup fresh mango, peeled, pitted, and diced 1 cup fresh cucumber, chopped 1 cup yellow bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup fresh serrano pepper, seeded and sliced thin 1 cup green onions, sliced thin 1 red bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup fresh squeezed limejuice 2 tsp honey 2 Tbs Texas Gourmet Mandarin Orange Serrano Jelly 2 tsp white pepper 1 tsp salt 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped Whisk together honey, limejuice, jelly, pepper, salt, and cilantro. Combine and stir
together remaining ingredients. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Serve chilled.
Simmer broth and water with all veggies and spices for 4-5 minutes. Add rice and cooked sausage. Bring to a good rolling boil, cover, and turn off heat. Allow to sit for 5-7 minutes covered. Serve hot with main dish. Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com.
Hunter’s Quick Dirty Rice 2 cups minute style rice 1 can chicken broth 1 cup water 1 green onion, chopped well 1 Tbs Texas Gourmet’s Sidewinder Searing Sauce 4 oz. breakfast pan sausage, browned and strained 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tsp cumin 1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped 1 tsp black pepper
Click CURRENT ISSUE to get The Texas Gourmet’s EXPERT TIPS FOR “GRADE-A” GRILLING.
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TEXAS SALTWATER
Rebeca R ay 24-inch Tr o Hugo Ford ut Guide Serv ice
ROCKPORT
GALVESTON
For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.
PORT ARANSAS
k Eric Dubca sh fi d e R ch 26-in ice uide Serv Hillman G
TEXAS FRESHWATER BAFFIN BAY CORPUS CHRISTI
Steve Sch ibe Stringer o r f Trout Hugo Ford Guide Serv ice
FREEPORT
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Nick Arandando 15-pound Snapper ors Coastal Bend Outdo
John and Patti Zie
gler Redfish Redfish Charters Paul Watson, Doug Bowen, & Sean Bruce Snapper Freeport Charter Boats
TEXAS FRESHWATER
OUTDOOR SHOPPER
TEXAS HUNTING
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COLORADO LAKE AMISTAD ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!
SPOTLIGHT: HUGO FORD GUIDE SERVICE
For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.
OUTDOOR SHOPPER
I started my guiding career in 1974, guiding quail hunts in South Texas. After a couple of years, I decided to turn my hunting customers into fishing customers. I became U.S.C.G. licensed and since that time, I have spent my winters running quail hunts and deer hunts. I primarily hunt out of Hebbronville, Premont, and Carrizo Springs, Texas. We also offer hunts on a beautiful ranch in the mountains north of Van Horn, Texas. I fished the Port O’Connor area for nearly 13 years, before moving on to Rockport for another 8 years. I have fished out of Corpus Christi and on south to other surrounding waters since 1998. Spring and summer months, I am wading the Upper Laguna and Baffin Bay areas. Upon request, we take customers to Port Mansfield to enjoy the beautiful shallow flats in that area. In 1994, I started donating 10 to 15 trips a year to CCA Texas. Currently, I am donating 20 to 25 throughout Texas and Louisiana. I must say that the CCA customers are the most gracious people I have ever been associated with! I have become great friends with many of them. My girlfriend, Connie Muse, is my faithful assistant helping daily on my fishing trips. We make a great team. On days when my clients elect to wade rather than stay in the boat, she is sufficient in bringing the boat to us when we need more bait or something to drink. I have people ask all the time if I get tired of guiding after all these years. My answer is always the same: I will never get tired of seeing that smile on the face of a young child or any adult fishing for the first time, hooked up on a nice fish. I am currently fishing a 24’ Haynie with 250 Mercury Motor, without a doubt the finest boat I have ever operated. Haynie boats are made by Chris’s Marine in Aransas Pass, Texas. We can help you with any accommodations that you may need, please call and visit. Hope to see ya on the water soon! — Capt. Hugo Ford www.capt.hugoford.com capt.hugoford@yahoo.com fordplay@prodigy.net 361-318-3836 (cell) A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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SEND YOUR PHOTOS!
MAIL: EMAIL:
1745 Greens Rd, Houston TX 77032 photos@fighgame.com
BASS—KURTEN, TEXAS
REDFISH—SAN JOSE ISLAND, TEXAS
REDFISH—SABINE JETTY, TEXAS
Justin Kristynik, age 3, of Kurten, Texas, caught his first largemouth bass while fishing with his parents at one of their private stock ponds. He was practicing his cast using a yellow shad lure for bait.
Seventeen-year-old Jackson Daly of Dripping Springs, Texas, caught his first keeper redfish, measuring 24-1/2 inches, while fishing with his dad Jack at San Jose Island.
Marcus Ramsey, age 13, of Lumberton, Texas, caught this 41-inch redfish on the Sabine Jetty. This was his first red over 20 inches, and he had only started fishing saltwater a few weeks earlier.
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Note: All non-digital photos submitted become the property of Texas Fish & Game and will not be returned. TF&G makes no guarantee when or if any submitted photo will be published.
BASS—BRESULA, TEXAS
CRAPPIE—LAKE WRIGHT PATMAN, TEXAS
BOBCAT—CARRIZO SPRINGS, TEXAS
Kobe Lee Trowbridge, age 5, of Manor, Texas, caught Hayden Pike, age 5, from Richmond, Texas, caught 4 bass while fishing with his “PaPa,” Chris Hilde- this crappie at Lake Wright Patman in Atlanta, brandt, at their farm in Bresula, Texas. The bass Texas. The crappie weighed in at 1.12 pounds. shown weighed around 3 pounds.
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Dennis Fewell of League City, Texas, shot this 24pound bobcat on his Uncle Dennis’ ranch near Carrizo Springs. One 60-yard shot from a .243 sent this cat to the taxidermist.
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HAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO with that? ” my cousin, Roger, asked as I reeled in the biggest bra that we had ever seen. Being completely inexperienced in such matters back in the late 1960s, the foundation garment was an object of wonder for two teenage boys. Standing on the muddy shore, I reached way out and I lipped the bra in. I held up the wire and satin device. “That must be a 48 double-D,” Roger opined. Needing to express my more extensive, yet non-existent, knowledge of female apparel, I used both hands to hold it out much like holding a dead duck by the wingtips. “Looks like it’s probably a 55 triple-D to me.” “What are you going to do with it?” he repeated. “Get it stuffed,” I said and we went off in a long conservation that will not be reproduced here. That was the first experience I can remember where I found an interesting trea-
PHOTO BY DON ZAIDLE
sure while on a fishing trip. I admit it sort of ruined me for future discoveries, but the truth is there are a lot of interesting finds in fishable waters, navigable waters, or on hunting lands. Take for example one of my hunting buddies I call “Youngster.” Today, he fishes with a Shimano ultralight rig that he found
by Reavis Z. Wortham in the reeds at Chicken Lake on the LBJ National Grasslands. The little rig has served him for years, and each fish he catches with it is a delicious delight with the found reel. Other guys I fish with have their own stories about interesting finds or reusable gear. Think back on the number of bobbers you have seen tangled in drowned bushes or fluttering in trees just offshore. I have seen stickups decorated like Christmas trees with bobbers and lures. With the lowly bobber costing a minimum of 25 cents each, you can save several dollars by collecting them off A L M A N A C / T E X A S
one tree. That’s like getting an unexpected present, and it seems that I buy bobbers by the gross these days, so I am always looking for a freebie. I bet there isn’t a fisherman alive that hasn’t found usable lures tangled in vegetation by bank fishermen. Spinners, buzzbaits, and worm rigs are a special fruit that can be picked from bushes and trees. Depending on how long they have been in the water or dangling in the breeze, you might be able to immediately use the lures. Rusted or damaged lures can be quickly reused with the simple replacement of a blade or hook. Gary Reeves, who owns a house on Lake Tawakoni, is constantly finding lures lost on the pilings or struts of his pier. It is a cheap way to keep his grandkids outfitted with expensive lures. Outdoorsmen with attention spans as short as mine find these types of scavenger hunts a salvation for our sanity. I am not one of those guys who can fish for hours without taking a break. Pretty soon, my OCD
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In This Issue
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NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New From Top Outdoor Manufacturers | BY TF&G STAFF
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INDUSTRY INSIDER • LMC Marine; Magic Swimmer | BY TF&G STAFF
OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION
HOW-TO SECTION
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COVER STORY • Scavenger Hunt | BY REAVIS Z. WORTHAM
HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION
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TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots | BY CALIXTO GONZALES & JD MOORE SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times | BY TF&G STAFF
GEARING UP SECTION
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TEXAS TESTED • Chaos; Panoptx; and more | BY TF&G STAFF
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TEXAS BOATING • Going Overboard | BY LENNY RUDOW SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS • Leashed Ling | BY PATRICK LEMIRE FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • All-around Catfish Rig | BY PAUL BRADSHAW TEXAS KAYAKING • Yakking It Up | BY GREG BERLOCHER MISTER CRAPPIE • Hotter-n-Hell | BY WALLY MARSHALL HUNT TEXAS • McKenzie’s Buck | BY BOB HOOD TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • Loading Data: Fact or Fiction? | BY STEVE LAMASCUS WILDERNESS TRAILS • Le Manquant Donkey | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE
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SHOOT THIS • CZ 550 American Safari Magnum | BY STEVE LAMASCUS
SPECIAL HUNTING SECTION • Trophy Fever | BY TF&G STAFF WOO’S CORNER • More Summer Strategies | BY WOO DAVES TOURNAMENT INSIDER • Cats for Cash | BY MATT WILLIAMS CONSERVATION WATCH • Woods vs. Water | BY PAUL BRADSHAW AFIELD WITH BARRY • Doodlesock Bass | BY BARRY ST. CLAIR NEWS FROM THE COAST • Coast Guard Issues LNG Rules | BY TF&G STAFF GURLZ PAGE • But, What About Me? | BY MARI HENRY TEXAS TASTED • Shrimp Kebabs | BY BRYAN SLAVEN DISCOVER THE OUTDOORS • Classifieds | BY TF&G STAFF PHOTO ALBUM • Your Action Photos | BY TF&G STAFF
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(Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) will kick in and I start looking around for something to catch my interest. Some people troll, cast, or look for wildlife along lakeshores. There are several folks with a bizarre bent such as mine who keep a watchful eye for lines entering or leaving the water. Sometimes it is monofilament, other times braided nylon cord, or even nylon rope. Most of the time, something is attached to one end or the other. You just might find something as heavy as a lost boat anchor, or as light as a popping bug on a broken leader. Walking the waterline often reveals interesting items or lures. Keeping a particularly watchful eye on shore debris, monofilament line most likely leads to something. Carefully pulling the partially buried line from mud and sand can lead to a variety of lures or rigs. Notice that’s “carefully.” Reeves once learned the hard way about finding fishing rigs on a boat ramp when he saw a Tru-Turn hook attached to mono line laying beside a boat trailer tire. In a hurry and not paying attention, he knelt, picked up the hook, and straightened his knees. The hook did its job and Tru-Turned far enough to bury the barb in the ball of his thumb; couldn’t pull it out even with pliers He eventually drove himself to the emergency room where they cut out the hook and stitched everything up nice and neat. This cautionary tale offers the lesson that we should all be careful when embarking on a scavenger hunt, no matter how innocent it appears. When finding lost fishing gear, it might be buried in vegetation on the bank, or in drifts of litter and detritus along the shoreline. There are a number of hazards to watch for when picking up these found treasures. Anyone who has been in the outdoors knows the most basic fear for most humans is snakes. Be extremely careful when putting your hand anywhere that isn’t open to careful observation. Some snake camouflage is virtually undetectable until the reptile moves. The bite of even a non-venomous snake can become a serious health hazard very quickly. Don’t forget the other little surprises such
as thorn bushes, nettles, poison ivy, yellow jacket and wasp nests, and spiders. A spider doesn’t strike like a snake, but the very real possibility of a poisonous arachnid getting on a sleeve or pant leg and eventually making its way somewhere that it can bite is always a concern.
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My aforementioned cousin and I once floated up under an overhanging bush to collect a lost Rapala, not noticing an inordinately large nest of yellow jackets that apparently were already having a bad day. When you get bored and launch a scavenging expedition, look for splashes of color
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that shouldn’t be there. A lost Jitterbug’s chartreuse belly should catch your eye when lying amongst gray driftwood. Youngster hunts ducks today with lost decoys he found tied to drab, rotting ropes. Another friend named Benson found a virtually new English Tilly hat that retails for approximately $50. Amazingly, it fit and he wears it today. I have a beaver skull we found near a lake in east Texas. Back in my college days when it was cool to wear necklaces, I sported an interesting bird bone tied on a leather thong. This Indian-looking necklace caught the attention of several young ladies. Doc has a collection of railroad spikes he caught on slabs at Lake Fork. While they are not purely “found” scavenger articles, he loves to tell stories about oddities he has caught over the years. Once he even caught a basket full of live bass some unlucky fisherman lost a short time before. Doc was excited about what he would find when the recent drought dropped lake levels down more than 15 feet in some cases. Unfortunately, the lake bottoms near his house were almost devoid of what we imagined would be acres of dropped rods, reels, anchors, and tackle boxes. They might have been there, but I am sure decades of silt had
covered all but the most recently lost items. Don’t think you have lost your own personal lures for good when they tangle underwater or break off on a large fish. Fifteen years ago, I lost the struggle with a big bass while bank fishing on the shore of Lake Lavon. After a short tussle, she broke off and I was disappointed at losing both the big fish and the Rapala. Two weeks later, I was walking the same shore when I came across the skeleton of a huge bass that looked like one of those vintage cartoons where an alley cat pulls a fish head and bones from a trashcan. It lay perfectly formed in the pine needles where some animal (probably a raccoon) had picked the carcass clean. Hooked in the corner of the mouth was my undamaged Rapala. I have never found another lure in that fashion, but it doesn’t mean they are not out there. Fishing trips are not the only places where you can come across interesting finds. My friend Larry Williams and I were hunting quail out near Coleman. As we followed the dogs across the pasture on a too-warm day, he commented that the Brittanies were not going to smell anything. Bored, he started to pay more attention to our surroundings and I saw him bend
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Bright patches of color in shoreline debris often betray a prize. over to pick up an orange something half buried in dead grass. Being mindful of rattlesnakes, he tugged at the item until a deflated balloon came into view, trailing dirt, rocks, and grass. Tied to the balloon’s terminal end was a note wrapped in plastic. It contained the name and phone number of a child in Lubbock. The note requested that someone contact the school with the student’s name and the location in which it was found. Larry called, and they tracked the student down. The middle school student was excited to hear her balloon had been found four years later. Larry is one of the luckiest son-of-a-guns I know. He once found an interesting knife lying in an inch of water not far from a boat launch. The sharp blade folded into an intricately carved wooden handle. He used it for years until the world spun in a complete circle and he lost it. He also found a green blown-glass float from a Japanese fishing washed up on a Gulf beach, where he was casting for speckled trout and redfish. We have often pondered just how the float found its way into the Gulf. Larry insists it somehow bobbed for years around Cape Horn at Tierra del Fuego and up the South American coast until he picked it up near Aransas Pass, but I think he just likes the imagery. I have been known to kick around old house places on deer leases, where I found everything from antique soda and medicine bottles (those old folks really had a taste for opium-based products) to rusty farm implements. I report each discovery to the landowners, and though interested, they have always let me keep the riches. These stories and finds are always fun to pass around when the campfire glows and coyotes howl in the distance. Look carefully at these areas the next time you get bored— you might find something interesting.
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by Calixto Gonzales, South Zone Fishing Editor & JD Moore, North Zone Fishing Editor
Bull Minnows Jerk Trout
live finger mullet in the same area. You never know when a 5 or 6 pound fish might try and yank your rod out of your hands.
LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Mexequita flats GPS: N26 3.666, W97 10.613
SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: gold spoons; soft plastics in red and white CONTACT: Captain Luke Bonura, 956-4572101 TIPS: Speckled trout and redfish roam this broad flat between the old Queen Isabella Causeway and the ICW. Fish the area on high tide (low tide makes this place a parking lot). Gold spoons are the old standby, but a DOA Shrimp or Norton’s Bull Minnow fished under a Cajun Thunder around the potholes is also very effective. Give the cork good jerk, and listen for the “click” when the bait has settled back underneath it before repeating. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: New Causeway GPS: N26 8.290, W97 9.770 SPECIES: mangrove snapper BEST BAITS: live shrimp, live finger mullet CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: The stalwart parent with boatload of children might want to avoid running north to Parts Unknown to catch a couple of trout. Fish in the shade of the Causeway for some chunky, feisty mangrove snapper. They are plentiful, cooperative, and children love them. Free line a shrimp next to the pilings for best results. If you are feeling ambitions, flick a I6
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LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brazos Santiago Pass (bank access via Boca Chica jetties) GPS: N26 4.080, W97 9.280 SPECIES: tarpon, snook BEST BAITS: finger mullet, live pinfish; soft plastics in chartreuse, smoke, Rat-L-Traps in blue/chrome, black back/gold CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Tarpon join linesides in the deeper hole close to the end of the jetties, where they hang near the bottom waiting for something tasty to happen by. Most fishermen prefer casting from the head of the hole with a freelined or lightly weighted bait. They allow the presentation to naturally flow with the current. A large bucktail sweetened with a bait or a noisy crankbait are good choices if the fish are active. A 14-20 pound class rod is a good choice here. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Drum Boats GPS: N26 10.713, W97 11.107 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live bait; topwaters; soft plastics in red/white, New Penny CONTACT: Captain Luke Bonura, 956-4572101 TIPS: Sight fishermen can target prowling herds of reds when the water is clear in this area. It takes a cautious approach to get into position to toss a lightly (1/8th ounce) soft plastic in front of one of these schools of marauders. Watch for tails or disturbed water. If the late morning and afternoon wind has the water agitated, then you can fish live bait or soft plastics underneath a popping cork while prospecting for these same fish.
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Calixto
LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N26 28.134, W97 23.667 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp; Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger; soft plastics in chartreuse patterns; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: The Saucer is always good for speckled trout during the teeth of summer. Start in shallow water early in the day, and move back deeper as the sun rises. If the wind begins to pick up around mid morning, then watch either for a color change to form, or look for potholes to fish around. Trout use these to ambush prey. Live shrimp under a popping cork, or a Gulp! Shrimp under same are good choices for this area. Don’ be afraid to fish with a Gold Spoon if the opportunity presents itself. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Peyton’s Bay GPS: N26 24.528, W97 21.703 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp/popping cork; topwaters; gold spoons, red spinnerbaits; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, Pearl/red CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: If you want to go pick a fight with a slot redfish, then take a bearing on Peyton’s. Pods of redfish can be located in the shallow waters of the area all summer. Fish the northernmost edge on line with the yellow house that is visible during part of the drift, and work gold spinnerbaits or spoons. Live bait under a popping cork works well, too. Watch for the terns, though. Those little breeders will dive-bomb a live shrimp and steal him off your hook first chance they have. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Convention Center Shoreline (bank access)
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GPS: N26 8.290, W97 21.703 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, finger mullet; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, Pearl/red CONTACT: Captain Luke Bonura, 956-4572101 TIPS: The meandering grass flats that stretch north of the Convention Center is a great spot for shorebound waders and kayakers to fish. Trout will hide around the edges of the many potholes you will find around this area, and redfish always make an early-morning appearance. Boaters can travel a little farther east and fish the first color change for trout that will lurk along grasslines. Live bait is always successful, but plastics in the classic red/white and Peal are also good. The best bait has always seemed to be the Norton’s Bull Minnow on a 1/8-ounce jighead. LOCATION: Padre Island Shoreline HOTSPOT: North of Access 5 GPS: N26 14.000, W97 16.830 SPECIES: tarpon BEST BAITS: topwaters in Bone, Bone/chrome, MirrOlure 51MR in green/silver/white CONTACT: Quick Stop, 956-943-1159 TIPS: Tarpon hunters can cruise up and down the beach and watch the clear surf breakers. Pods of 20-40 pound fish swim up and down parallel to the beach in search of forage. The sun illuminates the clear water, and their shadows are easily visible to the sharp eye. When you spot some tarpon working, pull over, hop out, and start fan casting. If a tarpon sees your plug, he is going to take it usually. Trout and redfish rods add an exciting dimension to this type of fishing, but tie on a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader (YoZuri Pink fluorocarbon material is a good choice) to prevent poons from chafing off your favorite plugs. LOCATION: Laguna Madre @ Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: East of Marker 151 GPS: N26 31.890, W97 23.260 SPECIES: redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: Gulp! Jerk Shads in Limetreuse, Pearl; soft plastics in red/white, Firetiger CONTACT: Captain Terry Neal, I8
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956-944-2556, www.terrynealcharters.com TIPS: Wade or drift the deep potholes in the area with soft plastics, or your favorite redfish lures to find pods of reds cruising the flats in this area. If you can locate the depth break, wade parallel to it and cast along the break. Watch for trout chasing bait along the grasslines.
Dipping from the Well LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Deep Wells GPS: N27 44.764, W97 27 11.141
SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker, live shrimp CONTACT: Captain Tim Duncan, 361-9492115, 361-834-6305 TIPS: The days turn really calm and really warm on Corpus Christi Bay in July, and the fishing pace slows down accordingly, but not the action. You can find some very good fishing around the deep wells while using live bait. Free-line your bait with the current and pay attention for the telltale “tap.” Shell pads that surround abandoned wellhead work just as well, but you need to use your electronics to find them. LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Lydia Ann Channel GPS: N28 51.736, W97 3.298 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker, live shrimp CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361-7279227, 361-463-7700 TIPS: Trout will go deeper in the summer to escape the surface heat of July. Use live croaker or shrimp around the channel edges and depth breaks in Lydia Ann Channel. Fish up and down the channel until you locate fish; they tend to school up in certain areas, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t locate them at first.
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LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Mud Island GPS: N27 56.360, W97 1.250 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: Gulp! or live shrimp/float, live croaker, Gulp! Swimming Shad CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361-7279227, 361-463-7700 TIPS: Fish the drop-offs, where trout and redfish will be moving up and down . If the tide is up in the morning, then the fish will be up in the shallows working. As the day stretches on, fish will back off into deeper water to take advantage of the more moderate temperatures. Work a jig or live shrimp under a popping cork slowly to maximize a fish’s opportunity to key in on the bait and zap it. LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Pelican Island GPS: N28 11430, W96 92.50 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, croaker; small topwaters, gold spoons; soft plastics in Avocado/chartreuse, Motor Oil/chartreuse, Pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361-7279227, 361-463-7700 TIPS: Again, fish drop-offs with live bait for best results. Work live bait under a popping cork, or on a free-line rig if you are using baitfish. Watch for some bait activity early in the morning and focus on the general areas. When you are fishing deeper water, keep a soft touch. That mouse-tap could be a big fish. LOCATION: Rockport/Fulton HOTSPOT: Surf Front (bank access) GPS: N27 94.850, W96 94.78 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp/popping cork, topwaters; gold spoons; soft plastics in Avocado/chartreuse, Motor Oil/chartreuse, Pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361-7279227, 361-463-7700 TIPS: Action along the surf begins to pick up for trout and redfish during July. Shorebound anglers and kayakers can partake of the bounty. Watch for diving birds to cue you in on where fish might be active. Start by fishing the wade gut and slowly work your way
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out to deeper water. Topwaters work well early but move to deeper running baits through midmorning. LOCATION: Rockport HOTSPOT: St. Charles Bay GPS: N28 11.761, W96 56.097 SPECIES: redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: topwaters and soft plastics in dark patterns; live bait CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361-7279227, 361-463-7700 TIPS: The North end of St. Charles becomes an excellent choice as summer rumbles along. Trout stack up on the drop-offs along the spoils and reefs, and redfish roam on the shallows and bars. Live shrimp, mullet, or pinfish under a popping cork always work. Topwaters early in the morning can cause blowups that get the heart pumping. Fish soft plastics under the same floats.
Boat Cut Reds LOCATION: Sabine Pass HOTSPOT: Boat Cut GPS: 40.398, W93 49.516
SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Glow/chartreuse, Pearl/chartreuse, Green Tomato, Strawberry/white CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: The jetties are the place to be in July. You will find some big trout lurking in the deeper holes, especially around the boat cut. Watch for current breaks and eddies. Fish with soft plastics on larger (1/4- to 3/8ounce) jigheads. A fish-finder is always helpful in this type of fishing. Braided line doesn’t hurt, either, because of the added sensitivity. A novel way to fish is by “strolling,” using a guided drift over the holes while your lines remain vertical in the water column. A trolling motor helps keep your drift on a specific line, and your lure ticks along the bottom like an unsuspecting baitfish. LOCATION: Sabine Pass HOTSPOT: Louisiana Beachfront GPS: N29 41.482, W93 42.325 SPECIES: tripletail
BEST BAITS: live bait CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: This is something a little different. Tripletail start appearing in the Gulf around the beachfront in July. This isn’t a trip where you go out, catch a limit, and head home. It’s more of a hunt. Watch for these fish to be floating on the surface around structure or floating debris and then sight-cast a live shrimp at the. The fish will zero in on your bait and smash it, and then a real fight is on. Again, this is graduate level fishing where patience is a virtue. You might only have three or four shots at a fish during the day, but the payoff is worth it. LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Jetties GPS: N28 35.666, W95 59.000 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live bait; soft plastics in chartreuse patterns, Plum/chartreuse; Gulp! baits CONTACT: Captain Mark Talasek, 979-2440044, 979-479-1397 TIPS: The jetties are always good for trout and redfish, especially the deeper holes during the heat of July. Fish will be holding in deeper, or near the rocks where current eddies push bait down and past them for easy pickings. Live bait is always good, as are soft plastics and Gulp! tails in high-vis colors. Use a 1/4-ounce jighead with lures, and freeline live baits with as little weight as possible to prevent snags. Pick your days. A rough day can be trouble. LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Matagorda surf GPS: N28 59.25, W95 98.74453 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait, soft plastics CONTACT: Captain Mark Talasek, 979-2440044, 979-479-1397 TIPS: Soft southeasterlies and green water to the beach create “cupcake” conditions for fishermen seeking surf-running trout. Experienced fishermen anchor beyond the third bar and fish the guts for the fat dime-silver specks that roam the beachfront in July. Watch for diving birds or flitting bait to tip you off to the presence of fish. As with the jetties, be smart and pick a mild day. Keep your weather radio on, too. You never know when a summer squall might pop up and you need to head for cover.
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Rollin’ on the River for Bass LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: Salineno GPS: N26 30.590, W99 7.040
SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: plastic worms in red, Watermelon, Grape; in-line spinners CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956-7654866 TIPS: This is a kayaker’s dream situation: When Falcon Dam’s turbines aren’t running, water levels around Zapata, Roma, and Rio Grande City drop off dramatically. Big boats can’t get past the stretches of shin- and ankledeep water. Bass end up holding in some deeper pools. Fish around deadfalls and along the shoreline with plastic worms and spinners such as the Mepps Aglia or the Shyster. Yellow or white is the best color. LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: Fronton Island Point GPS: N26 39.930, W99 5.940 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: cut shad, prepared baits CONTACT: Texas Parks and Wildlife, www.tpwd.state.tx.us TIPS: The downriver point of Fronton Island creates a hole that blue and channel catfish hold tight to when the power is off at the Dam. Again, this is a yakker-friendly spot. Fish cut or prepared baits on a short (6 inches) Carolina rig. The shorter leader will more effectively keep you out of the snags that are littered around the bottom. Some locals call this area Los Sopilotes (the Buzzards) after the dozens of the bald uglies that roost in the trees. Don’t let them unnerve you. They aren’t making plans. LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: River above Anzalduas Dam GPS: N26 25.100, W97 57.220 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: plastic worms in black, Black Grape; willow leaf spinnerbaits in chartreuse/white, white CONTACT: Anzalduas State Park, 956-5199550 &
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TIPS: Rio Grande River bass fishing is good enough that local tournaments are held here year around. The action reaches a peak during July. Look for anything that can provide some cover for bass such as stickups, overhangs, docks, and boat house. If you see a wash that flows into the river, fish deeper water where the point is. Bass will key in on that spot. These are river bass, so they put up a surprisingly stout fight for smaller fish. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Little Tiger GPS: N26 41.428, W99 7.779 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: prepared baits, cut bait, night crawlers CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956-7654866 TIPS: Catfishing is hot business in the summer. The fishing is good, but the temperature can get up into the hundreds during the day. Take plenty of water and your Bimini top, and you’ll be ok. Then you can focus on fishing the hardwoods around the creekbed with cut shad or a dipbait for the literally thousands of catfish that swim around in this area. Falcon is as good a catfish lake as it is a bass lake; maybe better. Reap the bounty.
Rip ‘Traps for Bass at Riprap LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Dam Riprap GPS: N31 53.584, W97 12.682
SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Tail Hummers, Rat-L-Traps, small crankbaits CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-295-6115, teamredneck01@hotmail.com TIPS: Make long casts along riprap using the above baits, early and late. Schooling action will usually be early morning. After the sun rises, work the bubbler. It holds fish I10
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all day. Use Little George or Kastmaster spoons and cast into bubbles. Let fall for a count of three and make medium speed retrieve. BANK ACCESS: Tailrace Fishing Pier, largemouth bass, white bass LOCATION: Lake Belton HOTSPOT: Westcliff Ramp Area GPS: N31 06.879, W97 30.782 SPECIES: largemouth and smallmouth bass BEST BAITS: blue/silver Rat-L-Trap if fish are active; Carolina rig if fish are slow CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: When fishing prime active times, (dawn, dusk, overcast, windy), begin with Rat-L-Trap and switch to Carolina rig if active fish aren’t found. When fishing nonpeak times, start with Carolina rig and speed up if fish allow. Fish rocky shore 100 yards northwest of ramp to the sandy beach with swimming perimeter marked out. Go shallower in peak times, and out 10-14 feet in non-peak times. When encountering black, stringy moss, rig your Carolina rig with a floating worm. BANK ACCESS: Temple Lake Park LOCATION: Lake Cedar Creek HOTSPOT: Spillway GPS: N32 14.441, W96 08.371 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: crappie jigs CONTACT: Chuck Rollins, 903-288-5798, www.bigcrappie.com TIPS: The crappie are now in deeper water for the summer pattern. Jigs over brush in 1525 feet of water should produce good numbers. Also work other brush piles in the midlake area adjacent to the spillway. Use electronics to find them and work your jig slowly over them. BANK ACCESS: Hwy 334 Public Park, cut bait for cats, small floats for bream using worms, crickets LOCATION: Lake Fairfield HOTSPOT: West Shore Hump GPS: N31 47.843, W96 04.032 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: cut shad, shrimp, or perch; deep-diving crankbaits &
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CONTACT: Lex Hayes, 903-641-9609, www.lexsguideservice.com TIPS: The fishing for July will turn to early morning and late evening along with night fishing due to the temperature outside and the temperature of the water. Fish windblown points off the bottom with cut shad, shrimp, or perch. Trolling deep divers or using down riggers will also be a good tactic to use. The hump straight across from the second boat ramp is usually pretty good this time of year. A lot of fish can also be found in the inlet cove and dam area. The campground bank also produces a lot of fish in the evenings. BANK ACCESS: No. 2 Boat Ramp, bass, catfish, bream, redfish; work point edges and cove LOCATION: Lake Fayette County HOTSPOT: Hard To Find Point GPS: N29 56.320, W96 43.930 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Carolina rig in Watermelon Seed color CONTACT: Bob Green, 281-460-9200, bobgreen@cvtv.net TIPS: This being a cooling pond for the power plant, the water temps can reach the mid to upper 90s as early as the end of July. Deep holes will hold fish in 15- to 20-foot range. This is also the time of year that fish will start chasing shad out in the deeper water. Carolina rigs work well over the humps. Watermelon Seed is color of choice. Schooling fish can be caught on shad imitation baits over the tops of the schools. BANK ACCESS: Oak Thicket Ramp, most species LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Dam Rocky Point GPS: N30 36.682, W96 03.996 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: minnows and jigs CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: There are stumps, rocks, trees, and submerged brush in this area. Best fishing is early morning and mid to late afternoon and just before dark. Trees are in water from 1218 feet deep. Jig with 1/16-ounce red/white or black/chartreuse, bushy tail or curly tail. Use minnows under slip cork and start fish-
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ing close to bottom due to summer heat. Experiment with depth by moving slip cork about eight inches upward, each time until fish bite is located. Look for bite shallower in early morning, deeper in late evening. Fish light can be effective after dark. BANK ACCESS: Boat Ramp Pier, bream, crappie LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: Fireman’s Hump GPS: N32 37.551, W97 01.045 SPECIES: largemouth and white bass BEST BAITS: spoons, CR Fry, DS Chompers CONTACT: Randy Maxwell, 817-3132878, r.maxwell@tx.rr.com TIPS: Position boat in 30 feet of water off hump and work your lure around and over hump. Take your time and cover the area thoroughly. This hotspot usually produces in the summer months. Patience is the name of the game. BANK ACCESS: Lynn Creek Fishing Dock, bass, crappie, bream LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Ticky Creek GPS: N33 07.803, W96 29.993 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: black/brown Pepper’s Jig, white/chartreuse spinnerbaits and buzzbaits CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 972-853-0949, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: Fish the above baits thoroughly from the very shallows to the first breakline. In the heat of the day, a Gene Larew Watermelon Hoodaddy Texas rig will work as well. Be sure to pay special attention to the herons around the lake as they will let you know where the bait are located as well as the bass that will be nearby. BANK ACCESS: Ticky Creek Park, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Kickapoo Creek GPS: N32 17.349, W95 29.923 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Nichols Salty Mother Sinker; Phantom Stinko (not Senko) worked Texasrigged with no weight CONTACT: Don Mattern, 903-478-2633, matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: There’s lots of hydrilla and cabbage patches of vegetation and lots of stumps and wood cover mixed in. Summer patterns include early poppers, and frogs worked over
and around the moss beds on the flats. Spinnerbaits worked on edges of vegetation and bumped off wood cover will also produce. Several bass over 10 pounds have been caught by my clients using this system. BANK ACCESS: North end of Kickapoo Creek Bridge LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Chimney Creek GPS: N32 04.876, W95 25.458 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: topwaters and Bomber BD7 shad-colored crankbaits CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5302201, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Bass will be good early and late on topwaters in the back of main lake coves and pockets. Later in the day, you can find them in bends of main lake creeks. Work them with the Bomber BD7. BANK ACCESS: Kickapoo Creek Bridge, fish around pilings at each end LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Riprap GPS: N32 55.033, W96 30.112 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Bandit Crankbaits in 200 or 700 series, also Pepper’s Buzzbait CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 972-853-0949, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: This time of year the riprap through the lake is best. Next are the humps around the lake as well as main lake points that extend far out into the lake. Work the shorelines and riprap early with buzzbait. Riprap on dam is best for it receives little fishing pressure compared to riprap along the highway. BANK ACCESS: Robertson Park, catfish on cut shad LOCATION: Lake Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: 309 Humps, just south of 309 Ramp GPS: N31 58.590, W96 08.350 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: black/black buzzbait; chrome/blue Super Spooks; Carolina-rigged Fish Kicker Craw in Watermelon Red or Watermelon Candy CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 817-929-0675, www.schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: Throw topwater baits across the humps. When the topwater bite ceases, drag the Carolina rig with a 2- to 4-foot leader on a 4/0 hook and 3/4- or 1/2-ounce Tru-Tung-
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sten and 8mm force beads across the humps. There is a second hump about 25 yards south of the first one. There’s lots of brush on both the humps. BANK ACCESS: 2859 Ramp, catfish, crappie LOCATION: Lake Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: Pelican Island
GPS: N31 59.772, W96 10.921 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: topwaters and shallow-running crankbaits, clear Tiny Torpedo, chrome RatL-Traps CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117, www.gonefishin.biz
TIPS: White bass will be schooling on top almost every morning in the Pelican Island area of the lake. Get there early as the topwater activity might last only an hour or so. If cloud cover is good, the action can last literally all morning. BANK ACCESS: E. Hwy 287 Bridge abutments, pilings near bank LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Spillway South GPS: N31 01.315, W97 31.903 SPECIES: largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass BEST BAITS: jig-worm combination in dark translucent colors CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Work steep bluff areas slowly for a reliable mid-day bite after early shallow action dies. Look for irregularities in the rocks (fissures, boulders, overhangs), as well as laydowns and changes in substrata (limestone to gravel, etc.). Jig/worms are best fished with light spinning gear. Re-tie frequently and be prepared to react to fish to prevent thrown lure, as they nearly always jump clear of the water when hooked on this rig. BANK ACCESS: Marina Ramp, bream on worms/bobber LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Washita Point GPS: N33 54.154, W96 35.647 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: topwaters and slab spoons CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, bigfish@graysoncable.com TIPS: July on Lake Texoma is the legendary topwater bite. Huge schools of stripers will surface early in the mornings. You will see the fish busting shad from a mile away. The favorite lures are Cordell Pencil Poppers, RipTide Flats Chub, and Jerk Shad. Best Colors are chrome and blue plugs and chartreuse/silver on soft plastics. Midmorning the fish will sound. They will stay grouped in deep water. Tie on 1/2-ounce slabs and fish vertically. Drop the slabs and use a fast retrieve. These fighting linesides will try to take the rod out of your hands. BANK ACCESS: Washita Point and the Dam
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LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: McCowan Flats GPS: N31 55.452, W97 24.628 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: 3/4-ounce white or chartreuse striper jugs and trailers CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, teamredneck01@hotmail.com TIPS: The thermocline has set in and trolling and down rigging will be best above the thermo cline. Work the jigs and trailers with baits at 12-22 feet in 19-35 feet deep water. Keep baits above fish and thermocline. When marking fish, troll boat in a southerly direction, making your baits rise and fall. BANK ACCESS: Loafer Bend Shore, stripers and whites on topwaters
Cats Not Strangers at Granger LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: The Road Bed GPS: N30 42.119, W97 20.907 SPECIES: crappie, white bass, catfish
BEST BAITS: 1/32-ounce chartreuse Marabou jigs, white slab spoons, Zote Soap CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, 512-365-7761, crappie1@hotmail.com TIPS: For white bass, fish slab spoons on top of sunken roadbeds and ridges in areas where you see shad working. Use your sonar to find the fish and then jig the slab spoon off the bottom by hopping it 2-3 feet off the bottom. For crappie fish brush piles in 8-15 feet of water. Hold Jigs right over the tops of brush piles, using very little action. Tip the jig with a Berkley Crappie Nibble. This gives the jig scent and the crappie bite better. Color doesn’t matter. For catfish, put juglines out in the main lake all along the dam and bait with Zote Soap. The soap works better now, because the gar will strip off any cut bait or shad very quickly this time of year. BANK ACCESS: Wilson Fox Fishing Dock
DD22 Fits Fork Bass
BANK ACCESS: East end of Hwy 1097 Bridge, catfish on live shad, bream on worms
LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Chigger Ridge GPS: N32 54.306, W95 40.189 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: DD22 crankbaits in shad col-
LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn North HOTSPOT: Harvey Creek GPS: N31 15.479, W94 15.385 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: red Rat-L-Traps, orange craw worms; spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, Senkos CONTACT: Don Mattern, 903-478-2633, matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: Harvey Creek is loaded with hydrilla. Cast next to a channel or small ditch. Work the baits as slow as possible without getting hung up. Spinnerbaits in Glimmer Blue and white or chartreuse also work the same way. Craw worms in Watermelon Red and Green Pumpkin work well along banks of this creek. Texas rigged Senko type baits will work well, too, catching their share of hawgs. Work from the mouth of Harvey Creek to the very back. This is the prime area for big blacks.
ors, Carolina rigs, Ring Fry CONTACT: Rick Carter, 903-765-3474, www.Flwpro.com TIPS: Work the north end of the ridge. Ring Fry on 3-foot leaders Carolina rigged work well. Fish the DD22 in the early morning. You can also throw a Zara Spook right on top of the ridge. Lake Fork is producing big bass in good numbers as evidenced by numerous lunkers caught during the Toyota Bass Classic in April. BANK ACCESS: Fork Public Park, catfish, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Main Lake Point GPS: N32 49.447, W95 32.719 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Spinner Bugs, Carolina rigs with Baby Brush Hogs in Watermelon Candy, Watermelon Red, Green Pumpkin; drop-shot with Finesse Worms; jigging spoons CONTACT: Michael Rogge, www.lake-forkguides.com TIPS: Work the point thoroughly, changing lures frequently until you start getting action. Work back and forth across and up and down the points. BANK ACCESS: Fork Public Park, catfish, largemouth bass
LOCATION: Toledo Bend Reservoir HOTSPOT: Indian Mound Flats GPS: N31 20.583, W93 40.702 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps with chrome bottom, blue back CONTACT: Jim Morris, 409-579-3485, cypresscreekmarina@valornet.com TIPS: Fish the top of the sunken roadbed running north and south. Using a Rat-LTrap, red shad Carolina rig, move to the outside of roadbed to the drop off. Locate a depth of 10-12 feet. Start fishing. BANK ACCESS: Ragtown Recreation Area, catfish on live bait fished slowly Contact South Regional Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales by email at hotspotssouth@fishgame.com Contact North Regional Fishing Editor JD Moore by email at hotspotsnorth@fishgame.com
LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Under 1097 Bridge GPS: N30 26.210, W95 35.660 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Catfish Killer Cheese Dip Bait, chicken liver, minnows CONTACT: Darrell Taylor, 936-788-4413, www.catfishkiller.com TIPS: Fish straight down off the boat into a chum like sour grain or 20 percent range cubes from a feed store. Keep your bait 2-3 inches off bottom. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2008 USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR
The following pages contain TIDE and SOLUNAR predictions for Galveston Channel (29.3166° N, 94.88° W).
