July 2012

Digital Edition

www.FishGame.com

Wildfires and

Wildlife

JULY 2012 | VOL. XXIX • NO. 3 | $3.95

Flyrod Bream

BUGGING BLUEGILLS IS GREAT SPORT BANK FISHING

Do’s & Don’ts RULES OF THE GAME:

Trapping

Pork

Choppers!

Raining Hot Lead Down on Feral Hogs

CHASING SUMMER

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Digital Edition

www.FishGame.com

Wildfires and

Wildlife

JULY 2012 | VOL. XXIX • NO. 3 | $3.95

Chasing Summer

Super Specks

BANK FISHING

Do’s & Don’ts Pork Choppers!

RAINING HOT LEAD ON FERAL HOGS

RULES OF THE GAME:

Trapping

Flyrod Bream

BUGGING BLUEGILLS IS GREAT SPORT

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www.FishGame.com Published by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. Texas Fish & Game is the largest independent, family-owned outdoor publication in America.

Owned by Ron & Stephanie Ward and Roy & Ardia Neves.

Roy Neves PUBLISHER

Don Zaidle EDITOR-in-chief

Chester moore Executive EDITOR

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

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

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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

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Dennise Chavez ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to 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.

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CONTENTS FEATURES

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N. Felsher Photo: John

JULY 2012 • Volume XXIX • NO. 3

WILDFIRES & WILDLIFE

The fires of 2011 left an indelible mark on Texas wildlife and on the whole outdoor experience.

ON THE COVERS:

The Super-Speck Edge

by Bob Hood

30

Flyrod BREAM The same light tackle flyfishers use on Nueces and Guadalupe River rainbow and brown trout can also entice some of the meanest, most aggressive fish in the world—the sunfish.

If you’re pursuing big trout, you have to do more than follow the birds.

You need an edge, as in edges and drop-offs where the brute specks hang out in hot weather.

STORY:

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by Chester Moore

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ter Moore Photo: Ches

by John N. Felsher

Rules of the game: trapping

The laws and regulations governing the sport and industry of trapping in Texas. Part 7 in our year-long series.

by Reavis Z. Wortham

Pork Choppers Bacon-sizzling lead rains down from the skies as TF&G’s Chester Moore and Dustin Ellerman go on an airborne mission to erradicate feral hogs.

STORY:

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bank fishing do’s and don’ts

Five simple rules of thumb to help shore-bound anglers compensate for their lack of watercraft mobility.

by Chester Moore

by Chester Moore 4 |

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CONTENTS COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS

JULY 2012 • Volume XXIX • NO. 3

COLUMNS 10 Editor’s Notes

21 Commentary

X Quail and the Price Xof Fur

DEPARTMENTS

by DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief

by Kendal Hemphill TF&G Politcal Commentator

14 Chester’s Notes

21 Texas Bow Hunting 37

8 letters 12 big bags &

by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

by Lou Marullo TF&G Bow Hunting Editor

34 NEW! texas

16 Doggett at Large

43 Hunt Texas 41

by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

by bob hood TF&G Hunting Editor

18 Doggett 16 Pike On the at Large Edge

47 Texas Saltwater 46

by JOE Doug DOGGETT Pike TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

by Calixto Gonzales TF&G Saltwater Editor

20 Pike 18 TexasWild On the Edge

51 Texas Freshwater 47

by Doug Ted nugent Pike TF&G Senior Editor AtContributing Large Editor

by matt Williams TF&G Freshwater Editor

21 TexasWild 20 Commentary

56 Open Season

by Ted Kendal nugent Hemphill TF&G Editor PolitcalAtCommentator Large

by reavis wortham TF&G Humor Editor

XBe XPrepared

X Death of the Outdoors XDream?

XBlowing in the XWind

X X

XProtect Yourself for XWhen Crooks Strike

X Bye-Bye XBirdies

XFaded XPhotographs

X So, You Wanna be a XBowhunter

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catches

department of defense

42 True green

XMy Friend XAndy

X Counterfiet XCopperheads

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www.FishGame.com Correction: In our May 2012 issue, we failed to adequately credit Terry Upton for his outstanding redfish action photo that graced the cover of our Coastal Edition. Thanks, Terry!

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Letters to the Editor Soccer & Wildlife Don Zaidle’s June 2012 editorial, “The Texas Soccer & Wildlife Department,” caught my interest because I have been thinking along those lines for some years.

Zaidle is correct, Texas needs to divorce “Parks” from “Wildlife” and have a dedicated “Game & Fish Department” that would, of course, retain complete jurisdiction over hunting and fishing on all public lands in Texas. All funds from hunting and fishing licenses and stamps as well as user fees from draw hunts on state lands would be dedicated to hunting, fishing, and native wildlife activities and only those activities.

If Houston wants an Emancipation Park let Houstonians pay for it with their taxes.

Most obnoxious in this use of TPWD funds is that Houston has a long and despicable record of leftist anti-gun, anti-hunting politics. For instance, Houston’s then mayor, council, police chief, and the Harris County DA aggressively opposed the concealed carry law.

Jay Bute El Lago, TX

Kristi Allen Via email

In your editorial of June 2012, “The Texas Soccer & Wildlife Department,” you infer that supporting urban parks and outdoor sports as “off” mission for TPWD. I disagree. TPWD’s mission, as stated on the public website, is “to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.”

They do not profess to only serve the interests of wildlife management. In a world where Mother Nature is in constant competition with television and digital distractions, there is absolutely nothing inappropriate about the upkeep and improvement of the natural and outdoor areas that serve our communities-- all kinds of communities --not 8 |

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just hunting and fishing areas. Providing soccer fields and baseball fields get kids outside and that’s never a bad thing. If you broke down the sales tax revenue of where that project money came from...chances are most of it is urban/suburban. So it makes sense that it is returned to those communities for projects that are important to them (and not your narrow view of what TPWD is).

Our lack of public transportation severely limits the mobility of inner city youth to experience much outside of their immediate neighborhoods. To create safe, fun parks and recreational areas that entice them to engage in positive activities is to build a generation of youth that care about their community.

In my opinion, your article was very biased against outdoor enthusiasts that aren’t primarily hunters/fishers and completely ignored the vital importance of a community park for any population.

You are right about one thing: Elected officials should worry about the happiness of soccer moms. We are a powerful voice that votes and will continue to fight for safe, accessible local facilities for all.

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Fish Cleaning Basics Every time I read an article like “Fish Cleaning Basics” by Will Leschper in your May issue, I can bet my pay check I am sure to see several letters to the editor criticizing the article.

They always say things like “that is not they way I learned” or “it wastes too much meat.” There are as many different ways of cleaning fish as there are fisherman and there is no one right way.

Unless you are scaling and cooking a fish whole, you are going to waste some meat.

I thought the article was informative and would help a young person or someone new to cleaning fish get started.

I have been filleting fish for 30-plus years and have learned new techniques twice in

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the last 5 years from articles in outdoor magazines.

Please keep these types of articles coming.

Trey Best Orange, TX

Let’s Get Small Loved Joe Doggett’s column, “Let’s Get Small”, in the May 2012 issue of Texas Fish & Game.

As I was reading it, I found myself constantly nodding my head in agreement. I’m no expert by any means, but I have to say that I couldn’t agree more with the points you make in the article. I use light tackle all the time during fishing season up here. A Mitchell Avocett II 500UL reel, 6-poundtest, and a light action Shakespeare rod. I love the white bass (sand bass) run up here.

I’ve also caught a personal best 36-inch pike and my only musky--a 41-inch thing of beauty--on the light tackle rig. What a blast!

I’m a native Texan, living in Southeast Wisconsin. Hope to retire and move back “home” to the Great State in less than 5 years.

Thanks again for a great article that was spot on!

Mark Loiselle Via email

Send your Comments to: Editor, Texas Fish & Game 1745 Greens Rd Houston TX 77032 Email: editor@fishgame.com

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Editor’s Notes

by Don Zaidle | TF&G Editor-in-Chief

Quail and the Price of Fur A guest editorial by Texas Fish & Game firearms editor, Steve LaMascus.

W

hen I was a kid, many things were different than they are today. I won’t go into all of them that I lament the passing of, but I will tell you of a few that I think are affecting the current quail population.

In my younger days, almost every ranch was a “working ranch.” There was almost no such thing as a game ranch and almost no such thing as an absentee owner. Of course, a few of the wealthier landowners lived in the city and hired people to work the ranch, but it was still a true agriculture-producing ranch.

Another thing that was much different was that most of the ranches had families that lived on them. Those families had children, like my buddy, Wyman Meinzer, and his family. His father Pate was the cattle foreman of a fairly large ranch near where we grew up, and Wyman and his brother and sister lived in a little house on a hill overlooking the Brazos River. Wyman, like most ranch kids, spent the days he wasn’t going to school or working cattle in wandering the country with a .22 or an old single-shot shotgun held together with bailing wire.

These days there are immensely fewer such ranching families. In my own neck of the desert, I can think of only three or four ranches that have families in residence. In addition to this, I would hazard a guess that over half, possibly two-thirds, of the ranches in the county have been cut up and sold in smaller pieces; or sold in total to absentee owners that visit only a few times a year, and bought the ranches because the deer hunt10 |

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ing around here is good--not because they wanted to raise beef or other livestock.

As there are fewer people on the ranches, and because the present owners are scared stiff that somebody is going to shoot one of their precious deer, there is nowhere near as much access as there once was. Because there are fewer cowboys and fewer kids on the ranches, there are fewer people riding around or walking around with .22 rifles plinking the jackrabbits, skunks, opossums, raccoons and other so-called “nuisance animals.”

Many of these people do not understand the need to control predators. I was run off one such ranch a few years ago. I was there at the request of the rancher who leased the place to graze his livestock. I was trapping coyotes, specifically, but was also catching the occasional raccoon or other predator.

When the landowner discovered what I was

doing, he called the lessee and told him to get me off the place, that he wanted no predators killed on his property.

In addition to lack of access to the land, the price of furs has gone into the cellar.

With this bottoming out of the fur market there are fewer people running traplines.

Back in the 1960s and ‘70s, my buddies and I ran traplines to catch raccoons, ringtails, foxes, opossums, and such for the furs.

We made a pretty neat profit each winter selling the furs.

In the 1980s, the animal rights “activists” successfully torpedoed the fur-fashion market, which led to a decline in trapping all over the nation.

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In the 1990s, the animal rights “activists” lobbied the federal government until Congress caved in and cut the budget of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s predator control program. This caused the curtailment and, in many cases, the complete elimination of the program that employed government trappers, which was instrumental in the control of many of the predators discussed herein. On top of that, the animal rights Nazis are still lobbying for even more protection for, and even the reintroduction of, top predators. The wolves that have decimated the elk population in Yellowstone Park, and which have spread onto private land in several states, living now on privately owned livestock, is a perfect example of this lunacy. Another good example is the mountain lions in California that have gotten so plentiful that they have begun to attack kids and joggers with alarming regularity.

Now for the clincher: Since in Texas, specifically, there are few people on the ranches; furs are worth less; there is less federally funded predator control; and since there are fewer people trapping, the numbers of animals such as raccoons has skyrocketed.

Don’t believe me? Ask any of the deer hunters about the number of raccoons that raid their deer feeders. I have seen as many as a dozen raccoons around a single feeder.

This population spike is also true of skunks, opossums, and other such denizens of the brush, including feral house cats, which are bird-killing machines, proven to kill billions of birds each year, including quail.

If the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department wants to find out why the quail population is so depressed, they need to quit looking for fire ants and strange and exotic diseases and start looking at what is right in front of their noses. Nest and direct predation are the scoundrels here, not some difficult to identify disease.

—Steve LaMascus Email Don Zaidle at DZaidle@fishgame.com Photo: Marylin A, Canstock

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The TF&G Report Valley Organization Hooks Over 1,600 Kids on Fishing For more than a generation, the fishing and hunting industries in the U.S. have bemoaned a seemingly unstoppable decline in participation in their respective sports, and have recognized an urgent need to recruit new sportsman from the ranks of the country’s youth.

This challenge has inspired numerous organizations and much “take a kid fishing” rhetoric at industry conferences and trade shows, and yet the declining trend remains steady.

But one group in Texas has taken up the recruitment mission and has made incredible progress in a very short time, introducing the sport of fishing to thousands of kids.

The second year, they catapulted the success of their inaugural event to world-record status by drawing over 2,200 kids. Guinness Book of World Records, in fact, was on hand to validate the second annual “Hooked for Life Kids Gone Fish’n” tournament as a world record event.

Raising over $80,000 for the 2012 event, Hooked for Life president David Mendez, his board of directors, and hundreds of volunteers were able to accomplish the seamless execution of a truly mammothscale event.

They stocked more than 5,000 pounds of catfish in the resaca, a large canal-like water

Young contestants were lined for a mile on both banks of the Hooked for Life fishing tournament site in Brownsville.

Hooked for Life, an organization based in the Rio Grande Valley, began putting on an annual fishing tournament for kids in 2010. The first event drew over 500 participants, an overwhelming turnout that took even the most optimistic of the organizers by surprise.

Big Bags&Catches

Dalton Burke, age 8, of Pasadena made a perfect shot on this hog at 65 yards with a .243 in Montgomery County. The hog weighed 330 lbs. Dalton’s family is very proud of him.

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Roger Slagle of Arlington landed this 11.4pound bass at OH Ivie while fishing with guide J.R. Howard and buddy Rick Ryser.

Roger landed her with just one barb of the treble hook.

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Lindsee Gautreaux, 17, took this trophy buck while hunting on the Duncan Whitetail Ranch in Lometa. The photo was submitted by Lindee’s proud greatgrandparents, Gus and Jean McFaddin of Beaumont.

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Photos: Texas Fish & Game

The top three finishers in each age group are pictured with Shawn Ashcraft of Kidfish (top row, left) and Michael Empric of Guinness World Records (top, right).

body adjacent to the Brownsville Events Center, www.FishGame.com/Video and set minnow seines up a mile apart to keep them in place for the kids.

They procured more than 2,500 rod & reel combos and tackle boxes from Shakespeare and Pure Fishing, and enough catfish bait from Magic Bait to give every young angler a complete fishing rig for free.

Excited participants began showing up hours before the 6:00 a.m. registration time—in fact, a group of Boy Scouts camped overnight in the Events Center parking lot; the Scouts also volunteered for cleanup duty after the event. By the time the registration gates were opened, hundreds of young fishermen were lined up. Thanks to the well-organized planning of Mendez and his team, almost 1,500 participants were registered before the 8:00 a.m. start of fishing.

The young anglers and their families covered almost a mile on each side of the resaca.

Nearly 100 fish were weighed in during the tournament. The largest fish was caught by a three-year-old who was several inches shorter than his trophy catch, and, was also shorter than the trophy he won.

Winners from three age groups were presented with trophies and gift certificates from Bass Pro Shops and HEB. The three-year-old overall winner, with a catch of 31-3/4 inches, was Eric Ruiz de Velasco.

Unfortunately, the event did not set a new world record this year, likely due to the fact that the Memorial Day Weekend date conflicted with the plans of many of the

families who would otherwise have fished the event.

But the tournament was still viewed as a huge success. Of the 1,686 young anglers fishing in the event, more than 500 were fishing for the first time.

If, like many concerned outdoorsmen, you are wondering where the future of fishing is going to come from, one place to look is the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

—Staff Report

Enviro Group: TPWD ‘Concerned’ About Spaceport A June 1 press release from the environmental group Environment Texas claims the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has “significant concerns” about a private space exploration company’s proposal to build a spaceport near Brownsville.

Environment Texas launched a petition drive today to stop the proposed construction of a spaceport on 49 acres of land almost completely surrounded by a south Texas park and wildlife refuge. California company SpaceX – which made news last week when their commercial spacecraft successfully attached to the International Space Station – has applied to the Federal Aviation Administration for a license to launch million pound rockets from an area home to endangered sea turtles, ocelots and falcons.

“I love the space program as much, if not more, than anyone,” said Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger. “But launching big, loud, polluting rockets from the T e x a S

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middle of a wildlife refuge will scare the heck out of every creature within miles and spray noxious chemicals all over the place.

It’s a terrible idea and SpaceX needs to find another place for their spaceport.”

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration outlining significant concerns with the proposed facility, which would include a hangar, a launch pad, a stand that contains a flame duct, propellant storage tanks, and more.

TPWD wrote that “noise, heat, vibration, fencing and hazardous material spills” from the project could harm endangered and threatened species and diminish the value of Boca Chica State Park (near Brownsville) and the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. SpaceX had previously approached TPWD about leasing parkland for the project, which the agency declined.

SpaceX then instead leased 49 acres of land almost completely surrounded by the state park. TPWD also noted • “potential for significant contamination of very sensitive resources in the event of a catastrophic event (i.e., hurricane)” • the area is “extremely susceptible to wildfires” which could result from launch failures and accidental fires • concern “with the loss of the function and value of all wetlands” • “recreational use of the TPWD lands as currently planned would need to be revised” • “the proposed project area is within the Central Flyway, a route through which over 500 species of birds migrate annually” Environment Texas also pointed out the risk the project poses to the south Texas economy. According to a 2011 Texas A&M study, nature tourism generates about $300 million a year in the Rio Grande Valley, created 4,407 full- and part-time jobs and $2.6 million in sales taxes and $7.26 million in hotel taxes. The Rio Grande Valley has been named the number two destination in North America for birdwatching and attracts visitors from all over the world to view almost 500 species of bird. The petition calls on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to find suitable land for the project elsewhere.

—Staff Report

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Chester’s Notes

by Chester Moore | TF&G Executive Editor

Death of the Outdoors Dream?

D

reams are an interesting thing.

They inspire people to do great things and crush the weak with the weight of their calling.

Most of our dreams are born in childhood when we are impressionable and still have the God-given audacity to believe anything is possible. My outdoors dreams were born very early in life and over the years have played out on these pages.

From hooking a giant flounder at age 10 to seeing “Jaws” and becoming sharkobsessed to an up close mountain lion sighting at 14, these experiences are the foundation of my outdoors life and career. They were literally divine connections that have inspired a lifelong pursuit of all things wild.

Having conducted more than 300 lectures and worked with thousands of children over the last 20 years, I am deeply concerned about the dreams we are speaking into our youth when it comes to the outdoors.

The most striking example comes with deer hunting.

If another kid under the age of 10 comes up to me and gives me the Boone & Crockett score of the buck they shot or says something like, “Dad shot a buck last year but it was only a 140” I will scream or vomit.

It is perfectly natural for kids or adults to become excited with the prospect of shooting big bucks but the fact is in the state of Texas we have created an unhealthy obsession.

Many young hunters are so antler crazy they have zero regard for the deer and measure their hunting experience only by what a tape measure can show them.

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The industry itself has not helped matters.

I mean how bizarre is it to walk through a hunting show with your kids and see signs that say, “We sell deer semen” and “Breeder bucks for sale.” I have nothing against deer breeding in any way but can we at least do it with a little dignity when it comes to the public interaction?

On the other side of the coin, children from families who cannot afford these kinds of hunts are being forced by the state in the Pineywoods and parts of the Post Oak Savannah to measure the legality of a deer by antler spread.

Therefore, the father who has to save up enough for a poor to marginal quality lease gets his son or daughter in the stand and they finally see a buck. The kid gets excited, as their dream of taking a buck is about to come true.

Then as the father gets a better look, he realizes the buck is likely just under the 13-inch minimum spread so the kid has to hear, “This one is not big enough.” In most cases, this is probably the only buck they will see this season.

Families who hunt on public land in the state, particularly our national forests, see this at a whole other level. Not only do they have to endure antler restrictions but also prohibitions on baiting, leaving stands out over a certain period and the use of ATVs in certain areas.

Fishing has not quite reached this level due to far more public access and the fact catching big fish still requires a skill set.

These days the only thing required to shoot a monster buck is a monster payday.

There are signs the fishing community is splintering into small, easily divided fractions. This is a direct byproduct of the Internet, which by its very nature promotes people with very specific interests connecting and some people start to gain their identities this way.

These kinds of statements are starting to get old.

“I’m a wade fisherman only.”

“I’m a big bass specialist.”

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“Big trout are the only thing that matters to me.”

There is nothing wrong with specializing —after all I am sort of known as the flounder guy—but we are giving terrible examples to our children when our identity becomes the techniques we use to pursue fish or game.

The focus should be on the outdoors experience, learning a love and respect for the wild creatures and a reverence for tradition. Children look up to us and when we put the emphasis only on the technique or the confines of a measuring tape, they lose.

They lose the opportunity to see the outdoors for the grand adventure that it is and trade it in for a bastardized version of the American dream where it is all keeping up with the Joneses and heralding bling over natural beauty.

We should be inspiring young outdoors lovers to cherish the experience and to look for the exciting encounters in nature. If in the course of their lives, they so choose to seek only big South Texas bucks or super-sized specked trout that is fine.

However, if that is all we expose them to, they will never cherish all of the little things that make the outdoors so incredibly exciting.

I have taken nice bucks and caught many huge fish and that was awesome. However in comparison to locking eyes with a cougar and catching my first fish—a croaker—sitting on a white bucket on the side of the road with my Dad, it pales in comparison.

Those things really matter.

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

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Doggett at Large

by Joe Doggett | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Counterfeit Copperheads

I

was jogging along the wooded trail of Memorial Park in Houston. Well, maybe walking. The 4 p.m. sun was pretty hot.

A twist of motion among the fallen leaves alongside the busy trail caught my eye. A stubby two-foot snake was moving, bold and brown, mottled with yellow and gold.

I had a flash of time to make a decision before the snake was out of reach. The call was 90-percent harmless hognose. If the snap judgment was wrong, the 10-percent copperhead would be a painful mistake.

I lunged, grabbing the hissing, twisting—hognose!

It was a funny little snake with beady

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eyes and upturned snout and all manner of huff and bluff. Hognose snakes, for whatever reason, simply do not bite. This is a rarity among wild creatures with a perfect right to defend themselves when cornered.

I temporarily kept the snake in a terrarium, feeding it several toads (primary hognose diet), then released it in fine condition in a secluded nature-trail area.

The incident brought back fond memories of “snake collecting” as a kid. It also was a reminder that the hognose was lucky.

Many people, given the opportunity, would have killed it on sight.

To the untrained eye, this harmless hognose bears a striking resemblance to the more dangerous copperhead.

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The hognose did bear a close resemblance to the southern copperhead that lives in wooded regions of southeast Texas.

Or not, depending on how well you know your snakes.

Most people, even many outdoor-oriented individuals, are poor on accurate snake identification. Snakes of a given length and girth tend to look similar.

I can offer a parallel here: All vehicles of a specific type (compact sedans, SUV’s, pickup trucks) look alike to the untrained eye. But, for the person who knows vehicles, even small markings and contours are obvious.

For example, if you know what you’re

Photo: Joe Doggett

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looking at, a Chevrolet Tahoe is clearly different from a Ford Expedition, even though both boxy SUV’s are of comparable size and profile. One decent look and there’s no doubt.

Same thing with snakes. A swarthy keelscaled water snake looks like it might kill you in 30 seconds but, to the trained eye, the harmless species bears only a passing resemblance to a dangerous cottonmouth.

The problem is that few people have the inclination to really study snakes. The widespread interest is lacking. I can’t fault that; we’re not talking about neo-tropical bird watching here.

Worse, to some people, the ID makes no difference. A snake is a snake _ where’s the nearest club or rake or gun?

This is a justifiable reaction if the snake is, in fact, a venomous pit viper. This especially is true in an urban setting or in proximity to a ranch or farm house. Or if a hunting dog is in peril.

But, with a given encounter, chances are great the snake is harmless _ a counterfeit copperhead, if you will. Just because it has a

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forked tongue and maybe looks scary doesn’t mean much.

Sheer odds support this statement.

Dozens of non-venomous species are native to Texas, the “snakiest” state in the nation.

Many common non-venomous snakes thrive near populated areas. Bayous, uncut fields, levees, ponds, any small strip of urban wildness can support water snakes, ribbon snakes, garter snakes, rat snakes, hognose snakes, kingsnakes, racers, and so on.

OK, a bad one occasionally will show but unprovoked bites are rare. Snakes strive to avoid contact with people, either retreating when first detected or relying on camouflage to remain hidden. Almost all strikes occur when the snake’s space is violated by a careless reach or an inattentive step, or when a snake is being harassed or handled. The latter circumstances shouldn’t even count.

I don’t intend to downplay the danger and trauma from a dose of snake venom. By all accounts, it can be a miserable experience. But risk of death is slim. Based on long-term statistics, one or two people per year die in Texas from snakebite (maybe 10

or 12 nationwide).

Those are pretty good odds measured against the staggering hours of outdoor recreation each year in the Lone Star State.

But snakes continue to inspire dread and loathing among too many otherwise tuned people. Nothing will change that. But I will argue for restraint. Many beneficial snakes are needlessly killed for just being there _ and that is wrong.

Just because somebody was bitten by a diamondback rattlesnake last year doesn’t mean you need to whack the next ribbon snake you see.

Play the odds. Counterfeit copperheads far outnumber the real ones _ and, frankly, even the real ones usually aren’t that big of a threat in open spaces. No matter how dangerous a snake might appear, if it’s nowhere near a porch or driveway do the environment a favor and just leave it alone.

Email Joe Doggett at JDoggett@fishgame.com

6/1/12 3:58 PM

Pike on the Edge

by Doug Pike | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Bye-Bye Birdies

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or the ninth time or so in a third as many years, I read recently a lengthy story about feral cats, what they do, and what should be done about them.

Like its predecessors, this one addressed the problem, cited some statistics, then fell short of offering a good solution.

I don’t have the solution either, so don’t skip to the end looking for a miracle.

Depending on which fairy tale you read, there are 20 million, 40 million, 50 million or more feral cats in this country, and I don’t know or care whether that includes kitties in Hawaii, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Whichever number it is, it’s still a lot of unwanted, untended cats. They all have to eat, and nobody is feeding them Fancy Feast from china teacups.

On their own, feral cats are smalltime predators but with the same instincts, weapons and skills as hunters 10 times their size.

Only instead of preying on deer or zebras or wildebeests, they eat rodents and birds.

Lots of birds.

That feral cats eat so many birds matters, too, because we’d be hard-pressed to make a strong case against any animal that ate only rats and mice. That’d be like attacking a Gulf fish that ate only hardheads.

Opinion varies widely on how many songbirds are killed annually by feral cats, but both ends of the range – as “few” as a couple hundred million, or as many as a billion – are outrageously high.

Let’s err toward conservatism and call it 300 million songbirds plucked from their North American populations annually. All

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shapes. All sizes. All dead, thanks to cats that don’t belong. That’s quite a few missing warbles and whistles, and their absences won’t be reversed by good intentions.

