June 2012 by Texas Fish & Game

www.FishGame.com

From Trade Show to Field Test

JUNE 2012 | VOL. XXIX • NO. 1 | $3.95

10 Things You May Not Know About

Specks FISHING Strange

Water FOR BASS

OVERCOMING Oh Crap! MOMENTS

Lightning! WHEN

RULES OF THE GAME:

NATURE GOES NUCLEAR

Predators

Whitetail Supplements FEED EARLY, GROW BIG

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

Roy Neves PUBLISHER

Don Zaidle EDITOR-in-chief

Chester moore Executive EDITOR

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

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

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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

A D VE R T I S IN G

Ardia Neves

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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. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX 77267-9946 and at additional mailing offices.

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CONTENTS FEATURES

strange water

Find out what many seasoned pro bass anglers have learned by necessity—trying an unfamiliar lake can be a genuine fishing adventure, and a rewarding experience.

by John N. Felsher

s Matt William

JUNE 2012 • Volume XXIX • NO. 2

COVER STORY:

Things You May Not Know About Specks Speckled trout may be the most pursued fish on the coast, but their most interesting traits are still a mystery to most anglers..

STORY:

by Chester Moore

FROM TRADE SHOW TO FIELD TEST

ALSO IN june:

How some of the hottest new products from last year’s ICAST, the world’s fishing showcase, lived up to their promises.

by Chester Moore

FEED EARLY, Grow big

Filling deer feeders with highnutrient supplements isn’t just an October through December thing... supplementing food sources in the off season is just as important to a mature buck’s ultimate potential.

(Expletive Deleted) STORY:

Preparation is the best defense against ‘Oh Crap’ moments.

by Paul Bradshaw

by Bob Hood

LIGHTNING!

Outdoorsmen are subjected to lightning, one of the most awesome acts of nature, on a fairly regular basis. While there is no fail-safe way to avoid it, there are steps that can minimize your vulnerability to a catastrophic strike.

Rules of the Game STORY:

by Bob Hood

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Regulations for hunting predators and non-game animals.

www.FishGame.com &

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CONTENTS COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS

JUNE 2012 • Volume XXIX • NO. 2

COLUMNS 10 Editor’s Notes

21 Commentary

X The Texas Soccer & XWildlife Department

by DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief

by Kendal Hemphill TF&G Politcal Commentator

14 Chester’s Notes

21 Texas Saltwater Bow Hunting 37

by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

Lou Marullo by Calixto Gonzales Bow Hunting Editor TF&G Saltwater Editor

16 Doggett at Large

43 Hunt Texas 46

XRock XOn

X I Like My Wildlife XExtreme

XPanther City, XTexas

X X

by bob hood TF&G Hunting Editor

by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

18 Doggett 16 Pike On the at Large Edge X Surf’s Ups & XDowns

Saltwater 47 Texas Bow Hunting XTime to be ‘a Little’ XTechnical

by JOE Doug DOGGETT Pike TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Calixto Gonzales by Lou Marullo Saltwater Editor TF&G Bow Hunting Editor

20 Pike 18 TexasWild On the Edge

51 Texas Freshwater 53

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 64

by Ted Kendal nugent Hemphill TF&G Editor PolitcalAtCommentator Large

by reavis wortham TF&G Humor Editor

X Raising X Cane

X Crossbow XAntelope

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DEPARTMENTS 8 letters 12 TF&G Report 12 big bags & catches

38 NEW! texas

department of defense

48 True green

XNaconichie: Where Did XAll the Floridas Go?

XWolf X Boys

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Letters to the Editor Fish Cleaning Basics In the May issue you printed an article titled “Fish Cleaning Basics,” by Will Leschper, that in my opinion was fraught with bad advice. The method that Mr. Leschper recommended for “redfish, trout & drum” was absolutely fine for speckled trout and sand trout, as well as any other fish with relatively small diameter backbones, but when it comes to other fish with larger diameter backbones it will lead to tremendous waste. Fish such as redfish, drum, amberjack, ling, and large red snapper have a very large diameter backbone relative to body size, and simply gliding the blade along the backbone as suggested will leave a layer of flesh nearly equal to half the thickness of the backbone on each side. This degree of waste is unacceptable, and I have always taken the time to show the proper way to fillet with minimal waste whenever I have seen someone doing it that way. I recommend a real knife for these types of fish, as you can’t feel whether you’re cutting flesh or bone with an electric knife, and the following process requires a lot of feel at the blade. The first cut should be the angled cut behind the gills, starting in front of the shoulder and angling back going towards the belly, just as Mr. Leschper contends. Next the fish should be positioned with it’s back facing you and the knife tip inserted a short distance into the first cut all the way to the bones and then turned flat with the cutting edge facing the tail. Now the fillet is carefully sliced away all the way to the tail but only as far in as the backbone, while the other hand lifts the fillet to allow easier access and a view of the process. Every effort should be made to keep the blade as close to the bones as possible and perfectly parallel with them. Next the fillet is lifted and the blade used to cut over the backbone and closely down the opposite side of it back down to the bone line on the belly side. Then the blade is flexed to keep it in contact with and parallel to the 8 |

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bones on that side and the fillet is removed by continuing this process moving towards the belly and then back towards the tail. John Gardner Friendswood Matt Williams advises readers to toss fresh fish fillets on ice then rinse them before packaging. I was taught 60 years ago to never, ever let water touch fresh fillets and I am a believer. In fact, some dockside water is just awful and even “clean water” can have enough fluorine, chlorine or iron to taint the fresh, natural and odorless flavor of fillets only hours old. My “fish cleaning basic:” Wash your hands and the cleaning table well. Scrub the table with a soaking wet towel. Dry your hands and mop up water left on the table. Use a clean knife. Put the fillets directly into baggies and handle as little as possible. Do not let them touch the table. Now, you can put them in the ice chest. It is best to use a vacuum machine to package the fillets for freezing but you can get most air out by leaving a corner of the zip lock open and pushing the bag of fillets under water for the water pressure to force out the air. But, there is no substitute for a vaccum bagging machine.

Jay Bute El Lago, Texas

Killed with Kindness Once again, emotional insanity runs amuck (see “Commentary,” April 2012, by Kendal Hemphill). Priscilla Feral (as in feral hogs?) of Friends of Animals wouldn’t recognize logic if it bit her. She really believes it’s better to let all of these animals die than allow some of them to be hunted? With “Friends” like that, who needs enemies? I’m sure I’m not the first to think of this, but it seems to me this change in the rules is clearly a “taking” of the property of the ranchers who kept these animals from becoming extinct in the first place. They bought them and fed them and now the F i s h

government says they can’t sell them? Aren’t they legally entitled to compensation for that? Don Hahn Dallas

Rules of the Game I enjoyed reading the article, “Rules of the Game: Texas Turkey” in the April issue. However, I wanted to mention the article left out Lee County, where I mainly hunt, as another one-turkey county where hunters should use Tag. No. 4. Thanks and good hunting.

Eric Ryza Texas A&M MBA Class of 2013

Those #@%! Turkeys My friend and I were hunting in South Texas the first week of April. On the first morning, we located a gobbler on roost. Got set up, decoys out, and started calling. He was answering all the way from the roost. He got about sixty yards from us and stopped. He would answer our calls, but would not come on in. Shortly another gobbler came in with a hen. It seems that the hen said to them, “Boys, those are phonies. Come go with me.” That is what they did.

William Stark 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

The Texas Soccer & Wildlife Department

e have heard for months now that the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is “struggling under a budget crunch.” (Actually, I cannot remember when TPWD was not struggling under a budget crunch—according to TPWD, anyway.) Cited causes include the economy, declining license sales, drought, declining state parks fees, and maybe sunspots. No one, however, has yet cited the hippo in the livewell: TPWD spends too much money, and spends it on dodgy projects. When the coffers are flush, it is perfectly reasonable that TPWD should provide grant money for boat ramps, fishing piers, Wildlife Management Area maintenance and improvements, wildlife and fisheries research funding, and other hunting, fishing, and wildlife projects. Moreover, it is at least acceptable to put funds into state park maintenance and such—so long as the park in question is selfsustaining and not sucking life support from other revenue sources. But, like any government bureaucracy, TPWD is not content to apply itself to matters within its purview. It reaches for and collects to itself anything it can, no matter how absurd or off-mission, seemingly for no comprehensible reason other than to bloat itself and extend its reach. Perhaps this is why TPWD is in the baseball business; and basketball business; and soccer business; and seesaw business. Torn from the headlines: • “The Houston Parks and Recreation Department has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the Phase I expansion & renovation of historic Emancipation Park. ... Existing facilities to be impacted in future phases include the community center build10 |

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ing, a pool and pool house, playground, picnic pavilion, baseball/softball field, outdoor basketball court, tennis courts, horseshoe pit, picnic tables, and park benches.” • “In Haltom City, when a park off Western Center Boulevard opens this summer ... The 20-acre site ... will have a 20-by30-foot picnic pavilion and separate playground structures for children 5 and younger and for 5- to 12-year-olds, all surrounded by a hike/bike trail system. Perhaps most important, given the North Texas climate, the park will feature the city’s biggest splash pad. ... The $1.25 million park project will be partly funded by $700,000 in grants from Texas Parks and Wildlife.” • “With an eye towards future development for children in Nueces County, officials accepted a 48 acre land donation at the groundbreaking for the Lyondell Basell Nueces County Sports Complex. ... The complex...will feature fields for soccer, softball, sand volleyball, football, basketball, a playground, circuit training equipment and a running track. ... the county has applied for a $500,000 grant with Texas Parks and Wildlife to be put towards the project.” • “David Buzzell, the City of Round Rock’s parks development manager... was among those responsible for Round Rock’s Shaylah Dame Skatepark... Awarded a grant in 2004 from Texas Parks and Wildlife, planners solicited public input from 15 to 20 local skaters in 2006 and commissioned a skate park designer.” • “Willow Waterhole Conservation Reserve is a designated City of Houston Signature Park. A $750,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife grant is paying for the construction of walking paths, bridges, bike trails, playgrounds and picnic areas, as well as the pavilion where the Sunday Music in the Park concert series takes place.” F i s h

A million here, half a million there, and pretty soon you are talking real money. To be fair, grant monies for an urban basketball league do not source from TPWD’s Fund 9, the target account for hunting and fishing license and related revenues. These dubious grants source from the Texas Recreation and Parks Account (TRPA), which is funded by sales tax revenue on “select sporting goods equipment” such as bicycles, exercise equipment, golf equipment, and snow skiing equipment (?), as well as hunting, firearms, and fishing equipment. (The 82nd Texas Legislature temporarily suspended all TRPA funding for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, but expect it to be back.) Further, TPWD is statutorily obligated to administer and allocate these funds, so it is not entirely the department’s fault. Nonetheless, TPWD is a focal point for the largess and excess imposed by sycophant legislators who let no circumstance impede the vote-buying market. Sen. Beauregard Blowhard’s re-election prospects hinge on Little Timmy’s mom’s happiness with the local soccer facilities. TWPD’s spending excess and budget woes also reflect the absurdity of saddling a wildlife agency with the responsibilities of ensuring state park picnickers and municipal playground attendants receive all they have come to expect from bloated bureaucracies and clueless legislators. Back in 1991, after Gov. Ann Richards appointed animal rights loon Teresa Hershey to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (ostensibly due to Hershey’s expertise in park matters), there was talk among some legislators of separating “parks” from “wildlife” under the auspices of separate agencies, as it once was. A smart, conservation-wise legislature would revisit and act on that notion, but I wouldn’t make book on it. After all, all politicians are idiots. We just need better idiots. Email Don Zaidle at DZaidle@fishgame.com

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The TF&G Report More Worries About Invasive Giant Tiger Shrimp A big increase in reports of Asian tiger shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico has federal biologists worried the species is encroaching on native species’ territory. The black-and-white-striped shrimp can grow 13 inches long and weigh a quarterpound, compared to eight inches and a bit over an ounce for domestic white, brown and pink shrimp. Scientists fear the tigers will bring disease and competition for native shrimp. The giant crustaceans prey on smaller shrimps, crabs, and young oysters. Reports of tiger shrimp in U.S. waters rose from a few dozen a year — 21 in 2008, 47 in 2009 and 32 in 2010 — to 331

last year, from North Carolina to Texas. “That’s a big jump,” said Pam Fuller, who keeps a federal invasive species database at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Southeast Ecological Science Center in Gainesville, Fla. And those are just the numbers reported to the government.

“I’ve had fishermen tell me they have quit bringing them in. They are seeing large numbers in their catch — multiples per night,” said Morris, who works at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research in Beaufort, N.C.

Big Bags&Catches

Fallow Deer

Largemouth bass

redfish

Kerville

Bellville

Port O’Connor

Tyler Schnitzer, age 10, of Damon shot his first exotic deer while hunting with his dad, Kenneth Schnitzer at the YO Ranch in Kerrville. Tyler got this fallow deer and an axis.

Caden Owens, 6, caught and released this bass while fishing with his PawPaw, Doug Hodges, at the Hodges/ farm lake near Bellville. It was so heavy, PawPaw had to help reeling in the last few inches.

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Marina Armola Flores of Port Lavaca caught this 40-inch redfish in Port O’Connor. She was using mullet for bait. The big red was tagged after the photo was taken.

Photo credit Tiger Shrimp Photo: Capt. Tony Perez, via Texas AgriLife Extension Service:

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The increase “is the first indication that we may be undergoing a true invasion of Asian tiger shrimp,” he said. According to the Texas Sea Grant program at Texas A&M University, shrimpers have found three tiger prawns in Aransas Bay, one in Sabine Lake, and one in the Gulf about 70 miles offshore from Freeport. —Staff Report

best trained, the best prepared, the best equipped, and the best outfitted they can be to meet the modern day challenges, complexities, and dangers of law enforcement across our state,” Smith continued. As TPWD Law Enforcement Division director, Col. Flores oversees 532 game wardens across the state. Though state game wardens focus primarily on conservation laws, they are fully commissioned peace officers authorized to enforce all state statutes.

Under Flores’ leadership, state game warden training moved from an outdated 1978-vintage, 6.2-acre facility in central Austin to a new 220-acre campus with 39,000 square feet of state-of-the-art building in Hamilton County. A native of Laredo, Flores went to work for TPWD following his graduation from Texas A&M University.

Photo: TPWD

State’s Top Game Warden Retiring Col. Pete Flores, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Law Enforcement Division Director, has announced his retirement effective May 31 after more than 27 years of state service. “Pete Flores has had a long, proud, and very distinguished career serving the department and the state of Texas as a state game warden,” said agency executive director Carter Smith. “As coloCol. Pete Flores nel, he has been an exemplary and strategic leader of the Law Enforcement Division and has set the bar high for conservation law enforcement across the country. His colleagues respect him immensely and justifiably so.” Flores graduated from the Game Warden Training Academy in January 1985 and as a newly commissioned state game warden began his career in Chambers County. He later worked in Brazos County and after promotion to captain, assumed supervisory duties in Beaumont. Later he served as captain in San Antonio and then as a major in San Angelo. In March 2005 he was promoted from lieutenant colonel to the division’s top position. “Besides the births of my children and grandchildren, the day that I had the blue badge pinned on my chest at the TPWD headquarters in Austin was the most memorable day of my life,” Flores said. Smith said the colonel’s successor would be announced as soon as possible. “I am most proud of all Pete has done to ensure our game wardens are the T e x a S

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

I Like My Wildlife Extreme!

ions, tigers and bears. Add to that sharks, cobras, crocodiles, jaguars, killer whales, wolves and elephants and you have a pretty good idea of the kind of wild creatures that endlessly fascinate and inspire yours truly. Cute and cuddly critters are alright but I prefer those that bite, eat, kill, maim and stomp people into mud holes. I call it Extreme Wildlife ™. To this day I overflow with excitement encountering these kinds of creatures and spend hundreds of hours a year studying and photographing them. Fishing and hunting I love dearly but to a large extent is it my job so there is some pressure involved. I relax by seeking out, photographing and studying everything from the great cats to sharks. Between viewing many episodes of “ Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” various Jacques Cousteau specials, seeing “Jaws” and encountering some pretty amazing animals in the wild as a kid, I was hooked. Funny thing is my enthusiasm for these kinds of creatures runs even deeper now. In fact, this very subject makes up about 75 percent of Editor-In-Chief Don Zaidle’s and my phone conversations. You can join me for a an exciting, educational day celebrating these kinds of wild creatures at Extreme Wildlife ™ Day Sat. June 30 at Bass Pro Shops in Pearland. From 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. we will have free seminars, live animals and educational displays pertaining to nature’s most intense creatures. Seminars include Jerry Hestand of the 14 |

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Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy (TBRC) at 11 a.m. talking about “The Legend of Boggy Creek: The South’s Famous Bigfoot”. Jerry is a wonderful guy and has lots of knowledge about the true story behind the famous film as well the Bigfoot phenomenon in the American South from a scientific (non paranormal) perspective. At 1p.m. I ask the question “Cougars in the Houston Area?” This seminar will talk about evidence for cougars roaming not only the Greater Houston Area but throughout the

Pineywoods of East Texas. It will include never before seen game camera photos as well as the debut of new information on these great cats in the Lone Star State. Closing out the day my cat research partner Terri Werner tells “The Truth about Texas’ Black Panther.” Terri is facility director at Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge and has an incredible knowledge of the subject and she will share some of our theories as well as telling exactly what “black panther” is and is not. For the entire event we have some aweF i s h

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some booths and displays including PetsA-Plenty: The Ultimate Reptile Shop with some of their super serpents and other creatures. The TWRC Wildlife Center will be on hand with some of their native Texas species to talk educate the public about some of our most important animals. Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge will have all kinds of big cat educational pieces including an awesome replica skull and claws. I will debut the Extreme Wildlife ™ booth with everything from shark jaws to huge snakeskins, plus the TBRC will have some killer Bigfoot stuff for the crypto fans and the curious. The event is free and open to the public and is perfect for kids to attend. In fact every kid that comes through gets a special prize. And every adult that comes through gets a print of the cougar photo you see with this column simply by mentioning they saw this in Texas Fish & Game (TF&G). Terri Werner and I debut our new web radio program Extreme Wildlife Radio that night and will be working hand in hand with TF&G. We will offer an exclusive 10-minute bonus from our program as exclusive podcast for TF&G newsletter subscribers only. That means if you have not signed up for the newsletter go to www.fishgame. com/newsletter-signup.php and do it now. If you like wildlife, you will not want to miss the podcast. I want to reach people on behalf of wildlife, especially the kids and I know extreme is the way to go. At least it is the most exciting. Want to go with me? If so, I will see you on the 30th. E-mail me cmoore@fishgame.com for questions about the event or other issues.

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

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

Surf’s Ups & Downs

aren’t significant issues when using “fresh dead” for grab-bag action. This is leisurely fishing, more suited than specialized plugging for family-type outings. As with all angling, experienced hands usually have the best shot, but the casual weekender capable of lobbing a suitable rig he beachfront beckons during late beyond the inshore sandbar has a legitimate spring. The currents are warming into chance. real summer and the tides are teaming A natural bait near bottom can attract a with fish. And, no small matter, miles variety of scent-feeding inshore species. The of open access all along the Texas coast are main players are redfish, sharks, black drum, available for inexpensive access. jack crevalle, and gafftop catfish. And, yes, I have, over the decades, often written tarpon will grab a chunk of fresh mullet in the surf. So, too, will sow speckled trout—perhaps to the dismay of purist pluggers. Each spring and summer, some really nice trout are caught on surf rods. This is no place for finesse. Serious surf rods are long maybe 8- to 10-feet in length, with lots of flex for lobbing a long cast with an awkward terminal rig consisting of a swivel, heavy long leader, one or Keeper redfish can be caught on surf rods baited two hooks on dropper lines, and a with cut mullet when conditions are too rough for bottom sinker. wading. The preferred sinker in rough about wading the warm-season surf, plug- surf is of the “spider” design with several ging the “outside bar” with light tackle. pliable wire arms that can be opened to grab Speckled trout are the primary goal although and hold on the sand bottom. The weight the next jolting strike on a spoon, jig, or plug can vary depending on conditions. might come from—what? On a favorable Casting this monstrosity of dangling green tide, a six-foot tarpon or a slashing appendages demands practice. The good king mackerel might even clamp on and race cast is a gathering storm of power delivered for the horizon. with a deliberate side-arm swing. Needless I have a passion for plugging the surf but, to say, you need a smooth reel with a wide in truth, the fishing is not always depend- spool and a lot of line to balance the outfit. able. The open beach is the most fickle of The large spool allows more efficient all coastal venues, highly vulnerable to wind casting and provides plenty of staying power velocity and wind angle. A single discordant if— when—something with real shoulders shrug from Old Man Gulf can turn a prom- clamps on. Stuck on the beach, you can’t ising forecast into a rubble of sandy chops. do a very good job of following a deep run. You have no place to hide. Most serious surf-rodders use superbraid And late spring sees its share of “honk- lines; the lack of stretch allows better contact ing” wind and whipping flags; however, a with a long lob across churning currents and viable option is available: Use a big rod to the superior strength-to-diameter ratio minisoak cut bait for, well, whatever happens mizes break-offs. But heavy mono certainly to swim past. Water clarity and wave size will work.

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The idea is to coincide with a moving tide (preferably incoming) and get the bait well off the beach, ideally in one of the deeper “guts” or channels paralleling the dry sand. The surf is sufficiently warm in June, so you can add extra yards by safely wading to the second bar and chunking from there. Once the lob is made, back-pedal to the beach, thumbing the free-spool all the while. Then you place the vertical rod in a sand spike positioned close to the tide wash (to reduce wasted yardage and minimize interference on the slanting line from inattentive beach-goers). These inexpensive spikes are available in most coastal tackle stores. Get one; you’ll grow old having to hand-hold the heavy, awkward rig. Circle hooks are the best choice for this deliberate bait soaking. The major advantage of the rotating circle hook concept is that a fish swallowing the bait will hook itself on the unattended rod. Another big plus for the circle-hook rig is that it allows the freedom to do other things while waiting for a strike. A smaller casting or spinning rod can be a great backup. If the surf is green, you can get serious and rig the light rod with a lure or live shrimp and wade by for specks and Spanish mackerel. Just don’t shuffle too far from the big rod. If the surf is sandy, rig the light rod with dead shrimp or a piece of cut bait on a small treble or J-type hook and fish with an eggtype sinker close to the beach for B-Team species such as whiting and croaker. You might luck out and stick a keeper red or a flounder. Something is usually out there willing to tap-tap-tap, a great rapid-fire option when restless kids who “just want a pull” are in the group. It’s all fun and easy to reach on spring weekends. And using bait rods expands the potential under marginal conditions—just don’t blame me when the inevitable hardhead catfish or stingray hits. Email Joe Doggett at JDoggett@fishgame.com Photo: Joe Doggett

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

Raising Cane

here has been a cane pole in my left hand for more hours during the past three years than through the previous four decades. And, humbly, I’m getting pretty good with it. Technically, the eight-foot length of natural cane (cut down from an original 10-footer) belongs to my 4-year-old son. He handles it relatively well, too, but is more comfortable most days in the role of “thrower backer.” He’ll catch one or two, then pass the pole to me.

I’ve never refused it, and we’ve never left any body of cane-pole water without catching at least one fish. For the record, our best half-hour session yielded 20 fish; they were still hot when we packed our gear and backed away. The cane pole was a deliberate choice. I’ve seen too many parents and children at these same lakes struggling with cartooncharacter outfits that are clumsy and awkward in tiny hands. My son is learning to cast, to mind his line and to retrieve it, but it will be a bit longer – when his attention span is longer, before he actually gets his 18 |

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own rod and reel. And it will be a real rod and a real reel. Fishing with a cane pole, I have found, is something like hunting with a knife. Range is limited and stealth is critical. The difference, when done right, is that cane-pole fishing is action packed. Since he turned 2, my son has seen me catch catfish, largemouth bass and rainbow trout on that rig. Not many of each, because they are rarely the targeted species, but we caught them. We’ve also caught 100 or more tiny sunfish that average barely three inches each. That class of fish tends to hold in big numbers for all the obvious reasons. We better our odds by “sweetening the pot” with a pre-fish handful of soft dog food or cat food that sinks slowly and gives the fish reason to gather within the arc that can be reached with eight feet of cane and a nearly equal length of light monofilament. At the end of the line hangs a No. 10 long-shank hook, its barb mashed flat with pliers. (All the better for getting those fish into the hands of the thrower backer for a quick, if not always delicate, release.) Above it is attached a BB-sized piece of shot, and above that rides a foam bobber barely the size of a thimble. We have used a variety of baits, but a single slice of thick-cut beef bologna provides optimal bang for the buck. I precut the slice into a couple hundred 1/8-inch shapes that resemble squares. A few get used for chum, a few are eaten by my son, like little pink raisins, and the rest are put to work. Tougher baits, experience has taught, make it difficult for the tiny fish to hang their lips on the hook. There isn’t a much softer meat product than beef bologna; you’ll lose lots of baits. My first experience with bologna, in fact, was a graduate-level lesson in frustration. “They get our bait again, Dad?” I heard that same question nearly two dozen times before I finally lifted a tight line and wriggling prize. Timing, it turns out, is nearly as important as location. Runt sunfish are where F i s h

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you’d expect: around shoreline brush, in the shade of foot bridges…anywhere they feel safe from bigger predators. And they are expert bait stealers. On a day when my son suggested we try for quality over quantity, I changed tactics and did surprisingly well. Same hook and bobber, but no shot. And instead of bologna, I opted for an inch-long piece of Power Bait nightcrawler barely larger in diameter than pencil lead. It takes a while to thread the bait onto the long hook so that it starts at the eye and drapes off “naturally” at the bend, but that setup works big-time good when dabbled around lily pads and pier pilings. (Note: pilings tend to hold larger sunfish, but where we fish, there’s only one per piling.) That little “worm” once fooled a bass that weighed nearly a pound and caught me entirely by surprise when it actually pulled back. There is no drag system on a cane pole. I remembered just in time, except its ability to bend. We got a catfish nearly a foot long, too. And that one rainbow trout, a fish stocked by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. It was all of seven inches long and ate the first bait we dunked that afternoon. I’d have handed it to my thrower backer but was intoxicated with confidence and thought sure we’d get enough to feed the family. We did not. It had been a while since I cleaned a fish so small. Nearly lost an index finger in the process. Even butterflied, a seven-inch ‘bow doesn’t pack much flesh. We split it and savored every buttery, lemony, pan-fried bite. When a friend learned of the cane pole and how often it had been used lately, he suggested that I’d returned to where I started as an angler. I am so far beyond that point as a fisherman, as I know my son will be someday, but the two of us are enjoying every minute passed with our cane pole. Email Doug Pike at DPike@fishgame.com Illustration: Howard Pyle

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

Crossbow Antelope

he sonic bombast emanating from our little SpiritWild Ranch bunkhouse was ferocious. A couple of MotorCity Madmen were unleashing a torrent of maddeningly intense all American rhythm and blues rock-n-roll to die for as Derek St. Holmes and I jammed out the master list of killer tunes for the upcoming Great White Buffalo Rockout 2012. Wild eyed and bushytailed, we slammed out the coolest music in the world like a duo of young uppity teenage brats with their first guitars and loud amps. We were intoxicated with the whole creative juice thang, and loving every soulful moment of our lifetime collaboration of high-energy kick-ass guitar noise from Detroit. But alas, BloodBrothers do not live by rock alone, and we were hankering for some fresh meat to go with the carnivorous soundtrack whirlwind blazing from our predator fingertips. My dancing goddess wife Shemane had just returned home from a maniacal Zumba dance-a-thon, and the three of us decided to swap guitars for our new snakeskin Excalibur crossbow and hit the Double Bull groundblind for the last three hours of daylight on this fine Texas springtime evening. Shemane had spent the previous days practicing with the new Excalibur, and had become comfortable, confident and proficient with it. Turkey season was in full swing and the exotics always need killing, so off we went a hunting with some sharp sticks and an attitude. Derek has Cherokee blood running through his veins, and he is a natural aim small miss small guy, but first to bat with the Excalibur would be my Queen of the Forest Shemane, as she had yet to bloody her first crossbow bolt. As a fine sponsor of Spirit of the Wild TV, Excalibur would surely

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celebrate this dangerous woman putting to use their killer product to bring home some fresh straps for the band. The heavy spring rains had turned our little slice of Texas heaven into a rainforest jungle with the lushest greenery we had ever seen. Fortunately, ol’ Uncle Ted had spread a wide swath of Throw and Grow foodplot seed in the field by the big oak grove prior to the rains, and game were using it regularly. Enhanced with some Primos Swamp Donkey and a sprinkling of golden kernels, we figured luck should be on our side. Two hours slowly ticked by with only the occasional crow and dove joining us, but at

the magic bewitching hour, a trio of shaggy whitetail bucks cautiously worked their way toward our ambush. Love those live decoys. Shemane was reading her book when Derek poked me and pointed northeast and smiled. The tall spiral horns of a mature Indian Blackbuck ram materialized on the small ridge as it inched its way in from the distant cedar thicket. Shemane slowly swapped book for Excalibur and I rolled F i s h

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SpiritWild tape. The intensity was building nicely. Lady luck was indeed with us, as Shemane always seems to create, and when the handsome buck antelope paused at twenty some yards quartering towards us, my little meat queen launched here protein seeking projectile square into the beast’s shoulder with a silent snap and a solid “whollop” for a picture perfect hit. The glowing Lumenok told no lie as the laser like lighted nock disappeared in and out of the antelope in a flash. I captured his death run on film as he made his last staggering leap into the thick cedars eighty yards out. Huge smiles filled our little pop up blind, and everyone knew we had meat on the ground. The recovery was quick and effortless as the razor sharp broadhead had killed the animal within seconds, and we rejoiced the beast was dead, long live the beast. Shemane’s first crossbow kill excited her, Derek and me, as this historical arrow flinging weapon has rightly become so very popular around the country as a fun, challenging, efficient tool to balance the herd and procure the sacred flesh for many hunting families. We handled the beautiful antelope with tender loving care, and we were able to still get in another forty minutes of daylight hunting for Derek. But Shemane had used up the daily allotment of luck, and vowed to return another day to see if the rock-n-roll Indian could get the crossbow job done. My band and crew craves a lot of meat during rehearsals, and thanks to my deadly woman, the carnivorous predator Nugent soundtrack will be in full bloom all spring and summer long again this tour, inspired by the perfection of tooth, fang and claw conservation and the grand tradition of exotic game hunting in Texas.