T12
T4
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
T13 T7
T6 T17
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the lower color boxes of the Calendar pages. Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE below to adjust times for points East and West of Galveston Channel.
T15 T16
T5
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on a wide variety of wildlife species.
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. PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month.
T20
PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.
T21
TIDE CORRECTION TABLE Add or subtract the time shown at the right
of the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.
KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6
PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty Port Bolivar
HIGH -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14
LOW -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06
KEY PLACE HIGH Galveston Channel/Bays T7 Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +3:54 T8 Eagle Point +6:05 T9 Clear Lake +10:21 T10 Morgans Point T11 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39
T22 T23
View TIDE PREDICTIONS for all Texas Coastal Tide Stations and DATES at...
www.FishGame.com 2 0 0 8 /
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LOW +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15
KEY PLACE T12 Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay T13 Gilchrist, East Bay T14 Jamaica Beach, W. Bay T15 Alligator Point, W. Bay T16 Christmas Pt T17 Galveston Pleasure Pier
HIGH +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -1:06
LOW +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:33 +2:31 -1:06
KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23
PLACE San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor Pass Cavallo Aransas Pass Padre Island (So. End) Port Isabel
SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:
NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION
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TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below.
AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours.
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HIGH -0.09 -0:44 0:00 -0:03 -0:24 +1:02
LOW -0.09 -1:02 -1:20 -1:31 -1:45 -0:42
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Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2008
NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION
MONDAY
TUESDAY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
Jun 30
Jul 1
THURSDAY
2
z
FRIDAY
3
Set: 8:18p Set: 6:12p
Sunrise: 6:19a Moonrise: 4:26a
Set: 8:18p Set: 7:21p
Sunrise: 6:20a Moonrise: 5:32a
Set: 8:18p Set: 8:22p
Sunrise: 6:20a Moonrise: 6:44a
Set: 8:18p Set: 9:15p
Sunrise: 6:20a Moonrise: 7:56a
AM Minor: 2:57a
PM Minor: 3:28p
AM Minor: 3:55a
PM Minor: 4:28p
AM Minor: 4:57a
PM Minor: 5:30p
AM Minor: 6:01a
PM Minor: 6:33p
AM Major: 9:13a
PM Major: 9:44p
AM Major: 10:11a
PM Major: 10:44p
AM Major: 11:13a
PM Major: 11:46p
AM Major: ——-
PM Major: 12:17p
6a
12p
Moon Overhead: 12:59p
Moon Overhead: 11:53a
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 2:03p 12a
6a
12p
SATURDAY
4
Sunrise: 6:19a Moonrise: 3:28a
Moon Overhead: 10:48a
12a
WEDNESDAY
5
12a
6
Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 10:00p Moonrise: 9:06a
Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:18p Set: 10:38p Moonrise: 10:11a Set: 11:11p
AM Minor: 7:05a
PM Minor: 7:34p
AM Minor: 8:07a
PM Minor: 8:33p
AM Minor: 9:04a
PM Minor: 9:29p
AM Major: 12:51a
PM Major: 1:20p
AM Major: 1:54a
PM Major: 2:20p
AM Major: 2:52a
PM Major: 3:17p
Moon Overhead: 3:56p
Moon Overhead: 3:02p
6p
SUNDAY
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 4:45p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 11:20p +2.0
BEST:
Moon Underfoot: None BEST:
3:20-5:45 PM
Moon Underfoot: 12:26a BEST:
10:05AM-12:05PM
11:10AM-1:15pm
Moon Underfoot: 1:31a
Moon Underfoot: 2:33a
BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 3:30a
BEST:
12:10-2:20 PM
Moon Underfoot: 4:21a
BEST:
1:15-3:10 PM
+2.0
BEST:
2:10-4:05 PM
3:10-5:05 PM
+1.0
TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
0
-1.0
0
High Tide: 5:04 am Low Tide: 8:40 pm
1.62 ft High Tide: 5:55 am -0.79 ft Low Tide: 9:35 pm
1.70 ft High Tide: 6:41 am 1.71 ft High Tide: -0.89 ft Low Tide: 10:30 pm -0.90 ft Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
7:22 am 12:12 pm 1:58 pm 11:22 pm
1.65 ft High Tide: 7:57 am 1.55 ft 1.46 ft Low Tide: 12:38 pm 1.33 ft 1.47 ft High Tide: 3:35 pm 1.38 ft -0.81 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:13 am 8:26 am 1:24 pm 5:04 pm
-0.62 ft 1.43 ft 1.14 ft 1.25 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
1:01 am 8:52 am 2:19 pm 6:36 pm
-0.35 ft 1.32 ft 0.92 ft 1.10 ft
KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE LE VEL GRAPH: Yellow: Daylight Tab: Peak Fishing Period Green: Falling Tide Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score
12a
6a
BEST:
7:05-9:40 PM
12p
6p
SOLUNAR AC TIVIT Y: 12a
AM/PM Timeline Light Blue: Nighttime
MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.)
AM Minor: 1:20a
PM Minor: 1:45p
AM Major: 7:32a
PM Major: 7:57p
Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the 12a Sky
Moon Overhead: 8:50a
Gold Fish: Best Time Blue Fish: Good Time
AM/PM Timeline
Moon Underfoot: 9:15p
6a
12p
6p
MOON PHASE SYMBOLS
MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)
12a
Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)
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BEST:
= Peak Fishing 7:45-9:40 AM Period = FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS
MONDAY
TUESDAY
7
Sunrise: 6:23a Moonrise: 1:06p
THURSDAY
9
FRIDAY
10
SATURDAY
11
SUNDAY
12
13
Set: 8:17p Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 12:10a Moonrise: 2:02p
Set: 8:17p Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 12:39a Moonrise: 2:58p
Set: 8:17p Set: 1:09a
Sunrise: 6:24a Moonrise: 3:55p
Set: 8:17p Set: 1:42a
Sunrise: 6:25a Moonrise: 4:51p
Set: 8:16p Set: 2:19a
AM Minor: 9:57a
PM Minor: 10:20p
AM Minor: 10:46a
PM Minor: 11:08p
AM Minor: 11:31a
PM Minor: 11:52p
AM Minor: ——-
PM Minor: 12:14p
AM Minor: 12:34a
PM Minor: 12:56p
AM Minor: 1:15a
PM Minor: 1:38p
AM Minor: 1:57a
PM Minor: 2:21p
AM Major: 3:46a
PM Major: 4:09p
AM Major: 4:35a
PM Major: 4:57p
AM Major: 5:21a
PM Major: 5:42p
AM Major: 6:04a
PM Major: 6:25p
AM Major: 6:45a
PM Major: 7:07p
AM Major: 7:27a
PM Major: 7:50p
AM Major: 8:09a
PM Major: 8:33p
Moon Overhead: 5:30p 6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 6:55p
Moon Overhead: 6:13p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 7:38p 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 9:09p
Moon Overhead: 8:23p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 9:57p 12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
WEDNESDAY
8
Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:17p Moonrise: 11:12a Set: 11:41p Moonrise: 12:09p Set: None
12a
Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2008
Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score
= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r t e r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarte r = B es t Da y
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 5:08a +2.0
BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 5:52a BEST:
3:40-6:15 AM
Moon Underfoot: 6:34a BEST:
4:30-6:10 AM
Moon Underfoot: 7:16a BEST:
5:15-6:50 AM
Moon Underfoot: 8:00a BEST:
6:15-7:50 PM
7:00-8:35 PM
Moon Underfoot: 8:46a BEST:
7:45-9:20 PM
Moon Underfoot: 9:33a +2.0
BEST:
8:25-10:15 PM
+1.0
TIDE LEVELS
TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
0
-1.0
0
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
1:47 am 9:13 am 3:17 pm 8:17 pm
-0.04 ft 1.22 ft 0.68 ft 0.97 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
2:31 am 9:32 am 4:14 pm 10:11 pm
0.30 ft 1.15 ft 0.44 ft 0.91 ft
Low Tide: 3:12 am High Tide: 9:45 am Low Tide: 5:07 pm
0.62 ft 1.11 ft 0.23 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
12:24 am 3:53 am 9:50 am 5:56 pm
0.97 ft 0.90 ft 1.10 ft 0.05 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:00 am 7:45 am 9:20 am 6:43 pm
1.13 ft High Tide: 4:59 am 1.12 ft Low Tide: 7:27 pm 1.12 ft -0.09 ft
1.29 ft High Tide: 5:33 am -0.19 ft Low Tide: 8:10 pm
1.38 ft -0.26 ft
-1.0
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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:
7:45-9:40 AM
= Peak Fishing Period
= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS
MONDAY
TUESDAY
14
WEDNESDAY
15
THURSDAY
1 6
FRIDAY
1 7
SATURDAY
{ 18
SUNDAY
1 9
2 0
Sunrise: 6:25a Moonrise: 5:46p
Set: 8:16p Set: 3:01a
Sunrise: 6:26a Moonrise: 6:38p
Set: 8:16p Set: 3:49a
Sunrise: 6:26a Moonrise: 7:25p
Set: 8:15p Set: 4:41a
Sunrise: 6:27a Moonrise: 8:09p
Set: 8:15p Set: 5:37a
Sunrise: 6:27a Moonrise: 8:47p
Set: 8:15p Set: 6:36a
Sunrise: 6:28a Moonrise: 9:22p
Set: 8:14p Set: 7:36a
Sunrise: 6:28a Moonrise: 9:54p
Set: 8:14p Set: 8:35a
AM Minor: 2:40a
PM Minor: 3:05p
AM Minor: 3:25a
PM Minor: 3:51p
AM Minor: 4:12a
PM Minor: 4:38p
AM Minor: 5:01a
PM Minor: 5:26p
AM Minor: 5:50a
PM Minor: 6:15p
AM Minor: 6:40a
PM Minor: 7:04p
AM Minor: 7:30a
PM Minor: 7:53p
AM Major: 8:53a
PM Major: 9:18p
AM Major: 9:38a
PM Major: 10:04p
AM Major: 10:25a
PM Major: 10:51p
AM Major: 11:13a
PM Major: 11:39p
AM Major: ——-
PM Major: 12:03p
AM Major: 12:28a
PM Major: 12:52p
AM Major: 1:19a
PM Major: 1:42p
Moon Overhead: 10:48p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: None
Moon Overhead: 11:39p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 12:30a 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 2:09a
Moon Overhead: 1:20a 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 2:55a 12a
6a
12p
6p
FEET
12a
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 10:22a +2.0
BEST:
3:00-6:45 PM
Moon Underfoot: 11:13a BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 12:04p BEST:
3:45-7:20 PM
4:30-7:45 PM
Moon Underfoot: 12:55p BEST:
5:20-8:30 PM
Moon Underfoot: 1:45p BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 2:32p BEST:
11:45AM-2:00 PM
12:45-2:50 PM
Moon Underfoot: 3:18p BEST:
+2.0
1:10-3:15 AM
+1.0
TIDE LEVELS
TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
0
-1.0
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2008
Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score
0
High Tide: 6:01 am Low Tide: 8:51 pm
I18
• J U L Y
1.42 ft High Tide: 6:22 am -0.30 ft Low Tide: 9:29 pm
2 0 0 8 /
1.43 ft High Tide: 6:37 am 1.43 ft High Tide: 6:53 am 1.42 ft High Tide: -0.33 ft Low Tide: 10:04 pm -0.34 ft Low Tide: 10:37 pm -0.34 ft Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
T E X A S
F i s h
&
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
7:11 am 12:03 pm 2:03 pm 11:09 pm
1.41 ft 1.26 ft 1.27 ft -0.30 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
7:30 am 12:16 pm 3:11 pm 11:40 pm
1.40 ft High Tide: 7:50 am 1.37 ft 1.18 ft Low Tide: 12:46 pm 1.07 ft 1.22 ft High Tide: 4:20 pm 1.14 ft -0.22 ft
-1.0
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z z
Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2008 MONDAY
21
22
THURSDAY
23
Set: 8:12p Sunrise: 6:31a Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:13p Sunrise: 6:30a Moonrise: 10:53p Set: 10:31a Moonrise: 11:24p Set: 11:30a Moonrise: None
FRIDAY
24
SATURDAY
25
Set: 8:12p Sunrise: 6:31a Set: 12:31p Moonrise: None
Set: 8:11p Set: 1:36p
SUNDAY
26
Sunrise: 6:32a Set: 8:11p Moonrise: 12:35a Set: 2:44p
27
Sunrise: 6:32a Moonrise: 1:20a
Set: 8:10p Set: 3:54p
AM Minor: 8:20a
PM Minor: 8:42p
AM Minor: 9:09a
PM Minor: 9:31p
AM Minor: 9:59a
PM Minor: 10:21p
AM Minor: 10:49a
PM Minor: 11:13p
AM Minor: 11:40a
PM Minor: ——-
AM Minor: 12:09a
PM Minor: 12:33p
AM Minor: 12:58a
PM Minor: 1:28p
AM Major: 2:09a
PM Major: 2:31p
AM Major: 2:59a
PM Major: 3:20p
AM Major: 3:48a
PM Major: 4:10p
AM Major: 4:37a
PM Major: 5:01p
AM Major: 5:28a
PM Major: 5:53p
AM Major: 6:20a
PM Major: 6:47p
AM Major: 7:13a
PM Major: 7:43p
Moon Overhead: 3:40a
12a
WEDNESDAY
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 5:08a
Moon Overhead: 4:24a 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
Moon Overhead: 5:53a
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 7:36a
Moon Overhead: 6:42a 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 8:34a 12a
6a
12p
6p
FEET
BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 4:46p BEST:
2:00-3:55 AM
Moon Underfoot: 5:30p
Moon Underfoot: 6:17p
BEST:
2:45-4:30 AM
BEST:
3:40-5:30 AM
Moon Underfoot: 7:08p BEST:
4:25-6:10 AM
Moon Underfoot: 8:04p BEST:
5:20-7:00 AM
Moon Underfoot: 9:05p +2.0
BEST:
6:35-8:20 PM
7:35-9:20 PM
+1.0
TIDE LEVELS
TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
0
-1.0
12a
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 4:02p +2.0
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:13p Moonrise: 10:24p Set: 9:33a
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
TUESDAY
= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r t e r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarte r = B es t Da y
0
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:12 am 8:07 am 1:22 pm 5:41 pm
-0.08 ft 1.32 ft 0.91 ft 1.05 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:45 am 8:20 am 2:01 pm 7:19 pm
0.11 ft 1.26 ft 0.71 ft 0.97 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
1:19 am 8:27 am 2:45 pm 9:14 pm
0.36 ft 1.21 ft 0.47 ft 0.95 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
1:54 am 8:26 am 3:35 pm 11:25 pm
0.65 ft 1.19 ft 0.21 ft 1.03 ft
Low Tide: 2:28 am High Tide: 8:11 am Low Tide: 4:31 pm
A L M A N A C / T E X A S
F i s h
0.95 ft High Tide: 2:15 am 1.23 ft Low Tide: 2:34 am -0.05 ft High Tide: 7:37 am Low Tide: 5:32 pm
&
1.22 ft High Tide: 6:47 am 1.22 ft Low Tide: 6:35 pm 1.33 ft -0.29 ft
G a m e ® / J U L Y
2 0 0 8
1.47 ft -0.50 ft
•
I19
-1.0
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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION
z z
BEST:
= Peak Fishing 7:45-9:40 AM Period = FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS
MONDAY
TUESDAY
28
WEDNESDAY
29
THURSDAY
30
FRIDAY
3 1
SATURDAY
z Aug 1
SUNDAY
2
3
Sunrise: 6:33a Moonrise: 2:12a
Set: 8:10p Set: 5:02p
Sunrise: 6:33a Moonrise: 3:13a
Set: 8:09p Set: 6:06p
Sunrise: 6:34a Moonrise: 4:21a
Set: 8:08p Set: 7:02p
Sunrise: 6:35a Moonrise: 5:32a
Set: 8:08p Set: 7:50p
Sunrise: 6:35a Moonrise: 6:43a
Set: 8:07p Set: 8:31p
Sunrise: 6:36a Moonrise: 7:51a
Set: 8:06p Set: 9:06p
Sunrise: 6:36a Moonrise: 8:54a
Set: 8:06p Set: 9:38p
AM Minor: 1:53a
PM Minor: 2:25p
AM Minor: 2:50a
PM Minor: 3:22p
AM Minor: 3:48a
PM Minor: 4:19p
AM Minor: 4:46a
PM Minor: 5:16p
AM Minor: 5:43a
PM Minor: 6:11p
AM Minor: 6:39a
PM Minor: 7:04p
AM Minor: 7:32a
PM Minor: 7:56p
AM Major: 8:09a
PM Major: 8:41p
AM Major: 9:06a
PM Major: 9:38p
AM Major: 10:04a
PM Major: 10:35p
AM Major: 11:01a
PM Major: 11:31p
AM Major: 11:57a
PM Major: ——-
AM Major: 12:26a
PM Major: 12:51p
AM Major: 1:20a
PM Major: 1:44p
Moon Overhead: 9:36a
12a
6a
12p
Moon Overhead: 11:44a
Moon Overhead: 10:40a
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 12:45p 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 2:33p
Moon Overhead: 1:41p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 3:20p 12a
6a
12p
6p
FEET
+2.0
12a
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 10:08p BEST:
8:00-9:50 AM
Moon Underfoot: 11:12p BEST:
Moon Underfoot: None BEST:
8:55-11:00 AM
Moon Underfoot: 12:15a BEST:
9:50AM-12:10PM
Moon Underfoot: 1:13a BEST:
10:50AM-1:05PM
Moon Underfoot: 2:07a BEST:
11:45AM-2:00PM
12:35-2:50 PM
Moon Underfoot: 2:57a BEST:
+2.0
1:30-3:45 PM
+1.0
TIDE LEVELS
TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
0
-1.0
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2008
Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score
= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r t e r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarte r = B es t Da y
0
High Tide: 5:06 am Low Tide: 7:38 pm
I20
• J U L Y
1.60 ft High Tide: 5:28 am -0.65 ft Low Tide: 8:37 pm
2 0 0 8 /
1.66 ft High Tide: 5:55 am -0.74 ft Low Tide: 9:33 pm
T E X A S
F i s h
&
1.65 ft High Tide: -0.74 ft Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
6:19 am 10:52 am 1:38 pm 10:25 pm
1.59 ft 1.42 ft 1.46 ft -0.65 ft
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
6:40 am 11:11 am 3:10 pm 11:12 pm
1.49 ft 1.26 ft 1.41 ft -0.47 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
7:00 am 11:48 am 4:29 pm 11:57 pm
1.39 ft High Tide: 7:19 am 1.30 ft 1.05 ft Low Tide: 12:31 pm 0.83 ft 1.34 ft High Tide: 5:47 pm 1.24 ft -0.22 ft
-1.0
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Trolling with Chaos Are you sick of heavy pool-cue trolling rods? Sure, they’re tiring to use, but you need to rig up with heavyweights if you want to pull heavy tackle and have a shot at big fish, right? No way— not according to Chaos, which has developed a new line of graphite/glass composite rods that look and feel like peashooters but have the punch of a bazooka. The new Chaos line includes 6-foot, 6-inch and 7-foot models in both spinning and conventional versions. The amazing part: Even though they look and feel like a rod that would traditionally be rated for 17- to 20-pound test, they’re rated for 30 to 60, 60 to 80, and 80 to 100 pounds. I didn’t believe it at first, but when I spooled up with 60-pound braid (these rods were developed specifically for braid, which allows the angler a much higher pound-test than monofilament of the same diameter) and hooked into a 30-pound yellowfin tuna, I discovered these rods are for real. It felt like it had the same backbone and lifting power as a traditional 30- to 60-pound-class rod, at half the weight and diameter. I found these rods ideal for speed-jigging, and unlike some rods intended for this use, the Chaos doesn’t ever bottom-out or reach the end of its arc. While the tip offers some fast-action play, the mid section blends into an aft section that has a ton of backbone. The 30-pound fish, for example, didn’t cause any bend in the rod beyond the lowest guide. The grips are foam, guides are the double-foot style lined with silicon-carbide inserts, and the reel seat is gold and black anodized aluminum. Wraps around the I22
• J U L Y
2 0 0 8 /
T E X A S
F i s h
guides are gold over black, and the wraps near the base are criss-crossed. The butt also has a gimbal so you can use this rod with a harness, or cap it with the rubber end-piece and fish it without one. Chaos rods aren’t ridiculously expensive. Priced at $199, they certainly beat the price of most other rods rated for this weight class. Contact: Chaos Fishing, 877-547-8066, www.chaosrods.com —Lenny Rudow
7Eye Panoptx Windproof Shades If you fish from a high-speed bass boat, kingfish tournament rig, or a powerful bay boat, then you’ve probably experienced some unique problems: bugs or particles whooshing into your eyes, sunglass lenses being sucked out of the frames, or sunglasses being blown completely off your head and overboard are a few that affect most lightning-fast boaters at one time or another. Panoptx has come up with a unique solution to these problems, with the Orbital Seal eyecup.
These foam and plastic inserts (which are removable on most models) form a face-fitting seal 360-degrees around each eye, essentially turning the sunglasses into a pair of mini-goggles. Since air can’t get in around the frames, the glasses won’t be blown off your head and the lenses won’t be sucked out by a negative-pressure zone behind the frames. I tested a pair of the Whirlwind model and found the eyecups surprisingly comfortable and 100-percent effective. Blasting across a reservoir at 70-plus mph in a bass boat, they stayed put and protected my &
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
peepers so well I didn’t even have to squint. Foam-filtered vents allow airflow behind the frames, so fogging isn’t an issue. Popping the insert on and off the frames takes zero effort, thanks to a couple of tabs that fit into slots in the frames. Of course, the design won’t help much if the glasses’ optics aren’t up to snuff. Fortunately, the Whirlwinds are polarized, SPF 100, and are designed to bring out different colors and shades in the water. The NXT lenses are tough, too—so tough, they come with a lifetime guarantee against breakage. They’re made with a water shedding coating so you won’t have to slow down and wipe them off every time a little spray comes over the bow. Frames are available in Dark Tortoise and Gray Tortoise, and lenses come in copper (best for bringing out color differences in the shallows,) dark tan (also good for bringing out different colors, these lenses grow darker as they’re exposed to more sunlight,) and gray (best for looking deep into blue offshore waters). Eyewear like this doesn’t come cheap, and these sunglasses range from $125 to $250. But if you want serious eye protection while running at highway speeds and you don’t want to put on a helmet or switch between glasses and goggles, the Whirlwinds are a great option. Contact: 7Eye, 925-484-0292, www.7eye.com —LR
Purosol Marine Optic Cleaner Sick and tired of looking through smudged LCD screens and fingerprinted scopes? Me, too, but you can’t simply wipe down delicate, optically coated surfaces like these with household cleaners and a rag. You’ve never seen a cleaner designed specif-
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ically for these surfaces? I hadn’t either until Origin Laboratories came out with Purosol Sports/Marine optics molecular lens and screen cleaner. This enzyme-based cleaner breaks down organic salts, dirt, and grime on a molecular level. It has no ammonia, solvents, or alcohol, which can harm some optically coated surfaces by eating away at the anti-glare coatings, and is non-toxic. To test it, I kept a bottle in the glove box of my 28-foot McKee Craft Express project boat this season, and regularly used it to wipe down the screen on a Northstar fish-finder/GPS. It took off the fingerprints and salty crust with ease, and the screen still looks like it did when the unit originally came out of the box. It also did the trick for cleaning up my binoculars, camera lenses, and sunglasses. The formula neutralizes static, too, so the surfaces stayed dust-free longer than usual. Contact: Origin Laboratories, 626-568-1100, www.purosol.com —LR
Pro TEC 30+ Sunscreen Are all suntan lotions of the same SPF equal? No, and if you put in long hours in the sun, you already know this to be true. The sun takes a serious toll on your skin, and Pro TEC 30+ is designed to provide the protection you need. But, does the stuff really work better than other lotions? Ask the Navy Seals—they choose to use it. Pro TEC 30+ (with an SPF of 30, which means you can remain in the sun 30 times longer than you could if unprotected) has micronized titanium dioxide, which blocks out both UVA and UVB rays. It’s waterproof and sweatproof, and includes moisturizers to keep your skin in top shape. It doesn’t have any fillers, and there are no barrier-type ingredients (such as mineral oil, talc, or beeswax) that you find in some competing products, which can cause clogging of the pores and imbalance in the skin. When we tried it out, we found that it did
an excellent job and kept our skin from feeling dried out and scorched, even after full days on the bay. The only gripe I have is that it takes a long time to wipe on, and remains white unless you really rub it around for a while. It’s also pretty expensive at $19.95 for 8 ounces. Still, the stuff was impressive enough that it’s worth the extra cost and effort. My kids spent hours dip-netting critters on a sandbar, and I never had to worry about them getting fried in the mid-day sun. Plus, we never had any problem with burning eyes or skin irritation. Unlike most suntan lotions, the Pro TEC doesn’t make your fingers feel slimy for the rest of the day, and the company offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. Contact: Pro2H Products, 800-3973725, www.pro2hproducts.com —LR
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Bob Builds a Jackplate for All Boats Engineers at Bob’s Machine Shop have developed a product that all boaters can use. With a maximum engine rating of 40 hp, BMS’s hydraulic kicker jackplate provides slow-speed power for cruisers, auxiliary power for sailboats and trolling power for fishermen. Sailboat skippers will appreciate the
Kicker Jack
jackplate’s ability to reduce engine drag while under sail. For economy, powerboaters can fire up their kicker for no-wake
Husky Gear Box Husky Liners is proud to introduce its newest product line: the Husky Gear Box for full size pickups. Applications include part #09001, 2007-08 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab; #09011, 2007-08 Silverado Extended Cab; #09201, 2004-08 Ford F150 Super Crew; #09401, 2002-08 Dodge Ram Quad Cab. Custom fit design to specifically fit your pickups area underneath the rear seat. Large capacity, removable dividers help keep you organized, store all those items you just can’t keep contained. The Gear Box is conI24
• J U L Y
2 0 0 8 /
T E X A S
F i s h
zones, slow cruising or when navigating shallow backwaters. And, the jack provides anglers with the option of using just one motor for trolling and main power. The kicker jack is built with 6061 T-6 aircraft-grade aluminum to ensure high strength with minimal weight. All of Bob’s Machine’s hydraulic jackplate motors are mounted inside the boat for long life and easy maintenance. An optional wireless control kit allows the skipper to operate the jackplate remotely with a small key fob from anywhere on the boat. Retail price of Bob Machine Shop’s patent pending, hydraulic kicker jackplate is $1,199. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty on the structure. Contact Bob’s Machine Shop at 4314 Raleigh St. Tampa, FL 33619. Phone: 813-247-7040; Fax: 813-247-7041; email: info@bobsmachine.com; www.bobsmachine.com.
Like a Bypass for Your Cooler The Nomor-Clog is a unique new product that will prevent your cooler drain form structed of heavy duty co-extruded material with a slip resistant outer layer and a tough and rugged inner layer. Rubberized non-slippery surface minimizes cargo shifting, available in black color. Easy to install and made in the USA.
No matter what you have in your cooler, it won’t clog the drain with Nomor-Clog installed. ever being blocked, guaranteed under normal use. Like numerous others, the inventor, a native Southeast Texan and avid outdoorsman, became frustrated with his cooler drain clogging while processing his game. After extensive experimentation with different applications, the Nomor-Clog was conceived. No more digging through an ice clod cooler to unstop your drain just to have it stop up again immediately. There are 28 million fisherman, 14 million hunters, 43 million tent campers, and over 6 million overnight hikers in the US that will benefit from our new product, not to mention individuals that just want to have a trouble free cooler. Visit the Husky Liner website at www.huskyliners.com for a current application listing and information on our many other products. Contact: Winfield Consumer Products, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Winfield, KS 67156 Phone: 800344-8759.
Husky Gear Box custom fits Chevy, Ford and Dodge trucks
&
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
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The Nomor-Clog is made of the same food safe plastic that your cooler drain is made from, and is very simple to install. . It is a two part device that attaches using the existing drain assembly included in all Igloo, Rubbermaid, and Coleman draining coolers. Though made for easy removal for cleaning, the Nomor-Clog locks tight and stays put even while being transported. The Nomor-Clog is your cooler drain solution! Email address: nomor-clogman@windstream.net Website: www.nomor-clog.com.
Walker’s Game Ear Hears in HD Walker’s, the shooting and hunting industry pioneer in hearing protection, continues to expand their line of units while enhancing sound clarity through the use of Digital Technology. The HD circuitry
provides a higher quality of distortionfree sound to your ears while
Walker’s Game Ear II HD goes digital. decreasing circuit noise. With increased sensitivity, better hearing and more accurate sounds are reproduced. There are several models available from the digital BTE (behind the ear) Game Ear HD to the Power Muffs Digital Quad. With an ergonomic design, the BTE fits comfortably behind either ear and can be used with or without eyeglasses. Weighing less than 1/4 ounce, you hardly notice it is there. The replaceable foam earpiece eliminates wind noise and protects the ear from loud sounds. It works in concert with the Sound-Activated Compression (SAC) circuitry to give you a Noise Reduction Rating of 29db, protecting your hearing from muz-
zle blast. Walker’s Game Ear HD increases hearing up to 7 times and has 48 dB of power with a pre-set high frequency response circuit. This is a Digital High Definition unit with emphasis on high frequency sounds, which are the sounds we need to hear when we are in the woods. For more information on these and other Walker’s products, go to www.walkersgameear.com.
New SportPort Dock Adjusts to Your Needs SportPort Docking Systems, Inc. announces the release of the 500 Series Docking System. After several years of design development and testing, SportPort announces the release of their latest and greatest docking system. “These new products incorporate all the changes and improvements we’ve been
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dreaming of for some time. Many of the features came from suggestions from our customer base. We’re just trying to give people what they want” said Dave Rueckert, President of SportPort The new system provides modularity and flexibility unequaled in prior models. SportPort customers can now add extra walk space and even access piers basically
Sport Port 500 Series Docking System.
any way they want. The 500 Series System claims to be the only unsinkable modular system on the market due to its foam-core technology.
For a complete list of features visit SportPort’s newwebsite, www.sportport.com or call 888/WHY-WORK (949-9675) Sportport Docking Systems, Inc., 18860 Loxahatchee River, Jupiter, FL 33458.
Wavewalk Improves a Winning Design Wavewalk has introduced a new, redesigned version of its patented W Fishing Kayak. The new design features a lower and sturdier spray deflector, a preparation for a universal, multi purpose cockpit cover for rough water and weather, and detachable side floatation modules that help prevent
overturning as well as facilitate recovery. In addition, the W comes equipped with
W KAYAK SPECKS: L = 124” H = 18” W = 25” Weight: 56 lbs Material: Polyethylene Blend Colors: Yellow and Dark Green Price: $1,058 for the F2 model, which is equipped with 2 flush mounted rod holders.
four internal floatation modules. The W Fishing Kayak offers both pad-
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dling and fishing standing in full confidence, even in moving water. W kayak fishermen benefit from the ability to switch anytime between four basic ergonomic positions (standing, riding, sitting and kneeling), and numerous intermediary positions. The W can fit more than one passenger, and offers the ability to go over submerged obstacles in shallow water, as well as to launch and beach in extreme water and terrain conditions. Website: www.wavewalk.com Tel: 617-916-2250
tery Bug website: www.batterybug.com. (401)-398-2959.
Truck Covers USA Gets to Work
Truck Covers USA introduces the 2008 American Work Cover. With new innovative features & products, Truck Covers USA sets itself apart from the competition. After seeing the number of requests rapidly growing for the American Roll Cover to be modified to fit a particular truck bed along with an existing toolbox and realizing the niche in the market – research and development began. Two much needed products are now combined for the ideal work truck combination that makes a marriage of the For most of us, the inner workings of highest product qualities. This multifuncbatteries are a complete mystery. Yet we all tional product was engineered & designed depend on these black boxes to start and run with the work truck and style in mind – a our cars, trucks, 4x4s, boats, R/Vs, must have for any work truck. Product and campers. More often features include not only the than not, our batteries superior construction do their job – but of the American we have no way to Roll Cover itself, The predict when they’re going to but a heavy-duty galvanized Battery Bug stop. sheet metal sectioned toolbox; rust The battery most of us use on a preventative properties; space saving daily basis is a starting battery, which deliv- design; OEM grade locking mechanism like ers a burst of electricity for a short period of no other; cargo lighting options & 2 sliding time – hopefully long enough to start the car. trays. The American Work Cover enhances An interesting device called the Bat- the look of any work truck with convenience tery Bug - Starting Battery Monitor (SBM) by Argus Analyzers attaches directly to your car’s starting battery, tests your battery every start, tracks the battery’s decline in health, and sounds an alarm when the battery approaches end-of-life. In other words, it tells you precisely when your battery needs to be replaced – not too early, not too late. At $39, it’s reasonably priced peace of mind. For deep-cycle batteries providing power to run lights, electronics, and trolling motors, the Argus Battery Bug - Deep 2008 American Work Cover Cycle Monitor (DCM) continuously tests the battery’s health, and displays battery and ease of use. A truck cover that really age and charge level. For the first time ever, works! Truck Covers USA, San Diego, CA the battery’s lifespan is no longer a mystery. Phone: 858-622-9135 The DCM, which can be reset and used on www.truckcoversusa.com. multiple batteries, retails for $109 – a sound investment in your battery’s state of health and your state of mind. Don’t let a dying battery put a damper on your summer activities. Visit the Bat-
Don’t be Sidelined by Dead Batteries
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LMC Marine Adds New Location
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MC MARINE IN HOUSTON CONTINUES TO grow and add new laurels to its reputation. The multi boat dealer is adding a new location close to the coastal waters in Clear Lake. The new location opened June 1, 2008. The new store at 2332 NASA Road 1 has more than 7800 square feet of showroom, plus service and parts areas. You could say the new LMC Marine is close to
saltwater fishing boats in sizes from small runabouts to offshore cruisers. We have a full service department, full sales staff, and Yamaha, Suzuki, and Mercury outboard engines. We are an extension of the north Houston store, the same capabilities, just farther south. “There is a definite demand for the new location. A lot of our sales are down in this area. We are the only Triton, only Explorer, and Bayliner dealer in the area. It’s just a matter of supply and demand.” Williams brings more than seven years of boating sales experience and dealer management to LMC. He worked for Tracker Marine for 7-1/2 years, opening the boat portion of the Bass Pro Shops in Katy, as well as helping set up boat operations in several other new Bass Pro locations. LMC Marine sales and service accomplishments for 2007 include a Sales Excellence Award from Wellcraft; the Number
“We carry just about every model of boat that Triton makes: bass boats, offshore boats, bay boats, aluminum bass boats, and pontoon boats,” said David Christian, owner and general manager for LMC Marine.” One of the biggest changes in the Triton boat line was the revamping of the pontoon boats. Harris Kayot, a high quality pontoon boat manufacturer, and Triton merged in 2007, producing the new Cypress Cay boat line. “Harris had a high end boat, but not a big dealer network,” said Christian. “Triton had a good boat and a large dealer network. Now we have a high end pontoon boat that competes with the Bennington and other boats of this style.” Cypress Cay pontoons by Triton Boats feature a solid fiberglass helm station with built-in cooler, acid-washed pontoons, starboard gates that don’t sacrifice seating
LMC Marine’s new store on NASA Road 1 in Clear Lake.
being a Super Store without officially declaring it. “We have everything in our new location that we have in our north Houston store,” said Jeff Williams, general manager of the Clear Lake location. “We carry everything—Triton bass boats, aluminum boats, pleasure boats, and the Explorer and Triton I28
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One Volume Dealer in the United States for Triton Boats; an Excellence Award from Mercury; and named one of the top 75 dealers for Yamaha in the U.S. The LMC Marine website (www.lmcboats.com) boasts of being the “Largest dealer in the Country” in Triton boats. &
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room, extra-wide four-step boarding ladders, extra-large convertible tops, changing rooms, and porta-potties on most models. “We are also the largest Wellcraft Dealer in Texas,” said Christian. “We are the largest Explorer dealer, and in the last eight months we have picked up the Key West boat line, which has been a great addition, a PHOTO BY JIMMY BORNE
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quality product. You sell it and never have it come back with any problems.” LMC has over 250 boats in stock daily in the two stores and storage areas that LMC maintains. Between the two stores, LMC has over 18,000 square feet of showroom space, 10,000 of it a covered showroom and service area. The company also has an inventory of used boats and motors. Christian, as with many of his employees, are boaters and anglers who know what boaters want and demand. Christian fishes the Redfish Tour, finishing in the top five last year. He, with the help of Triton Boats and Ignition Bass Tournaments, sponsor six Sunday morning bass tournaments at Lake Conroe. “We put together a pretty lucrative program for the anglers,” said Christian. “It’s an every other Sunday team tournament, six total. Typically, the first prize is around $2500, bringing about 80-90 entries per tournament. Because we put together a program with Triton and ourselves, first prize with incentives from Triton and LMC Marine can be in excess of $5000 on every individual tournament.” —Tom Behrens •••
Magic Swimmer Secrets Revealed Thousands of anglers who attended the Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Show last February in Greenville, South Carolina, might not have realized it at that time, but they were treated to a fishing lesson that many of the country’s top pros are probably now wishing they had seen as well. Over the course of the show’s three days, lure designer Patrick Sebile and professional bass angler Jason Williamson demonstrated how to fish the Sebile jointed hard swimbait, the Magic Swimmer. That same Magic Swimmer played a role not just in Williamson’s fifth place finish at the recent BASS Elite Series tournament on Lake Amistad, but also in Todd Faircloth’s win of the event. Faircloth made long casts with the Magic Swimmer and held his rod tip high to “wake” the bait while moving quickly across large flats during practice to get the largemouths to show themselves.
“Sometimes they’d come up and take it, other times they’d just give it a good look,” Faircloth explained. “It wasn’t always the bait I caught my fish on, but it sure told me where I should be spending most of my time to catch the winning weight.” Although the tournament was shortened by one day due to high winds, Faircloth’s three-day winning weight was still an impressive 76 pounds, 15 ounces for 15 fish. At the start of the final day, it was Williamson who was in the lead following a previous day catch of five fish totaling 29 pounds, 13 ounces. He was focusing on channel swing-points that had 50-60 feet of water nearby, and relied on wind or cloud cover for his best success. “I couldn’t believe it when the final day was sunny and calm; my fish just weren’t as cooperative under those conditions,” he said. “It had been so phenomenal. If lots of cover, I’d throw more weedless baits. When in the more open water, I’d throw my Magic Swimmer and use a retrieve exactly like Patrick Sebile and I demonstrated so many times in Sebile’s casting tank at the Classic show. It’s a deadly technique that can’t be done with any other kind of swimbait.” He described the technique as involving a slow-rolling retrieve much like that often used for fishing spinnerbaits in deep water. With the rod tip pointed down and reeling slowly, he would then give the bait a sharp jerk followed immediately by pushing the rod forward to put slack in the line. He explained that the jerk and slack technique causes the bait to turn 180 degrees and “look right at the fish that’s eyeing it.” He said it’s often too much for a bass to resist. For the technique, Williamson prefers to use 15- to 17-pound-test fluorocarbon, and sometimes will add adhesive-type “weights” to the bait’s underside to help it get down a little quicker. Williamson explained that the Magic Swimmer’s shape and three-joint design gives it the most realistic swimming action of anything he’s ever seen: “It can be ‘waked’ on top, slow-rolled into the depths, or ‘burned’ somewhere in between using a high-speed retrieve. However you fish it, it always runs true. That’s a big deal.” Both Williamson and Faircloth used Magic Swimmer model 165 SK, weighing approximately 1.6 ounces and measuring nearly 6 inches in length. “SK” stands for A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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the “slow sinking” property built into all four models of Magic Swimmers. Williamson’s color of choice for Amistad was Perch, while Faircloth went with Natural Shiner and Rainbow Trout. The Magic Swimmer comes in as many as 13 colors, depending on model. The 165 SK retails for around $20. Contact: Sebile USA, 325-437-8103, www.SebileUSA.com
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CZ 550 American Safari Magnum
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SELDOM HAVE MUCH USE FOR A MAGNUM RIFLE, much less for a real dangerous game rifle (DGR) like a .375 H&H Magnum. However, no gun collection is complete without such a cannon. You just never know when you might have elephants or brown bears invading your garden. Besides, if we have a DGR, we must expect to go to some faraway place where they are used, right? And historically, Texans have always been some of the most widely traveled hunters in the world. When I was a kid, I remember reading about Herb Klein, the first winner of the Weatherby Award in 1956, and a homegrown Texan. I have a soft spot in my heart for the old .375 H&H. It might be the perfect allaround rifle for everything from deer to elephants. With a 235-grain bullet, it is a super .30-06, shooting flat enough for use on plains game; with a 300-grain solid, it will absolutely plaster elephant or hippo; shooting 270- or 300-grain soft points, it is probably the best medicine in the world for big bears and lions. The .375 was introduced by Holland and Holland in 1912, but it is still just as full of life and just as efficient now as it was then. In a rifle of sufficient weight and good stock design, it is tame enough for most hunters to shoot without flinching, but is powerful enough to knock the sand out of the largest land animal in the world. There I30
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are many cartridges that are more powerful, but few if any with all the positive attributes of the .375 H&H. I recently sold my old Winchester Model 70 .375 to a fellow who wanted it worse than I did. It wasn’t long before I heard that little voice in my head that said I needed another .375—for what, it didn’t say, but it was very insistent. After a couple of weeks of listening to the voice in my head (one of many, I might add), I called CZ and asked for one of their big Mausers in .375. My real intention was to test the gun, do this article, and then send it back, hoping that the little voice would be satisfied with that. I should have known better. When the gun arrived, my first impression was that it was pretty plain. It is a fairly standard square bridge, magnum-action Mauser with a straight-grained walnut stock. The bluing is nice and the metal work and wood-to-metal fit was adequate to quite good. I mounted an Alpen 2-7X scope on the gun and took it to the bench. First, I bore-sighted the gun; not an easy task with a bore the size of a mineshaft. I finally got the scope and bore looking in the same direction, then fired the first shot. Firing a .375 H&H Magnum off a bench rest is never fun. This one, however, surprised me. Recoil was noticeably less than I expected. The stock is extremely well designed and absorbs recoil like a sponge. The comb is wider than usual and acts as a cushion for the cheekbone, which is where these big guns usually hurt me. Also, the stock seems slightly longer than normal, which keeps the scope away from my eye, and it has a very good recoil pad. In addition, the big gun weighs in at around 10 pounds scoped and loaded, which also lessens felt recoil. I really liked the effect. I got the gun sighted in and fired for effect. The first group, with Federal 270grain soft points, measured right at 2 inches. Now 2 inches at 100 yards is not great by modern standards, but it is plenty good &
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enough for a big magnum rifle with a 2-7X scope, shooting factory ammunition. After a dozen rounds, it was consistently grouping 1-1/2 to 2 inches, and I had had enough for one day. Even the best-designed .375 is no fun off a bench and I was getting a headache. Further shooting during the next few weeks with different loads stayed in the 11/2-inch range, which is very good for a rifle of this caliber, especially with me shooting it. I found that this .375 was much gentler than any other I have ever shot. I was impressed with its ability to attenuate recoil. In fact, from off-hand it was quite pleasant to shoot. I liked it so much that I decided to keep it. The CZ 550 .375 has a single set trigger, but the trigger on mine is good enough that I never use the set feature. Also, the safety on this model is like the standard Remington safety, mounted on the right side at the rear of the bolt with “safe” to the rear and “fire” to the front. It also has integral scope mounts milled from the steel of the action, similar to the way Ruger makes integral mounts. I know of no more solid way to mount a scope short of welding it to the gun. It has a set of folding “express sights” arrayed in a row on the barrel. The cosmetic effect is attractive and lends an air of Old World charm, a la Stewart Granger in “King Solomon’s Mines.” Also, you never know when you might need a set of backup sights, and in situations where you are expecting to come face to face with a ton or more of angry quadruped at a distance of a few feet, a gun without a scope sitting on top is quicker to point and shoot like a shotgun. This CZ 550 American Safari Magnum is a well-made, well-designed gun. If you are in the market for a .375, this is a great choice. Retail is right around a thousand dollars, but most gun shops will sell it for a bit less. It is a solid, good-looking, dependable rifle that would be right at home in a safari camp gun rack or a Kodiak bear camp. —Steve LaMascus
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A Different Kind of Trophy
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WENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD GLENN ELLER OF Katy, Texas, has his eye on a trophy—one made of Olympic gold.