Many animal-rights groups champion a strategy they’ve named Trap-NeuterRelease, TNR for short(sighted). In theory, they believe that trapping feral cats, neutering them and putting them back where they were trapped solves everything.

If you’re a bird, it solves nothing and may make matters worse.

Sidebar: While under anesthesia, after being rendered infertile, the trapped cats each get an ear clipped, a la Mike Tyson, so that they can be identified back in the shrubs behind the dumpster. I guess that’s because you can’t tell one cat from another judging only by the feathers in their mouths.

According to the Web site of Citizens for Animal Protection, which is better than most when it comes to actually caring about animals, “when cats are removed and euthanized from a location, new cats will move in and the survivors will breed to capacity. This well documented phenomenon is called the vacuum effect. TNR stops the problem because it stops the breeding and the colony will gradually diminish over time.”

The assumption is that TNR proponents can trap and neuter, at least, every male or every female cat across a territory that has no boundaries. If two fertile cats of opposite gender remain, there will be kittens.

The word “capacity” more completely should be written as “carrying capacity,” the term biologists apply to the maximum number of animals sustainable by available food in a specific area. Spayed or otherwise, those cats still have to eat, and there aren’t enough kind old ladies or saucers of cream to sustain 40 million cats.

It’s bye-bye birdies, all over again.

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territory is full, the single breeding pair that’s missed moves into more territory. More new cat colonies are formed, and their ranges are expanded until they bump into other cat gangs moving in the opposite direction.

I don’t hate cats. My family and I have had several cats as pets, alongside some fine dogs, one rabbit and a few fish, and I loved them all. But these are not pets.

(People who let their housecats roam the neighborhood are another story that ends with dead birds.)

Feral cats, which the Humane Society of the United States calls community cats, are genuine threats to a variety of native species even beyond birds. (HSUS also calls coyotes song dogs, but again, another story.)

Everything feral cats kill and eat – instinctively, as do all carnivores and omnivores – is lost from the food chain, forever unavailable to native wildlife. A fox goes hungry. A snake misses a meal. Even coyotes, which are vicious and dangerous but admirable for their cunning and adaptability, deserve more than to share limited chow with a bunch of cats.

I’m not convinced that killing tens of millions of cats is a solution with which the average American, or I, can live just yet. I do know, however, that to ignore the problem is an unjust death sentence for hundreds of millions of animals that either shouldn’t die or, if they must, should do so to nourish native predators.

Forty million cats – standing nose to tail they’d span more than 11,000 miles – are more than any number of veterinarians can spay or neuter in nine lifetimes of careers.

That pretty much renders TNR a tiny bandage being dropped into a gaping, gushing battlefield wound.

I don’t have an answer, but I hope there are better ideas under consideration somewhere. For native species to thrive, in some cases even to survive, feral cats need to go.

Email Doug Pike at DPike@fishgame.com Photo Canstock

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6/4/12 9:01 AM

Ted’s TexasWild

by Ted Nugent | TF&G Editor-at-Large

So, You Wanna Be a Bowhunter

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e a two season hunter” was the battle cry of Fred Bear and the growing handful of archery hunting enthusiasts back in the roaring 60s. We all knew that anybody that celebrated the “aim small miss small” discipline of firearm’s marksmanship and the rewards of well-earned backstraps would truly enjoy the increased challenge of the mystical flight of the arrow and its demanding stealth.

Lucky me, I was born into a bowhunting family, my father already a keen follower of Michigan’s Fred Bear, and my natural youthful instincts to shoot bows and slingshots was merely a precursor to my life’s vision of gung-ho bowhunting addiction.

Thank You Lord!

This timeless sport brings us so much indescribable joy, that I am relentless in my pursuit of recruiting as many new bowhunters as I possibly can, nonstop throughout the year in everything I do, say, write and promote. Know that it is that incredible.

With earlier, longer seasons, a ubiquitous, target rich environment, and the always developing and increasing state of the art technological advancements in equipment, I am convinced that hunting with the bow and arrow is the most accessible, universally enjoyable sport for the most widespread demographic anywhere anytime for anyone.

And if ever there was a magical, perfect place to bowhunt, no place on earth that I am aware of can hold a candle to the great Republic of Texas.

Africa provides phenomenal bowhunting opportunities, and Australia and New Zealand seem limitless for arrow targets.

But Texas with its year round exotics, hog and varmint hunting, plus the longest deer season in the world, and small game galore, I believe there is no place like the Lone Star

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State for the arrow-flinging hardcores to satiate the urge to bowkill critters.

Though I use the term “flinging”, in reality nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to meaningful bowhunting, for as challenging as it is to become deadly proficient with firearms, it does take a thousand times the dedication to hit the vitals on big and small game with a properly executed arrow.

I do have many ridiculously gifted buddies who appear to casually point and draw their bows and fling arrows effortlessly into bull’s-eyes and critter lungs with ease, believe me when I tell you that such deadly accuracy comes only from painstaking, dedicated practice throughout the year.

Everybody knows that is doesn’t matter if we are shooting at a monster trophy elk or just a happenstance raccoon, as conscientious, reasoning predators we have a moral obligation to only take shots when we are certain of a quick, clean kill. Guns or bows, it is always Job 1. Know it. Do it.

With my indefatigable jihad to take Texas from the dead last to the number one bowhunting state in the nation, I am compelled to repeat ad nauseum the mantra of “grace and stealth” to my fellow Texans and beyond. The absolute worst mistake one can make when attempting to get into bowhunting or archery overall is to purchase a heavy weight bow that is not smooth, graceful and totally nonintrusive to shoot effortlessly.

I repeat; Mrs. Nugent and many women and young people we know kill big game cleanly and constantly with lightweight bows in the 30 to 40 pound draw weight range.

Some kids kill deer regularly with bows as low as 20 pounds, I kid you not.

Shooting these graceful bows makes the archery ballet more enjoyable, controllable and always delivers better accuracy.

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I shoot a 50-pound bow and assure you we don’t buy chicken.

With more and more professional, knowledgeable archery pro-shops around these days, be sure you insist on a graceful bow that is very easy to draw when it is set at its maximum draw weight. Though many compound bows nowadays perform really well when backed down, a bow maxed out always performs more efficiently.

Of course there is no better way to be baptized into archery like a good old fashioned recurve or longbow, but do be sure too that no matter what kind of bow you choose, make sure it is graceful and smooth every time you draw her back.

Arrows, broadheads, nocks, fletching, rests, sights, grips, quivers, string loops, cable slides, vibration dampeners, silencers, releases, peep sights, stabilizers, the list of accessories and goodies we can add on to our bows can be dazzling and dizzying to the newcomer. Take it slow and easy, ask lots of questions to more than a few bowhunting friends and contacts, and know that killer arrow accuracy can be much more frustrating than killer bullet accuracy.

Start slow, shoot lots of arrows at real close range, say five to ten yards till you get the feeling, then discover the natural hand, eye, shoulder, back, arm, trigger finger, mind, body, spirit and soul coordination that is this incredible act of being one with the path of our arrow.

I promise you this’ pursued with diligent, thoughtful, intelligent dedication, you will become an American Bowhunting BloodBrother and your life will accelerate to a new high and happiness.

Now share that with everyone you know, and watch the smiles grow and the backstraps flow.

Email Ted Nugent at TNugent@fishgame.com

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6/1/12 4:01 PM

Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Political Commentator

Yukon Yates

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he slight, frail, old man slowly pulled himself to his feet, hooked his cane on the edge of the table, and leaned forward against the podium.

His face lined and wrinkled from years of sun and wind, he looked out at his audience through eyes that seemed to gaze back through the years, from a past unfamiliar to those around him. Almost nine decades of living had taken much of his strength, but his determination and love of life were evident.

Walter “Yukon” Yates

Some of us, the hardy few, never lose those qualities.

When Walter ‘Yukon’ Yates began to speak, his audience sat in rapt silence, treated to the memories of a man who had done more in his lifetime than any ten in attendance, any twenty. His listeners included some who had hunted and fished and camped all over the world, but none could claim to have enjoyed the lifetime of adventure represented in this one old face.

We all have desires and dreams of fantastic escapades in far places. This man had spent a lifetime fulfilling his.

Yates was born in Arkansas in 1924, but his family moved to Texas when he was ten.

He grew up reading tales of adventure by Jack London and others, and hoped to one day live a life of excitement. London, withPhoto Courtesy Walter Yates

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out question, could have made his reputation on nothing but stories of Yates’ escapades.

Joining the U.S. Marines a week before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Yates served in the South Pacific during World War II, and was wounded during the battle for Guadalcanal, but managed to survive the war. Afterward he learned to fly, and began a life of wandering that took him all over the world. Tolerant and encouraging, Yates’ wife, Tracy, mostly stayed at home and understood, through years of waiting for her vagabond husband to come home.

For a while.

Yates’ travels often took him into inhospitable lands where few had been before, and from which many of those had not returned.

He spent years exploring the country above the Arctic Circle, prospecting for gold in Canada and Alaska, and pushing the limits of human endurance. He had a love for the lost places, the abandoned haunts where the dreams of others had lived, and died.

He sought out, found, and embraced the solitude of the past, in remote log cabins and dugouts long forgotten by their builders.

In many of those dusty, ancient shacks he found the leavings of previous occupants; a dented spoon, a rusted knife, cast-off clothing. Hanging from a nail in the wall of one cabin he found a worn coat, and in a pocket was a Christmas card dating from the 1930s. Forlorn past greetings from one ghost to another.

Maybe those searches prompted Yates to leave civilization a hundred miles behind and build a log cabin in the Alaskan North Country, where he lived for a year, alone, and filmed his documentary, ‘Breakaway.’

The long winter nights must have moaned with the loneliness of isolation, but Yates was prepared, and weathered the solitary year in his usual, capable fashion.

Bears sometimes came to the cabin looking for an easy meal, their noses to Yates’ windows, as he sat inside, his gun cocked and pointed at the intruder. Luckily, none ever really tried to get in. Luckily for the bears.

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used a helicopter to prospect for gold all over Alaska and Canada, and was on his way home from one three-month trip in British Columbia during the 1970s when his tail rotor malfunctioned. Only 700 feet above the ground at the time, he was unable to avoid a hard crash among the tall trees.

The collision broke seven of Yates’ ribs, crushed a vertebra in his back, and generally ruined his day. The helicopter caught fire, and all his emergency food was destroyed.

Unable to stand, he managed to build a shelter from one of the helicopter doors and some brush and logs. He lived on wild cranberries for two weeks while he waited for rescue, but at one point he caught a frog, of which he ate everything but the head.

Sitting against a stump one day, Yates heard something coming, and looked up to see a large bear headed his way. He sat immobile while the bear came nose to nose with him, sniffing, engulfing him with fetid breath, before finally circling him and walking away.

After four search planes had passed overhead without seeing him, Yates decided that, despite the risk of paralysis from his back injury or puncturing a lung with a broken rib, he had to drag part of the helicopter into the clearing where it could be spotted from the air. When rescuers finally arrived, one of them jokingly offered him $20,000 for his ‘cabin,’ the makeshift shelter he had built.

Walter ‘Yukon’ Yates has spent his life living his dreams. In the process, he’s lived the dreams of many of the rest of us. Even now he continues to encourage others to take what they want from life. “You gotta want to do it,” he says. “It hurts, but you gotta want it.”

We all dream of adventure. Yates has lived it. And he may not be done yet . . .

Yates’ memoir, entitled ‘Breakaway,’ is available at www.yukonyates.com.

Email Kendal Hemphill at KHemphill@fishgame.com G a m e ®

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6/1/12 4:02 PM

Chasing Summer

Pursuing Monster Trout on Purpose by chester moore TEXAS COASTAL ANGLERS, myself included, love fishing under the birds. Feeding gulls (and occasionally terns) can lead anglers to lots of trout and redfish in summer and fall. For anglers seeking big trout however birds offer little action.

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Anglers need to do two important things to catch big trout in the summer months and the first is locating “edges” or sudden depth and habitat changes.

Fishing birds is easy because you simply let the birds reveal the fish. Anglers after big trout however need to look at what is below the surface. Learning what is below and searching for baitfish and game fish are crucial to finding specks, especially in the summer when they are in and around channels and jetties.

There are things visible to the naked eye that will give you a hint as to where the fish might be.

Any area that is near a cut or has some kind of water flow into a marsh or lake is definitely worth trying. It does not take a genius to figure out that the exchange of water from shallow to deep makes for a prime spot for predators to catch their prey. Deer hunters

I can throw long distances. This allows me to cover a lot of water and also find out if there are aggressive fish in the area. Even if a blowup does not translate to a caught fish, it tells me the area is worth spending some time in.

Fish that will strike at surface lures will take a soft plastic or some kind of sub-surface hard bait. Make pattern casts parallel to the

the baitfish.

If you are hit—or if you are not hit, despite seeing a bite in the area—switch to slow-sinking plugs like the Badonkadonk SS or Catch 2000. If you do use a slow sinker, make sure you let it work the shallows first and then fall over the edge of the drop off.

The Stanley Wedgetail Mullet has proven itself to me. It very accurately imitates a When seeking big trout, consider less pressured locations.

often refer to “edges”, where a thicket meets an open field as being a prime spot to get deer. These edges are also present in water and although they may appear different, the effect is the same.

The second thing anglers need to do is to mimic mullet, the primary food source of Texas’ trophy trout.

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shoreline as these schools of bait typically stretch out along them.

When using topwaters, start fishing parallel to the shore but then move back, so you can fish the plug from the shallows out past the drop-off. That is very often where the trout are located. This is typically what you will find when you have water flow entering a channel. The trout will feed right along the edge of the deep where they can hammer F i s h

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mullet and allows the angler to cover water.

The problem with slow-sinkers, for example, is they are great at pinpoint accuracy fishing when you are targeting a small reef or an inlet but for covering water, they are no good. They simply take too long to sink.

Swimbaits moved at even a slow pace cover vastly more water than sinkers, which fits my style of fishing.

Going back to drop-offs, do not make Photos: John N. Felsher

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the mistake of thinking they have to be impressive. Some of the most productive are simply where you will have three feet of water dropping off to six. For us that might not seem like much but for a fish that is a significant change even in the context of an area nearby deep water like the Intracoastal Canal. These are easy spots to work with the kind of lures listed above and once you get used to targeting these areas you start to get a feel for their potential within a few casts.

Something else to consider is purposefully seeking out unpressured locations.

I believe there are big trout in places we never dreamed in our local waters and they rarely see any pressure. When navigating along the Sabine-Neches Waterway, Sabine Lake and even in the Sabine and Neches Rivers near my home, I see habitat that is perfect for housing big trout but rarely any anglers plugging away.

That is changing for me this year as I am making a point out of every trout-based trip to fish these kinds of spots.

These are any places that have small shell reefs, sloping drop offs and that tend to have large concentrations of mullet. A spot

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There are probably more 25 inch-plus specks swimming inshore waters around Texas than we could imagine.

with mixed shell in close proximity to roseau cane is also a good thing.

I fish the north end of Sabine most of the time and launch in the Cove area of Orange at Adams Bayou. Between Adams and East Pass, there are miles of potential big trout holding spots that just get very little play. In every bay system, there are hundreds of areas that likely harbor big trout but have very little fishing pressure.

I am dedicating 30 minutes minimum per trip working over some of these spots with big trout in mind and plan to take detailed notes. If there is some sort of trend, it will show up in the course of a year and could yield some new approach to catching local lunker trout.

There are probably more 25 inch-plus trout here than we could imagine, however the vast majority of the fishing is done targeting smaller fish. And there is nothing wrong with that but for me at least the goal for this year is to catch some super-sized trout.

If it requires using drastic measures then so be it. The ends certainly justify the means.

6/8/12 10:29 AM

The Fires of 2011 Left an Indelible Mark on Texas Wildlife and on the Whole Outdoor Experience by bob hood 26 |

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Graphic: Texas Fish & Game

6/1/12 4:05 PM

LAST YEAR WILL LONG BE REMEMBEREd as the year texas burned. More than three million acres and several thousand homes, cottages and other properties went up in flames in all but one of the state’s 254 counties affected by the historical rage of wildfires.

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Now, we are at the beginning of a new summer with new hopes for wildlife and for those of us who love to hunt, conserve, protect and appreciate our most precious renewable natural resources that roam our forests and fields and swim in our streams, lakes and ponds.

Just what effect did the wildfires have on wildlife and what effect did they have on hunting opportunities? The answer to those two questions should have been evident to most observers long before the first major

sparks began setting the state ablaze in about March, 2011.

The stage was set for the disastrous wild-

fires a year earlier when rains failed to fall, sending most of the state on the road to a record-setting period of drought that turned once green pastures and fields of crops into not much more than dirt and rocks.

Stock tanks, creeks and small reservoirs literally dried up, their beds left with cracked, dry bottoms coated with dead fish and other aquatic species that once swam in them. The water levels in many large reservoirs also fell drastically, reducing habitat for not only native wildlife but also for migrating bird species.

The rains returned early this spring, refilling ponds, lakes and streams and turning fields and pastures green once again with new-growth vegetation that provide many wildlife species with vegetative food and food sources such as insects.

This all should be a lesson to remember not only for today’s hunters but also for future hunters yet to learn from experiences of wildfires, drought, changing land use practices, fragmented ranches, weather changes and all else that influence wildlife populations, wildlife survival and overall wildlife health.

The rainfalls came to a halt in about September, 2010, in many regions of Texas, launching what would become the worst year-long plus drought in Texas history over such a broad area. By May, 2011, trees and small ground vegetation had wilted, stock tanks were beginning to dry up and underground water sources were likewise falling drastically.

Then came a calamity of wildfires, spurred by excessive high winds that reached 50 or more miles per hour in some areas and fueled fires attributed to everything from electrical transformer malfunctions, illegal activities by people during fire burn bans, stranded automobiles parked in high grasses on roadside rights of ways and many other causes.

The wildfires combined with extreme drought conditions to provide a two-punch hit for wildlife and hunting opportunities.

Prior to the extensive wildfires, the drought, Photos: bob hood

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In 2011, wildfires burned over 3 million acres across Texas, including these fires at Possum Kingdom (Left) and Graford.

itself, already had displaced many birds and animals, forcing them to retreat to rivers and major streams that still had water resources. The wildlife that stuck it out to exist on droughtstricken areas later forced to leave their native habitat under the subsequent flames and smoke.

Mother Nature has her own way of dealing with events like these and she has done that. The good rains that fell this spring have re-filled last year’s dry stock tanks, creeks and rivers, have raised the levels of many major reservoirs and produced an abundance of new-growth vegetation throughout much of the state which in turn has created valuable food sources for wildlife.

Adult whitetail deer and turkeys are survivors under most conditions and they have done well despite the drought and wildfires.

The biggest loss for wildlife and hunters is poor wildlife reproduction and survival that follows drastic events such as drought and massive wildfires.

Many fawns born in the spring of 2011 when the wildfires were getting under way as the drought conditions progressed no doubt suffered from lack of nutrition, displacement and all else that is associated with having to move from areas with once adequate habitat to other habitat already stressed by drought conditions.

When the spring turkey hunting season opened this year on March 31, many hunters reported fair to poor success. There were exceptions, of course, and there always will be, but the fact is that turkeys in some areas hit hard by the drought and later by wildfires were forced to abandon their normal ranges and seek refuge, food and shelter closer to larger rivers.

Signs of those displaced turkeys returning to their native areas were seen last spring in some areas, but overall populations of birds at those sights were much smaller than in the past, not only because many birds were

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displaced by the events but also because turkey and deer reproductions were limited last year. It takes time for wildlife to decide

to relocate under such harsh conditions as drought and wildfires, and any loss of normal reproduction efforts one year is a loss for wildlife populations in future years.

Overall, Mother Nature’s “prescribed burn” plan for Texas’ wildlife habitat has been a plus. Yes, the losses of private properties came in the wake of it all, but wildlife such as deer, turkey and other game will benefit. It may take a year or two for them to respond to improved habitat conditions if that continues. Time will tell.

6/8/12 10:32 AM

Fly Rod Bugging Shallow Bluegills Makes Great Sport

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6/1/12 4:11 PM

WHEN THINKING ABOUT FLY FISHING, most people envision drifting a feathery insect imitation down some swift, clear stream to tempt rising rainbows or behemoth brown trout. Texas anglers can do that on the Guadalupe or Nueces rivers, but the same ultralight fly tackle used for trout can also entice some of the meanest, most aggressive fish in the world – at least for their size!

Various sunfish species known collectively as panfish, bream or perch, thrive in most Texas freshwater systems and make great sport on light tackle. Among the most common and widespread, bluegills derive their name from the navy blue “ear flap” near their gills. They can live in practically any freshwater system, but

Bream Photo: John N. Felsher

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Steve Niemoeller flycasting for bream in a promising stretch of water.

prefer quiet waters with considerable weedy or stumpy cover where they can hide from numerous predators. The world record bluegill weighed 4.75 pounds, but few exceed one pound. Gibbs Milliken caught the Texas record, a 2.02-pounder, on a fly rod while fishing the Lampasas River on Nov. 21, 1999.

Also called a shellcracker because it relishes snails, a redear sunfish looks like a lighter version of a bluegill, but with orange to red highlights on its “ear flaps.” One of the largest panfish species, it commonly weighs more than one pound, but may top five pounds. The Texas record weighed 2.99 pounds. John Runnels caught it while fishing Lady Bird Lake on April 1, 1997.

Lady Bird Lake also produced the state record warmouth. Ralph Manns landed the 1.30-pounder on July 19, 1991. While most other sunfish look very similar, a warmouth almost looks like a cross between a bluegill and a smallmouth bass with a thick body and large mouth.

One of the most beautiful bream species, a redbreast sunfish glows with bright oranges, yellows and olives over its distinctive red breast. Redbreast sunfish typically prefer rivers with clean, moving water.

Alex Labowski landed the state record, a 1.63-pounder, while fishing the Comal River on Aug. 30, 1997. Anglers might also catch long-ear sunfish, known for their long narrow black “ear flaps,” which might extend for an inch. Cary Luadadio landed the state record, a 1.14-pound fish, while fishing at Lake Austin on July 27, 2011.

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than compensate in fighting spirit. Pound for pound, or more appropriately ounce for ounce, these diminutive fish can outfight anything in the water. Fiercely competitive with voracious appetites, bream readily devour almost anything they can squeeze into their tiny mouths. They aggressively attack small

This redeared sunfish fell to a popping bug offered on a fly rod.

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fish, insects, worms, grubs, crustaceans and other tiny morsels.

Pugnacious attitudes, abundance, aggression and a taste for insects make bluegills excellent targets for fly fishermen. Bluegills and other panfish strike trout flies, streamers, nymphs or other creations, but small floating “popping bugs” made of cork and adorned with feathers make deadly topwater enticements. Anglers may also use plastic or foam creations that resemble tiny frogs, crickets, grasshoppers, dragonflies or other creatures.

Anglers can catch bluegills on poppers just about any time except during extremely cold weather. However, spring and summer offers the best time to entice bluegills with fly tackle. Highly prolific, bluegills spawn several times a year and may remain in shallow spawning beds from late March through October.

For spawning, bream wallow out shallow depressions in sandy or gravel flats out of current and close to good cover such as a weed bed or fallen tree. Keen-eyed anglers can easily spot these nests, which resemble old tires sunk in the mud. While guarding their nests, fearless bluegills attack nearly anything coming too close.

Anglers can often locate nests by listening for bluegills. When feeding on insects floatPhotoS: John N. Felsher

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ing on the surface, their tiny mouths make snapping noises quite audible for considerable distances. Astute fishermen can zero in on these distinctive sounds and watch for surface disruptions to locate a bedding area.

A good bream bed may produce fish day after day and year after year. Gregarious lit-

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tle creatures, hundreds of fat bluegills might inhabit one good bedding area. Jealous bluegills may race their cousins for shots at bugs.

Keep casting in the same area as long as fish keep striking. Change colors occasionally.

Hot color combinations include navy blue, orange, yellow, green, chartreuse, black, white or bumblebee-like black and yellow.

After exhausting all available color combinations, leave the area for a few hours and move to the next bedding area.

Besides beds in flats, bream typically stay near some type of cover. Weed beds, logs, rocks, fallen trees, stumps, shorelines and boat docks provide excellent cover. Toss a bug over a bed or as close to cover as possible. Let it rest on the surface until the ripples fade. Then, give it a slight twitch or pop before letting it rest again. Sometimes, fish hit stationary bugs floating on the surface.

At other times, a slow, steady pull across the surface attracts attention. Frequently, bluegills pulverize poppers, but sometimes, bream gently taste morsels. Often, a popper just vanishes without the slightest ripple as a big bluegill sucks it down.

Nothing puts bream into a feeding frenzy

like hatching mayflies or other insects. When mayflies reach the adult stage after living in the water as nymphs, they emerge to mate and then die. After they come out of the water, they cling to low overhanging branches to dry their new wings before mating. Often, flies fall into the water. When mayflies fall into the water, ravenous bluegills wait to gorge themselves.

Sometimes, water beneath an insectladen shrub boils with frenzied activity like a school of hungry piranhas. Every bream around gathers under that bush for an easy meal. If a popper falls into the strike zone, BAM! If not, forget it. Anglers who stumble upon a good hatch can anchor within casting distance and quickly fill a livewell.

Just about anywhere in Texas, anglers can find good bream action. In most state waters, Texans can catch sunfish without limit, although some local regulations may apply. Bluegills rank among the tastiest morsels of the fish world. Sweet succulent white meat makes the main ingredient for any number of delicious recipes.

6/1/12 4:11 PM

Texas Department of Defense Concealed Carry for the Ladies

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t is no longer a secret, at least in most circles, that women and men are shaped differently. Women are more, well, curvy.

However, this admittedly pleasing shape difference makes carrying a concealed handgun more problematic for the ladies.

My daughter, Lindy, tells me that her Glock digs into her ribs when carried in the standard strong-side position with an Askins Avenger holster (the holster her husband

| Self Defense | | Concealed Carry | | Tactical |

by Steve LaMascus & Dustin Ellermann

prefers). She also tells me that the weight of the gun and where she has to wear it, low and directly on her hip bone, because of clothing design, causes pain and soreness on the gun side, and even bruising on the opposite side, because of having to cinch her belt up so tight to keep the gun and her pants in place. For these reasons it is painful for her to carry the gun for long periods of time. Like many women she is considering a

purse with a built in holster.

I think such things (purse holsters) are a mistake, except as a last resort. The only way a gun is instantly available is to have it on your person at the moment it is required.

I promise you that if you have your gun in a purse, unavailable to a quick grab, that when I surprise you I can unhurriedly stroll the 21 feet (that is 7 steps) that is the supposed average distance, and take the gun and purse

every weekend, not just once a year.