Email Ted Nugent at TNugent@fishgame.com Photo: Angela Cable, bigstock

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Commentary by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Political Commentator

We Matter

nce, in conversation with a friend, I mentioned that I didn’t buy a certain product, even though I liked it, because the company that made it donated money on a regular basis to the Humane Society of the United States. Since about one percent of the funds collected by HSUS every year end up in the coffers of actual animal shelters, contributions mostly go toward overhead, including the two and a half million dollar annual salary of HSUS president Wayne Pacelle. I’d rather not help him pay for his third vacation home. My friend was dismissive. He said, “What difference does it make? Besides, do you intend to boycott every company that contributes to the wrong causes?” My answers were ‘Quite a bit’ and ‘Yes.’ Often, as members of a minority, we may think our voice is not heard, that we are insignificant in the greater scheme of life in America. Which is probably true, individually. As a group, however, we have clout. For example, when Professional Outdoor Media Association Executive Director Laurie Lee Dovey learned recently that the president of a certain large supplier of motor home parts and accessories had made a statement opposing hunting, she wrote to the company and posted the statement on her Facebook page. Within 24 hours the post had received hundreds of comments. Within 48 hours the president of the offending business had called Dovey and set up an internet conference call, in which he apologized and asked forgiveness, admitting he knew nothing about hunting, and didn’t realize so many of his customers would take offense. One at a time our patronage may seem insignificant. As a group, outdoors enthusiasts are a force to be reckoned with. Our support, or lack thereof, can make a big difference in a company’s bottom line locally,

state-wide, or even nationally. We matter. Unfortunately, the corporate office of Bank of America doesn’t seem to take us seriously. With your help, that can change. Kelly McMillan, director of operations at McMillan Group International has reported, through numerous news outlets, that he recently received a visit from BofA Senior Vice President Ray Fox. McMillan Group has been doing business with BofA for almost 14 years, during which time McMillan Group has never missed a payment or bounced a check. Fox told McMillan that BofA no longer wished to do business with McMillan Group, because the company manufactures firearms. McMillan asked Fox if the decision was political, and Fox answered that it was. When this story broke in late April, I was skeptical. Internet rumors abound, and it seemed ludicrous that BofA would so arrogantly disparage the Second Amendment, and the millions of Americans who hold it in high regard. No matter the personal beliefs of the BofA administration, I doubted they would, as a financial institution, so blatantly and cavalierly offend such a large group. The official BofA position is, not surprisingly, total denial of the allegations. But McMillan has told his story repeatedly since about April 20, and his details have not changed. He has nothing to gain by lying about BofA, and is a respected member of the firearms community with a sterling reputation. Someone is lying, though, and if the truth has not emerged by the time this issue reaches your home, it soon will. My money is on McMillan. Since Bass Pro Shops Visa cards are issued through BofA, I called Larry Whitely, Communications Manager at the BPS home office in Springfield, Missouri. Whiteley was unsure of the truth at the time of our conversation in late April, but assured me the situation was being monitored. Not to put words in Whiteley’s mouth, but I got the impression that, should the evidence prove McMillan’s story to be true, BPS T e x a S

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would soon be in the market for a more firearms-friendly banking relationship. Bank of America received $45 billion (yes, with a ‘B’) through the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which was partly funded by the American taxpayer. The loan was repaid, but it would seem a company willing to accept financial aid from its federal government would be supportive of that government’s constitution. Giving McMillan Group the boot, and telling them the reason is that they manufacture firearms, is a slap in the face to every patriotic American. Getting a statement from a BofA spokesperson proved to be on a par with putting hot butter in a bobcat’s ear. After repeated attempts I never even managed to get anyone on the phone with the authority not to comment. Which may be a comment in itself. On their official Facebook page, BofA offered this opaque statement: “While we cannot discuss the details of any individual client we work with, we can assure you the allegations being made here are completely false. Bank of America does not have a policy that prohibits us from banking clients in this industry.” Curiously, the “industry” was not named. And it is interesting that the 794 comments on this post were almost exclusively negative toward BofA. Fox News reporter Gerri Willis interviewed the news agency’s legal analyst, Lis Wiehl, about the story. Wiehl said McMillan Group has no basis for a discrimination lawsuit against BofA, since Second Amendment adherents don’t fall into a protected class of Americans. Which, of course, is not news. She did point out, however, that the decision to oust McMillan Group, and the backlash that will inevitably ensue, should be devastating for BofA. Which is where we come in. Should Kelly McMillan’s claims bear up under scrutiny, which I expect they will, I intend to do my best to keep BofA from ever seeing another dime of mine. What about you? Email Kendal Hemphill at KHemphill@fishgame.com G a m e ®

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Try Different Texas Lakes for Some Adventure Fishing

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ALTHOUGH OLD FAMILIAR WATERS run deep with memories, many anglers love to fish new lakes, if for nothing else than a change of scenery. In the Lone Star State, anglers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to travel far to fish an entirely different habitat type. Texas anglers may fish swampy lowlands

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studded with cypress trees, clear desert reservoirs, rocky streams, high plains honey holes, weed-choked lakes, deep flooded canyons or tidal estuaries, but going just a few miles farther than usual may offer anglers something new. On large impoundments like Toledo Bend or Sam Rayburn, just launching somewhere else can often provide different habitat and a new adventure. Professional anglers who traverse the country might fish a steaming brackish delta, a deep glacial lake, a rocky desert impoundment and a swift, rain-swollen river in a short time. Anybody can occasionally win a tournament or lip a lunker, but top pros consistently catch fish no matter where they go. Anglers who fish the same local waters each weekend for years may still never learn everything about that lake, so how do pros catch fish under all types of conditions? Fortunately, although the scenery may change, fish never change. A largemouth bass in Texas acts pretty much like a largemouth in New York, California, Michigan or Florida, although perhaps at different times. No matter where it lives, each bass

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needs food, cover, oxygen and comfortable water temperatures. It must spawn and catch prey without becoming prey for another predator. Bass typically go to the dominant structure and eat the dominant forage in any lake. When preparing for a specific tournament, most pros develop a game plan. Planning to fish a new lake takes place long before the boat ever touches water. More time spent studying a chosen destination before leaving home equals less unproductive time on the water burning daylight and expensive gasoline. “Before I even get to the lake, I learn what type of environment I’ll be fishing,” advised Gary Klein, a professional bass

angler from Weatherford, Texas. “The next most important factor is time of year. Once I know where I’m going and what time of year, I can put together a game plan.” To update an old advertising slogan, “Let your mouse do the crawling!” The Internet provides a cheap, handy and almost inexhaustible information source. Read Internet articles and fishing reports for that particular water body or check out local guide websites. Many guides regularly post catch information, tips and photos. Most chambers of commerce and visitors’ bureaus post local information on their web pages. Besides websites, read local newspapers or sporting magazines that published articles about that water body, also frequently avail-

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Bassmaster Classic multi-champ Kevin VanDam shows off a bass that he caught while fishing at Lake Amistad

able on the Internet. Talk to anglers who regularly fish that area. Call the state fisheries biologist managing that lake. Talk to sporting goods store employees or local bait shop owners. Some may refer visitors to local fishing club members, guides or other knowledgeable sources. “I try to gather enough information from local sources to know what the fishing is like,” explained Ken Cook, a former Bassmaster Classic champion from Meers, Okla. “At this point, I’m not interested in where to fish. I just want to know what the fishery is like. I want to know what to expect.” By clicking a mouse, anglers can view Internet maps, locating boat launches, creek channels, tributaries, hidden backwaters and other places that might hold fish. Detailed Internet satellite photos may even zoom enough to pinpoint docks, stumps, grass beds, humps, flats, rock piles or perhaps reveal underwater structure. Some websites even give GPS coordinates for selected points. After studying maps and photos, anglers may eliminate marginal waters so they can avoid wasting time in unproductive places. “Anyone can eliminate 90 percent of the water before they ever get to the lake by knowing seasonal patterns, weather conditions and where fish should be,” said Denny Brauer, a former Bassmaster Classic champion from Camdenton, Mo. “That means a good fisherman needs to search only 10 percent of the water to find that magic one 26 |

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Mike Iaconelli, another Bassmaster Classic champion, lands a bass he caught on a jig in a south Texas lake.

percent that fish are utilizing. Then, that angler needs only to figure out how to catch them in that one percent.” Good technology and a game plan can help anglers find fish, but can’t make them bite. Find out what the locals use or start with proven techniques and lures that worked elsewhere under similar conditions. With slight geographic or seasonal differences, bass generally respond to the same stimuli in the same way regardless of where it swims. However, old favorite techniques sometimes don’t work. If everyone on a given lake throws a particular lure or color, but it doesn’t work that day, throw something different. Often, fish strike an odd lure or color just because they’ve never seen it before. For this reason, hot new “can’t fail” lures burst onto the market and dominate tournaments for a year or two, but many lose effectiveness after too many people throw them. If tried and true methods fail, do something radically different. “In areas with large shad concentrations, the logical thing would be to throw a crankbait that looks like a shad,” said Mark Menendez, a professional bass angler and fisheries biologist from Paducah, Ky. “That’s not always the best option. With so much food available, why would a bass single out a bait that looks like all the other baitfish? Often, I’ll fish an area with something totally different. A bass will notice it because it stands out.” Finally, don’t try to learn an entire system F i s h

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PhotoS: John N. Felsher

Pro Terry Scroggins used a weighted jighead to fish a straight worm wacky style, while fishing a south Texas lake.

Pro bass angler Peter Thliveros with a bass he caught on a soft plastic jerkshad while fishing at Lake Amistad.

Gerald Swindle lands a bass he caught on a jig with a plastic creature trailer while fishing a south Texas lake.

in one day. On a large reservoir like Texoma or Livingston, no one can possibly learn everything in a short time so pick a cove, creek or shoreline and study it. Remain there all day. Even within that small area, a good

angler can eliminate unproductive water and concentrate on a few sweet spots. Texans who venture to new fishing holes may or may not catch as many fish as they do in Olâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Reliable, but sometimes, just get-

ting away from the usual routine makes the trip a memorable experience and well worth the effort.

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From

Trade Show to Field Test How some of the Hot New Products at Last Year’s World Fishing Showcase Lived Up to Their Promises

Berkley Nanofil This new class of line by Berkley is truly unique. It is not monofilament or fluorocarbon but it is not a braid. It is a different kind of material and it is by a long shot the smoothest casting line I have ever thrown. Without a doubt, an angler can get 20 percent farther using this line. So far, this line does not come in large sizes so that is a limiting factor but for anglers looking to get a little distance without super strength Nanofil is worth checking out.

by chester moore each year the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) highlights the latest developments in the fishing industry. I have been attending the show for years and found last year’s innovations and products I only learned about at the 2011 show to be some of the best ever. Companies are beginning to send out press releases about products set to debut at the 2012 show to be held in Orlando, Fla. in July.

After time to test out and study much of what debuted last year, I thought it would be fun to look at some of the most unique Texas applicable products from last year.

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www.Berkley-Fishing.com

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Abu Garcia Revo MGX

KVD Sexy Frog

U.S. Reel Liberty

The Revo has been a popular reel for Abu Garcia fans for a number of years. However, in debuting the MGX the company took things to the next level. This super lightweight (5.4 ounce) reel has not only a compact ergonomic design but is has an incredible 28 points of external adjustment allowing anglers to super fine tune the reel and throw super lightweight baits. I have been using mine for everything from throwing small soft plastics for flounder to chunking spoons for Spanish mackerel and have been more than happy. It is a truly great reel for someone looking for something that is finesse fishing friendly.

There are many frog lures on the market but the one that has consistently been getting good reviews from anglers is the KVD Sexy Frog. Sporting the name of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top angler (Kevin VanDam) not only gives it extra juice on the market but credibility. VanDam can have anyone produce anything for him and when his name is on a product you know it is worthwhile. This frog is the big frog hit of the last year, despite numerous popular renditions in the marketplace.

I did not come across this one at ICAST, but got my first taste fishing the Pro Am of the Toyota Texas Bass Classic with Jimmy Houston. This reel is priced within reach of the average angler and allows for super smooth and surprisingly long casting. Houston fishes these in many of his event and like KVD can use anything he wants. These reels are assembled in the U.S.A. and that gives them some nice synergy with the brand name.

www.StrikeKing.com

www.USreel.com

www.AbuGarcia.com PhotoS: American sportfishing association; PURE FISHING; STRIKE KING; U.S. REEL

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Bomber Saltwater Grade Super Pogy I first noticed this one last year at ICAST although it had been on the market in the previous year. This is a killer crankbait that has been producing redfish at the Sabine Jetties for me this year. It looks exactly like a pogy and has a killer rattle system that drives fish crazy. Another advantage is that even a semi-skilled angler can throw it super long distances, allowing anglers to cover vast amounts of water.

www.BomberSaltwaterGrade.com

Costa Fantail Using polarized shades had given me an edge in fishing I did not expect. Slow to come around to using premium shades, I now refuse to fish without them so I was glad to test a pair Costa Del Mar Fantails in the 580 lenses. The fit is comfortable, the look is cool and the polarization is what I would expect from Costa Del Mar. These 580 lenses are incredible giving me a chance to see things in water ranging from super stained to ultra clear I would never have seen otherwise. I know because when testing shades I often pull them off when I see a fish or structure underwater to compare These are not cheap sunglasses that ZZ Top might sing about but they are well worth it for someone with the resources and the desire to maximize their fishing.

Frabill Storm Suit This jacket is lightweight but definitely shields an angler going across the open water on a cool morning. I was actually surprised with how warm it kept me. In light rain it remained comfortable and once again kept me warm as temperatures fell during a cold front. Probably the most impressive thing about the product is the functionality. The various pockets allow an angler like myself who is constantly packing on gear to have practical and comfortable places to stow away things like my small digital camera I always carry, pliers, my wallet and other amenities.

www.CostadelMar.com

Humminbird 788ci HD Combo

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This setup features a Best-In Class High Definition 640V x 640H 5â&#x20AC;? display with LED backlight, DualBeam PLUS and Down Imaging sonar with 4000 Watts PTP power output, GPS F i s h

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Chartplotting and advanced Fishing System capabilities. In addition, it includes dual card slots for maps and saving waypoints, as well as three programmable preset buttons to save your favorite views. The imaging on this is clear enough for anglers in some situations to pick up individual fish in clearer fashion that you ever imagined and also to be able to make out intimate details of cover and structure at a level most anglers have never dreamed of.

www.Humminbird.com

Shimano Stradic This one is for the angler who wants something lightweight but that is super durable. These reels come in a variety of models with drag strength ranging from seven to 20 pounds and are perfect for using braid, which is what most anglers on the Texas cast prefer when using spinners. Shimano gets a lot of play in Texas for their casting reels but their spinning reels are every bit as dependable.

www.Fish.Shimano.com

Lewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Laser SL Speed Stick After ICAST last year I got an opportunity to fish at Lake Fork with some of the pros from Lewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and tried out a variety of their products. I am always looking for things affordable for the average angler and in that class this rod fits the bill. ($99) These graphite blanks are light, super sensitive and have for the last eight months put up with my punishment, which is a pretty amazing feat. The micro guides took a little getting used to but I am able to make impressive casts and work a variety of lures with the casting version I am using.

PhotoS: BOMBER SALTWATER GRADE; FRABILL; COSTA; JOHNSON FISHING; LEWS; SHIMANO

www.Lews.com

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you may not know about

Speckled

Trout

THE SPECKLED TROUT IS THE MOST intensely pursued fish on the Texas Coast. While redfish and flounder have huge followings, they are nowhere near the level of trout in terms of driving the sportfishing market and stirring the passions of a wide range of anglers. Interestingly, many of the species’ most interesting traits remain hidden to the public. Here are 10 facts you probably did not know about Cynoscion nebulosis: According to coastal fisheries officials with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) a female spotted seatrout may spawn several times during the season. “Younger females may release 100,000 eggs and older, larger

Fact 1

females may release a million eggs.” This is why the current management plan in Texas allows harvest of only one trout per day 25 inches or larger. This keeps large, egg-laden females in the population at a higher ratio.

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Speaking of spawning, 1,038 speckled trout, ranging in age from one to five years, were collected in a study by researchers in South Carolina to determine spawning potential, according to Lagniappe, the research publication of

Fact 2

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Louisiana State University (LSU). As noted in my book “Texas Trout Tactics,” spawning potential is crucial in terms of trout management, as size and bag limits are generally based on this principle. “The smallest mature female was 9.8 inches long. By 10.6 inches, 50 percent of females were mature. At 11.9 inches, 100 percent of the females are mature in South Carolina (compared to 10.6 inches in Louisiana). The researchers found that females became mature about one full year after their birth. While not all age-one females are mature on their birthday, they can be expected to become mature before the spawning season ends.” Researchers found that trout at age one spawn once every 4.7 days; age two fish, every 4.2 days; and age three fish, every 4.0 days. “This is quite close to what has been found for Gulf States trout. As to how many eggs were laid per spawn, the estimates were 145,452 eggs for age 1 fish; 291,123 for age-2 fish; and 529,976 for age-3 fish.” Did you know the trout that you catch that are croaking are males? Male speckled trout will gather by the thousands to form what scientists call “drumming aggregations,” making all kinds of racket underwater. According to a report from Sea Grant, administered by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “During spawning season, males form drumming aggregations, which can number in the hundreds or even thousands of fish. Within these aggregations, each male vibrates his air bladder, producing a croaking sound. When combined with many other males’ sounds, the result sounds like drumming or roaring.

Fact 3

The hottest rumor in the Texas fishing world is that a 36-inch trout heavier than the current state record was caught, killed and eaten in Sabine Lake this spring. Or was it Port Mansfield? There is an email circulating in email inboxes showing an unidentified angler with a beastly trout but so far, we have not been able to track him down.

Fact 4

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Have you gotten this email? If so, we would like to hear from you. These rumors grow every time they are forwarded. Did you know speckled trout have slightly different genetics from bay system to bay system? This is why TPWD biologists only stock trout fingerlings whose parents were caught in the given system. Matagorda trout must go into the Matagorda area for example. The extent of these differences is not known but the state does not want to interfere with any unique traits developed in the individual systems.

Fact 5

The world record speckled trout weighed 17 pounds, 7 ounces and was caught by angler Craig Carson in the Fort Pierce, Fla. area. You hear little about trout fishing in Florida due to the popularity of their snook and tarpon but they do produce some extremely large fish.

Fact 6

Did you know speckled trout are cannibals? Researchers in South Carolina found smaller speckled trout in the stomachs of all age classes they studied and found many juvenile redfish. Shrimp are their favorite food for much of their life but once they get over 20 inches their diet dramatically shifts toward eating relatively large finfish.

Fact 7

Gary Stunz and David McKee of Texas A&M University conducted an interesting study related to catch and release mortality of trout. The following is from the conclusion of their project.

Fact 8

“Using a variety of angling techniques, we captured 448 spotted seatrout ranging from 250 to 760 mm total length (TL) and assessed mortality in replicate field enclosures. The overall short-term mortality for all treatments was relatively low (11 percent); the majority of fish survived. The exception was angler skill level.” “Angling by novices produced a significantly higher mortality rate than angling by skilled anglers; however, mortality averaged only 18 percent even for inexperienced anglers. To evaluate long-term mortality, we monitored 27 spotted seatrout held in a laboratory facility for 30 days; the fish showed no signs of long-term mortality. We observed 11 percent mortality during the first 48 h and no mortality during the subsequent 28 days.”

Fact 9

Did you know the “slicks” anglers like to fish under are actually the result of trout barfing? When feeding heavily they regurgitate a portion of their food and when it is an oily item like menhaden, a small oil slick occurs.

Fact 10

A study conducted by Larry McEachron of TPWD in 1987 found that trout were the third most common species harvested by trotlines in the Texas black drum fishery. According to TPWD it was determined that using circle hooks reduced mortality of fish significantly; placing trotlines on the bottom reduced bycatch further without affecting targeted black drum catches. These kinds of intensive studies and actions of conservation are one of the reasons Texas’ trout fishery is thriving and will probably continue to do so for many years to come.

This photo has been circulating around the Internet for a couple of months now. Some claim this huge fish was caught in Sabine, others in Port Mansfield. No one seems to know for sure and no one has identified the angler. If you are the angler or know him, pleas e-mail us at cmoore@fishgame.com. We would love to get to the bottom of this story. F is h

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5/7/12 9:38 AM

Texas Saltwater by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor

Rock On

here is no disputing that jetty systems hold fish. The combinations of solid, multi-leveled structure, tidal flow, access to deeper water, and variety of forage make them natural magnets for speckled trout, redfish, flounder, snook, mangrove snapper, sheepshead, assorted panfish, tarpon, and even goliath grouper and blue-water species. It isn’t uncommon for the lucky angler to pound the pink Central Texas granite that protects Gulf passes up and down the Texas Coast and head home at the end of the day with five or more different species of fish in the cooler. A good day on the rocks is fun; a great day is memorable. Still, jetty fishing is not without its issues. There are algae-slicked rocks waiting to reach up and trip the unsuspecting rock-hopper. Sharp edges can scrape and cut knees and calves with surprising ease and even the thickest-soled shoes can’t prevent the spine of a long-dead and shriveled hardhead from finding the soft and tender flesh of your foot. The concerns are but minor inconveniences, however; after all, what’s a little bit of spilled blood and lost skin in the face of a wide-open bite? The gravest issue for anglers, especially when the current is running strong, is not losing a tackle box full of lures, hooks, sinkers, and leaders to the rock gods. Slipping on a wet rock might leave you with a dislocated knee cap or a bird-foot fracture of same, but losing your last red/ white Catch 2000 to a snag when that’s all the trout are hitting can be downright crippling. Over the years, some sharpies have developed a variety of techniques that can minimize how much tackle you lose to breakoffs you suffer on a typical jetty excursion. A little out-of-the-box thinking and some “Why didn’t I think of that?” ideas can go a long

way towards keeping your tackle box filled while filling the ice box. Most anglers will not dispute the effectiveness of natural baits in general, and around the jetties in particular. Live shrimp fished around the rocks is a foolproof way of getting bites, albeit some of those bites will be from ubiquitous bait stealers such as pinfish and grunts. A lively finger mullet is absolute death for flounder, trout, redfish, big mangrove snapper, and the occasional tarpon. The problem is that the most popular ways to rig a live bait set-up—the fish finder rig and the split-shot rig—are rock magnets. Sinkers get stuck in crevasses and under rock lips (hooks actually don’t snag up as much as you may think because they drift about the sinker). More often than not, you break off, cuss, and re-tie. Some anglers work their way around snags by suspending their baits underneath popping corks or other floats. These rigs can become ungainly, however, if you need rig your baits deep. If you choose to eschew a float, you can mitigate breakoffs, however, with a simple modification of both the Carolina and split shot rig. The sliding leger is a slip-weight rig that was I first encountered while fishing for smallmouth bass on the Big Manistee River in Michigan. It allows you to fish with some weight along a rocky bottom without snagging, or minimizing the loss of tackle when snagged. Fold a 2-inch length of line over your main-line above the hook (or if you are using a leader of any kind, above the swivel). Clamp a selection of #3 or #4 split shot onto the doubled line. The number depends on the amount of weight you want or need. Allow enough of a loop for the weights to slide up and down the main line. If you don’t have a swivel splicing leader to line, a split shot will serve the same purpose. If any of the split shot should snag while you’re this rig, a steady pull will allow the trapped sinkers to slip off the doubled line and release the remainder of the rig. Reel in and replace the lost split shot. Cutting down on snags with artificial lures is a different story. With the exception T e x a S

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of topwaters, almost every lure fished around the jetties is prone to snagging, especially soft plastics on leadhead jigs. That is not to say that you can’t reduce the frustration of losing money, time, and fish by losing one lure after another to the jetties. With jigs, most snags occur on—you used it—the jighead. The bullet-shape of most swim heads lends itself to wedging just so in a crevice. The more you pull, the more it wedges into it’s new home. The end result is a breakoff. Next time you are using a soft plastic on the jetties, try rigging it onto a straightshanked flutter hook, such as the ones designed by H&H lures. Flutter hooks have the weight fixed to the shank of the hooks, and are usually used with jerkbaits and eeltype plastics. The straight-shanked flutter hook can also be rigged on a swimbait with the hook inside the body. You have the same weight and action as with a standard jighead, but no forward weight to get wedged on the rocks. If you prefer using hard baits, try a large-billed diving crankbait. Bass fishermen will tell you that a diving crankbaits best snag-guard is the diving bill. The bill of the crankbait bounces off rocks and other obstructions and prevents the bait from become snagged. Not only that, the sudden, jolting change in action can initiate a reaction strike from any nearby predators. Moreover, most crankbaits float. If the lure actually snags onto a rock, give it some slack line to allow it to float upward and away from the obstruction. Once it clears the snag, resume your retrieve (that is, if a fish hasn’t busted the durn thing). You will snag up while fishing the jetties. That is a given. Using some of these techniques, however, will determine if most of those snags are rocks or fish.

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5/7/12 9:41 AM

Texas Department of Defense Food for Thought

have heard for decades that when faced with a sudden, high-stress situation a person will automatically do what they have been trained to do. I have heard this so often that I came to believe it as gospel, until I started to study the cases where this mantra was put to the test. It is true that in many instances a person will do what they know best. For example, there is the instance of the trap or skeet-shooting cop who was faced with having to go into an alley after a guntoting robber. Our police officer entered the alley while a crowd of interested onlookers stood around out of the line of fire. When the officer finally encountered the bad guy,

Practical Practice HOW MUCH SHOULD you practice? This is a very important question, and I wish I could give you the perfect answer. I guess the best answer is, as much as you can. However, there are other qualifiers that should be added. You should never practice so much that you begin to tire and do it wrong. In that case you are not practicing things that will make you better, but are making mistakes that will eventually become bad habits. Also, if you practice your quick draw, 38 |

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the standers by heard: “Stop, police officer! Pull! Bang! Bang! The cop was accustomed to calling “pull” each time he fired his shotgun, and in a moment of supreme stress, he called “pull” before he shot the robber. Contrary to that, an interesting phenomenon that I have personally seen is that a person who is well trained to come to a 2-handed hold each time he draws his handgun will often use only 1 hand when faced with an armed protagonist. Here is another interesting thing that often happens when a person is faced by a gunman. In every case that I know of, when a person is taught to use a handgun, he or she is taught to draw the gun, come to a 2-hand hold, line up the sights, concentrating on the front sight, and squeeze off the shots as carefully as time allows, trying for a center mass impact. The actuality of what happens is often quite different. There is an immense amount

of difference between lining up the sights on a nondescript black, gray, or green target, and lining up the sights on a living, breathing, sweating, snarling human with a gun in his hands. This is the reason that some law enforcement agencies are going to targets with faces and guns – a great idea, I believe. In a real life armed encounter where the bad guy is pointing a gun at the defender, the defender will often visually lock onto the gun. Often the bullets from the good guy’s gun will then follow his line of sight and impact the hands of the bad guy. I personally know of one instance where this happened. A Border Patrol agent of my acquaintance happened onto a rape in progress on the bank of the Rio Grande River near Laredo. A young hoodlum from Nuevo Laredo had aided a young female illegal alien in crossing the river and decided to take his pay out in her unwilling affections. When the BP agent blundered onto the scene the would-be rapist jumped back into

do not practice the draw, then immediately replace the gun in the holster. If you do this, you are practicing it incorrectly and you may do exactly that when faced with an armed bandit bent on your destruction. Instead I suggest that you combine your quick draw practice with dry-fire practice, making sure you abide by the rules I gave you on dry-firing. That is, make sure the gun is unloaded and remove all the ammunition to another room. Then if you are interrupted, begin all over again. When you are practicing with a gun, you can never be too safe. Check it, then check it again, then check it the third time to be certain it is unloaded. I have seen too many accidents when an unloaded gun got mysteriously reloaded to take any chance, at all.