Eller is headed to the 2008 Beijing Olympics as the only Texas member of the
U.S. shooting team in the Double Trap shotgunning competition. Shooting has been Eller’s passion since he was about eight years old. While at Taylor High School in Katy, he completed his academic requirements by the start of his junior year. He received a work release from Katy ISD so he could train for the Olympics during his junior and senior years,
by Tom Behrens making the 2000 Olympic team and finishing 12th. “I played baseball and football as a youth, but I really loved shooting. I shot sporting clays for many years,” said Eller. His father built a shooting range on the
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family’s property near New Ulm so they could shoot. What really elevated Glenn’s sights was when his family went to the Olympic games to watch a family friend from England shoot. A list of his shooting accomplishments includes four National Championships in Trap shooting in 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2006. On the international side of the sport, he won World Championships in 2003 with a score of 192-200 and a silver medal in 2002 with a score of 188-200. In 2006, a friend talked him into enlisting in the U.S. Army. He is now a member of the Army Marksmanship Team stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Jeff Holguin and Josh Richmond, also members of the Team, qualified for the Olympics, but only Eller
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Special Hunting Section
Trophy Fever
and Holguin will make the trip to Beijing; Richmond will fill the roll of alternate. Holquin and Richmond are not from Texas. “Jeff and Josh earned a slot, but you have to shoot a qualifying score even to be able to participate in the Olympics,” said Dan Carlisle, the team’s shooting coach. “Qualifying slots are earned by winning top honors in a World Championship and a qualifying score of 600-700. There might be as many as four or five World Championship shooting matches in the year leading up to the Olympics. Five or six guys were shooting for those two slots. Jeff and Glenn made the team. Josh is the alternate. “This year, we are shooting well. As a coach, I have been with these boys a lot and I have never seen anything like it; they are shooting so well, 47 out of 50 birds.”
International Style Trap Shooting Olympic trap and skeet shooting follows International style rules. There are two categories of trap shooting: American and International. Most of the shooters from around the world shoot International style, while most U.S. shooters shoot American
style. Carlisle likes to cite the following example: “There are 1 million International style shooters in Italy, and 200 International style shooters in all of the United States. Most American shooters don’t want to shoot it. International trap is harder. “In International style, the targets are a lot faster. In skeet, you shoot doubles in every position; in Glenn Eller sharpens American skeet, his trap shooting you shoot them on skills at his family four positions versus property. He is eight. In Interna- aiming for a gold tional trap, the clay medal at the 2008 birds are doing Beijing Olympics. about 60-80 miles per hour out of the box, and have to travel 72 meters. In American trap, it’s the same height, a 22-degree angle. In International, it is a 45-degree angle, which makes it tougher.
“In American doubles trap, it’s the same pair from every position; in Olympics, there’s three separate pairs, three separate settings. You have to be proficient in every one of the settings. The birds are going different places every time. It is a much easier softer game in American style.” When asked about his shooting strengths and his chances at the 2008 Olympics, Eller said: “Saying what your strengths are is hard. Everyone has their own thing. I’m kind of flying by wire. Once I get everything condensed down into my head and it’s working, I’ve got it. You can’t beat me. When I don’t have it, I am still hanging in, picking up medals. “As far as the Olympics, honestly, shooting is so fickle. We know who the top players are, but it’s really a tough game. Anyone at the Olympics can have their best day and win.” After the 2008 Olympics are over, Eller said he is considering reenlisting for another tour of duty, “for at least another shot at the Olympics.”
Jeff Holguin (left), Glenn Eller, and Josh Richmond, members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Team, will represent the U.S. in Double Traps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I32
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PHOTOS BY TOM BEHRENS
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Mountain Home Lion
TF&G FIRST
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IM CAPEHEART AND HIS NEIGHBORS IN Mountain Home, Texas, knew they had a problem. Jim was losing deer and suspected that a complete fawn crop was wiped out. His neighbor lost 38 head of sheep and goats. So they called in their first line of defense, the Wildlife Damage Management Service, and went to work on what they thought was a severe coyote problem. The government trapper, Keith Adams, set snares and showed the ranchers how to check them. The Kramer Ranch is 900 acres in the rolling hills on the divide between the Llano and Guadalupe Rivers. The ranch is cordoned by a 9-foot net wire fence, and Capeheart has been manually ridding the property of cedar. “It’s a beautiful place that belonged to my father-in-law,” said Capeheart. “Now, my wife and her two sisters own the ranch and we all pitch in with the work. The ranch is covered with grass and every type of oak tree.” On April 12, Capeheart was making his rounds on horseback, his ridgeback dogs following along. “For awhile, the horses had been acting funny at particular parts of the pasture,” he told me. “We didn’t know what was wrong. We’d been catching some coyotes but didn’t have any idea that there was a mountain lion in the area. “When we saw that there was something in the snare, we first thought it was a deer. But then when we got closer, we saw that it was a lion. We were careful going up to it. The trapper said that they usually climb over high fences, but we figured this cat was chasing something and went under the PHOTOS COURTESY OF JIM CAPEHEART
Comparing the cat’s paw to a man’s hand gives some idea of scale—this was one big tabby. fence. It must have been winded because it didn’t thrash or fight too hard. The snare was set for coyotes and it wasn’t actually set stout enough to hold a mountain lion. “It was a big mature male, and we measured it at 6 feet, 4 inches long. It also weighed between 140 and 160 pounds. The cat was aged at seven years old. “Before we caught the cat, all we’d A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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noticed was the coyote sign. Now, we figure that the cat was killing its game and burying it. Then the coyotes would come along and eat the rest of the kill. This was probably necessitating the cat to kill more often.” Now that this particular mountain lion has been trapped, Capeheart has been getting reports of more lions being seen in the nearby areas around Hunt and Kerrville. “According to the trapper, lions travel in a 40to 70-mile territory. Sometimes their circuits may overlap and there could be confrontations between dominant males. This cat was the first we’ve seen on our ranch in 12 years. But we think there could be other cats around and it’s possible that a younger male might move in to take this male’s place.” There are no seasons on animals listed as predators in Texas. Since this mountain lion was caught by a government trapper, the dead animal became property of the state and will probably be donated to a local university. Capeheart runs about 70 cows on the Kramer Ranch, and said that he noticed no livestock depredation on his property. “I guess it was too easy for the cat to kill deer, sheep, and goats. But the other day we had some rain and I noticed a set of about five tracks in the mud around a water trough. Those tracks looked identical to the ones that we found the lion had made…it made a little chill run down my back.” —Herman W. Brune
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Practice Makes Almost Perfect
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T ONE TIME, MY FRIENDS CONSIDERED ME the biggest procrastinator in the country. My wife thinks I still am, but I have tried to improve in that depart-
ment. I can say one thing for sure: If the opportunity arises, I will be in the woods hunting deer or whatever is in season at the time. That is a commitment I will keep. We all have good intentions to do what needs to be done around the house, as well as in our everyday lives—make sure the oil in the pickup gets changed, have the wife’s car inspected, fix the bathroom sink, practice shooting the bow, sharpen the blades on the lawn mower... Hold it! Back up! Practice shooting the bow? How many of us actually plan a time to practice? As the deer season looms closer, most of us will decide to get the cobwebs off our bows and start shooting. Veteran bowhunters know that when the moment of truth is upon you, the shot needs to be second nature. By that I mean it is something so natural that you need not worry about guessing distances, anchor points, or followthrough. Believe me, you will have enough on your mind trying to concentrate on keeping your eyes off the whole animal and just picking a spot. If you haven’t started practicing yet, it is time to get serious and start shooting. I34
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It is not going to do you much good to practice if you do not have good shooting form. Make sure that you have a veteran bowhunter with you while you shoot, or go to your local bow shop and get some instruction from them. Take it from a procrastinator from way back: If it is something that is not fun, you will not want to do it. Make it fun, but first, make it safe. It is always better to practice with a few bowhunting friends. Spend a few hours together and turn it into a competition. When I wore a younger man’s clothes, I played a game called “pig” with a basketball. Someone would make a shot and the other players would have to follow the exact shot and make it, or take a letter from “pig.” When you spelled “pig,” you were eliminated. Try that with a bow. You will be amazed how many positions one can be in and still shoot a bow. Before too long, you will be proficient on your knees, or with your back to the target and your body twisted around, on one leg. You get the picture. There are plenty of targets with a 12inch circle for the bull’s eye. Remember, the smaller the target, the more you will concentrate on the shot. Blow up a party balloon to about 10 inches. Shoot at that for a while. As you improve, make the balloon smaller and smaller until you are shooting at nothing but a balloon that has no air in it at all. Before long, your bull’s eye will be no larger than a match book cover, and you will be the envy of your friends who do not practice as much as you. It is never a good idea to shoot at the same distance each time you loose an arrow. Even though most of the targets you shoot are set at or near 20 yards, the deer might not know that and decide to be 33 yards away. The point is to shoot unknown distances and get used to visualizing what different yardage looks like. Practice in the woods and in an open field. You will find that without the benefit of trees as points of reference, it is much more difficult to cor&
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rectly estimate the distance of your target. When it comes to the actual hunt, shoot only up to your known accuracy range. This will vary with each individual. For some, the distance might be 10 yards, while for others it is 40 yards. Whatever that number is, stick to it and do not be tempted to take a shot that you have not practiced. For some reason, many novice bowhunters think this is a macho sport. Nothing can be farther from the truth. A bow set at 45 pounds is just as deadly as one set at 70 pounds. It remains a question of what you are comfortable drawing with as little movement as possible. A good measure of this is to sit down and slowly draw your bow. If it is at all difficult, then you should consider taking the weight down a bit. Practice while wearing the clothes you intend to hunt in. It gets hot in Texas and to wear fall clothes in the heat of summer is not practical. However, you should devote some time to shooting while wearing heavier hunting clothes. You will soon discover any flaws in your shooting form and have time to correct them. Success in the field depends on how well prepared you are. One thing is for sure—no matter how much you practice, every once in a while, you will have an off day. That is the reason for the “almost” bit in the title. Hunting would not be much fun if you were successful every time you went afield, but by practicing well before the season, you tip the odds in your favor. E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com. PHOTO BY LOU MARULLO
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HOG—BERGHEIM, TEXAS
DEER—ROBERT LEE, TEXAS
Landry Walthall, age 6, of Whitehouse, Texas, killed his first hog at Owl Spring Ranch in Bergheim, Texas. He took the 250-pound hog with a .22250.
Avery Komarek, of Haslet, Texas, took her first deer at Wildcat Mountain Resort in Robert Lee, Texas, while hunting with her dad, Dale. The deer grossed 117 B/C and weighed 161 pounds before field dressing.
BLACKBUCK—LAMPASAS, TEXAS
BUCK—DOSS, TEXAS
TURKEY—ATASCOSA COUNTY, TEXAS
Garrett Wallis, 11 years old, of Houston, Texas, Trevor Spinn killed his first deer, an 8-point buck, killed this blackbuck at Horseshoe Falls Ranch in in Mason County, north of Doss, Texas. Lampasas, Texas. He shot the blackbuck at 12 5 yards with a .243.
GOT BUCKS? GOT HOGS? GOT TURKEYS? GOT BANDED DUCKS?
If so, we need photos and hunting stories for our new TROPHY FEVER SPECIAL SECTION. Send pics and hunting tales to : TROPHY FEVER SPECIAL SECTION 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032 or by email: photos@fishgame.com.
Logan Alexander, age 11, of Dickinson, Texas, bagged his first spring gobbler in Atascosa County. The turkey sported 1-1/4-inch spurs and had a 10-1/2-inch beard.
PLEASE INCLUDE PHOTO CAPTION: NAME HOMETOWN WHEN & WHERE TAKEN SIZE AND WEIGHT
(Please include “Trophy Fever” in the subject.) A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Going Overboard
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HAVE CAPTAINED BOATS MORE THAN TWO decades for work, play, and even for the government. I have had to pull away from dock in thunderstorms, tidal surges, galeforce winds, you name it. I’ve had two crewmates plucked off the deck by the Coast Guard, transferred passengers and gear from one moving boat to another, and run 50-foot gaps between rock jetties in fog so thick we never even saw them with our eyes. As the years have passed, one thing has become clear: the older I get, the more cautious I become. I don’t push the safety envelope, and I’d rather stay on shore than test my mettle in rough seas—been there, done that, and my back can’t take it these days. Through all of these events and adventures, I never lost a single person over the side. Not once. No
men went overboard, and it was a record I was proud of. Now, here is the weird thing: In the past few years, while I have been writing fulltime and have not captained a boat for pay, I have had four people go overboard. What gives? How could someone go for so long without a single incident, then in such a short time have it happen multiple times? The answers are not simple, but if you consider them closely, they might help you avoid the same situations. See if you can find the common thread.
He-He-Splash!
My first man-overboard was my son, David, who was five years old at the time. Fortunately, we were in utterly perfect, beautiful conditions—no waves, no current, sitting at anchor on a placid bay. He was leaning over the rail, lifting his feet up to get a better look over the side, violating one of our cardinal rules on the boat: keep your feet on the deck at all times. I growled at him to stop leaning over the side, but guess I didn’t growl firmly enough
because he just smiled at me, and giggled twice. Then gravity overcame his five-year-old balancing skills and he somersaulted headover-heels over the rail and into the water. Splash! I reached over the side, grabbed him by the life jacket, and swung him back onboard before his clothes had even soaked all the way through.
C-C-C-Cold
The second time I watched a guy go overboard came while testing a boat on the Rappahannock River in Virginia, in late November. It was a wind-free, absolutely beautiful if somewhat chilly day, and by “chilly” I mean snow flurries on and off. After running our boat test numbers, we decided to spend some time trolling for striper, but first we had to deploy the telescopic outriggers. The boat manufacturer rep, a guy well versed in the ways of the sea, stepped up on the gunwale and grabbed an outrigger to adjust it. Unfortunately, it had been mounted improperly and when he grabbed the rigger, it slid right out of the mount. Thrown off-balance, he tumbled over the side. My heart went right into my throat; we don’t have to deal with freezing cold water and hypothermia too often here in Texas, but the river water in Virginia at this time of year was in the lower 40s or upper 30s, and mere minutes in such cold water can easily kill. Luckily, he never let go of the outrigger, and its lines were still attached to the gunwale halyard. After stopping the boat and shifting into neutral, I pulled him to the boat and he was able to re-board.
Handy Man
Picture a twin-outboard boat 35 miles off the coast, on the troll for bluefin tuna. The weather is spectacular and the conditions are positively beautiful. We land a nice one, enjoy a round of high-fives, and after the fish is gutted and iced, decide to head back to the inlet. It is fairly late in the day and many of the other boats that were working this school are already running for port. I start plotting the course for I36
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home as we putt along, still at trolling speed. While I am hunched over the chartplotter, I hear a big splash, then yells from the crew. One of the guys fell overboard. After stopping the boat’s forward motion, we just sat tight as he swam back to the boat. With a hand from the other guys, he climbed back aboard. Later, he told us he was leaning over the side to wash his hands off in the ocean, and when a boat wake hit the hullside, he simply lost his balance. Have you noticed a common theme yet?
Seaweed Survivor
A neighbor and his seven-year-old son have joined my family for a day of fishing. We have been blessed with sunny skies, a dead wind, glassy-calm seas, and plenty of bites. We were sitting at anchor, catching snapper off a wreck, but the bite slowed down to almost nothing as the tide changed. The kids started to get bored, and my neighbor’s son busied himself by scooping bits of seaweed out of the water with a dip net. One particularly attractive chunk of seaweed floated past just out of reach, so the boy stretched out to scoop
it. He overextended himself and fell right over the side. Luckily, his father was no more than a foot away, so he simply reached over and hoisted the boy back onto the boat. What is the common thread? One factor was constant in each of these events: The conditions were stellar—no wind, no waves, and the evidence shows that this leads people to be a little less careful. In three out of the four events, the people who fell overboard were intentionally leaning over the side in the first place. In the other situation, it was calm enough that an experienced mariner felt able to stand up on the gunwale while the boat was moving. Who hasn’t been lulled into a false sense of security at one time or another? We are all guilty of it, but as captain, you have to recognize when this is happening. Ask yourself: Are people holding on to grab rails? Are they paying attention to incoming waves or boat wakes? Do they take their time when they are using a knife to cut bait? Are they stretching out and reaching over the side without taking appropriate precautions? If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” then you have to step in and fill the safety gap. Mention how a
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boat wake can suddenly catch you off guard, and ask people to hold on as they move about. If you see someone stretching over the side to wash their hands, ask another crewmember to “spot” him and be prepared to grab his belt if he loses his balance. And remember: the nicer it is, the more likely a boater is to become overconfident or even careless. There is another lesson in these man-overboard situations: In the first and fourth case, the “man” was a boy. Instructing children to not lean over the side does not necessarily solve the problem, as I found out first-hand. Of course, both of these children were wearing life jackets. Have you ever thought this was a rule you can afford to neglect? Then you had better think again. Kids are more likely to go overboard simply because they have not fully developed their sense of balance. On top of that, they naturally want to lean over the side and look at or into the water. If you have kids aboard and they start to get bored, or you see them starting to lean over the gunwales, there is an easy solution: distract them. Fill the livewell or place a five-gal-
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Leashed Ling
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HIS IS A NEAR-SURFACE PRESSURE application that also works in some deeper situations. Near the surface to, say, 30 feet down, is the ling’s strike area. I came up with this pressure application in May of 1994; at the time, it just seemed the natural thing to do. It brought a 78-pound ling to the gaff about a minute after the hookup, and I have since used it on numerous occasions over the years on many ling from 35 to 65 pounds. Before getting into the fight tactic, I would like to emphasize the importance of a properly set, smooth operating drag. A setting that is about 30 percent of the line’s rated strength is a good number to shoot for. Set the drag using a securely anchored,
accurate scale, line loaded reel on the rod, line through the guides, and tied to the scale with the rod loaded at about a 70degree angle. Before getting into the line pressure reversal procedure, here are a few clarifications of some of the terms used: “Short stroking” is just what it sounds like, short rod strokes are designed to move the fish toward you just a bit, therefore the half turn of the reel handle. With faster fish movement toward you, make more turns of the reels handle. The “Arc Swing” is a very fast, shallow, 20-degree angle left or right motion of your rod. During the entire fight, including the “arc swings,” the rod never comes fully out of compression; the rod is always loaded from slightly to all you can put on it. Immediately after that hookup at (1) on the illustration, apply right side, horizontal
rod pressure using that 30 percent of line’s rated strength. The ling will come to near the surface, usually at an early point in the pulling. As the ling passes in front of you at (2), immediately “arc swing” switch to a left side horizontal pull. With each side pull, you should be gaining line. Start with “short stroking” rod pumps and half turns of your reel handle. The vast majority of the time the ling will respond, turn, and start swimming opposite to the pull, all the while coming closer to the boat. At (3), reverse the side pressure to the right;
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ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK LEMIRE
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All-around Catfish Rig
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T NEVER FAILS THAT IN THE HEAT OF THE summer, our thoughts turn to catfish. Even though the second most popular game fish in the state readily bites yearround, we seem to forget about whiskerfish
until the kids are out of school and the mercury is hovering around the century mark. Right now, some eclectic anglers are putting away their bass plugs and grabbing stinkbait, and perhaps wondering what is the best method for presenting it to hungry cats. There is one simple rig that can be used to fish for catfish from the bank, while drifting, or even in heavy currents, and all it takes is a simple change in the sinker. Most have heard of the Carolina or fishfinder rig. It consists of a slip weight on the main line followed by a barrel swivel attached to a short leader and hook. This rig with one small change can be used just about anywhere and with any bait. The first step is to tie the main line to a barrel swivel with a Palomar knot without first sliding in a sinker. Instead of clipping the tag end of the line short, leave it long. In fact, tie it so that the tag end is at least a foot long. In most cases, this tag end of the line is pointless, but in this rig, it is a vital eleILLUSTRATION BY PAUL BRADSHAW
ment and is what helps to make it so versatile. To the other end of the swivel, tie on a 2to 3-foot monofilament leader. Make the leader from line with a slightly lower breaking strength than your main line. This weaker leader will break before the main line, so if you get hung, you lose only the leader and not the entire rig. On the other end of the leader, tie on a hook. If I am using cut bait, I prefer a circle or Kahle hook. For night crawlers, I use a standard J-hook, and a treble for dough-type bait.
Okay, so where is the weight? This is where that tag end of the line we didn’t trim comes into play. The free-floating tag end is used to connect the weight, and depending on which type of weight is used, you can use this rig for various methods of catfishing. A popular method for anglers in boats is to drift at night. If you use this rig for drift-
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ing, instead of tying a single weight on the end of the tag line, crimp on a few bullet weights. The faster you are drifting, the more weights are needed. These weights will slide along the bottom, and if the weights hang in brush, the split shot will slide off the end of the line, reducing breakoffs. For bank fishing, tie on a pyramid weight and you can cast way out into likely spots before putting the rod in a holder. If you are after river cats in a swift current, use a flat, no-roll sinker to hold the bait in place. Catfish get very big, pull hard, and often live in places unfriendly to fishing lines. Due to this, you need to use heavy line. Start with 20-pound monofilament and go up from there. Serious catfish anglers use braided lines in the 50- to 80-pound range. E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com
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Yakking It Up
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HE ROCKPORT-FULTON CHAMBER OF Commerce holds a love fest called “Spring Fling” every year for outdoor writers. During the two-day event, writers get to sample the outstanding fishing, food, and hospitality of the Coastal Bend. Alan Ray Moers proposed the idea to the chamber 25 years ago, and four writers attended the inaugural event; 25 outdoor writers attended this year’s event. Rockport has always held a special place in my heart. My family made their first trip in 1958 when I was just a pup. I have logged multiple trips per year since. My child bride quickly fell in love with Rockport 28 years ago, and my sons often dream of living there. The fishing and friendliness hasn’t changed in half a decade, but the type of
boats we fish from has. Kayaks are now a mainstream alternative to center consoles. With gas averaging $3.50 per gallon, I am getting quite a few more emails about recommendations as to what kayak to buy. Anecdotal evidence of kayaking’s rise in popularity was not hard to find. Cars ferrying plastic boats around Rockport were everywhere. This year’s Spring Fling featured a large number of vendors showing off their wares, and those catering to kayakers were conspicuous by their numbers. Bill Brigman, owner of Yak-Gear, was on hand showing off his line of kayak accessories. Kayakers are notorious for customizing their hulls, drilling holes, adding accessories, even jerry-rigging harnesses and rigging. Brigman, a devoted kayak angler, realized that many kayakers had to scrounge around hardware stores to come up with all the parts to customize their boats, so he launched Yak-Gear. Now, kayakers can buy simple kits with everything for a particular job. For instance, if you want to add some pad eyes to your hull, Yak-Gear has a pad eye kit complete with eyes and the right type of fasteners.
Yak-Gear started with a small line of paddle leashes and fastener kits, but now offers a wide range of great accessories to trick out your kayak, including: a pontoon system so you can stand up in your kayak and cast a fly rod, anchor trolley systems, and stake-out poles. Yak-Gear products are available at most kayak shops and Academy stores. Roy Sanders loves to sight-cast to cruising trout and tailing reds in skinny water. Sanders is also an avid surfer. Blending his two passions, he developed the Flatstalker. This unique craft looks like a surfboard on steroids. The long, flat hull provides enough buoyancy to hold two people, and the removable seat, which doubles as an ice chest/storage compartment, is sturdy enough to stand on, giving you some height advantage to help spot distance fish. The Flatstalker can be propelled several ways. It comes with an extra long paddle. The extra length is needed because you are sitting on an elevated seat rather than at water level as with traditional kayaks. The paddle can also be used as a push pole. The Flatstalker also has a bracket on the stern for an electric trolling motor, should you wish to
SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS Continued from Page I-38 at this point you should be getting more than a reel handle turn per rod pump. (4) is left pressure, (5) is right pressure, (6) left, (7) your ling should be coming to the gaff or very near to it, below you at boatside; the gaff or gaffs had best be ready to strike. Missing this gaffing opportunity usually changes the fight to a deeper and long one. If you coax the ling back to the near surface area, try to start the line pressure reversal again. How much pressure you put on the ling, how it reacts to this pressure and how far away from you the hookup was made are all factors in how many of these rod pressure reversals you will have to make. I40
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Maximum side pressure immediately after the hookup and its numerous reversals seem to disorient a ling and cause it to act as if it doesn’t realize it has been hooked. When initially on the gaff, step back, put the reel on the clicker and out of gear (star drag), or to free-spool (lever drag). If your ling comes off the gaff for any reason, now it runs off against the clicker, not a short line that either breaks or pulls the hook. The reel is then put back into gear and off the clicker and the fight is back on, usually for a while. This procedure has saved numerous sizeable fish of a variety of species for me over the years. Any “green” ling, regardless of size, is a danger on the gaff or in the boat. While they do not have teeth, they do have 5-7 &
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sharp spines ahead of their soft dorsal fin that will lay you open like a series of scalpels. Their erratic thrashing around of their bodies will and has knocked fishermen down, broken legs, destroyed tackle, etc. The best place for any ling brought aboard is for it to be immediately landed in a fish box and the lid closed. Remember that if your ling is more important than a long fight that you might lose, this ling trick is the way to go.
E-mail Patrick Lemire at saltrigs@fishgame.com
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TEXAS BOATING Continued from Page I-37 lon bucket on the deck, and drop in something that they can entertain themselves with. Minnows, shrimp, crab (watch the pincers!) or even seaweed or seashells will keep them too busy to even think about leaning over the side. traverse large distances. The electric power option is a nice feature for “seasoned” outdoors folks and those with shoulder problems. Woodee Rods USA has introduced a rod to their line specifically designed for kayak anglers. The new rod tapes 3 inches past 6 feet. When you tangle with a big fish in a kayak for the first time, you quickly learn that a 7-foot rod is a hindrance. Long rods must be pointed skyward to bring a fish close to hand, making the tips prone to break during the last few seconds of a spirited tugof-war. Woodee’s new kayak rod casts like cannon, propelling jigheads and plugs with authority into pumping coastal breezes. The new kayak rod is light in the hand, and comes in both casting and spinning models.
One final bit of knowledge that we can distill from these overboard events: Don’t think for a moment that it will never happen to you. I went for decades without a man overboard, then in a few years encountered a string of them. If you think that since it hasn’t happened to you it probably never will, better think again, Cap’n. And remember: In addition to great birding trips, Rockport Birding and Kayak Adventures ferries kayakers to remote paddling destinations, like the backside of St. Joseph Island. Captain Tommy Moore pilots The Skimmer, a custom shallow-draft vessel than can slide into 2.5 feet of water—quite an accomplishment for a boat that can carry up to 45 passengers. Passengers can sit topside and enjoy the breeze, or sit inside to avoid getting wet if seas are sloppy. The boat will rendezvous with the kayakers at a specified time for the trip back to Fulton Harbor. Captain Moore and his team rent out single and tandem kayaks. Probably the best example of kayaking’s popularity is the conversation I had with Captain Jack Culberson, owner of Four
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Never let down your guard, especially when the water is glassy calm and beautiful. E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com
Alarm Guide Service, and his wife Cathy at dinner during Spring Fling. I had the pleasure of fishing with Captain Jack for two days and caught lots of trout and redfish. A retired fire chief turned fishing guide, Culberson sheepishly admitted that he and Cathy were now down to five kayaks after owning eight at one point. Although Culberson operates a 23-foot Haynie, during his free time he and his family love to paddle over pristine grass flats, casting to trout and redfish.
Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com
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Hotter-nHell
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HEN IT’S 110 IN THE SHADE, IT’S TIME to go crappie fishing in Texas. Yep, partner, you read me right—the hotter the better. For many years here in Texas, I have been crappie fishing in the hottest part of the day, usually wouldn’t go to the lake until about 9 a.m., get on the water at 10 a.m., and have a limit of 25 Texas Slabs by 1:30 p.m. In my early years, I went to lakes like Lavon. Lake Lavon has a lot of standing timber in the lake after 50 years, and is still well known as one of the most productive crappie lakes in Texas. Lavon still has a natural shoreline, which is mainly hard clay, and most of the time the lake is stained.
Muddy, stained lakes seem to produce lots of crappies year after year. For the last two years, Lavon has been going dry because of drought conditions; it has been as low as 18 feet in 2006. This year, the spring rains has been a lifesaver for Lavon and all the surrounding counties. As of this writing, Lavon is about 1 foot low, and the crappie are doing outstanding. The last two years, there has been no pressure put on the crappie at Lake Lavon because the anglers couldn’t launch their boats. Right now is the perfect time to target summertime patterns for Texas slabs. There is a couple of techniques I would use to tackle summer slabs, and that is fishing standing timber and locating brush piles in 10 to 20 feet of water. Start fishing the standing timber about midway back in the coves and out toward the mouths of the coves. Look for timber that has a lot of limbs; they provide a lot of cover and, most of all, shade, which is the No. 1 cover for any type of game fish. A lot of folks stay away from real brushy standing
timber because they are afraid of too many hang-ups. Well, if your not getting hung up, you are not in the right spot, anyway. I drop my trolling motor down, pick up my Wally Marshall 9-foot Pro Series rod rigged with 8-pound Mr. Crappie Hi-Vis line, and a handful of 1/8-ounce Pro Series Road Runner heads with the white and chartreuse Crappie Thunder body. Road Runner Crappie Thunders have a real slow fall, and summertime crappie can’t stand it when you pull up to that bois de arc tree, get over on the shady side right next to trunk of the tree, and slowly drop your bait down. Summertime crappie love to suspend in this standing timber. Slowly drop your Road Runner down right next to the trunk of that horse apple tree, and all of a sudden, you feel a big thump on your pole; now the fun begins. You have to keep steady pressure, keeping the crappie’s head coming up toward the surface of the water. If not, the crappie will get his big slab sides turned sideways and hang you up around one of those limbs. The 9-foot rod gives you the ability to reach all the way in to the trunk of the tree without bumping all the limbs and maybe spooking all the fish away. I never tie up to a tree to fish it. I use my trolling motor to go all around the tree until I hit that sweet spot. All trees that hold crappie always have a sweet spot where crappie love to hang out at a certain depth. Early in the morning, just when the sun is peeking over the trees, I start out fishing a little bit shallower, like 6 to 8 feet, because when the crappie start feeding heavy in the mornings, they will come up to feed while suspending on the vertical structures. When the sun starts to get high in the sky, crappie will move back down into their comfort zone just out of reach of the hot Texas sun, usually down about 10 to 12 feet on standing timber. When you try this technique over and over again, you will be able to pull up to a
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More Summer Strategies
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OT WEATHER HAS ARRIVED AND NOW IS the time to look for schooling bass. The place to find them is on underwater structure. You need to keep your eyes glued to your Raymarine unit more in the next 60 days than you have all year. Not only is a good map handy, but knowledge of the water you are fishing is very valuable, whether it is a lake, river, or pond. Knowing where the deeper stumps, brush piles, deep points, humps, or ledges are located is a major key to catching summer bass. A lot of the places you noticed in the early year while watching your Raymarine depth finder probably have fish on them, now that the shallow water action is over. Go back and check those places looking especially for baitfish. If the bait is there, the bass are around close. But I have caught a lot of fish out of brush, off stumps and ledges that didn’t show much baitfish activity. So, if it’s a likely looking spot, don’t pass it up. I have my deep-diving XPS Lazer Eye Nitro crankbait tied on one rod, a Texasrigged Old Monster Zoom worm on another, and a Carolina rig ready to roll on a third. One other lure you want to have ready at all times is Bass Pro Shops’ Slim Dog. Many times, you will have a bass blow up on top and you can fire it to the spot and hook up. What I like to do with the crankbait is to start out in about 20 feet of water and throw past the drop or hump as far as I can, then put my MotorGuide on “high 36” and let out about 80 yards of line. I then crank it in on a steady medium retrieve. This way, you get the bait to the maximum depth before you get to the structure and you cover a lot of water. This is called “strolling” a bait and it is a very effective way to cover lots of water.
If I’m fishing the worm, I go with two different weights. I like a 5/8-ounce Tru-Tungsten weight for covering underwater structures and getting a feel for what is down there. If I’m catching fish, I will go with a 1/8-ounce weight to fish slower. A lot of times, changing weights can make a difference. When I’m fishing the big worm, this is one time I will go to a bigger hook than usual with either a 4/0 or 5/0 Mustad Ultra Point. This is also a Carolina riggers time to shine, as you can use a variety of Zoom baits, from a small Centipede, 7-inch Mag11, Old Monster, or Baby Brush Hog to a Big Brush Hog. You can also cover a lot of water making fan casts. You can also use your Lindy No-Snagg Rattlin’ weight as your underwater fingers, feeling for stumps, brush, rocks, etc. If you hit something that feels good, be sure to mark it with
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your depthfinder, even if you don’t catch a fish this time; plan for a future return visit. I have found many good holes over the years with this method. Bass love structure, and at the right times, it will produce. If you catch a fish or two with one of these methods and you don’t get any more bites, go back over the same areas with the other methods; at times, a different bait will turn other fish on. I even run a heavy 1-1/2or 2-ounce spinnerbait through an area if I caught fish there. Many times, bass will watch lures go by until something sets them off, and then they will all bite. So, if you are in an area that feels good, give it time. Another thing I always depend on is current. If you see a water discharge or get around a bridge and see current going by the pylons, this will bunch up baitfish, which attract bass. While watching your depthfinder, you can back off from the pylons around a100 yards or so and find a school of fish, especially if there is a little drop or bend in the area.
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Cats for Cash
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OU CAN HAVE THOSE FLASHY BASS RIGS, $15 topwater lures, and lordly largemouths. When summertime rolls around, I take a beat-up flatbottom rig and a gallon tub of Danny King’s Punch Bait and have just as much fun. If I’m lucky, I might even catch a fat cat big enough to reel in a chunk of change in the upcoming Sealy
by Matt Williams Outdoors (SO) Big Catfish Splash tournament slated for July 12-13 on Lake Fork. The Big Catfish Splash is patterned after Sealy’s popular big bass tournament format.
The event is family-oriented and gives amateur anglers of all ages the chance to win cash, boats, and other prizes for reeling in whiskered fish. This year’s tournament, hosted by the Lake Fork Area Chamber of Commerce, is offering an advertised payback of $60,000 in cash and prizes, including $24,000 in hourly paychecks over two days of competition. The angler who weighs in the heaviest cat each hour wins $500, $400 for second, $300 for third, and so on. Additionally, there will be five overall prizes awarded, including a 2008 Mercury-powered Triton aluminum boat for first, $2500 for second, $2000 for third, $1500 for fourth and $1000 for fifth. There also will be an open drawing for a boat following the final weighin. Currently in its fifth season, the Lake Fork Big Catfish Splash has grown from a meager 300-plus competitors in 2004 to nearly 900 entries in 2007. The event has
been so well received that organizer Bob Sealy decided to launch a second event on Toledo Bend in cooperation with the Sabine Parish Tourism Commission. The tournament is scheduled for August 9-10 out of Cypress Bend Park in Many, Louisiana. The entry fee for each event is affordable—$60 per person for one day, $100 for two. For more info, check out Sealy’s website: www.sealyoutdoors.com or call 888-6982591. As mentioned, SO is the organizer of the popular McDonald’s Big Bass Splash tournament circuit. Open only to amateur anglers, the big bass tournaments have paid out more than $20 million in cash and prizes to fishermen over the last two decades, and donated more than $3 million to charities. Those numbers will take a quantum leap next April, when SO hosts its 25th Annual McDonald’s Big Bass Splash event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
MISTER CRAPPIE Continued from Page I-42 tree and without any doubt know exactly where to drop your line to pull out a Texas slab. If the standing timber on your lake gets a lot of pressure and the size of your crappie starts to get smaller, then it’s time to start fishing brush piles located mainly in the same depths as the standing timber. Not everyone knows where your brush piles are, but they can see that standing timber. To find brush piles or build your own would be the most productive way to locate crappie on a regular basis. One day, do not take your fishing rods to the lake or just leave them in your rod box. Turn on your GPS and take off on your favorite lake just to find brush or brush piles that other people have put into the lake to attract crappie. You would be amazed how many structures you can find I44
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in just one day. Not all brush piles will have crappie on them, but if they are in the right spot and certain water conditions, they could move to that brush on any given day. Mark some spots, go back the next day, and fish the ones you marked. Then you can make your selections on which ones to keep and which to throw away. It’s hard to beat summertime crappie fishing on brush piles because when you pull over that pile, you can actually see the crappie suspended over the brush on your depth finder. I use a Lowrance X-26 on my dash and a 332 Lowrance on the trolling motor; both have GPS. When I find a brush pile that looks like it has fish on it, I toss out a buoy marker—not on top of the brush pile, but out to the side where it won’t prevent me from fishing certain spots on the brush. I just use the marker to keep me lined up with the brush pile. &
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If the brush is about 15 feet from the surface and I see fish at 10 feet, that is the depth I start fishing because the crappie that are up higher than the brush are the most active fish in the area. Once you start catching the crappie at 10 feet and they slow down, drop it on down to the brush and pick up several more that might be holding tight to the brush. Making and putting out your own brush will make you a more consistent crappie fisherman. Make sure this year that you put out a lot of brush piles, and then contact me at www.mrcrappie.com so I can test them out for you. E-mail Wally Marshall at mrcrappie@fishgame.com. Visit his website at www.mrcrappie.com
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Sealy recently announced that the 2009 big bass tournament would feature a $1 million payback, the largest in the history of amateur fishing tournaments. The angler who catches the heaviest bass of the threeday event wins a prize package valued at $250,000. Hourly paybacks will range from $2500 for first place down to $500 for the 12th largest bass of each hour, more than double the three-day entry fee of $200. “We’re hoping to break every record we have ever set at this tournament,” Sealy said. “We drew 6600 competitors at our 10th annual event, which had a guaranteed $200,000 payback. With $1 million on the line, this one should be even bigger.”