Plus, as an added bonus your favorite Top Shot competitors make guest appearances throughout the year. I was able to go and shoot with these folks one Saturday and now I can share my experience as well.

Marksman’s Challenge is setup at Fossil Pointe Sporting Grounds in Decatur. The day starts off with a meet and greet in the fancy clubhouse while the range challenges are prepped. Daryl has several challenges that he rotates throughout the different weekends to keep it fresh and challenging for returning competitors, and most groups get

to experience 6-7 of these in a day.

Something that stood out to me the most was how professional everything was constructed. I was always impressed with the art department at Top Shot, and it looks like they visited this place making everything look just as cool and fancy as the TV show was. The challenges are themed, decorative, and best of all – fun!

Now if I’m visiting a shooting range and they ban everything except paper targets that range gets put on the “boring list” and there are no future visits.

Daryl understands this mindset, for all

Marksman’s Challenge I WENT TO COMPETE on History Channel’s Top Shot because it looked like an amusement park with guns.

Where else can you go and ride a carousel-of-death while shooting a Heckler and Koch SP89 at exploding targets downrange?

It seemed like the perfect vacation experience. Well if you feel the same way about shooting as I, then you are in luck. One of Top Shot’s second season competitor’s – Daryl Parker, has created a Top Shot themed shooting challenge in north Texas where shooters can go and compete in team challenges just like on the hit television show. And the best thing is that 16 shooters get to go play 34 |

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away from you before you can get the gun into action.

Still, I suppose that any kind of carry device is better than leaving the gun at home.

I just ask that if you carry such a rig that you never, but never, lay it down. Carry it in a cross-shoulder manner, so that it cannot be snatched off your shoulder.

In this conversation there are several things that come to mind. One is a study of the female form. Most women are more nearly parallel front and back than they are side to side. In other words the sides are where the most curves are. Also, the sides are where they are told to wear the guns by us men. In most cases we men would be correct, of course, but in this case we may be wrong. For a lady the best way to wear a gun to avoid pain is to carry it either in front of or behind their hip bones.

I am told by ladies who know these things that: “The design of women’s clothing, shirts and other upper body wear in particular, are that they are more “fitted” which does not allow the weapon to be concealed without wearing a large overcoat

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(not conducive to warm weather) or terribly oversized clothing, which has numerous issues including maneuverability, discomfort and the like. This problem also presents itself in the shoulder holster arena, hard to conceal. This issue also makes inside the waistband holsters uncomfortable unless you buy, again, larger than your normal size clothing, which again, presents its own problems.”

This appears to be an area where an enterprising lady with an eye for style and a knowledge of concealed carry could make her fortune designing clothing for the guntoting woman. I am sure that there is a solution out there, I am just not cognizant enough of ladies fashion to discover it.

Maybe you are.

Anyway, the Askins Avenger that my daughter carries is designed to snug the butt of the gun up against the side of a man.

This aids in concealment, but increases discomfort, especially for women. Lindy should carry the gun in a different holster, maybe an inside-the-waistband holster like a Milt Sparks Versa Max 2 or Galco Royal

Guard that does not intentionally cause the gun’s butt to dig into the ribs. Then she could carry it in a slightly modified small-ofthe-back carry. This will relieve the pain and keep the gun instantly available.

If an outside-the-waistband holster is desired, something like the Galco Cop Slide or M3X Matrix, or the Slide Guard by High Noon Holsters, would be the ticket.

Another possibility is the so-called appendix carry. This is where the gun is carried in front on the strong side. Strong side for righties is over the appendix; for lefties it is, well, something else. Pick a name.

If concealment is the most important aspect of your holster choice there are tuckable holsters that are worn inside-the waistband and have ways that the blouse can be tucked in between the holster and the pants or skirt, like the Galco Ultra Deep Cover (UDC).

Also, there are even holsters that attach to the bra, between the cups. This will only work for the smallest handguns like the little Kimber Solo Carry, the Ruger LCP, and the Taurus TCP, and only for ladies

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Texas Department of Defense who are—who have—with larger—well, you know.

There are also a number of companies that make holsters generically called belly bands, in which a holster is sewn into a wide elastic band. This is probably the most concealable of all, and it has the added advantage of being quite comfortable. The

disadvantage is that it is almost impossible to holster the gun again once it has been drawn, and it certainly requires two hands.

Still, it is a viable choice for the lady who wants to wear something fashionable and appear unarmed. It might, also, be more comfortable for the ladies.

Those are my thoughts on concealed

carry for the ladies. Sorry I can’t give you more solid advice, but most holsters and carry systems are made for men, or at least are not made specifically for women. If enough of you get your carry permits and lobby the holster makers, this could change.

After that we picked up the old trusty 10/22 for a game that needed a little more t Continued from page 34 strategy for the team to hit breaking targets on a rotattargets used in the challenges are highly ing wheel. reactive. You get to shoot at fruit, glass, Later on we were clay, steel, balloons and even explodable to compete with the ing targets. Even on the practice range more primitive weapons paper targets are only used for finding Dustin’s “Black” team as we played a game of your zero, after which you can feel free “Mountain Man Checkers” to empty your magazine into any of the each team taking turns fun targets. lenges of the day. with the large “Jack Dagger” Throwing Every team challenge begins with a Right before my championship on Bowies. Afterwards we stayed in the pri- Top Shot, the host asked me what I practice session with the weapons that meval ages as everyone tried their hand will be used in the challenges. And just thought about the seven stage final chalpopping balloons with the massive 5’ like on Top Shot, there are a large varilenge. My response was “I’d pay money Cold Steel .625” big bore blowguns. We to run this course”. Now Marksman’s ety of toys. We used blowguns, throwthen finalized the team competition with ing knives, derivatives of MP5s, 1911s, Challenge provides that opportunity a collective gauntlet of challenges that AR15s, 10/22s, single action revolvers, for everyone. It has all the perks of I’ll keep a secret at this time. and scoped Savage Rifles. During each competing on Top Shot without some While competing on Top Shot I practice Daryl and I acted as team capof the cons. For instance, on the show saw some of the best marksmen in the tains and would instruct the competitors we only got to shoot about 15 minutes a as they shot and learned to manipuday, the entire season took six weeks to late the appropriate weapons for the film whereas at Marksman’s Challenge next team challenge. The competiyou get to cram all that fun into a single tors would rotate through practice day. Now there isn’t a $100,000 prize with a limited number of rounds to at the end of this challenge, but a very prepare for the upcoming team chalworthwhile memorable day of gun fun lenge. Then before each challenge with some awesome folks. Marksman’s Daryl will explain the objective and Challenge has even been approached by A Competitor blasts a jar filled with water rules, teams strategize, take aim, the idea of franchising the operation so during the “Shatterblast” challenge. and fire. this might be something the rest of the The challenges themselves are all country could enjoy locally in the future. country crumble under the pressure of quite unique and fun. Again I respect If you want to know more about being forced to perform on demand at the thought, time and effort that go into Marksman’s Challenge, compete yourthis level and this challenge showed the the preparation of this event. At the self, or even buy a gift certificate to same attributes. But I suppose this was “Loose Screws” challenge there were give the memorable experience for the rightfully so, for when you are shooting small steel targets attached to nuts on shooter you love, you can visit www. next to some of the “as-seen-on-TV Top a long threaded bar. The teams would marksmanschallenge.com, or email Shots” the competitors seemed a bit duel it out attempting to make their tarinfo@marksmanschallenge.com. You can gets travel furthest. After that there was nervous in the beginning. But after the also call (888) 309-0008. catered BBQ lunch and a little joking the unanimous favorite “Shatterblast” about everyone was a little more laid where liquid filled jars and globes were —Dustin Ellermann back as we finished up our final chalworth a variety of points upon breaking.

Challenge

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PHOTOS: Daniel Havens, marksman’s challenge

6/8/12 10:36 AM

Texas Bowhunting

by Lou Marullo | TF&G Bowhunting Editor

Be Prepared

I

think too many articles you read about bow hunting this time of year are really just re-hashed stories telling us all about the excitement of last year’s hunt.

As a bow hunter myself, there is no one better than me who sincerely enjoys a good yarn about the big one that was finally harvested including all the pertinent details of the hunt.

This is not one of those columns.

I prefer to remind the new bow hunters out there as well as the grizzled veteran hunters that now is the time to finalize your scouting. Get as much in as you can. Try to learn all the habits of the deer in your area.

Has anything changed from last year? How about the food supply?

Has your area been planted with abundant crops that whitetails like to munch on? Now is the time to make sure your favorite field that brought huge amounts of deer to your area is still going to work as well for you this coming season.

I can tell you that deer love soybeans.

Love them. The problem is if you have been watching deer feed in these fields every night, you will, most definitely, want to concentrate on that area for some of your stand locations. However, the harvesting time for those delicious beans unfortunately begins right around the opening day of deer season.

The whitetails you saw in the field earlier that year will be locating another food source and it is up to you to find it.

I know July is hot and uncomfortable, but you really need to leave the pavement and take the foot leather express to deer town.

Time to hike in the woods as much as possible. If you are lucky, you might find an area that deer frequent without changing a food source. A good apple orchard is perfect.

Even if the apples are only scrub apples, I will guarantee that this is going to be a

Photo Babar750, Canstock

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great spot to harvest a deer. A good thing to remember is that a whitetail deer will feed about every four hours. They like to get up from their beds mid-day and not travel very far. They will stay under the cool canopy of the forest and avoid the hot sun. That is why we usually see the deer feeding at night or the cool early morning hours. That is exactly why while hunting an apple orchard that is in the middle of a woodlot, you may see action anytime of the day whether the deer is in rut or not.

I like to have my stands already in place by the end of July. With all the things that go on these summer months (BBQ’s, family reunions, 4th of July parties etc.) time

may not be in abundance. Still, it is important that the deer in your hunting lease get used to that new chair in their living room! Get that stand up and in place as soon as you have determined where you want to hunt.

While on the subject of tree stands, be mindful of the prevailing wind direction in your area. I have a lot of respect for the nostrils of that whitetail…believe me. I have witnessed deer raise their heads up high from over 100 yards away and look directly in my direction. Fortunately, a whitetail is a curious animal and may come to investigate exactly what that dissipated scent really is.

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ed. That is why it is best to play the wind in your favor. If the area you are hunting is one of those “super hot spots,” then it might be wise to set up an extra stand in case you go to hunt you spot and the wind has shifted.

Can you tell I was a Boy Scout? Always be prepared and be ready for the unexpected.

One of the biggest mistakes some bow hunters make is setting up their stands too close to the deer trail. Part of my bow class is stand placement. I am amazed at how many students think the best spot is right where the deer are. I mean right on top of them.

Always choose a tree that is downwind from the trail you are hunting and try to stay at least a distance of 20 yards from that trail. If you have been practicing—and I know you have—then a 20-yard shot should be lethal.

You may not find a suitable tree at first, but if the deer are on that trail, they will work that trail right down to you no matter where you are. Simply follow the trail until you do find that perfect tree.

One other thing I would like to bring to your attention. Think like a deer for a minute. It is not wise to just pick a tree and get that stand in as quickly as possible, no matter how much the mosquitoes try to persuade you. Might be a good idea to carry along your ThermaCell unit to keep the bugs at bay while you are doing this task. If you bend over and look up at your perspective tree stand location, you will see what the deer sees. Will you be silhouetted against the morning sky? Or will you blend in with your surroundings with branches behind you breaking up your outline. If you can find an evergreen tree that fits all the other criteria for a good tree stand location, then you are golden. As long as the wind is right, the searching eyes of a whitetail will never pick you out.

Get ready. The season is drawing near and you need to be prepared for it. Good luck and be safe out there.

Email Lou Marullo at LMarullo@fishgame.com G a m e ®

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Photo: dgphotography, Canstock

6/1/12 4:04 PM

The Laws and Regulations Governing the Sport and Industry of Trapping in Texas

TRAPPING IS NOTHING NEW,

and early humans have been using simple

traps since they decided that meat tasted good. I imagine traps at that time mostly likely included snares and deadfalls; both extremely effective.

Advances in technology and the metallurgical arts led to commercial trapping in this country, which dates back to the 1600s. Then came the famous fur boom of the 1820s in the Rocky Mountains. Even then there still weren’t many rules for trapping. In fact, there were apparently only two important requirements.

Rule 1: Be a free trapper or belong to one of the big corporations such as the Hudson’s Bay Company, a fur trading outfit that revolutionized the trapping industry.

Rule 2: Try and keep your hair, as the locals tended to become annoyed when folks encroached on their territory and responded by taking their own trophies that were, curiously enough, scraped, smoked, dried on round willow racks and displayed with pride, just like beaver pelts.

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All this came about, in part, because beaver fur was used for making top hats. John Jacob Astor and his ilk shipped millions of the furs overseas, and the profits were most likely used by Lady Astor to keep up with the cutting edge of society.

It was cheaper for the mountain men to trap, than to shoot the animals. It might have been because of all the shooting matches they held. I never understood why they shot matches, but because of this activity, they probably ran out of ammunition and had to resort to the cheaper means called, trapping.

Since there were no rules back in those days, except for the two mentioned above, over-trapping was so common that our bucktooth friend, the beaver, almost followed the dinosaur trail. That’s why we have so many, and sometimes confusing rules today.

So much for history. Spring forward nearly two hundred years from those buckskin days. Though a target for many of the anti-human endeavor groups, trapping is still a viable outdoor activity that can actually put money into your pockets.

It also controls targeted species and nuisance animals in a particular area, particularly fur-bearing animals which are listed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as: badgers, beavers, fox, mink, muskrat, nutria, opossum, otter, raccoon, ring-tailed cat, skunk and civet cat (spotted skunk).

However, regulated trapping in its current form might come with a price to the trapper if the Texas Parks and Wildlife Furbearing Animal Regulations aren’t followed to the letter.

And that can sometimes be confusing.

Interpreting the Texas regulations can be confusing to point of a liberal application of ibuprofen and what my lovely bride once called Big People Yuck, back when our children were little.

My own headache began on page two of the TP&W Fur-bearing Animal

Regulations guide. A hunting license is “required to take fur-bearing animals or their pelts during the recreational season.

A person taking fur-bearers with a trapper’s license is not required to possess a hunting license.”

Hummm.

So if I have a hunting license, I can trap during the recreational season.

Nope. You can hunt fur-bearing animals during the recreational season. Under Seasons and Bag Limits, Recreational Harvest runs from September 1-August 31, but “fur-bearing animals taken as a result of recreational harvest may not be sold.” There is no bag or possession limit.

Forget hunting. For most, the purpose of trapping is to sell the pelts, so now I have to possess a Trapper’s License. Cheap, at the Texas resident price of $19, but I can only take these animals during the commercial harvest season for the purpose of sale.

The rules change, though, if you’re a landowner. With a deed in hand, “landowners or their agents, may take nuisance furbearing animals in any number by any means at any time on that person’s land without the need for a hunting or trapping license.” All right! Now I can trap on a friend’s land, but wait, here’s the hook.

Isn’t there always one buried somewhere?

Nuisance fur-bearing animals or their pelts taken for these purposes may not be retained or possessed by anyone at any time (TP&W’s bold) except licensed trappers during the lawful open season and possession periods.

You can trap ‘em, kill ‘em, but you can’t sell the pelts, unless you, once again, possess that little bitty license.

To quote the late newscaster Paul Harvey, “Now here’s a strange.” These trapping regulations go out the window when we assume the discussion of wild hogs.

The rules for trapping hogs are as follows:

There are no rules.

In Texas, nuisance feral hogs are considered free-ranging exotic animals and may be taken at any time of the year by any legal means. These means are defined as: Control methods which include shooting, snaring, trapping and dogs specially trained for that purpose.

That’s it. Trap away, because they’re exotics and a nuisance animal.

On Welcome Back Kotter in the 1970s, Arnold Horshack used up waved his hand enthusiastically when he had a question.

“Oooo, ooo!?”

“Yes Arnold.”

“Do I need a Texas hunting license to trap wild hogs?”

The answer is, “It depends.”

The Texas Legislature has granted landowners the authority to trap on their land, and to allow “designated agents” to help control feral hogs that are causing property damage “without benefit of a hunting license.”

However, if trapping occurs for recreational purposes, a license is required.

Hog trapping as a recreation?

According to the TPWD, feral hogs may be taken by any means or methods at any time of year. There are no seasons or bag limits, however a hunting license and landowner permission are required to hunt them.

If in doubt, contact the TP&W, or your local game warden.

To avoid trouble, study and memorize the TP&W Fur-bearing Animal Regulations.

Then, the simple solution if you want to trap and sell animal pelts during the commercial harvest, or trap feral hogs, is to purchase a Texas hunting license then add the trapper’s license that costs less than $20.

Why didn’t they say that in the first place?

TPWD Seasons and Bag Limits RECREATIONAL HARVEST: • September 1 – August 31 • Fur-bearing animals taken as a result of recreational harvest may not be sold • No bag or possession limit COMMERCIAL HARVEST: • Nutria: September 1 – August 31 40 |

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• Beaver: October 1 – May 31 • All other fur-bearers: November 1 – March 31 • No bag or possession limit LICENSES: • HUNTING — Required to take furbearing animals or their pelts during the recreational season. A person taking furbearers with a trapper’s license F i s h

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is not required to possess a hunting license.

• TRAPPER — Required to take furbearing animals or their pelts during the commercial harvest season for the purpose of sale. This license also allows a person to take furbearing animals. Resident $19.00 Nonresident $315.00 —Reavis Z. Wortham

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6/11/12 11:19 AM

Hunt Texas

by Bob Hood | TF&G Hunting Editor

Blowing in the Wind

I

have been fascinated with wildlife calls ever since I was a youngster. First, it was predator calls because my hunting opportunities in those early years were limited to mostly fox, bobcats and coyotes.

I have always been a predator calling fanatic which interfered, so some say, with my duck calling abilities. In fact, the first time I blew on a duck call while hunting with a fiend on Lake Granbury, my buddy grabbed my arm and told me to hush up.

“You are making that duck call sound like a dying rabbit,” he said.

Apparently, a mallard drake that was approaching our spread that morning agreed. He flared as soon as he heard my too-high call notes and disappeared into the

John Welch at work crafting his calls.

Later, I developed a fondness for duck calls, turkey calls and any other calls that would bring animals and birds to me.

As I continued to grow older, I learned that I could purchase a mouth-blown wildlife call for anywhere from a few dollars to a couple hundred dollars. That got me to wondering what made one call worth just a few dollars and another worth 20 times that amount.

Was it the material used, the scrolling on the outside of the call, whether it was an antique call or modern-made call, who made it, or was it because some hunters wanted a high-dollar call just so they could boast they had the “best?” Or maybe just as a gift for a friend or loved one?

Photo: Bob Hood

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low clouds. Since then, I have learned what makes one duck call superior to others. Like a musical instrument, anyone can blow a horn but not everyone can make it “sing?”

John Welch of Marshall not only knows how to use a duck call to perfection, he also knows how to make one from scratch. As with most makers of custom duck calls, and there are many, the art of working a piece of acrylic, wood, deer antler or other material into a beautiful hunting instrument begins with a passion for calling ducks.

A duck hunter only has to put one of Welch’s acrylic or wooden duck calls to their lips to hear the difference in a well-crafted custom-made duck call and one produced in mass at a factory. “When they are made T e x a S

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individually, one by one, you are going to get a much more attractive call,” said Welch, who began making calls about 15 years ago.

Two things set most custom-made duck calls apart from others: their appearance and the sound board that produces the various languages of ducks.

“I take a lot of pride in making calls that look like none you ever have seen before,” Welch said one day recently as I watched him polish one of his Big John’s Custom Calls in his East Texas workshop. “I want them to be beautiful pieces of work but also easy to call with.”

Indeed, none of Welch’s calls look alike.

Each has its own, unique design with multiple colors, swirls and patterns, plus they are so well-crafted that some of the sound boards, or reeds and platforms, can be placed in either end of the call to produce great sounds.

Welch makes his call on lathes and other equipment in a small shop behind his house, where he also makes geese calls and tinkers with automatic devices he has made to give turkey, duck and goose decoys movement. Among his favorites are mallard duck decoys made of closed cell Styrofoam that are powered by a single D-cell battery and swim for up to 30 or 40 hours, an almost “must-have” for duck hunters trying to decoy birds on a windless day.

Not all of the barrels Welch uses to craft his duck calls are single pieces, especially those made of acrylic. To give them the design he is after, Welch often uses three pieces of acrylic carefully bonded together.

They are beautiful pieces of art that are exceptionally strong and made with single, double and triple reeds.

Indeed, no custom-made duck calls are alike, and for the avid waterfowler they are true pieces of art to own and, even more importantly, they produce great sounds with little ease when fine-tuned by the craftsman who made it.

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6/8/12 10:39 AM

TRUE GREEN $ 3 Million in Trail Grants Awarded Across Texas

photo: canstock

TPWD Outlines Action Plan for Quail State wildlife officials are taking a “boots on the ground” approach to bobwhite quail management in Texas as part of a strategic action plan that involves hunters, landowners and science. The plan focuses on habitat management and does not include changes in harvest regulations.

Because regulations will not compensate for losses in quail habitat, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is making no changes to the quail hunting season for 2012-13. The season will open Oct. 27 and close Feb. 24, 2013 with a daily bag limit of 15, possession limit of 45.

“Hunting is a tool to regulate harvest of quail, but not a tool that could impact quail recovery at a landscape level,” said Robert Perez, TPWD Upland Game Bird Pro Continued on page 44 u 42 |

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TPWD’s quail plan does not include changes in hunting seasons.

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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission has approved $3,014,992 million in federal funding for 26 National Recreational Trail Grant projects in communities across the state. The total includes $485,000 in re-allocated trail funds for trail improvements in seven state parks.

The seven state parks to receive trails funding are Bastrop, Brazos Bend, Cooper Lake, Eisenhower, Government Canyon, Lake Brownwood and Martin Dies Jr. The money will go toward renovating existing trails, making trails more accessible, and helping with layout, design and other improvements.

All told this year, TPWD received 82 project proposals requesting trail grant funding totaling $11.5 million—both figures are records, the most ever received.

The 10-member Texas Statewide Trails Advisory Board reviewed the proposals and developed a list of recommended projects for funding based on the quality of the project, its cost effectiveness, its impact on recreational trail opportunities and geographic distribution of funds.

The National Recreational Trails Fund comes from a portion of the federal gas tax generated by the sale of gasoline for use in off-road recreational vehicles such as dirt bikes and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). Money from the trail fund goes toward the creation and maintenance of motorized and nonmotorized recreational trails.

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6/4/12 9:10 AM

TRUE GREEN Fishermen ‘Killed 11-foot Alligator in Self-Defense’ The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department charged two Forth Worth men in the killing of an alligator found dead in the Trinity River in May. Keyon Ivory, 31, and his friend, Patrick Miller, 34, said they were protecting themselves and never intended to commit a crime.

The men said they panicked when they encountered the gator while fishing in the Trinity River near the Fort Worth Nature Center.

“I was in the front seat here, steering,” Ivory said, pointing to his small bass boat.

Suddenly, he saw the alligator rising from the water. “A huge one; I mean, bigger than the boat we were on,” he said.

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The boat is 10 feet long. The alligator was 11.

“I was scared. I was very scared,” Miller said. “When it started coming towards us, that’s when we really got scared.”

The men said they feared for their lives and jumped out of the boat.

Miller admitted that he shot the gator with a gun he brought to protect himself.

He said he brought the gun with him because it was new and he didn’t want someone to steal it from his car.

Ivory then called 911 to report what had just happened.

“We tried doing the right thing,” Miller said.

—Scott Gordon, KXAS «TG

photo: KXAS

Two fishermen panicked when this 11-foot gator approached their 10-foot boat.

6/4/12 9:10 AM

TRUE GREEN CONTINUED...

When one fish is injured, others nearby may dart, freeze, huddle, swim to the bottom or leap from the water. The other fish know that their school mate has been harmed. But how?

When one fish is injured, others nearby may dart, freeze, huddle, swim to the bottom or leap from the water. The other fish know that their school mate has been harmed.

But how?

In the 1930s, Karl von Frisch, the famous ethologist, noted this behavior in minnows. He theorized that injured fish release a substance that is transmitted by smell and causes alarm. But Dr. von Frisch never identified the chemical composition of the signal. He just called it schreckstoff, or “scary stuff.”

Schreckstoff is a long-standing biological mystery, but now researchers may have solved a piece of it. In a study published in February in Current Biology, Suresh Jesu-

Quail Plan t Continued from page 42 gram Leader. “Hunting didn’t create this problem.”

The long term trend in declining bobwhite populations have also impacted more than two dozen other grassland bird species that are not hunted. Biologists recognize the primary cause for these declines is loss of usable habitat.

During the next four years, TPWD will implement and monitor quail management strategies at three “focus area” sites in different parts of the state. The model for the project was developed in cooperation 44 |

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thasan, a neuroscientist at the Biomedical Sciences Institutes in Singapore, and his colleagues isolated sugar molecules called chondroitins from the outer mucus of zebra fish.

They found that when these molecules are broken into fragments, as they might be when the fish’s skin is injured, and added to water, they prompt alarm behavior in other fish. At low concentrations, the fish were “mildly perturbed,” Dr. Jesuthasan said.

At high concentrations, they stopped darting altogether and froze in place for an hour or longer.

He and his col-

with the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative and the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture and is a component of TPWD Wildlife Division’s Upland Game Bird Strategic Plan.

“These efforts will allow us to test the hypotheses that given enough usable habitat, we can sustain viable populations of quail over boom and bust cycles,” Perez said. “Historically, our wildlife biologists have worked with landowners to develop management plans for quail, but we’ve never attempted to quantify those efforts at a larger scale.”

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Photo: Canstock

Fish ‘Smell’ Danger, and Perhaps Humans Do, Too

leagues also showed that neurons in the olfactory bulb of these fish were activated when exposed to the sugar fragments. In a sense, the fish seemed to “smell” the injury.

The work could have broad implications for understanding fear and panic in other animals, and perhaps in humans, said Lisa Stowers, a neuroscientist at the Scripps Research Institute who was not involved in the research.

—Staff Report «TG

and report data that can be used to more accurately monitor quail harvest. Currently, TPWD relies on information gathered through its annual Small Game Harvest Survey of hunters to determine bobwhite quail harvest, which does not include daily harvest by county.

By issuing a harvest scorecard to a random group of quail hunters prior to the season, and using methodology similar to that developed for tracking migratory game bird harvest, TPWD hopes to get a more accurate accounting of wild bobwhite harvest.

—Staff Report «TG

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6/4/12 9:10 AM

...