(See Dustin’s Dry Fire Tips on page 40 for mor on this subject). No matter what kind of gun you carry or what kind of holster you carry it in, the most important thing of all is safety. You cannot call back a bullet that is on its way, so make certain of your target before you shoot, and make certain that safety is your first thought during practice. And if you see someone else doing something that is unsafe, don’t be too timid to tell him so. Do it kindly and with respect, but do it.

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—Steve LaMascus

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Texas Department of Defense the river before he could complete the evil deed. This, however, is where he made his mistake. Instead of heading for Mexico at flank speed, he stopped, and standing in the shallow water, produced a small pocket pistol of some kind, which he pointed at the agent. Big mistake! I don’t think it is quite so much so now, but the officers of the U.S. Border Patrol used to be known far and wide as gun hawks of considerable skill and speed. Apparently our young river rat had missed that memo. As the agent already had his gun in his hand — as is standard operating procedure when faced with screams for help from the bank of the International Boundary — when the rat pointed his peashooter at him, the agent merely triggered a round from his .357 Magnum. However, instead of hitting the rapist center mass, which our agent had been trained to do, and which had been his intent, he hit the bad guy in the hand(s), surgically removing one or more fingers.

Dry Fire Training Trigger control is one of the most important aspects of marksmanship. In this one action your sight alignment, grip, and stance will be meaningless if you were not able to press the trigger in a smooth and consistent manner. This skill takes thousands of repetitions to master, and with the price of ammunition constantly rising those thousands of repetitions with firearms can be quite costly. One solution to this problem is dry fire practice. Now there is the old gun shop tale of “dry firing breaks your firing pin!” Well, 75 years ago with most revolvers this was true. But with most every modern firearm it is completely harmless and even condoned by manufacturers. There are a few odd actions and rim fires that could be damaged so check your owner’s manual if you are unsure. Better yet, purchase some 40 |

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At this the rapist fled south, nursing the stump of his finger, while our hero gathered up the illegal alien and headed to the office to complete the pile of paperwork that went, even then, with having to fire your weapon in the line of duty. He was thereafter known to his comrades-in-arms as 3-fingers Barrientes. This phenomenon is further evidenced

by the fact that two of the surviving FBI agents involved in the infamous 1986 gun battle in Miami were shot in the hands. I recommend, always, that a shooter practice — every time — drawing the gun from the holster before firing a string. I also stress using the same holster he or she will be carrying on the street, carried in the way it is carried on the street. Such practice will

Practicing Sight Alignment and Trigger Control with the SIRT Pistol.

dummy rounds or snap caps that cushion the firing pin’s fall and allow you to run through malfunctions and loading with the simulation of ammunition. Besides the advantage of saving money on ammo, you can dry fire practice anywhere without a costly range or fees. The firearm safety rules need to be strictly followed before, during, and after a dryfire session. Triple check that your firearm and all magazines are unloaded, and then remove all live ammunition from the room you will be training. While training, you still need to dryfire your pistol at a safe direction such as a gun safe or other solid backstop. Proceed in training with perfect form and don’t make it a speed contest. Practice stance, grip, presentation, sight alignment, trigger press, follow through, reloads, weak hand shooting, different positions, malfunction drills, shooting with a flashlight, and reholstering. F i s h

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Training with your empty pistol is also the safest way to practice odd yet very useful technics without putting a hole through yourself. Next, make the most out of your range time. Instead of blowing through your $15 box of ammunition in the first five minutes, give yourself a refresher course before you go live. Spend the first five minutes running a few drills dry, reacquainting yourself to the trigger’s take up, weight, break, and reset. After this dry practice go live and affirm the benefits of your practice and continue with recoil and follow up shots. It is best to train with your primary pistol so you can practice with the exact feel and trigger. Yet, unless you have a double action-only pistol, you will need to cycle the slide or cock the hammer for every trigger press. There are solutions to this cocking issue with certain systems that will allow you to train as if shooting PhotoS: Cody Conway

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imprint the movements of the draw into your mind and make it as automatic as such a movement can be. I additionally stress that the holster be worn in the same place and in the same way every time. Do not use a quick-draw

holster when you practice and then use a floppy inside-the-waistband holster for every day use. This is a recipe for disaster and has caused more than one police officer to be killed or wounded. In fact, don’t carry a floppy holster, because the ability to re-

Reloading a Gas Operated Airsoft Pistol. Same controls and feel as a Glock.

Reloading on the move with the SIRT.

multiple shots. I recently purchased a quality gas operated airsoft gun to teach my six year old how to shoot. Turns out I like to play and train with it as well. It has all the functions of a real pistol but at a fraction of the cost to fire. The only difference is the slightly different trigger pull and lower recoil. There are high quality metal airsoft clones for almost every popular pistol on the market that

will fit your holster perfectly and give you the exact sight and grip alignment, it’s a great training investment that will run about $100 and $.01 a shot. I’ve read of professional competitive shooters from other firearm freedom restricting countries winning world championships by practicing with an airsoft pistol all year long and competing after a week of training with a real firearm. T e x a S

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holster quickly and with one hand is almost as important as being able to draw the gun quickly. Also, it is much better if you carry only one gun, all the time, for everything. If you carry a 1911 some days and a Glock 22 other days, you may find it difficult to remember to flick the safety on the 1911 when you are under stress, as you will be when faced with an armed crook. I know of one officer who was killed or grievously wounded because he vacillated between carrying a .357 Magnum Highway Patrolman and a Colt 1911. One day he made a stop on a car and when he approached it was met with an armed felon. He apparently managed to draw his gun in time to fire first, but was carrying the 1911 that day and kept trying to pull the trigger without hitting the thumb safety, as he would do with the revolver. The result was that the bad guy shot him. As this happened many years ago, I do not remember if the officer was killed or just seriously wounded. —Steve LaMascus

Finally, if you are a hardcore dryfire shooter there are products such as the Next Level Training SIRT (Shot Indicating Reseting Trigger). Capable of using Glock 17 holsters and mag holders the SIRT pistol allows you to practice with an adjustable resting trigger, green and red lasers that indicate shot placement and follow through as well as using weighted magazines. The SIRT is the king of the dryfire world that competition, military and law enforcement shooters use for training. Dryfire practice is an easy, inexpensive and convenient way to practice your pistol tactics and the most important art of trigger control. It has several advantages and very few disadvantages. Every champion competition shooter swears by it and trains with it daily. I highly recommend every shooter to dryfire practice. You are bound to improve your trigger control and shooting skills. —Dustin Ellermann

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5/4/12 9:13 AM

Feed E IT MAY SEEM A LITTLE CORNY to some hunters, but filling feeders that dispense little yellow nuggets of Zea maize isn’t just an October through December thing to increase their chances of shooting a deer. After all, just because corn isn’t packed with lots of protein doesn’t mean it is of little benefit to deer’s body and antler growths beyond the hunting seasons. If you are concerned about improving deer body and antler growths as well as providing pregnant or lactating does with more nourishment, the time is at hand to load up your feeders to help deer when they need it the most—when they are facing stress

periods such as during winter, dry spring and summer periods when protein levels in natural forage is at low levels. Hunters and landowners who provide supplemental food sources for deer only the hunting seasons are doing nothing for the

deer population other than increasing their chances of harvesting the animals which in turn may help keep the animals in balance with available cover and natural food or benefit the buck-doe ratio. Like many of my hunting buddies, I

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5/3/12 9:51 AM

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PhotO: BOB HOOD

Nutrition is the one factor determining the potential of wild deer like this Palo Pinto buck that hunters can control.

keep feeders going year-round and I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t heard a complaint from a deer yet. Sure, when natural food sources are plentiful, deer donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t visit the feeders as regularly as they did last fall, which just proves they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rely upon deer feeders when times are good. Any additional protein from a supplemental

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feeder during severe winters or dry springs and summers is a plus for them. No, feeding corn to deer through electronic or gravity feeders, or by any other means is not the only answer to quality deer management, but it certainly is not a deterrent to achieving healthier deer.

For deer to reach maturity and, hopefully their potential, they need three things: age, genetics and nutrition. Age is a no-brainer. Most deer reach full mature size at five to six years, and little can be done among wild deer about their genetics. Nutrition, on the other hand, can be improved through supplemental feeding. Many studies have been made on nutritional values of various food sources for deer, especially since the 1970s. Most scientists agree that deer require from six to seven percent crude protein in their diet daily to maintain rumen function. Also, a diet of less than 10 percent protein leads toward inferior animals and poor antler growth. Deer whose daily diet consists of 12 to 16 percent protein normally gain optimum bone and muscle development. A study made by Dr. Larry Varner in 1989 suggested that a daily diet of 20 percent protein is need for antler growth and lactation, especially during stress conditions. So what is the value of feeding deer corn, that is low in protein (seven to 10 percent on the average) and high on carbohydrates? The answer is that corn can be equated

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into the mix. Corn isn’t the only protein a deer can add to its daily diet but it can provide them with a little more protein to go along with other protein-producing food sources that they encounter day to day. Because deer do not rely upon one food source for protein, the more protein that is available to them in all forms, natural and supplemental, increases their opportunity to take in more protein and other important body and antler-building nutrients. Another advantage of feeding deer corn is that is can be used as an energy supplement during very cold periods of winter. Corn, as well as roasted soybeans, molasses and other ingredients often are used to make the numerous “deer blocks” available at a variety of retail outlets These blocks are a good source of protein, calcium and other important supplemental food sources for deer. There are many other beneficial ways of supplemental feeding deer during the winter and prior to possible dry springs and summers. Almost everyone realizes the importance of providing planted food plots for wildlife. And there certainly are a variety of seeds available that produce excellent food sources for deer, birds and other wildlife. Deer prefer vegetation that has been fertilized, and planted food plots with any amount of fertilization always will attract and better provide good supplemental food sources for them than food plots that have not been fertilized. However, the pockets of many hunters and landowners aren’t deep enough for them to go that direction because of the expense of purchasing the seeds, plowing and planting. Gravity flow pellet and ground protein feeders are very effective in providing deer with additional protein as well as calcium and phosphorus, the latter two which are especially needed for good body and antler growth. Anyone buying protein feed should make sure it includes a high content of calcium which is very important for maximum antler development. Although protein pellets absorb moisture and do not work well in electronic “deer feeders,” they do provide easy-to-get-to food sources for deer when used in gravity-flow or free feeders. Many types of gravity-flow feeders are on the market or you can build your own. Some hunters and wildlife managers load them with pellets or ground foods containing soybean meal and added minerals while oth-

ers us use alfalfa pellets and minerals. These feeds offer anywhere from 17 to 20 percent or more levels of protein. But, like corn, protein pellets are simply part of the mix of a deer’s daily diet which consists mainly of natural vegetation and forbs. At the Kerr Wildlife Management Area near Kerrville, deer inside pens during one study consumed three pounds of 16 percent protein per day. What that means to me is nothing. Captured animals eat whatever is provided for them. Deer in the wild fend for

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themselves and eat whatever is available in the way of vegetation, forbs, acorns, agricultural crops, food plots and wildlife feeders. When the hunting season is over, it is time to load up your feeders and provide the deer something they need now. This is one of the most stressful periods of the year for them, and their body growth and antler development will be tested by the amount and quality of nutrients they can consume.

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Hunt Texas by Bob Hood | TF&G Hunting Editor

Panther City, Texas

ost hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts never have seen a mountain lion and for a good reason. Mountain lions simply don’t want to be seen. Nevertheless, North America’s largest member of the cat family remains as one of the most interesting, most misunderstood and most wary wild animals that roam

throughout many areas of the state and closer to you than you might think. Although some states have mountain lion hunting regulations such as seasons and bag limits, Texas has none. That means mountain lions may be hunted at any time and there are no bag limits. In fact, mountain lion “management” has never been a big consideration in this state. Even a Mountain Lion Roundtable discussion at Del Rio in 1992 drew silence from a diverse group of biologists, landowners, and others when Bob Cook of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department asked if anyone there wanted the mountain lion completely removed from Texas. Mountain lions once roamed virtually all 46 |

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254 counties in Texas. Today their largest populations are found in far West and South Texas but some mountain lions still exists in many north, central and east Texas counties despite human encroachment, land fragmentation and other developments. I have seen mountain lions while hunting in Texas and in New Mexico as well as evidence of their presence in other states. One a friend and I saw in Texas was a juvenile cat that attempted to cross a road on a ranch we were hunting near Caddo in Stephens County about 9:30 one morning in 2000. The other is the only Texas mountain lion I have ever shot and I took it at noon a few years ago near Van Horn while hunting mule deer. I’ve also heard the screams of two mountain lions, one on the same Stephens County ranch and the other while hunting in New Mexico. The screams I heard were exactly like the mountain lion screams the old Weems predator call company in Fort Worth recorded on its portable batterypowered record predator caller in the 1970s. If you ever heard their scream, you would never forget it. I once found a spike mule deer hanging about 10 feet high in the fork of a tree in a Wyoming canyon and figure nothing other than a mountain lion could have put it there. And one morning a few years ago, a friend and I found a large feral hog that had been shot at dark the day before lying under a big cedar tree with drag marks in the dew-covered ground indicating it had been dragged there by a mountain lion. That mountain lion had left some of the hair from its back on the lower tree limbs as it backed under the cedar dragging the hog. I compared the hair I found to that of the Van Horn mountain lion I had a taxidermist mount full-body for positive identification. F i s h

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Mountain lions, also called panthers and cougars, have intrigued me ever since I was a young boy growing up in Fort Worth, and they apparently have intrigued many others, especially early settlers in the Fort Worth area. In fact, Fort Worth was called Pantherville, and sometimes Panther City as early as 1875 after the Dallas Times Herald published an article that year by a former Fort Worth lawyer, Robert Cowart, who reported seeing a mountain lion sleeping in the street beside the courthouse. The panther was eventually captured, named “Billy” by local citizens, and put on display. It died in 1877 and received a celebrated burial. Thus, Fort Worth was christened “Pantherville in the late 1800s and soon the name “Panther” began to appear everywhere in the town. A Fort Worth fire engine was named “Panther,” and two panther cubs were obtained by the local newspaper and housed in a cage at the fire hall. The Panther craze quickly spread to businesses and organizations who used Panther as its nickname, including the Paschal High School Panthers and the Fort Worth Panthers minor league baseball team that was the founding member of the old Texas League in 1888. The team later called itself the Fort Worth Cats and played its home games at Panther Park near downtown Fort Worth where Babe Ruth, Rogers Hornsby, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb and other baseball greats played in spring exhibitions. Indeed, the panther, cougar, mountain lion or whatever you want to call it is around in one way or another. In recent years, mountain lion sightings have been reported in numerous urban areas such as Fort Worth-Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston. But that shouldn’t be surprising. They were here first and many animals can learn to adapt to changes.

Email Bob Hood at BHood@fishgame.com Photo: Bob Hood

5/4/12 9:15 AM

Texas Bowhunting by Lou Marullo | TF&G Bowhunting Editor

Time to be ‘a Little’ Technical

any years ago a good friend of mine shared one of his “secrets” to be a consistent successful bowhunter, and in this month’s column, I am about to share it with you. It is well known in my neck of the woods that if you ever swing by my house, you will probably find me in my back yard practicing with my Bowtech bow. I like to practice shooting with a friend and so I invite Tom over and we challenge each other for hours. In our earlier days he would win, but now it has become a real dogfight as to who will have a better shot. What made me a better shot? What was that “secret” I was talking about earlier? I can sum it up in three words, green sight pins. It is not by chance that many of the better shooters out there use the color green for all of their pins. Now, Truglo has pioneered the way and other companies have followed by making bow sights with all green pins. The brilliant idea that Truglo came up with was to make the pins decrease in size, as the target gets further away. They range in size from .029 for closer shots (20 yards), down to .010 for targets that are further away. The fiber optics are encased in a steel housing making it virtually impossible to break. This sight even comes with a light attached to help illuminate the pins. So why is it that this sight has all green pins? The short answer is that the human eye likes the color green more than any other color. I will have to get a little technical to explain why. The human eye has both rod cells and cone cells. Both are responsible for allow-

ing light in and also distinguishes the colors we see. The cone cells are used when there is an abundance of light, however the rod cells take over as the light diminishes. As a matter of fact, rod cells are 100 times more sensitive than cone cells and are used for our night vision. The color light spectrum uses wavelengths that measure from 390 nanometers to 750 nanometers. It is interesting to note that the maximum sensitivity for the human eye lies at around 555 nanometers. It is even more interesting to note that the green region of the light spectrum lies between 520 and 565 nanometers. That fact alone explains why we see the color green clearer than any other color. Some bowhunters may disagree saying that the color red is best for their eye. I have to rely on the facts and the fact remains that when placed side by side holding the pins at the same distance from your eye, you will see that the green pin is much more sharper than the red pin. This is because the color red has a longer wavelength. If you choose to illuminate your sight pins, the light will cause the red pin to blur even more. If after reading this you still want to alternate the colors of your sight pins, then I would recommend using yellow and green. The yellow wavelength is closest to green and would be a much better choice instead of a red pin. Whew! That sure is a long way of saying use green pins especially in low light situations. But it is true, you cannot argue with science. The bowhunters out there that once wore a younger man’s clothes will find that they will be much more accurate when they can concentrate on a small spot to shoot at. Our vision will deteriorate as we get older. Those that once had great vision will soon find they need reading glasses to see things close and that includes their sight pins. It is just one of the many sad facts of getting a little older or as I like to put it “more distinguished.” Having different size pins on the bow sight is another brilliant idea. When I first started shooting a bow, the pins were all the same size, .029. It was like that for T e x a S

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years and still is that way on many of the bow sights of today. That particular size is perfect for close range shooting (which most of us experience), but if the game we are hunting is out there at 40+ yards, that same pin will completely cover up the vital area and you are no longer shooting at a spot on the animal, but the entire animal instead. Even at 30 yards, choosing a hair on the side of the animal as a target would prove to be impossible. That is precisely why I love the Truglo bow sight that I previously wrote about. It has one pin measuring .029 for the closer shots. For the 30 and 40 -yard shots, it sports a pin measuring .019. Finally for the 50 and even 60 -yard shots, the pin measures a very small .010. As always, it should be understood that any shot you make should be taken only if it is within your known accuracy range. That is verified by constant practice and under field conditions. I need to emphasize here that simply because you have a 50 or 60-yard pin, does not give you license to fling an arrow without knowing that you are proficient at that range. Good shot placement is not only important in bow hunting, but it is paramount if you want to harvest any critter you are hunting. In my opinion, it is far more important to be a good ethical hunter than a crack shot who can draw blood on anything he or she shoots at. You not only owe it to the animal you are pursuing, but you also owe it to yourself and all the other bow hunters out there to be an ethical hunter. The idea of a super fine sight pin that is clear to your vision is also good for the perfect shot placement that we, as ethical hunters, all should seek. Try one, I think you will like it, and remember most of all, have fun and hunt safe.

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

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TRUE GREEN

Rollover Pass Owners Could Stop Closure The land in which Rollover Pass is situated is privately owned–and the owners do not want the pass closed. The Houston Chronicle reports that almost three years after the Texas Legislature gave the Texas General Land Office

authority and appropriated almost $6 million to close Rollover Pass, the agency anticipates gaining the final governmentissued permit needed before plugging the 1,600-foot cut hugely popular with anglers but blamed for environmental and eco-

nomic damage. “We’ve been told we could expect it within a week or so,” Jerry Patterson, Texas Land Commissioner and catalyst of the pass closure push, said Thursday of the anticipated issuance of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit allowing filling of the channel. But even with the permit in hand, funding in place and engineering blueprints drawn, the agency faces a considerable hurdle blocking its plans. “GLO doesn’t own Rollover Pass. It’s private property, and the GLO and the state have no legal right to fill it in, even if they have the permits,” said Jim Blackburn, a Houston-based lawyer representing the Gulf Coast Rod, Reel and Gun Club, the Beaumont-based group that owns the 22-acre tract holding Rollover Pass. In letters to Patterson and other GLO officials declining GLO’s request that the group donate or sell the property to the state, Blackburn requested that the state land office withdraw its application for the Corps of Engineers permit and asked the GLO to “leave our property alone and work with us as we move forward with the restoration and enhancement of Rollover Pass.” Countering the state’s assertion that the pass causes ecological and economic damage, the club contends that closing the waterway could harm fisheries that would be cut off from the Gulf. —Staff Report «TG

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Concert for Conservation to Benefit CCA The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) will hold its first “Concert for Conservation” Sat. June 30 at Sam Houston Race Park. The unique event will feature headliner Pat Green with special guests Jerry Jeff Walker, Sammy Kershaw and Gene Watson. “Texans love music and they love fishing. We wanted to do an event that raises money to conserve the aquatic resources anglers value so much and at the same time celebrate the state’s rich musical heritage,” said CCA Texas Executive Director Robby Byers. CCA Texas is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of Texas’ marine resources. Founded more than a quarter of a century ago, CCA Texas (then GCCA) has been instrumental in banning gill nets in state waters, establishing redfish and speckled trout as gamefish, building two of the largest red drum hatcheries in the world, and working to ensure adequate freshwater reaches Texas’ bays and estuaries. Tickets for the concert are available at www.ccatexas.org. —Chester Moore «TG

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New Laws Impact North Texas Boaters, Anglers New laws in effect since May 17 penalize boaters and anglers who do not take steps to prevent the spread of invasive species such as zebra mussels, silver carp, and bighead carp. “Boaters and anglers on Lake Texoma, Lake Lavon and the Red River and its tributaries are being asked to take proactive steps toward being good stewards of the state’s aquatic resources by draining all water from their watercraft before leaving a boat ramp and hitting the road,” said Brian Van Zee, regional inland fisheries director for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

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The new regulation is intended to prevent the spread of zebra mussel larvae, or veligers, which are so tiny they cannot be seen without a microscope. Veligers can survive for days in water trapped in a boat. Boaters on Lakes Texoma and Lavon who drain all bait buckets, livewells, bilges and any other systems or receptacles that could contain water prior to traveling on a public roadway will not be considered to be in possession of zebra mussels in violation of state law, with certain exceptions. In short, all water will need to be removed from a boat before leaving Lakes Texoma or Lavon for another lake, the

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boater’s home, or other destination. The regulation applies to the Red River from the I-44 bridge in Wichita County downstream to the Arkansas border, including all Texas waters of Lake Texoma and Lake Lavon. A second regulation designed to prevent the spread of silver and bighead carp also takes effect May 17. This regulation primarily affects anglers who collect live bait; it prohibits the transport of live non-game fish from waters known to be inhabited by the two species of carp. Waters affected are the Red River below Lake Texoma downstream to the Arkansas border, Big Cypress Bayou downstream of Ferrell’s Bridge Dam on Lake O’ the Pines (including the Texas waters of Caddo Lake) and the Sulphur River downstream of the Lake Wright Patman Dam. —Staff Report «TG

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TPWD to Terminate Texana State Park Lease The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has informed the Lavaca Navidad River Authority that it plans to terminate the lease of LNRA property that provides for Lake Texana State Park, subject to formal action of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission and concurrence by the LNRA Board of Directors. LNRA officials have indicated that they will take over operation of the park when the lease is terminated. In a letter delivered to LNRA on May 3, TPWD cited the ongoing funding shortfall brought about by reduced state park appropriations and last year’s record

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heat, drought and wildfires, which caused a precipitous drop in park visitation and revenues across the state. TPWD has operated the 575-acre park under a 50-year lease originally executed in 1977 with the Bureau of Reclamation/ LNRA and amended in 2003 with a restated lease agreement with LNRA. The state park, which opened to the public in 1981, provides public access to 10,000acre Lake Texana that provides fishing, boating and other recreational opportunities for more than 40,000 visitors each year. The Lavaca-Navidad River Authority was created in 1941 for the purpose of

controlling, storing, preserving, and distributing the storm and flood waters, and the waters of the rivers and streams of Jackson County, and their tributaries, for all useful and beneficial purposes. In addition to owning the state park property, LNRA has statutory authority to provide public recreation opportunities and currently owns/operates several recreation facilities on Lake Texana, including the Brackenridge Recreation Complex and Mustang Wilderness Campground, and leases/operates the county-owned Mauritz Camp. A briefing on the proposed termination of the lease and transition of park operations to LNRA was scheduled for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission ’s regular meeting on May 23 at the TPWD Headquarters in Austin. A local public meeting is expected to be held this summer. —Staff Report «TG

5/7/12 1:56 PM

Texas Freshwater by Matt Williams | TF&G Freshwater Editor

Naconiche: Where Did All the Florida’s Go?

ass anglers across East Texas and beyond are anxiously awaiting the grand opening Lake Naconiche on Sept. 1. On the books since the 1950s, the reservoir was finally impounded in 2009. It has since been pampered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries division in hopes that it might someday become one of top trophy bass lakes in the region. Judging from the results of a genetics analysis survey that were released last February, it is probably going to take the 692-acre reservoir a little longer to get there than fisheries biologists had originally hoped. The reason? In a nutshell, the survey indicates that the nearly 200,000 Florida bass — many of them ShareLunker progeny — that were stocked in the lake since 2009 haven’t fared worth a crap. Florida bass are known to be overachievers. Given an environment with good habitat, ample forage and restrictive harvest regulations to protect them, fast growing Florida bass are prone to stack on weight and add on inches much faster their native northern cousins. Beginning in the late 1970s and early 80s, TPWD made it standard protocol to stock Florida bass into every public lake believed to have potential for producing trophy bass. Stocking fish into a new lake several years prior to opening allows them to get a head start. With optimum habitat lending to high survival, the Florida gene will grab a toe-hold and become well established in the reservoir in relatively short order. In theory, that is what should have happened at Naconiche. But for a strange reason it didn’t. According to district fisheries biologist

Todd Driscoll of Jasper, the genetic analysis survey mentioned earlier was carried out by collecting fin clips from nearly three dozen fish gathered during electrofishing surveys. Interestingly, the test results showed there was not a single pure Florida bass in the mix. Nor was there a single F1 hybrid, which is a first generation cross between a pure Florida and northern largemouth. What the study did show is there are a whole bunch of backcrosses and intergrades — also called Fx’s — finning around out there. “What this tells us is there is very little Florida strain influence in the genetics of the bass population in Naconiche compared to where it should be at this point,” said TPWD fisheries biologist Todd Driscoll of Jasper. “It appears that the genetics have become very diluted by native, northernstrain fish.” Driscoll added that the findings are just as much a surprise as a disappointment, especially considering the amount of time and effort the department has spent grooming the fishery to be the best it could possibly be. “We have given Naconiche top priority stocking since 2009,” he said. “We have used every tool in the toolbox to ensure that the Florida bass population could progress as good and fast as it possibly could.” While the reason for the foiled plan is anybody’s guess, Driscoll pointed to poor survival among the stocked fish as the likely culprit. “There is no doubt we had poor survival of the pure Florida bass we stocked,” Driscoll said. “The reason is purely speculation. It could have been caused by a number of factors. One factor that certainly goes under the microscope here was the condition of the T e x a S

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progeny that were transferred to Naconiche from the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. Thousands of these fish were transferred to other Texas lakes, as well. TFFC director Allen Forshage says he believes stress may have been a factor in the poor survival among young Florida bass stocked in Naconiche. Additionally, low oxygen content recorded in the lake during 2010 also may have had an impact. “We likely had poor stocking survival because of handling, transport and stocking and/or poor water quality conditions after stocking,” Forshage said. “In the past few years we have seen higher than expected mortalities in live nets 72 hours after stocking in other lakes. We attributed this mortality to handling stress during harvest, transport and stocking. We made every effort this year to reduce handling and we feel we eliminated most of the problems. In fact, on one lake this year we had 99.6 percent survival in our 72 hour holding nets.” While the initial Florida stockings at Texas’ newest bass lake may have been a bust, Driscoll says he still anticipates Naconiche evolving into a big time trophy fishery in due time. “We want to be very clear with the message that the bass population out there is in great shape,” Driscoll said. “The fish are growing real well and the forage populations are outstanding. No doubt we’ll probably see a reduction in the number of 10-poundplus bass that are caught early on, but there is still plenty of time to play catch up. That is exactly what we intend to do. Naconiche will continue to be a top priority in a stocking program until our genetic analysis surveys show us it is where it needs to be.”