Alton Jones, left, and Judy Wong, right, met with President Bush in the Oval Office. “I think one of the President’s gifts is that he makes those around him feel truly impor-
tant. We all came out of that office feeling good and important and knowing that we were capable of making a real difference. It was very special. “I’ll never forget some of the things he said to my children. He talked about the decisions they would face in life and how taking the easy way out would be tempting, even when they knew it wasn’t best. He said, ‘Popularity lasts a moment, but principles last a lifetime’.”
BASS Pros in the White House BASS pros Alton Jones of Waco and Judy Wong of Many, Louisiana, knew that winning their respective league championships would do wonders for their careers. What the newly crowned BASS champions didn’t realize is their most recent victories would earn them an invitation to visit one-onone with the country’s biggest fish. Jones, the winner of the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, and Wong, winner of Women’s Bassmaster Championship, traveled with their families and BASS general manager Tom Ricks to Washington, D.C., on March 25, where they spent an hour in the Oval Office of the White House speaking with President George W. Bush. According to Wong, meeting the President was a lifetime experience. “It was very exciting and a huge honor,” Wong said in a BASS press release. “When we learned that the President had cleared his schedule to spend extra time with us, we were elated. It’s a memory I’ll never forget.” Jones was so overwhelmed by the opportunity that he wrote a blog about the experience for the BASS website, www.bassmaster.com. Here are some excerpts: “It probably sounds ridiculous to hear it, but for that hour I felt like we were just hanging out with George W. Bush. Yes, it was impossible to go very long without thinking, ‘Hey, I’m sitting here with the leader of the free world!’ but the experience was so cool, so unexpected, and so intimate that it really felt like a group of friends sitting around and talking about anything and everything. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHITEHOUSE
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McKenzie’s Buck
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S THE TV SHOWS HOSTED RESPECTIVELY BY Art Linkletter and Bill Cosby proclaimed, kids say the darndest things. If you pay attention to them, you might discover what I have learned over the years: Never just look at a young person, see them. I do not know McKenzie Keetch, but I know how she feels; how appreciative she is of her father who began teaching her how to
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fish and hunt at age four; and now, five years later, how nine-year-old McKenzie views her future as a hunter. McKenzie has had a special hunt, and I know there are many other young hunters who share the same after-the-hunt feelings of shooting their first duck, bagging their first turkey, deer, hog, squirrel, or any of the other renewable natural resources we are privileged to hunt. Not long ago, McKenzie sent me a letter expressing her appreciation for the success she achieved last deer season in Texas, and her excitement about going after even larger big game in the future. All this, keep in mind, is from a nine-year-old girl whose future as a hunter is as bright as a sunrise on a Texas prairie.
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McKenzie’s story is about her first real deer hunt. One can only imagine how her excitement is shared by countless other young hunters for deer and other game. McKenzie has experienced the true dedication that comes from a father’s desire and guidance to create a new hunter. It has involved his purchasing of a rifle for her, and then teaching her how to use it safely and effectively. It is a desire that is as great to McKenzie as it is for the privilege of hunting itself. “Everyone pretty much agrees or tells me that I am one lucky girl,” McKenzie wrote. “The first time I went fishing, I was four. I caught a 7-pound catfish and a 4-1/2-pound bass on my Snoopy rod.” Last season, McKenzie’s dad, Bob Keetch, decided she was old enough to shoot a deer. “I have been deer hunting before, but it was always just to go with Dad,” McKenzie said. “We had been talking about the season for a while, but Dad’s always busy, so the weekend came and we weren’t completely ready.” Bob had decided now was the time for his daughter to have her chance at actually hunting. The pair went to a local sporting goods store, which also had an indoor shooting range to sight in rifles purchased by its customers. Bob picked out a Remington Model 700 .243, and after it was sighted in, McKenzie, to the astonishment of the range officer, placed three shots in a 1-1/2-inch group. “We drove from Fort Worth to Blackwell that night,” McKenzie said. “It took nearly four hours. I was so excited and ended up staying up way too late watching the hunting channel on the motel TV. “That first morning we only saw one doe. I was excited, but I was so tired and was paying the price for staying up too late. After lunch and a nap, we went out for our afternoon hunt. This was definitely more exciting. I wasn’t as tired and we didn’t have to wait for it to get light. A doe and three
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PHOTO BY BOB HOOD
yearlings spent about 45 minutes around our feeder. This was the first time I had ever gotten to really observe deer behavior. I sat so still when the deer were looking in our direction, and didn’t realize how intense it can be. My body was sore from tensing up the whole time. When the doe lowered her head and stared in one direction, I noticed my daddy started looking that way, too. “Soon, the doe and yearlings ran off as a buck with tall white horns appeared in the brush. He was really moving, staying in the trees and never gave us an opportunity to shoot him. But this hunt was a lot more exciting than the morning; I had seen my first buck!” McKenzie said she stayed up longer that night than the night before, “playing the banker for the friendly poker game,” and took a sleeping bag to the blind and rested some while waiting for daylight. Then, just as dawn opened the new day, a big buck walked out of the bushes. “He was huge,” McKenzie said. “As I raised the gun up, every muscle in my body was shaking. I have now learned that this is called ‘buck fever’.”
Remembering what her father had taught her, McKenzie squeezed the trigger slowly until her rifle fired. The shot was true and her first buck, a 10-pointer, was on the ground. A day earlier, one of the men in the hunting group had given McKenzie a camouflage cap, which she now calls her “lucky hunting hat.” “Some of the men asked me if I was going to let my dad hang him on his office wall, and I said, ‘No way! He is going on my bedroom wall’,” McKenzie said. “I told my daddy that on a scale of 1 to 100, this trip was way over 100.” Even at age nine, McKenzie’s sights are aimed at bigger hunting experiences. “When August gets here and we get to go pick up my mount, it will hang over my bed and always remind me of how much fun it is to hunt with your dad,” McKenzie said. “I am already talking to him about taking me elk hunting. I always tell my daddy that I want to get a Grand Slam of sheep. Hopefully, I will get to send you similar stories of great hunting experiences.” I hope she will. I also hope many more youngsters not only have the opportunity to
McKenzie Keetch
return home from a hunting trip with their father or mother with a story of success, but also with a story of their appreciation for the wildlife, the camaraderie with other hunters, and the exciting opportunities we all share as hunters. E-mail Bob Hood at hunting@fishgame.com.
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Loading Data: Fact or Fiction?
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HAVE BEEN DOING SOME LOAD DEVELOPMENT with a new rifle in the wildcat caliber .30-338 Magnum (.338 Winchester Magnum necked down to .308 caliber). Looking for a place to begin working up a long-range mule deer load, I dug out all the loading manuals and started studying what type of powder would be best, and at what charge to begin. The more I studied, the more confused I became. For instance, one manual said the maximum load for a 165-grain bullet with H4831 was 72.5 grains, which was supposed to produce 3100 fps on the .30-338. That same manual also gave a load listing for the .308 Norma, with a notation that the two cartridges were for all intents and purposes identical. However, the maximum load listed for the same bullet in the .308 Norma Magnum was 78.5 grains of Hodgdon 4831. This load, too, was supposed to produce 3100 fps. If the cartridges are identical, why is there 6 grains difference in the maximum loads, using the same powder and bullets? See why I was confused? One of the reasons for the difference, I discovered, is that the barrel length used for developing data for the .30-338 in the first manual was 28.5 inches. Well for cryin’ out loud! Who in the world uses a 28.5-inch barrel? I have never seen a barrel that long on an American sporting rifle. The longest that comes on a standard factory rifle is 26 inches, although there is a 28-inch barrel offered for the Thompson-Center ProHunter, and 24 inches is standard on most I48
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magnum rifles, or was until just recently. Actually, the 28.5-inch barrel is seen only on rifles designed for 1000-yard target matches. I can tell you for a fact that there is no way you are going to get 3100 fps out of a .30-338 or a .308 Norma Magnum with a 165-grain bullet and 72.5 grains of H4831 in a 24-inch barrel, and probably not even with a 28.5-inch barrel. According to my Oehler Model 35P chronograph, I finally broke 3000 fps (just barely) in my 25-inch barrel with 73.5 grains. The maximum in my rifle is 77.5 grains of H4831, 165-grain Nosler AccuBond bullets, in Winchester cases with CCI 250 primers. Velocity with this load is 3160 fps at 10 feet.
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Not all rifles are the same, especially when dealing with wildcats like the .30-338.
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This is one of the reasons handloaders are so skeptical of reloading data these days. Not only is it sometimes conservative to the ultimate degree, but the equipment used to check the velocities and work up the loads is nothing at all like what the guy trying to use the data owns. If I were to accept that particular manual’s maximum listed load as factual, I would have a .30-caliber magnum that I thought was getting 3100 fps that in reality would produce the velocity of a good .30-06 load. At one time, the loading data for the .243 was obtained from a rifle with a 26inch barrel, while the majority of factory rifles in that caliber had 22-inch barrels. What this brought about was the myth that &
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the .243 Winchester was a high-speed, long-range rifle. That fact was that the little .243 was huffing and puffing to get 3000 fps with a 100-grain bullet, and many factory loads produce closer to 2800 than 3000. Not all reloading manuals are so conservative; some are very accurate. I was recently loading for a new .308. I looked up the data in one of my manuals and found starting and maximum loads. Chronographed velocities coincided almost exactly with the published data, and signs of over-pressure came just before I reached the listed maximum. At the listed maximum, there was an obvious extractor mark on the back of the case, a definite sign that the pressure was too high. I now shoot a load in my .308 that is a grain below the maximum listed in that particular manual, and velocity is right in line with what the book says. Not all rifles are the same, especially when dealing with wildcats like the .30-338. Barrels differ, chambers are cut differently, some have long throats, and some have short throats. You never know what you are dealing with. Be safe—be ultra-cautious. Morals: Never trust the data in any single manual. Always compare at least two manuals before you start loading. Buy the manual—if there is one—published by the manufacturer of the bullets you intend to use. Start low and work up slowly. Learn to read pressure signs on primers and cases. Buy a good chronograph and use it to learn the truth about what your rifle is actually doing. Don’t mix brands of brass. Notice: Reloading data presented herein is for illustration only and should not be used without verifying against component manufacturer data. Neither the author nor Texas Fish & Game magazine is responsible for the use of any data contained in this article. E-mail Steve LaMascus at guns@fishgame.com
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Woods vs. Water The debate over reservoir construction
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IVING IN EAST TEXAS, ALTHOUGH THE BUTT of many jokes about rednecks and marrying relatives, has its advantages. The first and foremost is that, while much of the state is arid and covered in scrub brush, we have towering pines, centuries old oaks, an abundance of water, and a lack of concrete. Multiple reservoirs and rivers in the Eastern part of the state provide recreation and drinking water for countless towns throughout the region and beyond. Looking at a map of the eastern part of the state, you see a lot of blue ink. However, in the minds of some, Texas’ current water supply isn’t adequate to handle the state’s estimated population growth over the next five decades, most of which should occur in the already heavily populated metropolitan areas. While this might or might not be true, the solutions being discussed are controversial at best and causing a rift between Texans. The only resolution many can see for future water needs is to build more reservoirs, which worked well (or so we thought) for the past 50 years. In the eyes of those looking to provide drinking water, any drop of water that flows through the state and actually makes it to the Gulf of Mexico is wasted. The problem with this mindset is that new reservoir construction comes at a price, and not just a monetary one. New reservoir construction and hardwood or wetland conservation are mutually exclusive. You can do one or the other, but not both. Since the number of reservoirs in Texas has more than tripled since the late 1950s,
hardwood bottomlands and wetlands have been reduced dramatically to the detriment of wildlife. The obvious question is how to satisfy future water requirements while preserving the landscape in its natural form. Planning for future water requirements is not a new concept. Texas has been doing so for more than 50 years via the Texas Water Development Board, which plans for the entire state and is responsible for constructing the reservoirs we have today. Most recently, Texas was divided into 16 separate regions responsible for looking at their own individual water needs over the next 50 years, and coming up with a plan to meet them. The method most regions are looking at initially follows the same mindset of the last 50 years, with new reservoir construction the primary means of providing more water. Because of this, there have been 19 locations across the state designated as unique reservoir sites. This designation does not automatically mean a lake will be built there, but it does prohibit state and local governments from doing anything with the site to inhibit reservoir construction. While each region is planning for the needs of only its population, it is not limited to looking just in it’s own region to supply those needs. For example, Dallas, which is in Region C, can come up with a solution to build a reservoir in Region D to support its requirements. Although it seems fishy (no pun intended), that is how it has been done for years. Therein lies one of the most hotly debated topics regarding new reservoir construction: Why should the water requirements for a metropolitan area outweigh the rights of landowners in a rural area who want to continue living on, and making a living off of, land that might have been in their families for centuries? Also, why is water for Dallas more important than habitat for wildlife? Marvin Nichols is a designated unique reservoir site still in the planning stages that will provide water to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but it’s proposed construction site is not anywhere near the D/FW Metroplex. Marvin A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Nichols Reservoir, if completed, will be approximately 150 miles away and formed by damming the Sulphur River. It will flood land in Red River County, et al. It would flood 70,000 privately owned acres, 30,000 of which are hardwood bottoms that will disappear forever. Personally, and not to intentionally offend folks in the D/FW area, but it needs to be said: I don’t care if your 1/64-acre front yard is green all summer, and I dang sure don’t think it is worth damming a river, permanently removing hardwood bottoms, and taking 70,000 acres of land from private citizens just to make sure you can water your St. Augustine and fill your swimming pool. At least not until all other alternatives have been exhausted. I am not alone in this mindset. Myron Hess, manager of the Texas Water Program for the National Wildlife Federation, put it this way: “We’re not against new reservoir construction; we just want to make sure all other options are explored before we just start building lakes.” Hess said there are more alternatives than just supply-side solutions such as new lakes. Most options are on the demand side, such as the conservation and full utilization of current supplies, along with developing other methods of providing clean water. Reducing the amount of water used per person is the most cost effective and quickest solution to satisfy current and future water requirements, and should be examined immediately. Two Texas cities, El Paso and San Antonio, are prime examples of what can be done if a water conservation plan is put together and executed. In 17 years, the residents of San Antonio reduced their water consumption by 30 percent. In 20 years, El Paso attained the same result. If the entire state followed these examples, we would have an excess of water now and not need any new reservoirs for 50 years. Along with conservation, full utilization of current water supplies needs scrutiny. Many reservoirs are currently used as municipal
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Doodlesock Bass
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AM NIGH-ON THOROUGHLY CONVINCED THAT modern technology has taken a lot of the fun out of fishing for largemouth bass. Anglers spend more on a boat today than most of us spent on our first house—and that is just the beginning: add on several thousand dollars for electronics, custom designed rods made of space-age materials, computer-controlled reels, and fishing lures that can cost up to $100. This has become the accepted
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gauntlet for those who call themselves “bass fishermen,” but it was not always so. There was a time when fishing for bass was simple, effective, cheap, and gloriously fun. It can still be that way; all you have to do is learn how to doodlesock. Doodlesocking is a method for catching bass invented when the luxury of technology was not even a concept. Bass fishing was something whereby to escape the stresses of daily life and put some fish on the dinner table. Today, bass fishing has become impersonal. Anglers use techniques that require long casts and spend more time reeling than fishing. Bass fishing is at its finest when it requires sneaking close along brushy or heavily vegetated shorelines, probing little places too thick to reach by casting, flipping, or pitch-
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ing. This is where old-time techniques such as doodlesocking shine. Since I have mentioned this method several times without explaining what it is, perhaps I should. Explain it. Doddlesocking. The authorship of the term is unknown, but a look at the components hints at probable etymology. One definition of “doodle” is “to scribble idly.” That is an apt description of the application, and the “sock” part of the term most likely derives from the manner in which a bass is actually caught. Basic doodlesocking equipment is a fishing rod at least 10 feet long. Traditionally, doodlesock rods were bamboo or cane, cut from a thicket and allowed to dry. A heavy piece of Dacron line was secured to the length of the rod, employing a series of half-hitch knots cul-
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minating in a tie-off on the tip with about two feet of line remaining, a lure tied on the terminal end. The technique for using this contraption to catch bass is to sneak up to a likely spot and then “doodle” the lure around in a figure eight motion on the water’s surface, much like scribbling on a piece of paper. The idea is to irritate any resident bass into striking and then “sock” it to them by quickly raising the rod. This tactic works especially well in small
pockets of water surrounded by heavy vegetation or timber—typical bass lairs, in other words. My favorite doodlesock lure is a Heddon frog pattern with propeller blades on both ends. Pulled through the water quickly, it makes a double stream of bubbles that drives bass wild. Strikes are explosive and at close range. Bass are not so much interested in eating it but in killing the intruder. This is combat fishing at its finest, and I have many good
CONSERVATION WATCH Continued from Page I-49 water supplies, but not to their full capability. The water held in them is not all accounted for, and until it is, we should not be planning more reservoirs. There are other methods of getting more water, such as purification of wastewater, that have only begun to be explored. Along with Marvin Nichols, another designated reservoir site is the Fastrill Reservoir on the Neches River. The Neches River basin contains some of the last remaining hardwood bottoms in the state, making it key habitat for local wildlife and a prime stop for migratory birds. This one is so controversial that a portion of the Neches was designated a National Wildlife Refuge by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), meaning it cannot be flooded to build a lake. Remember that the unique reservoir designation only limits what local and state governments can do with the property, not private entities or the federal government. Dallas is currently suing USFWS to have the refuge designation removed in order to clear the way for reservoir construction. Governor Perry is on the city’s side, arguing that Fastrill is needed to provide water for Dallas. It is axiomatic that D/FW residents vote, and deer and ducks do not. The impact of reservoir construction extends far beyond locally inundated land, adversely affecting ecologies hundreds of miles away on the Gulf Coast. Freshwater infusion is critical to the health of coastal marshes and estuaries. Reservoir construction, and in turn excessive use of the water held in them, curtails freshwater infusion and causes irreparable harm along the coast. In 2001, due to drought and exces-
sive water usage hundreds of miles inland, the Rio Grande River dried up. Water flowing in the famed river marking the southern border of the United States, which at one time was the second largest river in the nation, failed to reach the Gulf of Mexico. To ensure that other waterways running through the state do not suffer the same fate, House Bill 3 was passed in an attempt to help preserve our greatest natural resources. As provided in HB3, a water flow study began last November to determine exactly how much water needs to flow in each river to sustain water requirements by individuals and municipalities (for irrigation and drinking), and how much is needed to keep coastal marshes, estuaries, and bays healthy. The second part of that is the most important because, without substantial flows, the bays will literally die. Each section of the state put together a team of stakeholders, individuals, and organizations with a vested interested in the water flows of that region, to determine exactly how much water is needed to continue flowing in the major rivers. These studies will help set formal environmental flow standards to keep the rivers and bays healthy for years to come. The study started with a few rivers in 2007, and will continue into 2009. There is no doubt that the population of Texas will increase significantly over the next few decades, thus increasing water demands. The issues lie in how we satisfy those needs while maintaining fish and wildlife habitat. While new reservoirs might seem an obvious solution, they are also the most damaging, taking away thousands of acres of land that we will never see again. —Paul Bradshaw A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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memories of hand-to-fin contests in the thick stuff. The technique is well suited to ponds, brush-lined creeks, and along heavily vegetated shorelines of reservoirs. Backwater sloughs are also good places to doodlesock for bass. It is a simple, almost primordial form of fishing that is appealing to adults who want to put some of the old-fashioned charm back into catching bass. It is an excellent method to stimulate a beginner angler. Just about any type of noisy surface lure can be used, and even modern materials such as graphite composite rods and braided lines. The next time you bemoan the “good old days” and how fun, simple, and appealing basic bass fishing used to be, think about gearing up to doodlesock for bass. Don’t forget to take a kid along; the process will fascinate them and is a good reminder of why we go bass fishing anyway—to have fun. E-mail Barry St. Clair at bstclair@fishgame.com.
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Le Manquant Donkey
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OWARD, THE RESIDENT JACKASS, WAS missing. Maybe the errant ass was in another pasture, or maybe somebody had borrowed the lop-eared critter, but loose observation during the short tour around the Brune Ranch noted that Howard was not in attendance. It’s a plaguing dilemma when you consider that your friends might have borrowed your donkey, but it is a common practice apt to happen whenever drinking and politics interrupt a sane day. The stubborn but pleasant beast of burden known for its timely braying, participation in gold prospecting partnerships, and often depicted wearing sombreros and serapes is transitioned into a toothy grinning caricature that draws woeful groans from the foundations of democracy. Yes, donkeyborrowing in an election year might be expected. The asinine needs of a donkey-borrower must be quenched. Howard wasn’t actually a “he,” and Howard didn’t actually belong to me. In truth, the animal’s God-given name is questionable. The ugly third cousin to a mustang belonged to Howard Henson, a native of Weimar, Texas. Howard called his gray linebacked steed “Pecos,” or “Peso,” or “Paco,” or “Taco,” or some such lame moniker. Meanwhile, my other astute compadres and I are infinitely more sensitive to ethnicities and genres. We disapprove of calling your duckhunting dog “Thibodeaux” or the catfish in your aquarium “Lewinski.” You shouldn’t relate to your mother-in-law’s senile housecat as “Pelosi” or the hamster that lives in the dark under the couch as “Colmes.” So, in our own flash of PC wisdom, we called the donkey Howard. Howard came to live with me when his owner, Howard, decided to sell out and rent in town. His wife, Judy, had convinced him that living 20 miles back in the brush wasn’t a place to raise a modern-day family. Howard I52
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needed a place to live, so the Brune Ranch unrolled the red carpet. Now, Howard wasn’t in sight. It was probably my fault. During my absence while guiding hunters in Wyoming for two months and then in Mexico for another two months, the livestock at the homestead tended to step over the fence and checkout the neighbor’s grass. Inspection of all the trails, openings, and meadows headed to the river bottom yielded no Howard. Miraculously, the rest of the horses seemed to be accounted for, up on all fours, and making a good living. And the local hunters hadn’t made a dent in the deer population. There were deer everywhere, watching me search for Howard. However, I was also seeing the place for the first time in months and was looking for more than an invisible donkey. It was time to rely on my ranch manager Phil Clark. Oilfield welder by day and dancing lothario when the lights get dim, Phil keeps track of everything around my place that shakes its tail. It seemed that a phrase he’d muttered kept echoing in the back of my mind, something about having a special purpose for Howard after hunting season. So, I gave him a call. “Hey, Phil, what are y’all doing?” “We’re out here at Hoelscher’s stuffing sausage and we need some help. Hoelscher says he’s doing some experimenting and he wants you to help with the seasoning. We’re going to make a couple of different batches of dried sausage and Hoelscher says you can put as much pepper in one batch as you want. So, come on out and bring some beer!” What a grand welcome home. Hoelscher’s smokehouse is one of the best backwoods haunts left from our earlier years. It’s one of the few places where old buddies can reminisce about the enjoyed sins of youth, stand in the dusky realms, and feel the nearness of those sins. We can discuss the old timers with &
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their hoop nets, twenty-two’s, and spotlights. We talk about the way practices and ideas have changed and drink Old Crow and Budweiser, chew tobacco and cigars, and spit on the floor. The younger generation comes in for a while, but they don’t stay long. Our talk is too rough and our knives are working too fast. The boys that couldn’t buy an “A” in high school know how to butcher meat, stuff sausage, and converse on the guttural fringes of several languages. English, German, Czech, and Spanish are mistreated equally. Within minutes of my arrival, I am handed a large quarter of meat to de-bone and the months that I’d been gone seem like only stories to tell. “Hoelscher, what is this that I’m de-boning?” “Oh, me and Phil wanted to try something different this year. There was a wetback at the gravel pit that gave me this recipe. He makes tamales and shares with all the guys at work. He can make tamales out of raccoons and almost anything. We give him a little deer, a little hog… but then he left. Phil, look behind you and see if there’s any more garlic in that grocery sack. I’m going to get a fire going in the stove.” “Hey, Herman,” said Phil as he dug through the sack looking for garlic. “Have you heard about the fires? I don’t remember wildfires in Texas.” “Yeah, I heard something, but I don’t know what caused them. I’m curious whether that’s going to be an on-going problem. Look at Southern California. That land is burntover sand, but it’s developed with million-dollar homes everywhere. There are people living where folks aren’t meant to live. Now, it’s catching fire all the time. I reckon the same could happen in South Texas or West Texas. Once the water is sucked out of the land, there’s nothing left for it to do but burn. But until civilized man has a different way of measuring progress, we’re just going to keep spoiling whatever we touch. I’m tending toward staying outside the Dallas, Houston, San Antonio triangle these days. There are too many people. Hey, Phil, do you know
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what kind of meat I’m cutting?” Hoelscher came back from the stove. “Hey, Herman, this is your batch of meat. I want you to do the seasoning.” “Why is this my batch?” “Oh, me and Phil wanted you to show us the way you season with pepper so that you always have to keep a beer in one hand while you’re eating sausage.” “Shoot, boys, that’s when you know you’re eating good sausage. Let me see...” I left my station and went to the table where Hoelscher had been mixing meat. I grabbed the red pepper, popped off the lid, then grabbed the black pepper. Then I began dumping liberally throughout the 60 or so pounds of ground meat. “Hoelscher, this meat looks blue. Did y’all mix this with wild hog?” “Yeah, there’s some wild hog in this.” “What else?” Hoelscher started coughing from the pepper. “You know, I shot one of those blue bulls on the King Ranch this year,” said Phil. Hoelscher cleared his throat. “You know that wetback told me to put lots of garlic in
with this meat. Herman, use a double dose of garlic and put in some extra salt. I’ve got some casings soaking and we’ll be ready to stuff as soon as you finish.” Phil was slicing more garlic, glancing around the room, and began talking into the air. “You know, it’s a durn shame they closed those horse-killing plants.” Hoelscher snorted and almost spit up a mouthful of Old Crow. “I just don’t know what’s going to happen. They’ve cratered the horse market and now there will be horses turned out to starve, or folks will have to just take ‘em down behind the barn and shoot ‘em, leave ‘em for the buzzards and coyotes. How are they going to make dog food, or glue, or baseballs? Dadgummit, you’d think they’d at least feed ‘em to the Frenchmen!” Hoelscher was turning red and having a coughing fit. He must have swallowed something down the wrong pipe. “Yeah,” I agreed. “You know our state senator tried to fix that, but he got so many hateful phone calls that he’s not going to try again. It’s just another instance of urbanized mentality having more votes and a louder
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voice than the rural common sense does. It’s kind of like the issue about the wolves in Yellowstone or the jackasses that want to shuffle Texas water all over the state… Wait a minute…” Hoelscher stood with his face in the corner laughing, coughing, and wiping tears from his eyes. Phil was lunging from side to side and grinning in gleeful agony. “Hoelscher? What kind of meat is this?” “Come here, Herman, I think you need some Old Crow.” Phil bolted for the door. “Hey, Phil!” I hollered after him. “Where’s Howard?” Hoelscher patted me on the shoulder and handed me the jelly jar jigger. “Here, Herman, have a sip.” “Hoelscher, where’s Howard?” “You don’t want to know,” and he glanced at the pile of meat. Three big swallows downed the whiskey. “Oh, damn… Hope he tastes good.” E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com
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Coast Guard Issues LNG Rules
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HE U.S. COAST GUARD HAS ISSUED A NEW set of directives regarding the LNG facility at Sabine Pass and incoming vessels. The first says that “a temporary Security Zone to include the entire area of the new Sabine Pass (Chenier)
TF&G FIRST LNG ship basin” has been created. “Unless involved in transportation, direct support or logistics of liquefied natural gas operations, no vessel may enter or remain in this zone without the permission of the Captain of the Port [of Port Arthur]. Creation of this Security Zone is necessary to ensure the security and integrity of the facility and to protect the public. The temporary Security Zone is intended to eventually become a permanent Security Zone.” A reported in TF&G several times over the past couple of years, additional restrictions apply in the channel when an LNG vessel is going to and from port. For example, on Friday April 11, when the LNG ship Celestine River made its first entrance to port, the channel was shut down to boat traffic for several hours from south of Mesquite Point on the Sabine-Neches Channel to buoys 33 and 34 on the Sabine Bank Channel. These types of closures will become routine in the area with the presence of several LNG facilities in the future, although it is I54
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believed there might be more flexibility granted to boats at some point during transit of the vessels. For more information, see the website www.homeport.uscg.mil or call 409-7236500. —Chester Moore
Red Snapper Issue Heats Up (Again) Congressman Nick Lampson (D-22) sponsored a public forum April 25 at the University of Houston Clear Lake Campus with Roy Crabtree of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery’s Management Council (Gulf Council). Attended by approximately 100 people, the meeting subject was red snapper regulations, which have been a source of controversy for the better part of two decades. Lampson opened the hearing by saying he realizes there are a lot of issues that need to be worked out regarding snapper: “We need to work together to overcome the problems we have with snapper. This is a fishery that affects a lot of people on the Gulf Coast, and we want to make sure we do whatever is possible to get some kind of viable solution on the table.” Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) Commissioner John Parker read a statement from TPWD coastal fisheries director Larry McKinney, noting that Texas is one of the few states to see large growth in the saltwater sector and fishing economy. He then defended TPWD’s decision to not enact federal snapper and shark rules at the behest of the National Marine Fisheries Service. “We have a system in Texas of managing the fishery that is second to none, and I believe we made the right decision to protect Texas interests and the important economy of the fishing community, of which red &
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snapper is an important part of in many areas,” Parker said. Crabtree discussed the mandate the Gulf Council has issued to stop overfishing and rebuild the snapper fishery under strict federal guidelines, some of which are extremely controversial. The meeting was open to public comment and moderated by Jim Smarr, Texas chairman of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA). A number of attendees identified themselves as RFA members and questioned the science behind the current red snapper stock assessment. Tom Hilton asked Crabtree why artificial structures in the Gulf (artificial reefs, rigs, and wrecks) were not surveyed in the assessment, to which Crabtree replied, “They are.” He said that he often sees the misstatement that artificial structures are not part of the equation, but does not understand where it comes form. Several members of the audience spoke up saying they were suspicious of this, and brought up other points regarding the science behind snapper regulations. One sticking point according to Smarr is the alleged large stocks of sow snapper living on the mud flats after the long-liners were moved out past the 50-fathom curve. “A proper survey of these areas could make a huge difference in the assessment,” Smarr said. Crabtree countered it would take a number of years of surveys to correctly interpret the data, to which Smarr rejoined that the snapper fishing community along the Gulf simply does not have that kind of time. Several members of the party boat fishing community were on hand and noted the hardships imposed on them by strict snapper regulations. It was pointed out that the only two party boats operating in neighboring Louisiana have been shut down recently due to the restrictions. Lampson called for an advisory panel to be put together of individuals concerned
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over the issue to try to make sense of a very complex and continually engaging issue. “This is just the beginning of our involvement with this issue,” Lampson said. “I want to work with all parties to do what is best for the resource, the public that enjoys it, and the industry affected by it.” —Chester Moore
Conservationist Susan Bailey Dies Susan Bailey, dedicated naturalist and longtime defender of local wildlife, died at her home on the shores of Sabine Lake at the old Rob Bailey’s Fish Camp. Bailey was known throughout the country for her work with the National Audubon Society, protecting the rookeries of roseate spoonbills and other shorebirds on Sydney Island and elsewhere in the Sabine Lake area. In an interview conducted by David Todd from the Conservation History Association a few years ago, she noted the historical significance of what used to take place on Sabine Lake: “Spoonbills was the main thing. We at one point we had the biggest nesting colony in the whole world. We had 600 nests out there two or three years in a row. And then they started having to wait to nest. And somebody said, ‘Well, no they don’t...they can’t just wait to nest. They have to be maturing a little bit later.’ But, whatever it was, they were using the same nest sites...” Bailey became well known for her nature photography and work with the Bridge City school district to introduce kids to the outdoors. My first memory of her dates back to the late 1970s when I was in kindergarten, and she took time one day when my dad and I were there buying bait to explain to me about the monarch butterfly migration, which at the time was pretty significant compared to today. Many local anglers will remember her and her late husband, Rob, for their honest fishing reports that sometimes did little to drum up business at their bait camp, but gained them major respect among those who knew them. Bailey will be greatly missed. —CM
Microscope EarlyDetects Harmful Algal Blooms Using an automated, underwater cell analyzer developed at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), researchers and coastal managers were recently able to detect a bloom of harmful marine algae in the Gulf of Mexico and prevent human consumption of tainted shellfish. Shellfish beds in parts of Texas were closed through most of March and April. Working with Rob Olson and Heidi Sosik, plankton biologists and instrument developers at WHOI, biological oceanographer Lisa Campbell of Texas A&M University used an “Imaging FlowCytobot” instrument to detect a substantial increase in the abundance of the alga Dinophysis acuminata in the waters of Port Aransas. D. acuminata produces okadaic acid, a toxin that accumulates in shellfish tissues and can cause diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) in humans. DSP is not life threatening, but symptoms include nausea, cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea. Cooking does not destroy the toxin. The Imaging FlowCytobot, which is automated and submersible, counts microscopic plants in the water and photographs them. The images and data are relayed back to a shore-based laboratory, where specially developed software automatically classifies the plankton into taxonomic groups. “It is very satisfying to find that a technology we developed as a research tool can be so effective for protecting human health,” said Olson, who has worked with Sosik for several years to prototype and modify flow cytometers, which are more typically used in biological and medical laboratories. “We designed the Imaging FlowCytobot for continuous monitoring of a wide range of plankton, and that turns out to be just what was needed to detect a harmful algal bloom that no one expected.” The discovery of the Dinophysis bloom came serendipitously while the researchers were looking for something else. Campbell, Olson, Sosik, and colleagues deployed the instrument in the fall of 2007 at the UniA L M A N A C / T E X A S
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versity of Texas Marine Sciences Institute laboratory in the Mission Bay Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve. Their principal goal was to observe Karenia brevis, another toxic alga that blooms periodically in the Gulf and can lead to neurotoxic shellfish poisoning. The research team would like to observe the next K. brevis bloom before it happens; such blooms are most common and most extreme in the Gulf of Mexico in late summer and fall. The team is also working to catalog the types and relative abundances of marine plants in the area throughout the year. In mid-February 2008, Campbell reviewed plankton images collected by the Imaging FlowCytobot and detected a substantial increase in the abundance of the dinoflagellate Dinophysis, which occurs naturally in ocean waters worldwide but usually not in harmful quantities. “We have never before observed a bloom of Dinophysis acuminata at such levels in the Gulf of Mexico,” Campbell said. After reporting the increase to fellow researchers in coastal Texas, Campbell and colleagues collected water samples to confirm that algal toxins were present in the water. Other researchers collected oyster samples and sent them for toxin analysis at a U.S. Food and Drug Administration laboratory. On March 8, the Texas Department of State Health Services closed Aransas, Corpus Christi, and Copano bays to shellfish harvesting and recalled Texas oysters, clams, and mussels that had been sold between March 1-7. The bloom and subsequent warnings occurred just days before the Fulton Oysterfest, a major shellfish festival in the region. No shellfish-related human illnesses had been reported as of press time. “This is exactly what an early warning system should be,” said Campbell. “It should detect a bloom before people get sick. So often, we don’t figure out that there is a bloom until people are ill, which is too late. The Imaging FlowCytobot has proven itself effective for providing an early warning.” “With time, we have come to see that the instrument has obvious practical uses,” added Sosik. “It now appears ready to make the transition from basic research tool to
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But, What About Me?
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ITH TURKEY SEASON OVER, WE NOW head straight into fishing season without missing a step. It is a known fact in our household that a change in seasons is simply a change of activity and equipment. I know the drill and have become a willing participant, bordering on an obsessive participant. The only thing holding me back is my talent, abilities, and adeptness, which clearly do not match my desire. So begins fishing season and the desire to be like the rest of my family. But I am a newbie, a late-to-life angler, relegated to a position of trial and error, constant questioning, perpetual discovery, and eternal perfecting—you know, the one in the boat that irritates the veterans. Speaking of boats, I am still not allowed to drive the boat, although I have been promoted to the one that drives the truck and trailer off the ramp when we launch the boat. Okay, so I am the only other driver around and therefore win by default. Nevertheless, I do a darn good job driving straight ahead while I watch the water drip from the trailer in the rear-view mirror. For a few short minutes, I feel empowered.
Look, Mom, no hands! I pinpoint my slot straight ahead and guide that truck and trailer ever so professionally to rest side-by-side the other trailers. And so it begins… “David, I can’t get into my side of the bed. Isn’t there somewhere else we could stack the fishing rods?” “Well, I was trying to check all the lines and make sure that they weren’t too old and brittle. I was thinking we would head down to Port O’Connor and go fishing this weekend.” “That would be great, but we can’t. Remember, I have to go out of town for that conference on Saturday.” “Okay, well, let’s go next weekend.” “Next weekend, Max has a baseball tournament and we have to meet with the builder about the house.” “But, Mom!” Max wailed. “I have a day off from school this week, and we have a long weekend. It would be a perfect time to go.” “Man! I hear the redfish are really running hard right now, too,” David added.
NEWS FROM THE COAST Continued from Page I-55 operative tool.” Funding for Campbell’s monitoring program and construction of the instrument was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET). I56
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Funding for instrument development and earlier prototypes of the FlowCytobot and the Imaging Flow Cytobot was provided by WHOI through its Ocean Life Institute, Coastal Ocean Institute, Bigelow Chair, and Access to the Sea Fund; and by the National Science Foundation. —Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution &
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Let’s see… If I straddle the box of gun shells with my left leg and then hoist myself over the turkey decoy from last weekends hunt, I think I can leap onto my side of the bed. I am whipped. “Sweetie, I don’t mean to complain, but those hooks on the rods are pointed right at eye level when I lay down on the pillow. Do you think we could move them so I could go to sleep?” “Okay, Baby, I guess I can lean them up against the wall until tomorrow morning. But be sure not to move them as I have them in a certain order.” Yeah, yeah. What is wrong with your side of the bed, Buster? “Hey, I know! How about we leave right after Max’s tournament? We could leave by eight that night and be in POC by two in the morning, get a couple of hours sleep, and be on the water by six. Piece of cake.” “Um, nope. No can do. Remember, my client asked us to go to that fundraiser on Saturday night.” “What fundraiser? Is it for husbands to go fishing?” “Ah, Sweetie, I can’t lay down, all those lures are all laid out on top of the bed at the end on my side.” “Well, I was organizing all the lures and ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL WATSON
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bait. Just put one leg on either side of the pile. There is a method to my madness there and I don’t want to move them and start over. You should have enough room.” But, what if I roll over and one of those lures stabs me in the middle of the night? Jeez, rods at my head, lures at my feet. I am surrounded. Who would have ever thought I would be sleeping in a bait shop. “Ouch! David! That stupid crankbait is hanging from the light pull! Who put that there?” “Oops, sorry! I forgot about that one. I was going to rig it up. See, if we were going fishing, that wouldn’t have been there. I would have had it rigged up by now.” “So, Mom, why do you have to go? I mean, why couldn’t David and I go since you are going to be out of town? With the long weekend, it would be perfect.” “Yeah, Buddy!” David said with too much enthusiasm. “Good point. Baby, you don’t mind if we go, do ya? I mean, since you have plans and all, no sense in all of us not going. I mean, we would love for you to go as well, but since you can’t, it kinda makes sense, don’t ya think?”
“Well I, I see what you mean, I guess so. So, where would you go? Down to POC for some bull reds? Gosh, I still have not gotten one of those suckers. But, well, since I have to go to that conference and next weekend we are busy, I guess…” “Great!” David said with more unrestrained enthusiasm. “Max, go get your new Shimano and let’s rig it up. Oh, and could you go on-line and see if you can find out what the tide report is? Excuse me, Baby, got to get that Watermelon Candy crankbait out of that pile. Be careful, your foot is in the way.” Yeah! But who is going to drive the trailer? “Thanks, Mom! You are the best! Don’t worry. We will bring ya back a big red.” You mean one that you caught? Standing out there on the boat sight-fishing for one of those big guys, with the sun gently warming your face, waiting to feel that tug on your line only to reel one of the biggest spotted creatures out of the Gulf? You mean one of those? “Sure, I mean, well, okay then, guys. I guess that settles it.” But, but…what about me? I do not want to be a newbie forever. I have so much to learn and time is a-wasting. I want to go fishing. I
want to catch a bull red. No siree! I am not going to be left behind. “You know, I am not sure that I really need to go to that conference. Jeez, once you have been to one conference you have been to them all. Don’t ya think?” “Great, Baby! You are right. After all, a fisherman has to have his priorities straight. Those redfish might not be running so hard next week, and we need to get down there now. So, do you want to use a spinning rod or a bait-caster?” “I want to use the fly rod. I am not getting any younger and I had better get after it. I might be eighty by the time I master this sport, but I am through pussyfooting around. While a newbie, I might as well learn how to cast a fly rod.” “Well, all-rightie then, Baby! That’s my gurl, you go get ‘em.” I might not have been born to be a fisherman, one with years of childhood memories, but by golly, I am going to die a fisherman. E-mail Mari Henry at gurlz@fishgame.com.