Mountain Lions Kill Radio-Collared Wolves Mountain lions have killed two radio-collared wolves in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley since January, and two others were killed last year.

Mountain lions have killed two radiocollared wolves in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley since January, and two others were

Trail Grants t Continued from page 42 The Federal Highway Administration manages the fund and distributes portions of it to states based on a formula that takes into account the state’s population and fuel sales

killed last year.

“I haven’t heard of it happening anywhere else,” Liz Bradley of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said. “It’s pretty interesting that the Bitterroot has had so many.”

She found a dead wolf in May with skull puncture wounds that are a trademark for off-road vehicles. Nationwide, the program was appropriated $95 million for the current fiscal year.

However, funding for the program is included in the Transportation Funding Bill which Congress has funded through June 30, making only 75 percent of the annual apportionment available to states at present.

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of a mountain lion.

“It’s hard to say what happened,” Bradley said. “There was no elk or deer carcass nearby that they may have been competing over.”

She said the lion ate part of the wolf and covered the rest with debris.

In January, she found another dead wolf west of Lolo with the same wounds. In that case, a deer carcass nearby indicated that the two predators apparently fought.

—Great Falls Tribune «TG

The program provides 80-20 matching grants, so that in each case the grant recipient must pay for 20 percent of the total project cost.

Dollar amounts shown below are 80 percent of the project cost.

—Staff Report «TG

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6/8/12 10:42 AM

Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor

My Friend Andy Author’s Note: This column has little to do with saltwater fishing except in the most peripheral way, but it deals with something that helped me cope with a tough period I went through recently. I hope that you, Fair Reader, will indulge me by reading these few lines. I will be whipping the saltwater to foam once again next month.

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pring started for me not with promise, but with loss. In the span of three weeks I lost two people that, though not family, were very important to me. Monsignor Robert Maher, my parish priest, Chief Vicar of the Brownsville Arch Diocese, and a dear, dear friend passed away in early March after a long illness. Much like the beloved Pope John Paul II, “Father Bob” was very ill, but insisted on carrying out his pastoral duties literally until the day he entered the hospital for the last time. His devotion to us and to God was an inspiration to his congregation on rendering everything—suffering, devotion and ultimately life—to a higher calling.

It was inspirational, but traumatic.

Later that month, boxing scribe and living legend Bert Randolph Sugar passed on.

Bert was the man who helped get me my start as a bona fide, for-pay writer. He had read some of my work that I had contributed to a boxing newsletter back in grad school (circa 1993). He liked my work, and started using me as a correspondent in Michigan, where I was in grad school, Ohio, and Canada. I’d had run into him a couple of times after I had moved on to teaching high school and outdoor writing, especially when a big Las Vegas fight coincided with ICAST. He’d be holding court at the Las Vegas Hilton, smoking his Hauptman Churchill and telling stories about Rocky Marciano, Archie 46 |

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Moore, or some other great fighter of the past. We’d shoot the breeze for a bit, tell stories, and then go to our separate worlds, his of leather and sweat, mine of scales and hooks. Knowing I’d never be able to talk to him again was traumatic.

Then, on St. Patrick’s day, I received an e-mail in my mailbox. The title line read “Argentina Hunt.” The text follows: Amigos, I just returned from another adventure.

Here’s the report...

Cheers, Andy It was my good friend and fellow writer Andy Hahn. His report regaled me in a story about a magical hunt for Russian boar and Red Stag in Argentina. I could read the thrill and excitement in Andy as he detailed the hunt for these splendid animals and the sheer delight of harvesting two beautiful stags and a monster hog with long, menacing tusks and heavy bristles. His story raised my spirits immeasurably.

“All this,” I thought, “and he has to pull the trigger with a breath of air.”

Andy is stricken with ALS, or Lou Gherig’s disease. The disease strips you of mobility by destroying upper and lower neurons, which control muscle movement. The diagnosis, which Andy received in 2006, is especially devastating for outdoorsmen and women because it effectively curtails involvement in the sports we love so dearly. That is, except for Andy.

In a recent feature for another magazine, Andy wrote that he and his wife, the gorgeous and ultra-tough Ligia, agreed that it was important that continuing to pursue the outdoor passions that he so loved “would justify the efforts involved. It would be far worse for my mental and physical health to simply give up and stay home.” The outdoors meant too much to him to simply be away from it for the rest of his life. He accepted that he was disabled, but refused F i s h

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to believe he was incapacitated. So, Andy, who is Pennsylvania-born but now lives in Brazil, used his Yankee ingenuity to find a way to continue to hunt.

As his extremities grew weaker, Andy started using a cane, then a four-legged walker that he wrapped in camo-tape, and finally a motorized scooter. With the teamwork of friends, he continued to hunt in the woods of South Carolina for deer, Manitoba for black bear (including a 7-footer whose hide adorns a wall in his home), mule deer and pronghorn in Montana, and ultimately red stag and boar in Argentina. Andy’s isn’t a spectator, either. He still pulls the trigger on all his targets. The system he currently uses enables him to fire his rifle by blowing on a tube. If he could find a way to modify the system to help him hook, fight, and land marlin, I don’t doubt that he would.

Andy once wrote that he does not allow his disability to define who he is. It is part of him, but he is still a man who loves his wife, can crack some of the driest jokes you’ll hear, and still enjoys the smell of wood smoke and the sight of a deer creeping out of a quiet woods to graze on a feed plot. Like another Andy in Stephen King’s “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” Andy Hahn got busy living.

I’ve been fortunate to have been surrounded by friends and mentors in my life that have taught me valuable lessons, all of which have made me a better man. Father Bob taught me what it means to truly have Faith, dedication to something bigger than all of us, and devotion to it up until the very end. Bert Randolph Sugar taught me how to be a magazine writer, lessons that I still apply to this day. My good friend Andy Hahn has taught me and still teaches me how to live.

That e-mail came at the perfect time.

Thanks, Andy.

Email Cal Gonzales at CGonzales@fishgame.com

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6/11/12 11:23 AM

Texas Freshwater

by Matt Williams | TF&G Freshwater Editor

Protect Yourself for When Crooks Strike The point to be made here is you can sink a small fortune fishing gear, although you may not realize it until it comes time to replace it. My guess is a high percentage of anglers couldn’t tell you how much money they have tied up in their fishin’ stuff. Some might be able to throw a ballpark figure out there. But ballpark figures usually won’t hold water if you have to file a claim.

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I know anglers who easily have $6,000 to $8,000 in their rod lockers alone.

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I

hate a thief.

About the only thing I hate worse is having to clean up after one. Anybody who has ever been robbed knows the drill I am talking about.

Filing police reports and insurance claims can be a mentally taxing and time consuming process. It can also turn out to be pretty costly, especially if you have to fork over a big, fat deductible before receiving the first bit of relief on an insurance claim. Even more so if you don’t have any insurance at all.

What can make matters worse is when an insurance adjuster informs you of exclusions or clauses in your policy that you had no idea even existed. I’ve heard horror stories from more than one theft victim who learned their carrier would not cover their loss because of a technicality disguised by very fine print.

What does all this have to do with freshwater fishing?

Not much in terms of how to catch fish.

But it has plenty to do with protecting your fishing gear, and your pocketbook, in the event that someone with sticky fingers pays you an unwelcome visit.

Boats and motors cost a bundle. The same holds true for the electronics many of us rely on to find fish, and the rods, reels, lures and other stuff we use to catch them.

I know anglers who easily have $6,000$8,000 tied in their rod lockers alone, and another $4,000 in electronics. Factor in a dozen tackle boxes brimming with crankbaits, topwaters, jerkbaits, swim baits and other lures, some costing as much as $15 per pop, and the tackle inventory makes a quantum leap.

Even the little things can add up in a very big way. Fish hooks, weights, corks, swivels and other terminal tackle you accumulate over the years all cost money.

The best advice I can offer in terms of protecting yourself against theft is to take the necessary steps to do so.

If you don’t have insurance on your fishing tackle, buy some. It will normally add just a few bucks to a monthly boat insurance premium.

If you already have tackle insurance under a boating policy, review the policy to make sure the coverage is sufficient, and that there aren’t exclusions pretty much rendering it useless. Homeowner’s or renter’s insurance may not cover theft that occurs away from the dwelling.

Here are some key things to look for when reading through your insurance policy or consulting with a carrier, followed by some ways to solidify your case in the event T e x a S

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you have to file a claim:

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• Coverage Amounts: Compare the coverage amounts listed in the policy to the total value of all your gear. If the coverage amount falls short, contact your agent or carrier and increase the amount. It is always better to have too much coverage than not enough.

• Opt for Replacement Cost: This one is a biggie. Some carriers offer “actual cash value” on tackle and other gear. This is the amount you will be reimbursed for a used item after depreciation. Let’s say you paid $350 for a rod/reel combo four years ago.

The actual cash value reimbursement will be significantly less.

Other carriers provide a “replacement cost” option. In my book, replacement cost is the only way to go. That’s because it will replace stolen items at their current value. If your current carrier doesn’t provide replacement cost on tackle, it would be wise to shop around for one that does.

• Document Everything: Many insurance carriers require some type of proof that the item filed in a claim actually existed -- a receipt, photo, shipping document….. something. Nothing unfair about that.

If you don’t keep receipts on your fishing gear, start now. Be sure to file the receipts in a safe place so you can find them if the need arises.

It is also a good idea to make a complete list of all your rods, reels and other items.

That way nothing will is overlooked when taking inventory after a theft occurs. The list should include the make, model and serial number of each item.

As you compile the list, take photos of each item. Burn the photos on to a CD or have prints made and label them accordingly. Like the list, the photos should be stored for safe keeping.

Email Matt Williams at mwilliams@fishgame.com G a m e ®

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6/6/12 2:36 PM

5 Simple Rules of Thumb for Shore-Bound Anglers by chester moore 48 |

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ANGLERS BOUND TO FISHING FROM the bank are limited. Let us be honest here and recognize there are certain limitations to fishing without a boat. This does not however mean bank anglers cannot have consistent, productive fishing action whether they wade in for trout on the coast or fish from a pier in an inland state park.

The following are five things that will make a gigantic difference in any bank-fishing venture. water levels

Paying special attention to water levels and movement is crucial for anglers fishing from the bank. By virtue of fishing from shore, you are fishing across the very shallowest areas and that can be a problem.

Coastal anglers should pay special attention to the TF&G tide charts and focus on the last half of an incoming tide through the first couple of hours of a falling tide. Tidal movement is essential in getting specks, reds, flounder, drum and other fish to bite but having enough water to fish in is equally important. The best way to give yourself enough water is to target your fishing schedule near the height of an incoming tide.

Inland anglers should strategically position themselves in areas with enough depth to get solid fishing action. The tips of piers as well as walking out toward points that extend into a lake or river offer a big advan50 |

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tage over simply setting up at a pretty spot on the bank.

the WRONG line

This one might seem so important but it can save you lots of time and frustration in the field.

Avoid using fluorocarbon and braided lines that sink while fishing from the bank. Shorelines are typically lined with vegetation, trash and other obstacles and if you are making long casts and using a sinking lure or fishing dead bait on the bottom, a fluorocarbon or other sinking line will get you snagged all over the place.

I field-tested some line awhile back that was designed for crappie fishing and the first test was conducted under a bridge near my home. The bank there slopes way down and I got snagged all over the place on the brush because of the sinking properties.

Most braided line floats and it also gives you a strength advantage. If you are fishing F i s h

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for catfish and hook a 30 pounder instead of the usual 2-3 pounders you catch, it can pay off to have a strong, braided line.

chum

While chasing fish from the bank is not an option, you can make them chase you.

Chumming is an underrated method of fishing in Texas and can be used in both salt and freshwater. Let us tackle saltwater first.

While fishing for Wels catfish in Europe, I learned about “ground baiting� where anglers use soured grain and prepared chum from the bank. They use slingshots to shoot it far into the water and also use a plastic device above their leader. I have not seen these for sale in America but know of a homemade remedy.

If you can find an old 35 mm film canister or one of the soft side plastic aspirin bottles, remove the labels and poke holes all over it. Strategically poke aligning holes in the top and bottom. Using a Carolina rig, Photo: Chester Moore

6/8/12 10:45 AM

slide the rig above your weight and leader.

Open the lid, fill with chum and cast. This allows you to have a fish attractant right on your line.

This works in saltwater as well but the chum is different.

Take a cast net and catch a bunch of menhaden (pogy, shad) and mash them up.

Put these in the canister, instead of soured grain or a prepared bait. Since most coastal predatory fish key on fish oil, you can take a can of mackerel, poke holes in it and put it in a wire fish basket and use it to create a chum slick that draws fish to your position.

FLOATS

In northern states, floats are considered precision bait and lure delivering instruments. In Texas we often look at them as child’s play but nothing could be further from the truth.

Using floats while fishing from the bank gives you some wonderful advantages.

For starters if you have a good idea of the depth you will be casting toward it will allow

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you to fish above any cover or on the bottom (shell, brush) that could get you snagged.

Additionally it allows you to keep an exact eye on your bait and position it over certain spots. Good visuals are extremely important for bank fishing.

Another advantage is fish attraction.

Popping and rattling corks in particular mimic the sound of feeding fish and are great at drawing reactions from everything from redfish to catfish.

Finally, many floats are weighted and you have the ability to make distant casts.

The Outcast from MidCoast Products in particular is incredible for distance casting and allows an angler to get 20 percent farther without much effort. That can be a difference maker.

BE MOBILE

When bank fishing it is easy to get set on one location since it can be such a pain to move. However, this can cause you to waste time and catch few fish.

Have a few different locations in mind and

remember the same kind of conditions that impact fishing from a boat affect fish when fishing from the bank. The fish have not changed, only your location has.

Water clarity in particular can be a real killer and if you arrive at a spot and the water is off-colored, perhaps give it a few minute but if the fish are not biting, move to another.

Tackle organization helps. If you have for example a large tackle bag like a Plano FTO Elite Bag or two with all of your bank fishing essentials neatly stowed away, it is easy to pick them up and get moving.

In some situations like surf fishing for example speckled trout and redfish for example might be running the standard in the surf moving parallel to the beach. If you sit you get action for a few minutes but if you get up and move you stay on the action.

Successful fishing to paraphrase Kevin VanDam is “all about the attitude” and if you have the right one your bank fishing can be tremendously successful.

6/6/12 2:39 PM

PORK Choppers Bacon-Sizzling Lead Rains Down from the Skies as TF&G Goes on an Airborne Mission to Erradicate Feral Hogs

by Chester Moore 52 |

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The view of the great outdoors from a helicopter is stunning and so is the vehicle’s maneuverability. Ace pilot Mike Mollere was able to get Moore and Ellermann into perfect shooting positions in areas that were otherwise challenging.

www.FishGame.com/Video

IT WAS ONE OF THOSE TRULY unforgettable moments. A large group of hogs busted out of the brush, heading for safety but instead losing them as would occur in virtually all other situations, this hunt had just begun.

TF&G columnist/blogger and Top Shot Season 3 Champion Dustin Ellermann and I were in a helicopter taking advantage of the newly legalized opportunity to hunt hogs (and coyotes) from choppers. We were hunting with the JB Hunting Ranch and were in the air with pilot Mike Mollere who has been conducting permitted aerial hunts for a number of years.

There were big hogs, little hogs and hogs running everywhere but they soon started falling as Ellermann and I did our absolute best to help curtail the feral hog invasion of Texas.

I would like to say our reasoning was strictly for conservation purposes but it was all about the adventure. And a grand adventure it was.

“I’ve read about it but had no idea just how cool it would be. For a guy who likes to shoot like me, this is the ultimate hunting

opportunity. It is way too cool to be hanging out of the side of a helicopter with an AR chasing down hog. It was awesome,” Ellermann said.

Despite the super speeds and raw intensity of the hunt, these events are conducted with strict attention to the law and to the safety of the hunter. It’s not just about slaughtering pigs and coyotes but truly has a conservation aim.

Both hogs and coyotes are super hard to hunt when pressured and in today’s econ-

omy losing livestock or crops due to these creatures is unacceptable. So thrill seeking hunters are taking to the air to fill an important role and have the hunt of a lifetime.

These photos will give you a much better how idea of the experience and perhaps inspire you to seek out one of these uniquely Texas hunts.

Book Your Own Helicopter Hunt

BESIDES AWESOME helicopter hunts the ranch offers everything from stand hunting to night hunting with thermal imaging gear. For more information about setting up a copter hunting adven54 |

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ture with the JB Hunting Ranch, go to their website, www.jbhuntingranch.com.

If you want information on the incredible hunting and fishing in Matagorda County, check out the Matagorda visi-

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tors bureau online at www.visitmatagordacounty.com/ or give them a call at 877-TRVL-FUN. —Chester Moore PhotoS: CHESTER MOORE and Roy Neves

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Ellermann and Mollere scan agricultural areas for hogs. The rice and marsh rich habitat of Matagorda County is absolutely covered with hogs.

Brush along ravines hides many hogs according to Mollere. Flying low over these spots often flushes them from cover and into the danger zone.

Dustin Ellermann and Chester Moore just before they stepped into the copter. Ellermann went the AR route while Chester decided to bring his Remington .870 loaded with 3-inch OO buckshot.

Both proved effective.

The author with a nice hog taken in Matagorda County on the JB Hunting Ranch. Moore’s latest book, “Hog Wild� is available from TF&G at fishandgamegear.com.

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Open Season

by Reavis Wortham | TF&G Humor Editor

Faded Photographs

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members on a dove hunt in south Texas. I stuck a finger on one of the people. “Who is this?”

“I’ve never seen him before,” Willie said.

“Yes you have. You’re standing right beside him,” I answered.

A worried look appeared on his brow.

“Hey, that is me. I was a lot younger then.”

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‘Delbert, the guy who shot the photo won’t be in the picture.’

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slipped a thirty-year-old 5x7 photograph from an envelope and laid it atop the round corner booth in Doreen’s 24 HR Eat Gas Now Café. The Hunting Club members eyed the image with curiosity. A much younger Cousin and I stood in the river bottoms with a line of other duck hunters.

Doc leaned forward and peered through his reading glasses. “Is that you?”

“One of them is.”

Delbert P. Axelrod, a one-dimensional figure himself, spoke up. “Not the short one.”

“That’s an eight-year-old kid.”

“Knew it wasn’t you,” Delbert sat back in satisfaction and took a long sip of fresh coffee. Doreen had just refilled his cup, so the hot liquid scalded everything from his lips to his esophagus.

It made me feel better.

I turned the photo around and identified everyone in the photo so the guys knew who they were looking at. “The thing is, I recognize everyone here except I can’t remember the guy who took the picture.”

“There’s no one else in the shot,” Delbert said, pinching his lower lip to see if any feeling was left. “What are you talking about?”

“The guy who took the picture.”

Delbert held the image at eye level.

“Who?” Doc sighed. “Delbert, the guy who shot the photo won’t be in the picture.”

“Oh.” I shook out more photos. “Look at these.

I recognize a lot of these people. But there is always one person in every shot that escapes me.”

One picture was of the Hunting Club

Doc grinned. “Weren’t we all. I don’t remember that guy either.”

“Could it be a guide?” Jerry Wayne asked.

“We didn’t have enough money for guides back then,” I told him. “I think we’re all losing brain cells. It’s beginning to worry me.”

Delbert pushed a grainy photo out of the pile. “Here we are down on the coast.

This man has to be the guide. Who else could it be?”

“That’s you,” I said.

“It doesn’t look like me.”

Willie looked closely. “That’s because a seagull just dropped a load on your forehead.”

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Annoyed that we’d strayed once again, I interrupted. “But who is that guy?”

We pondered the mystery for a long moment.

“Buck?” Jerry Wayne asked.

“Where’d you get that name?” Doc wondered.

“He looks like a Buck.”

I pushed a few more photos around. “I’m getting a little worried that I can’t recall people’s names. Look at this shot. This guy hunted with us for two years and I can’t remember who he is.”

Doc cleared his throat. “He was with us for four years, but he only came out to the lease one time to hunt. That’s Beryl Sanders.”

A light dawned. “Ohhhh, he’s the guy that set up a deer stand the first night he was with us and killed a twelve-point the next morning.”

“Right,” Doc said.

“And he never came back?”

“Nope just gave us money.”

“I liked him,” I remembered. “He wasn’t any trouble at all, like you guys.”

Doc held up a photo. “Who is this in the back of the boat?”

Jerry looked. “My ex-brother-in-law, but he wasn’t around long enough for me to remember his name.”

“See!!!???” I scattered the photos. “It isn’t just me that can’t remember people.

They were with us on these trips. We hunted and fished with them. We ate with them. We talked to them. We drove in and out with them. Who are they?”

The Cap’n cleared his throat. “They’re the ones looking at their own copies of these pictures and are wondering who we are.”

We agreed with him and looked at our younger selves, thankful we recognized each other.

Email Reavis Wortham at rwortham@fishgame.com

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Digital Edition

Reel

Basics by matt williams

Photo: vwalakte, Canstock

A HARDCORE ANGLER PROBABLY won’t get much of an education here, but if you are new to the sport and looking to learn a little something about different types of fishing reels, you are in the right place.

Perhaps no other piece of equipment in your fishing arsenal Spincast Reel is more important than the reel that is strapped to the rod. The reel plays an integral role in casting and retrieving baits and lures. Plus, it acts as a winch to help bring fish to the bank or boat once hooked.

There are a world of good reels out there. More importantly, there are several different styles available to suit a variety of applications and every skill level from beginner to advanced.

If you forget everything else you read here, be sure to remember this when it comes times to shop for a fishing reel: It is never a good idea to start a beginner with an advanced-level reel, especially if the newcomer is a youngster. Always start from the bottom and work your way up. Otherwise, there is a good chance the experience will turn into an exercise in frustration rather than confidence-building pleasure.

What follows is a basic synopsis of the three styles of reels most frequently used for freshwater applications.

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Of all the reel styles, the spincast model garners the highest marks in the user-friendly department. It is a great starter reel for beginners, or for casual fishermen who only wet a hook a few times a year.

The beauty of the spincast reel is it is simple to operate and requires very little skill to master. The reel is designed with a push button casting mechanism and line spool that are fully encased by a metal or plastic housing.

Together these features eliminate the worry of backlash and allows the user to focus entirely on developing their release timing when casting. I’ve seen four-year-olds become fairly proficient with these reels in relatively short order.

While some big fish have been landed on spincasters (the 123 pound, 9 ounce world record flathead catfish was reported landed with Zebco 33 and 12 pound line), these reels are gen-

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TF&G ALMANAC Table of Contents GEARING UP SECTION tested • St. Croix, Hobie 69 texas | TF&G and game gear• Hot New 70 fish Outdoor Gear | TF&G by

staff

by

staff

FISHING FORECAST SECTION

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hotspots focus: upper coast • Rig Hopping | by capt. eddie hernandez

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COVER STORY • Reel Basics | by matt williams

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HOW-TO SECTION

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

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION

95 96 98

texas tasted • Black Bean and Corn Salsa | by bryan slaven OUTDOOR CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY • Guides, Gear and More | by TF&G staff tf&g Photos • Your Action Photos | by TF&G readers

hotspots focus: galveston • Fishing for Fireworks! | by capt. mike holmes

hotspots focus: matagorda • Go Natural in the Heat | by bink grimes

hotspots focus: rockport .

62 texas boating • Biofuel Fix? | 76 • The Need to Fish | texas kayaking • All in the hotspots focus: lower | 65 Family 78 coast • Cull of the Wild | paul’s tips • Don’t Touch That | 66 Texas Hotspots • Texas’ Hot80 test Fishing Spots | texas guns & gear • What , & 67 Makes an Accurate Cartridge? | www.FishGame.com by capt mac

by lenny rudow

gable

by greg berlocher

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calixto gonzales

by paul bradshaw

by calixto gonzales bob hood george knighten

by

steve lamascus

erally a better match for small-to-medium size fish like perch, crappie, white bass and channel cat. It also is a good choice for knocking around in muddy creek and riverbottom settings, where you might not want to take nicer gear.

Another big plus about spincast rigs is they are relatively inexpensive. Most of the heavy hitting reel manufacturers offer budget priced reels for under $30 and spincast rod/reel combos for under $50.

Spinning Reel

The spinning reel is a little more difficult to use than a spincasting model, but not by much. Think of it like the second rung in a three-step learning curve.

The line spool isn’t covered, which allows line to peel off the spool freely. This allows you to make significantly longer casts with less effort than you can make with a spincast outfit using lures of the same size.

Unlike spincast and baitcasting models, the “open face” spinning reel mounts to the bottom side of the rod. The reel operates using a large wire bail that opens to release the line and closes to gather it.

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casting hand. Open the bail and cast, releasing line with the rod’s forward momentum.

Close the bail and it gathers line as you turn the reel handle.

Spinning reels come in assorted sizes ranging from small (ultra-light) to medium and large. The small and medium sizes work best for most freshwater applications using line sizes ranging 4-12 pound test.

The ultra-light reels designed for using lighter lines and typically work best for casting tiny jigs, Roadrunners and other small baits for bream, crappie and trout.

Meanwhile, medium size reels are heavily preferred by bass fishermen for throwing shaky heads, drop shots rigs, grubs, wacky worms and other “finesse” style baits.

Spinning reels are available in a variety of price ranges from cheap to extravagant, but you needn’t break the bank to own a good one.

Some key things look for in one of these reels is good quality drag system, stainless steel ball bearings for smoothness and durability and a gear ratio that is suited for the style of fishing you intend to do; a 5.2:1 is a good all- around ratio to consider.

Bait Casting Reel

Welcome to my world and the millions

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of others who share my bass fishing passion.

I still use a spinning reel on occasion, but I spend more time with a bait caster in my hand than anything else.

While a bait caster is more difficult to master than other reel styles, the doors opened by the level wind make it well worth the trouble. Not only does the bait caster promote improved casting accuracy, it is also built to handle light and heavy lines that can be matched with rods of assorted actions for use with a wide variety of lures weighing little as 1/4 ounce to two ounces or more. If you want to be a well-rounded angler, eventually you need join the bait casting family.

There is plenty to consider when shopping for a bait casting reel. One of the first hurdles is to decide between a round reel and a low profile model.

Round reels generally have more line capacity than low profile reels, whereas low profiles are more comfortable to fish with for extended periods because of their ergonomic design and significantly lighter weight.

While a round reel may be the best choice when targeting big stripers, trophy catfish or lofting huge swim baits, the low profile rules in the run-and-gun world of bass fishing.

Some other key features to consider in reel selection are the braking system, gear

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Photo: Matt Williams

Baitcast reels offer the hardcore bass angler more casting accuracy and line control flexibility.

ratio and internal components such as gears and bearings.