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

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What to Do When Nature Goes Nuclear

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fact:

When a billion volts of electricity shoot through the air at 60,000 miles per second, you don’t want to be on the receiving end. Lightning is completely unpredictable, and there’s no fail-safe way to prepare for or prevent lightning strikes. There’s nothing you can really do about lightning, beyond avoiding it in the first place.

fact:

Fiction:

Lightning is one of the most awesome and uncontrollable acts of nature, one which outdoorsmen may be subjected to on a fairly regular basis. Anglers and hunters

who use boats are particularly likely to deal with this manifestation of raw, unadulterated power, because lightning is commonly attracted to tall objects and to water. Since T e x a S

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boats sit on top of the water, you’re essentially bobbing around in a lightning attractor surrounded by a big, giant lightning attractor. And although you may not be G a m e ®

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able to control what happens next, armed with the right knowledge and gear you can substantially reduce the chances of being struck whether you’re on a boat or on land.

A Jolt of reality Before you gain such knowledge, it’s useful to examine and dispel some of the common misinformation that’s out there regarding lightning. For starters, if anyone tells you with a straight face that they have a complete understanding of lightning, you should suggest they become a politician— they’re either very good at lying, or they’re living in a state of denial. Even NOAA admits that they can’t say exactly how or why the interaction between super-cooled water droplets and ice crystals in updrafts causes an electrical charge. What they do know is that this charge forms an electrified conduit of particles, which is called a “stepped leader.” The stepped leader, which is invisible to the human eye, zigs and zags through the atmosphere in segments up to 50 yards long. When it hits an object of opposite electrical charge, which can be a tree, a pole, a

head is several miles away. As the electrical charge searches for a path through the sky, it commonly travels as much as eight to 10 miles. We’ve all heard stories of people being struck while under blue skies. But surprisingly, a whopping 30-percent of the people struck by lightning report that it happened before the clouds moved over them, or after they were long-gone. What happens to you when you get struck is another topic rife with lore. In actuality, if you’re on land it may travel right through your body without doing much more damage than straightening out your hair. On the other hand, it can also cause instant death due to cardiac arrest and/or brain damage, among other things. In 2011 just 26 people were killed by lightning in the US, but 246 more were injured. So the effects of being struck run the gamut. If you’re on a boat, however, not only does the danger of being struck become greater, the danger of injury or death also goes up. If a bolt strikes your boat you may (or may not) be unscathed for the moment, but it can destroy all of you navigational gear, fry the computer-control

Lightning can do more than just strike a person on a boat – it can literally blow holes in the hullsides.

building, a boat, or your body, BOOM! Somewhere between 100 million and one billion volts blast through the air. That’s the part we can see. This explains why it’s a fallacy to think you’re safe from lightening when a thunder56 |

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system in your powerplant, blow holes in the hullsides, or trigger an explosion or fire. Again, when it comes to lightning strikes all bets are off; the damage can run from little to lethal.

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LightningPrevention Products The best way to minimize the danger of lightning is, unquestionably, to avoid it in the first place. On land, this simply means going indoors. As a rule of thumb, stay inside for a good 30 minutes after the storm goes by. If you’re not sure just how much lightning is associated with a storm turn on an AM radio, which makes a pretty good lightning detector; every strike will cause cackling static. If you can’t get indoors follow the old adage of staying away from tall trees, Apps on your cell phone and find a lowcan come in quite handy, for tracking and dodging laying spot. incoming storms. Lying on the ground may reduce the chances of being struck, but the effectiveness of the “lightning crouch,” where a person essentially ducks right as the lightning strikes, is a myth. At sea, staying safe from lightning can mean running for shore or changing direction to run from an isolated storm. Fortunately, you can use modern technology to stack the deck in your favor. Satellite weather services, such as Sirius, can be a tremendous advantage in “spotting” storms and their track while they’re still many miles away. Cell phone weather apps (like Weather Bug and The Weather Channel App) and lightningspecific apps (like Lightning or Thunder and Lightning) can also be useful—whether on land or in a boat—since they’ll show you how much lightning is around, how close or far it may be, and the speed and direction the storms are moving in. If you can’t dodge the storm, flight isn’t the only option and there are several things you can do to help boost your safety margin. Make sure that everyone onboard puts on life jackets and holds onto non-metallic items. And crew not needed to run the boat should go into a cabin, if your boat has one, to reduce the chances of them taking a direct PhotoS: Lenny Rudow

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Fitted in a through-hull fitting and mounted near the waterline, the Siedarc gives electricity an easy way out of a boat.

hit. There’s also some hardware that can help mitigate the danger. Static dissipater are alleged to reduce the chances of being hit, by utilizing multiple discharge points (thin metal filaments which looks more or less like a big wire brush), to rapidly dissipate an electrical charge and reduce an object’s electrical “attractiveness”. They’ve proven effective at reducing strikes on telecommunications towers, and although their effectiveness on boats hasn’t been confirmed, both the USCG and the US Navy have them on many vessels. Stream inhibitors present another option, reducing the chances of lightning strikes by inhibiting the formation of streamers from a

specific structure with a natural electrical discharge. This technology is new and has proven effective in labs, but not yet with real-world use. For boaters, the most reliable form of lightning protection comes by creating a zone of protection from above head-level, down to the water. Dr. Ewan Thomson, formerly a professor of electrical engineering the University of Florida and now the CEO of Marine Lightning Protection Inc. (www.marinelightning. com), notes that the key lies in bonding tall metal structures—such as outriggers or metal T-top structures—to the water with grounding strips or electrodes, like the Siedarc (made by Thompson’s company), which provide exit points for the lightning. “A sportfishing boat is a great opportunity to work on,” he explained, “because you have a lot of metal to work with, and outriggers, which can always be regarded as lightning rods.”

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Tie them into an exit point like a grounding strip or the Siedarc, and you’ve provided a path for the charge to follow and exit your boat. Much as a lightning rod works to guide the power to ground on land, at sea, this gives all of that electricity somewhere to go. Remember, the flow of power is merely going to follow the path of least resistance— so give it one of your choosing, instead of leaving its path entirely to chance. Because when that billion volts of electricity comes screaming through the air, you don’t want to be caught unprepared on the receiving end.

Lightning Tip One unusual trick can save your electronics and navigational gear, even if your boat takes a direct lightning strike: put it inside of a microwave oven. Since these ovens are fully enclosed conductors, the electricity won’t enter. And since a hand-held GPS or VHF can save the day, this simple tactic is worth remembering.

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Preparation is the Best Defense Against ‘Oh Crap’ Moments by paul bradshaw looking in the rearview mirror, I knew something was wrong. Boat trailers aren’t supposed to lean like that. Pulling to the shoulder on I-10 is never a good feeling. Doing it at 3:00 am while hauling a boat that is riding on a trailer with obvious issues puts a knot in the pit in your stomach. Walking around the trailer, inspecting it via the pencil thin beam of a flashlight with questionable batteries, the problem becomes clear. The right tire is flat. Well, flat is a 58 |

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compliment. It was gone. All that was left was a bent rim and few pieces of rubber. No problem. We’ll slap on the spare and be on our way. That’s when my fishing partner, F i s h

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and boat owner, advised he didn’t own a spare. Oh Crap! If you spend enough time in the woods, you will no doubt have an “Oh Crap!” Photos: Canstock

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moment. I know I’ve had my share. I’ve been waist deep in mud in multiple states. I’ve had to use my shotgun like a shovel to dig myself out in Kansas and Texas. Lost my bearings a few times on the side of a mountain in Colorado, again multiple times in Texas, and broken down more times than I care to mention, most of the time involving a boat or truck in mud but somehow always lived to tell you about it. Often times, the difference between a disaster and an adventure is your attitude. So the first obstacle that must be overcome in most “Oh Crap” situations isn’t broken parts or stuck vehicles, it’s avoiding the negativity and panic that most people tend to lean towards. Go ahead and get it in your head right now that stuff is going to happen. Sooner or later something will go wrong. Suck it up and understand that you will have to deal with it. Anger, frustration, and fear are normal reactions but will not get you out of the situation. Now that our head is straight let’s move on to how to get out of whatever predicament you find yourself in. The first step is to stop doing whatever you were doing that put you in this situation. Stuck in the mud? Stop pressing the long skinny pedal in your truck. Lost in the dark while trudging to your duck blind? Stop walking. Then take a few minutes to access the problem. The solution might be a lot simpler than you think so look at it with a clear head. The first priority when accessing the situation is to make sure no one is injured. You should always carry a first-aid kit with small items like band-aids, pain/fever reducers, and topical antibiotic ointments. Also add some items like tourniquets, slings, ace bandages and splints because it’s better to not need it and have it than need it and not have it. Working under the assumption that nobody is injured, we’ll just go with the premise that something broke on either your

truck, boat, or trailer stranding you in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone service, local houses, or passing traffic to help, this sounds like the plot for a bad horror movie. What then? Right beside the first-aid kit in your vehicle should be a bag of tools. I’m not talking about a complete set containing every tool in the Snap-On catalogue, just a collection of basic tools that can be used to get you out of a bind. Start with a set of box end wrenches in the standard sizes. Compliment the box ends with an adjustable wrench because most of the time you’ll end up using it anyway. Make sure the tool bag has a hammer in it because sometimes the only way to get out of a predicament is to beat a piece of metal straight. In the scenario at the beginning of this article, the fender on the trailer was bent in a manner so that if we would have had a spare on hand it would have rubbed, ruining it too. So we had to make precision adjustments with a hammer, we beat the heck out of it, to give the tire some clearance. Yes, we eventually got a spare but that is a very long story. Fill up the rest of the bag with various screw drivers, both flathead and Phillips, pliers, needle nose and adjustable jaw, and a couple of four inch C-clamps. Don’t forget to put wire ties and duct tape in there too. There have been many trips saved by duct tape. What if nobody is hurt, nothing is broken, you aren’t lost, just stuck. Really, really stuck. I’ve heard that there are two types of four-wheel-drive truck owners. Those that have been stuck and those that lie about it. But don’t be fooled into thinking that being stuck is just

for idiots in big trucks. I’ve pulled Toyota Camry’s out of the sand before. So it can happen to anyone. The key for turning an “Oh Crap, I’m stuck” moment into a great story, instead of a claim on your insurance, is preparation. The only way only way to get unstuck, other than a helicopter, is to apply enough force horizontally to move the vehicle. There are a couple ways to do this. The prepared outdoorsman has a winch to apply the force. Can’t afford a winch, then be sure to always have a strap on hand and another vehicle. Worst case scenario, you’re stuck in the mud alone, without a winch or 15 friends to push. Now what? It’s going to be a long night but you can get out. You’re always prepared so you keep a two foot square of plywood in the bed of your truck. Use this as a base for your jack, so that it does not sink in the mud, and raise the vehicle one tire at a time. While each individual tire is up in the air cram as many braches under it as you can, or rocks if available. The goal is to get the tires up out of the mud and then make a road of branches to the closest dry ground possible. It might take multiple attempts to get all the way out but every foot of progress counts. If you’re stuck in sand on the beach you can again jack up the vehicle and put anything under the tires you can find. Also, the reason you’re stuck is because the sand is soft. You can firm it up some by pouring water on it. Get a bucket, fill it with water from the surf and start pouring a two-track road to firmer ground. Once you get up on the sand you wetted keep the throttle steady, maintaining your momentum until you get off the beach. There are countless ways to get yourself into an “Oh Crap” moment. Just remember, there are just as many ways to get out of such moments if you take In addition to a a little time to prepare first-aid kit, your and keep your wits. Also emergency proremember that “Oh Crap” visions should moments make the best stories include a basic later when you’re sitting around the set of tools. campfire.

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MANY TEXAS HUNTERS LIKE ME grew up hunting rabbits and squirrels and as we grew older coyotes, bobcats, fox and raccoons with the squealing sounds of an injured rabbit or bird from a predator call. Has anything changed about hunting animals not classified as game animals or game birds over the years? You bet. Hunting regulations for predators, non-game, and exotic animals often go under changes on an annual basis. After all, the rules are there for more than just one reason and times, landownerships, habitat and more change all the time. These regulations are there to protect the harvest of animals through bag and possession limits, they control hunting meth-

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ods, they protect people’s property rights, strengthen safety measures and help promote hunting opportunities for all of us while at the same time ensuring wise conservation measures for the animals and birds, themselves. Here are the dos and don’ts every hunter should know before hunting predators and non-game animals:

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HUNTING LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

A valid hunting license is required by anyone regardless of age who hunts any animal, bird, frog or turtle with very few exceptions. Among the exceptions to this law is that no hunting license is required by persons who possess a trapper’s license, nor is a

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The Laws and Regulations Governing Hunting and Fishing in Texas

PART 6 OF OUR YEAR-LONG SERIES PHOTO: DON ZAIDLE

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hunting license required for depredating hogs or coyotes, or coyotes that are about to attack, have recently attacked livestock, domestic animals or fowl, or for fur-bearing animals that are causing depredation. Various hunting licenses and packages are available for residents and non-residents including a senior citizen hunting licenses. Persons under age 17 may purchase a Youth Hunting License for $7 if they are under age 17 on the date of the license purchase.

HUNTING EDUCATION TRAINING COURSE

Also, all persons born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, must successfully complete a Hunting Education Training Course. The cost for certification is $15. A one-time, one-year deferral to this requirement for persons 17 years of age or older is available for $10. The minimum age for the Hunting Education Training Course is 9. Persons under age 9 must be accompanied by a licensed person age 17 or older, by a person who has completed the Hunter Education Training Course or by someone who is exempt from it, i.e. licensed persons born before Sept. 2, 1971. All persons age 9 through 16 must complete a hunter education course or be accompanied by a person who has completed the course, a licensed person age 17 or older, or by a licensed hunter born before Sept. 2, 1971.

NON-GAME ANIMALS

Armadillos, bobcats, coyotes, flying squirrels, frogs, ground squirrels, mountain lions, porcupines, prairie dogs, rabbits and most turtles. Note: non-game animals do not include feral hogs, exotic animals and fowl. Non-game animals may be hunted any time on private property A gray fox with any legal weapons. answers to a predator call.

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Some public lands may have restrictions on when and where you may hunt them. Bobcat pelts may not be taken for the purpose of selling, transporting or shipping them outside Texas unless you have a special pelt tag available from a licensed bobcat pelt permit holder or from a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regional or field office.

EXOTIC ANIMALS AND BIRDS

Feral hogs, some species of imported deer and other non-native animals including but not limited to Aoudad sheep, antelope, Russian Boar and flightless birds including emu, ostrich, rhea and cassowary. It is illegal to hunt an exotic without a valid hunting license, on a public road or right-of-way or on private land without the landownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s permission There is no closed season on exotic animals, nor is there any bag or possession limits on exotic animals hunted on private property. They may be hunted year-round. However, some public lands may have special regulations on when they may be hunted, weapons allowed and bag limits.

numbers and in a threatening manner or manner that constitutes a health hazard or other nuisance.

WHERE YOU CAN NOT HUNT

It is illegal to hunt in a subdivision with lots 10 acres or smaller in an unincorporated area of a county if a commissioners court has prohibited the discharge of a firearm or the use of archery equipment in the subdivision. Several counties also have banned hunting and/or the discharge of firearms in certain areas such as on or around various lakes, rivers, streams and other sites. Those prohibited areas are listed in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Outdoor Annual, which lists hunting and fishing regulations. It is illegal to shoot a projectile across a boundary fence or line unless you have received permission from the landowner or his agent who is in control of the property across that boundary line. It is illegal to hunt on private land that has been submerged by public fresh waters by rains or other inundations or submerge by salt water above the average high tide line.

PROTECTED BIRDS

Hawks, owls, eagles, most other nongame species and songbirds. It is unlawful to take any of these birds at any time.

NON-PROTECTED BIRDS

European starlings, English sparrows, feral rock doves, common pigeons, Eurasian collared doves. These birds may be hunted and shot at any time. However, species including crows, magpies, black-headed, red-winged, rusty or Brewsters black birds, grackles and cowbirds also may be hunted and shot when found to be depredating or about to depredate agricultural crops, ornamental or shade trees, livestock or wildlife when concentrated in

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Hawks, eagles and other birds including owls and most songbirds may not be hunted or shot.

Photos: Bob Hood

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Open Season by Reavis Wortham | TF&G Humor Editor

Wolf Boys

carried the last of my camping gear and dropped it with a thump next to the waist-high pile of equipment. When you’re eight years old, that’s about two feet off the ground. Uncle and Cousin rattled up the gravel drive in their old truck. It wheezed and coughed to a stop in Grandpap’s yard. The truck bed was full of gear including an ancient moldy canvas tent, a butane stove that weighted somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty pounds, and dozen assorted wool blankets from The Great War. I had no interest in the loose hay, empty feed sacks, bailing wire and hoes. “How are we going to carry all this?” I asked. Cousin joined me on the running board and we pondered the stack of gear. Uncle crossed the yard and surveyed the mountain. “My whole platoon didn’t carry this much stuff when we hit Germany.” “That’s too much to pack in,” Cousin said. “We’ll have to leave the cast iron skillet.” “I’ll carry that,” said Delbert P. Axelrod. Cousin’s eyes welled with tears. “When did you get here? I didn’t know you were going with us.” “We just got to my aunt’s house down the road, so I just walked across the pasture.” “Well, you can walk back again,” I said. “I want to go camping with you,” Delbert whined. “As long as there are no wolves around.” “There will be,” Cousin said to scare him off. But that got me to worrying, and I changed my mind. We were both faster than Delbert, so the wolves would naturally eat him first while we escaped. “Here,” I said, sticking the enormous, and heavy, iron skillet into a WWII pack.

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“You can carry this.” “What are you thinking?” Cousin asked. I leaned over to stage whisper while Delbert hoisted the pack to his shoulders. I explained my theory, then said, “We can also sneak around behind the tent after dark and howl. That’ll scare him to death.” We toted full packs across the yard, through the gate, and over the hill. The Old Man and Uncle leaned against the truck and watched us trek away. Our safari barely made it to the plum thicket, barely a hundred yards from the gate. “This is a nice spot,” I said and dropped my pack. “We can put the tent up here next to this big cow patty.” An hour later we examined our camp. “The tent wouldn’t have been so saggy if

we’d brought the poles,” I said. Cousin didn’t pay any attention, because he was enthusiastically chopping several cords of wood for the fire. I finally convinced him to leave the barn’s support poles alone, and he attacked a full grown burr oak. Darkness finally fell with an audible thump. It always seems like that when kids camp alone. Delbert paused in scratching a leg full of angry red welts from an encounter with a bull nettle. “Was that a wolf howl?” Cousin and I rattled pots and pans to drown the frightening sounds and scare any real wolves away. “Supper is ready,” he F i s h

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announced and threw another branch the size of a Christmas tree on the already roaring fire. Sparks shot up sixty feet into the inky black sky. The campfire threw light on the barn, fifty yards away. By the time our soup was ready, none of had any eyebrows left. “This is pretty good,” Cousin said. “Kinda crunchy and spicy, though.” “This is chicken noodle,” I said. “It shouldn’t be crunchy or spicy.” Delbert slurped and crunched. “What’s in here?” I located a flashlight and peered into the bubbling pan. “Red harvester ants.” We paused for a long moment. “Not bad,” I said. Our culinary interests quickly evaporated when a wolf howled not ten feet beyond the edge of the firelight. Delbert left his soup bowl suspended in mid air as he shot through the darkness toward the house. I was about to congratulate Cousin for his ventriloquist skills, when I saw the fright on his face and realized that the sound was from a real live, man-eating wolf. We exchanged glances and launched ourselves toward the house, gaining on Delbert every step of the way. We passed him, exhibiting a full blown panic run, and slid under the gate like major league baseball players sliding into home. We whooshed across the yard. “Do you think we should help Delbert?” Cousin panted after we were safely on the porch and under the light. “Ha. He’ll learn how to run home properly after he’s done it two or three times. Besides, here comes the Old Man and Uncle. They’ll get him unhooked from the barbed wire. I wonder what they were doing up at the barn this time of the night?” “Doesn’t matter,” Cousin said. “But some day when we grow up, we’ll be like them and won’t be afraid of wolves, either.”

Email Reavis Wortham at RWortham@fishgame.com Illustration: ChromaCo, Canstock

5/4/12 9:18 AM

Digital Edition

Crabbing

Basics by will leschper

Photo: piedmont photo, Canctock

CRABBING IS A SUMMERTIME staple up and down the coast. And a tasty one, too. The pursuit is geared toward simplicity and many of the most productive crabbing locales are accessible from shore. There also is little investment in gear you must tote along to have an enjoyable outing, and in that regard it’s an everyman’s recreational opportunity. Blue crabs typically lurk near sandy bottoms lined with sea grass and usually are found in bay systems. They have blue claws, dark backs and white underbellies. Stone crabs, which are brownish-red and have a larger right claw, typically prefer T F & G

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rocky structure such as jetties that protrude into the Gulf. A blue crab’s diet differs from freshly dead to freshly caught food, including small bait fish. Crabs also will eat each other and the stone crab’s powerful larger claw can be used to crush the shells

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TF&G ALMANAC Table of Contents GEARING UP SECTION

COVER STORY • Crabbing Basics | by will leschper

HOW-TO SECTION

texas tested • Mako, Trijicon | by TF&G staff industry insider • Berkley, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, Dargel | by TF&G staff

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

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION

staff

FISHING FORECAST SECTION hotspots focus: upper coast • Wide-Open Fishing | by capt. eddie hernandez

hotspots focus: galveston • Fish Both Sides of Galveston Island | by capt. mike holmes

by greg berlocher

by paul bradshaw

by steve lamas

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tales • Field Dress106 hunting ing Basics | tasted • Health Benefits 110 oftexas Venison | CLASSIFIED 112 OUTDOOR DIRECTORY • Guides, Gear and More | TF&G by bryan slaven

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tf&g Photos • Your Action Photos | by TF&G readers

mac gable

hotspots focus: lower coast • Treeing a Snook | by

www.FishGame.com

calixto gonzales

Feb. 17-26 and traps in the water during that period were fair game to be legally removed. There is no daily bag or possession limit for blue crabs and stone crabs, but they each must meet minimum criteria to be taken. The legal size at which a blue crab may be harvested is when it measures 5 inches across the widest point of its body, from tip to tip of its spines. A legal stone crab is defined as one with at least a 2½-inch claw, measured from the tip of the claw to the first joint behind the immovable claw. The larger claw is the only portion that may be retained and you must return the body of the crab to where it was caught. The crab’s claw will regenerate, typically within a year, according to the

crab over and remove the apron by inserting the tip of a knife into it and pulling it back, and then turn the crab over and take off the top of the shell. You should see gills and other innards, which you can clean away with a knife or even a finger. Next, take what’s left and snap it F i s h

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hotspots focus: rockport • Creatures of Habit | by capt.

Crabbing: Getting to the Meat of It

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

hotspots focus: matagorda • Early Waders Catch More Fish on West Mat | by bink grimes

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by steve lamascus

by lenny rudow

AFTER YOU’VE BOILED YOUR crabs (which is simple—just place in boiling water and wait till they turn dark red), dump them in a pile for everyone to enjoy and dig in. Remove the claws first and then twist off the other legs, which sometimes will bring meat on them. Next, flip the

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

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texas boating • The Boater’s 82 68 Dictionary | texas kayaking • A Bird’s Eye 71 View | 84 paul’s tips • Texas Rigged Liz72 ard | 86 guns & gear • Hatchets 73 texas and Tomahawks | -

of crabs, oysters and other mollusks. Some of the best crab habitat is nestled close to manmade structure near shore, including around boat docks, marinas, bulkheads, piers and especially bait stands or fish-cleaning tables, where scraps always get scooped up quickly. Other places to seek out include brackish areas and estuaries that harbor a number of different food sources. Crabs may be harvested for food or bait with a valid fishing license and a saltwater fishing stamp endorsement, but those taken for personal use may not be sold. There are no public waters, seasons or times closed to crab harvesting other than during abandoned crab trap removal program dates. That program, which celebrated its 11th year in 2012, closed bays to crabbing from

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Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The sex of a blue crab can be determined by the abdominal flap or “apron,” which in males is shaped like an inverted T and in females is broader. Spawning season runs from December to October and peaks during spring and summer. When carrying eggs, females are termed “sponge” or “berry” crabs and are illegal to be retained. Female crabs with aprons removed also are illegal to be possessed. Crabbing devices are varied and feature some restrictions. The simplest legal device is a throw line – a baited line without a hook – which has no restrictions. You can tie whatever smelly CONTINUED ON PAGE 68

in two, which will reveal the meat. You can use the knife and small fork to clear away the meat from the shell, but sometimes it’s easier to simply use your fingers. Once you’ve finished picking whatever looks edible, turn your attention to the claws. You can use a small mallet to crack them, but the handle of a butter knife works as well. —Will Leschper

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The Boater’s Dictionary

ook up “port” in Webster’s, and you’ll have to suffer through discussions of wine, gates, openings, how to carry military weapons, and electronics connections, before you finally discover what you really want to know: It’s the left side of the boat. It’s frustrating sometimes that the rest of the world doesn’t seem to prioritize the mariner’s point of view—which is obviously the most important view of all. To save you boaters from the pain and suffering

of land-based linguistics, I’ve amassed this boater’s dictionary. I’m confident that while you read it, you’ll be using your head. Anchor – A heavy item you use to put chips and dings in the side of your boat. Bilge – The place in your boat where you put the kids when they out-fish you. Bow – The front of your boat, which is pointed, so you always know which wrong direction you’re going in. Calm – A sea state in which there are no waves, wind, or swells, also known as “nonexistent.” Capsize – What happens when you’re fishing from a canoe and you sneeze. Chaffing Gear – Protective items you place on lines to prevent them from becoming worn and breaking before your knots have time to come undone. Danforth – A type of anchor which

holds well in all bottom types for all kinds of boats, except yours. Deck – The part of the boat where you drop delicate handheld electronics and cell phones. Dock – The big wooden thing you slam into right before disembarking from your boat. Engine – The part of your boat that goes “vroom vroom.” Flake – A method of laying your rope on-deck in perfect figure-eights so it can dry in the sun until you trip over it and fall overboard. Flame Arrestor –A very important part of your engine which keeps your boat from blowing up prematurely before you have a chance to use the alcohol stove in the galley. Flush- What you will do when you’re finished reading this article.

The basics of crabbing t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 66 lure you prefer onto a piece of strong twine that’s long enough to reach the bottom and drop it from a pier or the bank. When a hungry crab latches on, slowly retrieve the line until you see it and then use a net to scoop it up and place it in a bucket. Another common way to fish for crabs by hand is to use a crab net, which is termed an umbrella net by TPWD. It features two rings attached by mesh with the larger top hoop attached to a pull line, and when baited and dropped to the bottom, the device folds flat. This allows crabs to find your bait and when you feel them or see the line move you simply lift on the pull line and scoop up your quarry. The restriction on these nets is they may not have within the frame any area that exceeds 16 square feet, according to TPWD. The most common set gear is the crab trap, which is a rectangular device typically 68 |

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made of chicken wire or other thin metal that can be baited and left to sit. The trap, which may not exceed 18 cubic feet, has inverted funnels on its sides that allow crabs to enter but makes it difficult to escape. Each trap must have two escape vents measuring at least 2 3/8 inches in diameter in each crabretaining chamber. The trap also must have a degradable panel, a 3-by-6-inch or larger door attached by twine or wire that will deteriorate quickly, which allows crabs to escape if the trap isn’t emptied in a timely manner. Only six traps at a time may be used for non-commercial purposes and crabs and traps may only be removed from the water from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, according to TPWD. Crab traps must be used with a valid gear tag that contains the name and address of the person using it and each trap must be marked with a white buoy featuring a contrasting stripe and measuring at least 6 inches high, 6 inches long and 6 inches F i s h

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wide. Plastic bottles of any variety are not legal to use as buoys or floats and crab traps may not be placed closer than 100 feet together except when they are secured to a pier or dock. Baiting a trap or line is cheap and easy, and can be done with any type of sturdy meat and bone such as chicken necks or pig’s feet. Once you’ve caught a mess of crabs, you should either keep them in a bucket with a little bit of water or keep them on ice. They should be cooked as soon as possible and you should get rid of any crabs that are dead before you cook them. Crabbing is an excellent way to share the outdoors experience with young and old, especially when you’re successful. It’s also rewarding when your efforts take shape as you sit down at the dinner table.