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Shrimp Kebabs
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HEN YOU HEAR “SHISH KABOB” IN New York City, you might envision some marinated chunks of lamb or beef and some veggies skewered on a miniature sword. If you live near the Texas coast (much preferred), kebab might mean wild caught Gulf shrimp with peppers, onions, mushrooms, and squash impaled on a soaked bamboo skewer. Well, this ain’t New York Fish & Game magazine…
Shrimp Kebabs with Garlic-Butter Baste
(serves 4-6) 2 lbs 12- to 15-count shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails attached 1 ea. red and yellow bell pepper, rinsed and cut into 1-1/2-inch squares 2 small zucchini or yellow squash, rinsed and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices 8-12 small white mushrooms, rinsed and stems removed 1 purple onion, peeled and cut into 1-
1/2-inch wide slices 1 pkg. cherry tomatoes, rinsed and destemmed 2 lemons, rinsed and sliced very thin
For the Baste 1 stick butter 3 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs lemon juice 1/2 cup Chablis white wine 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced 2 Tbs Texas Gourmet’s Sidewinder Searing Spice 1 Tbs dill weed 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp black pepper Combine above ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and hold for basting the kebabs.
Preparation
Soak bamboo skewers in water or season metal skewers with olive oil before using. Build the kebabs starting with onion, then lemon, shrimp, bell pepper, squash, mushroom, shrimp, lemon, tomato, and repeat. Lay on a long platter, brush with the baste, and lightly dust with Sidewinder Spice. Place kebabs on a cleaned, seasoned, preheated grill indirectly over medium-high I58
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gas or charcoal fire. Keep covered, turn and baste every 3-5 minutes for approximately 12-15 minutes. Remove to a clean platter and cover with foil until ready to serve with Pineapple-Mango Pico de Gallo and Hunter’s Quick Dirty Rice. Bon Appetit.
Pineapple & Mango Pico de Gallo
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced 1 cup fresh mango, peeled, pitted, and diced 1 cup fresh cucumber, chopped 1 cup yellow bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup fresh serrano pepper, seeded and sliced thin 1 cup green onions, sliced thin 1 red bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup fresh squeezed limejuice 2 tsp honey 2 Tbs Texas Gourmet Mandarin Orange Serrano Jelly 2 tsp white pepper 1 tsp salt 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped 1 tsp black pepper
S P O N S O R E D BY:
Simmer broth and water with all veggies and spices for 4-5 minutes. Add rice and cooked sausage. Bring to a good rolling boil, cover, and turn off heat. Allow to sit for 5-7 minutes covered. Serve hot with main dish. Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com.
Whisk together honey, limejuice, jelly, pepper, salt, and cilantro. Combine and stir together remaining ingredients. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Serve chilled.
Hunter’s Quick Dirty Rice
Click CURRENT ISSUE to get The Texas Gourmet’s EXPERT TIPS FOR “GRADE A” GRILLING.
2 cups minute style rice 1 can chicken broth 1 cup water 1 green onion, chopped well 1 Tbs Texas Gourmet’s Sidewinder Searing Sauce 4 oz. breakfast pan sausage, browned and strained 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tsp cumin
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TEXAS SALTWATER
Rebeca R ay 24-inch Tr o Hugo Ford ut Guide Serv ice
ROCKPORT
GALVESTON
For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.
PORT ARANSAS
k Eric Dubca sh fi d e R ch 26-in ice uide Serv Hillman G
TEXAS FRESHWATER BAFFIN BAY CORPUS CHRISTI
Steve Sch ibe Stringer o r f Trout Hugo Ford Guide Serv ice
FREEPORT
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Nick Arandando 15-pound Snapper ors Coastal Bend Outdo
John and Patti Zie
gler Redfish Redfish Charters Paul Watson, Doug Bowen, & Sean Bruce Snapper Freeport Charter Boats
TEXAS FRESHWATER
OUTDOOR SHOPPER
TEXAS HUNTING
LAKE TEXOMA
COLORADO LAKE AMISTAD ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!
SPOTLIGHT: HUGO FORD GUIDE SERVICE
For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.
OUTDOOR SHOPPER
I started my guiding career in 1974, guiding quail hunts in South Texas. After a couple of years, I decided to turn my hunting customers into fishing customers. I became U.S.C.G. licensed and since that time, I have spent my winters running quail hunts and deer hunts. I primarily hunt out of Hebbronville, Premont, and Carrizo Springs, Texas. We also offer hunts on a beautiful ranch in the mountains north of Van Horn, Texas. I fished the Port O’Connor area for nearly 13 years, before moving on to Rockport for another 8 years. I have fished out of Corpus Christi and on south to other surrounding waters since 1998. Spring and summer months, I am wading the Upper Laguna and Baffin Bay areas. Upon request, we take customers to Port Mansfield to enjoy the beautiful shallow flats in that area. In 1994, I started donating 10 to 15 trips a year to CCA Texas. Currently, I am donating 20 to 25 throughout Texas and Louisiana. I must say that the CCA customers are the most gracious people I have ever been associated with! I have become great friends with many of them. My girlfriend, Connie Muse, is my faithful assistant helping daily on my fishing trips. We make a great team. On days when my clients elect to wade rather than stay in the boat, she is sufficient in bringing the boat to us when we need more bait or something to drink. I have people ask all the time if I get tired of guiding after all these years. My answer is always the same: I will never get tired of seeing that smile on the face of a young child or any adult fishing for the first time, hooked up on a nice fish. I am currently fishing a 24’ Haynie with 250 Mercury Motor, without a doubt the finest boat I have ever operated. Haynie boats are made by Chris’s Marine in Aransas Pass, Texas. We can help you with any accommodations that you may need, please call and visit. Hope to see ya on the water soon! — Capt. Hugo Ford www.capt.hugoford.com capt.hugoford@yahoo.com fordplay@prodigy.net 361-318-3836 (cell) A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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SEND YOUR PHOTOS!
MAIL: EMAIL:
1745 Greens Rd, Houston TX 77032 photos@fighgame.com
BASS—KURTEN, TEXAS
REDFISH—SAN JOSE ISLAND, TEXAS
REDFISH—SABINE JETTY, TEXAS
Justin Kristynik, age 3, of Kurten, Texas, caught his first largemouth bass while fishing with his parents at one of their private stock ponds. He was practicing his cast using a yellow shad lure for bait.
Seventeen-year-old Jackson Daly of Dripping Springs, Texas, caught his first keeper redfish, measuring 24-1/2 inches, while fishing with his dad Jack at San Jose Island.
Marcus Ramsey, age 13, of Lumberton, Texas, caught this 41-inch redfish on the Sabine Jetty. This was his first red over 20 inches, and he had only started fishing saltwater a few weeks earlier.
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Note: All non-digital photos submitted become the property of Texas Fish & Game and will not be returned. TF&G makes no guarantee when or if any submitted photo will be published.
BASS—BRESULA, TEXAS
CRAPPIE—LAKE WRIGHT PATMAN, TEXAS
BOBCAT—CARRIZO SPRINGS, TEXAS
Kobe Lee Trowbridge, age 5, of Manor, Texas, caught Hayden Pike, age 5, from Richmond, Texas, caught 4 bass while fishing with his “PaPa,” Chris Hilde- this crappie at Lake Wright Patman in Atlanta, brandt, at their farm in Bresula, Texas. The bass Texas. The crappie weighed in at 1.12 pounds. shown weighed around 3 pounds.
A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Dennis Fewell of League City, Texas, shot this 24pound bobcat on his Uncle Dennis’ ranch near Carrizo Springs. One 60-yard shot from a .243 sent this cat to the taxidermist.
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Scavenger Hunt
“W
HAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO with that? ” my cousin, Roger, asked as I reeled in the biggest bra that we had ever seen. Being completely inexperienced in such matters back in the late 1960s, the foundation garment was an object of wonder for two teenage boys. Standing on the muddy shore, I reached way out and I lipped the bra in. I held up the wire and satin device. “That must be a 48 double-D,” Roger opined. Needing to express my more extensive, yet non-existent, knowledge of female apparel, I used both hands to hold it out much like holding a dead duck by the wingtips. “Looks like it’s probably a 55 triple-D to me.” “What are you going to do with it?” he repeated. “Get it stuffed,” I said and we went off in a long conservation that will not be reproduced here. That was the first experience I can remember where I found an interesting treasure while on a fishing trip. I admit it sort of ruined me for future discoveries, but the truth is there are a lot of interesting finds in fishable waters, navigable waters, or on hunting lands. Take for example one of my hunting bud-
PHOTO BY DON ZAIDLE
dies I call “Youngster.” Today, he fishes with a Shimano ultralight rig that he found in the reeds at Chicken Lake on the LBJ National Grasslands. The little rig has served him for years, and each fish he catches with it is a delicious delight with the found reel. Other guys I fish with have their own stories about interesting finds or reusable gear. Think back on the number of bobbers you have seen tangled in drowned bushes or fluttering in trees just offshore. I have seen stickups decorated like Christmas trees with bob-
by Reavis Z. Wortham bers and lures. With the lowly bobber costing a minimum of 25 cents each, you can save several dollars by collecting them off one tree. That’s like getting an unexpected present, and it seems that I buy bobbers by the gross these days, so I am always looking for a freebie. I bet there isn’t a fisherman alive that hasn’t found usable lures tangled in vegetation by bank fishermen. Spinners, buzzbaits, and worm rigs are a special fruit that can be picked from bushes and trees. Depending on how long they have been in the water or dangling in the breeze, you might be able to immediately use the lures. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Rusted or damaged lures can be quickly reused with the simple replacement of a blade or hook. Gary Reeves, who owns a house on Lake Tawakoni, is constantly finding lures lost on the pilings or struts of his pier. It is a cheap way to keep his grandkids outfitted with expensive lures. Outdoorsmen with attention spans as short as mine find these types of scavenger hunts a salvation for our sanity. I am not one of those guys who can fish for hours without taking a break. Pretty soon, my OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) will kick in and I start looking around for something to catch my interest. Some people troll, cast, or look for wildlife along lakeshores. There are several folks with a bizarre bent such as mine who keep a watchful eye for lines entering or leaving the water. Sometimes it is monofilament, other times braided nylon cord, or even nylon rope. Most of the time, something is attached to one end or the other. You just might find something as heavy as a lost boat anchor, or as light as a popping bug on a broken leader. Walking the waterline often reveals interesting items or lures. Keeping a particularly watchful eye on shore debris, monofilament line most likely leads to something. Careful&
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In This Issue
N13 N15 N16
NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New From Top Outdoor Manufacturers | BY TF&G STAFF INDUSTRY INSIDER • Magic Swimmer Secrets Revealed | BY TF&G STAFF SHOOT THIS • CZ 550 American Safari Magnum | BY STEVE LAMASCUS
HOW-TO SECTION
N1
COVER STORY • Scavenger Hunt | BY REAVIS Z. WORTHAM
HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION
N4
SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times | BY TF&G STAFF
N6
TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots | BY CALIXTO GONZALES & JD MOORE
GEARING UP SECTION
N12
TEXAS TESTED • Chaos; Panoptx; and more | BY TF&G STAFF
N22 N24 N25 N26 N28 N29 N30 N34
TEXAS BOATING • Going Overboard | BY LENNY RUDOW
WOO’S CORNER • More Summer Strategies | BY WOO DAVES GURLZ PAGE • But, What About Me? | BY MARI HENRY
HUNT TEXAS • McKenzie’s Buck | BY BOB HOOD TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • Loading Data: Fact or Fiction? | BY STEVE LAMASCUS MISTER CRAPPIE • Hotter-n-Hell | BY WALLY MARSHALL WILDERNESS TRAILS • Le Manquant Donkey | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE
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TOURNAMENT INSIDER • Cats for Cash | BY MATT WILLIAMS
TEXAS KAYAKING • Yakking It Up | BY GREG BERLOCHER
N2
T E X A S
SPECIAL HUNTING SECTION • Trophy Fever | BY TF&G STAFF
FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • All-around Catfish Rig | BY PAUL BRADSHAW
virtually undetectable until the reptile moves. The bite of even a non-venomous snake can become a serious health hazard very quickly. Don’t forget the other little surprises such as thorn bushes, nettles, poison ivy, yellow jacket and wasp nests, and spiders. A spider doesn’t strike like a snake, but the very real possibility of a poisonous arachnid getting on a sleeve or pant leg and eventually making its way somewhere that it can bite is always a concern. My aforementioned cousin and I once floated up under an overhanging bush to collect a lost Rapala, not noticing an inordinately large nest of yellow jackets that apparently were already having a bad day. When you get bored and launch a scavenging expedition, look for splashes of color that shouldn’t be there. A lost Jitterbug’s chartreuse belly should catch your eye when lying amongst gray driftwood. Youngster hunts ducks today with lost decoys he found tied to drab, rotting ropes. Another friend named Benson found a virtually new English Tilly hat that retails for approximately $50. Amazingly, it fit and he wears it today. I have a beaver skull we found near a lake in east Texas. Back in my college days when
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SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS • Leashed Ling | BY PATRICK LEMIRE
ly pulling the partially buried line from mud and sand can lead to a variety of lures or rigs. Notice that’s “carefully.” Reeves once learned the hard way about finding fishing rigs on a boat ramp when he saw a Tru-Turn hook attached to mono line laying beside a boat trailer tire. In a hurry and not paying attention, he knelt, picked up the hook, and straightened his knees. The hook did its job and Tru-Turned far enough to bury the barb in the ball of his thumb; couldn’t pull it out even with pliers He eventually drove himself to the emergency room where they cut out the hook and stitched everything up nice and neat. This cautionary tale offers the lesson that we should all be careful when embarking on a scavenger hunt, no matter how innocent it appears. When finding lost fishing gear, it might be buried in vegetation on the bank, or in drifts of litter and detritus along the shoreline. There are a number of hazards to watch for when picking up these found treasures. Anyone who has been in the outdoors knows the most basic fear for most humans is snakes. Be extremely careful when putting your hand anywhere that isn’t open to careful observation. Some snake camouflage is • J U L Y
OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
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DISCOVER THE OUTDOORS • Classifieds | BY TF&G STAFF TEXAS TASTED • Shrimp Kebabs | BY BRYAN SLAVEN PHOTO ALBUM • Your Action Photos | BY TF&G STAFF
it was cool to wear necklaces, I sported an interesting bird bone tied on a leather thong. This Indian-looking necklace caught the attention of several young ladies. Doc has a collection of railroad spikes he caught on slabs at Lake Fork. While they are not purely “found” scavenger articles, he loves to tell stories about oddities he has caught over the years. Once he even caught a basket full of live bass some unlucky fisherman lost a short time before. Doc was excited about what he would find when the recent drought dropped lake levels down more than 15 feet in some cases. Unfortunately, the lake bottoms near his house were almost devoid of what we imagined would be acres of dropped rods, reels, anchors, and tackle boxes. They might have been there, but I am sure decades of silt had covered all but the most recently lost items. Don’t think you have lost your own personal lures for good when they tangle underwater or break off on a large fish. Fifteen years ago, I lost the struggle with a big bass while bank fishing on the shore of Lake Lavon. After a short tussle, she broke off and I was disappointed at losing both the big fish and the Rapala. Two weeks later, I was walking the same shore when I came across the skeleton of a
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huge bass that looked like one of those vintage cartoons where an alley cat pulls a fish head and bones from a trashcan. It lay perfectly formed in the pine needles where some animal (probably a raccoon) had picked the carcass clean. Hooked in the corner of the mouth was my undamaged Rapala. I have never found another lure in that fashion, but it doesn’t mean they are not out there. Fishing trips are not the only places where you can come across interesting finds. My friend Larry Williams and I were hunting quail out near Coleman. As we followed the dogs across the pasture on a too-warm day, he commented that the Brittanies were not going to smell anything. Bored, he started to pay more attention to our surroundings and I saw him bend over to pick up an orange something half buried in dead grass. Being mindful of rattlesnakes, he tugged at the item until a
deflated balloon came into view, trailing dirt, rocks, and grass. Tied to the balloon’s terminal end was a note wrapped in plastic. It contained the name and phone number of a child in Lubbock. The note requested that someone contact the school with the student’s name and the location in which it was found. Larry called, and they tracked the student down. The middle school student was excited to hear her balloon had been found four years later. Larry is one of the luckiest son-of-a-guns I know. He once found an interesting knife lying in an inch of water not far from a boat launch. The sharp blade folded into an intricately carved wooden handle. He used it for years until the world spun in a complete circle and he lost it. He also found a green blown-glass float from a Japanese fishing washed up on a Gulf beach, where he was casting for speckled trout and redfish. We have often pon-
dered just how the float found its way into the Gulf. Larry insists it somehow bobbed for years around Cape Horn at Tierra del Fuego and up the South American coast until he picked it up near Aransas Pass, but I think he just likes the imagery. I have been known to kick around old house places on deer leases, where I found everything from antique soda and medicine bottles (those old folks really had a taste for opium-based products) to rusty farm implements. I report each discovery to the landowners, and though interested, they have always let me keep the riches. These stories and finds are always fun to pass around when the campfire glows and coyotes howl in the distance. Look carefully at these areas the next time you get bored— you might find something interesting.
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Tides and Solunar Table for JULY 2008 MONDAY
TUESDAY
1 High Tide: 5:55 am Low Tide: 9:35 pm
Sunrise: 6:39a Moonrise: 4:46a AM Minor: 4:19a PM Minor: 4:52p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
7 Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
1:47 am 9:13 am 3:17 pm 8:17 pm
-0.04 ft 1.22 ft 0.68 ft 0.97 ft
Sunrise: 6:41a Moonrise: 11:36a AM Minor: 10:21a PM Minor: 10:44p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
14
PRIME TIME
8
5:50am – 7:10am
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
Set: 8:46p Set: None AM Major: 4:10a PM Major: 4:33p 5:55p 5:33a
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 6:01 am Low Tide: 8:51 pm
Sunrise: 6:45a Moonrise: 6:16p AM Minor: 3:04a PM Minor: 3:29p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
21
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:12 am 8:07 am 1:22 pm 5:41 pm
Sunrise: 6:49a Moonrise: 10:49p AM Minor: 8:44a PM Minor: 9:06p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
28
1.42 ft -0.30 ft
6:30am – 7:50am
Set: 8:44p Set: 3:21a AM Major: 9:17a PM Major: 9:42p 11:12p 10:47a -0.08 ft 1.32 ft 0.91 ft 1.05 ft
Sunrise: 6:53a Moonrise: 2:32a AM Minor: 2:17a PM Minor: 2:49p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
• J U L Y
1.60 ft -0.65 ft
15
6:05am – 7:30am
Set: 8:37p Set: 5:33p AM Major: 8:33a PM Major: 9:05p 10:01a 10:33p
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12:45 am 8:20 am 2:01 pm 7:19 pm
Sunrise: 6:50a Moonrise: 11:17p AM Minor: 9:33a PM Minor: 9:55p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
29
3:10am – 4:40am
High Tide: 6:41 am 1.71 ft Low Tide: 10:30 pm -0.90 ft
0.30 ft 1.15 ft 0.44 ft 0.91 ft
9
6:00am – 7:20am
Low Tide: 3:12 am High Tide: 9:45 am Low Tide: 5:07 pm
Set: 8:46p Set: 12:05a AM Major: 4:59a PM Major: 5:21p 6:38p 6:16a
6:15am – 7:30am*
Set: 8:44p Set: 4:08a AM Major: 10:02a PM Major: 10:28p None 11:38a 0.11 ft 1.26 ft 0.71 ft 0.97 ft
Sunrise: 6:54a Moonrise: 3:33a AM Minor: 3:14a PM Minor: 3:46p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
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Sunrise: 6:42a Moonrise: 1:32p AM Minor: 11:55a PM Minor: ----Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
23
6:35am – 7:50am
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
5:00am – 6:15am
Set: 8:36p Set: 6:36p AM Major: 9:30a PM Major: 10:02p 11:05a 11:37p
0.62 ft 1.11 ft 0.23 ft
1:19 am 8:27 am 2:45 pm 9:14 pm
Sunrise: 6:50a Moonrise: 11:47p AM Minor: 10:23a PM Minor: 10:45p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
30
High Tide: 5:55 am Low Tide: 9:33 pm
Sunrise: 6:55a Moonrise: 4:41a AM Minor: 4:12a PM Minor: 4:43p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
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PRIME TIME
z3
3:20am – 4:45am*
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
10
6:15am – 7:40am
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
PRIME TIME 6:00am – 7:10am
Set: 8:43p Set: 5:00a AM Major: 10:49a PM Major: 11:15p 12:04a 12:29p 0.36 ft 1.21 ft 0.47 ft 0.95 ft
1.65 ft -0.74 ft
0.97 ft 0.90 ft 1.10 ft 0.05 ft
PRIME TIME
Sunrise: 6:47a Moonrise: 8:38p AM Minor: 5:25a PM Minor: 5:50p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
6:40am – 8:00am
31
5:10am – 6:40am
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
6:00am – 7:15am
Set: 8:43p Set: 5:57a AM Major: 11:37a PM Major: ----12:55a 1:20p
PRIME TIME 1:54 am 8:26 am 3:35 pm 11:25 pm
Sunrise: 6:51a Moonrise: None AM Minor: 11:13a PM Minor: 11:37p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
PRIME TIME
6:45am – 8:00am
Set: 8:45p Set: 1:01a AM Major: 6:28a PM Major: 6:49p 8:03p 7:41a
High Tide: 6:53 am 1.42 ft Low Tide: 10:37 pm -0.34 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
3:30am – 4:55am
Set: 8:46p Set: 9:45p AM Major: 12:17a PM Major: 12:41p 2:28p 1:56a
17
24
Set: 8:36p Set: 7:31p AM Major: 10:28a PM Major: 10:59p 12:09p None
1.65 ft 1.46 ft 1.47 ft -0.81 ft
PRIME TIME 12:24 am 3:53 am 9:50 am 5:56 pm
Sunrise: 6:43a Moonrise: 2:29p AM Minor: 12:14a PM Minor: 12:38p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
PRIME TIME
Set: 8:40p Set: 11:56a AM Major: 4:12a PM Major: 4:34p 5:32a 5:55p
PRIME TIME 7:22 am 12:12 pm 1:58 pm 11:22 pm
Sunrise: 6:40a Moonrise: 7:04a AM Minor: 6:25a PM Minor: 6:57p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
PRIME TIME
Set: 8:45p Set: 12:33a AM Major: 5:45a PM Major: 6:06p 7:20p 6:59a
High Tide: 6:37 am 1.43 ft Low Tide: 10:04 pm -0.34 ft
Sunrise: 6:46a Moonrise: 7:55p AM Minor: 4:36a PM Minor: 5:02p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
THURSDAY
Set: 8:46p Set: 8:53p AM Major: 11:37a PM Major: ----1:24p 12:51a
16
PRIME TIME
Set: 8:41p Set: 10:56a AM Major: 3:23a PM Major: 3:44p 4:48a 5:10p 1.66 ft -0.74 ft
Sunrise: 6:39a Moonrise: 5:52a AM Minor: 5:21a PM Minor: 5:54p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
PRIME TIME
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 5:28 am Low Tide: 8:37 pm
T E X A S
2
Set: 8:46p Set: 7:52p AM Major: 10:35a PM Major: 11:08p 12:18p None
1.43 ft -0.33 ft
Sunrise: 6:45a Moonrise: 7:08p AM Minor: 3:49a PM Minor: 4:15p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
5:25am – 6:45am
PRIME TIME
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 6:22 am Low Tide: 9:29 pm
22
Set: 8:41p Set: 9:57a AM Major: 2:33a PM Major: 2:55p 4:05a 4:27p
2:31 am 9:32 am 4:14 pm 10:11 pm
Sunrise: 6:42a Moonrise: 12:35p AM Minor: 11:10a PM Minor: 11:32p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
PRIME TIME
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 5:06 am Low Tide: 7:38 pm
N4
1.70 ft -0.89 ft
WEDNESDAY
0.65 ft 1.19 ft 0.21 ft 1.03 ft
4:40am – 6:00am
Set: 8:40p Set: 12:58p AM Major: 5:01a PM Major: 5:25p 6:18a 6:42p
PRIME TIME 6:19 am 10:52 am 1:38 pm 10:25 pm
Sunrise: 6:55a Moonrise: 5:53a AM Minor: 5:10a PM Minor: 5:40p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.59 ft 1.42 ft 1.46 ft -0.65 ft
5:30am – 6:50am
Set: 8:35p Set: 8:18p AM Major: 11:25a PM Major: 11:55p 1:10p 12:40a
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Tides and Solunar Table for JULY 2008 FRIDAY
4 High Tide: 7:57 am 1.55 ft Low Tide: 12:38 pm 1.33 ft High Tide: 3:35 pm 1.38 ft
Sunrise: 6:40a Moonrise: 8:17a AM Minor: 7:29a PM Minor: 7:58p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
5
4:10am – 5:25am
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
PRIME TIME 4:00 am 7:45 am 9:20 am 6:43 pm
1.13 ft 1.12 ft 1.12 ft -0.09 ft
Sunrise: 6:43a Moonrise: 3:27p AM Minor: 12:58a PM Minor: 1:20p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
{ 18 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
PRIME TIME
Set: 8:46p Set: 10:28p AM Major: 1:15a PM Major: 1:44p 3:27p 2:58a
11
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
SATURDAY
7:11 am 12:03 pm 2:03 pm 11:09 pm
0.95 ft 1.23 ft -0.05 ft
Sunrise: 6:51a Moonrise: 12:19a AM Minor: ----PM Minor: 12:04p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
5:45am – 7:15am
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:45am – 6:05am
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
New Moon
First Quarter
7:30 am 12:16 pm 3:11 pm 11:40 pm
1.40 ft 1.18 ft 1.22 ft -0.22 ft
2:15 am 2:34 am 7:37 am 5:32 pm
1.22 ft 1.22 ft 1.33 ft -0.29 ft
-0.35 ft 1.32 ft 0.92 ft 1.10 ft
Sunrise: 6:41a Moonrise: 10:34a AM Minor: 9:28a PM Minor: 9:53p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
4:50am – 6:15am
Set: 8:46p Set: 11:36p AM Major: 3:16a PM Major: 3:41p 5:10p 4:46a
13
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 5:33 am Low Tide: 8:10 pm
1.38 ft -0.26 ft
Sunrise: 6:44a Moonrise: 5:21p AM Minor: 2:21a PM Minor: 2:45p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
7:00am – 8:25am
Set: 8:44p Set: 2:39a AM Major: 8:33a PM Major: 8:57p 10:22p 9:58a
20
PRIME TIME
5:45am – 7:00am*
High Tide: 7:50 am 1.37 ft Low Tide: 12:46 pm 1.07 ft High Tide: 4:20 pm 1.14 ft
6:00am – 7:20am
5:00am – 6:20am
Set: 8:38p Set: 3:14p AM Major: 6:44a PM Major: 7:11p 8:01a 8:29p
Last Quarter
PRIME TIME 1:01 am 8:52 am 2:19 pm 6:36 pm
PRIME TIME
PRIME TIME
SYMBOL KEY
Full Moon
7:05am – 8:40am
Set: 8:42p Set: 7:57a AM Major: 12:52a PM Major: 1:16p 2:34a 2:57p
Sunrise: 6:52a Moonrise: 12:56a AM Minor: 12:33a PM Minor: 12:57p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
{
4:25am – 5:50am*
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
Set: 8:45p Set: 2:03a AM Major: 7:51a PM Major: 8:14p 9:34p 9:10a
Sunrise: 6:48a Moonrise: 9:49p AM Minor: 7:04a PM Minor: 7:28p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
PRIME TIME
z
1.29 ft -0.19 ft
Sunrise: 6:44a Moonrise: 4:24p AM Minor: 1:39a PM Minor: 2:02p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
26
6
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 4:59 am Low Tide: 7:27 pm
PRIME TIME
PRIME TIME
Set: 8:46p Set: 11:04p AM Major: 2:18a PM Major: 2:44p 4:21p 3:55a
12
19
Set: 8:39p Set: 2:04p AM Major: 5:52a PM Major: 6:17p 7:07a 7:33p
-0.62 ft 1.43 ft 1.14 ft 1.25 ft
Sunrise: 6:40a Moonrise: 9:28a AM Minor: 8:31a PM Minor: 8:57p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
PRIME TIME
Set: 8:43p Set: 6:56a AM Major: 12:03a PM Major: 12:27p 1:45a 2:10p
25
Low Tide: 2:28 am High Tide: 8:11 am Low Tide: 4:31 pm
Set: 8:45p Set: 1:30a AM Major: 7:09a PM Major: 7:31p 8:47p 8:25a
1.41 ft 1.26 ft 1.27 ft -0.30 ft
Sunrise: 6:47a Moonrise: 9:16p AM Minor: 6:14a PM Minor: 6:39p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
7:00am – 8:25am
12:13 am 8:26 am 1:24 pm 5:04 pm
SUNDAY
Sunrise: 6:48a Moonrise: 10:20p AM Minor: 7:54a PM Minor: 8:17p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
Set: 8:42p Set: 8:57a AM Major: 1:43a PM Major: 2:06p 3:20a 3:43p
27
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 6:47 am Low Tide: 6:35 pm
1.47 ft -0.50 ft
Sunrise: 6:53a Moonrise: 1:40a AM Minor: 1:22a PM Minor: 1:52p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
PRIME TIME
Good Day
5:15am – 6:35am
Set: 8:38p Set: 4:25p AM Major: 7:37a PM Major: 8:07p 8:59a 9:30p
PRIME TIME PRIME TIME
BEST DAYS
A L M A N A C / T E X A S
F i s h
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TIDE STATION CORRECTION TABLE (Adjust High & Low Tide times listed in the Calendar by the amounts below for each keyed location)
NOT FOR NAVIGATION
PLACE SABINE BANK LIGHTHOUSE (29.47° N, 93.72° W) SABINE PASS JETTY (29.65° N, 93.83° W) SABINE PASS (29.73° N, 93.87°W) MESQUITE PT, SABINE PASS (29.77° N, 93.9° W) GALV. BAY, SO. JETTY (29.34° N, 94.7° W) PORT BOLIVAR (29.36° N, 94.77° W) TX CITY TURNING BASIN (29.38° N, 94.88° W) EAGLE POINT (29.5° N, 94.91° W) CLEAR LAKE (29.56° N, 95.06° W) MORGANS POINT (29.68° N, 94.98° W) ROUND PT, TRINITY BAY (29.71° N, 94.69° W) PT. BARROW, TRIN. BAY (29.74° N, 94.83° W) GILCHRIST, E. BAY (29.52° N, 94.48° W) JAMAICA BCH., W. BAY (29.2° N, 94.98° W) ALLIGATOR PT., W. BAY (29.17° N, 94.13° W) CHRISTMAS PT, CHR. BAY (29.08° N, 94.17° W) GALV. PLEASURE PIER (29.29° N, 94.79° W) SAN LUIS PASS (29.08° N, 95.12° W) FREEPORT HARBOR (28.95° N, 95.31° W) PASS CAVALLO (28.37° N, 96.4° W) ARANSAS PASS (27.84° N, 97.05° W) PADRE ISL.(SO. END) (26.07° N, 97.16° W) PORT ISABEL (26.06° N, 97.22° W)
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HIGH
LOW
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-1:31
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-1:31
-1:00
-1:15
-0:04
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-0:39
-1:05
+0:14
-0:06
+0:33
+0:41
+3:54
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+5:19
+10:39
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+5:48
+4:43
+3:16
+4:18
+2:38
+3:31
+2:39
+2:33
+2:32
+2:31
-1:06
-1:06
-0.09
-0.09
-0:44
-1:02
0:00
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-1:31
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-1:45
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by JD Moore, North Zone Fishing Editor & Calixto Gonzales, South Zone Fishing Editor
Rip ‘Traps for Bass LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Dam Riprap GPS: N31 53.584, W97 12.682
SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Tail Hummers, Rat-L-Traps, small crankbaits CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-295-6115, teamredneck01@hotmail.com TIPS: Make long casts along riprap using the above baits, early and late. Schooling action will usually be early morning. After the sun rises, work the bubbler. It holds fish all day. Use Little George or Kastmaster spoons and cast into bubbles. Let fall for a count of three and make medium speed retrieve. BANK ACCESS: Tailrace Fishing Pier, largemouth bass, white bass LOCATION: Lake Belton HOTSPOT: Westcliff Ramp Area GPS: N31 06.879, W97 30.782 SPECIES: largemouth and smallmouth bass BEST BAITS: blue/silver Rat-L-Trap if fish are active; Carolina rig if fish are slow CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: When fishing prime active times, (dawn, dusk, overcast, windy), begin with Rat-L-Trap and switch to Carolina rig if active fish aren’t found. When fishing nonpeak times, start with Carolina rig and speed up if fish allow. Fish rocky shore 100 yards northwest of ramp to the sandy beach with swimming perimeter marked out. Go shallower in peak times, and out 10-14 feet in nonpeak times. When encountering black, stringy moss, rig your Carolina rig with a floating worm. N6
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BANK ACCESS: Temple Lake Park LOCATION: Lake Cedar Creek HOTSPOT: Spillway GPS: N32 14.441, W96 08.371 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: crappie jigs CONTACT: Chuck Rollins, 903-288-5798, www.bigcrappie.com TIPS: The crappie are now in deeper water for the summer pattern. Jigs over brush in 1525 feet of water should produce good numbers. Also work other brush piles in the midlake area adjacent to the spillway. Use electronics to find them and work your jig slowly over them. BANK ACCESS: Hwy 334 Public Park, cut bait for cats, small floats for bream using worms, crickets LOCATION: Lake Fairfield HOTSPOT: West Shore Hump GPS: N31 47.843, W96 04.032 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: cut shad, shrimp, or perch; deep-diving crankbaits CONTACT: Lex Hayes, 903-641-9609, www.lexsguideservice.com TIPS: The fishing for July will turn to early morning and late evening along with night fishing due to the temperature outside and the temperature of the water. Fish windblown points off the bottom with cut shad, shrimp, or perch. Trolling deep divers or using down riggers will also be a good tactic to use. The hump straight across from the second boat ramp is usually pretty good this time of year. A lot of fish can also be found in the inlet cove and dam area. The campground bank also produces a lot of fish in the evenings. BANK ACCESS: No. 2 Boat Ramp, bass, catfish, bream, redfish; work point edges and cove LOCATION: Lake Fayette County HOTSPOT: Hard To Find Point &
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JD MOORE
CALIXTO GONZALES
GPS: N29 56.320, W96 43.930 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Carolina rig in Watermelon Seed color CONTACT: Bob Green, 281-460-9200, bobgreen@cvtv.net TIPS: This being a cooling pond for the power plant, the water temps can reach the mid to upper 90s as early as the end of July. Deep holes will hold fish in 15- to 20-foot range. This is also the time of year that fish will start chasing shad out in the deeper water. Carolina rigs work well over the humps. Watermelon Seed is color of choice. Schooling fish can be caught on shad imitation baits over the tops of the schools. BANK ACCESS: Oak Thicket Ramp, most species LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Dam Rocky Point GPS: N30 36.682, W96 03.996 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: minnows and jigs CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: There are stumps, rocks, trees, and submerged brush in this area. Best fishing is early morning and mid to late afternoon and just before dark. Trees are in water from 1218 feet deep. Jig with 1/16-ounce red/white or black/chartreuse, bushy tail or curly tail. Use minnows under slip cork and start fishing close to bottom due to summer heat. Experiment with depth by moving slip cork about eight inches upward, each time until fish bite is located. Look for bite shallower in early morning, deeper in late evening. Fish light can be effective after dark. BANK ACCESS: Boat Ramp Pier, bream, crappie LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: Fireman’s Hump GPS: N32 37.551, W97 01.045 SPECIES: largemouth and white bass BEST BAITS: spoons, CR Fry, DS Chompers
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CONTACT: Randy Maxwell, 817-313-2878, r.maxwell@tx.rr.com TIPS: Position boat in 30 feet of water off hump and work your lure around and over hump. Take your time and cover the area thoroughly. This hotspot usually produces in the summer months. Patience is the name of the game. BANK ACCESS: Lynn Creek Fishing Dock, bass, crappie, bream LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Ticky Creek GPS: N33 07.803, W96 29.993 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: black/brown Pepper’s Jig, white/chartreuse spinnerbaits and buzzbaits CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 972-853-0949, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: Fish the above baits thoroughly from the very shallows to the first breakline. In the heat of the day, a Gene Larew Watermelon Hoodaddy Texas rig will work as well. Be sure to pay special attention to the herons around the lake as they will let you know where the bait are located as well as the bass that will be nearby. BANK ACCESS: Ticky Creek Park, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Kickapoo Creek GPS: N32 17.349, W95 29.923 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Nichols Salty Mother Sinker; Phantom Stinko (not Senko) worked Texasrigged with no weight CONTACT: Don Mattern, 903-478-2633, matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: There’s lots of hydrilla and cabbage patches of vegetation and lots of stumps and wood cover mixed in. Summer patterns include early poppers, and frogs worked over and around the moss beds on the flats. Spinnerbaits worked on edges of vegetation and bumped off wood cover will also produce. Several bass over 10 pounds have been caught by my clients using this system. BANK ACCESS: North end of Kickapoo Creek Bridge LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Riprap GPS: N32 55.033, W96 30.112 N8
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SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Bandit Crankbaits in 200 or 700 series, also Pepper’s Buzzbait CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 972-853-0949, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: This time of year the riprap through the lake is best. Next are the humps around the lake as well as main lake points that extend far out into the lake. Work the shorelines and riprap early with buzzbait. Riprap on dam is best for it receives little fishing pressure compared to riprap along the highway. BANK ACCESS: Robertson Park, catfish on cut shad LOCATION: Lake Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: 309 Humps, just south of 309 Ramp GPS: N31 58.590, W96 08.350 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: black/black buzzbait; chrome/blue Super Spooks; Carolina-rigged Fish Kicker Craw in Watermelon Red or Watermelon Candy CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 817-929-0675, www.schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: Throw topwater baits across the humps. When the topwater bite ceases, drag the Carolina rig with a 2- to 4-foot leader on a 4/0 hook and 3/4- or 1/2-ounce Tru-Tungsten and 8mm force beads across the humps. There is a second hump about 25 yards south of the first one. There’s lots of brush on both the humps. BANK ACCESS: 2859 Ramp, catfish, crappie LOCATION: Lake Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: Pelican Island GPS: N31 59.772, W96 10.921 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: topwaters and shallow-running crankbaits, clear Tiny Torpedo, chrome RatL-Traps CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-389-4117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: White bass will be schooling on top almost every morning in the Pelican Island area of the lake. Get there early as the topwater activity might last only an hour or so. If cloud cover is good, the action can last literally all morning. BANK ACCESS: E. Hwy 287 Bridge abutments, pilings near bank &
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LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Spillway South GPS: N31 01.315, W97 31.903 SPECIES: largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass BEST BAITS: jig-worm combination in dark translucent colors CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Work steep bluff areas slowly for a reliable mid-day bite after early shallow action dies. Look for irregularities in the rocks (fissures, boulders, overhangs), as well as laydowns and changes in substrata (limestone to gravel, etc.). Jig/worms are best fished with light spinning gear. Re-tie frequently and be prepared to react to fish to prevent thrown lure, as they nearly always jump clear of the water when hooked on this rig. BANK ACCESS: Marina Ramp, bream on worms/bobber LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Washita Point GPS: N33 54.154, W96 35.647 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: topwaters and slab spoons CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, bigfish@graysoncable.com TIPS: July on Lake Texoma is the legendary topwater bite. Huge schools of stripers will surface early in the mornings. You will see the fish busting shad from a mile away. The favorite lures are Cordell Pencil Poppers, RipTide Flats Chub, and Jerk Shad. Best Colors are chrome and blue plugs and chartreuse/silver on soft plastics. Mid-morning the fish will sound. They will stay grouped in deep water. Tie on 1/2-ounce slabs and fish vertically. Drop the slabs and use a fast retrieve. These fighting linesides will try to take the rod out of your hands. BANK ACCESS: Washita Point and the Dam LOCATION: Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Redfish Point GPS: N31 33.834, W96 56.919 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: medium- to deep-running crankbaits CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, rayado@earthlink.net
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TIPS: A fairly deep creek channel comes around the point and meanders southward toward the South Levee. Work sides with shallow to medium running crankbait. If no luck switch to deep running crankbait to get down into the cooler water. Tradinghouse is a power plant lake and July surface temperatures will already be near 90 degrees. BANK ACCESS: South Levee and old park just past the levee; cut bait for catfish, Texas-rigged plastic worms for largemouth bass
work the lake side of the standing timber with a Carolina rig with Watermelon Red worm. Many large bass have been caught from the entrance to Reynolds Creek, all the way back to the third bend. NOTE: The 13.87-pound lake record largemouth caught in March was released back into Lake Waco in late April. I expect to see a new record before the end of this year. BANK ACCESS: Reynolds Creek Park, largemouth bass on spinnerbaits, crankbaits
LOCATION: Lake Waco HOTSPOT: Reynolds Creek GPS: N31 55.452, W97 24.628 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, and Carolina-rigged worms CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, rayado@earthlink.net TIPS: Begin fishing at the south entrance to Reynolds Creek, working the vegetation on left side using buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. Work your way to the third bend and then change sides, working your way back to the entrance. Finish by working the standing timber with buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. Also
LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: McCowan Flats GPS: N31 55.452, W97 24.628 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: 3/4-ounce white or chartreuse striper jugs and trailers CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, teamredneck01@hotmail.com TIPS: The thermocline has set in and trolling and down rigging will be best above the thermo cline. Work the jigs and trailers with baits at 12-22 feet in 19-35 feet deep water. Keep baits above fish and thermocline. When marking fish, troll boat in a southerly direction, making your baits rise and fall.