Braking System

The braking system is what slows the speed of the spool to help minimize troublesome backlashes. It may be necessary to adjust brake tension several times over the

course of the day to compensate for wind, lure weights and other factors that can effect casting.

Some reels have externally adjustable braking systems. Others require the removal of a side plate to make manual adjustments to individual brake pins. While both systems work well, reels that offer external brake

adjustment are often considered the more convenient of the two.

Gear Ratio

Gear ratio dictates the speed of the reel.

The higher the gear ratio, the faster the reel will recover line. The lower the gears, the slower the reel but the more power you have.

Some techniques are more easily performed with a high gear ratios and vice versa. If you are looking for one reel ratio that will perform a broad spectrum of techniques fairly well it would be a 6.4:1.

Other Components

The quality of the ball bearings, gears and other components utilized in the guts of a reel will not only impact its performance, but it will determine how well it holds up under pressure and, ultimately, how long it will last before it needs to be taken to the local reel doctor for repair.

All of these factors are typically reflected in the price. That’s not to say you have to spend $500 to get a good quality bait caster, but don’t expect to pick one up for the cost of a 30-pack either.

When you buy a reel, you almost always get what you pay for.

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A Solution to the Biofuel Debacle?

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he ethanol debacle has been more than an example of stupid regulations made for the wrong reasons.

It has been more than an example of a political lobby causing harsh collateral damage to the rest of us. And it’s been more than an example of creating harmful and costly laws under the guise of environmentalism. It’s also become an example of how bad regulations and requirements can kill boats—literally.

My next-door neighbor’s 115-hp outboard blew its powerhead after ethanol melted the fuel gauge’s plastic pick-up.

Total replacement cost: $12,500. You think the ethanol lobby picked up the tab?

My father had to have the fiberglass fuel

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tank in his boat cut out and replaced, to prevent an ethanol melt-down. Total cost: $1,400, out of pocket. And, of course, we all have to pony up a bit more every time we fill the fuel tanks, to buy an ethanol-specific fuel additive like Biobor Ethanol Buster. If you don’t use this stuff with every fill-up, you’re just asking for trouble. Good thing the ethanol producers are paying for it, out of all their profits, right?

Just as we got over the E10 hump, fixed the problems it caused, and figured out how to deal with the stuff, the prospect of bumping E10 up to E15 came along. Fortunately, the powers that be realize that the increased ethanol content won’t just destroy some marine powerplants, it’ll destroy a

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huge number of them. So alternatives are being checked out. And one of them might not be nearly as bad as these enviro-fuels all seem; isobutanol, commonly called butanol.

What’s the difference between ethanol and butanol? There’s plenty. Start off with the biggest complaint about ethanol, that it absorbs water and introduces it into the fuel system. This is one of the main reasons why you need those additives. Water can not only stop your engine from running, it can also cause internal corrosion, which leads to heavy-duty damage. Let untreated ethanol sit in your tank for a month and you’re going to have issues. Butanol, however, doesn’t have this same water-absorbing property.

Another problem with E15 is that it can reduce the viscosity in two-stroke engine oil.

And on top of that, it needs to be blended just before sale (so it doesn’t sit and gather water, or separate out) which creates consistency problems. But butanol suffers from neither of these ails, as far as the experts have been able to tell up to this point.

Even more significant is oxygen content.

Regular gasoline has an oxygen content of about three percent. But E15 boosts it up to five percent and that increase is deadly for an internal combustion marine powerplant because the higher oxygen content creates more heat in the combustion chamber. As a result, valves and rings burn. Gaskets fail.

Engines die. Butanol, on the other hand, mixed at 16.1 percent, has that ideal threepercent oxygen content.

John McKnight, the NMMA (National Marine Manufacturer Association) director of environmental and safety compliance, put it in a nutshell. “We already know E15 can destroy engines,” he said. “But at a 16.1 percent mix, with its three percent oxygen content butanol is very promising stuff.”

Okay, so it’s promising but how do we know it won’t cause all kinds of other problems? Fortunately, the marine industry is getting ahead of the curve this time. In a cooperative project this spring, representatives and techs from the ABYC (American

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Boat and Yacht Council), the NMMA, BRP, Indmar, Volvo-Penta, Argonne Laboratory, and the US Department of Energy met in Annapolis, Maryland, for on-the-water testing of butanol in boats.

They ran three different boats with three

different powerplants on the Chesapeake Bay, while testing on other engines took place in the lab. They tested for emissions by gathering exhaust into a sealed bag for examination on shore by Argonne’s personnel. At the same time, they gathered data on

performance and reliability. And the results proved that butanol does, in fact, have some serious potential.

“Rather than have EPA regulations mandated and having to catch up after the fact, we wanted to be proactive and look at the available fuel options for the future,” said Jeff Wasil, BRP’s engineering technical expert who was on-site. “Isobutanol represents a unique opportunity for BRP and the entire industry. And so far, the results we’re seeing from butanol look very promising.”

Wasil and the others spent a full week in Annapolis putting butanol through its paces, testing those boats from sunup to sunset. And they have a second phase of testing scheduled for later in the summer.

If the final results bear out these expert’s predictions and butanol turns out to be as good a marine fuel as they think, however, it’ll still be a while before you and I start pumping it into the fuel tanks on our boats.

According to McKnight there’s only one refinery presently up and running, though more are expected to come on-line soon.

And of course, distribution will be a significant challenge. But again, this team is trying to get out ahead of the curve and is already communicating with distributors and marinas so they’ll be ready to get butanol as soon as it’s thoroughly tested and delivery becomes feasible.

Will butanol turn out to be the biofuel of the future for boaters? At this point, it’s simply too early to tell. But considering our experiences with ethanol, the future of isobutanol certainly provides us with a different kind of example, one of what to hope for.

E-mail Lenny Rudow at LRudow@fishgame.com

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All in the Family

Photo: Hobie

H

ave you ever noticed that some members of the same family bear a strong resemblance to one another?

Siblings are sometimes strikingly similar, so much so that people wonder if they might be twins, but in reality both siblings have their own unique personalities. The same applies to kayak families.

Hobie has introduced shorter versions of several popular hulls, and while they share a common lineage, each hull has its own personality.

Last year, Hobie introduced an 11-foot version of the popular Hobie Quest series of hulls. This year, Hobie added an 11-foot hull to the Revolution line and the company also released a12-foot version of the popular Pro-Angler. Each is worthy of the Hobie brand name but each of these hulls is more than just a kid brother; they each have unique strengths.

“The Hobie Revolution is a great hull for the Texas coast,” said Keeton Eoff, Media Director for Hobie.’ It paddles well, it is sleek and fast, and it has low sides so it is very easy to get in and out of if you want to wade fish.”

“The 11-foot hull is lighter and easier to handle than the 13-foot model. The shorter hull has a tighter turning radius and it is important to note that you don’t loose any speed when it is equipped with Hobie’s Mirage Drive.”

The Mirage Pro-Angler is a great fishing craft but the company purposely avoids calling it a kayak. The new 12-foot hull is 2-feet shorter than the original 14-foot model but still tips the scales at 120-pounds, too much by classic kayak standards. One thing you always get when you deal with Hobie is honesty. They don’t shy away from T F & G

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calling the Mirage Pro-Angler 12 a boat and neither do I. It is a fitting name.

“The big difference between a Mirage Pro-Angler and a traditional boat is the low initial cost to get on the water.

The Mirage Pro-Angler, as well as our kayaks, are the fishing platforms of the future.

You can get started with these vessels quicker than you can afford a typical fishing boat.

Kayaks satisfy the angler who says ‘Let’s go fishing now!”

Hobie’s shorter hulls expand the audience kayaks appeal to. In addition to being more maneuverable on the water, the shorter hulls are lighter, and hence, more maneuverable on land.

Flat bellied young bucks may not have any trouble throwing a 75-pound kayak on Hobie top of an SUV after Revolution a long day paddling in the sun, but if the truth be told, it isn’t nearly as easy as it used to be for certain unnamed outdoor writers. “Gentleman kayakers” aren’t the only beneficiaries of lighter hulls.

I have received positive reaction to lighter hulls from a number of female friends who enjoy fishing from a kayak. Shaving just 10-15 pounds off the hull weight can make a big difference in loading and unloading.

Hobie has their finger directly on the market’s pulse and responded to this need.

Regardless of birth order, all Hobie kayaks come fully equipped with a seat, paddle, water bottle, and gear buckets that fit neatly inside the sealed hatches.

It is hard to mention Hobie’s kayaks without bringing up their patented Mirage Drive. The Mirage Drive is a peddle-drive propulsion system that is easily installed or removed, allowing you to transition from A L M A N A C

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peddle power to paddle, or vice versa, in moments. Two bicycle-style peddles are pushed in a linear fashion, front to back instead of the traditional circular motion of a bicycle peddle. The Mirage Drive is a mechanical marvel which allows a myriad of adjustments, all of which can be done on the water, that allow you to dial in just the right settings for the length of your legs. It doesn’t matter if you are 5’ 4” or 6’ 2”, there is a setting that you will find comfortable.

If there was one gripe about the Mirage Drive it was that it occasionally was a challenge to slide into the hull at the proper angle. It could be persnickety if you held it at the wrong angle.

Alignment problems are a thing of the past as the design engineers at Hobie created a clever combination of guides on the Mirage Drive that slip into plastic channels in the hull. The drive slips into place at the proper angle every time.

It isn’t a secret that long hulls are more efficient and track better over long distances. If you plan on paddling several miles at a time, efficiency becomes a major concern; however, most of my fishing expeditions are just short jaunts and I find a shorter hull a more viable option.

Eoff summed it up nicely when he stated, “There are lots of options for anglers to consider. You have to ask yourself: What type of fishing you do? What is your personal strength? And where do you fish? The answers to these questions will give you a lot of insight as to which style hull to choose.”

Appearances often suggest a family relationship. The same applies in the world of kayaks. Hobie’s new shorter hulls provide the same great performance as their longer hulls do.

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

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Q

uick, name something you learned in third grade that you still remember today. Can’t come up with anything? Well, I’ll go first while you’re thinking about it. In third grade I learned what poison ivy looks like.

How, you ask? Well, there was a church camp, and a hike through some nice lush forest, which was followed by weeks of itching, rashes, and trips to the doctor…it’s a long story. However, it was a great learning experience because since that day I have never forgotten what poison ivy looks like.

Lessons learned the hard way stick with us the longest.

So, to help you out a little bit I’m going to pass along some information that might prevent you from getting rashes in odd places or other bodily harm. These are easy tips that you might have heard before but it never hurts to hear them again.

Remember my whole poison ivy story (or course you do, you read it 30 seconds ago)? It seems that my one-time lack of knowledge on the subject of what poison ivy looks like is a common one. I’ve recently run in a few adventure races (although saying I was running in them is being generous) and the most common question I get from other racers while we’re traipsing through the woods collectively lost is, “Is this poison ivy?”

This question is understandable because poison ivy can look different at different stages of life or even times of year.

Are the leaves glossy or dull? Yes. They can be either. Usual young leaves are shiny while older leaves are dull. Well, then what color is it? Green most of the time, or red when it’s just starting to leaf out in early spring. Then, what shape are the leaves?

Think of them as spade shaped, but some-

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Don’t Touch That

times they are more round than others, and some of them have lobes, or notches while others do not. Does it grow along the ground, up trees, or like a bush? Yep. All three are possible So, while looking for poison ivy you need to keep an eye out for plants along the ground, up in trees, or that look like bushes with either glossy or dull leaves, that might be red or green (or somewhere in between), that may or may not have notches in them.

You’re welcome.

Let’s just go with the basics on this one, poison ivy puts off leaves in sets of three.

If you see something with three leaves on one stem then leave it alone. The old rhyme “leaves of three, let it be,” should be adhered to. Of course, there are other plants in the forest that also sprout leaves in this configuration, but it’s better to be safe than covered in red bumps.

This question comes up all the time too.

Is that snake poisonous? (This is usually asked by someone running through poison ivy to get away from the snake) First, snakes aren’t poisonous (meaning if you bite them they make you sick), they are venomous (meaning they have to bite you to make you sick). Second, all snakes seen while hunting, fishing, or racing are not venomous cottonheaded cobrattlecondas with a desire to eat your liver. The vast majority are harmless.

The only venomous snakes around here are rattlesnakes (multiple variations), water moccasins (cotton mouth), copperheads, and coral snakes. I’ve lived in Texas for 36 years and seen exactly zero coral snakes in the wild so I wouldn’t worry about them too much. Plus, they have little teeth so they have

to gnaw on you for a while to inject venom. However, just in case you happen to suspect you see one the easy way to identify them is by their coloration. Coral snakes have red, yellow, and black stripes (or rings) going around their bodies. If the red and yellow stripes are next to each other (touching) it’s a coral snake. If red and black touch then it’s a harmless scarlet king snake.

Identifying the other three types of venomous snakes is simple, you just have to get really close to do it. Rattlesnakes, copperheads, and water moccasins all have one trait in common, the pupil of their eye is a cat-like slit instead of rounded. Yes, it is possible to get close enough to see their eye without getting close enough to get bitten, which is less than ideal way to determine if they are venomous.

It’s a fact that there are many things in the woods that are not exactly good for you.

The way to make sure you don’t end up with a rash or missing fingers is to identify it before you get to close for it to be too late.

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

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What Makes an Accurate Cartridge?

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have always heard and read that certain cartridges are “inherently accurate.” I would guess that I too have used that term. However, it is a somewhat misleading statement to say that any cartridge is inherently more accurate than any other.

First let me say that for hunting there is no reason to seek out a cartridge that is more accurate than any other. The brutal truth is that almost any cartridge is sufficiently accurate for almost any hunting situation to which it will be put. More important than the inherent accuracy of the cartridge are its power, velocity, and trajectory. Next in line of importance is the bullet that it shoots.

Last of all is how accurate it is. But, since we are talking accuracy here, and not hunting suitability, we will stick mainly to that topic, for the moment.

The first and last factor in any discussion of accuracy is the bullet. Without a superior bullet, the cartridge is a moot point. You will never see a .270 Winchester on the firing line at a serious benchrest match. This is not because the .270 is not accurate. It is. It is because it is too violent – meaning it uses too much powder, makes too much noise, and kicks too much – and because no competition-grade bullets are manufactured in .277 caliber.

A truly accurate cartridge must start with bullets made to such tight specs that they vary almost none at all from bullet to bullet.

Then you need to weigh these almost perfect bullets and separate them into batches of even more perfect nearly perfect bullets, in which no bullet is more than a tenth of a grain heavier or lighter than the others.

Then you work up a load, making sure that you shoot the bullets from only one batch.

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powder capacity. Then you must put each of those cases through a series of processes, such as trimming, chamfering, and flash hole uniforming, to make them as perfect as possible before they are loaded.

An accuracy cartridge, meaning one used for shooting tiny groups from a bench rest or in any other competition where minute fractions of an inch may mean the difference between a win and also ran, needs to push its bullets with the least amount of powder possible, while still maintaining enough velocity to overcome things like trajectory and wind deflection. The more powder used, the more violent is the cartridge, and the more difficult it is to make it shoot to

Then when you run out of batch #1, run a few test loads before you switch to another batch, because you may need to tweak the load a tenth of a grain or so to make the new batch shoot as well as the first batch.

You also need to weigh your brass to make sure that it has uniform internal dimensions; it being assumed that cartridge cases that weigh the same have the same

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for accuracy), and has a case capacity of around 25 grains. It is a slightly longer and slimmer cartridge than the 6mm PPC. It has fallen out of favor with the competitionminded boys and girls, but is still one of the finest varmint and accuracy cartridges ever invented. If you don’t have one, buy one.

Another fine accuracy cartridge is the 6x47. This is a wildcat based on the obsolescent .222 Remington Magnum, itself a danged fine varmint cartridge. Basically the 6x47 is just a .222 Magnum with the neck opened up to take .243 bullets. There are several versions, being differentiated for the most part only by the angle of the shoulder, which has almost nothing to do with the accuracy. The 6x47 is a bit longer than the .222 and 6PPC, and is a bit thinner than the 6PPC, but ballistically it still falls in the same general group.

To make this as simple as possible, the accuracy level of a cartridge, or the difference in accuracy potential, is so tiny as to be absolutely unnoticeable by the average shooter. How would you know if your rifle was shooting groups of 1 inch, or .975”?

How would you measure it accurately to the thousandth of an inch, and furthermore, why would you care? The only possible reason for you to have a care in the world

“ The difference in accuracy potential is so tiny as to be absolutely unnoticeable.

“

its ultimate capability. For instance, a .300 Remington Ultra Magnum is an accurate cartridge. However, if you are intending to shoot twenty rounds in a short time, it is one of the last cartridges you should choose, because the huge amount of powder being burned at each shot heats the barrel until, after 20 rapid shots, you could fry bacon on it. Recoil, also, becomes a factor with any gun that has to be fired a number of times in a short period of time. This is why most of the current crop of benchrest cartridges are in .22 or .24 caliber and use short, moderately fat cases of minimum volume.

The best of the crop at the moment seems to be the 6mm PPC (Palmisana & Pindel Cartridge), which is a wildcat based originally on the .220 Russian cartridge. It is 1.5 inches long, has a 30-degree shoulder, and shoots a 60- to 70-grain bullet at between 3000 and 3200 feet per second. Case capacity is around 30 grains.

In comparison, the .222 Remington, which was the darling of the benchrest set in the 1950s and 1960s, is 1.7 inches long, shoots a 50- to 55-grain bullet (usually 52- or 53- in the competition circles, for no particular reason that I am aware of) at around 3000 to 3200 feet per second (that velocity range seems to be the “sweet spot”

about such things is if you are shooting in a competition in which the difference of a few hundredths or thousandths of a inch means the difference in taking home a trophy or just empty brass.

I suggest that instead of worrying about obtaining a rifle and cartridge combination that will shoot better than Bob’s gun, that we put our effort into learning how to shoot the gun we have. More deer have been killed with rifles that would not group into 4 inches than with rifles that will “put three shots under a dime.” If one of the “accuracy cartridges” fills the bill for your needs, there is no reason not to buy one. However, the purest accuracy cartridges and the bullets they seem to prefer are not generally suited for general hunting. Varmint sniping, yes.

Deer hunting, no.

That said, let me close with the admonition that almost any modern cartridge that is generally considered to be powerful enough to use on big game, is sufficiently accurate for that purpose. The real question is, are you a sufficiently good shot to take advantage of that cartridge’s abilities? Good question, huh?

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

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PHotos: St. Croix, Hobie

St. Croix Tidemaster Whether you’re casting shrimp for redfish, popping a cork for speckled trout, or throwing plugs to a school of hungry jacks, when it comes to inshore saltwater fishing rods the St. Croix Tidemaster series is going to be tough to beat. I’ve been slinging baits and lures with a TIS70 MLF seven foot Tidemaster for months, and found it to be an ideal mix of power and sensitivity.

The Tidemasters are made with SCII graphite blanks, which are as sensitive as they come. Guides are Batson Forecast hard aluminum-oxide, with 316 stainlesssteel frames for good corrosion resistance compared to common guides with 304 stainless-steel frames. Reel seats are Fuji DPS, and grips are real cork. Once assembled, these rods get not one but two coats of Flex-Coat, and St. Croix backs ‘em up with a five-year warranty.

Added bonus: they’re completely designed and assembled in the US of A.

St. Croix’s new Tidemaster rod series for inshore fishing.

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With every kick they shove water out and down, pushing you along at a nice clip.

Just how fast can the Mirage drive get you going? Faster than paddling by hand. When I tried one out, I discovered that it was easier to move the boat more quickly and for longer distances. Plus, with my hands free, trolling became an option.

(An especially Hobie Mirage kayak good option on drive. the Outback, which has four molded-in rodholders.)

The Mirage drive itself adds about six and a half pounds to the package. It’s sturdily built, and a couple of groundings while fishing in the shallows had no ill effects. It’s also adjustable, so people of differing heights can use the same rig and set it for their own height. Parts are all made of stainless steel and plastic, and it’s plenty rugged to the touch. When you’re ready to put the kayak on top of your car or into the bed of your pick-up, the Mirage drive slides out of the hull for easy storage.

If you paddle with your feet, how do you steer? Hobie’s fishing models that come rigged with a Mirage drive also have a rudder. There’s a simple steering arm control on the post side of the kayak, and a separate arm to raise and lower the rudder, on the starboard side. The Mirage drive isn’t cheap—you’ll find it for around $500—but it does make it far easier to fish from a kayak.

Check it out at www.hobie.com.

—LR

Lengths run from 6’6” to 8”, in both spinning and casting models. For travelling fishermen, there are also three-piece breakdown versions available. These rods come in both fast and moderate actions, as well as power ratings of light, medium light, heavy, and medium heavy. I found that the TIS70 MLF was perfect for 12-lb. test line, casting half-ounce to ¾ ounce jigs.

And this rod is also amazingly light in your hands, at a mere 4.5 ounces. Other models range from 3.9 to 8.5 ounces, but whichever model or size you’re looking at, they’re notably lighter than similarly-sized fiberglass rods.

Of course, high-quality fishing gear doesn’t come cheap—prices for rods in the Tidemaster line-up range from $120 to $250. Hey, you get what you pay for. And in this case, you’re paying for some serious sensitivity and power that will come in handy whether you’re casting bait, popping a cork, or throwing a plug.

—Lenny Rudow

Hobie Mirage Drive

You love kayak fishing, but you hate putting down that rod to pick up your paddle? That’s where Hobie’s Mirage Drive comes in, on yaks like their Outback and Revolution.

The Mirage drive is essentially a form of pedal drive, which allows you to let your legs do all of the paddling while your hands remain free to cast, reel, and net those fish. A pair of flippers extends beneath the hull, and when you start kicking, they swing back and forth to propel the kayak forward, working like a penguin’s flippers.

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P-Line Helps You Get a Grip Anglers will find a new family of P-Line accessories at their local tackle shop this Fall, with the introduction of 3 new aluminum tools and a pair of stainless steel braided line scissors.

The SparrowHawk flew away with the “Best Fishing Tackle Accessory Award” at the 2011/12 ICAST Show in Las Vegas. At a featherlight weight of 2.1 ounces and a compact size of just over 5 inches, this tool will nest into P-Line Adaro Jr. your favorite fishmachine cut aluing vest or fit comminum tool. fortably on your belt. Don’t let the SparrowHawk’s small size fool you, it’s made of machine cut aluminum, and has a mean set of tungsten carbide cutters which slice through braided line with ease. The cutters are replaceable, and the tool comes with a nylon pouch and lanyard. The suggested retail on this product is $29.99.

The Adaro Jr. is the little brother of P-Line’s globally popular Adaro. This machine cut aluminum tool comes in two styles, weighs only 3 ounces and measures just over 6 inches. Because of its sleek size, the Adaro Jr. is ideal for both fresh and saltwater applications. Like all P-Line aluminum tools the Jr. features replaceable tungsten carbide cutters, along with a nylon lanyard and pouch. Available in both split ring and standard needle nose jaws. The suggested retail on this product is $39.99.

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device which can cut through this durable material. P-Line’s new titanium coated German Stainless Steel scissors are built specifically for Spectra and Dyneema lines. This tool has tempered serrated jaws, which will grip and cut with ease. The tool also features a split ring tip, which will allow you to change out hooks and split rings without packing an extra set of split ring pliers. The suggested retail on this product is $8.99.

“Awesome, efficient, and economical” is how Don Newman of P-Line summed up their latest introductions. “I’ve field tested them over the last season and I can tell you they will distance themselves from any other tools in their price point!”

All P-Line tools will be available in the Fall of 2011. For more information you can contact P-Line at 800-537-2394, visit them on Facebook or for a complete listing of P-Line products visit www.p-line.com.

Backcountry Now in Forrest Green Backcountry by Ande is our softest monofilament with exceptional tensile and knot strength. It is designed for the smaller light tackle reels as it maintains very low memory. Formulated for those fishing F i s h

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Backcountry Ande monofilament.

conditions when you need spot on casts and that little extra strength to bring your trophy fish to the boat. Backcountry comes in tests 4 to 80 lb. in three colors, for every fishing condition, slate blue, envy green fluorescent and the new forest green.

Ande has provided great fishing line for every conceivable fishing condition to anglers of the World for over 55 years.

For more information, visit Ande online at www.andemonofilament.com.

GunVault Introduces DrawerVault GunVault has announced the latest addition to its popular and affordable line of compact security safes – the DrawerVault. Now there’s a security solution designed for any room in the house. The new DrawerVault series fits and operates in most standard drawers, making it the smart choice for handgun storage. Also perfect for passports, documents, cash or other valuables, the DrawerVault is ideal for your home or business.

Capable of fitting most tablets and E-Readers, the DrawerVault is con-

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Photos: P-Line; Ande; GunVault

structed of tamper-proof 18-gauge steel and includes a foam-lined interior to protect its contents. It’s available with GunVault’s patented No-Eyes® keypad or biometric fingerprint scanner for easy access. An activation button triggers a spring-loaded, tamper resistant door that not only has a high-strength lock mechanism, but also performs reliably, time after time. Foolproof security is ensured with a backup override key and optional high-strength security cable. An audio and LED low battery indicator protect against direct tampering and unexpected power loss.

The DrawerVault Bio uses biometrics, specifically fingerprint recognition, to access the safe contents faster and more securely than ever before.

digital key pad with key lock override MSRP: GV 3000 - $219.99, GVB 3000 – $334.99.

For further information on the DrawerVault or the complete line of GunVault safes, visit www.gunvault.com.

Shop for innovative, new and hard-tofind outdoor gear at www.FishandGameGear.com

DrawerVault safe fits easily in any standard drawer.

A high-performance algorithm is used to achieve speedy identification of enrolled fingerprints and at the same time has a very low False Reject Rate (FRR). The self-learning algorithm adds new minutiae to the fingerprint templates each time a user touches the fingerprint sensor, which decreases the likelihood of FRR, updates slight changes that might occur over time to an enrolled fingerprint and helps diminish variations between the enrolled fingerprints. The system can hold up to 120 fingerprint templates.

GunVault DrawerVault Specifications: Model: GV 3000, GVB 3000 Length: 12 inches Width: 10 inches Height: 4.25 inches Weight: 8.1 pounds Power: One 9-volt alkaline battery (not included) Access: Biometric fingerprint scanner or

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s it hot outside or is it just me?

There is a very good reason that it feels a lot like July on the Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coast. That’s because it is, and that means there’s no better time than the present to hit the short rigs.

If speckled trout is on the menu tonight, you owe it to yourself to make the green water run to either the six or twelve mile rigs that are located just off the coast of Johnson Bayou in Southwest Louisiana. Within minutes of the boat cut at Sabine’s East Jetty lies some of the bet summertime trout fishing worldwide.