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Galley – The area of the boat commonly used for preparing food, drinks, and catastrophic boat fires. Gelcoat – The exterior coating on fiberglass boats, which looks shiny and crisp until you try using your anchor. GPS – The little box you scream and yell at when you get lost. Gunwales – (pronounced “gunnels”) The top of the sides of your boat, meant for slipping off of as you board. Hatch – A door or cover over a compartment in your boat, which is commonly used for slamming on your fingers and toes. Head – The part of a boat (or house) you’re most likely to be reading this article in. Hull – The part of your boat that usually hits rocks, stumps, and an occasional crippled duck. Inboard – A type of power system in which the shaft and propeller protrude through the bottom of the boat in order to make a hole for water to get in through. Junk – An ancient type of Chinese sailing vessel which, like everything they make in China, is a piece of junk. Knot – A unit of speed equal to 1.15 miles per hour, which mariners prefer to use

instead of miles per hour in order to confuse an inferior species called “landlubbers”. LAT/LONG – An abbreviated way of saying you don’t know where the heck you are. Marinized – The process of taking something designed for use on land and adapting it for use at sea, so it can break more quickly. MFD – An acronym for “multi-function display,” though many mariners think it stands for “many failures daily”. Navigate – The process by which you get completely and utterly lost, either at sea or in the back-country. Overboard – Where all your sunglasses go. PFD – (Personal Floatation Device) Those puffy orange things you use as pillows and cushions. Port – The left side of the boat. Did you really forget already? Propeller – Also known as the “screw.” This is the part of your boat’s underwater gear which you use to hit rocks, logs, and other items missed by the hull. Quartering – How you describe the waves when they’re striking the hull at an angle, right before they swamp your boat.

Rough – How you describe sea state, right before your boat gets swamped. Seasick – How you feel whenever the water gets gets rough. Sea State – Something that always seems best described as “rough”. Shake-down – The initial cruise of the season, which most people use as a convenient time to discover what they’ll forget to get fixed before the real boating season begins. Starboard – The opposite of port. Stern – The back of a boat. This term can also be used to describe the looks your wife gives you when you buy a new boat. Sunpad – A cushioned area of the boat you and your guests can use to get sunburned more quickly. Transom – The back of your boat over which you will at one time or another puke, pee, and quite possibly plummet. Underwater Gear – Any tool you hold while leaning over the side of your boat. Varnish – Something you can use to make the wood trim on your boat look nice, as you permanently stain the fiberglass surrounding it. VHF – The acronym for “very high frequency,” which is what your voice sounds like when you scream “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” into the microphone. Wealthy – Another name for your marine mechanic. Wind – What you should expect lots of every Saturday and Sunday you have free. XTC – An acronym for “cross-track error,” which you will have a lot of when navigating with your GPS. Yawl – A type of sailing vessel which, like all other sailing vessels, is very boring and thus causes you to yawln often. Zinc – The sacrificial anode on your boat, which attracts corrosion so the rest of your boat can fall apart more quickly. E-mail Lenny Rudow at LRudow@fishgame.com For more on boats, check out LENNY RUDOW’s Texas Boating Blog at www.Fishgame.com

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A Bird’s Eye View

Photo: Brian Guest, Canstock

he calm was a welcome respite from the stout breezes that had raked the coast for the previous week. The sediment that had been suspended by all the churning had now settled, leaving water clear enough for a brewery commercial. The surface was flat and lifeless; the only distinction of note was two laughing gulls floating on the surface. I pointed my bow towards the lounging birds and eased closer, making sure to keep my paddle blades low to avoid spooking them. When I had halved the distance to the gulls I rested the paddle on my lap and watched. Sitting scarecrow still, I scanned the area for activity. Nothing. Were the birds simply resting or were they giving me a clue? A few seconds later a small baitfish broke the surface, leaving a tale tell dimple. One of inactive birds jumped into flight, flapped twice and pursued its next meal with a pelican-like dive into the shallows. The gull surfaced with something silver in its beak and it was quickly gobbled down. The bird then went back into “Lazy Boy mode,” lounging on the water’s surface waiting for the next meal to show up. Feeding birds are indicators that bait is present in the area. A concentration of wading birds is a sure sign that there is bait activity worth checking out and it’s a pretty safe bet that you will find a school of hungry trout under a flock of wheeling and crashing gulls, but seagulls resting on the water’s surface are another potential signpost indicating apex predators are in the area. It was likely that the seagulls I encountered were sitting rather than flying because of the wind, or lack of it. Gulls use onshore breezes to hover over an area for extended T F & G

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periods eyeballing the shallows and then make lightning strikes on baitfish from above. Since there was only a puff of wind that morning hovering was not an option. Plan B involved floating on the water’s surface until the bait showed itself. Sometimes being low to the water helps your visibility. Sitting in a kayak offers a bird’s eye view of the water. While many kayak anglers like to stand up while fishing, we often forget the advantage of viewing the water from a low angle. By doing so we are able to discern small disturbances that may not be overlooked from a higher angle. Feeding trout and reds create visual and auditory clues about their whereabouts.

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

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Jumping mullet, large swirls, and surface crashes are easy to pick up on, but on days when the signals are much more subtle, like a single grass shrimp jumping out of the water, being low to the water has advantages. Stealth is the most obvious benefit. On that morning I shared with the two floating seagulls, I was able to sneak in close without scaring off my feathered signposts. There is no way I could have approached that close if I was in a center console. A stealthy approach lessens the chances of spooking the fish at a distance. A seated fisherman casts a much smaller silhouette than does a standing one. While it is easier to see cruising fish while standing, it is much easier to be seen by the fish as well. Perspective is a wonderful thing. Consider a wading bird for a moment, the ultimate saltwater angler. All of their meals must be stalked and taken from within a neck’s length. Wading birds stare into the water for days on end looking for food. When you study their behavior they reveal several techniques which are useful to all anglers. Herons and other wading birds take one step and then pause before taking another step. They are keen observers of their surroundings and never go about harvesting their next meal in a rush. When bait is in the area they work the area thoroughly, rarely moving more than a step or two. Wading birds will tilt their heads, sometimes at extremely odd angles, to check out the water in front of them from a different perspective. The next time you are on the water, pay attention to seagulls floating on the surface. In some cases they are signposts that say “Fish here!” Being low to water offers kayak anglers a number of benefits, perhaps the most important is a bird’s eye view.

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wasn’t raised bass fishing. My early angling years were spent dunking baits for bream and catfish. If I needed bait, I just walked a few feet away from the pond and caught a grasshopper. Using artificial bait was blasphemy because the point of fishing was to catch fish, not feel superior because I tricked them into hitting a piece of plastic. That all changed in my teen years when I was introduced to the magical world of soft plastics. As a gift, I was given a few packages of watermelon colored Zoom Lizards. After buying some weights and hooks to go with them I set out at a local pond with the intention of trying the lizards just to be nice to the person that gave them to me. The first time a fish hit I didn’t know what was going on since I had never felt a fish hit a plastic lizard before. The second time a fish hit I crossed his eyes and have been hooked ever since. I told you all that to get to this, if you are bass fishing (no matter the time of year) you should always have a rod with a Texasrigged lizard in the boat. I also believe that the lizard should be green, but that’s just me. Texas rigged plastic lizards are some of the most versatile baits around. You can drop them into bass beds for some action packed sight fishing in the spring. They can be flipped under boat houses in the summer, or swam through grass just about year round. I prefer lizards over regular worms

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The second time a fish hit I crossed his eyes and have been hooked ever since.

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able. Something in the 1/16th to 1/8th ounce should work in most situations. Unless you’re fishing deep and need to get the bait down quickly, there really isn’t a need to go really heavy on the weight. Plus, I believe a light weight lets you feel the bait better. I’m also a fan of using brass weights instead of lead due to their brighter color making them more visible, plus they make more noise which we’ll get to in a minute. Lead will work if that’s all you have but look into investing in some brass. Run your fishing line through the weight, then run the line through a red plastic or F i s h

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glass bead before tying on a 3/0 wide gap worm hook. Use either an improved clinch or Palomar knot to tie the hook on since either one retains quite a bit of strength. Most anglers don’t use the glass/plastic bead but I prefer it because it adds more color to the rig and also knocks against the weight making noise. Anything you can do to the bait to make it more noticeable is a good thing. This is where the brass weight comes in because it makes a louder clicking sound than much softer lead when bouncing against the bead. To add the lizard to the rig, run the point of the hook through the nose of the lizard, exiting the chin area (of the lizard, not you). Run the hook through until the eye touches the lizard’s nose, then rotate the hook 180 degrees so that the tip is now pointing up instead of down. Push the tip of the hook through the body of the lizard until it barely protrudes through the back, then push the point back down until it is in the plastic. You push the point all the way through the first time so that it can slide through easier when you set the hook on a fish. You push it back in the body so that it won’t catch grass or limbs as you pull the lizard through the water. Texas rigged lizards should be a staple of every angler’s fishing repertoire. They are easy to tie, easy to use, and catch fish in just about any situation.

illistration by paul bradshaw

Texas Rigged Lizard

due to their additional bulk which makes them more visible and all the legs and tail making more vibrations in the water. Now that I have aptly persuaded you to never leave home without a Texas-rigged lizard, let’s go over what a Texas-rig looks like since there might be one or two of you with a confused look on your face right now. The Texas-rig starts with a bullet weight. I’m a fan of using the lightest weight reason-

E-mail Paul Bradshaw at PBradshaw@fishgame.com

Get more fishing & hunting tips, in PAUL BRADSHAW’s Outdoor Blog at www.Fishgame.com

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hen I was in sixth grade one of the exercises the teacher made us do was write a letter to a catalog company requesting something we wanted. It was just an exercise. The letters were not supposed to be sent off. However, being the conniving little rascal that I was in the 6th grade, I decided

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Photo: Steve LaMascus

Hatchets and Tomahawks

this was a great way to get something I had been wanting. I wrote my letter to Montgomery and Ward. The item that my larcenous little heart craved? A hatchet. A genuine Boy Scout hand ax. All these years later I still love hatchets, don’t ask me why. In Ruidoso, New Mexico a few years ago I stumbled across a mountain man shop. It had everything the well-accoutered mountain man could want, from bear traps to hats made from fox, skunk, coyote, and raccoon hides. But what I bought there was a “bleeding heart” tomahawk. That is a tomahawk that has a little heart cut out of the metal of the blade. I immediately fell in lust with it and justified its purchase by convincing myself that it was the perfect tool

The author’s “bleeding heart” tomahawk and SOG hand ax.

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Photo: Steve LaMascus:

The hand ax is one of the “handiest” outdoorsman’s tools ever invented.

for splitting the pelvis of deer, a service it has performed for years now, among others. If you did not know it, a hand ax will perform this chore on white-tailed deer much better, with less collateral damage than one of those fancy little saws, and it will prevent your having to bash the back of your knife blade with a rock. Win-win. One of the handiest items ever invented is the hand ax. If it is properly designed it can be used as a knife (if sharpened properly), meat cleaver, camp ax, hammer, and a hundred other things. This is the reason the old-timers, the real mountain men, carried tomahawks and hand axes. They didn’t carry anything that was not necessary. Everything they carried, on their backs or on their pack animals, had a purpose that could not be fulfilled by something else. They could not afford extra weight, because their lives depended on their ability to choose carefully their supplies and tools. If they ran out, or if they needed a tool they did not have, their lives could be the cost. Knives, guns, and tomahawks were the 74 |

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most important tools they carried, along with their traps, of course. Oddly, the one they used the least was the gun. Their knives were used for everything from shaving -- if they ever did shave -- to eating. Fine China and silverware were notoriously absent in the kit of the mountain man. Instead he used a hunting knife (he called it a butcher knife, and it was nothing at all like the modern hunting knife), a tin or pewter plate, and a tin cup. He might have had a twin-pronged fork and a big spoon, then again he might have used his knife for everything. The hand ax or tomahawk he used for myriad camp chores, for cutting the stakes to anchor his traps, cutting the small, pliable branches he used as a mattress for his fur and blanket bed, and as a last ditch, teeth and fingernails weapon. I expect that more than one mountain man died with a butcher knife in one hand and a tomahawk in the other, and a few of them survived the same way. I have kept a little ax around since that first one. Yes, I finally talked my mother F i s h

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and father into getting me a hatchet for Christmas, even though Montgomery and Ward failed to come through, curse their mercenary hearts. Then, a few months ago I got an email from SOG Specialty Knives and Tools, describing some of their newest products. Most of them did not interest me, but one did. It was the little SOG Hand Ax. You see, I found out that while the “bleeding heart” tomahawk served the purpose admirably, it was a bit too heavy and bit too long of handle to be truly handy. It was made as a fighting tool as well as a hand ax, and was the perfect tool for the mountain man, but we modern hunters have little use for a tool meant for cleaving skulls. So, I wrote to the account executive in charge of the product and requested one SOG Hand Ax for testing and evaluation. In short order it arrived. I have used the SOG Hand Ax now for the 2011/2012 deer season. It is a wonderful tool. It is sharp, and the thinness of the blade allows it to perform the chore of cutting through a deer’s pelvis much more easily that the tomahawk’s thicker blade. It is also lighter, and thus easier to carry. Worn on the belt it is easily forgotten, until it is needed. This is undoubtedly the best hand-ax and camp/ax that I have ever had, and that includes that first hand-ax with its classy, blue rubber handle. If this little hatchet won’t get the job done, you need a full-fledged ax. I know that most of you out there seldom, if ever, carry a hand-ax. I think that is a mistake. You will be amazed at the number of applications it will serve better than whatever you do carry. A hand ax, hatchet, or tomahawk has had a place on my belt for many years, and its usefulness far outweighs the few additional ounces I have to carry. E-mail Steve LaMascus at SLamascus@fishgame.com

Find more shooting tips in STEVE LaMASCUS’s Texas Guns Blog at www.Fishgame.com

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Mako Goes Pro

Photo: Mako Marine:

It’s not often we’d get overly excited by a 16’ skiff, but one ride on Mako’s new Pro Skiff 1600 CC did the trick. Why? Because when we hopped over two-foot waves at 25-mph—a maneuver that will shake your fillings out on most boats of this size—we discovered the impact was reduced by 25 to 35 percent. And when

Skiff 16 CC in your driveway for $12,395. Upgrading to a 40-hp engine (a smart move in IMHO), only bumps the price up to $12,995. In this day and age you could easily spend twice this much for a fishboat, so why is this one so darn cheap? Its layout is simple and Spartan, the console is rotomolded instead of fiberglass, and it has a spackle interior instead of a fully-finished inner liner. But it still has all the necessi-

performance? With the 40 on the transom, the boat had plenty of pep and enjoyed a cruising speed in the mid 20’s. If you want to buy new but demand the best bang for your buck, and if you love a cat-like, wave-eating ride but you hate the performance quirks cat boats often have, then check out the Pro Skiff 16 CC. This one’s a winner. NEWS FLASH: The 16 CC’s bigger brother, the Pro Skiff 17 (which has the same hull design) won a 2012 NMMA Innovation Award for best new fishing boat under 24’! —Lenny Rudow

Trijicon has Done it Again.

Mako’s new Pro Skiff 1600 CC

cruising over a one-foot chop, vibrations and thumps are practically nil. There’s a very good reason for this abnormally smooth ride: the 1600 CC is built on what Mako calls an “inverted V” hull design. Instead of coming to a V in the middle of the hull there’s a tunnel running down the middle, with a small V running down the center of the tunnel and two more mini-V’s on either side. If this sounds like some tricked-out powercat hull design, you’re not far from the truth; to my eye, it looked like a cross between a cat, a tunnel boat, and a tri-hull. Ready for the best part? With a 25-hp outboard and a trailer, you can park a Pro T F & G

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ties to be a real hard-core angling machine. There’s an eight gallon livewell underneath the forward console seat. There are five vertical rodholders on the console, and an electronics flat that has room for binnaclemounting a small fishfinder or GPS. The swing-back helm seat has an 85-quart cooler built into the base. And fore and aft casting decks provide elevated casting platforms. Though this is a cat-ish design, the Pro Skiff doesn’t seem to suffer from common cat and tunnel boat issues. There was no over-revving or prop ventilation, and the boat also banked slightly into the turns, instead of that awkward outward-lean many unusual hulls like this have. What about A L M A N A C

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For those outdoor enthusiasts who use a crossbow, Trijicon has developed a winner with the Trijicon ACOG crossbow scope. This rugged, waterproof scope requires no battery that could fail at the worst time! Trijicon uses their famous Tritium –phospher lamp. Combine this with the use of fiber optics and you have a super bright aiming point that not only is unbelievably clear, but it is without a doubt the very best scope I have ever used. One of the cool features about this scope is that it has a built-in range finder. Simply place the lines on the belly and the back of the animal you are hunting, and you have the range needed for a clean, humane harvest. The lines on the right side are for deer while the left side is for elk. Trijicon has developed three different ACOG crossbow scopes. The XB1 is for crossbows rated at 300-340 fps. XB2 is for speeds of 340-400 fps and the XB3 is developed for speeds of 400-444 fps. Give Trijicon a try. I am glad I did.

—Lou Marullo

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Berkley Celebrates 75th Anniversary The legendary scene set in 1937 is known far and wide: teenaged Berk Bedell, of tiny Spirit Lake, Iowa, labors over a small table in his family’s home creating hand-tied hair flies to sell to the local hardware store. For his efforts, young Bedell earned spending cash for some weekend fun. Now, 75 years later, we appreciate how the high school student’s dedication to building quality flies became the genesis of the world’s most influential fishing tackle company. Berk Bedell flies were so popular that neighbors were hired to help fulfill the orders. Three years later, Bedell’s customers conveyed to the young entrepreneur another fishing product need – steel lead-

PowerBait which led to FireLine, Gulp! and, most recently, Havoc and NanoFil. Berkley’s 75-year legacy will be celebrated throughout the summer 2012. The party kicks off in June via facebook and in Spirit Lake, Iowa, with festivities to honor the families and friends that have committed so much. To learn more about the very roots of Pure Fishing, Berk Bedell and scheduled celebrations go to Berkley-Fishing.com.

Fishing Tackle Unlimited Opens Huge New Store

Chester Moore interviewed FTU owner Joe Meyer about the new store. See it at www.FishGame.com/videomain.php

“This is an awesome store and is the kind of place an angler can get anything he or she wants,” Broussard said. One of the most interesting elements of the grand opening was the display of Jim Wallace’s legendary record-setting Baffin Bay speckled trout mounted with the actual Corky he caught it on. Wallace signed copies of his certified record certificate for anglers during the celebration. “That is an important part of Texas fishing history and we thought bringing him in was a fun way to celebrate our grand opening,” Meyer said. The new store is a one-stop shop for not only saltwater fishing gear but has a full line of lures and other equipment for freshwater anglers as well. “We have not only incredible saltwater fishing nearby but some of the best bass fishing in the world so we are ready to

From May 3-5 Fishing Tackle Unlimited (FTU) celebrated the grand opening of its new location at 8723 Katy Freeway in Houston. With 44,000 square feet of space, the story physically dwarfs the old locaYoung Berk Bedell tion two blocks away and allows began making flies for greatly enhanced presence of to sell in his local product. hardware store “We are proud to move into this in 1937. 75 years new building and offer a full line of later, the company tackle, kayaks, trolling motors, a full he founded is one service fly shop, plus much more,” of the largest tacksaid Joey Meyer who along with this le manufacturers in brother the world. Dan ers – so the fly-tying young man created founded FTU Steelon Leaders. Soon, ski rope and Hula more than 30 hoops were added to the list. In 1959, the years ago. fishing industry experienced a quantum The celebraleap in product innovation with the introtion included duction of Trilene monofilament fishing clinics, giveaways line, the world’s most popular and recogand opportunities nizable fishing line. to meet the pros Of course, the growth of the Berkley like popular teleCompany, as it became known, would vision host/redcontinue as new rods, reels and baits were fish tournament added to the family. Berkley product pro “Cajun” Phil names became synonymous with fishing: Fishing Tackle Unlimited’s new 44,000 square-foot location on I-10 Broussard. (Katy Freeway) in Houston. Trilene XL and XT, Lightning Rod and 76 |

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Photos: Pure Fishing; Texas Fish & Game; Dargel Boats

serve freshwater anglers,” Meyer said. With plenty of parking and easy to find store-within-store for Simms, Shimano, Daiwa, Guy Harvey, Tommy Bahama more the grand opening at the end of the day was a celebration of fishermen and FTU’s solid reputation in the community. “We’ve always tried to stay ahead of the curve and know what angles wanted and needed to best give the opportunities to enjoy their time on the water. We couldn’t be more proud to have this new, greatly-enhanced location to serve their needs,” Meyer said. For more information go to www.fishingtackleunlimited.com

Dargel Owners to Compete for Fun and Prizes This June 29th and 30th Dargel Boat Owners will converge on South Padre Island for the annual tournament and appreciation dinner in their honor. The 2011 tournament ended with 79 boats and over 300 participants taking home over $25,000 in cash and prizes. More impressively the tournament raised over $12,000 for Operation Spots 4 Tots! The charity is dedicated to awarding scholarships to dependents of fallen heroes. The generosity of Dargel Boat Owners is truly remarkable. This year’s tournament promises to be bigger and better! Plans are underway for the event slated to return to the South Padre Island Convention Center and includes two catered meals, raffles, silent auctions, side tourneys and much more. With the help of McClain Trailers and Evinrude E-tec, Dargel Boats is raffling a 2012 136 Dargel Skooter powered with a 60hp ETEC and sitting atop an aluminum McClain Trailer. To honor customer loyalty and tournament participation the Skooter giveaway is exclusively available to tournament participants. The drawing will be held during the Saturday night awards dinner and the winner must be present to win. Dargel Boats focuses on the family fun in boating and offers 3 divisions for prizes. The main adult tournament is for the slot redfish with the most spots and offers a T F & G

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payout of $3000 for 1st place. ($1250 for second, $500 for third and $250 for fourth place)The junior division (new for this year) includes youth anglers 13-17 years old pays out a $1000 This 136 Dargel Skootsavings bond for er will be featured in a special raffle drawing. first place and $500 savings Adults who register by May bond for second place. The 25th will receive a free raffle kids division for youngsters 12 and under ticket for the Skooter Giveaway. Tickets also awards a first place $1000 savings will also be available at the captains and bond and second place $500 savings bond. awards dinners for $25 or 5 for $100. All All tournament divisions combine luck with proceeds from the tournament and raffle strategy for the win. Ties for the number tickets will benefit Operation Spots 4 Tots. of spots will be broken by the first fish Many generous sponsors have already comweighed in. The spot tournament offers the mitted to make this event even more profitnovice the same chance as a guide to take able for this charity. home some big money. Last year’s winning For more information regarding the fish sported seven spots. Returning weightournament or Operation Spots 4 Tots, master, Texas Fish & Game Saltwater Edicontact Miriam Ford at 956-464-2263 or tor Calixto Gonzales ensures fair placing. Miriam@dargel.com. The tournament is open to all Dargel, Explorer and Bayquest boat owners.

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Rock River Arms, Inc., an industry leader well-known for producing a full line of high-quality AR15-style rifles, components, parts, and accessories introduces the

Fred Eichler Fred Eichler Series Series PredaPredator tor .223 rifle. .223 rifle, representing further growth in RRA’s expanding line of high performance hunting firearms. Fred Eichler comments, “I am extremely excited to get this new predator gun out in the field. Rock River Arms is known for their high-quality rifles and I’m honored to have been selected to have my own series. After extensive in-the-field development, I am proud to attach my name to such an excellent product. I look forward to spending more time in the field with my Rock River Arms predator rifle.” The Fred Eichler Series rifle was strategically designed to be lightweight for running and gunning. The 16” mid-length stainless steel barrel has been cryogenically treated to increase the shooters accuracy and aids in cleaning the firearm. The RRA free-float handguard has a full length Picatinny top rail and 2.5” rails at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock for lights, lasers and bi-pods. The unique CNC coyote track design adds not only flare but functionality as it helps dissipate heat. The forged A4 upper flattop allows attachments for scopes, night vision and red dot sights. The rifle equipped with a chromed RRA National 78 |

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Match two-stage trigger with a Parkarized non-reflective surface on the trigger shoe. Other great features include winter trigger guard which accommodates winter or tactical gloves and an over molded pistol grip. It also has a low-profile hidden gas block and RRA’s custom muzzle break with directional porting which reduces muzzle lift and recoil. The Fred Eichler Series rifle is available in either the RRA Operator Stock or RRA 6-position Operator CAR Stock. The Fred Eichler Predator .223 is available in a two-tone black-tan finish. Each Fred Eichler Predator .223’s comes with onetwenty round (10 round where restricted by law) magazine, hard case and owners manual. For more information on the complete line of production AR15 style rifles and accessories, contact: Rock River Arms, 1042 Cleveland Rd, Colona, IL 61241 Phone: (309) 792.5780 Fax: (309) 792.5781 www.rockriverarms.com

Cover your ATV Investment Got an ATV? Bet it was expensive, so you definitely want to protect it. The best way to keep it looking and running as good as possible is to protect it from the elements ATV cover from CoverAlls.

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when it is not in use. What elements? How about UV for one. UV is the most damaging element it faces. Others are moisture, dirt, grime, and heat. They all take their toll in time. A really good cover will go a long way in protecting your toy. The ATV covers from CoverAlls are UV, water, dirt and heat proof. That’s right-we said PROOF-not resistant. Nothing gets under a CoverAlls coverperiod! It’s also easy and quick on and off, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. UTV and side-by-side covers are coming soon, too. Check them out at www.coveralls.biz or at www.FishandGameGear.com.

The Zen of Sunglasses The new WX Zen from Wiley X boasts great looks that can go anywhere, crystal clear vision, and Wiley X’s proven highvelocity protection. The new WX Zen meets stringent ANSI Z87.1-2003 High Velocity and High Mass Impact safety standards, protecting the wearer against a wide range of dangers. Shooters, hunters, anglers, and other outdoor enthusiasts can rest assured that flying jigs, low-hanging limbs, ejected brass, and other potential dangers are no match for Wiley X’s advanced protection. Despite their great looks, the WX Zen has the same OSHA grade safety certification as traditional “shooting” glasses. So you can wear the same pair of stylish glasses at the range, on the water, or on the road for top performance and unmatched protection. Available in both non-polarized and polarized lens models, the WX Zen is a great value at $75 (non-polarized) and $130 (polarized). The WX Zen features rubber nose pads for non-slip fit and carry a limited lifetime warranty against any manufacturing defect in materials and

Photos: Rock River Arms; Coveralls; Wiley X; Durasafe; Limbsaver; Ruselure:

Eichler Designs New Predator AR for Rock River

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other DuraSafe products, visit www.durasafelocks. com or call 262-544-5615. Wiley X WX Zen.

workmanship. Wiley X is the only premium performance sunglasses manufacturer whose entire line meets strict ANSI safety standards for occupational grade protection. Texas Fish & Game columnist and Top Shot Season 3 champion Dustin Ellermann depends on Wiley X to keep his eyes protected and vision clear. To learn more about these newest additions to Wiley X’s Active, Climate Control, Changeable, and Street Series sunglasses for 2012 — or the company’s complete line of stylish, Rx-ready performance eyewear — go to wileyx.com.

Lock Up Your Marine Electronics The new DuraSafe E-Lock (Universal Electronics Lock) and Swivel Mount Lock set offers total protection against theft of marine electronics. Simple, compact and easy to install, the unique, keyed-alike locks replace the factory knobs and when they’re locked, prevent removal of a unit. The DuraSafe E-Lock fits most major brands of marine electronics - Cobra®, Eagle®, Garmin, Humminbird, Icom, Lowrance,Raymarine, Standard Horizon and Uniden. The DuraSafe Swivel Mount Lock is available in three sizes to fit the most commonly-used swivel mounts. Available at Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops, Bass & Gas, Tackle Warehouse, other marine and outdoor retailers nationwide and online at www.durasafelocks.com. For more information about the new DuraSafe E-Lock / Swivel DuraSafe E-Lock Combo and system.

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for Limbsaver’s upcoming release of the Expandable Broadhead Pod. The Pods are made in the USA from Polypropylene which was selected because of its UV protection, heat-resistant qualities and durability. For more information on the complete line of Limbsaver products, please visit www.limbsaver.com.

Pod Technology for Bowhunters Limbsaver, innovators of an expansive line of quality archery accessories, introduces their exciting new Pod technology with the FletchPod and the Broadhead Pod. The FletchPod quickly snaps onto arrows to eliminate fletch damage. The unique design protects fletches in the field, when traveling, when storing arrows, and FletchPod nestles perfectly into arrow boxes and quivers.

New Colors from Russelure Since 1947 Russelure has been king of the water and now they have more colors than ever before with still the same tremendous actions that have been catching fish for more than 60 years.