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BANK ACCESS: Loafer Bend Shore, stripers and whites on topwaters
Granger No Stranger to Cats LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: The Road Bed GPS: N30 42.119, W97 20.907
SPECIES: crappie, white bass, catfish BEST BAITS: 1/32-ounce chartreuse Marabou jigs, white slab spoons, Zote Soap CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, 512-365-7761, crappie1@hotmail.com TIPS: For white bass, fish slab spoons on top of sunken roadbeds and ridges in areas where you see shad working. Use your sonar to find the fish and then jig the slab spoon off the bottom by hopping it 2-3 feet off the bottom. For
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crappie fish brush piles in 8-15 feet of water. Hold Jigs right over the tops of brush piles, using very little action. Tip the jig with a Berkley Crappie Nibble. This gives the jig scent and the crappie bite better. Color doesn’t matter. For catfish, put juglines out in the main lake all along the dam and bait with Zote Soap. The soap works better now, because the gar will strip off any cut bait or shad very quickly this time of year. BANK ACCESS: Wilson Fox Fishing Dock
DD22 Fits Fork Bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Chigger Ridge GPS: N32 54.306, W95 40.189
SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: DD22 crankbaits in shad colors, Carolina rigs, Ring Fry CONTACT: Rick Carter, 903-765-3474, www.Flwpro.com TIPS: Work the north end of the ridge. Ring Fry on 3-foot leaders Carolina rigged work well. Fish the DD22 in the early morning. You can also throw a Zara Spook right on top of the ridge. Lake Fork is producing big bass in good numbers as evidenced by numerous lunkers caught during the Toyota Bass Classic in April. BANK ACCESS: Fork Public Park, catfish, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Main Lake Point GPS: N32 49.447, W95 32.719 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Spinner Bugs, Carolina rigs with Baby Brush Hogs in Watermelon Candy, Watermelon Red, Green Pumpkin; drop-shot with Finesse Worms; jigging spoons CONTACT: Michael Rogge, www.lake-forkguides.com TIPS: Work the point thoroughly, changing lures frequently until you start getting action. Work back and forth across and up and down the points. N10
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BANK ACCESS: Fork Public Park, catfish, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Under 1097 Bridge GPS: N30 26.210, W95 35.660 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Catfish Killer Cheese Dip Bait, chicken liver, minnows CONTACT: Darrell Taylor, 936-788-4413, www.catfishkiller.com TIPS: Fish straight down off the boat into a chum like sour grain or 20 percent range cubes from a feed store. Keep your bait 2-3 inches off bottom. BANK ACCESS: East end of Hwy 1097 Bridge, catfish on live shad, bream on worms LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn North HOTSPOT: Harvey Creek GPS: N31 15.479, W94 15.385 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: red Rat-L-Traps, orange craw worms; spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, Senkos CONTACT: Don Mattern, 903-478-2633, matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: Harvey Creek is loaded with hydrilla. Cast next to a channel or small ditch. Work the baits as slow as possible without getting hung up. Spinnerbaits in Glimmer Blue and white or chartreuse also work the same way. Craw worms in Watermelon Red and Green Pumpkin work well along banks of this creek. Texas rigged Senko type baits will work well, too, catching their share of hawgs. Work from the mouth of Harvey Creek to the very back. This is the prime area for big blacks. LOCATION: Toledo Bend Reservoir HOTSPOT: Indian Mound Flats GPS: N31 20.583, W93 40.702 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps with chrome bottom, blue back CONTACT: Jim Morris, 409-579-3485, cypresscreekmarina@valornet.com TIPS: Fish the top of the sunken roadbed running north and south. Using a Rat-LTrap, red shad Carolina rig, move to the outside of roadbed to the drop off. Locate a depth of 10-12 feet. Start fishing. BANK ACCESS: Ragtown Recreation Area, catfish on live bait fished slowly &
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Bull Minnows Jerk Trout LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Mexequita flats GPS: N26 3.666, W97 10.613
SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: gold spoons; soft plastics in red and white CONTACT: Captain Luke Bonura, 956-4572101 TIPS: Speckled trout and redfish roam this broad flat between the old Queen Isabella Causeway and the ICW. Fish the area on high tide (low tide makes this place a parking lot). Gold spoons are the old standby, but a DOA Shrimp or Norton’s Bull Minnow fished under a Cajun Thunder around the potholes is also very effective. Give the cork good jerk, and listen for the “click” when the bait has settled back underneath it before repeating.
Dip from the Well LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Deep Wells GPS: N27 44.764, W97 27 11.141
SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker, live shrimp CONTACT: Captain Tim Duncan, 361-9492115, 361-834-6305 TIPS: The days turn really calm and really warm on Corpus Christi Bay in July, and the fishing pace slows down accordingly, but not the action. You can find some very good fishing around the deep wells while using live bait. Free-line your bait with the current and pay attention for the telltale “tap.” Shell pads that surround abandoned wellhead work just
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as well, but you need to use your electronics to find them.
Boat Cut Reds LOCATION: Sabine Pass HOTSPOT: Boat Cut GPS: 40.398, W93 49.516
SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Glow/chartreuse, Pearl/chartreuse, Green Tomato, Strawberry/white CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: The jetties are the place to be in July. You will find some big trout lurking in the deeper holes, especially around the boat cut. Watch for current breaks and eddies. Fish with soft plastics on larger (1/4- to 3/8-ounce) jigheads. A fish-finder is always helpful in this type of fishing. Braided line doesn’t hurt,
either, because of the added sensitivity. A novel way to fish is by “strolling,” using a guided drift over the holes while your lines remain vertical in the water column. A trolling motor helps keep your drift on a specific line, and your lure ticks along the bottom like an unsuspecting baitfish.
Rollin’ on the River for Bass
When Falcon Dam’s turbines aren’t running, water levels around Zapata, Roma, and Rio Grande City drop off dramatically. Big boats can’t get past the stretches of shin- and ankledeep water. Bass end up holding in some deeper pools. Fish around deadfalls and along the shoreline with plastic worms and spinners such as the Mepps Aglia or the Shyster. Yellow and white are the best choices. Contact North Regional Fishing Editor JD Moore by email at hotspotsnorth@fishgame.com
LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: Salineno GPS: N26 30.590, W99 7.040
Contact South Regional Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales by email at hotspotssouth@fishgame.com
For MORE HOTSPOT listings, go to our website and click CURRENT ISSUE ARTICLES
SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: plastic worms in red, Watermelon, Grape; in-line spinners CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956-7654866 TIPS: This is a kayaker’s dream situation:
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Trolling with Chaos 7Eye Panoptx Windproof Shades
Are you sick of heavy pool-cue trolling rods? Sure, they’re tiring to use, but you need to rig up with heavyweights if you want to pull heavy tackle and have a shot at big fish, right? No way—not according to Chaos, which has developed a new line of graphite/glass composite rods that look and feel like peashooters but have the punch of a bazooka. The new Chaos line includes 6-foot, 6inch and 7-foot models in both spinning and conventional versions. The amazing part: Even though they look and feel like a rod that would traditionally be rated for 17- to 20pound test, they’re rated for 30 to 60, 60 to 80, and 80 to 100 pounds. I didn’t believe it at first, but when I spooled up with 60-pound braid (these rods were developed specifically for braid, which allows the angler a much higher pound-test than monofilament of the same diameter) and hooked into a 30-pound yellowfin tuna, I discovered these rods are for real. It felt like it had the same backbone and lifting power as a traditional 30- to 60-poundclass rod, at half the weight and diameter. I found these rods ideal for speed-jigging, and unlike some rods intended for this use, the Chaos doesn’t ever bottom-out or reach the end of its arc. While the tip offers some fastaction play, the mid section blends into an aft section that has a ton of backbone. The 30pound fish, for example, didn’t cause any bend in the rod beyond the lowest guide. The grips are foam, guides are the doublefoot style lined with silicon-carbide inserts, and the reel seat is gold and black anodized aluminum. Wraps around the guides are gold over black, and the wraps near the base are criss-crossed. The butt also has a gimbal so you can use this rod with a harness, or cap it with the rubber end-piece and fish it without one. Chaos rods aren’t ridiculously expensive. Priced at $199, they certainly beat the price of most other rods rated for this weight class. Contact: Chaos Fishing, 877-547-8066, www.chaosrods.com —Lenny Rudow N12
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If you fish from a high-speed bass boat, kingfish tournament rig, or a powerful bay boat, then you’ve probably experienced some unique problems: bugs or particles whooshing into your eyes, sunglass lenses being sucked out of the frames, or sunglasses being blown completely off your head and overboard are a few that affect most lightning-fast boaters at one time or another. Panoptx has come up with a unique solution to these problems, with the Orbital Seal eyecup. These foam and plastic inserts (which are removable on most models) form a face-fitting seal 360-degrees around each eye, essentially turning the sunglasses into a pair of mini-goggles. Since air can’t get in around the frames, the glasses won’t be blown off your head and the lenses won’t be sucked out by a negativepressure zone behind the frames. I tested a pair of the Whirlwind model and found the eyecups surprisingly comfortable and 100-percent effective. Blasting across a reservoir at 70-plus mph in a bass boat, they stayed put and protected my peepers so well I didn’t even have to squint. Foam-filtered vents allow airflow behind the frames, so fogging isn’t an issue. Popping the insert on and off the frames takes zero effort, thanks to a couple of tabs that fit into slots in the frames. Of course, the design won’t help much if the glasses’ optics aren’t up to snuff. Fortunately, the Whirlwinds are polarized, SPF 100, and are designed to bring out different colors and shades in the water. The NXT lenses are tough, too—so tough, they come with a lifetime guarantee against breakage. They’re made with a water shedding coating so you won’t have to slow down and wipe them off every time a little spray comes over the bow. Frames are available in Dark Tortoise and Gray Tortoise, and lenses come in copper (best for bringing out color differences in the shallows,) dark tan (also good for bringing out &
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different colors, these lenses grow darker as they’re exposed to more sunlight,) and gray (best for looking deep into blue offshore waters). Eyewear like this doesn’t come cheap, and these sunglasses range from $125 to $250. But if you want serious eye protection while running at highway speeds and you don’t want to put on a helmet or switch between glasses and goggles, the Whirlwinds are a great option. Contact: 7Eye, 925-484-0292, www.7eye.com —LR
Purosol Marine Optic Cleaner Sick and tired of looking through smudged LCD screens and fingerprinted scopes? Me, too, but you can’t simply wipe down delicate, optically coated surfaces like these with household cleaners and a rag. You’ve never seen a cleaner designed specifically for these surfaces? I hadn’t either until Origin Laboratories came out with Purosol Sports/Marine optics molecular lens and screen cleaner. This enzyme-based cleaner breaks down organic salts, dirt, and grime on a molecular level. It has no ammonia, solvents, or alcohol, which can harm some optically coated surfaces by eating away at the anti-glare coatings, and is non-toxic. To test it, I kept a bottle in the glove box of my 28-foot McKee Craft Express project boat this season, and regularly used it to wipe down the screen on a Northstar fishfinder/GPS. It took off the fingerprints and salty crust with ease, and the screen still looks like it did when the unit originally came out of the box. It also did the trick for cleaning up my binoculars, camera lenses, and sunglasses. The formula neutralizes static, too, so the surfaces stayed dust-free longer than usual. Contact: Origin Laboratories, 626-5681100, www.purosol.com —LR
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A Jack for All Boats Engineers at Bob’s Machine Shop have developed a product that all boaters can use. With a maximum engine rating of 40 hp, BMS’s hydraulic kicker jackplate provides slow-speed power for cruisers, auxiliary power for sailboats and trolling power for fishermen. Sailboat skippers will appreciate the jack-
Kicker Jack
plate’s ability to reduce engine drag while under sail. For economy, powerboaters can fire up their kicker for no-wake zones, slow cruising or when navigating shallow backwaters. And, the jack provides anglers with the option of using just one motor for trolling and main power. The kicker jack is built with 6061 T-6 aircraft-grade aluminum to ensure high strength with minimal weight. All of Bob’s Machine’s hydraulic jackplate motors are mounted inside the boat for long life and easy maintenance. An optional wireless control kit allows the skipper to operate the jackplate remotely with a small key fob from anywhere on the boat. Retail price of Bob Machine Shop’s patent pending, hydraulic kicker jackplate is $1,199. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty on the structure. Contact Bob’s Machine Shop at 4314 Raleigh St. Tampa, FL 33619. Phone: 813247-7040; Fax: 813-247-7041; info@bobsmachine.com; www.bobsmachine.com.
Husky Gear Box Husky Liners is proud to introduce its newest product line: the Husky Gear Box for full size pickups. Applications include part #09001, 2007-08 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab; #09011, 2007-08 Silverado Extended Cab;
Husky Gear Box
#09201, 2004-08 Ford F150 Super Crew; #09401, 2002-08 Dodge Ram Quad Cab. Custom fit design to specifically fit your pickups area underneath the rear seat. Large capacity, removable dividers help keep you organized, store all those items you just can’t keep contained. The Gear Box is constructed of heavy duty co-extruded material with a slip resistant outer layer and a tough and rugged inner layer. Rubberized non-slippery surface minimizes cargo shifting, available in black color. Easy to install and made in the USA. Visit the Husky Liner website at www.huskyliners.com for a current application listing and information on our many other products. Contact: Winfield Consumer Products, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Winfield, KS 67156 Phone: 800-344-8759.
Nomor-Clog Keeps Cooler Drains Clear
The Nomor-Clog is a unique new product that will prevent your cooler drain form ever being blocked, guaranteed under normal use. Like numerous others, the inventor, a native Southeast Texan and avid outdoorsman, became frustrated with his cooler drain clogging while processing his game. After extensive experimentation with different applications, the Nomor-Clog was conceived. No more digging through an ice clod cooler to unstop your drain just to have it stop up again immediately. There are 28 million fisherman, 14 million hunters, 43 million tent campers, and over 6 million overnight hikers in the US that will benefit from our new product, not to mention individuals that just want to have a trouble free cooler. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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The Nomor-Clog is made of the same food safe plastic that your cooler drain is made from, and is very simple to install. . It is a two part device that attaches using the existing drain assembly included in all Igloo, Rubbermaid, and Coleman draining coolers. Though made for easy removal for cleaning, the Nomor-Clog locks tight and stays put even while being transported. The NomorClog is your cooler drain solution! Email address: nomor-clogman@windstream.net Website: www.nomor-clog.com.
New Walker’s Game Ear Hears in HD Walker’s, the shooting and hunting industry pioneer in hearing protection, continues to expand their line of units while enhancing sound clarity through the use of Digital Technology. The HD circuitry provides a higher quality of distortion-free sound to your ears while decreasing circuit noise. With increased sensitivity, better hearing and more accurate sounds are reproduced. There are several models available from the digital BTE (behind the ear) Game Ear HD to the Power Muffs Digital Quad. With an ergonomic design, the BTE fits comfortably behind either ear and can be used with or without eyeglasses. Weighing less than 1/4 ounce, you hardly notice it is there. The replaceable Walker’s foam earpiece elimGame Ear II HD inates wind noise and protects the ear from loud sounds. It works in concert with the Sound-Activated Compression (SAC) circuitry to give you a Noise Reduction Rating of 29db, protecting your hearing from muzzle blast. Walker’s Game Ear HD increases hearing up to 7 times and has 48 dB of power with a pre-set high frequency response circuit. This is a Digital &
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High Definition unit with emphasis on high frequency sounds, which are the sounds we need to hear when we are in the woods. For more information on these and other Walker’s products, go to www.walkersgameear.com.
SportPort Dock
Loxahatchee River, Jupiter, FL 33458.
Wavewalk Kayak
passenger, and offers the ability to go over submerged obstacles in shallow water, as well as to launch and beach in extreme water and terrain conditions. Website: www.wavewalk.com Tel: 617-916-2250
Wavewalk has introduced a new, redesigned version of its patented W Fishing Kayak. The new design features a lower and sturdier spray deflector, a preparation for a uniFor most of us, the inner workings of batversal, multi purpose cockpit cover for rough water and weather, and detachable side floata- teries are a complete mystery. Yet we all tion modules that help prevent overturning as depend on these black boxes to start and run our cars, trucks, 4x4s, boats, R/Vs, and well as facilitate recovery. In addition, the campers. More often than W comes equipped with four not, our batteries do their job internal floatation modules. – but we have no The W Fishing way to predict when Kayak offers both The Battery they’re going to stop. paddling and fishing Bug The battery most of us use on a daily standing in full confidence, even in basis is a starting battery, which delivmoving water. W kayak fishermen benefit from the abili- ers a burst of electricity for a short period of ty to switch any- time – hopefully long enough to start the car. An interesting device called the Battery time between f o u r b a s i c Bug - Starting Battery Monitor (SBM) by ergonomic posi- Argus Analyzers attaches directly to your tions (standing, car’s starting battery, tests your battery every riding, sitting and start, tracks the battery’s decline in health, kneeling), and and sounds an alarm when the battery numerous inter- approaches end-of-life. In other words, it tells mediary posi- you precisely when your battery needs to be replaced – not too early, not too late. At $39, tions. W Kayak The W can fit it’s reasonably priced peace of mind. For deep-cycle batteries providing power more than one
Battery Bug
SportPort Docking Systems, Inc. announces the release of the 500 Series Docking System. After several years of design development and testing, SportPort announces the release of their latest and greatest docking system. “These new products incorporate all the changes and improvements we’ve been dreaming of for some time. Many of the features came from suggestions from our customer base. We’re just trying to give people what they want” said Dave Rueckert, President of SportPort The new system provides modularity and flexibility unequaled in prior models. SportPort customers can now add extra walk space and even access piers basically any way they want. The 500 Series System claims to be the only unsinkable modular system on the market due to its foam-core technology. For a complete list of features visit SportPort’s newwebsite, www.sportport.com or call 888/WHY-WORK (949-9675) Sportport Docking Systems, Inc., 18860
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Pro TEC 30+ Sunscreen Are all suntan lotions of the same SPF equal? No, and if you put in long hours in the sun, you already know this to be true. The sun takes a serious toll on your skin, and Pro TEC 30+ is designed to provide the protection you need. But, does the stuff really work better than other lotions? Ask the Navy Seals—they choose to use it. Pro TEC 30+ (with an SPF of 30, which means you can remain in the sun 30 N14
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times longer than you could if unprotected) has micronized titanium dioxide, which blocks out both UVA and UVB rays. It’s waterproof and sweatproof, and includes moisturizers to keep your skin in top shape. It doesn’t have any fillers, and there are no barrier-type ingredients (such as mineral oil, talc, or beeswax) that you find in some competing products, which can cause clogging of the pores and imbalance in the skin. When we tried it out, we found that it did an excellent job and kept our skin from feeling dried out and scorched, even after full days on the bay. The only gripe I have is that it takes a long time to wipe on, and remains white unless you really rub it around for a while. It’s also pretty expensive at $19.95 for &
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8 ounces. Still, the stuff was impressive enough that it’s worth the extra cost and effort. My kids spent hours dip-netting critters on a sandbar, and I never had to worry about them getting fried in the mid-day sun. Plus, we never had any problem with burning eyes or skin irritation. Unlike most suntan lotions, the Pro TEC doesn’t make your fingers feel slimy for the rest of the day, and the company offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. Contact: Pro2H Products, 800-3973725, www.pro2hproducts.com. —LR
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to run lights, electronics, and trolling motors, the Argus Battery Bug - Deep Cycle Monitor (DCM) continuously tests the battery’s health, and displays battery age and charge level. For the first time ever, the battery’s lifespan is no longer a mystery. The DCM, which can be reset and used on multiple batteries, retails for $109 – a sound investment in your battery’s state of health and your state of mind. Don’t let a dying battery put a damper on your summer activities. Visit the Battery Bug website: www.batterybug.com. (401)398-2959.
Truck Covers USA Truck Covers USA introduces the 2008 American Work Cover. With new innovative features & products, Truck Covers USA sets itself apart from the competition. After seeing the number of requests rapidly growing for the American Roll Cover to be modified to fit a particular truck bed along with an existing toolbox and realizing the niche in the market – research and development began. Two much needed products are now combined for the ideal work truck combination that makes a marriage of the highest product qualities. This multifunctional product was engineered & designed with the work truck and style in mind – a must have for any work truck. Product features include not only the superior construction of the American Roll Cover itself, but a
2008 American Work Cover heavy-duty galvanized sheet metal sectioned toolbox; rust preventative properties; space saving design; OEM grade locking mechanism like no other; cargo lighting options & 2 sliding trays. The American Work Cover enhances the look of any work truck with convenience and ease of use. A truck cover that really works! Truck Covers USA, San Diego, CA Phone: 858-622-9135 www.truckcoversusa.com.
Magic Swimmer Secrets Revealed
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HOUSANDS OF ANGLERS WHO ATTENDED the Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Show last February in Greenville, South Carolina, might not have realized it at that time, but they were treated to a fishing lesson that many of the country’s top pros are probably now wishing they had seen as well. Over the course of the show’s three days, lure designer Patrick Sebile and professional bass angler Jason Williamson demonstrated how to fish the Sebile jointed hard swimbait, the Magic Swimmer. That same Magic Swimmer played a role not just in Williamson’s fifth place finish at the recent BASS Elite Series tournament on Lake Amistad, but also in Todd Faircloth’s win of the event. Faircloth made long casts with the Magic Swimmer and held his rod tip high to “wake” the bait while moving quickly across large flats during practice to get the largemouths to show themselves. “Sometimes they’d come up and take it, other times they’d just give it a good look,” Faircloth explained. “It wasn’t always the bait I caught my fish on, but it sure told me where I should be spending most of my time to catch the winning weight.” Although the tournament was shortened by one day due to high winds, Faircloth’s three-day winning weight was still an impressive 76 pounds, 15 ounces for 15 fish. At the start of the final day, it was Williamson who was in the lead following a previous day catch of five fish totaling 29 pounds, 13 ounces. He was focusing on A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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channel swing-points that had 50-60 feet of water nearby, and relied on wind or cloud cover for his best success. “I couldn’t believe it when the final day was sunny and calm; my fish just weren’t as cooperative under those conditions,” he said. “It had been so phenomenal. If lots of cover, I’d throw more weedless baits. When in the more open water, I’d throw my Magic Swimmer and use a retrieve exactly like Patrick Sebile and I demonstrated so many times in Sebile’s casting tank at the Classic show. It’s a deadly technique that can’t be done with any other kind of swimbait.” He described the technique as involving a slow-rolling retrieve much like that often used for fishing spinnerbaits in deep water. With the rod tip pointed down and reeling slowly, he would then give the bait a sharp jerk followed immediately by pushing the rod forward to put slack in the line. He explained that the jerk and slack technique causes the bait to turn 180 degrees and “look right at the fish that’s eyeing it.” He said it’s often too much for a bass to resist. For the technique, Williamson prefers to use 15- to 17-pound-test fluorocarbon, and sometimes will add adhesive-type “weights” to the bait’s underside to help it get down a little quicker. Williamson explained that the Magic Swimmer’s shape and three-joint design gives it the most realistic swimming action of anything he’s ever seen: “It can be ‘waked’ on top, slow-rolled into the depths, or ‘burned’ somewhere in between using a high-speed retrieve. However you fish it, it always runs true. That’s a big deal.” Both Williamson and Faircloth used Magic Swimmer model 165 SK, weighing approximately 1.6 ounces and measuring nearly 6 inches in length. “SK” stands for the “slow sinking” property built into all four models of Magic Swimmers. Williamson’s color of choice for Amistad was Perch, while Faircloth went with Natural Shiner and Rainbow Trout. The Magic Swimmer comes in as many as 13 colors, depending on model. The 165 SK retails for around $20. Contact: Sebile USA, 325-437-8103, www.SebileUSA.com
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CZ 550 American Safari Magnum
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SELDOM HAVE MUCH USE FOR A MAGNUM RIFLE, much less for a real dangerous game rifle (DGR) like a .375 H&H Magnum. However, no gun collection is complete without such a cannon. You just never know when you might have elephants or brown bears invading your garden. Besides, if we have a DGR, we must expect to go to some faraway place where they are used, right? And historically, Texans have always been some of the most widely traveled hunters in the world. When I was a kid, I remember reading about Herb Klein, the first winner of the Weatherby Award in 1956, and a homegrown Texan. I have a soft spot in my heart for the old .375 H&H. It might be the perfect allaround rifle for everything from deer to elephants. With a 235-grain bullet, it is a super .30-06, shooting flat enough for use on plains game; with a 300-grain solid, it will absolutely plaster elephant or hippo; shooting 270- or 300-grain soft points, it is probably the best medicine in the world for big bears and lions. The .375 was introduced by Holland and Holland in 1912, but it is still just as full of life and just as efficient now as it was then. In a rifle of sufficient weight and good stock design, it is tame enough for most hunters to shoot without flinching, but is powerful enough to knock the sand out of the largest land animal in the world. There N16
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are many cartridges that are more powerful, but few if any with all the positive attributes of the .375 H&H. I recently sold my old Winchester Model 70 .375 to a fellow who wanted it worse than I did. It wasn’t long before I heard that little voice in my head that said I needed another .375—for what, it didn’t say, but it was very insistent. After a couple of weeks of listening to the voice in my head (one of many, I might add), I called CZ and asked for one of their big Mausers in .375. My real intention was to test the gun, do this article, and then send it back, hoping that the little voice would be satisfied with that. I should have known better. When the gun arrived, my first impression was that it was pretty plain. It is a fairly standard square bridge, magnum-action Mauser with a straight-grained walnut stock. The bluing is nice and the metal work and wood-to-metal fit was adequate to quite good. I mounted an Alpen 2-7X scope on the gun and took it to the bench. First, I bore-sighted the gun; not an easy task with a bore the size of a mineshaft. I finally got the scope and bore looking in the same direction, then fired the first shot. Firing a .375 H&H Magnum off a bench rest is never fun. This one, however, surprised me. Recoil was noticeably less than I expected. The stock is extremely well designed and absorbs recoil like a sponge. The comb is wider than usual and acts as a cushion for the cheekbone, which is where these big guns usually hurt me. Also, the stock seems slightly longer than normal, which keeps the scope away from my eye, and it has a very good recoil pad. In addition, the big gun weighs in at around 10 pounds scoped and loaded, which also lessens felt recoil. I really liked the effect. I got the gun sighted in and fired for effect. The first group, with Federal 270grain soft points, measured right at 2 inches. Now 2 inches at 100 yards is not great by modern standards, but it is plenty good &
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enough for a big magnum rifle with a 2-7X scope, shooting factory ammunition. After a dozen rounds, it was consistently grouping 1-1/2 to 2 inches, and I had had enough for one day. Even the best-designed .375 is no fun off a bench and I was getting a headache. Further shooting during the next few weeks with different loads stayed in the 11/2-inch range, which is very good for a rifle of this caliber, especially with me shooting it. I found that this .375 was much gentler than any other I have ever shot. I was impressed with its ability to attenuate recoil. In fact, from off-hand it was quite pleasant to shoot. I liked it so much that I decided to keep it. The CZ 550 .375 has a single set trigger, but the trigger on mine is good enough that I never use the set feature. Also, the safety on this model is like the standard Remington safety, mounted on the right side at the rear of the bolt with “safe” to the rear and “fire” to the front. It also has integral scope mounts milled from the steel of the action, similar to the way Ruger makes integral mounts. I know of no more solid way to mount a scope short of welding it to the gun. It has a set of folding “express sights” arrayed in a row on the barrel. The cosmetic effect is attractive and lends an air of Old World charm, a la Stewart Granger in “King Solomon’s Mines.” Also, you never know when you might need a set of backup sights, and in situations where you are expecting to come face to face with a ton or more of angry quadruped at a distance of a few feet, a gun without a scope sitting on top is quicker to point and shoot like a shotgun. This CZ 550 American Safari Magnum is a well-made, well-designed gun. If you are in the market for a .375, this is a great choice. Retail is right around a thousand dollars, but most gun shops will sell it for a bit less. It is a solid, good-looking, dependable rifle that would be right at home in a safari camp gun rack or a Kodiak bear camp. —Steve LaMascus
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A Different Kind of Trophy
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WENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD GLENN ELLER OF Katy, Texas, has his eye on a trophy—one made of Olympic gold.
Eller is headed to the 2008 Beijing Olympics as the only Texas member of the
U.S. shooting team in the Double Trap shotgunning competition. Shooting has been Eller’s passion since he was about eight years old. While at Taylor High School in Katy, he completed his academic requirements by the start of his junior year. He received a work release from Katy ISD so he could train for the Olympics during his junior and senior years,
by Tom Behrens making the 2000 Olympic team and finishing 12th. “I played baseball and football as a youth, but I really loved shooting. I shot sporting clays for many years,” said Eller. His father built a shooting range on the
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family’s property near New Ulm so they could shoot. What really elevated Glenn’s sights was when his family went to the Olympic games to watch a family friend from England shoot. A list of his shooting accomplishments includes four National Championships in Trap shooting in 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2006. On the international side of the sport, he won World Championships in 2003 with a score of 192-200 and a silver medal in 2002 with a score of 188-200. In 2006, a friend talked him into enlisting in the U.S. Army. He is now a member of the Army Marksmanship Team stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Jeff Holguin and Josh Richmond, also members of the Team, qualified for the Olympics, but only Eller
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Special Hunting Section
Trophy Fever
and Holguin will make the trip to Beijing; Richmond will fill the roll of alternate. Holquin and Richmond are not from Texas. “Jeff and Josh earned a slot, but you have to shoot a qualifying score even to be able to participate in the Olympics,” said Dan Carlisle, the team’s shooting coach. “Qualifying slots are earned by winning top honors in a World Championship and a qualifying score of 600-700. There might be as many as four or five World Championship shooting matches in the year leading up to the Olympics. Five or six guys were shooting for those two slots. Jeff and Glenn made the team. Josh is the alternate. “This year, we are shooting well. As a coach, I have been with these boys a lot and I have never seen anything like it; they are shooting so well, 47 out of 50 birds.”
International Style Trap Shooting Olympic trap and skeet shooting follows International style rules. There are two categories of trap shooting: American and International. Most of the shooters from around the world shoot International style, while most U.S. shooters shoot American style. Carlisle likes to cite the following example: “There are 1 million International style shooters in Italy, and 200 International style shooters in all of the United States.
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Glenn Eller sharpens his trap shooting skills at his family property. He is aiming for a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Most American shooters don’t want to shoot it. International trap is harder. “In International style, the targets are a lot faster. In skeet, you shoot doubles in every position; in American skeet, you shoot them on four positions versus eight. In International trap, the clay birds are doing about 60-80 miles per hour out of the box, and
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PHOTO BY TOM BEHRENS
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have to travel 72 meters. In American trap, it’s the same height, a 22-degree angle. In International, it is a 45-degree angle, which makes it tougher. “In American doubles trap, it’s the same pair from every position; in Olympics, there’s three separate pairs, three separate settings. You have to be proficient in every one of the settings. The birds are going different places every time. It is a much easier softer game in American style.” When asked about his shooting strengths and his chances at the 2008 Olympics, Eller said: “Saying what your strengths are is hard. Everyone has their own thing. I’m kind of flying by wire. Once I get everything condensed down into my head and it’s working, I’ve got it. You can’t beat me. When I don’t have it, I am still hanging in, picking up medals. “As far as the Olympics, honestly, shooting is so fickle. We know who the top players are, but it’s really a tough game. Anyone at the Olympics can have their best day and win.” After the 2008 Olympics are over, Eller said he is considering reenlisting for another tour of duty, “for at least another shot at the Olympics.”
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Mountain Home Lion
TF&G FIRST
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IM CAPEHEART AND HIS NEIGHBORS IN Mountain Home, Texas, knew they had a problem. Jim was losing deer and suspected that a complete fawn crop was wiped out. His neighbor lost 38 head of sheep and goats. So they called in their first line of defense, the Wildlife Damage Management Service, and went to work on what they thought was a severe coyote problem. The government trapper, Keith Adams, set snares and showed the ranchers how to check them. The Kramer Ranch is 900 acres in the rolling hills on the divide between the Llano and Guadalupe Rivers. The ranch is cordoned by a 9-foot net wire fence, and Capeheart has been manually ridding the property of cedar. “It’s a beautiful place that belonged to my father-in-law,” said Capeheart. “Now, my wife and her two sisters own the ranch and we all pitch in with the work. The ranch is covered with grass and every type of oak tree.” On April 12, Capeheart was making his rounds on horseback, his ridgeback dogs following along. “For awhile, the horses had been acting funny at particular parts of the pasture,” he told me. “We didn’t know what was wrong. We’d been catching some coyotes but didn’t have any idea that there was a mountain lion in the area. “When we saw that there was something in the snare, we first thought it was a deer. But then when we got closer, we saw that it was a lion. We were careful going up to it. The trapper said that they usually climb over high fences, but we figured this cat was chasing something and went under the PHOTOS COURTESY OF JIM CAPEHEART
Comparing the cat’s paw to a man’s hand gives some idea of scale—this was one big tabby. fence. It must have been winded because it didn’t thrash or fight too hard. The snare was set for coyotes and it wasn’t actually set stout enough to hold a mountain lion. “It was a big mature male, and we measured it at 6 feet, 4 inches long. It also weighed between 140 and 160 pounds. The cat was aged at seven years old. “Before we caught the cat, all we’d A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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noticed was the coyote sign. Now, we figure that the cat was killing its game and burying it. Then the coyotes would come along and eat the rest of the kill. This was probably necessitating the cat to kill more often.” Now that this particular mountain lion has been trapped, Capeheart has been getting reports of more lions being seen in the nearby areas around Hunt and Kerrville. “According to the trapper, lions travel in a 40to 70-mile territory. Sometimes their circuits may overlap and there could be confrontations between dominant males. This cat was the first we’ve seen on our ranch in 12 years. But we think there could be other cats around and it’s possible that a younger male might move in to take this male’s place.” There are no seasons on animals listed as predators in Texas. Since this mountain lion was caught by a government trapper, the dead animal became property of the state and will probably be donated to a local university. Capeheart runs about 70 cows on the Kramer Ranch, and said that he noticed no livestock depredation on his property. “I guess it was too easy for the cat to kill deer, sheep, and goats. But the other day we had some rain and I noticed a set of about five tracks in the mud around a water trough. Those tracks looked identical to the ones that we found the lion had made…it made a little chill run down my back.” —Herman W. Brune
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Practice Makes Almost Perfect
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T ONE TIME, MY FRIENDS CONSIDERED ME the biggest procrastinator in the country. My wife thinks I still am, but I have tried to improve in that depart-
ment. I can say one thing for sure: If the opportunity arises, I will be in the woods hunting deer or whatever is in season at the time. That is a commitment I will keep. We all have good intentions to do what needs to be done around the house, as well as in our everyday lives—make sure the oil in the pickup gets changed, have the wife’s car inspected, fix the bathroom sink, practice shooting the bow, sharpen the blades on the lawn mower... Hold it! Back up! Practice shooting the bow? How many of us actually plan a time to practice? As the deer season looms closer, most of us will decide to get the cobwebs off our bows and start shooting. Veteran bowhunters know that when the moment of truth is upon you, the shot needs to be second nature. By that I mean it is something so natural that you need not worry about guessing distances, anchor points, or followthrough. Believe me, you will have enough on your mind trying to concentrate on keeping your eyes off the whole animal and just picking a spot. If you haven’t started practicing yet, it is time to get serious and start shooting. N20
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It is not going to do you much good to practice if you do not have good shooting form. Make sure that you have a veteran bowhunter with you while you shoot, or go to your local bow shop and get some instruction from them. Take it from a procrastinator from way back: If it is something that is not fun, you will not want to do it. Make it fun, but first, make it safe. It is always better to practice with a few bowhunting friends. Spend a few hours together and turn it into a competition. When I wore a younger man’s clothes, I played a game called “pig” with a basketball. Someone would make a shot and the other players would have to follow the exact shot and make it, or take a letter from “pig.” When you spelled “pig,” you were eliminated. Try that with a bow. You will be amazed how many positions one can be in and still shoot a bow. Before too long, you will be proficient on your knees, or with your back to the target and your body twisted around, on one leg. You get the picture. There are plenty of targets with a 12inch circle for the bull’s eye. Remember, the smaller the target, the more you will concentrate on the shot. Blow up a party balloon to about 10 inches. Shoot at that for a while. As you improve, make the balloon smaller and smaller until you are shooting at nothing but a balloon that has no air in it at all. Before long, your bull’s eye will be no larger than a match book cover, and you will be the envy of your friends who do not practice as much as you. It is never a good idea to shoot at the same distance each time you loose an arrow. Even though most of the targets you shoot are set at or near 20 yards, the deer might not know that and decide to be 33 yards away. The point is to shoot unknown distances and get used to visualizing what different yardage looks like. Practice in the woods and in an open field. You will find that without the benefit of trees as points of reference, it is much more difficult to cor&
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rectly estimate the distance of your target. When it comes to the actual hunt, shoot only up to your known accuracy range. This will vary with each individual. For some, the distance might be 10 yards, while for others it is 40 yards. Whatever that number is, stick to it and do not be tempted to take a shot that you have not practiced. For some reason, many novice bowhunters think this is a macho sport. Nothing can be farther from the truth. A bow set at 45 pounds is just as deadly as one set at 70 pounds. It remains a question of what you are comfortable drawing with as little movement as possible. A good measure of this is to sit down and slowly draw your bow. If it is at all difficult, then you should consider taking the weight down a bit. Practice while wearing the clothes you intend to hunt in. It gets hot in Texas and to wear fall clothes in the heat of summer is not practical. However, you should devote some time to shooting while wearing heavier hunting clothes. You will soon discover any flaws in your shooting form and have time to correct them. Success in the field depends on how well prepared you are. One thing is for sure—no matter how much you practice, every once in a while, you will have an off day. That is the reason for the “almost” bit in the title. Hunting would not be much fun if you were successful every time you went afield, but by practicing well before the season, you tip the odds in your favor. E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com. PHOTO BY LOU MARULLO
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HOG—BERGHEIM, TEXAS
DEER—ROBERT LEE, TEXAS
Landry Walthall, age 6, of Whitehouse, Texas, killed his first hog at Owl Spring Ranch in Bergheim, Texas. He took the 250-pound hog with a .22250.
Avery Komarek, of Haslet, Texas, took her first deer at Wildcat Mountain Resort in Robert Lee, Texas, while hunting with her dad, Dale. The deer grossed 117 B/C and weighed 161 pounds before field dressing.
BLACKBUCK—LAMPASAS, TEXAS
BUCK—DOSS, TEXAS
TURKEY—ATASCOSA COUNTY, TEXAS
Garrett Wallis, 11 years old, of Houston, Texas, Trevor Spinn killed his first deer, an 8-point buck, killed this blackbuck at Horseshoe Falls Ranch in in Mason County, north of Doss, Texas. Lampasas, Texas. He shot the blackbuck at 12 5 yards with a .243.
GOT BUCKS? GOT HOGS? GOT TURKEYS? GOT BANDED DUCKS?
If so, we need photos and hunting stories for our new TROPHY FEVER SPECIAL SECTION. Send pics and hunting tales to : TROPHY FEVER SPECIAL SECTION 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032 or by email: photos@fishgame.com.
Logan Alexander, age 11, of Dickinson, Texas, bagged his first spring gobbler in Atascosa County. The turkey sported 1-1/4-inch spurs and had a 10-1/2-inch beard.
PLEASE INCLUDE PHOTO CAPTION: NAME HOMETOWN WHEN & WHERE TAKEN SIZE AND WEIGHT
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Going Overboard
short time have it happen multiple times? The answers are not simple, but if you consider them closely, they might help you avoid the same situations. See if you can find the common thread.
He-He-Splash!
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HAVE CAPTAINED BOATS MORE THAN TWO decades for work, play, and even for the government. I have had to pull away from dock in thunderstorms, tidal surges, galeforce winds, you name it. I’ve had two crewmates plucked off the deck by the Coast Guard, transferred passengers and gear from one moving boat to another, and run 50-foot gaps between rock jetties in fog so thick we never even saw them with our eyes. As the years have passed, one thing has become clear: the older I get, the more cautious I become. I don’t push the safety envelope, and I’d rather stay on shore than test my mettle in rough seas—been there, done that, and my back can’t take it these days. Through all of these events and adventures, I never lost a single person over the side. Not once. No men went overboard, and it was a record I was proud of. Now, here is the weird thing: In the past few years, while I have been writing fulltime and have not captained a boat for pay, I have had four people go overboard. What gives? How could someone go for so long without a single incident, then in such a
My first man-overboard was my son, David, who was five years old at the time. Fortunately, we were in utterly perfect, beautiful conditions—no waves, no current, sitting at anchor on a placid bay. He was leaning over the rail, lifting his feet up to get a better look over the side, violating one of our cardinal rules on the boat: keep your feet on the deck at all times. I growled at him to stop leaning over the side, but guess I didn’t growl firmly enough because he just smiled at me, and giggled twice. Then gravity overcame his five-year-old balancing skills and he somersaulted headover-heels over the rail and into the water. Splash! I reached over the side, grabbed him by the life jacket, and swung him back onboard before his clothes had even soaked all the way through.