The cost of a Louisiana fishing license, which is required, is a minimal investment when compared to the rewards that can

“ A Louisiana fishing license is required.

“

Rig Hopping

come with fishing these rigs in July. To say that the fish can really stack up there in the summer months is truly an understatement.

Fishing the rigs, or “rig-hopping,” begins to gain momentum in early summer and seems to peak around mid July for specks, reds, and an assortment of other species. It is not uncommon to tangle with ling, tripletail, Spanish mackerel, and other types of serious drag strippers, but it’s the speckled trout that keep most folks coming back.

“Once July rolls around, you can rest

assured that I will be either at or in the very near vicinity of the short rigs off the Sabine jetties, weather permitting,” said longtime Sabine Lake guide Capt. Kent Carlson.

“The only thing that can stand in my way, and only briefly, is if I happen to stumble upon a nice weed line on the way.”

Several other local anglers, myself included, share that same mentality, and for good reason. As good as the fishing can be at various points in the lake, there’s just something about fishing the rigs on a hot July day. It’s as if this is where we’re supposed to be.

One of the best things about it is that it’s relatively easy to fish the rigs and have success if the fish are present. Like anywhere else, they’re either going to be deep, suspended or near the surface. If you don’t get bit, just move on to the next one.

On good, calm days, your trolling motor will be all you need to stay on the fish.

There are times, however, when a rig hook or anchor will be your best bet, depending on the wind and current.

Any soft plastics or hard baits that you would normally throw at your other favorite spots will work just fine, as will live baits like finger mullet, shad croaker and live shrimp. Cast close to the legs of the rig but keep an eye on your sonar for pods of bait or any unseen structure that may be just off the rig itself.

When the heat is on in July, come join us in some serious Sabine “rig-hopping.”

the bank bite Location: Surf, Johnson Bayou, Louisiana Species: Speckled Trout, Redfish, Jacks Baits/Lures: Topwaters, soft plastics, live shrimp Best Times: All day in calm conditions Contact Eddie Hernandez at, EHernandez@fishgame.com 72 |

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Fishing for Fireworks!

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ndependence is a state of mind that doesn’t have to be limited to a single day of the year. Nor, by definition, does it have to be celebrated in a large crowd or a public venue. To my mind, nowhere does independence come more easily than in warm summer surf. The second “official” month of the Texas summer is among the very best times to find a secluded stretch of beach and indulge in some healthy saltwater therapy. Although this month often begins with strong winds, the major tourist fishing tournaments end with the holiday, and gentle breezes favor those with the patience to wait out the crowds. When the wind slacks, the water clears in the surf – and when green water laps on the sand, game fish of all types will be close behind.

The angler who enjoys going on the attack will toss artificial lures into the deeper water behind a bar and hope to be rewarded with the strike of a big yellow-mouthed speckled trout. Silver spoons are not the newest offerings on the tackle shop shelves, but they will seem that way to the trout, who doesn’t live long enough to become familiar with – and remember – the various lures we use. Soft plastics are always a good choice, and many hard bodied plugs do an excellent job of imitating the mullet most surf-run trout are after.

Of course, there is always something to be said for the original, and a good cast net can usually provide enough live finger mullet and other small baitfish to tempt whatever predator species is feeding in a given stretch of water. Fish them under a popping cork if you don’t mind “tending” your bait, as a lively mullet will swim around a lot more than a shrimp would. Several variations of the “fish-finder” terminal rig will keep your T F & G

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offering under more control, and in gentle surf a pyramid sinker holds almost as well as the wire tined spider weights and can be managed with much lighter tackle.

Fresh dead bait, especially when cut to allow the scent to drift in the water, will attract trout as well as redfish – even flounder.

The fireworks I mentioned come when larger bait and heavier tackle are used to tempt bull reds and jack crevalle. In July, sharks are almost impossible to avoid – if you should want to do so – and some could be of considerable size. I began eating sharks in secret in the mid seventies, and started admitting it a bit later, after Adolf Shultz – who was at various times owner of a bait camp, fishing pier, and party boat - assured me that he and others did the same. I am proud to state I once caught a 27-pound king mackerel in the surf, while soaking a large mullet for reds, and I have hooked tarpon in the same manner. When fishing from shore, you can’t get much more

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explosive than that!

the bank bite Location: The surf holds fish from High Island to San Luis Pass, for those who wade and walk the many rock groins along the beach in Galveston. Big fish are not limited to less crowded beaches, but quieter conditions are often more pleasant.

Species: Trout, reds, flounder, pan fish, Spanish mackerel to tarpon are all found in the summer surf.

Best Baits: Live shrimp, finger mullet; soft and hard plastic lures and silver spoons.

Best Times: Fish can be caught on all tides, but a good incoming tide in early morning is a shore anglers dream.

Capt. Mike Holmes runs tarpon, shark, and bluewater trips on a classic 31 Bertram.

To book a trip, call 979-415-0535.

Email him at MHolmes@fishgame.com.

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just don’t remember it being this hot when I was younger; and, according to meteorologists, I guess I am right since the past two Julys have been some of the most arid on record.

Please, take precautions. Fish early.

Fish late. Find a shade tree. Drink lots of water. Drink more water. Invest in a canopy or T-top for your boat. Try wade-fishing.

How does the blistering heat affect the

reefs at sunrise, then work deeper water as the mercury rises. The same pattern can be applied to all bay systems.

Work close to deep water, like the edge of the ship channel, the jetties or wading chest-deep water.

The water is a few degrees cooler in channel. Think of it as the difference in running your air conditioner at 70 degrees instead of 75.

One of the keys to beating the heat and keeping catches constant is a switch from artificial to live bait. Whether it is live finger mullet or shrimp, speckled trout and redfish want it natural during the dog days of summer.

Matagorda captains have adapted as well. Where most charters used to be artificial-only affairs, pros are adapting with the times to keep clients on fish.

For years, me included, Matagorda guides would not consider using live shrimp while drifting deep reefs. Now, few leave the dock without live shrimp when drifting.

“It is 10 to 1 in the summer,” said guide Tommy Alexander. “We catch 10 good trout on live shrimp to 1 good one on plastics while drifting.”

Wading is a different story.

“I can take a Bass Assassin and wade

Photos: Bink Grimes

Go Natural in the Heat

fishing? That is a question I have answered countless times this summer.

Many charter captains, including myself, have encouraged half-day trips that get anglers back to the dock around 11 a.m. before the sun really begins to bake. As is often the case with summer fishing, the bite is early, and then tapers as the day progresses.

Hear me out, I am not saying you can’t catch fish during the heat of a summer day, just not as likely when wading a shallow flat or drifting back lake reefs.

It is not that the fish are not there, it is just a tougher bite in the heat. Seasoned captains see it every year.

Concentrate over shallow (3 feet or less)

Wadefishermen using artificials tend to fare better in the heat than drifters, who need to rely on live shrimp.

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the drop-offs of mid-bay reefs and catch all the trout I want,” said guide Bill Pustejovsky. “But, if you fish out of the boat, you better have live shrimp.”

The low tides of July and hot water make it difficult for bait camp operators to find live shrimp; and, when they do, it is even tougher to keep it alive. As a result, live shrimp is not always available.

Enter 3-inch pearl Gulp!

Rigged 2-3 feet below a Mid Coast

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Baits: Live shad, live shrimp, mullet Species: Speckled trout, redfish, Spanish mackerel, sheepshead

Products cork, Gulp! has saved many a drifting trip in East Bay. “When the water is off-colored, many times Gulp! catch more and bigger fish than live shrimp,” said Alexander. “You can’t pop that cork too much.”

Capt. Bink Grimes owns and operates Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay (www.matagordasunriselodge.com).

Contact him at BGrimes@fishgame.com

the bank bite Location: Matagorda jetty

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The Need to Fish

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hat is it about fishing? It can make an old man young and young man wise beyond his years. A good day of fishing can heal a month’s worth of really bad days. It brings peace to the soul and yet can unleash excitement seldom felt in any other activity.

I’ve seen fishing reconcile relationships, drive marriage proposals, and close generation gaps. I’ve seen anglers spread the ashes of loved ones in that person’s favorite fishing spot, then get their rod out and fish in that person’s honor and remembrance.

When I have a rash of rough days and my wife Lisa can see the tension building in me she very tenderly says, “Honey, you just need to go fishing.”

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Fifteen minutes on the water and my tension is all but gone, life makes sense again, and the empty glass of my life now is a container of opportunity for me to fill anyway I choose. Dr. Phil, put that in your book of psychoanalysis healing! I mean really is it the fish that we catch? That monster trout or that bull red sure has a way of pulling the worst life has to throw right out of us and yet I don’t think it’s the fish.

Is it just the outdoor activity? If that were so, we could just step outside and take a walk, and while that does help some, it’s just not the same as a day of fishing.

Is it the rods and reels and gadgets we so dearly love to bring along? Like Andy Griffith, whose favorite rod was “Ole Eagle Eye Annie,” we all have our favorite fishing gear, and while it does help motivate us to get on the water it’s not the driving force.

Some people who need to fish don’t even fish. Let me explain. A man in his mid 50’s shows up at the boat ramp, the wind is howling at 30 plus knots. He backs his boat

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down the ramp then stops a foot or so short of the water, gets out of his truck and stares forlornly as the wind is blowing the tops off the waves like one blows the froth off a good mug of beer. I am thinking he changed his mind and will soon drive away. He sees me and motions for help. I walk across the street and he asks if I will hold his boat once launched.

“Sir,” I said, “I will hold your boat but another day might be your best option here.”

“I know,” he said, “but I really need to go fishing today.”

“Ah” I said, “Well, I will do my best to keep your boat from banging against the pier while you park your truck and trailer.”

He ran across the parking lot and asked where he might go to fish that might be a little less windy. I told him the east shoreline of Blackjack is best but even it is gonna be rough unless you are right against the bank.

“Will the fish be biting you think?”

“Not likely” I said, “...it’s kinda like you and me trying to eat in a sandstorm.”

I thought that would dissuade him, but he jumped in his boat and bobbed up and down like a popping cork in a hurricane.

He hollered at me, “I would appreciate if I’m not back by dark to send someone to look for me!”

I watched as he slowly made his way across St. Charles Bay. There was something missing, my mind said, as I got blown back across the street to my cottage and then I realized this guy didn’t have any rods on his boat! I got my binoculars out and started watching him as he anchored across the bay. After about an hour all I saw was the bottom of his tennis shoes propped up on the bow of his boat. Over the next few hours I monitored his activity, which was pretty much just the soles of his shoes; he either passed out or was taking some muchneeded rest. Later when he loaded his boat, he waved and said “thanks it was a great day of fishing.”

Fishing as defined by dictionary.com

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is, the technique, occupation, or diversion of catching fish. The “diversion of catching fish” seems to fit!

If you break down the tactical side of fishing it’s pretty easy to understand how we get so hooked on it. It’s mysterious – with the catching of fish you are involved in an activity where you can’t see what’s happening, no indication of when it will happen – if even at all – just the faith that it will.

Fishing can be and usually is shared with those we are closest to. The beauty of a sunrise or sunset, the serenity of the water lets you seem set apart from the pressures and the hustle and bustle. That in itself is enough, but add to it the sudden thrill of a biting fish and you are hooked with memories that can last beyond a lifetime.

Life’s uncertainty is much like fishing – we never know what we will catch, we just know we need to fish much like we need to just keep living life.

As for mister tennis shoes, my wife asked me, “What is it you keep looking at with those binoculars?”

I explained: crazy rough water, a guy in a boat, a guy with no rods and just his two tennis shoes sticking up.

She smiled, “He just needed to go fishing, kinda like someone else I know!”

As I write this, my neighbor (Steve) pulls around the corner with his wife and kids on the way to the boat ramp with a flat tire on his trailer. The lugs were so rusted I guess he couldn’t change the tire. As the trailer bumps along towards the boat ramp I take a break from my article to see if I can help, another neighbor (Ronnie) pulls up and says “Steve, you give a whole new meaning to it’s only flat on one side!” Steve replies with a big grin on his face “WE JUST NEEDED TO GO FISHING!” You can’t make this stuff up!

Mesquite Bay – The mouth of Little Brundrett Lake is a good place for flounder using free lined shrimp. The key here is to twitch the shrimp slowly across the sand pockets and wait for a tap, then set the hook immediately. Good black drum on the east shoreline using a light Carolina rig and small # 2 hooks tipped with peeled shrimp.

to deeper water. For redfish, shallow early morning, especially with an incoming tide, the Turtle Pen area is a good area for this.

St. Charles Bay – The cut between St. Charles and Aransas Bay is still the place for trout and reds using free lined croaker and shrimp. Little Devils Bayou is a good place for early morning top action using bone and white and red and white super spooks. Throw into the mouth of the Bayou and work the lure back to the boat. Most bites happen less than 20 feet from the boat.

Ayers Bay – The mid bay reefs are holding some keeper trout and lots of Gaftop. A rattle cork and live shrimp work well here.

The west shoreline close to Rattlesnake Island is a good place for sheep head using small hooks tipped with cut squid. Black drum frequent this area as well so be patient and delay your hook sets.

Aransas Bay – Good red action around Dead Man Island using finger mullet on a Carolina rig. Keeper trout on Jay Bird Reef using soft plastics in electric black with chartreuse tails. For black drum at the mouth of Allyns Lake, use live shrimp or fresh dead peeled shrimp on a #2 wide gap hook.

the bank bite Wade fish from the LBJ causeway across Newcomb Point. This area is mostly private property so get ready for a long wade. That said, it can be very productive early morning and late evening using top waters and gold and red spoons. Trout can be caught here as well using soft plastics in new penny and grape colors.

Carlos Bay – Carlos Lake is good for drifting using a popping cork and shrimp.

Berkley gulp crabs under a clear bubble cork work well for reds drifting this same area. Spalding has been holding some trout using shrimp free lined but keep the shrimp moving just above the bottom or you will tangle up a lot and break off. Some nice reds can be caught on the shell adjacent to Carlos Dugout using cut mullet on a light Carolina rig.

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

••• Copano Bay – The croaker bite is still on but don’t rule out top waters especially early morning. The dog days of summer are the perfect time for this adrenaline charged kind of fishing. Think early morning and late evening for reds using finger mullet and mud minnows free lined or on a light Carolina rig. The Italian Bend area is a good place to free line soak croakers, fish off the shoreline about a 100 yards as the trout have been feeding near the transition T F & G

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Cull of the Wild

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any offshore anglers look towards the far yonder and trolling when the stable weather of July rolls around. Pelagic species such as wahoo, dorado, blackfin and yellowfin tuna, and even billfish become the focus of anglers who have the ambition to tangle into a bluewater species that isn’t bright red in color. They break out their Black Bart, Slayers, and Bulbheads, rig their ballyhoo and their mullet, and start dragging them behind the prop wash for hours and days at a time.

Sometimes, the action is so fast that every reel in the spread is screaming with multiple hookups, but more often than not, there’s a lot of waiting involved in trolling.

It’s a big Gulf out there, and sometimes the fish are spread out.

The anglers who want to fish offshore but want steadier action should keep a sharp eye for shrimp boats that anchor up early in the morning and start culling their bycatch.

The crews on these shrimp boats spend the first few morning hours icing down the shrimp from the previous evening’s trawl and discarding the small fish, squid, crabs, and other bycatch that comes up in the net. These culling sessions serve as huge chum lines that attract a large variety of blue water predators. On one trip my wife Sandie, son Calito, and I had with Captain Steve Strohmeyer (On the Hook Charters, 956-217-4565), we came up to a boat dumping bycatch and the scene was spectacular. Schools of bonita, black fin tuna and kingfish were tearing into the floating smorgasbord with abandon. Bottle-nosed dolphin were rolling among the smaller fish and having their fill, and some of the largest sharks I’ve ever seen—on tiger that cruised

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by the boat was easily 12 feet long—were patrolling the area. Talk about wild!

The options that anglers have during these major feeds are numerous. The easiest option is to simply pull up near a shrimp boat, pin a cigar minnow or squid onto a hook, and pitch it out. It isn’t long before something grabs onto the bait and takes off.

Sometimes it is a blue torpedo such as a bonito, other times it may be a blackfin tuna that will average 15 pounds or so. If you are really fortunate, you might run into an industrial-sized ling.

“You’ll find some ling sniffing around the shrimp boats,” said Captain Richard Bailey (956-369-5090). “You’ll be out there catching bonita and blackfin, and all of the sudden a couple will pop out from under the shrimp boat to see what’s going on.”

It isn’t that hard to tempt these big, brown suckers, either. A chunk of the same bait that makes up the shrimper’s cull will suffice. Hide a small hook such as a 4/0 Mustad Big Gun Live Bait Hook in your bait, toss it in front of the ling’s nose, and watch him slurp it down. Set the hook, and hang on.

“It can be simple as that,” said Bailey.

Other times, however, ling can be quite maddening, said Bailey.

They’ll swim up, suck in the bait, and spit it out before you can react. The same fish will do it over and over again to the same bait. It can drive you crazy.”

The maddening thing about ling is that they are sometimes surprisingly finicky. I’ve been in situations where they will turn up their broad brown noses at almost anything you throw at them: menhaden, cut bait, live hardtails, dynamite. My old mentor, Captain Larry Corbett showed me a little getup he called a “ling thing” that seemed to work even on the most discriminating cobia.

A “Ling Thing” was nothing special, really: it was a sized 8/0 O’Shaugnessy hook (yes, the same hook used on catfish trotlines) with a white plastic skirt rigged onto it (Corbett explained that the oversized F i s h

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eye on the O’Shaugnessy prevent the skirt from coming off and riding up the leader).

Onto the hook, he also threaded a large squid, much like you would a soft plastic.

The rubber skirt provided both buoyancy and some added action, while the squid provided the pre-requisite scent and flavor.

The setup would land in the water with very little sound and the skirt would flare out with a twitch of the rod, which made the squid seem alive and ready to flee. Any ling that came up to inspect the bait couldn’t pass it up.

If the bonita are too thick around the shrimp boat, or the sharks are proving a nuisance by stealing whatever fish you are hooked to, trolling is another option. Many species like dorado, yellowfin tuna, and wahoo prefer a little more room to swim around and may be further away from the stationary boat. In this case, astute captains set out trolling spreads and prospect as far away as a quarter mile from shrimper.

Unless they are expecting a marlin to be in the vicinity, the usual choice is skirted lures such as the Billy Bait Ahi Slayer or a rigged ballyhoo or mullet. If kingfish are especially thick, switch over to a kingfish rig with a ribbonfish attached to it.

Working a shrimp boat that is culling bycatch is not a guarantee of fish in the boat, but for anglers who don’t want to spend the day looking for a fight, it does make the Gulf much, much smaller.

the bank bite Hot Spot: Padre Island Shoreline, North Side of Causeway Species: Speckled Trout, Redfish Lures/Baits: Live shrimp or soft plastics under a Mauler or Popping Cork, topwaters early.

Contact Calixto Gonzales at CGonzales@fishgame.com

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UPPER GULF COAST

Campbell’s Reds Mmm, Mmm Good

by GEORGE KNIGHTEN gtkphoto@yahoo.com

LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Campbell’s Bayou GPS: N29 19.66278, W94 53.52036 (29.327713, -94.892006) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, soft plastic lures CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 TIPS: This area has lots of oyster shell and can be waded or drifted. A great area for topwaters like the top dog when wading. When drifting work the water from top to bottom with soft plastics like the 5” soft mullet from MirrOlure.

Location: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Jetties GPS: N29 40.371, W93 50.250 (29.67285, -93.8375) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Cocahoe Minnows in a Glow Chartreuse or live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Steve Davis, 409460-1220 TIPS: If you can get some live croaker for bait, you will catch some good fish.

Location: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Short Rigs GPS: N29.648067, W93.70395 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Cocahoe Minnows in a Morning Glory or Red Shad colors CONTACT: Capt. Steve Davis, 409460-1220 TIPS: “We catch a lot of good fish in 80 |

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

July. A lot of times if you catch one good fish, there will be a bunch of similar fish there. You don’t have to throw right up under the rigs. Sometimes the trout will suspend out from the rigs. Circle the rig and fish all the way around it.” — Davis Location: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Stewt’s Island GPS: N29 57.899, W93 50.900 (29.964983, -93.848333) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Down South Lures and the new Mull-O-Grunt lure made by StuntGrunt CONTACT: Capt. Randy Foreman, 409985-7619 TIPS: Look for bird action.

Location: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: South Shoreline grass beds from the Pipeline down to Greens GPS: N 28 29.887 W 96 14.202 (28.498117, -96.2367) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Wade fishing using Norton Sand Eels in darker colors CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: Tide movement is critical, incoming or falling. Key on the grass beds. “By July the water is going to be real warm and the fish are going to be sluggish.

Location: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Boiler Bayou F i s h

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GPS: N28 38.760, W95 54.000 (28.646005, -95.900002) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Wade fishing using Norton Sand Eels in darker colors CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: Concentrate on finding grassy areas holding bait up close to the shoreline.

Location: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef GPS: N29 28.703, W94 45.703 (29.478383, -94.761717) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Texas Trout Killers in Red Shad and Limetreuse CONTACT: Capt. LG Boyd, 409-7703567 TIPS: Fish any of the mid-bay reefs that are about 4-6 feet deep. Bounce the lure along the bottom.

Location: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Halfmoon Reef GPS: N29 24.023, W94 50.632 (29.400383, -94.843867) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Texas Trout Killers in Red Shad and Limetreuse CONTACT: Capt. LG Boyd, 409-7703567 TIPS: Try Halfmoon Reef when the trout are deeper, 6 – 9 feet deep.

LOCATION: Rockport HOTSPOT: Turtle Bayou GPS: N27 58.50024, W97 4.23192 (27.975004, -97.070532) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live mullet and live perch CONTACT: Capt. Charles Newton 361 729-8220 TIPS: Live mullet and perch are very plentiful now and the redfish like their frisky action of the wiggle of their tails.

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MIDDLE GULF COAST

San Antonio Specks & Reds

by GEORGE KNIGHTEN gtkphoto@yahoo.com

Location: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Seadrift Reefs GPS: N28 24.010, -96 43.294 (28.400159, -96.721573) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Texas Trout Killer in either Roach/chartreuse or Morning Glory colors CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin, 361785-2686 TIPS: Wade fishing these reefs. Martin prefers to key in on the color change near the ends of the reefs. Each reef should be marked by small white PVC pipes.

Nervous mullet and either clean or slightly off-color water are a must.

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Location: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Half Moon Reef GPS: N28 20.096, W96 46.124 (28.334933, -96.768733) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Texas Red Killer in the Who Dat color CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin, 361785-2686 TIPS: Use the Who Dat color while working off-color water on the backside of the oyster reef.

Location: Copano Bay HOTSPOT: Little lap reef GPS: N28 08.400, W97 03.144 (28.14, -97.0524) SPECIES: redfish, black drum BEST BAITS: cut mullet, sardines CONTACT: Capt. Mac Gable, 361-7909601, 512-809-2681 TIPS: Work baits slowly along the bottom during low tide.

Location: Copano Bay HOTSPOT: Old Pipeline GPS: N28 05.856, W97 12.276 (28.0976, -97.2046) SPECIES: speckled trout 28.0976, W97.2046t, redfish BEST BAITS: mud minnows, finger mullet CONTACT: Capt. Mac Gable, 361-7909601, 512-809-2681 TIPS: Use a popping cork or free-line live bait according to what the fish seem to prefer.

Location: St. Charles Bay HOTSPOT: Little Devils Bayou GPS: N28 11.880, W96 55.500 (28.198, -96.925) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: topwaters in red, white, Bone CONTACT: Capt. Mac Gable, 361-7909601, 512-809-2681 TIPS: For best results, work the area thoroughly during the first two hours of daylight.

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HOTSPOT: Dead Man Island GPS: N28 01.812, W97 01.522 (28.030205, -97.025371) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Mac Gable, 361-7909601, 512-809-2681 TIPS: The deeper water edges off of Nine Mile Point is good for trout using croaker or a rattling cork and shrimp.

Location: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Beacroft’s Hole GPS: N27 33.092, W97 19.293 (27.551533, -97.32155) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, pinfish, or croaker. Soft Plastics in Tequila Gold, gold weedless spoons.

CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361985-6089. 361-449-7441. brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Upper Laguna Madre can be a hot place in July, both in temperature and fishing. Work live shrimp under a Paradise Popper around the grasslines. There will be tailing redfish around the grasslines.

You can sight cast with soft plastics on light (1/8th ounce) jighead or ¼ ounce gold spoons. Swim your baits just above the grass.

LOWER GULF COAST

Flounder Shack Up on the ICW

by CALIXTO GONZALES cgonzales@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: ICW Shacks GPS: N26 23.93202, W97 20.59098 (26.398867, -97.343183) SPECIES: flounder BEST BAITS: live bait, Gulp! shrimp or Mud Minnow in rootbeer, Pearl, glow CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956-551-9581 TIPS: Anchor up and cast along the edges of the secondary drop-off in 3-5-foot 82 |

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water. Use a live finger mullet on a 1/2ounce Carolina or freeline rig and #1/0 VMC flounder hook. Rig Gulp! Tails on 1/4 ounce round jighead and bounce them on the bottom.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Gaswell Flats GPS: N26 16.30902, W97 16.22202 (26.271817, -97.270367) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live bait, cut bait; Logic Lures in mullet, Tequila Gold, gold spoons/red teasers CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956561-4535 TIPS: Set up a long drift across the broad flat, spot the pods working over the bottom, and use tandem-rigged plastics, cut bait, or weedless gold spoons to tempt them. Keep the rod tip high to stay just off the bottom.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Big Oaks GPS: N26 41.96502, W97 27.79098 (26.699417, -97.463183) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Pearl/red, strawberry/white, topwaters in Bone, chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu, 979942-0165 TIPS: Fish the shallows close to shore early and move back to the deeper water later in the day. Topwaters will work early and all day on cloudy days. Fish soft plastics deeper in the water column as the day warms up.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Beachfront GPS: N26 42.43674, W97 19.31232 (26.707279, -97.321872) SPECIES: tarpon BEST BAITS: Large trolled plugs, large soft plastics, live mullet CONTACT: Captain Richard Bailey, 956-369-5090 TIPS: Watch for rolling tarpon or the large shadows schools through while cruising the clear gulf water. Troll a Long A or Large Husky Jerk. Large soft plastics such F i s h

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as the King Cocahoe or a Castaic Shad are also tough to beat. Ditto live mullet.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: East of Marker 151 GPS: N26 31.89, W97 23.26002 (26.531500, -97.387667) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Pearl/red, strawberry/white, topwaters in Bone, chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu, 979942-0165 TIPS: Wade if you can. Topwaters work early, and switch to plastics later in day.