FletchPod

Russelure

Broadhead Pod

The universal design can accommodate arrow shafts and fletching sizes from .25inch to .35-inch diameter shafts, .55-inch max fletch height and 4.2-inch max fletch length. FletchPod retails for $9.99 per 6-pack and color choices include: clear, blue, camo, green, purple, red and pink. Limbsaver has also expanded their Pod technology to include the new Broadhead Pod. Like the FletchPod, it too features easy snap-on installation and protects broadheads from damage, string collision and accidental injuries. One of the best features of the Broadhead Pod is that it eliminates the need for a broadhead wrench. Simply slip the arrow shaft into the Pod opening, turn and tighten. Fingers will never have to come in contact with blades again. Broadhead Pods are designed for fixed 3-blade broadheads with a max cutting diameter of 1.35” and fit arrow shaft diameters from .25-inch to .35-inch. MSRP is $9.99 per 6-pack or $4.99 per 3-pack. Color choices include: clear, blue, camo, green, purple, red and pink. Watch A L M A N A C

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With its unusual wobble swimming action, Russel Lure can be varied from an eccentric fast-motion to a slower, smooth, natural movement. As the lure vibrates in the water, it is irresistible to fish. For more information visit www.Russelure.com or call 832-688-9296.

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

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WideOpen Fishing

s we flip the calendar from May to June, we realize that summer has officially ridden into town and has every intention of sticking around for a while. That initial, dreadful thought of triple digit temperatures, with barely a hint of a breeze is quickly overridden by thoughts of virtually every inshore species fighting for their lives at the end of our lines. That is exactly what this month brings. Wide-open fishing begins now, and will continue for the next few months. Every species known to these parts will be at your fingertips, there for the taking if you so choose.

Those big winds have pretty much blown themselves out and we are staring hot, humid days, green water, and lots of fish catching right in the face. All you have to do now is figure out what you want to do. The nearshore Gulf waters will produce everything from bluefish to ling, whereas, the inshore waters of the channel, lake and bayous will be giving up the big-3 like its nobody’s business. Fishing the open nearshore Gulf waters can be an exciting change of pace, and I definitely plan on doing my share of it. Leaving the trout and reds alone every now and then is not that big of a sacrifice when sight fishing for tripletail on a nice weed line, or catching bull reds and jack crevalle in a massive school of pogie is the alternative. Besides, I promised my kids we would do more shark fishing this year. You can bet I’ll be out there taking advantage of some of those ultra calm days chasing sharks, tripletail, ling and whatever else we can coax into taking our bait.

As for the big-3, you should have little problem catching at least a few at every stop. Tidal movement and the presence of bait are two very important factors that should put you in the money. Two to four foot depths over mud and scattered shell can be prime real estate when you’ve got current and bait thrown into the mix. Greedy Trout and reds will make their presence known in these areas and should be more than willing to accept your offering of topwaters and soft plastics. Skitterwalks and SheDogs in pearl, pink, and black/ chartreuse are our go to topwaters, while Flounder Pounder’s CT Shad and Mullet, as well as glow and limetreuse Assassins are favorite soft plastics. These same areas, as well as the points at the mouths of the bayous on the eastern side of the lake will also hold some nice flounder. The above-mentioned soft plastics tipped with fresh shrimp and live mud minnows will work well. Just drag them along the bottom and wait for the thump.

the bank bite Location: McFadden Beach Species: Trout, Redfish Baits/Lures: Topwaters, soft plastics, gold and silver spoons Best Times: All Day (incoming or outgoing tides) Contact Eddie Hernandez at, EHernandez@fishgame.com

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Fish Both Sides of Galveston Island

une is normally the most pleasant of our summer months for coastal fishing. The heat is not as oppressive as in August, yet the water is comfortable for wading. This makes June an excellent time to be IN the water, as well as on it! Wade fishing bay shorelines or near-shore reefs and the surf can offer excellent fishing opportunities in the Galveston area for budget-minded anglers and those just getting started in saltwater fishing as well as more experienced anglers, and one of the very best spots to enjoy both bay and Gulf shorelines is in Galveston Island State Park. Beginning just outside Galveston proper, heading for San Luis Pass, the park encompasses just over 2,000 acres on both sides of FM 3005 between bay and Gulf and offers easy access to both. While there will be a small fee for park entrance, there are shelters on the beach side, camping and picnic areas, restrooms and showers. For those REALY just getting their feet wet in saltwater fishing, the program offered by the state of Texas exempting anglers within state parks from needing a fishing license also holds true in this park. The saltwater fishing stamp is not required, either, although a person wishing (or maybe expecting) to take a “trophy” fish, which would in this case be a tarpon or oversized redfish, will need a valid fishing license and the required trophy tag. Of course, this applies only when fishing within the boundaries of the park, if you launch a boat and travel outside the park, a license would be required. This program, according to Brent Leisure, whom it might seem, is appropriately named to be the Division Director of the State Parks Division of Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept., is designed T F & G

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to encourage more people to visit state parks, which have taken a beating in recent budgets as well as brushfires. The hope is, obviously, that these folks will also enjoy the fishing so much they will buy a license and also fish elsewhere. Mr. Leisure assured me when I spoke to him at the recent Texas Outdoor Writer’s Association conference that TP&WD really needs and wants more visitors to all state parks. Galveston Park offers surf, bay, and salt marsh environments that provide both shelter and food to game fish. The bay side will attract speckled trout, redfish, flounder, and all the inshore panfish. In the surf, these same species will be joined by “bull” redfish, jack crevalle, shark, stingray and Span-

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ish mackerel. There is always a chance of an encounter with a tarpon or king mackerel. Also at the TOWA conference, Coastal Fisheries Director Robin Riechers assured us that his department feels speckled trout and flounder stocks are in good shape and headed “in the right direction” in Texas waters. He also stated that the decision to close Rollover Pass is not final to his knowledge. The General Land Office apparently has the permit to do the work, but not final legislative approval. Director Riechers does not feel closing the pass would have much biological impact on East Galveston Bay, except perhaps a positive effect on oyster beds that actually suffer from too much salinity. He stated that historically, oysters were more plentiful and healthy in that part of the bay system before the pass was opened. Many of the Galveston area oyster reefs were badly damaged by Hurricane Ike and have not fully recovered, so they can CONTINUED ON PAGE 82

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Early Waders Catch More Fish on West Mat

he tattered white “LIVE SHRIMP” flag was hanging limp at Russell’s Bait Camp at first glance as my pickup scaled the levee at Matagorda Harbor. Surprisingly, I was the first one at the dock - first time all summer I had arrived before Capt. Bill Pustejovsky - really, the first time anyone had braved an earlier alarm than the seasoned veteran.

My charter arrived on time and we departed in darkness. I had every option at my helm – light boat traffic, a tranquil incoming emerald tide, and fishing clients who had played the game before, obvious by their ForEverLast Stingray Boots, Shimano Core reels and topwater plugs. My first stop was Cotton’s Bay in West Matagorda Bay. We dumped over the gunnels just as the sun was creeping over our

shoulders. The telltale signs were present – birds hovering and diving, small minnows scurrying, shrimp hopping and the sweet smell of watermelon. Fifty yards in to the wade we were rewarded with a blow - then another, then another, then another. We had the fish to ourselves for the first hour of daylight, and then I heard the distant hum of an outboard traveling from the east. “No big deal,” I thought, as I made a cast toward a commotion of baitfish. Then the boat got closer and the engine began to shed RPMs. “Surely not,” I whispered. “Surely he sees us and knows we plan to keep wading to the end of the bar.” With the wind at our back, we kept casting, and watched as the boat circled wide of the outside bar and idled back, setting the anchor in the process, right where we heading. It was a classic “cutoff,” and inexcusable since the “guide” knew exactly what he was doing and what I intended to do.

GALVESTON t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 81 use some help. The state has hired private oyster dredges to remove silt covering reefs where that is practical to stop suffocation and allow new spats to find shell to grow on, and dumped shell in some instances, but this resource is not where it should be yet. Healthy oyster reefs are a major factor in healthy bay systems, so this is important.

the bank bite Location: Bay shallows that can be waded on the north side of Galveston Island, near oyster reefs and marsh. Alternate Spot: The Galveston surf 82 |

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My trio of waders looked at me with a question mark - even they knew better. “Patience,” I uttered. Easier said than done, especially when anglers from the boat in question took a few steps and began bending rods. “That’s the honey hole,” I told my guys. “That’s where we were supposed to end our wade.” We took our dozen trout back to the boat, I took a deep breath and headed for another spot. I am a big believer that a man reaps what he sows The early bird gets the worm when fishing in June. Ardent incoming tides push baitfish on flats like Cotton’s, Green’s, Pipeline and Tom and Jerry’s. You better be in the water as the sun eases over the horizon to intercept the best bite and/or tardy captains. “It’s always been an early bite down in West Bay in the summer,” said Pustejovsky. “That’s why I leave so early – if you don’t get them early you will probably struggle for the rest of the day.” Soft plastics like Bass Assassins, TTF Flats Minnows, Norton Sand Eel Jrs and Bull Minnows catch most of the fish, but a skilled topwater aficionado can bang out a solid limit, too. Of course, live-baiters pulling troll buckets of croakers and/or shrimp see plenty of action as well. “Those trout will show on top of the flat early in the morning then ease to the

deeper flats as it gets hotter,” said guide Charlie Paradoski. “We bang them early on topwaters then jig soft plastics in chest deep water the rest of the day. It has been that way for years.”

the bank bite Location: Matagorda jetty Species: Speckled trout and Spanish mackerel

Baits: topwaters and live shrimp How to Fish: Work the channel side on the outgoing tide and Gulf side of the incoming tide.

Capt. Bink Grimes owns and operates Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay (www.matagordasunriselodge.com). Contact him at BGrimes@fishgame.com

FOCUS from Galveston Island State Park to San Luis Pass Species: Trout, reds, flounder, panfish – Spanish mackerel in the surf. Best Baits: Live shrimp, mud minnows, finger mullet, plus soft plastic lures and silver spoons. Best Times: Generally a dead low tide should be avoided, but incoming and outgoing tides create bait movement that attracts predator species, and a “flood” tide offers the best water depth for fish movement. 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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Creatures of Habit

have to admit (and rather hate to admit) that I am feeling Old Man Time creeping into my bones as the last few years have gone by. I’m not sure who coined the phrase “age gracefully” but whoever did did not have fishing guides in mind for I see nothing “graceful” about it. Simple tasks that I breezed through when younger now are fraught with tiny but annoying obstacles that tend to have a cumulative affect as the day progresses. At the end of the day it seems someone has tied an ox yoke around my neck as I try to eat supper while trying to have a relationship-sustaining conversation with my wife. One of the most annoying age-related skills I seem to have acquired is the ability to

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predict the future. Nothing seems to surprise me and I now have the ability to tell what’s fixing to happen in the most vivid detail. For example: — His rod tip’s not high enough and that fish is going to break off — That’s not a big trout at all but a hardhead — That weird wave is fixing to get the lady on the front seat soaking wet — That clunk I heard as I backed my boat this morning is going to cost a lot to fix — That’s an oversized red so get your tag ready (ruining the moment for the engaged angler as well as myself) — That fish slick is not trout, it’s gafftop. Has my brain learned a new way of thinking or is it truly just experience that enables me to see the immediate future? Hmmm, it’s damn confusing! My saving grace is the recent repetitive nature in which I now approach life as a guide. It’s comforting to me to rise every morning and go

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through my almost ritualistic process to the fishing day. I’m not sure if other professions require this but follow most guides around (especially this one) and you will get an almost assembly-line process of repeatability that can be seen to align with the same minutes of each day, day in day out. This ritualistic action borders on superstition and take one action out of sequence or change the time frame and it can and does throw a gremlin toting monkey wrench in one’s fishing day. Example: A guide backs his/her boat down the boat ramp, they get out but seem to be nervous or on edge and while maybe not disoriented they are distracted and appear to be off their game. Then, as quickly as the boat was put in the water, it is now back on the trailer being pulled up the ramp with what seems to be Niagara Falls pouring out of every hole in the stern of the boat. If you witness this phenomenon don’t ask to help but rather wait until asked to help. Otherwise you might see the China Syndrome (melt down) right there on your favorite boat launch. The guide is now in a sequencing-releveling process that requires root cause analysis which allows for proper sequencing steps to continue. If you dare ask if he is okay, he replies something like, “Yes, my wife hung my fishing shirt in the closet instead of the doorknob where it’s supposed to be and it has me discombobulated so the boat plugs were left out.” Please note he didn’t say he left the plugs out just simply they were left out, for it was beyond his control therefore not his fault. Shirt hung in wrong place equals missing boat plugs — makes sense to me! Another guide insists on eating his banana before he launches his boat but will not allow any bananas on his boat or Dr. Doom will rule the fishing day. When I mentioned that, technically, the banana he ate was on the boat, just “in process,” his response was “Well, that’s just silly!” Another guide must have a carton of

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chocolate milk or he will not go to certain reefs to fish that day. Still another must have coffee in his thermos cup or it’s Katy bar the door. I have seen him drive twenty miles round trip back home to get his cup. There are 53 actions I must take each morning to be ready for a fishing trip for that day which is quite a few if you think about it so a written list just won’t do. These actions must be habits — repeatable, definable with mental red flag warnings going up if not followed properly. Is this just good preparation or just being anal retentive? Or, worse, a sign of premature old age? It’s hard to say, again I am confused! Occasionally a breath of fresh air will blow in that allows us to see life from a slightly different angle. A new guide, of the female persuasion, shows up at the ramp. She expertly backs her boat trailer into the water and is about to back her boat off the trailer when we other guides notice bubbles coming up behind her boat. I hasten a warning, “Ma’am, I think your boat plugs are out.” She quickly turns, looks at me and says, “Yes,” as if no big deal, picks the plugs up off the floor of the boat, reaches down into the water behind the stern, and places the plugs into holes and locks them down. She then flips on her bilge, calmly ensures water is being pump out, turns and says “It’s how I safety check my bilge pump.” WHOA, I said to myself! My buddy, under his breath says, “Can you do that?” Another guide says “it’s called overcoming adversity they teach it in the military.” My buddy says, “She didn’t look adverse to me.” I am thinking my prep actions may need to grow from 53 to 54, one can learn new habits. •••

Aransas Bay: Scotch Tom Reef is good for trout using croaker and free lined live shrimp. A few black drum frequent this area so delay your hook sets if you keep missing fish. The shell reefs between the LBJ causeway and the mouth of St. Charles Bay (Goose Island) shoreline is a good wade for trout and reds using free lined medium sized croaker. Top waters in silver and blue are the ticket for slot reds on the shoreline of Blackjack Peninsula. Fish this area on high tide working your lures close to the salt grass lines. St. Charles Bay: As mentioned before be careful in this bay, as it’s hard on lower units. Lots of underwater pipes, etc. Black drum are still frequenting the Twin Creeks area with peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig being the preferred technique. Cut mullet is working well for reds in East Pocket on high tide using a fish finder rig. Carlos Bay: The reefs east of Carlos Dugout are holding some keeper trout using free lined shrimp. The east side of Spalding is good for trout and reds using cut menhaden. Mid-day on slack tide Carlos Dugout is still holding trout with Chartreuse colored jerk shads being the ticket. Work the lure slow and deep with most strikes coming as you transition from deep to shallow water. Mesquite Bay: The shell reefs east of the mouth of Cedar Bayou is good for wading for trout using croaker (there are a few

gators in this area but I have not found them to be a nuisance). If the wind allows Third Chain is good for reds and black drum using shrimp under a rattle cork. Fish deeper midday and close to the reef early morning and late evening. Red action is good on the east shoreline using mud minnows or cut menhaden and a Carolina rig. Ayers Bay: Gafftop are plentiful on the North shoreline reefs using shrimp or cut menhaden. Black drum are still feeding on the west shoreline using peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig. East shoreline reefs are holding a few trout using free lined croaker or live shrimp. Good sheep head action off Ayers Reef using small pieces of cut squid under a cork.

the bank bite Location: The mouth of St. Charles is good for trout and reds using a popping cork and live shrimp. New penny colored bass assassins work well here too. Best access is off of the Goose Island State Park pier. Recommend fishing your way out to the cut and back moving slowly and quietly. This is a heavy boat traffic area on the weekends so mid-week is best. Contact Capt. Mac Gable at Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601

Copano Bay: This is croaker time so if you can find a few dozen croaker it helps set you up for a productive day of fishing. Copano Reef is a good place for croaker soaking with a free line preferred and a light Carolina rig in high winds. Think shallow water early morning and late evening and deep edges of the reef mid-day. Finger mullet at the mouth of Mission Bay is good for reds using a Carolina rig. Soft plastics in pumpkin seed and salt and pepper colors are the way to go around Rattlesnake Point. Speed your retrieve up as you work from shallow to deeper water on this reef. T F & G

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n asset that makes Lower Laguna Madre such a remarkable place to fish is the wide variety of fish available to anglers. There literally is something for every fishing preference. Besides the usual suspects, speckled trout and flounder roaming the bay, there are also mangrove snapper and sheepshead milling around structure and waiting to go knuckle-and-skull with anyone who dares flip a live shrimp into the shadows of their dens (or frozen one; they aren’t very picky). Tarpon patrol along the Brazos-Santiago Jetties and in the surf, or sometimes school up and go on wilding parties in the bay itself to terrorize unsuspecting fishermen who may by looking for smaller more cooperative

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Photo: Pipehorse, canstock

Treeing a Snook

prey. There are Spanish and king mackerel within casting distance of surf and jetty bound anglers (the latter of which are partial to large chrome/blue lipless crankbaits). And then there is the snook. The robalo of Lower Laguna Madre has developed quite a following among Texas anglers in recent years, much to the chagrin of some locals who wanted to keep the secret entirely to themselves. I have run into fishermen from as far away as the Texas Panhandle and just south of the Canadian River who have made trips to Port Isabel and South Padre Island for the sole purpose of latching into Ol’ Linesides. The fish has an exotic mystique to it that bespeaks of the tropical and wild, but still possesses a defiant contrariness that is equally appealing. The snook is the tycoon in faded blue jeans, the debutant in pearls and cowboy boots. The snook is caviar washed down with a Longneck. In short, the snook is pure Texan. Snook have become more plentiful over

the last decade and a liable to pop up anywhere as far north as the Land Cut; however, if you are looking to pick a fight with a Lower Laguna Madre snook, your best shot is to look to South Bay, 26.017606, -97.183685. South Bay holds a stable population of snook that take up residence from mid-Spring until the first major cold front in Fall (which could be as late as early December). The mangroves that line shoreline, the grassy flats, and deeper channels and boat guts offer ideal habitat for the linesiders. When the tide is up or incoming, snook will gravitate to the cover and forage provided by the mangrove trees and strafe mullet, pilchard, and small pinfish. When the tide starts moving out, they’ll fall back into deeper water and water and wait for the current to flush bait off the flats and to them. While fishing around the mangroves, your best bet is to move stealthily into position with by either poling or using a trolling motor. Watch for fish holding in the

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shadows and under roots and overhangs. When you spot one, cast a soft plastic such as a ¼ ounce DOA Shrimp, a chartreuse or pearl Bass Assassin, or a Logic Lures Tandem in clear/glitter. Do not cast directly in front of the fish or you may spook it. Work the bait past the hidey hole. Use a 20 pound fluorocarbon leader tied to your line with a uni-to-uni knot or blood knot to prevent a breakoff if your quarry drags you across a limb. Early on calm mornings, you might spot snook chasing bait along the surface near the mangroves. When these fish are actively feeding like that, your favorite topwater can really prove effective. Try a Spook, Jr. or a Saltwater Chug Bug in bone or white. If the fish are missing the plug on the strike, switch to a sub-surface bait such as a Catch 2000 or Bomber Saltwater Grade Badonk-a-Donk SS, also in bone or white for better hookups. Soft plastics such as the afore-mentioned Bass Assassins and Logics work well, too. I have also begun playing around with a River2Sea Wideglide (river2seausa.com), which is a subsurface plug with a very unique action. The weight is mostly forward in the head of the plug, which gives it a very wide “walk” when worked on a twitch-slack line retrieve. The end result is that the bait doesn’t so much walk the way traditional plugs do. It glides two feet in each direction. Whether it is a more natural presentation or simply different from what snook (and trout and redfish, for that matter) have seen, the Wide Glide has gotten some promising results. Of course, natural baits are also very effective for treed snook. The first choice is a live finger mullet, with large shrimp a very close second. Hook the mullet just above the anal fin, use the smallest weight possible for casting distance, and lob it towards the mangrove. Popping corks are more a liability than an asset in this application because of the risk of them getting snared in the limbs of a tree. Moreover, the water averages 2 feet or less, so a cork is not necessarily effective. If you are using a soft plastic or live bait, do not be surprised if you latch into a big flounder. Flatties hide in ambush along the mangroves sometimes, and aren’t averse to taking a shot at a finger mullet or a soft plastic that should meander by. In June of 2011, I had a 4-pounder hammer a Spook,

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Jr. while I was walking it back after missing a big snook that was cruising the tree-line. It was my largest flounder of the year. Even when you are looking a specific target, you can end up with a little variety.

the bank bite

Tips: Use topwaters along the shallows early, fish live bait or soft plastics in the deeper water later in the day. Contact Calixto Gonzales at CGonzales@fishgame.com

Location: Holly Beach Species: Speckled Trout, Redfish

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UPPER GULF COAST

Hanna Holds Hordes of Specks by GEORGE KNIGHTEN gtkphoto@yahoo.com

LOCATION: East Galveston HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef GPS: N29 28.77252, W94 43.65066 (29.479542, -94.727511) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp or soft plastic lures CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 gtkphoto@yahoo.com knightensgalvestonfishing.com TIPS: Drift fish using jerkbaits like Mirro-Lures Provoker or 5” mullet. Use 1/8 or 1/4-ounce jigheads and work the water column. Look for slicks and bait fish to give away the game fish. LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Dollar Reef GPS: N29 26.0574, W94 53.00022 (29.434290, -94.883337) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait soft plastics sinking twitch baits CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 www.knightensgalvestonfishing.com TIPS: Anchor up and use live shrimp or croaker or drift the reef using soft plastic like Mirro-Lure 5” soft mullet. The old original Mirro lure 52 MR can be very effective. LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Sand Island 88 |

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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.

GPS: N29 34.61001, W94 83.07658 (29.346100135, -94.83076581) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: : Mirro Lures, soft plastic jerk baits CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 TIPS: You can wade the shoreline or drift the flats in front of the island. Look for active bait and slicks to find the best areas. LOCATION: Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: C Lease Wells GPS: N29 32.03028, W94 50.42784 (29.533838, -94.840464) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live Croaker shad body soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 TIPS: Anchor up and fish live croaker around the rig structure or drift the edges of the rigs and near by shell using soft plastic shad bodies like Mirro Lures 4” Soft-Shad. LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Bird Island Cove GPS: N29 5.49012, W95 7.10556 (29.091502, -95.118426) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Corkys, Mirro lures, Top Dog or Super spooks CONTACT: Capt. Greg Francis, 409939-1684, captgreg@saltwaterassault.net F i s h

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TIPS: Can be waded or drift fished. Good grassy shore line, hard sand bottom and usually holds lots of bait. topwater lures like the He Dog in chrome with a blue or black back works well early and Corkys later in the day. LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Greens Cut Flats GPS: N29 16.04574, W94 58.71714 (29.267429, -94.978619) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp or soft plastic jerkbaits CONTACT: Capt. Greg Francis 409-939-1684 captgreg@saltwaterassault.net TIPS: Drift over shell in 4-5 ft of water using either live shrimp or soft plastic lures. 1/8-ounce. leadheads work better over the heavy shell so you don’t hang up as often.

MIDDLE GULF COAST

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

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Quarantine GPS: N27 52.44774, W97 3.01032 (27.874129, -97.050172) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live Finger Mullet CONTACT: Capt. Charles Newton 361 729-8220 TIPS: Fish Quarantine Shoreline on a SE wind with live finger mullet and 1-ounce. sinker on wide gap hook. LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Cassidy Hole

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GPS: N27 51.80382, W97 5.20176 (27.863397, -97.086696) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live Finger Mullet CONTACT: Capt. Charles Newton 361 729-8220 TIPS: This area is very shallow and you must fish on high tide or you can’t get in there. The really nice reds hang out at the end of this area. LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Shamrock Cove GPS: N27 44.95098, W97 10.00002 (27.749183, -97.166667) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live finger mullet CONTACT: Capt. Jon Fails, 361-9490133 TIPS: Use a treble hook threaded through the eyes of the fish—works great if you are fishing grass; a mullet will swim near the top of the water. LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Traylor Island

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GPS: N27 55.995, W97 4.494 (27.933250, -97.074900) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Brad Smyth: 361790-8354 TIPS: Hook the croaker right above the anal fin.

8354 TIPS: Use croaker hooks with the hook size depending on the size of the croaker. LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: East Flats GPS: N27 48.72702, W97 7.67202 (27.812117, -97.127867) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker or finger mullet CONTACT: Capt. Jon Fails, 361-9490133 TIPS: If the fish are deep, use finger mullet; if the fish are near the top, use croaker.

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Mud Island GPS: N27 56.63502, W97 1.266 (27.943917, -97.021100) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Brad Smyth: 361790-8354 TIPS: Fish the inside of the Island.

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: JFK Causeway GPS: N27 38.07102, W97 14.46102 (27.634517, -97.241017) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Jon Fails, 361-9490133 TIPS: Fails uses a three-foot shock leader with a 5/0 croaker hook, free lined.

LOCATION: Copano Bay HOTSPOT: Lap Reef Lake GPS: N28 8.40102, W97 3.14898 (28.140017, -97.052483) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Brad Smyth: 361-790-

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LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Contee Lake GPS: N28 18.16998, W96 33.15 (28.302833, -96.552500) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Tested Tackle Factory Flats Minnow in plum/chartreuse with 1/8ounce; jighead CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin, 361785-2686 TIPS: Look for sand saucers in grass. LOCATION: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Chicken Foot Reef GPS: N28 15.82002, W96 47.08002 (28.263667, -96.784667) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Texas Tackle Factory Flats Minnows in plum/chartreuse with 1/8ounce; jigheads CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin, 361785-2686 TIPS: Wading or drifting for redfish; fish should be right on top of the shell. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Emmords Hole GPS: N27 30.057, W97 19.54602

(27.500950, -97.325767) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Jon Fails, 361-9490133 TIPS: When the temperature starts rising, look for trout dropping off into Emmords Hole.

LOWER GULF COAST

Call Black’s Bluff for Baffin Trout by CALIXTO GONZALES cgonzales@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Black’s Bluff GPS: N27 13.97202, W97 31.11198 (27.232867, -97.518533) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters; Soft plastics in plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, Morning Glory, Pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-

985-6089. 361-449-7441. brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Working topwaters along the shoreline early will get theirs and some hungry trout’s attention. Back off and fish the weedline edges later in the morning. Swim soft plastics across the edges and boundaries to give fish a target to ambush. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Alazan Bay GPS: N27 18.46698, W97 31.03002 (27.307783, -97.517167) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters; Soft plastics in plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, Morning Glory, Pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361985-6089. 361-449-7441. brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Fish over and among the rocks to find trout holding near the structure. Live bait free-lined among the rocks works well, as will suspending worked slowly. You can also fish deeper in the water column with soft plastics LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N26 26.78202, W97 22.75698 (26.446367, -97.379283) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Pearl/red, strawberry/white, topwaters in Bone, chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu, 979942-0165 TIPS: Topwaters work well early. As the wind picks up and the sun gets higher, switch to plastics rigged on a light (1/8thounce) jighead. Redfish will also pounce on a gold spoon. LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Marker 57 GPS: N26 44.43, W97 26.52 (26.740500, -97.442000) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters in Bone, chrome/blue, gold spoons, soft plastics in red/white, fire tiger CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu, 979942-0165

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TIPS: Swim a weedless gold spoon over tops of the seagrasses. Topwaters will work very well early in the morning, when slickcalm conditions prevail. LOCATION: South Bay HOTSPOT: South Bay Channels GPS: N26 2.69202, W97 10.974 (26.044867, -97.182900) SPECIES: flounder BEST BAITS: live shrimp or finger mullet, Logic Wiggly Jiggly with rootbeer plastic tail, Gulp! shrimp in New Penny, Pearl, Rootbeer CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 9565611535 TIPS: Fish the channels during moving tide. Work the drop-offs with live bait on a free-line rig or soft plastics. Fish the grasslines when the tide is completely up. Flounder will sit in the pockets around the weeds. LOCATION: South Bay HOTSPOT: South Bay Mangroves GPS: N26 1.22298, W97 13.80204 (26.020383, -97.230034) SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: live shrimp or finger mullet, Logic Tandems in Pearl/firetail, clear/glitter, red/white, topwaters; DOA shrimp CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 9565611535 TIPS: Toss unweighted live bait or DOA around overhangs and around roots where shade forms. If fish are actively feeding, work a topwater or Tandem at a brisk pace for smashing strikes. A fluorocarbon leader is best to prevent breakoffs on snags.

LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: Three Islands GPS: N26 16.28202, W97 17.70198 (26.271367, -97.295033) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Gold spoons, live shrimp, cut ballyhoo CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956-551-9581 TIPS: Fish the deeper (3-foot) depth to locate speckled trout around the sandholes. Use live bait on a popping cork rig or cut ballyhoo on a bottom rig. Best lures are topwaters and 1/2-ounce gold, weed-less spoons with a red curlytail added for effect.

HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N25 57.12612, W97 24.16866 (25.952102, -97.402811) SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Gold spoons, Logic Tandems in Tequila Gold, red/ white; live or cut bait CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956561-4535 TIPS: Fish along the broken docks in the turning basin. The fish respond to topwaters. If you mark fish deep, fish with jigs and tandems worked slowly and near the bottom. Live bait can be fished on split shot rigs.

LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: North Jetties GPS: N26 4.06044, W97 8.68824 (26.067674, -97.144804) SPECIES: tarpon BEST BAITS: live pinfish, mullet, large topwaters, swimbaits CONTACT: Quik Stop, 956-943-1159 TIPS: Scan the channel side on calm mornings for breaching tarpon. If they are around, fish with wither live bait under a balloon or with large topwaters (Super Spook in White works) or swimbaits in Pearl, Smoke, or white. Use 15 to 20-pound-class tackle.

PINEY WOODS

Bass on the Bayou at Toledo Bend by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: Bayou Seipe GPS: N31 44.05866, W93 50.72952 (31.734311, -93.845492) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: topwater plugs, frogs,

LOCATION: South Padre Island

LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: Mexequita Flats GPS: N26 3.603, W97 11.77098 (26.060050, -97.196183) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Gold spoons, Logic Tandems in Tequila Gold, red/ white; live or cut bait CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956561-4535 TIPS: Fish the flats between the ship channel and the old Causeway during incoming tides. Topwaters near shore are effective in early morning. Spoons, bait and plastics later in the day. Use cut bait if water is sandy or off-color. T F & G

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spinnerbaits, Rat-L-Trap, finesse and soft plastics CONTACT: Greg Crafts, gregcrafts@yahoo.com, 936-368-7151, toledobendguide.com TIPS: Work the shallow areas with grass close to deep water early and late with topwater plugs and the other lures. As the sun gets up or the bite slows, go to the drops and ledges falling into deeper water. Fish cranks, Carolina and Texas-rigged lures. LOCATION: Caddo HOTSPOT: Alligator Bayou GPS: N32 44.05494, W94 7.55634 (32.734249, -94.125939) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Frogs, buzzbaits, plastic worms, Flukes CONTACT: Paul Keith, caddoguide1@att.net, 318-455-3437, caddolakefishing.com

TIPS: Fish over and along the edges of the grass here as well as around Pine Island. Bream fishing also is hot in these areas. LOCATION: Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N30 23.71404, W95 35.51718 (30.395234, -95.591953) SPECIES: hybrid striper BEST BAITS: live shad, Storm swimbait CONTACT: Richard Tatsch, admin@fishdudetx.com, 936-291-1277, fishdudetx.com TIPS: The hybrids are very active and this is a good time of the year to catch some really big ones. Look for them around all main-lake points and humps. Find schools of shad on your electronics in 12-20 feet of water and you will find hybrids.

LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Grass Beds at Crane Lake GPS: N32 56.257, W95 28.788 (32.937617, -95.4798) SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, light Carolina rigs, weightless Flukes, Tiki Sticks CONTACT: Michael Rogge, 903-3833406, www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: Move out to the outer edges of the grass beds. Throw crankbaits and Carolina rigs in early morning and late afternoon. There is usually a good topwater bite on poppers, spooks and buzzbaits early and late LOCATION: Livingston HOTSPOT: 190 Road Bed GPS: N30 48.43044, W95 8.40678 (30.807174, -95.140113) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Jigging Slabs, Pet Spoons CONTACT: David S. Cox, dave@ palmettoguideservice.com, 936-291-9602, palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Jig the slabs or spoons vertically around the bridge rails and the roadbed. Also, troll Pet Spoons on down-riggers along both sides of the bridge. Bank access is available off the 190 bridge at Kickapoo Marina.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Cats in the Trees on Fayette County by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Fayette County HOTSPOT: Southeast Trees GPS: N29 55.0425, W96 43.23198 (29.917375, -96.720533) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, punch bait, worms CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, weldoon_edna@hotmail.com, 979-2293103, FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: The spawn is over, the water is 92 |

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heating up and catfish are in deep timber. Tie onto the tops of trees that are in 18-24 feet of water. The fish may bite easy so use a No. 6 or 8 treble hook so the bait will be smaller. Use chum and fish a tight line. LOCATION: Cedar Creek HOTSPOT: Twin Creek Docks GPS: N32 17.99754, W96 7.03728 (32.299959, -96.117288) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plastic worms, jigs CONTACT: Jason Barber, kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com, 903603-2047, www.kingcreekadventures.com TIPS: Pitch or flip the plastic worms and jigs beneath the docks here and on the other side of the creek channel. Fish the lures slowly and feel for brushpiles that occasionally are on the front end of the docks. LOCATION: Cooper HOTSPOT: Harper’s Crossing GPS: N33 18.504, W95 41.154 (33.308400, -95.685900) SPECIES: hybrid striper BEST BAITS: 4-inch Sassy Shad, Strike King Sexy Spoon CONTACT: Tony Parker, tawakonifishing@yahoo.com, 903-3481619, tawakonifishing.com TIPS: Look for hybrids on this hump and other main-lake humps including several in the Pelican Point area. On some days they will hit the Sassy Shad better and on other days they will prefer the metal Strike King Sexy Spoon. Fish the lures vertically.

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N33 4.7355, W96 59.87472 (33.078925, -96.997912) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Fresh shad, Secret 7 Dip Bait CONTACT: Bobby Kubin, bobby@bobby-catfishing.com, 817-4552894, bobby-catfishing.com TIPS: Eating-size channel and blue catfish are feeding along wind-blown mainlake and secondary points. Fish the shallow brush and grass. Let the wind carry the bait’s scent into the thick cover. Set the hook at the slightest bite.

TIPS: Fish the shorelines on topwater lures and spinnerbits early and then fish around the boat docks with Grape Texasrigged plastic worms near the mid-lake points. Also try Carolina-rigged plastic worms in 10-16 feet of water on the most southern points. LOCATION: Somerville HOTSPOT: White Bass Pass GPS: N30 18.486, W96 31.87218 (30.308100, -96.531203) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait, fresh shad CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, weldon_edna@hotmail.com, 979-2293103, FishTales-Guide Service.com TIPS: The point that joins the pass is shallow with rocks. Motor carefully. Use punch bait under a cork to prevent from hanging up. Anchor and fish toward the shore. If you see rocks out of the water, allow your cork to drift your bait past them.

LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: Main-Lake Points GPS: N32 3.6537, W95 26.43258 (32.060895, -95.440543) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Yellow Magic topwaters, Shimmy Shakers, plastic worms CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, ricky@rickysguideservice.com, 903-5617299, rickysguideservice.com

LOCATION: Tawakoni HOTSPOT: Sun Point

LOCATION: Lavon HOTSPOT: The Dam GPS: N33 1.9791, W96 28.14 (33.032985, -96.469000) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: small minnows, crappie jigs CONTACT: Billy Kilpatrick, straightlineguide@yahoo.com, 214-2327847, straightlineguide.com TIPS: Crappie are in their summer holding areas. Prime areas are points, the power plant on the north side and trees in 12 to 18 feet of water as well as along the face of the dam. Spider rigging works good. Also try the Collin Park Marina tire reefs. LOCATION: Lewisville T F & G

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GPS: N32 51.7284, W95 54.75186 (32.862140, -95.912531) SPECIES: hybrid striper BEST BAITS: 4-inch Sassy Shad with 3/4-ounce leadhead, Fiesta Slab CONTACT: Tony Parker, tawakonifishing@yahhoo.com, 903-3481619, tawakonifishing.com TIPS: Watch for sea gulls and herons for surfacing action. When the fish are not schooling look for hybrids, stripers and white bass on your fish finders on this point and other main-lake points. Fish the lures vertically. LOCATION: Texoma HOTSPOT: The Islands GPS: N33 51.58326, W96 42.25158 (33.859721, -96.704193) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: Pencil Poppers, Zara Spooks, Coho Minnows, Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey, bigfish@striperexpress.com, 877-7864477, striperexpress.com TIPS: Start at daybreak casting topwater lures close to the banks. Later in the morning and early afternoon move out to the 20 to 30 feet drop-offs and work the Sassy Shads slowly. LOCATION: Tyler East HOTSPOT: Fisherman’s Bay GPS: N32 13.42176, W95 7.53828 (32.223696, -95.125638) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Jigs, Carolina rigs, crankbaits, spinnerbaits topwaters CONTACT: Sonny Kopech, Marion. Kopech@HDSupply.com, 903-399-8822 TIPS: Look for feeding fish in the early-morning hours on points with spinnerbaits and topwaters. As the sun comes up, move to slightly deeper water and fish with a Carolina rig or jig. The best bites will come during early mornings and late evenings. LOCATION: Whitney HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump GPS: N31 54.67194, W97 20.87298 (31.911199, -97.347883) SPECIES: striper 94 |

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BEST BAITS: live gizzard shad CONTACT: Randy Routh, teamredneck@hotmail.com, 817-8225539, teamredneck.net TIPS: Big stripers are gorging on gizzard shad. Fish the hump using a Carolina rig with 2-oz. weight above a No. 2 circle hook. I free spool the line using the clicker. Later in the morning, move out to 36 feet. Fish shad 2 to 3 turns off the bottom. LOCATION: Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N31 57.66498, W96 9.15132 (31.961083, -96.152522) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, topwater lures, Slabs CONTACT: Royce and Adam Simmons, royce@gonefishing.biz, 903-389-4117, www.gonefishing.biz TIPS: Fish the main-lake points and humps near them with silver or chartreuse Slabs at 20-25 feet but also watch for surfacing action. The early-morning bite usually is best. This is a great month to take kids fishing because it’s still not too hot.

PANHANDLE

Ivie Bass Score Main Lake Points by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: O.H. Ivie HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N31 31.98648, W99 41.4888 (31.533108, -99.691480) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Topwater lures, plastic worms, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Dave Caudle, fishinwithdave@aol.com, 325-365-1020, fishinwithdave.com TIPS: Fish the drop-offs on the main lake points, especially those that are close to the river channel. The topwater action F i s h

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usually is best just after daybreak. Target rockpiles and drop-offs. LOCATION: O.H. Ivie HOTSPOT: Main Lake Flats GPS: N31 30.81, W99 40.88634 (31.513500, -99.681439) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, Sassy Shads, topwater lures CONTACT: Dave Caudle, fishinwithdave@aol.com, 325-365-1020, fishinwithdave.com TIPS: Watch for schooling action in open waters during the morning hours. If no surface action is seen, locate schools of shad and white bass with your electronics in the open water 15 to 22 feet deep. Jig Slabs and Sassy Shads vertically off the bottom. LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Caddo Bay GPS: N32 51.78036, W98 32.76954 (32.863006, -98.546159) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: crankbaits, Sassy Shadtype jigs, topwaters CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: The fish are in their late spring mode. Start at Caddo Bay and look for surface action from white bass, striped bass and hybrids all the way to the South D&D boat ramp. Concentrate on the 20-30-foot breaklines off the main channel. LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Costello Point GPS: N32 53.80434, W98 28.34574 (32.896739, -98.472429) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Fresh cut shad CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: Fish a Carolina rig with a 12-18inch leader under an egg sinker and suspend the cut shad about two cranks off the bottom. Anchor and chum the area with the heads and tails of the shad. The action usually starts in about 30 minutes.

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BIG BEND

Amistad Bass Go Topside by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Amistad HOTSPOT: Evans Creek GPS: N29 30.71592, W100 55.5906 (29.511932, -100.926510) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Topwater lures, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, plastic worms CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl, stan@amistadbass.com, 830-768-3648, amistadbass.com TIPS: Look for topwater action early and then switch to crawdad-colored crankbaits as the sun rises. Texas-rigged plastic worms fished in the brush and over the grass beds also can be very productive.

HILL COUNTRY

Talking Turkey for Canyon Stripers by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Turkey Cove GPS: N29 51.7188, W98 13.22568 (29.861980, -98.220428) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: Slab spoons, Striper jigs, Zara Spooks CONTACT: Steve Nixon, steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com, 210573-1230, sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Watch for surfacing schools of striped bass and white bass in the cove. I fish Zara Spooks early in the mornings and late in the afternoons. The west shoreline area seems to produce the best results. LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Jacobs Creek Park GPS: N29 52.66926, W98 13.23858 T F & G

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(29.877821, -98.220643) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Whacky Sticks, Kandie Bass Bait Worms, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, kandie@gvtc.com, 210-823-2153 TIPS: Fish the breaks along the banks close to the main-lake points here and in the Canyon Park area with Whacky Sticks early in the mornings and then switch to spinnerbaits and worms as the morning progresses. Black and blue colors work well here.

feeding, then back off and fish the rocky drop-offs on this point and other nearby main-lake points in 12 to 18 feet of water with worms.

Find Thousands of Texas Fishing Hotspots with our HOTSPOT FINDER app: www.FishGame.com/hotspots

LOCATION: Granger HOTSPOT: Main Lake Brushpiles GPS: N30 42.68598, W97 21.00648 (30.711433, -97.350108) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Maribou jigs, Stanley Wedge Tail Minnows, Stanley Wedge Runner Spinner, minnows CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, crappie1@hotmail.com, 512-365-7761, www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Crappie are in their summertime pattern and hitting all over the lake in 6 to 15 feet of water. Small lures work well but always carry along minnows which often out-fish lures at this time of year. Fresh dead, mangled minnows catch the biggest fish.

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS

Throw Hardware at Falcon Bass by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Cox Point GPS: N26 43.29822, W99 11.697 (26.721637, -99.194950) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: crankbaits, plastic worms, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Robert Amaya, robertsfishntackle@gmail.com, 956-7651442, robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Slow-roll spinnerbaits or crankbaits through the shallow stickups in the nearby coves early when the fish are A L M A N A C

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JUNE 2012

Tides and Prime Times

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

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

T12

T11

T10

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 Sabine Pass Jetty T2 Sabine Pass T3 Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass T4 T5 Galveston Bay, S. Jetty T6 Port Bolivar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE GRAPH:

Yellow: Daylight

12a

Tab: Peak Fishing Period

12p

12a

Light Blue: Nighttime

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 AM

Green: Falling Tide

Gold Fish: Best Time

Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

Blue Fish: Good Time

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

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY:

12a

AM/PM Timeline

96 |

AM/PM Timeline

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

Moon Overhead: 8:50a 6a

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

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

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:11p Moonrise: 1:10p Set: 4:39p

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:12p Moonrise: 2:10p Set: 5:34p

S O LU N AR A C T IVI T Y

º 28

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:12p Moonrise: 3:12p Set: 6:30p

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:13p Moonrise: 4:18p Set: 7:26p

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:13p Moonrise: 5:26p Set: 8:22p

Jun 1

SATURDAY

«2

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:14p Moonrise: 6:36p Set: 9:15p

SUNDAY

«3

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:14p Moonrise: 7:44p Set: 10:05p

AM Minor: 11:41a

PM Minor: 12:05p

AM Minor: 12:28a

PM Minor: 12:52p

AM Minor: 1:14a

PM Minor: 1:39p

AM Minor: 1:59a

PM Minor: 2:26p

AM Minor: 2:47a

PM Minor: 3:16p

AM Minor: 3:39a

PM Minor: 4:09p

AM Minor: 4:35a

PM Minor: 5:07p

AM Major: 5:53a

PM Major: 6:17p

AM Major: 6:40a

PM Major: 7:04p

AM Major: 7:26a

PM Major: 7:52p

AM Major: 8:13a

PM Major: 8:40p

AM Major: 9:01a

PM Major: 9:30p

AM Major: 9:54a

PM Major: 10:24p

AM Major: 10:51a

PM Major: -----

Moon Overhead: 7:31p

12a

WEDNESDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:10p

Moon Overhead: 8:19p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:04p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: None

Moon Overhead: 10:58p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:03a 12a

12p

S O LU N AR A C T IVI T Y

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for JUNE 2012

12a

feet

Moon Underfoot: 7:07a

+2.0

-1.0

T IDE LEVEL S

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Low Tide: 3:18 am High Tide: 11:15 am Low Tide: 5:45 pm High Tide: 10:55 pm

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1:00 — 3:00 PM

0.41 ft. 1.36 ft. 0.81 ft. 1.00 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 8:44a BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 PM

Low Tide: 4:17 am 0.61 ft. High Tide: 12:50 am High Tide: 11:34 am 1.31 ft. Low Tide: 5:27 am Low Tide: 6:14 pm 0.55 ft. High Tide: 11:51 am Low Tide: 6:54 pm

1.11 ft. 0.83 ft. 1.29 ft. 0.25 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 9:37a BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 PM

High Tide: 2:20 am Low Tide: 6:48 am High Tide: 12:08 pm Low Tide: 7:38 pm

1.28 ft. 1.03 ft. 1.30 ft. -0.05 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 10:33a BEST:

4:00 — 6:00 PM

High Tide: 3:34 am Low Tide: 8:13 am High Tide: 12:27 pm Low Tide: 8:25 pm

1.46 ft. 1.20 ft. 1.35 ft. -0.32 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 11:32a BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 PM

High Tide: 4:38 am Low Tide: 9:32 am High Tide: 12:54 pm Low Tide: 9:14 pm

1.61 ft. 1.33 ft. 1.40 ft. -0.52 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 12:35p

+2.0

BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 PM

High Tide: 5:36 am Low Tide: 10:38 am High Tide: 1:31 pm Low Tide: 10:05 pm

1.71 ft. 1.40 ft. 1.45 ft. -0.64 ft.

T IDE LEVEL S

+1.0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 7:55a

+1.0 0 -1.0

5/25/12 8:32 AM

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

«5

WEDNESDAY

«6

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:15p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:15p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:16p Moonrise: 8:48p Set: 10:51p Moonrise: 9:47p Set: 11:33p Moonrise: 10:38p Set: None

FRIDAY

«7

SATURDAY

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:16p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:17p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:17p Moonrise: 12:37p Set: 12:12a Moonrise: None Set: 12:49a Moonrise: 12:02a Set: 1:24a

SUNDAY

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:17p Moonrise: 12:37a Set: 2:01a

AM Minor: 5:36a

PM Minor: 6:08p

AM Minor: 6:41a

PM Minor: 7:12p

AM Minor: 7:47a

PM Minor: 8:16p

AM Minor: 8:50a

PM Minor: 9:17p

AM Minor: 9:50a

PM Minor: 10:15p

AM Minor: 10:44a

PM Minor: -----

AM Minor: 11:09a

PM Minor: 11:33a

AM Major: 11:28a

PM Major: 11:52a

AM Major: 12:26a

PM Major: 12:57p

AM Major: 1:32a

PM Major: 2:01p

AM Major: 2:36a

PM Major: 3:04p

AM Major: 3:37a

PM Major: 4:02p

AM Major: 4:32a

PM Major: 4:56p

AM Major: 5:22a

PM Major: 5:44p

Moon Overhead: 1:07a

12a

THURSDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 3:11a

Moon Overhead: 2:10a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 4:09a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:51a

Moon Overhead: 5:02a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:37a 12a

12p

S O LU N AR A C T IVI T Y

¡4

S O LU N AR A C T IVI T Y

Tides and Prime Times for JUNE 2012

12a

feet

Moon Underfoot: 1:38p

+2.0

-1.0

T IDE LEVEL S

BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 PM

High Tide: 6:31 am Low Tide: 11:34 am High Tide: 2:18 pm Low Tide: 10:56 pm

98 |

1.73 ft. 1.42 ft. 1.47 ft. -0.67 ft.

J U N E

ALMANAC Digital.indd 98

6:30 — 8:30 PM

High Tide: 7:22 am Low Tide: 12:26 pm High Tide: 3:14 pm Low Tide: 11:48 pm

2 0 1 2

Moon Underfoot: 3:40p BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 5:27p

BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM 3:00 — 4:00 AM

1.71 ft. High Tide: 8:09 am 1.40 ft. Low Tide: 1:23 pm 1.44 ft. High Tide: 4:18 pm -0.60 ft.

T e x a S

Moon Underfoot: 4:36p

F i s h

1.64 ft. Low Tide: 12:40 am 1.32 ft. High Tide: 8:53 am 1.37 ft. Low Tide: 2:28 pm High Tide: 5:32 pm

G a m e ®

BEST:

4:00 — 6:00 AM

-0.45 ft. 1.55 ft. 1.19 ft. 1.25 ft.

Low Tide: 1:31 am High Tide: 9:33 am Low Tide: 3:37 pm High Tide: 7:01 pm

T F & G

Moon Underfoot: 6:14p

Low Tide: 2:23 am High Tide: 10:08 am Low Tide: 4:41 pm High Tide: 8:46 pm

+2.0

BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 AM

-0.23 ft. 1.45 ft. 1.03 ft. 1.11 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 6:59p 12:00 — 2:00 AM

0.03 ft. 1.35 ft. 0.83 ft. 0.99 ft.

Low Tide: 3:16 am High Tide: 10:38 am Low Tide: 5:35 pm High Tide: 10:39 pm

T IDE LEVEL S

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 2:41p

0.31 ft. 1.27 ft. 0.63 ft. 0.94 ft.

+1.0 0 -1.0

A L M A N A C

5/25/12 8:33 AM

ALMANAC Digital.indd 99

5/25/12 8:33 AM

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:18p Moonrise: 1:10a Set: 2:40a

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:18p Moonrise: 1:42a Set: 3:23a

S O LU N AR A C T IVI T Y

» 11

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:19p Moonrise: 2:15a Set: 4:10a

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:19p Moonrise: 2:49a Set: 5:04a

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:19p Moonrise: 3:25a Set: 6:01a

SATURDAY

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:19p Moonrise: 4:05a Set: 7:02a

SUNDAY

« 17

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:20p Moonrise: 4:48a Set: 8:04a

AM Minor: 11:54a

PM Minor: 12:18p

AM Minor: 12:38a

PM Minor: 1:00p

AM Minor: 1:18a

PM Minor: 1:40p

AM Minor: 1:57a

PM Minor: 2:19p

AM Minor: 2:36a

PM Minor: 2:59p

AM Minor: 3:17a

PM Minor: 3:40p

AM Minor: 4:00a

PM Minor: 4:24p

AM Major: 6:07a

PM Major: 6:29p

AM Major: 6:49a

PM Major: 7:10p

AM Major: 7:29a

PM Major: 7:50p

AM Major: 8:08a

PM Major: 8:30p

AM Major: 8:47a

PM Major: 9:10p

AM Major: 9:29a

PM Major: 9:52p

AM Major: 10:12a

PM Major: 10:36p

Moon Overhead: 7:21a

12a

WEDNESDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 8:46a

Moon Overhead: 8:03a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:30a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 11:02a

Moon Overhead: 10:15a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 11:50a 12a

12p

S O LU N AR A C T IVI T Y

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for JUNE 2012

12a

feet

Moon Underfoot: 7:42p

+2.0

-1.0

T IDE LEVEL S

BEST:

12:30 — 2:30 AM

J U N E

ALMANAC Digital.indd 100

High Tide: 12:33 am Low Tide: 5:24 am High Tide: 11:26 am Low Tide: 7:01 pm

2 0 1 2

Moon Underfoot: 9:52p

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 AM

Low Tide: 4:13 am 0.57 ft. High Tide: 11:04 am 1.21 ft. Low Tide: 6:21 pm 0.43 ft.

100 |

Moon Underfoot: 9:08p 2:00 — 4:00 PM

0.98 ft. 0.81 ft. 1.17 ft. 0.25 ft.

High Tide: 2:19 am Low Tide: 7:06 am High Tide: 11:44 am Low Tide: 7:37 pm

T e x a S

1.10 ft. 0.99 ft. 1.16 ft. 0.11 ft.

F i s h

Moon Underfoot: 10:38p

BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 PM

High Tide: 3:41 am Low Tide: 8:51 am High Tide: 11:58 am Low Tide: 8:11 pm

G a m e ®

1.22 ft. 1.11 ft. 1.17 ft. -0.01 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 11:34p BEST:

4:00 — 6:00 PM

High Tide: 4:37 am Low Tide: 10:18 am High Tide: 12:08 pm Low Tide: 8:43 pm

T F & G

1.32 ft. 1.18 ft. 1.20 ft. -0.10 ft.

4:30 — 6:30 PM

High Tide: 5:16 am Low Tide: 11:36 am High Tide: 12:06 pm Low Tide: 9:15 pm

Moon Underfoot: None

+2.0

BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 PM

1.38 ft. High Tide: 5:49 am 1.23 ft. Low Tide: 9:48 pm 1.23 ft. -0.17 ft.

1.42 ft. -0.21 ft

T IDE LEVEL S

+1.0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 8:25p

+1.0 0 -1.0

A L M A N A C

5/25/12 8:33 AM

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

Tides and Prime Times for JUNE 2012

« 18

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:20p Moonrise: 5:35a Set: 9:05a

TUESDAY

l 19

« 20

THURSDAY

« 21

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:20p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:20p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 6:25a Set: 10:03a Moonrise: 7:18a Set: 10:59a Moonrise: 8:13a Set: 11:53a Moonrise: 9:09a Set: 12:45p Moonrise: 10:07a Set: 1:37p

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 11:04a Set: 2:29p

AM Minor: 4:46a

PM Minor: 5:10p

AM Minor: 5:34a

PM Minor: 5:59p

AM Minor: 6:25a

PM Minor: 6:49p

AM Minor: 7:17a

PM Minor: 7:41p

AM Minor: 8:10a

PM Minor: 8:33p

AM Minor: 9:02a

PM Minor: 9:26p

AM Minor: 9:55a

PM Minor: 10:18p

AM Major: 10:58a

PM Major: 11:23a

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:11p

AM Major: 12:12a

PM Major: 12:37p

AM Major: 1:05a

PM Major: 1:29p

AM Major: 1:58a

PM Major: 2:22p

AM Major: 2:51a

PM Major: 3:14p

AM Major: 3:43a

PM Major: 4:06p

Moon Overhead: 12:39p

12a

WEDNESDAY

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:19p

Moon Overhead: 1:29p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 3:07p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 4:42p

Moon Overhead: 3:55p 12a

12p

12a

12p

S O LU N AR A C T IVI T Y

MONDAY

Moon Overhead: 5:29p 12a

12p

12a

feet

Moon Underfoot: 12:14a

+2.0

-1.0

T IDE LEVEL S

Moon Underfoot: 1:54a

BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 PM

High Tide: 6:19 am 1.44 ft. High Tide: 6:49 am Low Tide: 10:21 pm -0.24 ft. Low Tide: 12:24 pm High Tide: 1:29 pm Low Tide: 10:54 pm

1.46 ft. 1.27 ft. 1.27 ft. -0.24 ft.

6:30 — 8:30 PM

High Tide: 7:21 am Low Tide: 12:33 pm High Tide: 2:10 pm Low Tide: 11:27 pm

T F & G

ALMANAC Digital.indd 101

Moon Underfoot: 2:43a BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

1.46 ft. High Tide: 7:53 am 1.25 ft. Low Tide: 1:04 pm 1.26 ft. High Tide: 2:51 pm -0.22 ft.

A L M A N A C

Moon Underfoot: 3:32a BEST:

F i s h

-0.17 ft. 1.44 ft. 1.14 ft. 1.15 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 5:05a

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

1.46 ft. Low Tide: 12:02 am 1.21 ft. High Tide: 8:24 am 1.22 ft. Low Tide: 1:44 pm High Tide: 3:44 pm

T e x a S

Moon Underfoot: 4:19a

Low Tide: 12:37 am High Tide: 8:52 am Low Tide: 2:27 pm High Tide: 5:05 pm

G a m e ®

-0.08 ft. 1.40 ft. 1.03 ft. 1.05 ft.

J U N E

+2.0

BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 PM

10:00P — 12:00A

T IDE LEVEL S

+1.0

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 1:04a

Low Tide: 1:15 am High Tide: 9:17 am Low Tide: 3:11 pm High Tide: 7:07 pm

2 0 1 2

0.06 ft. 1.34 ft. 0.86 ft. 0.94 ft.

+1.0 0 -1.0

101

5/25/12 8:33 AM

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

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

SATURDAY

Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:22p Moonrise: 5:23p Set: 7:58p

SUNDAY

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

12p

Moon Overhead: 7:55p

Moon Overhead: 7:04p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 8:49p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:48p

Moon Overhead: 9:47p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 11:10p 12a

12p

S O LU N AR A C T IVI T Y

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for JUNE 2012

12a

feet

Moon Underfoot: 5:52a

+2.0

-1.0

T IDE LEVEL S

BEST:

11:00A — 1:00P

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Low Tide: 1:55 am High Tide: 9:38 am Low Tide: 3:57 pm High Tide: 9:23 pm

102 |

Moon Underfoot: 7:29a

0.26 ft. 1.28 ft. 0.65 ft. 0.88 ft.