C-C-C-Cold
The second time I watched a guy go overboard came while testing a boat on the Rappahannock River in Virginia, in late November. It was a wind-free, absolutely beautiful if somewhat chilly day, and by “chilly” I mean
snow flurries on and off. After running our boat test numbers, we decided to spend some time trolling for striper, but first we had to deploy the telescopic outriggers. The boat manufacturer rep, a guy well versed in the ways of the sea, stepped up on the gunwale and grabbed an outrigger to adjust it. Unfortunately, it had been mounted improperly and when he grabbed the rigger, it slid right out of the mount. Thrown off-balance, he tumbled over the side. My heart went right into my throat; we don’t have to deal with freezing cold water and hypothermia too often here in Texas, but the river water in Virginia at this time of year was in the lower 40s or upper 30s, and mere minutes in such cold water can easily kill. Luckily, he never let go of the outrigger, and its lines were still attached to the gunwale halyard. After stopping the boat and shifting into neutral, I pulled him to the boat and he was able to re-board.
Handy Man
Picture a twin-outboard boat 35 miles off the coast, on the troll for bluefin tuna. The weather is spectacular and the conditions are positively beautiful. We land a nice one, enjoy a round of high-fives, and after the fish is gutted and iced, decide to head back to the inlet. It is fairly late in the day and many of the other boats that were working this school are already running for port. I start plotting the course for home as we putt along, still at trolling speed. While I am hunched over the chartplotter, I hear a big splash, then yells from the crew. One of the guys fell overboard. After stopping the boat’s forward motion, we just sat tight as he swam back to the boat. With a hand from the other guys, he climbed back aboard. Later, he told us he was leaning over the side to wash his hands off in the ocean, and when a boat wake hit the hullside, he simply lost his balance. Have you noticed a common theme yet?
Seaweed Survivor
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wind, glassy-calm seas, and plenty of bites. We were sitting at anchor, catching snapper off a wreck, but the bite slowed down to almost nothing as the tide changed. The kids started to get bored, and my neighbor’s son busied himself by scooping bits of seaweed out of the water with a dip net. One particularly attractive chunk of seaweed floated past just out of reach, so the boy stretched out to scoop it. He overextended himself and fell right over the side. Luckily, his father was no more than a foot away, so he simply reached over and hoisted the boy back onto the boat. What is the common thread? One factor was constant in each of these events: The conditions were stellar—no wind, no waves, and the evidence shows that this leads people to be a little less careful. In three out of the four events, the people who fell overboard were intentionally leaning over the side in the first place. In the other situation, it was calm enough that an experienced mariner felt able to stand up on the gunwale while the boat was moving. Who hasn’t been lulled into a false sense of security at one time or another? We are all guilty of it, but as captain, you have to recog-
nize when this is happening. Ask yourself: Are people holding on to grab rails? Are they paying attention to incoming waves or boat wakes? Do they take their time when they are using a knife to cut bait? Are they stretching out and reaching over the side without taking appropriate precautions? If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” then you have to step in and fill the safety gap. Mention how a boat wake can suddenly catch you off guard, and ask people to hold on as they move about. If you see someone stretching over the side to wash their hands, ask another crewmember to “spot” him and be prepared to grab his belt if he loses his balance. And remember: the nicer it is, the more likely a boater is to become overconfident or even careless. There is another lesson in these man-overboard situations: In the first and fourth case, the “man” was a boy. Instructing children to not lean over the side does not necessarily solve the problem, as I found out first-hand. Of course, both of these children were wearing life jackets. Have you ever thought this was a rule you can afford to neglect? Then you had better think again. Kids are more likely to go overboard simply because they
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have not fully developed their sense of balance. On top of that, they naturally want to lean over the side and look at or into the water. If you have kids aboard and they start to get bored, or you see them starting to lean over the gunwales, there is an easy solution: distract them. Fill the livewell or place a five-gallon bucket on the deck, and drop in something that they can entertain themselves with. Minnows, shrimp, crab (watch the pincers!) or even seaweed or seashells will keep them too busy to even think about leaning over the side. One final bit of knowledge that we can distill from these overboard events: Don’t think for a moment that it will never happen to you. I went for decades without a man overboard, then in a few years encountered a string of them. If you think that since it hasn’t happened to you it probably never will, better think again, Cap’n. And remember: Never let down your guard, especially when the water is glassy calm and beautiful. E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com
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Leashed Ling
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HIS IS A NEAR-SURFACE PRESSURE application that also works in some deeper situations. Near the surface to, say, 30 feet down, is the ling’s strike area. I came up with this pressure application in May of 1994; at the time, it just seemed the natural thing to do. It brought a 78-pound ling to the gaff about a minute after the hookup, and I have since used it on numerous occasions over the years on many ling from 35 to 65 pounds. Before getting into the fight tactic, I would like to emphasize the importance of a properly set, smooth operating drag. A setting that is about 30 percent of the line’s rated strength is a good number to shoot for. Set the drag using a securely anchored, accurate scale, line loaded reel on the rod, line through the guides, and tied to the scale with the rod loaded at about a 70-degree angle. Before getting into the line pressure reversal procedure, here are a few clarifications of some of the terms used: “Short stroking” is just what it sounds like, short rod strokes are designed to move the fish toward you just a bit, therefore the half turn of the reel handle. With faster fish movement toward you, make more turns of the reels handle. The “Arc Swing” is a very fast, shallow, 20-degree angle left or right motion of your rod. During the entire fight, including the “arc swings,” the rod never comes fully out of compression; the rod is always loaded from slightly to all you can put on it. Immediately after that hookup at (1) on the illustration, apply right side, horizontal rod pressure using that 30 percent of line’s rated strength. The ling will come to near N24
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the surface, usually at an early point in the pulling. As the ling passes in front of you at (2), immediately “arc swing” switch to a left side horizontal pull. With each side pull, you should be gaining line. Start with “short stroking” rod pumps and half turns of your reel handle. The vast majority of the time the ling will respond, turn, and start swimming opposite to the pull, all the while coming closer to the boat. At (3), reverse the side pressure to the right; at this point you should be getting more than a reel handle turn per rod pump. (4) is left pressure, (5) is right pressure, (6) left, (7) your ling should be coming to the gaff or very near to it, below you at boatside; the gaff or gaffs had best be ready to strike. Missing this gaffing opportunity usually changes the fight to a deeper and long one. If you coax the ling back to the near surface area, try to start the line pressure reversal again. How much pressure you put on the ling, how it reacts to this pressure and how far away from you the hookup was made are all factors in how many of these rod pressure reversals you will have to make. Maximum side pressure immediately after the hookup and its numerous reversals seem to disorient a ling and cause it to act as if it doesn’t realize it has been hooked. When initially on the gaff, step back, put the reel on the clicker and out of gear (star drag), or to free-spool (lever drag). If your ling comes off the gaff for any reason, now it runs off against the clicker, not a short line that either breaks or pulls the hook. The reel is then put back into gear and off the clicker and the fight is back on, usually for a while. This procedure has saved numerous sizeable fish of a variety of species for me over the years. Any “green” ling, regardless of size, is a danger on the gaff or in the boat. While they &
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do not have teeth, they do have 5-7 sharp spines ahead of their soft dorsal fin that will lay you open like a series of scalpels. Their erratic thrashing around of their bodies will and has knocked fishermen down, broken legs, destroyed tackle, etc. The best place for any ling brought aboard is for it to be immediately landed in a fish box and the lid closed. Remember that if your ling is more important than a long fight that you might lose, this ling trick is the way to go. E-mail Patrick Lemire at saltrigs@fishgame.com ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK LEMIRE
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All-around Catfish Rig
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T NEVER FAILS THAT IN THE HEAT OF THE summer, our thoughts turn to catfish. Even though the second most popular game fish in the state readily bites yearround, we seem to forget about whiskerfish
until the kids are out of school and the mercury is hovering around the century mark. Right now, some eclectic anglers are putting away their bass plugs and grabbing stinkbait, and perhaps wondering what is the best method for presenting it to hungry cats. There is one simple rig that can be used to fish for catfish from the bank, while drifting, or even in heavy currents, and all it takes is a simple change in the sinker. Most have heard of the Carolina or fishfinder rig. It consists of a slip weight on the main line followed by a barrel swivel attached to a short leader and hook. This rig with one small change can be used just about anywhere and with any bait. The first step is to tie the main line to a barrel swivel with a Palomar knot without first sliding in a sinker. Instead of clipping the tag end of the line short, leave it long. In fact, tie it so that the tag end is at least a foot long. In most cases, this tag end of the line is pointless, but in this rig, it is a vital eleILLUSTRATION BY PAUL BRADSHAW
ment and is what helps to make it so versatile. To the other end of the swivel, tie on a 2to 3-foot monofilament leader. Make the leader from line with a slightly lower breaking strength than your main line. This weaker leader will break before the main line, so if you get hung, you lose only the leader and not the entire rig. On the other end of the leader, tie on a hook. If I am using cut bait, I prefer a circle or Kahle hook. For night crawlers, I use a standard J-hook, and a treble for dough-type bait.
Okay, so where is the weight? This is where that tag end of the line we didn’t trim comes into play. The free-floating tag end is used to connect the weight, and depending on which type of weight is used, you can use this rig for various methods of catfishing. A popular method for anglers in boats is to drift at night. If you use this rig for drift-
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ing, instead of tying a single weight on the end of the tag line, crimp on a few bullet weights. The faster you are drifting, the more weights are needed. These weights will slide along the bottom, and if the weights hang in brush, the split shot will slide off the end of the line, reducing breakoffs. For bank fishing, tie on a pyramid weight and you can cast way out into likely spots before putting the rod in a holder. If you are after river cats in a swift current, use a flat, no-roll sinker to hold the bait in place. Catfish get very big, pull hard, and often live in places unfriendly to fishing lines. Due to this, you need to use heavy line. Start with 20-pound monofilament and go up from there. Serious catfish anglers use braided lines in the 50- to 80-pound range. E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com
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Yakking It Up
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HE ROCKPORT-FULTON CHAMBER OF Commerce holds a love fest called “Spring Fling” every year for outdoor writers. During the two-day event, writers get to sample the outstanding fishing, food, and hospitality of the Coastal Bend. Alan Ray Moers proposed the idea to the chamber 25 years ago, and four writers attended the inaugural event; 25 outdoor writers attended this year’s event. Rockport has always held a special place in my heart. My family made their first trip in 1958 when I was just a pup. I have logged multiple trips per year since. My child bride quickly fell in love with Rockport 28 years ago, and my sons often dream of living there. The fishing and friendliness hasn’t changed in half a decade, but the type of boats we fish from has. Kayaks are now a mainstream alternative to center consoles. With gas averaging $3.50 per gallon, I am getting quite a few more emails about recommendations as to what kayak to buy. Anecdotal evidence of kayaking’s rise in popularity was not hard to find. Cars ferrying plastic boats around Rockport were everywhere. This year’s Spring Fling featured a large number of vendors showing off their wares, and those catering to kayakers were conspicuous by their numbers. Bill Brigman, owner of Yak-Gear, was on hand showing off his line of kayak accessories. Kayakers are notorious for customizing their hulls, drilling holes, adding accessories, even jerry-rigging harnesses and rigging. Brigman, a devoted kayak angler, realized that many kayakers had to scrounge around hardware stores to come up with all the parts to customize their boats, so he launched Yak-Gear. Now, kayakers can buy N26
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simple kits with everything for a particular job. For instance, if you want to add some pad eyes to your hull, Yak-Gear has a pad eye kit complete with eyes and the right type of fasteners. Yak-Gear started with a small line of paddle leashes and fastener kits, but now offers a wide range of great accessories to trick out your kayak, including: a pontoon system so you can stand up in your kayak and cast a fly rod, anchor trolley systems, and stake-out poles. Yak-Gear products are available at most kayak shops and Academy stores.
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Kayaks are now a mainstream alternative to center consoles, with gas $3.50 a gallon.
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Roy Sanders loves to sight-cast to cruising trout and tailing reds in skinny water. Sanders is also an avid surfer. Blending his two passions, he developed the Flatstalker. This unique craft looks like a surfboard on steroids. The long, flat hull provides enough buoyancy to hold two people, and the removable seat, which doubles as an ice chest/storage compartment, is sturdy enough to stand on, giving you some height advantage to help spot distance fish. The Flatstalker can be propelled several ways. It comes with an extra long paddle. The extra length is needed because you are sitting on an elevated seat rather than at water level as with traditional kayaks. The paddle can also be used as a push pole. The Flatstalker also has a bracket on the stern for an electric trolling motor, should you wish to traverse large distances. The electric power option is a nice feature for “seasoned” out&
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doors folks and those with shoulder problems. Woodee Rods USA has introduced a rod to their line specifically designed for kayak anglers. The new rod tapes 3 inches past 6 feet. When you tangle with a big fish in a kayak for the first time, you quickly learn that a 7-foot rod is a hindrance. Long rods must be pointed skyward to bring a fish close to hand, making the tips prone to break during the last few seconds of a spirited tugof-war. Woodee’s new kayak rod casts like cannon, propelling jigheads and plugs with authority into pumping coastal breezes. The new kayak rod is light in the hand, and comes in both casting and spinning models. In addition to great birding trips, Rockport Birding and Kayak Adventures ferries kayakers to remote paddling destinations, like the backside of St. Joseph Island. Captain Tommy Moore pilots The Skimmer, a custom shallow-draft vessel than can slide into 2.5 feet of water—quite an accomplishment for a boat that can carry up to 45 passengers. Passengers can sit topside and enjoy the breeze, or sit inside to avoid getting wet if seas are sloppy. The boat will rendezvous with the kayakers at a specified time for the trip back to Fulton Harbor. Captain Moore and his team rent out single and tandem kayaks. Probably the best example of kayaking’s popularity is the conversation I had with Captain Jack Culberson, owner of Four Alarm Guide Service, and his wife Cathy at dinner during Spring Fling. I had the pleasure of fishing with Captain Jack for two days and caught lots of trout and redfish. A retired fire chief turned fishing guide, Culberson sheepishly admitted that he and Cathy were now down to five kayaks after owning eight at one point. Although Culberson operates a 23-foot Haynie, during his free time he and his family love to paddle over pristine grass flats, casting to trout and redfish. Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com
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Cats for Cash
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OU CAN HAVE THOSE FLASHY BASS RIGS, $15 topwater lures, and lordly largemouths. When summertime rolls around, I take a beat-up flatbottom rig and a gallon tub of Danny King’s Punch Bait and have just as much fun. If I’m lucky, I might even catch a fat cat big enough to reel in a chunk of change in the upcoming Sealy Outdoors (SO) Big Catfish Splash tournament slated for July 12-13 on Lake Fork. The Big Catfish Splash is patterned after Sealy’s popular big bass tournament format. The event is family-oriented and gives amateur anglers of all ages the chance to win cash, boats, and other prizes for reeling in whiskered fish. This year’s tournament, hosted by the Lake Fork Area Chamber of Commerce, is offering an advertised payback of $60,000 in cash and prizes, including $24,000 in hourly paychecks over two days of competition. The angler who weighs in the heaviest cat each hour wins $500, $400 for second, $300 for third, and so on. Additionally, there will be five overall prizes awarded, including a 2008 Mercury-powered Triton aluminum boat for first, $2500 for second, $2000 for third, $1500 for fourth and $1000 for fifth. There also will be an open drawing for a boat following the final weighin. Currently in its fifth season, the Lake Fork Big Catfish Splash has grown from a meager 300-plus competitors in 2004 to nearly 900 entries in 2007. The event has been so well received that organizer Bob Sealy decided to launch a second event on Toledo Bend in cooperation with the Sabine Parish Tourism Commission. The tournament is scheduled for August 9-10 out of
Cypress Bend Park in Many, Louisiana. The entry fee for each event is affordable—$60 per person for one day, $100 for two. For more info, see www.sealyoutdoors.com or call 888-6982591. As mentioned, SO is the organizer of the popular McDonald’s Big Bass Splash tournament circuit. Open only to amateur anglers, the big bass tournaments have paid out more than $20 million in cash and prizes to fishermen over the last two decades, and donated more than $3 million to charities.
by Matt Williams Those numbers will take a quantum leap next April, when SO hosts its 25th Annual McDonald’s Big Bass Splash event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Sealy recently announced that the 2009 big bass tournament would feature a $1 million payback, the largest in the history of amateur fishing tournaments. The angler who catches the heaviest bass of the threeday event wins a prize package valued at $250,000. Hourly paybacks will range from $2500 for first place down to $500 for the 12th largest bass of each hour, more than double the three-day entry fee of $200. “We’re hoping to break every record we have ever set at this tournament,” Sealy said. “We drew 6600 competitors at our 10th annual event, which had a guaranteed $200,000 payback. With $1 million on the line, this one should be even bigger.”
BASS Pros in the White House BASS pros Alton Jones of Waco and Judy Wong of Many, Louisiana, knew that winning their respective league championships would do wonders for their careers. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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What the newly crowned BASS champions didn’t realize is their most recent victories would earn them an invitation to visit one-onone with the country’s biggest fish. Jones, the winner of the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, and Wong, winner of Women’s Bassmaster Championship, traveled with their families and BASS general manager Tom Ricks to Washington, D.C., on March 25, where they spent an hour in the Oval Office of the White House speaking with President George W. Bush. According to Wong, meeting the President was a lifetime experience. “It was very exciting and a huge honor,” Wong said in a BASS press release. “When we learned that the President had cleared his schedule to spend extra time with us, we were elated. It’s a memory I’ll never forget.” Jones was so overwhelmed by the opportunity that he wrote a blog about the experience for the BASS website, www.bassmaster.com. Here are some excerpts: “It probably sounds ridiculous to hear it, but for that hour I felt like we were just hanging out with George W. Bush. Yes, it was impossible to go very long without thinking, ‘Hey, I’m sitting here with the leader of the free world!’ but the experience was so cool, so unexpected, and so intimate that it really felt like a group of friends sitting around and talking about anything and everything. “I think one of the President’s gifts is that he makes those around him feel truly important. We all came out of that office feeling good and important and knowing that we were capable of making a real difference. It was very special. “I’ll never forget some of the things he said to my children. He talked about the decisions they would face in life and how taking the easy way out would be tempting, even when they knew it wasn’t best. He said, ‘Popularity lasts a moment, but principles last a lifetime’.”
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McKenzie’s Buck
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S THE TV SHOWS HOSTED RESPECTIVELY BY Art Linkletter and Bill Cosby proclaimed, kids say the darndest things. If you pay attention to them, you might discover what I have learned over the years: Never just look at a young person, see them. I do not know McKenzie Keetch, but I know how she feels; how appreciative she is of her father who began teaching her how to fish and hunt at age four; and now, five years later, how nine-year-old McKenzie views her future as a hunter. McKenzie has had a special hunt, and I know there are many other young hunters who share the same after-the-hunt feelings of shooting their first duck, bagging their first turkey, deer, hog, squirrel, or any of the other renewable natural resources we are privileged to hunt. Not long ago, McKenzie sent me a letter expressing her appreciation for the success she achieved last deer season in Texas, and her excitement about going after even larger big game in the future. All this, keep in mind, is from a nine-year-old girl whose future as a hunter is as bright as a sunrise on a Texas prairie. McKenzie’s story is about her first real deer hunt. One can only imagine how her excitement is shared by countless other young hunters for deer and other game. McKenzie has experienced the true dedication that comes from a father’s desire and guidance to create a new hunter. It has involved his purchasing of a rifle for her, and then teaching her how to use it safely and effectively. It is a desire that is as great to McKenzie as it is for the privilege of hunting itself. N28
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“Everyone pretty much agrees or tells me that I am one lucky girl,” McKenzie wrote. “The first time I went fishing, I was four. I caught a 7-pound catfish and a 41/2-pound bass on my Snoopy rod.” Last season, McKenzie’s dad, Bob Keetch, decided she was old enough to shoot a deer. “I have been deer hunting before, but it was always just to go with Dad,” McKenzie said. “We had been talking about the season for a while, but Dad’s always busy, so the weekend came and we weren’t completely ready.” Bob had decided now was the time for his daughter to have her chance at actually hunting. The pair went to a local sporting goods store, which also had an indoor shooting range to sight in rifles purchased by its customers. Bob picked out a Remington Model 700 .243, and after it was sighted in, McKenzie, to the astonishment of the range officer, placed three shots in a 1-1/2-inch group. “We drove from Fort Worth to Blackwell that night,” McKenzie said. “It took nearly four hours. I was so excited and ended up staying up way too late watching the hunting channel on the motel TV. “That first morning we only saw one doe. I was excited, but I was so tired and was paying the price for staying up too late. After lunch and a nap, we went out for our afternoon hunt. This was definitely more exciting. I wasn’t as tired and we didn’t have to wait for it to get light. A doe and three yearlings spent about 45 minutes around our feeder. This was the first time I had ever gotten to really observe deer behavior. I sat so still when the deer were looking in our direction, and didn’t realize how intense it can be. My body was sore from tensing up the whole time. When the doe lowered her head and stared in one direction, I noticed my daddy started looking that way, too. &
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“Soon, the doe and yearlings ran off as a buck with tall white horns appeared in the brush. He was really moving, staying in the
McKenzie Keetch
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trees and never gave us an opportunity to shoot him. But this hunt was a lot more exciting than the morning; I had seen my first buck!” McKenzie said she stayed up longer that night than the night before, “playing the banker for the friendly poker game,” and took a sleeping bag to the blind and rested some while waiting for daylight. Then, just as dawn opened the new day, a big buck walked out of the bushes. “He was huge,” McKenzie said. “As I raised the gun up, every muscle in my body was shaking. I have now learned that this is called ‘buck fever’.” Remembering what her father had taught her, McKenzie squeezed the trigger slowly until her rifle fired. The shot was true and her first buck, a 10-pointer, was on the ground. A day earlier, one of the men in the hunting group had given McKenzie a cam-
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Loading Data: Fact or Fiction?
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HAVE BEEN DOING SOME LOAD DEVELOPMENT with a new rifle in the wildcat caliber .30-338 Magnum (.338 Winchester Magnum necked down to .308 caliber). Looking for a place to begin working up a long-range mule deer load, I dug out all the loading manuals and started studying what type of powder would be best, and at what charge to begin. The more I studied, the more confused I became. For instance, one manual said the maximum load for a 165-grain bullet with H4831 was 72.5 grains, which was supposed to produce 3100 fps on the .30-338. That same manual also gave a load listing for the .308 Norma, with a notation that the two cartridges were for all intents and purposes identical. However, the maximum load listed for the same bullet in the .308 Norma Magnum was 78.5 grains of Hodgdon 4831. This load, too, was supposed to produce 3100 fps. If the cartridges are identical, why is there 6 grains difference in the maximum loads, using the same powder and bullets? See why I was confused? One of the reasons for the difference, I discovered, is that the barrel length used for developing data for the .30-338 in the first manual was 28.5 inches. Well for cryin’ out loud! Who in the world uses a 28.5-inch barrel? I have never seen a barrel that long on an American sporting rifle. The longest that comes on a standard factory rifle is 26 inches, although there is a 28-inch barrel offered for the Thompson-Center ProHunter, and 24 inches is standard on most
magnum rifles, or was until just recently. Actually, the 28.5-inch barrel is seen only on rifles designed for 1000-yard target matches. I can tell you for a fact that there is no way you are going to get 3100 fps out of a .30-338 or a .308 Norma Magnum with a 165-grain bullet and 72.5 grains of H4831 in a 24-inch barrel, and probably not even with a 28.5-inch barrel. According to my Oehler Model 35P chronograph, I finally broke 3000 fps (just barely) in my 25-inch barrel with 73.5 grains. The maximum in my rifle is 77.5 grains of H4831, 165-grain Nosler AccuBond bullets, in Winchester cases with CCI 250 primers. Velocity with
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Not all rifles are the same, especially when dealing with wildcats like the .30-338.
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this load is 3160 fps at 10 feet. This is one of the reasons handloaders are so skeptical of reloading data these days. Not only is it sometimes conservative to the ultimate degree, but the equipment used to check the velocities and work up the loads is nothing at all like what the guy trying to use the data owns. If I were to accept that particular manual’s maximum listed load as factual, I would have a .30-caliber magnum that I thought was getting 3100 fps that in reality would produce the velocity of a good .30-06 load. At one time, the loading data for the .243 was obtained from a rifle with a 26inch barrel, while the majority of factory rifles in that caliber had 22-inch barrels. What this brought about was the myth that A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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the .243 Winchester was a high-speed, long-range rifle. That fact was that the little .243 was huffing and puffing to get 3000 fps with a 100-grain bullet, and many factory loads produce closer to 2800 than 3000. Not all reloading manuals are so conservative; some are very accurate. I was recently loading for a new .308. I looked up the data in one of my manuals and found starting and maximum loads. Chronographed velocities coincided almost exactly with the published data, and signs of over-pressure came just before I reached the listed maximum. At the listed maximum, there was an obvious extractor mark on the back of the case, a definite sign that the pressure was too high. I now shoot a load in my .308 that is a grain below the maximum listed in that particular manual, and velocity is right in line with what the book says. Not all rifles are the same, especially when dealing with wildcats like the .30-338. Barrels differ, chambers are cut differently, some have long throats, and some have short throats. You never know what you are dealing with. Be safe—be ultra-cautious. Morals: Never trust the data in any single manual. Always compare at least two manuals before you start loading. Buy the manual—if there is one—published by the manufacturer of the bullets you intend to use. Start low and work up slowly. Learn to read pressure signs on primers and cases. Buy a good chronograph and use it to learn the truth about what your rifle is actually doing. Don’t mix brands of brass. Notice: Reloading data presented herein is for illustration only and should not be used without verifying against component manufacturer data. Neither the author nor Texas Fish & Game magazine is responsible for the use of any data contained in this article. E-mail Steve LaMascus at guns@fishgame.com
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Hotter-nHell
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HEN IT’S 110 IN THE SHADE, IT’S TIME to go crappie fishing in Texas. Yep, partner, you read me right—the hotter the better. For many years here in Texas, I have been crappie fishing in the hottest part of the day, usually wouldn’t go to the lake until about 9 a.m., get on the water at 10 a.m., and have a limit of 25 Texas Slabs by 1:30 p.m. In my early years, I went to lakes like Lavon. Lake Lavon has a lot of standing timber in the lake after 50 years, and is still well known as one of the most productive crappie lakes in Texas. Lavon still has a natural shoreline, which is mainly hard clay, and most of the time the lake is stained. Muddy, stained lakes seem to produce lots of crappies year after year. For the last two years, Lavon has been going dry because of drought conditions; it has been as low as 18 feet in 2006. This year, the spring rains has been a lifesaver for Lavon and all the surrounding counties. As of this writing, Lavon is about 1 foot low, and the crappie are doing outstanding. The last two years, there has been no pressure put on the crappie at Lake Lavon because the anglers couldn’t launch their boats. Right now is the perfect time to target summertime patterns for Texas slabs. There is a couple of techniques I would use to tackle summer slabs, and that is fishing standing timber and locating brush piles in 10 to 20 feet of water. Start fishing the standing timber about midway back in the coves and out toward the mouths of the coves. Look for timber that has a lot of limbs; they provide a lot of cover and, most of all, shade, which is the No. 1 cover for any type of game fish. A lot of folks stay N30
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away from real brushy standing timber because they are afraid of too many hangups. Well, if your not getting hung up, you are not in the right spot, anyway. I drop my trolling motor down, pick up my Wally Marshall 9-foot Pro Series rod rigged with 8-pound Mr. Crappie Hi-Vis line, and a handful of 1/8-ounce Pro Series Road Runner heads with the white and chartreuse Crappie Thunder body. Road Runner Crappie Thunders have a real slow fall, and summertime crappie can’t stand it when you pull up to that bois de arc tree, get over on the shady side right next to trunk of the tree, and slowly drop your bait down. Summertime crappie love to suspend in this standing timber. Slowly drop your Road Runner down right next to the trunk of that horse apple tree, and all of a sudden, you feel a big thump on your pole; now the fun begins. You have to keep steady pressure, keeping the crappie’s head coming up toward the surface of the water. If not, the crappie will get his big slab sides turned sideways and hang you up around one of those limbs. The 9foot rod gives you the ability to reach all the way in to the trunk of the tree without bumping all the limbs and maybe spooking all the fish away. I never tie up to a tree to fish it. I use my trolling motor to go all around the tree until I hit that sweet spot. All trees that hold crappie always have a sweet spot where crappie love to hang out at a certain depth. Early in the morning, just when the sun is peeking over the trees, I start out fishing a little bit shallower, like 6 to 8 feet, because when the crappie start feeding heavy in the mornings, they will come up to feed while suspending on the vertical structures. When the sun starts to get high in the sky, crappie will move back down into their comfort zone just out of reach of the hot Texas sun, usually down 10 to 12 feet on standing timber. When you try this technique over and over again, you will be able to pull up to a tree and without any doubt know exactly &
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where to drop your line to pull out a Texas slab. If the standing timber on your lake gets a lot of pressure and the size of your crappie starts to get smaller, then it’s time to start fishing brush piles located mainly in the same depths as the standing timber. Not everyone knows where your brush piles are, but they can see that standing timber. To find brush piles or build your own would be the most productive way to locate crappie on a regular basis. One day, do not take your fishing rods to the lake or just leave them in your rod box. Turn on your GPS and take off on your favorite lake just to find brush or brush piles that other people have put into the lake to attract crappie. You would be amazed how many structures you can find in just one day. Not all brush piles will have crappie on them, but if they are in the right spot and certain water conditions, they could move to that brush on any given day. Mark some spots, go back the next day, and fish the ones you marked. Then you can make your selections on which ones to keep and which to throw away. It’s hard to beat summertime crappie fishing on brush piles because when you pull over that pile, you can actually see the crappie suspended over the brush on your depth finder. I use a Lowrance X-26 on my dash and a 332 Lowrance on the trolling motor; both have GPS. When I find a brush pile that looks like it has fish on it, I toss out a buoy marker—not on top of the brush pile, but out to the side where it won’t prevent me from fishing certain spots on the brush. I just use the marker to keep me lined up with the brush pile. If the brush is about 15 feet from the surface and I see fish at 10 feet, that is the depth I start fishing because the crappie that are up higher than the brush are the most active fish in the area. Once you start catching the crappie at 10 feet and they slow down, drop it on down to the brush and pick up several more
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More Summer Strategies
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OT WEATHER HAS ARRIVED AND NOW IS the time to look for schooling bass. The place to find them is on underwater structure. You need to keep your eyes glued to your Raymarine unit more in the next 60 days than you have all year. Not only is a good map handy, but knowledge of the water you are fishing is very valuable, whether it is a lake, river, or pond. Knowing where the deeper stumps, brush piles, deep points, humps, or ledges are located is a major key to catching summer bass. A lot of the places you noticed in the early year while watching your Raymarine depth finder probably have fish on them, now that the shallow water action is over. Go back and check those places looking especially for baitfish. If the bait is there, the bass are around close. But I have caught a lot of fish out of brush, off stumps and ledges that didn’t show much baitfish activi-
ty. So, if it’s a likely looking spot, don’t pass it up. I have my deep-diving XPS Lazer Eye Nitro crankbait tied on one rod, a Texasrigged Old Monster Zoom worm on another, and a Carolina rig ready to roll on a third. One other lure you want to have ready at all times is Bass Pro Shops’ Slim Dog. Many times, you will have a bass blow up on top and you can fire it to the spot and hook up. What I like to do with the crankbait is to start out in about 20 feet of water and throw past the drop or hump as far as I can, then put my MotorGuide on “high 36” and let out about 80 yards of line. I then crank it in on a steady medium retrieve. This way, you get the bait to the maximum depth before you get to the structure and you cover a lot of water. This is called “strolling” a bait and it is a very effective way to cover lots of water. If I’m fishing the worm, I go with two different weights. I like a 5/8-ounce Tru-Tungsten weight for covering underwater structures and getting a feel for what is down there. If I’m catching fish, I will go with a 1/8-ounce weight to fish slower. A lot of times, changing weights can make a difference. When I’m fishing the big worm, this is one time I will go to a bigger hook than usual with either a 4/0 or 5/0 Mustad Ultra Point. This is also a Carolina riggers time to
shine, as you can use a variety of Zoom baits, from a small Centipede, 7-inch Mag11, Old Monster, or Baby Brush Hog to a Big Brush Hog. You can also cover a lot of water making fan casts. You can also use your Lindy No-Snagg Rattlin’ weight as your underwater fingers, feeling for stumps, brush, rocks, etc. If you hit something that feels good, be sure to mark it with your depthfinder, even if you don’t catch a fish this time; plan for a future return visit. I have found many good holes over the years with this method. Bass love structure, and at the right times, it will produce. If you catch a fish or two with one of these methods and you don’t get any more bites, go back over the same areas with the other methods; at times, a different bait will turn other fish on. I even run a heavy 1-1/2or 2-ounce spinnerbait through an area if I caught fish there. Many times, bass will watch lures go by until something sets them off, and then they will all bite. So, if you are in an area that feels good, give it time. Another thing I always depend on is current. If you see a water discharge or get around a bridge and see current going by the pylons, this will bunch up baitfish, which attract bass. While watching your depthfinder, you can back off from the pylons around a100 yards or so and find a school of fish, especially if there is a little drop or bend in the area.
HUNT TEXAS Continued from Page N28 ouflage cap, which she now calls her “lucky hunting hat.” “Some of the men asked me if I was going to let my dad hang him on his office wall, and I said, ‘No way! He is going on my bedroom wall’,” McKenzie said. “I told my daddy that on a scale of 1 to 100, this trip was way over 100.” Even at age nine, McKenzie’s sights
are aimed at bigger hunting experiences. “When August gets here and we get to go pick up my mount, it will hang over my bed and always remind me of how much fun it is to hunt with your dad,” McKenzie said. “I am already talking to him about taking me elk hunting. I always tell my daddy that I want to get a Grand Slam of sheep. Hopefully, I will get to send you similar stories of great hunting experiences.” A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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I hope she will. I also hope many more youngsters not only have the opportunity to return home from a hunting trip with their father or mother with a story of success, but also with a story of their appreciation for the wildlife, the camaraderie with other hunters, and the exciting opportunities we all share as hunters. E-mail Bob Hood at hunting@fishgame.com. &
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But, What About Me?
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ITH TURKEY SEASON OVER, WE NOW head straight into fishing season without missing a step. It is a known fact in our household that a change in seasons is simply a change of activity and equipment. I know the drill and have become a willing participant, bordering on an obsessive participant. The only thing holding me back is my talent, abilities, and adeptness, which clearly do not match my desire. So begins fishing season and the desire to be like the rest of my family. But I am a newbie, a late-to-life angler, relegated to a position of trial and error, constant questioning, perpetual discovery, and eternal perfecting—you know, the one in the boat that irritates the veterans. Speaking of boats, I am still not allowed to drive the boat, although I have been promoted to the one that drives the truck and trailer off the ramp when we launch the boat. Okay, so I am the only other driver around and therefore win by default. Nevertheless, I do a darn good job driving straight ahead while I watch the water drip from the trailer in the rear-view mirror. For a few short minutes, I feel empowered. Look, Mom, no hands! I pinpoint my slot straight ahead and guide that truck and trail-
er ever so professionally to rest side-by-side the other trailers. And so it begins… “David, I can’t get into my side of the bed. Isn’t there somewhere else we could stack the fishing rods?” “Well, I was trying to check all the lines and make sure that they weren’t too old and brittle. I was thinking we would head down to Port O’Connor and go fishing this weekend.” “That would be great, but we can’t. Remember, I have to go out of town for that conference on Saturday.” “Okay, well, let’s go next weekend.” “Next weekend, Max has a baseball tournament and we have to meet with the builder about the house.” “But, Mom!” Max wailed. “I have a day off from school this week, and we have a long weekend. It would be a perfect time to go.” “Man! I hear the redfish are really running hard right now, too,” David added. Let’s see… If I straddle the box of gun shells with my left leg and then hoist myself over the turkey decoy from last weekends hunt, I think I can leap onto my side of the
MISTER CRAPPIE Continued from Page N30 that might be holding tight to the brush. Making and putting out your own brush will make you a more consistent crappie fisherman. Make sure this year that you put out a lot of brush piles, and N32
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then contact me at www.mrcrappie.com so I can test them out for you. E-mail Wally Marshall at mrcrappie@fishgame.com. Visit his website at www.mrcrappie.com &
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bed. I am whipped. “Sweetie, I don’t mean to complain, but those hooks on the rods are pointed right at eye level when I lay down on the pillow. Do you think we could move them so I could go to sleep?” “Okay, Baby, I guess I can lean them up against the wall until tomorrow morning. But be sure not to move them as I have them in a certain order.” Yeah, yeah. What is wrong with your side of the bed, Buster? “Hey, I know! How about we leave right after Max’s tournament? We could leave by eight that night and be in POC by two in the morning, get a couple of hours sleep, and be on the water by six. Piece of cake.” “Um, nope. No can do. Remember, my client asked us to go to that fundraiser on Saturday night.” “What fundraiser? Is it for husbands to go fishing?” “Ah, Sweetie, I can’t lay down, all those lures are all laid out on top of the bed at the end on my side.” “Well, I was organizing all the lures and bait. Just put one leg on either side of the pile. There is a method to my madness there ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL WATSON
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and I don’t want to move them and start over. You should have enough room.” But, what if I roll over and one of those lures stabs me in the middle of the night? Jeez, rods at my head, lures at my feet. I am surrounded. Who would have ever thought I would be sleeping in a bait shop. “Ouch! David! That stupid crankbait is hanging from the light pull! Who put that there?” “Oops, sorry! I forgot about that one. I was going to rig it up. See, if we were going fishing, that wouldn’t have been there. I would have had it rigged up by now.” “So, Mom, why do you have to go? I mean, why couldn’t David and I go since you are going to be out of town? With the long weekend, it would be perfect.” “Yeah, Buddy!” David said with too much enthusiasm. “Good point. Baby, you don’t mind if we go, do ya? I mean, since you have plans and all, no sense in all of us not going. I mean, we would love for you to go as well, but since you can’t, it kinda makes sense, don’t ya think?” “Well I, I see what you mean, I guess so. So, where would you go? Down to POC for
some bull reds? Gosh, I still have not gotten one of those suckers. But, well, since I have to go to that conference and next weekend we are busy, I guess…” “Great!” David said with more unrestrained enthusiasm. “Max, go get your new Shimano and let’s rig it up. Oh, and could you go on-line and see if you can find out what the tide report is? Excuse me, Baby, got to get that Watermelon Candy crankbait out of that pile. Be careful, your foot is in the way.” Yeah! But who is going to drive the trailer? “Thanks, Mom! You are the best! Don’t worry. We will bring ya back a big red.” You mean one that you caught? Standing out there on the boat sight-fishing for one of those big guys, with the sun gently warming your face, waiting to feel that tug on your line only to reel one of the biggest spotted creatures out of the Gulf? You mean one of those? “Sure, I mean, well, okay then, guys. I guess that settles it.” But, but…what about me? I do not want to be a newbie forever. I have so much to learn and time is a-wasting. I want to go fish-
ing. I want to catch a bull red. No siree! I am not going to be left behind. “You know, I am not sure that I really need to go to that conference. Jeez, once you have been to one conference you have been to them all. Don’t ya think?” “Great, Baby! You are right. After all, a fisherman has to have his priorities straight. Those redfish might not be running so hard next week, and we need to get down there now. So, do you want to use a spinning rod or a bait-caster?” “I want to use the fly rod. I am not getting any younger and I had better get after it. I might be eighty by the time I master this sport, but I am through pussyfooting around. While a newbie, I might as well learn how to cast a fly rod.” “Well, all-rightie then, Baby! That’s my gurl, you go get ‘em.” I might not have been born to be a fisherman, one with years of childhood memories, but by golly, I am going to die a fisherman. E-mail Mari Henry at gurlz@fishgame.com.