Fish will be scattered over sand and color changes.

PINEY WOODS

Main Lake Hot for Conroe Cats

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N30 24.09162, W95 36.09396 (30.401527, -95.601566) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Primos dipping bait CONTACT: Richard Tatsch, admin@ fishdudetx.com, 936-291-1277, fishdudetx.com TIPS: Catfish will start feeding in the 15-20-foot range. Expect to catch lots of 1 1/2-3-pounders. Dump 1 1/2 to 3-pounds of cattle cubes overboard for chum close to a creek or river channel and wait 30 minutes for it to draw the fish in.

LOCATION: Caddo HOTSPOT: Alligator Bayou GPS: N32 44.05494, W94 7.55634 (32.734249, -94.125939) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plastic worms, buzzbaits, plastic frogs CONTACT: Paul Keith, caddoguide1@att.net, 318-455-3437,

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caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish Texas-rigged plastic worms, soft plastic frogs or buzzbaits over and on the edges of the grass beds at the intersection of this bayou. The best color shades for this tine of the year on soft plastics are Watermelon and purple.

LOCATION: Livingston HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N30 37.97598, W95 0.99996 (30.632933, -95.016666) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: live shad, 1 1/4-ounce white Slabs, spoons, Tsunami Holographic Swim Shad CONTACT: David S. Cox, dave@palmettoguideservice.com, 936-291-9602, palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Bounce 1 1/4-ounce white Slabs or spoons off the bottom and look for the strikes to come when the baits are falling.

Troll a hot pink/gold 4-inch Swim Shad behind a No.10 Jet Driver.

LOCATION: Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: Green Willow Point GPS: N31 46.15398, W93 49.94898 (31.769233, -93.832483) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Topwater lures, crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, soft plastics CONTACT: Greg Crafts, gregcrafts@ yahoo.com, 936-368-7151, toledobendguide.com TIPS: In July the main lake points will be active with schooling activity for both largemouth bass and white bass. Early mornings and late evenings typically are prime feeding times. Work topwater plugs, Rat-L-Traps, shallow-diving crankbaits, and plastics.

SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, curly-tail or bushy tail jigs CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, weldon_ edna@hotmail.com, 979-229-3103, FishTalesGuideService.com TIPS: Submerged stumps, rocks and brush are in this area. Early and late are best. Fish trees in 12-18 feet of water with 1/16-oz. red/white or black/chartreuse jigs or minnows with slip corks. Experiment at different depths.

Submerged trees have been here for years.

Locate them with your sonar unit. Use 10-12 test line.

LOCATION: Lewisville HOTSPOT: Old Lake Dallas Area GPS: N33 7.29366, W96 59.94672 (33.121561, -96.999112) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Fresh shad, cut bluegills or buffalofish CONTACT: Bobby Kubin, bobby@ bobby-catfishing.com, 817-455-2894, bobby-catfishing.com TIPS: Channel cats may be scattered but catchable. Drift the Old Lake Dallas river channel and flats 10-25 feet deep.

Use a Sanatee-Cooper with 1-oz. weight and 36-inch leader. Put Dead Red Blood Spray on your baits. Drift the baits on the bottom.

LOCATION: Lavon HOTSPOT: Tickey Creek GPS: N33 5.91078, W96 29.16474 (33.098513, -96.486079) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Medium minnows CONTACT: Billy Kilpatrick, straightlineguide@yahoo.com, 214-232-7847, straightlineguide.com TIPS: As the lake heats up so does the crappie action. Shad go deep, from 14-25 feet, and the crappie go with them.

Fish minnows 1-2 feet off the bottom.

LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: Chimney Creek GPS: N32 4.87128, W95 25.36656 (32.081188, -95.422776)

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Gibbons Crappie Get Dam Rocky

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek.

HOTSPOT: Dam Rocky Point GPS: N30 37.50756, W96 3.3249 (30.625126, -96.055415) T F & G

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SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: crankbaits, Carolina rig plastic worms CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, ricky@ rickysguideservice.com, 903-561-7299, rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Target the main points on Chimney Creek and other nearby creeks with Watermelon-red soft plastics on Carolina rigs and shad and chartreuse crankbaits after starting with topwater lures during the first few hours after the break of day.

LOCATION: Somerville HOTSPOT: North Schooling Area GPS: N30 19.63896, W96 32.06598 (30.327316, -96.534433) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Ghost minnows, shad, Little Georges CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, weldon_ edna@hotmail.com, 979-229-3103, FishTales-Guide Service.com TIPS: Anchor here. Use tight line with ghost minnows and shad or colors of lures that look like shad. Watch for feeding birds to locate schools. Move toward the fish with trolling to avoid spooking them with outboard motor. Try a Little George late.

LOCATION: Whitney HOTSPOT: McCown Area GPS: N31 56.21136, W97 25.07034 (31.936856, -97.417839) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: Jigs with soft plastic trailers CONTACT: Randy Routh, teamredneck@hotmail.com, 817-822-5539, teamredneck.net TIPS: The thermocline has set in and the stripers are relating to a reaction strike.

I down-rig a 1/2-ounce white jig with a chartreuse trailer just above the thermocline to catch daily limits. The area from the island near the dam to McCown is best.

LOCATION: Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: 309 Flats Area GPS: N31 58.56936, W96 8.11104 (31.976156, -96.135184) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps CONTACT: Royce and Adam Simmons, royce@gonefishing.biz, 903-389-4117, www.gonefishing.biz TIPS: Head for the 309 Flats area as early as possible and you will find action.

This is a great place to introduce children to fishing. Look for white bass in a feeding

frenzy at the surface. Some action will be in water as shallow as 5-10 feet deep.

PANHANDLE

Largemouth & White Bass on Ivie

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: O.H. Ivie HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N31 30.93288, W99 40.3455 (31.515548, -99.672425) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Topwater lures, plastic worms CONTACT: Dave Caudle, fishinwithdave@aol.com, 325-365-1020, fishinwithdave.com TIPS: Low water level demands caution by boaters. Bass will be in the grass beds along the main channel and near bluffs most of the day. Fish plastic worms later in the day after the sun is high. Target trees, rocks and grass beds.

LOCATION: O.H. Ivie HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N31 32.00388, W99 39.645 (31.533398, -99.660750) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, spoons, Sassy Shads CONTACT: Dave Caudle, fishinwithdave@aol.com, 325-365-1020, fishinwithdave.com TIPS: White bass will be schooling the main lake area chasing after shad. Limits are possible. Chartreuse, chrome and white lures are best. Fish the areas close to the river channel. Use caution when boating the lake during low-water periods.

LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Bee Creek GPS: N32 51.1833, W98 32.1618 (32.853055, -98.536030) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Topwater lures, Rat-LTraps, Slabs

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CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@ aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: This area is away from most boat traffic and provides a great place for white bass to corner shad. I set at the mouth of the creek early with a topwater in hand to await the action. Some hybrid stripers also can be found here under the white bass.

BIG BEND

Bass Play Rough at Amistad

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Amistad HOTSPOT: Rough Canyon GPS: N29 36.31098, W100 58.377 (29.605183, -100.972950) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Pop Rs, buzzbaits, Zara Spooks CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl, stan@amistadbass.com, 830-768-3648, amistadbass. com TIPS: Fish topwaters from the main lake grass beds to the backs of the creeks. Zara Spooks are my favorites but Pop Rs and buzzbaits also can be effective. Look for schooling fish throughout the day.

shad. Look for them along the submerged roadbeds, main-lake humps and points at 8-12 feet. The best activity usually is from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

in these areas. Trolling lures through the creek-river channel and nearby areas such as submerged points and humps also often pay off.

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Mystic Shores Point GPS: N29 54.75396, W98 17.547 (29.912566, -98.292450) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Shaky Head with BassKandi Sweet Stik CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, kandie@ gvtc.com, 210-823-2153 TIPS: Fish the point near drop-offs slowly. Use a 1/4-.oz Shaky Head with the Bass Kandi Sweet Stick on a Carolina rig with 1/4 or 3/8-oz. Picasso Tungsten weight. Wear sunscreen and take other measures to protect yourself from the sun and hot temperatures.

Muy Falcon Bass at Dos Creeks

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Dos Creeks GPS: N26 55.44252, W99 19.56072 (26.924042, -99.326012) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plastic worms, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, topwaters CONTACT: Robert Amaya, robertsfishntackle@gmail.com, 956-765-1442, robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Fish shallow points in these two creeks early with topwater lures and buzzbaits. Once the sun is up, move out to six to eight feet of water and fish the thickest brush with a Texas-rigged plastic worm.

Fish close to the channels of nearby creeks.

LOCATION: Granger HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N30 41.96436, W97 22.14462 (30.699406, -97.369077) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, spoons CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, crappie1@ hotmail.com, 512-365-7761, www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: There is lots of schooling activity now with white bass chasing schools of

HILL COUNTRY

Canyon Stripers Talk Turkey

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Turkey Creek GPS: N29 51.7188, W98 13.22568 (29.861980, -98.220428) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: Slabs, spoons, striper jigs CONTACT: Steve Nixon, steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com, 210-573-1230, sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Fish the areas where the creek channels run into or close to the main river channel. The stripers will be suspended T F & G

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Tides and Prime Times

MONDAY

TUESDAY

JULY 2012

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

SYMBOL KEY

l

New Moon

2«

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 5:45 am Low Tide: 10:38 am High Tide: 1:05 pm Low Tide: 9:58 pm

1.57 ft.

1.37 ft.

1.39 ft.

-0.74 ft.

6:00 — 8:00 PM

0.45 ft.

1.14 ft.

0.37 ft.

0.88 ft.

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 8:44p Moonrise: 7:57a Set: 9:53p AM Minor: 7:02a AM Major: 12:48a PM Minor: 7:29p PM Major: 1:15p Moon Overhead: 2:58p Moon Underfoot: 2:31a

9

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 2:26 am High Tide: 9:23 am Low Tide: 4:25 pm High Tide: 10:41 pm

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 5:40 am Low Tide: 9:29 pm

1.35 ft.

-0.25 ft.

4:30 — 6:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:43a Set: 8:41p Moonrise: 9:39p Set: 8:06a AM Minor: 7:03a AM Major: 12:51a PM Minor: 7:27p PM Major: 1:15p Moon Overhead: 2:32a Moon Underfoot: 2:56p

23

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 12:54 am High Tide: 8:07 am Low Tide: 2:10 pm High Tide: 8:13 pm

0.25 ft.

1.26 ft.

0.53 ft.

0.98 ft.

10:00A — 12:00P

Sunrise: 6:47a Set: 8:38p Moonrise: 12:44a Set: 2:29p AM Minor: 12:07a AM Major: 6:20a PM Minor: 12:31p PM Major: 6:42p Moon Overhead: 7:34a Moon Underfoot: 7:57p

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Ji sUL s u Y e 2x 0x 1x 2

ALMANAC Digital.indd 86

First Quarter

3«

High Tide: 6:25 am Low Tide: 11:15 am High Tide: 2:21 pm Low Tide: 10:48 pm

¡

Full Moon PRIME TIME

1.55 ft.

1.30 ft.

1.37 ft.

-0.69 ft.

7:0 — 9:00 PM

0.70 ft.

1.12 ft.

0.22 ft.

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 8:44p Moonrise: 9:01a Set: 10:33p AM Minor: 7:59a AM Major: 1:46a PM Minor: 8:25p PM Major: 2:12p Moon Overhead: 3:51p Moon Underfoot: 3:25a

10

Low Tide: 2:59 am High Tide: 9:43 am Low Tide: 5:20 pm

Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 8:43p Moonrise: 3:31p Set: 1:37a AM Minor: 12:58a AM Major: 7:12a PM Minor: 1:26p PM Major: 7:40p Moon Overhead: 8:58p Moon Underfoot: 8:31a

16

º

PRIME TIME

«

»

Last Quarter Good Day

4¡

High Tide: 7:02 am Low Tide: 11:56 am High Tide: 3:34 pm Low Tide: 11:37 pm

PRIME TIME

best days

PRIME TIME 1.50 ft.

1.20 ft.

1.31 ft.

-0.55 ft.

8:00 — 10:00 PM

0.94 ft.

0.92 ft.

1.11 ft.

0.10 ft.

8:30 — 10:30 PM

1.39 ft.

1.19 ft.

1.24 ft.

-0.25 ft.

6:00 — 8:00 PM

0.76 ft.

1.23 ft.

0.08 ft.

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 8:44p Moonrise: 10:06a Set: 11:10p AM Minor: 8:57a AM Major: 2:44a PM Minor: 9:22p PM Major: 3:09p Moon Overhead: 4:41p Moon Underfoot: 4:16a

11 »

High Tide: 12:48 am Low Tide: 3:21 am High Tide: 9:59 am Low Tide: 6:11 pm

PRIME TIME

5«

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 7:35 am 1.42 ft.

Low Tide: 12:42 pm 1.05 ft.

High Tide: 4:46 pm 1.22 ft.

8:30 — 10:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 8:44p Moonrise: 11:10a Set: 11:45p AM Minor: 9:53a AM Major: 3:41a PM Minor: 10:18p PM Major: 4:05p Moon Overhead: 5:31p Moon Underfoot: 5:06a

12

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 10:05 am 1.13 ft.

Low Tide: 6:57 pm -0.01 ft.

9:30 — 11:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 8:43p Moonrise: 4:37p Set: 2:21a AM Minor: 1:49a AM Major: 8:03a PM Minor: 2:17p PM Major: 8:32p Moon Overhead: 9:55p Moon Underfoot: 9:27a

Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 8:43p Moonrise: 5:41p Set: 3:11a AM Minor: 2:40a AM Major: 8:55a PM Minor: 3:09p PM Major: 9:24p Moon Overhead: 10:53p Moon Underfoot: 10:24a

Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 8:42p Moonrise: 6:40p Set: 4:05a AM Minor: 3:32a AM Major: 9:46a PM Minor: 4:01p PM Major: 10:16p Moon Overhead: 11:51p Moon Underfoot: 11:23a

17 «

18 l

19 «

High Tide: 5:57 am Low Tide: 11:04 am High Tide: 1:20 pm Low Tide: 10:02 pm

PRIME TIME 1.37 ft.

1.23 ft.

1.24 ft.

-0.27 ft.

5:30 — 7:30 PM

0.50 ft.

1.23 ft.

0.31 ft.

0.98 ft.

11:00A — 1:00P

Sunrise: 6:44a Set: 8:41p Moonrise: 10:12p Set: 9:04a AM Minor: 7:54a AM Major: 1:42a PM Minor: 8:16p PM Major: 2:05p Moon Overhead: 3:19a Moon Underfoot: 3:41p

24

Low Tide: 1:31 am High Tide: 8:22 am Low Tide: 3:03 pm High Tide: 10:03 pm

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 6:48a Set: 8:37p Moonrise: 1:20a Set: 3:25p AM Minor: 12:52a AM Major: 7:04a PM Minor: 1:16p PM Major: 7:28p Moon Overhead: 8:20a Moon Underfoot: 8:44p

High Tide: 6:18 am Low Tide: 11:05 am High Tide: 2:18 pm Low Tide: 10:34 pm

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 6:44a Set: 8:40p Moonrise: 10:42p Set: 10:00a AM Minor: 8:43a AM Major: 2:32a PM Minor: 9:04p PM Major: 2:54p Moon Overhead: 4:03a Moon Underfoot: 4:24p

25

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 2:10 am High Tide: 8:32 am Low Tide: 4:02 pm

Sunrise: 6:49a Set: 8:37p Moonrise: 2:02a Set: 4:21p AM Minor: 1:37a AM Major: 7:49a PM Minor: 2:02p PM Major: 8:14p Moon Overhead: 9:09a Moon Underfoot: 9:35p

TTeexxaaSS FFi isshh && GGaammee®®

High Tide: 6:41 am Low Tide: 11:29 am High Tide: 3:14 pm Low Tide: 11:07 pm

PRIME TIME 1.39 ft.

1.12 ft.

1.21 ft.

-0.21 ft.

6:30 — 8:30 PM

1.07 ft.

1.02 ft.

1.27 ft.

-0.13 ft.

1:00 — 3:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:45a Set: 8:40p Moonrise: 11:11p Set: 10:54a AM Minor: 9:31a AM Major: 3:20a PM Minor: 9:51p PM Major: 3:41p Moon Overhead: 4:45a Moon Underfoot: 5:06p

26 º

High Tide: 12:05 am Low Tide: 2:50 am High Tide: 8:38 am Low Tide: 5:04 pm

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 6:49a Set: 8:36p Moonrise: 2:48a Set: 5:16p AM Minor: 2:22a AM Major: 8:35a PM Minor: 2:49p PM Major: 9:02p Moon Overhead: 10:01a Moon Underfoot: 10:28p

xNO x e Rd Ti Ht i A o ln mx ax n Aa lc m a n a c

6/29/12 4:01 PM

Tides and Prime Times

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Jul 1

JULY 2012

Tide Correction Table PRIME TIME

PLACE

Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 8:42p Moonrise: 7:34p Set: 5:04a AM Minor: 4:25a AM Major: 10:39a PM Minor: 4:53p PM Major: 11:07p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 12:20p

Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 8:42p Moonrise: 8:21p Set: 6:04a AM Minor: 5:18a AM Major: 11:31a PM Minor: 5:45p PM Major: 11:59p Moon Overhead: 12:48a Moon Underfoot: 1:15p

Sunrise: 6:43a Set: 8:41p Moonrise: 9:03p Set: 7:06a AM Minor: 6:11a AM Major: 12:00a PM Minor: 6:36p PM Major: 12:24p Moon Overhead: 1:42a Moon Underfoot: 2:07p

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)

20 «

21 «

22 «

30

High Tide: 5:00 am Low Tide: 9:53 am High Tide: 11:48 am Low Tide: 9:07 pm

6«

Low Tide: 12:23 am High Tide: 8:06 am Low Tide: 1:34 pm High Tide: 6:01 pm

PRIME TIME -0.35 ft.

1.34 ft.

0.89 ft.

1.11 ft.

9:00 — 11:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 8:44p Moonrise: 12:14p Set: None AM Minor: 10:48a AM Major: 4:36a PM Minor: 11:13p PM Major: 5:01p Moon Overhead: 6:21p Moon Underfoot: 5:56a

13

High Tide: 5:27 am Low Tide: 7:39 pm

High Tide: 7:04 am Low Tide: 12:02 pm High Tide: 4:13 pm Low Tide: 11:41 pm

PRIME TIME 1.20 ft.

-0.09 ft.

2:30 — 4:30 PM

PRIME TIME 1.38 ft.

1.03 ft.

1.16 ft.

-0.11 ft.

7:30 — 9:30 PM

1.24 ft.

1.23 ft.

1.33 ft.

-0.32 ft.

2:00 — 4:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:46a Set: 8:39p Moonrise: 11:41p Set: 11:47a AM Minor: 10:17a AM Major: 4:07a PM Minor: 10:37p PM Major: 4:27p Moon Overhead: 5:26a Moon Underfoot: 5:47p

27

High Tide: 2:17 am Low Tide: 3:37 am High Tide: 8:35 am Low Tide: 6:08 pm

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 6:50a Set: 8:36p Moonrise: 3:40a Set: 6:09p AM Minor: 3:10a AM Major: 9:23a PM Minor: 3:37p PM Major: 9:51p Moon Overhead: 10:55a Moon Underfoot: 11:23p

7

Low Tide: 1:06 am High Tide: 8:34 am Low Tide: 2:29 pm High Tide: 7:22 pm

High Tide: 5:22 am Low Tide: 8:18 pm

PRIME TIME -0.09 ft.

1.26 ft.

0.71 ft.

0.99 ft.

1.28 ft.

-0.16 ft.

9:30 — 11:30 PM

8:00 — 10:00 PM

ALMANAC Digital.indd 87

Low Tide: 12:17 am High Tide: 7:48 am Low Tide: 1:23 pm High Tide: 6:39 pm

10:00P — 12:00A

PRIME TIME 1.32 ft.

-0.21 ft.

4:00 — 6:00 PM

PRIME TIME 0.04 ft.

1.31 ft.

0.73 ft.

1.03 ft.

8:30 — 10:30 AM

1.48 ft.

-0.55 ft.

3:30 — 5:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:47a Set: 8:38p Moonrise: 12:11a Set: 1:34p AM Minor: 11:47a AM Major: 5:36a PM Minor: ----- PM Major: 5:57p Moon Overhead: 6:50a Moon Underfoot: 7:11p

PRIME TIME

29

High Tide: 4:26 am Low Tide: 8:08 pm

3:00 — 5:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:50a Set: 8:35p Moonrise: 4:38a Set: 6:59p AM Minor: 3:59a AM Major: 10:13a PM Minor: 4:27p PM Major: 10:40p Moon Overhead: 11:50a Moon Underfoot: None

x x e d i tNO i oRnT xHx AAl lmmaannaacc

15

High Tide: 5:27 am Low Tide: 8:54 pm

3:00 — 5:00 PM

PRIME TIME

1.39 ft.

1.38 ft.

1.38 ft.

-0.46 ft.

PRIME TIME 0.18 ft.

1.19 ft.

0.54 ft.

0.90 ft.

Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 8:43p Moonrise: 2:24p Set: 12:57a AM Minor: 12:10a AM Major: 6:21a PM Minor: 12:34p PM Major: 6:47p Moon Overhead: 8:03p Moon Underfoot: 7:37a

Sunrise: 6:46a Set: 8:39p Moonrise: None Set: 12:40p AM Minor: 11:02a AM Major: 4:52a PM Minor: 11:23p PM Major: 5:12p Moon Overhead: 6:07a Moon Underfoot: 6:28p High Tide: 3:46 am Low Tide: 6:09 am High Tide: 7:39 am Low Tide: 7:10 pm

8

Low Tide: 1:47 am High Tide: 9:00 am Low Tide: 3:27 pm High Tide: 8:55 pm

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 7:27 am 1.35 ft.

Low Tide: 12:41 pm 0.89 ft.

High Tide: 5:20 pm 1.10 ft.

28

5:00 — 7:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 8:44p Moonrise: 6:54a Set: 9:09p AM Minor: 6:06a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:33p PM Major: 12:47p Moon Overhead: 2:04p Moon Underfoot: 1:36a

Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 8:43p Moonrise: 1:19p Set: 12:20a AM Minor: 11:42a AM Major: 5:29a PM Minor: ----- PM Major: 5:54p Moon Overhead: 7:11p Moon Underfoot: 6:46a

14

1.53 ft.

1.38 ft.

1.39 ft.

-0.71 ft.

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 6:51a Set: 8:34p Moonrise: 5:40a Set: 7:46p AM Minor: 4:50a AM Major: 11:04a PM Minor: 5:17p PM Major: 11:31p Moon Overhead: 12:46p Moon Underfoot: 12:18a

HIGH LOW -1:46

-1:31

-1:26

-1:31

-1:00

-1:15

-0:04

-0:25

-0:39

-1:05

+0:14

-0:06

+0:33

+0:41

+3:54

+4:15

+6:05

+6:40

+10:21

+5:19

+10:39

+5:15

+5:48

+4:43

+3:16

+4:18

+2:38

+3:31

+2:39

+2:33

+2:32

+2:31

-1:06

-1:06

-0.09

-0.09

-0:44

-1:02

0:00

-1:20

-0:03

-1:31

-0:24

-1:45

+1:02 -0:42

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 4:58 am Low Tide: 10:01 am High Tide: 12:04 pm Low Tide: 9:03 pm

1.51 ft.

1.36 ft.

1.38 ft.

-0.57 ft.

4:30 — 6:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:52a Set: 8:34p Moonrise: 6:45a Set: 8:28p AM Minor: 5:42a AM Major: 11:56a PM Minor: 6:09p PM Major: 12:23p Moon Overhead: 1:40p Moon Underfoot: 1:13a

31

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 5:27 am Low Tide: 10:15 am High Tide: 1:38 pm Low Tide: 9:53 pm

1.49 ft.

1.28 ft.

1.37 ft.

-0.51 ft.

5:30 — 7:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:52a Set: 8:33p Moonrise: 7:51a Set: 9:07p AM Minor: 6:37a AM Major: 12:23a PM Minor: 7:03p PM Major: 12:50p Moon Overhead: 2:33p Moon Underfoot: 2:07a

TTeexxaaSS FFi isshh && GGaammee®®

J i UL s s Yu e2 x0 x1 x 2

|

87

6/29/12 4:01 PM

Tides and Prime Times

JULY 2012

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 T7

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

T15 T16

T6 T17

T3 T2 T1

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

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

T13 T5

T14

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

T18

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

T19

T20

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

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

T21

Tide Correction Table

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

KEY PLACE T1 Sabine Bank Lighthouse T2 Sabine Pass Jetty T3 Sabine Pass T4 Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass T5 Galveston Bay, S. Jetty T6 Port Bolivar

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

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

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

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

KEY PLACE

Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay T12

Gilchrist, East Bay T13 Jamaica Beach, W. Bay T14

Alligator Point, W. Bay T15

Christmas Pt T16

Galveston Pleasure Pier T17

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

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

KEY PLACE

San Luis Pass T18

Freeport Harbor T19

Pass Cavallo T20

Aransas Pass T21

Padre Island (So. End) T22

Port Isabel T23

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

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

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE GRAPH:

Yellow: Daylight

12a

Tab: Peak Fishing Period

6a

12p

6p

12a

Light Blue: Nighttime

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 AM

Green: Falling Tide

Gold Fish: Best Time

Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

Blue Fish: Good Time

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

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY:

12a

AM/PM Timeline

88 |

AM/PM Timeline

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

Moon Overhead: 8:50a 6a

6p

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

J U L Y

ALMANAC Digital.indd 88

12p

2 0 1 2

12a

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

T e x a S

F i s h

&

G a m e ®

T F & G

A L M A N A C

6/29/12 4:01 PM

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

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

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

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

25

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 1:02p Set: 4:18p

Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 2:04p Set: 5:14p

Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:22p Moonrise: 3:09p Set: 6:11p

Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:22p Moonrise: 4:16p Set: 7:06p

º 26

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 12:02p Set: 3:23p

27

28

29

SATURDAY

30

Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:22p Moonrise: 5:23p Set: 7:58p

Jul 1

Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:22p Moonrise: 6:28p Set: 8:47p

AM Minor: 10:46a

PM Minor: -----

AM Minor: 11:13a

PM Minor: 11:37a

AM Minor: 12:03a

PM Minor: 12:27p

AM Minor: 12:50a

PM Minor: 1:17p

AM Minor: 1:40a

PM Minor: 2:09p

AM Minor: 2:31a

PM Minor: 3:02p

AM Minor: 3:26a

PM Minor: 3:57p

AM Major: 4:34a

PM Major: 4:58p

AM Major: 5:25a

PM Major: 5:49p

AM Major: 6:14a

PM Major: 6:40p

AM Major: 7:04a

PM Major: 7:31p

AM Major: 7:54a

PM Major: 8:23p

AM Major: 8:47a

PM Major: 9:17p

AM Major: 9:41a

PM Major: 10:12p

Moon Overhead: 6:16p

12a

TUESDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:55p

Moon Overhead: 7:04p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 8:49p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 10:48p

Moon Overhead: 9:47p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2012

Moon Overhead: 11:10p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 5:52a

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST:

11:00A — 1:00P

Low Tide: 1:55 am High Tide: 9:38 am Low Tide: 3:57 pm High Tide: 9:23 pm

Moon Underfoot: 7:29a

12:00 — 2:00 PM

0.26 ft.