J U N E

ALMANAC Digital.indd 102

Low Tide: 2:38 am High Tide: 9:55 am Low Tide: 4:45 pm High Tide: 11:31 pm

2 0 1 2

Moon Underfoot: 8:22a

BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 PM

BEST:

F i s h

G a m e ®

1.08 ft. 1.00 ft. 1.24 ft. -0.16 ft.

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 0.93 ft. Low Tide: 6:28 pm

T e x a S

Moon Underfoot: 9:18a

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

T F & G

1.27 ft. 1.21 ft. 1.30 ft. -0.40 ft.

4:00 — 6:00 PM

High Tide: 4:07 am Low Tide: 8:14 am High Tide: 10:54 am Low Tide: 8:14 pm

1.43 ft. 1.33 ft. 1.35 ft. -0.59 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 11:19a

+2.0

BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 PM

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.

T IDE LEVEL S

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 6:39a

+1.0 0 -1.0

A L M A N A C

5/25/12 8:33 AM

ALMANAC Digital.indd 103

5/25/12 8:33 AM

JUNE 2012

Tides and Prime Times

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

SYMBOL KEY

New Moon

4¡

First Quarter

PRIME TIME 1.73 ft. 1.42 ft. 1.47 ft. -0.67 ft.

6:00 — 8:00 PM

Low Tide: 4:13 am 0.57 ft. High Tide: 11:04 am 1.21 ft. Low Tide: 6:21 pm 0.43 ft.

12:30 — 2:30 AM

High Tide: 6:31 am Low Tide: 11:34 am High Tide: 2:18 pm Low Tide: 10:56 pm

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:37p Moonrise: 9:05a Set: 11:14p AM Minor: 8:22a AM Major: 2:08a PM Minor: 8:48p PM Major: 2:35p Moon Overhead: 4:12p Moon Underfoot: 3:45a

11 »

PRIME TIME

Full Moon

PRIME TIME

Last Quarter Good Day

5¡

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 7:22 am Low Tide: 12:26 pm High Tide: 3:14 pm Low Tide: 11:48 pm

1.71 ft. 1.40 ft. 1.44 ft. -0.60 ft.

6:30 — 8:30 PM

0.98 ft. 0.81 ft. 1.17 ft. 0.25 ft.

8:00 — 10:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:37p Moonrise: 10:07a Set: 11:55p AM Minor: 9:20a AM Major: 3:07a PM Minor: 9:47p PM Major: 3:34p Moon Overhead: 5:04p Moon Underfoot: 4:38a

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 12:33 am Low Tide: 5:24 am High Tide: 11:26 am Low Tide: 7:01 pm

best days

6«

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 8:09 am Low Tide: 1:23 pm High Tide: 4:18 pm

7:00 — 9:00 PM

1.64 ft. 1.32 ft. 1.37 ft.

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:38p Moonrise: 11:10a Set: None AM Minor: 10:18a AM Major: 4:05a PM Minor: 10:43p PM Major: 4:31p Moon Overhead: 5:55p Moon Underfoot: 5:30a

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 2:19 am Low Tide: 7:06 am High Tide: 11:44 am Low Tide: 7:37 pm

1.10 ft. 0.99 ft. 1.16 ft. 0.11 ft.

2:00 — 4:00 PM

7«

Low Tide: 12:40 am High Tide: 8:53 am Low Tide: 2:28 pm High Tide: 5:32 pm

PRIME TIME -0.45 ft. 1.55 ft. 1.19 ft. 1.25 ft.

3:00 — 4:00 AM

1.22 ft. 1.11 ft. 1.17 ft. -0.01 ft.

3:00 — 5:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:38p Moonrise: 12:14p Set: 12:33a AM Minor: 11:13a AM Major: 5:01a PM Minor: 11:38p PM Major: 5:26p Moon Overhead: 6:45p Moon Underfoot: 6:20a

High Tide: 3:41 am Low Tide: 8:51 am High Tide: 11:58 am Low Tide: 8:11 pm

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:40p Moonrise: 4:34p Set: 2:57a AM Minor: 2:04a AM Major: 8:18a PM Minor: 2:31p PM Major: 8:45p Moon Overhead: 10:09p Moon Underfoot: 9:41a

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:40p Moonrise: 5:42p Set: 3:39a AM Minor: 2:52a AM Major: 9:06a PM Minor: 3:20p PM Major: 9:35p Moon Overhead: 11:06p Moon Underfoot: 10:37a

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:41p Moonrise: 6:49p Set: 4:26a AM Minor: 3:43a AM Major: 9:58a PM Minor: 4:12p PM Major: 10:27p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:35a

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:41p Moonrise: 7:53p Set: 5:18a AM Minor: 4:37a AM Major: 10:52a PM Minor: 5:07p PM Major: 11:22p Moon Overhead: 12:05a Moon Underfoot: 12:35p

18 «

19 l

20 «

21 «

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 6:19 am 1.44 ft. Low Tide: 10:21 pm -0.24 ft.

5:30 — 7:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:42p Moonrise: 11:08p Set: 9:21a AM Minor: 8:30a AM Major: 2:17a PM Minor: 8:55p PM Major: 2:42p Moon Overhead: 3:53a Moon Underfoot: 4:18p

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 1:55 am High Tide: 9:38 am Low Tide: 3:57 pm High Tide: 9:23 pm

0.26 ft. 1.28 ft. 0.65 ft. 0.88 ft.

11:00A — 1:00P

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:44p Moonrise: 2:12a Set: 3:45p AM Minor: 1:27a AM Major: 7:38a PM Minor: 1:49p PM Major: 8:00p Moon Overhead: 8:55a Moon Underfoot: 9:18p

104 |

J U N E

ALMANAC Digital.indd 104

2 0 1 2

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 6:49 am Low Tide: 12:24 pm High Tide: 1:29 pm Low Tide: 10:54 pm

1.46 ft. 1.27 ft. 1.27 ft. -0.24 ft.

6:00 — 8:00 PM

0.49 ft. 1.24 ft. 0.40 ft. 0.93 ft.

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:42p Moonrise: 11:42p Set: 10:20a AM Minor: 9:24a AM Major: 3:13a PM Minor: 9:48p PM Major: 3:36p Moon Overhead: 4:42a Moon Underfoot: 5:05p

26 º

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 2:38 am High Tide: 9:55 am Low Tide: 4:45 pm High Tide: 11:31 pm

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 8:44p Moonrise: 2:46a Set: 4:41p AM Minor: 2:07a AM Major: 8:18a PM Minor: 2:30p PM Major: 8:42p Moon Overhead: 9:41a Moon Underfoot: 10:05p

T e x a S

F i s h

PRIME TIME 1.46 ft. 1.25 ft. 1.26 ft. -0.22 ft.

6:30 — 8:30 PM

Low Tide: 3:29 am 0.75 ft. High Tide: 10:08 am 1.22 ft. Low Tide: 5:35 pm 0.12 ft.

1:00 — 3:00 PM

High Tide: 7:21 am Low Tide: 12:33 pm High Tide: 2:10 pm Low Tide: 11:27 pm

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:43p Moonrise: None Set: 11:17a AM Minor: 10:15a AM Major: 4:04a PM Minor: 10:37p PM Major: 4:26p Moon Overhead: 5:27a Moon Underfoot: 5:48p

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 8:44p Moonrise: 3:25a Set: 5:38p AM Minor: 2:49a AM Major: 9:01a PM Minor: 3:13p PM Major: 9:26p Moon Overhead: 10:29a Moon Underfoot: 10:55p

G a m e ®

T F & G

High Tide: 7:53 am Low Tide: 1:04 pm High Tide: 2:51 pm

PRIME TIME 1.46 ft. 1.21 ft. 1.22 ft.

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:43p Moonrise: 12:13a Set: 12:11p AM Minor: 11:03a AM Major: 4:52a PM Minor: 11:23p PM Major: 5:13p Moon Overhead: 6:09a Moon Underfoot: 6:30p

High Tide: 1:26 am Low Tide: 4:32 am High Tide: 10:19 am Low Tide: 6:28 pm

PRIME TIME 1.08 ft. 1.00 ft. 1.24 ft. -0.16 ft.

2:00 — 4:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 8:44p Moonrise: 4:09a Set: 6:34p AM Minor: 3:33a AM Major: 9:46a PM Minor: 3:59p PM Major: 10:12p Moon Overhead: 11:20a Moon Underfoot: 11:47p

A lmanac

5/25/12 8:33 AM

JUNE 2012

Tides and Prime Times

FRIDAY

Jun 1

High Tide: 3:34 am Low Tide: 8:13 am High Tide: 12:27 pm Low Tide: 8:25 pm

SATURDAY PRIME TIME

1.46 ft. 1.20 ft. 1.35 ft. -0.32 ft.

4:00 — 6:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:35p Moonrise: 6:17a Set: 8:45p AM Minor: 5:34a AM Major: 11:47a PM Minor: 6:00p PM Major: 12:13p Moon Overhead: 1:30p Moon Underfoot: 1:04a

Low Tide: 1:31 am High Tide: 9:33 am Low Tide: 3:37 pm High Tide: 7:01 pm

PRIME TIME -0.23 ft. 1.45 ft. 1.03 ft. 1.11 ft.

4:00 — 6:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:38p Moonrise: 1:17p Set: 1:08a AM Minor: ----- AM Major: 5:53a PM Minor: 12:06p PM Major: 6:18p Moon Overhead: 7:34p Moon Underfoot: 7:09a

High Tide: 4:37 am Low Tide: 10:18 am High Tide: 12:08 pm Low Tide: 8:43 pm

PRIME TIME 1.32 ft. 1.18 ft. 1.20 ft. -0.10 ft.

4:00 — 6:00 PM

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PRIME TIME

High Tide: 4:38 am Low Tide: 9:32 am High Tide: 12:54 pm Low Tide: 9:14 pm

1.61 ft. 1.33 ft. 1.40 ft. -0.52 ft.

5:30 — 7:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:36p Moonrise: 7:08a Set: 9:39p AM Minor: 6:27a AM Major: 12:13a PM Minor: 6:54p PM Major: 12:40p Moon Overhead: 2:24p Moon Underfoot: 1:57a

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 2:23 am High Tide: 10:08 am Low Tide: 4:41 pm High Tide: 8:46 pm

0.03 ft. 1.35 ft. 0.83 ft. 0.99 ft.

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 5:16 am Low Tide: 11:36 am High Tide: 12:06 pm Low Tide: 9:15 pm

1.38 ft. 1.23 ft. 1.23 ft. -0.17 ft.

4:30 — 6:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:42p Moonrise: 9:44p Set: 7:17a AM Minor: 6:33a AM Major: 12:19a PM Minor: 7:02p PM Major: 12:48p Moon Overhead: 2:04a Moon Underfoot: 2:32p

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 12:02 am High Tide: 8:24 am Low Tide: 1:44 pm High Tide: 3:44 pm

-0.17 ft. 1.44 ft. 1.14 ft. 1.15 ft.

8:00 — 10:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:43p Moonrise: 12:42a Set: 1:04p AM Minor: 11:47a AM Major: 5:37a PM Minor: ----- PM Major: 5:57p Moon Overhead: 6:50a Moon Underfoot: 7:11p

High Tide: 2:59 am Low Tide: 6:05 am High Tide: 10:31 am Low Tide: 7:21 pm

PRIME TIME 1.27 ft. 1.21 ft. 1.30 ft. -0.40 ft.

3:00 — 5:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 8:44p Moonrise: 4:59a Set: 7:29p AM Minor: 4:21a AM Major: 10:34a PM Minor: 4:48p PM Major: 11:01p Moon Overhead: 12:14p Moon Underfoot: None

Low Tide: 12:37 am High Tide: 8:52 am Low Tide: 2:27 pm High Tide: 5:05 pm

9:00 — 11:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:43p Moonrise: 1:11a Set: 1:57p AM Minor: 12:04a AM Major: 6:18a PM Minor: 12:28p PM Major: 6:39p Moon Overhead: 7:31a Moon Underfoot: 7:52p

1.71 ft. 1.40 ft. 1.45 ft. -0.64 ft.

1.43 ft. 1.33 ft. 1.35 ft. -0.59 ft.

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:39p Moonrise: 3:26p Set: 2:19a AM Minor: 1:18a AM Major: 7:30a PM Minor: 1:43p PM Major: 7:56p Moon Overhead: 9:15p Moon Underfoot: 8:49a

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PRIME TIME 1.42 ft. -0.21 ft.

5:00 — 7:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:42p Moonrise: 10:29p Set: 8:19a AM Minor: 7:32a AM Major: 1:19a PM Minor: 7:59p PM Major: 1:46p Moon Overhead: 3:00a Moon Underfoot: 3:27p

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 1:15 am High Tide: 9:17 am Low Tide: 3:11 pm High Tide: 7:07 pm

0.06 ft. 1.34 ft. 0.86 ft. 0.94 ft.

10:00P — 12:00A

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:43p Moonrise: 1:41a Set: 2:50p AM Minor: 12:48a AM Major: 6:58a PM Minor: 1:09p PM Major: 7:19p Moon Overhead: 8:12a Moon Underfoot: 8:34p

4:00 — 6:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 8:44p Moonrise: 5:54a Set: 8:21p AM Minor: 5:12a AM Major: 11:25a PM Minor: 5:39p PM Major: 11:53p Moon Overhead: 1:09p Moon Underfoot: 12:41a

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6:00 — 8:00 PM

PRIME TIME 0.31 ft. 1.27 ft. 0.63 ft. 0.94 ft.

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 4:07 am Low Tide: 8:14 am High Tide: 10:54 am Low Tide: 8:14 pm

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-0.08 ft. 1.40 ft. 1.03 ft. 1.05 ft.

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:36p Moonrise: 8:05a Set: 10:28p AM Minor: 7:23a AM Major: 1:10a PM Major: 1:37p PM Minor: 7:50p Moon Overhead: 3:18p Moon Underfoot: 2:51a

High Tide: 5:49 am Low Tide: 9:48 pm

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:41p Moonrise: 8:52p Set: 6:16a AM Minor: 5:34a AM Major: 11:49a PM Minor: 6:04p PM Major: ----Moon Overhead: 1:05a Moon Underfoot: 1:35p

High Tide: 5:36 am Low Tide: 10:38 am High Tide: 1:31 pm Low Tide: 10:05 pm

Low Tide: 3:16 am High Tide: 10:38 am Low Tide: 5:35 pm High Tide: 10:39 pm

5:00 — 7:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 8:39p Moonrise: 2:21p Set: 1:43a AM Minor: 12:31a AM Major: 6:43a PM Minor: 12:55p PM Major: 7:08p Moon Overhead: 8:23p Moon Underfoot: 7:58a

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

NOT FOR NAVIGATION

PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse (29.47° N, 93.72° W) Sabine Pass Jetty (29.65° N, 93.83° W) Sabine Pass (29.73° N, 93.87°W) Mesquite Pt, Sabine Pass (29.77° N, 93.9° W) Galv. Bay, So. Jetty (29.34° N, 94.7° W) Port Bolivar (29.36° N, 94.77° W) TX City Turning Basin (29.38° N, 94.88° W) Eagle Point (29.5° N, 94.91° W) Clear Lake (29.56° N, 95.06° W) Morgans Point (29.68° N, 94.98° W) Round Pt, Trinity Bay (29.71° N, 94.69° W) Pt. Barrow, Trin. Bay (29.74° N, 94.83° W) Gilchrist, E. Bay (29.52° N, 94.48° W) Jamaica Bch., W. Bay (29.2° N, 94.98° W) Alligator Pt., W. Bay (29.17° N, 94.13° W) Christmas Pt, Chr. Bay (29.08° N, 94.17° W) Galv. Pleasure Pier (29.29° N, 94.79° W) San Luis Pass (29.08° N, 95.12° W) Freeport Harbor (28.95° N, 95.31° W) Pass Cavallo (28.37° N, 96.4° W) Aransas Pass (27.84° N, 97.05° W) Padre Isl.(So. End) (26.07° N, 97.16° W) Port Isabel (26.06° N, 97.22° W)

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HIGH LOW -1:46

-1:31

-1:26

-1:31

-1:00

-1:15

-0:04

-0:25

-0:39

-1:05

+0:14

-0:06

+0:33

+0:41

+3:54

+4:15

+6:05

+6:40

+10:21

+5:19

+10:39

+5:15

+5:48

+4:43

+3:16

+4:18

+2:38

+3:31

+2:39

+2:33

+2:32

+2:31

-1:06

-0.09

-0:44

-1:02

0:00

-1:20

-0:03

-1:31

-0:24

-1:45

+1:02

-0:42

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PHOTO:

Field Dressing

Basics Photos: Don Zaidle

by steve lamascus FIELD DRESSING IS RELATIVELY SIMPLE. The basic process is: Remove the testes and separate the scrotum at the point where it enters the body at the anus. Slit the abdomen to at least the bottom of the chest (sternum), being careful not to puncture the intestines. If you are not intending to mount the animal, it is better to split the beast all the way to the throat, which makes removal of the insides much easier and allows the carcass to cool faster. 106 |

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Reach into the chest cavity, grasp the trachea as near the throat as possible, and sever it with a knife. Insert a finger into the trachea and, using it as a grasping place, pull on the trachea and cut along the sides and back of the body cavity to free and remove the internal organs from the top to the bottom--heart, lungs, liver, stomach (paunch), and intestines. At the rear of the carcass, you can either split the pelvis to free the terminal end of the large intestine (rectum), or carefully cut around the anus from the outside to free the rectum and pull it out of the sternum canal from the inside. Either way will work; but splitting the pelvis is difficult to do without a saw or hatchet. For this purpose, I use a razor-sharp knife with a drop point and about a 4-inch blade. A big knife with an upturned point and a blade half as long as a super model’s leg is pretty close to useless in the field, and much more difficult to use in field dressing because it is unwieldy and tends to puncture the intestines. I make a small slit just in front of the pelvis through the skin and underlying muscle and peritoneum—the sack that encloses the intestines—until I can see the intestines. I then insert the first two fingers of my left hand, place the knife blade between my fingers and, using my fingers to depress the intestines and guide the knife blade, unzip the abdominal covering to the base of the chest. This method insures that you will not puncture the intestines. After removing the insides, turn the deer over and clean out any remaining blood or digestive tract matter. As soon as possible, wash out the body cavity as thoroughly as possible. I usually carry a canteen of water to perform this chore at least partially on the spot, then do a more thorough job as soon as I can get to a water faucet. If you wish to remove the tarsal glands on the inside of the hind legs, it doesn’t hurt anything and will keep you from accidentally getting the scent and foul taste all over the meat. I usually don’t bother with this unless the animal is unusually nasty and smelly, and I have never found that it made much difference, if any, in the taste of the venison. Now, after we have skinned our deer and aged our venison a few days, if we are so inclined, we are ready to butcher the carcass. There is no wrong way to skin the aniT F & G

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Removing the scrotum

Slitting the abdomen

Removing the organs

mal, unless you are caping it for mounting. I find it easier to do with the deer hanging by its head, but many prefer to hang deer by the hind feet. Either way, simply pull and cut (carefully so you do not damage the hide) at the place where hide joins meat A L M A N A C

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until the skin is removed. In butchering, the first thing I do is remove the backstraps and tenderloins. The backstraps are located along either side of the spine from just in front of the hips to the rear of the shoulders on the outside of G a m e ®

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Hunting Tales Empty Cavity

The cape

Skinning

Quartering

the carcass. Starting at the thinner front end, slice across the backstrap at the point

it tapers into the shoulder. Then carefully use a thin-bladed knifeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;some like a fish

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filleting knifeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to cut along the spine and down under the backstrap. This will free it from the skeleton. Continue to work back until the backstrap joins the hams. This can also be done from the rear to the front, as you please. The tenderloins are much smaller than the backstraps and lay against either side of the spine on the inside of the carcass, just in front of the hips. They are removed in the same general manner as the backstraps. Next, remove the shoulders. Lift the shoulder away from the body and begin cutting between the leg and the chest. The shoulder will separate easily from the chest and there is no joint to contend with. Just continue to cut until the shoulder comes free. The hams are next. Cut down the spine on either side, from the tail to the cut you made to remove the backstraps. Cutting as close as possible to the spine and pelvic girdle, make a cut all the way around the ham and all the way to the ball joint of the hip. Then twisting the ham around to break the joint loose, cut through and disjoint the ham from the pelvis. This is the most difficult part of the job and it is much better

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is merely whittled off a piece at a time. Most hunters use the neck meat for chili, tamales, or sausage.

Backstrap

Editor’s Note: The basic steps for processing game for the table are similar regardless of species. Most of the steps presented here, although specific to deer, apply to any other mammal (including small game such as rabbits and squirrels) or large bird. —Don Zaidle

if you can have someone with experience demonstrate the technique to you. As a last resort, you can saw through the bone at the hip joint with a meat and bone saw. At this point, after you have removed the

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hams, shoulders, backstraps, and tenderloins, all that is left are the ribs and the meat on the neck. The ribs can be sawn through or whacked off with a sturdy hunting knife where they meet the spine. The neck meat

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More field dressing tips, along with all the other basics of hunting deer in Texas are covered in THE TEXAS DEER BOOK by Steve LaMascus and Greg Rodriguez. Available online now at www.FishandGameGear.com

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Photo: StanJoMan, Canstock:

Health Benefits of Venison

enison is the perfect red meat, with tremendous health benefits added to its glory. Besides being a great source of necessary nutrients in the body, it is the perfect choice of health-conscious meat consumers as well. Venison houses fewer calories, less fat and more iron than chicken breast, as a lot of fat is removed in the cooking process; thus the meat lovers wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to compromise with the taste. Venison meat is lean, flavorful and wonderfully delicious, with a deep woody taste. It is a staple item on the table of many

American families and can be hunted as well as bought from the farms, where it is harvested. Venison is rich in various nutrients, including proteins, iron, vitamin B12, B6, riboflavin, and niacin. On the other hand, it is low in saturated fat, making it all the healthier. With this article, we will help you explore the benefits of venison in detail. Venison does not have additives or antibiotics in it and proves to be the perfect alternative for commercially grown beef, but with low fat content, especially saturated fat. This makes making it the ideal choice for fat-conscious people. The meat is a good source of iron, which is integral component of hemoglobin in the body. Iron is a necessary component that transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism. 110 |

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It is a good source of vitamin B12 and B6, which are required to prevent a dangerous molecule called homocysteine in the body. The high content of riboflavin present in venison helps reduce the occurrence of migraine attacks, by improving the energy metabolism in those who suffer from migraine headaches. The niacin (vitamin B3) present in Venison helps retard the risk of developing osteoarthritis by as much as half. The meat has a very low amount of cholesterol, even lower than chicken breast, which makes it the perfect option for those who are vulnerable to heart disease.

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

at room temperature. Always defrost frozen venison in the refrigerator and not at room temperature.

Email Bryan Slaven, “The Texas Gourmet,” at BSlaven@fishgame.com

Caution Venison, like other meats, contains naturally-occurring substances like purines, which are responsible for the condition called gout, apart from the formation of kidney stones. Hence, those with kidney problems or gout should limit or avoid the intake of venison.

Cooking Tips Parasites and tapeworms are common in venison; hence it should be frozen for a minimum of two hours. This will kill any parasites or tapeworms. For tougher cuts like rump, round and shoulder, moist heat methods such as braising (simmering in a small amount of liquid, in a covered pot) is recommended. Prepare a hearty stew by combining venison steak pieces, root vegetables, spices and broth. Skewer marinated cubes of venison steak with vegetables and grill in the oven or on the barbeque. To mask the gamey flavor of venison, spices or marinades can be used. A vinegar-soaked cloth will remove hair from the meat, which can otherwise produce undesirable flavors. You can add other fats to avoid the meat from becoming too dry. Rub a roast with oil, butter, margarine, bacon fat or sweet or sour cream to add moisture, richness, and flavor. In case you have to marinate venison, do so in the refrigerator only. This is because its extreme sensitivity to heat might spoil it, T F & G

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Striper Express Guide Servce

TEXAS SALTWATER

GALVESTON

MIDDLE Coast

ROCKPORT

www.FISHGAME.COM

TEXAS HUNTING Rockport Redrunner

Upper Coast (Sabine Lake)

NORTH EAST TEXAS

TEXAS HUNTING SOUTH TEXAS

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Striper Express

Rockport Redrunner

TEXAS FRESHWATER

TEXAS FISHING

TEXAS FRESHWATER

LAKE AMISTAD

DFW METROPLEX

LAKE TEXOMA

Call dennise for rates and information 281.869.5519

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ON-LINE STORE FISHANDGAMEGEAR.COM

SPOTLIGHT: STRIPER EXPRESS GUIDE SERVICE “Welcome To Striper Express!” is the greeting you’ll receive the minute you board one of the Striper Express boats. For owners and pro-guides Bill and Chris Carey, friendliness and professionalism are not just words; they are a way of life. For the past 28 years, Striper Express Guide Service has been offering first class fishing for striped bass on Lake Texoma. “We Sell Fun!“ states the father and son team. Our slogan is, “Every Trip is an Adventure!” They specialize in group outings, meetings and events. Striper Express offers companies large and small a way to recharge and refocus with employees and key clients. Whether a daycation or a conference, you can count on a unique outdoor adventure that your group can drive to and be excited to attend. Lake Texoma boasts twice the state limit for striped bass at 10 fish per person. The lake is located on the Texas-Oklahoma border just 75 miles north of Dallas. This 90,000 acre impoundment is a fisherman’s dream come true. We asked Bill and Chris what are their most memorable moments and without hesitation they both stated, “It’s the Kids! They are our future fishermen!” If you would like to book a guided fishing trip on Lake Texoma, call Bill or Chris Carey at Striper Express Guide Service. You can get in on the “striper success”, too. Please call: 903-786-4477 or visit their website at www.striperexpress.com. T F & G

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bass Private Pond Michael Jefferson caught this very nice largemouth on from a private pond while on a family trip. This Eagle Scout knows the value of family time.

Redfish East Matagorda Bay

Whitetail

Christian Geiselbrecht of Liberty Hill caught this 22-inch red in East Matagorda Bay near Sargent. He was wadefishing with his mom and dad.

Ozona Nikki Peck of Bellville shot her first buck with her grandpaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s .243 at 150 yards while hunting with her husband at their deer lease in Ozona.

Feral Hogs Gonzales County Matt Hillman, Ty Tinsley, and J.T. Miller won first place in the DeWitt County Hog Hunt in February, with a two-day total of 40 hogs. All of the hogs were killed in Gonzales County.

Bass Callender Lake Earnest Ward of Murchison caught this 24-1/2inch largemouth bass while fishing on Callender Lake.

Whitetail

Willacy County

Brazoria County Larissa Martinez, 11, killed her first deer while hunting with her grandfather on a private ranch in Brazoria County. She used a .223 Remington 700.

Connor Chavez, 6, of Harlingen shows off his first doe. He was hunting with his dad, Steve Chavez, in Willacy County. Connor was shooting a custom-fit 22 hornet. He was able to bag the doe at a distance of 65 yards.

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black drum Galveston Robert Rose caught this black drum while dock fishing at Galveston RV Park & Marina using shrimp.

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

EMAIL: photos@FishGame.com

For best results, send MED to HIGH quality JPEG digital files only, please.

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

Cobia North Padre Island Whitetail

Tom Chrobocinski caught this 52-inch, 60-pound Cobia while fishing the surf on Padre Island near Corpus Christi. He was using live finger mullet for bait.

Val Verde County

Redfish Port O’Connor Cy Strieber, 12, caught this 27-inch redfish while fishing with his family in Port O’Connor.

Austin Rumsey, 11, with his first buck, an 8-point he shot at 100 yards with a .222. He was hunting with his Uncle Darren on a ranch in Val Verde County.

Catfish Lake Livingston Jayden Gans, age 12, and Colton Gans, age 9, caught these big blue catfish with their Dad, Mike Gans, on Lake Livingston.

Mixed Stringer

Whitetail

San Bernard River

Runnels County

Mitchell Nairn, 12, of Sweeny caught a 17-inch speck and a28inch redfish in the Cow Trap near the mouth of the San Bernard River.

Christian Smith killed his first buck on the Family Ranch in Runnels County using his grandfather’s .233 at 75 yards.

Whitetail Bee County Sydney Fox, 11, of College Station killed her first deer while hunting on her grandfather’s ranch in Bee County. She shot it with her grandmother’s .243.

Black Drum Port Aransas Peyton Beckham, 12, of Midland caught and released this 33-pound, 37-inch black drum at Port Aransas. He was assisted in the 65-minute battle by his Granddad, Jim Harris.

Redfish Galveston Adam Nowak, 7, of Fort Worth caught this 22-inch redfish using live mullet while fishing in the Galveston Harbor with his parents, Tony and Sandra Nowak.

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