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Le Manquant Donkey
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OWARD, THE RESIDENT JACKASS, WAS missing. Maybe the errant ass was in another pasture, or maybe somebody had borrowed the lop-eared critter, but loose observation during the short tour around the Brune Ranch noted that Howard was not in attendance. It’s a plaguing dilemma when you consider that your friends might have borrowed your donkey, but it is a common practice apt to happen whenever drinking and politics interrupt a sane day. The stubborn but pleasant beast of burden known for its timely braying, participation in gold prospecting partnerships, and often depicted wearing sombreros and serapes is transitioned into a toothy grinning caricature that draws woeful groans from the foundations of democracy. Yes, donkey-borrowing in an election year might be expected. The asinine needs of a donkey-borrower must be quenched. Howard wasn’t actually a “he,” and Howard didn’t actually belong to me. In truth, the animal’s God-given name is questionable. The ugly third cousin to a mustang belonged to Howard Henson, a native of Weimar, Texas. Howard called his gray linebacked steed “Pecos,” or “Peso,” or “Paco,” or “Taco,” or some such lame moniker. Meanwhile, my other astute compadres and I are infinitely more sensitive to ethnicities and genres. We disapprove of calling your duck-hunting dog “Thibodeaux” or the catfish in your aquarium “Lewinski.” You shouldn’t relate to your mother-in-law’s senile housecat as “Pelosi” or the hamster that lives in the dark under the couch as “Colmes.” So, in our own flash of PC wisdom, we called the donkey Howard. Howard came to live with me when his owner, Howard, decided to sell out and rent in town. His wife, Judy, had convinced him that living 20 miles back in the brush wasn’t a place to raise a modern-day family. N34
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Howard needed a place to live, so the Brune Ranch unrolled the red carpet. Now, Howard wasn’t in sight. It was probably my fault. During my absence while guiding hunters in Wyoming for two months and then in Mexico for another two months, the livestock at the homestead tended to step over the fence and checkout the neighbor’s grass. Inspection of all the trails, openings, and meadows headed to the river bottom yielded no Howard. Miraculously, the rest of the horses seemed to be accounted for, up on all fours, and making a good living. And the local hunters hadn’t made a dent in the deer population. There were deer everywhere, watching me search for Howard. However, I was also seeing the place for the first time in months and was looking for more than an invisible donkey. It was time to rely on my ranch manager Phil Clark. Oilfield welder by day and dancing lothario when the lights get dim, Phil keeps track of everything around my place that shakes its tail. It seemed that a phrase he’d muttered kept echoing in the back of my mind, something about having a special purpose for Howard after hunting season. So, I gave him a call. “Hey, Phil, what are y’all doing?” “We’re out here at Hoelscher’s stuffing sausage and we need some help. Hoelscher says he’s doing some experimenting and he wants you to help with the seasoning. We’re going to make a couple of different batches of dried sausage and Hoelscher says you can put as much pepper in one batch as you want. So, come on out and bring some beer!” What a grand welcome home. Hoelscher’s smokehouse is one of the best backwoods haunts left from our earlier years. It’s one of the few places where old buddies can reminisce about the enjoyed sins of youth, stand in the dusky realms, and feel the near&
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ness of those sins. We can discuss the old timers with their hoop nets, twenty-two’s, and spotlights. We talk about the way practices and ideas have changed and drink Old Crow and Budweiser, chew tobacco and cigars, and spit on the floor. The younger generation comes in for a while, but they don’t stay long. Our talk is too rough and our knives are working too fast. The boys that couldn’t buy an “A” in high school know how to butcher meat, stuff sausage, and converse on the guttural fringes of several languages. English, German, Czech, and Spanish are mistreated equally. Within minutes of my arrival, I am handed a large quarter of meat to de-bone and the months that I’d been gone seem like only stories to tell. “Hoelscher, what is this that I’m de-boning?” “Oh, me and Phil wanted to try something different this year. There was a wetback at the gravel pit that gave me this recipe. He makes tamales and shares with all the guys at work. He can make tamales out of raccoons and almost anything. We give him a little deer, a little hog… but then he left. Phil, look behind you and see if there’s any more garlic in that grocery sack. I’m going to get a fire going in the stove.” “Hey, Herman,” said Phil as he dug through the sack looking for garlic. “Have you heard about the fires? I don’t remember wildfires in Texas.” “Yeah, I heard something, but I don’t know what caused them. I’m curious whether that’s going to be an on-going problem. Look at Southern California. That land is burnt-over sand, but it’s developed with million-dollar homes everywhere. There are people living where folks aren’t meant to live. Now, it’s catching fire all the time. I reckon the same could happen in South Texas or West Texas. Once the water is sucked out of the land, there’s nothing left for it to do but burn. But until civilized man has a different way of measuring progress, we’re just going to keep spoiling whatever we touch. I’m tending toward staying outside the Dallas, Houston, San Antonio triangle
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these days. There are too many people. Hey, Phil, do you know what kind of meat I’m cutting?” Hoelscher came back from the stove. “Hey, Herman, this is your batch of meat. I want you to do the seasoning.” “Why is this my batch?” “Oh, me and Phil wanted you to show us the way you season with pepper so that you always have to keep a beer in one hand while you’re eating sausage.” “Shoot, boys, that’s when you know you’re eating good sausage. Let me see...” I left my station and went to the table where Hoelscher had been mixing meat. I grabbed the red pepper, popped off the lid, then grabbed the black pepper. Then I began dumping liberally throughout the 60 or so pounds of ground meat. “Hoelscher, this meat looks blue. Did y’all mix this with wild hog?” “Yeah, there’s some wild hog in this.” “What else?” Hoelscher started coughing from the pepper. “You know, I shot one of those blue bulls on the King Ranch this year,” said Phil. Hoelscher cleared his throat. “You know that wetback told me to put lots of garlic in with this meat. Herman, use a double dose of garlic and put in some extra salt. I’ve got some casings soaking and we’ll be ready to stuff as soon as you finish.” Phil was slicing more garlic, glancing around the room, and began talking into the
air. “You know, it’s a durn shame they closed those horse-killing plants.” Hoelscher snorted and almost spit up a mouthful of Old Crow. “I just don’t know what’s going to happen. They’ve cratered the horse market and now there will be horses turned out to starve, or folks will have to just take ‘em down behind the barn and shoot ‘em, leave ‘em for the buzzards and coyotes. How are they going to make dog food, or glue, or baseballs? Dad-gummit, you’d think they’d at least feed ‘em to the Frenchmen!” Hoelscher was turning red and having a coughing fit. He must have swallowed something down the wrong pipe. “Yeah,” I agreed. “You know our state senator tried to fix that, but he got so many hateful phone calls that he’s not going to try again. It’s just another instance of urbanized mentality having more votes and a louder voice than the rural common sense does. It’s kind of like the issue about the wolves in Yellowstone or the jackasses that want to shuffle Texas water all over the state… Wait a minute…” Hoelscher stood with his face in the corner laughing, coughing, and wiping tears from his eyes. Phil was lunging from side to side and grinning in gleeful agony. “Hoelscher? What kind of meat is this?” “Come here, Herman, I think you need some Old Crow.” Phil bolted for the door. “Hey, Phil!” I hollered after him.
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“Where’s Howard?” Hoelscher patted me on the shoulder and handed me the jelly jar jigger. “Here, Herman, have a sip.” “Hoelscher, where’s Howard?” “You don’t want to know,” and he glanced at the pile of meat. Three big swallows downed the whiskey. “Oh, damn… Hope he tastes good.” E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com
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TEXAS SALTWATER
Rebeca R ay 24-inch Tr o Hugo Ford ut Guide Serv ice
ROCKPORT
GALVESTON
For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.
PORT ARANSAS
k Eric Dubca sh fi d e R ch 26-in ice uide Serv Hillman G
TEXAS FRESHWATER BAFFIN BAY CORPUS CHRISTI
Steve Sch ibe Stringer o r f Trout Hugo Ford Guide Serv ice
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Nick Arandando 15-pound Snapper ors Coastal Bend Outdo
John and Patti Zie
gler Redfish Redfish Charters Paul Watson, Doug Bowen, & Sean Bruce Snapper Freeport Charter Boats
TEXAS FRESHWATER
OUTDOOR SHOPPER
TEXAS HUNTING
LAKE TEXOMA
COLORADO LAKE AMISTAD ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!
SPOTLIGHT: HUGO FORD GUIDE SERVICE
For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.
OUTDOOR SHOPPER
I started my guiding career in 1974, guiding quail hunts in South Texas. After a couple of years, I decided to turn my hunting customers into fishing customers. I became U.S.C.G. licensed and since that time, I have spent my winters running quail hunts and deer hunts. I primarily hunt out of Hebbronville, Premont, and Carrizo Springs, Texas. We also offer hunts on a beautiful ranch in the mountains north of Van Horn, Texas. I fished the Port O’Connor area for nearly 13 years, before moving on to Rockport for another 8 years. I have fished out of Corpus Christi and on south to other surrounding waters since 1998. Spring and summer months, I am wading the Upper Laguna and Baffin Bay areas. Upon request, we take customers to Port Mansfield to enjoy the beautiful shallow flats in that area. In 1994, I started donating 10 to 15 trips a year to CCA Texas. Currently, I am donating 20 to 25 throughout Texas and Louisiana. I must say that the CCA customers are the most gracious people I have ever been associated with! I have become great friends with many of them. My girlfriend, Connie Muse, is my faithful assistant helping daily on my fishing trips. We make a great team. On days when my clients elect to wade rather than stay in the boat, she is sufficient in bringing the boat to us when we need more bait or something to drink. I have people ask all the time if I get tired of guiding after all these years. My answer is always the same: I will never get tired of seeing that smile on the face of a young child or any adult fishing for the first time, hooked up on a nice fish. I am currently fishing a 24’ Haynie with 250 Mercury Motor, without a doubt the finest boat I have ever operated. Haynie boats are made by Chris’s Marine in Aransas Pass, Texas. We can help you with any accommodations that you may need, please call and visit. Hope to see ya on the water soon! — Capt. Hugo Ford www.capt.hugoford.com capt.hugoford@yahoo.com fordplay@prodigy.net 361-318-3836 (cell) A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Shrimp Kebabs
1/2 cup fresh squeezed limejuice 2 tsp honey 2 Tbs Texas Gourmet Mandarin Orange Serrano Jelly 2 tsp white pepper 1 tsp salt 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
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HEN YOU HEAR “SHISH KABOB” IN New York City, you might envision some marinated chunks of lamb or beef and some veggies skewered on a miniature sword. If you live near the Texas coast (much preferred), kebab might mean wild caught Gulf shrimp with peppers, onions, mushrooms, and squash impaled on a soaked bamboo skewer. Well, this ain’t New York Fish & Game magazine…
Shrimp Kebabs with Garlic-Butter Baste
(serves 4-6) 2 lbs 12- to 15-count shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails attached 1 ea. red and yellow bell pepper, rinsed and cut into 1-1/2-inch squares 2 small zucchini or yellow squash, rinsed and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices 8-12 small white mushrooms, rinsed and stems removed 1 purple onion, peeled and cut into 1-1/2inch wide slices 1 pkg. cherry tomatoes, rinsed and destemmed 2 lemons, rinsed and sliced very thin
For the Baste
1 stick butter 3 Tbs olive oil 2 Tbs lemon juice 1/2 cup Chablis white wine 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced 2 Tbs Texas Gourmet’s Sidewinder Searing Spice 1 Tbs dill weed 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp black pepper N38
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Whisk together honey, limejuice, jelly, pepper, salt, and cilantro. Combine and stir together remaining ingredients. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Serve chilled. Combine above ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and hold for basting the kebabs.
Preparation
Soak bamboo skewers in water or season metal skewers with olive oil before using. Build the kebabs starting with onion, then lemon, shrimp, bell pepper, squash, mushroom, shrimp, lemon, tomato, and repeat. Lay on a long platter, brush with the baste, and lightly dust with Sidewinder Spice. Place kebabs on a cleaned, seasoned, preheated grill indirectly over medium-high gas or charcoal fire. Keep covered, turn and baste every 3-5 minutes for approximately 12-15 minutes. Remove to a clean platter and cover with foil until ready to serve with PineappleMango Pico de Gallo and Hunter’s Quick Dirty Rice. Bon Appetit.
Pineapple & Mango Pico de Gallo
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced 1 cup fresh mango, peeled, pitted, and diced 1 cup fresh cucumber, chopped 1 cup yellow bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup fresh serrano pepper, seeded and sliced thin 1 cup green onions, sliced thin 1 red bell pepper, diced &
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Hunter’s Quick Dirty Rice
2 cups minute style rice 1 can chicken broth 1 cup water 1 green onion, chopped well 1 Tbs Texas Gourmet’s Sidewinder Searing Sauce 4 oz. breakfast pan sausage, browned and strained 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tsp cumin 1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped 1 tsp black pepper Simmer broth and water with all veggies and spices for 4-5 minutes. Add rice and cooked sausage. Bring to a good rolling boil, cover, and turn off heat. Allow to sit for 5-7 minutes covered. Serve hot with main dish. Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com. S P O N S O R E D BY:
PHOTO BY CADE KINSEY
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BASS—BRESULA, TEXAS
CRAPPIE—LAKE WRIGHT PATMAN, TEXAS
BOBCAT—CARRIZO SPRINGS, TEXAS
Kobe Lee Trowbridge, age 5, of Manor, Texas, caught Hayden Pike, age 5, from Richmond, Texas, caught 4 bass while fishing with his “PaPa,” Chris Hilde- this crappie at Lake Wright Patman in Atlanta, brandt, at their farm in Bresula, Texas. The bass Texas. The crappie weighed in at 1.12 pounds. shown weighed around 3 pounds.
Dennis Fewell of League City, Texas, shot this 24pound bobcat on his Uncle Dennis’ ranch near Carrizo Springs. One 60-yard shot from a .243 sent this cat to the taxidermist.
BASS—KURTEN, TEXAS
REDFISH—SAN JOSE ISLAND, TEXAS
REDFISH—SABINE JETTY, TEXAS
Justin Kristynik, age 3, of Kurten, Texas, caught his first largemouth bass while fishing with his parents at one of their private stock ponds. He was practicing his cast using a yellow shad lure for bait.
Seventeen-year-old Jackson Daly of Dripping Springs, Texas, caught his first keeper redfish, measuring 24-1/2 inches, while fishing with his dad Jack at San Jose Island.
Marcus Ramsey, age 13, of Lumberton, Texas, caught this 41-inch redfish on the Sabine Jetty. This was his first red over 20 inches, and he had only started fishing saltwater a few weeks earlier.
SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO:
TF&G PHOTO ALBUM
PLEASE INCLUDE NAME, HOMETOWN, WHEN & WHERE CAUGHT, SIZE AND WEIGHT
1745 Greens Road Houston, Texas 77032 OR BY EMAIL: photos@fishgame.com
Note: All non-digital photos submitted become the property of Texas Fish & Game and will not be returned. TF&G makes no guarantee when or if any submitted photo will be published. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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TrophyQuest
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®
HOW YOU CAN WIN! TEXAS FISH & GAME HAS GIVEN AWAY OVER 200 TROPHY QUEST TRIPS. TROPHY QUEST is free guided hunting or fishing trips within the state of
Texas. The package includes a guided trip for two people, one night's lodging and all food and beverage (non-alcohol). Winners are responsible for all travel expenses getting to and from the destination point. HERE'S HOW YOU WIN! If you are a TF&G subscriber, your name is automatically entered on our monthly Trophy Quest Trip drawing. If you are a subscriber and would like
your name entered 15 more times in our next monthly drawing, simply send us an email with your name, address and phone number* to trophyquest@fishgame.com. You can still win even if you are NOT a subscriber. Simply email us with your name, address, and phone number* to trophyquest@fishgame.com and you're entered in our next drawing. One winner is chosen at random each T E X A S
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month. The winner must be available to go on one of two previously scheduled dates. If the winner is unable to attend on either dates scheduled for the TROPHY QUEST TRIP, the winner's name will be returned to the pool for future drawings and another winner will be drawn. *Phone numbers will ONLY be used to contact the winners and will not be used for any other purpose.
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by Calixto Gonzales 58
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exas deer hunting conjures up images of chaparral, mesquite thickets, senderos, Hill Country scenery, and tall deer blinds. By reputation, the Texas trophy buck is a burly, swollen-necked, thick-antlered hoodlum who can appear at dusk in front of the deer feeder you’ve been watching all day and, in the time it takes you to find the image through you scope, disappear so suddenly you’d swear it was beamed up by aliens. Scenarios such as these require a .300 Weatherby or .338 Winchester Magnum or some such body-punching boomstick to dispatch them. These are tough deer that should be hunted only by tough people. For the most part, those images are true—kind of, more or less. Texas deer, especially South Texas deer, are considered some of the finest trophies in North America. They might not have the bovine proportions of a Kansas or Saskatchewan buck, but a Lone Star deer is a fine looking beast, and the mounted trophies are beautiful. If you hunt west of US 77, you will be 60
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hunting mesquite, huisache, prickly pear, and yucca for the most part, but once you cross east of that highway that connects the Rio Grande Valley to Kingsville, Corpus Christi, Houston, and all points east, the terrain and the hunting is different. So are the deer.
The Land of Kings When you cross US 281, which is west of 77, you begin to see a marked change in the terrain. The clay and chaparral of Southwest Texas gives way to sandy loam and vast prairie grass. The tangled, nighimpenetrable mesquite thickets fall away to oak motts that give the grasslands the look that Captain Richard King found enthralling enough to buy up the all the ranchland along Santa Gertrudis Creek— the look and feel of savannah range. The coastal breeze whips through the grass, and brackish water holes dot the landscape. At dawn and again at dusk, you can see the deer that have been roaming from mott to mott and browsing since the birth of the King, Kleberg, and Yturria ranches. (Within this article, “coastal prairie” and &
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“coastal plain” will be used interchangeably.) These deer are considered part of the same management herd as the deer of the chaparral that stretches from San Manuel and Linn just north of Edinburg west to Hebbronville and Laredo, but they do not necessarily look the same. “The habitat [of the coastal prairie] is different,” said Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologist Randy Fugate, who is located in Falfurrias on the western fringe of the region and has studied the deer of the coastal prairie. “It doesn’t have the same diversity of plant life that the western region does. There are fewer forbs and green leaf plants or weeds for deer to graze on. Consequently, body size is slightly smaller than chaparral deer.” The lower nutrition base does not translate to smaller antlers according to Fugate. The genetics for Boone & Crockett-class heads are definitely there. In early 2008, Maurice Bledsoe took a magnificent King Ranch trophy that had twin drop tines and scored in the high 180s. The King Ranch website (www.king-ranch.com) has galleries of trophy deer taken along the coastal bend, PHOTO BY GRADY ALLEN
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and even the “management bucks” are very impressive. Ironically, the same nutrition base that contributes to lower body weight might also contribute in a round about way to the general impressiveness of a coastal prairie trophy. “The big antlers look bigger on a smaller body,” quipped Fugate. Remember that a smaller body is a relative concept. A chaparral giant weighs 175200 pounds, with an occasional brute tipping the Toledos at over 215 pounds. A Southeast Texas trophy might top out at “only” 170-175 pounds, which is still plenty of venison for stew and tamales.
A Different Approach Perhaps the biggest difference between the bucks west and east of Highway 77 is how hunters go about taking them. In the west, the order of the day is usually stand hunting over food lots, feeders, and watering holes. The ground cover consists mostly of mesquite and huisache thickets, or thick stands of prickly pear cactus, both of which make stalking and still-hunting difficult. Deer stands are usually set up along senderos, waterholes, or clearings, and the hunter usually waits for the deer to come to him. It can be nerve-wracking, especially if you sit for several hours on a very cold morning waiting for a deer that might or might not be there. It can also be very productive, as several mesquite monsters have fallen to shots from deer stands. Deer hunting on the prairie of the Coastal Bend can be markedly different. Stand hunting over feeders and food plots is still effective, but swaths of grassland between oak motts and creek beds also lends to a safari style of hunting. “When you hunt on a Coastal Bend ranch like the King or Kenedy, you’re going to be driving around a lot,” said Edinburg resident Lonnie Garza, who has logged many hours hunting Coastal Bend deer. “You move between spots that can be a long ways apart, and the best way to do that is in a truck.” These hunting vehicles are specialized machines with elevated benches set up in the
bed or on the front grill so that hunters can scan for signs of deer, or for the animals themselves. The truck moves from site to site, and the hunters set up shop in a ground blind or stand and wait. The relative isolation of the oak motts and waters holes also lend to bowhunting more effectively than the brush of Southwest Texas. Ground blinds can be set up at ambush points such as a creek bed or watering hole, and the bowhunter waits for his quarry to come in. It can be even more challenging than most hunting situations, because of the vast area over which coastal deer are spread. Sometimes, the same deer will not return to the spot for quite a while, and the bowhunter is left with nothing but his thoughts.
Unclouded Days The less diverse fauna and food supply means that the deer of the Coastal Bend are more sensitive to the effects of drought. When the region is locked into a severe to extreme drought, like the one South Texas has been in since October of 2007, the deer herd feels it. “We get most of our beneficial rains in late winter and early spring,” said TPWD biologist Randy Fugate. “But we didn’t get much rain this year. That’s the same time that does start dropping their fawns. If we don’t get adequate moisture, we don’t have adequate forage for the does to feed on. That will stress the does and could impact fawn production.” In the short term, the loss of a percentage of a year’s fawn crop is bad enough, but the real effects are noted in the years to come. Holes in the affected age class will be noticed when there are fewer deer in that age category. Another drought-related issue deals with antler development, which is directly tied to nutrition quality. July is in the middle of the period when bucks develop antlers, and the lack of adequate nutrition impacts antler growth. Drought conditions also mean deer must compete for the dwindling food supply with an interloper to the Coastal Bend—the nilgai. These horsesized antelope have greater food demands than deer, but they are grazer/browsers, whereas deer are mainly browsers. Nilgai can turn to grazing to keep their figures, whereas deer are stuck with what little, if any, browse is left.
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Reaching Out The wide-open nature of the Coastal Plain also means deer hunters prefer rifles with extended reach. Granted, most hunters take the same trusty rifle regardless of where in Texas they are hunting, but many who have the means will take a flatter-shooting caliber when hunting Coastal Bend deer because of the longer ranges. Garza, for example, prefers hunting with a 7mm Remington or .300 Winchester Magnum when going out for deer east of US 77. Both rifles offer flatter trajectory and better accuracy at longer ranges, both of which Garza considers a must for this sort of hunting. One of the most effective calibers for these deer is an old classic—the no frills .270 Winchester. With the right load, the .270 is capable of reaching out across a relatively long range and carrying enough wallop to drop a good buck. Coastal Plains deer are not the same broad-shouldered jocks as their western counterparts, but are still world-class athletes. Juxtaposing them would be akin to comparing a tight end and a wide receiver. One gets the job done with size and athleticism, while the other can stretch the field and make you throw a long ways to hit him. They are still on the same team, though, and that’s always a good thing.
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Guides, Outfitters, & Lodges: What’s the difference? by Steve LaMascus
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he words “guide”, “outfitter”, and “lodge” are thrown around quite carelessly these days; so much so that they have lost some of their meaning and impact. For instance, the title “guide” is sometimes applied to people who do nothing more than drive a pickup around the pasture, dropping off hunters at box blinds and picking them up again a couple of hours later. That is not a guide; it is a chauffeur. A true guide is the man or woman who knows the habits of game; takes the hunter or fisherman on a trek with guidance and specialized knowledge the “client” lacks. At the very least, the guide should know the lay of the land so well that he can put the client onto the big buck living in the little oak grove hidden between the two rocky hills, or the big redfish that lives in the deep hole on the far side of the muddy flat. The guide knows what the fish are biting, what time of day they are hungry, and exactly where the best chances of success lie. He knows where the old buck lives, and how to
rattle antlers so the deer come to see who is fighting, and over what cute doe. He can track a wounded deer, but also knows where that deer is likely to go for water. He knows
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where that salt lick is in the bottom of the canyon, and has spent the time and effort to know what trails the old buck takes to come for its evening dose of stomach tonic.
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Many lodges have private fishing ponds or lakes for guests of all ages.
Fishing lodges usually have professional guides to put clients onto the fish of a lifetime.
Outfitters and lodges can accommodate the taste of almost any client—even the young pretty ones. When you hire a guide, you are hiring his expertise and knowledge of the land or water, and the habits of the animals you are pursuing. That is a guide. Anything less does not fit the name. An outfitter has access to land, hires guides, and arranges the hunting or fishing trip. He is responsible for accommodations, transportation, food, drink, and the quality of the experience. A guide can be sullen and standoffish and still be a good guide. The outfitter is responsible for the atmosphere of the experience as well as the availability of game. He can’t shoot your deer or catch your fish, but he needs to put you in a place where you will have the opportunity to do so yourself. The outfitter might personally guide you, or you might see him only at the lodge after the hunt, if at all. Many outfitters started out as guides and then started their own outfitting businesses. The sad thing is that some “outfitters” are personable and glib, but are fakes. They might tell you how wonderful the place is and how many giant dragons were shot there last season, while the truth is that the only living thing on the place is a very nervous lizard missing one leg. I actually know a couple of such outfitters, but thankfully, they are the exceptions. However, before you book with an outfitter, get a reference list of past clients and call them. You cannot be too careful. “Lodge” has a very broad definition. I have stayed in lodges so plush they put the best Las Vegas hotel to shame. I have had food cooked by Cordon Bleu chefs. I have also had Beanie Weenies from a can. Some outfitters offer quality hunts with minimum comfort. The reality of the situation is that if the game is plentiful and the guides competent, all I need in a “lodge” is a place where I can eat and sleep dry and warm, and remain relatively unbitten by the local insecta while doing so. If the food is good, I am easy to please. These days, it is increasingly common to
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A good fishing lodge or outfitter can cater the needs of mixed couples, corporate groups, or individuals.
Always ask for–and check–references when shopping for a guide or outfitter.
PHOTO BY DON ZAIDLE
6/3/08
PHOTO BY DON ZAIDLE
GUIDE GUIDE
Most bass fishing guides provide one-on-one services, but some can accommodate up to three anglers per boat at one time.
be housed in a mobile home. That is the cheapest and easiest to move. These range from rundown 1970s models to swank doublewides with all the amenities. My son-in-law manages the Pamandan Ranch 20 miles north of Brackettville, in the edge of the Hill Country. The lodge is a beautiful new doublewide, complete with fireplace and a fire ring in the front yard for sitting around while reliving exciting hunts and enjoying sundowners. It is about as plush as an Old World lodge. On the other hand I have seen “lodges” that were simply beat-up trailer houses that had been towed onto the ranch, haphazardly leveled, and filled with equally beat-up furniture. There were holes in the floors, mice in the walls, and the heating and air conditioning consisted of opening one of the little louvered windows and praying for a breeze. The cook was the guide or outfitter, and the food was venison from the deer the last hunter shot, mixed with potatoes, seasoned with cayenne pepper, served on a tortilla, and called “authentic Mexican food.” I can be happy in either, providing the hunting or fishing is good enough, the guides are good enough, and the outfitter didn’t fill me full of road apples, telling me about his wonderful lodge and talented chef. A number of operations are run by the owners of the “lodge.” This is more common in fishing than hunting, but can be either. Such operations are usually called something like, Sunset Lodge, Rainbow Lodge, something similar. These are usually high-toned operations. Check them out carefully: some might try to substitute the accommodations for the quality of the hunting and fishing; they might have cocktails at 7:00 p.m., a fivecourse dinner at 9:00, and cigars and brandy at 10:00—while the fishing or hunting is, at best, mediocre. Once again, check references.
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Good News, Bad News, Worse News
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PHOTO COURTESY OF NOAA
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HOPE EVERYONE ENJOYED THE OPENING OF red snapper season last month. Was everyone on board happy that they were able to limit out so fast? Not that hard to do, with a two-fish limit, is it. Just be sure to make as many trips as you can, as it will be hard to fill the freezer two at a time between now and the end of September. By now, anyone who fishes the Gulf should know that the feds have shortened our snapper season to run from June through September, turning what used to be a staple winter fishery into a brief summer tourist attraction. This is just the latest in an incredible series of events that seems less to do with conserving red snapper than with some hidden political agenda. Bill Hogarth, the latest head of what is now known as NOAA Fisheries, has resigned and entered the private sector, where he hopefully will not be involved with snapper for the remainder of his career; but until others have joined him and common sense application of real-world data regarding red snapper catches and population data replaces the mumbo-jumbo currently used to mismanage red snapper, the “good old days” of snapper fishing are over. The state of Texas and its Parks & Wildlife Department do not agree with federal assessments of impending doom for snapper, and so refused to mirror federal regulations in state waters, at least as of March, when I discussed the situation with Larry McKinney, the Director of Coastal Fisheries for TPWD. Larry feels there has been a
Will dolphin become the new "red snapper" of offshore fishing? definite upswing in snapper recruitment in Texas waters, and that the data used by NOAA Fisheries is suspect, at best. What he fears, however, are federal attempts to “strong-arm” Texas (and Florida) into going along with the tighter regulations and shorter season. The sentiment is that leaving the season open all year in Texas, with a four-fish bag limit, might cause the feds to threaten an even smaller Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for snapper Gulf-wide, possibly a reduction to a one fish limit—or closing the Gulf to snapper fishing altogether. Should this happen, the feds et al blame will blame Texas. Those who intend to nonetheless ply the Gulf for recreational angling will either stay in fairly close, or shoot the works and point their bows over the horizon, looking for true blue water gamesters like bull dolphin, wahoo, tuna, and various billfishes. Tradition has us hitting known structure, deep-water oil platforms, weedlines, and abrupt color changes. While this is still good technique, sometimes a technological edge can help reduce time spent hunting for fish&
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holding waters. East Coast tuna fishermen and savvy Gulf billfish tourney competitors have long used water surface-temperature charts to pinpoint where blue-water species and the forage fishes they feed on will likely be roaming. While these charts are available from many sources, a new company is focusing on the Gulf and looking for your business. Rip Charts provides unlimited satellite images for a fee of $89/year, including sea surface-water temperature, custom waypoint manager, distance tool, and composite images. A live demo and tutorial can be viewed at www.ripcharts.com. I haven’t tried this service yet, but intend to. Anything that conserves my precious diesel is a good idea in my book. Side-by-side with the highest fuel prices ever known to man, the outlook for offshore fishing doesn’t look especially good. Boats are for sale everywhere—with few takers— and charter captains are going out of business or barely hanging on. Our federal government is hitting us with a double whammy in this area, by making it increasingly harder to get in the charter business and stay legal.
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TF&G FIRST Capt. Randle Hall emailed me from Port Mansfield in March that he was boarded by the Coast Guard and asked to produce all required paperwork and equipment. Because this has become a considerable collection of documents, he keeps them in a thick file for such occasions. After providing the officers with his Coast Guard license, drug test card, federal charter boat permits, and boat documentation—along with his alcohol test kits, circle hooks, snapper venting tools, hook disgorger, and sea turtle release equipment—he was asked for his “TWIC card.” Capt. Randle honestly thought he had all requirements covered, and had no idea what “TWIC” was, so the officers explained it to him: TWIC stands for “Transportation Worker Identification Credential,” and all holders of a Merchant Mariner’s license must also have one of these by September of 2008, or they will no longer have a valid Coast Guard license. To get a TWIC, one must apply through the contractor handling such things, Lockheed Martin. You will undergo an FBI background check, be fingerprinted, and upon payment of a $135 fee, will be issued a TWIC card with your photograph and fingerprint on it, a bar code to be used in a card reader—that you might very well be required to carry on your boat in the future (at your expense)—and all that background info on a chip embedded in the card. TWIC is brought to us by the Department of Homeland Security, and might eventually replace the Coast Guard credentials we used to display so proudly. As near as I can determine, a TWIC is required for anyone with unescorted access to a secure area of a port, a port facility, or a vessel. Evidently, the helm of a sport-fishing vessel is considered a secure area, as though it were the bridge of a supertanker. This might mean a deckhand will need a TWIC, also. For more about TWIC, see The TF&G Report elsewhere in this issue.
Capt. Mike Holmes runs tarpon, shark, and bluewater trips on a classic 31 Bertram. To book a trip, call 979-415-0535. Email him at mholmes@fishgame.com. T E X A S
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Campus News
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INAL EXAMS ARE IN FULL SWING, AND THAT can mean only one thing: School is out for summer and it is time for the fourth annual Under Armour College Bass National Championship. Bass fishing’s most prestigious collegiate championship will take place on the Arkansas River July 9-11, and with over 100 teams registered, this year promises to be the biggest and best ever. “The Under Armour College Bass National Championship was created to support bass fishing at the college club level,” said Steve Levi, general manager of fishing properties at Career Sports & Entertainment, the agency that owns the property. “We’ve seen tremendous growth every year, and we’re excited to welcome it back to the Arkansas River for three days of some of the most challenging but rewarding river fishing in the country.” All competitors will have Saturday through Tuesday July 5-8 for official practice before the tournament competition gets under way on July 9. From there on out it is winner take all as anglers from college campuses across the country battle for bass fishing superiority. Tournament waters will be restricted to Arkansas River Pools 6-8, and these areas are off limits from June 21-July 4. The 2007 Championship was also held on the Arkansas River. Schools can register through the Under Armour College Bass National Championship website at www.CollegeBass.com. All schools must hold a minimum of two sanctioned qualifiers and the top anglers from these tournaments are eligible to participate. Anglers from each participating school will fish for largemouth bass 15 inches or longer and spotted bass 12 inches or longer,
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Arkansas To Host College Bass Championship F
Jerid Jones and Chris Jackson represented the University of Arkansas during the 2007 event. The team of Scott Wiley and Brett Thompson representing Virginia Tech University won the 2007 Championship. Places 2-10 were taken by teams from University of Louisiana, University of Oklahoma, University of Iowa, Mississippi State University, Faulkner University, Eastern Kentucky University, Texas A & M, Drury University, and Purdue University in that order. with a five-fish limit. Teams will fish a standard three-day format, with the field narrowed down to the top five teams on the final day. Weights will then be zeroed, and the largest one-day total on Friday’s final day of competition will take the title. Created in 2004, the Under Armour College Bass National Championship has quickly evolved into the most prestigious collegiate championship for bass fishing. Over 100 teams are signed up for this year’s event to be held July 9-11 on the Arkansas River in Little Rock, Ark. The 2008 championship event will be televised on ESPNU later this summer. Under Armour is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded per&
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formance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The brand’s moisture-wicking synthetic fabrications are engineered in many different designs and styles for wear in nearly every climate to provide a performance alternative to traditional natural fiber products. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with European headquarters in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium, and additional offices in Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China. For further information, see www.underarmour.com.
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Texan Adair Named Regional Office Director
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R. STEVE ADAIR, A NATIVE OF THE HOUSTON area, has been appointed the director of Ducks Unlimited’s Great Plains Regional Office in Bismarck, North Dakota. Adair will oversee conservation programs across the office’s eight states and serve as a member of the national conservation leadership team. The Great Plains Regional Office delivers DU’s conservation work in the United States portion of the Prairie Pothole Region, an area critical to Texas waterfowl hunters. “Steve has shown great aptitude for forming successful teams and working with a broad range of volunteers and donors for Ducks Unlimited,” said Alan Wentz, DU’s senior group manager of conservation, communications, and marketing. With DU since 1997, Adair first served as the director of conservation programs at the wetland conservation organization’s headquarters in Memphis. He joined the Bismarck staff in 2001 to manage GPRO’s programs in five states. “This is a time of significant challenges, as well as opportunities in America’s great plains,” Adair said. “The demand for cornbased ethanol and other commodities threaten the grasslands of the nesting grounds, while population growth is squeezing out habitat along our migration paths. At the same time, the dedicated staff of the Great Plains Regional Office is developing new innovations to conserve more habitats, with the help of our donors and partners.” Adair received a Ph.D. from Utah State University, an M.S. from Texas A&M and a B.A. from the University of Texas. He and his wife, Laura, have two children.
Researchers Study Texas Mottled Ducks Partners of the Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV) are conducting research on mottled duck survival and habitat use along the Texas and Louisiana coasts. Ducks Unlimited and other conservation partners of the GCJV will use information from the study to refine habitat conservation and management strategies for enhancing the growth of mottled duck populations. “Our success at managing for sustainable and harvestable populations of waterfowl depends greatly on the availability of scientific information to fully inform and support conservation efforts,” said Mike Brasher the GCJV biological team leader. “Unfortunately, we currently lack important information about mottled ducks. This study is designed to fill in some of those knowledge gaps.” The three-year study of mottled duck seasonal survival, habitat use, and movements began in July 2007. The study is a collaborative effort among GCJV partners led by researchers at Louisiana State University (LSU) Agricultural Center (AgCenter) and Texas A&M UniversityKingsville (TAMU). The scope of the project includes the entire mottled duck range of coastal Texas and Louisiana. Because they are non-migratory and must satisfy their annual resource needs from a small geographic range, mottled ducks are unique waterfowl. They are the primary breeding waterfowl of the Western Gulf Coast, and their range and habitats overlap an imperiled coastal ecosystem. “Without knowing precisely which habitats are critical to mottled ducks and how their survival rates vary throughout the year, it is difficult to make sound management T E X A S
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decisions. Hence the need for this study,” Brasher said. Loss of critical habitat likely contributes to recent observed population declines, but the relative importance of different habitats for mottled ducks remains uncertain. Researchers will gather data to determine specific habitat needs and use patterns. Managers will then use the data to effectively prioritize conservation of habitats for mottled ducks. “Reproduction and molt are stressful periods for waterfowl, and we suspect females experience greater mortality during these times. However, we lack reliable estimates of mottled duck mortality during different periods of the annual cycle. Ideally, this study will provide us with those estimates,” Brasher said. Ducks Unlimited received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) funded by Shell Marine and the NOAA Restoration Center to help support this study and conserve coastal marsh habitats in southwest Louisiana. The Caesar-Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Ducks Unlimited, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation, TAMU, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Delta Waterfowl Foundation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are providing additional support for the research. The habitat delivery component of the project, slated for completion by June 2009, will lead to the enhancement of over 780 acres of coastal marsh in southwest Louisiana. Ducks Unlimited and the North American Wetlands Conservation Council, along with the NOAA Restoration Center and Shell Marine via the NFWF grant, provide support for the habitat delivery component. &
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Humor
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Delbert’s Psychedelic Dream Coat
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OC AND I WATCHED AS DELBERT P. AXELROD, a man one step above an invertebrate on the evolutionary scale, carefully sprinkled a sinister-looking powder into a carton of live worms. Then he replaced the lid and repeated the process with a second carton. Doc finished sharpening a hook and placed it back into the top tray of his tackle box. “I know I’m gonna regret this, but what are you doing to your bait?” “Making these worms more attractive to fish,” Delbert answered. Propped up in one of the motel beds, I looked up from the book I was reading. “You understand that worms to fish are like candy to a preschooler, don’t you?” “I know, but it doesn’t hurt to make your bait more attractive, does it,” Delbert replied. “I’m not sure,” I said, holding my place in the novel with a finger. “What are you sprinkling on the worms?” “It’s something I made myself. I put this on the worms, they eat it, and by the next day, they’ve changed color. If I’m right, they should be chartreuse. The fish will love them.” 70
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“You have it all over your hands,” Wrong Willie said, emerging from the bathroom. He threw a magazine onto the bed and picked up the television remote control. “That’s all right,” Delbert said. “It’s made with all-natural ingredients.” “You realize that all-natural ingredients can still be poisonous, don’t you? ” Doc asked. “They can’t be,” Delbert argued. “It’s stuff you find in nature.” “Right, like poisonous hemlock,” Doc said. “That’s natural, with a kick, so it’ll kill you naturally.” “But this doesn’t have hemlock in it,” Delbert explained, opening another carton. “Why are you trying to change the
worm’s colors anyway?” Willie wanted to know as he kicked off his shoes, stood, and walked on the bed as if it was a soft sidewalk. He plopped down &
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beside me. “Do you mind?” I said. “Why don’t you sit on the other bed? It looks a little strange with the two of us lying here like we’re married.” “I’d never marry you,” Willie announced. “Worms should be a normal color,” I interrupted, worried where Willie’s train of conversation would take us. “But, what if you can improve on nature? ” he insisted, sprinkling the powdered mixture from between his thumb and index finger. “How can you improve on the way a fish bites a worm?” Willie asked. “They already love them.” “Doesn’t matter. There’s always room for improvement,” Delbert said and snapped the lid closed. Dusting his hands off, he left the motel room. “Wonder how long that powder will take to kill all his bait?” I wondered aloud. “It won’t,” Delbert answered, returning with a minnow bucket. “I’m coloring minnows, too.” Water sloshed onto the carpet. Doc tried to walk around Delbert and stepped into the soggy carpet with his sock feet. Sighing, he sat on the end of the bed to remove his wet socks. Delbert opened another small baggie and dumped the contents into the bucket. A wet, slapping noise came from the minnows therein as they thrashed about. “Did you get medium or large minnows?” Willie asked. Delbert dipped his hand in the water and held up a large one. “I’d say they’re bigger than usual.” Dropping it back into the water, Delbert locked the metal lid into place. “It just isn’t right,” I said. “What color are they going to come out tomorrow, blue?” ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL WATSON
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“That’d be good,” he said. I returned to my book. One by one, the boys finished sorting their gear and settled in for the night. Doc got up to visit the bathroom, and when he returned, he kicked the minnow bucket in the dim light and fell against Delbert.
Amid our giggling at his pain, Doc sat on the end of the bed and examined his throbbing toe. Delbert checked his minnow bucket and saw that even more water had sloshed out due to Doc’s accident. Delbert blotted the carpet with a used towel. Finally, the last light clicked off and I
closed my eyes. Ten minutes of glorious silence was suddenly shattered. “Rev,” Doc said. “Look at the ceiling.” I complied, and found myself looking at an entire galaxy of glowing lights. At some time in the past, someone with wa-ay too much time on their hands had dotted constellation after constellation onto the ceiling with fluorescent paint. In awe, we stared overhead at Orion’s Belt, both Dippers, and a host of other constellations. Doc reached up to pull the string attached to a previously unused fluorescent light above his side of the bed, but when it went on, we found the budding astrologer had replaced the regular daylight bulb with a blacklight. “Lordy!” Doc shouted. We bolted upright at a sight more bizarre than indoor constellations. The room virtually glowed from Delbert’s magic bait powder. The carpet and furniture were phosphorescent. The spilled minnow water made a huge splash of blazing color on the carpet. An escaped minnow had flopped across the carpet and into Willie’s sneaker, leaving ghostly fishflips everywhere. Delbert’s fingerprints were on everything. The three cartons of powdered worms radiated dim light from the dresser like tiny nuclear reactors. Following the fluorescent carnage, Doc turned his eyes toward his bed partner, Delbert, and screeched. “Lord-amighty!” Delbert glowed blue and chartreuse in the darkness. His right hand was a mixture of tie-dyed colors. Handprints covered the walls, sheets, and blanket. The worst part, though, were two bright, reflective, psychedelic handprints—one in the center of Doc’s chest and the other somewhere that caused Doc to arise with a roar once Willie pointed it out, and we the night erupted into gales of guffaws. Our story stops here due to potential litigation—and we didn’t catch any fish the next day, either, because all the bait was dead from Delbert’s Magic Powder. E-mail Reavis Wortham at humor@fishgame.com
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