1.28 ft.

0.65 ft.

0.88 ft.

Low Tide: 2:38 am High Tide: 9:55 am Low Tide: 4:45 pm High Tide: 11:31 pm

A L M A N A C

Moon Underfoot: 9:18a

BEST:

1.08 ft.

1.00 ft.

1.24 ft.

-0.16 ft.

T e x a S

Moon Underfoot: 10:17a

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 PM

0.49 ft. Low Tide: 3:29 am 0.75 ft. High Tide: 1:26 am 1.24 ft. High Tide: 10:08 am 1.22 ft. Low Tide: 4:32 am 0.40 ft. Low Tide: 5:35 pm 0.12 ft. High Tide: 10:19 am Low Tide: 6:28 pm 0.93 ft.

T F & G

ALMANAC Digital.indd 89

BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 8:22a

BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 PM

High Tide: 2:59 am Low Tide: 6:05 am High Tide: 10:31 am Low Tide: 7:21 pm

F i s h

&

1.27 ft.

1.21 ft.

1.30 ft.

-0.40 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 11:19a

High Tide: 4:07 am Low Tide: 8:14 am High Tide: 10:54 am Low Tide: 8:14 pm

G a m e ®

1.43 ft.

1.33 ft.

1.35 ft.

-0.59 ft.

J U L Y

+2.0

BEST:

4:00 — 6:00 PM

5:00 — 7:00 PM

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 6:39a

High Tide: 5:00 am Low Tide: 9:53 am High Tide: 11:48 am Low Tide: 9:07 pm

1.53 ft.

1.38 ft.

1.39 ft.

-0.71 ft.

|

89

2 0 1 2

+1.0 0 -1.0

6/29/12 4:01 PM

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

«3

WEDNESDAY

¡4

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

«5

«6

Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:25a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 8:24p Set: 10:12p Moonrise: 9:12p Set: 10:50p Moonrise: 9:55p Set: 11:26p Moonrise: 10:33p Set: None

SATURDAY

7

SUNDAY

8

Sunrise: 6:25a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:26a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: None Set: 12:02a Moonrise: 11:08p Set: 12:40a

AM Minor: 4:23a

PM Minor: 4:54p

AM Minor: 5:22a

PM Minor: 5:52p

AM Minor: 6:22a

PM Minor: 6:50p

AM Minor: 7:21a

PM Minor: 7:48p

AM Minor: 8:18a

PM Minor: 8:43p

AM Minor: 9:13a

PM Minor: 9:37p

AM Minor: 10:05a

PM Minor: 10:27p

AM Major: 10:38a

PM Major: -----

AM Major: 11:13a

PM Major: 11:37a

AM Major: 12:07a

PM Major: 12:36p

AM Major: 1:08a

PM Major: 1:34p

AM Major: 2:06a

PM Major: 2:31p

AM Major: 3:01a

PM Major: 3:25p

AM Major: 3:54a

PM Major: 4:16p

Moon Overhead: 11:52p 6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 1:52a

Moon Overhead: None 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:48a

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 4:28a

Moon Overhead: 3:40a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 5:14a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

«2

Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:22p Moonrise: 7:29p Set: 9:31p

12a

Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2012

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 12:21p

+2.0

-1.0

BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 PM

TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST:

High Tide: 5:45 am Low Tide: 10:38 am High Tide: 1:05 pm Low Tide: 9:58 pm

90 |

1.57 ft.

1.37 ft.

1.39 ft.

-0.74 ft.

J U L Y

ALMANAC Digital.indd 90

Moon Underfoot: 2:20p BEST:

7:0 — 9:00 PM

High Tide: 6:25 am Low Tide: 11:15 am High Tide: 2:21 pm Low Tide: 10:48 pm

2 0 1 2

1.55 ft.

1.30 ft.

1.37 ft.

-0.69 ft.

8:00 — 10:00 PM

High Tide: 7:02 am Low Tide: 11:56 am High Tide: 3:34 pm Low Tide: 11:37 pm

T e x a S

F i s h

Moon Underfoot: 3:14p

Moon Underfoot: 4:04p

BEST:

8:30 — 10:30 PM

BEST:

G a m e ®

T F & G

BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 PM

1.50 ft. High Tide: 7:35 am 1.42 ft. Low Tide: 12:23 am 1.20 ft. Low Tide: 12:42 pm 1.05 ft. High Tide: 8:06 am 1.31 ft. High Tide: 4:46 pm 1.22 ft. Low Tide: 1:34 pm High Tide: 6:01 pm -0.55 ft.

&

Moon Underfoot: 4:51p

-0.35 ft.

1.34 ft.

0.89 ft.

1.11 ft.

9:30 — 11:30 PM

Low Tide: 1:06 am High Tide: 8:34 am Low Tide: 2:29 pm High Tide: 7:22 pm

-0.09 ft.

1.26 ft.

0.71 ft.

0.99 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 5:36p

+2.0

BEST:

10:00P — 12:00A

Low Tide: 1:47 am High Tide: 9:00 am Low Tide: 3:27 pm High Tide: 8:55 pm

0.18 ft.

1.19 ft.

0.54 ft.

0.90 ft.

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 1:22p

+1.0 0 -1.0

A L M A N A C

6/29/12 4:01 PM

ALMANAC Digital.indd 91

6/29/12 4:01 PM

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

TUESDAY

9

Sunrise: 6:26a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 11:42p Set: 1:21a

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 6:27a Set: 8:20p Moonrise: 12:49a Set: 2:56a

Sunrise: 6:28a Set: 8:20p Moonrise: 1:24a Set: 3:50a

Sunrise: 6:28a Set: 8:20p Moonrise: 2:03a Set: 4:49a

» 11

12

13

SATURDAY

14

Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:20p Moonrise: 2:44a Set: 5:49a

SUNDAY

15

Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:19p Moonrise: 3:29a Set: 6:50a

AM Minor: 10:53a

PM Minor: -----

AM Minor: 11:15a

PM Minor: 11:39a

AM Minor: 11:59a

PM Minor: 12:23p

AM Minor: 12:44a

PM Minor: 1:06p

AM Minor: 1:25a

PM Minor: 1:49p

AM Minor: 2:08a

PM Minor: 2:32p

AM Minor: 2:51a

PM Minor: 3:15p

AM Major: 4:42a

PM Major: 5:04p

AM Major: 5:28a

PM Major: 5:50p

AM Major: 6:12a

PM Major: 6:34p

AM Major: 6:55a

PM Major: 7:18p

AM Major: 7:37a

PM Major: 8:00p

AM Major: 8:20a

PM Major: 8:44p

AM Major: 9:03a

PM Major: 9:27p

Moon Overhead: 5:58a

12a

10

Sunrise: 6:27a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 12:15a Set: 2:06a

WEDNESDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:26a

Moon Overhead: 6:42a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 8:10a

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:44a

Moon Overhead: 8:56a

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 10:33a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2012

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 6:20p

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST:

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 AM

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Low Tide: 2:26 am High Tide: 9:23 am Low Tide: 4:25 pm High Tide: 10:41 pm

92 |

0.45 ft.

1.14 ft.

0.37 ft.

0.88 ft.

J U L Y

ALMANAC Digital.indd 92

Low Tide: 2:59 am High Tide: 9:43 am Low Tide: 5:20 pm

2 0 1 2

Moon Underfoot: 7:48p BEST:

8:30 — 10:30 PM

0.70 ft. High Tide: 12:48 am 1.12 ft. Low Tide: 3:21 am 0.22 ft. High Tide: 9:59 am Low Tide: 6:11 pm

T e x a S

F i s h

Moon Underfoot: 8:33p

Moon Underfoot: 9:20p

BEST:

9:30 — 11:30 PM

BEST:

2:30 — 4:30 PM

0.94 ft. High Tide: 10:05 am 1.13 ft. High Tide: 5:27 am 0.92 ft. Low Tide: 6:57 pm -0.01 ft. Low Tide: 7:39 pm 1.11 ft.

0.10 ft.

&

G a m e ®

T F & G

Moon Underfoot: 10:08p BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 PM

1.20 ft. High Tide: 5:22 am -0.09 ft. Low Tide: 8:18 pm

Moon Underfoot: 11:12p

+2.0

BEST:

4:00 — 6:00 PM

1.28 ft. High Tide: 5:27 am -0.16 ft. Low Tide: 8:54 pm

1.32 ft.

-0.21 ft.

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 7:04p

+1.0 0 -1.0

A L M A N A C

6/29/12 4:02 PM

Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2012

16

Sunrise: 6:30a Set: 8:19p Moonrise: 4:18a Set: 7:50a

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Sunrise: 6:30a Set: 8:19p Moonrise: 5:11a Set: 8:47a

Sunrise: 6:31a Set: 8:18p Moonrise: 6:06a Set: 9:42a

l 18

FRIDAY

« 19

« 20

SATURDAY

« 21

22

Sunrise: 6:31a Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:32a Set: 8:17p Sunrise: 6:32a Set: 8:17p Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:16p Moonrise: 7:02a Set: 10:35a Moonrise: 8:00a Set: 11:27a Moonrise: 8:59a Set: 12:20p Moonrise: 9:57a Set: 1:13p

AM Minor: 3:35a

PM Minor: 4:00p

AM Minor: 4:21a

PM Minor: 4:46p

AM Minor: 5:08a

PM Minor: 5:33p

AM Minor: 5:57a

PM Minor: 6:22p

AM Minor: 6:48a

PM Minor: 7:12p

AM Minor: 7:39a

PM Minor: 8:03p

AM Minor: 8:32a

PM Minor: 8:55p

AM Major: 9:47a

PM Major: 10:12p

AM Major: 10:33a

PM Major: 10:58p

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 11:45a

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:34p

AM Major: 12:36a

PM Major: 1:00p

AM Major: 1:27a

PM Major: 1:51p

AM Major: 2:20a

PM Major: 2:44p

Moon Overhead: 11:23a

12a

« 17

THURSDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 1:03p

Moon Overhead: 12:13p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

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

Moon Overhead: 1:52p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 3:27p

Moon Overhead: 2:40p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 4:14p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: None

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

High Tide: 5:40 am Low Tide: 9:29 pm

Moon Underfoot: 12:38a

BEST:

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 PM

1.35 ft. High Tide: 5:57 am -0.25 ft. Low Tide: 11:04 am High Tide: 1:20 pm Low Tide: 10:02 pm

1.37 ft.

1.23 ft.

1.24 ft.

-0.27 ft.

High Tide: 6:18 am Low Tide: 11:05 am High Tide: 2:18 pm Low Tide: 10:34 pm

1.39 ft.

1.19 ft.

1.24 ft.

-0.25 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 2:16a

BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 PM

T F & G

ALMANAC Digital.indd 93

Moon Underfoot: 1:27a

BEST:

6:30 — 8:30 PM

High Tide: 6:41 am Low Tide: 11:29 am High Tide: 3:14 pm Low Tide: 11:07 pm

A L M A N A C

1.39 ft.

1.12 ft.

1.21 ft.

-0.21 ft.

T e x a S

Moon Underfoot: 3:03a

7:30 — 9:30 PM

High Tide: 7:04 am Low Tide: 12:02 pm High Tide: 4:13 pm Low Tide: 11:41 pm

F i s h

&

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 3:50a

1.38 ft. High Tide: 7:27 am 1.35 ft. Low Tide: 12:17 am 1.03 ft. Low Tide: 12:41 pm 0.89 ft. High Tide: 7:48 am 1.16 ft. High Tide: 5:20 pm 1.10 ft. Low Tide: 1:23 pm High Tide: 6:39 pm -0.11 ft.

G a m e ®

J U L Y

+2.0

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM 8:30 — 10:30 AM

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

4:30 — 6:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: None

2 0 1 2

|

0.04 ft.

1.31 ft.

0.73 ft.

1.03 ft.

+1.0 0 -1.0

93

6/29/12 4:02 PM

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

TUESDAY

23

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:16p Moonrise: 10:57a Set: 2:07p

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 8:15p Moonrise: 1:01p Set: 3:57p

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 8:14p Moonrise: 2:05p Set: 4:52p

Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 8:14p Moonrise: 3:10p Set: 5:46p

25

º 26

27

SATURDAY

28

Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 8:13p Moonrise: 4:15p Set: 6:36p

SUNDAY

29

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 8:13p Moonrise: 5:16p Set: 7:23p

AM Minor: 9:25a

PM Minor: 9:49p

AM Minor: 10:19a

PM Minor: 10:44p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 11:14a

AM Minor: 11:45a

PM Minor: 12:09p

AM Minor: 12:35a

PM Minor: 1:04p

AM Minor: 1:29a

PM Minor: 1:59p

AM Minor: 2:23a

PM Minor: 2:53p

AM Major: 3:13a

PM Major: 3:37p

AM Major: 4:07a

PM Major: 4:32p

AM Major: 5:01a

PM Major: 5:27p

AM Major: 5:55a

PM Major: 6:23p

AM Major: 6:49a

PM Major: 7:18p

AM Major: 7:44a

PM Major: 8:14p

AM Major: 8:38a

PM Major: 9:08p

Moon Overhead: 5:02p

12a

24

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:15p Moonrise: 11:58a Set: 3:02p

WEDNESDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 6:44p

Moon Overhead: 5:51p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 7:39p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 9:37p

Moon Overhead: 8:37p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 10:37p 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for JULY 2012

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 4:38a

+2.0 TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST:

-1.0

BEST:

10:00A — 12:00P

0.25 ft.

1.26 ft.

0.53 ft.

0.98 ft.

30

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 8:12p Moonrise: 6:12p Set: 8:07p

TUESDAY

31

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 8:11p Moonrise: 7:02p Set: 8:47p

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 PM

0.50 ft. Low Tide: 2:10 am 1.23 ft. High Tide: 8:32 am 0.31 ft. Low Tide: 4:02 pm 0.98 ft.

WEDNESDAY

« Aug 1

1.07 ft.

1.02 ft.

1.27 ft.

-0.13 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 9:07a

BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 PM

0.76 ft. High Tide: 12:05 am 1.23 ft. Low Tide: 2:50 am 0.08 ft. High Tide: 8:38 am Low Tide: 5:04 pm

Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 8:11p Moonrise: 7:47p Set: 9:25p

Moon Underfoot: 8:08a

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 PM

High Tide: 2:17 am Low Tide: 3:37 am High Tide: 8:35 am Low Tide: 6:08 pm

THURSDAY

1.24 ft.

1.23 ft.

1.33 ft.

-0.32 ft.

High Tide: 3:46 am Low Tide: 6:09 am High Tide: 7:39 am Low Tide: 7:10 pm

3:30 — 5:30 PM

1.39 ft. High Tide: 4:26 am 1.38 ft. Low Tide: 8:08 pm 1.38 ft.

-0.46 ft.

SATURDAY

¡3

«4

«5

Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 8:10p Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 8:09p Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 8:08p Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 8:08p Moonrise: 8:27p Set: 10:02p Moonrise: 9:03p Set: 10:40p Moonrise: 9:38p Set: 11:21p Moonrise: 10:12p Set: None

AM Minor: 4:10a

PM Minor: 4:39p

AM Minor: 5:04a

PM Minor: 5:31p

AM Minor: 5:56a

PM Minor: 6:22p

AM Minor: 6:49a

PM Minor: 7:13p

AM Minor: 7:41a

PM Minor: 8:04p

AM Minor: 8:32a

PM Minor: 8:55p

AM Major: 9:31a

PM Major: 10:01p

AM Major: 10:25a

PM Major: 10:53p

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 11:17a

AM Major: 11:45a

PM Major: 12:09p

AM Major: 12:37a

PM Major: 1:01p

AM Major: 1:29a

PM Major: 1:52p

AM Major: 2:21a

PM Major: 2:43p

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 12:33a

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:27a

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 3:04a

Moon Overhead: 2:17a

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 3:50a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 11:07a

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 12:05p BEST:

4:30 — 6:30 PM

1.51 ft.

1.36 ft.

1.38 ft.

-0.57 ft.

BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 PM

High Tide: 5:27 am Low Tide: 10:15 am High Tide: 1:38 pm Low Tide: 9:53 pm

Tide Correction Table

Moon Underfoot: 1:52p

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 PM

High Tide: 4:58 am Low Tide: 10:01 am High Tide: 12:04 pm Low Tide: 9:03 pm

Moon Underfoot: 1:00p

1.49 ft.

1.28 ft.

1.37 ft.

-0.51 ft.

KEY PLACE

HIGH LOW

1.44 ft.

1.15 ft.

1.35 ft.

-0.39 ft.

KEY PLACE

Sabine Bank Lighthouse -1:46

-1:31

Galveston Channel/Bays

T2

Sabine Pass Jetty

-1:26

-1:31

T7

T3

Sabine Pass

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

KEY PLACE

HIGH LOW

8:30 — 10:30 PM

Low Tide: 12:39 am High Tide: 7:26 am Low Tide: 1:27 pm High Tide: 7:33 pm

KEY PLACE

HIGH LOW

San Luis Pass

-0.09

-0.09

+3:16 +4:18

T18 T19

Freeport Harbor

-0:44

-1:02

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

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

T12

T13

Gilchrist, East Bay

0.03 ft.

1.26 ft.

0.66 ft.

1.16 ft.

-1:00

-1:15

T8

Eagle Point

+3:54 +4:15

T14

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

T20

Pass Cavallo

0:00

-1:20

Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass -0:04

-0:25

T9

Clear Lake

+6:05 +6:40

T15

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

T21

Aransas Pass

-0:03

-1:31

Galveston Bay, S. Jetty -0:39

-1:05

T10

T11

Morgans Point

+10:21 +5:19

T16

T17

Christmas Pt

T22 T23

Padre Island (So. End) -0:24

-1:45

Port Bolivar

+0:14 -0:06

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

+2:32 +2:31

Galveston Pleasure Pier -1:06

-1:06

+2.0

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

1.38 ft. High Tide: 6:42 am 1.32 ft. Low Tide: 12:02 am 0.99 ft. Low Tide: 11:59 am 0.83 ft. High Tide: 7:04 am 1.30 ft. High Tide: 5:11 pm 1.24 ft. Low Tide: 12:42 pm -0.20 ft.

High Tide: 6:20 pm

HIGH LOW

Moon Underfoot: 4:12p

BEST:

7:30 — 9:30 PM

High Tide: 6:18 am Low Tide: 11:19 am High Tide: 4:04 pm Low Tide: 11:22 pm

T1

Moon Underfoot: 3:27p

BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

High Tide: 5:53 am Low Tide: 10:43 am High Tide: 2:54 pm Low Tide: 10:40 pm

Moon Underfoot: 2:41p

Port Isabel

0.28 ft.

1.22 ft.

0.52 ft.

1.09 ft.

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

0

SUNDAY

PM Minor: 3:46p

Moon Overhead: None

+1.0

-1.0

1.48 ft.

-0.55 ft.

AM Minor: 3:17a

Moon Overhead: 11:24p

+2.0

BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 PM

FRIDAY

«2

Moon Underfoot: 10:07a

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Low Tide: 1:31 am High Tide: 8:22 am Low Tide: 3:03 pm High Tide: 10:03 pm

Moon Underfoot: 7:11a

BEST:

11:00A — 1:00P

Low Tide: 12:54 am High Tide: 8:07 am Low Tide: 2:10 pm High Tide: 8:13 pm

12a

Moon Underfoot: 6:17a

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 5:26a

+1.0 0 -1.0

+1:02 -0:42

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION 94 |

J U L Y

ALMANAC Digital.indd 94

2 0 1 2

T e x a S

F i s h

&

G a m e ®

T F & G

A L M A N A C

6/29/12 4:02 PM

Photos: Sheila Nelson

Black Bean and Corn Salsa Here is a tasty guest recipe from TF&G marketing manager Sheila Nelson:

T

his is a great salsa for a crowd or a long weekend away. Every single time I make it, someone asks me for the recipe. It makes a big batch, but it keeps very well in the fridge. Try it on everything – eggs, fajitas, burgers, or alone with chips.

1 purple onion 1 red bell pepper 1 green bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 10-15 Roma tomatoes 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded 4 ears of fresh corn, cut from the cob – or – 1 can of whole kernel corn, drained

Chop all the veggies into small uniform sizes. I have tried using a food processor, but the result just isn’t the same. Hand dicing works best. Make sure you seed the jalapenos unless you like your salsa hot!

Mix all of the veggies in a large bowl, add the cilantro, cumin, olive oil, and limejuice.

As much or little salt as your taste desires.

Chill in the fridge for 1 hour and serve!

—Sheila Nelson Email Bryan Slaven, “The Texas Gourmet,” at BSlaven@fishgame.com

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped, 2 tablespoons ground cumin 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup fresh squeezed limejuice Salt T F & G

ALMANAC Digital.indd 95

A L M A N A C

T e x a S

F i s h

&

G a m e ®

J U L Y

2 0 1 2

|

95

6/29/12 4:02 PM

TEXAS SALTWATER

TEXAS SALTWATER

Upper Coast (Sabine Lake)

BAFFIN BAY

www.FISHGAME.COM

GALVESTON

ROCKPORT

RAW Ranch Hunts

MIDDLE Coast

FISHandGAMEgear.COM

Hook and Ladder

96 |

J U L Y

ALMANAC Digital.indd 96

2 0 1 2

T e x a S

F i s h

&

G a m e 速

T F & G

A L M A N A C

6/29/12 4:02 PM

Striper Express

RAW Ranch Hunts

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SPOTLIGHT: RAW RANCH HUNTS

RAW are my initials, Robert A. (Bob) Worsham. I have the privilege of managing the hunts for a family on five of their cattle and wildlife ranches in South Texas, West Texas and the Texas Hill Country.

Our ranches vary in size-South Texas-3,000 ac., West Texas (Terrell County)-14,000 ac., Texas Hill Country 1,000 to 1,500 ac. A couple of our Hill Country ranches are being offered to hunters for the first time in the last 8 years. We are able to offer hunts to individuals or for corporate client’s entertainment. All of our ranches have comfortable homes for lodging and great meals are provided by our ranch cook, Mr. Tom Johanson. We have easy accessible ground blinds and tower blinds to choose from and during the rut rattling from a brush blind is good.

Whitetail numbers are on the steady increase on our ranches due to careful controlled hunting so hunters have an opportunity to hunt some of the biggest Whitetails in North America. These large bucks are all native genetics, no imported or pen raised deer---just pure native Texas Whitetails.

While our hunts are not guaranteed, I promise that you will have an opportunity to see quality bucks.

Our hunts offer a mixed bag as you can hunt wild hogs, javelina, bobcats and possibly a mountain lion while you hunt for your deer.

For your exciting RAW RANCH HUNT contact Bob Worsham (830)739-0256 (cell) or (830) 3677222 (office) or go to www.worsham-realestate.com and click on RAW RANCH HUNTs. T F & G

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Whitetail

Amberjack

Sabine County first fish Sargent Macie Gardner, age 3, of Bay City with her first fish which she caught while fishing with her Pops in Sargent.

Aransas Pass

Braedon Bland, 10, shot his first buck, a 10 point whitetail, using a Remington .243. He was hunting with his dad in Sabine County.

Chris Hilsher caught this 21.6-pound amberjack— his first—deep sea fishing out of Aransas Pass. He said the fish “fought like a tank. It was great.”

croaker Arroyo City

crappie

Emma Loredo 4, caught her first fish, a Ccroaker, while fishing with her dad in Arroyo City.

Catfish

Caddo Lake

Private Pond

Nathan and Karen Holland went on a guided crappie trip on Caddo Lake for their 10th anniversary and caught 39 Crappie.

5-year-old Vaughan Luke Zintner with his first channel cat. He was fishing with his Grandpa “Bigdaddy” on friend Jack Berger’s pond.

WhitetaiL & feral hog Noodle, Texas Eight-year-old Dawson Jones with a 167pound 8-pointer and feral sow he shot with his 222 Remington on the MK Ranch in Noodle, Texas.

speckled trout Redfish

Land Cut

Aransas Bay Jon Lindley of New Braunfels caught this redfish while doing some remote wade fishing in Aransas Bay. He said it is a “peaceful and enjoyable way to fish.”

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Peyton Dunman, 11, of Houston caught this 22-inch spec while fishing the Land Cut during his Spring Break. He caught it on live shrimp. It was his first of many fishing trips to come with his father, Jim.

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crappie Lake Lavon Gary Williams of Rowlett took his 4-year-old grandson Rivers on his first crappie fishing trip to Lake Lavon. Rivers and his “Pop” caught this nice stringer early in the morning from the shoreline.

Redfish Crappie

Port Isabel

Lake Waco Katie Mae Hensley, age 3 of Waco, with her first fish (crappie) on Lake Waco.

Arianna Hernandez, age 5, caught her first fish while fishing at South Bay near Port Isabel.

ducks Caldwell County

Redfish

Feral Hog

Lane Dahse, 6, with a mixed bag of 6 teal, several miscellaneous birds and 1 beautiful pintail drake for his father and 2 friends. Subfreezing weather didn’t keep Lane from joining the fun!

Surfside

Edwards County

Dara Dalton of Freeport and a student at A&M Corpus Christi caught this 27-7/8-inch redfish while fishing with her father, Greg Dalton, near Surfside. It was her first “big” redfish.

Zach Pardue, 8, and his grandfather, John Pardue, of Kerrville killed this feral hog during land management efforts in Edwards County.

Speckled Trout Speckled Trout

speckled trout

Valerie Lizcano, 12, of Pharr shows off her first trout, 20 inches. Valerie caught her speck using Gulp Shrimp and popping cork for the first time. She was fishing with her dad off South Padre Island.

Land Cut

Trinity Bay

Cy Strieber of Yorktown, Texas caught this nice stringer of speckled trout while fishing at the Land Cut.

Nine-year-old Luke Mitchell of Baytown caught his first Specs fishing with his Pawpaw and Uncle Randy in Trinity Bay.

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